Genre: Fiction / Thrillers / Psychological

The Bachelorette Party by Carissa Ann Lynch

Published on by Charli

I received an advance copy of this book from HarperCollins to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!
The Bachelorette Party by Carissa Ann LynchThe Bachelorette Party by Carissa Ann Lynch
Published by HarperCollins UK on 09/02/2022
Genres: Fiction / Action & Adventure, Fiction / General, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General, Fiction / Thrillers / Crime, Fiction / Thrillers / Domestic, Fiction / Thrillers / Psychological, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense, Fiction / Urban & Street Lit, Fiction / Women
Pages: 352
Format: Paperback
Source: HarperCollins
Goodreads

‘Sharp writing... great plot’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ NetGalley Reviewer

‘[I] couldn’t put it down. A twisty read [and] I had no clue’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ NetGalley Reviewer

‘Readers will not see the twists coming in this thriller perfect for fans of Ruth Ware, Lucy Foley and Shari Lapena’ Booklist

New Orleans: live music, endless drinks, brightly-coloured attractions, the perfect place for a party...

The bride-to-be
The best friend
The cousin
The mother-in-law
The sister
The groom’s friend

The bachelorette begins on a Friday night; all six women are excited for a chance to escape their everyday lives. But then friendly rivalries turn vicious, and a game of truth or dare turns deadly.

By the end of the weekend one of them will be dead...

Discover why readers are captivated by The Bachelorette Party:

‘I was absolutely invested from page 1 and couldn’t put it down’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would. Thrilling, suspenseful and a page-turner’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Awesome’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Wow ... literally blown my mind’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A twisty thriller that you will not guess’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I was completely hooked’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘From the first page to the last I was gripped’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Great writing and the characters really were fantastic’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘So juicy... the suspense is amped up right from the first page and doesn’t end’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘An easy, fast-paced book’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I read this book in one sitting... I was hooked’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A fast, entertaining read with a smart twist at the end’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Suspense, intrigue and many twists and turns’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘The cast of characters were complicated and unlikeable in the best ways’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I just want to thank HarperCollins for sending me this book – I got it late September/early October last year and just now got around to reading it. As per usual when it takes me awhile to get around to reading a book, I wish I’d read it sooner!

I could not put this book down. I think I started it around 8PM and finished it just after midnight. Ms. Lynch wrote this book with so many secrets, twists, and turns that I couldn’t stop reading because I had to know what was coming next.

We have six main characters:

  • Rosalee – the bride-to-be
  • Tinsley – Rosalee’s cousin
  • Mara – Rosalee’s best friend
  • Bri – the soon-to-be sister-in-law
  • Elizabeth – the soon-to-be mother-in-law
  • Georgia – Rosalee’s fiancé’s best friend

All of them come with their own sets of secrets, reasons why they might be a murder victim or why they might have committed the murder. Oh, by the way, you don’t find out who was actually murdered until nearly the end of the book… even though you start off with the crime scene. It’s amazing!

Usually I have to try to guess who murdered the victim, but I know who the victim is. With The Bachelorette Party, not only did I have to try to guess who the murderer was, but who the victim was as well. I’m telling you, it makes the mystery even more fun when you don’t even know who died!

Interestingly enough, as much as I loved the book, I can’t say the same about any of the six main characters. None of the particularly spoke to me and frankly, all of them have something that makes them unlikeable. I will say my least favorite character was Mara – she rubbed me the wrong way from the moment she appeared. But I didn’t really like any of the others either.

The setting though – New Orleans… a creepy old gothic mansion that is purported to be haunted? Yes please! I’ll absolutely take that setting any day of the week.

Ms. Lynch’s writing style is beautiful and easy to read. You won’t find yourself bored or reading a ton of cliché phrases because the writing is exciting and doesn’t rely on tired phrases like everyone’s favorite “I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding”.

I highly recommend you check out The Bachelorette Party by Carissa Ann Lynch if you are a mystery/suspense lover. You’ll be glad you did!

How to Kill Men and Get Away With It by Katy Brent

Published on by Charli

I received an advance copy of this book from HarperCollins to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

How to Kill Men and Get Away With It by Katy BrentHow to Kill Men and Get Away With It by Katy Brent
Published by HarperCollins UK on 10/12/2022
Genres: Fiction / Feminist, Fiction / General, Fiction / Humorous / Black Humor, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General, Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Fiction / Thrillers / Psychological, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense, Fiction / Women
Pages: 352
Format: ARC
Source: HarperCollins
Amazon // Barnes & Noble // IndieBound
Goodreads

‘A MUST-READ for fans of dark fiction!’ Readers First ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘There’s a new serial killer in town’ Readers First ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Meet Kitty Collins.
FRIEND. LOVER. KILLER.

He was following me. That guy from the nightclub who wouldn’t leave me alone.

I hadn’t intended to kill him of course. But I wasn’t displeased when I did and, despite the mess I made, I appeared to get away with it.

That’s where my addiction started...

I’ve got a taste for revenge and quite frankly, I’m killing it.

A deliciously dark, hilariously twisted story about friendship, love, and murder. Fans of My Sister the Serial Killer, How to Kill Your Family and Killing Eve will love this wickedly clever novel!

Readers LOVE How to Kill Men and Get Away With It!

‘I literally couldn’t put this book down, I was just so engrossed in Kitty and what the heck she was going to do next!!’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘This book has got to be my favourite so far this year.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘There are just so many good things I could say about this book. I absolutely tore (pun intended) through this read. Everyone needs to go read it.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Being a man I really shouldn't like this book. Well I didn't like it. I loved it! Oh I just couldn't stop reading this.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘How to Kill Men was an absolute treat to read, sending out American Psycho and Promising Young Women vibes.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘One word!!! AMAZING!!! Where has Kitty been all my life?’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘This is one of the most clever books I have read in quite a while.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A well-rounded cast of characters, quick pace, and thrilling twists make this one of my favourites of the year!’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A twisted but witty read which will keep you up all night.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Another book sent to me by my contact at HarperCollins is How to Kill Men and Get Away With It by Katy Brent. The cover made me laugh because at the very bottom it says “For legal purposes: a novel”.

Characters

Kitty reminds me a lot of me. She’s vegan and she doesn’t care much for human beings for the most part. Oh she loves her friends, but that’s about it. Otherwise, she seems to find dealing with other people exhausting. I quite concur with her on that. However, I don’t share her penchant for murder.

Hen strikes me as just there for the most part. It’s almost like she’s the part of the friend group that is simply there for the purpose of providing parties and the like. Nothing particularly special about her, but I didn’t really care much for her either.

Maisie is an airhead of the highest order. She’s pretty much the vapid, stupid one of the group, but is also rather sweet and at least more cordial that Hen seems to be. I liked her well enough, although we don’t see all that much of her.

Tor is probably the friend we see the most of and I love her character. She’s sweet and she’s Kitty’s best friend despite Kitty not being a huge people person. Tor has her own issues and I think that’s why she and Kitty get along so well.

Charlie is an interesting character – he’s in love with Kitty, so there’s that. We don’t see much of him that isn’t related to something going on with Kitty. He’s a nice enough fellow and I like him well enough.

Atmosphere

I kind of like the atmosphere for this book. It’s actually quite normal – it isn’t creepy, it isn’t weird, it isn’t dark. It is just normal London. It makes for an interesting read because so many mystery/thriller novels will try to make the atmosphere creepy, but this is just…. normal.

Writing

I like Katy Brent’s writing style. It is easy to read, easy to follow along with, and makes reading the book a breeze. While I can’t say that I understood all of the British lingo (I’m American), I don’t think she really used enough British lingo to actually make it difficult to read the book. I’d be willing to read more of Katy Brent’s work.

Plot

This one had an interesting plot to it. Having a murderer who does so for a specific reason but who also has to deal with a stalker is quite the interesting plot. And the twists are perfection – trust me, you’ll never guess who the stalker is!

Intrigue

Honestly, a book has to have intrigue to be a proper mystery/thriller novel and this one has it. It isn’t who is committing the murders – we know that. But the intrigue is what other secrets does Kitty have and who on earth in her stalker? The intrigue here is more subtle than most books because usually a mystery/thriller is all about who is killing the murder victims. But in this case, we have a different focus for the intrigue.

Romance

I think the romance between Kitty and Charlie is very sweet. It’s a bit rocky for a while, but it is very sweet. I liked it a lot. Not so much Maisie and Rupert’s romance, although some of the descriptions for it made me laugh out loud. It’s just enough romance to have something soft and not so much that it should be a romance novel instead.

Ending

The ending to this one contains a plot twist that you won’t see coming. It involves Kitty’s stalker and trust me, you’ll be surprised when you find out who it is. Or maybe not… anything is possible. I did enjoy the ending though because it seems like everyone got what they deserved.

Conclusion

All in all this one was a good book and I would recommend it to those looking for a mystery/thriller that is a little bit different. I gave this one 4 out of 5 stars. I will definitely check out Katy Brent’s future works.

The Close by Jane Casey

Published on by Charli

I received an advance copy of this book from HarperCollins to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

The Close by Jane CaseyThe Close by Jane Casey
Series: Maeve Kerrigan #10
Published by HarperCollins on 03/02/2023
Genres: Fiction / General, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Police Procedural, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths, Fiction / Thrillers / Crime, Fiction / Thrillers / Psychological, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense, Fiction / Women
Pages: 416
Format: Hardcover
Source: HarperCollins
Amazon // Barnes & Noble // IndieBound
Goodreads

‘If you haven’t read Jane Casey, start immediately’ Marian Keyes, the Sunday Times No.1 Bestseller Suburban bliss

The new neighbours seem just right for Jellicoe Close, a pretty street filled with perfect houses and happy families.

Sinister secrets

But one neat front door hides a ruthless criminal – and the new neighbours aren’t what they seem to be either. DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent are undercover, posing as a couple to investigate a deadly conspiracy.

Murderous deception

As they try to gather the evidence they need, they have no idea of the true threat they face – because someone in Jellicoe Close has murder on their mind...

‘A full-blooded triple-decker mystery...The Close is Jane Casey at her very best’
The Times

‘A deliciously bingeable read’
Ruth Ware

‘Another cracker from Jane Casey’
Cara Hunter

‘Thrums with the tension of a classic crime thriller’
Sarah Hilary

‘The most dangerously addictive series in crime fiction’
Erin Kelly

‘The Close is Jane’s best Maeve Kerrigan novel yet. Absolutely brilliant!’
Liz Nugent

‘A brilliant example of nothing being as it seems’
Harriet Tyce

Content Warning: Domestic violence references, human trafficking, child sexual abuse/molestation

By now we should all know that if a book is a horror, thriller, or mystery, I’m probably going to want to read it. So when HarperCollins reached out and asked if I’d like to read The Close by Jane Casey, I said yes pretty quickly. Thank you to HarperCollins for sending me this book and facilitating my honest review.

Characters

The Close has an interesting cast of characters, beginning with Maeve Kerrigan. I admit, I do quite like our main character and I love the leading man, Josh Derwent as well. They’re well written and even though this was my first encounter with them, I found myself full immersed in their story.

As for characters that should be unique to this particular book, my annoyance with Rhys Vonn has rarely been matched with other characters. Trust me when I say, he’s an ass. Not overly fond of Mike Knox, Tom Thwaites, or Brian[mfn]I don’t remember his last name and don’t feel like getting up to get the book lol[/mfn] either.

All in all, great characters that have enough background to keep you going. And special shoutout to Pippin… you’ll figure it out when you read it.

Atmosphere

I like the tiny suburb feel of the book. I don’t live in England and have never been to England, so I’m not sure if Jellicoe Close is meant to be a suburb, a tiny town, or just a neighborhood. But I love the setting so much. I love that it feels like one of those close-knit neighborhoods where everyone knows everyone, everyone gets along as well as they can, and everyone has a great time together. But it also has the feeling of being creepy, especially when an unknown person seems to be watching everything the neighborhood does. It’s great!

Writing

I really enjoy Jane Casey’s writing style. It is well paced, easy to read, and entertaining. I’m looking forward to finding and reading the first 9 books in the Maeve Kerrigan series and hoping there will be an 11th and beyond.

Plot

I really liked this plot. Posing as a couple to spy on one house because there may be wrongdoing going on, working a prior murder case at the same time, and then stumbling into even more trouble than they thought is a lot, and it works. It works very well. This plot kept me wanting to read more.

Intrigue

Well, it is a mystery/suspense/thriller novel, so obviously there is going to be intrigue! And it will keep you wanting more of it. Who is this mysterious lurker, whose thoughts we occasionally get to read? What is going on at number 7 in Jellicoe Close? What other secrets are the residents of Jellicoe Close hiding?

Romance

I know, it’s a mystery/suspense/thriller. But there is romance. There’s definitely a spark between Miss Kerrigan and Mr. Derwent. Even if they don’t really understand it yet and even if they don’t know what, if anything, they want to do about it. It’s very interesting and I want to know more. Again, hoping for more books…although leaving this budding romance this way makes me think there will be.

Ending

The book’s ending was a surprise but also quite satisfying. All of our cases have been wrapped up neatly and there are no strings hanging – except that pesky budding romance, of course. But this was a seriously great ending.

Conclusion

I gave this one 4.5 stars because it is truly a great read. It kept me on my toes and made me want to read the rest of the series, plus any that come out later on. I highly recommend it to my thriller lovers, especially if you like thrillers set in England.

I Know Where You Live Book Cover

I Know Where You Live by Gregg Olsen

Published on by Charli

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!
I Know Where You Live by Gregg OlsenI Know Where You Live by Gregg Olsen
Published by Thomas & Mercer on 11/15/2022
Genres: Fiction / Thrillers / Psychological, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense
Pages: 286
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
IndieBound

Revenge, justice, or closure? Family crimes can't be hidden forever in this provocative novel of suspense by #1 New York Times bestselling author Gregg Olsen.

Violet knows that time is a futile healer. When she thinks of her happily married grandfather--a predator lovingly referred to as Papa--the feelings of rage and betrayal still swell. Her younger sister, Lily, just discovered the numbing truth about him. Their mother, Rose? She can't believe it. Not Papa. Leave it alone, Violet. Focus on the now.

When Papa suffers a sudden, and suspicious, fatal heart attack at Violet's wedding, she can barely conceal her joy. Maybe the fellow survivor at her support group is right: moving on is possible only when monsters are removed from society permanently. Violet is focusing on the now. Even if doing so calls for extremes.

For herself, and for the sake of other victims like her, Violet is reclaiming the power stolen from her as a child. Predator by predator, she's coming for them. It's intoxicating. It's liberating. But the secrets she now keeps, and the lies she must tell, come with a price.

Content Warning: Sexual abuse, rape, molestation, pedophilia, murder, gore, self-harm (not a complete list)

Have you ever read a book, really loved it, and just really disliked pretty much all of the characters in the book? That’s how I felt about I Know Where You Live by Gregg Olsen. I loved the book, loved the premise of the book, but really didn’t like the characters.

Violet and Lily were just irksome to me. Violet’s holier-than-thou attitude and Lily just basically doing her best to ignore everything that was going on just annoyed the daylights out of me.

I understood Rose and her mother’s dynamic because I lived through that time when you didn’t speak of things like sexual assault/molestation – even though we got the talks about “if someone touches you inappropriately, tell someone”, no one really did… it just wasn’t something you did. So I totally understand Rose and her mother’s dynamic in that respect.

So if I didn’t like the characters, what kept me reading the book? The plot. The things that were going on with Violet, the things she was doing. The things that were alluded to in regards to her grandfather’s death. The possible plot twists, which came and did not disappoint. That’s what kept me reading this book.

I’m not going to say much else about it. The plot alone was worth 4 stars. If I’d liked the characters, I might have given it 5 stars.

Oh… and I made a playlist of some songs you might want to listen to while reading… You’ll understand some of the choices when you read the book.

About Gregg Olsen

New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Olsen has appeared on Dateline, 48 Hours, Deadly Women, Good Morning America, The Early Show, Today, Entertainment Tonight, among others. The Deep Dark was named Idaho Book of the Year by the ILA and Starvation Heights was honored by Washington's Secretary of State for its contribution to the state’s history and culture. Envy was the state’s selection for the National Book Festival. The Boy She Left Behind was a finalist for the International Thriller Writer’s, Thriller Award. If You Tell was Amazon’s bestselling ebook in 2020.

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All the Dark Places by Terri Parlato

Published on by Charli
All the Dark Places by Terri ParlatoAll the Dark Places by Terri Parlato
Also by this author: What Waits in the Woods
Published by KENSINGTON Publishing Corporation on 12/27/2022
Genres: Fiction / Thrillers / Domestic, Fiction / Thrillers / Psychological, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense
Pages: 304
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley
Amazon
Goodreads

A savage murder rocks a quiet Massachusetts suburb, revealing the dark secrets at the center of a group of friends and setting two women - one with a traumatic past, the other a Boston police detective - on a hunt for truth in this stylish debut thriller for fans of Megan Miranda and Shari Lapena...

Snow falls softly outside Molly Bradley's home on a frigid January night. Inside, half a dozen close friends are gathered to celebrate the fortieth birthday of Molly's psychologist husband, Jay. Candlelight gleams against dark wood, wine flows, and the house rings with laughter. Everybody loves Jay, Molly most of all. Yet next morning, Molly discovers Jay dead on the floor of his office, his throat brutally slashed.

After decades working with the Boston PD, Detective Rita Myers has grown accustomed to the banality of evil--the murders that make no sense beyond bad luck or a tragic brush with the worst of humanity. But Jay Bradley's murder isn't random, or a mere crime of opportunity. Rita is convinced that someone in the couple's small circle killed him. Someone who was celebrating with them that night.

Devastated, Molly tries to make sense of her husband's death. Jay was her rock, the only person who really understood the nightmare she lived through long ago. He knew the horrors she's kept hidden even from her friends. But shocking revelations are making her question if Jay was all he seemed to be--and whether someone else knows her past too. And until Molly figures out who she can really trust, she won't be able to stop herself becoming the next target . . .

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through my links, I will receive a small commission or free services from the sale at no additional cost to you.

I recently was given the opportunity by Kensington Publishing Corporation, via NetGalley, to read the debut thriller from Terri Parlato, All the Dark Places. I have to say, this debut novel is amazing.

First, we have our characters. They’re well thought out, well planned, and very well written. Do we get all of the info about each of our characters right away? No. But that actually adds to the intrigue of the book. Something bad happened to Molly as a child. While it’ll take a while for you to find out what that is, and you’ll want to know, it doesn’t detract from the story to find out when you do. No matter what it is, every character with a backstory you need to know will have that backstory told, when the time is right.

This book doesn’t beat around the bush. It gets right into the action. That is – the first big event happens within the first chapter. You don’t have to wait to find out what the big issue is going to be – it happens immediately. However, that’s not the only big issue and all of the big issues are tied together. Which makes this books plot twists all the more satisfying. Believe me, there are several twists. And just when you think you might have figured out who the big bad wolf is, you’re probably wrong. I know I was.

This book doesn’t read like a debut novel. This book reads like a seasoned novelist wrote the book. Now, is Terri Parlato a pen name for an established writer? Maybe. It wouldn’t be the first time that a seasoned author has penned a book under a pen name and it’s been listed as a debut novel. But the fact remains that until I looked it up, I had no idea this was the author’s debut novel. I even checked on Amazon to make sure it wasn’t just a debut novel for a new genre. No… this is the only Terri Parlato novel that Amazon lists. To me, this shows the author’s potential to be a big name, very soon.

If you love mysteries and thrillers with lots of plot twists, you definitely want to check this book out. I highly recommend it to all of my mystery/thriller fans and I think it might even be a good one to get started in the genre with.