Tag Archive for: reviews

Thriller Thursday Reviews: Everyone Here is Lying & The Coworker

October 19, 2023/6 Comments/by Sharon

Sharon is back for another edition of Thriller Thursday. I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying spooky season. This week I have two great mystery/thrillers, Shari Lapena’s, Everyone Here is Lying and Freida McFadden’s, The Coworker. I loved both of these books and they both had twists and turns that made me go “WOW!”.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: Everyone Here is Lying & The Coworker

Everyone Here Is Lying Goodreads

Author: Shari Lapena

Publication Date: July 25, 2023

Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books

Shari Lapena’s newest book, Everyone Here is Lying, centers around the search for missing Avery Wooler and as the title suggests not everyone in the small town of Stanhope, New York is telling the truth.

William Wooler is a respected doctor. He and his wife, Erin have two children, twelve-year-old Michael, and nine-year-old Avery who has behavioral problems and ADHD. William is having an affair with his neighbor, Nora Blanchard. Nora has just broken off the affair and William is devastated, so when he goes home expecting the house to be empty and sees Avery there, William loses his temper and strikes Avery. Filled with guilt and shame, William gets in his car and drives off, but when Michael comes home an hour later, Avery is nowhere to be found. After a frantic search, the police are called, and a roller coaster of an investigation begins. An anonymous witness calls and says that they saw Avery get into the car of Nora’s eighteen-year-old son, Ryan. Ryan denies this, but why would someone lie about that?

Wow! What a ride this book was. Shari Lapena created a very addictive read with such flawed characters, some I liked and some I hoped would never be able to recover after everything was over. William and Nora were in the latter category. I wanted to scream at them so many times. A little girl is missing and all they could think about is that they hoped their affair does not come out and when it does, all they could think about is how they were affected. Nora I could give a little slack to because her son was front and center in the investigation. But not William, it is your daughter that is missing you jerk.

I did have a lot of sympathy for Erin and Michael. Erin is beside herself with worry for Avery, naturally. I think Lapena did a great job of bringing Erin’s emotions to life. And poor Michael, he feels like he is to blame because it was him that had told Avery where the hide-a key was and if he didn’t do that then Avery would have waited for him after school that day and would be safe right now.

I also loved the detectives, Bledsoe and Gully. I liked how they did not get tunnel vision on one person and followed every lead they had. Even when the witness said that Avery got in Ryan’s car, they continued to investigate other possibilities while waiting for forensics to come back on Ryan’s car and phone. I really enjoyed following along as they worked on the investigation. I really thought I knew who took Avery, but I was so wrong.

Everyone Here is Lying had lots of twists and turns. About three quarters of the way through the book there was a twist that knocked me off my chair. I was literally like “Holy Crap!”. And the ending, well let’s just say I had another holy crap moment and so wished we had more chapters. 4 ½ stars

The Coworker Goodreads

Author: Freida McFadden

Publication Date: August 29, 2023

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

I love Freida McFadden’s writing; she always keeps me guessing. And her newest book, The Coworker, is no exception.

Natalie Farrell is a sales Representative and Dawn Schiff is an accountant at Vixed, a nutritional supplement company. Natalie is beautiful and popular, and everything seems to come so easily for her. Dawn is the complete opposite, she is socially awkward, plain looking and her only real friend is her childhood best friend, Mia. They do have one thing in common though, they both have dark secrets. When Dawn goes missing, Natalie finds herself in the middle and her perfect life is blown apart.

Dawn is always at her desk at 8:45am sharp. So, when Natalie showed up to work at 9:00 and Dawn was not at her desk, she stopped and did a double take. Where is Dawn? She is always on time and has never taken a sick day. No one else in the office is all that concerned that Dawn is not in, but Natalie cannot shake the feeling that something is wrong. When the phone on Dawn’s desk rings, Natalie answers it and the voice on the other end sounds like Dawn and she whispers, “help me”. Natalie takes it upon herself to drive to Dawn’s house and check on her. When she enters Dawn’s house through the unlocked back door, Natalie is shocked by what she sees. Dawn’s living room is covered in blood, but Dawn is nowhere to be found. When the police start their investigation, they uncover information that makes them set their sights on Natalie. Natalie is now in a cat and mouse game, and she must find out what happened to Dawn and why someone is framing her.

I cannot say too much about what happens because I think it is best to go into this book blind. But I will say I wasn’t sure who to believe or trust while I was reading. At first, I liked Natalie because she came across as such a nice person. Every year she has a charity 5K run event to help raise funds for Muscular Dystrophy, in honor of her friend she lost to the disease. Natalie also always seemed to go out of her way to be nice to Dawn, though they were not best friends, Natalie considered Dawn to be a friend. But then we get Dawn’s POV via emails she sent to her childhood best friend, Mia. In these emails Natalie comes across as a very different person, according to Dawn, Natalie was a bully. I loved getting these two sides because it made both Natalie and Dawn unreliable characters.

The Coworker was full of so many twists and turns. Just when I thought I may know what was going on, a twist would come and point me in another direction. So many times I found my jaw drop and would be like ‘What?!”. If you are looking for a twisty psychological thriller, then I definitely recommend Freida McFadden’s The Coworker. 4 stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: In a Quiet Town & Finders Keepers

October 5, 2023/10 Comments/by Sharon

Hi everyone! Time for another edition of Thriller Thursday with Sharon. 🙂 This week I have two psychological thrillers, Amber Garza’s, In a Quiet Town and Natalie Barelli’s, Finders Keepers. I really like both of these authors and they did not disappoint with these books.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: In a Quiet Town & Finders Keepers

In a Quiet Town Goodreads

Author: Amber Garza

Publication Date: August 8, 2023

Publisher: Mira

Amber Garza’s newest book, In a Quiet Town, is a psychological thriller that follows a determined mother as she searches for her missing daughter.

Tatum has finally reconnected with her daughter Adrienne after not seeing or talking to her for a couple of years. Tatum’s husband, Shane, is the Pastor at the local church and he and Adrienne had always had a strained relationship. Adrienne could do nothing right in Shane’s eyes. A couple of years ago Shane cut off all contact with Adrienne. Tatum went along with it because she never questioned her husband, but now she has secretly been visiting Adrienne at the bar she works at on Wednesday nights when Shane is at his men’s club meetings. But one Wednesday night Adrienne does not show up for work. When no one has heard from her for a couple of days Tatum goes looking for her, but Adrienne is not at her apartment or anywhere in town. When Tatum reports her as missing to the police, they do not take her seriously because Adrienne as always been on the wild side, “She probably just went off for a few days” they said. The only other person that is taking Adrienne’s disappearance seriously is her fiancé Seth, Who Tatum didn’t even know existed until she met him at Adrienne’s apartment. Together they work to find Adrienne, but the more time Tatum spends with Seth, the more suspicious she becomes of him. Can Tatum find her daughter before it is too late?

The story is told in dual timeline. The present-day chapters are titled “The Mother” and are told from Tatum’s POV and the past chapters are titled “The Daughter” and are told from Adrienne’s POV and also chapters titled “The Fiancé”. Now I don’t want to talk about the fiancé’s chapters, well I do but I cannot LOL, because anything I say will be a major spoiler. I’ll just say that I really enjoyed trying to piece things together while reading those chapters.

In Tatum’s chapters we get to follow her as she works to find Adrienne. I really liked Tatum, the whole time she was married to Shane she had to act a certain way because she was the pastor’s wife. She never stood up to Shane and always took his side over Adrienne’s. She was excited to be reconnecting with Adrienne. When Adrienne went missing, Tatum’s momma-bear persona came out and I loved watching her get a backbone and stand up to Shane.

I really liked getting the lead-up to what happened in Adrienne’s chapters. In these chapters, we get a look into what life was like for her with her father, as well as her relationship with Seth. The whole time I was reading Adrienne’s chapters, I was hoping that she was alright.

In a Quiet Town is full of twists and turns that kept me guessing and turning the pages. The tension and suspense slowly inched its way up and by the end of the book I was on the edge of my seat. 4 stars

Finders Keepers: An absolutely gripping psychological thriller Goodreads

Author: Natalie Barelli

Publication Date: August 23, 2023

Publisher: Furphies Press

I have enjoyed all of Natalie Barelli’s books, so I was excited to read her latest, Finders Keepers, and I am happy to report that this did not disappoint.

Emily Harper is an entitled influencer who found a laptop at an airport a couple of years ago. The only thing on the laptop was a diary, which Emily decided to publish as her own. She changed a few things up and now she is the successful author of a novel called, Diary of an Octopus. Rose is the real owner of the laptop and diary and when she sees the book in the window of Barnes and Noble, she stops dead in her tracks. No, she thinks, the book name is just a coincidence. But when she reads a few paragraphs of the book she knows that Emily did not write this book, because this is her diary, the one she kept when she was thirteen years old. Rose needs to get her laptop back, because this diary is not just about a schoolgirl crush, it is also about a murder that could land Rose in jail.

This book is broken up into two parts. The first part of the book is when Rose comes up with her plan to get close to Emily so she can get her laptop back. I loved Rose. She made me laugh quite a few times while I was reading. The plans she kept coming up with sounded so good in her mind, but they never worked out. I loved how she would roll her eyes at Emily and then be thinking in her head how easy it would be to just kill her. She has already committed one murder, what is one more? LOL!

I have to say I did not like Emily at all. Right from the start she came off as so condescending. She thinks she is all that and everyone should be ready to serve her when needed. Plus, Hello! She stole the laptop and used the diary for her own gain.

The first part of the book ends in a twist that I did not see coming. This twist starts the suspense and tension in the second part of the book. I cannot say what the twist was, but I will say it made me hate Emily more than I did in the first part. I also did not trust anyone in this half of the book.

We also get excerpts from the diary Rose kept when she was thirteen, and the more I read the more sympathy I had for Rose. I couldn’t tell though if what she was writing was truth or just the wild imagination of a teenage girl. But either way I loved Rose even more.

Finders Keepers is a psychological thriller that is full of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end. 4 stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Trap & The Drowning Woman

September 14, 2023/12 Comments/by Sharon

Hi everyone! Sharon here and it is time for Thriller Thursday! This week I am excited to share my thoughts on Catherine Ryan Howard’s, The Trap and Robyn Harding’s, The Drowning Woman.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Trap & The Drowning Woman

The Trap Goodreads

Author: Catherine Ryan Howard

Publication Date: August 1, 2023

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

The Trap by Catherine Ryan Howard was inspired by the unsolved disappearance of women in Ireland in the 1990’s. The story follows three different perspectives. Lucy, who has taken matters into her own hands as she tries to find out what happened to her sister, Nicki, who disappeared a year ago after leaving a pub in Dublin. Angela, who works in the missing person’s unit and desperately wants to be a full fledge member of An Garda Síochána, the Irish police force and is pulled into the cases of three women who have disappeared in the Dublin area. And then we have the unsub, driving through the night with his latest victim in the back of his car. He is telling her his story, from his home life, to what started him on this road to kidnapping women.

Out of the three POV’s, the Unsub’s was my favorite. I got the chills while reading his chapters and listening to his story, all the while knowing there is another victim in his car. I could just feel her terror, and I was getting claustrophobic imagining being her in the back of that car with no way out listening to this man tell his story.

I had a lot of sympathy for Lucy. I know if one of my sisters was missing and the police were not getting anywhere finding her, I would be doing anything and everything to find her, just as Lucy was. Yes, some of the things she was doing were dangerous, but she was determined to get answers.

Angela was a tough cookie. I really liked her determination to prove herself and finally getting on the police force. When she found herself pulled into the investigation of the missing women, she knew this could make or break her chances. Angela is working with Garda detective, Denise Pope, who does not always do things by the book. I really liked watching them work together to figure out what happened to the missing women.

Catherine Ryan Howard did a great job in creating these characters as well as bringing their storylines together.

The Trap was an edge of my seat, fast paced read, that kept me turning the pages. I could not wait to find out how everything was going to end. And OMG! what an ending it was. I so did not anticipate how this book was going to conclude. My jaw was literally hanging open. I have loved everything I have read by Catherine Ryan Howard. The Nothing Man was my favorite, but now that is my second favorite, and The Trap has jumped to the number one spot. 4 ½ stars

The Drowning Woman Goodreads

Author: Robyn Harding

Publication Date: June 13, 2023

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Robyn Harding’s The Drowning Woman is a twisty mystery that follows two women, Lee Gulliver and Hazel Laval, who are both trying to escape their past and they form an unlikely friendship. Lee is homeless and living in her car in Seattle. She never thought this would be her life, but after her restaurant went under during covid, Lee had to flee New York due to her owing money to a very unsavory character. Hazel is married to a wealthy criminal attorney, but her life is anything but roses. Hazel’s husband is abusive and will never let her leave of her own accord. Lee and Hazel meet when Hazel is trying to drown herself, but Lee pulls her out of the water and saves her. The women form a friendship and share their secrets with each other. Hazel then asks Lee to help her disappear. At first Lee is apprehensive, but after learning the abuse Hazel lives with, she agrees. But Lee soon learns that Hazel may not be the friend she pretended to be and not everything is as it seems.

This story is broken up into four parts. Parts one and three are from Lee’s POV and parts two and four are from Hazel’s POV. I loved how Harding presented the book this way. Each part ended in a twist that had me craving to find out what was going to happen.

I felt closer to Lee than I did to Hazel. I think it is because of the fact that the book starts with Lee’s POV, and we learn more about her first. And when we get the twist at the end of that first part, I was like “Hazel you bitch!” So, by the time I got to Hazel’s POV, I already didn’t like her. Lol! Though by the end of her part, I did warm to her some.

I liked how strong and resourceful Lee was. She was a bit too trusting at times though. The more Hazel was telling Lee about her plan and what she needed Lee to do, the alarm bells went off in my head. I wanted to scream “No Lee, do not do it!”

I did feel for Hazel, even though I did not like her much. Her husband was abusive and controlling, and the more I learned about her situation, I understood why she just couldn’t walk away from him. One main reason was that Hazel’s mother had Alzheimer’s and was living in a nursing home, which her husband was paying for and if she left him he would stop paying and her mother would have nowhere to go. I just wish she went about things differently.

The Drowning Woman is full of twists and turns that kept me turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next. 4 stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Narrow & Dead of Winter

August 31, 2023/8 Comments/by Sharon

Sharon’s back with another edition of Thriller Thursday. Spooky season is upon us and this week I have a couple of great books to kick the season off with. I have a not too scary ghost story in Kate Alice Marshall’s, The Narrow and a slasher/horror story in Darcy Coates’, Dead of Winter. Both of these books were great and I loved them.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Narrow & Dead of Winter

The Narrow Goodreads

Author: Kate Alice Marshall

Publication Date: August 1, 2023

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers

The Narrow is a YA ghost story, and it is also a story of friendships and finding lost loves. This is my second read by Kate Alice Marshall, and I loved this just as much as What Lies in the Woods.

Behind the Atwood School, a prestigious boarding school, is a river called the Narrow. The Narrow is only a few feet wide, but the water is deep and vicious. It is said that no one that has fallen into the Narrow has ever survived, what the Narrow takes it never gives back. But Eden White knows this is not true. Six years ago, Eden and her best friend Veronica saw Delphine Fournier fall into the Narrow and survive. Although now Delphine has to live on the school grounds in Abigail House. If she leaves the school grounds she becomes gravely ill. She also cannot come in contact with unpurified water, as a single drop could kill her. This year in exchange for her tuition, Eden has agreed to live at Abigail house with Delphine and keep her company as well as ensuring she stays safe. As Eden and Delphine get to know each other and begin to unravel each other’s secrets, Eden realizes something is haunting Delphine and now that something is coming for Eden as well. Eden hears rain on the windows, but the sky is clear, she has seen a ghostly silhouette in her doorway and wet footprints by her bed. The school has been rumored to be haunted by the Drowning Girl. What does the Drowning Girl want with Delphine and Eden?

There was so much to love about this book. I loved the spooky ghost story and the tale of the Drowning Girl. I cannot say too much about her, but whenever she showed up all I could picture was the girl that crawled out of the TV in The Ring.

I really liked the friendship that Eden and Delphine formed. Eden was determined to figure out what was going on and help Delphine break whatever was haunting her. Eden was willing to risk her life for Delphine. Eden enlisted the help of her friends, Veronica, Zoya, and Ruth to help her uncover the mystery of The Drowning Girl. And what a mystery that was. As we were given bits of information on her, I thought I knew what was going on, but then a twist came and knock that out of the water (no pun intended lol).

I really loved Eden and the more we learned of her backstory, the more sympathy I had for her. She hides a lot about her home life from her friends and at times she would push them away because she did not want them to find out. But I liked it when she needed them they were there for her and had her back.

I think Kate Alice Marshall did a great job in weaving the ghost story, friendships, and lost loves aspect of this story together. If you are looking for a book to start off the spooky season that is not too scary, then I highly recommend The Narrow. 4 stars

Dead of Winter Goodreads

Author: Darcy Coates

Publication Date: July 11, 2023

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

I have never read anything by Darcy Coates before, but when Dead of Winter popped up as a suggestion from Goodreads, it sounded just like the kind of book I would like, and it definitely was. Dead of Winter follows a group of strangers stranded in the Rocky Mountains during a snowstorm. Oh! And one of them is a killer, picking the others off one by one.

Christa Bailey and her boyfriend Kiernan are on a bus with nine other people on their way to Blackstone Alpine Lodge in the Rocky Mountains. When the bus has to stop because of a large tree branch in the road, Christa and Kiernan decide to take in the mountain scenery while the others try to clear the road. When a snowstorm comes in, Christa and Kiernan get separated from the group, as well as each other. Christa is able to find her way to an abandoned cabin, where the others from the bus have taken shelter from the storm. They promise Christa they will go looking for Kiernan in the morning, but come morning Brian, their tour guide, is also missing. When they go out to look for Brian, they find just his head and it is impaled on a tree branch. Terrified, the group does all they can to stay safe and wait out the storm, but one by one they are killed, and their heads are impaled on the tree with Brian’s.

Wow! I loved everything about this book. The Story is told from the POV of Christa. I loved being in Christa’s head as she tries to figure out who can be trusted when it became obvious that one of the group was the killer.

We don’t get a lot of backstories on the rest of the group, but I think Coates did a great job of creating them and giving us just enough information, so that along with Christa we tried to figure out who was the killer.

I loved the snowy mountain and small cabin setting as well, that just added to the spookiness of the book. Darcy Coates did an amazing job of creating this setting, so that I could feel the coldness and could picture how claustrophobic that cabin must have been. You would think being in a small cabin they should be safe and they would be if they stayed together. But oh no, at one time or another someone would go off on their own and then sure enough their head was added to the tree.

I thought for sure I had things figured out and knew who the killer was, but when their body turned up, I was like “Damn! I was so sure!” I was totally clueless when the killer was revealed. So good job Darcy Coates on keeping me in the dark.

Dead of Winter was full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the end. This book would make one hell of a great slasher movie. Be forewarned though, this book is not for the weak of heart. So, I of course loved it. LOL! I definitely want to check out more from Darcy Coates. 4 ½ stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Mother & A Twisted Love Story

August 17, 2023/10 Comments/by Sharon

Happy Thriller Thursday! Sharon here and I hope everyone is having a good week and an enjoyable summer. Spooky season is right around the corner. 🙂 This week I am happy to share my thoughts on T.M. Logan’s, The Mother and Samantha Downing’s, A Twisted Love Story. I enjoyed both of these books very much.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Mother & A Twisted Love Story

The Mother Goodreads

Author: T.M. Logan

Publication Date: March 2, 2023

Publisher: Zaffre

I am always excited when I see that T.M. Logan has a new book out, I have loved everything of his I have read. When I read the synopsis for his new book, The Mother, I couldn’t wait to read it. The Mother follows Heather Vernon, who was convicted of killing her husband, Liam, ten years ago. Heather was sentenced to eighteen years in prison and has been paroled after nine years. Heather is determined to find out who really killed her husband and regain custody of her two sons, Theo who is now fourteen and Finn who is now thirteen. But what Heather soon learns is that the person responsible for her husband’s murder will do anything to silence her.

Omg! I loved Heather so much. From the first chapter when she is hiding in the back of a church during her “funeral”, I was hooked and was team Heather all the way. I loved Heather’s determination in finding out the truth. I also feared for her safety often. The person responsible went to great lengths to frame Heather for Liam’s murder and it just made me so angry for her as we found out bits and pieces of evidence that was planted. I really don’t want to say too much about Heather’s investigation and what info she finds, as I think this book is best to go in blind. But I will say that I flipped often on what I thought was going on. I also had a lot of sympathy for Heather as she was uncovering information, as she had to try and keep her emotions in check, which was hard to do because Heather truly loved Liam and some of the information she uncovered did not put Liam in the best light.

Heather has help in her search for the truth. She has hooked up with Owen Tanner, a reporter who does not believe that Heather is guilty of killing Liam. I was on the fence trusting Owen. Heather also formed a fast friendship with Jodie, who has also been recently released from prison and is living at the same boarding house as Heather. I loved their friendship; they had each other’s backs and formed such a strong friendship in a short time. Rounding out Heather’s group is Liam’s sister Amy. I really enjoyed following along as they all worked to find out who was responsible for Liam’s murder. There were quite a few tense moments when each of them got into life-or-death trouble.

I wish I could say more about The Mother because I loved it so much. T.M. Logan did a great job in creating a story that flowed so smoothly and gradually increased the suspense and tension, that by the end of the book I was on the edge of my seat and could not read fast enough to find out how everything would end. And I hope I am not spoiling anything when I say, I so did not see that ending coming. 4 ½ stars

A Twisted Love Story Goodreads

Author: Samantha Downing

Publication Date: July 18, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

Samantha Downing’s latest book, A Twisted Love Story, follows Wes Harman and Ivy Banks who have, you guessed it, a very twisted love story. Wes and Ivy have been dating on and off for ten years and when things are good, it’s great. But when their relationship hits a snag it can be an all-out war, with screaming matches and arrest warrants. This last break-up of theirs has lasted a few months. When someone starts stalking Ivy she reports it to the police and tells them she believes it is Wes. It is after the police talk to Wes that they end up back together. Told you they have a twisted love story. LOL! But the detective, Karen Colglazier, that initially spoke with Wes does not like him and she is determined to put him in jail. She starts her own private investigation into Wes and what she uncovers could land both Wes and Ivy in jail. You see, seven years ago during one of their fights, someone ended up dead.

At first when Colglazier was looking into Wes she was just trying to get him arrested for stalking Ivy, but the more she dug she actually turned up bits of information that linked Ivy and Wes to the death of an eighteen-year-old. Once Colglazier got onto the scent she was now determined to have Wes arrested for murder. I didn’t really care for Colglazier at all. She had tunnel vision on Wes, and she did not follow the evidence to where it led. She twisted it and made it point to where she wanted it to go.

Once we were given some information on what happened seven years ago that resulted in the death of the eighteen-year-old, I was all over the place on who I thought was responsible, Wes or Ivy. I kept going back and forth on that.

Downing did a great job in creating this mystery, while also giving us an entertaining read into Wes and Ivy’s twisted relationship. Their banter back and forth and just how toxic they were with each other was fun to read. But even though these two had a volatile relationship they were actually good for each other. When things started to heat up in the investigation into the death of the eighteen-year-old, both Wes and Ivy had each others backs. By the end of the book things really were starting to hit the fan and Wes as well as Ivy could end up in jail. I couldn’t wait to find out if they were going to be able to get away with everything that was going on.

A Twisted Love Story was such an entertaining read, full of great characters. There were also a few smaller plots going on in the story and Downing did a fantastic job of weaving everything together. I also loved how the two main characters were the “villains” but were also just so likable. 4 stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Revenge List & A Fatal Affair

July 27, 2023/14 Comments/by Sharon

Welcome to another addition of Thriller Thursday with Sharon. This week I am happy to share my reviews on Hannah Mary McKinnon’s, The Revenge List and A.J. Torre’s, A Fatal Affair. I hope you enjoy them. 🙂

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Revenge List & A Fatal Affair

The Revenge List Goodreads

Author: Hannah Mary McKinnon

Publication Date: May 23, 2023

Publisher: Mira Books

I was excited to read Hannah Mary McKinnon’s newest book, The Revenge List and I am happy to report that I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Frankie Morgan has anger issues which have gotten her into trouble in the past. Her latest issue involved a client at her father’s construction business where she works. It was this latest incident that had her father force her into an anger management program or lose her job. The mentor of the program, Geraldine, had the class make a forgiveness list, a list of people who have wronged them, why they are on the list and a forgiveness number (1-10: 10 being easiest to forgive and 1 being hardest). Frankie’s list consisted of the person who killed her mother, her father, her neighbor, school bullies, Geraldine, and also herself. Frankie loses her list and then the people on the list start to have mysterious accidents, with one leading to death. Frankie is now in a race against time to figure out who took her list and is using it to extract revenge on the people on the list before they get to her name.

I loved Frankie. She is such a flawed and complicated character. Her anger started when she was fifteen, when her mother was killed in a hit and run accident. From that moment she made a lot of mistakes, one in particular that would follow her for the rest of her life and fuel her anger even more. I had a lot of sympathy for her. Frankie has been through a lot in her life, and I can see why she views the world through angry eyes. Frankie was also a tough character, and I loved going along with her as she tries to figure out who is taking revenge with the people on her list. I was all over the place on who I thought it was, I suspected everyone. Once a secret of Frankie’s was revealed, I did figure out who was responsible, though I did bounce around a bit before I finally settled on them. LOL!

I also loved the relationship Frankie had with her brother and father. She and her brother had such a close relationship, and I loved the fact that Frankie could rely on him when she needed help. Frankie’s relationship with her father was very complicated. I could see their love for each other, but it was hidden under so many layers of anger and frustration. The whole time I was reading I hoped that they would be able to get past their issues.

I don’t want to say much about what happens in the book because of spoilers. But I thought The Revenge List had a unique plot, full of complicated characters, with twists that kept me guessing for the most part. I also loved how Hannah Mary McKinnon left the ending with an opening so that there could possibly be a sequel. 4 stars

A Fatal Affair Goodreads

Author: A.J. Torre

Publication Date: June 20, 2023

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

A.J. Torre’s newest novel A Fatal Affair is a twisty, cat and mouse, whodunit, suspenseful mystery read that made my head spin, but in a good way. LOL

Hugh and Trent Iverson are identical twin actors who rose to stardom when they were children. Now that they are adults, their paths have taken different routes. Hugh is an Oscar winner, while Trent is the Hollywood bad boy with an addiction to drugs and alcohol. Nora Kemp is an actress who is in love with both Hugh and Trent. She is engaged to Hugh but has been known to jump in the sack with Trent from time to time. Gotta love Hollywood. LOL! When Trent and an unidentified woman are found dead in the guest house on Hugh Iverson’s Beverly Hills property, it initially appears to be a murder-suicide. But as L.A. detectives Farah Anderson and Kevin Mathis start their investigation, it becomes clear there is more than meets the eye with this crime.

Right off the bat I loved both the detectives Farah and Kevin. They are investigating the lives of Hollywood royalty, but instead of being star struck, they are all business and determined to bring whoever did this to justice. As evidence starts to emerge, it looks like this case could be linked to a serial killer. I loved following the evidence with Farah and Kevin, and just like them I did not know what or who to believe. We are talking Hollywood actors here, they are good at what they do, so it was hard to know who was telling the truth.

There is also another mystery added to the story and that is the case of a missing mother and her six-year-old son, Miles, who is fighting cancer. They are in Hollywood because of Make-A-Wish foundation. Both Miles and his mother go missing the day after they arrive in L.A.. I loved Miles! He was such a cutie pie. I think Torre did a great job of bringing his character to life. I seriously wanted to pick Miles up and just give him hugs.

I also love how the chapters are broken up. Each chapter is titled almost like a movie script: The Detectives, The Leading Lady, The Leading Man, The Mom, The Son. I just thought that was a great added touch.

I loved all the mystery that A.J. Torre spun in A Fatal Affair. This book is full of twists and turns and unreliable characters, that kept me guessing. 3 ½ stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Only One Left & The Lie Maker

July 13, 2023/24 Comments/by Sharon

Happy Thriller Thursday. It’s me, Sharon and I am thrilled to share my thoughts on two amazing books I have read. Riley Sager’s, The Only One Left and Linwood Barclay’s, The Lie Maker. I loved both of these book so much. In fact they are both now in my top five reads for 2023 and even though the year is only half over, I know they will be staying in the top five. 😀

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Only One Left & The Lie Maker

The Only One Left Goodreads

Author: Riley Sager

Publication Date: June 20, 2023

Publisher: Dutton

Riley Sager has done it again with The Only One Left! I have loved every book he has written, but this one is by far my favorite.

In 1929 the Maine coast was shocked by the murders of the Hope family. The only survivor was seventeen-year-old Lenora Hope, and while she denied killing her family, everyone assumed she did it, even the police, but they were never able to prove it. Lenora has stayed secluded in the cliffside mansion where the murders took place, Hope’s End, and she has never spoken a word about what happened that night. It is now 1983 and Lenora, who is in her seventies, has suffered a series of strokes that have left her unable to speak and is confined to a wheelchair. Lenora’s new caregiver is Kit McDeere. Kit really didn’t want to take this job, but she had no choice since she is just coming back from being suspended for six months because a patient in her care died. While the police and everyone suspected she had something to do with it, there was no proof. So, Kit and Lenora have something in common. Lenora’s only way to communicate is to type on an old typewriter and one night she tells Kit that she will tell her everything that happened that night. But as Lenora gives bits and pieces of the events that happened the night her family was murdered, Kit realizes there is more to the family’s massacre than people realize and someone is willing to kill again to keep those events a secret.

Guys, nothing I can say about this book will give it justice. This book was awesome! Sager did an amazing job in creating such an eerie setting in Hope’s End. Hope’s End was built on a sea cliff, it is deteriorating, and it is only a matter of time before the cliff completely gives way and Hope’s End is destroyed. That part right there gave me the willies. I could not even imagine spending any time in a house that could crumble into the sea at any moment. Add to that, the fact that the blood stains from 1929 are still visible, yup creepy ass setting. LOL!

Riley Sager also created great characters that just jumped off the pages. I had a lot of sympathy for Lenora. The more I got to know her the more I loved her. I went back and forth on if I thought she really did kill her family. I also loved Kit. Even though she was at first scared of Lenora, I liked how she pushed those feelings aside and did her job and took care of her. The book is told from Kit’s POV, but we also get pages of Lenora’s story. I loved getting Lenora’s story and learning what happened that night in 1929.

The Only One Left was an amazingly written mystery/thriller, that kept me glued to the pages from start to finish. There were a few twists at the end that I did not see coming and I never figured anything out. If you are a fan of Riley Sager or are looking for a book of his to start off with, then I wholeheartedly recommend The Only One Left. I do not think you will be disappointed. 5 stars

The Lie Maker Goodreads

Author: Linwood Barclay

Publication Date: May 16, 2023

Publisher: William Morrow

I have only read two other books by Linwood Barclay, Find You First and Take Your Breath Away, I loved both of them, so I was very excited to read his newest book, The Lie Maker. I now have to say that Linwood Barclay has been added to my “must read author” list. The Lie Maker was everything I was hoping for and more.

When Jack Givins was a child, his father went into the witness protection program. Jack was devastated when his father went away, he wanted to go with him, but his mother did not want to so they stayed to try and live their lives as best they could. Years later Jack, now grown and a struggling author, is approached by the U.S. Marshalls with an offer that he cannot refuse. They are recruiting authors to write false backstories for people in the witness protection program and they would like Jack to come work for them. At first Jack is reluctant, but then he realizes that this may be his only chance to find his father. The only problem is Jack’s father has not been in contact with his handlers and they do not know where he is. Jack is determined to find his father, but the clock is ticking because the enemies his father made still want him dead and in trying to find him, Jack is putting his life and those around him in jeopardy.

I was hooked from the very first page when Jack’s father was waiting for witness protection to come and pick him up. The dialog between Jack and his father had my eyes filling with tears. Especially when his father said “Your dad’s not a good person. Your dad killed people, son.” I immediately loved Jack and just wanted to scoop him up in my arms. During the book we get chapters from before Jack’s father was put into witness protection, so we get to see what he was like and what he did and why. The more I learned about him, the more I liked him and sympathized with him. Sure, he killed people, but he loved his son and was doing what he had to do to protect him and give him a good life.

I don’t want to say too much about what happens because I don’t want to spoil anything. But I will say that as Jack started his quest to find his father, I was on the edge of my seat. I was rooting for him to be able to find his father, but I was also afraid for his safety.

I also loved Jack’s girlfriend, Lana Wilshire. Lana is a reporter, and she is investigating two seemingly nonrelated murders of a retired judge and a nurse. The mystery of these deaths just adds to the suspense of this book.

As the book progressed, the tension ramped up and I could feel my anxiety level increase. There were twists and turns as well that kept me guessing to a shocking ending that I did not see coming and also put a few more tears in my eyes.

If you are looking for a mystery full of twists and turns, with characters that you will love and be rooting for, then I definitely recommend The Lie Maker. 4 ½ stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Lake House & The Senator’s Wife

June 29, 2023/16 Comments/by Sharon

It’s another edition of Thriller Thursday with Sharon! I hope everyone is doing well. This week I am happy to share my thoughts on Sarah Beth Durst’s YA thriller, The Lake House and Liv Constantine’s domestic thriller, The Senator’s Wife. Both of these books had me hooked from beginning to end.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Lake House & The Senator’s Wife

The Lake House Goodreads

Author: Sarah Beth Durst

Publication Date: April 25, 2023

Publisher: Harperteen

I have only read one other book by Sarah Beth Durst, and it was just okay. When I read the synopsis for The Lake House it sounded good, but I still went into this book with low expectations. I am happy to report that this book totally exceeded those expectations.

Three high school teenagers, Claire, Reyva, and Mariana are the last to arrive at an off-the-grid summer camp in Maine. Their parents went to this camp and told them that it would be a great experience for them. Oh, how wrong they were! The only way to get to the camp is by boat and after the boat drops them off and leaves, Claire, Reyva and Mariana find the remains of the burnt down lodge. There is no one else on this island except them or so the girls think. There are no bodies in the lodge, so did the other campers and counselors survive and leave the island? They soon find a dead body in the woods, and then a man with a gun starts shooting at them and another mad man is chasing them. To survive Claire, Reyva and Mariana must work together to find a way off the island.

I loved getting to know all three girls. Claire suffers from high anxiety and her brain is always figuring out the worst-case scenarios to the point that she blacks out. Because of this she does not have friends and is pretty much a loner who would rather stay in her room and read. Mariana is very peppy, always loves to talk and she loves rebuilding old cars. Reyva hides her emotions and does not like to come across as weak. She always has to have a tough-girl persona. I loved how they got to know and open up to each other and formed a friendship. They all needed that friendship in their lives and I was so happy they could rely on each other. The friendship they formed made me smile and their banter back and forth had me chuckling many times.

I also loved how strong and resourceful they were. They each had strengths that could possibly help them survive the terrors of this island. And even though they did not believe in themselves, the others were there to cheer them on.

I was so invested in Claire, Reyva and Mariana and was rooting for them to make it out alive. There was quite a few times that I was very scared for their safety. As well as creating great characters, I think Sarah Beth Durst did a great job of creating a very creepy setting for this book as well. The whole island setting with the burnt out lake house and periods of rain just added to the eeriness of this book.

The Lake House is a YA thriller that kept me glued to the pages. 4 stars

The Senator's Wife Goodreads

Author: Liv Constantine

Publication Date: May 23, 2023

Publisher: Bantam

I was very excited to read Liv Constantine’s (sister writing duo, Lynne Constantine and Valerie Constantine) newest book, The Senator’s Wife. I have loved all of their books and this newest book is no exception.

Two years ago, a chain of events led to the deaths of Robert Chase, who was the husband of D.C. philanthropist, Sloane Chase, and Peg Montgomery, who was the wife of Senator Whit Montgomery. Sloane and Whit knew each other and were close, as their spouses were cousins and their deaths brought Sloane and Whit even closer and they eventually got married. Things were going great for them, and when Sloane needed to have hip replacement surgery due to her lupus, they hired Athena Karras, a health aide, to help Sloane after the surgery. Athena was a godsend at first, helping Sloane with her charities, but then Sloane’s health started to deteriorate, and she started becoming very paranoid. Why is Athena asking so many questions about Sloane’s charity foundation and is it just Sloane’s paranoia or are Athena and Whit getting a bit too close. Sloane needs help before it is too late, but who can she trust?

The Senator’s Wife starts off with the events that lead to the deaths of Robert and Peg and then jumps two years ahead to the present with Sloane and Whit married. Even though it was for a short time, I liked getting to know Robert and Peg and see how their marriages to Sloane and Whit were. I think having seen that, it gave me more insight into the events that happen later in the book.

The book is told from multiple POV’s and with each POV we get hints of information of what is going on. I loved trying to piece everything together and thought I knew what was going on but then a twist at the end blew my theory up. LOL

I liked Sloane and sympathized with her, especially after she started getting sicker. I was rooting for her to figure out what was going on, or for someone else to step in and help her. I also liked that when the paranoia set in Sloane became an unreliable character.

My favorite character was Rosemary. Rosemary was Robert’s mother and she really loves Sloane. She does not believe for a minute that the event that happened to cause Robert’s death was an accident and she blames Whit. She has taken it upon herself to find out what really happened and as Sloane gets sicker, she is also trying to find out whatever she can about Athena. Rosemary is in her eighties, but she was one badass woman. I was cheering her on the whole time I was reading.

There is not much I can really say about what happens in this book without spoiling anything. I can say that The Senator’s Wife is a slow burn domestic thriller that had me turning the pages and by the end of the book I was on the edge of my seat. 4 Stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Marriage Act & The Only Survivors

June 15, 2023/16 Comments/by Sharon

Happy Thriller Thursday! Sharon here and this week I am excited to share my thoughts on two books that I was very excited to read. John Marrs’, The Marriage Act and Megan Miranda’s, The Only Survivors. I really enjoyed both of these books and happy they lived up to my expectations.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Marriage Act & The Only Survivors

The Marriage Act Goodreads

Author: John Marrs

Publication Date: May 2, 2023

Publisher: Hanover Square Press

What if the government issued incentives (IE: better health care, tax breaks, homes in better parts of town) to upgrade your marriage and enter into The Sanctity of Marriage Act, would you take it? Even if they monitored every aspect of your life and used that info to ensure that you and your spouse are still in love? That is the premise of John Marrs’ newest book The Marriage Act.

The Sanctity of Marriage Act, known as Smart Marriage, is not all that the government says it is. Sure, if the Audite listening device installed in your home deems your marriage healthy, then you are doing great. But if the device senses tension in the marriage then things can get very rocky and you could lose all of your benefits, or as some couples found out, your life.

The Marriage Act is told from multiple POVs. Also, throughout the book we get to read pamphlets regarding Smart Marriage. For example: “What is in it for me?” gives all the benefits of a Smart Marriage, “How Does it Work?” gives the definition of each level. I really liked learning about the levels. Level 1: Once the Audite picks up on marriage troubles from the recordings, it will send push notifications with hints on how to improve the marriage. Level 2: If the Audite still thinks you need extra help a Relationship Responder (trained counselor) will be assigned to you to help with one-on-one sessions to improve your marriage. Level 3: If the Audite and relationship Responder feel further support is required, then it will be passed to family court, and they will decide the fate of your marriage.

Roxi is an influencer who is promoting Smart Marriage, the more popular she gets the more her marriage suffers, and she will soon learn the downside to a Smart Marriage.

Corrine is part of the Smart Marriage resistance called Freedom for All. She and her husband Mitchell have not upgraded their marriage and in fact will be divorcing once their twins start college in a few months. I really liked Corrine. She was a strong character, and I was rooting for her all the way.

Anthony works for the government and is very much involved in promoting The Sanctity of Marriage Act. But Anthony does not like where the government is going and wants out. Only problem is, he knows too much, and the government will not let him leave so easily. I loved how Anthony’s conscience got the better of him and he tried to right all the wrongs he did.

Noah and Luca have reached level 2 and have been assigned Jeffrey as their Relationship Responder. But their lives are in danger as Jeffrey is not a stable person and has killed to get what he wants.

I loved everything about The Marriage Act. This was one wild ride of a book that had me glued to the pages. John Marrs did a great job of creating a story that had me on the edge of my seat, filled with characters that I both loved and hated. 4 ½ stars

The Only Survivors Goodreads

Author: Megan Miranda

Publication Date: April 11, 2023

Publisher: Marysue Rucci Books

Megan Miranda’s The Only Survivors follows a group of high school seniors who survive a deadly bus crash, and the effect their survivors’ guilt has had on them.

Ten years ago on a high school field trip, two buses that were carrying students crashed into a river. Only nine students survived the crash: Cassidy (who is the narrator of this story), Clara, Grace, Oliver, Amaya, Joshua, Ian, Hollis, and Brody. They make a pact to never talk about what happened and what they went through to survive. On the one-year anniversary of the crash, Clara killed herself. After Clara died the others decide to get together every year on the anniversary to help each other cope. They stay in the same place every year, a cabin called The Shallows. But now ten years after the accident another one of them is dead and the safe haven of each other and The Shallows does not feel so safe anymore. Someone is watching them and wants to know what really happened the night of the accident.

I loved the setting of this book. The Shallows is located in a small town, located on a river and aside from a couple of other houses it is pretty isolated. Add to that the fact that a storm is coming in and washes out the roads and strands them and you have a very creepy atmosphere. There are also strange things happening at The Shallows that start to make the group turn on each other. Cassidy finds a phone on the beach, and it is the same phone number that has sent her mysterious texts. Joshua’s medication goes missing and Amaya left The Shallows and is now missing.

There were a lot of characters to get to know in this book and I think Megan Miranda did a good job of bringing them all to life. The story is told from Cassidy’s POV. In high school Cassidy was an outsider, the only reason she is friends with this group now is because of the accident. She has been trying to distance herself from them and had no intension of going to The Shallows this year, but when she heard Ian was dead she had to go. Aside from the pact they all made the night of the crash, Cassidy is also keeping another secret and she can never let anyone know what it is. We also get chapters from each of the other characters from the night of the accident. I think getting those chapters with bits and pieces about what happened that night really added to the mystery of this book.

The Only Survivors was a slow burn mystery but by the end of the book I was on the edge of my seat and when the final twist was revealed I was shocked! 3 ½ stars

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Fall & The Silent Bride

May 25, 2023/10 Comments/by Sharon

Hi everyone! Welcome to another edition of Thriller Thursday with Sharon. I hope you all are doing well. I am good, glad the weather is starting to get a bit warmer here. This week I am sharing my thoughts on Louise Jensen’s, The Fall and Shalini Boland’s, The Silent Bride. Both of these books are twisty psychological thrillers and I really enjoyed them.

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Fall & The Silent Bride

The Fall Goodreads

Author: Louise Jensen

Publication Date: April 27, 2023

Publisher: HQ

Louise Jensen has a knack for writing twisty psychological thrillers and her latest book, The Fall, is no exception.

Kate Granger and her twin sister Beth are celebrating their fortieth birthday with a party and everything is going great. Kate feels like the luckiest woman in the world. But the day after the party, Kate’s world comes crashing down. Her fifteen-year-old daughter, Caily, is found unconscious under a bridge near their home and now lies in a coma. The police do not think it was an accident and as they investigate what happened to Caily, they find that not everyone in the family was where they said they were at the time Caily was hurt and that they all are hiding secrets. As the secrets are revealed, the once close family starts to be torn apart and all of their lives are in danger.

This book is told from multiple POVs and I loved getting bits and pieces of information from each person. The more secrets that were revealed the more I suspected everyone of attacking Caily. I also really liked getting Caily’s POV. Her chapters started a few months prior and added a lot more suspense to the mystery. With all the twists and turns that was going on, I was totally taken off guard and could not believe it when the person responsible for hurting Caily was revealed. Good job on that one Louise Jensen.

Jensen also created a lot of family drama. Kate and her twin sister Beth were always close, as were Caily and Beth’s daughter Tegan. But as the investigation started breaking holes in Tegan’s account of her whereabouts, Kate and Beth also started breaking apart as both mothers were defending their daughters. But even though their relationship was fracturing some, they were also still there for each other when push came to shove and their lives were in danger. I loved how realistic their relationship was in this situation. Even when my brothers and sisters and I are at odds with each other, we are still there when one of us needs help.

I think Jensen did a great job in creating a setting that added to the mystery and eeriness of the book. The story takes place in December, so it was cold and wet. A lot of the story also takes place on the farm that Kate and Beth grew up on, and where Kate, her husband Matt and Caily live with Kate’s parents.

As well as all the main characters, this book also had a lot of secondary characters that just added to the suspect pool on who attacked Caily.

If you are looking for a twisty and suspenseful psychological thriller, packed with family drama and secrets, with an ending that you will not see coming, then I recommend Louise Jensen’s The Fall. 4 Stars

The Silent Bride Goodreads

Author: Shalini Boland

Publication Date: June 1, 2023

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Imagine walking down the aisle to get married, only to get to the altar and not recognize the man standing where your groom should be. Kind of freaky right? Well, that is the premise of Shalini Boland’s newest book, The Silent Bride. And it was very much a freaky and wild ride.

Alice Porter has found the man of her dreams in Seth Evans and after a whirlwind romance the two are engaged to be married. Alice could not have been happier, but her wedding day was anything but happy. As Alice is walking down the aisle on her father’s arm, she stops as she gets closer to the altar, because the man standing where Seth should be is not Seth. Her father and everyone else in the church try and reassure Alice that it is Seth and to go ahead with the wedding, surely it is just her nerves playing tricks on her. But she is adamant that is not the case and this man is a stranger to her. Why is she the only one that does not recognize the man calling himself Seth? Alice sets out to find out what is going on and find her real Seth.

The Silent Bride is told from the POV of Alice, both in the present as she tries to find out what is going on and in the past when she first meets Seth and then follows their romance leading up to the wedding. There are also chapters from an unknown character that really add to the mystery and freakiness of the book. I did not know what to believe and was all over the place at what I thought was going on.

I don’t want to say too much as I don’t want to spoil anything. I will say I did have a lot of sympathy for Alice. I cannot even imagine what it was like for her to not recognize Seth, all the while everyone around her knew who he was. At first the doctors thought maybe she had prosopagnosia (also known as face blindness) but since it was only Seth and his parents she did not recognize, that was ruled out. But even the thought of having that gave me the creeps. I read a book about that a while ago and I still shiver whenever I think about it. I am glad Alice had the support of her friends as she tried to figure this all out. Her family supported her somewhat, but her parents really irked me at times. Especially when they went to visit her and brought Seth with them, so Alice could talk to him and realize he was the real Seth. I mean really why would they do that? Geesh! Talk about giving Alice a panic attack. I wanted to just smack them.

Shalini Boland’s, The Silent Bride is a fast paced read that had me guessing until the very end. And while the reason why Alice did not know Seth was a bit over the top for me, there were a few twists and turns at the end that made me not even care about that. 4 Stars