Shelly Ellis

Black teenager vacations in the Shenandoah Valley and uncovers a legacy of bigotry and racial violence.

When she was a baby, Naomi Ward was kidnapped from a grocery store. Over a decade later, the woman who took and raised her was arrested and imprisoned. Now, 16-year-old Naomi has been reunited with her family, who know her as Camryn Stoakes. Her parents try to make the homecoming as smooth as possible, but Naomi grieves the loss of her old identity. Determined to unify the family, which show more includes siblings Maya and Blake, Dawn and Andre Stoakes rent a cabin in Virginia for a few weeks. But soon after their arrival, Naomi feels deeply unsettled: A rotten stench that only she detects permeates the air, she’s visited by the ghost of a Black girl, and she learns that Sparksburg, Virginia, was a sundown town. When Naomi hears about two recent missing persons cases, she becomes convinced they’re related to the town’s evil history. But will anyone believe her? This well-paced YA debut’s immersive narrative and descriptive language support its strong characterization. Stratton effectively crafts complex family dynamics, and Naomi’s struggle to reconcile the love she feels for her kidnapper with the heinous crime is compelling. The nail-biting final act, which leads to a shocking reveal, will make readers feel as though they’re right beside Naomi, fighting for survival.

A riveting, emotionally resonant thriller infused with supernatural intrigue. (author’s note) (Thriller. 13-18)

-Kirkus Review show less

Angelique Bixby is braving the streets of 1950's Chicago. After her husband Daniel's death Angelique has had trouble supporting herself and newborn, Ella Jean. Living on Chicago's South Side as a white woman married to a black man has not been easy. Feeling she has no other choice, Angelique leaves her child with a respected family and tries to move on with life. Years later, Angelique has remarried into a family of privilege. She has been recently diagnosed with breast cancer and wants to show more amend her will to include the daughter she left behind. Angelique hires Jasmine Stanley, an ambitious, rising star at her law firm. Jasmine's has been asked to keep strict confidentiality with Angelique's task. At first, Jasmine believes that Angelique is another stuck up debutante, however as she digs into Angelique's past, she realizes that they are more alike than they seem; both women hold onto life altering secrets.
She Wears the Mask is a story about secrets, identity and family. The characters were well developed and I could feel the heartbreak as Angelique made the most difficult decision of her life as well as the emotional weight of the secret Jasmine carried. The writing skillfully worked across dual timelines divulging bits of Angelique's history as we learn about her present circumstance as well as unraveling the history of pain in Jasmine's family without giving everything away early on. I do wish we got to see a little more of Angelique's story at the end. Along with the themes of reconciling the past are themes of gender, race and the perceptions and weight that the color of your skin can carry. Overall, She Wears the Mask is an intense and absorbing plot and interesting characters.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. show less

A dark tale about two women who are sick of their husbands who meet by chance and hit it off. Over the course of an evenings conversation they hatch a plot to kill each other's husbands. Things become complicated as one of them has a teenage son and a boyfriend. There are lots of complications among the characters. in this one . A very entertaining novel.

The Three Mrs. Greys by Shelly Ellis

Three women and all married to the same man.
The bigamist husband has been shot and could die.
When the women find out they are not the only Mrs. Grey…
…things become complicated.

This had so much potential! I am sure some people loved the story, but I found myself scratching my head wondering how the women were suckered in, put up with what they did, behaved as they did, and how they would all come out in the end. I thought this would be a standalone show more story but found out at the end of the book that it was instead the first in a series and ended with a cliffhanger and no resolution for any of the characters. I didn’t connect with, like or admire any of the characters and that was a problem. I don’t think I will be reading the second book in this series but do hope that it will do well and find the readers who will love it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

2-3 Stars show less