Nightcap Books

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BOOK INFO

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BOOK BLURB

Sisters, like secrets, are best kept close.

Sisters, like secrets, are best kept close.

Penny and Hattie, orphaned sisters in a small town, are best friends, bound together to the point of knots. But Penny, at the mercy of her brutal husband, is desperate for a fresh start. Willing to do anything for her older sister, Hattie agrees to help. A match is struck and a fire burns Penny’s marriage to the ground. With her husband gone, Penny is free, and the sisters, it seems, get away with murder. But freedom comes at a cost.

More than a year after the fire, a charming young man comes to town. Hattie and Penny quickly bring him into the fold and into their hearts but their love for him threatens the delicate balance. Soon long-held resentments, sibling rivalry, and debts unpaid boil over, and the bonds of sisterhood begin to snap. As one little lie grows into the next, the sisters’ secrets will unravel, eroding their lives until only a single, horrible truth remains: You owe me.

A compelling novel of suspense from a talented new voice, Sister of Mine asks us to consider the bonds of family, what it takes to commit the unthinkable, and how far you’ll go to protect the ones you love.

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MY REVIEW

Penny and Hattie are sisters who have always relied on each other. As an adult, Penny finds herself in a troubled marriage with an abusive husband. When an unlit cigarette results in a tragic fire, the sisters are bound together more than before. To complicate matters, a new man enters the sisters lives and the detective working the arson is doubtful it was an accident.

Sister of Mine is an intriguing story of two sisters. The characters are well-developed and have a very complex relationship. While they are close and love one another, they also are each other’s biggest secret keepers. The family drama is enhanced with mystery as the sisters protect one another following the questionable fire.

Sister of Mine is a tragic and haunting novel. Great for fans of suspenseful family dramas.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, in exchange for an honest review.

Books by Laurie Petrou:

1. Sister of Mine
2. Love, Heather
3. Stargazer

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BOOK INFO

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BOOK BLURB

If you could make one simple choice that would change your life forever, would you?

Erin is a documentary filmmaker on the brink of a professional breakthrough, Mark a handsome investment banker with big plans. Passionately in love, they embark on a dream honeymoon to the tropical island of Bora Bora, where they enjoy the sun, the sand, and each other. Then, while scuba diving in the crystal blue sea, they find something in the water. . . .

Could the life of your dreams be the stuff of nightmares?

Suddenly the newlyweds must make a dangerous choice: to speak out or to protect their secret. After all, if no one else knows, who would be hurt? Their decision will trigger a devastating chain of events. . . .

Have you ever wondered how long it takes to dig a grave?

Wonder no longer. Catherine Steadman’s enthralling voice shines throughout this spellbinding debut novel. With piercing insight and fascinating twists, Something in the Water challenges the reader to confront the hopes we desperately cling to, the ideals we’re tempted to abandon, and the perfect lies we tell ourselves.

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MY REVIEW

Erin is a documentary filmmaker. Mark is a banker. They are happy and in love, planning their upcoming wedding. While on their honeymoon in Bora Bora, they find a mysterious bag in the water. The contents of the bag forever change their relationship.

Something in the Water is told from Erin’s viewpoint. She and Mark seem to have everything going for them, but things get very complicated during and after their honeymoon. The characters are mostly likable and believable. A slow build up that is intriguing and suspenseful.

Something in the Water is a page-turning psychological thriller. Great for fans of domestic thrillers with a strong female protagonist.

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

Books by Catherine Steadman:

1. Something in the Water
2. Mr. Nobody
3. The Disappearing Act
4. The Family Game
5. Look in the Mirror

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BOOK INFO

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BOOK BLURB

She went missing. He moved on. A whole world of secrets remained—until now.

Finn and Layla are young, in love, and on vacation. They’re driving along the highway when Finn decides to stop at a service station to use the restroom. He hops out of the car, locks the doors behind him, and goes inside. When he returns Layla is gone—never to be seen again. That is the story Finn told to the police. But it is not the whole story.

Ten years later Finn is engaged to Layla’s sister, Ellen. Their shared grief over what happened to Layla drew them close and now they intend to remain together. Still, there’s something about Ellen that Finn has never fully understood. His heart wants to believe that she is the one for him…even though a sixth sense tells him not to trust her.

Then, not long before he and Ellen are to be married, Finn gets a phone call. Someone from his past has seen Layla—hiding in plain sight. There are other odd occurrences: Long-lost items from Layla’s past that keep turning up around Finn and Ellen’s house. Emails from strangers who seem to know too much. Secret messages, clues, warnings. If Layla is alive—and on Finn’s trail—what does she want? And how much does she know?

A tour de force of psychological suspense, Bring Me Back will have you questioning everything and everyone until its stunning climax.

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MY REVIEW

While driving through France, Finn and Layla stop so he can go to the restroom. When he returns to the car, Layla is gone. She is never seen again. Twelve years later, Finn is happy and engaged to Ellen, Layla’s sister. Mysterious messages start to arrive, and they seem to be from Layla.

Bring Me Back is told through alternating time periods – before Layla went missing and after. About halfway through, the narration also alternates between characters. The story has plenty of suspense to keep the reader interested, but I was not a fan of the characters. I never connected to them, and, ultimately, they felt a bit flat.

Psychological thriller. Unreliable narrators. Twisty ending.

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

Books by B.A. Paris:

1. Behind Closed Doors
2. The Breakdown
3. Bring Me Back
4. The Dilemma
5. The Therapist
6. The Prisoner
7. The Mosquito
8. The Guest

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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This is the story of three best friends: one who was murdered, one who went to prison, and one who’s been searching for the truth all these years . . .

When she was sixteen years old, Angela Wong—one of the most popular girls in school—disappeared without a trace. Nobody ever suspected that her best friend, Georgina Shaw, now an executive and rising star at her Seattle pharmaceutical company, was involved in any way. Certainly not Kaiser Brody, who was close with both girls back in high school.

But fourteen years later, Angela Wong’s remains are discovered in the woods near Geo’s childhood home. And Kaiser—now a detective with Seattle PD—finally learns the truth: Angela was a victim of Calvin James. The same Calvin James who murdered at least three other women.

To the authorities, Calvin is a serial killer. But to Geo, he’s something else entirely. Back in high school, Calvin was Geo’s first love. Turbulent and often volatile, their relationship bordered on obsession from the moment they met right up until the night Angela was killed.

For fourteen years, Geo knew what happened to Angela and told no one. For fourteen years, she carried the secret of Angela’s death until Geo was arrested and sent to prison.

While everyone thinks they finally know the truth, there are dark secrets buried deep. And what happened that fateful night is more complex and more chilling than anyone really knows. Now the obsessive past catches up with the deadly present when new bodies begin to turn up, killed in the exact same manner as Angela Wong.

How far will someone go to bury her secrets and hide her grief? How long can you get away with a lie? How long can you live with it? Find out in Jennifer Hillier’s Jar of Hearts.

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MY REVIEW

Georgina, known as Geo to her friends, is 30 years old and living a successful life with a bright future, when she is arrested for helping cover up a murder that occurred 14 years earlier. Her best friend went missing in high school and was never found. Now, her remains have been found and Geo’s high school boyfriend is arrested. To complicate matters, the detective working the case was Geo’s other best friend in high school. Geo is arrested for helping cover up the murder and sent to prison. She does her time and is soon to be released. When murders resembling those of her best friend’s start occurring, Geo is pulled into the case.

The story is told from Geo’s point of view. Geo is smart and strong. She has secrets from her past that no one knows and they slowly unfold through the story. She recalls her high school years through flashbacks, remembering her friendships and her involvement in her friend’s death. Geo’s life after her friend’s remains are found is also told, covering Geo’s time in prison and her adjustment to life after prison.

While the characters aren’t exactly likable, they are well written and make for a compelling story. An intense and twisted thriller. This was a fast paced read that I couldn’t put down.

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

Books by Jennifer Hillier:

1. Creep
2. Freak
3. The Butcher
4. Wonderland
5. Jar of Hearts
6. Little Secrets
7. Things We Do in the Dark

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

My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me:
1. I’m in a coma.
2. My husband doesn’t love me anymore.
3. Sometimes I lie.

Amber wakes up in a hospital. She can’t move. She can’t speak. She can’t open her eyes. She can hear everyone around her, but they have no idea. Amber doesn’t remember what happened, but she has a suspicion her husband had something to do with it. Alternating between her paralyzed present, the week before her accident, and a series of childhood diaries from twenty years ago, this brilliant psychological thriller asks: Is something really a lie if you believe it’s the truth?

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MY REVIEW

The opening lines set the stage very well.

My name is Amber Reynolds. There are three things you should know about me:
1. I’m in a coma.
2. My husband doesn’t love me anymore.
3. Sometimes I lie.

Amber is in a coma, she can’t move or speak, but she can hear everyone around her. She doesn’t remember what happened to put her in a coma, but as she listens, memories slowly come back to her.

This story alternates between the “then” and “now” of Amber’s story, meaning before and after the accident that put her in a coma. Also in the story are entries from a young girl’s childhood diary.

Multiple timelines and an unreliable narrator make for a compelling read. I enjoyed this thriller, and found it to be entertaining, but it was a little confusing. I mean, I think I understand the ending, but who knows, maybe I got it wrong. Sometime I Lie is a twisted novel worth reading.

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

Books by Alice Feeney:

1. Sometimes I Lie
2. I Know Who You Are
3. His & Hers
4. Rock Paper Scissors
5. Daisy Darker
6. Good Bad Girl