Review: House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen

House of Glass by Sarah Pekkanen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided both a print and audio ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

The narrator did a great job voicing the different characters and kept the pacing moving along wonderfully.  She did a good job adding emotion and tension in the right places.  

This was a really interesting phycological thriller.  It follows attorney Stella as she works a case to figure out the best custody arrangement for young client Rose.  Rose's parents have filed for divorce after their live in nanny fell out a window and it came to light that she was having an affair with Rose's father.  Rose has stopped speaking after the horrible events in her home, so it is Stella's job to put together the facts and determine what the most suitable and safe environment for Rose will be after the divorce.  As she gets to know the family, it is clear that they are hiding something and they know more about the nanny's death than they are letting on.  The closer she gets to the truth, the more likely it is that anyone of them could have murdered the nanny including nine year old Rose.  As Stella investigates the case, trauma from her own past surfaces, and she struggles to keep her own feelings out of the case she is investigating as her past overlaps her present.

This kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.  One second I was convinced it was the daughter, the next it was one of the parents, then it was the grandmother, then in the next chapters I changed my mind again.  The author does a good job providing the reader with a good amount of red herrings to keep you guessing but does leave enough clues lead you to the right answer.  I also enjoyed learning about Stella's background story, it had you wondering if it was a distraction from the main plot, if she was projecting her own trauma onto the case or if she was doing a better job because of her past.  I do think the addition of the romantic subplot was a bit unnecessary, it was a small part of the book so it wasn't that distracting.

Overall I enjoyed this, I thought I had great pacing, and while I normally don't like books with small children in them when it comes to thrillers this one was worth the read.

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Review: The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark

The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received an arc of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this domestic thriller.  It follows two women who's lives have crossed paths in the past and in the present.  Both of them are seeking justice for the wrongs done to them in the past.  Kat's life was put on a path many years ago and her future was permanently altered by one brief interaction with Meg.  Meg is a con artist.  She carefully chooses her targets and plans out her cons.  Meg never intended for Kat to be hurt during one of her "jobs", but she was an innocent who was harmed and Kat is out for revenge now that Meg has reappeared to pull her final job.  Kat is a journalist and is determined to reveal Meg's true identity and uncover all of the innocent people she's conned, but as she gets to know Meg on a personal level she realizes there is more to Meg than meets the eye.  Kat quickly begins questioning everything she thought she knew about Meg and her crimes and questions if her quest for justice might actually be noble.  

I enjoyed the story and characters, but unlike many readers who adored the book and flew through it in a sitting or two I did not.  I thought the book was well written, but I found it very straight forward for a thriller.  There aren't very many surprises or big twists and reveals.  As with Meg's cons, the  book took time to develop so I found the pace a little on the slow side.  This fit well with the plot and development of the storyline.  My personal preference tends to lie with thrillers that are a little more action packed versus something like this that is a bit more slow burn.

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Review: The Favor by Nora Murphy

The Favor by Nora Murphy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided a print arc and an audio arc of this book via Netgalley and the publisher.  This book releases on May 31, 2022.  Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Minotaur Books for the ARC.

I thought the two female narrators did a great job with Leah and McKenna.  It was nice to have two distinct voices for both women.  I wasn't so sure about the addition of the male narrator for Detective Harrison.  While the narrator did a great job, his presence as a narrator doesn't appear until about 40% into the book and he isn't a constant narrator.  While skeptical about this addition to the audiobook, Detective Harrison's part was actually very well done and thought out.  I thought his perspective was crucial to providing the outsider's view to theses women's lives.

This follows Leah and McKenna two very intelligent, beautiful women who don't know each other.  They happen to shop at the same liquor store one evening, but other than that their paths have never crossed.  Unbeknownst to either of them, their lives are more similar that they can ever know.  They both are married to very charming, handsome, successful men who on the outside appear to be the perfect husbands.  Behind closed doors McKenna and Leah know differently.  Very quickly their lives are about to become entangled in a way neither of them expected.

I found this to be more of a police procedural as Detective Harrison tries to uncover the truth as opposed to a thriller.  There really aren't any big twists and turns that you would expect from a thriller, and the guilty party is known to the reader all along.   

If you are triggered by domestic abuse, verbal abuse, alcoholism,  and the mention of miscarriage I'd stay away from this one.  

While I enjoyed this book and thought it was well written, the abusive husband trope is not something I enjoy reading as a preference.  That is a heavy focus of this book.  I thought the author did a very good job discussing the topic of coercive control when it comes to abuse and how very well educated women become victims in abusive relationships.  They are slowly manipulated into believing they have no other choice and o  one would believe them if they claimed their husbands were abusive.  Unfortunately this is a very real problem.  As an outsider looking in, it is easy to say "why didn't she just leave?", but it isn't that easy as Detective Harrison uncovers through his investigation of both women as suspects.  I've seen several reviews almost victim shaming the two main characters for not leaving sooner or drinking too much to cope with the terror they face every day.  This too is a very real problem that women face in reality.  Battered and abused women don't deserve your criticism, they deserve your kindness and support.

Overall, this is a solid debut from the author.  You can tell that her experience as a lawyer specializing in domestic violence aided in crafting this novel.   While Leah and McKenna were fictional, the author's note goes on to explain the harsh reality that real women face daily. 

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Review: The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via netgalley, however I did end up listening to the final published version of the audiobook. As always, all opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this domestic thriller. It has some nice twists and turns to keep you guessing, and it doesn't have any graphic sex or violence. This alternates between the perspectives of Avery, the therapist with some unorthodox practices, and Marissa the wealthy socialite who wants to save her marriage. Avery has a 10 step therapy program, where each session has a specific goal. In order to achieve that goal for her clients, Avery becomes almost a Personal Investigator to learn as much as she can about her clients. In this case the Bishops, Marissa and Matthew, have alot of untold secrets between them and Avery inserts herself right in the middle of it all. As Avery works with the Bishops on their marital woes, she is dealing with an issue of her own. As the story unfolds we come to find that her clients and her personal issues may be connected, but Avery can't quite figure out how. I thought that all of the suspense and thriller elements were nicely woven together to make a cohesive story. There were plenty of red herrings to keep you on your toes wondering if that detail or character was something to remember for later.

I appreciated that there was a narrator for each of the POVs so you could tell if you were in Avery's perspective or Marissa's perspective. Both narrators did a good job distinguishing character voices in their chapters.

This is my second book by this author pair, and while I didn't love the other book this one has me wanting to pick up more by the duo. I found this audiobook hard to put down.

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Review: Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson

Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of the audiobook via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  

I went into this not knowing what it was about.  I had previously read and enjoyed [book:Never Have I Ever|36679186] and figured I'd also enjoy this.  It was a bonus that the audiobook was narrated by the author.  I jumped at the chance to read and review this audiobook.  I like to go in blind into thrillers and mysteries, but should have read the synopses because on of the things I care for in thrillers in books and crime drama shows on TV is a plot that involves kids.  Had I actually read the synopsis, I probably wouldn't have picked this up, that being said, I held out to see what would happen with the kidnaping situation.  I'm glad I did because the it was worth it in the end.

As I mentioned earlier, the narration is done by the author and I thought she did a great job.  She was able to give a distinct voice to each of the characters.  I was able to tell when she was voicing Bree, Marshall, the old woman, as well as the other characters who have less time on the page.  Jackson's love and support of the performing arts comes through in the book.  Not only do the daughters participate in theater, but Bree has to use her own skills as an actor to get her through this horrific event.  She has to play multiple parts if she wants to save her son and uncover the truth of why he was taken in the first place.  

I also thought the author did a good job of tackling some social issues.  She touches on privilege as well as consent and victim shaming.  As far as the plot goes I did find it to be a bit predictable.  I didn't find the big reveal all that revealing not were the twists and turns that unexpected.  I kept waiting for the big plot twist, but it never came.  The big twist was a bit underwhelming for me.

If you like revenge plots, give this one a go.  While I found it a bit underwhelming, you may not.  I have pretty high standards for thrillers, mainly because I read alot of them.  I usually see it coming, which is why my husband hates watching TV with me.

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Review: A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight

A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a slow moving mystery/thriller with several different plot lines. Things start to pick up around the 80% mark and everything quickly comes together in a way I didn't expect.

Things are not what they seem when defense attorney Lizzie gets a phone call from an old friend. Her former classmate and friend Zach has been arrested for assault and is suspected in the murder of his wife. Lizzie isn't sure she is the right lawyer for Zach given her conflict of interest and lack of defense experience. As she learns more about the case and start to get invested in the life of her old friend, she know she has to piece together what happened that night. Zach also has information on Lizzie that she doesn't want to be made public, so with that she takes the case and continues to work on it. Zach and his wife Amanda life a posh life, but things surrounding her murder don't add up. Testimony from their friends and colleagues paint a much different picture than the perfect picture frame photo of a life that everyone thinks Zach and Amanda have in Brooklyn. At the same time Lizzie's own personal life is spiraling out of control and is somehow linked to what happened to Amanda. The more Lizzie learns about Amanda, the more she learns that there are many players in this game and any one of them could have done it.

It is rare that I have no idea what is going on in a book. I had no idea where the plot was heading as far as who done it. This has a ton of twists and turns, and when the author started to reveal what was really going on, I had no idea what was going on. The end was excellent! I really thought all the revolving plots came together nicely. In the beginning I wasn't sure how it was all going ot come together but it did. I also liked the addition of the juror testimony and the investigation notes regarding what was happening with the cyber security breach at the school where all of the families children attend. Now if you haven't read the book yet, you are thinking, how does that come into play, and while I was reading it I thought the same thing. As things come to a close, all of those testimonies and updates to the school make alot more sense.

If you like domestic dramas with that lean more on the legal side, give this a go. I thought it was well written and had some really good twists and turns.

I was provided an ARC of this book via the publisher but opted to listen to the final version of the audiobook. The audio is very well narrated.

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Review: The New Husband by D.J. Palmer

The New Husband by D.J. Palmer
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This was just OK.  I won't rehash the synopsis because lots of reviewers have already done that.  I found this very predictable from the first chapter, and I never felt connected with the main character Nina.  When I read a thriller, I want my heart to race and I want to feel compassion and anguish for the main character.  I didn't get that from this.  The pace was too slow, and I felt like Nina was missing the obvious clues and letting all of this happen to her.  I guess that was the point though, Simon was so perfect and so good at manipulation that she didn't even realize it was happening.  Nina was a bit of a contradiction for most of the book, she'd do something independent then feel bad about it and do exactly what she said she wouldn't do.  It made Nina, a woman who is portrayed as intelligent and self sufficient, appear very dumb and weak.    I'm not a fan of characters like this, but again Simon's manipulation of her was a big part of the plot.  Maybe this is realistic, but the way it happens was almost too over the top for me at times.

I liked the addition of Maggie's perspective.  Her interactions with her friend Ben were the best part of the book.  Maggie, as a social outcast befriends a socially awkward boy at school and together they begin to uncover some of Simon's secrets.  Of all of the characters, she showed the most character development and growth.  When Nina finally realizes what is going on and the plot finally starts to unfold, the pace starts to pick up.  There are a few twists, but again I found it very predictable and I didn't feel the suspense.

I loved Saving Meghan, and while this wasn't my favorite thriller I am looking forward to Palmer's future works.

I was provided an ARC via the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This came out on April 14th.


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Review: Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel

Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was messed up!  I wasn't sure where things were headed for quite a while.  Once I figured out where things were going, it was fairly predictable.

I always find it hard to review thrillers because I don't want to spoil them.  I did receive and ARC of this via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  This book was published on March 17, 2020.

This is a very dark thriller.  It doesn't lean on the gory or grisly side (no blood and guts) as far as thrillers go, but the premise is child abuse.  I'd steer clear if you can't handle that.  Some of the stuff they did was pretty out there, and as a mom it is unthinkable.  Patty, the mom, was sent to prison for abusing Rose Gold for 18 years.  Patty maintains she is innocent and that Rose Gold was actually sick.  When her 5 years in prison are up, Patty has nowhere to go, and Rose Gold agrees to take her in.  Patty wants them to be the best friend duo they were when Rose Gold was a child, before Rose Gold testified against Patty and sent her to prison.  Rose Gold has a child of her own now, and agrees to let Grandma Patty help out while she is at work.  Patty wants to get her old life back, but what she doesn't know is that Rose Gold has plans of her own for Patty.

As the story unfolds we learn that Patty had a trouble childhood, which led to Rose Gold's troubled childhood.  You aren't quite sure how Rose Gold is going to turn out as an adult, but as things play out we get to know her better and realize that the years of abuse have broken something and she just isn't quite right. 

Like I said parts of this are pretty dark and messed up, but for the most part I enjoyed it.  The pace is pretty decent.  The timeline jumps around from current day to the past so we get some of the back story as well as what is going on present day.  This isn't my favorite type of timeline, but it works here.  Overall, this if you are looking for a new thriller, and you can handle some of the crazy stuff these ladies do then give this a go. 

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Review: The Whisper Man by Alex North

The Whisper Man by Alex North
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I can't decide if this is a 4 or a 5 stars so it is somewhere in between. This is one of the best thrillers I have read in a long time, maybe the best one this year. This kept me guessing and left me feeling disturbed at the end. I love when I can't figure out what's happening with a thriller and this one got me every time I thought I had it figured out.

This follows writer Tom Kennedy and his 7 year old son Jake as they are still grieving from the sudden death of wife and mother respectively, Rebecca. Tom struggled to connect with Jake even before Rebecca's death and Jake is a unique child and doesn't find it easy to communicate with people. In an attempt to make a clean start, Tom finds them a new house to live in. As they start their new life, Jake starts to hear whispers in the night at his window. What makes things worse is another young boy has recently gone missing and appears to be a copycat of a missing persons/murder case from 20 years ago. The killer from that case is still in jail, however the detective is brought in to consult. Pete Willis has been haunted by The Whisper Man for 20 years because he never found his last victim and truly closed the case. Now someone knows intimate details about the case that were never released to the public and is recreating the horrific crimes from the past. As Pete is pulled back into his worst nightmare, Tom and Jake find themselves the target of the new Whisper Man's very creepy fantasy.

I really loved how everything wraps up in this and everything is connected. All of the plotlines come together so smoothly in the end. There were times when I was thinking I wasn't sure why this or that was part of the story, but Alex North does not disappoint with plot holes and useless threads. Everything serves a purpose and all is revealed in due time if you let it. This book is eery, creepy, suspenseful, and kept me turning the pages. There is quite a bit of character and relationship development in this book which I really enjoyed. I highly recommend it.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  This book will be released on August 20, 2019. 

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Review: My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided a copy of this book via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  Since I picked up the review copy after the book was published, I listened to the audiobook so I could move this up my review list a bit faster.  This was published March 26, 2019.

This book was pretty good I really liked the twists and turns but found it predictable. It is a decent domestic thriller but unlike most other readers it just didn't keep my attention. It just didn't grab me and keep me in suspense like I wanted it to. It was well written and dark at times. Some of the scenes are pretty crazy, but a lot of it was pretty unrealistic and just didn't keep me guessing. Overall it was entertaining; I just didn't love it like everyone else seemed to.

This follows seemingly perfect couple Millicent and he who never gets a name, but sometimes calls himself Tobias, for the sake of the review we’ll call him Husband. The story is narrated from Husband’s perspective, and the story he tells is quite an interesting one. He meets Millicent when they are young and barely have a penny to either of their names, they marry and have kids. Through some strategic networking, they work their way into better clientele as a real estate agent and tennis pro at the local country club. They both start to make better money and are able to move into the better part of town and provide a better life for their son and daughter. Seems like a pretty straight forward life right? Wrong! Millicent and Husband both keep quite a few secrets from each other, but that isn’t the weirdest thing about their relationship. They develop a murderous hobby filled with stalking, lies, and all sorts of twist and turns. I don’t want to tell you what they get up to because that would spoil the fun. They get up to some pretty crazy and dark shenanigans to spice up their marriage, but all is not perfect and Millicent takes Husband on a pretty wild ride.


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