Nightcap Books

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BOOK INFO

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BOOK BLURB

His Scandal
Her Secret

From New York Times bestselling author Alafair Burke, a stunning domestic thriller in the vein of Behind Closed Doors and The Woman in Cabin 10—in which a woman must make the impossible choice between defending her husband and saving herself.

When Angela met Jason Powell while catering a dinner party in East Hampton, she assumed their romance would be a short-lived fling, like so many relationships between locals and summer visitors. To her surprise, Jason, a brilliant economics professor at NYU, had other plans, and they married the following summer. For Angela, the marriage turned out to be a chance to reboot her life. She and her son were finally able to move out of her mother’s home to Manhattan, where no one knew about her tragic past.

Six years later, thanks to a bestselling book and a growing media career, Jason has become a cultural lightning rod, placing Angela near the spotlight she worked so carefully to avoid. When a college intern makes an accusation against Jason, and another woman, Kerry Lynch, comes forward with an even more troubling allegation, their perfect life begins to unravel. Jason insists he is innocent, and Angela believes him. But when Kerry disappears, Angela is forced to take a closer look—at both the man she married and the women she chose not to believe.

This much-anticipated follow-up to Burke’s Edgar-nominated The Ex asks how far a wife will go to protect the man she loves: Will she stand by his side, even if he drags her down with him?

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MY REVIEW

When Angela met Jason in East Hampton, she thought it would be a summer romance, but Jason continued to woo her, and they soon married. She and her son moved to New York City, where Jason worked at NYU. It was a great new beginning for Angela, and gave her an opportunity to get away from her tragic past. Now, it’s six years later and Jason is a hotshot in his field. When a woman accuses Jason of sexual harassment, Jason maintains his innocence. When a second woman comes forward, Jason and Angela’s world is turned upside down.

This story is told with alternating points of view – Angela and Corrine. Angela is married to Jason, who has been accused of committing crimes that have dire consequences for their family. Corrine is the detective working to build the case against Jason.

The Wife was a fantastic story. The plot was well paced and intriguing. The characters were complicated and compelling. The writing drew me into the story, making this book hard to put down. There was a lot going on, and everyone had secrets.

The Wife is a great read for fans of domestic thrillers. Complex, chilling, and suspenseful.

Books by Alafair Burke:

1. Long Gone
2. If You Were Here
3. The Ex
4. The Wife
5. The Better Sister

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BOOK INFO

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A daughter
Beth has always known there was something strange about her daughter, Hannah. The lack of emotion, the disturbing behavior, the apparent delight in hurting others…Sometimes Beth is scared of her and what she could be capable of.

A son
Luke comes from the perfect family, with the perfect parents. But one day, he disappears without a trace, and his girlfriend, Clara, is desperate to discover what has happened to him.

A life built on lies
As Clara digs into the past, she realizes that no family is truly perfect, and uncovers a link between Luke’s long-lost sister and a strange girl named Hannah. Now Luke’s life is in danger because of the lies once told and the secrets once kept. Can Clara find him before it’s too late?

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MY REVIEW

The Lies We Told is told using two timelines. The present day story is about Clara looking for her boyfriend, Luke. At first, people think he’s left her and will show up again soon, but Clara knows Luke has been receiving some threatening messages. The past timeline is about Beth and her daughter Hannah. Hannah is a disturbing child who gets pleasure from inflicting harm on the people in her life. Both timelines involve secrets, and some are much more daunting than others.

The characters are well developed and very intriguing. Clara is a normal woman who has her life turned upside down when her boyfriend goes missing. As we learn more about Luke, he seems like a cad, but still, he is missing, and what the heck happened to him? In the second timeline, Beth is upset with her daughter’s behavior, and at a complete loss as to how to handle raising Hannah. Hannah though. Wow. She’s one creepy kid. Total sociopath.

The Lies We Told is a twisty psychological thriller that kept me guessing. The story does get a little too twisty toward the end, but, overall, this is a great read. Mysterious, dark, and suspenseful.

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

Books by Camilla Way:

1. The Dead of Summer
2. Little Bird
3. Watching Edie
4. The Lies We Told
5. Who Killed Ruby?

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What if the nightmares are actually memories?

It’s been a year since Poppy’s husband, Jack, was murdered during his morning run through Manhattan’s Riverside Park. In the immediate aftermath, Poppy spiraled into grief, disappearing for several days only to turn up ragged and confused wearing a tight red dress she didn’t recognize. What happened to Poppy during those lost days? And more importantly, what happened to Jack?

The case was never solved, and Poppy has finally begun to move on. But those lost days have never stopped haunting her. Poppy starts having nightmares and blackouts, unable to distinguish between what is real and what she’s imagining. When she begins to sense that someone is following her, Poppy is plunged into a game of cat and mouse, determined to unravel the mystery around her husband’s death. But can she handle the truth about what really happened?

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MY REVIEW

Poppy is grieving the loss of her husband. It has been a year since he was murdered, and the case has not been solved. Soon after her husband’s death, Poppy disappeared from her family and friends for a few days. She never told them where she was or what she was doing, and, in fact, Poppy has blocked those days from her memory. Now that Poppy is attempting to move on, she wants to remember those days, and feels that if only she could regain her memories, she could discover what happened to her husband.

Poppy is a mess of a character. She is, understandably, devastated with the loss of her husband. She self-medicates and drinks too much to deal with her depression. The mixing of pills and alcohol causes Poppy to suffer from blackouts. She thinks that someone is following her, but she’s not sure who or why. Since she’s not the most stable person, it’s hard to believe if she’s really in danger. When Poppy seems to be onto something that may lead to answers, she self-destructs. It’s frustrating, but gripping.

Under My Skin is told from Poppy’s viewpoint, which is confusing and chaotic. An engaging and unpredictable psychological thriller. Dark, suspenseful, and twisty.

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

Books by Lisa Unger:

1. The Red Hunter
2. Under My Skin
3. The Stranger Inside
4. Confessions on the 7:45
5. Last Girl Ghosted
6. Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six
7. Christmas Presents
8. The New Couple in 5B

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

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BOOK INFO

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BOOK BLURB

A brilliant, twisty novel about a missing woman, an unfaithful husband, and the dark secrets that will destroy two perfect families.

A scandalous revelation is about to devastate a picturesque town where the houses are immaculate and the neighborhoods are tightly knit. Devoted mother Cora O’Connell has found the journal of her friend Laurel’s daughter—a beautiful college student who lives next door—revealing an illicit encounter. Hours later, Laurel makes a shattering discovery of her own: her daughter has vanished without a trace. Over the course of one weekend, the crises of two close families are about to trigger a chain reaction that will expose a far more disturbing web of secrets. Now everything is at stake as they’re forced to confront the lies they have told in order to survive.

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MY REVIEW

Cora and her husband host a birthday party for their two year old twins, and things go downhill quickly afterwards. Cora discovers a journal of her neighbor’s daughter that reveals a secret. Soon after, the neighbor’s daughter goes missing.

As one weekend’s events unravel, the lives of multiple families are changed. The story opens with a birthday party for toddlers, where Cora has invited family and friends to celebrate her young children. The guests include Cora’s mother Sarah, her friend Jade, and her neighbor Laurel. Each of these women has something going on in her life that they haven’t been able to discuss with anyone else.

Central to the story is Cora, a married mom of toddler twins. She lost her sister, Maggie, in a tragic accident years earlier, and still has trouble dealing with that loss. The loss of Maggie also greatly affected her mother, Sarah, and friend, Jade. The current emotions and actions of these women can be traced back to the night they lost a loved one.

We Were Mothers uses multiple points of view from Cora, Sarah, Jade, and Laurel to tell the story. This book is part women’s fiction and part suspense. Some of the issues the women are dealing with are very real, as is the feeling of having no one to talk to about those issues. One of the things I liked about this book was the women’s desire to protect their children, and how most of their actions are related to the fact that they are mothers. We Were Mothers is a fitting title for the book.

The suspense part of We Were Mothers comes from Laurel’s missing daughter. There are, of course, other events going on, but it seems one missing college student starts the unraveling process.

Some of the topics throughout We Were Mothers deal with motherhood, domestic abuse, and adultery. A good read for fans of family drama and suspense. This book does have a bit of a slow start, and I wasn’t completely satisfied with the ending, but it was still a good, light read.

Books by Katie Sise:

1. We Were Mothers
2. Open House
3. The Break