October was a very sad month for our family because my step-father passed away. He was 93 and had little quality of life left, so for him it was a blessing. Anyone who has been through it knows that even when it is ‘expected’, it is still a difficult time…

During the month of October I added 13 titles to my TBR.

I downloaded 4 titles from NetGalley in October:

“The Hiding Place” by C.J. Tudor

I loved her first novel, “The Chalk Man“, so I’m excited to have a copy of her second. (released in the UK as “The taking of Annie Thorne”)

Blurb: Joe never wanted to come back to Arnhill. After the way things ended with his old gang–the betrayal, the suicide, the murder–and after what happened when his sister went missing, the last thing he wanted to do was return to his hometown. But Joe doesn’t have a choice. Because judging by what was done to that poor Morton kid, what happened all those years ago to Joe’s sister is happening again. And only Joe knows who is really at fault.
Lying his way into a teaching job at his former high school is the easy part. Facing off with former friends who are none too happy to have him back in town–while avoiding the enemies he’s made in the years since–is tougher. But the hardest part of all will be returning to that abandoned mine where it all went wrong and his life changed forever, and finally confronting the shocking, horrifying truth about Arnhill, his sister, and himself. Because for Joe, the worst moment of his life wasn’t the day his sister went missing.
It was the day she came back.

I received this book from Crown Publishers via NetGalley

“Watching You” by Lisa Jewell

I’m always excited to see a new title by Lisa Jewell. She has become one of my favourite authors.

Blurb: Melville Heights is one of the nicest neighborhoods in Bristol, England; home to doctors and lawyers and old-money academics. It’s not the sort of place where people are brutally murdered in their own kitchens. But it is the sort of place where everyone has a secret. And everyone is watching you.
As the headmaster credited with turning around the local school, Tom Fitzwilliam is beloved by one and all—including Joey Mullen, his new neighbor, who quickly develops an intense infatuation with this thoroughly charming yet unavailable man. Joey thinks her crush is a secret, but Tom’s teenaged son Freddie—a prodigy with aspirations of becoming a spy for MI5—excels in observing people and has witnessed Joey behaving strangely around his father.
One of Tom’s students, Jenna Tripp, also lives on the same street, and she’s not convinced her teacher is as squeaky clean as he seems. For one thing, he has taken a particular liking to her best friend and fellow classmate, and Jenna’s mother—whose mental health has admittedly been deteriorating in recent years—is convinced that Mr. Fitzwilliam is stalking her.
Meanwhile, twenty years earlier, a schoolgirl writes in her diary, charting her doomed obsession with a handsome young English teacher named Mr. Fitzwilliam…

I received this book from Atria Books via NetGalley.

“Go to my Grave” by Catriona McPherson

I’ve read many titles by this author and I’m always excited to see another one. My favourite novel of hers so far is “The day she died“.

Blurb: Donna Weaver has put everything she has into restoring The Breakers, an old bed and breakfast on a remote stretch of beach in Galloway. Now it sits waiting—freshly painted, richly furnished, filled with flowers—for the first guests to arrive.
But Donna’s guests, a contentious group of estranged cousins, soon realize that they’ve been here before, years ago. Decades have passed, but that night still haunts them: a sixteenth birthday party that started with peach schnapps and ended with a girl walking into the sea.
Each of them had made a vow of silence: “lock it in a box, stitch my lips, and go to my grave.”
But now someone has broken the pact. Amid the home-baked scones and lavish rooms, someone is playing games, locking boxes, stitching lips. And before the weekend is over, at least one of them will go to their grave.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley

Blurb: My mom would never leave me.
This has been Mariah Dunning’s motto. Her compass. Her belief. So when she glimpses her mother–who’s been missing for the past year–on the other side of a crowded food court, Mariah’s conviction becomes stronger than ever. Or is she losing her mind?
An unlikely coincidence?
When Beth Dunning disappeared without a trace, suspicion for her murder-despite the lack of a body or any physical evidence-immediately fell upon Mariah’s father. Until Mariah stumbles upon two other recent disappearances from Lakehaven. And all three women had the same name: Beth.
Or a sinister connection?
Mariah would give anything to find out what happened to her mother, and clear her father’s name. But the truth may be more devastating than she could have imagined…

I received a publisher’s widget for this book from Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley

I downloaded 2 titles from Edelweiss in October:

“The Hunting Party” by Lucy Foley

A new to me author – I was attracted by the blurb.

Blurb: All of them are friends. One of them is a killer.

During the languid days of the Christmas break, a group of thirty-something friends from Oxford meet to welcome in the New Year together, a tradition they began as students ten years ago. For this vacation, they’ve chosen an idyllic and isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands—the perfect place to get away and unwind by themselves.
They arrive on December 30th, just before a historic blizzard seals the lodge off from the outside world.
Two days later, on New Year’s Day, one of them is dead.
The trip began innocently enough: admiring the stunning if foreboding scenery, champagne in front of a crackling fire, and reminiscences about the past. But after a decade, the weight of secret resentments has grown too heavy for the group’s tenuous nostalgia to bear. Amid the boisterous revelry of New Year’s Eve, the cord holding them together snaps.
Now one of them is dead . . . and another of them did it.
Keep your friends close, the old adage goes. But just how close is too close?

I received this book from William Morrow via Edelweiss

“The Secretary” by Renée Knight

I read this author’s “Disclaimer” and really enjoyed it. I’m keen to try another work by her.

Blurb: From her first day as Personal Assistant to the celebrated Mina Appleton, Christine Butcher understands what is expected of her. Absolute loyalty. Absolute discretion. For twenty years, Christine has been a most devoted servant, a silent witness to everything in Mina’s life. So quiet, you would hardly know she is there.
Day after day, year after year, Christine has been there, invisible—watching, listening, absorbing all the secrets floating around her. Keeping them safe.
Christine is trusted. But those years of loyalty and discretion come with a high price. And eventually Christina will pay.
Yet, it would be a mistake to underestimate such a steadfast woman. Because as everyone is about to discover, there’s a dangerous line between obedience and obsession.

I received this book from Harper via Edelweiss.

So… that’s it!  SIX more review commitments!

I purchased SEVEN titles in October.  I’ll confess, I am vulnerable to sale prices. All the following were purchased in Kindle format from Amazon.ca for a total expenditure of $9.96

“The Inspector McKay series” by Alex Walters

All three titles were only $5.99

“Our Little Lies” by Sue Watson

I purchased this title for only $1.99 after reading several favourable reviews by my fellow bookbloggers.

“Inside the Whispers” by A. J. Waines

This is the first in the Samantha Willerby mystery series. I purchased it for only .99¢

“In Harm’s Way” by Owen Mullen

I purchased this title for only .99¢ after reading these favourable reviews:

Sandy’s Book a Day

Between the Lines book blog

Novel Gossip

Emma B Books

“Open Grave” by A.M. Peacock

This is the first title in the DCI Jack Lambert police procedural mystery series. It came to my attention while reading a review from Donna’s Book Blog and another from By The Letter Book Reviews.  It helped that the cover is absolutely stunning.

I got this novel for free with my Kindle Unlimited subscription.

I’m delighted to report that there are now 2.968 people following this blog!

My Goodreads Challenge is on track

My NetGalley feedback ratio is still short of the coveted 80% 
(I’m hoping I’ll get there before year’s end…)

My Edelweiss feedback improved slightly this month