BOOK INFO

Title: Dark Circles

Author: Caite Dolan-Leach

Publisher: Ballantine

Publish Date: April 19, 2022

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

Olivia Reed needs a break. She doesn’t want to think about her name plastered on tabloids or be reminded of her recent meltdown on a Manhattan street. Her micromanaging publicist has just the thing in mind: a remote retreat in upstate New York—the House of Light. It’s not rehab; it’s a Spiritual Center, a site for seeking realignment and personal growth. There will be yoga and morning meditation, soft bamboo-blend fabrics and no shortage of crystals to cleanse her energy.
 
But Liv will soon find that the House of Light is filled with darkness. A prickly local, Ava, informs her that something twisted is lurking behind the Light’s veneer. There have been a series of mysterious suicides committed by women caught in the Light’s web, and no matter who Ava talks to, no one believes the Center is involved. To find out what’s really happened and put her celebrity to good use, Liv starts a podcast, seeking to connect the dots and expose the Light’s true intentions. Because beneath the glowing skin of the Light’s inhabitants lie rotten souls, and Liv starts to wonder if anything—even her own life—is how it appears.

MY REVIEW

Olivia is a minor celebrity who hits rock bottom. She goes to a rehab facility, but soon finds it’s not all yoga and meditation. The facility is more like a cult, and not something Liv is onboard with, so she starts a podcast to expose the darkness.

Dark Circles has an intriguing story with interesting characters. The story is told from Liv’s point of view and through podcast episodes. The podcast element was the most entertaining part of the novel.

Dark Circles is a tense and atmospheric thriller. Recommended for readers who enjoy thrillers about cults and podcasts.

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

BOOK INFO

Title: The Book of Cold Cases

Author: Simone St. James

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: March 15, 2022

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

A true crime blogger gets more than she bargained for while interviewing the woman acquitted of two cold case slayings in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel.

In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect—a rich, eccentric twenty-three-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion.
 
Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases—a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea’s surprise, Beth says yes.
 
They meet regularly at Beth’s mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she’s not looking, and she could swear she’s seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn’t right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?

MY REVIEW

A true crime blogger has the opportunity to interview a woman acquitted of two murders in the 1970s. As they spend more time together, the blogger questions if the woman is really innocent, or an excellent manipulator.

The Book of Cold Cases is told using alternating points of view and timelines. The characters have distinct voices, but also have a fair amount in common. The paranormal element in the novel helps to create a creepy vibe. While the story builds slowly, it stays captivating and keeps the reader wanting more.

The Book of Cold Cases is atmospheric and suspenseful. A recommended read for fans of mystery thrillers with a paranormal vibe.

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

Books by Simone St. James:

1. The Haunting of Maddy Clare
2. An Inquiry Into Love and Death
3. Silence for the Dead
4. The Other Side of Midnight
5. Lost Among the Living
6. The Broken Girls
7. The Sun Down Motel
8. The Book of Cold Cases
9. Murder Road

BOOK INFO

Title: The Night Shift

Author: Alex Finlay

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Publish Date: March 1, 2022

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

It’s New Year’s Eve 1999. Y2K is expected to end in chaos: planes falling from the sky, elevators plunging to earth, world markets collapsing. A digital apocalypse. None of that happens. But at a Blockbuster Video in New Jersey, four teenagers working late at the store are attacked. Only one inexplicably survives. Police quickly identify a suspect, the boyfriend of one of the victims, who flees and is never seen again.

Fifteen years later, more teenage employees are attacked at an ice cream store in the same town, and again only one makes it out alive.

In the aftermath of the latest crime, three lives intersect: the lone survivor of the Blockbuster massacre who’s forced to relive the horrors of her tragedy; the brother of the fugitive accused, who’s convinced the police have the wrong suspect; and FBI agent Sarah Keller who must delve into the secrets of both nights—stirring up memories of teen love and lies—to uncover the truth about murders on the night shift.

MY REVIEW

Two similar crimes that happen fifteen years apart. On New Year’s Eve in 1999, four teenage Blockbuster workers were attacked, and only one survived. Years later, in 2015, teens working at an ice cream shop were attacked, and only one survived.

The Night Shift is told using multiple points of view of three characters – Ella, Chris, and Sarah. Ella was the survivor of the first attack. She is now a therapist and is called to the hospital to talk with the newest survivor. She is forced to recall a time that she would rather forget. Chris is the brother of the suspect in the 1999 murders. He is now a public defender and believes his brother was innocent. Sarah is the FBI agent assigned to the recent case, and looking for a connection between the two crimes. She’s eight months pregnant, so she’s supposed to be on the sidelines, but she doesn’t shy away from the action.

With well-developed characters and a clever plot, The Night Shift makes for a compelling read. This is an addictive and twisty novel, great for fans of mystery thrillers.

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

Books by Alex Finlay:

1. Every Last Fear
2. The Night Shift

BOOK INFO

Title: A Flicker in the Dark

Author: Stacy Willingham

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Publish Date: January 11, 2022

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

When Chloe Davis was twelve, six teenage girls went missing in her small Louisiana town. By the end of the summer, her own father had confessed to the crimes and was put away for life, leaving Chloe and the rest of her family to grapple with the truth and try to move forward while dealing with the aftermath.

Now twenty years later, Chloe is a psychologist in Baton Rouge and getting ready for her wedding. While she finally has a fragile grasp on the happiness she’s worked so hard to achieve, she sometimes feels as out of control of her own life as the troubled teens who are her patients. So when a local teenage girl goes missing, and then another, that terrifying summer comes crashing back. Is she paranoid, seeing parallels from her past that aren’t actually there, or for the second time in her life, is Chloe about to unmask a killer?

MY REVIEW

When Chloe Davis was twelve years old, her father was convicted for killing six teenage girls. Twenty years later, teenage girls are being killed, and Chloe suspects there is a connection with her father.

Chloe had a traumatic childhood, but has worked to overcome her difficult past. She is a psychologist with her own practice, she’s planning her wedding, and has the support of her fiancé  and her brother. Unfortunately, she also self-medicates, which makes her a bit unreliable as a narrator. When teenage girls start missing again, Chloe is unsure if there is a connection with her father, or if it’s all unrelated and in her imagination.

A Flicker in the Dark is a gripping debut novel. Flawed characters and an atmospheric setting in this twisty thriller. I look forward to reading more by this author.

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

Books by Stacy Willingham:

1. A Flicker in the Dark

BOOK INFO

Title: The Necklace

Author: Matt Witten

Publisher: Oceanview Publishing

Publish Date: September 7, 2021

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

The clock ticks down in a heart-pounding crusade for justice

Susan Lentigo’s daughter was murdered twenty years ago—and now, at long last, this small-town waitress sets out on a road trip all the way from Upstate New York to North Dakota to witness the killer’s execution.

On her journey she discovers shocking new evidence that leads her to suspect the condemned man is innocent—and the real killer is still free. Even worse, her prime suspect has a young daughter who’s at terrible risk. With no money and no time to spare, Susan sets out to uncover the truth before an innocent man gets executed and another little girl is killed.

But the FBI refuses to reopen the case. They—and Susan’s own mother—believe she’s just having an emotional breakdown. Reaching deep, Susan finds an inner strength she never knew she had. With the help of two unlikely allies—a cynical, defiant teenage girl and the retired cop who made the original arrest—Susan battles the FBI to put the real killer behind bars. Will she win justice for the condemned man—and her daughter—at last?

MY REVIEW

Susan’s daughter was murdered years ago, and now it’s time for the killer’s execution. While traveling to the execution, she starts to consider the condemned man was not the killer. Others seem to believe Susan is having an emotional breakdown, so she looks for evidence to prove she’s right.

The Necklace is a mystery thriller. A mother is grieving her daughter, who was murder as a child twenty years earlier. This makes for an emotional read with disturbing subject matter. Susan misses her daughter, and wants the guilty man to suffer for killing her child. However, she starts to realize someone else may have killed her daughter. She’s emotional though, so it’s hard to get anyone to believe her.

A dark and intense mystery. Mystery readers who enjoy Karin Slaughter and Lisa Gardner are likely to enjoy The Necklace.

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

Books by Matt Witten:

1. The Necklace
2. Killer Story

BOOK INFO

Title: The Perfect Family

Author: Robyn Harding

Publisher: Gallery Books

Publish Date: August 10, 2021

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Thomas and Viv Adler are the envy of their neighbors: attractive, successful, with well-mannered children and a beautifully restored home.

Until one morning, when they wake up to find their porch has been pelted with eggs. It’s a prank, Thomas insists; the work of a few out-of-control kids. But when a smoke bomb is tossed on their front lawn, and their car’s tires are punctured, the family begins to worry. Surveillance cameras show nothing but grainy images of shadowy figures in hoodies. And the police dismiss the attacks, insisting they’re just the work of bored teenagers. Unable to identify the perpetrators, the Adlers are helpless as the assaults escalate into violence, and worse. And each new violation brings with it a growing fear. Because everyone in the Adler family is keeping a secret—not just from the outside world, but from each other. And secrets can be very dangerous….

This twisty, addictively page-turning suspense novel about a perfect family’s perfect façade will keep you turning pages until its explosive ending.

MY REVIEW

The Adler’s home is egged one night. At first it appears to be a prank, but more attacks occur, and they become more frightening. The Adler family seem to have everything anyone could want. Unfortunately, not all is as it appears. The Adlers are all all hiding something.

The Perfect Family is told using multiple points of view – mother, father, son, and daughter. Each family member has something happening in their life of which their family is unaware.

An intriguing mystery with drama and suspense. Fans of Robyn Harding’s other books are sure to enjoy this novel.

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

Books by Robyn Harding:

1. The Party
2. Her Pretty Face
3. The Arrangement
4. The Swap
5. The Perfect Family
6. The Drowning Woman
7. The Haters