Genre: Thrillers & Suspense

His Name is Grace by H. G. Davis

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!
His Name is Grace by H. G. DavisHis Name is Grace by H. G. Davis
Published by Self-Published on 10/18/2021
Genres: Christian, Mystery, Thrillers & Suspense
Pages: 152
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Amazon // Barnes & Noble

Allison was just a little girl when she lost her life. And her family lost so much more...

Her father, John can't live with himself since he is the reason she is dead. And now that his son has been murdered he has given into a deep and dark rage. One that his wife suffers the brunt of.

With two of their three children dead, and the only living one, Erik, being accused of the death of his brother, the parents' lives are shattered. Once an everyday family, since moving out to Idaho their lives are slowly falling apart. The lies, the affair, the murder have all taken their toll.

However, some survive and are given another chance at life. This is a story of how grace can save us from ourselves

Sometimes you just need a quick read to get yourself back into the spirit of reading, and His Name is Grace by H. G. Davis was a perfect quick read to do that for me. At just 152 pages (1,795 locations on Kindle), I was able to read this book in just about 3 hours. It was fast paced, easy to read, and difficult to put down.

The formatting of this story is interesting. You’d think it’d focus on the actual mystery, but for the most part, it doesn’t. It focuses more on the secrets that the family of the deceased are keeping. Which isn’t to say it is a bad story, because it absolutely isn’t. I’m just not sure I would have categorized it as a mystery/thriller when it doesn’t really focus too much on that aspect, unless you consider all the secrets to be mystery/thriller material.

However, the book was very good – I wanted to know if the accused really had murdered his brother and if not who had. I also wanted to know how it happened and why the accused thought he’d done it if he hadn’t. I also wanted to know how many of the people knew about the others’ secrets.

The characters were interesting enough, although I didn’t feel any particular connection to any of them. Perhaps it was all the secrets. I will say though, that one character in particular, Jake, seemed a bit more cunning toward the end of the book than was being let on at first, making me wonder who was the real murderer… but you’ll have to read the book to find out what I mean.

A quick, easy read that gets 4.5 stars from me.

The Grace Year by Kim Ligget

Published on by Charli
The Grace Year by Kim LiggetThe Grace Year by Kim Liggett
Published by St. Martin's Publishing Group on 10/08/2019
Genres: Dystopian, General, Girls & Women, Thrillers & Suspense, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 416
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library

The Instant New York Times Bestseller!A speculative thriller in the vein of The Handmaid’s Tale and The Power. Optioned by Universal and Elizabeth Banks to be a major motion picture!
“A visceral, darkly haunting fever dream of a novel and an absolute page-turner. Liggett’s deeply suspenseful book brilliantly explores the high cost of a misogynistic world that denies women power and does it with a heart-in-your-throat, action-driven story that’s equal parts horror-laden fairy tale, survival story, romance, and resistance manifesto. I couldn’t stop reading.” – Libba Bray, New York Times bestselling author
Survive the year.No one speaks of the grace year. It’s forbidden.
In Garner County, girls are told they have the power to lure grown men from their beds, to drive women mad with jealousy. They believe their very skin emits a powerful aphrodisiac, the potent essence of youth, of a girl on the edge of womanhood. That’s why they’re banished for their sixteenth year, to release their magic into the wild so they can return purified and ready for marriage. But not all of them will make it home alive.
Sixteen-year-old Tierney James dreams of a better life—a society that doesn’t pit friend against friend or woman against woman, but as her own grace year draws near, she quickly realizes that it’s not just the brutal elements they must fear. It’s not even the poachers in the woods, men who are waiting for a chance to grab one of the girls in order to make a fortune on the black market. Their greatest threat may very well be each other.
With sharp prose and gritty realism, The Grace Year examines the complex and sometimes twisted relationships between girls, the women they eventually become, and the difficult decisions they make in-between.

I’ve been meaning to read The Grace Year for quite a while now. I’d tried for it on NetGalley but had been declined. No surprise there. But then, there just seemed to always be other books I wanted to buy or check out of the library. So a couple weeks ago, I bit the bullet and checked it out of the library. Definitely not mad that I did.

The Story

I had a hard time deciding if I could actually call this book a dystopian novel or not. For one thing, most of the dystopian novels I read are set in a more modern era, usually after some sort of apocalyptic catastrophe has happened. The Grace Year seems to be set in a less modern time than most. But the ideas presented are definitely dystopian – and very misogynistic. But that’s actually kind of the point.

Leave it to men to decide that women possess some sort of magic that lures men into their beds. Like really? While I realize it is a central concept to the book, I found myself rolling my eyes every time the people of Garner County or the girls in their grace year mentioned the girls’ magic. I guess I’m a lot like Tierney, since she didn’t believe in any of that bull either.

The Characters

Tierney was a great main character. I loved seeing the story told from her point of view. I especially loved this part of the book:

I wonder what I’d see if I came across Tierney James today. And now I’m talking about myself in the third person.

Tierney James, The Grace Year, Winter, pg 180

I can imagine the sarcasm with which she thought it to herself.

I also enjoyed Ryker quite a bit. The fact that he was willing to sacrifice everything for someone he was taught to fear says a lot about his character.

The Ending

I have to admit, the ending kind of bugged me. I wasn’t expecting it to end the way it did. However – I would love to see a sequel because I really think we need a continuation of the story.

Final Thoughts

This book reminded me a lot of The Handmaid’s Tale. The plots are totally different, but the idea that women are little more than property. That women have one specific purpose and must be useful. It’s kind of why I want a sequel – we all know what happened to Gilead after The Handmaid’s Tale ended thanks to The Testaments. I want to know if Garner County gets taken down in a similar fashion. I know I’d like to read that story.

I gave this 4 stars. If you liked The Handmaid’s Tale, I think you’ll enjoy this.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Published on by Charli
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly JacksonA Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Also by this author: Five Survive, Kill Joy
Series: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder #1
Also in this series: Kill Joy
Published by Random House Children's Books on January 5, 2021
Genres: Law & Crime, Prejudice & Racism, Social Themes, Thrillers & Suspense, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 400
Format: Hardcover
Source: Personal Library

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT!
An addictive must-read mystery with shades of Serial and Making a Murderer about an investigation turned obsession, full of twists and turns and with an ending you'll never expect.
Everyone in Fairview knows the story.
Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town.
But she can't shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer?
Now a senior herself, Pip decides to reexamine the closed case for her final project, at first just to cast doubt on the original investigation. But soon she discovers a trail of dark secrets that might actually prove Sal innocent . . . and the line between past and present begins to blur. Someone in Fairview doesn't want Pip digging around for answers, and now her own life might be in danger.
And don't miss the sequel, Good Girl, Bad Blood!
"The perfect nail-biting mystery." --Natasha Preston, #1 New York Times bestselling author

If there is one thing I do like, it is a good mystery. This one was definitely one of the good ones. The first thing you learn in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is that Sal Singh killed Andie Bell. At least that’s what everyone in town believes. Except Sal’s family and one other person. That person is our main character, Pippa.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder – The Main Characters

Pippa is sort of an interesting character. She’s every faculty member’s dream. Her homework is done on time and very neatly. She studies all the time. Even when she chose to prove Sal Singh was innocent, she worked on that all the time. While she is an interesting character, I don’t think we got to see enough of her real personality. We got more of the workaholic than we did the actual person with Pippa. While she may be the main character in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, she isn’t the best main character I’ve ever seen.

Now we move on to Ravi Singh. Ravi is our second main character and Sal’s younger brother. He and his family have been deeply hurt by town’s belief that Sal killed Andie Bell. He would do pretty much anything to be able to have Sal’s name cleared. His personality has been shaped by the events that took place in 2014, when his brother was declared as Andie Bell’s killer. I wasn’t attached to him either. He just seemed a bit flat to me somehow. Maybe it was because I read most of the book between midnight and three AM.

The Review

I have to say that A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder was a great book – as far as the plot went. The plot had a lot of action in it and it was a fairly fast read once I actually sat down to read it.

One thing I found interesting about the book is that it is clearly set in the United States. However, Holly Jackson lives in the UK (London to be precise) and so some things that are unique to that part of the world are found in the book. They’re just little things, like everyone wanting tea instead of coffee. It doesn’t detract from the book in any way and I actually enjoyed it.

If there is one thing that you will find in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, it is mystery. First, the mystery of why Sal was pegged as Andie Bell’s murderer. Then we have the mystery of who doesn’t want Pippa investigating this case. Finally, we have the mystery of who really killed Andie Bell.

There are some heart-stopping moments in this book and it will definitely have you wondering what the outcome will be. I definitely never guessed it!

If you’ve read A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and you liked it, you might also like There’s Someone in Your House by Stephanie Perkins.

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

Published on by Charli
Thunderhead by Neal ShustermanThunderhead by Neal Shusterman
Also by this author: Scythe, The Toll, Gleanings
Series: Arc of a Scythe #2
Also in this series: Scythe, The Toll, Gleanings
Published by Simon and Schuster on June 4, 2019
Genres: Death & Dying, General, Science Fiction, Social Themes, Thrillers & Suspense, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 512
Format: Paperback
Source: Personal Library

“Intelligent and entertaining.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Even better than the first book.” —School Library Journal (starred review)
Rowan and Citra take opposite stances on the morality of the Scythedom, putting them at odds, in the chilling sequel to the Printz Honor Book Scythe from New York Times bestseller Neal Shusterman, author of the Unwind dystology.
Humans learn from their mistakes. I cannot. I make no mistakes.
The Thunderhead is the perfect ruler of a perfect world, but it has no control over the scythedom. A year has passed since Rowan had gone off grid. Since then, he has become an urban legend, a vigilante snuffing out corrupt scythes in a trial by fire. His story is told in whispers across the continent.
As Scythe Anastasia, Citra gleans with compassion and openly challenges the ideals of the “new order.” But when her life is threatened and her methods questioned, it becomes clear that not everyone is open to the change.
Old foes and new enemies converge, and as corruption within the Scythedom spreads, Rowan and Citra begin to lose hope. Will the Thunderhead intervene?
Or will it simply watch as this perfect world begins to unravel?

SPOILER ALERT: There are a couple of spoilers given in this review. I apologize, but I found it very hard to talk about the book without giving anything away.

If you’re looking for a second novel in a trilogy or series to frustrate the crap out of you, this one will do nicely. I’m not even kidding.

In this second book, we see that Citra is getting along fairly well as a Scythe and the Rowan is playing a bad-guy-who-is-actually-a-good-guy role. I kind of figured that would end up happening, but that’s isn’t the frustrating thing.

We also see the return of Scythe Rand and Scythe Goddard. No, I won’t tell you more than that. You have to read the book to understand. But trust me, when it happens you’ll be frustrated, annoyed, and a bit awestruck as it is a big on the ingenious side.

Thunderhead has a plot that takes no time to get going and honestly, this book was the fastest read of the three so far. I read this book in just over 24 hours – it took me over a month to read Scythe and finish it because I just wasn’t invested in the story (and because I was in a reading slump). Now? I’m invested. Holy cow am I invested.

It’s hard to review Thunderhead without giving everything away, because pretty much everything I could talk about would be a spoiler and I’ve already given a couple of those out. So all I’m going to say is, it will frustrate you. You will get pissed off about the ending. And you’ll definitely want to read The Toll after it’s over to find out what happens next.

This one is fast-paced and edge-of-your-seat good, which is why I gave it 5 stars. Let’s hope The Toll is too.

Blueblood by Matthew Iden

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.

Blueblood by Matthew IdenBlueblood by Matthew Iden
Series: Marty Singer #2
Published by Independently Published on 02/06/2020
Genres: Mystery & Detective, Thrillers & Suspense
Pages: 280
Format: ARC
Source: NetGalley

Four unrelated murders. Nothing special in Washington DC. Not even good enough to make the evening news. But then a concerned police lieutenant approaches retired homicide detective Marty Singer with a simple fact that changes everything.
They were all cops.
In a race to stop the killings, Marty tackles the homicide investigation from the outside, chasing the killer from deadly Southeast DC to the heart of the Virginia gangland, on a mission to stop the spilling of yet more Blueblood.

This book spent far too long on my Netgalley TBR pile. I’m not even joking. I added it to the TBR pile back in 2015 – almost 4 years ago. I honestly shouldn’t have waited so long to read this book.

Blueblood is the second book in the Marty Singer series. The good thing is while the books might reference previous books, you don’t absolutely need to read the previous books to understand what’s going on. These books can be read in or out of order with no problem. You could even read one as a standalone and be pleasantly surprised when you pick up another one and realize it’s a series.

I really like Marty Singer. He’s a great character. An ex-cop who is willing to get his hands dirty for the right cause. In this particular case it was someone killing cops. He’s thorough and you get a sense of who he is throughout the book. The book isn’t all “business” there is a personal plot that runs through the book as well.

This book was hard to put down. It drew me in immediately and I finished in the same day I started reading it. I just wanted to know what was next. The action scenes weren’t heart-pounding, but they weren’t boring either. They were just right and I liked that, a lot.

I can’t wait to read another of the Marty Singer books – I believe I have more of them in my NetGalley TBR pile and I will have to read them soon!

Broken Things by Lauren Oliver

Published on by Charli1 Comment
Broken Things by Lauren OliverBroken Things by Lauren Oliver
Published by HarperCollins on 10/02/2018
Genres: Emotions & Feelings, General, Social Themes, Thrillers & Suspense, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 416
Format: Audiobook
Source: Library

With all the intensity and whiplash turns of Sharp Objects and One of Us Is Lying, this engrossing psychological thriller by New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver is an unforgettable, mesmerizing tale of exquisite obsession, spoiled innocence, and impossible friendships.
It’s been five years since Summer Marks was brutally murdered in the woods.
Everyone thinks Mia and Brynn killed their best friend. That driven by their obsession with a novel called The Way into Lovelorn the three girls had imagined themselves into the magical world where their fantasies became twisted, even deadly.
The only thing is: they didn’t do it.
On the anniversary of Summer’s death, a seemingly insignificant discovery resurrects the mystery and pulls Mia and Brynn back together once again. But as the lines begin to blur between past and present and fiction and reality, the girls must confront what really happened in the woods all those years ago—no matter how monstrous.

After seeing a couple of reviews that panned this book, I decided to give it a shot. I just wanted to see what the big deal was. I chose the audiobook version which seemed to be how everyone else was consuming this book. That and I’d honestly never listened to an entire audiobook before. Too bad I kept falling asleep.

The story does tend to seem a bit disjointed. It bounced between Mia and Brynn, Then and Now, and intersperses bits of both The Way into Lovelorn and Return to Lovelorn in there as well. It isn’t a bad book, just a bit confusing and honestly, the person who did commit the murder really is forgettable, but I think this character was meant to be forgettable. It’s the entire reason it is such a surprise this person did it.

Between the slightly confusing mix of past, present, characters, and books, plus a rather boring mid-story, I can see why other reviewers weren’t thrilled with this book. I definitely wouldn’t listen to the audiobook again, although I might read a physical copy if I could get my hands on one, just to see if there was a difference. As far as this audiobook version goes, it’s a 3 star read because I kept falling asleep during the story, meaning there were parts that just weren’t all that interesting.

Shadow Frost by Coco Ma

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.

Shadow Frost by Coco MaShadow Frost by Coco Ma
Series: Shadow Frost #1
Published by Blackstone Publishing on 10/01/2019
Genres: Action & Adventure, Coming of Age, Dragons & Mythical Creatures, Fairy Tales & Folklore, Fantasy, Fiction, General, Girls & Women, Romance, Sagas, Thrillers & Suspense, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 400
Format: ARC
Source: Edelweiss+

In the kingdom of Axaria, a darkness rises.
Some call it a monster, laying waste to the villagers and their homes.Some say it is an invulnerable demon summoned from the deepest abysses of the Immortal Realm.Many soldiers from the royal guard are sent out to hunt it down.Not one has ever returned.
When Asterin Faelenhart, Princess of Axaria and heir to the throne, discovers that she may hold the key to defeating the mysterious demon terrorizing her kingdom, she vows not to rest until the beast is slain. With the help of her friends and the powers she wields—though has yet to fully understand—Asterin sets out to complete a single task. The task that countless trained soldiers have failed.
To kill it.
But as they hunt for the demon, they unearth a plot to assassinate the princess herself instead. Asterin and her companions begin to wonder how much of their lives have been lies, especially when they realize that the center of the web of deceit might very well be themselves. With no one else to turn to, they are forced to decide just how much they are willing to sacrifice to protect the only world they have ever known.
That is ... if the demon doesn’t get to them first.
From young author Coco Ma comes a dazzling new tale of adventure, power, and betrayal, weaving together a stunning world of magic with a killer cast in an explosive, unforgettable debut.

Pianist Coco Ma has a second passion in which she is just as talented – writing. Her first novel, Shadow Frost, is an absolute wonder.

The world Coco Ma has built is reminiscent of Earth, but with magic added. It seems most people have the ability to use magic, each person having at least one magical affinity. The use of stones to assist them with using their magic is an interesting concept and not one often seen.

This novel definitely reads like a seasoned author wrote it, which is amazing for a debut novel. Coco Ma did an excellent job of building characters, the world, the magic system, and creating plot twists to keep you on your toes.

I sincerely hope a sequel is coming as cliffhangers are to be had in this book. I gave this one a solid 5 stars because this debut novel is truly amazing.

Book Cover for I Do Not Trust You

I Do Not Trust You by Laura J. Burns & Melinda Metz

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.

I Do Not Trust You by Laura J. Burns & Melinda MetzI Do Not Trust You by Laura J. Burns, Melinda Metz
Published by St. Martin's Publishing Group on September 11, 2018
Genres: General, Occult & Supernatural, Paranormal, Thrillers & Suspense, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 320
Format: ARC
Source: NetGalley
Goodreads

With Laura J. Burns and Melinda Metz's signature plot twists, and uneasy, ever-changing alliances, I Do Not Trust You is a thrilling journey at every turn that asks—what would you do to save the ones you love?
Memphis "M" Engel is stubborn to a fault, graced with an almost absurd knowledge of long lost languages and cultures, and a heck of an opponent in a fight. In short: she's awesome.
Ashwin “Ash” Sood is a little too posh for M's tastes, a little too good looking, and has way too many secrets. He desperately wants the ancient map M inherited from her archeologist father, believing it will lead him to a relic with the power to destroy the world. M obviously can't trust him.
Equally desperate to find the relic for reasons of her own, M forms an uneasy partnership with Ash. From the catacombs of Paris, to a sacred forest in Norway, to the ruins of a submerged temple in Egypt, together they crisscross the globe in their search. But through it all, M can never be sure: Is she traveling with a friend or enemy?

When I was asked to review I Do Not Trust You, I was a bit on the skeptical side. I’ve been having some issues with books that have multiple authors lately – for some reason I just can’t seem to get into them or if I do get into them, I can’t seem to stay interested in them. But this one? This one was awesome!

Laura J. Burns & Melinda Metz have teamed up before – in fact, one of their previous novels, Sanctuary Bay, is in my TBR pile at this very moment, and might very well be my next read.  That alone should have told me that this book would be a winner – because author teams generally don’t end up writing more books together unless the previous ones are great.

I love the characters – Memphis (M) and Ashwin (Ash) at least. I’m rather fond of Mike as well and let me tell you, I was as surprised as Ash was when we finally got to meet Mike in person. I definitely wasn’t expecting that! The other characters, such as Phillip, Bob, and Liza definitely aren’t my favorites but then again, they’re not meant to be the readers’ favorite characters. They’re obnoxious and downright evil in some cases.

I loved the use of the Egyptian mythology as honestly, I love Egyptian mythology – the book actually made me want to brush up on it because it’s been a while since I’ve been able to read up on any of it. I Do Not Trust You is action packed even if it doesn’t seem like it would be – believe me, it is.  It’s difficult to put down once you start reading and frankly, I had to force myself to put it down to do things like eat, sleep, and housework. As for the ending – you will be so amazed!!

This book was so well written and so well edited that I have to give it 5 stars. It’s a great book – funny at times, heart-pounding at times, and just absolutely awesome. You won’t regret reading this one.