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It Had to Be You by Eliza Jane Brazier [Book Review]

Posted on December 28, 2024December 28, 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: It Had to Be You

Author: Eliza Jane Brazier

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: July 16, 2024

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

Two contract killers, each with a hit out on the other, must fight their growing attraction as they face off in an epic game of lust and murder across Western Europe.

When Eva and Jonathan hook up on the sleeper train from Florence to Paris, they think they’ll never see each other again. Which is too bad, because neither has ever felt a spark like this for another person. But love isn’t on the agenda in their line of work.

Six months later, they run into each other in the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles. This encounter is not by chance, because Eva has been hired to kill Jonathan. She’s a contract killer, but what she doesn’t know is that he is too.

Their meeting kicks off a high-stakes adventure across Western Europe. There will be tourism. There will be bodies. Eva and Jonathan might even fall for each other.

As the two get closer to completing their assignments, it becomes clear that they are also being hunted—by something even more dangerous than love. . . .

MY REVIEW

Two contract killers, Eva and Jonathan, meet by chance and fall for one another. They soon realize they have been hired to kill one another.

Flawed characters in a quirky story. It Had to Be You is told from the alternating points of view of Eva and Jonathan. They are damaged, but likable characters. The story is fun and the romance is steamy.

It Had to Be You is a fast-paced romantic thriller. Exciting and suspenseful.

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

Books by Eliza Jane Brazier:

If I Disappear
Good Rich People
Girls and Their Horses
It Had to Be You

One Big Happy Family by Jamie Day [Book Review]

Posted on December 28, 2024December 28, 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: One Big Happy Family

Author: Jamie Day

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publish Date: July 16, 2024

Genre: Domestic Suspense

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

The Precipice is a legendary, family-owned hotel on the rocky coast of Maine. With the recent passing of their father, the Bishop sisters–Iris, Vicki, and Faith–have come for the weekend to claim it. But with a hurricane looming and each of the Bishop sisters harboring dangerous secrets, there’s murder in the air– and not everyone who checks into the Precipice will be checking out.

Each sister wants what is rightfully hers, and in the mix is the Precipe’s nineteen-year-old chambermaid Charley Kelley: smart, resilient, older than her years, and in desperate straits.

The arrival of the Bishop sisters could spell disaster for Charley. Will they close the hotel? Fire her? Discover her habit of pilfering from guests? Or even worse, learn that she’s using a guest room to hide a woman on the run.

MY REVIEW

Three sisters return to their family-owned hotel on the Maine coast to claim their inheritance. A storm headed their way has stranded the sisters and others in the hotel. When someone is murdered, they realize they are trapped with a killer.

One Big Happy Family is told from the point of view of the hotel’s maid, Charley. Charley is young, and worried about keeping her job and providing for her grandmother. Interesting characters and an atmospheric setting.

A slow paced locked room mystery. One Big Happy Family is an entertaining whodunit.

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

Books by Jamie Day:

The Block Party
One Big Happy Family

On the Surface by Rachel McGuire [Book Review]

Posted on December 28, 2024December 28, 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: On the Surface

Author: Rachel McGuire

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Publish Date: July 9, 2024

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

A YouTubing cruiser couple sails the world living their best lives—until one of them goes missing and their whole world capsizes, in this captivating psychological thriller perfect for fans of Something in the Water and Saint X.

Sawyer Stone III and Dani Fox, a young couple who spend their time circumnavigating the globe aboard their 42-foot sailboat and documenting it for their fledgling YouTube channel Sailing with the Foxes, have anchored in Exuma, in the Bahamas. As they wait for the price of crypto to rebound so they can provision and continue their journey, they’re partying and exploring with their fellow cruisers offshore. On the surface, everything looks perfect. But one night, Dani vanishes after a boat party, and Sawyer has no memory of her disappearance.

The search for Dani is initially fueled by concerns that she drowned during one of her daily ocean swims, but Dani’s prescheduled video posts, recorded before she went missing, soon reveal a darker side to her relationship with Sawyer. Meanwhile, Royal Bahamas Police Force Inspector Veronique Knowles has her hands full trying to keep the investigation on course as the story of the American woman missing in the Bahamas goes viral and the internet sleuths unearth secrets from Sawyer’s past. Sawyer Stone is far from perfect, but is he a murderer?

MY REVIEW

Dani and Sawyer have a YouTube channel chronicling their adventures sailing around the world. One morning, Sawyer wakes up to discover Dani is missing, and he has no memory of what happened. Soon, a prerecorded video of Dani is posted, and Sawyer is the prime suspect in her disappearance.

On the Surface is told through multiple points of view. The characters are complex and mostly unlikable. The setting is unique and atmospheric. The writing flows well and makes for an enjoyable read.

An intriguing and twisted thriller. On the Surface is good for fans of domestic and psychological thrillers.

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

The Confidence Games by Tess Amy [Book Review]

Posted on December 28, 2024December 28, 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 Confidence Games

Author: Tess Amy

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: July 9, 2024

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

Life’s a game, and they’ve come to play. Two female con artists must pull off the ultimate heist in this rollicking caper.

Emma Oxley and Nellie Yarrow have been inseparable their whole lives. Ever since they reinvented themselves, changing their names and wiping clean their digital footprints, they have made a game of following wherever the next adventure leads and challenging themselves to thefts, street cons, and mind games.

Adhering to only two rules—they will only swindle men, and only ones who deserve it—Emma and Nellie are secure in their reputation as the most trustworthy swindlers on the European black market. Until suddenly, they must play to save their own lives.

Blackmailed into stealing a priceless bracelet from a high-security exhibit, Emma will reexamine everything she believed to be true. This heist takes her far beyond her comfort zone…and she and Nellie will need allies among the glitzy bejeweled gathering in London in order to survive. Will they be able to do the right thing before it’s too late?

MY REVIEW

Emma and Nellie are best friends and con artists. They have a set of rules they adhere to and have created quite a reputation on the black market. Things are going well for them, until they are blackmailed into stealing a bracelet.

The Confidence Games is told from the alternating points of view of Nellie and Emma. Nellie is the more experienced con artist. Emma is the more timid of the two, but she has to up her game to save her friend. The friendship between them is strong, and they’ve been through good and tough times together.

For a fast-paced and fun caper, The Confidence Games delivers. A lighthearted and entertaining mystery.

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

The Hollywood Assistant by May Cobb [Book Review]

Posted on December 28, 2024December 28, 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 Hollywood Assistant

Author: May Cobb

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: July 9, 2024

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Offered a dream job in Hollywood with a famous director and his actress wife, an insecure woman becomes their personal assistant where their secrets and lies place her in the crosshairs of a murder investigation.

Cassidy Foster is heartbroken, stuck in life, and getting a little too obsessed with plants. Then when a well-connected friend becomes sick of Cassidy’s moping and gets her a gig with famous Hollywood couple, Marisol and Nate Sterling, Cassidy jumps at the chance to move to sunny LA.

The Sterlings are warm and welcoming. A perfect couple. All Cassidy has to do is be available a few hours a week for errands. In return, she has access to luxury: Designer clothes. A sparkling pool. Great pay.

When Nate takes interest in her, asking her to read scripts he’s written, Cassidy thinks this could be the key to kickstarting her writing dreams. As their business relationship grows, so does their attraction. Nate is sexy and talented, and Cassidy can’t believe her luck. Clearly, Marisol doesn’t know what she has. Maybe that’s why the two are always fighting when they think Cassidy isn’t around.

But Cassidy learns she was hired for a different purpose. The Sterlings aren’t the perfect couple. Marisol isn’t the perfect wife. And when one of them is found dead, Cassidy becomes the perfect suspect.

MY REVIEW

Cassidy accepts a job working as a personal assistant for a famous couple. The perfect couple facade fades once Cassidy gets to know the couple more.

The story is told from Cassidy’s point of view and alternating timelines. One is the present day and the other is four weeks later. This gives the reader insight into what is to come, but there is still a lot of mystery in the story.

The Hollywood Assistant is a slow burning thriller. Dramatic, scandalous, and entertaining.

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

Books by May Cobb:

The Hunting Wives
My Summer Darlings
A Likable Woman
The Hollywood Assistant

Ladykiller by Katherine Wood [Book Review]

Posted on December 28, 2024December 28, 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: Ladykiller

Author: Katherine Wood

Publisher: Bantam

Publish Date: July 9, 2024

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

When an heiress goes missing, her best friend races to unravel the secrets behind her disappearance using clues left behind in an explosive manuscript…

Gia and Abby have been best friends since they were girls, forever bonded by the tragedy that unfolded in Greece when they were eighteen. In the aftermath, bookish Abby threw herself into her studies while heiress Gia chronicled the events of that fateful summer in a salacious memoir.

Twelve years later, Gia is back in Greece for the summer with her shiny new husband and a motley crew of glamorous guests, preparing to sell the family estate in the wake of her father’s death. When Abby receives an invitation from Gia to celebrate her birthday in September beneath the Northern Lights, she’s thrilled to be granted the time off from her high-pressure job. But the day of her flight, she receives a mysterious, threatening email in her inbox, and when she and Gia’s brother Benny arrive at the Swedish resort, Gia isn’t there. After days of cryptic messages and unanswered calls, Abby and Benny are worried enough to fly to Greece to check on her.

Only, when they arrive, they find Gia’s beachfront estate eerily deserted, the sole clue to her whereabouts a manuscript she wrote detailing the events leading up to her disappearance. The pages reveal the dark truth about Gia’s provocative new marriage and the dirty secrets of the guests they entertained with fizzy champagne under the hot Mediterranean sun. As tensions rise, Gia feels less and less safe in her own home. But the pages end abruptly, leaving Abby and Benny with more questions than answers.

Where is Gia now? And, more importantly, will they find her before it’s too late?

MY REVIEW

Gia and Abby have been best friends for years. When Gia goes missing in Greece, Abby travels there to find out what happened to her friend.

Told using alternating timelines and points of view. The present day point of view is from Abby, as she searches for her friend. The past is told from Gia’s perspective through a manuscript she wrote and left for Abby to find. Intriguing characters and an inviting setting.

Ladykiller is a compelling thriller with drama, secrets, and intrigue.

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

Storm Child by Michael Robotham [Book Review]

Posted on December 28, 2024December 28, 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: Storm Child

Author: Michael Robotham

Publisher: Scribner

Publish Date: June 26, 2024

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: Cyrus Haven #4

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

The mystery of Evie Cormac’s background has followed her into adulthood. As a child, she was discovered hiding in a secret room where a man had been tortured to death. Many of her captors and abusers escaped justice, unseen but not forgotten. Now, on a hot summer’s day, the past drags Evie back as she watches the bodies of seventeen migrants wash up on a Lincolnshire beach.

There is only one survivor, a teenage boy, who tells police their small boat was deliberately rammed and sunk. Psychologist Cyrus Haven is recruited by the police to investigate the murders—but recognizes immediately that Evie has some link to the tragedy. By solving this crime, he could finally unlock the secrets of her past. But what dark forces will he set loose? And who will pay the price?

MY REVIEW

Cyrus Haven is called to investigate a case where a boat carrying migrants was deliberately rammed and sunk. Cyrus soon realizes there is a connection between this case and Evie’s past.

Storm Child is the fourth book in Cyrus Haven series. This book can be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading the early books to better understand Cyrus and Evie.

Told with the alternating points of view of Cyrus and Evie. Cyrus is a psychologist. Evie is young woman with a dark past. She and Cyrus are friends, and she is living in his family home.

Storm Child is a dark suspense novel. Flawed characters and an intricate plot.

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

Books in Cyrus Haven series:

Good Girl, Bad Girl
When She Was Good
Lying Beside You
Storm Child

Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell [Book Review]

Posted on December 28, 2024December 28, 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: Love Letters to a Serial Killer

Author: Tasha Coryell

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: June 25, 2024

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell

BOOK BLURB

An aimless young woman starts writing to an accused serial killer while he awaits trial and then, once he’s acquitted, decides to move in with him and take the investigation into her own hands in this dark and irresistibly compelling debut thriller.

Recently ghosted and sick of watching her friends fade into the suburbs, thirty-something Hannah finds community in a true-crime forum that’s on a mission to solve the murders of four women in Atlanta. After William, a handsome lawyer, is arrested for the killings, Hannah begins writing him letters. It’s the perfect outlet for her pent-up frustration and rage. The exercise empowers her, and even feels healthy at first.

Until William writes back.

Hannah’s interest in the case goes from curiosity to obsession, leaving space for nothing else as her life implodes around her. After she loses her job, she heads to Georgia to attend the trial and befriends other true-crime junkies like herself. When a fifth woman is discovered murdered, the jury has no choice but to find William not guilty, and Hannah is the first person he calls upon his release. The two of them quickly fall into a routine of domestic bliss.

Well, as blissful as one can feel while secretly investigating their partner for serial murder…

MY REVIEW

A woman writes letters to an accused serial killer. After he is acquitted, she moves in with him and starts investigating the murders.

An intriguing mystery about a woman obsessed with true crime and a serial killer. She is consumed with the mystery, and driven to solve it.

Love Letters to a Serial Killer is a slow burning mystery. A compelling debut novel.

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

The Launch Party by Lauren A. Forry [Book Review]

Posted on December 27, 2024December 28, 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 Launch Party

Author: Lauren A. Forry

Publisher: Zaffre

Publish Date: October 15, 2024

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

TEN WERE CHOSEN. HOW MANY WILL SURVIVE?

Ten lucky people have won a place at the most exclusive launch event of the century: the grand opening of the Hotel Artemis, the first hotel on the moon. It’s an invitation to die for. As their transport departs for its return to Earth and the doors seal shut behind them, the guests take the next leap for mankind.

However, they soon discover that all is not as it seems. The champagne may be flowing, but there is no one to pour it. Room service is available, but there is no one to deliver it. Besides the ten of them, they are completely alone.

When one of the guests is found murdered, fear spreads through the group. But that death is only the beginning. Being three days’ journey from home and with no way to contact the outside, can any of the guests survive their stay?

MY REVIEW

Ten people are chosen to be the first to visit Hotel Artemis on the moon. When they arrive, they realize they are alone. When one of the ten is killed, fear spread as they all try to survive.

The Launching Party is told using multiple points of view. There are a lot of characters. Unfortunately, for the most part, they felt flat. I found the premise interesting, but I never fully connected with this story.

The Launch Party is a suspenseful locked room mystery.

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

Books by Lauren A. Forry:

They Did Bad Things
The Launch Party

Assassins Anonymous by Rob Hart [Book Review]

Posted on December 27, 2024December 27, 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: Assassins Anonymous

Author: Rob Hart

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Publish Date: June 11, 2024

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

In this clever, surprising, page-turner, the world’s most lethal assassin gives up the violent life only to find himself under siege by mysterious assailants. It’s a kill-or-be-killed situation, but the first option is off the table. What’s a reformed hit man to do?

Mark was the most dangerous killer-for-hire in the world. But after learning the hard way that his life’s work made him more monster than man, he left all of that behind, and joined a twelve-step group for reformed killers.

When Mark is viciously attacked by an unknown assailant, he is forced on the run. From New York to Singapore to London, he chases after clues while dodging attacks and trying to solve the puzzle of who’s after him. All without killing anyone. Or getting killed himself. For an assassin, Mark learns, nonviolence is a real hassle.

MY REVIEW

A former assassin has changed his ways, and joined a twelve step program for reformed killers. After he is attacked, he goes on the run and tries to uncover who is responsible for the attack on him.

Assassins Anonymous is a unique thriller. Quirky characters and a fast-paced story. A mystery with a combination of humor and violence.

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

The House That Horror Built by Christina Henry [Book Review]

Posted on December 27, 2024December 27, 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 House That Horror Built

Author: Christina Henry

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: May 14, 2024

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

The House That Horror Built by Christina Henry

BOOK BLURB

A single mother working in the gothic mansion of a reclusive horror director stumbles upon terrifying secrets in the captivating new novel from the national bestselling author of Good Girls Don’t Die and Horseman.

Harry Adams has always loved horror movies, so it’s not a total coincidence that she took the job cleaning house for movie director Javier Castillo. His forbidding graystone Chicago mansion, Bright Horses, is filled from top to bottom with terrifying props and costumes, as well as glittering awards from his career making films that thrilled audiences—until family tragedy and scandal forced him to vanish from the industry.

Javier values discretion, and Harry has always tried to clean the house immaculately, keep her head down, and keep her job safe—she needs the money to support her son. But then she starts hearing noises from behind a locked door. Noises that sound remarkably like a human voice calling for help, even though Javier lives alone and never has visitors. Harry knows that not asking questions is a vital part of working for Javier, but she soon finds that the sinister house may be home to secrets she can’t ignore.

MY REVIEW

A woman accepts a house cleaning job of an eccentric horror movie director. The longer she works in the house, she realizes there are secrets in the house that she is unable to ignore.

The House That Horror Built is told using multiple points of view. The premise is intriguing, but the characters did not pull me into the story.

The House That Horror Built is a gothic and atmospheric novel with horror and mystery.

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

The Hunter’s Daughter by Nicola Solvinic [Book Review]

Posted on December 27, 2024February 26, 2025 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 Hunter’s Daughter

Author: Nicola Solvinic

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: May 14, 2024

Genre: Paranormal Mystery

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

The Hunter's Daughter by Nicola Solvinic

BOOK BLURB

A hypnotic, sinister debut mystery about a seemingly good cop who is secretly the daughter of a notorious serial killer.

Anna Koray escaped her father’s darkness long ago. When she was a girl, her childhood memories were sealed away from her conscious mind by a controversial hypnosis treatment. She’s now a decorated sheriff’s lieutenant serving a rural county, conducting an ordinary life far from her father’s shadow.

When Anna kills a man in the line of duty, her suppressed memories return. She dreams of her beloved father, his hands red with blood, surrounded by flower-decked corpses he had sacrificed to the god of the forest.

To Anna’s horror, a serial killer emerges who is copying her father – and who knows who she really is. Is her father still alive, or is this the work of another? Will the killer expose her, destroying everything she has built for herself? Does she want him to?

But as she haunts the forest, using her father’s tricks to the hunt the killer, will she find what she needs most…or lose herself in the gathering darkness?

MY REVIEW

The daughter of a serial killer is now a police officer. No one is aware of her connection to The Forest Strangler, but a series of new crimes puts her in the center of the mystery.

The Hunter’s Daughter has an intriguing main character. She is flawed, has a complicated past, and is a bit of an unreliable narrator. I enjoyed the police procedural parts, but wasn’t a fan of the paranormal elements.

An intense and atmospheric mystery. The Hunter’s Daughter is an enjoyable debut novel.

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