Due to a passing in the family a few years ago and my subsequent health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for years after the bereavement. Thank you for the opportunity.

Honestly, I did not read the book completely. The story started slow with Walter in the business scene. He then met Sterling who becomes his wife. And they had a daughter together. Throughout the first few chapters, there wasn't too much of a story or plotline, it was mostly just the daily lives of Walter, Sterling and their daughter, Olivia and of course their next-door neighbor's daughter who is also Olivia's best friend, Amanda. I finished one-third of the book and still couldn't figure out what the meaning of this whole story. Until I read the excerpts again, then I realized that it is about Walter's obsession with Olivia's best friend, Amanda, who was 13 years of age. At this point, I don't even want to know what happens next to Walter, not because of the fact that the topic of a father and his daughter's friend, like the movie American Beauty, is controversial; I honestly don't mind these controversial subjects. However, it is the boring chapter over chapter of the daily house drama within the family that I just don't have any motivation to pick back up where I left off. With the daily drama, I don't think how it relates and further the development of the characters; I just don't see the connection.
All in all, I appreciate the free copy from NetGalley, and here ends my brutally honest review.

It's great to be in a position to recommend much more diverse books to our young people at school. Building the senior school library as a place where students actually come and find books that they want to read as opposed to books that teachers think they ought to read is an important responsibility and one we take really seriously.
Books like this are such a positive move as they will appeal to a broader set of readers than we are usually attracting. Dealing with modern issues in a clear and captivating way with a strong narrative voice and characters that the students can relate to is critical as we move forwards. This book is both an intelligent and compelling read that will hold even the most reluctant reader's attention and keep them turning the pages long into the night. It keeps the reader on their toes and ensures that you give it your full attention too. I found myself thinking about its characters and events even when I wasn't reading it and looking forward to snatching kore time with it and I hope that my students feel the same. An accessible, gripping and engrossing read that I can't recommend highly enough. Will absolutely be buying a copy for the library and heartily recommending it to both staff and students.

Seems to read as a synopsis as child grooming and csa and a main character who is a pedophile... yikes

Thank you Netgalley, RedDoor Publishing and K.C. Maher for free e—ARC in return of my honest review.

Walter, a child prodigy, finds himself lost in his marriage. His wife went to stay with her mother in another state and took their teenage daughter along. Walter knows that she is with her lover, and this doesn’t bother him that much but taking the daughter with her does. He finds himself out of work for his principles, but has more than enough money to live comfortably and provide for his extravagant wife in her middle age crisis fun. All of a sudden, Walter establishes good rapport with his daughter best friend, a girl neighbor Amanda, who knew all her life. He is in his mid-thirties, athletic, attractive and wealthy. She is a blossoming teenager without constant supervision of her mother. Yes, exactly, it looks a lot like Lolita-wannabe.

I had very hard time with the book. I just couldn’t grasp the sense of everything I read. Yes, Walter is attracted to teenage Amanda, but he knows and doesn’t pursue his desires. He helps her out with some money, give her a some routine and stability, he barely touches her inappropriately. All are good, right? At the same time, I couldn’t shrug the feeling of the wrongness. Walter did try to explain Amanda that his feelings are more than fatherly and there are rules, but Amanda was happy to get some attention. She never had a father, she longs for Walter’s love. At the same time, it was all wrong and inappropriate. However, would she perform as well in class as she did without Walter’s help? Would she be confident about herself without Walter’s. I also see the connection Walter sees between him and Amanda, both were abandoned by their parents, and Walter wants Amanda to get better, I am not sure it works. Clearly, I have many mixed feelings about the plot.

Character-wise, I do not believe that all main characters were fully explored. Walter was stuck in his own mind conversing about inappropriateness of his feelings towards Amanda. His wife was barely in the story. Amanda herself was drawn only in brushstrokes as a beautiful teenager neglected by her mother.

Hard to comment on the writing style. If I consider it as eternal dialogue of Walter and his mind, it does make sense. If I think about it a cohesive story told by haunted adult, not so much.

I was glad I made it till last page, however, I was not satisfied as a reader.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and review this title. I will review this title at a different date.

Whether you want to compare The Best of Crimes to Lolita or Rust and Stardust, what an outstanding novel! This is yet another NetGalley download that has been patiently waiting to be read, and one that I regret not reading sooner. As stated in the blurb, this novel is about Walter, his marriage to Sterling, his daughter Olivia, and her best friend/neighbor, Amanda. Walter and his wife Sterling meet Amanda when she is very young and she becomes friends with their daughter. But as the years pass, things change. Walter, who used to only be into older women, finds himself completely enthralled by and obsessed with his daughter’s best friend. Amanda’s mother is never around and even in elementary school, Amanda is frequently left alone for long periods of time because of her mother’s job(s). When Sterling decides to leave Walter (temporarily, according to her) and take Olivia with her, Walter transitions into a caretaking role with Amanda, while also trying to suppress his true feelings for the young girl.

So, are you creeped out yet? Let me get the critical parts out of the way first. If you hesitate reading this novel for fear of reading about a grown-ass man being sexual with an adolescent girl, then don’t worry. This isn’t the case at all. With that being said, there are still some icky moments that make you want to set the book aside for a minute, take a deep breath, and prepare yourself for what could possibly come next. Does Walter have some issues? Oh yeah… Does Walter alter Amanda’s life and future intimacy with others because of their relationship? Most likely. Are the logistics of this story a bit far-fetched in our day and age? Certainly. The likelihood of a child Amanda’s age being left unsupervised for the periods of time that she was, without social service involvement is little to none.

Now, for the good parts. I am truly in awe of this author’s writing. I was completely captivated from the first word until the last. She could have been writing about animals being slaughtered, and I think I still would have hung on to every, single word. Every once in a while I come across a debut author with this talent for writing and I am amazed, but it doesn’t happen often. Told from Walter’s POV (until the last chapter), Maher perfectly captures the voice of Walter and brings him to life. Furthermore, her development of the other characters is just as remarkable.

Ignore the subject matter and read this for her writing! Even descriptions of lunch including cheese, olives, and pomegranate juice mixed with water sound better coming from K.C. Maher.

Back to her characterization… Amanda is the most likable character in this novel. Prepare to hate Sterling and Cheryl (Amanda’s mother). Prepare to dislike Walter and Sterling’s daughter, Olivia, although most of her unpleasant characteristics are typical of girls that age. But most importantly, prepare to hesitantly like and admire Walter, despite his taboo affections for/towards Amanda. Does it make sense to like Walter? Absolutely not. Did I like him anyway? I couldn’t help it! He knew his thoughts and feelings were inappropriate and all he ever did was try to tell others that he had said feelings and knew they were wrong. What did everyone else do? They laughed it off and commended him for taking care of Amanda when no one else would.

I’ll try to curb my increasing thoughts on this novel, but I want to leave you with this challenge. If you only read one book this year that is outside of your comfort zone as far as subject matter, then this is the one to read. The Best of Crimes is honest, raw, and uncomfortable – but some of the best-damned writing I’ve come across in a long time. Bravo to the author for taking a chance and bring these characters to life!

*Thanks to NetGalley and RedDoor Publishing for providing this review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

In a small town of apparently apathetic citizenry, 30-something Walter Mitchell, whose wife divorced him and moved to another state with their daughter, somehow ends up taking in the teenage daughter of his neighbor, a horridly neglectful mother. Maher carefully lays out Walter’s slippery slope of determining what he feels is best for this child on the cusp of womanhood. As young Amanda expresses her burgeoning awakening of sexuality, Walter suppresses the natural physical response in himself, carefully talking himself and Amanda through the gauntlet to which he has inadvertently led them. In the end, he insists on the punishment he believes he deserves. Though not an ideal execution, the torment of the main character, his self-enforced isolation from support, and the self-control he exhibits, brilliantly portrays the dichotomy of nature versus civilization, the social mores that separate us from animals and their natural instinct. The only comparison to Lolita would have to consider this a retelling, but that would still belie the fact that the main characters are on opposite ends of the morality spectrum. I received this intriguing, controversial story from the publisher RedDoor publishing through NetGalley.

liked the concept but the writing wasn’t my cup of tea. sadly DNF :((( maybe i’ll try again some day

I was hooked from the synopsis when I received the pitch for this book, but the book didn't live up to the synopsis one bit and instead went down a really weird and awkward path that I just couldn't enjoy. I don't love to read and review books that I don't enjoy, so I will keep this one short and simple.

Walter Mitchell is your average guy in an average marriage with a semi average daughter. When his daughter becomes close to another girl her age - Amanda Jonette he also becomes weirdly close. Many times throughout the book, I had to remind myself how young Amanda was and how weird Walter's actions and thoughts were towards this girl. I often didn't feel as though their interactions were true or honest and I think this is what bothered me the most. It all just felt icky and weird and not entertaining like I like my fiction.

This is one of those rare times where I don't know if I would read this author again, I would have to both be convinced by the synopsis and maybe even read reviews before I read the book.

This was one of those books that I finish, and then don’t know how I feel about it. It was very well written, and I found myself always wanting to read it... but then there was the uncomfortable feeling of the relationship between the two characters. While not fully wrong, i found myself not being allowed to fully enjoy the story because it didn’t sit well.

Either way, this was a great read, and I enjoyed it!

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

I wonder what possessed me to ask for this book to review it? I did not think it would be this kind of book.
If Nabokov's 'Lolita' is considered classic, what would this book be? A copycat? A repeat, rewind, repeat?
I doubt that. The story in this book is simply disgusting. No matter how author is trying to cover up and colour the main character, he reminds a pervert. His perversion can be traced back to his dysfunctional family and 'they owe' me attitude to people.
The main character grows up too quickly without actually growing up. Throughout the book he is falling in love (or so it seems) with a girl his daughter's age, destroying his own family, career and himself in the process.
I am sorry to say but this book is added to the pile of books never finished.
I will not return to this book. The premise and the product of this book is predictable. The way it is delivered is average. The main character is unlikable. Furthermore, there is not a single character in this book that I liked...
Waste of time.

The author, KC Maher, has done an excellent job of telling the story of a troubled man and a young girl. This man loses the stable, normal life he has planned for and must now take a different chapter of living to heart. The "not quite a teen" girl living next door has always been a second daughter to him, an innocent relationship. The story turns based on the growing dependence between them. This had to be a difficult story to bring to life. The community of characters could be anyone in your small town, the town itself brought to life as the police rush to judge a very difficult series of events.
A very well written book. You'll find yourself unable to stop reading as the story rushes to the ending.

Walter feels sorry for his daughter's best friend Amanda, who has a truly awful mother. So awful that it seemed totally unrealistic that Amanda wasn't taken into care. However, Walter's concern soon turns to something else. This story is about an adult male grooming a young girl who thought he was a friend.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgally for review purposes.

UuuuUuuuuuUUugh. Ugh. Big ugh. Big eye roll. Big cringe. Why did I read this? Why? I feel like I need a shower and to go arrest all pedophiles. Also I'm a little concerned about any person who is capable of openly writing about a pre-pubesent girl in such a way. Like...???

I will say it was a bold choice to make considering the era and time we're in right now.

But here's the thing, I never got into the writing. Something about it seemed more mechanical than free flowing, more forced almost. It just didn't come across as normal or regular, and I really had a hard time reading it.

Now on with the story...a man with a wife and daughter developes an unhealthy infatuation with his daughters thirteen year old best friend. When his daughter was young she was his world but as the book goes on she's an after thought, a blip, something that I'm not sure even happened. The main character certainly didn't seem to care which is a good thing because he's a pedo so there's that. He's known the girl of his obsession since she was three and kind of practically raised her because she seems to not have a family really which is touched on a lot. She's mature for her age because she's alone a lot and had to raise herself, only she's not really mature she's a child who was awkwardly groomed by a creepy father figure.

Her mother is okay with this and gives permission (abducted in plain site??) And the book starts with him going to jail to be arrested but everyone is like "nah, we know you're a pedo, it's cool". At first I found this to be unrealistic but then I was like, no, yeah that's america.

She even starts to call him dad and daddy which is just chipper.

The whole book just comes across as a poorly written perverted fantasy of the authors. 🤷 Again, ddeeeeeply wish I had not read this.

I guess read if you like Lolita and children being groomed and fetished?

Like good Lord bitch was thirteen, she was in 8th grade and he's buying her presents and shit smdh she's gunna be fucked up for life good job walter

3.5 Stars

The book is wonderfully written, and has a style similar to the The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared.

The story starts in 2015 when Walter turns himself to the police for a crime they seem to be unwilling to charge him with. He tells them he kidnapped a teenage girl.

The story then flashbacks to 1999 with Walter, the mathematics wonder-kid, getting a high-end job with Lehman Brothers. He befriends a woman twice his age, Sterling, and starts a relationship with her. They marry and have a child and move to the suburbs. He is traumatised by the events of the 9/11, where he loses his only real friend.

Walter is unsatisfied with work - he's still mid-twenties and receives bonus after bonus. His job is to evaluate and mitigate for risk, but he can see the entire finance industry as a risky house of cards. And maybe because the loss of his own childhood – he was a child prodigy and had finished two degrees by the time he was eighteen, he's happy to be the main caregiver to his daughter. He doesn't want to move to a mansion (even though they can afford it), he doesn't want to join the country club (even though they've been invited).

When a single mother moves in across the road, you think he may spark up a friendship with the mother, but in fact he ends up taking the young daughter, Amanda (the same age as he own daughter), under his wing.

It's hard not to like Walter, but whilst reading the beginning haunts you; you're reminded that he kidnapped thirteen-year-old Amanda. With this in mind it makes difficult reading about Walter's fledgling interest in Amanda when she is just five years old. It starts with him wanting to help as she is severely neglected by her mother, which develops into fascination as Amanda becomes an adolescent. Amanda and Walter share a common bond, both overlooked by their parents and they are both outsiders. At times, it makes for uncomfortable reading. I'm still not sure what to make of the book.

Thank you so much the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary electronic copy in return for an honest review.

Wowza! This book...I'm not even sure where to begin on this review.

The story is absolutely controversial. For some people, it will be a strong No! , due to the nature of the subject, but for others-like yours truly-it may be a hit. If you enjoyed All the Ugly and Wonderful Things, there's a chance you will like this book too. As frustrating as Walter is at times, I could not put the book down. The author certainly took a risky chance with this story, and I admire her for doing so. Some stories are difficult and complicated, but they deserve to be told.

Without trying to spoil the book, the story is about an untraditional relationship between Walter, an adult male, and Amanda, a singular 13 y/o (same age as his daughter). The characters have so much in common and find solace with each other. Is it age appropriate? Is this the best choice Walter could come up with? How is it possible for the school or neighbors to just ignore Amanda's family circumstances? Those are things that may popped-up in my brain as I read it. A thought-provoking story, for sure.

The controversy does not end with their unique relationship. The people around them are as mystifying and puzzling on making their own decisions. This is a study of character with the main focus falling on Walter, the narrator. Is he good? Is he despicable? Does intention equal to action?

I give kudos to Maher for giving us a chance to explore Walter's mind. He is aware of things, and he has some fundamental level of decency. Yet, he knows his thoughts and actions are questionable. I felt his agony and torment through the events. I understand why he chose to do many of the things he did, but there is also a part of me (reflecting his own feelings) that shudders at the idea of it.

My slight criticism of the book is that I was left with so many unanswered questions.



Thank you, NetGalley and RedDoor Publishing for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

The author really tried to push the boundaries with this novel, and I appreciate the effort. She tells the story of a wunderkind, Walter, who is thrust into adulthood at a very young age and his fascination with his daughter's neighborhood friend, Amanda.

Unfortunately, it is pretty much impossible to read it without comparing it to Lolita (a book I think is phenomenal). It's a lot more accessible than Lolita while also being a lot less literary. It does have an interesting theme focused on desire and restraint. It poses a moral dilemma: If you do some good things for bad reasons, are you moral? Or evil? Or just human?

Oddly, this book shares a flaw I found in Where the Crawdads Sing in that the girl, Amanda, is basically abandoned by her mother and is living alone from a young age with pretty much no one really paying much attention. I didn't find it believable in Crawdads, and I don't find it believable here. Perhaps is she was 16, but the storyline takes us from a period when she's much younger, and somehow she is living completely on her own with some help from the neighbor? Yeah, sure. I think this was a device to make her more mature . . .but this idea of a child living alone from a young age just doesn't sit well with me. In this day and age, there are plenty of young adults who struggle with it.

All that being said, Maher does a nice job of building suspense, and I did want to know what would ultimately become of Walter and Amanda. Would he succumb to his base desires or take the high road? I did wish we were shown more of Amanda's internal thoughts. The book is written almost entirely from Walter's point of view. The plot is pretty simplistic, and there's a bit of filler: Amanda gets a puppy. Walter buys a Honda. Amanda likes a tv show called The Real Miranda and the reader knows more about it than any reader really wants to know. This stuff slows the pacing at times. I found the ending to be satisfying, but apparently there will be a sequel so others may not.

Thank you to NetGalley and RedDoor Publishing for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

First of all both this subject and book are controversial, polarising and taboo. The author teeters close to such a thin line of what is morally acceptable and what is not. It is such a hard book to review and give the justice it deserves. This book will make you question everyday societal norms and morals. It even made me question, against all instincts, was anything "wrong" ever carried out by the main character. Will this book make you feel uncomfortable? Yes. Despite this it's such a well written, captivating and thought provoking book. You may not enjoy this book but you 100% should read it.

When Walter turns himself in to the police, nobody wants to hear about it. He has committed a crime that the small town ignores - but, it is a crime and he wants to be sentenced. How could it all come so far? How could he kidnap a child for three days? Flashback. Walter was a child prodigy and due to his maths skills already as a young man makes a career in the financing business. In Sterling he finds an older but loving wife and with their child Olivia their family is perfectly complete. In their community, they are a typical family, not like the one from across the street. The father has always been absent and so is the mother, leaving young Amanda alone. The two girls become close friends and Olivia’s family somehow adopts Amada. While the girls grow up, Sterling and Walter become more and more distant until they finally break apart – leaving Walter and the almost teenager Amanda in a very precarious situation.

When I read the first pages of the novel, I was like “Oh my god, not another Lolita story!”. I was afraid that the worst could happen, yet, the strange reaction of the inhabitants of the small town made me wonder: would they ever accept a man who seriously molested a child? I doubted this and luckily read on. What unfolded then was a wonderful story of love and affection of two persons being left and feeling alone and thus becoming a very unique couple.

Even though at the beginning, the relationship between Walter and Amanda is perfectly innocent, at a certain point there is a thin line which somehow is crossed. You feel uncomfortable about how close they are, and even though Walter tries to set up clear boundaries to prevent anything from happening, there is an underlying feeling of an edgy uneasiness. The author plays with a taboo without transgression, but it makes clear that when it comes to affection between an adult and a child, there is some grey area. On the one hand, Walter is the best that could ever happen to Amanda. There is no doubt about his positive influence on her education and personal development. On the other hand, he is much more than a father figure which clearly is a no go considering her age.

Interestingly, both mothers fail in their role as educator and carer, something which you rarely encounter. They do not mistreat their daughters but definitely neglect them. Thus, the novel has a lot to offer from a psychological point of view. Not only the parents’ roles, but also the fact that Walter as a child prodigy never really had a childhood or normal adolescence and now with Amanda somehow lives through a time that he missed out at that age.

A wonderfully written novel that certainly could surprise me several times and which offers much to ponder about.