Tag Archive for: reviews

Thriller Thursday Reviews: A Very Bad Thing & The Hitchcock Hotel

December 5, 2024/1 Comment/by Sharon

Hey Everyone! Yes, Sharon here and I am back with a Thriller Thursday edition. Sorry for the hiatus, but life got in my way. I cannot believe it is already December and in just a few weeks it will be 2025. Where has the year gone? But today I am happy to share my thoughts on A Very Bad Thing by J.T. Ellison and The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: A Very Bad Thing & The Hitchcock Hotel

A Very Bad Thing Goodreads

Author: J.T. Ellison

Publication Date: November 1, 2024

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Columbia Jones is a best-selling author, at the top of her game. She is on a book tour for her latest novel, but on the final night of the tour, a face in the audience makes Columbia collapse on stage and by the next morning she is found dead in her hotel room. Who would want Columbia dead? Turns out there are a few people who would. And that is the premise of J.T. Ellison’s, A Very Bad Thing.

Riley Carrington is a reporter that Columbia hired to accompany her on tour and write an article on Columbia and then possibly help her write her memoir. Riley was supposed to meet with Columbia the morning after the final night tour and she is the one who found her body.

Columbia’s daughter and assistant, Darian, had an argument with her mother the night before. When she walked into the hotel room and saw Riley standing over her mother, she immediately accused her of murder.

Kira Hutchinson is Columbia’s biggest fan and she had won a meet and greet with her on the last day of the tour. Kira is devastated to find out the Columbia has been murdered.

The story is told from the POV’s of Riley, Darian, and Kira. Ellison did a great job of creating these characters and bringing them to life. I really liked getting to know each one and try and figure out how they are connected. The secondary characters are also just as fully developed.

We also get chapters on a draft that Columbia had written years ago but was never published. In this draft we find out about Columbia’s secret past and possibly who would want to see her dead. I really like getting to know Columbia through these chapters.

I know I have not said anything about what goes on in the book, but if I did then I would be spoiling things. And I think this book is best to go into blind. I will say that I loved following the investigation and trying to make sense of the clues that came out. I really thought I had things figured out, but then a twist would come to prove me wrong. I pretty much ended up suspecting everyone in the story at one point.

A very Bad Thing was a fast paced read, that never had a dull moment and was full of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. The suspense and tension really picked up at the end and I could not read fast enough to find out what was going to happen next. 4 Stars

The Hitchcock Hotel Goodreads

Author: Stephanie Wrobel

Publication Date: September 24, 2024

Publisher: Berkley

I have never read anything by Stephanie Wrobel before, but when I came across The Hitchcock Hotel, I had to read it as I am a fan of Alfred Hitchcock.

Alfred Smettle has been a fan of Alfred Hitchcock since he was a child, thanks to his mother. Alfred knows everything there is to know about Hitch, as he calls Alfred Hitchcock. In college he was the head of the Film Club, and it was here that he met his friends: Zoe, Samira, TJ, Julius, and Grace. But an event happened in their senior year and Alfred has not spoken to any of them in Sixteen years. Alfred is now the owner of a Victorian house high on a hill in the White Mountains. Alfred has turned this house into the Hitchcock Hotel, complete with a screening room, movie props and even an aviary filled with black crows. To celebrate the hotel’s first anniversary, Alfred invites his college friends to spend the weekend. And in true Hitchcock fashion, before the weekend is over someone will be dead.

I am a Hitchcock fan, though not to the extent as Alfred was. LOL! So, I really loved all the references to his movies and the props that Alfred has acquired for his hotel. I learned a thing or two about Hitchcock that I did not know. So not only was this a mystery but also a learning experience for me. Hahaha

I will say that I did not like any of the characters very much. With friends like these, you really don’t need enemies. They each had secrets they were keeping, some more severe than others. And when the events of what happened their senior year of college came out, I was like “Go get them Alfred.” Then I learned more and was like “Oh Alfred, you are no innocent party here.”

When we find out who dies, I immediately thought I knew exactly what was going on. I was so sure I was right and then came a twist that blew that theory out of the water. I so did not see that twist coming at all.

The Hitchcock Hotel was a good read. It didn’t knock my socks off but kept me entertained throughout. 3 ½ stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Boyfriend & Original Twin

October 24, 2024/5 Comments/by Sharon

Welcome to another edition of Thriller Thursday with Sharon. My reviews for this week are, The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden and Original Twin by Paula Gleeson. I enjoyed both of these books so much.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Boyfriend & Original Twin

The Boyfriend Goodreads

Author: Freida McFadden

Publication Date: October 1, 2024

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

I can always guarantee that when I pick up a Freida McFadden book I am going to love it and her latest book The Boyfriend is no exception. I was very excited to read The Boyfriend and McFadden did not disappoint.

Sydney Shaw is a single thirty-year-old living in New York, and she has the worst luck with men. She has dated men who have stuck her with the check, lied on their dating profile, who are mama’s boys, and who won’t take no for an answer. Sydney believes she will never find Mr. Right. But then all that changes when she meets Tom, a charming, handsome doctor. Sydney thinks she has finally hit the jackpot. But when a young woman is brutally murdered and the prime suspect is a mystery man the woman dated, Sydney is on edge. She should feel safe dating Tom, but there are a few red flags that are starting to make Sydney suspicious that he may not be as perfect as she thought. Sydney needs to get to the truth, or she could be the next victim.

The story is told in a dual timeline. In the present day we get Sydney’s POV as she navigates the dating world and tries to get the truth about Tom. And then we get Tom’s POV from when he was in high school. In this POV we learn more about who Tom is. I don’t want to say too much about what we learn from when Tom was in high school, I think getting that info as you read adds to the mystery and outcome of the story.

I liked Sydney for the most part, but I did think at times she made the worst decisions. She meets Tom, right after a young woman is murdered and yet she has no qualms about jumping right in. Sure, you are not going to just stop dating, but do a bit of research on the guy first. LOL! I do give her points for what she does after she starts getting suspicious of Tom.

As always Freida McFadden created a story that had me engrossed from start to finish. As the story progressed and we got more info from Tom’s timeline, I really thought I had things figured out, and then McFadden threw in a twist that blew my theory out of the water.

The Boyfriend is another winner from Freida McFadden. If you have enjoyed her other books, then I believe you will enjoy this one as well. And if you are looking for your first McFadden book, then definitely give The Boyfriend a read. 4 stars

Original Twin Goodreads

Author: Paula Gleeson

Publication Date: June 1, 2024

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Original Twin is Paula Gleeson’s debut novel and what a debut it was. I am already looking forward to her next book that is due out next year.

May and June may be fraternal twins, but they are so different from each other. May is plain looking, quiet and withdrawn. Whereas June is beautiful, loud and outgoing. June went missing a year ago and at the time everyone thought it was just June being June. Now a year later they are having a funeral for June, even though she was never found. May doesn’t believe June is dead, but goes along with her father, aunt and grandmother to have the service. While she was looking through June’s things in her bedroom, May finds and old newspaper article from nineteen years ago. The article is about their mother who also vanished but turned up three weeks later. May had no idea their mother had also vanished at one time, but what really stands out is the date. Both June and their mother vanished on the same exact date. May now realizes that June was looking into the events of what happened to their mother. In order to find June and find out what happened to their mother, May has to follow the clues that June has left her. Following these clues will unbury a dark family secret.

I love how Gleeson unfolded this story. The book opens at June’s funeral, with May’s discovery of the newspaper article. And we then follow May as she finds more clues that June left her. With each clue that May finds, more questions are brought to life. We also get chapters from May and June’s mother, Diana. In these chapters we get bits of information on what happened to Diana when she was missing for those three weeks and the events that followed. And then there are chapters with letters that June wrote to Diana, who died the year before June went missing. In these chapters we follow as June investigates what happened to her mother all those years ago. I loved following each of these women and getting to know them, as well as trying to figure out both the mystery of what happened to Diana and what happened to June.

There were so many twists and turns in this story. I really thought I knew where things were going to go and then in comes a twist to turn things around. I was not sure who to trust while I was reading. I love when a story does that to me.

I thought all of the characters were well developed. They were all flawed and complicated. Original Twin was an amazing debut novel and I definitely recommend it. 4 stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The House That Horror Built & The Swimmer

October 3, 2024/10 Comments/by Sharon

Happy Thriller Thursday! Sharon here with a couple of great books to read for spooky season. 🙂 This week I am happy to share my thoughts on Christina Henry’s, The House That Horror Built and Loreth Ann White’s, The Swimmer. I hope everyone is getting some great reading in and if you have any recommendations for spooky season let me know. I love finding new authors. 😀

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The House That Horror Built & The Swimmer

The House That Horror Built Goodreads

Author: Christina Henry

Publication Date: May 14, 2024

Publisher: Berkley

I love Christina Henry, so I was very excited to read her latest book, The House That Horror Built. I am happy that I waited for spooky season to read this, as this book was perfect reading for this time of year.

Harry Adams is a single mother to fourteen-year-old Gabe. Harry loves horror movies and books, so no surprise that she takes a job cleaning the house of award-winning horror director Javier Castillo. His Chicago mansion, Bright Horses, is filled with props and costumes from not only his movies, but other horror movies as well. Javier lives as a recluse after a family tragedy five years ago. Harry keeps her head down and does her job, even though she swears she hears banging and voices coming from a locked room and is sure one of the props is moving and watching her. After being evicted from her apartment, Harry reluctantly moves with Gabe into Bright Horses with Javier, who has taken an instant liking to Gabe. But Harry soon realizes that moving in was a bad decision and she needs to get her and Gabe out of there before it is too late. Javier is hiding secrets that put Harry and Gabe’s life in jeopardy.

OMG this book was so creepy and gave me the chills. As you know I also love horror, so I was instantly hooked. My first thought when I read the synopsis was, if my favorite horror director needed someone to clean their house, sign me up! LOL! But, If I started hearing noises coming from a locked room and the props started moving, I so would have been out of there. I have seen enough horror movies to know, that is not a good combination.

I love how Henry incorporated so many of my favorite horror movies into the story. There were so many mentions of my favorites, I would have loved to tour this house and see all the props. I also think Henry did a great job of creating Javier Castillo and bringing him to life. Being a horror director, he came across as odd and a bit quirky.

I really liked Harry and thought she was also a well-developed character, as well as her son Gabe. Harry does everything she can to give Gabe a good life. She has gone without things, just so he could have what he needs. She was a great mother. She instilled her love of horror in Gabe, so it was fun watching him in fan mode when he met Javier and toured the house.

I kind of figured out what Javier’s secret was, but there was a twist at the end I so did not see coming.

My only issue with this book is that I wish the end had more to it. It ended abruptly and I think there should have been at least one more chapter to explain things and tie everything up. But all in all, I loved this book and if you are looking for a book to read this spooky season, I definitely recommend The House That Horror Built. 4 stars

The Swimmer Goodreads

Author: Loreth Anne White

Publication Date: September 10, 2024

Publisher: Montlake

Loreth Ann White’s newest story, The Swimmer, is another winner. This book had lots of twists and turns, characters I loved and characters I hated, as well as a few tearjerker moments.

Chloe Cooper has always been socially awkward. She is forty years old and for her whole life her mother has instilled in her to never draw attention to herself, and to trust her instincts. If something seems off, then it probably is. Chloe spends her days caring for her ailing mother, as well as being a dog walker and bartender. Chloe is also a people watcher. When new neighbors, Jemma and Adam Spengler, move in next door, Chloe is instantly drawn to watching them. One rainy morning while Chloe is walking her mother’s dog, she witnesses a swimmer get hit and killed by a jet ski. Chloe is sure that it was Adam on the jet ski and against her better judgement she calls the police and reports what she saw. In doing so, Chloe has put herself in the Spengler’s path. The Spengler’s are not the happy, carefree couple they portray to be, they are harboring secrets that has put Chloe’s life in danger.

The first part of the book is broken up into chapters labeled, The Hit-and-Run, and After-The-Hit-and-Run. The second part of the book is broken up into chapters labeled, Before the Murders and After the Murders. And we also get chapters throughout the book from a true crime podcast called, It’s Criminal: The Chloe Cooper Story. I loved how Loreth Anne White created the story this way. It created so much suspense and mystery with lots of twists and turns added in. I found myself caught off guard so many times while I was reading.

I loved Chloe and had so much sympathy for her. I did find myself tearing up a few times while reading. Being so socially awkward, Chloe did not always make the right decisions, and I found myself thinking “No Chloe don’t.” Especially when it came to Jemma. Chloe so wanted them to be friends and I hated how Jemma used that against Chloe. White did a great job in creating Chloe and having her jump off the pages.

White also did a great job in creating the other characters as well, especially Jemma and Adam. OMG! I loathed them both. LOL!

I really cannot say what happens in the story because I think it is best to go in blind and have the twists and turns blow your mind like they did mine. If you are a Loreth Anne White fan, I recommend The Swimmer, I don’t think you will be disappointed. 4 stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: Look in the Mirror & Wrong Place Wrong Time

September 12, 2024/2 Comments/by Sharon

Happy spooky season! Sharon here with another edition of Thriller Thursday. This week I am reviewing Look in the Mirror by Catherine Steadman and Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister. I have only read one other book of Steadman’s before and have never read anything by McAllister, but I am happy to say these two books were awesome. I love finding new to me authors and so glad I found Catherine Steadman and Gillian McAllister, I look forward to reading more from both of them.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: Look in the Mirror & Wrong Place Wrong Time

Look in the Mirror Goodreads

Author: Catherine Steadman

Publication Date: July 30, 2024

Publisher: Ballantine Books

I first came across Catherine Steadman last year when I read The Family Game. I loved it so much that as soon as her newest book, Look in the Mirror, came out I bought a copy and I am happy to report that I loved this book as well.

The story is told mainly from the POV of Nina and Maria. There are a few other POV’s, but Nina and Maria are the two protagonists of the story, and I loved them both. They were both strong and determined women. I loved watching them fight back and not just give up and accept whatever horror awaited them.

Nina’s father recently passed away and she discovers that she has inherited a house he had in the British Virgin Islands. Nina had no idea her father had this house. The house is state of the art. How did her father have the money to build this house? And why did he keep it from her? Nina travels to the BVI and after she has been in the house for a couple of days, she realizes that she may not have known her father as well as she thought. Why would her father build a house like this and what is up with the room in the basement? Nina must use everything her father taught her to survive the terror that is awaiting her.

Maria is a medical student who has taken time off and is now a nanny for the superrich. All she needs is another year of nannying and she will have enough money saved to fund the rest of her medical school. But Maria’s latest job could be her last. When she arrives at the house on an secluded estate she is given a list of rules, among them; Do not under any circumstance go into the room in the basement. When her boss and his two children do not show up, Maria spends her days lounging by the pool and in the sauna. But then her curiosity gets the better of her and she enters the room in the basement. Maria is now in the fight for her life.

I don’t want to say too much and spoil things, especially on how these two women are connected. But I will say what a wild ride this book was. Look in the Mirror gave me so many horror movie vibes. There was so much suspense and tension throughout the whole book. I did figure a couple of small things out, but not the major reveal at the end. That just blew my mind and gave me major chills.

I definitely now need to check out some of Catherine Steadman’s older books, because she has me hooked. If you are looking for a Catherine Steadman book to dip your feet into, then I highly suggest Look in the Mirror. 4 stars

Wrong Place Wrong Time Goodreads

Author: Gillian McAllister

Publication Date: August 2, 2022

Publisher: William Morrow

I have never read anything by Gillian McAllister before and don’t even remember how I came across Wrong Place Wrong Time. But it sounded so good, and the library had a copy available, so I borrowed it immediately and now that I have finished the book, I will be buying a copy for myself because I need this in my collection.

When the book opens it is midnight on October thirtieth and Jen is waiting up for her eighteen-year-old son Todd to come home. As she is watching through the window, she finally sees him, but then another man emerges from the dark and Jen witnesses Todd just walk over and stab and kill this man. Todd is arrested and Jen is determined to help her son. Why would he just stab someone and show no remorse? But when Jen wakes up the next morning it is actually the day before the stabbing and none of that has happened. What is going on? Each time Jen goes to sleep and wakes up it is further in the past. First it is just a few days and then weeks and then months and years. Jen realizes somewhere in the past something happens to make Todd kill this man and she needs to figure out what it is so she can fix it and stop her son from becoming a murderer.

OMG, I love time travel books and Wrong Place Wrong Time was no exception. I loved the concept of going back in time and trying to figure out what the jumps mean to Jen. I really cannot say anything that happens because anything would be a spoiler. I did figure a couple of things out as we were going back in time but figuring them out did not in any way take away from this story. Even though I did figure some things out, there were still a few twists that caught me off guard.

I loved all the characters in this story. Especially Jen as this is told from her POV. I loved her determination in trying to find a way to help Todd. Even when some things came to life that could alter her future life, she did not let that deter her. I was so invested in trying to figure out what was of importance with each jump back. I loved how even the events that seemed minimal at the time took on a bigger picture when Jen went back even further in time.

I am so glad I came across Wrong Place Wrong Time. And now want to check out more reads by Gillian McAllister. If you like books about time travel, then Wrong Place Wrong Time is the book for you. 4 ½ stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: Dear Hanna & The Family Experiment

August 22, 2024/4 Comments/by Sharon

Hi, Sharon here with another Thriller Thursday post. I am so excited to share my thoughts on Zoje Stage’s Dear Hanna and also John Marrs’ The Family Experiment. I love both of these authors and always look forward to reading their newest releases.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: Dear Hanna & The Family Experiment

Dear Hanna Goodreads

Author: Zoje Stage

Publication Date: August 13, 2024

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Zoje Stage’s Dear Hanna was one of my most anticipated books of 2024. I loved Baby Teeth and was so excited when I saw that Stage was writing a sequel. I couldn’t wait to find out what became of Hanna in her adult life, and I am happy to report that Zoje Stage did not disappoint with Dear Hanna.

When Hanna was seven years old, she tried multiple times to kill her mother. Hanna was a very disturbed child, but after therapy she has been able to curb her dark thoughts, well for the most part. Hanna is now twenty-four and works as a phlebotomist, which is perfect for her for when she feels the need to inflict harm in people, she just gives them extra jabs while trying to find a vein. LOL! It is at work that Hanna met widower, Jacob and his teenage daughter, Joelle. Hanna and Jacob hit it off and within a few months they were married. Everything is going great for a few years, but then Joelle comes to Jacob and Hanna with some news, and the perfect world that Hanna has built starts to slip out of her control. Hanna’s dark thoughts come back with a vengeance as she tries to find a way to get her perfect family back under her control.

I loved grown up Hanna. She really is damaged and in this book I could not help but have sympathy for her. Sure, she is plotting to take people out and some of her ideas were bizarre, but I think if she had the love and support of her parents and kept up with the therapy she needed, she would have been okay. I loved how Stage was able to make Hanna a protagonist that was such a sociopath, but also a protagonist that I was rooting for.

The first half of the book was a slow burn and we got normal Hanna. But then halfway through the book, after Joelle breaks her news, the paced really picked up and we got psycho Hanna.

As much as I loved getting to know Hanna again, I also loved the letters between Hanna and her younger brother Goose. Goose is the only one that loved Hanna for who she was. In the letters, Hanna and Goose would bounce ideas around on the best way to get rid of someone without getting caught.

There was a reveal at the end that though it didn’t take me by surprise (I kind of figured that was where it would go), it still made me gasp and brought tears to my eyes.

While Dear Hanna is considered a stand-alone sequel to Baby Teeth, and Zoje Stage does a great job of giving enough back story on Hanna, I would still recommend reading Baby Teeth first. I think getting to know Hanna as a seven-year-old and then getting to know her as an adult is the way to go. Dear Hanna was everything I was hoping for and if Zoje Stage wants to write another sequel (hint hint), I would not be opposed to getting more Hanna. 4 ½ stars

The Family Experiment Goodreads

Author: John Marrs

Publication Date: July 9, 2024

Publisher: Hanover Square Press

John Marrs’ newest book, The Family Experiment, is set in the same world as, The One, The Marriage Act and The Passengers. In a world where most people can no longer afford to start a family or raise one in, one company, Awakening Entertainment, has developed software where couples can access the metaverse and create and raise a virtual child. To launch this new technology, Awakening Entertainment has created a reality TV show called, The Family Experiment. The show will follow five couples and one single dad who will raise a virtual child, from birth to eighteen years old, condensed into a nine-month period. Viewers will pick their favorite and at the end of the nine months, the winner will be able to keep their virtual child or have them deleted and take the prize money to start a real family of their own. What could go wrong?

When the story opens, we are introduced to all the contestants: Rufus and Kitty, Selena and Jade, Cadman and Gabriel, Woody and Tina, Dimitri and Zoe, and single dad Hudson. Rufus and Kitty are eliminated right away, when there was an accident with their virtual child. All the other contestants have secrets that they do not want anyone to find out. And what juicy secrets they are.

I loved getting to know each contestant and watching them interact with their virtual child. Hudson was my favorite. He is twenty-two and his virtual child is Alice. Hudson is not in the contest to win the prize, he wants to expose something, which we don’t find out until the end of the book what it is. But I loved watching him with Alice. For someone who was not in this for the child or money, he was a great dad.

Cadman and Gabriel were my least favorite couple, well Cadman mostly. Cadman is a social media influencer, and he is in this contest for the money. He makes some very questionable decisions, and I just hated him.

Dimitri and Zoe had a son years ago but lost him. This contest is their only chance to be parents again. They seem like a nice couple, but behind closed doors they are anything but. Someone knows their secret and has been sending them threatening letters.

Woody and Tina are another couple that seem nice, but they are hiding a dark secret in their basement.

Rounding out the contestants are Jaden and Selena. Selena is not very motherly and does not connect with her virtual child as much as Jaden does. Jaden has a stalker, that is about to explode their world.

I really cannot say much about what happens in the book, but I will say that as I was reading, I kept thinking “I could never go on a show like this, knowing that if I lose, the child I was raising and loved would be deleted right before my eyes.”

As usual, John Marrs has created an intense futuristic story that kept me glued from beginning to end. And one that also made me think “Yup, I could see virtual families unfortunately becoming a thing one day.” I definitely recommend The Family Experiment. 4 ½ stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: Storm Child & I Will Ruin You

August 1, 2024/4 Comments/by Sharon

Hi, Sharon here with another Thriller Thursday post. This week I am excited to share my reviews on, Storm Child by Michael Robotham and I Will Ruin you by Linwood Barclay. I hope you enjoy. 😀

Thriller Thursday Reviews: Storm Child & I Will Ruin You

Storm Child (Cyrus Haven, #4) Goodreads

Author: Michael Robotham

Publication Date: July 2, 2024

Publisher: Scribner

Storm Child is the fourth installment of Michael Robotham’s Cyrus Haven series. I love this series and was so excited to reunite with Evie and Cyrus again.

Cyrus and Evie are enjoying some down time at Lincolnshire beach when the bodies of seventeen migrants wash up on shore. The only survivor is a teenage boy, who tells police that their boat was deliberately rammed. While Cyrus is trying to help recover the bodies from the ocean, he and Evie are separated. When Cyrus finally finds Evie, she is in a catatonic state. The images of the bodies in the ocean have started to unlock her memories of what happened on the boat she and her mother and sister were on years before. Cyrus is helping the police determine if the boat was targeted and who is responsible, and he also hopes that he can finally help Evie unlock the memories of her past.

I loved how broken and flawed both Evie and Cyrus are. They are both equally vulnerable and strong at the same time. Cyrus wants to help Evie bring down the wall she has put up on her past, but at the same time knows he needs to tread carefully. Evie desperately wants to be normal and at the same time she is afraid of growing too much and possibly losing Cyrus.

Cyrus’ investigation as to what happened on the migrant boat and who was responsible, takes him closer to learning what happened to the boat Evie was on when she was ten years old and the events that ultimately lead to her being found in the secret room three years ago. But the information from both these events, put both Cyrus’ and Evie’s lives in danger.

As Evie starts remembering, we get a look into her life when she was a child, both before she and her mother and sister fled Albania, as well as what happened on the boat that was taking them to England. I loved getting these memories. Some of them made me smile, especially her memories of her father, and a lot of them made me so sad, like when her father died.

As with the three previous books, Robotham has created a story full of tension that kept on building. I love how he intertwines both the mystery and suspense of the story, with the heartfelt characters. I was glued to this story from the very first page and was on the edge of my seat as the end neared. And the end of the book had me in tears.

Storm Child was everything I was hoping it would be. I cannot recommend Michael Robotham’s Cyrus Haven series enough. I am very impatiently waiting for the next installment. I need more Evie and Cyrus in my life. 4 ½ stars

I Will Ruin You Goodreads

Author: Linwood Barclay

Publication Date: May 7, 2024

Publisher: William Morrow

Linwood Barclay’s latest book, I Will Ruin You, follows English teacher Richard Boyle, who is hailed a hero after taking down former student, Mark LeDrew, who was going to blow up the school. But after his moment in the spotlight, Richard finds himself up against a blackmailer with a score to settle. As Richard tries to figure out why he was targeted, he finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation.

After the incident at the school Richard is understandably on edge. When he returns to school, he finds out that the parents of Mark LeDrew have filed a lawsuit against the school as well as Richard. Just Mark himself ended up being blown up and his parents believe that Richard should have done more to be able to stop that from happening. And if all this is not enough, Richard is contacted by another former student of the school that saw him on the news, and this student has made allegations to Richard that he molested him when he was at the school, allegations that Richard vehemently denies. This student is now blackmailing Richard. This student is also involved with big time drug smugglers, and when he turns up dead, Richard finds that he is now in the middle of a murder investigation and no matter what he does to try and get himself out of this mess, he just keeps getting himself in deeper. The deeper he gets, the more his life is in danger.

I liked Richard. Yes, he made some really stupid decisions, but he was dealing with a lot with the aftermath of the potential school bombing. So, when he finds himself being blackmailed and then in the middle of a murder investigation, I kept finding myself yelling “No Richard! Why are you doing that?” As Richard digs deeper to find a way to clear his name with the blackmailer, he finds a connection between, the school bomber, the blackmailer and another teacher at the school. And as things started to be revealed, I thought for sure that I knew what was going on and who was responsible. But boy was I wrong.

I Will Ruin You was a fast paced read that had a lot of things going on. There were so many twists and turns, especially at the end. Linwood Barclay does a great job of creating a story that kept me engaged as well as kept me in the dark. 4 stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Gathering & Long Time Gone

July 11, 2024/4 Comments/by Sharon

Welcome to another edition of Thriller Thursday with Sharon. I hope everyone is doing well, enjoying their summer, and getting great reads in. I certainly am. 🙂 This week I happy to share my thoughts on another couple of great books I have read. C.J. Tudor’s, The Gathering, and Charlie Donlea’s, Long Time Gone. I highly recommend both of these books and authors.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Gathering & Long Time Gone

The Gathering Goodreads

Author: C.J. Tudor

Publication Date: April 9, 2024

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Can C.J. Tudor write a bad book? In my opinion, the answer would be a big NO. Her latest book The Gathering will definitely be in my top five 2024 reads.

In the small town of Deadhart Alaska a fifteen-year-old boy is found dead with his throat ripped out. The citizens of the town are all on edge, they have not seen a killing like this in twenty-five years. They know the vampyr colony living at the old mining settlement deep in the woods is responsible and they want a cull (authorization from the police to kill all vampyrs in the colony). Detective Barbara Atkins is a forensic detective who specializes in vampyr killings, and she has been brought in to determine if the Colony is responsible and authorize a cull. Barbara enlists the help of Deadhart’s former sheriff, Jenson Tucker, to help with her investigation. Tucker was the sheriff twenty-five years ago when the last killing took place, and he knows the Colony better than anyone. As they dive into their investigation and the history of the town, they uncover dark secrets. When more bodies turn up dead, the citizens of Deadhart are growing restless and time is running out for Barbara and Tucker. They need to figure out who is responsible for the murders before there is an all-out war between the citizens of Deadhart and the Vampyr Colony.

While I loved all the characters in this book, Barbara Akins was my favorite. She was one bad ass lady. She did not take her job lightly and even though she was getting pressure from her boss as well as the town to authorize a cull, she was not going to do that until she had all the facts.

I also loved the setting Tudor created. It is Alaska in the winter, so it is cold and dark. That just intensified the creepiness and supernatural feel of the book. I also loved how Tudor redefined the vampyr stereotype. They don’t have a weakness for holy water or garlic and the sun does not burn them up. They can actually have children as well, with another vampyr or even a human. While some vampyrs do go rogue, most just want to live their life in their colony.

I loved everything about this book. C.J. Tudor did an amazing job of creating it all. There were so many twists and turns. There was never a dull moment, and I was hooked from the very first page to the very last. And WOW! what an ending The Gathering had. I so hope there will be a sequel in the works soon. 4 ½ stars

Long Time Gone Goodreads

Author: Charlie Donlea

Publication Date: May 21, 2024

Publisher: Kensington

Long Time Gone is the third book I have read by Charlie Donlea, and he is now on my must-read author list.

Dr. Sloan Hastings is a forensic scientist. Sloan has always known she was adopted and has never had any interest in searching for her biological parents, but in order to complete a research assignment she submits her DNA to an online genealogy site and the results turn Sloan’s world upside down and opens a thirty-year-old missing person’s case. Thirty years ago, in the small town of Cedar Creek, Nevada, Charlotte Margolis, aka “Baby Charlotte” disappeared along with her parents. The results of Sloan’s DNA test confirms that she is Baby Charlotte. If Sloan is Baby Charlotte, then what happened to her biological parents? Sloan travels to Cedar Creek to meet the Margolis family and try and get answers on what happened to her parents. But those answers could put Sloan’s life in danger.

The story is told in a dual timeline. In the present timeline we follow Sloan as she tries to find the answers on what happened to her parents and why she was put up for adoption thirty years ago. And we also follow the story in the days leading up to the day Baby Charlotte and her parents went missing in July 1995.

Sloan teams up with the local sheriff, Eric Stamos, whose father was the sheriff back in 1995 and was investigating the disappearance until he died under suspicious circumstances a week after Baby Charlotte and her parents went missing. I loved following Sloan and Eric as they worked to uncover what happened in 1995. Both being in law enforcement gave them information that would probably not be available to just anyone. They need to tread lightly though because the Margolis family controls the town and Sloan and Eric need to make sure that the Margolis’ do not find out they are working together. Eric is sure that the information his father found out about the disappearance is the reason he died. And as information is uncovered, it looks like someone in the Margolis family knows more than they are saying.

I loved following the events in 1995 as well. For the most part we get the POV of Eric’s father as he is investigating the disappearance. But we also get the POV of Baby Charlotte’s mother. And by the end of the book when it was revealed what happened, I wanted to cry.

Long Time Gone was full of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end. And what an end it was! I was on the edge of my seat; the tension was so high. Charlie Donlea has once again delivered an amazing mystery. I definitely recommend reading Long Time Gone, as well as his other books. 4 ½ stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Reappearance of Rachel Price & The Intruders

June 27, 2024/7 Comments/by Sharon

Hi Everyone. It’s me, Sharon, back with another edition of Thriller Thursday. Sorry I was MIA for a bit. Work got super crazy and then I was on vacation, so had vacation brain for a couple weeks, I did get some great reading in though. 😀 Today I am excited to share my thoughts on a couple of great books, Holly Jackson’s The Reappearance of Rachel Price and Louise Jensen’s The Intruders. These were both excellent reads and I loved both of them.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Reappearance of Rachel Price & The Intruders

The Reappearance of Rachel Price Goodreads

Author:Holly Jackson

Publication Date: April 2, 2024

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Nothing that I say in the review below will do justice to how much I loved Holly Jackson’s, The Reappearance of Rachel Price. I was excited to read this book and it totally exceeded my expectations and is one of my favorite reads of 2024.

Annabel (Bel) Price was two years old when her mother Rachel disappeared sixteen years ago. Bel was the only witness, though she does not remember anything. Bel has grown up in the shadow of her mother’s disappearance and wants nothing more that to just get on with her own life. Bel’s father, Charlie, has agreed to take part in a documentary called “The Disappearance of Rachel Price.” One day after filming a reenactment of the day Rachel disappeared, Bel is walking home and who does she see on the street, but her mother Rachel. Rachel’s reappearance is about to turn everyone’s world upside down. Rachel’s story of where she has been for sixteen years is unbelievable. Bel sure doesn’t believe her story and she is determined to prove that Rachel is lying about what happened to her and where she has been. With the help of the documentary’s camera assistant, Ash, Bel sets out to find out what really happened to her mother, but Bel may not like the answers she finds, and her life is put in jeopardy.

There is not a lot I can say about what happens in this book because I don’t want to spoil anything. I will say I did not trust any of the adults in this book. I thought they all were hiding something and knew more about Rachel’s disappearance than they were saying. Instead of being overjoyed that Rachel had returned, Bel’s father, Charlie, as well as her uncle and aunt, Jeff and Sherry, were acting very strange and standoffish with Rachel. And Rachel was acting strange as well. She took an instant shine to Bel’s sixteen-year-old cousin, Carter. It also seemed like Rachel was trying to provoke and get under Charlie, Jeff, and Sherry’s skin. It wasn’t the happy reunion one would expect.

I loved Bel. She was very resourceful and strong. She was not very nice when Rachel first returned, which I can somewhat understand, and she was very protective of her family. I loved her interactions with Ash. They had me chuckling a few times. Ash was also another character I loved. He was 100% in helping Bel figure out where her mother was for sixteen years. I am glad Bel had Ash on her side.

The second half of the book had a lot of twists and turns. I never guessed what was going on. I do think the “what happened to Rachel” was a bit over the top, but I loved this book so much I didn’t care. LOL!

The ending had me on the edge of my seat and I was very happy with the outcome.

If you like YA mysteries, then I definitely recommend Holly Jackson’s, The Reappearance of Rachel Price. 5 Stars

The Intruders Goodreads

Author: Louise Jensen

Publication Date: April 11, 2024

Publisher: HQ

I have loved all of Louise Jensen’s books I have read, so I don’t know why I put off reading The Intruders. I am glad I finally picked it up and read it because I loved this book.

Cass and James have been dating for six months and want to move in together, but without the money to rent an apartment they cannot. But then a perfect opportunity falls into their lap, well it seemed perfect at the time. There is a manor house that is available rent free, and all Cass and James have to do is housesit and take inventory of the items that are in the house. The new owners are going to make the manor into a retreat. The only catch with the house though, is that thirty years ago the family that lived there were brutally murdered. Cass and James decide to move in anyway, since this is the only way they can save money. As soon as they move in though, strange things start to happen, objects go missing, a window on the stairs landing keeps opening, the swing in the yard moves on its own and the clock in the living room always stops at 8:30. Is the house trying to get them to leave or is there something more sinister going on?

This book sure gave me the creeps with everything that was going on in it. Not sure I would have been able to stay there. Sure, I like reading thrillers, but I don’t want to live in one. LOL!

The story is told from the POV of Cass and James in the present, as well as from the POV of Rose, thirty years in the past. I loved getting the story this way because I was trying to piece everything together that we learned from the past, with what was going on in the present. Louise Jensen did a great job of unfolding this mystery and keeping me in the dark.

I thought for sure I had things figured out, but then a twist came that blew my theory out of the water. The more I tried to piece things together, the more twists would pop up. The Intruders is one of those books that when things are finally revealed, I had to go back to the beginning of the book and reread a couple of chapters to make sure I didn’t miss a pivotal clue. I love when a book does that to me.

The end of the book had so much going on I could not read fast enough. And the very end! OMG! Yup I was a bit freaked out by that. The Intruders is another winner for Louise Jensen. 4 1/2 stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: Darling Girls & Daughter of Mine

May 23, 2024/3 Comments/by Sharon

Happy Thriller Thursday with Sharon! I hope everyone is doing well. I am so glad the nice weather is finally here. I look forward to sitting in my backyard and reading this summer. This week I am excited to share my thoughts on Sally Hepworth’s, Darling Girls and Megan Miranda’s, Daughter of Mine.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: Darling Girls & Daughter of Mine

Darling Girls Goodreads

Author: Sally Hepworth

Publication Date: April 23, 2024

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Sally Hepworth’s latest book, Darling Girls, follows three sisters who are forced to relive their childhood horrors when bones are found on the farming estate where they lived with their foster mother, Miss Fairchild, twenty years ago.

Jessica, Norah, and Alicia may not be sisters by blood, but they are sisters in every other sense of the word. They were all foster children at Wild Meadows, run by Miss Fairchild. From the outside life at Wild Meadows looked like a fairy tale for the girls, in reality though it was anything but. Miss Fairchild had rules and she was never to be crossed. Make Miss Fairchild mad and you would pay the consequences. Aside from going to school and keeping their grades up, they girls had to make sure that the house was cleaned top to bottom every day. One day Miss Fairchild came home and told the girls that she adopted a baby, Amy. No one but Miss Fairchild was allowed to hold or take care of Amy. But Amy didn’t love Miss Fairchild the way she wanted her to. Amy loved the girls and when the girls started to fear for Amy’s life they reported Miss Fairchild to the authorities, but when the police showed up there was no sign of Amy or that she was ever there. What happened to Amy? Are those her bones that were found buried on the estate?

The book is told from the POV of Jessica, Norah, and Alicia both in the present as well as in the past when they lived at Wild Meadows. I loved all three of them. I loved how they became sisters when they were younger and stayed sisters throughout their lives. They are there for each other no matter what. When the bones are found and they are forced back in time, it takes a toll on each of them. I had such sympathy for them the more I learned about what they went through living at Wild Meadows. They are each broken and complex characters.

We also get chapters from therapy sessions of an unknown character. Reading these chapters and not knowing right away who it was, really intrigued me. When it was revealed who it was, I started putting pieces together, though I didn’t figure things out completely. When I thought everything was revealed, Sally Hepworth gave me one more twist that blew my mind.

I don’t want to say much more and spoil things. Darling Girls was a great mystery that was full of twists and turns, as well as amazingly developed characters. 4 ½ stars

Daughter of Mine Goodreads

Author: Megan Miranda

Publication Date: April 9, 2024

Publisher: Marysue Rucci Books

I am a fan of Megan Miranda and was excited to read her latest book, Daughter of Mine. While some of her books I have liked more than others, I am happy to report that Daughter of Mine is a top favorite of mine.

Hazel Sharp moved to the small town of Mirror Lake with her mother when she was seven years old. Her mother married local sheriff Perry Holt, who had two sons, nine-year-old Gage, and seven-year-old Caden. When Hazel was fourteen, her mother left and never returned. Hazel’s mother had a habit of just uprooting their lives when things got too complicated, so everyone assumed she had done the same thing, only this time leaving Hazel behind. Hazel left town after graduating college and only returns for holidays. When Perry Holt died, Hazel returned to town for the service and found out that Perry left his house to her. Mirror Lake has been experiencing a severe drought, and when the water levels drop in the lake behind their house, a car is found. The car is Hazel’s mothers. Hazel is now determined to find out what really happened to her mother. If her car is in the lake, did she do it on purpose or did something more sinister happen all those years ago?

I want to first mention how much I loved how Megan Miranda had each chapter labeled with how many days the drought was going on. I just found that very unique and I think it added to the mystery of the story. I just kept thinking, “What else is going to be found in the lake as the water recedes more with this drought?”

I also loved how the sibling tension just kept increasing. Hazel was close with Gage and at first things were good with them when she came back, but as the story progressed, Gage was pushing Hazel to just leave things alone. Hazel and Caden were never that close. Caden resented the attention that Hazel got from their father and then when her mother left, he was sure that Hazel was in on it. I really did not trust Gage or Caden. In fact, I did not trust anyone in the town. No one seemed to want Hazel digging into why her mother’s car was found in the lake and what happened to her.

As Hazel was trying to find information on what happened to her mother, she came across information about an accident that claimed the life of Gage and Caden’s mother, Perry’s first wife, years before Hazel and her mother came to town. As more clues are revealed, it becomes clear that someone in the Holt family is hiding the truth about what happened to both of Perry’s wives. And when all was revealed I was on the edge of my seat and was totally in the dark.

Daughter of Mine is another winner by Megan Miranda. If you have read any of her other books then I definitely recommend this one as well. 4 stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: Holly & Almost Surely Dead

May 9, 2024/6 Comments/by Sharon

Welcome to another edition of Thriller Thursday with Sharon. This week’s reviews are, Holly by Stephen King and Almost Surely Dead by Amina Akhtar. These books were both so different from each other and terrific reads in their own ways. I loved them both and hope you enjoy the reviews. 🙂

Thriller Thursday Reviews: Holly & Almost Surely Dead

Holly Goodreads

Author: Stephen King

Publication Date: September 5, 2023

Publisher: Scribner

Why I waited so long to read Stephen King’s Holly, is beyond me. Stephen King is one of my favorite authors, yet it took me until now to read Holly, even though it came out last September.

We first met Holly Gibbs in King’s Mr. Mercedes series. I fell in love with Holly then and am so glad she was able to branch out into her own books after that series ended. Holly is now running the private investigating office of Finders Keepers, after the death of Bill Hodges. The office is temporarily closed due to the death of Holly’s mother and Holly’s current partner, Pete, having Covid. Penny Dahl leaves a message for Finders Keepers; her daughter, Bonnie, is missing, and she desperately needs their help to find her. After listening to Penny’s message, Holly reluctantly takes the case. As she is following leads in Bonnie’s disappearance, Holly starts to uncover that more people have gone missing in the same area and under similar circumstances. Holly must use all the talents Bill taught her to uncover this mystery and to keep herself alive.

I loved watching as Holly pieced together Bonnie’s last movements and at the same time uncover information of another missing person. As each new missing person was introduced, the next chapter would be from their abduction. We know early on who is responsible, but I am not going to give that away here. You need to read for yourself and find out. Lol! Okay, I will give you a hint: Watch out for the seemly sweet elderly couple.

It takes Holly a while to really connect each disappearance. Even though they all seem to have the same M.O., each disappearance happened three years apart. But the closer Holly got to connecting everything, the more on the edge of my seat I was.

I also loved how Jerome and his sister Barbara from the Mr. Mercedes series was in this book as well. They are part of Holly’s found family, and I loved seeing them together and helping Holly as much as they could.

Wow! Stephen King certainly ramped up the creepy and horror meter in this book. When we find out why these people were taken and what happened to them after, all I will say is that even I got a bit queasy, and it usually takes a lot for that to happen to me.

If you are a Stephen King fan I think you will love this book. Even though Holly is a spin off from a different series, I don’t think it matters if you read this first. Though I do recommend reading the Mr. Mercedes series as well at some point. 4 ½ stars

Almost Surely Dead Goodreads

Author: Amina Akhtar

Publication Date: February 1, 2024

Publisher: Mindy’s Book Studio

I have never read anything by Amina Akhtar before, but when Almost Surely Dead showed up as free on Amazon first reads, I thought I would give it a try.

Dunia Ahmed is the daughter of Pakistani immigrants living in New York working as a pharmacist. Dunia did not have an easy childhood. Her father died when she was six years old, and her mother and older sister blamed her for his death. She had cut off most communication with her mother and sister and tried to make a life for herself in New York. Recently though her world was turned upside down. Her mother died six months ago, and she recently broke up with her boyfriend. And then one day while waiting for the train, some one tried to kill her by throwing her on the tracks. Her assailant ended up throwing himself on the tracks, and as the police try to figure out why this man tried to kill Dunia, there were two more attempts on her life. Dunia is now missing, has been for a year, and is the subject of a true crime podcast called “Find Dunia”.

I loved how this book was presented. There are chapters told by Dunia, starting from when the first attempt was made on her life. There are also chapters from the podcast and chapters from when Dunia was six years old. I loved getting all the different perspectives and timelines and then trying to piece together on who wanted Dunia dead and where she was now.

My favorite parts of the book were from when Dunia was six. I had such sympathy for her. Dunia’s mother was convinced she was being haunted by a Jinni, a spirit that can take many forms. Evil did seem to follow Dunia, her father died of a sudden heart attack when she was the only one home with him, and close family members who were not nice to Dunia ended up having accidents. So, it is no wonder her mother thought she was haunted, as well as the rest of their community. So poor Dunia was basically shunned and spent most of her time alone or with a neighbor. Learning all these things gave the story a supernatural vibe and added to the mystery of what was going on now with Dunia.

I don’t want to say much and spoil things. I think experiencing all that happened to Dunia as you are reading, adds to the mystery and enjoyment of the book. I did love how Amina Akhtar created the mystery surrounding why someone wanted to kill Dunia and where has she been the past year, with the Islamic culture and folklore. I thoroughly enjoyed Almost Surely Dead and would definitely recommend it. 4 stars