Tag Archive for: reviews

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Invocations & The New Couple in 5B

April 18, 2024/6 Comments/by Sharon

Welcome to another edition of Thriller Thursday with Sharon. This week I am excited to share my thoughts on Krystal Sutherland’s newest YA thriller, The Invocations and Lisa Unger’s newest thriller, The New Couple in 5B. Both of these books were amazing and I loved them both.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Invocations & The New Couple in 5B

The Invocations Goodreads

Author: Krystal Sutherland

Publication Date: January 30, 2024

Publisher: Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books

Krystal Sutherland’s newest YA thriller, The Invocations, is everything I was hoping it would be and more. The story follows three seventeen-year-olds who team up to stop a serial killer who is killing witches and stealing their powers. The Invocations has it all, badass teenagers, witches, magic, murder, and more.

A year ago, Zara Jones’ sister, Savannah, was murdered and Zara wants nothing more than to bring her back to life so she can apologize for the hurtful last words she said to her. Zara is smart and she has been reading up on everything she can find that deals with magic and bringing the dead back to life. But so far nothing has worked.

Jude Wolf is the daughter of a billionaire. Two years ago, she cursed herself and her soul is now tied to demons. Jude is slowly rotting away and is trying anything to find someone who can undo the curse before the demons eat her alive.

Emer Bryne is a witch. Ten years ago, her entire family was killed by witch hunters. Emer has vowed to find those responsible and destroy them. Emer sells spells to women who are in desperate situations, the payment for these spells is that a demon gets part of their soul. Emer was seven years old when her family was killed, and she would have died if not for the demons living in the forest. These demons knew that they needed to keep Emer alive so she could find them souls.

I loved everything about this book. I loved the magic and the demons and the gore when a demon ripped someone apart (Lol). But most of all I loved the characters. Zara, Jude and Emer will always have a special place in my heart. I loved getting to know each of their backstories. And the more I learned about them, the more I loved them. They are so different from each other, but when they finally got together they clicked. They were the piece each other was missing. I loved their banter back and forth. Especially Jude, she had me laughing so many times.

Sutherland did a great job of bringing the magic and demons to life. Especially Bael, who is one of the demons that helped Emer when she was younger. Bael is waiting for Emer to give him her soul, so right now he is just like her own personal bodyguard, and I loved it when she would sick him on someone.

I don’t really want to say much more about what happens and spoil things. But if you like YA stories, badass teenage protagonists, magic, and demons, then you definitely need to check out, The Invocations. 4 ½ stars

The New Couple in 5B Goodreads

Author: Lisa Unger

Publication Date: March 5, 2024

Publisher: Park Row

Lisa Unger’s latest book, The New Couple in 5B, was inspired by Rosemary’s Baby. But this is not a retelling of the horror classic, and Lisa Unger does a great job of giving the Rosemary’s Baby vibes, while creating her own story.

Chad and Rosie Lowan have inherited apartment 5B at 55 Park Ave, called the Windemere, from Chad’s uncle Ivan. Chad and Rosie took care of Ivan while he was dying, but they never thought he would leave them his apartment. Chad is an actor and Rosie is a true crime author. Rosie plans to write a book about the Windemere. There have been many deaths in this building, murders, suicides, accidents, and natural causes. There was a murder/suicide that took place in their actual apartment many years ago when it was owned by Paul and Willa. When they first moved in everyone was so welcoming, but Rosie soon starts to feel that things are not right with this building. The same doorman is always on duty, and Rosie is positive that she has seen the ghost of a small boy in the basement and hallways. The more Rosie digs into the building’s past, the more her life becomes in danger.

Wow! Lisa Unger sure had the hairs on my arm sticking up with this book. I loved the whole supernatural feel this book had, as well as the gothic vibe from the building itself. I will admit that when I was first reading, I thought it was going to be like a retelling of Rosemary’s Baby and I was actually comparing them when I was reading. But I am happy to report that the book took a turn, and I was like “Okay so not the same as Rosemary’s Baby.” LOL!

Lisa Unger did a great job in creating these characters and making them so untrustworthy. I loved that I didn’t know who to trust. Rosie was the only one I trusted, and I liked how she too started not trusting people. I am glad she was not a naïve character that just went along with everything.

I also liked getting chapters from the couple that lived in the apartment years ago, Paul and Willa. These were told from Willa’s POV and getting these chapters added more mystery to what was going on at the Windemere.

The more the story progressed, the more the tension built up, as well as the body count. I had no idea where things were going and when the secrets of the Windemere were finally revealed I was totally surprised. So, thank you for that Lisa Unger.

I definitely recommend The New Couple in 5B. If you are a fan of Lisa Unger and like supernatural stories with gothic buildings, then I really think you will enjoy The New Couple in 5B. 4 ½ stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: Murder Road & The Teacher

March 28, 2024/7 Comments/by Sharon

Happy Thriller Thursday! Sharon here with two awesome books that I have recently read. Murder Road by Simone St. James and The Teacher by Freida McFadden. Both of these books were so good and I know that my reviews do not do them justice. I highly recommend both of these books as well as these authors. 😀

Thriller Thursday Reviews: Murder Road & The Teacher

Murder Road Goodreads

Author: Simone St. James

Publication Date: March 5, 2024

Publisher: Berkley

Simone St. James’ newest book, Murder Road, follows April and Eddie, a young newlywed couple who end up in the middle of a murder investigation. Throw in a creepy small town, great characters and supernatural forces and we have another winner by Simone St. James.

April and Eddie are on their way to a small resort town for their honeymoon, but they take a wrong turn off the interstate and end up on a deserted road, called Atticus Line. While traveling down this dark road they spot what they think is a hitchhiker who appears to be drunk. When they pull over to see if they need help, they realize that this person is not a hitchhiker, but a wounded young woman, Rhonda Jean. As they rush to the hospital in ColdLake Falls with Rhonda Jean bleeding in their back seat, a pickup truck comes speeding behind them, as they take the turn to the center of town, Eddie sees what appears to be a ghostly figure in the back of the truck. Rhonda Jean dies at the hospital and the detectives that show up, rather quickly I may add, immediately suspect Eddie and April as her killer. As Eddie and April work to clear their names, they find that Atticus Line has had many unsolved murders in the past nineteen years. There is a legend that the road is haunted by the Lost Girl. It is said that if you see her, you will be the next one dead on the side of the road. I got goose bumps just writing that. LOL!

I loved everything about this book. From the great characters to the eeriness of Atticus Line and the mystery of the Lost Girl. Simone St. James did an exceptional job of capturing everything in the book and making the story just jump off the pages. Every time the Lost Girl showed up I got goosebumps.

I really liked April and Eddie. When the police tell them they can leave ColdLake Falls, they find they are unable. As they are driving down Atticus Line they encounter a freak rainstorm as well as the Lost Girl and end up right back in town. April and Eddie then realize that they need to figure out who the Lost Girl is and put her to rest. I loved watching them follow clues starting with Rhonda Jean and work their way back to the Lost Girl. They were better than the police and detectives.

In addition to April and Eddie, I loved the secondary characters as well. Rose is the owner of the B & B that April and Eddie are staying at while they are stuck in town. I loved Rose, she had a rough exterior but underneath she was a nice lady and she cared for April and Eddie. Beatrice and Gracie Snell are two teenagers that are all about the ‘conspiracy theory’ and have been trying to solve the mystery about Atticus Line and the Lost Girl. They end up teaming with April and Eddie and brought some humor to the story.

Murder Road was an engrossing, spine tingling, supernatural thriller. Simone St. James knocked this one out of the park and I definitely recommend it. 4 ½ stars

The Teacher Goodreads

Author: Freida McFadden

Publication Date: February 6, 2024

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

I love when a book starts with someone digging a grave, I just know it is going to be a good one and the whole time I am reading I am trying to figure out who is digging the grave and who is going to be buried. That is exactly how Freida McFadden’s newest book, The Teacher, starts out and I loved it.

Eve Bennett and her husband, Nate, are both high school teachers. Eve teaches Math and is a very strict and hard teacher. Nate teaches English and is more easy going and all the girls love and have a crush on him. Their marriage on the outside looks perfect, but on the inside it is a different story. While they both love each other, they are not very loving. As Eve states, they kiss three times a day, a quick kiss when they leave in the morning, a quick kiss when they get home at night and a quick kiss when they go to bed. As for their sex life, well that only happens the first Saturday of every month. Such a loving couple. LOL!

Addie Severson is a sixteen-year-old junior at the school that Eve and Nate teach at. Last year a teacher at the school was involved in a student-teacher affair and the teacher was fired. Addie was the student in question and even though she denied she and this teacher had any kind of relationship no one believed her. So now Addie is more of a loner at school. When Nate takes her under his wing, Addie is more than thrilled. As their relationship grows, Eve starts to suspect there is more going on with them than teacher/student, and she will do whatever she has to to keep her husband and herself from living the scandal from last year. And Eve and Nate are willing to do whatever they have to to keep their relationship a secret. But Eve also has another secret, one that could destroy her. How far will she go to keep her secrets safe?

Wow! This was a fast-paced book, that had a bunch of unlikable characters that I still cared about. LOL! I started off really liking Addie. The more I learned of what happened last year as well as what her home life was like, I had a lot of sympathy for her. She was also being bullied at school, which made her all the more sympathetic to me. But as her actions progressed I flipped to not liking her very much and then flipped to having sympathy for her again.

Eve was always stand-offish for me. She came across with an “I am better than you” attitude. And she was not so innocent herself when it came to their marriage vows. I never liked Nate and kept that attitude through the whole book. I kept hoping that he was going to get what was coming to him.

If you are a fan of Freida McFadden then I think you will really enjoy The Teacher. 4 stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Other Mothers & The School Reunion

March 14, 2024/8 Comments/by Sharon

Welcome to another edition of Sharon’s Thriller Thursday! I hope everyone is getting in some great reading. I know I have, pretty much every book I have read so far this year has been a hit for me. 🙂 This week I am reviewing, The Other Mothers by Katherine Faulkner and The School Reunion by Shalini Boland.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Other Mothers & The School Reunion

The Other Mothers Goodreads

Author: Katherine Faulkner

Publication Date: December 5, 2023

Publisher: Gallery Books

I read Katherine Faulkner’s first book, Greenwich Park, a couple of years ago and while I liked it, it didn’t knock my socks off. So, I didn’t go into her new book, The Other Mothers, with high expectations. Well, I am happy to report that I loved The Other Mothers.

In July 2017 a young nanny named Sophie Blake was found drowned in a reservoir in London. After the coroner’s inquest, her death was deemed a likely accident. Sophie’s mother does not believe her daughter’s death was an accident and a year and a half later she approaches Tash James, a freelance journalist to look into Sophie’s death. Tash is eager to jump start her freelance career, so she takes on the job. Tash’s two-year-old son Finn is having a tough time adjusting to his new playgroup, but then she befriends three other mothers, Laura, Clare, and Nicole, and as their kids’ become friends, Tash has finally found a happy balance to work/motherhood. As Tash starts her investigation into what happened to Sophie, she realizes that her new friends have a connection to her, and they are keeping secrets.

The story is told in a dual timeline. We get Tash’s POV in the present as she works her investigation into Sophie’s death. We also get Sophie’s POV that starts fifteen months before her death and works its way up to the night she died. I loved having the story unfold this way. I loved getting information as Tash would uncover it and then get Sophie’s POV on that information. Sometimes what Tash thought was the truth, we learned from Sophie to not really be the case. And at times what we learned from Sophie turned out not to be truthful. I loved reading and not knowing what really to believe.

I really liked Tash. I was so engrossed in following her as a journalist and watching her investigate Sophie’s death, and also, as she navigated her relationship with her new friends. Tash and her husband, Tom, did not have a lot of money and Tash got herself into some financial trouble trying to keep up with the other mothers. I liked that Tash had the support of her husband though. A lot of times when I read these types of books, the husband is so quick to blame his wife for everything that happens and not support her. So, it was very refreshing to see them as a supportive couple.

I liked Sophie as well. She was young and naïve to start, but as the book progressed she became a stronger woman. Though she was not without her faults, and I soon realized that she was not so innocent after all.

There is not a lot I can say about what happens in this book because I don’t want to spoil anything. But as I was reading I found myself jumping all around on who I could trust.

The Other Mothers was full of twists and turns. The end of the book had so many twists, that I was getting whiplash. LOL! 4 stars

The School Reunion Goodreads

Author: Shalini Boland

Publication Date: January 16, 2024

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Shalini Boland is a go to author for me. Her books are always fast paced reads, that keep me glued to the pages. So, it is no surprise that her latest book, The School Reunion, was another winner for me.

When Chloe Flynn graduated from high school fifteen years ago she never thought she would go back. Even when she got the invitation to her reunion she didn’t plan on going. But Chloe is recently divorced, has a job she hates, no real friends, and is bored with her life. Maybe turning back the clock could be just the thing Chloe needs to start her life over, and the chance to reconnect with her high school crush, Nathan Blake, is what makes Chloe decide to attend the reunion. Once she accepts the invitation though, Chloe starts getting anonymous e-mails warning her about attending. Though these emails have rattled Chloe, she is not going to back down. Chloe figures her ex high school boyfriend; Chris Tamber sent them, and she plans to confront him and put the past to rest once and for all. But going back could become a fatal mistake for Chloe. As past secrets emerge, things take a deadly turn.

OMG guys! There is not much I can say as this book is best to go into blind. I did love the Mean Girls / Romey and Michele’s high School Reunion vibe I got while reading. Though this book in no way is anything like either of those movies, that was just the feel I kept getting while reading.

The story is told from the POV of Chloe as well as Dean Bradley, a contractor who has a beef with Chris Tamber. Dean did some work for Chris, and Chris stiffed Dean the money that was owed, so now Dean is about to lose his contracting company as well as his reputation. I really liked Dean, not only is he trying to salvage his company, but he is also a single dad to 5-year-old Ellis (who is just such a cutie pie), and he just lost his mother a few months ago. Dean is also carrying around the grief of losing his sister when she was sixteen years old. Seeing everything he had on his plate I just wanted to punch Chris in the face for him. LOL!

Chloe is also dealing with issues of her own. Her mother never seems to have a positive word to say to her, and not only is she trying to avoid Chris at the reunion, but she is also dealing with trying to avoid her old high school enemy Abigail, who has her sites set on Nathan and has told Chloe in no uncertain terms to back off. Chloe also has secrets she wants to keep hidden.

The School Reunion had so many twists and turns. Just when I thought I may know what is going on, Shalini Boland would throw in a twist that made me stop and process what I just read. At the end of the book there was a twist that literally had my jaw drop. 4 stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: No One Can Know & There Should Have Been Eight

February 29, 2024/10 Comments/by Sharon

It’s Sharon’s Thriller Thursday! I hope you are all doing well. I cannot believe tomorrow is March already. This week I am excited to share my thoughts on Kate Alice Marshall’s, No One Can Know and Nalini Singh’s, There Should Have Been Eight. I loved both of these books so much and I know nothing I said in my reviews will do them justice. If you have these on your to-read list or even if they are not, I definitely recommend them.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: No One Can Know & There Should Have Been Eight

No One Can Know Goodreads

Author: Kate Alice Marshall

Publication Date: January 23, 2024

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Kate Alice Marshall is a relatively new author to me, but after reading No One Can Know, she is now on my auto buy list.

When Emma Palmer was sixteen years old, her parents were murdered. Emma had been out the night her parents were murdered, but when she returned home, her two sisters, eighteen-year-old Juliette and twelve-year-old Daphne were in the hallway where their mother lay dead. Emma did not know who killed her parents, but she took it upon herself to protect her sisters, even if that meant letting people think it was her who killed them. Emma is now thirty years old and has not been back to her hometown since she was eighteen. She has also been estranged from her sisters and has not seen or spoken to them in years, but Emma and her husband Nathan now need to return as they have lost their apartment and their bank account has dwindled to almost nothing. Coming home means that Emma must now face her past and finally get answers to who killed her parents.

The story is told from the POV of Emma, Juliette (who now goes by JJ), and Daphne, both in the present as well as the past. I really loved Emma. She got the short end of the stick when it came to her parents’ affection. Neither of her parents were great to any of the girls, but Juliette was the obedient one and her mother’s favorite, and Daphne kept in the shadows and was more their father’s favorite. Emma was the defiant one. I loved learning more about the girls and what happened that night from the past chapters. I really hated how Juliette and Daphne let Emma take the fall for their parents’ murder though. But I did like that as adults they were there for her now and had her back.

Emma is pregnant and being back home and seeing how everyone in town still thinks she is guilty of her parents’ murder has made Emma determined to find out what really happened. Emma does not want her child to grow up with a mother who everyone thinks is guilty of murder. The more Emma learns about what happened that night, the more her life was in danger. I loved her determination though. Her child is her top priority, even if it means she needs to turn one or both of her sisters in.

I was all over the place on who I thought was the murderer. With each new piece of information that Emma uncovered my mind would change on who I thought was guilty. No One Can Know was full of so many twists and turns right up until the very last page. I did not figure anything out and was shocked when all was revealed. 4 ½ stars

There Should Have Been Eight Goodreads

Author: Nalini Singh

Publication Date: November 21, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

I have only read one other book by Nalini Singh and when I read the synopsis for There Should Have Been Eight, I knew I was going to enjoy it. And I was right.

Luna, Vansi, Kaea, Ash, Aaron, Phoenix, Bea, and her sister Darcie met when they were teenagers and have all been best friends since. That is until nine years ago when Bea killed herself. Though they have stayed in touch, they are not as close as they once were. Darcie organizes a reunion at her family’s isolated estate. This reunion is a chance to reconnect and reminisce about Bea, as well as celebrate Aaron’s engagement to Grace. What starts out as a fun reunion soon takes a deadly turn. A storm has moved in, and the group is stranded at the estate and must fight to survive the night.

I loved everything about the book, though there is not a lot I can say without spoiling things. I loved the gothic setting. The estate has been in Darcie and Bea’s family for generations and is run down and has a lot of secret passageways to move about. Nalini Singh did a great job of creating this eerie setting.

The story is narrated by Luna, and I just loved her. Luna is a photographer, and she was in her glory taking photos of the estate. I love to take photos, though I am in no way a photographer, so I was getting excited with Luna as she pulled out her camera to take photos of the estate and grounds. I also had a lot of sympathy for Luna. She has a condition that is making her lose her eyesight, which is just devastating for her. Luna is also having a hard time coming to terms with Bea killing herself. That was not like Bea at all, and Luna does not believe it for a minute. Luna is having a hard time forgiving Darcie, since Darcie had Bea cremated right away and scattered her ashes alone without any of the others there.

As things start to happen to the group – someone put a beloved doll of Bea’s on Darcie’s bed, cut Kaea’s hiking boots, so he fell while hiking and hurt his leg bad, pushed one of them down the stairs – the group realizes that someone is out for revenge. I thought I had things figured out, not only with who was behind everything that was happening at the estate, but also what really happened to Bea. I was kind of right, though not completely.

There Should Have Been Eight was a slow burn mystery, with lots of twists and turns. Singh did a great job of creating this story. Between the great characters, the eerie gothic setting, and the mystery of what was going on and who was responsible, I was engrossed from beginning to end. 4 ½ stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: For the Last Time & The Engagement Party

February 8, 2024/10 Comments/by Sharon

Happy February everyone! It’s Thursday, so that means another edition of Sharon’s Thriller Thursday. This week I am happy to share my thoughts on For the Last Time by Heidi Perks and The Engagement Party by Darby Kane. I really enjoyed both of these books.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: For the Last Time & The Engagement Party

For the Last Time Goodreads

Author: Heidi Perks

Publication Date: December 5, 2023

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Erin and Will Harding had a perfect marriage, that is until one Valentine’s Day when something triggered Erin and now she no longer trusts Will. They decide to go to marriage counseling, but walking into the office of Maggie Day could be the worst mistake they made. During one of their sessions Erin mentions something that is connected to Maggie’s past and Maggie is determined to figure out what Erin knows, even if that means crossing ethical lines and putting Erin’s life in jeopardy. That is the premise of Heidi Park’s latest book, For the Last Time, and what a read it was.

The story opens with the prologue in which Erin has been rushed to the hospital after being struck by a car and left on the side of the road in a hit and run. She has severe internal injuries and is in a coma. What was Erin doing out so late at night on such a deserted road? Detective Lynsey Clayton is assigned to the case and after her preliminary interviews with Will and Erin’s best friend, Zoe, it looks like this may not have been an accident and someone deliberately ran Erin down. The book then jumps back six months, to Valentines Day and is told from the POV of Erin and Maggie and at the end of some of the chapters the story jumps to the present and the investigation.

I really liked getting the build up to the accident and learning more about what is going on in Erin and Will’s lives. I really liked Erin, but at times I did find that she was an unreliable character and I think that added to the mystery of the story. Erin accuses Will of doing all sorts of things and he denies them all, which had me thinking that he was gaslighting her. I had a lot of sympathy for Erin, as something was definitely going on, but no one believed her. Not even her best friend Zoe. Whenever Erin voiced her concerns about Will to Zoe, Zoe would defend him. Which shot up red flags to me.

I started out liking Maggie. Her sister was killed twenty years ago, and she has been carrying around that grief, since Maggie is the one that was supposed to be keeping an eye on her. The murderer was caught and convicted, but now that he is about to go before the parole board, Maggie is starting to have doubts that he is guilty. When Erin mentions something that connects to her sister’s murder she becomes obsessed with finding out what Erin knows. And it is here that I started to not like Maggie so much. LOL! I understand she wants the truth for her sister, but she did not have Erin’s best interest at heart.

For the Last Time was full of twists and turns and I didn’t know what to believe or who to trust at times. By the end of the book the tension ramped up and I was on the edge of my seat and couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen. 4 stars

The Engagement Party Goodreads

Author: Darby Kane

Publication Date: December 5, 2023

Publisher: William Morrow

I have loved all the books I have read by Darby Kane, so I was excited for her newest book, The Engagement Party. This was described as, And Then There Were None meets I Know What You Did Last Summer and I think that was a perfect description.

Twelve years ago, Emily Hunt was found dead floating in a river near her college campus. Her death was ruled a murder and the police focused their suspicions on a quiet, shy student Brendan Clarke. A week later Brendan committed suicide and even though he was never convicted, that convinced everyone he was guilty. Twelve years later Emily’s closest friends; Mitch, Will, Alex, and Cassandra, are getting together on a secluded island in Maine to celebrate Will’s engagement to Ruthie. However, someone has other intensions and this someone wants to find out the truth about what happened to Emily. When a storm comes in and strands the group on the island and then a body is found in the trunk of a car with a note, time to tell the truth, it becomes clear that this group of friends know more than they are saying, and they are all hiding secrets. To survive the night and stop a killer, this group will have to come face to face with their past.

This story is told from the POV of Ruthie, Alex, and Sierra. Sierra is Mitch’s guest, they work with each other and though they won’t admit it, they have feelings for each other as well. Sierra and Mitch were the only two characters I really liked, and I hoped they would survive and finally get together.

Right off the bat we know that Ruthie has a hidden agenda, but things do not go as she planned. She planned somethings for this weekend, but not the murders. So, who else is on this island and is taking Ruthie’s plan and expanding it?

As with all slasher books I have read, I found myself yelling at the characters and asking how they can be so stupid. LOL! Stay together people, do not break up into groups and do not go out by yourself. And if you happen to escape from would be killer, arm yourself so when you face them again, which you know you will, you will be able to defend yourself. Hahahaha!

We also get excerpts from a book someone is writing that gives a backstory on what happened twelve years ago. Between these excerpts, the secrets that are revealed and the body count that starts to rise, I was on the edge of my seat and my adrenaline was pumping the whole time I was reading.

The Engagement Party was a fast-paced read, full of twists and turns. There was a twist at the end that I need to give Darby Kane two thumbs up for. I so did not see that coming. 4 stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: First Lie Wins & That’s Not My Name

January 25, 2024/9 Comments/by Sharon

Hi Everyone, It’s Sharon back with another edition of Thriller Thursday. One of my favorite things with reading is finding authors that are new to me and this week I have two such authors. I am very excited to share my thoughts on First Lie Wins, by Ashley Elston and That’s Not My Name, buy Megan Lally. I loved both of these books and look forward to reading more from these authors.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: First Lie Wins & That’s Not My Name

First Lie Wins Goodreads

Author: Ashley Elston

Publication Date: January 2, 2024

Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books

I love when I am scrolling through new releases on Goodreads and come across a book by an author I have never read before, and it sounds like it would be an enjoyable read, so I give it a try and it turns out to be an awesome read. That is exactly what happened with First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston.

The story centers around Evie Porter. Only Evie Porter is not her real name, in fact Evie Porter doesn’t really exist. Evie got her identity from her mysterious boss, Mr. Smith. Evie does not know who Mr. Smith really is, but he helped her out of a bind eight years ago and she has been working for him ever since. So, what does Evie do for Mr. Smith? Well, she pretty much is a con artist. Every job is different, but when needed Mr. Smith gives Evie a new identity and location to move to. Once Evie has learned all she can about the location and the people who live there, she is then given the identity of her mark and what she either needs to find out about them or steal from them. Evie is good at what she does, but on her last job she failed and was not able to retrieve what Mr. Smith wanted, so she is not in his good favor at the moment, so this new job means everything. Do what she is asked, and she is back in Mr. Smith’s good graces, fail and she most likely will die. Evie’s newest target is Ryan Sumner, and her goal is to get everything she can on Ryan’s transportation company. Everything is going great, Evie has become Ryan’s girlfriend and moves in with him, but then someone shows up who claims to be Luca Marino. But Evie knows that is not her real name, because that is who Evie really is. What is Mr. Smith up to? To figure this out Evie has to up her game and stay one step ahead of Mr. Smith if she wants to survive.

I loved Evie! She was smart and very resourceful. She took on any job Mr. Smith gave to her and if she knew the original plan was not going to work, she would figure out a better plan. When Evie realizes that Mr. Smith has also put a target on her back, she works with her friend Devon to figure out who Mr. Smith really is and take him down. Evie met Devon online, he is very tech savvy and had helped Evie on many of her jobs. I loved how he became her found family and how they had each other’s backs. I also loved following them as they try and figure out who Mr. Smith is.

Aside from following Evie on her current job, we also get chapters from her past jobs and aliases. I loved getting this look into her past.

First Lie Wins had so many twists and turns that I had no idea where it was heading or how things were going to turn out. This was a very addicting read and I finished it in a couple of days. 4 ½ stars

That's Not My Name Goodreads

Author: Megan Lally

Publication Date: December 26, 2023

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

That’s Not My Name is Megan Lally’s debut novel, and what a debut it was. The story is told from the POV of Mary and Drew. There is not a lot I can say about what happens in this book without giving away any spoilers, but I will do my best.

The book opens with a seventeen-year-old girl waking up in a ditch on the side of the road in the middle of the night. She has cuts and bruises all over her and she cannot remember how she got there or who she is. A local sheriff finds her and takes her back to the station and while he is trying to figure out who this girl is, a man shows up frantic to report his daughter missing. Turns out he is this girl’s father. His name is Wayne, and her name is Mary. After showing the officer her birth certificate and photos of them together, Wayne takes Mary back to the cabin they are staying at. I was skeptical right off the bat that this man was her father and even though he had proof I still could not believe the officer let her go with him. As the book went on Wayne became more and more shady to me, as well as to Mary. He forgot she was allergic to strawberries, the clothes he had for her were too small, he didn’t want her to leave the cabin, etc.. I was truly worried for Mary’s safety.

The other POV we get is from Drew, a seventeen-year-old, whose girlfriend Lola disappeared a couple of months ago. Drew was the last person to see Lola. They had a fight, and she slammed his car door and walked off into the night never to be seen again. Everyone in town believes that Drew killed Lola and instead of looking for her the local sheriff is looking for clues that will convict Drew. Drew is doing anything he can to find Lola, but with the whole town against him it is hard. That is until he finally convinces his cousin Max and Lola’s best friend Autumn that he is innocent, and together the three work to find out what happened to Lola. I loved Drew and my heart just broke for him. He really loves Lola, and he feels responsible for her being missing, because of the fight they had. The guilt is eating him up and I just wanted to give him a big hug. I was so happy when Max and Autumn finally joined forces with Drew, finally he has some support. As they find information that could solve the mystery of what happened to Lola, I was hoping and praying they would all get a happy ending.

By the end of the book the suspense and tension built up so much that I could not turn the pages fast enough. And that epilogue. Megan Lally had me in tears reading that.

That’s Not My Name is a young adult mystery/thriller that kept me engrossed from start to finish. 4 stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: One of Us Is Back & The Wedding Guest

January 11, 2024/11 Comments/by Sharon

Happy New Year! Sharon here with my first Thriller Thursday of 2024! Looking at my to read list and all of the new books coming out this year, I predict that 2024 is going to be a great reading year. 🙂 To start off the new Thriller Thursday year, I have my last read from 2023; One of Us Is Back by Karen M. McManus and my first read from 2024; The Wedding Guest by Kathryn Croft.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: One of Us Is Back & The Wedding Guest

One of Us Is Back (One of Us Is Lying, #3) Goodreads

Author: Karen M. McManus

Publication Date: July 25, 2023

Publisher: Delacorte Press

I really liked the first two books in Karen M. McManus’ One of Us series, One of Us Is Lying and One of Us Is Next, so I was very excited to read the third book, One of Us Is Back. I am happy to report this was everything I had hoped it would be. In this third installment someone has a new game for the Bayview crew, but no one understands the rules. Everyone is a target and things turn deadly when the biggest secret of all is revealed.

I was so excited to have the gang from the first two books back. This book is told from the POV of Nate, Addy, and Phoebe. We also get chapters from the POV of Simon and Jake from six years in the past. I really liked getting Simon and Jake’s chapters as it gives us insight into what started the whole scheme with Simon in the first place and how they may link to what is happening now.

I don’t really want to say too much because I don’t want to spoil anything. A local billboard is hacked with a message stating, “Time for a new game, Bayview.”, but no one really pays attention to it at first. It is only when one of the Bayview group goes missing after a party at Nate’s house and is found with a partial message on their arm, that the crew realizes that someone is playing a new game and they need to figure out who it is before something worse happens. I love how this whole crew comes together to work out this mystery.

I loved reconnecting with the Bayview Murder Crew, as they now call themselves. I loved the banter they had back and forth and how they were there for and watched out for each other. Even when secrets are revealed and things get messy because of those secrets, they still had each other’s backs.

McManus did a great job in creating this newest Bayview mystery. I thought I had figured things out a few times but was completely in the dark when all was revealed. I also liked how at the front of the book it lists all the characters and gives a brief description of who they are. This helped me a lot to reconnect and remember each character. I don’t know about you, but when I am reading a series and it is a couple years in between each new release it takes me a while to acclimate myself with the characters, so having this list lets me get right into the book and not miss a beat.

If you enjoyed the first two books in the One of Us series, then I really think you will enjoy One of Us Is Back. 4 stars

The Wedding Guest Goodreads

Author: Kathryn Croft

Publication Date: September 14, 2023

Publisher: Bookouture

Emily Thomas is marrying the man of her dreams, Jeremy Jordan. She loves Jeremy and cannot wait to be a family with him and his ten-year-old daughter, Lexi. The day is perfect, and she is ready to start her new life and forget her dark past. But when she looks out at the guests she sees Christian Holmes, the man from her past who can destroy her perfect new life. Emily will do whatever it takes to keep her secrets from being revealed. And that is the premise of Kathryn Croft’s latest psychological thriller, The Wedding Guest.

The story is told in a dual timeline, starting in the present when Christian shows up at Emily and Jeremy’s wedding and then fifteen years in the past when Emily and Christian met at Uni in London. I loved both timelines equally.

The present-day chapters had me so filled with tension because I had no idea what Christian was going to do next. I did not like him from the moment I met him in the first chapter, and my dislike for him grew as the book went on. We don’t know what secret Christian and Emily share, but Christian is using it to make Emily do what he wants. Christian moved to the United States after the events from fifteen years ago and has not had any contact with his family, but now he is making Emily go with him to visit his father and brother and act like they are engaged. He has also gotten to be friends with Jeremy and is using that friendship to torture Emily. When Emily, Jeremy and Lexi go away for a long weekend, Christian just happens to show up at the same place and ends up staying with them. Christian has also created a wedge between Emily and her mother in-law, who were always close, by hinting to Pam that Christian and Emily were not just old friends, but that they had a relationship when they were at Uni.

I liked Emily and was so afraid for her that Christian was going to ruin her life. Everything he was doing to her in the present just got me so mad on her behalf. And as we got more of a look into their relationship from the past chapters, I really worried for her. When they met at Uni, Emily was a shy naïve girl. Her mother had psychological issues and really kept her sheltered, but Emily was determined to get an education and make her own way in life. So, when she met Christian, she fell for him hard and could not see that he was gaslighting her.

The Wedding Guest was a slow burn read, but as the book neared the end the tension and suspense picked up. I thought I knew where the story was going, but I was so wrong. There was a twist at the end that I never saw coming. I was completely shocked! 4 stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: Where He Can’t Find You & Good Girls Don’t Die

December 21, 2023/8 Comments/by Sharon

Happy Thriller Thursday with Sharon! I hope everyone who is celebrating has a very happy and safe holiday. I cannot believe the year is over in a week and a half and that this is my last Thriller Thursday of 2023. I have read some great books this year and was so happy to share my thoughts with you all. I look forward to sharing even more great thrillers in 2024. For my final Thriller Thursday of 2023 I am excited to share my reviews on two greats books from two great authors; Where He Can’t Find You by Darcy Coates and Good Girls Don’t Die by Christina Henry.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: Where He Can’t Find You & Good Girls Don’t Die

Where He Can't Find You Goodreads

Author: Darcy Coates

Publication Date: November 7, 2023

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

I read my first Darcy Coates’ book, Dead of Winter, a few months ago and loved it. It was right up my thriller loving mind, so when I read the synopsis for her latest book, Where He Can’t Find You, I knew it was going to be another winner for me. And I was right!

In the small town of Doubtful, people have been disappearing for decades. Some are lost forever, but the bodies that are found are unrecognizable. Those bodies have been dismembered and then sewn back together in unnatural ways. Some are even more than one body sewn together. There are rules to live by in Doubtful, 1) Don’t walk alone. 2) Don’t stay out after dark. 3) Keep your windows and doors locked. Follow these rules and maybe The Stitcher won’t get you. Abby Ward, her sister Hope and their friends, Rhys, Riya, and Connor, live by these rules, so when Hope is taken Abby is shocked. Abby is desperate to get Hope back before The Stitcher can do to her what he has done to others. Knowing the police cannot help, Abby and her friends race against time to find Hope and possibly put an end to The Stitcher once and for all.

Wow! This is another Darcy Coates book that would make one great thriller movie. I don’t want to say a lot and spoil anything. But I will say this was one intense book that had my heart racing the whole time I was reading.

I loved Abby and her friends and how they had each other’s backs and the lengths they would go to help keep each other safe, as well as the lengths they went to help Abby save Hope. They were not only best friends, but they were family, willing to put themselves in danger for each other.

I also loved how dark and grey Coates created the town of Doubtful. Her descriptions were great and I could just picture the town as almost a ghost town. It really added to the creepiness of the book. Coates also did a great job with the vivid descriptions of what the victims looked like when they were found and stitched back together. I got chills while reading.

The whole story had a definite horror vibe and as we learned more about the origin of the town and when the disappearances started, it also took on a supernatural vibe. I kept getting Stephen King’s It, vibes but have also seen that people compared this to Stranger Things.

I know nothing I have said did this book justice, but if you are looking for a supernatural horror read that will leave your skin crawling, then definitely pick up a copy of Where He Can’t Find You. 4 ½ stars

Good Girls Don't Die Goodreads

Author: Christina Henry

Publication Date: November 14, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

I love Christina Henry’s books and her latest, Good Girls Don’t Die, is no exception. This story follows three different women, who find themselves fighting for their lives. Each woman is in a unique setting that mirrors the genre of books they love to read. I thought this was such an interesting way to set the book.

Celia is standing in a strange kitchen with a man who is supposedly her husband, and a young girl who is her daughter. Celia cannot remember her real life, but she knows this is not it. As she tries to go about her day, she realizes this life actually resembles the cozy mysteries she loves, right down to the nasty neighbor that nobody ever likes and who ends up dead. Celia is determined to figure out what is going on and as she starts to piece things together, she learns that someone has deliberately done this to her, and she needs to find a way out of this town. I like cozy mysteries as well, and I loved how everything that happened to Celia is just what happens in those types of books.

Allie is a college student and a lover of horror stories. She is supposed to be going on a girl’s weekend with her two best friends, but instead they end up at a remote cabin in the woods with the boyfriends of her friends tagging along. Allie is sure something is not right about this trip and when an ax-wielding man attacks the group, Allie needs to take everything she has learned from those horror books to stay alive. You all know me and my love for horror stories, so no surprise this was my favorite part of the book. LOL! I really liked Allie and how she was trying to do whatever she could to keep herself and her friends alive, though that was tough at times, as her friends did not follow the “rules to surviving a horror story”.

Maggie has been kidnapped and wakes up tied to a chair in a room with a bunch of other women. In order to survive they must navigate a series of obstacles that are full of boobytraps, just like the YA Dystopian books Maggie loves to read. This is another genre I like, so I was right there with Maggie as she tried to make her way through.

I loved each section of this book and all three of these women. They were all strong, badass, and were determined to make it out alive. As well as enjoying each of their stories, I was also trying to figure out how they ended up in the situations they were in. I didn’t figure anything out until it was revealed in the end. And all I will say is WOW! I thought they were bad-asses before, they certainly kicked it up at the end and I was cheering them on the whole time. I also loved how each chapter had on-line chats at the beginning of them. That just really added to the mystery of the story.

If you are a fan of Christina Henry or are looking for a unique mystery, then I think you should definitely check out Good Girls Don’t Die. 4 stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Stranger Upstairs & Christmas Presents

November 30, 2023/7 Comments/by Sharon

Hi, Sharon back with another edition of Thriller Thursday. I hope those who celebrated Thanksgiving had a great day. And even though it is now the festive holiday season, in my heart it is always spooky season. 😀 This week I have Lisa M. Matlin’s debut novel, The Stranger Upstairs and Lisa Unger’s, Christmas Presents (see incorporating festive and spooky in my readings LOL).

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Stranger Upstairs & Christmas Presents

The Stranger Upstairs Goodreads

Author: Lisa M. Matlin

Publication Date: September 26, 2023

Publisher: Bantam

The Stranger Upstairs is Lisa M. Matlin’s debut novel and what a debut it was. The Stranger Upstairs was a creepy thriller that had an Amityville Horror vibe. I borrowed this book from the library, but I am definitely going to be buying a copy to have in my collection.

Forty years ago, Black Wood House was the scene of a brutal murder/suicide. Bill Campbell bludgeoned his wife Susan to death with a hammer. He then went to kill his daughter Janet, but she was able to run from the house and escape. Bill then committed suicide. No one knows where Janet is, as she has not been seen in forty years. Black Wood House has sat decaying all this time, until social media influencer Sarah Slade buys the house and plans to fix it up and then resell it. Not long after she and her husband move in, strange things start to happen. The new wallpaper they put up in the bedroom just falls off, Sarah is hearing footsteps in the attic, and she has started receiving threatening notes. With each day, Sarah’s life spirals out of control, and she becomes convinced that someone is trying to kill her. But who? Her husband, her neighbors, or the house itself?

WOW! I don’t even know how to explain how good and creepy this book was without giving anything away. I think Matlin did an amazing job of bringing Black Wood House to life. At times I actually felt like it was another character in the book. The more that Sarah spiraled out of reality, the more she thought the house was talking to her and feeding off her anger. And I was convinced as well. I got chills so many times while I was reading this book.

Sarah was a very complex character, and she had a lot of secrets. I liked her, but then again, I didn’t like her. LOL! As her secrets were revealed I moved to the “didn’t like her” end, but then when I learned more about her childhood, I moved to the “I like her” end. When things started progressing in the book and Sarah started going off the deep end, I had no idea what to believe. I have to say I loved Sarah’s cat, Reaper. What a cool name. Reaper can feel the vibes the house is giving off. When Reaper gets sick, Sarah is positive one of her neighbor’s poisoned him. But then Sarah starts getting sick as well. Is it the house or is someone breaking in and torturing her?

By the end of the book, I could not read fast enough. I just had to find out what was really going on and how this would end. I thought the book was going one way, but then Matlin threw in some twists and took it in a direction I so did not anticipate. If you are looking for a creepy thriller that will give you goose bumps and make you look over your shoulder, then I recommend Lisa M. Matlin’s, The Stranger Upstairs. 4 stars

Christmas Presents Goodreads

Author: Lisa Unger

Publication Date: October 24, 2023

Publisher: Mysterious Press

I love Lisa Unger’s books, so when I saw her new book, Christmas Presents, I knew I had to read it. What better way to kick off the holiday season than with a mystery that takes place around Christmas.

Ten years ago, just before Christmas, Madeline Martin was attacked by her boyfriend, Evan Handy. Madeline survived, but her best friend Steph did not. Also, on that night two of Madeline’s other friends, sisters Ainsley and Sam Wallace went missing. Evan was convicted of killing Steph and has always been suspected in the disappearance of Ainsley and Sam. Madeline’s father, Sherrif James Martin, has been obsessed with finding the girls right up until he had a stroke a few months ago. Madeline now owns a local bookstore, The Next Chapter Bookshop, and while she has tried to move on with her life, this time of year always brings back the memories of that night. When Harley Granger, a true-crime podcaster, comes into the bookstore one night just before Christmas, he tells Madeline he is doing a podcast on the cold case of missing Ainsley and Sam. Madeline wants nothing to do with the podcast, that is until Harley tells her that in the past ten years, three other woman have gone missing in the area, most recently a young exotic dancer named Lolly. With Evan in jail, who has taken these women and are they connected to Ainsley and Sam’s disappearance?

The story is told from the POV of Madeline, both in the present and we also get snippets of her remembering the events that lead up to the night Evan killed Step and attacked her. We also get the POV of Harley as he works on the podcast and tries to find clues that will lead to finding out what happened to the missing women. And we get the POV of Lolly, the last woman that went missing. I loved how Lisa Unger set the story this way. Each chapter and POV just added to the mystery of what was going on.

Unger did a great job in creating the characters in this story. I really liked Madeline. She was such a strong character. She harbors a lot of guilt over Steph’s death and is just trying to get on with her life. But when she finds out that other women have gone missing and they could be connected to Ainsley and Sam, she works with her childhood friend Badger and together they use sheriff Martin’s files to try and figure out who is responsible for these disappearances.

Harley Granger was a character I loved to hate. He was not a bad guy per se, but his approach on his podcast just shed him in a sort of bad light for me. I really liked getting Lolly’s chapters. Those just gave me the chills, knowing she is being held captive, but not knowing what her fate is going to be.

If you are looking for a Christmas themed mystery with twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat, then check out Lisa Unger’s Christmas Presents. 4 stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The House Beyond the Dunes & My Darling Girl

November 9, 2023/4 Comments/by Sharon

Hi Everyone, Sharon here wishing you all happy Thriller Thursday! This week I am so excited to share my thoughts on two amazing books I read. Mary Burton’s awesome psychological thriller, The House Beyond the Dunes and Jennifer McMahon’s great supernatural thriller, My Darling Girl.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The House Beyond the Dunes & My Darling Girl

The House Beyond the Dunes Goodreads

Author: Mary Burton

Publication Date: September 5, 2023

Publisher: Montlake

I have never read anything by Mary Burton, but when Goodreads suggested The House Beyond the Dunes as a book I may like, I decided to give it a read and now I want to check out more of Mary Burton’s books, because Goodreads was on the mark in suggesting this book.

Kyle Iverson brought his new girlfriend, Lane McCord to his secluded beach house to spend the New Year’s weekend and bring their relationship to the next level, but a romantic weekend this was not. An hour after they arrive, both Kyle and Lane fall down a flight of stairs. Lane wakes up in a hospital with multiple bruises, but Kyle died. As Lane tries to make sense of what happened, she is confronted by Detective Becker, who is not so sure that Kyle’s death was an accident. Detective Becker is also investigating the disappearance of two women from nearby Nags Head, both of whom went missing around the July fourth holiday. Lane returns to the beach house to retrieve her belongings and try to understand what happened to make her and Kyle fall, but she learns things about Kyle and realizes she did not know him as well as she thought. Lane is also getting texts messages with copies of a journal from one of the missing women, Stevie Palmer. Who is Stevie Palmer and why is someone sending her journal to Lane? And what really happened at the beach house?

OMG! Guys, I loved this book so much. The story was told from Lane’s POV as well as Stevie’s journal. I loved getting the story this way. I was equally invested in both POV’s. I also loved both Lane and Stevie. They were both strong and determined women.

With Lane’s POV, we follow her as she goes back to the beach house and tries to unravel what happened, as well as trying to figure out who Stevie is and what happened to her. The more she learned about Kyle the more confusing things became. She kept things she learned to herself because she was not sure who to trust. And I was right there with her on that one. Detective Becker came across as very shady to me, so he immediately was on my radar. As was, Reece, the neighbor that called the police after the accident and Devon, the caretaker of the house.

I loved reading Stevie’s journal. Stevie worked as a bartender at a local pub in Nags Head. It is here that she meets the other woman, Nicki, that went missing. Stevie actually took it upon herself to investigate Nicki’s disappearance and I loved that about her. She didn’t really know Nicki, but as she said, “If I don’t look for her, who will?” The further along we got in Stevie’s journal the more things started to come together on how Stevie, Nicki, Kyle, and Lane were all connected. There was one final connection at the end of the book that took me totally by surprise. It actually brought tears to my eyes.

The House Beyond the Dunes is an amazing psychological thriller. Mary Burton did a great job of creating this story. I was so caught up in the mystery of what happened at the beach house, as well as what happened to Stevie and Nicki, that by the end of the book I was on the edge of my seat. 4 ½ stars

Trigger warning: This book does deal with rape. Mary Burton does not get into the details, but it is there.

My Darling Girl Goodreads

Author: Jennifer McMahon

Publication Date: October 3, 2023

Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press

I love Jennifer McMahon’s books and how they deal with the supernatural. So, what better time to read her latest book, My Darling Girl, than spooky season. This book is set around Christmas, so I got all my holiday vibes in one reading. LOL!

Alison O’Connor lives in Vermont with her husband, Mark, and their two children, sixteen-year-old Izzy, and six-year-old Olivia. Alison is estranged from her mother Mavis. Alison and her brother suffered abuse from their mother when they were children. Alison has put her past behind her, but then she gets a call from Mavis’ assistant that will turn her life upside down. Mavis is in the hospital with cancer and only has a few weeks left to live, and she wants to move in with Alison and spend her last few weeks with her and her family. Alison is reluctant at first, but after talking it over with Mark, who knows the whole story of her childhood, they agree to take Mavis in. But not long after Mavis moves in, things start to happen and Alison is forced to revisit her childhood and she discovers that her mother is not who she seems to be and their family’s happy Christmas season is turned into a nightmare. How far will Alison go to keep her family safe?

Not long after Mavis moves in strange things start to happen, but they only seem to happen when Alison is around. Mavis is sweet as pie when anyone else is around, but when she is alone with Alison her demeanor changes. And Mavis knows things that Alison did as a child that no one should know. Alison starts to wonder if her mother is possessed by an evil entity. I was right there with Alison, especially when their dog Moxie would not go into Mavis’ room. He would just look inside and growl. To me if a dog does not like you then something is wrong. After Mavis’ assistant dies in a car accident, Alison is forced to return to her childhood home to retrieve important documents and it is here that Alison finds her mother’s journal and she knows that something has a hold on Mavis and once Mavis dies this evil being will want a new host. Alison is now in a race against time to figure out how to keep this evil being from destroying her family.

I loved all the characters in this book. I loved how Alison was willing to do anything to protect her family. Even when her husband thought she was going over the deep end and wouldn’t believe Mavis was possessed, she still pushed forward and confronted her past. Little Olivia was such a cutie pie and she loved getting to know her grandmother, which scared me and Alison.

WOW! My Darling Girl was an awesome read. While not super scary, it had that underlining creepiness to it, and I loved that. McMahon did a great job of bringing the eeriness and supernatural forces to life. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading. And the end! OMG! I did not expect that ending. Well done Jennifer McMahon, well done! 4 ½ stars