I have to start this review by saying I am a fan of Fredrik Backman's writing and have loved all of his previous books.  I felt Beartown was somewhat of a departure from the tone of his earlier books and dealt with some weighty topics, but it still has all the amazing character development that I've come to expect from Mr. Backman.  Our book club selected this as our monthly pick and it truly generated some of the best discussions we have had in a long time. 

Beartown is the story of a town on the brink of something.  Is Beartown destined for  greatness when the hockey team wins their championship game and energizes not only the town's residents but the community's economy, or is Beartown heading for extinction when the hockey team loses that championship match and Beartown fades into obscurity.  

This novel is also the story of family, those who are blood related and those who become like family to us.  It is also a story of strength, courage and determination on so many different levels.  It is a story of conflict, doubt and growing up.  Beartown is all these things and so much more.  

I enjoyed this book, but I will say that it doesn't move as fast as some of Mr. Backman's previous work.  I was about 30% into the book and having some difficulty engaging in the plot as well as keeping track of the many characters, but it is worth sticking it out because this is such a well crafted novel.  I believe Beartown is the first in a trilogy so that will give readers an opportunity to continue on the journey with Beartown and its residents.  

I received this book courtesy of Atria Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  

One Perfect Lie is one perfect read!  I really enjoyed this suspenseful novel by one of my favorite authors.

I don't want to give away too much about the plot of the book since there are several surprise twists.  

Chris Brennan seems perfect, maybe a little too perfect.  He is applying for a job to teach high school government class and substitute coach the baseball team.  However his motives seem suspicious.

Three of Chris's prospective students, Raz, Jordan and Evan, along with their mothers, each have their own troubles.  All three boys are members of the baseball team, but the similarities end there.  Jordan is very quiet and withdrawn; Evan is the typical spoiled rich kid and Raz has temper issues and just doesn't quite fit in.  Each of their mothers are also dealing with problems of their own.  

At the center of all of this is Chris Brennan.  What has drawn him to this town and school?  What is he planning and who will get hurt in the process?

One Perfect Lie is another fast page turning read by Lisa Scottoline.  I was completely blindsided by some of the plot twists in this novel and I love when an author surprises me like that.  I would be interested to see if any other novels explore some of the same characters from this book.  I think I'd like to read more about them and it seems like there is definitely material for another book.  One Perfect Lie would also make for an interesting book club discussion.  

I received this book courtesy of St. Martin's Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.