Mystery Thriller Archives – Page 7 of 14

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

Posted on December 30, 2022January 16, 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: Cold Fear

Author: Brandon Webb and John David Mann

Publisher: Bantam

Publish Date: June 7, 2022

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: Finn Thrillers #2

My Rating: 4/5

Cold Fear by Brandon Webb and John David Mann

BOOK BLURB

Disgraced Navy SEAL Finn is on the run. A wanted man since he jumped ship from the USS Abraham Lincoln, he’s sought for questioning in connection to war crimes committed in Yemen by a rogue element in his SEAL team. But his memory of that night—as well as the true fate of his mentor and only friend, Lieutenant Kennedy—is a gaping hole.

Finn learns that three members of his team have been quietly redeployed to Iceland, which is a puzzle in itself; the tiny island nation is famous for being one of the most peaceful, crime-free places on the planet.

His mission is simple: track down the three corrupt SEALs and find out what really happened that night in Yemen. But two problems stand in his way. On his first night in town a young woman mysteriously drowns—and a local detective suspects Finn’s involvement. What’s worse, a SEAL-turned-contract-killer with skills equal to Finn’s own has been hired to make sure he never gets the answers he’s looking for. And he’s followed Finn all the way to the icy north.

MY REVIEW

Disgraced Navy SEAL Finn is on the run. He is wanted for events that happened on a botched mission in Yemen. Events that he can’t completely remember. Three members of his team were sent to Iceland, so Finn heads there to get information. While Finn is looking for those SEALs, someone else is looking for Finn.

The characters are well-developed and interesting. Cold Fear is told using the points of views of Finn, Krista, and Boone. Finn is looking for answers. Krista is a detective in Iceland working on a murder case. Boone is a contract killer after Finn.

This is the second book in the Finn Thrillers series. While Cold Fear can be read as a standalone, I recommend starting with the first book, Steel Fear.

Cold Fear is an exciting thriller with plenty of action.

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:

Steel Fear
Cold Fear
Blind Fear

Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone [Book Review]

Posted on December 30, 2022January 16, 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: Two Nights in Lisbon

Author: Chris Pavone

Publisher: MCD

Publish Date: May 24, 2022

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

You think you know a person . . .

Ariel Pryce wakes up in Lisbon, alone. Her husband is gone—no warning, no note, not answering his phone. Something is wrong.

She starts with hotel security, then the police, then the American embassy, at each confronting questions she can’t fully answer: What exactly is John doing in Lisbon? Why would he drag her along on his business trip? Who would want to harm him? And why does Ariel know so little about her new—much younger—husband?

The clock is ticking. Ariel is increasingly frustrated and desperate, running out of time, and the one person in the world who can help is the one person she least wants to ask.

MY REVIEW

Ariel and her husband, John, travel to Lisbon on one of his business trips. One morning, Ariel wakes up, and her husband is gone. She contacts local authorities, but she is unable to answer some of their questions. When Ariel gets a ransom demand for John, she has to come up with the money, and that means turning to someone she was hoping to never have contact with again.

Two Nights in Lisbon has a complex and multilayered plot that took time to build. The twists and turns were unexpected, which is always enjoyable. A good read for fans of tense and suspenseful thrillers.

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

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak [Book Review]

Posted on December 30, 2022January 16, 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: Hidden Pictures

Author: Jason Rekulak

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Publish Date: May 10, 2022

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

Mallory Quinn is fresh out of rehab when she takes a job as a babysitter for Ted and Caroline Maxwell. She is to look after their five-year-old son, Teddy.

Mallory immediately loves it. She has her own living space, goes out for nightly runs, and has the stability she craves. And she sincerely bonds with Teddy, a sweet, shy boy who is never without his sketchbook and pencil. His drawings are the usual fare: trees, rabbits, balloons. But one day, he draws something different: a man in a forest, dragging a woman’s lifeless body.

Then, Teddy’s artwork becomes increasingly sinister, and his stick figures quickly evolve into lifelike sketches well beyond the ability of any five-year-old. Mallory begins to wonder if these are glimpses of a long-unsolved murder, perhaps relayed by a supernatural force.

Knowing just how crazy it all sounds, Mallory nevertheless sets out to decipher the images and save Teddy before it’s too late.

MY REVIEW

Mallory is looking for a fresh start. She’s just out of rehab and gets a job as a live-in nanny for a couple and their five-year-old, Teddy. At first, things are great, but then Teddy starts to draw creepy images. Mallory starts to suspect the drawings may have something to do with an unsolved murder.

Hidden Pictures starts strong. The story was intriguing and I was enjoying the characters. Halfway into the book, things took a turn. The story got wilder and more unbelievable. Overall, it was an entertaining read, but not as thrilling as I had hoped.

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

First Born by Will Dean [Book Review]

Posted on December 30, 2022January 16, 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: First Born

Author: Will Dean

Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books

Publish Date: July 5, 2022

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Sisters. Soulmates. Strangers.

Molly Raven lives a quiet, structured life in London, finding comfort in security and routine. Her identical twin Katie, living in New York, is the exact opposite: outgoing, spontaneous, and adventurous.

But when Molly hears that Katie has died, possibly murdered, she is thrown into unfamiliar territory. As terrifying as it is, she knows she must travel across the ocean and find out what happened. But as she tracks her twin’s final movements, cracks begin to emerge, and she slowly realizes her sister was not who she thought she was and there’s a dangerous web of deceit surrounding the two of them.

MY REVIEW

Twin sisters with opposite personalities. Molly lives a life of quiet and security in London. Katie lives a life of spontaneity and adventure in New York City. When Molly learns that Katie has died, and it may have been murder, she takes off for New York to uncover what happened to her sister.

First Born is told from Molly’s point of view. She is analytical and paranoid. At first, I found her eccentricities tiring, but they eventually grew on me. The characters, setting, and story are all a bit dramatic. As the story progresses, it grows more twisted and wild.

First Born is an intense and suspenseful thriller. Recommended for fans of thrillers with complex stories and surprising twists.

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

Books by Will Dean:

The Last Thing to Burn
First Born
The Last One
The Chamber

Dark Circles by Caite Dolan-Leach [Book Review]

Posted on December 30, 2022January 16, 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: 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.

The Lying Club by Annie Ward [Book Review]

Posted on December 29, 2022January 16, 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 Lying Club

Author: Annie Ward

Publisher: Park Row

Publish Date: March 22, 2022

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

A tangled web of lies draws together three women in this explosive thriller of revenge, murder and shocking secrets

At an elite private school nestled in the Colorado mountains, Natalie, an office assistant, dreams of having a life like the school moms she deals with every day. Women like Brooke—a gorgeous heiress, ferociously loving mother and serial cheater—and Asha, an overprotective mom who suspects her husband of having an affair. Their fates are bound by the handsome assistant athletic director Nicholas, whom Natalie loves, Brooke wants and Asha needs.

But when two bodies are carried out of the school one morning, it seems the tension between mothers and daughters, rival lovers, and the haves and have-nots has shattered the surface of this isolated, affluent town—where people stop at nothing to get what they want.

MY REVIEW

The Lying Club is a slow-burning thriller set at an elite private school. Two bodies are found on campus, and what happened makes for a captivating mystery.

The Lying Club is told using alternating points of views and timelines. The viewpoints are from three women, Natalie, Brooke, and Asha. Natalie is the school’s office assistant. Brooke and Asha are mothers of teen girls at the school. All three women are a mess, but in different ways.

A mystery thriller full of drama, secrets, and lies. The Lying Club has unreliable and unlikable narrators, and complicated relationships. This novel kept me turning the pages to find out what really happened at the school.

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

Books by Annie Ward:

Beautiful Bad
The Lying Club

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James [Book Review]

Posted on December 29, 2022July 5, 2026 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 Book of Cold Cases

Author: Simone St. James

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: March 15, 2022

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James

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:

The Haunting of Maddy Clare
An Inquiry Into Love and Death
Silence for the Dead
The Other Side of Midnight
Lost Among the Living
The Broken Girls
The Sun Down Motel
The Book of Cold Cases
Murder Road
A Box Full of Dreams

One of Us Is Dead by Jeneva Rose [Book Review]

Posted on September 18, 2022January 16, 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 of Us Is Dead

Author: Jeneva Rose

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Publish Date: April 26, 2022

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

Opulence. Sex. Betrayal … Sometimes friendship can be deadly.

Meet the women of Buckhead—a place of expensive cars, huge houses, and competitive friendships.

Shannon was once the queen bee of Buckhead. But she’s been unceremoniously dumped by Bryce, her politician husband. When Bryce replaces her with a much younger woman, Shannon sets out to take revenge …

Crystal has stepped into Shannon’s old shoes. A young, innocent Texan girl, she simply has no idea what she’s up against …

Olivia has waited years to take Shannon’s crown as the unofficial queen of Buckhead. Finally, her moment has come. But to take her rightful place, she will need to use every backstabbing, manipulative, underhand trick in the book …

Jenny owns Glow, the most exclusive salon in town. Jenny knows all her clients’ secrets and darkest desires. But will she ever tell?

Who amongst these women will be clever enough to survive Buckhead—and who will wind up dead? They say that friendships can be complex, but no one said it could ever be this deadly.

MY REVIEW

A group of five women use secrets and lies to stay on top in their social circle. The relationships between these rich, competitive, and gossipy women are complex. With so many secrets and lies, it eventually leads to a murder.

One of Us is Dead is told using alternating points of view and an alternating timeline. The points of view are from five women – Jenny, Olivia, Karen, Crystal, and Shannon. The women are nosy, manipulative, and not very likable. However, that makes for an entertaining cast of characters. The timeline alternates between before the murder and after the murder.

A fun vacation read! One of Us is Dead is full of drama, chaos, and twists.

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

Books by Jeneva Rose:

The Perfect Marriage
One of Us Is Dead

The Night Shift by Alex Finlay [Book Review]

Posted on July 23, 2022January 16, 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 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:

Every Last Fear
The Night Shift

Beneath the Stairs by Jennifer Fawcett [Book Review]

Posted on June 1, 2022January 16, 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: Beneath the Stairs

Author: Jennifer Fawcett

Publisher: Atria Books

Publish Date: February 22, 2022

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

Few in sleepy Sumner’s Mills have stumbled across the Octagon House hidden deep in the woods. Even fewer are brave enough to trespass. A man had killed his wife and two young daughters there, a shocking, gruesome crime that the sleepy upstate New York town tried to bury. One summer night, an emboldened fourteen-year-old Clare and her best friend, Abby, ventured into the Octagon House. Clare came out, but a piece of Abby never did.

Twenty years later, an adult Clare receives word that Abby has attempted suicide at the Octagon House and now lies in a coma. With little to lose and still grieving after a personal tragedy, Clare returns to her roots to uncover the darkness responsible for Abby’s accident.

MY REVIEW

Two girls, Clare and Abby, entered a local house rumored to be haunted. Twenty years later, Abby has returned to the house to commit suicide. The house has effected many people over the years, and Clare returns to uncover the mystery of the house.

Beneath the Stairs is a debut novel that combines mystery thriller with paranormal elements. It is told primarily through Clare’s viewpoint and uses alternating timelines. This one took me a while to get into, but I ended up enjoying the story.

Beneath the Stairs is a slow-burning read for fans of mysteries and horror.

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

Books by Jennifer Fawcett

Beneath the Stairs

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham [Book Review]

Posted on March 20, 2022January 16, 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: 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

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

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:

A Flicker in the Dark

The Stowaway by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth [Book Review]

Posted on December 23, 2021January 16, 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 Stowaway

Author: James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publish Date: September 21, 2021

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

The Stowaway by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth

BOOK BLURB

Two years ago, Maria Fontana, the head of the Psychology Department at Columbia University, sat on a jury for one of the most depraved cases ever to pass through the hallowed halls of City Hall. Wyatt Butler, an antique watch restorer and alleged serial killer, was portrayed in the courtroom as a brutal monster. But Maria had to make the tough choice. In good conscience, she couldn’t convict him based purely on circumstantial evidence, and her deciding vote set Wyatt Butler free. The media soon outed her as the lone juror and her successful and quaint life was turned upside down. The victims of Wyatt’s ritualistic killings never forgave her either.

Now, she and her family have decided to take a vacation to get away from everything: a two-week-long transatlantic cruise. Nothing, and nobody should be able to bother her there. With her two twins and her fiancé Steve, she is set to put the past behind her as soon as the ship leaves port. But when a passenger mysteriously disappears, Maria is left to wonder if maybe this was no coincidence. When another passenger is discovered brutally murdered in a similar way to Butler’s ritualistic MO, the ship goes on lockdown.

Maria, one of only twelve people in the world with intimate knowledge of the case, faces a perilous ticking clock. Is it a copycat? Or is she trapped on board with the bloodthirsty maniac she chose to set free?

MY REVIEW

Maria served on a jury for an alleged serial killer. She decided to vote not guilty, and it created some challenges in her life. She became the target of threats, and wants to get away for a while. She and her boyfriend and two kids go on a cruise. Soon a murder occurs, and Maria has to figure out if it’s the killer she set free or a copycat.

The Stowaway is a fast-paced plot driven thriller. Gruesome crimes against children make for a difficult read. Intriguing story that kept me interested in how it would end.

The Stowaway is a disturbing and twisty thriller. Fans of serial killer mysteries are likely to enjoy this one.

I received a digital copy of this book from Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.