I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! The ending was not one that I anticipated.

Two friends from a fine arts school go missing after a play. An investigation ensues after they are found--only one is alive.

The parents have a convoluted history. Lots of suspects.

What happened to Tali and June that night? June is dead and Tali can't remember, totally, so her mom hires family therapist Cynthia to help her while Fitz, the detective looks for answers. There are lots of secrets and lies. While this starts as a tale of teens, it's really more about the adults, the fathers, in particular, I liked the interaction between Fitz and Cyn- they make a good team. You, like me, might be surprised by the ending. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

The overall storyline is right up my alley, but I was not a fan of this book. It started slow, and the writing was a little too "theater" for me (if that makes sense). The structure of the book, as well as some of the storylines, aren't needed. I also think it was prolonged and a little dull. It took some effort to keep reading, but I just wanted to know what actually happened. Thank you, NetGalley.

This was an excellent mystery novel telling the story of a prestigious school and its students and their parents, in light of the disappearance and murder of one of the students. The overachieving ambition is literally a malady affecting a great part of parents these days, and this book was an excellent example of that.

Excellent story! Totally engrossing!. Looking forward to reading more by this author! Could not put this down!

I’m afraid that this book was not for me. There is a double kidnapping and a possible murder, but the procedural aspect of the case is not important at all and could have been told in two chapters. The novel is more about the lives and thoughts of a cast of characters that I didn’t like or relate to. Readers who enjoy a lot of dialogue and background about the characters may enjoy it, but it was not the kind of novel I like.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/ Crooked Lane Books!

The Dangers of an Ordinary Night is a domestic drama set in the Boston area. The main characters are a young Irish policeman, a psychiatrist, and a family suffering from a recent trauma.

The summary of this book set it up as much more dramatic than it actually is. It set it up as a more HBO-esque drama - two girls go missing - two days later, they are found - one is alive and one is dead. What actually happens is much more about stage parents and multiple suspects and PTSD and bad parenting.

It's honestly....kind of boring. The last few chapters are rather rushed and left me unsatisfied. I wanted something else. I wanted a better twist or a better ending for everyone. I wanted something grittier.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Unfortunately this book had expired on my app before I got the chance to read and review it. I was looking forward to reading this, the concept sounded great and I like the cover. Will read this book one day for sure.

The first part held my attention more than the second half. It definitely had a lot more potential but over all it was a decent read. I did skim a bit toward the end

There are many types of addiction and looking at how it affects those around us is such a powerful thing. Not everything ends in tragedy, but it will definitely take a piece of you with it.

"Once someone lies to you, it's impossible to know when you're telling the truth."

A psychological suspense that harbors dark secrets in a little town south of Boston. This coming of age adheres to an investigation of the lives of high performing students stirring up guilt and regret impacting everyone's lives. As some advocate for others, they soon lose their own voice for themselves. The writer, as nom de plume, opens up to different cohorts with her main objection revealing the impact of addiction on a family. It will leave you in the depth of what people encounter beyond the addiction, who it effects and especially the caretakers who will sacrifice everything for some normalcy.

After an audition for a play at the Performing Arts High School of Boston, Tali and her friend go missing. When found, only Tali is alive while June is dead by the water's edge. Tali's story comes in bits and pieces of her memory with the consideration whether or not drugs are involved with the memory of being kidnapped. The investigation discovers a wide range of characters are involved, which is scandalous, deceptive and at what cost will love ones protect their own.

The story has a deep twist while some of the story became difficult to grasp, it was an overall depiction of our youth today...the influence, the lost compass and family deterioration.

Thanks NetGalley and Crooked Lane for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I will be really giving this book 2 1/2 stars....

Lynne Reeves' newest work, The Dangers of an Ordinary Night, takes place during the fall in Boston, where Detective Fitz Jameson is trying to find out who attacked two young girls, leaving one dead and another injured with no strong memory of the assault The injured girl (Tali) goes home to her mother, Nell, and her gambling father, Zeke, seemingly almost unscathed by the experience, which troubles her parents, leading them to seek the help of Cynthia Rawlins, a on-the-way-out therapist, who has a sordid past of her own. The novel ultimately becomes a procedural that leads the detective and the therapist on a chase to find out who did it and why.

Reeves' work is easy to read and it has its moments, most especially nearer to the end, but ultimately The Dangers of an Ordinary Night is a bit standard, with characters that have names coming straight out of old-school B film-noir. The dialogue is sometimes weak and there are character storylines that don't seem to go anywhere.; plus, I am not sure why this play at the Performing Arts High School in Boston is treated like the audiences are about see Hamilton...but I would say that overall, the novel is harmless enough and good for audiences looking for a light read in the middle of the night, just before dozing off. . .

𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒

THE DANGERS OF AN ORDINARY NIGHT
Author: Lynne Reeves

#gifted by @netgalley in exchange for an honest review
pub date: 9 November 2021

⚠️ CW: death, drugs, toxic relationships

"𝓞𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓵𝓲𝓮𝓼 𝓽𝓸 𝔂𝓸𝓾, 𝓲𝓽'𝓼 𝓲𝓶𝓹𝓸𝓼𝓼𝓲𝓫𝓵𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓴𝓷𝓸𝔀 𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝔂'𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓽𝓻𝓾𝓽𝓱"

𝙎𝙔𝙉𝙊𝙋𝙎𝙄𝙎:
Two best friends, June Danforth and Tali Carrington, go missing after leaving the Performing Arts High School of Boston. Two days later, Tali is found disoriented and traumatized and June is dead.

𝙈𝙔 𝙊𝙋𝙄𝙉𝙄𝙊𝙉:
First of all, LOVE this cover! Boston is one of my favorite American cities so I loved that that's where the story took place.

I myself am a fan of most arts so I really liked the fact that music, and especially theater, played such an important role in this story (teeny tiny spoiler alert: the book is even divided in acts instead of parts).

I was pleased that my guess was correct and the person I suspected for most of the story was the one behind what happened to Jane. Not a lot of people will enjoy the predictability of that aspect but I don't always guess "who did it" so I did enjoy that.

While I can't say I completely loved this book I liked it for the most part, it's a good story about flaws and guilt and how everyone is a little messed up and will sometimes do things they can't take back.

#TheDangersofanOrdinaryNight #NetGalley #bookreview

The blurb sounded really gripping which is why I requested it but despite a good start it didn't really keep my attention as much as I'd like. It was OK but wouldn't rush to read it again. The ending fell a little bit flat despite all the build up.

The plot itself at first started out okay but the ending fell flat for me. There didn't really seem to be a rhyme or a reason as to why one of the girls ended up dying. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review. I will definately be trying another book by this author as this was my first.

This book was okay, but I am not convinced. I usually like some psychological difficulties in books like this, but this was too much, and too much focusing on the adults' problems, making it seem like what happened to the girls takes a kind of backseat to whatever else plays in those people's lives. I don't like parents so focused on their gambling and their affairs that they regularly seem to forget to care about their kids even if something horrible happens. I mean, even when the girls are lost, right at the start, Nell is busy being annoyed with her husband and contemplating how much better their friend is. I know I am a bit overreacting here, and emotions will not be switched off like that, but it did make the characters a lot less likeable, and things like that can break the story for me.

On the other hand, the writing itself was great. I mean, that I did care about those characters enough to be thoroughly annoyed by them says how well they were written, and how they came alive from the page.

The Dangers of an Ordinary Night. I was immediately drawn to that title. On an ordinary and unassuming night, your life could crumble down around you. You never see it coming and it leaves a path of devastation in its wake.

That's exactly what happens to the parents of Tali Carrington and June Danforth. One is found dead and one is left traumatized. This book explored the aftermath of this horrible event in heartbreaking detail. The characters are very human in their flaws and emotional depth. The writing is beautiful, powerful and will leave you wondering about the what ifs in life.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Addiction can take a terrible toll on a marriage and on a family. The author shines a brave light on this important topic in her first domestic thriller, having previously written women’s fiction under the name Lynne Griffin.

In this novel, teenagers Tali and June go missing after auditioning for a play at their prestigious Boston performing arts school. Tali’s mother Nell blames her husband Zeke who was left in charge but didn’t notice that Tali never came home. Zeke’s gambling addiction has taken centre stage in their family life, causing Nell to feel guilty for missing other signs of trouble. She has always played the caretaker role at the expense of her own and even Tali’s needs.

When the girls are found in a beachside town, Nell turns to therapist Cynthia to help Tali deal with her emotional trauma, including the loss of her friend June, pronounced dead at the scene. Cyn is coping with her own suffering. So is the detective assigned to the case. The sparks fly between them, but can they risk making themselves vulnerable again?

The book pays tribute to the theatre and how acting allows Tali escape her emotional damage. But it’s a highly competitive world of pushy stage mothers, rivalries and dangerous secrets.
I enjoyed the fact that the story is driven by the characters. The resolution to the mystery of the girls’ abduction and June’s death comes from understanding their flaws. The analysis is convincing and often moving thanks to the author’s background as a school and family counsellor.

Don’t expect a plot-driven book with lots of twists and turns. It’s well written with emotional depth and convincing characters, and that’s its strength.

Published on Goodreads on 09/01/21. To be posted on Amazon on publication date of 11/09/21.

ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good murder mystery/thriller, and “The Dangers of an Ordinary Night” starts off strong. Two teenage girls disappear one night after a stage rehearsal at school. Kidnapped and missing for two days, the girls are finally found: one dead and one alive with little memory of what occurred. The story takes off from there, weaving together pieces of the girls’ lives and varying theories on what actually happened.

The book is full of many twists and red herrings working to throw the reader off and keep the ending as a surprise. Despite this, I had the book figured out by the time I hit the middle, which was a bit disappointing. To me, it was a little too obvious, and the red herrings were a bit too glaring to be believed. I wish the ending was a little less formulaic and more surprising. There are so many great details thrown in that are supposed to lead the reader down the wrong avenue, and I wish one of those was more developed into the actual ending. Instead, the reader is given an ending that can be predicted and is a bit of a letdown. It comes fast and unsurprising, and it feels like the end is summed up way too quickly. Without giving anything away, I wish the ending was flushed out more fully if it were to remain as is.

However, the book was well written and an easy read. This would work well as one of those quick “beach reads.” If you’re looking for a swift read that will at least be entertaining, this is it, but don’t expect to be astounded. That being said, I would still recommend this.


#netgalley #crookedlanebooks

Thank you to Netagalley for an advanced copy to review.
The story starts with 2 teenage girls are found on the beach one traumatized Tali, the other June is dead.. while an interesting premise to a suspense story it falls short of keeping me on board.

Nell, Tali’s mom, hires Cynthia, a therapist to help protect her daughter. There is a detective, Fitz, who works the crime. The story is written in multiple narrators but crossing over each other. Additionally, all the main characters have their own personal issue, Fitz has his past, Nell is starting up with June’s father. There is also Tali’s dad who is dealing drugs and Cynthia has a partner who is not honest.

All this made me wonder why isn’t the story focused on the death of June? I could not find any one character to hold my interest. Then it became too many people in the story.

The ending was not remarkable even thou there was a twist..