July was a fun month of reading for me and it felt great to get back on track after being a bit behind in my monthly reading goals I set for myself. While some of these books were a tad disappointing in the expectations I had set for myself, I still really enjoyed reading them this month! My absolute favorite read from July was First Lie Wins followed by The Lions of Fifth Avenue. Keep scrolling to see a summary plus my rating for the 5 books I read in July!
5 Books I Read in July 2024
Swan Song – Elin Hilderbrand
Synopsis
Chief of Police Ed Kapenash is about to retire. Blond Sharon is going through a divorce. But when a 22-million-dollar summer home is purchased by the mysterious Richardsons–how did they make their money, exactly?–Ed, Sharon, and everyone in the community are swept up in high drama. The Richardsons throw lavish parties, flirt with multiple locals, flaunt their wealth with not one but two yachts, and raise impossible hopes of everyone they meet. When their house burns to the ground and their most essential employee goes missing, the entire island is up in arms.
The last of Elin Hilderbrand’s bestselling Nantucket novels, Swan Song is a propulsive medley of glittering gatherings, sun-soaked drama, wisdom, and heart. Featuring the return of some of her most beloved characters, including, most importantly, the beautiful and timeless island of Nantucket itself.
Meghan’s Thoughts & Rating
- This book had quite a bit, including mystery, drama, complex relationships, friendships, love, and an ending that left me going “hm.” It was a nice swan song for Elin herself. It’s a great beach or pool read. (Though I still love The Hotel Nantucket the most out of this series!)
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Talent for Murder – Peter Swanson
Synopsis
Martha Ratliff conceded long ago that she’d likely spend her life alone. She was fine with it, happy with her solo existence, stimulated by her work as a librarian in Maine. But then she met Alan, a charming and sweet-natured salesman whose job took him on the road for half the year. When he asked her to marry him, she said yes, even though he still felt a little bit like a stranger.
A year in and the marriage was good. Except for that strange blood streak on the back of one of his shirts he’d worn to a conference in Denver. Her curiosity turning to suspicion, Martha investigates the cities Alan visited over the past year and uncovers a disturbing pattern–five unsolved cases of murdered women.
Is she married to a serial killer? Or could it merely be a coincidence? Unsure what to think, Martha contacts an old friend from graduate school for advice. Lily Kintner once helped Martha out of a jam with an abusive boyfriend and may have some insight. Intrigued, Lily offers to meet Alan to find out what kind of man he really is . . .but what Lily uncovers is more perplexing and wicked than they ever could have expected.
Meghan’s Thoughts & Rating
- This book is fast-paced and I found it enjoyable to read. This is the first book I’ve read in this series and you do not have to read the previous two to understand fully. I thought it could have gone deeper and had a few predictable parts, so I rated it a little lower. That said, I did enjoy it and it was a quick read!
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
The Helsinki Affair – Anna Pitoniak
Synopsis
Spying is the family business. Amanda Cole is a brilliant young CIA officer following in the footsteps of her father, who was a spy during the Cold War. It takes grit to succeed in this male-dominated world. But one hot summer day, when a Russian defector walks into her post, Amanda is given the ultimate chance to prove herself.
The defector warns of the imminent assassination of a US senator. Though Amanda takes the warning seriously, her superiors don’t. Twenty-four hours later, the senator is dead. And the assassination is just beginning.
Corporate blackmail, covert manipulation, corrupt oligarchs: the Kremlin has found a dangerous new way to wage war. Teaming up with Kath Frost, a fearless older woman and legendary spy, Amanda races from Rome to London, from St. Petersburg to Helsinki, unraveling the international conspiracy. But as she gets closer to the truth, a central question haunts her: Why was her father’s name written down in the senator’s notes? What does Charlie Cole really know about the Kremlin plot?
Meghan’s Thoughts & Rating
- Have you ever read a book you wanted to be really good and kept reading it because you thought maybe there was a chance it would end that way? That’s how this book was for me. It was mildly disappointing. Though I did finish it and I’m glad I did. It starts really slow, picks up in the end. Though misses some details that would have made it great. Also, the one thing that knocked the score down for me is the unclear narration & timeline jumping.
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Lions of Fifth Avenue – Fiona Davis
Synopsis
It’s 1913, and on the surface, Laura Lyons couldn’t ask for more out of life–her husband is the superintendent of the New York Public Library, allowing their family to live in an apartment within the grand building, and they are blessed with two children. But headstrong, passionate Laura wants more. And when she takes a leap of faith and applies to the Columbia Journalism School, her world is cracked wide open. As her studies take her all over the city, she is drawn to Greenwich Village’s new bohemia, where she discovers the Heterodoxy Club–a radical, all-female group in which women are encouraged to loudly share their opinions on suffrage, birth control, and women’s rights.
Soon, Laura finds herself questioning her traditional role as wife and mother. And when valuable books are stolen back at the library, threatening the home and institution she loves, she’s forced to confront her shifting priorities head on . . . and may just lose everything in the process.
Eighty years later, in 1993, Sadie Donovan struggles with the legacy of her grandmother, the famous essayist Laura Lyons. Especially after she’s wrangled her dream job as a curator at the New York Public Library. But the job quickly becomes a nightmare when rare manuscripts, notes, and books for the exhibit Sadie’s running begin disappearing from the library’s famous Berg Collection. Determined to save both the exhibit and her career, the typically risk-averse Sadie teams up with a private security expert to uncover the culprit. However, things unexpectedly become personal when the investigation leads Sadie to some unwelcome truths about her own family heritage–truths that shed new light on the biggest tragedy in the library’s history.
Meghan’s Thoughts & Rating
- I was so excited to read this book as I am obsessed with all things New York City, New York Public Library, and historical fiction. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I wish the storyline had been a bit more in depth at the end. I felt like the ending got a little rushed. Regardless, it was a lovely book across two time periods with strong female characters.
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
First Lie Wins – Ashley Elston
Synopsis
Evie Porter has everything a nice Southern girl could want: a doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence, a tight group of friends. The only catch: Evie Porter doesn’t exist.
The identity comes first: Evie Porter. Once she’s given a name and location by her mysterious boss, Mr. Smith, she learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it. Then the mark: Ryan Sumner. The last piece of the puzzle is the job.
Evie isn’t privy to Mr. Smith’s real identity, but she knows this job isn’t like the others. Ryan has gotten under her skin, and she’s starting to envision a different sort of life for herself. But Evie can’t make any mistakes–especially after what happened last time.
Evie Porter must stay one step ahead of her past while making sure there’s still a future in front of her. The stakes couldn’t be higher–but then, Evie has always liked a challenge. . . .
Meghan’s Thoughts & Rating
- I really enjoyed this fast-paced spy/thriller novel! It has an unreliable narrator, and non-linear timelines, and is a true cat-and-mouse type novel. It was all over my Instagram recently and it *did not* disappoint. I flew through it.
- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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