Tag: mystery thriller

A Killer in the Family (DCI Jonah Sheens: Book 5) by Gytha Lodge

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Random House, Random House Trade Paperbacks

Date of publication: August 8th, 2023

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Crime

Series: DCI Jonah Sheens

She Lies in Wait—Book 1

Watching from the Dark—Book 2

Lie Beside Me—Book 3

Little Sister—Book 4

A Killer in the Family—Book 5

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

Goodreads Synopsis:

A woman uploads her DNA online, searching for her father–but the man who contacts her is Detective Chief Inspector Jonah Sheens. From the acclaimed author of Little Sister, this endlessly twisty crime novel asks: What might a family do to protect or expose a serial killer in its midst?

When the police found the first body, left on a bonfire in the fields, they worried it had the hallmarks of a serial killer.

Now, as they find the second, they know for sure.

Panic about the “bonfire killer” quickly spreads through the sedate, suburban area of Southampton. Women are urged not to travel alone at night, and constant vigilance is encouraged among the local residents. But single mom Aisling Cooley has a lot to distract her: two beloved teenage sons and a quest to find her long-lost father, whom she hasn’t seen since she was a teenager growing up in Ireland.

After much debate she decides to upload her DNA to an ancestry website, and when she gets a match she is filled with an anxious excitement, that her questions about her father’s disappearance from her life might finally be answered.

But to her horror, it’s not her father who’s found her. It’s a detective.

And they say her DNA is a close match for the bonfire killer…

First Line:

Lindsay was laughing-really, genuinely laughing-for the first time in months.

A Killer in the Family by Gytha Lodge

A serial killer is on the loose in the English town of Southampton. With little clues to go on and DNA that isn’t in the system, the police are at a dead end. Until one of the DCIs suggests uploading the DNA to a genealogy website. Within days, they get a hit. But when interviewing the woman, Aisling, they have more questions than answers and must comb through Aisling’s past to find the killer. But Aisling is hiding a big secret that she hasn’t told anyone. How is Aisling connected to the Bonfire Killer? Will the police crack the case before the killer strikes again?

British crime dramas/mysteries (both televised and written) are a guilty pleasure of mine. I enjoy reading about how the police over there investigate crimes. So, I agreed when Random House approached me to read and review A Killer in the Family. I am glad that I did. This book was a twisty-turny mystery that kept me guessing who the killer was.

A Killer in the Family is the fifth book in the DCI Jonah Sheens series. You can read this as a stand-alone book. I suggest reading the first four books before this one. There were some references to relationships and previous books that I needed clarification on.

The main storyline of A Killer in the Family starts with the police search for the Bonfire Killer. From there, it breaks down into two main storylines. They are the police’s investigation into the killings and Aisling’s storyline. Both storylines were well-written and kept me guessing until the end.

The storyline detailing the police’s investigation into the killings was interesting. I liked that the author covered every aspect of the investigation and didn’t just keep the focus on the DCIs. She highlighted the CSI (not sure what they are called in England) and the lower-level investigators.

Aisling’s storyline was sad and a little confusing to follow. But that confusion has a point, and I believe the author intended to keep me off balance with this storyline. Everything that was revealed, from what happened to Aisling’s father, why she came to England, and what happened to her before her father left, took me by surprise. Put it this way, this storyline did not end as I thought it would, and I loved it.

Several secondary storylines seemed to have nothing to do with the main one. But, these secondary storylines are important in the second half of the book. They added extra depth and extra knowledge to the main storylines.

The mystery angle of A Killer in the Family was intense. The author kept me guessing who the killer was and how that person was related to Aisling. The author had red herrings everywhere in this book. I didn’t expect the killer to be who it was or the motive.

The end of A Killer in the Family was a little bittersweet. The author did wrap up the main storyline (the investigation and Aisiling’s) in a way I approved. But there were a couple of other storylines that weren’t ended. As for the very end of the book, I was shocked but not surprised. I saw what happened coming. I will have to read the next book to see how everything ended.

I would recommend A Killer in the Family to anyone over 21. There are no sexual situations, but there is violence and language.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Random House, Random House Trade Paperbacks, NetGalley, and Gytha Lodge for allowing me to read and review A Killer in the Family. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to A Killer in the Family, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Gytha Lodge:

Mister Magic by Kiersten White

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey

Date of publication: August 8th, 2023

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller, Adult, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Contemporary, Fantasy, Paranormal, Adult Fiction

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Who is Mister Magic? Former child stars reunite to uncover the tragedy that ended their show -and discover the secret of its enigmatic host -in this dark supernatural thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hide.

Thirty years after a tragic accident shut down production of the classic children’s program Mister Magic, the five surviving cast members have done their best to move on. But just as generations of cultishly devoted fans still cling to the lessons they learned from the show, the cast, known as the Circle of Friends, have spent their lives searching for the happiness they felt while they were on it. The friend-ship. The feeling of belonging. And the protection of Mister Magic

But with no surviving video of the show, no evidence of who directed or produced it, and no records of who-or what the beloved host actually was, memories are all the former Circle of Friends has.

Then, a twist of fate brings the castmates back together at the remote desert filming compound that feels like it’s been waiting for them all this time. Even though they haven’t seen each other for years, they understand one another better than anyone has since.

After all, they’re the only ones who hold the secret of that circle, the mystery of the magic man in his infinitely black cape, and, maybe, the answers to what really happened on that deadly last day. But as the Circle of Friends reclaim parts of their past, they begin to wonder: Are they here by choice, or have they been lured into a trap?

Because magic never forgets the taste of your friendship…

First Line:

Your favorite childhood television program feels like a fever dream. You don’t remember it at all until I start humming the theme song and then-oh, I can see it in your eyes.

Mr. Magic by Kiersten White

For Val, life began at eight when her father and herself arrived at Gloria’s ranch. Thirty years later, Val’s father dies from complications due to a stroke. With no past and a present only at the ranch, Val feels like a half-person. That is until Javi, Marcus, and Isaac appear at her father’s wake and end her life. Val discovers she was part of a children’s TV show called Mr. Magic, and she left after a horrible accident took the life of a 6th castmate. But Val feels there is more to the story than what the men say and agrees to return to Bliss. Once there, Val starts remembering more and more about what happened that day. With the help of her friends, can Val finally remember what happened that day and what happened to the sixth castmate? Or is Val hiding her memory for a reason?

When I saw Mr. Magic’s cover, I knew I needed to read this book. And when I read the blurb, it reinforced my need to read it. I decided to take a chance since the publisher had this as Wish only on their NetGalley page. So, imagine my surprise and delight when I got the email saying it was granted. I couldn’t wait to sit down and read this book. I am glad I did because it was something different (and creepy) to read.

The main storyline of Mr. Magic revolves around Val, her lack of memory, and The Circle of Friends. I did feel a little bad for Val. This storyline was well written. It drew me in, didn’t let me go, and spit me out a chaotic mess at the end of the book. It is a fast-paced storyline with zero lag and just zipped along. I loved it.

All of the remaining castmates have issues and are stunted emotionally. The author showcases those emotional issues while crafting characters you couldn’t hope but root for. Out of the surviving five, Isaac was my favorite. My least favorite was Jenny. She didn’t hesitate to needle Val about what happened and knew that Val had no memory.

The storyline with Val, the other Circle of Friends, Mister Magic, and what happened the day the show ended was compelling. Several twists and turns in the plotline made me raise an eyebrow and think, “Hmmm.” I was surprised to discover who Mister Magic was and what happened afterward. And I certainly wasn’t expecting the end to be as it was. Talk about trippy!!

The storyline with the missing 6th castmate was heartbreaking and also creepy. My heart broke for Val once she remembered who it was. But it also strengthened her resolve to do what needed to be done. Again, I am not going to say more because of spoilers.

I enjoyed how the author crafted a mystery around the show. There were no reruns; people flocked to boards, Wiki pages, and other sites to discuss it and to reassure each other that what they remembered was real. The author nailed it with the rabid commentators and the trolls. But she also wove a bit of truth through it all.

The end of Mister Magic was interesting. As I said, I wasn’t expecting it to go as it did. But, in a way, there was something right about what happened. It came full circle for the friends. The epilogue made me happy, but I wondered if Isaac would go back.

The author’s note sheds some light on various parts of the book. I can’t explain more than that (because of spoilers).

I would recommend Mister Magic to anyone over 16. There is language, violence, and no sexual situations.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey, NetGalley, and Kiersten White for allowing me to read and review Mister Magic. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

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

Other books by Kiersten White:

Dark Corners (Rachel Krall: Book 2) by Megan Goldin

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of Publication: August 8th, 2023

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

Series: Rachel Krall

The Night Swim—Book 1

Dark Corners—Book 2

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

Goodreads Synopsis:

Terence Bailey is about to be released from prison for breaking and entering, though investigators have long suspected him in the murders of six women. As his freedom approaches, Bailey gets a surprise visit from Maddison Logan, a hot, young influencer with a huge social media following. Hours later, Maddison disappears, and police suspect she’s been kidnapped—or worse. Is Maddison’s disappearance connected to her visit to Bailey? Why was she visiting him in the first place?

When they hit a wall in the investigation, the FBI reluctantly asks for Rachel’s help in finding the missing influencer. Maddison seems only to exist on social media; she has no family, no friends, and other than in her posts, most people have never seen her. Who is she, really? Using a fake Instagram account, Rachel Krall goes undercover to BuzzCon, a popular influencer conference, where she discovers a world of fierce rivalry that may have turned lethal.

When police find the body of a woman with a tattoo of a snake eating its tail, the FBI must consider a chilling possibility: Bailey has an accomplice on the outside and a dangerous obsession with influencers, including Rachel Krell herself. Suddenly a target of a monster hiding in plain sight, Rachel is forced to confront the very real dangers that lurk in the dark corners of the internet.

Rachel Krall, the true crime podcaster star of Megan Goldin’s acclaimed Night Swim returns to search for a popular social media influencer who disappeared after visiting a suspected serial killer.

First Line:

Have you ever had a day when absolutely everything goes haywire and nothing goes as planned?

Dark Corners by Megan Goldin

Rachel is summoned to Florida by the FBI. Meeting in a correctional facility outside Daytona Beach, she is told that her name came up when a well-known influencer visited an inmate. Shortly after, the influencer disappears, and the police and FBI believe the inmate is somehow responsible. Rachel is soon undercover at Buzzcon, an influencer conference, and learns how cutthroat influencers can be. With their suspect released within 72 hours and the body count increasing, Rachel and the FBI must join forces to track down a killer’s possible accomplice. Will Rachel be able to crack the case? Or will she end up a victim?

I am a big fan of Megan Goldin and try to read any of her books that come out. She is one of the few authors that are on my auto-approve list. No matter what book, I will get it and fan girl over it (no shame here!)

Dark Corners main storyline centered around Rachel, the FBI investigation into Maddison’s disappearance, and Terry’s supposed involvement. It was a well-written, twisty plotline that had me guessing and double-guessing everything. And when I mean everything, I mean everything.

A few secondary storylines help flesh out the book’s storyline. The main secondary storylines are Buzzcon, the bodies being found (past and present), and the rideshare driver. Each secondary story is vital to the main storyline, so if you start wondering why the author chose to include it, stop wondering and keep reading. Trust me, everything is brought together and explained at the end of the book.

I liked Rachel. She was just as sharp and on top of things as in the first book. I didn’t agree with her going undercover, not with everything pointing at her being on the killer’s radar. But, I did like the look into the influencers’ lives. What I liked the most about Rachel was that she was human and didn’t catch on to things. That made the end of the book believable to me.

The mystery angle of Dark Corners was well written, and I did believe what the author initially wanted me to think for a while. There was a twist to the mystery angle that took me by surprise.

There was a brief romance angle in Dark Corners that I was a little meh about. I could have done without it. It added no context to the book besides setting up the scene where Rachel was rescued.

The author did have the killer have a fascinating medical disorder. Until this book, I had never heard about it. I did some research after I finished the book.

The end of Dark Corners was interesting. I liked how the author wrapped up the storylines and explained everything. I did wonder if there is going to be a book 3. I hope there is!!

I would recommend Dark Corners to anyone over 21. There is violence, language, and sexual situations.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Megan Goldin for allowing me to read and review Dark Corners. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of Dark Corners, then you will enjoy reading these books:

Other books by Megan Goldin:

Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: August 1st, 2023

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

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

Goodreads Synopsis:

Catherine Sterling thinks she knows her mother. Ruth Sterling is quiet, hardworking, and lives for her daughter. All her life, it’s been just the two of them against the world. But now, Catherine is ready to spread her wings, move from home, and begin a new career. And Ruth Sterling will do anything to prevent that from happening.

Ruth Sterling thinks she knows her daughter. Catherine would never rebel, would never question anything about her mother’s past or background. But when Ruth’s desperate quest to keep her daughter by her side begins to reveal cracks in Ruth’s carefully-constructed world, both mother and daughter begin a dance of deception.

First Line:

My mother walks from her bedroom through our tiny living room, her eyes sweeping over our old blue couch and coffee table, before she briefly disappears into the galley kitchen.

Gone Tonight by Sarak Pekkanen

Catherine is ready to leave her mother and start on her own. But, when Ruth develops signs of early Alzheimer’s, Catherine stays home to care for her. She also wants to know more about Ruth’s background. So she starts digging into Ruth’s past. Meanwhile, Ruth is desperate to keep Catherine by her side. To do that, she will do anything to keep her there, including lie. But, as Catherine unearths more of her mother’s past and Ruth tries desperately to keep the truth from her, things start to come apart. What is Ruth hiding from Catherine?

When I read the blurb for Gone Tonight, I knew this was a book that I needed to read. I am a big fan of Sarah Pekkanen and love psychological thrillers. I went into this book with high expectations. I ended the book slightly confused. I don’t know if it was the author’s intention, but I didn’t like it.

Gone Tonight is a fast-paced book. For the most part, the pacing of the book suited the storyline. But there were times during the book when I wished it had slowed down. There was also some lag in the middle of the book.

The main storyline in Gone Tonight focuses on Ruth, her lies, her relationship with Catherine, and Catherine’s investigation into her mother’s past. The main storyline was well-written, and the plotline had a few exciting twists.

The characters in Gone Tonight didn’t impress me. Ruth came across as extremely smothering and a pathological liar. She pushed Catherine into investigating her past. Catherine didn’t impress me, either, but I understood why she did the things she did. All she wanted was answers, and she did get them but at a cost.

The mystery angle of the book was interesting. I liked how the author gave out Ruth’s back story. But, at the same time, I didn’t quite believe it (she’s a known liar). There were a few twists in this angle that did surprise me. There is also the mystery of Catherine and how her mother views her. It is at odds with the Catherine shown, and I did think that maybe Ruth was overthinking things until the end of the book and when Catherine did something that surprised me.

The thriller angle of the book was well written. I was kept on edge by everything that Catherine uncovered, even though Ruth had admitted to it earlier in her journal.

The end of Gone Tonight left me confused. I couldn’t quite figure out what Ruth meant by what she said and what that meant for Catherine. The main storyline was wrapped up, but there was that last comment. Did it mean what I think it means? Or does it mean something else?

I recommend Gone Tonight to anyone over 21. There is violence, language, and fade to black sexual situations.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and Sarah Pekkanen for allowing me to read and review Gone Tonight. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of Gone Tonight, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Sarah Pekkanen:

The Shadow Girls (Natalie Lockhart: Book 4) by Alice Blanchard

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: July 25th, 2023

Genre: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Thriller

Series: Natalie Lockhart

Trace of Evil—Book 1

The Wicked Hour—Book 2

The Witching Tree—Book 3

The Shadow Girls—Book 4

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

Goodreads Synopsis:

Someone is playing deadly games. Lieutenant Luke Pittman lies in the hospital in a coma after being attacked by one of their own. Veronica Manes, Burning Lake’s most respected modern-day witch, is dead, her murder left unsolved. Natalie Lockhart has become embroiled in a case with threads that become increasingly difficult to untangle.

Now, a new horror is uncovered, one that shocks the town as never before, and the dark, shadowy path forward for Natalie is paved with challenges that haunt her past―Veronica’s unsolved case. Her sister’s traumatic murder. The long-lost disappearance of her old best friend. Natalie’s obsession with finding the truth leads to a twisted, elemental struggle between good and evil―and nothing will ever be the same again.

/.The woods have secrets.

The trees are carved with curses.

There’s something wicked in Burning Lake.

First Line:

Thirty-seven-year-old Stevie Greenway drove across town to Murray’s Halloween Costumes and parked in the sprawling let behind the sooty brick building.

The Shadow Girls by Alice Blanchard

If you have followed this blog for any length of time, you know how much I dislike reading books out of order (if they are in a series). If I come across a book that interests me, I usually shelve it and then pick up book one in the series. But, when it comes to reviewing books, that rule becomes obsolete. That was the case with The Shadow Girls. When St. Martin’s Press emailed me with the review request, I immediately accepted. Then kicked myself when I realized it was part of a series.

The Shadow Girls is book four in the Natalie Lockhart series. You must read the first three books to understand what is happening in this one. The author briefly explained what happened in the previous three books, but I needed more. I was confused when everything came together at the end of the book and was left scratching my head.

The Shadow Girls is a fast-paced book. While I enjoyed the book’s pace and felt it complemented the storyline, I was overwhelmed. The main reason was that I had to backtrack and reread paragraphs and sometimes chapters.

The main storyline in The Shadow Girls centers around Natalie and the 2-3 cases she investigates. The storylines were well written, and I loved how the author connected and interconnected them. But, again, it would have been helpful if I read the previous books.

The storyline involving Natalie, the murder at the Halloween shop, and her investigation was interesting. There weren’t that many twists in this storyline. The only two notable twists came mid-storyline when the author connected this murder to another storyline, and then at the end, it was revealed why the guy was killed. I liked seeing how the investigation was handled, as well as how cold cases were handled. Also, the book’s title comes from this storyline (fun fact!!).

The storyline with Natalie and the investigation into Veronica Manes’s death was well written. I liked the twists and turns this storyline took and its interconnectedness with the other two storylines. I was shocked at how this one ended up.

The storyline with Natalie, her missing best friend, and the investigation/personal issues that stemmed from that was sad. This storyline had the most twists out of the three main storylines. I was surprised at every single thing that was uncovered.

The end of The Shadow Girls was a chaotic mess. It seemed like every single storyline was solved, but I am a little skeptical. I hope there will be a book five because I would love to see more of the town.

I would recommend The Shadow Girls to anyone over 21. There are language, violence, and sexual situations.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Alice Blanchard for allowing me to read and review The Shadow Girls. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of The Shadow Girls, then you will enjoy reading these books:

Other books by Alice Blanchard:

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey

Date of publication: July 18th, 2023

Genre: Horror, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Adult, Mystery Thriller, Fantasy, Historical, Magical Realism

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

Goodreads Synopsis:

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Daughter of Doctor Moreau and Mexican Gothic comes a fabulous meld of Mexican horror movies and Nazi occultism: a dark thriller about the curse that haunts a legendary lost film–and awakens one woman’s hidden powers.

Montserrat has always been overlooked. She’s a talented sound editor, but she’s left out of the boys’ club running the film industry in ’90s Mexico City. And she’s all but invisible to her best friend, Tristán, a charming if faded soap opera star, though she’s been in love with him since childhood.

Then Tristán discovers his new neighbor is the cult horror director Abel Urueta, and the legendary auteur claims he can change their lives—even if his tale of a Nazi occultist imbuing magic into highly volatile silver nitrate stock sounds like sheer fantasy. The magic film was never finished, which is why, Urueta swears, his career vanished overnight. He is cursed.

Now the director wants Montserrat and Tristán to help him shoot the missing scene and lift the curse . . . but Montserrat soon notices a dark presence following her, and Tristán begins seeing the ghost of his ex-girlfriend.

As they work together to unravel the mystery of the film and the obscure occultist who once roamed their city, Montserrat and Tristán may find that sorcerers and magic are not only the stuff of movies.

First Line:

An engorged, yellow moon painted the sky a sickly amber hue, illuminating a solitary figure.

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Montserrat is a sound editor trying to make it in a highly competitive but male-only market in Mexico City. Her best friend, Tristan, is a former telenovela star trying to break into the business after being blackballed by his ex-girlfriend’s father, who blames him for her death. Tristan is thrilled when he discovers that his new neighbor is cult horror director Abel Urueta. Montserrat is slightly more reserved, but her interest is piqued when Abel tells a tale about a former Nazi occultist, Ewers, using silver nitrate film reels to imbue them with magic. But Ewers died before the film was finished, and Abel believes that caused him to be cursed. But, after agreeing to do so, Tristan starts seeing the ghost of his ex-girlfriend, and a dark presence haunts Monserrat. With cultists on their heels, Tristan and Monserrat must unravel the movie’s mystery and why it is so important to those people.

I am not a modern-day horror movie fan. I am not a fan of gore and blood. I am a fan of the type of horror movie that was made in the ’50s and ’60s. That is why I decided to wish on this book on Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine’s NetGalley page. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting the wish to be granted and was very surprised when it was. While it took me a while to get to read the book (thank you, backlog), once I did read it, I was immersed and very glad that I did. Silver Nitrate was a great book.

Silver Nitrate is a medium-paced book that starts slowly. At first, I was a little irritated with how slow the book was. But, as I got into the book and everything started unraveling, I appreciated the slow start. Without that slow start, I wouldn’t have known how Tristan’s background would affect him later in the book and how Momo girl bossed everything.

The main storyline of Silver Nitrate is centered around Momo, Tristan, the film, and the Nazi occultist. It was a meandering and sometimes infuriating storyline that was well-written. This storyline is like good wine; it must be read slowly and savored. If you read too fast, you will run into the problem of missing some essential information. Trust me; this book is worth reading slowly.

I like Momo. She was a great friend (well, almost too good, Tristan did walk all over her at the beginning of the book), a good sister, and she was a good employee. I felt terrible that she was in such a challenging profession. I never considered a sound editor a male-dominated profession in the ’90s. It didn’t cross my mind, and by the middle of the book, I was very mad for her. My other favorite thing about Momo is that once she committed to something, she committed. She started reading Ewer’s book to see if there were any clues about what was happening. I won’t get much more into it, but I was surprised at what she learned.

I hate to admit this, but Tristan annoyed me at first. He was childlike in his actions and mannerisms. I couldn’t understand why Momo even kept him around as a friend. But, as the book went on and the author peeled back Tristan’s layers (and there were many), my annoyance gave way to understanding and pity. His character growth during this book was immense, and I loved his epiphany towards the end of the book. I wanted to smack him and say, “Duh, you idiot.“

Even though he was dead, Ewers was a considerable presence in this book. I had read about Nazi occultists in the past, so I did understand what the author was writing about. But, she got into depth with his character. I was fascinated by everything that the author had written about him in the book. In the author’s note, she did explain that this character was a mishmash of a multitude of occultists, but the namesake was from a Nazi sympathizer who traveled to Mexico.

The book’s main secondary characters (Abel, Clarimonde, Ava, and Jose) were prevalent. They played critical roles in the film (both past and present). I won’t get into how they were involved with Ewers, but it was surprising when everything was revealed. And honestly, the only one I felt bad for out of the four was Abel. He had zero clue what was going on behind the scenes.

The horror angle of the book was very well written. This book wasn’t a gory, blood-everywhere horror. Instead, it was more of a psychological horror. It started with the uneasiness that Momo and Tristan felt when Abel explained what he wanted to do, and it just expanded throughout the book. I loved it.

The paranormal angle of the book was just as well written. I liked that it started gradually (Tristan seeing his dead ex, Abel having a premonition) and then started snowballing. The pinnacle was the scene toward the end of the book, where Momo did what she did.

I also was thrilled to learn about silver nitrate. I had never heard about it before this book, and I did read up on it. In a weird coincidence, my husband listened to a podcast detailing silver nitrate and films (like the book). Learning about silver nitrate was fascinating, frightening, and creepy (the occult angle).

The end of Silver Nitrate was exciting but not what I was expecting. While the author wrapped up the film/Ewer storyline, I wondered what would happen to Momo and Tristan. I wasn’t expecting the turn it took. But looking back, I did see that storyline turning in that direction.

I would recommend Silver Nitrate to anyone over 16. There is language, violence, and no sexual situations.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey, NetGalley, and Silvia Moreno-Garcia. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of Silver Nitrate, then you will enjoy reading these books:

Other books by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

A Cryptic Clue (Hunter and Clewe: Book 1) by Victoria Gilbert

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Date of publication: July 11th, 2023

Genre: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Adult Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Adult

Trigger Warnings: Mental Illness (Anxiety, Depression, OCD, Agoraphobia)

Series: Hunter and Clewe

A Cryptic Clue—Book 1

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

Goodreads Synopsis:

A retired librarian gets back to the books—and into a devilish murder case—in acclaimed author Victoria Gilbert’s new series, the perfect literary adventure for fans of Kate Carlisle and Jenn McKinlay.

Sixty-year-old Jane Hunter, forced into early retirement from her job as a university librarian, is seeking a new challenge to keep her spirits up and supplement her meager pension. But as she’s about to discover, a retiree’s life can bring new thrills—and new dangers.

Cameron “Cam” Clewe, an eccentric 33-year-old collector, is also seeking something—an archivist to inventory his ever-expanding compendium of rare books and artifacts. Jane’s thrilled to be hired on by Cam and to uncover the secrets of his latest acquisition, a trove of items related to the classic mystery and detective authors. But Jane’s delight is upended when a body is discovered in Cam’s library. The victim, heir to a pharmaceutical fortune, was the last in line of Cam’s failed romances—and now he’s suspect number one.

Cam vows to use his intelligence and deductive skills to clear his name—but with a slight case of agoraphobia, rampant anxiety, and limited social skills, he’ll need some help. It comes down to Jane to exonerate her new boss—but is he truly innocent?

First Line:

On the day I met Cameron Clewe, I thought I was simply changing jobs. I had no idea I was also changing my life.

A Cryptic Clue by Victoria Gilbert

Jane has been forced into retirement as a university librarian. To make ends meet, she answers an ad for an archivist to catalog his collection of rare books and artifacts for Cameron Clewe, a reclusive billionaire. Jane is overjoyed. That is until she finds the body of Cameron’s ex-girlfriend in the library. With evidence pointing at Cameron, Jane and Cameron decides to clear his name. But that is easier said than done. Someone doesn’t want them to find out who killed Cam’s ex-girlfriend or the reason why. Will Jane and Cam find the killer? What was the motive?

Locked room mysteries are a favorite of mine. I love using my mind to figure out who the killer is and why they did it. So, it was no surprise that I decided to pick up A Cryptic Clue. The blurb did its job by capturing my attention and making me want to read this book. And guess what? I enjoyed reading it.

A Cryptic Clue is a medium-paced book. The pacing for this book was perfect. It would have been ruined if it had gone any faster. There was some lag towards the middle of the book, but it did not affect how much I enjoyed it.

I was tickled to read that this book is set in North Carolina. A Cryptic Clue takes place in central North Carolina, mainly in Bradfordville. There were mentions of Winston-Salem sprinkled throughout the book. I live further west of Winston-Salem (about an hour’s drive) and have been dying to visit. Now that I have read the book, I might take a day trip there.

The main storyline in A Cryptic Clue centers around Jane, Cam, the murder of Cam’s ex-girlfriend, and their investigation. This well-written storyline gave little clues as to who the murderer might be. I liked how Jane’s investigation (thanks to the mysteries she read) revealed some possible clues. Of course, I was shocked at who was behind the murder and the reason why. It was pretty sad.

I was going to start with Jane for the character section, but I decided to highlight Cam first. I loved that the author had Cam as neurodivergent (ADHD) and suffering from mental illness (OCD, anxiety, a bit of agoraphobia, and depression) and that he might have autism. He found it hard to connect to people and show emotions. I could understand why he was on Jane’s radar for a while after his ex’s murder and why it took him so long to open up to her. He was also insanely smart and was one step ahead of Jane in their investigation.

I loved Jane. She was a ball of sunshine in this book, and when she decided to help Cam clear his name, she committed to it. She was just an overall nice person. I was obsessed with her job (it is my dream job). I would be happy to sit and just catalog all day. This reason is why I wish the author had given more details about her doing her job. She was also a great detective and did unearth some things that surprised her.

The mystery angle of A Cryptic Clue was amazingly written. This book kept me guessing who the killer was and their motive. For a while, I did think Cam killed his ex. But she had a past and a laundry list of suspects. The more Jane dug into Cam’s ex’s history; the more people turned up. And the motives were as numerous as the suspects. The author had so many red herrings out that I almost didn’t believe it when the killer was revealed.

The end of A Cryptic Clue was one of the better endings I have read. I won’t get into it, but it was very twisty. I liked how the author ended with Cam and Jane bonding in her apartment. It makes me wonder what other books in this series will be like.

I recommend A Cryptic Clue to anyone over 16. There are no sexual situations, but there is mild violence and language.

Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books, NetGalley, and Victoria Gilbert for allowing me to read and review A Cryptic Clue. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of A Cryptic Clue, than you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Victoria Gilbert

Paper Targets: Art Can Be Murder by Steve S. Saroff

Publisher: Flooding Island

Date of publication: February 2nd, 2022

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

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

Goodreads Synopsis:

While breaking into a financial network, a hacker falls for a dangerous artist.

Based on the buried events of one of the largest criminal frauds in history, Paper Targets digs into the motivations of criminals on the fringe. Critics and reviewers are calling it “Wonderfully written,” “A novel to read now,” and “A literary thriller with a soul.”

Set in Montana, Paper Targets simmers with greed and love before boiling over along the red-flagged path between lost and found.

First Line:

My first secret was that I could not read. And yet my earliest joy was listening to the murmuring of my mother as she read to me.

Paper Targets: Art Can Be Murder by Steve S. Saroff

Enzi has struggled his entire life with dyslexia. Going through school without getting the help he needed, Enzi couldn’t read or understand numbers until he taught himself as an older teenager. By his mid 20’s, Enzi had gotten his life together and was running a successful company with a fellow coder. He also has gotten caught up in a scheme to fleece an international financial company. But that all changed when he met Kaori, the night she got arrested for assault after attacking her ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend. That starts a tumultuous relationship, ending with one in jail for murder and the other on the run. What happened?

When I agreed to read and review Paper Targets, I did it because of the need for more information in the blurb. A lack of information would have me skipping over the book. But in this case, it caught my attention and made me want to read it. I am glad I read this book because it was good.

Paper Targets: Art Can Be Murder started slow. The author did that to show Enzi’s upbringing, his struggles with dyslexia, and his life before Kaori came into it. After Kaori was introduced, the storyline sped up to medium-fast pacing.

The main storyline of Paper Targets is centered around Enzi, Kaori, their relationship, and Enzi’s illegal hacking job for Tsai. This storyline was well-written, with well-fleshed-out characters. The author explained Enzi’s legal coding (and illegal hacking) job in a way I understood (I am not code-savvy).

Surprisingly, Enzi was a likable character. I thought he was sweet and he had a conscience. The whole hacking secondary storyline showed that-well, towards the end, it showed that. Also, this man had horrible taste in women. At the beginning of the book, he stays in a relationship where she mocks him for his stutter and job (a janitor), and then there is the relationship with Kaori. I do like that his character did grow during this book, and not only did he do the right thing, but he didn’t take credit for it.

I don’t know how to describe how I felt about Kaori. At a point in the book, I wondered if everything she did was in her head. She was also crazy talented. I liked how the author showcased her art as a confession once she and Enzi returned to Montana.

The storyline about the hacking and Tsai was interesting. I liked seeing how Enzi evolved from being involved with the whole thing to not wanting anything to do with it and, ultimately, helping the police. The author created a storyline that kept me guessing and kept my blood pressure up.

The end of Paper Targets was interesting. I liked how the author ended all of the storylines. Except for Enzi’s, they all ended in a way that satisfied me. But Enzi’s storyline, I wish that it could have ended a little better. I wish that he could have had a happier ending. But, in a way, I guess he was happy.

I recommend Paper Targets: Art Can Be Murder to anyone over 21. There is language, sexual situations, and violence.

Many thanks to Flooding Island Press and Steve S. Saroff for allowing me to read and review Paper Targets: Art Can Be Murder. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of Paper Targets: Art Can Be Murder, then you will enjoy reading these books:

Other books by Steve S. Saroff

What the Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: June 20th, 2023

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

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

Goodreads Synopsis:

Desperate Housewives meets The Couple Next Door in a chilling story of murder and intrigue set in a well-to-do DC suburb.

Sometimes the darkest acts occur in the most beautiful houses…

When Alexis and her husband Sam buy a neglected Cape Cod house in an exclusive DC suburb, they are ecstatic. Sam is on the cusp of making partner at his law firm, Alexis is pregnant with their second child, and their glamorous neighbors welcome the couple with open arms. Things are looking up, and Alexis believes she can finally leave her troubled past behind.

But the neighborhood’s picture-perfect image is shattered when their neighbor Teddy – a handsome, successful father of three – is found dead on the steep banks of the Potomac River. The community is shaken, and as the police struggle to identify and apprehend the killer, tension in the neighborhood mounts and long-buried secrets start to emerge.

In the midst of the turmoil, Alexis takes comfort in her budding friendship with Teddy’s beautiful and charismatic widow, Blair. But as the women grow closer, the neighborhood only becomes more divided. And when the unthinkable truth behind Teddy’s murder is finally uncovered, both Blair and Alexis must reexamine their friendship and decide how far they are willing to go to preserve the lives they have so carefully constructed.

First Line:

The listing popped up on my phone last night. I scrolled through the pictures as least a dozen times, then tried to conjure the house’s full layout in my mind’s eye as I fell asleep.

What the Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman

Alexis and her husband Sam are thrilled to buy a fixer-upper in an affluent suburb of Washington, D.C. But things start to go south almost immediately after they move in:

  1. The house they loved is turning into a money pit with endless repairs.
  2. Alexis’s relationship with Sam turned from goodish to rocky.
  3. The husband of her next-door neighbor (Teddy) is killed while running on a popular path that borders the Potomac River.

Alexis, a stay-at-home mother of two children, slowly makes friends with the other women in the neighborhood. But, the one she grows closest to is Blair, who happens to be the widow of the man killed. But the longer it takes for Teddy’s killer to be identified, the more tense the neighborhood gets, and long-held secrets come to light. What secrets are being unearthed in this neighborhood? And how are those secrets directly linked to Teddy’s death?

When I read the blurb for What the Neighbors Saw, I thought I was getting into a psychological thriller. But what I thought and what I read were two different things. In a way, it was a psychological thriller but not how I thought it would be. This book was an almost soap opera-type look into an affluent neighborhood. It reminded me a little bit of a Jackie Collins book. I did enjoy reading What the Neighbors Saw but wished there was less drama and more thriller.

What the Neighbors Saw is a medium to fast-paced book. It took me over a day to read it. The pacing of What the Neighbors Saw did suit the book. I wish the author had slowed the book’s pacing during key points (mainly the ending).

What the Neighbors Saw takes place entirely in an affluent neighborhood in Washington, D.C. There are some flashbacks to Alexis’s life growing up in Baltimore, but the entirety of the book is set in this one neighborhood.

I liked Alexis, and the more she revealed about her past, the more I felt terrible for her. But, she was an unreliable narrator. She was exhausted from caring for a newborn and toddler (even with a nanny), and I felt that exhaustion colored her views of people and events in the neighborhood.
This sentiment extends to her waste of space husband, Sam. He gaslit and verbally abused her for 90% of the book. Their scenes together alternately made me sad and ticked me off.

I liked Alexis, and the more she revealed about her past, the more I felt terrible for her. But, she was an unreliable narrator. She was exhausted from caring for a newborn and toddler (even with a nanny), and I felt that exhaustion colored her views of people and events in the neighborhood.
This sentiment extends to her waste of space husband, Sam. He gaslit and verbally abused her for 90% of the book. Their scenes together alternately made me sad and ticked me off.

I wanted to like Blair but couldn’t quite cross that line. There was something about her that rubbed me the wrong way. Her grief over her husband dying was too predictable. Her friendship with Alexis was too convenient. And there is the question of her secret. I figured it out quickly but was still surprised (and disgusted) when it was revealed.

The thriller angle was lacking in What the Neighbors Saw. It didn’t reach thriller level in my eyes. It did come close to that towards the end of the book but has yet to get it. I was sad about that because I could see the potential.

On the other hand, the mystery angle of the book was chef’s kiss. The author kept the mystery of who killed Teddy and why under wraps until the end of the book. It also went hand in hand with two twists that surprised me—these twists I did not see coming.

As I said above, the end of the book was full of twists. I was in disbelief over what was revealed, and I needed to retake everything. But the ending didn’t mesh with the rest of the book. I felt the author rushed it.

I recommend What the Neighbors Saw to anyone over 21. There is language, violence, and mild graphic sex scenes.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Melissa Adelman for allowing me to read and review What the Neighbors Saw. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of What the Neighbors Saw, then you will enjoy reading these books:

A Stolen Child (Maggie D’Arcy: Book 4) by Sarah Stewart Taylor

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: June 20th, 2023

Genre: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Ireland, Mystery Thriller

Series: Maggie D’Arcy

The Mountains Wild—Book 1

A Distant Grave—Book 2

The Drowning Sea—Book 3

A Stolen Child—Book 4

Purchase Links: Kindle | B&N | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Sarah Stewart Taylor is known for her atmospheric portrayal of an American detective in Ireland, and her critically acclaimed series returns with A Stolen Child.

After months of training, former Long Island homicide detective Maggie D’arcy is now officially a Garda. She’s finally settling into life in Ireland and so is her teenage daughter, Lilly. Maggie may not be a detective yet, but she’s happy with her community policing assignment in Dublin’s Portobello neighborhood.

When she and her partner find former model and reality tv star Jade Elliot murdered—days after responding to a possible domestic violence disturbance at her apartment—they also discover Jade’s toddler daughter missing. Shorthanded thanks to an investigation into a gangland murder in the neighborhood, Maggie’s friend, Detective Inspector Roly Byrne, brings her onto his team to help find the missing child. But when a key discovery is made, the case only becomes more confusing—and more dangerous. Amidst a nationwide manhunt, Maggie and her colleagues must look deep into Jade’s life—both personal and professional—to find a ruthless killer.

First Line:

“Guard! Guard and American Guard! Guard and American Guard!” My partner, Garda Jason Savage, and I were just finishing up our community patrol when we see two boys beckoning us along the South Circular Road.

A Stolen Child by Sarah Steward Taylor

Maggie D’Arcy is finally a Garda after months of training. It is a step down from her American role as a homicide detective in Long Island, but she is happy. She loves community policing with her partner in the Portobello neighborhood in Dublin. Things change when she and her partner are called to a murder. The victim, a former reality TV star and model, has been found strangled in her house. But, to their horror, they find out that the victim also has a toddler daughter, and she is nowhere to be found. Due to Garda shortages because of a gang murder, Maggie is brought in to help investigate. They are not only tasked with finding the toddler but solving the murder. And the deeper that Maggie digs into the victim’s life (professional and personal), the muddier it gets. Who killed the victim and why? And more importantly, where is the baby?

A Stolen Child is the 4th book in the Maggie D’Arcy series. This book can be read as a standalone book. But I always suggest reading the previous books to catch up on the backstories. I have added books 1-3 to my Goodreads list, and hopefully, I will get to read them at some point.

A Stolen Child is a medium to fast-paced book. I was a little torn on how to describe the book’s pacing. It was fast-paced up to about the middle of the book and then slowed down to a medium pace. I thought that slowing down the storyline would throw the reader off. Surprisingly, it didn’t. There was a slight lag after Laurel was found, but it didn’t affect my interest.

A Stolen Child occurs entirely in Dublin, Ireland, with a few brief forays into a small village on the outskirts of Dublin. I loved it. Ireland ranks very high on my bucket list of places to visit when the kids leave the house.

The main storyline centers around Maggie and the investigation into Jade Eliot’s death and the disappearance of her toddler, Laurel. The author did a fantastic job of showing how the Garda deals with child abductions in Ireland. I also loved seeing how the police investigated a murder in Ireland. When Laurel was found (about halfway through the book), the author turned the storyline into Jade’s murder, which became this twisty-turny storyline that captivated me.

The characters in A Stolen Child were well-written and well-fleshed out. Even the secondary characters had a depth to them that I liked.

I liked Maggie. She was no-nonsense about her job and genuinely enjoyed it. I was thrilled with her when she was asked to be on the murder investigation. It made sense since she was a homicide detective in Long Island. She brought an American approach to Jade’s murder investigation that I felt helped it.

The main storyline, Laurel’s disappearance and Jade’s murder, was well written. I was genuinely afraid that they wouldn’t find Laurel alive. I also did guess who took her. It wasn’t a huge stretch to figure it out. But, on the other hand, Jade’s murder was this twisty turny mess. I spent the entire book trying to figure out who killed her. I was not expecting who it was or her storyline’s turn. Talk about a substantial unexpected twist for both.

I wasn’t too sure what to make of the ending. As I said above, there were a couple of massive twists that I didn’t see coming. I am hoping that there will be a book 5. I am curious if Maggie gets promoted to detective in the Garda.

I recommend A Stolen Child to anyone over 21. There is language, violence, and nongraphic sexual situations.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Sarah Stewart Taylor for allowing me to read and review A Stolen Child. All opinions expressed in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of A Stolen Child, then you will enjoy reading these books.

Other books by Sarah Stewart Taylor