HARMLESS WOMEN.......THE ODDEST COUPLE EVER TO END UP ON THE RUN TOGETHER.....(****).....

 Harmless Women by Rebecca Sharpe (2026)

     By the time I finished this book, I felt like taking the same deep breaths as the two women lead characters. What a long long, exhausting, treacherous, perilous odyssey these girls embark on.......with the book re-inventing itself into some new unexpected genres right along with its characters.

     I can't say all of it was swift or fast paced, but by the halfway mark, I became engrossed and utterly enthralled with Avalon and Prim's frantic adventures, especially their suspense crammed finale that dabbles with elements of tragic horror.

     The opening promises sort of a nasty, smooth criminal thriller. Avalon, master of disguises, cons and thievery has just left her latest victim Primrose drugged, physically made over and with her considerable bank account cleaned out. What Avalon didn't count on - Prim's husband already dead on the floor and Prim ending up on the run with Avalon, both fugitives from justice together.

     Sociopathic loner Avalon and sympathetic emotional Prim actively despise each other as they go on an endless hike through the English countryside, in hopes of reaching the coast....and boats. But disturbing, heart wrenching reversals-of-fortune along the way forever change the two women in ways both they (and we readers) could never imagine.

     Avalon and Prim's points-of=view are at times interrupted by the seemingly unrelated story of Bianca. She's a tragic, middle aged widow, her mind coming undone by haunted memories of an abusive husband and a beloved adult daughter who fled the house, not to be seen again. Even when these stories inevitably collide, I'd credit author Rebecca Sharpe with still managing to make it all fresh, startling.......and compulsively page turning.

     It took patience for me to stay with this book as it would slowly execute its plot lurches and character arcs from one trope to the next. But eventually it drew me fully into Prim and Avalon's tortuous trek, their small triumphs, their physical and emotional agonies and unnerving encounters with people who cross their path......where everyone's a potential threat.
    
     Since,, "Harmless Women" did finally capture me in full "I gotta know what happens next" fury, I'd decided to round up my 3.5 rating to a full 4 stars. A long but ultimately rewarding and entertaining read....perfect material for one of those 10 episode streaming series.

     4 stars (****).

THE ESCAPE GAME.....WHERE ELIMINATION TIME IS A REAL KILLER......(****)

 The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss (2026)

     Enormous fun to be had here for fans of murder mysteries, puzzle solving, code cracking and that surefire winner......smart endearing teens up against a slew of obnoxious, criminal adults.

     Not to mention my personal favorite as someone who grows nauseous at the thought spending even 10 seconds watching reality TV, the depiction of Reality TV show producers and assorted staff as loathsome, creepy and overall moronic individuals. Put that in a book and you had me at hello......

     "The Escape Game's previous season finished up with one of its teen contestants, Alicia Angelos, murdered and found in a coffin. You'd think that would be enough for cancellation, but in a pop culture universe where high ratings and click-bait rule, the show must go on. Not only go on, but include one of last season's contestants, the victim's sister Sierra. The laser-focused, goth-outfitted Sierra, temper always at a full boil, was accused but never charged with her sister's murder; And now she'll settle for no less that winning the game and hunting down the real killer.

     So the game's afoot, Sierra leads four teammates (handsome, bookish Adi, influencer Carter, game master Beck). They're up against similar hotly competitive teams in solving their way out of a series of Escape Room challenges, each room with its own theme and densely packed with clues and codes to break..

     While I realize that for a lot of readers, the puzzle and clue solving sequences will sound like heaven on earth, those parts of the book held the least amount of interest to me. What I did love and enjoy was the time and attention authors Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss spent to bring all these characters to life and make me care for them, root for them and fear for them when they're courting danger. I was really taken with Carter Kelly ("Kick It Carter"), a shy introverted girl employing, like the Wizard of Oz, a manic pixie exaggerated animated avatar as her public persona.

     And given my low opinion of reality shows and those who produce and create them, the miserable collection of cynical, devious corrupt and altogether odious people in charge of the game here fulfilled all my worst expectation.......(with the exception of 'Fitzy' the show's bubbly, live wire young Australian M.C., who's not much older than the contestants.)

     Along with those incredibly challenging Escape rooms, Sierra and her Scooby gang must also plow through all the hidden secrets, twists and reveals that will lead them to unmask the murderer of Sierra's sister. And I can only tell you that their climactic showdown throwdown is everything you'd expect of it......thrilling, threatening, action-packed, surprising and even, at times, weirdly funny.

     Even if I'm no great fan of puzzles, this bunch I had a good time hanging out with, and wouldn't mind seeing them all re-assemble for further adventures.

     4 stars (****).