Book Review

The Hitchhikers by Chevy Stevens [Book Review]

Book Review

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BOOK INFO

Title: The Hitchhikers

Author: Chevy Stevens

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publish Date: October 7, 2025

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

The Hitchhikers by Chevy Stevens

BOOK BLURB

It’s the summer of 1976. Alice and Tom set out on the remote Canadian highways in their new RV, hoping to heal after a devastating tragedy.

They’ve planned the trip perfectly, every detail accounted for. Then they meet two young hitchhikers and offer them a ride. But Simon and Jenny aren’t what they seem. They’ve left a trail of blood, destruction, and madness behind them.

Now Alice and Tom are prisoners in a deadly game with nowhere to turn. As the tension builds, the lines blur, and the question becomes:

In whose heart does evil truly lie? What secrets are Jenny and Simon hiding? And who will live another day?


The Hitchhikers by Chevy Stevens

MY REVIEW

Alice and Tom are on a road trip across Canada. Along the way, they pick up two hitchhikers, Jenny and Simon. The hitchhikers are not as innocent as they pretend to be, and the other couple is trapped as tensions rise.

The Hitchhikers is set in the 1970s, creating a nostalgic atmopshere. The story is told through dual points of view and timelines. The POVs are from Alice and Jenny, adding backstory for both couples.

The Hitchihikers is a character-driven thriller. Slow-burning, dark, and intense.

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

Book Review

Rumoured by Kelly and Kristina Mancaruso [Book Review]

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: Rumoured

Author: Kelly and Kristina Mancaruso

Publisher: Head of Zeus — an Aries Book

Publish Date: October 7, 2025

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

Rumoured by Kelly and Kristina Mancaruso

BOOK BLURB

Harlow Hayes: the innocent pop star – or a heartless murderer? It’s time to find out…

I’m a global sensation adored by millions, and my star only seems to keep rising.

My fans say I speak directly to them through my music, that I know who they are. How else could I write such visceral, personal lyrics? They love me, and I love them right back.

Then, at the height of my fame, I was arrested on suspicion of murder.

The world thinks they know who I am.

But they have no idea.


Rumoured by Kelly and Kristina Mancaruso

MY REVIEW

Rumoured is about a pop star accused of murder. It is told mostly from Naomi’s point of view. Naomi is a journalist for a celebrity magazine. Harlow is the accused popstar, and we do get her point of view later in the novel.

The pacing of Rumoured starts slow, but it ramps up later in the book. A suspenseful and twisted mystery of lies, secrets, obsession, and revenge.

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

Book Review

All This Could Be Yours by Hank Phillippi Ryan [Book Review]

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: All This Could Be Yours

Author: Hank Phillippi Ryan

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Publish Date: September 9, 2025

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

All This Could Be Yours by Hank Phillippi Ryan

BOOK BLURB

Debut sensation Tessa Calloway is on a whirlwind book tour for her instant bestseller, All This Could Be Yours. In a different city every night, Tessa receives standing ovations from adoring fans while her husband Henry and their two children cheer her on from their brand-new dream house.

But there’s a chilling problem with Tessa’s triumphant book tour―she soon discovers she is being stalked by someone who’s obsessed not only with sabotaging her career, but also with destroying her perfect family back home.

Tessa fears the fallout from an impossible decision she once made―what felt like a genuine deal with the devil―appears to be coming due. And she’s realizing that every high-stakes bargain comes with a high-stakes price. If Tessa can’t untangle who’s threatening to expose her darkest secrets, she’ll lose her career, her family―and possibly her life.


All This Could Be Yours by Hank Phillippi Ryan

MY REVIEW

Tessa is a debut author is on a book tour for her bestselling novel. During the tour, she realizes someone wants to sabotage her career, family, and life.

All This Could Be Yours is told from Tessa’s point of view. She goes on a book tour, leaving her husband and children at home in their new house. Everything seems to be going well for Tessa, until someone starts stalking her. She starts to worry that the current events are connected to something in her past.

All This Could Be Yours is a suspenseful mystery. This is a character driven novel that relies heavily on the inner dialogue of the main character.

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

Books by Hank Phillippi Ryan:
  1. Trust Me
  2. The Murder List
  3. The First to Lie
  4. Her Perfect Life
  5. The House Guest
  6. One Wrong Word
  7. All This Could Be Yours
Book Review

Too Old for This by Samantha Downing [Book Review]

Book Review

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BOOK INFO

Title: Too Old for This

Author: Samantha Downing

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: August 12, 2025

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

Too Old for This by Samantha Downing

BOOK BLURB

Lottie Jones thought her crimes were behind her.

Decades earlier, she changed her identity and tucked herself away in a small town. Her most exciting nights are the weekly bingo games at the local church and gossiping with her friends.

When investigative journalist Plum Dixon shows up on her doorstep asking questions about Lottie’s past and specifically her involvement with numerous unsolved cases, well, Lottie just can’t have that.

But getting away with murder is hard enough when you’re young. And when Lottie receives another annoying knock on the door, she realizes this crime might just be the death of her…


Too Old for This by Samantha Downing

MY REVIEW

Lottie is a retired serial killer, enjoying her quiet life. When a journalist starts asking questions about her past, Lottie takes matters into her own hands.

Too Old for This is told from Lottie’s point of view. She is in her 70s and enjoying her unexciting, small town life. A journalist shows up and wants to do a story about a crime that Lottie was acquitted of years earlier. Lottie can’t have the past being brought up, so she resorts to her old ways.

With a witty and devious main character, Too Old for This is a delightfully fun read. Dark, clever, and addictive.

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

Dead of Summer by Jessa Maxwell [Book Review]

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: Dead of Summer

Author: Jessa Maxwell

Publisher: Atria Books

Publish Date: July 22, 2025

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

Dead of Summer by Jessa Maxwell

BOOK BLURB

Orla O’Connor hasn’t been to the isolated New England enclave of Hadley Island since she graduated from high school a decade ago. As a teenager, her best friend Alice disappeared from its shores without a trace—but with plenty of rumors.

Now, Orla returns to her family’s beachfront home to clean it out before her parents sell it. The island and her best friend’s house next door, abandoned after her family left in grief, are stirring up memories she would like to avoid. Then there are the locals, always gossiping and watching Orla’s every move. Worst of all, David, Orla’s childhood crush and son of a wealthy Manhattan family, is back for the summer with his new, impossibly pretty girlfriend, Faith.

Faith suspects that David is going to propose but as soon as she settles into his family’s sprawling Hadley Island estate, she feels out of place. She anticipated a luxurious summer of fun and romance, but David is never around—lured into business conversations with his entrepreneur father from dawn to dusk. With nothing else to do, Faith begins to investigate the island’s dark past, curious about what really happened to Alice all those years ago.

Meanwhile, local Henry hasn’t left his house since the young girl went missing, in an attempt to let the accusations against him die down. Except they never have. For years, Henry has had an endless supply of time to pursue his only hobby, watching the island from his telescope and recording the activities of its inhabitants. But Orla’s return has shaken him and lately he’s been seeing strange things: shadowy figures walking on the beach in the middle of the night and a light on in the upstairs window of the long-abandoned house of the missing girl.

When there’s another disappearance on the island, all three find themselves pulled into an eerie and twisty mystery that will haunt them for the rest of their lives.


Dead of Summer by Jessa Maxwell

MY REVIEW

Alice disappeared a decade earlier, but her disappearance is still felt on a small New England island.

Dead of Summer is told using multiple points of view – Orla, Faith, and Henry. Orla has returned to the island to clean out her parent’s home before selling it. She was best friend’s with Alice, the teen who disappeared. Faith is visiting the island with her boyfriend, David. David comes from a wealthy family, and was Orla’s crush from many summers ago. Henry is a local who hasn’t left his home since Alice disappeared. He watches the island and its inhabitants from his home.

Dead of Summer is a slow burning and atmospheric mystery. The characters are well developed, and the plot is clever.

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

Book Review

The Lake Escape by Jamie Day [Book Review]

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 Lake Escape

Author: Jamie Day

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publish Date: July 15, 2025

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

The Lake Escape by Jamie Day

BOOK BLURB

JULIA, DAVID, AND ERIKA grew up together spending summers at their idyllic Vermont lake homes for as long as they can remember. Now adults— with their own sullen teens, endless mortgages, and low-voltage sex lives— the three friends have amassed secrets over the years.

This summer, David is eager to show off his newly renovated home—which now blocks his friends’ cherished lake views—and his much-younger girlfriend. He also, unwittingly, brings a nanny with a hidden agenda. What could possibly go wrong?

When David’s girlfriend mysteriously vanishes after a shouting match, Julia and Erika wonder just how well they know their lifelong friend. The lake harbors a harrowing past: two young women, with no known connection, vanished without a trace thirty years ago. Did the lake take another?

As a search is mounted, an intricate web of lies, deceits, and betrayals spanning generations starts to surface, and everyone finds themselves in danger of becoming the next victim. Of the lake, or something darker.


The Lake Escape by Jamie Day

MY REVIEW

Three childhood friends (Julia, David, and Erika) spent their summers together at a lake in Vermont. They return for a summer vacation together as adults, with adult problems – marriage, kids, jobs, etc.

The Lake House is told using dual points of view from Julia and Izzy. Julia is one of the friends returning for the summer. Izzy is the nanny of David, the friend whose girlfriend goes missing during their stay. She is not the first woman to go missing at this lake.

The Lake House is tense with drama and mystery. Secrets, lies, and resentments make for a gripping story.

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

Book Review

Sunburned by Katherine Wood [Book Review]

Book Review

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BOOK INFO

Title: Sunburned

Author: Katherine Wood

Publisher: Bantam

Publish Date: July 1, 2025

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

Sunburned by Katherine Wood

BOOK BLURB

When Audrey Collet’s ex Tyson calls, threatening to expose the skeletons in her closet unless she helps him figure out who is blackmailing him, she wants nothing more than to refuse. Though their relationship ended over a decade ago, the scars are deep. And since his tech company made him a billionaire, he’s become more than a little eccentric . . . and paranoid.

But a foot has washed ashore in the Everglades—that’s right, an actual human foot, encased in an Air Jordan—and Tyson is quick to remind Audrey that it’s one whose long-dead owner they both have a connection to. A connection that could prove problematic, if it got out.

Audrey reluctantly agrees to meet Tyson at his home on the swanky Caribbean island of St. Barth’s to help him figure out who in his entourage is extorting him and what they know about the secrets he and Audrey share. Once there, she realizes that each person staying at Tyson’s lavish estate has a reason to wish him harm. Could the culprit be the gorgeous Belgian wife whose wings he’s clipped? The celebrity business partner he’s essentially holding hostage? The older brother who’s always been in his shadow? Or the sexy French butler he seems to trust more than he should?

Audrey has only just scratched the surface of what’s going on behind closed doors when Tyson’s birthday dive turns deadly, and she realizes that one of the seven people trapped on his yacht with her is not just a blackmailer but a murderer. If Audrey can’t catch the killer in time, she might become the next victim.


Sunburned by Katherine Wood

MY REVIEW

Audrey is hired, more like demanded, by her ex-boyfriend Tyson to find out who is blackmailing him. Audrey and Tyson have a complicated past, and she reluctantly goes to his home in the Caribbean to find the blackmailer. Things get more dangerous when it turns into a murder mystery.

Sunburned is told from Audrey’s point of view, and uses past and present timelines. Audrey and the other characters are well-devleoped, with most being unreliable. The beautiful setting is a highlight, and the plot is tense.

Sunburned is a compelling thriller. Slow-burning and atmosperic.

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

Book Review

Matchmaking for Psychopaths by Tasha Coryell [Book Review]

Book Review

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BOOK INFO

Title: Matchmaking for Psychopaths

Author: Tasha Coryell

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: July 15, 2025

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

Matchmaking for Psychopaths by Tasha Coryell

BOOK BLURB

When Lexie’s fiancé runs off with her so-called best friend on her birthday, her carefully crafted fairy-tale life shatters. Having survived horrors in her past, she was determined to finally get her happily-ever-after—and she’s not giving up yet.

To distract herself, Lexie throws herself into her unusual job: matchmaking psychopaths (a specialty her clients are blissfully unaware of). But the loneliness is crushing. So when a gorgeous, overprotective new client named Aidan insists they’re soulmates, and another intriguing client, Rebecca, seems perfect to fill the best-friend-shaped hole in her life, Lexie can’t help but find the attention comforting—despite her own professional boundaries.

Then a human heart appears on Lexie’s doorstep. As more threatening packages arrive and her fiancé mysteriously disappears, she must confront a terrifying question: did she inadvertently match herself with a killer? Between Aidan’s claims that her fiancé will never return, Rebecca’s growing presence in her life, and her own dark past resurfacing, Lexie’s matchmaker instincts are being tested like never before.

Because someone is determined to ensure her story ends with a funeral.


Matchmaking for Psychopaths by Tasha Coryell

MY REVIEW

Lexie is a matchmaker. Her specialty is matching psychopaths. When Lexie’s life gets turned upside down, she focuses on work and a new man.

Matchmaking for Psychopaths is a slow burning thriller with unique characters. Good for readers who enjoy dark humor in their mysteries.

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

Book Review

Our Last Wild Days by Anna Bailey [Book Review]

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: Our Last Wild Days

Author: Anna Bailey

Publisher: Atria Books

Publish Date: May 20, 2025

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

Our Last Wild Days by Anna Bailey

BOOK BLURB

The Labasques aren’t like other families.

Living in a shack out in the swamps, they made do by hunting down alligators and other animals. To the good people of Jacknife, Louisiana, they are troublemakers and outcasts, the kind of people you wouldn’t want in your community.

So, when Cutter Labasque is found face down in the muddy swamp, no one seems to care, not even her two brothers. The only person who questions the official verdict of suicide is Cutter’s childhood friend, Loyal May, who has just returned home to care for her mother. When she left town at eighteen years old, she betrayed Cutter. Now with a ragtag group from the local paper where she works, Loyal goes in search of answers, uncovering a web of deceit and corruption that implicates those in town. It may be too late to apologize to Cutter, but Loyal has restitution in mind.


Our Last Wild Days by Anna Bailey

MY REVIEW

A woman is found dead in a swamp, and nobody cares but an old childhood friend who hasn’t seen her in years.

Our Last Days has well developed characters, a Southern gothic atmosphere, and tense plot. Recommended for readers who enjoy highly atmopsheric mystery thrillers.

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

Book Review

The Safari by Jaclyn Goldis [Book Review]

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 Safari

Author: Jaclyn Goldis

Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books

Publish Date: May 20, 2025

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

The Safari by Jaclyn Goldis

BOOK BLURB

Odelia Babel, CEO of a sustainable fashion empire, is about to marry for the second time—to a man twenty-five years her junior. Asher Bach is the thirty-something designer of Odelia’s luxury clothing line, the darling of every high-fashion journalist, and madly in love with Odelia.

Eager to celebrate her nuptials with her nearest and dearest, Odelia invites her adult children, her daughter-in-law, her grandchild, and her best friend/assistant to an all-expenses-paid luxury safari at Leopard Sands in South Africa, the Babel family’s favorite vacation spot.

It seems like the perfect trip, but not everyone is thrilled for the happy couple. Amid game drives in the bush and bonfires beneath the desert stars, tensions among the family threaten to boil over. And then, the morning after a big fight with her son Sam—and hours before the wedding—Odelia is found murdered. Sam is immediately the prime suspect, but he claims he has an ironclad alibi—he was with his twin sister, Bailey. Only Bailey is nowhere to be found…


The Safari by Jaclyn Goldis

MY REVIEW

A woman finds a second chance at love, and invites her family and friends to her wedding at a luxury safari. Unfortunately, not everyone is happy for her, and she is killed before her wedding.

The Safari has shady characters, a unique setting, and a twisted plot. There are plenty of suspects to choose from in this mystery thriller. A heavy dose of drama and dysfunctional family.

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

Book Review

Serial Killer Games by Kate Posey [Book Review]

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: Serial Killer Games

Author: Kate Posey

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: April 29, 2025

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

Serial Killer Games by Kate Posey

BOOK BLURB

Dolores dela Cruz has been dying to spot one in the wild, and he fits the mold perfectly: strangler gloves, calculated charm, dashing good looks that give a leg up in any field . . . including fields of unmarked graves.

The new office temp is definitely a serial killer.

Jake Ripper finds a welcome distraction in his combative and enigmatic new coworker. He hasn’t come across anyone as interesting as Dolores in a long time. But when mere curiosity evolves into a darkly romantic flirtation, Jake can’t help but wonder if, finally, he’s found someone who really sees him, skeletons in the closet and all.

Until Dolores asks Jake’s help to dispose of a body . . .


Serial Killer Games by Kate Posey

MY REVIEW

The office where Delores works hires a new temp, Jake. They are drawn to one another, and start watching and trying to figure out one another. Soon, they each suspect the other of being a serial killer.

Serial Killer Games is told using dual points of view – Delores and Jake. It is fun to read the thoughts and actions of both characters, and see how it plays out.

This novel is a more romance than mystery. With quirky characters and dark humor, Serial Killer Games is a fun read.

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

Book Review

Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang [Book Review]

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: Julie Chan Is Dead

Author: Liann Zhang

Publisher: Atria Books

Publish Date: April 29, 2025

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang

BOOK BLURB

Julie Chan, a supermarket cashier with nothing to lose, finds herself thrust into the glamorous yet perilous world of her late twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen, a popular influencer. Separated at a young age, the identical twins were polar opposites and rarely spoke, except for one viral video that Chloe initiated (Finding My Long-Lost Twin And Buying Her A House #EMOTIONAL). When Julie discovers Chloe’s lifeless body under mysterious circumstances, she seizes the chance to live the life she’s always envied.

Transforming into Chloe is easier than expected. Julie effortlessly adopts Chloe’s luxurious influencer life, complete with designer clothes, a meticulous skincare routine, and millions of adoring followers. However, Julie soon realizes that Chloe’s seemingly picture-perfect life was anything but.

Haunted by Chloe’s untimely death and struggling to fit into the privileged influencer circle, Julie faces mounting challenges during a weeklong island retreat with Chloe’s exclusive group of influencer friends. As events spiral out of control, Julie uncovers the sinister forces that may have led to her sister’s demise and realizes she might be the next target.


Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang

MY REVIEW

Julie doesn’t have a lot going for her, but her long lost twin sister is a popular influencer. When Julie discovers her sister’s dead body, she decides to hide the fact her sister’s died, and take over as her.

Julie Chan is Dead is told through the point of view of Julie herself, since she’s not really dead. Julie is a bit unhinged, making for an entertaining viewpoint. She dreams of the perfect life, but realizes her sister’s life wasn’t as perfect as it appeared.

Dark humor and mystery combine in this debut novel. Julie Chan is Dead is a fun ride with satire and a twisted story.

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