When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole

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If I have learned anything in 2020, it’s that I end up reading and enjoying books that reflect current events, only dialed up 500%. I started the pandemic reading Wanderers by Chuck Wendig. Dug in deep with that one. Finally read Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. Again, bring on the world destruction due to disease and government negligence. The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher was all about a portal to an evil world lurking behind some drywall in a home. Doing a wee bit of construction here and nothing like constantly checking for portals to other worlds while building walls to freak out your husband. So of course I stayed up all night to read Alyssa Cole’s first thriller about an insidious force overtaking a neighborhood during a time when everyone has been asked to stay home as much as possible. Because why not give yourself nightmares over your own home not being safe during a time you’re not supposed to leave your home. 

This book is incredible. Sydney Green has returned to her childhood home in Brooklyn to nurse her wounds after a nasty divorce and to care for her ailing mother. What was once a tightly knit community of longtime residents and small businesses is quickly changing due to a housing boom caused by a new research facility opening in the area. What began as a trickle of new homeowners grows to a flood of very white, very wealthy faces buying out the current residents, most of whom are people of color. 

After taking a walking tour of her neighborhood, which Sydney is a near expert on, her anger and frustration over the white washing of history grows into the development of her own tour that will coincide with a neighborhood block party. While researching for the tour, Sydney comes across an unwanted research partner-her neighbor Theo. Theo’s wealthy girlfriend has begun to show her true colors as a racist, classist, garbage person, while Theo has grown to like the neighborhood and having grown up constantly moving and mostly poor, doesn’t have the same trash perspective. The more that Sydney visits with her elderly neighbors, the more she realizes how the neighborhood is changing in dark and dangerous ways. On top of all of this, Sydney is receiving increasingly harassing phone calls, pressuring her to sell her mother’s home. As Sydney and Theo’s friendship grows, the feeling around the neighborhood grows more and more sinister. 

Alyssa Cole is an incredible writer. This book has some of the best writing I’ve read this year and the twists got me every single time. There is not a single scene that doesn’t move the story forward. It’s so tightly written and fast paced that it’s very easy to get sucked in and stay up all night reading. I loved how much detail and history is included about the important Black residents of Sydney’s neighborhood. There are some great discussions about gentrification, redlining, and the white-washing of the local history. Sydney is my favorite type of character. She’s smart, has a complicated past, takes no shit from anyone, and is completely fearless. The way that Sydney puts Theo in his place, over and over again, was a beautiful thing. In Theo’s defense, I think he was trying his best with what knowledge he had, and was willing to listen and grow. Theo’s girlfriend, I don’t care what her name was, is a complete trash baby. As we see her more and more, Theo learns alongside us how racist and classist she is. Cole does an excellent job pointing out the ways that racism exists in subtle ways that are often overlooked by white people. Nothing’s held back. 

If you love thrillers, mysteries, and insightful looks at how society needs to do better, you’re going to love this book. Cole also writes romance novels, both historical and contemporary, and they are excellent. I really love her Loyal League series set during the Civil War. She’s also a great follow on Instagram as she lives on an island with her hot husband, kitties, and chickens. 

If you would like to add When No One is Watching to your collection, you can find ordering information here:

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An Unkindness of Magicians by Kat Howard

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An Unkindess of Magicians came out a few years ago and I just recently heard of it from one of my many, many bookish podcasts that I listen to. Sorry, I have no idea which one it was. I love magical worlds and bonus points for setting those magicians in the real world where they have to hide their talents. This book combines magic, rich people problems, and a strong female main character who is out to cause some serious hurt. But don’t expect anything light and fluffy. This is a really dark book. 

Those with magical gifts are part of the Unseen World and in New York City, the most powerful magicians are divided into Houses who fight for power every twenty years during the Turning. However, the Turning has been triggered early, only thirteen years since the last, and this will be the battle that brings every dark secret to light. During the Turning, each House appoints a champion who will duel other champions in a deadly competition to gain one House power over all the others. Sydney, raised by the House of Shadows and unknown to the Unseen World,  has been chosen by a candidate House after an incredible display of magic in downtown NYC that went completely unnoticed by the mundane (non-magical) residents. She literally sent cars and buses floating through the air and no one noticed. No one. 

As the champions begin their duels, fought over many nights and with much fanfare, it becomes apparent that something is wrong with Magic itself. Spells go haywire or don’t happen at all, and no one can figure out what is going on. During these duels, already dangerous as many are fought to the death, the wealthy members of the Houses look on while holding champagne and finger foods. As more spells go wrong and champions die, dark secrets begin to surface about the history of the Houses, the sacrifices made to magic, and Sydney’s true ties to the Unseen World come to light. 

This is a gorgeously written story that is chilling in its ability to slowly uncover the horrors of the Unseen World. The ability of the wealthy and powerful to overlook and justify their cruelty was both shocking and yet, unsurprising. The world building is absolutely incredible. I love how less time is spent explaining how a spell is cast and more about the effects of the spells. There are some really wild things these magicians can do. The politics of the Houses and their power structures were really interesting and I loved how some characters were so good at illustrating both the dark and lighter sides of the society.  Sydney is the most powerful magician that has been seen for some time and how and why she is so powerful is a gut punch. But throughout everything she has to go through, she is able to still stay true to herself. Best part-the actual houses that the Head of a House lives in is magically connected to them and will rearrange and redecorate itself to suit the person’s needs and desires. It’s pretty amazing. 

If you love revenge thrillers, this is the perfect book. I love watching the powerful get knocked down and oh boy, do they get knocked down. The book moves pretty quickly and I finished it in one sitting because I just had to know how Sydney was going to bring everyone down. 

Want to give this one a try? You can find ordering information here:

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Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

Available August 13, 2019

I've got a thing for firefighters-hell, I married one.  With the Hubs being our local Chief and the station across the street from us, I'm constantly surrounded by them and it seems, constantly cooking for them.  When I came across Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center, I was instantly intrigued.  A story about firefighters with a female lead? Yes please!

Cassie is a fulltime firefighter and loves her job.  Loves the rules, the toughness, the exhaustion and the adrenaline.  When she learns her estranged mother has taken ill, and she's forced out of her job-epic scene by the way-Cassie packs her bags and moves in with her mother.  Proving herself to the new department is just as tough as she believed it would be and the older crew members are incredibly resistant to new ideas.  When she realizes that the other new recruit, the son of a former firefighter is also starting alongside her, Cassie finds herself babysitting the new guy and taking over all of his training.  The new guy also happens to be crazy hot and completely off limits-no dating crew members.  Balancing her work life with her reluctant duties as daughter is more draining than she believed it would be.  Just when Cassie begins to get her groove, an accident at work pits her against the rest of the crew and puts Cassie's job in jeopardy. 

I really enjoyed this one.  All the antics and hazing that went on in the department were really funny and Cassie took it all in stride.  Any time her ability was slightly questioned-Cassie proved herself.  I really liked Cassie-she's smart and tough but she also has the world's biggest chip on her shoulder.  This affects her relationship with everyone, especially her mother.  Even at her hardest, and sometimes most annoying, Cassie is a great character and I really enjoyed reading her story. 

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