Aberdeen Magazine Book Club

Not sure what book to pick up next? K.O. Lee Aberdeen Public Library’s Assistant Director Cara Perrion has got you covered. Whether you’re an avid reader or picking up a book for the first time in years, these picks will help readers of all ages find the next adventure to get lost in. //

Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

Ariel Lawhon’s latest novel, Frozen River, reads more like a whodunnit thriller than historical fiction. Based on the very real Martha Ballard, a midwife and healer during the late 1700s, this story reminds us how rudimentary and lawless our country was in its infancy. Martha Ballard kept thousands of diary entries documenting every birth, illness, and treatment for over thirty years. However, there is little known of her personal life, and that is where Lawhon’s talent for flawlessly imagining the life and experiences of someone who lived over two hundred years ago.

Like all good mysteries, this story begins on a cold winter’s night, with a body found in an unforgiving icy river. Not just any body — the body of a decorated officer who previously had been accused of raping a local woman. This book is filled with so many twists and turns you can hardly keep up as you flip the pages. Intelligently written, this story is emotional and thought provoking, insightful and creative, and quite complex as it explores human nature with all its grace and flaws.

Through years of research, Lawhon expertly takes us through the intimate moments of living in a country where laws were questionably interpreted and savagely enforced. Corruption, murder, love, and secrets keep this story moving faster than the flow of the Kennebec River where this tale takes place. If you are a reader who loves descriptive characters or a fast-paced plot, you will not be disappointed.

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston is an urban thriller that is quite a rule breaker. This book is sure to cleanse your pallet after a winter of reading historical fiction or the latest legal thriller. Elston constructs a tightly intertwined group of characters that could be described as a cat-and-mouse game, with a twist.

When I decided to listen to this book, everyone I knew who had read this before advised me to go into it blind. “Do not read the back cover of this book. Just go right into it.” And I couldn’t agree more. With that in mind, I will be sparing about the details of this story. I wouldn’t want to take away from any of the suspense.

This story takes a different angle than most alias-mystery types. No one is flying off to exotic locations or jumping out of airplanes onto yachts. It takes place very common southern locals. The main character, Evie Porter, is a well-groomed southern belle, for now. She is given a new identity with every new assignment she receives from her boss, Mr. Smith. And yes, of course, she has never met her boss. Evie takes instructions via text messages and uses her troubleshooting and honed manipulations skills to complete her assignments. She infiltrates the mark’s life and destroys it from the inside out. However, this time it’s getting complicated. As Evie Porter attends a party as the latest eye-candy on the arm of her mark, she is introduced to a woman who is using Evie’s original identity. Evie Porter is introduced to herself. This is where the rollercoaster begins and the reader is taken on an unexpected ride filled with bold characters, a strong heroine, and creative situations. The action moves the story along quickly and ensures you won’t have time to think about who, what and why, leaving you shocked by the ending. I don’t say this often, but this book will make a great action-packed movie.