A Limited Run: a TV family reunion with buried secrets

A Limited Run by Karen McQuestion is a story of five people connected by a beloved tv show that come together for a reunion of sorts. When billionaire and self proclaimed superfan, Felix Worthington invites the five cast members of the TV show A Little Slice of Haven to re-create their roles for ten days. By doing so, they would receive two million dollars. Recreate a show twenty five years later? The cast is skeptical but all in need of the money, one by one they agree. Unfortunately, the show was an experience best forgotten. Meri Wetzel, who played the loving wife and mother, has spent the last 25 years avoiding Jeff Greer, who played her TV husband. Even Dominick Ingrelli, Amanda and Lauren, who played the children, wish to keep the show in their past. Their only instruction is to stay all ten days and stay in character the entire time. Sounds like easy money, what really could go wrong?

Yes, what could go wrong? Plenty. From the opening chapter to the closing scene, there is more than the simple request from a superfan to recreate his beloved show. But they all have their reasons to recreate the show. The only holdout was Lauren but when she suddenly agreed to do it, my interest was heightened. Why would she suddenly agree? As they slip back into their characters, they are convinced that recreating the show would be much easier than they thought. However, with each passing day, something appears to be off as whispered comments and passed notes from one of the extras raise questions in their minds. I can’t go much into the events of the story but WOW! This story is gripping. It is compelling without being scary. While there was one reveal that I guessed, there was one reveal that I didn’t see coming! I loved Karen McQuestion’s books and A Limited Run is one of her best!

A Limited Run is available now in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Memory Collectors: an intriguing premise but emotionally draining story

The Memory Collectors by Kim Neville is the story of two women. Evelyn “Ev” has a mysterious ability, one she views as more as a curse than a gift. She can feel the emotions, good and bad, left behind on objects. She believes that she must handle them very carefully otherwise she will be affected by the emotions or “stains.” The harmless objects she sells at Vancouver’s Chinatown Night Market to scrape together a living. On the other side of town, Harriet hoards thousands of “treasures” and it is starting to make her neighbors sick as the emotions attached to these objects are overpowering and seeping through the walls. From the moment they meet, Harriet knows that Ev is the only person who can help her make something safe and spectacular for her collection. As they fear the dark effects of these objects have on them, together they help each other develop and control their gift. Soon it becomes apparent that there is another with their dangerous gift, the events surrounding this person will drag them all down a path that destroyed Ev’s family many years ago and threatens to destroy what little family she has left. 

I was intrigued by The Memory Collectors as it was advertised as “Perfect for fans of The Scent Keeper” which I loved. It was a story of two women haunted by their past, buried secrets, both figuratively and literally, and bound together by a shared ability and the power to change each other’s lives for better or for worse. However, the Memory Collectors does not stand up with The Scent Keeper. The story wasn’t bad but I wasn’t wowed by it. It had a unique premise that these hoarders and trash collectors are simply hiding a secret ability in which they feel the history in an object. There was too much description with not enough character development or action until the very end and by then it felt rushed. It is an emotionally draining book. I struggled to finish it as the story moved along in a slow and moody pace. I think with the right reader, this book would be magical and inspirational. Unfortunately, for me, it fell short. I liked the idea that objects have a record of their history attached to them and there are people who can feel that history. If you are intrigued by the premise, I recommend giving it a try. 

The Memory Collectors is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook.