Most of the books I have read over the past month can be classified as escapist fiction. Delightful, sometimes gripping, and at times preposterous, the following three novels will keep you reading for hours on end.

Here are my reviews:

Easily read in one sitting, this delightful novella is the perfect summer read. A seasoned storyteller, Ms. Jaeger excels in descriptive detail. I could easily imagine myself in the picturesque town on the New Hampshire Seacoast, partaking of the delicious food, in particular the ice cream.

The well-developed characters, crisp dialogue, and slow-burning romance between Tandy and Deacon kept me quickly turning the pages until the end.

A feel-good book!

Ms. McCreight skillfully drew me into the lives of the characters that populate this domestic drama/murder mystery. Using multiple points of view, along with grand jury testimony, memos, and emails, she kept me on the edge of my seat from the first page to the last.

Contrary to what the title suggests, all the marriages in this book are dreadful. The residents of Park Slope (an upscale Brooklyn suburb) appear to have charmed lives, but they’re all struggling with their own demons: adultery, stalking, malicious hacking, substance abuse, and financial ruin. The unraveling of those well-orchestrated lives leads to murder and a final reckoning.

An unputdownable book!

Intrigued by the idea of a hard-drinking “retired” hitwoman agreeing to help a classy female detective catch a killer, I couldn’t read fast enough to find out what awaited them in this gripping page-turner. I was particularly impressed by the first-person POV, quirky characters, dark humor, plot twists, and an unexpected ending.

It’s official—I’m now a fan of The Candace Starr Series and hope that Ms. O’Cinneide will deliver the next installment ASAP.