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

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…

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 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

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.

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.

BOOK INFO

Title: The Last Session

Author: Julia Bartz

Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books

Publish Date: April 1, 2025

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

When a catatonic woman shows up at the psychiatric unit, social worker Thea swears she knows her from somewhere. She’s shocked to discover the patient holds a link to a traumatic time in her past. Upon regaining lucidity, the patient claims she can’t remember the horrific recent events that caused her brain to shut down. Thea’s at a loss—especially when the patient is ripped away from her as suddenly as she appeared.

Determined to find her, Thea follows a trail of clues to a remote center in Southwestern New Mexico, where a charismatic couple holds a controversial monthly retreat to uncover attendees’ romantic and sexual issues. Forced to participate in increasingly intimate exercises, Thea finds herself inching closer not only to her missing patient, but also to tantalizing answers about her harrowing past. However, time is running out, and if she stays for the last session, she too might lose her mind…or worse.

MY REVIEW

Thea, a social worker at a psychiatric unit, recognizes a patient and wants to help her. When the patient abruptly leaves the facility, Thea tries to find her, and ends up in a remote wellness retreat.

The Last Session is told through Thea’s point of view. Thea is naive and makes some poor decisions throughout the book. The plot is entertaining, but does involve suspending disbelief.

This is a slow burning and bizarre mystery. Good for readers who enjoy fiction involving cults and wellness retreats gone wrong.

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

Books by Julia Bartz:

1. The Writing Retreat
2. The Last Session

BOOK INFO

Title: The Other People

Author: C.B. Everett

Publisher: Atria Books

Publish Date: March 25, 2025

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 2/5

BOOK BLURB

Ten strangers.

An old dark house.

A killer picking them off one by one.

And a missing girl who’s running out of time…

And then there was one.

Ten strangers wake up inside an old, locked house. They have no recollection of how they got there. In order to escape, they have to solve the disappearance of a young woman. But a killer also stalks the halls of the house and soon the body count starts to rise. Who are these strangers? Why were they chosen? Why would someone want to kill them? And who—or what—lurks in the cellar?

Forget what you think you know.

Because while you can trust yourself, can you really trust The Other People?

MY REVIEW

Ten strangers are trapped in an old house, and a killer is picking them off one by one.

The Other People is told using the multiple points of view of the people in the house. It’s a locked room mystery with interesting characters and plenty of drama. I usually enjoy locked room mysteries, but this one fell flat for me.

Fans of locked room mysteries may enjoy this one. It’s a bit creepy and does have a good twist.

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

BOOK INFO

Title: Deadbeat

Author: Adam Hamdy

Publisher: Atria Books

Publish Date: December 3, 2024

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

Peyton Collard was a good man once, but his life changed after a horrific car accident. Divorced, drunk, and severely damaged, Peyton is offered a life-changing sum of money to kill an evil man. But as he goes on a vigilante journey that leaves a trail of bodies across California, Peyton wonders about the identity of his anonymous patron. Soon, his questions become an obsession, and he embarks on a tense and potentially deadly investigation to discover the truth about the murders he’s committed.

MY REVIEW

Peyton is on a downward spiral. An unknown benefactor bails him out of jail, then a large sum of money is offered to him if he kills a man. More money is offered if he keeps killing. Peyton wants to know who is behind these anonymous messages, so he starts investigating on his own.

Deadbeat is a slower paced thriller. Peyton admits to being a killer, and he’s also an unreliable and unlikable character. While the plot is intriguing, there was too much repetition to keep me interested in the story.

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

BOOK INFO

Title: The Hitchcock Hotel

Author: Stephanie Wrobel

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: September 24, 2024

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

Alfred Smettle is not your average Hitchcock fan. He is the founder, owner, and manager of The Hitchcock Hotel, a sprawling Victorian house in the White Mountains dedicated to the Master of Suspense. There, Alfred offers his guests round-the-clock film screenings, movie props and memorabilia in every room, plus an aviary with fifty crows.

To celebrate the hotel’s first anniversary, he invites his former best friends from his college Film Club for a reunion. He hasn’t spoken to any of them in sixteen years, not after what happened.

But who better than them to appreciate Alfred’s creation? And to help him finish it.

After all, no Hitchcock set is complete without a body.

MY REVIEW

Old college friends are reunited at The Hitchcock Hotel. Alfred runs the hotel, and invites his old film club friends to celebrate the hotel’s one year anniversary. Once they’re all reunited, things take a dark turn, and someone ends up dead.

The Hitchcock Hotel is told using multiple points of view and timelines. The timelines are past and present, with one major event happening in college that changed their friendships. The characters are intriguing and the setting is unique.

Atmosphere and tension make The Hitchcock Hotel a compelling read. Recommended for fans of dark and twisty murder mysteries.

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

Books by Stephanie Wrobel:

1. Darling Rose Gold
2. This Might Hurt
3. The Hitchcock Hotel