Tips for Tuesday - Books: One Dark Night & Five Found Dead; Operation Friendship

We may have been given complimentary copies and/or access for review purposes to any books, products, and/or any other visual or audio media mentioned below. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

Books: One Dark Night & Five Found Dead

Today, we recommend One Dark Night by Hannah Richell. After a group of teenagers from a nearby private school congregates in a dangerous area, the site of at least several deadly car accidents and allegedly haunted by the ghost of a murdered young girl, another young girl ends up dead.   Ben is one of the detectives assigned to the case, and his ex-wife, Rachel, is the school guidance counselor whose job it is to help the school's students get through the crisis; however, unbeknownst to them, their daughter may be one of the prime suspects. 

This is a slightly spooky, but intriguing mystery. However, it is not as eerie as it may appear from the description. If you are not a fan of supernatural stories, don't let that scare you off. If you are, don't expect too much.  

The plot is compelling and unique enough to maintain the reader's interest throughout. The use of several narrators nicely ramps up the excitement and tension. The characters are fascinating and full of compelling secrets. Several red herrings refreshingly keep the actual solution to the story a secret even from the most avid mystery reader until almost the end of the book.  The ending is unpredictable and shocking,  but also makes complete sense and is satisfying; thus, the book is quite an enjoyable read. 

Today, we recommend Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentil. This homage to Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express also takes place on the train of that name, where not one but several people are murdered. When writer Joe and his sister, Meredith, take a trip on the train to celebrate his cancer remission, they are pulled into a mystery when the man in the cabin next to them goes missing and may be dead, and several other people are murdered. 

The knowledge that the author experienced her own cancer journey, similar to the character's, adds poignancy to the story, and even more so to the character. The character's cancer experience actually plays a surprisingly important and unique role in solving the mystery

Unlike Christie's story, wherein the train was populated by numerous compelling suspects, in this case, the story (and the train) is populated with a plethora of characters associated with law enforcement. This makes the story even more exciting and unpredictable. However, it is hard to keep some of the characters straight or to differentiate them at times. 

Still, the story remains interesting throughout. Plus, there are some intriguing twists and turns along the way. However, not everything about the ending is satisfactory. Some things don't feel like they are explained enough, and others leave you wanting to know more. There is a whole other mystery wrapped up in the solution that could be its own book. 

Movie: Operation Friendship 

Courtesy of AMCK PR

Today, we are recommending Operation Friendship (also known in places as Operation Battleship). This family-friendly story about a group of kids who join together to take on a bully is extremely heartwarming. It offers important lessons about friendship, acceptance, and more in a fun way through a unique and interesting story. Not just kids can learn a lesson from the conclusion to this film, but many an adult can and should as well.

And that's our view. One Dark Night and Five Found Dead were published today. Operation Friendship is available now for purchase or rental digitally. 

Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

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