Nightcap Books

BOOK INFO

Title: The Other Mrs. Miller

Author: Allison Dickson

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Publish Date: July 16, 2019

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

Two women are watching each other.

Phoebe Miller isn’t sure when the rusty car started showing up in the cul-de-sac she calls home, or why its driver would be spying on her. What could be interesting about an unhappy housewife who drowns her sorrows in ice cream and wine and barely leaves her house?

Only one knows why.

When a new family moves in across the street–the exuberant Vicki, who just might become the gossipy best friend Phoebe’s always wanted, and her handsome college-bound son, Jake, who offers companionship of a different variety–Phoebe finds her dull routine infused with the excitement she’s been missing. But with her head turned she’s no longer focused on the woman in the car. And she really should be…

An addictive domestic thriller for fans of The Last Mrs. Parrish and The Couple Next Door,The Other Mrs. Miller serves up a delicious brew of dark secrets and stunning plot twists that will keep you captivated until the very last page.

MY REVIEW

Phoebe Miller spends her days at home alone. She’s noticed the same car parked on her street several times a week. Phoebe wonders if it is someone taking a break from their day or if someone is spying on her. When new neighbors move in across the street, Phoebe forgets about the woman in the car.

Told in two parts, Part 1 – Mrs. Miller and Part 2 – The Other Mrs. Miller. The first part is about Phoebe and her life. She is wealthy, lonely, and unhappily married. When new neighbors move in, she starts up a friendship with the mother and an affair with the son. The second part takes a turn, and is about the other Mrs. Miller.

I thoroughly enjoyed Part 1, but Part 2 was a let down. While the first part is realistic and somewhat dark, the second part is unbelievable and almost comical. It’s like reading two completely different stories.

Overall, The Other Mrs. Miller is an entertaining read. Good for fans of domestic thrillers that don’t mind suspending disbelief. Darkly humorous, twisty, and fun.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

BOOK INFO

Title: Layover

Author: David Bell

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: July 2, 2019

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

Joshua Fields takes the same flights every week for work, his life a series of departures and arrivals, hotels and airports. During yet another layover, he meets Morgan, a beautiful stranger with whom he feels an immediate connection. When it’s time for their respective flights, Morgan kisses Joshua passionately, lamenting that they’ll never see each other again.

As soon as Morgan disappears in the crowd, Joshua is shocked to see her face on a nearby TV. The reason: Morgan is a missing person.

What follows is a whirlwind, fast-paced journey filled with lies, deceit, and secrets as Joshua tries to discover why Morgan has vanished from her own life. Every time he thinks one mystery is solved, another rears its head—and his worst enemy might be his own assumptions about those around him.

MY REVIEW

During a layover, Joshua meets Morgan. He feels an instant attraction to her, and alters his travel plans to follow her. Only, she doesn’t want to be followed. Joshua ends up in a whirlwind of a mystery.

Told with the alternating points of view of Joshua and Detective Kimberly Givens. Joshua doesn’t enjoy his work, has a (sort of) girlfriend, and he really hates flying, which he does a lot of. He seems like a decent guy who is not sure what he wants in life. When he meets Morgan, he is drawn to her, and thinks she feels the same about him. Turn out, she’s got some secrets and getting involved with her only leads to trouble for him. Detective Givens is working hard on a missing person case of a local business man. Eventually, Joshua and the detective cross paths.

A slow-building suspense. For avid readers of thrillers, this one may fall flat. I found the idea of a stranger getting so involved in the mystery a bit unbelievable, but it was entertaining to read. My biggest quibble is Joshua following Morgan. He should have backed off when Morgan told him to. He’s not doing either of them any favors by staying involved. One thing I really enjoyed was Joshua’s relationship with his father. It was great to see a good father-son relationship.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Books by David Bell:

1. Cemetery Girl
2. The Hiding Place
3. Never Come Back
4. The Forgotten Girl
5. Somebody I Used to Know
6. Since She Went Away
7. Bring Her Home
8. Somebody’s Daughter
9. Layover
10. The Request
11. Kill All Your Darlings
12. The Finalists
13. She’s Gone
14. Try Not to Breathe

BOOK INFO

Title: False Step

Author: Victoria Helen Stone

Publisher: Lake Union

Publish Date: July 1, 2019

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Stay calm, keep smiling, and watch your step. In this marriage of secrets and lies, nothing is what it seems.

For days, all of Denver, Colorado, has worried over the fate of a missing child, little Tanner Holcomb. Then, a miracle: handsome, athletic Johnny Bradley finds him, frightened but unharmed, on a hiking trail miles from his wealthy family’s mountain home.

In a heartbeat, his rescuer goes from financially strapped fitness trainer to celebrated hero. The heat of the spotlight may prove too much for Johnny’s picture-perfect family, however. His wife, Veronica, despises the pressure of the sudden fame, afraid that secrets and bitter resentments of her marriage may come to light. And she’s willing to do anything to keep them hidden.

But when a shocking revelation exposes an even darker side to Tanner’s disappearance, Veronica realizes that nothing in her life can be trusted. And everything should be feared.

MY REVIEW

Veronica is suddenly in the spotlight when her husband, Johnny, finds a missing toddler. Johnny is enjoying being a hero and all the media attention, but Veronica is afraid her secrets may be revealed. When Veronica learns there was more to the toddler’s disappearance, she realizes her secrets are the least of her worries.

False Step is a combination of family drama and suspense. Veronica is unhappy with her life, primarily with her marriage. When Johnny is the local hero and in all the news, Veronica feels even more overwhelmed. Add in the mystery surrounding the toddler’s disappearance, and Veronica life is completely turned upside down.

False Step is a fast-paced and entertaining domestic suspense. This is a fairly predictable story, especially for avid readers of thrillers. Still, I found it to be an enjoyable summer read. Dark, fun, and compelling.

Books in the Jane Doe series:

1. Jane Doe
2. Problem Child

Other Books by Victoria Helen Stone:

1. Evelyn, After
2. Half Past
3. False Step
4. The Last One Home
5. At the Quiet Edge
6. The Hook

BOOK INFO

Title: I Know You

Author: Annabel Kantaria

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Publish Date: June 28, 2018

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

A twisted domestic thriller in the vein of B. A. Paris and Shari Lapena that asks: How well do you know your friends?

That picture you posted?
I’ve seen it.
That location you tagged?
I’ve been there.
I know everything about your life . . .
And I’m going to destroy it.

A recent transplant from sunny California, life in the London suburbs is not what Taylor Watson expected. Far from the West End shops and city lights she imagined, she finds herself pregnant and lonely, with a husband frequently away on business and only social media to keep her company. It’s only after Taylor joins a book club and a walking group, that she finally starts to make some real-life friends.
Before long, Taylor’s hanging out with Anna, Sarah, Simon, and Caroline but, as her pregnancy progresses and her friendships blossom, a sense of unease develops. Nothing’s ever quite as it seems on the surface, and it soon becomes clear that Taylor’s new friends have secrets. One appears to be after Taylor’s husband, another’s always putting her down, and then there’s the question of Simon. Could he have feelings for Taylor?
But far more worryingly, one of the group’s not being too careful what they post on social media—and another is watching all too closely. Who’s stalking who . . . and why?

MY REVIEW

Taylor and her husband recently moved to the London suburbs from California. Her husband is gone a lot for work, and Taylor finds herself lonely and wanting friends. To make new friends, she joins a local walking group and a neighborhood book club. She makes a few friends, but as time progresses, Taylor learns that everyone is keeping secrets.

Taylor is a young woman in a marriage that has had some ups and downs, and now she’s expecting her first child. When she and her husband move to London, she’s hoping for a fresh start. The downside is that she doesn’t have any friends in their new town. When she starts to make friends, it seems all is great. Then things start to go wrong, and it seems everyone is a suspect.

I enjoyed the social media aspect of I Know You. With most everyone having some involvement on social media, it’s scary how easily people can be watched. I Know You did a good job of incorporating current trends into a suspenseful tale of a stalking. With so many secrets, this psychological thriller is a guessing game of who has done what. A quick and entertaining read.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.