Sol Turquesa Beach Hotel, Holguin, Cuba

In November, Franca, Anne and I had booked a Sunwing vacation for an all-inclusive week in Punta Cana. We were supposed to leave last Wednesday. When we arrived at the airport, we discovered that our flight and our vacation were cancelled and would not be rebooked ... we'd get an automatic refund within 21 days (happily but surprisingly the refund arrived on my VISA this morning). 

Needless to say, we were shocked, disappointed and unhappy. We stayed at the airport and right away started trying to book a vacation elsewhere ASAP but everything was either sold out or so expensive. After three hours of going online and calling other providers, we ended up calling a last minute vacation company. The best she said we could do was the 4 star Sol Turquesa Beach in Holguin (via Air Transat) leaving on Sunday. Right on! So we headed home and met up again at the airport on Sunday.

We arrived at the Sol Turquesa late Sunday night. The lobby bar is open 24/7 and it was empty. Huh?! Usually lobby bars are busy. We headed to the 24/7 snack bar to get a bite to eat and we were the only ones there (when I asked the server about the disco she said this was the disco!). Where was everyone?! There are over 500 rooms here but apparently only 80 guests. Because of that, many things are closed down and not happening ... no entertainment, no activities, nothing. 

Franca and Anne work hard and were looking for a relaxing vacation but not like this. So yesterday we spoke with Pablo, our Air Transat rep, and asked him to move us to another resort. We're definitely not getting our money's worth at this one. This resort has the potential to be awesome but they should either close completely (apparently they were closed for three years and reopened in December 2023) or open to full capacity and provide what they promise. 

We each paid about $2,500 for this vacation (so it wasn't cheap!) and this is more like a $1,700 property given the deficiencies. Melia, the owner of the property, should be ashamed and embarrassed for charging so much and Air Transat should be sending booking reps here to check out the property to ensure their clients aren't getting ripped off like we were.

PROS

The resort - The property itself is lovely. There are lots of pools. The beach is nearby.

The room - We each had our own room and they were huge. But it's obvious there was furniture missing from mine, though, as I had a big corner that is empty. I had two larger twin beds that were pushed together and the bed was comfortable.

Book ~ "The Solemate" (2022) Sally Hepworth

From Goodreads ~ Picture a lovely cottage on a cliff, with sloping lawns, walking paths and beautiful flowers. It’s Gabe and Pippa Gerard’s dream home in a sleepy coastal town. But their perfect house hides something sinister. The tall cliffs have become a popular spot for people to end their lives. Over the past several months, Gabe comes to their rescue, literally talking them off the ledge.

Until one day, he doesn’t. When Pippa discovers Gabe knew the victim, the questions spiral. Did the victim jump? Was she pushed? And would Gabe, the love of Pippa’s life, her soulmate ... lie? As the perfect façade of their marriage begins to crack, the deepest and darkest secrets begin to unravel. Because sometimes, the most convincing lies are the ones we tell ourselves.

Pippa and Gabe had recently bought a cottage that sits next to a cliff and thought they'd found their dream home for them and their young daughters. Then they realized that people used the cliff as a spot to jump off and commit suicide. So they kept an eye on the cliff. When they would see looking like they are contemplating suicide at the cliff, Gabe would rush out and talk them down. He became famous and respected locally for doing this. One woman wasn't so lucky. Gabe ran out and talked to her and then she was flying over the cliff. The police investigate. Pippa realizes that the woman wasn't a stranger to either of them and starts to wonder if the woman truly jumped or was pushed (and why).

I've read a few books by this author and wasn't all that crazy about it. There was so much going on ... infidelity, money laundering, mental illnesses and more. And with each thing (everything is revealed slowly), it kept getting more unrealistic to me. It's written in first person perspective in Pippa and Amanda's (the dead woman who went over the cliff) voices (the chapters are labeled). As a head's up, there is swearing.

Book ~ "The Family Next Door" (2018) Sally Hepworth

From Goodreads ~ The small suburb of Pleasant Court lives up to its name. It's the kind of place where everyone knows their neighbours and children play in the street.

Isabelle Heatherington doesn't fit into this picture of family paradise. Husbandless and childless, she soon catches the attention of three Pleasant Court mothers.

But Ange, Fran and Essie have their own secrets to hide. Like the reason behind Ange's compulsion to control every aspect of her life. Or why Fran won't let her sweet gentle husband near her new baby. Or why, three years ago, Essie took her daughter to the park - and returned home without her.

As their obsession with their new neighbour grows, the secrets of these three women begin to spread - and they'll soon find out that when you look at something too closely, you see things you never wanted to see.

Ange, Fran and Essie are moms with young children who live in the family-oriented suburb of Pleasant Court. Outwardly the mothers are neighbourly but each has issues they are hiding. Then they are distracted when Isabelle moves into the neighbourhood ... why would a single rumored-to-be-a-lesbian rent a house there? Each wants to find out more about her but Essie becomes especially obsessed.

This is the third book I've read by this author ... though I enjoyed the other two, I wasn't crazy about this one. I didn't like Ange, Fran or Essie so didn't care what happened with or to them. The book plodded along and then the twist happened around the 80% mark. I knew something had to be coming ... why else did Isabelle suddenly appear in their neighbourhood? And it was an unrealistic and ridiculous twist and I thought, "Seriously?!" Up until this point, there were no indications so it was a shock and I wasn't buying it. And everything got happily resolved at the end. No way! It's written in third person perspective and as a head's up, there is swearing.

Honeycomb (aka Newfie) knitted mittens

I just finished knitting a pair of Honeycomb (aka Newfie) mittens to donate.

I used 4 ply yarn and 5mm double pointed needles. The colours are black and cornflower.

Wrist

1. With A, cast on 42 sts
2. Knit 1, purl 1 for 18 rows
3. Purl
4. Purl, increasing 2 stitches on each needle for a total of 48 stitches

Pattern

1.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
2. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
3. Purl 2 rows with A
4. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
5. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
6. Purl 2 rows with A
7.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
8. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
9. Purl 2 rows with A
10. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
11. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
12. Purl 2 rows with A

Thumb

1. In step 12 above, purl 2, put 7 stitches on a stitch holder for the thumb and cast on 7 stitches, purl to the end.  Purl 1 row.

Mitten

1. Knit the pattern until long enough (I did 6)
2. Knit 1 row
3. *Knit 4, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
4. Knit 2 rows
5. *Knit 3, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
6. Knit 2 rows
7. *Knit 2, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
8. Knit 2 rows
9. *Knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
10. Thread the yarn through remaining the loops and pull tight
11. Weave end inside

Thumb

1. With A, pick up the 7 stitches from the holder
2. Pick up 7 stitches around the thumb hole for a total of 14 stitches
3. Knit to fit length of thumb
4. Knit 2 together all around
5. Thread the yarn through the remaining loops and pull tight
6. Weave end inside

Happy Family Day!

Today is Family Day, a statutory holiday in Ontario.

Enjoy and spend some time with your family!

Book ~ "Further Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman" (2012) J.B. Lynn

From Goodreads ~ Knocking off a drug kingpin was the last thing on Maggie Lee's to-do list but when a tragic accident leaves her beloved niece orphaned and in the hospital, Maggie will go to desperate lengths to land the money needed for her care.

But the drug kingpin is the least of her worries. Maggie's aunts are driving her crazy, her best friend's turned into a bridezilla ... and a knock on the head has given Maggie Dr. Dolittle abilities - she can talk to animals. Unfortunately, they talk back.

It's just another day in the life of this neurotic hitwoman,

Maggie was recently in a car accident and her sister and brother-in-law were killed and Katie, her three-year-old niece and goddaughter, was left in a coma. Maggie works in the call centre of an insurance company and doesn't have the kind of money it takes to keep Katie in the high end hospital she needs to be in. When she was approached by a mob boss to kill his son-in-law, she took the job as it paid off well. The mob boss offers Maggie another job ... to kill a drug dealer. At first, Maggie doesn't want to do it but changes her mind when she finds out the drug dealer had supplied the drugs to the driver who had caused the car accident that killed her sister. On top of this, Alice, her best friend, is getting married soon and Maggie is the maid of honour.

This is the second in the Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman series and I liked it. It can be read as a stand alone but you should read the first one as there are many references in this one that will make more sense and you'll have the background. I had my doubts about this series when I discovered Maggie can now carry on conversations with Godzilla aka God, Katie's tiny lizard, who Maggie takes care of until Katie recovers, and Doomsday, a dog she took in when she killed her owner ... it sounded dumb but they are amusing and good friends and confidents to Maggie. Maggie has a crazy assortment of relatives around her. Her mother is in the "looney bin" and Maggie has chosen to have no contact with her. Her father is in prison for robbery and murder. Her mother's sisters (aka the witches) are quirky in different ways. Maggie was one of four daughters and is the only one left ... but she recently discovered that her sister, Marlene, who had run away years ago and was presumed dead, is actually alive.

It's written in first person perspective in Maggie's voice and was humourous at times ... she hates her job (her boss keeps hitting on her) but has to keep it to appear "normal". But it's also heartwarming as she is dealing with so much from her past and the present. I look forward to reading the others in the series.

"Love Letters", Red Sandcastle Theatre, Toronto, ON

Gord and I saw Zippy Said Production's Love Letters at the Red Sandcastle Theatre on Queen Street E.

Deborah Shaw and David Agro return to the Red Sandcastle in a unique theatrical event. Deceptively simple, devastatingly revealing, A.R. Gurney’s Love Letters traces the 50 year hand-written correspondence between two people whose relationship - whose very lives - come to depend on this now-lost-art.

The Roy Public House, Toronto, ON

Gord and I had supper this evening at The Roy Public House in Leslieville.

Gord had Fish’n’Chips (Crispy beer-battered 8 oz. North Atlantic Cod filet. Served with coleslaw & tarter sauce). He said it was very good.

Honeycomb (aka Newfie) knitted mittens

I just finished knitting a pair of Honeycomb (aka Newfie) mittens to donate.

I used 4 ply yarn and 5mm double pointed needles. The colours are black and cornflower.

Wrist

1. With A, cast on 42 sts
2. Knit 1, purl 1 for 18 rows
3. Purl
4. Purl, increasing 2 stitches on each needle for a total of 48 stitches

Pattern

1.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
2. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
3. Purl 2 rows with A
4. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
5. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
6. Purl 2 rows with A
7.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
8. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
9. Purl 2 rows with A
10. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
11. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
12. Purl 2 rows with A

Thumb

1. In step 12 above, purl 2, put 7 stitches on a stitch holder for the thumb and cast on 7 stitches, purl to the end.  Purl 1 row.

Mitten

1. Knit the pattern until long enough (I did 6)
2. Knit 1 row
3. *Knit 4, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
4. Knit 2 rows
5. *Knit 3, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
6. Knit 2 rows
7. *Knit 2, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
8. Knit 2 rows
9. *Knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
10. Thread the yarn through remaining the loops and pull tight
11. Weave end inside

Thumb

1. With A, pick up the 7 stitches from the holder
2. Pick up 7 stitches around the thumb hole for a total of 14 stitches
3. Knit to fit length of thumb
4. Knit 2 together all around
5. Thread the yarn through the remaining loops and pull tight
6. Weave end inside

Book ~ "Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman" (2012) J.B. Lynn

From Goodreads ~ Maggie Lee is not your average hitwoman. For one thing, she's never killed anyone. For another, after hitting her head in the car accident that killed her sister, her new best friend is a talking lizard - a picky eater, obsessed with Wheel of Fortune, that only Maggie can hear.

Maggie, who can barely take care of herself, is desperate to help her injured and orphaned niece get the best medical care possible so she reluctantly accepts a mobster's lucrative job offer: major cash to kill his monstrous son-in-law.

Paired with Patrick Mulligan, a charming murder mentor (who happens to moonlight as a police detective), Maggie stumbles down her new career path, contending with self-doubt, three meddling aunts, a semi-psychic friend predicting her doom, and a day job she hates. Oh and let's not forget about Paul Kowalski, the sexy beat cop who could throw her ass in jail if he finds out what she's up to.

Training has never been so complicated! And, this time, Maggie has to get the job done. Because if she doesn't ... she's the mob's next target.

Maggie was recently in a car accident and her sister and brother-in-law were killed and Katie, her three-year-old niece and goddaughter, was left in a coma. Unless Maggie can come up with a lot of money to pay for Katie's care in a topnotch hospital, Katie will be moved and probably will get lesser care. Maggie works in the call centre of an insurance company so doesn't have that kind of money. When she is approached by a mob boss to kill his son-in-law for $100,000, she doesn't have a lot of choice. Luckily and suprisingly he offers to have Patrick, a police officer and contract hit man, to train her.

This is the first in the Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman series and I liked it. I had my doubts about this book when I discovered Maggie can now carry on a conversation with Godzilla aka God, Katie's tiny lizard, who Maggie has to take care of until Katie recovers ... it sounded dumb but God was actually amusing and a good friend and confident to Maggie. Maggie has a crazy assortment of relatives around her. Her mother is in the "looney bin" and Maggie has chosen to have no contact with her. Her father is in prison for robbery and murder. Her mother's sisters (aka the witches) are quirky in different ways. Maggie was one of four daughters and is the only one left ... Theresa was killed in the car accident, Darlene was abducted years ago and murdered and Marlene, Darlene's twin, ran away from home a long time ago.

It's written in first person perspective in Maggie's voice and was humourous at times ... she hates her job and is floundering as she learns how to become an assassin. But it's also heartwarming as she is dealing with so much from her past and the present. I look forward to reading the others in the series. As a head's up, there is swearing and violence.

Book ~ "Julia's Daughters" (2017) Colleen Faulkner

From Goodreads ~ Julia Maxton can’t imagine anything worse than losing one of her three daughters - until the day seventeen-year-old Haley runs a stop sign, killing her younger sister, Caitlin. Six weeks after the crash, the family is falling apart. Julia struggles not to show hostility toward Haley but her deep-rooted anger won’t go away. Her husband, Ben, has drifted away emotionally. Their youngest daughter, Izzy, is lost in the shuffle. And despite Haley’s insistence that she’s fine, her actions scream otherwise.

Fearing that she’s about to lose a second child, Julia decides to take Haley on a cross-country drive. Maybe somewhere between Nevada and Maine they can bridge the gulf between them. But first there will be painful questions to face - is Julia a good mother? Did she secretly love responsible, respectful Caitlin more than defiant Haley? Can Haley ever find peace with her mother - and herself - again?

Haley is 17 and was driving Caitlin, one of her younger sisters, home one night when she ran through a stop sign. Haley wasn't hurt but Caitlin flew through the windshield and was killed. Six weeks later, Julia, their mother, hasn't left her bed and is crying all the time; Ben, their father, is working all the time or spending time with his mother and brothers; Haley feels guilty and is acting up (why didn't they get her help right away to deal with the accident?!); and 10-year-old Izzy hasn't spoken to her sister since "she killed Caitlin".

Once Julia realizes how out of control Haley has become, she figures the only way to straighten her out is to go on road trip with her ... drive across the country and spend some time with Laney, her best friend, who lives in Maine. Ben doesn't agree but Julia feels this is best for her and Haley. And off they go. 

It's not a happy topic (I can't imagine what it would be like to lose a child in an accident) but I thought this story was okay. It is written in first person perspective in Julia, Haley and Izzy's voices (the chapters are labeled). The ending was a bit of a surprise but I was okay with it ... it was the best way to end the story. As a head's up, there is swearing and self-harming.

There is a confusing timeline posted at the beginning of each chapter ... the story moves forward without jumping back and forth but the timeline posted didn't make sense to me. For example, the first chapter is "47 days" which I assumed was 47 days since the accident. But chapter two, in which the action happens right after the first chapter is "46 days, 13 hours". Chapter three is "still 47 days" and chapter four is "3 years,  months" but is happening right after the preceding chapters. Huh?!

I liked Julia and surprisingly Haley. I felt nothing for Ben ... he was barely there physically and emotionally and provided zero support to his wife and daughters. I really disliked Izzy ... she was annoying and I cringed when I read her chapters.

Honeycomb (aka Newfie) knitted mittens

I just finished knitting a pair of Honeycomb (aka Newfie) mittens to donate.

I used 4 ply yarn and 5mm double pointed needles. The colours are black and butter.

Wrist

1. With A, cast on 42 sts
2. Knit 1, purl 1 for 18 rows
3. Purl
4. Purl, increasing 2 stitches on each needle for a total of 48 stitches

Pattern

1.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
2. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
3. Purl 2 rows with A
4. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
5. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
6. Purl 2 rows with A
7.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
8. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
9. Purl 2 rows with A
10. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
11. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
12. Purl 2 rows with A

Thumb

1. In step 12 above, purl 2, put 7 stitches on a stitch holder for the thumb and cast on 7 stitches, purl to the end.  Purl 1 row.

Mitten

1. Knit the pattern until long enough (I did 6)
2. Knit 1 row
3. *Knit 4, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
4. Knit 2 rows
5. *Knit 3, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
6. Knit 2 rows
7. *Knit 2, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
8. Knit 2 rows
9. *Knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
10. Thread the yarn through remaining the loops and pull tight
11. Weave end inside

Thumb

1. With A, pick up the 7 stitches from the holder
2. Pick up 7 stitches around the thumb hole for a total of 14 stitches
3. Knit to fit length of thumb
4. Knit 2 together all around
5. Thread the yarn through the remaining loops and pull tight
6. Weave end inside

Mill Street Brew Pub, Toronto, ON

Gord and I had supper at Mill Street Brew Pub in the Distillery District.

Gord had two Chili Shrimp Tacos (pineapple salsa, jalapeño, lime crema).

Old Flame Brewing Company, Toronto, ON

After Gord and I saw Kim's Convenience, we crossed the lane to Old Flame Brewing Company in the Distrillery District.

It's dog-friendly 💕

Gotta love $5 beer!

"Kim's Convenience", Young Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, ON

Gord and I saw Kim’s Convenience this afternoon at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts in the Distillery District.

The play that started it all – Kim’s Convenience returns to the stage where it all began and reunites celebrated playwright Ins Choi with its original director, Weyni Mengesha. The most successful Canadian play of the last decade, Kim’s Convenience immediately resonated with Torontonians, becoming the most popular show in Soulpepper’s history. After leaving the Soulpepper stage Kim’s Convenience went on to become an internationally successful TV show on CBC and Netflix, and now makes its triumphant return home. 

Mr. Kim is a first-generation Korean immigrant, a father of two, and the proud proprietor of Kim’s Convenience for the past 30 years. After building his empire from nothing, the stubborn Mr. Kim grapples with his changing Toronto neighbourhood, and the growing chasm between him and his second-generation children. In this heartwarming and hilarious story, audiences follow the Kim family as they tackle their challenging past and look to face an unknown future. Playwright Ins Choi, who will also star in the production as the title character, calls the play his ‘love letter to his parents and to all first-generation immigrants who call Canada their home’.

Gord and I

It was really good. All five actors did a fabulous job. The characters of Appa and Janet are the larger parts and the actors playing them (Ins Choi and Kelly Seo) were excellent. The play premiered at the Fringe Festival (I'm a volunteer) in 2011 and was made into a TV show (which I never watched but Gord did).

Book ~ "Unravelled" (2007) Robyn Harding

From Goodreads ~ Beth wasn’t sure that joining a knitting circle was going to fill the void created when she left her sweet but commitment-phobic boyfriend, Colin, and moved in with her frumpy and judgmental roommate but it was worth a try. 

Armed with a bottle of Merlot and a positive attitude, she attended the first meeting of the stitch ’n bitch club. In attendance were Sophie, a young mom grappling with a toddler and a passion-deficit marriage; Nicola, an eerily sweet and demure bride-to-be; and Martin, a charming magazine editor who just had to be gay - or was he?

Beth is in her early/mid thirties and had been living with Colin for four years. She assumed they'd be married and have their first child by the time she was 35. When she discovered Colin liked the way things were, she moved out.

Angie, her friend, starts a stitch 'n bitch club and invites Beth. Also in the group are Sophie, Nicola and Martin. Beth is a freelance writer who occasionally works for Martin, who they assume is gay. In the meantime, Beth starts dating Jim, an engineer she had interviewed. Because he is older, he seems to be everything Colin isn't and Beth starts to see a future with him.

I was looking for something light and this seemed to fit the bill. Plus I'm a knitter. It started off fairly light but then things started getting went off in a few unbelievable directions. This story is written in first person perspective in Beth's voice. I didn't find anyone all that likeable. Beth and her friends were supposed to be in their thirties but acted like they were in their teens or early twenties, so immature. I figured there was a twist coming up. And there were a couple ... I saw one coming and the other one was farfetched. As a head's up, there is swearing and adult activity.

Honeycomb (aka Newfie) knitted mittens

I just finished knitting a pair of Honeycomb (aka Newfie) mittens to donate.

I used 4 ply yarn and 5mm double pointed needles. The colours are black and reef.

Wrist

1. With A, cast on 42 sts
2. Knit 1, purl 1 for 18 rows
3. Purl
4. Purl, increasing 2 stitches on each needle for a total of 48 stitches

Pattern

1.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
2. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
3. Purl 2 rows with A
4. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
5. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
6. Purl 2 rows with A
7.  *Knit 4 with B, slip 2 purlwise with A*, repeat to the end of row
8. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
9. Purl 2 rows with A
10. Knit 1 with B, * slip 2 purlwise with A, knit 4 with B*, repeat to the last three stitches, knit 3 with B
11. Repeat this row 4 more times (5 in total)
12. Purl 2 rows with A

Thumb

1. In step 12 above, purl 2, put 7 stitches on a stitch holder for the thumb and cast on 7 stitches, purl to the end.  Purl 1 row.

Mitten

1. Knit the pattern until long enough (I did 6)
2. Knit 1 row
3. *Knit 4, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
4. Knit 2 rows
5. *Knit 3, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
6. Knit 2 rows
7. *Knit 2, knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
8. Knit 2 rows
9. *Knit 2 together*, repeat to the end
10. Thread the yarn through remaining the loops and pull tight
11. Weave end inside

Thumb

1. With A, pick up the 7 stitches from the holder
2. Pick up 7 stitches around the thumb hole for a total of 14 stitches
3. Knit to fit length of thumb
4. Knit 2 together all around
5. Thread the yarn through the remaining loops and pull tight
6. Weave end inside

Book ~ "The Mother-in-Law" (2019) Sally Hepworth

From Goodreads ~ From the moment Lucy met her husband's mother, Diana, she was kept at arm's length. Diana was exquisitely polite and properly friendly but Lucy knew that she was not what Diana envisioned. But who could fault Diana? She was a pillar of the community, an advocate for social justice who helped female refugees assimilate to their new country. Diana was happily married to Tom and lived in wedded bliss for decades. Lucy wanted so much to please her new mother-in-law.

That was five years ago.

Now Diana has been found dead, a suicide note near her body. Diana claims that she no longer wanted to live because of a battle with cancer.

But the autopsy finds no cancer.

The autopsy does find traces of poison and suffocation.

Who could possibly want Diana dead?

Why was her will changed at the eleventh hour to disinherit both of her adult children and their spouses?

Lucy's mother had passed away when she was young so when she started dating Ollie, she was looking forward to forming a bond with Diana, his mother. Tom, Ollie's dad, was friendly and welcoming but Diana was cold. Even after Lucy and Ollie got married and started having children, Diana never warmed up to Lucy (or anyone else except for Tom).

When Diana is found of an apparent suicide, everyone is shocked. The police have to investigate and as they do, they discover Diana's death was suspicious. Though a suicide poison was found near her body, she had none in her system. She had told her children she had cancer when it's discovered during the autopsy that she didn't. Her two children assumed they would inherit her vast wealth when she passed away but she had changed her will shortly before she passed away.

I liked this story and the writing style. It's written in first person perspective in Lucy and Diana's voices (the chapters are labeled). The timeline jumps back and forth from the past (from when Diana was a teenager) to present day (the chapters are labeled). If it was murder, there were lots of possibilities of who could have dunnit. As a head's up, there is some swearing.

Book ~ "Under the Influence" (2016) Joyce Maynard

From Goodreads ~ Drinking cost Helen custody of her seven-year-old son, Ollie. Once an aspiring art photographer, she now makes ends meet taking portraits of school children and working for a caterer. Recovering from her addiction, she spends lonely evenings checking out profiles on an online dating site. Weekend visits with her son are awkward. He’s drifting away from her, fast.

When she meets Ava and Swift Havilland, the vulnerable Helen is instantly enchanted. Wealthy, connected philanthropists, they have their own charity devoted to rescuing dogs. Their home is filled with fabulous friends, edgy art and dazzling parties.

Then Helen meets Elliott, a kind quiet accountant who offers loyalty and love with none of her newfound friends’ fireworks. To Swift and Ava, he’s boring. But even worse than that, he’s unimpressed by them.

As Helen increasingly falls under the Havillands’ influence - running errands, doing random chores, questioning her relationship with Elliott - Ava and Swift hold out the most seductive gift: their influence and help to regain custody of her son. But the debt Helen owes them is about to come due.

Ollie witnesses an accident involving Swift, his grown son and the daughter of the Havillands’ housekeeper. With her young son’s future in the balance, Helen must choose between the truth and the friends who have given her everything.

Helen was in her late 30s and divorced. She made a bad decision one night while drunk and lost custody of Ollie, her young son. Over the next few years, she does all she can to get him back. In the meantime, she is working as a photographer taking pictures of families. Occasionally she works with her friend, Alice, doing catering gigs. At one of these gigs, Helen meets Ava and Swift. They are rich and Ava befriends her. Suddenly Helen is spending all her time with them, hanging out and doing odd jobs for them. In the meantime, Helen meets Elliott and they start dating. But Ava and Swift don't approve of Elliott and the feeling is mutual so Helen is juggling relationships.

This is the first book I've read by this author and it will probably be the last. I found it really dull and kept waiting for something to happen ... which finally happened about 80% into the story and by then I didn't really care. It's written in first person perspective in Helen's voice. I didn't find any of the characters likeable. Helen was drab and immature. I found it hard to believe that Elliott would fall in love with Helen about ten seconds after he met her, especially considering she treated him so badly. Ava and Swift were way over the top. As a head's up, there is swearing.