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For Better and Worse by Margot Hunt [Book Review]

Posted on November 26, 2018January 15, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: For Better and Worse

Author: Margot Hunt

Publisher: MIRA

Publish Date: December 11, 2018

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

On their first date back in law school, Natalie and Will Clarke bonded over drinks, dinner and whether they could get away with murder. Now married, they’ll put the latter to the test when an unchecked danger in their community places their son in jeopardy. Working as a criminal defense attorney, Nat refuses to rely on the broken legal system to keep her family safe. She knows that if you want justice…you have to get it yourself.

Shocked to discover Nat’s taken matters into her own hands, Will has no choice but to dirty his, also. His family is in way too deep to back down now. He’s just not sure he recognizes the woman he married. Nat’s always been fiercely protective, but never this ruthless or calculating. With the police poking holes in their airtight plan, what will be the first to fall apart: their scandalous secret—or their marriage?

MY REVIEW

Natalie and Will met in law school, and on their first date had a conversation about getting away with murder. Now it is 14 years later, and Nat and Will are married and have an eleven-year-old son. Their old conversation is revisited when Nat decides they need to protect their son, and the only way to do that is to kill the person who is abusing him.

This novel poses an interesting question. How far would you go to protect your child? Nat is a defense attorney, and knows how flawed the legal system can be. Her main concern is keeping her son safe, so she wants to take care of things herself. While Nat believes they are smart enough to get away with murder, Will is not exactly on board with her plan.

Told from two points of view – Nat and Will – though, most of the story is from Nat’s POV. Nat is smart, resourceful, and very protective of her family. Will is more inattentive and impulsive. Clearly, this results in some issues in their marriage, parenting, and, of course, murder planning.

For Better and Worse is an intriguing story. A great read for fans of domestic psychological thrillers. Clever, dark, and calculating.

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

Books by Margot Hunt:

Best Friends Forever
For Better and Worse
The Last Affair
Lovely Girls
The Guests

Rapid Falls by Amber Cowie [Book Review]

Posted on November 25, 2018January 15, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: Rapid Falls

Author: Amber Cowie

Publisher: Lake Union

Publish Date: December 1, 2018

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Forgive and forget? The past and present collide for two sisters who survived a tragedy—and must now survive the truth behind it.

It’s been twenty years since Cara’s boyfriend died in a horrible accident and her sister, Anna, went to prison. The tragedy has become a local legend, but Cara has moved past her grief to have a successful career and a happy family. Pity about Anna. Recently released from incarceration, she’s struggling with addiction, guilt, and shame—a shattered life. Cara’s forgiveness seems to be the only thing that helps her pick up the pieces.

But as Anna pulls herself together, her memories of that night on the bridge start to come into focus. And few of them match her sister’s.

As past secrets unfold and nothing is what it seems anymore, Anna desperately searches for the truth. But what if Cara doesn’t want her to find it?

MY REVIEW

Twenty years ago, a tragic accident killed Cara’s boyfriend. Cara’s sister Anna was driving. They were teenagers at the time, and Cara and Anna’s lives went in very different directions following the accident. Anna has suffered with guilt and shame for years, and uses alcohol and drugs to ease her pain. Cara moved on, and now has a husband, child, and a successful career. When Anna starts to ask questions about the night of the accident, Cara takes measures to make sure her sister doesn’t remember what happened.

Rapid Falls is told from Anna’s point of view, and includes the present day story plus flashbacks to when they were teenagers. I absolutely loathed Anna. She is manipulative and self-serving. Cara is harder to explain. She’s self-destructive, which I don’t like, but she also has struggled with guilt for years, so I felt for her. The sisters have a complicated relationship, where they don’t necessarily like one another, but they rely on each other.

Rapid Falls is a twisted psychological thriller. Dark, dramatic, and complex.

Books by Amber Cowie:

Rapid Falls
Raven Lane
Loss Lake
Last One Alive
The Off Season

All These Beautiful Strangers by Elizabeth Klehfoth [Book Review]

Posted on November 24, 2018January 15, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: All These Beautiful Strangers

Author: Elizabeth Klehfoth

Publisher: William Morrow

Publish Date: July 10, 2018

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

All These Beautiful Strangers by Elizabeth Klehfoth

BOOK BLURB

A young woman haunted by a family tragedy is caught up in a dangerous web of lies and deception involving a secret society in this highly charged, addictive psychological thriller that combines the dishy gamesmanship of Gossip Girl with the murky atmosphere of The Secret History.

One summer day, Grace Fairchild, the beautiful young wife of real estate mogul Alistair Calloway, vanished from the family’s lake house without a trace, leaving behind her seven-year old daughter, Charlie, and a slew of unanswered questions.

Years later, seventeen-year-old Charlie still struggles with the dark legacy of her family name and the mystery surrounding her mother. Determined to finally let go of the past, she throws herself into life at Knollwood, the prestigious New England school she attends. Charlie quickly becomes friends with Knollwood’s “it” crowd.

Charlie has also been tapped by the A’s—the school’s elite secret society well known for terrorizing the faculty, administration, and their enemies. To become a member of the A’s, Charlie must play The Game, a semester-long, diabolical high-stakes scavenger hunt that will jeopardize her friendships, her reputation, even her place at Knollwood.

As the dark events of past and present converge, Charlie begins to fear that she may not survive the terrible truth about her family, her school, and her own life.

MY REVIEW

Ten years ago, when Charlie was seven years old, her mother disappeared. Charlie is now seventeen, and away at boarding school. When she is tapped to join the A’s, the school’s secret society, she’s excited, but a little concerned about the initiation process. As she plays the game the A’s ask of her, she learns they may not be as great as she originally thought. In addition to school life, Charlie starts to think there is more to the story of her mother’s disappearance, and looks into the past to uncover the secrets.

Told using alternating points of view – Charlie, Grace, and Alistair. Charlie is the main character. She’s popular, rich, smart, and pretty. She seems to have it all, but she is haunted by her mother’s disappearance. From Charlie’s viewpoint, the reader learns about the present and the past. Grace and Alistair are Charlie’s parents. Their chapters are mostly about the past. The alternating timelines and POVs were handled well, and easily distinguished from one another.

A large portion of the book is about Charlie’s school life, friendships, and initiation into the A’s. The initiation process involves an elaborate scavenger hunt, that often has risks. The mystery part comes from Charlie learning something new about her mother, which reignites Charlie’s interest in her mother’s disappearance. She decides to look into the past, and attempt to uncover what happened.

This is listed under adult fiction, but it reads like a YA mystery. I was fine with that, but if you don’t like YA books, then this might not be a good fit for you. If you enjoy young adult, mysteries, and books that involve elite boarding schools, then this is perfect for you.

All These Beautiful Strangers compelling debut novel. Captivating, mysterious, and clever. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Guess Who by Chris McGeorge [Book Review]

Posted on November 21, 2018January 15, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: Guess Who

Author: Chris McGeorge

Publisher: Hanover Square Press

Publish Date: September 18, 2018

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

The rules are simple.

But the game is not.

At eleven years old, Morgan Sheppard solved the murder of a teacher when everyone else believed it to be a suicide. The publicity surrounding the case laid the foundation for his reputation as a modern-day Sherlock Holmes. He parlayed that fame into a gig as TV’s “resident detective,” solving the more typical tawdry daytime talk show mysteries like “Who is the father?” and “Is he cheating?”

Until, that is, Sheppard wakes up handcuffed to a bed in an unfamiliar hotel room. Around him, five strangers are slowly waking up, as well. Soon they discover a corpse in the bathtub and Sheppard is challenged to put his deductive skills to the test. One of the people in the room is the killer. He has three hours to solve the murder. If he doesn’t find the killer, they all will die.

An ingenious, page-turning debut, Chris McGeorge’s Guess Who matches the high-wire plotting of classic “locked room” mysteries into the unstoppable pacing of the modern-day thriller.

MY REVIEW

A group of strangers awakens in a locked hotel room, and soon discovers a dead body in the room with them. To escape the room, they are tasked with identifying the killer, who is one of them.

The main character, Morgan Sheppard, hosts a detective show on television. He is the primary target of the madman who has kidnapped them and locked them in a room with a corpse. The kidnapper appears on the room’s TV to address the strangers, and tells Shappard that to prove he is a good detective, he needs to solve the mystery. Since the punishment of not solving the mystery in the allotted time is death, the others are, obviously, trying to identify the killer too. Lots of drama, distrust, and arguments.

Throughout Guess Who, flashbacks of Sheppard’s childhood appear. When he was young, Sheppard solved a mystery, and that case brought him a lot of attention and fame. Ever since then, he has struggled with desiring the attention that fame affords, but also battling with personal demons.

Guess Who is a locked room mystery that started off strong. I enjoy this type of mystery, and was curious how the story would end. This one does have some twists, though I felt the story was a little too long and drawn out. Really, the ending was over-explained, and, for me, that took something away from the story. A good read for fans of locked room mysteries. Dark and twisted.

Books by Chris McGeorge:

Guess Who
Now You See Me
Inside Out
Half-Past Tomorrow
A Murder at Balmoral

Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent [Book Review]

Posted on November 17, 2018January 15, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: Lying in Wait

Author: Liz Nugent

Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press

Publish Date: June 12, 2018

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it.

On the surface, Lydia Fitzsimons has the perfect life: married to a respected judge, mother of a beloved son, living in the beautiful house where she was raised. That beautiful house, however, holds a secret. And when Lydia’s son, Laurence, discovers its secret, wheels are set in motion that lead to an increasingly claustrophobic and devastatingly dark climax.

MY REVIEW

Lydia seems to have a prefect life, but things are not what they seem. Lydia has a secret that impacts not only her life, but others too, especially her son Laurence.

Lying in Wait is told with three alternating points of view – Lydia, Laurence, and Karen. Lydia is a wife and mother who takes pride in her home. She works hard to present a good image, but she is not a good person. Laurence is her son. He is seventeen years old when the story opens. He struggles with his weight and deals with other teen issues. He knows his parents are hiding something, and things change when he discovers their secret. Karen is sister to Annie Doyle, a troubled young woman who went missing and was never found. Karen loves her sister dearly, and continues to look for answers about her sister.

The story opens in 1980, and covers events that happen near the end of the year. Then the story picks up again in 1985. Time has passed, but it is hard to keep secrets hidden. The novel revolves around one main secret, but once one lie is told, many others follow.

The characters aren’t likable, and I wasn’t loving how some of their stories were told. Lydia is by far the most despicable character, but she’s also the most intriguing. Lying in Wait is quite twisted and does present a shocking ending. I have mixed feelings about the final section, which is kind of a ‘where are they now’ epilogue. For the most part, I enjoyed it, but there was one thing that really bothered me and took a little enjoyment of the story away.

Dark and disturbing. Lying in Wait is good for fans that enjoy a lot of family dysfunction, and a little unreliable sociopath, in their psychological thrillers.

Books by Liz Nugent:

Unraveling Oliver
Skin Deep
Lying in Wait
Little Cruelties
Strange Sally Diamond

Camouflage by Ivy Keating and Scott Spotson [Book Review]

Posted on November 14, 2018January 15, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: Camouflage

Author: Ivy Keating and Scott Spotson

Publisher: Champagne Book Group

Publish Date: September 23, 2018

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

Camouflage by Ivy Keating and Scott Spotson

BOOK BLURB

A missing man, a new police chief and an unexpected New England town mystery.

When Sean Dermott, the newly appointed police chief, sees the report that a popular local high school coach is missing, his growing fascination with the alluring Vanessa Strauss, who reported the disappearance, makes him determined to solve the case.

The investigation leads him and his team deep into Quarry Head Park, a local scenic preserve with nature trails and expansive views. There is no sign of the missing man, but what he does find terrifies him to the core.

From the depths of the park, a deadly prehistoric looking creature emerges, attacks swiftly and silently, leaving devastation in its wake. In the chaos which follows, it is up to Chief Dermott and a team of scientists to fight for balance by ensuring the safety of his town and preserving this remarkable discovery.

He will risk his career, his reputation and even his own life to stand by what he believes to be right. The question is, will he succeed, or will all be lost?

MY REVIEW

A man is reported missing in a small New England town. While investigating the case, the police become aware of an unusual creature living in the nearby nature preserve. The police chief contacts a local scientist/researcher to identify the animal. As the case unfolds, the police and scientists try to find balance between preserving a prehistoric animal and protecting public safety.

Camouflage has characters that are realistic and likable. The police chief is a little on the young side, and feels he needs to prove himself in his new job. Besides working hard on the two cases – missing man and prehistoric animal – he finds himself attracted to the woman who reported the missing man. A romance develops.

I especially liked the researchers. They were the right amount of excited and academic about a new, or rather, old, species being discovered. The scientists want to help, and the story does a good job with them explaining things to the police as they learn new information.

The scientists want to discover where the creature came from and what happened to its environment that caused it to move near the town. If they can figure that out, maybe they can return the animal back to its natural habitat.The police and scientists are working hard, but there are opposing sides. There are those who want to protect the animal and those who want to destroy it.

Camouflage is a sci-fi mystery with adventure and romance. Entertaining, thrilling, and fast-paced.

I received a digital copy of this book from Caffeinated PR Services in exchange for an honest review.

The Last by Hanna Jameson [Book Review]

Posted on November 12, 2018January 15, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: The Last

Author: Hanna Jameson

Publisher: Atria Books

Publish Date: April 9, 2019

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

Jon thought he had all the time in the world to respond to his wife’s text message: I miss you so much. I feel bad about how we left it. Love you. But as he’s waiting in the lobby of the L’Hotel Sixieme in Switzerland after an academic conference, still mulling over how to respond to his wife, he receives a string of horrifying push notifications. Washington, DC, has been hit with a nuclear bomb, then New York, then London, and finally Berlin. That’s all he knows before news outlets and social media goes black—and before the clouds on the horizon turn orange.

Two months later, there are twenty survivors holed up at the hotel, a place already tainted by its strange history of suicides and murders. Jon and the rest try to maintain some semblance of civilization. But when he goes up to the roof to investigate the hotel’s worsening water quality, he is shocked to discover the body of a young girl floating in one of the tanks, and is faced with the terrifying possibility that there might be a killer among the group.

As supplies dwindle and tensions rise, Jon becomes obsessed with discovering the truth behind the girl’s death. In this “brilliantly executed…chilling and extraordinary” post-apocalyptic mystery, “the questions Jameson poses—who will be with you at the end of the world, and what kind of person will you be?—are as haunting as the plot itself.” (Emily St. John Mandel, nationally bestselling author of Station Eleven).

MY REVIEW

Jon is staying at a hotel in Switzerland when nuclear war breaks out. The hotel is in a remote enough location that the employees and guests of the hotel are safe from the bombs, but cut off from society. Some people from the hotel decide to leave and find their way home, but Jon and 20 or so others remain at the hotel. After a couple of months in the hotel, the water pressure starts to disappear. While investigating the cause, the body of a young girl is found. Jon takes it upon himself to find out what happened to the girl, and he becomes obsessed with identifying the killer. Meanwhile, supplies decrease and tensions between the hotel residents increase.

Jon is an American visiting Switzerland for an academic conference. The novel is told from his point of view using a diary/journal style. Jon and his wife have a troubled marriage, and he feels guilty for how he left things with her. Part of his behavior is a result of his guilt, and his need to make things right.

We never know much about the attacks, just that various cities in the United States and Europe have been bombed. After the attacks, communication (i.e., internet access) is mostly lost. The hotel has resources, so they have basics like food, water, and shelter. It would have been nice to know a little more about the attacks, but that is not the primary focus of the story. The relationships between the survivors is the focus, and is very realistic. The hotel residents are varied in their nationalities, backgrounds, beliefs, and personalities. This seems accurate, and creates a lot of conflict.

This novel is more of a character study, and not a lot of action takes place. Based on the book description, I was expecting more mystery than is delivered. Still, the characters and their interactions were believable and interesting.

Fantastic setting. Interesting characters. Slow paced. Good for fans of apocalyptic stories with a little mystery.

Fun fact: My family and I were vacationing in Hawaii when we received a notification about a ballistic missile threat, so the whole finding out about the end of the world in a notification on your phone is kind of realistic.

I heard about this book from fellow book blogger Amy Sullivan @ Novel Gossip. Thank you for recommending this book and sending me the Netgalley widget!

The Line That Held Us by David Joy [Book Review]

Posted on November 11, 2018January 15, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: The Line That Held Us

Author: David Joy

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Publish Date: August 14, 2018

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

When Darl Moody went hunting after a monster buck he’s chased for years, he never expected he’d accidentally shoot a man digging ginseng. Worse yet, he’s killed a Brewer, a family notorious for vengeance and violence. With nowhere to turn, Darl calls on the help of the only man he knows will answer, his best friend, Calvin Hooper. But when Dwayne Brewer comes looking for his missing brother and stumbles onto a blood trail leading straight back to Darl and Calvin, a nightmare of revenge rips apart their world. The Line That Held Us is a story of friendship and family, a tale balanced between destruction and redemption, where the only hope is to hold on tight, clenching to those you love. What will you do for the people who mean the most, and what will you grasp to when all that you have is gone? The only certainty in a place so shredded is that no one will get away unscathed.

MY REVIEW

Darl goes deer hunting and accidentally shoots a man. When he realizes who the man is, and that he is the brother of a very violent man, Darl enlists the help of his best friend Calvin to dispose of the body. The dead man’s brother, Dwayne, starts looking for him and finds the path leads to Darl.

The Line That Held Us is a story about revenge. This novel starts with Darl doing something bad – hunting in the off season – and gets much, much worse. Dwayne’s grief leads him down a brutal path of vengeance.

The characters are compelling, but a little stereotypical. Darl isn’t really likable. He’s the kind of guy who breaks the rules and makes poor decisions, but isn’t necessarily a bad person. Calvin is a stand-up guy though, and I liked him. He’s a hard-working man who is loyal to his family and friends. Dwayne’s got a reputation for violence, but he’s also kind of creepy. He’s a cruel man with a bad temper.

A gritty and intense novel about love and vengeance. Dark, gruesome, and suspenseful.

Bill Hodges Trilogy by Stephen King [Book Review]

Posted on November 10, 2018January 15, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Series: Bill Hodges Trilogy
Book 1: Mr. Mercedes
Book 2: Finders Keepers
Book 3: End of Watch

Author: Stephen King

Publisher: Scribner

Genre: Mystery Thriller

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK 1 – Mr. Mercedes

In a mega-stakes, high-suspense race against time, three of the most unlikely and winning heroes Stephen King has ever created try to stop a lone killer from blowing up thousands.

In the frigid pre-dawn hours, in a distressed Midwestern city, hundreds of desperate unemployed folks are lined up for a spot at a job fair. Without warning, a lone driver plows through the crowd in a stolen Mercedes, running over the innocent, backing up, and charging again. Eight people are killed; fifteen are wounded. The killer escapes.

In another part of town, months later, a retired cop named Bill Hodges is still haunted by the unsolved crime. When he gets a crazed letter from someone who self-identifies as the “perk” and threatens an even more diabolical attack, Hodges wakes up from his depressed and vacant retirement, hell-bent on preventing another tragedy.

Brady Hartfield lives with his alcoholic mother in the house where he was born. He loved the feel of death under the wheels of the Mercedes, and he wants that rush again. Only Bill Hodges, with a couple of highly unlikely allies, can apprehend the killer before he strikes again. And they have no time to lose, because Brady’s next mission, if it succeeds, will kill or maim thousands.

Mr. Mercedes is a war between good and evil, from the master of suspense whose insight into the mind of this obsessed, insane killer is chilling and unforgettable.

MY REVIEW

A driver plowed into a crowd, killing and injuring many innocent people. The killer drove a stolen Mercedes, and was never caught. Bill Hodges is a retired police officer who worked the Mercedes case. The case has haunted him, and his interest in the case is reignited after he receives a letter from someone claiming to be the Mercedes driver. Hodges starts investigating the case on his own, hoping to prevent another tragedy from happening.

Mr. Mercedes is told from multiple points of view – Hodges and the killer’s. Bill Hodges is an interesting character. He’s depressed and lonely, but also has a desire to help and the determination to solve his old case. The killer is a very disturbed character that is smart and diabolical.

BOOK 2 – Finders Keepers

“Wake up, genius.” So begins King’s instantly riveting story about a vengeful reader. The genius is John Rothstein, an iconic author who created a famous character, Jimmy Gold, but who hasn’t published a book for decades. Morris Bellamy is livid, not just because Rothstein has stopped providing books but because the nonconformist Jimmy Gold has sold out for a career in advertising. Morris kills Rothstein and empties his safe of cash, yes, but the real treasure is a trove of notebooks containing at least one more Gold novel.

Morris hides the money and the notebooks, and then he is locked away for another crime. Decades later a boy named Pete Saubers finds the treasure, and now it is Pete and his family that Bill Hodges, Holly Gibney, and Jerome Robinson must rescue from the ever-more deranged and vengeful Morris when he’s released from prison after 35 years.

Not since Misery has King played with the notion of a reader whose obsession with a writer gets dangerous. Finders Keepers is spectacular, heart-pounding suspense, but it is also King writing about how literature shapes a life – for good, for bad, forever.

MY REVIEW

A boy finds some money and wants to give it to his parents to help his family. The boy’s father was injured when the Mercedes driver from, Mr. Mercedes, hit him. The family has struggled financially, especially after his father’s injury, so the money seems like a wonderful find. Unfortunately, the money was stolen from a writer, along with a series of notebooks containing the author’s last works. The thief buried his treasure, but wound up in prison on unrelated charges. Retired detective Bill Hodges enters the story late, with his helpers Jerome and and Holly.

I read Mr. Mercedes first, but Finders Keepers could be read without having read Book 1. At first, I wasn’t sure how Hodges would come into this story, but it all comes together in the end. This one was as good as, or better, than Mr. Mercedes. Disturbing, intriguing, and exciting.

BOOK 3 – End of Watch

In End of Watch, the diabolical “Mercedes Killer” drives his enemies to suicide, and if Bill Hodges and Holly Gibney don’t figure out a way to stop him, they’ll be victims themselves.

In Room 217 of the Lakes Region Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic, something has awakened. Something evil. Brady Hartsfield, perpetrator of the Mercedes Massacre, where eight people were killed and many more were badly injured, has been in the clinic for five years, in a vegetative state. According to his doctors, anything approaching a complete recovery is unlikely. But behind the drool and stare, Brady is awake and in possession of deadly new powers that allow him to wreak unimaginable havoc without ever leaving his hospital room.

Retired police detective Bill Hodges, the unlikely hero of Mr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers, now runs an investigation agency with his partner, Holly Gibney – the woman who delivered the blow to Hartsfield’s head that put him in the brain injury ward. When Bill and Holly are called to a suicide scene with ties to the Mercedes Massacre, they find themselves pulled into their most dangerous case yet, one that will put their lives at risk as well as those of Bill’s heroic young friend, Jerome Robinson, and his teenage sister, Barbara. Brady Hartsfield is back and planning revenge not just on Hodges and his friends but on an entire city.

In End of Watch, Stephen King brings the Hodges trilogy to a sublimely terrifying conclusion, combining the detective fiction of Mr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers with the heart-pounding supernatural suspense that has been his best-selling trademark. The result is an unnerving look at human vulnerability and chilling suspense. No one does it better than King.

MY REVIEW

Something has awakened in Brady Hartsfield, the Mercedes killer. He has been in a vegetative state for five years, but he’s slowly recovering,. Along with his recovery, he has developed a special ability. Meanwhile, Bill Hodges and Holly Gibney are staying busy with their investigation agency, and their latest case involves victims of the Mercedes killer. They believe Brady is somehow involved with the new string of deaths, and Hodges is determined to catch him.

I do recommend reading books 1 and 2 (Mr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers) in the series first. End of Watch develops a more supernatural element than the previous books in the series. Personally, I preferred the previous two books, but this was still a good ending to the series. I guess this one seemed more like a Stephen King novel, whereas the other books were basically crime thrillers. Overall, I enjoyed this series. Dark and exciting.

Final Girls by Riley Sager [Book Review]

Posted on November 8, 2018January 14, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: Final Girls

Author: Riley Sager

Publisher: Dutton

Publish Date: July 11, 2017

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Ten years ago, six friends went on vacation. One made it out alive….

In that instant, college student Quincy Carpenter became a member of a very exclusive club—a group of survivors the press dubbed “The Final Girls”: Lisa, who lost nine sorority sisters to a college dropout’s knife; Sam, who endured the Sack Man during her shift at the Nightlight Inn; and now Quincy, who ran bleeding through the woods to escape the massacre at Pine Cottage. Despite the media’s attempts, the three girls have never met.

Now, Quincy is doing well—maybe even great, thanks to her Xanax prescription. She has a caring almost-fiancé; a popular baking blog; a beautiful apartment; and a therapeutic presence in Coop, the police officer who saved her life. Her mind won’t let her recall the events of that night; the past is in the past…until the first Final Girl is found dead in her bathtub and the second Final Girl appears on Quincy’s doorstep.

Blowing through Quincy’s life like a hurricane, Sam seems intent on making her relive the trauma of her ordeal. When disturbing details about Lisa’s death emerge, Quincy desperately tries to unravel Sam’s truths from her lies while evading both the police and bloodthirsty reporters. Quincy knows that in order to survive she has to remember what really happened at Pine Cottage.

Because the only thing worse than being a Final Girl is being a dead one.

MY REVIEW

The Final Girls is a moniker used to label survivors of horror movie style attacks. While in college, Quincy Carpenter went on vacation with some friends. During their trip, the group was attacked and everyone was killed, except for Quincy. Being the lone survivor of the massacre made Quincy a Final Girl. There are only two other Final Girls, Lisa and Sam. Fast forward ten years… Quincy learns that Lisa, the first Final Girl, has died. Lisa’s death hits Quincy hard. Even though they had never met, the Final Girls have something in common that no one else can understand. Soon, Sam shows up on Quincy’s doorstep. As Sam inserts herself into Quincy’s life, she also pressures Quincy to remember the night of the attack. Quincy starts to realize that something is not right with her memories, Sam’s behavior, and Lisa’s death.

The story is told from Quincy’s point of view in the present day, but also contains flashbacks to the night she and her friends were attacked. Quincy had a very difficult time coping with the massacre, and between self-medicating and her desire to forget, she has managed to suppress her memories of the attack. A big part of the story deals with Lisa accepting her Final Girl status and remembering what happened.

Final Girls is a fun and exciting thriller. Unreliable characters. Twisty plot. Good for fans of thrillers who enjoy the final girl trope. Entertaining and suspenseful.

Books by Riley Sager:

Final Girls
The Last Time I Lied
Lock Every Door
Home Before Dark
Survive the Night
The House Across the Lake
The Only One Left
Middle of the Night

A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne [Book Review]

Posted on November 7, 2018January 14, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: A Ladder to the Sky

Author: John Boyne

Publisher: Hogarth Press

Publish Date: November 13, 2018

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Maurice Swift is handsome, charming, and hungry for fame. The one thing he doesn’t have is talent—but he’s not about to let a detail like that stand in his way. After all, a would-be writer can find stories anywhere. They don’t need to be his own.

Working as a waiter in a West Berlin hotel in 1988, Maurice engineers the perfect opportunity: a chance encounter with celebrated novelist Erich Ackermann. He quickly ingratiates himself with the powerful – but desperately lonely – older man, teasing out of Erich a terrible, long-held secret about his activities during the war. Perfect material for Maurice’s first novel.

Once Maurice has had a taste of literary fame, he knows he can stop at nothing in pursuit of that high. Moving from the Amalfi Coast, where he matches wits with Gore Vidal, to Manhattan and London, Maurice hones his talent for deceit and manipulation, preying on the talented and vulnerable in his cold-blooded climb to the top. But the higher he climbs, the further he has to fall. . . .

Sweeping across the late twentieth century, A Ladder to the Sky is a fascinating portrait of a relentlessly immoral man, a tour de force of storytelling, and the next great novel from an acclaimed literary virtuoso.

MY REVIEW

A manipulative man, Maurice Swift, makes a career as an author. Maurice has some basic skills as a writer, but he has a difficult time coming up with ideas. So, he takes ideas from others and claims them as his own.

A Ladder to the Sky is about a selfish rising author. He can write, but his stories are boring. He gets a taste of fame as a young man, and goes to great lengths to continue his career. The novel is divided into sections, which reflect Maurice’s life – a young man starting out, after receiving a taste of fame, married life, and life as a father. The different sections aren’t all told from Maurice’s point of view, in fact, a good deal of the novel is told from the viewpoint of Maurice’s targets (i.e., the victims).

The first part of this book is great. This is where we are introduced to Maurice, and his manipulative character is developed and his career is started. The second part of the novel is much darker. I was pulled into the manipulative world of Maurice, but the overall story felt somehow off. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, because I enjoyed the book. I think the darker, more sinister turn later in the book took the story in a direction it didn’t necessarily need to go. Still, A Ladder to the Sky is a great read.

Maurice is a psychopath. His actions are somewhat unbelievable, but make for an entertaining read. Tragic, compelling, and frustrating.

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

Death at Whitewater Church by Andrea Carter [Book Review]

Posted on November 5, 2018January 14, 2024 by Darinda

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more info, read my Disclosure Policy.

BOOK INFO

Title: Death at Whitewater Church

Author: Andrea Carter

Publisher: Oceanview Publishing

Publish Date: September 4, 2018

Genre: Amateur Investigator

Series: Inishowen Mysteries #1

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

When a skeleton is discovered in the hidden crypt of a deconsecrated church, everyone is convinced the bones must be those of Conor Devitt, a local man who went missing on his wedding day six years previously. But the postmortem reveals otherwise.

Solicitor Benedicta “Ben” O’Keeffe is acting for the owners of the church, and although an unwelcome face from her past makes her reluctant to get involved, when Conor’s brother dies in strange circumstances shortly after coming to see her, she finds herself drawn in to the mystery. Whose is the skeleton in the crypt and how did it get there? Is Conor Devitt still alive, and if so, is there a link? What happened on the morning of his wedding to make him disappear?

Negotiating between the official investigation—headed up by the handsome but surly Sergeant Tom Molloy—and obstructive locals with secrets of their own, Ben unravels layers of personal and political history to get to the truth of what happened six years before.

MY REVIEW

Ben O’Keeffe has the only law practice in town, and is working as the attorney for the land owners who are trying to sell an old church. While inspecting the church, a skeleton is discovered. The townspeople all assume it to be the body of Conor, a local man who went missing on his wedding day six years earlier. When the bones are determined to not belong to Conor, a real mystery begins. Whose remains were found in the church? And what happened to Conor?

Ben, short for Benedicta, has the most northerly law practice in Ireland. She moved to town several years earlier and opened her law office. With the recent developments of the skeletal remains, plus other happenings going on around town, Ben helps the police sergeant slowly uncover secrets from the past.

Death at Whitewater Church is the first book in the Inishowen Mysteries series. This was an entertaining mystery. Very atmospheric. Interesting characters. Great start to a series. I’m looking forward to reading more of the Inishowen mysteries.

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

Books in the Inishowen Mysteries series:

Death at Whitewater Church
Treacherous Strand
The Well of Ice
Murder at Greysbridge
The Body Falls
Death Writes