Beauty and the Rake

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Beauty and the Rake (The Rookery Rogues #3)

Erica Monroe

Quillfire Publishing: 2015, 351 pages

Reviewed by Jessie Park

Abigail Vautille has lived in the Whitechapel rookery her whole life, working long, hard hours at the factories until a tragic event rendered her unable to work.  With no other options at hand, Abigail offers herself in order to deal with her father's gambling debts and save them from debtor's prison.  Inspector Michael Strickland of the Metropolitan Police likes the deal; he gets to spend two weeks with Abigail as his mistress in exchange for forgiving the debt but is unaware that she has never been with a man before.  After all, aren't all Whitechapel women the same?  As they spend more time with each other, both are unprepared for how deep their feelings towards each other becomes.  Will Abigail be able to let go of the past?  Will Michael be able to change his roguish lifestyle? Readers should be aware that there is some sexual content and explicit language but it is not constant throughout the book.  The typical cliches of romance novels are present, as is the lack of historical accuracy.

The Girl on the Train

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The Girl on the Train

Paula Hawkins

Riverhead Books: 2015, 325 pages

Reviewed by Sheryl Walters

Rachel, a recently divorced and depressed woman, takes a commuter train each work day and observes her old street from the window.  One day she notices something odd and subsequently involves herself in a mystery.  This book definitely seems to be written for Gone Girl fans as it has some similarities.  However, the character development is a bit shallow and I found it hard to follow at first because the chapters switch from different characters in first person.  That being said, it did keep me interested and I read it in one day.  I found the ending predictable but not disappointing.  

The Girl on the Train

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The Girl on the Train

Paula Hawkins

Riverhead Books: 2015, 336 pages

Reviewed by Tori Lyons

Touted as "the next Gone Girl," The Girl on the Train is a psychological thriller set in the suburbs of London.  Rachel is an alcoholic who lost both her job and her marriage.  She rides the train into London every morning so her roommate won't find out that Rachel lost her job.  From the train, she becomes obsessed with a couple who she often sees sitting on their deck, drinking their morning coffee, inventing personalities and even names for this idyllic couple.  When the wife goes missing, Rachel becomes way too involved in the investigation into her disappearance, putting herself in danger.  This book alternates chapters from the points of view of three women: Rachel; Anna, Rachel's ex-husband's new wife; and Megan, the woman who goes missing.  It had enough twists to keep me riveted and I would highly recommend it to fans of crime novels/thrillers.