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Book Review

Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Book Review

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

BOOK INFO

Title: Gone Tonight

Author: Sarah Pekkanen

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publish Date: August 1, 2023

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen

BOOK BLURB

When Ruth Sterling was a teenager, she slipped away one night, desperate to escape an abusive home and a troubling boyfriend. Pregnant, alone, and prepared to do anything to survive, she eventually makes a life for herself—and soon, for her newborn daughter Catherine. For more than twenty years, Ruth has lived quietly and has provided for her daughter. But she is always ready to run at a moment’s notice, and never allows either of them to put down roots too deeply. Now, Catherine is grown and craves a life for herself. This is something her mother will do anything to prevent—but for what reasons? It has always been just the two of them against the world. But how well do they really know each other? When Ruth’s deeply held quest to keep Catherine by her side reveals cracks in her carefully constructed world, both mother and daughter begin a dance of deception. They both have secrets. But which one of them carries the real darkness inside?

Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen

MY REVIEW

As a pregnant teenager, Ruth ran away from home. It has been just her and her daughter, Catherine, for over twenty years. Catherine is an adult now, and ready to spread her wings. Ruth is not ready for her daughter to leave.

Gone Tonight is told using Ruth and Catherine’s points of view. Both characters think they know the other better than they really do, which makes for an interesting read.

A slow-burning, tense, and twisty psychological thriller. Recommended to readers who enjoy thrillers centered around mother/daughter relationships.

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

Books by Sarah Pekkanen:
  1. Gone Tonight
  2. House of Glass
Book Review

Dark Corners by Megan Goldin [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Book Review

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

BOOK INFO

Title: Dark Corners

Author: Megan Goldin

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publish Date: August 8, 2023

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: Rachel Krall #2

My Rating: 3/5

Dark Corners by Megan Goldin

BOOK BLURB

Terence Bailey is about to be released from prison for breaking and entering, though investigators have long suspected him in the murders of six women. As his release date approaches, Bailey gets a surprise visit from Maddison Logan, a hot, young influencer with a huge social media following. Hours later, Maddison disappears, and police suspect she’s been kidnapped―or worse. Is Maddison’s disappearance connected to her visit to Bailey? And why was she visiting him in the first place?

When they hit a wall in the investigation, the FBI reluctantly asks for Rachel Krall’s help in finding the missing influencer. Maddison seems to only exist on social media; she has no family, no friends, and other than in her posts, most people have never seen her. Who is she, really? Using a fake Instagram account, Rachel goes undercover to BuzzCon, a popular influencer conference, where she discovers a world of fierce rivalry that may have turned lethal.

When police find the body of a woman with a tattoo of a snake eating its tail―identical to a tattoo Rachel had seen on Bailey’s hand―the FBI must consider a chilling possibility: Bailey has an accomplice on the outside and a dangerous obsession with influencers, including Rachel Krall herself. Suddenly the target of a monster hiding in plain sight, Rachel is forced to confront the very real dangers that lurk in the dark corners of the internet.

Dark Corners by Megan Goldin

MY REVIEW

Rachel is a true crime podcaster that gets asked to help on the case of a missing woman. While helping the FBI, Rachel unknowingly has put herself as a target.

Dark Corners is the second book in the Rachel Krall series. While this is the second book in a series, it can be read as a standalone. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, Night Swim, and highly recommend reading it too.

Dark Corners is an intriguing thriller. Dark and compelling. Recommended for fans of true crime podcasts and psychological thrillers.

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

Books by Megan Goldin:
  1. The Girl in Kellers Way
  2. The Escape Room
  3. The Night Swim
  4. Stay Awake
  5. Dark Corners
Book Review

The Bone Hacker by Kathy Reichs [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Book Review

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 Bone Hacker

Author: Kathy Reichs

Publisher: Scribner

Publish Date: August 1, 2023

Genre: Police Procedural

Series: Temperance Brennan #22

My Rating: 4/5

The Bone Hacker by Kathy Reichs

BOOK BLURB

Called in to examine what is left of a person thought to have been struck by lightning, Tempe traces an unusual tattoo to its source and is soon embroiled in a much larger case. Young men—tourists—have been disappearing on the islands of Turks and Caicos. Seven years earlier, the first victim was found in a strange location with his left hand hacked off; subsequently, two other visitors vanished without a trace. But recently, tantalizing leads have emerged and only Tempe can unravel them.

Maddeningly, the victims seem to have nothing in common—other than the odd places where their bodies turn up, and the fact that none seems likely to have been involved in criminal activity. Do these attacks have something to do with the islands’ seething culture of gang violence? Tempe isn’t so sure. Disturbingly, she discovers evidence that what’s at stake may have global significance.

It isn’t long before the sound of a ticking clock grows menacingly loud. Then Tempe herself becomes a target.

The Bone Hacker by Kathy Reichs

MY REVIEW

The Bone Hacker is the twenty-second book in the Temperance Brennan series. In this book, Temperance works in Turks and Caicos on an investigation of missing male tourists.

This is a series that I’ve read for many years, and this latest book doesn’t disappoint. The mysteries continue to be intriguing. Temperance is a strong protagonist with her intelligence, wit, and drive.

The Bone Hacker is an enjoyable addition to the series. Recommended to readers who enjoy crime fiction and medical thrillers.

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

Books in the Temperance Brennan series:
  1. Déjà Dead
  2. Death du Jour
  3. Deadly Decisions
  4. Fatal Voyage
  5. Grave Secrets
  6. Bare Bones
  7. Monday Mourning
  8. Cross Bones
  9. Break No Bones
  10. Bones to Ashes
  11. Devil Bones
  12. 206 Bones
  13. Spider Bones
  14. Flash and Bones
  15. Bones Are Forever
  16. Bones of the Lost
  17. Bones Never Lie
  18. Speaking in Bones
  19. A Conspiracy of Bones
  20. The Bone Code
  21. Cold, Cold Bones
  22. The Bone Hacker
  23. Fire and Bones
Book Review

The Block Party by Jamie Day [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Book Review

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 Block Party

Author: Jamie Day

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publish Date: July 18, 2023

Genre: Domestic Suspense

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

The Block Party by Jamie Day

BOOK BLURB

This summer, meet your neighbors.

The residents of the exclusive cul-de-sac on Alton Road are entangled in a web of secrets and scandal utterly unknown to the outside world, and even to each other.

On the night of the annual Summer block party, there has been a murder.

But, who did it and why takes readers back one year earlier, as rivalries and betrayals unfold—discovering that the real danger lies within their own block and nothing—and no one—is ever as it seems.

The Block Party by Jamie Day

MY REVIEW

A murder occurs during a neighborhood party. There are plenty of potential victims and suspects.

The Block Party is told through two points of view – Alex and Lettie. Alex is the organizer of the block party, problem solver, and nosy neighbor. Lettie is her teenage daughter.

A gossipy, drama filled neighborhood. A mysterious murder. A fun and entertaining domestic suspense.

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

Books by Jamie Day:
  1. The Block Party
  2. One Big Happy Family
Book Review

Blind Fear by Brandon Webb and John David Mann [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Book Review

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

BOOK INFO

Title: Blind Fear

Author: Brandon Webb and John David Mann

Publisher: Bantam

Publish Date: July 11, 2023

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: Finn Thrillers #3

My Rating: 4/5

Blind Fear by Brandon Webb and John David Mann

BOOK BLURB

By day, AWOL Navy SEAL Finn is hiding out on Vieques, a tiny island paradise off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico, living in a spare room behind a seafood restaurant owned by a blind local. By night he scours the dark web, hunting for the rogue officer responsible for the crimes he is accused of committing.

But Finn’s world is about to be turned upside down by a new nightmare, when his employer’s two grandchildren go missing. To find them, he’ll have to infiltrate the island’s dangerous criminal underbelly and expose a shadowy crime network known as La Empresa—even if it means exposing himself in the process.

As the children go on their own harrowing odyssey to stay one step ahead of a cop-turned-killer, a hurricane batters the coastline, cutting Puerto Rico off from the rest of the world. Taking his pursuit to the sea, Finn’s skills and endurance will be tested to their limits to rescue the lost children and escape his own pursuers before the clock runs out. No one is to be trusted. And those who are seemingly his friends might be the most dangerous foes he’s faced yet.

Blind Fear by Brandon Webb and John David Mann

MY REVIEW

Finn is living on an island, working at a seafood restaurant, and trying to locate the person framing him for war crimes. When Finn’s employer’s grandchildren go missing, Finn risks exposing his location to find the children.

Blind Fear is the third book in the Finn Thrillers series. While Blind Fear can be read as a standalone, I recommend reading the other books in the series first.

Blind Fear is an entertaining thriller with plenty of action. The characters are well-developed and interesting. The story is fast-paced and exciting.

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

Books in the Finn Thrillers series:
  1. Steel Fear
  2. Cold Fear
  3. Blind Fear
Book Review

A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Book Review

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 Twisted Love Story

Author: Samantha Downing

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: July 18, 2023

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing

BOOK BLURB

Wes and Ivy are madly in love. They’ve never felt anything like it. It’s the type of romance people write stories about.

But what kind of story?

When it’s good, it’s great. Flowers. Grand gestures. Deep meaningful conversations where the whole world disappears.

When it’s bad, it’s really bad. Vengeful fights. Damaged property. Arrest warrants.

But their vicious cycle of catastrophic breakups and head-over-heels reconciliations needs to end fast. Because suddenly, Wes and Ivy have a common enemy–and she’s a detective.

There’s something Wes and Ivy never talk about–in good times or bad. The night of their worst breakup, when one of them took things too far, and someone ended up dead.

If they can stick together, they can survive anything–even the tightening net of a police investigation.

Because one more breakup might just be their last…

A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing

MY REVIEW

Wes and Ivy have a turbulent relationship. The good times are really good. The bad times are really, really bad.

A Twisted Love Story is about the toxic relationship between Wes and Ivy. Ivy has turned Wes in for stalking, which gets the police involved. Now, people are looking into their pasts, and there’s that one murder they would rather not get out.

A wickedly entertaining thriller. Recommended for readers who enjoy drama and devious characters in their thrillers.

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

Books by Samantha Downing:
  1. My Lovely Wife
  2. He Started It
  3. Sleeping Dogs Lie
  4. For Your Own Good
  5. A Twisted Love Story
  6. Too Old for This
Book Review

One of the Boys by Jayne Cowie [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Book Review

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 of the Boys

Author: Jayne Cowie

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: July 11, 2023

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

One of the Boys by Jayne Cowie

BOOK BLURB

Antonia and Bea are sisters, and doting mothers to their sons. But that is where their similarities end.

Antonia had her son tested to make sure he didn’t possess the “violent” M gene.

Bea refuses to let her son take the test. She believes his life should not be determined by a positive or negative result.

These women will go to any length to protect their sons.

But one of them is hiding a monster.

And there will be fatal consequences for everybody….

One of the Boys by Jayne Cowie

MY REVIEW

Two sisters, Antonia and Bea, are also mothers of sons. There is a test to check for the violence gene, and the sisters disagree on the test. One believes it’s an important test and should be used. The other believes children shouldn’t have their lives determined based on a single test result.

One of the Boys is told using the points of view of both Antonia and Bea. This gives both sides of the story for the gene test. As the boys get older, schools start to require testing, and it’s more accepted that everyone does it. One mother is all for the testing, but the other is completely against the testing. Both mothers want to protect their children.

An intriguing and unique thriller. Recommended for readers who enjoy a dystopian spin on their domestic thrillers.

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

Books by Jayne Cowie:
  1. Curfew
  2. One of the Boys
Book Review

A Likeable Woman by May Cobb [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Book Review

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 Likeable Woman

Author: May Cobb

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: July 11, 2023

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

A Likeable Woman by May Cobb

BOOK BLURB

Kira’s back in her affluent hometown for the first time in years and determined to unravel the secrets of her mother’s death—hidden in the unpublished memoir she left behind—even if it kills her. . . .

After her troublemaker mother’s mysterious death, Kira fled her wealthy Texas town and never looked back. Now, decades later, Kira is invited to an old frenemy’s vow renewal celebration. Though she is reluctant to go, there are things pulling her home . . . like chilled wine and days spent by the pool . . . like sexy Jack, her childhood crush. But more important are the urgent texts from her grandmother, who says she has something for Kira. Something related to her mother’s death, something that makes it look an awful lot like murder.

When her grandmother gives Kira a memoir that her mother had been working on before she died, Kira is drawn into the past and all the sizzling secrets that come along with it. With few allies left in her gossipy country-club town, Kira turns to Jack for help. As she gets closer to discovering what—and who—might have brought about her mother’s end, it becomes clear that someone wants the past to stay buried.

And they might come after Kira next.

A Likeable Woman by May Cobb

MY REVIEW

Kira returns to her hometown to uncover the secrets surrounding her mother’s death. Kira’s mother died over twenty years earlier, but Kira suspected there was more to her mother’s death than she was told.

A Likeable Woman is told using multiple points of view and timelines. Kira is telling the present day events, and Sadie, her mother, is the voice for the past. The characters are interesting. The East Texas setting is atmospheric.

A dramatic thriller. Recommended for fans of domestic thrillers, cold cases, and old secrets.

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

Books by May Cobb:
  1. The Hunting Wives
  2. My Summer Darlings
  3. A Likeable Woman
  4. The Hollywood Assistant
Book Review

The Last One by Will Dean [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Book Review

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 One

Author: Will Dean

Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books

Publish Date: August 8, 2023

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

The Last One by Will Dean

BOOK BLURB

When Caz steps onboard the exclusive cruise liner RMS Atlantica, it’s the start of a vacation of a lifetime with her new love, Pete. On their first night they explore the ship, eat, dance, make friends, but when Caz wakes the next morning, Pete is missing.

And when she walks out into the corridor, all the cabin doors are open. To her horror, she soon realizes that the ship is completely empty. No passengers, no crew, nobody but her. The Atlantica is steaming into the mid-Atlantic and Caz is the only person on board. But that’s just the beginning of the terrifying journey she finds herself trapped on in this white-knuckled mystery.

The Last One by Will Dean

MY REVIEW

Caz and her boyfriend go on a cruise. After waking the first morning, Caz realizes her boyfriend is gone. Then she realizes everyone is gone.

Caz is an interesting character. She finds herself alone on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean. At first, panic seems the appropriate response, but she soon gets smart about finding help and surviving.

The Last One is one shocking thriller with a fantastic twist ending. A clever and intense locked-room mystery about trust and survival.

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

Books by Will Dean:

  1. The Last Thing to Burn
  2. First Born
  3. The Last One
  4. The Chamber
Book Review

The Long Way Back by Nicole Baart [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Book Review

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 Long Way Back

Author: Nicole Baart

Publisher: Atria Books

Publish Date: June 13, 2023

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

The Long Way Back by Nicole Baart

BOOK BLURB

Mother and daughter Charlie and Eva never sought social media fame, but when a stunning photo of Eva went viral, fame found them. Now, after more than two years documenting life on the road in their vintage Airstream trailer, the duo has temporarily settled on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Eva is happily finishing her senior year of high school and applying to college, but Charlie longs for the adventures they left behind.

When Eva goes missing less than a week before her graduation, it’s Charlie who is immediately suspected of foul play—not just by their fans, but also by the police and the FBI. As a fight about one more road trip comes to light, and the truth about their relationship is questioned, Charlie realizes the rosy facade they portrayed online hid a complicated and potentially dangerous reality. Now, to clear her name and find out what has happened to her daughter, she’ll have to confront her own role in Eva’s disappearance—and whether she knows her daughter at all.

The Long Way Back by Nicole Baart

MY REVIEW

A mother and daughter found social media fame while traveling in their Airstream. When the daughter goes missing, the mother is the first suspect.

The Long Way Back is told using the dual points of view of the mother and daughter. The characters are realistic and relatable. The story is complex and well written.

An atmospheric, suspenseful, and twisty mystery thriller. This is the first books I’ve read by this author, and I look forward to reading more from her.

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

Book Review

What the Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Book Review

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

BOOK INFO

Title: What the Neighbors Saw

Author: Melissa Adelman

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Publish Date: June 20, 2023

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

What the Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman

BOOK BLURB

Sometimes the darkest acts occur in the most beautiful houses…

When Alexis and her husband Sam buy a neglected Cape Cod house in an exclusive DC suburb, they are ecstatic. Sam is on the cusp of making partner at his law firm, Alexis is pregnant with their second child, and their glamorous neighbors welcome the couple with open arms. Things are looking up, and Alexis believes she can finally leave her troubled past behind.

But the neighborhood’s picture-perfect image is shattered when their neighbor Teddy – a handsome, successful father of three – is found dead on the steep banks of the Potomac River. The community is shaken, and as the police struggle to identify and apprehend the killer, tension in the neighborhood mounts and long-buried secrets start to emerge.

In the midst of the turmoil, Alexis takes comfort in her budding friendship with Teddy’s beautiful and charismatic widow, Blair. But as the women grow closer, the neighborhood only becomes more divided. And when the unthinkable truth behind Teddy’s murder is finally uncovered, both Blair and Alexis must reexamine their friendship and decide how far they are willing to go to preserve the lives they have so carefully constructed.

What the Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman

MY REVIEW

A married couple moves into a fancy neighborhood. One of their new neighbors is killed. Turns out their are a lot of secrets in their new neighborhood.

What the Neighbors Saw is told through the dual points of view of Alexis and Blair. Alexis is new to the neighborhood, pregnant, and grew up in poverty. Blair is wealthy, confident, and newly widowed. Alexis and Blair become friends, though Alexis suspects Blair may be hiding secrets.

Unlikable characters in a wealthy neighborhood is a favorite trope of mine, so I was excited to read this one. A slow-burning, suspenseful, and entertaining debut novel.

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

Book Review

Girls and Their Horses by Eliza Jane Brazier [Book Review]

Posted on by Darinda
Book Review

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

BOOK INFO

Title: Girls and Their Horses

Author: Eliza Jane Brazier

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: June 6, 2023

Genre: Domestic Suspense

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

Girls and Their Horses by Eliza Jane Brazier

BOOK BLURB

When the nouveau riche Parker family moves to an exclusive community in the heart of Southern California, they believe it’s their chance at a fresh start. Heather Parker is determined to give her daughters the life she never had—starting with horses. 

She signs them up for riding lessons at Rancho Santa Fe Equestrian, where horses are a lifestyle. Heather becomes a “Barn Mom,” part of a group of wealthy women who hang at the stables, drink wine, and prepare their daughters for competition. 

It’s not long before the Parker family is fully enmeshed in the horse world—from mean girl cliques to barn romances and dark secrets. With the end of summer horse show fast approaching, the pressure is on, and these mothers will stop at nothing to give their daughters everything they deserve. 

Before the summer is over, lies will turn lethal, accidents will happen, and someone will end up dead.

Girls and Their Horses by Eliza Jane Brazier

MY REVIEW

A wealthy family moves from Texas to California for a fresh start. The mother signs her daughters up for riding lessons. Soon they are fully involved in the horse world.

Girls and Their Horses is told using multiple points of view, including chapters for the police interviews. Unlikable characters, a dead body, and plenty of suspects.

Rich people behaving badly and lots of drama. A fun, slow-burning mystery with toxic people.

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

Books by Eliza Jane Brazier:
  1. If I Disappear
  2. Good Rich People
  3. Girls and Their Horses
  4. It Had to Be You