Are you in the mood for a dark thriller-type book? If so, I am giving away two of them.
The first is Bleeding Heart Square, by Andrew Taylor. From Amazon:
British author Taylor springs a number
of well-timed and well-planned surprises in this briskly paced thriller
set in November 1934. Fed up with the slights and slaps of her husband,
well-to-do Lydia Langstone decides to room temporarily with her father,
whom she hasn't seen since she was a toddler, in his seedy boarding
house in London's Bleeding Heart Square. Lydia soon finds out that papa
is in the pocket of landlord Joseph Serridge, a darkly charismatic man
skilled at manipulating others. Serridge is being investigated by
another tenant, journalist Rory Wentwood, for his involvement in the
disappearance of Philippa Penhow, the house's former owner. As Lydia
helps Rory in his delvings, she uncovers a tangled skein of scandal and
deadly intrigues stretching back decades and involving many of those
near and dear to her. A hasty finale is the only misstep in this
otherwise satisfying period piece.
I received this book in the mail from HarperCollins (Hi FTC!), but my TBR list is so long that I'd like to pass it along to someone else.
The second book is A Reliable Wife, by Robert Goolrick. I read this book earlier this year and reviewed it here. It too is dark and suspenseful. From Amazon:
Set in 1907 Wisconsin, Goolrick's fiction debut gets off to a slow, stylized start, but eventually generates some real
suspense. When Catherine Land, who's survived a traumatic early life by
using her wits and sexuality as weapons, happens on a newspaper ad from
a well-to-do businessman in need of a "reliable wife," she invents a
plan to benefit from his riches and his need. Her new husband, Ralph
Truitt, discovers she's deceived him the moment she arrives in his
remote hometown. Driven by a complex mix of emotions and simple animal
attraction, he marries her anyway. After the wedding, Catherine helps
Ralph search for his estranged son and, despite growing misgivings,
begins to poison him with small doses of arsenic. Ralph sickens but
doesn't die, and their story unfolds in ways neither they nor the
reader expect. This darkly nuanced psychological tale builds to a
strong and satisfying close.
Algonquin sent me (Hi FTC!) the paperback version of A Reliable Wife, but I've read it, so I'd like to pass it along too.
If you'd like to win these two books, leave me a comment below, and be sure to leave your email address so I know how to reach you. I will pick a name on Sunday January 3.
Good luck!