Genre: Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense

No One Saw It Coming by Susan Lewis

Published on by Charli

I received an advance copy of this book from HarperCollins UK 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!
No One Saw It Coming by Susan LewisNo One Saw It Coming by Susan Lewis
Published by HarperCollins UK on 08/15/2023
Genres: Fiction / Crime, Fiction / Family Life / General, Fiction / General, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General, Fiction / Small Town & Rural, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense, Fiction / Women
Pages: 384
Format: Paperback
Source: HarperCollins UK
Amazon // Barnes & Noble // IndieBound
Goodreads

Don’t miss this utterly gripping and emotional thriller from Sunday Times bestselling author Susan Lewis! Secrets lie at the heart of every family...

When the unthinkable happens...

Hanna’s world is crumbling.

An unimaginable crime has been committed, and everyone’s looking for someone to blame. Her loved ones are under suspicion.

Now Hanna must work out who is threatening her family – before it’s too late.

No one could have seen this coming...

Real readers love No One Saw It Coming

‘Master storyteller Susan Lewis blends emotional family drama, heart-stopping tension and nail-biting suspense’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A mesmerizing, immersive and emotional tale that is a struggle to put down’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Had me hooked from the start’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Best book I’ve had the pleasure to read in a very long time’ Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I haven’t been reading much lately, I think being a college student has gotten me into a slump – I read so much for school, I don’t want to read anything else when I’m done with my homework! But… I did manage to read a book over the past couple of days, so maybe I’ll get back into the swing of it! The book in question? No One Saw It Coming by Susan Lewis – a mystery that involves family secrets, murder, and mental health.

Characters

The main characters in this story are hard to define in some cases. We have Hanna and Jack, a married couple who’ve been together for decades. Hanna is the main focus of this book – you’ll understand when you read it. There are Leo and Cait, Hanna and Jack’s two children, who each have issues of their own. Next comes Sebastian, Jack’s best friend, who plays a major part in the story line. Finally, for main characters, there is Riona… who isn’t quite who and what she seems.

You’ll meet other characters along the way – Jenny (Jack’s stepmom), Andee (Hanna’s best friend), Graeme (Andee’s husband), Sophia (Cait’s toddler daughter), Ishan (Sophia’s father), Freya (you’ll understand when you read it), and Blanche, who has her own chapters and is tied to Riona… it is complicated, and a few others.

I liked Hanna, Jack, Leo, Cait, and Sebastian. I liked Riona as well. I felt the characters were relatable and they felt like real people to me, not just flat characters on the page, which is good. Some of the more minor characters were also real, but some were just flat characters on the page, because while they played a part in the story, it wasn’t enough of a part for me to really care about them.

Atmosphere/Setting

Not being overly familiar with the layout of the UK, I am assuming that this book is set in Great Britain, as it is referenced that Riona came from Ireland and has an Irish accent. Not having a bloody clue about where anything in the book is (or even if the locations are actually real) did not detract from my enjoyment of this book in any way. It was a great setting for the novel and kept me from being overly bored with it – or overly critical if the book happened to be set in a place I know.

I do wish a bit more description of some of the areas in which the characters found themselves had been given – especially Riona’s home, but I suppose that might have spoiled part of the big twist of the book.

Writing

Despite being written using British English spelling and vernacular, I found the writing style to be easy to read and easy to digest. I didn’t get that feeling like I had no clue what was happening because Ms. Lewis did not write in circles as some mystery/thriller authors have been known to. I thoroughly enjoyed the book for the writing style and it is one of the reasons I look forward to reading more books by Ms. Lewis.

Plot

So the plot to this one is standard, but not standard at the same time. Someone is hurting Hanna’s family and she needs to figure out who it is and why they want to hurt her family. At the same time, there is a secondary plot involving one of the characters believing fully that they have found their long-lost sister, but yet keeping their distance from said sister.

I’m sad to say that I’d already guessed part of the big twist within the first quarter of the book. That isn’t to say that it was something that was telegraphed or easy to guess! I just recognized that part of the twist for what it was. It didn’t mean I didn’t want to know what would happen. I mean, no one had even gotten hurt yet! There wasn’t yet a mystery to actually solve when I figured out that part of the big twist. So if you figure that part out super early, just keep reading, there’s so much more to the story than just that part of the twist!

Intrigue

Despite having figured out the big twist of the book super early, I still found that this book had a huge amount of intrigue. Figuring out who had done each of the crimes that are committed because there are suspects, but no definitive answers – at least not until the twist comes up. Then, yes, there are answers. And what an answer it is! But of course, you have to read it, I’m not going to give it away here.

Ms. Lewis knows how to write a mystery that will keep you reading!

Relationships

There are some pretty complicated relationships in No One Saw It Coming. First, there’s Sebastian and Riona’s relationship – where it seems she wants him as much as he wants her, but then it doesn’t seem like she wants him after all. Then there’s Cait’s antagonistic attitude toward her parents, especially her father, Jack, that no one seems to be able to figure out. Finally, there’s Jack’s relationship with someone else that Hanna didn’t know about (Hanna and Jack have flings/affairs but never keep them secret, except this time). So relationships in this book are complicated at best, but very interesting.

Ending

The book ends on a note that makes you wonder if perhaps in the future there could be a second book. After the big twist, after everything goes down and all is “well”, it seems like there could potentially be more to this story – as though book is finished but the story isn’t, if you know what I mean.

If Ms. Lewis was intending to write a sequel, I fully intend to read it!

Conclusion

Ms. Lewis has written a solid four-star book here. While it wasn’t “can’t put it down” good, it was definitely good enough to make me want to read more of her work.

Buried Secrets Cover

Buried Secrets by S.F. Baumgartner

Published on by Charli

I received an advance copy of this book from Edelweiss+ 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.

Buried Secrets by S.F. BaumgartnerBuried Secrets by S.F. Baumgartner
Series: Mirror Estate #0.5
Published by FB Publishing on 05/26/2023
Genres: Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense
Pages: 102
Format: eARC
Source: Edelweiss+
IndieBound
Goodreads

EXPANDED AND REVISED. Originally published as "The Secret".

A destitute young man. Wanted dead by a criminal mastermind. Will he prove to be the downfall of the psychopath?

Dylan Roche is shocked. The twenty-five-year-old management trainee is astonished by the visit of an attorney. After years of blissful ignorance of his heritage, he is leery of the invitation to visit his wealthy maternal grandmother.

Wishing his mother was alive to advise him, Dylan sets off to investigate the family’s history, despite his feeling of foreboding. But with the sinister maniac creeping at each turn, he fears his mother’s faith in him was grossly misplaced.

Will Dylan find the secret hidden by his mother and survive the attack by the lunatic?

I picked up Buried Secrets a while ago while perusing the Edelweiss+ gallery of books that could be freely downloaded, but didn’t get around to reading it right away. Now I kind of wish I had.

For one, it is a clean thriller. No foul language, no sex, nothing that would make your grandmother cringe[mfn]Unless, of course, you have modern grandmother who cusses like a sailor LOL[/mfn]. The author even states it is meant to be a clean book. Which is a nice change of pace from the overly sexualized, over-filled with cuss words thrillers I often read. Not that I’m opposed to a little bit of sex or some swear words. I’m not. I just would prefer that the books have less rather than more of those things.

Buried Secrets is the revised edition of The Secret, the prequel novella to the Mirror Estate series. I’d not read The Secret, so I went into this book blind. But that didn’t stop me from enjoying it thoroughly.

For two, I like Dylan. He’s grieving the loss of his mother, a period I remember all too well. He’s also a loyal friend, something you’ll understand when you read the book. But suffice it to say, he doesn’t forget where he came from. Or who was there for him when his life turned upside down.

In all honesty, the Marino family secrets were good ones. While one of them didn’t totally surprise me, another one did. As did a few other surprises that were in store for readers. And this was the prequel novella! This isn’t even one of the full novels.

I gave this a solid four star rating and I look forward to obtaining and reading the rest of the Mirror Estate series. Do yourself a huge favor and check out Buried Secrets when you get the chance. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed!

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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The Dunnie by Keith Thomas

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.

The Dunnie by Keith ThomasThe Dunnie by Keith Thomas
Published by Night Platform Book Company on 10/31/2022
Genres: Fiction / Horror, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense
Pages: 150
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley

Praise for Keith Thomas' work:

"Keith Thomas has a handle on the mechanisms of fear and the tradition of the terror tale that makes him a salient voice in the genre today." - Guillermo del Toro, filmmaker

"Taut, riveting... I wanted to read it all over again once I turned the last page." - James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author of Kingdom of Bones

"Truly unforgettable..." - Suspense Magazine

"Thomas maintains the believability of his tightly coiled plot throughout." - Publishers Weekly
_______________________________________

From the writer/director of the critically acclaimed film THE VIGIL and director of the "Pickman's Model" episode of Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities (now on Netflix) comes a terrifying debut novella.
_______________________________________

Over a long fall weekend, Asher, twelve, travels with his mother, Beth, to his beloved grandfather (Pa)'s house-a wild place stuffed with rare books, strange art, and collected curiosities. With Pa's dementia worsening, Beth and her sister, Zoe, plan to move him into a nursing home-this visit is to break the news and pack the house up.

While Asher adores his doting grandfather, Beth recalls her dad as a very different person: a belittling man with a hair-trigger temper. Though Beth had been frightened of her father her whole childhood, he changed, seemingly overnight, ten years earlier into the affable man Asher now loves spending time with.

But Pa's increasing forgetfulness masks a much more unsettling reality: his anger didn't just vanish; it was "excised" in an arcane ritual that birthed the horrifying creature he's locked away in the depths of his home-the Dunnie. And now, with Pa's memory failing, the Dunnie won't remain contained . . .

Ok, so when I go into reading an “indie” horror novel, I usually go in expecting to intensely dislike it because, honestly, that’s usually how it goes for me. I end up hating it because it’s either horribly written, makes no sense, or is just not fear-inducing whatsoever. I was pleasantly surprised by The Dunnie.

Now, I’m not going to pretend that this book was super fear-inducing, because for me it wasn’t. But I’ll be honest, I don’t scare easily when it comes to horror novels or movies. But this book was very creepy.

It took me a bit to get into it, but once I got going, I flew through the book. Granted, it’s only about 150 pages long… but still. Once I got into it, I just didn’t want to put it down. In fact, I don’t think I did except for when I absolutely had to (aka, I had to tend to certain physical and medical needs).

I loved the concept – having a creature born of the qualities that a person wants to rid themselves of, then later on them having to fight that creature off and destroy it as best they can to ensure the safety of their loved ones. It made for a very interesting story line and one that honestly, I’d read again… which is good because The Dunnie isn’t the only book Keith Thomas has written in this particular vein.

The book is extremely well written…. which I’d hope so since Keith Thomas is a screenwriter and director who wrote/directed THE VIGIL and directed the “Pickman’s Model” episode of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities (on Netflix, at least in the US).

I give this a solid 4 stars because it’s a great, short horror novel. I’ll definitely be looking into reading some of the others that follow it!

The Vow by Debbie Howells

Published on by Charli1 Comment

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.

The Vow by Debbie HowellsThe Vow by Debbie Howells
Published by HarperCollins UK on 10/15/2020
Genres: Fiction / Crime, Fiction / Family Life / Marriage & Divorce, Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General, Fiction / Psychological, Fiction / Small Town & Rural, Fiction / Thrillers / Domestic, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense
Pages: 368
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley
Amazon
Goodreads

**Pre-order The Secret now – the new edge-of-your-seat thriller from Debbie Howells, coming soon!**

Everything was perfect. And then her fiancé disappeared...

‘Dazzling’ DAILY MAIL
‘A terrific new talent’ PETER JAMES

Two weeks before her wedding, a stranger stops Amy in the street and warns her she’s in danger. Then that night, Matt, her fiancé, doesn’t come home. Desperate, Amy calls the police – but when Matt fails to emerge, she’s forced to call off her wedding day.

Then another man is reported missing, by a woman called Fiona – a man meeting Matt’s description, who was about to leave his fiancée for her. He was supposed to be moving in with her – but instead, he’s vanished.

Amy refuses to believe Fiona’s lover can be her Matt – but photos prove otherwise, and it soon becomes clear that Matt has been leading a double life. As the police dig deeper, two conflicting, yet equally plausible stories emerge from two women who allegedly have never met.

The wedding day never happened. But the funeral might.

Real readers are hooked by No.1 eBook bestseller The Vow...

‘A breathtaking, suspenseful thriller with more plot twists and turns than you can imagine’ *****

‘Couldn’t stop reading ... Superb story and twisty ending’ *****

‘OMG what a brilliant book, full of twists and turns’ *****

‘Mesmerising from the start’ *****

‘Lies, deceptions and red herrings galore’ *****

‘Truly a roller coaster of a read’ *****

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.

After a few false starts, I finally got around to actually reading The Vow by Debbie Howells. When I say I devoured the book, I’m not kidding. I actually stayed up until almost 5:30AM to finish the book. That’s how engrossed in the story I was.

I won’t lie, the book starts out a little bit on the slow side. The “action” starts right away – the groom-to-be disappears, but after that it just takes a bit for the book to get going. You just have to hang on to get there because once you do… BOOM. It’s way faster paced and it’s way more intriguing.

You’ll get several points of view in this book – Amy, the bride-to-be, Jess – Amy’s daughter, Fiona – a character you’ll meet later, and then there are the flashbacks to 1996 – where you’re never quite sure who is doing the talking, but you know something’s going on – and it’s not good.

Out of all the characters I think I like Jess the best. While her point of view chapters don’t come as often as Amy’s or Fiona’s, she seems to be the only person who isn’t hiding something and who doesn’t have a past she wants to forget. Amy and Fiona share a past and they do want to forget it – even if they can’t.

The plot twists in this book are amazing. While you might see some of them coming, because they’re telegraphed and easy to spot, those twists serve to make the ones you don’t see coming that much better. For me, the best part was the reveal as to who was actually behind the groom-to-be’s disappearance. To say I never saw it coming was an understatement. I’d never in a million years have guessed that – although you do get some setup to it so it isn’t just turn the page and BANG – a shocking reveal. But it’s set up in a way that makes you question if the characters are correct or not.

This was a wonderful book and I highly recommend it to people who are willing to go with a slow burn mystery to get to a finish that will make you say “never thought of that”.

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.

The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs

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.

The Bone Code by Kathy ReichsThe Bone Code by Kathy Reichs
Series: Temperance Brennan #20
Published by Simon and Schuster on 04/26/2022
Genres: Fiction / Mystery & Detective / Women Sleuths, Fiction / Thrillers / General, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense
Pages: 432
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley
Amazon
Goodreads

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs’s twentieth gripping novel featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, whose examinations, fifteen years apart, of unidentified bodies ignite a terrifying series of events.

On the way to hurricane-ravaged Isle of Palms, a barrier island off the South Carolina coast, Tempe receives a call from the Charleston coroner. The storm has tossed ashore a medical waste container. Inside are two decomposed bodies wrapped in plastic sheeting and bound with electrical wire. Tempe recognizes many details as identical to those of an unsolved case she handled in Quebec years earlier. With a growing sense of foreboding, she travels to Montreal to gather evidence.

Meanwhile, health authorities in South Carolina become increasingly alarmed as a human flesh-eating contagion spreads. So focused is Tempe on identifying the container victims that, initially, she doesn’t register how their murders and the pestilence may be related. But she does recognize one unsettling fact. Someone is protecting a dark secret—and is willing to do anything to keep it hidden.

An absorbing look at the sinister uses to which genetics can be put, and featuring a cascade of ever-more-shocking revelations, The Bone Code is Temperance Brennan’s most astonishing case yet—one that gives new meaning to today’s headlines.

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.

Trigger Warnings: Murder, Child Murder, Gore, Descriptions of Dead Bodies, Animal Cruelty, Attempted Murder, Mentions of DNA modification and vaccines.

In the early 2000s, I fell in love with a TV show called Bones. I would later discover that the TV show was loosely based on the Temperance Brennan series of books by Kathy Reichs. Earlier this year, I decided I was going to make it a point to read/listen to as many of those books as I could. I didn’t get too far in, but I knew I had the 20th book in the series, The Bone Code, in my NetGalley queue. I finally got off my butt and read it.

First things first, you don’t have to read the Temperance Brennan books in order to understand what’s going on. You’ll be given enough details to help you figure things out if previous books are referenced. So don’t let this being the 20th book in the series scare you off. You can totally read this without reading any of the others first.

I love Temperance’s character. I find it funny that she isn’t nearly as “odd” in the books as she is in the TV show Bones. In the show, she doesn’t understand pop culture references and is very clinical, doesn’t get social cues. In the books, she isn’t like that at all. Which is nice because I’m not sure I’d like the books as much as I do if she was. I also enjoy Andrew Ryan’s character. He’s the perfect foil for Temperance and I love to see all the little tidbits of their relationship.

As for the plot of this particular book, I thought it was very intriguing. A “new” case in the Carolinas is startlingly similar to a 15 year old case from Canada that Temperance and Andrew had worked on. This leads them both down a path filled with danger and surprising revelations. I was kept wondering what would happen next and I absolutely loved the way the plot kept twisting. This book was definitely not boring.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. It is a mix between a slow-burn and fast-paced. Some areas are slow, some move really fast. The buildup to the final fight scene was well executed. I wasn’t left feeling let down by the ending – it was a great ending to a great book.

If you like mystery/thrillers and you like series, I definitely recommend this book and this series.

The Deep by Nick Cutter

Published on by Charli1 Comment
The Deep by Nick CutterThe Deep by Nick Cutter
Published by Simon and Schuster on 08/16/2016
Genres: Fiction / Horror, Fiction / Science Fiction / Genetic Engineering, Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense
Pages: 416
Format: eBook
Source: Library
Amazon
Goodreads

From the acclaimed author of The Troop—a book that is “utterly terrifying” (Clive Barker). “Fans of unflinching bleakness and all-out horror will love this novel….Each new shock is freshly disturbing” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

A strange plague called the ‘Gets is decimating humanity on a global scale. It causes people to forget—small things at first, like where they left their keys, then the not-so-small things, like how to drive or the letters of the alphabet. Their bodies forget how to function involuntarily. There is no cure.

But far below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, a universal healer hailed as “ambrosia” has been discovered. In order to study this phenomenon, a special research lab has been built eight miles under the sea’s surface. But when the station goes incommunicado, a brave few descend through the lightless fathoms in hopes of unraveling the mysteries lurking at those crushing depths…and perhaps to encounter an evil blacker than anything one could possibly imagine.

When Brandon did one of his “here are some disturbing/creepy/horror books I read recently” videos and described The Deep, I knew I had to check it out.[mfn]To be fair, I check out most of his recommendations.[/mfn]

Before I get into the actual review a couple of trigger warnings that I found – descriptions of gore, childhood trauma, child abuse, animal abuse, animal death, child disappearance, parental murder. I’m sure there are more, but those are the ones I found.

What would you do if the government called you and told you that your brother, who you haven’t spoken to in eight years and is doing some sort of scientific research eight miles underneath the Pacific Ocean, has asked for you and you need to go down there to find out what’s going on? Would you go? Because that’s what Luke Nelson did when he got the call that he needed to go eight miles below the Pacific Ocean to find out what was happening with his brother Clayton. What he didn’t bargain for was all the super weird and possibly supernatural things going on down at the bottom of the ocean – the darkest place on the planet.

I found this book to be a read that made me want to keep reading to find out what came next. I was totally engrossed in the story and needed to find out what was happening, what was going to happen next. Unfortunately, I kind of lost that towards the end of the book when there was a far more involved than necessary[mfn]In my opinion, it might not bother you.[/mfn] depiction of the end of an animal’s life. It was close enough to the end for me to finish the book, but I can say I wouldn’t re-read it.

The book was extremely well written. It was fast paced, easy to follow along with, and made sense. I enjoyed the author’s writing style, with the exception of the above mentioned scene. The characters aren’t well fleshed out at the start – for some we get little to no background, others we get background but it comes in bits and pieces – which actually works because it isn’t necessary immediately at the beginning of the book. There isn’t really much in the way of world building, but it takes place on Earth – not really much world building necessary if you ask me.

I gave the book three stars because of the depiction of an animal’s final moments that I just felt wasn’t necessary. It was far too long and drawn out and while I’m sure it was meant to tug on the heartstrings of animal lovers, I just didn’t find it to be necessary to further the story along. Up until that point, the book had been a four star book. Call me petty, ridiculous, or whatever you want, but when you just drop something like that into a book with no content warnings, that’s not cool.

If you like horror with a science fiction bend to it, I’d recommend this book – just keep in mind the things I’d mentioned above in the content warnings.