BOOK INFO

Title: Sister of Mine

Author: Laurie Petrou

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Publish Date: August 7, 2018

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Sisters, like secrets, are best kept close.

Sisters, like secrets, are best kept close.

Penny and Hattie, orphaned sisters in a small town, are best friends, bound together to the point of knots. But Penny, at the mercy of her brutal husband, is desperate for a fresh start. Willing to do anything for her older sister, Hattie agrees to help. A match is struck and a fire burns Penny’s marriage to the ground. With her husband gone, Penny is free, and the sisters, it seems, get away with murder. But freedom comes at a cost.

More than a year after the fire, a charming young man comes to town. Hattie and Penny quickly bring him into the fold and into their hearts but their love for him threatens the delicate balance. Soon long-held resentments, sibling rivalry, and debts unpaid boil over, and the bonds of sisterhood begin to snap. As one little lie grows into the next, the sisters’ secrets will unravel, eroding their lives until only a single, horrible truth remains: You owe me.

A compelling novel of suspense from a talented new voice, Sister of Mine asks us to consider the bonds of family, what it takes to commit the unthinkable, and how far you’ll go to protect the ones you love.

MY REVIEW

Penny and Hattie are sisters who have always relied on each other. As an adult, Penny finds herself in a troubled marriage with an abusive husband. When an unlit cigarette results in a tragic fire, the sisters are bound together more than before. To complicate matters, a new man enters the sisters lives and the detective working the arson is doubtful it was an accident.

Sister of Mine is an intriguing story of two sisters. The characters are well-developed and have a very complex relationship. While they are close and love one another, they also are each other’s biggest secret keepers. The family drama is enhanced with mystery as the sisters protect one another following the questionable fire.

Sister of Mine is a tragic and haunting novel. Great for fans of suspenseful family dramas.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, in exchange for an honest review.

Books by Laurie Petrou:

1. Sister of Mine
2. Love, Heather
3. Stargazer

BOOK INFO

Title: Something in the Water

Author: Catherine Steadman

Publisher: Ballantine

Publish Date: June 5, 2018

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

If you could make one simple choice that would change your life forever, would you?

Erin is a documentary filmmaker on the brink of a professional breakthrough, Mark a handsome investment banker with big plans. Passionately in love, they embark on a dream honeymoon to the tropical island of Bora Bora, where they enjoy the sun, the sand, and each other. Then, while scuba diving in the crystal blue sea, they find something in the water. . . .

Could the life of your dreams be the stuff of nightmares?

Suddenly the newlyweds must make a dangerous choice: to speak out or to protect their secret. After all, if no one else knows, who would be hurt? Their decision will trigger a devastating chain of events. . . .

Have you ever wondered how long it takes to dig a grave?

Wonder no longer. Catherine Steadman’s enthralling voice shines throughout this spellbinding debut novel. With piercing insight and fascinating twists, Something in the Water challenges the reader to confront the hopes we desperately cling to, the ideals we’re tempted to abandon, and the perfect lies we tell ourselves.

MY REVIEW

Erin is a documentary filmmaker. Mark is a banker. They are happy and in love, planning their upcoming wedding. While on their honeymoon in Bora Bora, they find a mysterious bag in the water. The contents of the bag forever change their relationship.

Something in the Water is told from Erin’s viewpoint. She and Mark seem to have everything going for them, but things get very complicated during and after their honeymoon. The characters are mostly likable and believable. A slow build up that is intriguing and suspenseful.

Something in the Water is a page-turning psychological thriller. Great for fans of domestic thrillers with a strong female protagonist.

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

Books by Catherine Steadman:

1. Something in the Water
2. Mr. Nobody
3. The Disappearing Act
4. The Family Game
5. Look in the Mirror

BOOK INFO

Title: Bring Me Back

Author: B.A. Paris

Publisher: St. Martin

Publish Date: June 19, 2018

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

She went missing. He moved on. A whole world of secrets remained—until now.

Finn and Layla are young, in love, and on vacation. They’re driving along the highway when Finn decides to stop at a service station to use the restroom. He hops out of the car, locks the doors behind him, and goes inside. When he returns Layla is gone—never to be seen again. That is the story Finn told to the police. But it is not the whole story.

Ten years later Finn is engaged to Layla’s sister, Ellen. Their shared grief over what happened to Layla drew them close and now they intend to remain together. Still, there’s something about Ellen that Finn has never fully understood. His heart wants to believe that she is the one for him…even though a sixth sense tells him not to trust her.

Then, not long before he and Ellen are to be married, Finn gets a phone call. Someone from his past has seen Layla—hiding in plain sight. There are other odd occurrences: Long-lost items from Layla’s past that keep turning up around Finn and Ellen’s house. Emails from strangers who seem to know too much. Secret messages, clues, warnings. If Layla is alive—and on Finn’s trail—what does she want? And how much does she know?

A tour de force of psychological suspense, Bring Me Back will have you questioning everything and everyone until its stunning climax.

MY REVIEW

While driving through France, Finn and Layla stop so he can go to the restroom. When he returns to the car, Layla is gone. She is never seen again. Twelve years later, Finn is happy and engaged to Ellen, Layla’s sister. Mysterious messages start to arrive, and they seem to be from Layla.

Bring Me Back is told through alternating time periods – before Layla went missing and after. About halfway through, the narration also alternates between characters. The story has plenty of suspense to keep the reader interested, but I was not a fan of the characters. I never connected to them, and, ultimately, they felt a bit flat.

Psychological thriller. Unreliable narrators. Twisty ending.

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

Books by B.A. Paris:

1. Behind Closed Doors
2. The Breakdown
3. Bring Me Back
4. The Dilemma
5. The Therapist
6. The Prisoner
7. The Mosquito
8. The Guest
9. When I Kill You

BOOK INFO

Title: Jar of Hearts

Author: Jennifer Hillier

Publisher: Minotaur

Publish Date: June 12, 2018

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

This is the story of three best friends: one who was murdered, one who went to prison, and one who’s been searching for the truth all these years . . .

When she was sixteen years old, Angela Wong—one of the most popular girls in school—disappeared without a trace. Nobody ever suspected that her best friend, Georgina Shaw, now an executive and rising star at her Seattle pharmaceutical company, was involved in any way. Certainly not Kaiser Brody, who was close with both girls back in high school.

But fourteen years later, Angela Wong’s remains are discovered in the woods near Geo’s childhood home. And Kaiser—now a detective with Seattle PD—finally learns the truth: Angela was a victim of Calvin James. The same Calvin James who murdered at least three other women.

To the authorities, Calvin is a serial killer. But to Geo, he’s something else entirely. Back in high school, Calvin was Geo’s first love. Turbulent and often volatile, their relationship bordered on obsession from the moment they met right up until the night Angela was killed.

For fourteen years, Geo knew what happened to Angela and told no one. For fourteen years, she carried the secret of Angela’s death until Geo was arrested and sent to prison.

While everyone thinks they finally know the truth, there are dark secrets buried deep. And what happened that fateful night is more complex and more chilling than anyone really knows. Now the obsessive past catches up with the deadly present when new bodies begin to turn up, killed in the exact same manner as Angela Wong.

How far will someone go to bury her secrets and hide her grief? How long can you get away with a lie? How long can you live with it? Find out in Jennifer Hillier’s Jar of Hearts.

MY REVIEW

Georgina, known as Geo to her friends, is 30 years old and living a successful life with a bright future, when she is arrested for helping cover up a murder that occurred 14 years earlier. Her best friend went missing in high school and was never found. Now, her remains have been found and Geo’s high school boyfriend is arrested. To complicate matters, the detective working the case was Geo’s other best friend in high school. Geo is arrested for helping cover up the murder and sent to prison. She does her time and is soon to be released. When murders resembling those of her best friend’s start occurring, Geo is pulled into the case.

The story is told from Geo’s point of view. Geo is smart and strong. She has secrets from her past that no one knows and they slowly unfold through the story. She recalls her high school years through flashbacks, remembering her friendships and her involvement in her friend’s death. Geo’s life after her friend’s remains are found is also told, covering Geo’s time in prison and her adjustment to life after prison.

While the characters aren’t exactly likable, they are well written and make for a compelling story. An intense and twisted thriller. This was a fast paced read that I couldn’t put down.

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

Books by Jennifer Hillier:

1. Creep
2. Freak
3. The Butcher
4. Wonderland
5. Jar of Hearts
6. Little Secrets
7. Things We Do in the Dark

BOOK INFO

Title: The Flight Attendant

Author: Chris Bohjalian

Publisher: Doubleday

Publish Date: March 13, 2018

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

Cassandra Bowden is no stranger to hungover mornings. She’s a binge drinker, her job with the airline making it easy to find adventure, and the occasional blackouts seem to be inevitable. She lives with them, and the accompanying self-loathing. When she awakes in a Dubai hotel room, she tries to piece the previous night back together, counting the minutes until she has to catch her crew shuttle to the airport. She quietly slides out of bed, careful not to aggravate her already pounding head, and looks at the man she spent the night with. She sees his dark hair. His utter stillness. And blood, a slick, still wet pool on the crisp white sheets. Afraid to call the police—she’s a single woman alone in a hotel room far from home—Cassie begins to lie. She lies as she joins the other flight attendants and pilots in the van. She lies on the way to Paris as she works the first class cabin. She lies to the FBI agents in New York who meet her at the gate. Soon it’s too late to come clean-or face the truth about what really happened back in Dubai. Could she have killed him? If not, who did?

Set amid the captivating world of those whose lives unfold at forty thousand feet, The Flight Attendant unveils a spellbinding story of memory, of the giddy pleasures of alcohol and the devastating consequences of addiction, and of murder far from home.

MY REVIEW

Cassie, a flight attendant, is working on a flight to Dubai when she meets Alex. They flirt on the flight, and spend the night together in Dubai. When Cassie wakes the next morning, Alex is dead. She has no recollection of him being killed. She has two options, call the police or leave.

The Flight Attendant story is told from Cassie’s point of view, with occasional chapters from the mysterious Elena. Cassie is a self-loathing, black-out drunk. She wasn’t really likable, and her decision making was sometimes frustratingly bizarre.

The Flight Attendant is a well-written suspense with a slow build. We know what happened to Alex very early in the book. Like, chapter two. What we don’t know is how things will play out with Cassie.

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

Books by Chris Bohjalian:

1. The Guest Room
2. The Sleepwalker
3. The Flight Attendant
4. The Red Lotus
5. Hour of the Witch
6. The Lioness
7. The Princess of Las Vegas

BOOK INFO

Title: The Last Mrs. Parrish

Author: Liv Constantine

Publisher: Harper

Publish Date: October 17, 2017

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

Amber Patterson is fed up. She’s tired of being a nobody: a plain, invisible woman who blends into the background. She deserves more—a life of money and power like the one blond-haired, blue-eyed goddess Daphne Parrish takes for granted.

To everyone in the exclusive town of Bishops Harbor, Connecticut, Daphne—a socialite and philanthropist—and her real-estate mogul husband, Jackson, are a couple straight out of a fairy tale.

Amber’s envy could eat her alive . . . if she didn’t have a plan. Amber uses Daphne’s compassion and caring to insinuate herself into the family’s life—the first step in a meticulous scheme to undermine her. Before long, Amber is Daphne’s closest confidante, traveling to Europe with the Parrishes and their lovely young daughters, and growing closer to Jackson. But a skeleton from her past may undermine everything that Amber has worked towards, and if it is discovered, her well-laid plan may fall to pieces. 

With shocking turns and dark secrets that will keep you guessing until the very end, The Last Mrs. Parrish is a fresh, juicy, and utterly addictive thriller from a diabolically imaginative talent.

MY REVIEW

Amber is a manipulative woman who wants to change her life. She focuses on Daphne Parrish and her husband, Jackson. Daphne has the perfect life, and everything that Amber desires. Amber insinuates herself in the Parrish’s lives, but nothing is as perfect as it seems.

The Last Mrs. Parrish is divided into three parts: part one is Amber’s viewpoint, part two is Daphne’s viewpoint, and part three is the conclusion. Part one was long and had a slow build up. Part two was more exciting. Part three was excessive.

I enjoyed this story, but the book was too long. A slow buildup is fine, but some things were repetitive, and part three could have been edited down to be more succinct and powerful.

The Last Mrs. Parrish is a complex, twisty psychological thriller. Good for fans of The Wife Between Us and The Secrets She Keeps.

Books in the Mrs. Parrish series:

1. The First Shot
2. The Last Mrs. Parrish
3. The Next Mrs. Parrish