Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Night Shift & Beneath Devil’s Bridge
Sharon is back with Thriller Thursday! Sorry it has been a while since I posted my Thriller Thursday reviews, but life just got in the way. But all is good and back on track now. 🙂 This week I am happy to share my thoughts on Alex Finaly’s, The Night Shift and Loreth Anne White’s, Beneath Devil’s Bridge. I loved both of these books. They both involve relooking at old murder cases and figuring out if the original suspect was the correct one. I love this concept in thrillers because it always makes me put on my detective hat. LOL!
The Night Shift Goodreads Author: Alex Finlay
Publication Date: March 1, 2022
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Alex Finlay’s latest book The Night Shift, was everything I was hoping it would be. This was an edge of my seat thriller, that kept me guessing until the very end. It was also a trip down memory lane for me in regard to the Blockbuster Video store. Oh, the memories of the days of renting VHS tapes!
On New Year’s Eve in 1999, four teenage girls were attacked at a Blockbuster Video store in Linden, New Jersey. The only survivor was Ella. The police only had one suspect (Vince Whitaker), but before they could gather enough evidence to charge him, he disappeared and has not been seen since. It is now fifteen years later and in the same town, four teenage girls were attacked at an ice cream store. The only survivor of this attack was Jesse. Ella is now a therapist and has been called to talk to Jesse and see if she can get any information on who attacked them. The only thing Jesse can remember is that the killer whispered to her “Goodnight, pretty girl.” These are the same words the killer whispered to Ella fifteen years ago. Has the original suspect resurfaced after all this time, and if so why? Or is there a copycat on the loose?
The story is told from the POVs of Ella, Sarah Keller and Vince’s younger brother, Chris. All three of these characters will intercept as they each search for the truth, and their lives will be changed forever when the truth is finally revealed.
I really liked Ella. She was a damaged character, how could she not be with what she went through. But she is also a tough and determined character. She has formed a bond with Jesse and wants to do whatever she can to help her. I also had a lot of sympathy for Ella. The current murders have brought back memories of the night she was attacked. Chris never believed that Vince was the killer in the 1999 murders. He and Ella team up when a mysterious vlogger, who Chris believes is Vince, has turned up in New Jersey.
Those of you who read Alex Finlay’s Every Last Fear, will remember FBI Agent Sarah Keller. I loved Sarah in both books. In this book Sarah has teamed up with local detective, Atticus Singh (yes he was named after the character from To Kill a Mockingbird and I loved every time this was referenced), and they are tasked with tracking down Vince Whitaker to see if he has resurfaced. During their investigation they discover that there were a lot of inconsistencies in the original investigation that pertained to evidence that pointed to Vince as the killer. I loved both of their determination to get to the truth.
I cannot really say what happens in this book, because anything I say will just spoil things. I will say though that The Night Shift is full of twists and turns and by the end of the book I was on the edge of my seat. 4 stars
Beneath Devil's Bridge Goodreads Author: Loreth Anne White
Publication Date: June 1, 2021
Publisher: Montlake
I have had Loreth Anne White’s Beneath Devil’s Bridge on my to read list since last May and now that I have finally gotten around to reading it, I am kicking myself for not picking it up sooner.
In 1997, 14-year-old Leena Rai was brutally murdered. Respected family man and guidance counselor, Clayton Jay Pelley confessed to the murder. Rachel Walczak was the detective who investigated the case, and even though there were a lot of loose ends, when Clayton confessed, the case was closed. Now in 2021, True Crime Podcaster Trinity Scott’s new podcast “It’s Criminal” is focusing on Leena Rai’s murder. In a series of exclusive interviews, Clayton is ready to tell what happened that night. But no one expects it when Clayton says he did not kill Leena. Is Clayton lying now? Or was he lying then? And if he didn’t kill Leena, then the actual killer is still roaming free. As Clayton reveals more about what happened that night, it becomes clear that a lot of people in Twin Falls are keeping secrets.
I love how this story was presented from two different POV’s and timelines. From Rachel’s POV we get both timelines. In 1997 we get to follow Rachel as she investigates Leena’s murder and in the present we follow her as she tries to make sense of why Clayton would now recant his confession and the consequences this has on her original investigation and the loose ends that were never followed-up on. From Trinity’s POV, we follow her as she tries to interview everyone who was connected to the original investigation, as well as her interview with Clayton.
I thought all the characters in this book were very well written. All of the characters had flaws and secrets they were hiding, from the teenagers that were classmates of Leena’s to Rachel and even Trinity. I really cannot say what any of the secrets were, as that would just spoil things. I will say I kept thinking I had things figured out, but then a secret would be revealed that would push me in a different direction.
I also loved how Loreth Anne White was able to bring Leena to life. From both timelines we were able to get to know Leena through interviews that were done with her family and peers. I felt such sadness for Leena. She was an unpopular girl that was just trying to fit in. She was also a talented girl with dreams and wanted to leave her mark on the world.
Beneath Devil’s Bridge starts off with a bang with the murder of Leena and does not stop. It is full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end. The only real issue I had with this book is that there were a lot of secondary characters to keep track of and I got a bit confused on who was who. But other than that, I would definitely recommend Loreth Anne White’s Beneath Devil’s Bridge. 4 stars
Top Ten Tuesday: One-Word Reviews for the Last 10 Books I Read But Didn’t Review on My Blog
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Top Ten Tuesday has been one of my favorite memes ever since I started blogging, so huge thanks to Jana for taking over the hosting duties!
This week’s TTT topic is One-Word Reviews for the Last Ten Books I Read. I’ve already reviewed most of the last ten books I read on the blog, so I’ve decided to focus on the last ten books I read but didn’t already review on the blog. I also think this is a great topic since it challenges me to think of better words than amazing, wonderful, great, loved, etc.
One-Word Reviews for the Last Ten Books I Read But Didn’t Review on My Blog
1. THE ADDRESS by Fiona Davis – ENGROSSING
2. ALWAYS JANE by Jenn Bennett – CHAOTIC
3. BLOOD SCION by Deborah Falaye – BRUTAL
4. THE DUKE AND I by Julia Quinn – DELECTABLE
5. THE BURNING GOD by R. F. Kuang – SHOCKING
6. A LITTLE LIFE by Hanya Yanagihara – HEARTWRENCHING
7. PASSION ON PARK AVENUE by Lauren Layne – UNEXPECTED
8. SURVIVE THE NIGHT by Riley Sager – DISAPPOINTING
9. VERITY by Colleen Hoover – JAW-DROPPING
10. THE MURDER OF MR. WICKHAM – NOSTALGIC
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Question: Have your read any of these? How would you describe them in one word?
Romance Reviews: THE SPANISH LOVE DECEPTION & BY THE BOOK
Hey everyone! I want to start off by apologizing in advance for the fact that I’m yet again behind on blog visits. The other person who does my job at work was on vacation all last week so I had to cover for her and it was a bit hectic. Add in soccer practice for my son, helping him prep for tomorrow’s AP exam, and then ending the week in pure frustration when I got a call from the school Principal because my son got caught doing something he shouldn’t have been doing, and there just wasn’t much motivation or energy left for blogging. I did a couple of posts on instagram and then just wanted to hide in a blanket fort coloring the rest of the weekend. Anyway, enough of my parenting/life woes, because I do have reviews to share today for two wonderful reads that I’ve enjoyed recently. How cute are those covers?
The Spanish Love Deception Goodreads Author: Elena Armas
Publication Date: February 23, 2021
Publisher: Atria Books
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
I was a little nervous going into Elena Armas’ debut contemporary romance, The Spanish Love Deception, because of all the hype surrounding it. I couldn’t resist the pull of an enemies-to-lovers romance that also featured fake dating and a fabulous trip to Spain though so I finally dove into it. I immediately wanted to kick my own butt for putting this book off for so long because it is an absolute delight!
I was hooked on this story from the very first scene. We meet the protagonist, Lina Martin, as she is lamenting to her best friend about needing a date for a family wedding she will be attending in Spain in four weeks. Lina’s coworker Aaron overhears their conversation and offers to be her date. While taking Aaron as her fake boyfriend would definitely get her family off her back about her “forever single” status, there’s just one problem – Lina and Aaron hate each other, or at least Lina hates Aaron anyway. In her mind, he’s always up in her business, offering opinions where they aren’t wanted, and just quite possibly the most annoying person she has ever met. Needless to say, the fireworks are off the charts whenever Lina and Aaron interact and I was practically screaming for her to say yes to him, just to see how the trip would play out, specifically if Aaron would make it back home alive, haha. At first, Lina says no, but out of sheer desperation, she caves and accepts Aaron’s offer. I was positively gleeful by this point waiting to see what would happen.
I adored Lina so much. She’s smart, sarcastic, and she is driven to be successful in her career. But she’s definitely not perfect, which made her so real and so relatable. She’s almost ridiculously stubborn when it comes to her feelings about Aaron too, which made for some very entertaining moments, especially since he’s practically standing in front of her with heart eyes. And oh my goodness, Aaron! Even though Lina thinks she hates him, he’s seriously book boyfriend material. I loved everything about the man. He’s smart, sexy, and kind and caring, and just so obviously into Lina. Watching the two of them grow closer and realize their feelings was definitely the highlight of the book for me. It’s a slow burn but Armas writes their growing relationship so well that it ended up being very easy for me to patiently wait because each step along the way is so satisfying.
The Spanish Love Deception is a wonderful new addition to the romance genre. I found it sexy and hilarious, and the ending left me with a big grin on my face. It’s perfect for enemies to lovers and fake dating fans. 4 STARS
By the Book (Meant to Be #2) Goodreads
Author: Jasmine Guillory
Publication Date: May 3, 2022
Publisher: Hyperion Avenue
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Have you ever enjoyed a book so much that you actually breathed a contented sigh as you finished the last page? Well, that was exactly my experience with Jasmine Guillory’s latest novel By the Book. By the Book is a contemporary retelling of Beauty and the Beast that is set in the publishing industry. In some ways I felt like this novel was tailor made for me because I’m a sucker for bookish characters, books about books, and Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairytale.
In Guillory’s reimagined version of the classic fairytale, Belle is now Isabelle. Isabelle works at Tale As Old As Time publishing house and she has aspirations of becoming an editorial assistant one day. In order to prove to her boss that she is worthy of such a promotion, Isabelle volunteers to take on one of their most problematic clients, Beau Towers, a rude and gruff young man who is supposed to be writing a memoir for them. Beau is months behind his deadline, has not submitted a single page, and doesn’t respond to correspondence from anyone at the publishing house. If you guessed that Beau is the Beast character, you would be correct. And if you guessed that sparks would fly between Beau and Isabelle from the first moment Isabelle shows up on his front door step, you would also be correct!
As with the classic tale, there are enemies to lovers and grumpy sunshine romantic vibes everywhere. It’s easy to see that there’s a lot more to Beau than first meets the eye, if only Isabelle can get him to open up, which she is very determined to do, at first for her career but later because she starts to see beyond his gruff exterior and likes what she sees for more personal reasons. I loved watching their relationship evolve from those hostile moments when they first met, to a tentative friendship and productive working relationship, and then to a more personal connection. I especially loved that most of their bonding took place through scenes that focused on the actual writing of the book, with Isabelle coaching Beau through passages he was having trouble putting on paper. Isabelle is an aspiring writer as well but she hasn’t touched her book in months because of some cruel feedback she received from a coworker. One of my favorite moments of the book is when Beau learns this and gives Isabelle her own advice and coaxes her to start writing again. It was just so sweet and they were adorable sitting there together each working on their own books.
By the Book feels fresh and new, yet with a comforting sense of familiarity with its many nods to the original fairytale. If you’re a contemporary romance fan who also loves Beauty and the Beast, you’ll definitely want to check out By the Book. 4 STARS