Two young women are driving home when they are assaulted at a gas station and driven off into a river. One dies, and the other’s condition brings back bad memories for her father, a former sheriff who investigated the death of another young woman at the same river ten years ago. At the time, there wasn’t enough evidence to convict the man accused of the crime, and so the sheriff had to let him go, and now with his daughter’s life similarly endangered, he must confront the situation he put that other father through, all those years ago.

The Current is a story about the violence done against women, and the effect of this violence on the men in their lives. Johnston takes us deep into the emotional journeys of two of the fathers, their guilt at being unable to protect their children and their rage at the men who dared to hurt them. The book also shows us the law enforcement officials involved in both cases, and how they confront their own complicity in allowing such acts to occur. We also meet the young man accused of the crime ten years ago, whose life basically fell apart, and who continues to insist on his innocence. We do get the perspective of the young woman who survived the present day incident, as she launches her own investigation of the matter, but it’s the fathers’ emotions that seem the most raw, and leave the most impact.

Johnston also has a lyrical writing style. His language casts a soft focus light on even the most violent scenes, turning away before it can get too graphic. The pacing is slow, which works for the language, and the book somehow reminds me of Jeffrey Eugenides’ Virgin Suicides in that it tackles some pretty horrific content, but in a way that feels almost gentle in its execution. A climactic chase scene on the ice feels almost melancholy rather than urgent; while we see the heightened emotions of the characters, the overall feeling is one of desolation rather than fear.

The Current is a well-written book, with a tragic story. There’s a part where a sheriff asks why he didn’t know about something, and the young woman responds something to the effect that it’s always only girls on the lake. And there’s certainly that sense of inevitability and injustice in this book, and a desire on the part of some of the characters to do better.

Giveaway

Thanks to the publisher, we have a hardcover copy of The Current up for grabs. Click on the image below for your chance to win!

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Blog Tour Schedule

Check out the rest of the blog tour below!

Jan. 21 – Literary Treats
Jan. 22 – Mickey Reads
Jan. 23 – Fab Book Reviews
Jan. 24 – nichi.i_readpastmybedtime
Jan. 25 – Novelties

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Thanks to Thomas Allen for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What does a man do when he gets out of jail? For Jack Palace, he plunges right back into a life of crime. Not because he wants to, but because he has to repay a debt to a gangster named Tommy, who saved his life in prison. Once the debt is repaid, Jack would like to retire completely from the criminal underworld and settle down to a peaceful life with his new bartender girlfriend Suzanne. Yard Dog is the first book in the Jack Palace series, so it’s probably not a spoiler to say that things don’t quite go as Jack plans.

I’ll be honest: when I received this book for review from the publisher, I wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy it. The whole ‘ex-criminal tries to go straight but gets sucked back in’ genre isn’t really my type of crime fiction. Cozy mysteries, grip lit thrillers, and Agatha Christie are more my speed. Still, as with all the books I receive for my blog, I decide to give it a try, and within a few pages Pasquella’s writing and fast-paced storytelling got me hooked.

From the synopsis, I was expecting a hard-boiled thriller with all the characters sounding like stereotypical tough guys. I was wrong. Pasquella’s narrative style is pretty straightforward, and he has created some really compelling characters that you just keep rooting for. I love Jack Palace. I love how badly he wants to just escape this kind of life, and how much it’s his sense of honour and morality that keep sucking him back in. I love that he’s given multiple chances to walk away, yet he chooses to dive right back into the fray simply because it’s the right thing to do.

The character of Suzanne was also a pleasant surprise. Again, from the type of story I thought this was, I was expecting either a drop-dead gorgeous damsel in distress or a drop-dead gorgeous superheroine who kicks ass and drops sarcastic one-liners without breaking a sweat. Instead, Suzanne’s a pretty complex character herself with a developed backstory that explains why she’s reluctant to hook up with Jack but decides to do so anyway. She can defend herself, but mostly because she’s smart and, because of the dangers of her job as a bartender, keeps a bat behind the counter. I also really like that she calls out a bad guy with a gun for talking to Jack about her in front of her, rather than simply addressing her directly, and more importantly, I also like that she quiets down almost immediately afterward. She demands respect, but she also doesn’t take stupid chances with her own life.

Overall, it’s an entertaining book with compelling characters, and I’m glad I gave it a go. Kudos as well to Laura Boyle, who designed the cover: it’s fantastic!

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Thank you to Dundurn Press for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Cowboy Brave is a sweet city girl / cowboy romance. Emily Baker is the Programs Director at a seniors centre, and books a week at Justin Maguire’s ranch for a group of residents who call themselves “The Fab Five.” Justin is attracted to Emily pretty much from the get-go, but his mother is less enthusiastic about the relationship. And while Emily is attracted to Justin, she has also chosen to leave the ranching life behind for city living, and is reluctant to start anything serious with a cowboy.

The romance is really sweet. One of my favourite moments involves a Hallmark Valentine’s card with a heart-shaped lollipop attached. Basically, in each box of Hallmark cards, one card has a heart-shaped lollipop and is meant to be given to the most special person on your list, and boys in Emily’s and Justin’s respective schools would give that to the one girl they really liked. As a tall, curvy woman, Emily is used to being overlooked by men, and remembers how she’d never received the heart-shaped lollipop as a child. Justin has no idea about Emily’s history with heart-shaped lollipops, but when he buys a box of cards for Valentine’s Day at Emily’s seniors centre, he makes Emily’s Valentine’s Day extra special. Personally, because the significance of his gesture was unintentional, it lost a bit of its impact for me, but I love the effect on Emily.

While Emily and Justin’s relationship was nice, I found that the best parts of the novel were with all the stuff going on beyond the romance. The Fab Five were fantastic — I can totally imagine them having their own sitcom, and I’d love to see them have their own romances. I also love Emily’s best friend Nikki, who is pursuing her nursing degree and is dealing with some heartache of her own. I found her a compelling character, and I’m excited to see she has a romance of her own coming up. I also really loved the family dynamics, with both Justin and Emily’s families. While there are various sources of friction with both families, there’s also a very clear bond, and I love seeing such strong relationships amongst the siblings and with their parents.

Emily and Justin’s romance didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I think because it wasn’t quite angsty enough to be a dramatic romance, nor was it heartwarming enough to give me all the feels like a Hallmark Channel type movie. And while the book itself was funny, most of the comedy came from the side characters, and the romance itself was pretty straightforward.

I also didn’t quite understand Emily’s reluctance to re-enter the ranching life with Justin. She had initially left it because, as the only daughter in her family, she was expected to do the paperwork and not the physical jobs that she actually enjoys. But when she spoke about it with Justin, he was pretty chill about her doing the tasks she actually enjoys, and this was made clear pretty early on.

Still, overall, I enjoyed Cowboy Brave. The romance was solid, the main characters likeable, and the supporting characters fantastic.

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Thank you to Forever for an egalley of this book in exchange for an honest review.