Keeper of the Light by Diane Chamberlain

To her husband, Annie O'Neill is the perfect wife and mother. To her rival, she is an obsession.

Dr. Olivia Simon is on duty in the emergency room of North Carolina's Outer Banks Hospital when a gunshot victim is brought in. Midway through the desperate effort to save the young woman's life, Olivia realizes who she is—Annie O'Neill. The woman Olivia's husband, Paul, is in love with.

 When Annie dies on the operating table, she leaves behind three other victims. Alec O'Neill, who thought he had the perfect marriage. Paul, whose fixation on Annie is unshakeable. And Olivia, who is desperate to understand the woman who destroyed her marriage. 

Now they must struggle with the unanswered questions about who Annie really was. And the secrets she kept hidden so well. 

‘Fans of Jodi Picoult will delight in this finely tuned family drama, with beautifully drawn characters and a string of twists that will keep you guessing right up to the end.' – Stylist

Kindle Edition, 508 pages

First published March 1, 1992

Audiobook,  14 hours, 21 minutes

Released Sept 9, 2014

by Tantor Audio

3/5 stars

I have been a Diane Chamberlain fan since reading The Midwife's Confession way back in 2012 and have managed to read most new releases since. The Keeper of the Lighthouse was originally published way back in 1992 and the 1st in a trilogy of the same name.

I wish I could say that I loved this book as much as I have her previous books, but sadly there were just some things that didn’t sit well for me. I should say that this was an audio read coming at over 14 hours and the print copy is 512 pages.  For me that’s a big book and I felt it was just way too long.  I'll take into account the start of a series usually lays some ground work for the rest of the series.  Suffice to say I’m glad I went the audio route.

lt was a twisty triangle with multiple sides that started off good but as the story unfolded there were parts that got off to a bit of a rocky start for me, it wasn’t until after the first third that some of the twists started happening.  The story itself was well written, the different emotions from a failed marriage to death of a spouse was well done but....I can't quite put my finger on what felt off for me but this wasn't a favorite Chamberlain read.  I will continue with the series, Kiss River is next - it's an old NG arc that fell through the cracks.

My audiobook was obtained through Scribd.

The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain

A community’s past sins rise to the surface in New York Times bestselling author Diane Chamberlain’s The Last House on the Street when two women, a generation apart, find themselves bound by tragedy and an unsolved, decades-old mystery.

1965

Growing up in the well-to-do town of Round Hill, North Carolina, Ellie Hockley was raised to be a certain type of proper Southern lady. Enrolled in college and all but engaged to a bank manager, Ellie isn’t as committed to her expected future as her family believes. She’s chosen to spend her summer break as a volunteer helping to register black voters. But as Ellie follows her ideals fighting for the civil rights of the marginalized, her scandalized parents scorn her efforts, and her neighbors reveal their prejudices. And when she loses her heart to a fellow volunteer, Ellie discovers the frightening true nature of the people living in Round Hill.

2010

Architect Kayla Carter and her husband designed a beautiful house for themselves in Round Hill’s new development, Shadow Ridge Estates. It was supposed to be a home where they could raise their three-year-old daughter and grow old together. Instead, it’s the place where Kayla’s husband died in an accident—a fact known to a mysterious woman who warns Kayla against moving in. The woods and lake behind the property are reputed to be haunted, and the new home has been targeted by vandals leaving threatening notes. And Kayla’s neighbor Ellie Hockley is harboring long buried secrets about the dark history of the land where her house was built.

Two women. Two stories. Both on a collision course with the truth--no matter what that truth may bring to light--in Diane Chamberlain's riveting, powerful novel about the search for justice.

Kindle Edition, 352 pages 

Expected publication January 11, 2022

by St. Martin's Press

4.5/5 stars

It was so nice to jump into a new Diane Chamberlain book. The Last House on the Street takes place in 1965 South Carolina with repercussions felt in 2015.

I loved this time period, it's one I don't read often and this book was a definite eye opener. As usual I was drawn to the past story (history geek), I was educated with the SCOPE program and the workings of it.  The author vividly showed the prejudices that were front and centre.  Ellie has a mind of her own and determination to go against her family's wishes that places her where she never imagined.

The Last House is a well written historical story with authentic characters and setting.  It's a story about forbidden love and family, mysterious, it showcases injustices and the ties that bind the past to the present.

I have yet to be disappointed with a Chamberlain book, while I am slowly making my way through her back-list I highly recommend this book...The Midwife's Confession was great also.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press (via Netgalley) for a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Audio Review: The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain

Steeped in history and filled with heart-wrenching twists, The Stolen Marriage is an emotionally captivating novel of secrets, betrayals, prejudice, and forgiveness. It showcases Diane Chamberlain at the top of her talent.

One mistake, one fateful night, and Tess DeMello’s life is changed forever.

It is 1944. Pregnant, alone, and riddled with guilt, twenty-three-year-old Tess DeMello abruptly gives up her budding career as a nurse and ends her engagement to the love of her life, unable to live a lie. Instead, she turns to the baby’s father for help and agrees to marry him, moving to the small, rural town of Hickory, North Carolina. Tess’s new husband, Henry Kraft, is a secretive man who often stays out all night, hides money from his new wife, and shows her no affection. Tess quickly realizes she’s trapped in a strange and loveless marriage with no way out.

The people of Hickory love and respect Henry but see Tess as an outsider, treating her with suspicion and disdain. When one of the town’s golden girls dies in a terrible accident, everyone holds Tess responsible. But Henry keeps his secrets even closer now, though it seems that everyone knows something about him that Tess does not.

When a sudden polio epidemic strikes Hickory, the townspeople band together to build a polio hospital. Tess knows she is needed and defies Henry’s wishes to begin working at there. Through this work, she begins to find purpose and meaning. Yet at home, Henry’s actions grow more alarming by the day. As Tess works to save the lives of her patients, can she untangle the truth behind her husband’s mysterious behavior and find the love—and the life—she was meant to have? 

Hardcover, 376 pages

Published October 3rd 2017

 by St. Martin's Press

3.5/5 stars

Diane Chamberlain had me at The Midwife's Confession and I haven't looked back.  This is my 7th book and I still have a ways to go with her backlist.  Her books are usually 4/5 stars, which is why she is an auto read author.  Somehow I missed The Stolen Marriage and grabbed the audio when it was a deal over at Chirp.

This one has the historical aspect that I love.  The polio epidemic of 1945 was new for me, I found it not just educational but heartbreaking as well.  The treatment and isolation for that time seems so primitive now, thank goodness for the advancements made.

Tess's story was interesting enough serving as a set up for the last half of the book.  It wasn't as captivating as I'd hoped or come to expect in a Chamberlain book.  Whether listening verse reading played a part I am not sure.  I found the story slow moving and while Henry's actions were mysterious some parts were predictable.

While this isn't my favourite Diane Chamberlain book she remains an auto read and author I recommend.

Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain

North Carolina, 2018: Morgan Christopher's life has been derailed. Taking the fall for a crime she did not commit, she finds herself serving a three-year stint in the North Carolina Women's Correctional Center. Her dream of a career in art is put on hold—until a mysterious visitor makes her an offer that will see her released immediately. Her assignment: restore an old post office mural in a sleepy southern town. Morgan knows nothing about art restoration, but desperate to leave prison, she accepts. What she finds under the layers of grime is a painting that tells the story of madness, violence, and a conspiracy of small town secrets.

 North Carolina, 1940: Anna Dale, an artist from New Jersey, wins a national contest to paint a mural for the post office in Edenton, North Carolina. Alone in the world and desperate for work, she accepts. But what she doesn't expect is to find herself immersed in a town where prejudices run deep, where people are hiding secrets behind closed doors, and where the price of being different might just end in murder.

 What happened to Anna Dale? Are the clues hidden in the decrepit mural? Can Morgan overcome her own demons to discover what exists beneath the layers of lies?

 Kindle Edition, 400 pages

 Expected publication: January 14th 2020

 by St. Martin's Press

*****

Diane Chamberlain had me at The Midwife’s Confession. While I haven’t caught up with all her books I am working at it. She takes snippets of history and weaves some wonderful stories. I’ll confess that after reading a couple flips of my kindle screen I actually sighed, it felt like being back with old friends ready for an adventure that I would love.

Big Lies in a Small Town is a hefty title, the theme is obvious and it delivered on all levels. I started Tuesday and finished Friday which lately for me is good, especially coming in at 400 pages. It’s a slow burn as the 2 storylines play out. The character development was spot on, not only for the main players but for others as well. I saw what made them tick and why.

The plot was intricate and unique as it revolves around a time and place where prejudices ran amuck. The research is evident and the author's writing style is why she is a favorite of mine.

Big Lies in a Small Town is a richly detailed story of secrets and lies, mental health, injustice, racism, abuse and more. It’s about connecting two time periods with a conclusion that I loved (while unexpected).

This book will hit bookshelves January 14th, 2020 - perfect to beat away the winter blues.

My sincere thanks to Naureen at St. Martin’s press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain

From bestselling author, 

Diane Chamberlain comes an irresistible new novel.

When Caroline Sears receives the news that her unborn baby girl has a heart defect, she is devastated. It is 1970 and there seems to be little that can be done. But her brother-in-law, a physicist, tells her that perhaps there is. Hunter appeared in their lives just a few years before—and his appearance was as mysterious as his past. With no family, no friends, and a background shrouded in secrets, Hunter embraced the Sears family and never looked back.

Now, Hunter is telling her that something can be done about her baby's heart. Something that will shatter every preconceived notion that Caroline has. Something that will require a kind of strength and courage that Caroline never knew existed. Something that will mean a mind-bending leap of faith on Caroline's part.

And all for the love of her unborn child.

A rich, genre-spanning, breathtaking novel about one mother's quest to save her child, unite her family, and believe in the unbelievable. Diane Chamberlain pushes the boundaries of faith and science to deliver a novel that you will never forget.

Hardcover, 384 pages

 Expected publication: October 2nd, 2018

by St. Martin's Press
****

I have read 4 books by Diane Chamberlain, though she has written quite a few more, and have thoroughly enjoyed each of them. The Dream Daughter is different with the added fantasy element.

How far will a mother go to save the life of her child, for Carly Sears it was taking an enormous leap of faith.  It was also a leap of faith for me as a reader to suspend my disbelief and just go with the flow of the story - probably why fantasy and sci-fi aren't favorites of mine. Leaving the comforts and security of home Carly sets a course to save the life of her child. 

The Dream Daughter is a captivating novel about courage, heartache, and acceptance. This is my 5th novel by Diane Chamberlain, it's a tie between Necessary Lies and The Midwife's Confession as to which one is my favorite. This earns a solid 4 stars. I was glued to the pages and anxious for Carly and her baby - finished this off in a couple days. It didn’t have the depth of those previous books with their multiple layers (remember just my opinion) that I love but still a book I will recommend.

My thanks to St. Martin's Press (via Netgalley) for an advanced copy in exchange for honest review.

Coming Soon: The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain

Diane Chamberlain is a favorite of mine and come this fall she has a new book out.

From perennial bestseller Diane Chamberlain, a compelling new novel  

Hardcover, 384 pages 

Expected publication: October 3rd 2017

 by St. Martin's Press

In 1944, twenty-three-year-old Tess DeMello abruptly ends her engagement to the love of her life when she marries a mysterious stranger and moves to Hickory, North Carolina, a small town struggling with racial tension and the hardships imposed by World War II. Tess’s new husband, Henry Kraft, is a secretive man who often stays out all night, hides money from his new wife, and shows no interest in making love. Tess quickly realizes she’s trapped in a strange and loveless marriage with no way out.

 The people of Hickory love and respect Henry and see Tess as an outsider, treating her with suspicion and disdain, especially after one of the town’s prominent citizens dies in a terrible accident and Tess is blamed. Tess suspects people are talking about her, plotting behind her back, and following her as she walks around town. What does everyone know about Henry that she does not? Feeling alone and adrift, Tess turns to the one person who seems to understand her, a local medium who gives her hope but seems to know more than he’s letting on.

 When a sudden polio epidemic strikes the town, the townspeople band together to build a polio hospital. Tess, who has a nursing degree, bucks Henry’s wishes and begins to work at the hospital, finding meaning in nursing the young victims. Yet at home, Henry’s actions grow more alarming by the day. As Tess works to save the lives of her patients, can she untangle her husband’s mysterious behavior and save her own life?

Review: The First Lie by Diane Chamberlain

Prequel to Necessary Lies (September 2013).

The First Lie gives readers an early glimpse into the life of thirteen-year-old Ivy Hart. It’s 1958 in rural North Carolina, where Ivy lives with her grandmother and sister on a tobacco farm. As tenant farmers, Ivy and her family don’t have much freedom, though she and her best friend, Henry, often sneak away in search of adventure…and their truest selves. But life on the farm takes a turn when Ivy’s teenage sister gives birth—all the while maintaining her silence about the baby’s father. Soon Ivy finds herself navigating the space between adolescence and adulthood as she tries to unravel a dark web of family secrets and make sense of her ever-evolving life in the segregated South. 

ebook, 35 pages

Published June 4th 2013 by St. Martin's Press

arc via netgalley

****

A short and sweet review for a short and gripping prequel.  Necessary Lies was released a few months after The First Lie back in 2013, I haven't read it yet but plan to do does in the not to distant future.  The First Lie though short was a powerful little story that has me anxious to see what the future holds for Ivy, Henry and the rest of the family.  In only 35 pages the author managed to pull at my heart strings and made me care about them all, I want to know what the next chapter of their live brings.

I have been a fan of Diane Chamberlain's since reading The Midwife's Confession,  The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes and more recently The Silent Sister.  Her writing style takes me to another place and keeps me captivated with her stories.

My thanks to St. Martin's press at Netgalley for a copy of this ebook for review purposes.

The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain

In The Silent Sister, Riley MacPherson has spent her entire life believing that her older sister Lisa committed suicide as a teenager.  Now, over twenty years later, her father has passed away and she's in New Bern, North Carolina cleaning out his house when she finds evidence to the contrary. 

 Lisa is alive.

  Alive and living under a new identity.  But why exactly was she on the run all those years ago, and what secrets are being kept now?  As Riley works to uncover the truth, her discoveries will put into question everything she thought she knew about her family.  Riley must decide what the past means for her present, and what she will do with her newfound reality, in this engrossing mystery from international bestselling author Diane Chamberlain.  

Hardcover, 352 pages

Published October 7th 2014 by St. Martin's Press

***1/2 

( my copy provided by publisher via netgalley for honest review)

I became a fan of Diane Chamberlain with The Midwife's Confession and The Secret Life Of CeeCee Wilkes.  I really liked the way she told her story, with both books she had me captivated and glued to the pages guessing and trying to figure out the mystery and unknown secrets going on.  Her writing style is nice and smooth, I didn't rush but enjoyed the ride.

With The Silent Sister I found it a little off in the sense that I found it rather predictable and pretty much figured out the ending at about 23% of the way through.  That didn't stop me from reading though, especially towards to end wanting to see how it would end.  I wish the author had spent a little more time developing Riley, I didn't feel like I got to know her as well and I did with Lisa.  

Weaving back and forth in time between Riley and Lisa it would have been nice if Danny had a couple chapters himself, just to know what makes him tick.  The ending was a little abrupt and maybe a little unrealistic (I can't say too much more, not wanting to spoil it) but I am not sure what happened in the last few pages is even possible given the situation. But then that is just my opinion.

All in all I liked it and will continue to read more by this author.