Review: The Witch's Orchard by Archer Sullivan

The Witch's Orchard by Archer Sullivan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ALC and an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This was a unique and atmospheric thriller set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.  Private Investigator Annie Gore has been hired to investigate the long cold case of three missing girls from a small town.  Max, her latest employer, has never given up hope that his missing sister could be found and is determined to get closure on her whereabouts.  Having grown up in Appalachia herself Annie knows how private and protective people can be of their own and she is well aware of how her investigations can stir up a town.  Annie has a track record of solving cases, and while hesitant to take this one she is willing to see what she can find even if it brings up her own painful memories and angers the townsfolk.

I'm not usually a fan of thrillers that involve children, but this is captivating and the focus is more on the investigation.  Annie having spent time in the military as a special investigator is tough and she knows how to draw out information and follow a lead.  She also has great instincts and knows when her bias is possibly leading her astray.  This book kept me interested from the first minute to the last.  There are so many people that Annie interviews that could be the kidnapper, but the twist at the end really surprised me.  I also loved the addition of the tale of the "Witch of Quartz Creek", the folklore and various retellings of the tale play a key role in the investigation and the lives of the people that live in town.  I always love when folklore plays a part in a novel and story of the Witch and it's variations was a wonderful addition to the novel.

This was a fantastic debut, and I look forward to seeing what the author writes in the future.  If we follow Annie on further investigations or if there are more thrillers to come I would be happy to read them if they are all as gripping as this one.

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Review: The Hunter's Daughter by Nicola Solvinic

The Hunter's Daughter by Nicola Solvinic
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley and the Berkley Besties program, all opinions are my own.

This follows Anna, a detective with a secretive backstory that not even she completely remembers. When Anna shoots a perpetrator in the line of duty and is dosed with PCP suppressed memories from her childhood begin to surface. She thought she buried the person she used to be, but with the help of her therapist she is able to piece together her past with what she is experiencing now. This is especially helpful when she finds herself tangled up in a murder investigation that appears to be a copycat of her serial killer father. Unable to detach herself from the case, Anna is determined to use her knowledge of her father's case, and the outdoor skills he taught her to figure out the current case or if her father has returned from the dead to haunt her once more.

I found it hard to believe that Anna was able to hide her identity from so many people for so long. It is one of those plot points where you have to suspend your disbelief for the storyline to work. No one recognizes her and she makes really poor decisions throughout the investigation, yet no one picks up on it.  This might be a spoiler, but this leans heavily on the paranormal aspect, which I didn't mind, I love a good paranormal storyline but I wanted more information on that part. I love a good mythological element, however I appreciate when it is well explained and I felt it was a bit lacking in information on how the connection was made.  As for the thriller aspect, this has plenty of red herrings to keep the reader on their toes and adds in a nice bit of police procedural.

Overall, this was an interesting thriller and a solid debut.

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Review: Please Join Us by Catherine McKenzie

Please Join Us by Catherine McKenzie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Edelweiss+, all opinions are my own.  This book was published back in August 2022, so in an attempt to get the review up I opted to listen to the audiobook now that it has been out for a while.  The audio narration was OK, the narrator tried to give each of the women a different voice, but they mostly sounded the same in my opinion.

This thriller was fairly straightforward.  The end felt a bit rushed and while it was interesting, there wasn't alot of suspense.  This isn't the type of thriller that has a ton of suspense though, and it fit with the type of story the author was trying to tell.  That being said, this isn't the type of thriller I gravitate toward.  I like the higher stakes, heart pounding, more suspenseful thrillers with lots of action.  This was more calculated as the story unfolds to reveal the plot.

This follows Nicole, a successful attorney who has found herself at a crossroads in her career.  Her position at her firm is on thin ice despite her being one of the best lawyers in the business.  She finds herself dealing with the antics of the "good old boys club" mentality of corporate America, while also dealing with an ailing family member and other family issues.  It seems like perfect timing when she gets invited to a networking retreat for an exclusive, women's only group that promises to help Nicole get her career back on track.  It seems almost too good to be true, and her husband jokes that it seems like a cult.  Nicole finds herself making friendships with powerful, successful women who quickly help get her career back on track with a high visibility case.  Being the good lawyer that she is, Nicole quickly realizes that there are too many coincidences and there is something bigger at play with the group.  

I thought this had an interesting premise.  Having worked in a male dominant setting for much of my career, I can relate to some of what Nicole experienced.   I liked the aspect of female empowerment and having a group to lean on.  I've attended women's only leadership training and having a core group of women to support you is an amazing thing to have.   I thought Nicole felt like a realistic character, she was a bit down on her luck and herself and this awesome opportunity came into her life when she needed it.  All of a sudden things started to look up and she was happy again.  Then things started to feel out of place and she stuck to her guns to figure out what was really going on.  I so appreciate that Nicole had a moral code and she stuck to it.  While the whole concept of the sinister plot felt a bit far fetched for me because it had so many moving parts that had to be executed for it to work, I still thought it provided for an entertaining read.

Overall I thought this was a good thriller.  While this type of thriller isn't my favorite in the genre, if you like less suspenseful thrillers that have minimal violence that feel more like figuring out a puzzle this will really appeal to you.  I enjoyed the writing style and will be checking out more of the author's work in the future.

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Review: The Familiar Dark by Amy Engel

The Familiar Dark by Amy Engel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, thank you to Dutton for providing me a copy of this book.  I've had this ARC on my backlog for longer than I'd like to admit, but am slowly  making my way through the titles in my backlog.  I'm so sad that it has taken me so long to read this.  I ended up listening to the audiobook as this has been out since March of 2020.  As always all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I loved this!  I found it hard to put down.  This is a gritty mystery, and while I'm not typically a fan of books involving kids I was spellbound by this.  It isn't particular gory or graphic, but it has alot of content warnings.  This follows Eve in the wake of the murder of her 12 year old daughter.  Eve has lived a hard life, but she loved her daughter and tried to be the best mother she could be.  When her daughter and best friend are murdered, Eve promises to avenge the girls with the brand of cruelty she was raised with.  She launches her own investigation, and she isn't ready for what she finds.

While this is filled with twists and turns, it has been a long time since I wasn't able to figure out what was going on and predict the ending.  This had several surprises that I didn't see coming.  This book isn't very long, the audiobook was just under 7 hours, but the author did a great job keeping the plot straight forward and doesn't over complicate things.  I really liked the underlying story about Eve's family dynamics and the interaction she had with her mother.  While her mother isn't exactly a likeable character, she shaped Eve into the woman she needed to be to seek justice for Junie and  Izzy's deaths.  This is a powerful story about grief, motherhood, poverty, and so much more.  Engel did an amazing job writing a great mystery that really pulls on your emotions.

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Review: Missing Clarissa

Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own. This book will be publised on March 7, 2023.

I was initially called to this book because I loved Sadie. This unfortunately did not live up to the expectations of being anything like Sadie other than there was a podcast. There was no suspense, the plot was predictable, and the characters were very immature even for teenagers. I had a lot of problems with this book, but it seems I'm in the minority.

This follows two best friends, Cameron aka Cam and Blair as they work on a project for their high school journalism class. Cam is genius level smart and decides they are going to do a podcast focusing on their small town unsolved case of Clarissa Campbell. Clarissa disappeared 20 years ago during a party without a trace, and Cam has decided that she and Blair can blow the case wide open with their investigative prowess and rudimentary podcasting skills. Despite their teacher reminding them to do their research and take care with the investigation they push ahead without abandon. This makes them both look impulsive, irresponsible, and unintelligent. Young women don't need that type of representation in literature. Cam being really smart and Blair being a good athlete and people person was a great combination for them to be a wonderful investigative team. Blair's constant self-depreciation. lack of confidence, and need for validation from her boyfriend that she's pretty because she is all made up got on my nerves. Both characters lacked development and I feel that was a missed opportunity. Maybe this was the author's attempt at satire, metaphor, or allegory. I feel like the author was trying to make a political or social justice statement but I'm not sure what it was. The social commentary aspect needed a bit more well commentary. The author mentions white people alot in this book, but again I'm not sure what message the author was trying to convey by mentioning skin color for every character. I think it was a clumsy attempt at representation and diversity. I love good world building and that includes developing your descriptions of your characters into more than tan and white. There are other political mentions but none of them were well developed. If you are going to make a statement and have an agenda, I feel like I should know what you are trying to tell me. Again I think the author was trying to call out inequality and marginalization but I don't feel it was well developed into the main storyline.

The author does a decent job trying to throw you off the trail of who the actual culprit is while the girls are investigating if you can get past their over the top teenage impulsive behavior. There are enough red herrings to keep you interested, but I did figure out who did it very early on. I thought the plot was pretty predictable.

I'm hoping that the abrupt transition from novel to inserts of podcast script will be fixed in the final edits. In other mixed media you clearly know when you've transitioned from novel to podcast, email, text message, etc. Here there are some excerpts of the podcast between Cam and Blair and those are obvious by the formatting. Later in the book we switch to a different format mostly at the end of each chapter more in a script or blog format that isn't always obvious that is part of their podcast. A quick format in the final version will hopefully fix that, but you never know how that is going to go. I actually thought the podcast script pieces were well written and really enjoyed those sections alot. I needed more of what we got in Blair's final post.

I feel like I was really harsh in this review. I was really hoping to love this book. I think alot of people are going to enjoy this, but this particular style is not my cup of tea. I think this is perfect for readers new to the mystery/thriller genre and those who want something without gore and violence. This is also going to be perfect for the young adult reader. I'd let my middle schooler read this.
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Review: The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via Edelweiss+, all opinions are my own.  This book will be published February 21, 2023.

This had a really interesting premise, and I don't want to spoil anything for you since this is a thriller/mystery.  This follows Alex an aspiring writer who has been deep in the throws of depression after a fight with her now former best friend.  She has had writer's block since the incident, but luck shines on her and she gets invited to an exclusive retreat at the mysterious estate of her favorite author.  The catch is the ex-best friend will also be there with three other talented writers.  Alex loves the attention she is getting from her idol Roza as the retreat progresses, and her book is coming along nicely until Roza literally starts playing games with the women at the retreat.  Roza's tactics are a bit insane, and the women start to question their well being after one of the women goes missing.

Overall this was just OK for me.  I actually really enjoyed the snippets of Alex's book that she was writing for the retreat.  I didn't connect with Alex as the main character, she gave the impression of an unreliable narrator.  That isn't one of my favorite character traits, so I found it hard to invest in her.  Honestly I didn't connect with any of the characters.  There are alot of plot elements to keep track of and I would have preferred if the author had picked a few to really focus on and develop really well instead of throwing them all in here.  I never really got that suspenseful feeling, perhaps because it all seemed a bit farfetched.

I think this is going to appeal to alot of readers.

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Review: The Nightmare Man

The Nightmare Man by J.H. Markert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided a print and audio arc of this book via Netgalley.  Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to review this book early.  All opinions expressed in my review are my own.

This was a nice balance of horror and thriller.  I don't want to give too much away as it would spoil the story.  I didn't find the horror elements overly gory, but this does have a nice creepy factor to go along with the police investigation that takes place as the story comes together.  There are some additional horror elements to the plotline but to describe them would spoil the fun.  

This follows Detectives Winchester Mills and Samantha Blue, Mills' daughter as they investigate a grisly murder scene in their small town.  The murder appears to be directly copied from a recently released novel from local bestselling author Ben Bookman.  The Bookman family is no stranger to tragedy or the strange, but when more murders occur mirroring things Ben has written in his books the detectives are determined to figure out if Ben is the killer or figure out what he's hiding and how he is linked.   Ben is missing time from when he wrote the book that is being copied, and he knows it has something to do with his grandfather's strange atrium where the books with no works are kept.  Slowly as Ben and the detectives unravel the clues and piece together the puzzle the strange tale of the Scarecrow, the Screamer, and the books all comes together in a terrifying nightmare.

I loved this!  I mainly stuck with the audiobook for this one as the narrator, David Bendena, did a great job with this.  I had a hard time pressing pause on this one.  I was on the edge of my seat as the story unfolded.  This is my first book from the author, but it will not be my last!  I look forward to reading more from Markert in the future!

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Review: A Sliver of Darkness by C.J. Tudor

A Sliver of Darkness by C.J. Tudor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this collection via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.  

I really enjoyed this collection.  I've read and enjoyed a few of Tudor's novels previously and I love horror/thriller short stories.  There are some really great stories in here, while I didn't love all of them there isn't a bad one in the bunch.  The Block, Runaway Blues, The Completion, I'm Not Ted, Gloria, and Final Course were favorites in the collection.  These are perfect for when you only have a few minutes before bed or in between responsibilities but you still want to get some reading in.  I loved that the author gave an introduction to each short.  I always wonder what inspires an author to write a twisted tale and Tudor gives us some insight into what inspired her to write each of these.

If you are a fan of horror or thrillers or a fan or Tudor's work in genera I'd highly recommend this collection.  Nothing was overly gruesome or graphic in my opinion.  Each of the stories was interesting and held my interest.  I really enjoyed the collection as a whole and look forward to reading more by the author in the future!

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Review: I'm the Girl by Courtney Summers

I'm the Girl by Courtney Summers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I was really looking forward to this book after loving Sadie. This has that same ominous feeling as Sadie, but is not told in the same mixed media format. This book is pretty heavy and does have alot of triggers. I'm not sure how I feel about this book even after sitting with it for a bit. It is an uncomfortable read for sure, and it has several unlikable characters. This is going to be a difficult one to review without spoilers.

Georgia is 16, and she has big dreams. She dreams of working at the exclusive members only club in her town, Aspera. She wants to be an Aspera girl, but unfortunately she doesn't know what that entails. Her mother worked at Aspera, but she kept much of her work a secret from her daughter. This of course had the opposite effect and make it look glamourous instead of dangerous to Georgia. With her mother having lost her battle with cancer, she can't giver her the facts and tell her the truth of the club and the wonders and dangers that lie within.

At the heart of this story, Georgia is naïve, immature, and trusting of everyone around her. She takes everything everyone tells her at face value and believes them. So when she gets caught up in a murder investigation, she finds herself in situations that she really should never be in. While you think that the investigation might be the main focus, there is a much bigger much more sinister plot happening around her. Speaking of the plot, it was kind of all over the place. One moment we are with Georgia and Nora as they are "investigating" the murder, the next minute we are with Georgia as she is trying to better her position and "live her dreams" at Aspera. Georgia is being groomed and manipulated by the people she thinks are protecting her and she doesn't even know it. My biggest issue with this book is the flow of the varied storylines, they didn't feel cohesive and the ending was abrupt. The message and overall plot was good, but it didn't deliver in the end for me. Perhaps it was messy by design as was the message and content of the book. It doesn't deliver on atmosphere and the emotional aspects. It gives you that squirmy, icky feeling and I always had that feeling of waiting for the jump scare to happen. Georgia finds herself in several messy and ugly situations. You aren't sure if you want to hug her or shake her. As an outsider looking in you can't imagine why she can't see the danger right in front of her, but as a realist you know that kids/people get sucked into these kind of situations all the time in the real world. People, kids especially, get caught up in the promise of wealth and better things, especially when it comes from an adult they trust.

Overall, this was just ok for me. I didn't love it, but I didn't dislike it either. The message was haunting but the execution was not to my taste. I would caution readers to look up trigger warnings before diving in as this has many when it comes to grooming, SA, manipulation, etc.

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Review: The Kingdoms of Savannah by George Dawes Green

The Kingdoms of Savannah by George Dawes Green
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Thank you to Celadon books for sending me a print ARC of this book.  Be on the look out for ARCs of this book in little free libraries all over the place on July 19th as bloggers will be dropping copies all over and posting photos with links to where you can find a copy.   This is a nation-wide event you can find a your closest drop here is http://bit.ly/kingdomslfl.  I dropped mine book off at Little Free Library #93070 if you are in the Gibsonia PA area. As always, all opinions expressed in my reviews are my own.

I've never been to Savannah, but I felt like I visited after reading this.  The author does a wonderful job describing the scenery and almost making Savannah a character in the story.  This book has a bit of everything, mystery, suspense, great atmosphere, and some historical elements woven in.  Be sure to read the notes to gain some insight into the actual fictional events and what was fictionalized.  I always find that information fascinating.  

This story mainly focuses on the Musgrove family who are fairly well to do in Savannah Society, but they are highly dysfunctional.  When the family is retained for their private investigator services in relation to a murder, the Musgroves find themselves entangled in a web of secrets and lies they weren't expecting.  The investigation takes them deep into the underbelly of Savannah's past and the Musgroves find that there is some dark history that the elite have been trying to hide for a very long time.

I enjoyed this gritty tale.  There are alot of characters and alot going on, so I did find myself losing track of things at times, but overall I recommend it.  It takes you from swanky southern parties to homeless encampments.  The characters are flawed, but they work together for a united cause to solve the murder of their friend and find their missing friend.  The plot was interesting and pulls you in with the Musgrove family dynamics and scheming and the various investigations happening surrounding the murder.  This is the kind of book you need to read a second time to get all of the details you missed the first time.

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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: Daughter by Kate McLaughlin

Daughter by Kate McLaughlin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided a print and audio arc of this book via Netgalley.  Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this awesome thriller!  I loved it!  I highly recommend the audiobook, the narrator did a wonderful job with the different characters.  Justis Bolding certainly made Lake extra creepy!

Scarlett is your typical 17 year old, she wants to hang out with friends, go to parties, date boys, make mistakes, and live her life.  Her mom on the other hand is a bit overprotective and keeps her on a tight leash.  We learn early on in the book why Gina, Scarlett's mom, has been so paranoid and protective, when two FBI agents knock on their door.  Scarlett is thrown into a world she didn't know she was a part of when she finds out she is the daughter of a famed serial killer, who happens to be on his deathbed. His parting wish is to meet is estranged daughter in exchange for information on previously undisclosed victims.

If you are like me and you enjoy shows like Criminal Minds, crime documentary shows, and Unsolved Mysteries just to name a few, I think you will really enjoy this book.  This reads a bit like a documentary, where you are learning about the killer and the people in his life.  We learn about the people he charmed and fooled, those he hurt, the trial, and about the people he is still impacting in his final days.  I really thought it was well done and enjoyed it!

I thought Scarlett had decent character development.  There is some normal 17 year old teenage angst which is only magnified by the drama that ensues when she and her mother come out of hiding.  Scarlett already deals with anxiety and she has to deal with that and the other emotions that come with the revelation that she has a serial killer for a father.  Not only that but she has to deal with the repercussions of her mother's decision to hide away from the aftermath of her father's deeds and trial, reporters begin to follow her and people want to ask her questions about him and what he tells her when she visits.  Fortunately Scarlett has a good support system and is quickly able to figure out who her real friends are.  Scarlett very much has to deal with her father's antics as he comes to terms with is looming death, and has to cope with him wanting her to be his final prize and victim before he goes.  The character of Jeff Lake was really creepy  I thought the author did a good job weaving the coming of age story in with the thriller aspects.  As Scarlett gets to know her father, she quickly has to get to know herself and figure out what to do with the knowledge she has quickly been given and figure out how to process it and what to do with it.

This is marked as YA, but it does have some mature themes.  There is alcohol and drug use both recreational and prescription.  There is sex but it is closed door and not very detailed, but it is mentioned.  

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Review: Sundial by Catriona Ward

Sundial by Catriona Ward
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this up until the halfway point. Then it kind of dragged until the end where it picked back up, then it just kind of ended without a resolution.  I'm not a huge fan of books that are open ended, but that was clearly a choice the author made to leave things ambiguous and undone.  I would have preferred things to be a bit more wrapped up.  If you have read any of my other reviews, you know I also am not a big fan of alternating timelines, in this case the timeline alternates between Rob (the mother) then and now, and Callie (Rob's oldest daughter), as well as the story within the story that Rob was writing really took me out of the story and made the pace very slow for me.  I think this book had some really interesting concepts but the execution was a bit flawed.  Every time I started to get invested in the story, it would switch timelines and perspectives and throw me out of the story and I would have a hard time getting invested for several chapters.

This book has alot of trigger warnings, so from that perspective horror fans and psychological thriller fans may really enjoy it.  Other readers will want to stay far away from this book.  This book has animal experimentation, domestic violence, emotional abuse, drug use, miscarriage, and child abuse.

Thrillers are always hard to review because you don't want to give anything away without spoiling the book.   They are also very personal when it comes to what a person enjoys or doesn't.  I prefer much faster paced, plot driven thrillers, so the pacing of this obviously didn't work well for me.   This is mostly told from Rob's perspective both then and now, but I was more interested in her daughter Callie.  I found Callie's chapters to be the most gripping and I kept reading as I wanted to get back to her story.  I didn't find Rob to be all that likable, but again I think that was a deliberate choice by the author and her personality starts to come together and make as we find out more about her backstory and upbringing.   As we learn more about Rob, Callie also starts to make more sense.  It just takes a long time to get there.  I like what the author did with the relationship dynamics between Rob and her sister Jack as well as Rob's daughters Callie and Annie.  What you think is happening on the surface is not what it seems, and those interactions and reveals made for and interesting read.  I thought the twist was clever and unexpected, but it was overshadowed by what felt like and unfinished ending.

Overall, this was pretty good, I think a lot of people are going to love this.  This type of thriller doesn't meet all of my personal preferences, but I think the writing was good.  The setting was well described, and the characters were well despite being unlikable.  Based on the trigger warnings I gave above I'd stay away from this book if any of those things are deal breakers for you.  

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Review: Beneath the Stairs by Jennifer Fawcett

Beneath the Stairs by Jennifer Fawcett
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I received an ARC of this book via Edelweiss, all opinions are my own.  I can see I'm in the minority here, but I didn't love this.  It is lacking in the suspense and horror elements I expected to find in a book that features such a unique and creepy house in the woods.  I love a good haunted house story and the premise of this was really promising.  The Octagon House is situated in the woods, it is the scene of a murder, and for some the house call out to them.  The basement is the setting for the creepier parts, but I feel those scenes lacked the detail that would have taken this book to the next level.  I never felt any suspense for the characters.  The house and the basement should have made me feel something, and they didn't.  There is a bit of a supernatural element to the story, but I didn't find it scary.  

 

There were many scenes about loss and grief.  If discussions about loss of a loved one and miscarriage are upsetting to you, I'd skip this book as they are a main focus for the main character.  I felt like this story was more about Clare and her personal losses and grief than it was about the horror and suspense.

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Review: The Hidden by Melanie Golding

The Hidden by Melanie Golding
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an arc of the audiobook via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

The narrator was fantastic! She did a wonderful job with the different voices for the characters. She also has a lovely singing voice. I love those little touches when a narrator can add to the story by singing parts of the story, which in this book music and song was an important part of the story. She also did an amazing job with Leonie's voice, it is hard to do a realistic 2 year old voice without sounding fake and ridiculous, but she did a great job with it.

This mystery/thriller takes a while to come together. It is told from several different perspectives, the main being Ruby a struggling musician and Joanna a detective. Joanna is Ruby's mother, so naturally when she finds that Ruby may be involved with a case she is investigating, she wants to protect her daughter. Their relationship is a bit unconventional and has been strained as of late, but as the story unfolds we find out why. We also learn of Ruby's involvement in her neighbor Gregor's life and his own unconventional family. As the story unfolds she sees parallels between her upbringing and that of her new friend Constance and her daughter Leonie.

The timeline for this switches back and forth between then and now, I believe they are about 1 year apart from each other from when Ruby befriends Gregor and is introduced to Constance and their daughter Leonie. In the present we follow Joanna as she is investigating Gregor's attempted murder and a missing child case that may be related. As the story slowly develops, Gregor paints a picture where Constance is mentally unstable. The more Ruby gets to know the strange family, the more she realizes something is off with their story and she is determined to find out the truth if only to help the innocent little girl she has come to love.

I don't want to spoil too much because as things started to come together, this was actually pretty twisty and turny. I loved the mix of mythology and almost magical realism mixed in with the mystery and thriller elements. This took some unexpected turns and I really appreciated how the different perspectives added to the storytelling. This also takes a good look at family and the dynamic between the mother-daughter relationship. This was layered with so many different elements that keep the reader engaged and wanting to know what is going to happen next. It starts off slow, but the pace builds nicely and then takes off and holds steady until the end. I really enjoyed this and will be looking into more of the author's work.

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Review: The Family Plot by Megan Collins

The Family Plot by Megan Collins
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via Edelweiss, all opinions are my own.  This book comes out today August 17, 2021.  If you are looking for a light thriller without tons of twists, lacking gore and violence, check this out.  It doesn't have that ominous scare factor that many thrillers have, so if you are looking for a thriller that isn't scary check this one out.  I personally like something a much more atmospheric and with a lot more tension.  What thrillers have you been loving lately?  Leave me suggestions.

Dahlia has returned home to put her father to rest.  She left home at 19 and hasn't been back since.  You see Dahlia and her siblings were raised a bit unconventionally.  Their mother homeschooled them, but where most of us learned history the Lighthouse children learned everything about crime - murder to be specific.  Their mother made them learn every detail about specific murder cases, that coupled with living in a mansion on a secluded island made for an interesting upbringing.  Her twin brother and best friend Andy disappeared when they were 16, and everyone assumed he ran away to get away from the weirdness of their family.  Dahlia was heartbroken but she hoped he would come back, especially for their father's funeral.  Everything is thrown upside down when Andy's body is found in the plot reserved for the elder Lighthouse.  The story kind of takes off from here with each of the members of the family coping with the two death's in their own weird way.  Dahlia raised on how to solve a murder, is determined to figure out who killed her  beloved brother.  Being that this is a thriller/mystery I won't give you anymore than that because it will spoil the reveals.  

As far as the mystery/thriller part goes this wasn't particularly gruesome or scary.  I also wasn't really surprised by any of the reveals.  There were only so many suspects that could have been the killer despite the author trying to throw you off track here and there.  For me it wasn't filled with the twists and turns that I expect leading up to the "ah ha" moment.  

This was an interesting read for me.  I was engaged the entire time, but none of the characters are likeable and they are all so over the top.  I often found myself rolling my eyes at the interaction between characters because they were so unrealistic, then again I think the family was meant to be kind of ridiculous.  I am struggling with how to rate and review this book.  It lacked some of the key things I'm looking for in a thriller.  There is really not much character development and it lacked that ominous atmosphere that is usually present in a mystery/thriller.  The house was creepy and the actions of the siblings were over the top weird, but they lacked the depth of description needed to really build something haunting.  This felt almost more comedic than thrilling.  I didn't dislike this book, but it wasn't what I was expecting and doesn't check the boxes for things I look for in a thriller/mystery.

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Review: The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was provided an Audio ARC via Netgalley.  All opinions are my own.

This is my first book by the author, and when I discovered that this might have ties to to Greek mythology and it was a thriller it really peaked my interest.  I love both Greek mythology and a good thriller.  Let's just say that those two aspects are not as connected as I would have liked.

I really didn't enjoy this book.  I found the characters unlikable and the plot to be kind of ridiculous.  I didn't particularly enjoy the narrator's performance either.   All of the female characters were poorly portrayed and all of the male characters suffered from the same troubled childhoods making them all suspects.  For a thriller, I was never once thrilled or surprised.  The reveal was a huge let down and completely underwhelming.  

There were several plot lines meant to mislead the reader and make you think "maybe that person is the killer", when really those parts of the story could have been completely left out and you wouldn't have missed them.  The aspect of Mariana inserting herself into a murder investigation was so unrealistic.  I also did not like the use of mental health and the treatment of those struggling with mental health issues in this book.   Much like our main character, I felt like it was unnecessarily crossing boundaries.  

I think this is going to be a book you either really love or really don't like at all.   While I didn't particularly enjoy this, I think there are going to be plenty of people who really do enjoy this.  I'm not sure if I would have enjoyed this more had I read it on the page vs listening to the audio,  but this didn't work for me.

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Review: Legacy by Nora Roberts

Legacy by Nora Roberts
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.  

This book was fine, it was way too long in my opinion.  It was marketed as a thriller and romantic suspense, but the thriller element is barely present and I didn't feel that it was suspenseful at all.  This is a family saga about a woman who has built herself up from her own ambition, despite sitiation.  Her mother, who is also ambitious, let her career come first and her daughter come when she had a free moment between filming yoga videos and doing appearances.  Adrian built her own fitness empire and family based on her desires and needs.  When she starts receiving death threats, her mother passes them off as part of the business and tells her to move on.  This is basically what the book does with the thriller aspect of the book.  The book focuses on Adrian, her work as a fitness expert, her relationships with her Grandparents, her friends, her dog, and her life in the small town of Traveler's creek.  This book is over 400 pages and the thriller aspect takes less than 25% of it.  For me it got a bit repetitive with the workouts, filming videos, entertaining of friends, and waiting for the bad guy to make his move.

The writing was good.  I like Nora Roberts as an author, but this was not the page turner I was expecting.  The romance was slow burn, and when the couple finally gets together it wasn't in my opinion very exciting.  The chemistry between them was kind of lack luster.  I felt the same about the reveal for the suspense aspect.  I had that part figured out very early on, so when it finally came there was no heart pounding suspense for me.  It was very much "it is about time" because it took so long to get to the action.  I feel had this book been significantly shorter I might have felt differently.  

Overall I felt this book was a bit on the boring side.  The pace was very slow and the characters were flat.  They never really developed beyond who they were.   I kept waiting for the action to pick up but it didn't.  The family and friends scenes were very repetitive.   If you enjoy family saga's  you may really enjoy this book.  The thriller aspect is fairly tame, there is not a ton of gory violence and there is so little of it in the book if you aren't a fan it won't turn you away from the main story.  Unfortunately, this one wasn't for me.

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BLOG TOUR: HE'LL BE WAITING by Liz Alterman

 

   

 

We are thrilled to share Liz Alterman's debut release,

HE'LL BE WAITING!

He'll Be Waiting is a standalone YA Thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat and up reading all night!

   

GoodReads ~ Amazon ~ Indiebound ~ Barnes&Noble

 

Synopsis:

 

What would you do to remember? What would you give to forget?

When Tess Porter agrees to pick up her boyfriend’s college pal at the airport on a snowy December night, she has no idea she’s about to embark on the most dangerous ride of her life.

Two days later, the 17-year-old wakes up in a hospital with broken bones, unable to remember how she got there. Her parents are acting strange, and neither James, her boyfriend, nor her best friend, Izzy, has visited. As she struggles to physically recover, Tess wrestles with haunting questions: What happened? Will her memory ever return? And what if she’s better off not recalling any of it?    

      

   

 

And check out Liz's He'll Be Waiting playlist to enhance your read!

Spotify Playlist

      

      

Meet the author:

 

  Liz Alterman lives in New Jersey with her husband and three sons. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Parents, McSweeney's, and other publications. He'll Be Waiting is her first young adult novel. When she isn't writing, she spends most days microwaving the same cup of coffee and looking up synonyms.     

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