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She befriended the one woman she was never supposed to meet. Now she’s the key suspect in her disappearance. For fans of The Perfect Mother and The Wife Between Us comes a gripping psychological suspense debut about two strangers, one incredible connection, and the steep price of obsession.

Lana Stone has never considered herself a stalker–until the night she impulsively follows a familiar face through the streets of New York’s Upper West Side. Her target? The “anonymous” egg donor she’d selected through an agency, the one who’s making motherhood possible for her. Hungry to learn more about her, Lana plans only to watch her from a distance. But when circumstances bring them face-to-face, an unexpected friendship is born.

Katya, a student at Columbia, is the yin to Lana’s yang, an impulsive free spirit who lives life at the edge. And for pragmatic Lana, she’s a breath of fresh air and a welcome distraction from her painful breakup with her baby’s father. Then, just as suddenly as Katya entered Lana’s life, she disappears–and Lana might have been the last person to see her before she went missing. Determined to find out what became of the woman to whom she owes so much, Lana digs into Katya’s past, even as the police grow suspicious of her motives. But she’s unprepared for the secrets she unearths, and their power to change everything she thought she knew about those she loves best…

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MY REVIEW

Lana and Tyler want a baby, but they have been unable to conceive. Soon after making the decision to use an egg donor, their relationship hits a rough patch. After their break-up, Lana sees a familiar face… the egg donor, Katya. Wanting to know more about the donor, Lana follows Katya, and the two end up hitting it off. Soon after their friendship gets started, Katya disappears. Lana may have been the last person to see Katya, and she becomes a suspect in her disappearance. Wanting to find the truth about what happened to Katya, Lana delves deeper into Katya’s life.

Told with alternating points of view – Lana and Katya. Both women are unreliable narrators. It’s clear from the beginning that Lana is hiding something from Katya, but it’s not clear what Katya is up to. Add in Tyler, and the story gets more complex.

Her Daughter’s Mother is a well done thriller. Lana and Katya both have stories to tell. Though I couldn’t really relate to either character, I was invested in the story and curious how it would end. Her Daughter’s Mother is a compelling novel of mystery and suspense. Full of secrets and lies, Her Mother’s Daughter kept me up late reading. Fantastic debut novel.

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

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From the author of the international bestseller Our House, a new novel of twisty domestic suspense asks, “Could you hate your neighbor enough to plot to kill him?” 

Lowland Way is the suburban dream. The houses are beautiful, the neighbors get along, and the kids play together on weekends. 

But when Darren and Jodie move into the house on the corner, they donʼt follow the rules. They blast music at all hours, begin an unsightly renovation, and run a used-car business from their yard. It doesn’t take long for an all-out war to start brewing.

Then, early one Saturday, a horrific death shocks the street. As police search for witnesses, accusations start flying—and everyone has something to hide.

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MY REVIEW

A nice suburban neighborhood gets some new residents. The new neighbors are a disruption, and everyone seems to dislike them. When a shocking death occurs, the neighbors all seem to have something to hide.

Told with alternating points of view, where the various neighbors give their version of events. The story is told partly in flashback, with the police interviewing the neighbors and everyone recalling the events leading up to the suspicious death.

I enjoyed the premise, but was never fully drawn into the story. The relationships between the neighbors, and the reactions to the new neighbors, were intriguing but not as dramatic as I would have liked. Unfortunately, everyone was unlikable, not just “those people”. It was cleverly written, but I found it a little too predictable.

Those People is a slow-burning psychological thriller. Good for fans of Louise Candlish and domestic suspense. I preferred Our House over this one, but they are similar reads.

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

Books by Louise Candlish:

1. The Swimming Pool
2. Our House
3. Those People
4. The Other Passenger
5. The Heights
6. The Only Suspect

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A brilliant, edgy thriller about four strangers, a blizzard, a kidnapped child, and a determined young woman desperate to unmask and outwit a vicious psychopath.

A kidnapped little girl locked in a stranger’s van. No help for miles. What would you do?

On her way to Utah to see her dying mother, college student Darby Thorne gets caught in a fierce blizzard in the mountains of Colorado. With the roads impassable, she’s forced to wait out the storm at a remote highway rest stop. Inside are some vending machines, a coffee maker, and four complete strangers.

Desperate to find a signal to call home, Darby goes back out into the storm . . . and makes a horrifying discovery. In the back of the van parked next to her car, a little girl is locked in an animal crate.

Who is the child? Why has she been taken? And how can Darby save her?

There is no cell phone reception, no telephone, and no way out. One of her fellow travelers is a kidnapper. But which one?

Trapped in an increasingly dangerous situation, with a child’s life and her own on the line, Darby must find a way to break the girl out of the van and escape.

But who can she trust?

With exquisitely controlled pacing, Taylor Adams diabolically ratchets up the tension with every page. Full of terrifying twists and hairpin turns, No Exit will have you on the edge of your seat and leave you breathless.

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MY REVIEW

Darby is driving home to see her dying mother when she gets caught in a blizzard. Having to exit the road, Darby pulls into a rest area to wait out the storm. Inside the building are some vending machines, restrooms, and four strangers. Darby needs to contact her family, but there is no cell reception. When she wanders outside trying to get a signal, she makes a horrifying discovery. In the van parked next to her is a little girl in a cage. With no cell reception and no way to contact anyone for help, Darby must decide what to do.

No Exit is an intriguing and suspenseful novel. Darby stumbles across something that is clearly not right, but she’s not sure what to do. She knows she needs to find out who the girl is and why she’s locked in a cage. Beyond that, she must discover which of the strangers is behind it. How to find everything out without drawing attention to herself is the trick.

This reads almost like a closed room mystery. It’s not a closed room, instead it’s a rest area that no one can leave due to weather. With no outside contact, Darby is left with only her wits to save the little girl.

No Exit is an exciting thriller with interesting characters and an amazing atmosphere. My only complaint has to do with the ending… so, I won’t post it to keep this spoiler free. Otherwise, this is a top-notch thriller. Complex, gripping, and binge-worthy.

Books by Taylor Adams:

1. Eyeshot
2. Our Last Night
3. No Exit
4. Hairpin Bridge

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Everyone thinks fourteen-year-old Violet is a murderer. After a summer-night swim with her best friend, Ainsley, Violet is found confused, wandering in the forest—and Ainsley’s never seen again. But without a body, murder charges won’t stick, so Violet is sent away.

After more than a decade in a psychiatric ward, Violet returns to her broken-down hometown of Normal, Alabama, to claim her dead mother’s inheritance and help her overworked sister care for their unstable, alcoholic father. Violet, still haunted by that night eleven years ago, endures horrific flashbacks and twisted hallucinations while townsfolk spit accusations—and for all she knows, they’re right.

As the summer heats up, details of Ainsley’s fate appear like a beast’s wild eyes, watching in the darkness, and grim revelations about Violet’s family threaten to devour her. Already on the edge of madness, Violet must fight to keep her sanity long enough for the terrible truth to burst from the cold, dark waters.

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MY REVIEW

Violet returns to Normal, Alabama after 11 years away. She returns to claim her inheritance from her deceased mother’s estate and help her sister take care of their ailing father. Violet left town after her friend Ainsley went missing. The locals believe Violet killed Ainsley, and now with Violet’s return home, they believe the truth will finally be revealed.

When Violet was 14 years old, she and Ainsley met up for a late night swim. That night, Violet was found confused and wandering the woods. Ainsley was never found. Violet has been in a psychiatric facility ever since. Violet doesn’t remember the events of that night, but the locals believe she got away with murder. Coinciding with Violet’s return home is the draining of the lake where Ainsley went missing. With speculation being that Ainsley’s body may finally be found, Violet is haunted by her past and the occasional flashback of what happened that night.

Cold Waters is partly mystery about what happened to Ainsley and partly family drama. There is a lot of drama happening in Violet’s life. She and her sister are not on good terms. Her father health is failing and his behavior is odd. Violet was close to her mother, but her mother’s death has left her feeling alone. Also, Violet is not welcomed back into town with open arms.

Cold Waters started off as a good story, but I was not feeling it by the end. It starts with a protagonist with no memory of the night that forever changed her life and a small community ready to turn on her. An unreliable narrator and a cast of unlikable characters always peaks my interest. Unfortunately, it didn’t hold my interest at the end of the book. In the end, everything is wrapped up, but I was let down in how it was handled.

Books in the Normal, Alabama series:

1. Cold Waters
2. Scorched Grounds

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A woman’s unsolved family history comes back to haunt her in an eerie, old, isolated manor in the Scottish Highlands.

Ailsa Calder has inherited half of a house. The other half belongs to a man who disappeared from her life without a trace twenty-seven years ago—her father.

Leaving London behind to settle the inheritance, Ailsa returns to her childhood home, nestled amongst the craggy peaks of the Scottish Highlands, joined by the half-sister who’s almost a stranger to her.

Ailsa can’t escape the claustrophobic feeling that the house itself is watching her—as if her past hungers to consume her. She also can’t ignore how the neighborhood animals refuse to set one foot within the gates of the garden.

When the first nighttime intruder shows up and the locals in the isolated community pry into her plans for the manor, Ailsa becomes terrified that the mysteries surrounding the beautiful old home will cost her everything.

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MY REVIEW

Alisa Calder inherited an old Scottish manor from her mother’s estate, but she really only owns half of it. Her father, who disappeared 27 years earlier, owns the other half. With no way to sell or rent the manor, Alisa moves in. She doesn’t relocate alone though, her half-sister, who she doesn’t know well, moves with her.

During her childhood, Alisa lived in the home with her parents, but it’s been so long, she doesn’t feel much of a connection to the local village or the people. The locals remember the Calder family, though not all memories are that favorable. Alisa deals with her present situation, but is also faced with memories from her past… specifically, her father’s disappearance.

While staying in the manor, Alisa encounters a few strange things. In addition, Alisa sometimes questions herself on what is real. This combination makes for a suspenseful and somewhat eerie read.

The Missing Years is slow-building story with intriguing characters. In fact, the home itself is developed as a character rather than a setting. An interesting and complex novel.

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

Books by Lexie Elliott:

1. The French Girl
2. The Missing Years
3. How to Kill Your Best Friend

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An impossible-to-put-down domestic thriller about secrets and revenge, told from the perspectives of a husband and wife who are the most perfect, and the most dangerous, match for each other. 

Paul and Rebecca are drowning as the passion that first ignited their love has morphed into duplicitous secrecy, threatening to end their marriage, freedom, and sanity. Rebecca, in the throes of opioid addiction, uncovers not only her husband’s affair but also his plan to build a new life with the other woman. Spiraling desperately, she concocts a devious plot of her own—one that could destroy absolutely everything.

The Woman Inside is a shockingly twisty story of deceit, an unforgettable portrait of a marriage imploding from within, and a cautionary tale about how love can morph into something far more sinister. It’s a novel about how people grow apart and how those closest to us can be harboring the most shocking of secrets.

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MY REVIEW

Paul and Rebecca have been married for twenty years. Their marriage has hit a rocky patch, and both of them are keeping secrets.

The Woman Inside is told with the alternating viewpoints of Paul and Rebecca. Rebecca is addicted to opiates, making her somewhat unreliable as a narrator. Paul has secrets of his own, including an affair that doesn’t end well. Two manipulative characters that were so unlikable it was hard to care too much with how things turned out for them.

The Woman Inside has two main points of view, but also includes a few other POV as the story progresses. The combination of multiple POVs and timelines (before, after, and now) made for a convoluted read. I enjoyed the twistiness of this domestic thriller, but it was not as intriguing as other recent novels.

Crazy mistress. Drug addicted wife. Suspicious husband. A fast-paced and entertaining psychological thriller.

Books by E.G. Scott:

1. The Woman Inside
2. The Rule of Three