Book Review: What Strange Creatures by Emily Arsenault

What Strange Creatures
Author: Emily Arsenault
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Mystery
Released: July 22nd 2014
Review Source: William Morrow

Scandal, love, family, and murder combine in this gripping literary mystery by critically acclaimed author Emily Arsenault, in which a young academic’s life is turned upside down when her brother is arrested for murder and she must prove his innocence.

The Battle siblings are used to disappointment. Seven years, one marriage and divorce, three cats, and a dog later, Theresa still hasn’t finished her dissertation. Instead of a degree, she’s got a houseful of adoring pets and a dead-end copywriting job for a local candle company.

Jeff, her so-called genius older brother, doesn’t have it together, either. Creative, and loyal, he’s also aimless in work and love. But his new girlfriend, Kim, a pretty waitress in her twenties, appears smitten.

When Theresa agrees to dog-sit Kim’s puggle for a weekend, she has no idea that it is the beginning of a terrifying nightmare that will shatter her quiet world. Soon, Kim’s body will be found in the woods, and Jeff will become the prime suspect.

Though the evidence is overwhelming, Theresa knows that her brother is not a cold-blooded murderer. But to clear him she must find out more about Kim. Investigating the dead woman’s past, Theresa uncovers a treacherous secret involving politics, murder, and scandal—and becomes entangled in a potentially dangerous romance. But the deeper she falls into this troubling case, the more it becomes clear that, in trying to save her brother’s life, she may be sacrificing her own.

What Strange Creatures is a story of love, family and mystery. With a dead-end job, divorced and no self-fulfillment, Theresa Battle is used to disappointment. But when her beloved brother, Jeff, is the main suspect of a crime, Theresa is determined to prove her brother’s innocence. And with such determination, she comes across a dangerous path.

What a freaking mystery! I love mystery stories and this one was so real. With such sixpences, twists, this book had me turning pages to find out the truth. I love how Theresa was determine to prove her brother was innocence of all charges and took all the risks to get this done. She unraveled many secrets and it leads her to dangerous people. It was so engaging. Theresa was not a disappointment in my book. She had her rough history but she didn’t let anything or anyone get in her way.

As a lover of mystery novels and shows, What Strange Creatures was right in my alley. I recommend this book to any mystery lovers.