Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

The Lace Reader takes control of your life until you have read every word. I could not put this book down.

This provocative novel began with narrator Towner Whitney’s statement that she is crazy and that we should never believe her. The Whitney family was eccentric; the women have the unique talent of reading lace. (I have never heard of reading lace and found this very interesting).

May was an agoraphobic that rescues abused women and children, yet gave away one of her own children. Eva ran a tearoom and read lace. Towner could not only read lace, but could also read minds. After the death of her twin sister, Lyndley, Towner left town, swearing never to read lace again. A phone call brought Towner back to Salem. Eva was missing. Towner returns to Salem where she must face the ghosts of her past and the evil that lurks near by.

If my summary seems brief (and it does), there is a purpose; I do not want to give away one tiny bit of this marvelous plot. While this book has been described as chick lit, it is so much more. There is drama, twists, turns, action, mystery, thrills, and chills. Brunonia Barry is extremely talented. Her characters come to life on the page and each has a distinctive voice. I am amazed at the quality of the writing. I predict this book will quickly hit the bestseller list. The Lace Reader should be at the top of everyone’s summer book list.