BOOK INFO

Title: The End of Her

Author: Shari Lapena

Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books

Publish Date: July 28, 2020

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 5/5

BOOK BLURB

A long-ago accident–and a visitor from out of the blue. . .

Stephanie and Patrick are adjusting to life with their colicky twin girls. The babies are a handful, but even as Stephanie struggles with the disorientation of sleep deprivation, there’s one thing she’s sure of: she has all she ever wanted.

Then Erica, a woman from Patrick’s past, appears and makes a disturbing accusation. Patrick had always said his first wife’s death was an accident, but now Erica claims it was murder.

Patrick insists he’s innocent, that this is nothing but a blackmail attempt. Still, Erica knows things about Patrick–things that make Stephanie begin to question her husband. Stephanie isn’t sure what, or who, to believe. As Stephanie’s trust in Patrick begins to falter, Patrick stands to lose everything. Is Patrick telling the truth–is Erica the persuasive liar Patrick says she is? Or has Stephanie made a terrible mistake?

How will it end?

MY REVIEW

Stephanie and Patrick are a married couple struggling with being new parents. A woman from Patrick’s past appears, and starts raising questions about the death of Patrick’s first wife. Patrick fears the questioning will raise doubts about him and destroy his family and his career. Stephanie believes Patrick when he says it was an accidental death, but she starts to suspect there is more to the story.

Told using multiple points of view. There are a lot of characters, but the main characters are Stephanie, Patrick, and Erica. Erica is the woman from Patrick’s past. She says he killed his first wife. Patrick says it was a tragic accident. Stephanie believes her husband. In addition to these characters, there are several other characters and subplots. These include Niall (Patrick’s business partner), Nancy (Niall’s wife), Hanna (Stephanie and Patrick’s neighbor), and Cheryl (mother of Devin). There are connections between the different people and events, but some things could have been left out. With so much going on, it did seem a little chaotic at times.

The End of Her is a gripping domestic suspense with secrets, betrayals, and unlikable characters. Fast and fun read with plenty of twists.

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

Books by Shari Lapena:

1. The Couple Next Door
2. A Stranger in the House
3. An Unwanted Guest
4. Someone We Know
5. The End of Her
6. Not a Happy Family
7. Everyone Here Is Lying

BOOK INFO

Title: The Vacation

Author: T.M. Logan

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Publish Date: July 21, 2020

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

It was supposed to be the perfect getaway: Kate and her three best friends, spending a week with their families in a luxurious villa in the south of France. Through the decades they’ve stayed closer than ever, and seven days of drinking crisp French wine and laying out under the dazzling Mediterranean sun is the perfect celebration of their friendship. But soon after arriving, Kate discovers an incriminating text on her husband’s cell phone.

A text revealing that he’s having an affair.

And that the other woman is one of her best friends.

But which one?

Trapped in paradise with no one to trust, Kate is determined to find out who has put her marriage—and a lifelong friendship—in jeopardy. But as she closes in on the truth, she realizes that the stakes are higher than she ever imagined. Everyone on the trip has secrets…and someone may be prepared to kill to keep theirs hidden.

MY REVIEW

A group of friends go on a vacation with their families. One of the women suspects her husband is having an affair with one of her friends.

The friends – Kate, Rowan, Jennifer, and Izzy – have known each other since college. The trip is to celebrate the women turning 40 that year. Kate is married to Sean and they have a teenage daughter and 9-year-old son, Rowan is married to Russ and they have a 5-year-old daughter, Jennifer is married to Alistair and they have two teenage sons, and Izzy is single with no children. They all have very different family dynamics.

Various points of view are used in The Vacation, but the main POV is Kate. Soon after arriving at the villa in France, Kate sees an incriminating text on her husband’s phone. She thinks he’s having an affair with one of her friends, but she has no idea which one. She soon realizes all of her friends seem to be hiding something. As their week together passes by, the tension between families and friends grows.

The Vacation is a slow-burning domestic thriller. This is an enjoyable read for fans of slower paced thrillers with lots of drama. Fantastic summer thriller. This book was also published under the title The Holiday.

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

Books by T.M. Logan:

1. Lies
2. 29 Seconds
3. The Vacation
4. The Catch
5. Trust Me
6. The Curfew
7. The Mother
8. The Dream Home

BOOK INFO

Title: Stranger in the Lake

Author: Kimberly Belle

Publisher: Park Row

Publish Date: June 9, 2020

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 3/5

BOOK BLURB

Charlotte didn’t know her greatest risk was saying, “I do.”

When Charlotte married the wealthy widower Paul, it caused a ripple of gossip in their small lakeside town. They have a charmed life together, despite the cruel whispers about her humble past and his first marriage. But everything starts to unravel when she discovers a young woman’s body floating in the exact same spot where Paul’s first wife tragically drowned.

At first, it seems like a horrific coincidence, but the stranger in the lake is no stranger. Charlotte saw Paul talking to her the day before, even though Paul tells the police he’s never met the woman. His lie exposes cracks in their fragile new marriage, cracks Charlotte is determined to keep from breaking them in two.

As Charlotte uncovers dark mysteries about the man she married, she doesn’t know what to trust—her heart, which knows Paul to be a good man, or her growing suspicion that there’s something he’s hiding in the water.

MY REVIEW

Charlotte discovers a woman’s body in the lake. It brings up questions about Charlotte’s husband’s first wife, who drowned in the same lake. It seems like an unfortunate coincidence, but Charlotte soon realizes the woman isn’t really a stranger. Charlotte is no longer sure who she can trust, but she suspects the recent drowning was not an accident.

Alternating points of view tell the story in two timelines. The current timeline is from Charlotte, and deals with the drama in her marriage to Paul and the mysterious drowning of the stranger. The other point of view is Jax, a friend of Paul. Jax’s story takes place in 1999, and involves Paul and their friend Micah. The men are still in contact with one another, and Charlotte is unsure about Jax.

A slow-burning psychological thriller. This one moved a little too slowly for me, but I enjoyed the twists. A good read for fans of Kimberly Belle and domestic thrillers.

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

Books by Kimberly Belle:

1. The Last Breath
2. The Ones We Trust
3. The Marriage Lie
4. Three Days Missing
5. Dear Wife
6. Stranger in the Lake
7. My Darling Husband
8. The Personal Assistant

BOOK INFO

Title: What Lies Between Us

Author: John Marrs

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Publish Date: May 15, 2020

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Nina can never forgive Maggie for what she did. And she can never let her leave.

They say every house has its secrets, and the house that Maggie and Nina have shared for so long is no different. Except that these secrets are not buried in the past.

Every other night, Maggie and Nina have dinner together. When they are finished, Nina helps Maggie back to her room in the attic, and into the heavy chain that keeps her there. Because Maggie has done things to Nina that can’t ever be forgiven, and now she is paying the price.

But there are many things about the past that Nina doesn’t know, and Maggie is going to keep it that way—even if it kills her.

Because in this house, the truth is more dangerous than lies.

MY REVIEW

Nina keeps Maggie locked away in the attic. The reasons for their dysfunctional relationship are slowly revealed using alternating points of view and flashbacks.

A complicated and disturbed relationship between a mother and daughter. Maggie and Nina are intriguing characters. Both women have kept secrets from one another for many years. The revealing of secrets was well-paced and kept the suspense up.

What Lies Between Us is a wild and twisted domestic thriller. This book had me turning the pages late into the night. A fun and fast-paced read for fans of psychological thrillers.

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

Books by John Marrs:

1. When You Disappeared
2. Welcome To Wherever You Are
3. The One
4. The Good Samaritan
5. Her Last Move
6. The Passengers
7. What Lies Between Us
8. The Minders

BOOK INFO

Title: Little Secrets

Author: Jennifer Hillier

Publisher: Minotaur

Publish Date: April 21, 2020

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating: 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Overwhelmed by tragedy, a woman desperately tries to save her marriage in award-winning author Jennifer Hillier’s Little Secrets, a riveting novel of psychological suspense.

All it takes to unravel a life is one little secret…

Marin had the perfect life. Married to her college sweetheart, she owns a chain of upscale hair salons, and Derek runs his own company. They’re admired in their community and are a loving family—until their world falls apart the day their son Sebastian is taken.

A year later, Marin is a shadow of herself. The FBI search has gone cold. The publicity has faded. She and her husband rarely speak. She hires a P.I. to pick up where the police left off, but instead of finding Sebastian, she learns that Derek is having an affair with a younger woman. This discovery sparks Marin back to life. She’s lost her son; she’s not about to lose her husband, too. Kenzie is an enemy with a face, which means this is a problem Marin can fix.

Permanently.

MY REVIEW

Marin has a happy life, until her son is kidnapped. A year has gone by, and there are no new leads on the case. Marin hires a PI to find her son, but instead, the PI learns Marin’s husband is having an affair. This prompts Marin to learn what her husband has been up, and potentially, find out what happened to her son.

Marin is depressed and lost after her son’s kidnapping. It happened so quickly, and there are no real leads on the case. When she finds out her husband is having an affair, she now has a real enemy to go after. Marin seems a little unstable, but the people in her life are not that trustworthy either. Not knowing who to trust makes for an intriguing read.

Little Secrets is a dark and complex story. The main character is living a parent’s worst nightmare. A compelling psychological thriller that kept me turning the pages. Gripping, suspenseful, and twisted.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss 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: Darling Rose Gold

Author: Stephanie Wrobel

Publisher: Berkley

Publish Date: March 17, 2020

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Series: na

My Rating 4/5

BOOK BLURB

Mothers never forget. Daughters never forgive.

For the first eighteen years of her life, Rose Gold Watts believed she was seriously ill. She was allergic to everything, used a wheelchair and practically lived at the hospital. Neighbors did all they could, holding fundraisers and offering shoulders to cry on, but no matter how many doctors, tests, or surgeries, no one could figure out what was wrong with Rose Gold.

Turns out her mom, Patty Watts, was just a really good liar.

After serving five years in prison, Patty gets out with nowhere to go and begs her daughter to take her in. The entire community is shocked when Rose Gold says yes.

Patty insists all she wants is to reconcile their differences. She says she’s forgiven Rose Gold for turning her in and testifying against her. But Rose Gold knows her mother. Patty Watts always settles a score.

Unfortunately for Patty, Rose Gold is no longer her weak little darling…

And she’s waited such a long time for her mother to come home.

MY REVIEW

Rose Gold was raised by her mother, Patty, and she was seriously ill her whole life. Doctors could never figure out what was wrong with her, and Rose Gold eventually discovered that her mother was behind her illnesses. Patty went to prison, but it’s time for her release. She doesn’t have anywhere to go, and Rose Gold agrees to take her in. They say they forgive one another, but both have twisted plans.

Rose Gold was always weak due to her illnesses and missed out on experiences due to her controlling mother. Patty appeared to be a pillar of the community, and seemed a doting mother. Turns out, she secretly abused Rose Gold her entire life. Rose Gold was 18 years old when she testified against Patty in court. It’s a surprise when Rose Gold picks Patty up from prison when she is released 5 years later, and even more surprising that she lets Patty move in with her. Rose Gold is now a single mother herself, and doesn’t quite trust Patty with her two-month-old son.

Told with the alternating points of view of Rose Gold and Patty. Both are unreliable narrators, and make for unlikable characters. In fact, even the secondary characters are unlikable. It makes for an entertaining read, and one that kept me turning the pages late into the night.

A psychological thriller about a twisted mother-daughter relationship. Clever, dark, and gripping.

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