It’s a bad time to try to read the latest, hottest books on Overdrive: everyone wants them. It’s a great time to read hot titles from a few years ago! This review was originally posted in 2017, and as of the posting of this review, it is available as an audiobook and eBook on Overdrive and the Libby app. Not sure how to get started? Ask a librarian! We are available by email at medfield@minlib.net and by phone at 508-359-4544 Mon-Fri 10 am – 6 pm.

Original review:

Bohjalian writes another thriller and this time it concerns sleepwalking. Annalen’s disappearance is attributed to her sleepwalking,but why was she near the river and where is her body? Her family and
the authorities spend the novel trying to solve this mystery. Of course there’s a twist at the end! This is Bohjalian at his best.

Reviewed by Terri.

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Lisa Jewell has become one of my favorite thriller writers. Her books are quick reads filled with suspense and psychological twists.

Ellie Mack was 15 years old when she went missing. She was the youngest of three children who went to the library one day and never came back. Laurel Mack, the mother, was never the same. Her marriage ended and her other 2 children became distant.

As time passed and Laurel found a new love, she never gave up hope of finding out what happened to Ellie. She never believed that Ellie just ran away, although the police found no clues as to her whereabouts.

This is a typical Jewell thriller and there are more I would recommend: FAMILY UPSTAIRS, WATCHING YOU.

Listen to the audiobook on Hoopla

And find it as an eBook and audiobook on Overdrive

Reviewed by Terri

Kasey, a lively and funny twelve-year old stuck in the hospital for a month, writes a series of letters to her friend Nina. She introduces us to her family, the nurses and staff at the hospital, and to Ivy, her IV, who becomes her protector during the long, scary nights at the hospital. 

Kasey’s perspectives on her family, her soccer team, and her elderly hospital neighbors paints a vivid portrait of a trying time in her life.

This is a great read for grades 4-7! 

Available as an eBook on Overdrive

Reviewed by Anna

This novel was truly one of the best reads of 2018 and beyond.  Jones, an African American author, writes a powerful story about what happens when a black man is imprisoned for a crime he did not commit.

Celestial and Ray are newlyweds and just starting their lives together – he as a young executive and Celestial as an artist.  Unexpected circumstances  occur that absolutely rip their lives apart and test their new young love to the limit. Roy is placed in jail, while Celestial must return to her past life feeling confused and angry. To help Celestial cope, her dear friend Andre brings her some comfort.

This a love story that stirs up deep feelings for three people who are dealing with forces beyond their control.

Available as eBook on hoopla and Overdrive

Available as downloadable audiobook on hoopla and Overdrive

Reviewed by Terri

You were the one who wouldn’t let me in when I knocked

 Sixteen-year-old Amanda Verner is trying to put what happened last winter behind her. Living in a cramped cabin with six other family members, she craves a few moments of escape and relief. That’s how she finds herself with an unwanted pregnancy as her family decides to suddenly move from their mountain home to the wide expanse of prairie miles away, where her father has been told of a surplus of empty cabins just waiting for them.Unfortunately, the story of rich land and beautiful houses is too good to be true. The family’s new residence has evidence of a terrible crime and soon Amanda begins to fear that the devil she saw that winter may not be so easy to escape. But does the creature exist in this world, or only in her own haunted mind? 
Daughters Unto Devils is said to be “If Little House on the Prairie were written by Stephen King” but after reading it, it’s very clear that the inspiration might have been more Evil Dead than Carrie. The story’s build up is slow and increasingly unsettling, causing the reader to wonder, along with its narrator, just what is real and what isn’t. The final conclusion is altogether horrifying, gruesome and completely haunting. For fans of horror stories, don’t let the YA label on this one turn to away. It’s a fright you wont want to miss. 

Daughters Unto Devils is available to stream on Hoopla here in both ebook and audiobook formats. Just don’t listen to it late at night.

Reviewed by Athena

This historical fiction does take place during WWII and centers around two estranged sisters who have grown up in Brooklyn. They are reunited during the early days of the war at the Springfield Armory which is located in Springfield, MA and was important for the manufacturing of guns. One sister is an officer’s wife and lives on the beautiful grounds of the Armory while the other sister arrives as a war widow and works in the factory. As they reunite, old wounds are opened and a secret shared by the two is revealed due to a mysterious person from their past lives. Sibling rivalry and jealousy are two major themes.

The author is from the Springfield area and also wrote THE TWO FAMILY HOUSE which I recommend.
I am personally familiar with the Springfield Armory as I grew up in Springfield. It is, to this day a beautiful property with a museum showcasing its history.

Get the eBook from Overdrive or the audiobook from hoopla!

Reviewed by Terri

It’s a bad time to try to read the latest, hottest books on Overdrive: everyone wants them. It’s a great time to read hot titles from a few years ago! This review was originally posted in 2017, but Elinor Lipman remains a delight. You can’t go wrong with any of her titles, so here are the links for all of her eBooks and audiobooks on Overdrive and hoopla. Not sure how to get started? Ask a librarian! We are available by email at medfield@minlib.net and by phone at 508-359-4544 Mon-Fri 10 am – 6 pm.

Original review:

Another funny read from Elinor Lipman, On Turpentine Lane is a light and delightful story of a woman, her new house, the mysteries that come with it, a bad boyfriend and a great coworker. What elevates this book above a cozy tale is Lipman’s characteristic cultural insight and wit. Elements of mystery and romance keep the plot moving. Perfect for someone looking for some warmth and brightness at the end of a cold New England winter. (There’s also a cameo recognizable to local readers: all of that snow from the winter of ’14-’15 snowpacalypse.)

Reviewed by Pam.

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