Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead by Jenny Hollander

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: February 6th, 2024

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Horror, Suspense, Adult, Contemporary, Psychological Thriller

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

What if everything you know about the worst night of your life turns out not to be true?

Nine years ago, with the world’s eyes on her, Charlie Colbert fled. The press and the police called Charlie a “witness” to the nightmarish events at her elite graduate school on Christmas Eve—events known to the public as “Scarlet Christmas”—though Charlie knows she was much more than that.

Now, Charlie has meticulously rebuilt her life: She’s the editor-in-chief of a major magazine, engaged to the golden child of the publishing industry, and hell-bent on never, ever letting her guard down again. But when a buzzy film made by one of Charlie’s former classmates threatens to shatter everything she’s worked for, Charlie realizes how much she’s changed in nine years. Now, she’s not going to let anything—not even the people she once loved most—get in her way.

First Line:

Everyone who was there, or pretends they were there, says the same thing: the tabloids got it wrong.
Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead by Jenny Hollander

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: Medium but does pick up to fast towards the end of the book. After the twist, it falls back to medium again.

POV: 1st person (told from Charlie’s POV in both past and present)

Trigger Warnings: There are scenes involving mental Illness (on page), murder (on and off page), alcohol (on and off page), suicidal thoughts (off page), violence (on page), blood (on page), grief (on and off page), injury and injury detail (on page), child death (off page), death (on and off page), drug use (on page for one scene and never mentioned again), self harm (on page), toxic relationship (on and off page), stalking (off and on page), and toxic friendship (on and off page). If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book.

Language: Moderate swearing is used in Skater Boy. There is also language used that could be offensive to some people.

Setting: Everyone Who Can Forgive Now Is Dead is set mainly in New York City. There is a brief scene in Nantucket when Charlie tries on wedding dresses. Charlie also remembers growing up in England.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Charlie Cobert had lived through a horrific Christmas Eve massacre at her exclusive graduate school. Dubbed “Scarlet Christmas,” several of Charlie’s friends were killed that night. Charlie herself could not remember the events up to the massacre and the actual massacre itself. Determined to lose the victim label the press gave her, Charlie slowly got her life back. Now, nine years after those events, she is the editor-in-chief of a major magazine and is engaged to the heir of a huge publishing company. But, when the twin sister of her best friend (who was killed in the massacre) decides to make a film about that night, Charlie starts to unravel. What exactly happened that night? What isn’t Charlie remembering? Will it take Charlie completely falling apart to remember?

Characters:

The main character in Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead is Charlie. I am going to say this upfront: Charlie is not a reliable narrator. Let me repeat this louder for those in the back: CHARLIE IS NOT A RELIABLE NARRATOR.

I didn’t like Charlie, but I felt terrible for her. The trauma she experienced shaped her into the neurotic woman that is portrayed in the book. She kept people, including her fiancee, at arm’s length. She refused to discuss anything to do with that night with anyone. Hell, she even went as far as to get plastic surgery to change what she looked like. So, I wasn’t surprised when she began to spiral. When she started remembering the truth of that night, it broke her. It would have broken me, too.

The secondary characters weren’t as fleshed out as I would have liked them to be. They did add some extra depth to the storyline but that was it.

My review:

The main storyline in the book is split between Now (present-day) and Then (the months leading up to the massacre). The author also includes news articles about the massacre as buffers between the chapters. I was skipping over the articles until I realized that they did hold information in them. So, don’t skip them. You will miss out on stuff.

I wasn’t a fan of the dual storylines. Dual storylines and I have a love/hate relationship. Done right, they are lovely and done wrong, well, they suck. Thankfully, the author did them right in this book. There is a correlation between what Charlie was going through in the present day and what she experienced leading up to the murders. It made the transition between storylines easy, and I didn’t get lost when switching over.

As I stated above, Charlie is an unreliable narrator. Her memories of events leading up to the Scarlet Christmas were skewed. There were holes in them because of her drinking (minor spoiler: she is a blackout drunk). But, as the storyline went on, and the more Charlie’s therapy sessions uncovered the truth, I did begin to wonder if I was getting the whole, unvarnished truth. And now that I have finished the book, I still wonder that.

The mystery/thriller/suspense angle was well written. The author did a great job of building up what was going on with Charlie in the present and what was going on with her in the past. There is also a massive twist in the back half of the book that I did not see coming. Usually, there is a hint, a whisper of things to come, but not in this book. It came out of nowhere and surprised me.

The end of Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead was interesting but not what I thought. I can only get into a little about what happened without spoilers, but I liked what I read. But, it was almost anti-climatic after everything that was revealed.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Jenny Hollander for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead, then you will enjoy these books:

Suggested Playlist (feel free to add songs or remove songs)

“Runaway” – Aurora
“All I Want” – Kodaline
“Breathe Me” – Sia
“Holocene” – Bon Iver
“The Night We Met” – Lord Huron
“Bleeding Out” – Imagine Dragons
“Youth” – Daughter
“Hurt” – Johnny Cash
“Wish You Were Here” – Pink Floyd
“Fix You” – Coldplay
“Demons” – Imagine Dragons
“Someone You Loved” – Lewis Capaldi

The Tainted Cup (Shadow of the Leviathan: Book 1) by Robert Jackson Bennett

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey

Date of publication: February 6th, 2024

Genre: Fantasy, Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Adult, Thriller, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Queer

Series: Shadow of the Leviathan

The Tainted Cup—Book 1

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | Kobo | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

A Holmes and Watson-style detective duo take the stage in this fantasy with a mystery twist, from the Edgar-winning, multiple Hugo-nominated Robert Jackson Bennett

In Daretana’s greatest mansion, a high imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree erupted from his body. Even here at the Empire’s borders, where contagions abound and the blood of the leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death both terrifying and impossible.

Assigned to investigate is Ana Dolabra, a detective whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities. Rumor has it that she wears a blindfold at all times, and that she can solve impossible cases without even stepping outside the walls of her home.

At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol, magically altered in ways that make him the perfect aide to Ana’s brilliance. Din is at turns scandalized, perplexed, and utterly infuriated by his new superior—but as the case unfolds and he watches Ana’s mind leap from one startling deduction to the next, he must admit that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.

As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.

By an “endlessly inventive” (Vulture) author with a “wicked sense of humor” (NPR), The Tainted Cup mixes the charms of detective fiction with brilliant world-building to deliver a fiendishly clever mystery that’s at once instantly recognizable and thrillingly new.

First Line:

The walls of the estate emerged from the morning fog before me, long and dark and rounded like the skin of some beached sea creature.
The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: Medium but does increase to fast during crucial scenes.

POV: 1st person (told from Dinios Kol’s POV)

Series: The Tainted Cup is the first book in the Shadow of the Leviathan series.

Trigger Warnings: There are scenes of body horror, murder, death, gore, violence, injury and injury details, animal death, classism, chronic illness, medical content, death of a parent (off page), fire and fire injury, gaslighting, alcohol, pandemic/endemic, ableism, blood, war, bullying, genocide, physical abuse, grief, vomit, and drug use. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book.

Language: There is moderate swearing in The Tainted Cup. There is also language used that could be offensive to some people.

Setting: The Tainted Cup is set in and around the city of Talagray in the country of Tala.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

When a high imperial officer is murdered by a tree erupting from his body, Investigator Ana Dolabra is called in to investigate. Instead, she sends her assistant, Dinios Kol (magically altered to take in and remember everything), to assess the crime scene. But, the murder of the imperial officer soon isn’t the only one. People of all classes are dying of trees erupting from their bodies. Called back to Talagray, Ana and Din are soon embroiled in an investigation that takes them from the front lines of a battle against sea leviathans to the gentry folk who run the city. With the death toll mounting, Ana and Din are in a race against the clock to find out who is killing these people and why. But the answers that they uncover will shock them.

Characters:

The main characters in The Tainted Cup are Ana Dolabra and Dinios Kol (Din). Several secondary characters regularly appear, but the author keeps Ana and Din as the book’s main focus. I found them interesting. I was fascinated with Din’s magical alteration—he can remember and recall anything he has heard, read, or seen (also called a Sublime). The deeper into the book I got, the author revealed more about both Din and Ana. I also loved the relationship that they had. It was one of mutual respect which shone the most at the end of the book.

The secondary characters were interesting, adding extra depth and insight to the storyline. I will warn everyone, though, that the author is not very attached to his secondary characters and does kill a bunch off. So keep that in mind when reading, and don’t get too attached to the secondary characters.

My review:

I was excited when I checked my email and saw I had gotten a widget for The Tainted Cup. I loved the author’s Foundryside series and wanted to know when he would publish a new book. In the past, I have been disappointed by books that I get my hopes up for, and because of that, I temper my excitement a little. But, once I got reading, I allowed my inner fantasy geek to scream with joy. Why? Because this book was excellent!!!

The storyline of The Tainted Cup was very intriguing. It starts with a gruesome murder and takes off after that. The author kept the murder (and soon, murders) in my focus. The storyline is very complex and has a ton of layers to it. Once one layer was peeled back, another was there. That multilayering of the storyline added to my enjoyment of it.

The mystery angle of The Tainted Cup was excellent. Not only did I not see who the killers (there were two) were, but I did not expect the book to go in the direction it did. That twist at the end threw me and turned everything upside down. And guess what, I loved it!!

The fantasy angle was terrific, too. I had questions about the sea monsters and why they were trying to get further inland. The author never explained it, but the explanation should appear in upcoming books. I am also sure it is something super simple (breeding grounds/intelligent creatures/who knows).

The end of The Tainted Cup was interesting. Again, the twist took me completely by surprise. The author did wrap up the murder storyline in a way that left me satisfied. But he left so much more open, and I look forward to seeing how he expands upon them in upcoming books.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey, NetGalley, and Robert Jackson Bennett for allowing me to read and review this ARC of The Tainted Cup. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Tainted Cup, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Robert Jackson Bennett

The Ghost Orchid (Alex Delaware: Book 39) by Jonathan Kellerman

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books

Date of publication: February 6th, 2024

Genre: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Suspense, Thriller, Crime, Psychological Thriller

Series: Alex Delaware

When the Bough Breaks—Book 1

Blood Test—Book 2

Over the Edge—Book 3

Silent Partner—Book 4

Time Bomb—Book 5

Private Eyes—Book 6

Devil’s Waltz—Book 7

Bad Love—Book 8

Self-Defense—Book 9

The Web—Book 10

The Clinic—Book 11

Survival of the Fittest—Book 12

Monster—Book 13

Dr. Death—Book 14

Flesh and Blood—Book 15

The Murder Book—Book 16

A Cold Heart—Book 17

Therapy—Book 18

Rage—Book 19

Gone—Book 20

Obsession—Book 21

Compulsion—Book 22

Bones—Book 23

Evidence—Book 24

Deception—Book 25

Mystery—Book 26

Victims—Book 27

Guilt—Book 28

Killer—Book 29

Motive—Book 30

Breakdown—Book 31

Heartbreak Hotel—Book 32

Night Moves—Book 33

The Wedding Guest—Book 34

The Museum of Desire—Book 35

Serpentine—Book 36

City of the Dead—Book 37

Unnatural History—Book 38

The Ghost Orchid—Book 39

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Psychologist Alex Delaware and Detective Milo Sturgis are faced with their most perplexing case yet when a double homicide investigation leads them to stolen identities and long-buried secrets worth killing for in this riveting thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author.

Los Angeles is a city of reinvention. Many come to start anew, to strike it big. Many kill the person they once were, the person they left behind. And in turn, someone else can turn around and kill them, too—permanently.

A housekeeper enters a secluded, upscale home and discovers two bodies floating in the The heir of an Italian shoe empire and an unknown woman. The house is untouched, but a “double” in Bel Air certainly makes this case stand out from the usual.

No forced entry means this could have been an inside job. After all, the woman floating in the pool is revealed to be Meagin March, a married neighbor from down the street, who lives in an even more opulent and sprawling mansion. Married woman having an affair? That’s a perfect motive.

But not everything is as it seems. At her wedding, Meagin had no family and a tip from Meagin’s mother-in-law raises their suspicions. Who was she, exactly?

Learning the truth about this mysterious woman—uncovering her identity and motivations—will take Alex and Milo on one of the most shocking journeys of their careers.

First Line

Nearly getting killed can change your life in interesting ways.
The Ghost Orchid by Jonathan Kellerman

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: Fast and stays fast throughout the book.

POV: 1st person (told from Alex Delaware’s POV)

Series: The Ghost Orchid is the 39th book in the Alex Delaware series. Readers can read The Ghost Orchid as a standalone book. But I suggest reading the previous 38 books to understand the relationships and backgrounds of people in the book.

Trigger Warnings: There are scenes of poverty, slut-shaming, incest (off page), rape (off page), sexual assault (off page), sex-worker shaming, child abuse (off page), domestic abuse & violence (off page), foster care, sex addiction (off page), blood depiction, dead bodies, gun violence, stalking, and cheating. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book.

Language: There is moderate swearing in The Ghost Orchid. There is also language used that could be offensive to some people.

Setting: The Ghost Orchid is set in and around Los Angeles, California.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Four months after almost being killed helping his best friend, Milo, on a case, Alex Delaware is bored. So, when Milo calls and asks if Alex could meet him at a crime scene, Alex immediately accepts. Milo needs Alex’s insights to understand who could have killed two people in a Beverly Hills neighborhood.

But, when Milo starts digging into the woman victim’s background, he finds a mystery. The woman has no past and didn’t exist until a year before she married over a year ago. A painting of a ghost orchid by the victim is a tantalizing clue about who she was. It is up to Alex and Milo to unravel her past to find her (and her lover’s) killer. Can they untangle a past full of lies and stolen identities? Will they discover her killer before he strikes again?

Characters:

The main characters of The Ghost Orchid are Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis. These are well-established, well-rounded characters who had great chemistry together. But the author did something different at the end of the last book and the beginning of this book. He had Alex almost get killed at the end of the last book and was forced to take a break for four months. And during that time, Milo and Alex grew apart. Milo had extreme guilt over Alex’s near-death experience and injuries. That kept him from visiting and, at one point, even talking to Alex. It was interesting to see them be so awkward with each other and to watch them reform their bond.

I enjoyed the extra depth that the secondary characters brought to the storyline. I liked that the author brought back characters from previous books. It made the book feel more fleshed out to me.

My review:

The storyline of The Ghost Orchid is centered around the murder, the female victim’s identity and past, and the relationship (both personal and professional) between Alex and Milo. I loved how the author kept the storyline minimal initially and then slowly added information. It made for a compelling and exciting read.

The mystery angle of The Ghost Orchid was well written. I liked how the author almost casually dropped clues about the female victim’s identity (both past and present). He also included what seemed to be two random murders and tied them to her in ways that I honestly didn’t expect. There is a twist at the end of the book that did take me by surprise. It shouldn’t have (considering what Milo and Alex discovered in the last half of the book). It also saddened me and just reaffirmed my belief that people are awful.

The end of The Ghost Orchid was interesting. I liked how Milo and Alex wrapped up the case. As I said above, it did sadden me because of what the female victim went through in her life and the lengths she went through to distance herself from everything. I hope there will be a book 40; if there is, I can’t wait to read it.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books, NetGalley, and Jonathan Kellerman for allowing me to read and review this ARC of The Ghost Orchid. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Ghost Orchid, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Jonathan Kellerman

Only If You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: January 16th, 2024

Genre: Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Adult, Suspense, Crime, Adult Fiction

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Lucy Sharpe is larger than life. Magnetic, addictive. Bold and dangerous. Especially for Margot, who meets Lucy at the end of their freshman year at a liberal arts college in South Carolina. Margot is the shy one, the careful one, always the sidekick and never the center of attention. But when Lucy singles her out at the end of the year, a year Margot spent studying and playing it safe, and asks her to room together, something in Margot can’t say no—something daring, or starved, or maybe even envious.

And so Margot finds herself living in an off-campus house with three other girls, Lucy, the ringleader; Sloane, the sarcastic one; and Nicole, the nice one, the three of them opposites but also deeply intertwined. It’s a year that finds Margot finally coming out of the shell she’s been in since the end of high school, when her best friend Eliza died three weeks after graduation. Margot and Lucy have become the closest of friends, but by the middle of their sophomore year, one of the fraternity boys from the house next door has been brutally murdered… and Lucy Sharpe is missing without a trace.

A tantalizing thriller about the nature of friendship and belonging, about loyalty, envy, and betrayal—another gripping novel from an author quickly becoming the gold standard in psychological suspense.

First Line:

One day we were strangers and the next we were friends. That’s usually how it works with girls.
Only If You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: Only If You’re Lucky had a medium-fast pace.

POV: Only If You’re Lucky is told from Margot’s 1st person POV.

Trigger/Content Warning: Only If You’re Lucky has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

Death
Grief
Murder
Toxic Friendship
Infidelity
Vomit
Alcohol
Drug Use
Stalking
Gaslighting
Animal Death
Domestic Abuse
Eating Disorder
Emotional Abuse
Misogyny
Rape
Toxic Relationship
Injury/Injury Detail
Mental Illness
Physical Abuse
Sexual Assault
Violence
Blood

Sexual Content: There is moderate sexual content in Only If You’re Lucky.

Language: here is moderate swearing in Only If You’re Lucky. There is also language used that might make some readers uncomfortable or offend them.

Setting: Only If You’re Lucky is set in and around the college town of Rutledge, South Carolina. There are also some scenes set in The Outer Banks.

Age Range: I recommend Only If You’re Lucky to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

When her best friend, Eliza, dies three weeks after graduation, Margot can barely function. She spends her freshman year hiding in her dorm, studying and playing it safe. That is until Lucy Sharpe bursts into Margot’s life. Loud, brash, and magnetic, Lucy demands attention wherever she goes. And for some reason, Lucy has honed in on Margot as a friend. Before she knows it, Margot starts coming out of her shell. Soon, she is best friends with Lucy and moves into the house Lucy rented with two other girls. But, things start to unravel when a member of the fraternity (who owns the house and shares a backyard) is murdered at the end of a week of pledging. Soon after, Lucy goes missing. What does Margot know? Why was the frat boy killed? Why did Lucy go missing? And who was Lucy?

Main Characters:

The main characters in Only If You’re Lucky are Margot and Lucy. I will offer advice about Margot (since the book is told from her POV): She is a very unreliable narrator. I couldn’t tell, throughout the book, if she was holding back the truth on certain things or just lying. Her grief (and guilt) over Eliza’s death colored her view of certain events and people.

Lucy, on the other hand, was an enigma. She was a whirlwind of activity and seemed to have her hand in everything. I was surprised by her background when it was revealed. But, in a way, it did make sense.

My review:

Only If You’re Lucky is the second book I have read by Stacy Willingham, and it has cemented her as a favorite for me in this genre. I enjoyed reading this book and was utterly surprised at the twists (and yes, there are several) that the author reveals at the end of the book.

The main storyline centers around Margot, her grief over Eliza’s death, her flashbacks to the events leading up to Eliza’s death, Lucy, and the events leading up to and past Lucy’s disappearance. The storyline was well-written and did keep me on my feet. The layers that it had was excellent. Once I peeled back one layer, the author revealed another.

The thriller/suspense angle of Only If You’re Lucky was terrific. The author didn’t hesitate to throw Margot into the thick of things when she started living with Lucy. There was a point where I did think that maybe she was a little crazy (because of her intense dislike of Levi). Let’s remember the twists. Those twists made the book. I figured out one, but the others took me completely by surprise. Like, my mouth dropped, and me saying, “No freaking way,” surprised.

The author switches back and forth between the present day (during the police investigation into Lucy’s disappearance) and the events leading up to everything. I found it a whirlwind, but it worked. The author kept those two storylines apart until the end, when she merged them. And the way she combined them was pretty crafty.

The end of Only If You’re Lucky was terrific. I was surprised by the things that were revealed about Lucy and Margot. Things I didn’t even see coming and that I, like Margot, thought Levi did. I was also surprised at the very end events of the book, where the author explained Lucy’s disappearance. And that was the biggest surprise of them all.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Stacy Willingham for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Only If You’re Lucky. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Only If You’re Lucky, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Stacy Willingham:

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: January 9th, 2024

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Adult, Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Gothic

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge mountains. In the aftermath of her death, that estate—along with a nine-figure fortune and the complicated legacy of being a McTavish—pass to her adopted son, Camden.

But to everyone’s surprise, Cam wants little to do with the house or the money—and even less to do with the surviving McTavishes. Instead, he rejects his inheritance, settling into a normal life as an English teacher in Colorado and marrying Jules, a woman just as eager to escape her own messy past.

Ten years later, Camden is a McTavish in name only, but a summons in the wake of his uncle’s death brings him and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but coming home reminds Cam why he was so quick to leave in the first place.

Jules, however, has other ideas, and the more she learns about Cam’s estranged family—and the twisted secrets they keep—the more determined she is for her husband to claim everything Ruby once intended for him to have.

But Ruby’s plans were always more complicated than they appeared. As Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Camden, questions about the infamous heiress come to light. Was there any truth to the persistent rumors following her disappearance as a girl? What really happened to those four husbands, who all died under mysterious circumstances? And why did she adopt Cam in the first place? Soon, Jules and Cam realize that an inheritance can entail far more than what’s written in a will—and that the bonds of family stretch far beyond the grave.

First Line:

There should be some kind of warning when your life is about to change forever.
The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: The pace of The Heiress is fast.

POV: The Heiress is told from two POVs. It is told from 1st person POV through Jules and Camden’s chapters and 2nd person POV through Ruby’s letters to an unknown person. There are also snippets told from newspaper/magazine articles.

Trigger/Content Warning: The Heiress has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

Murder
Domestic Abuse
Death
Suicide
Kidnapping
Death of a parent
Classism
Alcoholism
Gun Violence
Physical Abuse
Toxic Relationship
Violence
Injury/Injury Detail
Bullying
Grief
Pregnancy
Child Abuse
Blood
Grief
Fire/Fire Injury
Gaslighting
Abandonment
Alcohol
Adoption
Anxiety & Anxiety Attacks
Boating Accident
Electrocution
Poisoning

Sexual Content: There is mild and implied sexual content in The Heiress.

Language: There is moderate swearing in The Heiress. There is also language that could be triggering to some people and considered offensive.

Setting: The Heiress is set in Tavistock, North Carolina. Some chapters are also in Denver, Colorado, Paris, and South Carolina.

Age Range: I recommend The Heiress to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

When his adoptive mother died, Camden McTavish became her sole heir, which angered his great-aunt, uncle, and cousins. But, to their surprise, he refused to do anything with the money, the house, or the town where he grew up. That all changes when he finds out that his uncle has died, and his cousin emails him and asks him to come home. With the support of his wife, Jules, Cam goes home. There, he is reminded of exactly why he left ten years earlier.

Jules, Cam’s wife, has her own mysterious and messy past that she must deal with. She is also determined for him to claim the inheritance he rejected. As she gets to know his cousins and great-aunt and uncovers secrets they would rather keep buried, Jules becomes even more determined for Cam to claim the inheritance. But Jules’s secrets and her past threaten her plan and her marriage.

On the other hand, Ruby remains the mysterious woman she was while alive. But her secrets threaten to be exposed by her nephew, great-nephew, and great-niece. What are these secrets, and how do they connect to Cam and Jules? Will Cam keep Ruby’s deepest secret? Will Jules’s past and secrets destroy her marriage? Will Ruby’s relatives get her inheritance?

Main Characters:

The main characters of The Heiress are Ruby, Cam, and Jules. These characters were either battling echoes of their pasts, were deeply flawed, or had secrets they could and would not let come out. They were each well-written and well-fleshed out.

My favorite character in the book was Ruby. The letters she wrote, explaining the situation around her kidnapping, the deaths of her four husbands, and her relationships with her family and Cam, were tabloid-worthy. She was smart, proved by how she made money and other things I can’t mention because of spoilers.

The secondary characters did flush out an already great storyline. I couldn’t stand them, but I could understand where they were coming from. Except for the hatred of Cam. That baffled me because he was the only true innocent (well, up until Ruby’s death) in this book.

My review:

I can’t even express how excited I was to read this book. Rachel Hawkins has been on my radar since I reviewed The Villa. So, when I saw The Heiress start showing up on blogs, I knew I wanted to read it. And when St. Martin’s Press sent me the widget, I was over the freaking moon. Now that I have read The Heiress, Rachel Hawkins has become one of my favorite authors.

There are two storylines in The Heiress. One takes place in the present day and features Cam, Jules, Cam’s family, and why Cam came back. The other storyline is letters Ruby wrote that explain everything from her kidnapping to events right before her death. Those two storylines were intertwined but kept separate (if that makes sense). They came together at the end of the book in a way that I didn’t see coming. It was a huge twist that surprised the heck out of me.

The mystery angle of the book was interesting. The author was upfront with everything that had happened (with Ruby) and what was going on (with Cam, Jules, and the family). It was unconventional, but I liked it. I saw everything with Ruby unfold as Cam dealt with the house and his treacherous relatives. A couple of twists in both storylines took me by surprise. One involved who the letters were to (and no, it is not who you think it is), and the other involved the events at the end of the book and what Cam and Jules did afterward.

I do want to mention Jules’s mystery. The author was sneaky about slipping Jules’s past and secrets into the storyline. I was surprised (but nothing like what I said in the above paragraph). But it did explain why Jules was so gung-ho about restoring the house and staying in North Carolina.

The end of The Heiress was jaw-dropping. The author revealed things that I did not see coming. Events also happened that I did not see coming. It was chaotic, and you know what, it suited the book perfectly. Of course, there was the colossal bombshell dropped about Ruby. I liked how the book ended when the dust settled from everything. The author wrapped everything up nicely.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Rachel Hawkins for allowing me to read and review this ARC of The Heiress. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Heiress, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Rachel Hawkins

Northwoods by Amy Pease

Publisher: Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books

Date of publication: January 9th, 2024

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Crime, Family,. Suspense, Adult Fiction, Mental Health, Adult

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | Kobo | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

The dark underbelly of an idyllic Midwestern resort town is revealed in the aftermath of a murder with ties to America’s opioid epidemic in this unputdownable and thrilling debut. William Kent Krueger, and Mindy Mejia.

Eli North is not okay.

His drinking is getting worse by the day, his emotional wounds after a deployment to Afghanistan are as raw as ever, his marriage and career are over, and the only job he can hold down is with the local sheriff’s department. And that’s only because the sheriff is his mother—and she’s overwhelmed with small town Shaky Lake’s dwindling budget and the fallout from the opioid epidemic. The Northwoods of Wisconsin may be a vacationer’s paradise, but amidst the fishing trips and campfires and Paul Bunyan festivals, something sinister is taking shape.

When the body of a teenage boy is found in the lake, it sets in motion an investigation that leads Eli to a wealthy enclave with a violent past, a pharmaceutical salesman, and a missing teenage girl. Soon, Eli and his mother, along with a young FBI agent, are on the hunt for more than just a killer.

If Eli solves the case, could he finally get the shot at redemption he so desperately needs? Or will answers to this dark case elude him and continue to bring destruction to the Northwoods?

First Line:

Eli North stripped off his clothes and waded into the water.
Northwoods by Amy Pease

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: Northwoods‘ pace is medium.

POV: Northwoods is told mainly from Eli’s 3rd person POV. But, there are also 3rd person POVs from Marge, Alyssa, and Cal. There is one heartbreaking scene from Ben and Caitlin’s POV (the day of Ben’s murder).

Trigger/Content Warning: Northwoods have trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

Gun Violence
Alcoholism
War
Addiction
Drug Abuse
Mental Illness
Panic attacks/Disorders
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Suicidal Thoughts
Blood
Kidnapping
Grief
Death of a parent
Murder
Alcohol
Injury/Injury Detail
Classism
Domestic Abuse (not on page but mentioned to Eli by his mother)
Death
Drug Use
Toxic Relationship
Medical Content
Medical Trauma
Suicide Attempt
Amnesia & Memory Disorders (Eli cannot remember what happened after he entered the hallway of a house he entered in Afghanistan)
Depression
Hospitalization
Car Accident
Knife Violence

Sexual Content: There is no sexual content in Northwoods.

Language: There is moderate to explicit swearing in Northwoods. The language used could also be considered offensive to readers who are triggered easily.

Setting: Northwoods is set in Shaky Lake, Wisconsin.

Age Range: I recommend Northwoods to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Eli North is battling his demons. His drinking is out of control, and his marriage is over. The only job he can hold down is a deputy under his mother, the sheriff of Shaky Lake. And even then, he is skating on thin ice because of his drinking. So, he thinks it is no big deal when he responds late to a noise complaint at a local campground. Instead of finding tourists partying, Eli finds the dead body of a teenage boy. The resulting investigation leads to a missing teenager, the boy’s girlfriend. The resulting investigation takes Eli from the mansions that line Shaky Lake to the people with an addiction who buy opioids to a pharmaceutical salesperson who is going to blow the whistle on a miracle drug that is killing people. While Eli follows the clues, his life is imploding. Can he hold it together long enough to solve the case? Or will Eli succumb to his demons?

Main Characters:

Eli North is the main character in Northwoods. His well-written, well-researched character made my heart bleed for him. What I liked the most about him was that he was very self-aware of his faults. There were times when I didn’t think he would be able to finish the case and one time when I thought he was going to end his life. If I had to label him, I would say that he was more of a morally gray character and only because he was so tortured by what happened overseas.

There were a lot of secondary characters, and they each added depth to the storyline (and to what Eli was going through).

My review:

Northwoods is Amy Pease’s first book; I can’t wait to read more from her. Northwoods is well-written and well-researched. I was captivated right from the beginning (when Eli was swimming) to the end, which offered so much hope for Eli. I will be on the lookout for more books by this author.

The main storyline centers around Eli. It follows him during the investigation into Ben’s murder. But it also shows a very realistic look into what it is like living with PTSD. To say Eli wasn’t coping well was an understatement. He turned to alcohol to numb himself and to deal with the severe panic attacks that he got (which could be triggered by anything). Everyone knew something was up, but no one wanted to say anything, including his mother. But he did manage to investigate Ben’s murder (and Caitlin’s kidnapping) while battling those demons.

There were a few secondary storylines (centered on Ben’s mother, her drug use, Caitlin’s father, and his work). I was curious how the author was going to tie everything in with Ben’s murder and Caitlin’s disappearance. Well, I wasn’t surprised with how everything was connected. It made sense in a weird, roundabout way. It also paved the way for the end of the book.

The mystery and thriller angles were both well-written. I was kept in suspense over what would happen next during the investigation. I was also shocked at not only who the murderer/kidnapper was but why that person did what they did.

The end of Northwoods was a little bittersweet. I can’t get much into it, but it was good. There was a twist with who the kidnapper/murderer was, and it took me by surprise. I found it interesting that the author didn’t end some of the storylines. Instead, the people behind the killers were still out there. I wondered if there was going to be another book.

Many thanks to Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books, NetGalley, and Amy Pease for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Northwoods. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Northwoods, then you will enjoy these books:

The Final Curtain (Kyoichiro Kaga: Book 10) by Keigo Higashino, Giles Murray (Translator)

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: December 12th, 2023

Genre: Mystery, Japan, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Thriller, Crime, Detective, Japanese Literature, Novels, Asian Literature

Series: Kyoichiro Kaga

Books 1-3 and books 6-7 do not have English translations.

Malice—Book 4

Newcomer—Book 5

A Death in Tokyo—Book 6

The Final Curtain—Book 7

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

From the acclaimed author of Malice and Newcomer, a confounding murder in Tokyo is connected to the mystery of the disappearance and death of Detective Kaga’s own mother.

A decade ago, Tokyo Police Detective Kyoichiro Kaga went to collect the ashes of his recently deceased mother. Years before, she ran away from her husband and son without explanation or any further contact, only to die alone in an apartment far away, leaving her estranged son with many unanswered questions.

Now in Tokyo, Michiko Oshitani is found dead many miles from home. Strangled to death, left in the bare apartment rented under a false name by a man who has disappeared without a trace. Oshitani lived far away in Sendai, with no known connection to Tokyo – and neither her family or friends have any idea why she would have gone there.

Hers is the second strangulation death in that approximate area of Tokyo – the other was a homeless man, killed and his body burned in a tent by the river. As the police search through Oshitani’s past for any clue that might shed some light, one of the detectives reaches out to Detective Kaga for advice. As the case unfolds an unexpected connective emerges between the murder (or murders) now and the long ago case of the missing mother of Detective Kaga.

The Final Curtain, one of Keigo Higashino’s most acclaimed mysteries, brings the story of Detective Kaga to a surprising conclusion in a series of rich, surprising twists.

First Line:

Despite decades having passed, Yasuyo Miyamoto could still recall that day with absolute clarity.
The Final Curtain by Keigo Higashino

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace:The pace of The Final Curtain was slow-paced.

POV: The Final Curtain is told from a 3rd person point of view. It is told from Kyoichiro Kaga, Shuhei Matsumiya, and Hiromi Kadokura (aka Hiromi Asai)’s POV.

Series: The Final Curtain is the 10th book in the Kyoichrio Kaga series. You can read this book as a standalone.

Trigger/Content Warning: The Final Curtain has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

Murder
Sexual Assault
Abandonment
Statutory Rape
Foster Care
Adult-minor relationship (a teacher has a years-long affair with a student, who is one of the main characters)
Depression
Abortion
Dead Bodies
Death of a parent
Grief & Loss Depiction
Strangulation

Sexual Content: There is sexual content in The Final Curtain.

Language: The Final Curtain has mild swearing in it. There is no offensive language.

Setting: The Final Curtain is set in and around Tokyo, Japan.

Age Range: I recommend The Final Curtain to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Called to help with the investigation of a strangulation case, Kaga is surprised to discover the victim is an old schoolmate of his. While he is investigating that murder, another murder happens, and he is surprised to find the two are connected. But there are few clues, and the one person who could have answers is not talking. It is up to Kaga to wade through decades of lies and misdirections to find out the answer. And in doing so, Kaga might finally get an explanation about the death of the mother who abandoned him decades earlier.

Main Characters

Instead of listing the main characters and giving my opinion, I will share my overall view of them. The Final Curtain didn’t have a set main character. The book flowed from one character to another. If I had to pick out three characters that stood out the most, they would be:

Kyoichiro Kaga
Shuhei Matsumiya
Hiromi Kadokura (Hiromi Asai)

These characters (well, all of the characters) were well-written and multi-faceted. I was surprised by this, seeing that this is the final book in this series and the first time I have read any book by this author. It was a pleasant surprise and added to my enjoyment of the book.

My review:

I didn’t know what to expect when I started reading The Final Curtain. I was a little iffy about it because it was book 10 in the series, and I figured I would have difficulty getting into it. Not in this case. My only complaint was that it was slow in spots. But, in my eyes, that slowness added to the overall ambiance of the book. It also allowed the author to build up the storyline and tie everything together without looking rushed.

The author did something clever at the beginning of the book. He added a cast of characters. I was thrilled that he did that. I usually go through my Kindle to find names while writing my review. I didn’t have to do that in this book.

The main storyline in The Final Curtain is centered around the murder investigation of Michiko Oshitani and the homeless man. The storyline was well-written and well-fleshed out. A few red herrings were thrown out that had me thinking that Kaga would never solve the mystery (the bridges angle was fascinating). The twist at the end and how the author tied everything together were well done. I was left shaking my head at who the killer was and why that person did what they did.

The end of The Final Curtain was a little bittersweet. I liked how the author brought everything together and wrapped up the storylines. I also liked that there was a finality to the storylines. Seeing that this is the end of the storyline, the author ends the book in a way that clarifies that there will be no more after.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, Keigo Higashino, and Giles Murray for allowing me to read and review this ARC of The Final Curtain. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Final Curtain, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Keigo Higashino

The Curse of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: December 5th, 2023

Genre: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Gothic, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Historical, Thriller, Suspense, Adult

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

An atmospheric gothic mystery that beautifully brings the ancient Cornish countryside to life, Armstrong introduces heroine Ruby Vaughn in her Minotaur Books & Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award-winning debut, The Curse of Penryth Hall.

After the Great War, American heiress Ruby Vaughn made a life for herself running a rare bookstore alongside her octogenarian employer and house mate in Exeter. She’s always avoided dwelling on the past, even before the war, but it always has a way of finding her. When Ruby is forced to deliver a box of books to a folk healer living deep in the Cornish countryside, she is brought back to the one place she swore she’d never return. A more sensible soul would have delivered the package and left without rehashing old wounds. But no one has ever accused Ruby of being sensible. Thus begins her visit to Penryth Hall.

A foreboding fortress, Penryth Hall is home to Ruby’s once dearest friend, Tamsyn, and her husband, Sir Edward Chenowyth. It’s an unsettling place, and after a more unsettling evening, Ruby is eager to depart. But her plans change when Penryth’s bells ring for the first time in thirty years. Edward is dead; he met a gruesome end in the orchard, and with his death brings whispers of a returned curse. It also brings Ruan Kivell, the person whose books brought her to Cornwall, the one the locals call a Pellar, the man they believe can break the curse. Ruby doesn’t believe in curses—or Pellars—but this is Cornwall and to these villagers the curse is anything but lore, and they believe it will soon claim its next victim: Tamsyn.

To protect her friend, Ruby must work alongside the Pellar to find out what really happened in the orchard that night.

First Line:

There are three things a girl wanted after the night I had.
The Curse of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: The Curse of Penryth Hall had a slow to medium pace.

POV: The Curse of Penryth Hall is told from Ruby’s 1st person POV.

Trigger/Content Warning: The Curse of Penryth Hall has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

Death
Infidelity
Murder
Suicide
Violence
Blood
Alcohol
War
Gore
Toxic Relationship
Grief
Injury/Injury Detail
Mental Illness
Death of a parent
Death of a sibling
Pregnancy
Classism
Suicide

Sexual Content: The Curse of Penryth Hall has minor sexual content.

Language: There is minor swearing in The Curse of Penryth Hall. There is also language used that people might consider offensive.

Setting: The Curse of Penryth Hall is mainly set in Cornwall. Some scenes are set in Exeter, and some are flashback scenes to Ruby in the United States and France (for The Great War).

Age Range: I recommend The Curse of Penryth Hall to anyone over 16.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

When The Great War ended, Ruby was happy to return to England and work at a bookstore selling rare books. When her roommate (and co-worker) asks her to run a parcel of books to a remote village in Cornwall, Ruby refuses. Initially, Ruby wants to avoid taking the books. Her dear friend (and former lover), Tamsyn lives there with her husband, Lord Edward Chenowyth, in a foreboding manor called Penryth Hall. But she eventually agrees and makes the journey. When she arrives, what she encounters surprises her and piques her interest. Within a day of her arrival, Lord Edward is murdered by what the locals call a curse. According to them, Tamsyn and her son are next. Ruby vows to find Lord Edwards’s killer but is met with resistance from the townspeople and their local Pellar, a handsome man named Ruan Kivell. The closer she gets to the truth, the more the lines between normal and paranormal are blurred. Will Ruby discover who killed Lord Edward and protect Tamsyn? Or will she end up with another causality of the curse?

Main Characters

Ruby Vaughn: I liked Ruby. She was bright, bold, and wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. Of course, those traits did get her in trouble at various points in the book. I liked that even though she and Tamsyn were estranged, she was willing to look into Lord Edward’s death and protect Tamsyn (and her son).

Lady Tamsyn Chenowyth: I wasn’t initially sure what to think of her. She still wanted Ruby but was afraid to act on it. But she was a devoted mother. Once I got past my initial dislike of her, I saw her as a woman who was forced to conform to what society wanted from her instead of doing what she wanted. It made me feel a little sad for her because of that.

Ruan Kivell: He was a mystery wrapped in an enigma. It took me forever to realize what a Pellar is (fun fact: a Cornish sorcerer). He did have an otherworldliness about him that made me wonder if what the villagers thought was true. I liked how he dealt with Ruby and how their relationship evolved.

My review:

I am an anomaly in the reading/blogging world. I try not to read and review anything Gothic. The layers that those books have are difficult to discuss. And when I do, I realize I am leaving something important out. I was surprised when I accepted the review request from St. Martin’s Press for the above reasons. I was also surprised that this book was easy to discuss (layers and everything).

The main storyline in The Curse of Penryth Hall centers on Ruby, her investigation into the death of Lord Edward, and the curse that haunts his family. I found the storyline to be well-written. I also loved the layers to this story. Once one was peeled back, another appeared, and another connection was made. I loved that I couldn’t tell if the curse was human-made or supernatural. The author kept that under wraps until the end of the book. Even then, when it was revealed, I still had my doubts.

The storyline with Ruby and Tamsyn, their relationship, and Ruby’s investigation into Lord Edward’s death was interesting. While the author didn’t come out and say that Ruby and Tamsyn were ex-lovers, the behaviors of both cemented my questions. Ruby’s investigation went in circles and, at times, did point to Tamsyn. But, like her, I thought it was too convenient, and I was glad when she decided to press on. Of course, Tamsyn’s behavior didn’t help her with that.

The storyline with Ruby and Ruan Kivell and their investigation into Lord Edward’s death was one of the better storylines I have read this week. I loved how Ruby and Ruan pulled and pushed at each other, but at the same time, there was respect. Their relationship transcended everything in the book, and I looked forward to their interactions. I liked how Ruan’s Pellar status came into play at the end of the book.

The mystery angle of The Curse of Penryth Hall was excellent. I had zero clue who the murderer was, and the author had quite a list of suspects. I was also taken by surprise by the murder weapon. It was mentioned in the middle of the book and brought back up at the end, which surprised me. There was also a twist regarding Lord Edward and heirs. Now, that twist was super convoluted and did confuse me in places. But when the murderer confessed, that person also explained the connection. Which, again, surprised me.

The end of The Curse of Penryth Hall was fantastic. The author wrapped all the storylines in ways that I loved and believed. I was saddened by specific events (including what happened to the murderer and why that person did what they did). I was left with questions about Ruan and Ruby’s relationship and whether it would deepen if the author wrote other books.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Jess Armstrong for allowing me to read and review this ARC of The Curse of Penryth Hall. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Curse of Penryth Hall, then you will enjoy these books:

When I’m Dead (Black Harbor: Book 3) by Hannah Morrissey

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: October 31st, 2023

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Crime, Adult, Halloween, Horror

Series: Black Harbor

Hello, Transcriber—Book 1

The Widowmaker—Book 2

When I’m Dead—Book 3

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | World Cat

Goodreads Synopsis:

One girl murdered. Another one missing. And a medical examiner desperate to uncover the truth in the latest Black Harbor mystery by acclaimed author Hannah Morrissey.

On a bone-chilling October night, Medical Examiner Rowan Winthorp investigates the death of her daughter’s best friend. Hours later, the tragedy hits even closer to home when she makes a devastating discovery—her daughter, Chloe, is gone. But, not without a trace.

A morbid mosaic of clues forces Rowan and her husband to question how deeply they really knew their daughter. As they work closely to peel back the layers of this case, they begin to unearth disturbing details about Chloe and her secret transgressions…details that threaten to tear them apart.

Amidst the noise of navigating her newfound grief and reconciling the sins of her past, an undeniable fact rings true for Rowan: karma has finally come to collect.

First Line:

You’ll love me more when I’m dead.
When I’m Dead by Hannah Morrissey

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: The pacing of When I’m Dead was fast. Considering the book takes place within a week of the first murder, I wasn’t surprised. There was a slight lag towards the middle of the book, but I expected it. The lag didn’t affect my reading (I didn’t have to backtrack) or my enjoyment of the book.

Series: When I’m Dead is the third book in the Black Harbor series. Readers can read this book as a standalone. The characters from the previous two books appear in this one, but they are kept as secondary characters. Also, the cases from the previous books are mentioned but kept to just mentions.

Trigger/Content Warning: There are content and trigger warnings in When I’m Dead. If any of these trigger you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

Child Death (graphic)
Kidnapping (moderate)
Murder (graphic)
Death (graphic)
Bullying (graphic)
Grief (graphic)
Body Shaming (moderate)
Gore (moderate)
Mental Illness (graphic)
Toxic Friendship (graphic)
Injury/detail of injury (moderate)
Blood (graphic)
Medical Content (moderate)
Adult/minor relationship (minor)
Suicide (minor)
Classism (moderate)
Suicidal Ideation (moderate)

Sexual Content: There is sexual content in When I’m Dead. It is only for one page, and it does get moderately graphic.

Language: There is graphic swearing in When I’m Dead.

Setting: When I’m Dead is set entirely in the fictional city of Black Harbor, Wisconsin.

Tropes: The Red Herring, The Dramatic Reveal, Twist Ending, Ticking Clock, High Stakes, Missing Children

Age Range: I recommend When I’m Dead to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

When Rowan is called to the scene of a gruesome murder, she is shocked to discover that it is a friend of her daughter, Chloe. When she gets home later that night, she finds that Chloe never returned home from the play she was starring in. As she and her husband, Axel, start investigating Chloe’s disappearance and her friend’s murder, she is shocked to learn that Chloe has been keeping secrets from her parents. The more they dig, the more secrets they uncover. Can they find Chloe and solve the murders?

Main Characters

Rowan Winthrop: I could sympathize with Rowan regarding Chloe going missing. But my sympathy only went so far. She was a largely absent parent who prioritized her job over her child, and she knew it. I did feel bad about the guilt she carried over that and the death of a teenager decades earlier.

Axel Winthrop: I wasn’t sure what to think about him. I felt that he made some very questionable choices throughout the book. Like Rowan, he prioritized his job over his child. But, in this case, I got it. Detectives work strange and long hours. I also questioned his behavior throughout the book with suspects.

Chloe Winthrop: I felt awful for Chloe. She was dealing with a lot. A possible learning disability (and don’t get me started on how her parents didn’t know about it), vicious and ugly rumors being spread about her, and her parents never seemed to notice her. I just wanted to hug her.

Libby Lucas: I didn’t like her but felt terrible for her. Classmates teased her relentlessly about her weight (Neck Rolls was a nickname given to her). I had her pegged as the murderer because of how she acted in her chapters. But the more I read about her, the more I understood her. She was Chloe’s haven in the hell that school became.

My review:

When I’m Dead was an interesting read for me. I liked that this was a dark thriller where I couldn’t figure out who the killer was. I was not too fond of the multiple POVs, but they grew on me. They did give me insight into Chloe and the facts surrounding her disappearance. They also gave me insight into the people murdered and how the murders are tied to Chloe.

The main storyline is centered around the murders and Chloe’s disappearance. The investigation into the murders did raise my eyebrows, though. The main detective and the medical examiner knew the victim(s) and, later on, knew what they did to their daughter. I know this is fiction, but I didn’t think it was kosher. I also thought that Axel interrogating suspects was against everything I knew about police procedure. The author does attempt to explain why they were both working the cases. There was a shortage of MEs and police officers. Then there is Libby’s role in everything. She didn’t tell Axel or Rowan everything she knew and, most importantly, defaced evidence in Chloe’s room. Her behavior made me think she was a suspect until it was proven she wasn’t (alibi). But Libby was central in figuring out who the killer/kidnapper was and the motive behind everything.

The mystery angle was well written. The author gave a ton of red herrings and had me thinking different people were the killer/kidnapper. Heck, she even had me thinking that Chloe did it and ran away. But when she revealed who the killer/kidnapper was and the motive, I was shocked. That person wasn’t even on my radar.

The suspense/thriller angle was also well-written. I was kept on the edge of my seat, wondering when Chloe would be found and the killer would be revealed. And at the end of the book, I was on edge with everything happening.

The end of When I’m Dead was great. I liked the twists that the author threw in about the killer. As I mentioned above, I had zero clue about the killer’s motive and who the killer was. I felt that the very end of the book was a little anti-climactic due to everything that happened.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Hannah Morrissey for allowing me to read and review this ARC of When I’m Dead. All opinions stated this this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to When I’m Dead, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Hannah Morrissey:

People to Follow by Olivia Worley

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books

Date of publication: October 31st, 2023

Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Contemporary, Suspense, Crime, Social Media, Action

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

en teen influencers come to a remote island to star in a reality show, but when one of them winds up dead, they realize that this time, the price of being “cancelled” could be their lives.

A reality show on a remote Caribbean island. Ten teen influencers. One dead body.

Welcome to “In Real Life,” the hot new reality show that forces social media’s reigning kings and queens to unplug for three weeks and “go live” without any filters. IRL is supposed to be the opportunity of a lifetime, watched closely by legions of loyal followers. But for these rising stars–including Elody, an Instagram model with an impulsive streak; Kira, a child star turned fitness influencer; Logan, a disgraced TikTok celeb with a secret; and Max, a YouTuber famous for exposés on his fellow creators—it’s about to turn into a nightmare.

When the production crew fails to show up and one of their own meets a violent end, these nine little influencers find themselves stranded with a dead body and no way to reach the outside world. When they start receiving messages from a mysterious Sponsor threatening to expose their darkest secrets, they realize that they’ve been lured into a deadly game…and one of them might be pulling the strings.

With the body count rising and cameras tracking their every move, the creators must figure out who is trying to get them canceled—like, literally—before their #1 follower strikes again.

First Line:

It’s a view you could kill for.
People to Follow by Olivia Worley

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: The pacing of People to Follow was fast-paced. The storyline occurs within a few days of everyone arriving on the island. The pacing of the storyline suited the book. There was a little lag towards the end (when the author revealed everything and why), but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book.

Trigger/Content Warning: There are trigger and content warnings in People to Follow. If any of these trigger you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

Death (Graphic)
Murder (Graphic)
Alcohol (Moderate to Graphic)
Gun Violence (Graphic)
Blood (Moderate to Graphic)
Grooming (Moderate)
Adult/Minor Relationship (Moderate)
Bullying (Graphic)
Sexual Assualt (Moderate)
Panic Attacks (Moderate to Graphic)
Sexual Violence (Moderate)
Violence (Graphic)
Grief (Graphic)
Death of a Parent (Graphic)
Sexual Harassment (Moderate)
Gaslighting (Moderate)
Confinement (Moderate)
Stalking (Graphic)
Classism (Moderate)
Body Shaming (Minor)
Eating Disorder (Minor)
Toxic Friendship (Moderate)
Slut Shaming (Moderate)

Sexual Content: There is no graphic sexual content in People to Follow. But there are insinuations about relationships between the characters. I took that as they had slept together. There is also a brief mention of a naked girl’s photograph being shared in a text between a group of boys (with the girl’s head not shown).

Language: There is graphic swearing in People to Follow.

Setting: People to Follow is set on a fictional island in the Caribbean.

Tropes: The Unlikable Victim, The Red Herring, Close Quarters, Outsmarting the Criminal, The Dramatic Reveal, Twist Ending

Age Range: I recommend People to Follow to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

When the producer of a new reality TV show contacts ten teen influencers, they are all thrilled. This show is a way for some to rebrand. For others, it is a way of gaining more followers. For one, it is a way to get revenge on the nine people who wronged them, even if that means murder. When people start dying, and secrets are revealed, it is up to the survivors to figure out which one of them is a killer.

Main Characters

Kira Lyons—Out of all the characters in this book, I liked her the most. When things started to go sideways, Kira didn’t panic that much. She actively looked for who the Sponsor/killer was and, later, a phone so they could call for help.

Max Overly—I liked him. Even after the Sponsor revealed his secret, I thought his character was interesting. He genuinely felt bad about everything that had happened when he was fifteen, and, like Kira, he actively tried to find out who the Sponsor/killer was.

Logan Costello—I will admit this, but I had her pegged as the killer/the Sponsor for most of the book. But I was shocked when two secrets were revealed. One, there were hints dropped throughout the storyline until it was revealed. But the other one surprised me. Still, it didn’t make her any less of a suspect. That is until the end, when everything went sideways.

Corrine Lecompte—I didn’t have an opinion about her, but I did have her pegged as at least an accomplice. I wasn’t surprised with what she confessed, but I was surprised at who was mentioned during that conversation. It made me eye her as a possible killer, too.

Aaron Tyler Banks—I didn’t like him, but I did pity him. He had fallen from grace and sought a way to return to the influencer/streaming/acting world. His secret didn’t surprise me. It made me sad for him.

McKayleigh Hill—I did not like her. She was everything that I disliked as an influencer. She was fake, shallow, and catty. I wasn’t surprised at all by what was revealed. But, I was surprised by her role in another secret.

Zane Rivers—He was another one that I couldn’t stand. Something about him rubbed me wrong after the author introduced his character. I can’t say I was surprised by what the secret was. But I was surprised at his role with the secondary secret that he, Logan, McKayleigh, and Graham shared.

Graham West—Like Corrine, he was another one that I didn’t have an opinion of. He didn’t join in on McKayleigh or Zane’s torment of Logan. I also didn’t think his initial secret (and connection to Aaron) was as bad as the others. His role in the secret with Zane, McKayleigh, and Logan was bad, but you could tell he felt awful about it.

Elody Hart—I. Could. Not. Stand. Her. I saw she was fake as soon as she was introduced in the book (the babes gave it away). Like Graham, her secret wasn’t that bad (compared to the others). But what was revealed at the end and her connection to Max blew my mind.

Cole Bryan—I had no opinion of him either. He was obnoxious and rude. I wish I knew his secret because I am sure it was a small fish compared to what was revealed later in the book.

My review:

There is one main storyline in People to Follow. It follows the ten influencers and why they are on the island. Then, it morphs into a fight for survival when the Sponsor starts making their demands. This storyline was well-written, and I couldn’t put the book down. It was also a chaotic mess. I’m not too fond of books with more than one viewpoint. But in this case, it worked. The author would end one POV with just enough information or half of the information given about a person and then start the next chapter with that person’s POV.

Numerous secondary storylines are married to the main storyline. Some will not make sense initially, but a lightbulb will go off while reading, and you will understand why the author mentioned that storyline. All of the characters are intertwined in one way or another. Even characters that you think didn’t know each other are connected. It makes a massive spiderweb of storylines that can be difficult to separate.

The mystery angle of People to Follow was excellent. I didn’t figure out who the Sponsor and the killer were until almost the end of the book. And even then, I was only halfway right. The author had a massive twist in the plotline where the author revealed everything, and it was freaking wild. My mouth dropped because of not only who it was but because of why.

The thriller angle of the book was just as good as the mystery angle. The author used being confined to an island during a storm with no electricity to give an appropriate background and feel. The characters’ helplessness and horror over what is being done to them come off the pages.

The end of People to Follow was very anticlimactic, but it gave me chills. I can’t go much more into it, but I will say that the killer was not sorry.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, NetGalley, and Olivia Worley for allowing me to read and review this ARC of People to Follow. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

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