Wednesday, December 18, 2013

WWRW: Don't You Forget About Me

I have been way too busy to read books lately (my middle son got married on December 7, and since returning from our week-long sojourn in VA, I've been catching up on rest, housework, Christmas preparations, you name it).

But not long ago, I read the most awesome book, and I thought I'd share it with all my WWRW peeps.  (If I already shared this title with you at the link-up, sorry 'bout that.  My brains are a little fried right now--that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it).

If you haven't read Don't You Forget About Me, Erin McCole Cupp's wonderful murder mystery/suspense novel (which is a Catholic novel to boot), then you don't know what you're missing.

Not too long ago, I posted a review of Erin's book on Goodreads and Amazon--and I'm going to just be a lazy blogger and  copy and paste that review here.  (I think I just really, really want to be part of the book party over at Jessica's...but I also really think you should read this book!)


Laura Pearl rated a book 5 of 5 stars

 
Erin McCole Cupp’s novel "Don’t You Forget About Me" will grab you on the first page and keep your interest until the cliff-hanger of an ending (which cries out for a sequel—and I’ve heard through the grapevine that one is indeed forthcoming!).

Cupp’s delightfully funny, self-deprecating, and flawed but very real and very lovable heroine, Mary Catherine Whelihan, leads a cast of unforgettable characters as she takes a crazy ride back to her old hometown of fictional Walkerville, PA, where she attended junior high at Our Lady of the Seven Dolors Catholic Elementary School in the 1980’s. Mary Catherine, once the target of class bullies and back-stabbing mean girls, is now a successful children’s book author who goes by the pen name of Mary Cate Wheeler. But this novel illustrates, with cringe-worthy realism, the fact that no matter how far you travel from your roots or how successful you become, your past remains forever a part of who you are.

Cupp has created a whale of a whodunit mystery that’s a true page-turner. This story has it all: a decades-old unsolved murder that occurred a stone’s throw from Seven Dolors; local mobsters ready to wipe out anyone who threatens to expose their treachery or stands in the way of their money-making operations; a handsome, charming love interest for Mary Catherine, a doctor named Gene Marcasian, who was her best friend/almost flame during their junior high days and who still makes her heart go pitter-pat; a wise-cracking best friend who helps Mary Catherine crack the convoluted murder case wide open—and that’s just a partial list. Lives are in danger from beginning to end, and it’s hard to separate the good guys from the bad guys. I guarantee if you start this book, it’s going to keep you up long past your bedtime, because you won’t want to put it down.

Oh, and there’s also tomato pie--which I’d never heard of before reading Erin’s book, but which I’ve curiously begun to crave.
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On top of the humor, intrigue, and edge-of-your seat plot twists, "Don’t You Forget About Me" has a beautiful pro-life message and presents the Catholic Faith, and those who practice it with confidence, in a very positive light. Without being preachy or in-your-face about it, Cupp compares the difficulties and heartaches of being a jaded, fallen-away Catholic with the peace and joy that comes when one humbly and trustingly puts his life in God’s loving hands.

Erin McCole Cupp is a masterful storyteller and a brilliant writer. Her character development is top-notch, and when her likable characters converse, their dialogue rings absolutely true. "Don’t You Forget About Me" is smart, sassy, and utterly entertaining. I can’t say enough good things about this book! I highly recommend it.


Now head on over to Housewifespice for more reading recommendations.

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