Nightcap Books

BOOK INFO

Title: Over My Shoulder

Author: Patricia Dixon

Publisher: Bloodhound Books

Publish Date: August 24, 2018

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

When Freya falls for the manipulative Kane, her life changes beyond her wildest imagination. When the luxurious life she craves gradually becomes intolerable she realises escape is out of reach. Her life has changed and so has she. She knows that when she least expects it, he will return and make good his promise to exact revenge and ensure she pays the price he felt he is owed. Can Freya ever be free? Whoever knew love could be so dangerous?

Following Freya from her carefree twenties up to the present day, Over My Shoulder is an intricate tale of blinkered love and obsession.

MY REVIEW

Freya falls for Kane. She thinks he’s pretty great, but as they get more involved, she realizes just how manipulative he is. Eventually his manipulation gets dangerous, very dangerous. Freya decides to escape from her life with him, but she fears he will come back for revenge one day.

Over My Shoulder is told from Freya’s viewpoint. She is recalling her past with Kane to explain her current situation. Freya has a difficult story to tell, as it involves a lot of mental and physical abuse. Freya is a little naive and entranced by the lifestyle she thinks Kane can offer her. Kane is never really likable, but he gets more sinister as the story progresses.

Over My Shoulder is dark and intense. Good for fans of psychological and domestic thrillers.

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

Books by Patricia Dixon:

1. Over My Shoulder
2. They Don’t Know
3. Death’s Dark Veil
4. Liars
5. #MeToo
6. Blame
7. The Other Woman
8. Coming Home
9. Birthright
10. Venus Was Her Name
11. A Good Mother

BOOK INFO

Title: The Woman in the Window

Author: A. J. Finn

Publisher: William Morrow

Publish Date: January 2, 2018

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

It isn’t paranoia if it’s really happening . . .

Anna Fox lives alone—a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbors.

Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, a mother, their teenage son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumble—and its shocking secrets are laid bare.

What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one—and nothing—is what it seems.

Twisty and powerful, ingenious and moving, The Woman in the Window is a smart, sophisticated novel of psychological suspense that recalls the best of Hitchcock.

MY REVIEW

Anna has been suffering from agoraphobia for almost a year. She doesn’t leave her home, so she entertains herself by watching old movies, playing chess online, and watching her neighbors. She has become especially interested in the Russell family, who are new to the neighborhood. Due to her mental health, Anna is on several medications, and she also drinks quite a bit of wine. One night while watching out her window, she sees something she wasn’t meant to see. Afterward, she tries to connect the pieces and unravel the secrets of what is truth and what is all in her mind.

The first part of The Woman in the Window is slow and more about Anna and her situation, but the pace picks up later with an exciting mystery. Anna is a well-developed character, though it is never clear on how reliable she is. As the story progresses, even Anna herself is unsure of what is real.

The Woman in the Window is a slow building psychological thriller. Complex story. Intriguing characters. A great read for fans of psychological thrillers.

BOOK INFO

Title: An Unwanted Guest

Author: Shari Lapena

Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books

Publish Date: August 7, 2018

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

A weekend retreat at a cozy mountain lodge is supposed to be the perfect getaway . . . but when the storm hits, no one is getting away

It’s winter in the Catskills and Mitchell’s Inn, nestled deep in the woods, is the perfect setting for a relaxing–maybe even romantic–weekend away. It boasts spacious old rooms with huge woodburning fireplaces, a well-stocked wine cellar, and opportunities for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or just curling up with a good murder mystery.

So when the weather takes a turn for the worse, and a blizzard cuts off the electricity–and all contact with the outside world–the guests settle in and try to make the best of it.

Soon, though, one of the guests turns up dead–it looks like an accident. But when a second guest dies, they start to panic.

Within the snowed-in paradise, something–or someone–is picking off the guests one by one. And there’s nothing they can do but hunker down and hope they can survive the storm–and one another.

MY REVIEW

A snowstorm traps ten guests and two employees in a secluded inn. The guests are snowed in, without electricity or any contact with the outside world. When one guest dies, it could be an accident. After a second death, the remaining guests start to be afraid that one of them is a killer.

With twelve characters to keep track of, An Unwanted Guest starts off a bit slow as everyone is introduced. Once the characters are established, this turns into a suspenseful and entertaining read.

This is more of a whodunit mystery. The relationships and dynamics between the characters are intriguing. The characters are all trapped together while the mystery plays out, which makes the story fun and spine-tingling.

An Unwanted Guest is a great choice for fans of the classic whodunit. Suspenseful, engaging, and clever.

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

Books by Shari Lapena:

1. The Couple Next Door
2. A Stranger in the House
3. An Unwanted Guest
4. Someone We Know
5. The End of Her
6. Not a Happy Family
7. Everyone Here Is Lying

BOOK INFO

Title: She Was the Quiet One

Author: Michele Campbell

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publish Date: July 31, 2018

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

For Rose Enright, enrolling in a prestigious New England boarding school is the opportunity of a lifetime. But for Rose’s vulnerable twin sister Bel, Odell Academy is a place of temptation and danger. When Bel falls in with a crowd of wild rich kids who pressure her into hazing Rose, the sisters’ relationship is shattered. Rose turns to her dorm mother, Sarah Donovan, for advice. But Bel turns to Sarah’s husband Heath, a charismatic and ambitious teacher. Is Heath trying to help Bel or take advantage of her? In a world of privilege, seduction, and manipulation, only one sister will live to tell the truth.

In a novel full of twists, turns, and dark secrets, Michele Campbell once again proves her skill at crafting intricately spun and completely compelling plots.

MY REVIEW

Rose and Bel Enright are twin sisters. After their mother dies, their grandmother becomes their guardian, and enrolls them in a prestigious boarding school. Rose is excited about the opportunity, but Bel is not looking forward to the new changes. Heath and Sarah Donovan are teachers at the school, and they have recently been promoted to a position over one of the dorms. The dorm where Rose and Bel reside. Once at the school, the sisters drift apart, and as they grow further apart, each turns to the Donovans. Rose seeks advice from Sarah. Bel looks to Heath. As things escalate between the sisters, rumors fly, and only one of them lives to tell the truth.

In the first pages of the book, we learn one of the sisters is murdered. The story then rewinds to the beginning of the school year. As the school year progresses, we discover how they adjust to their new environment, and what leads to the death of one sister. The boarding school atmosphere presents both sides of the student body, the academic-focused students and the wilder partying students. The sisters are on opposite sides.

She Was the Quiet One is told with flashbacks and from the multiple viewpoints of Rose, Bel, and Sarah. Rose is focused and goal oriented. Bel is a rebel and a dreamer. Sarah is reserved and trying to be supportive of her ambitious husband. With two teenagers and one adult voice, this reads as a young adult novel.

Secrets and gossip fuel this dark and twisty tale. Family drama, scandal, and suspense.

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

Books by Michele Campbell:

1. It’s Always the Husband
2. She Was the Quiet One
3. A Stranger on the Beach
4. The Wife Who Knew Too Much
5. The Intern