Tag: thriller

Return of the Long Lost Earl: Historical Regency Romance Mystery by Kate Carteret

Return of the Long Lost Earl: Historical Regency Romance Mystery by [Carteret, Kate]

4 Stars

Publisher: Dashing Dandies Publishing

Date of publication: August 3rd 2019

Genre: Romance, Mystery. Thriller, Suspense

Where you can find Return of the Long Lost Earl: Amazon

Book Synopsis:

He’s a handsome naval captain with a borrowed identity. She’s a young woman betrothed to a man she’ll never love. Will their attraction for each other prove too strong to fight? READ THE LATEST PAGE-TURNING ROMANTIC MYSTERY FROM AMAZON BEST SELLING AUTHOR KATE CARTERET

For thirteen years, an old secret has lain dormant. Now that the old Earl of Kingsmead is dead, the families who surround that grand old estate have to face the past. In the heart of this carefully crafted tale of love is a web of intrigue just waiting to be uncovered.˃˃˃ A young woman with little say over her future

Geraldine Myers, daughter of Lord Roscoe Myers, has been promised to Gordon Danvers since the two were just children. The son of her father’s closest friend and ally, Gordon is vain, dull, and self-serving. But her father is not a man to be gainsaid, and Geraldine knows that there is little hope of her escaping the marriage.˃˃˃ A handsome Naval Captain with a dead man’s identity

Captain Ashley Winters is a man with a secret. His is a soul on the run from itself, trying to outpace the shadows of his past. He knows there is only one way to find peace at last, and that is to go ahead with the mission he has so carefully planned.˃˃˃ Will she ever really know the true identity of the man she had fallen in love with?

The old Earl of Kingsmead has passed away, his only heir a distant cousin, Basil Danvers. But when Basil dies suddenly on the day the Earl’s last will and testament is read, Kingsmead falls into the hands of his son, Gordon. Now that he has money and power, Geraldine knows that her fate is sealed, and the announcement of their engagement cannot be far away.

But things are not always set in stone, as she discovers at the Kingsmead Estate garden party, the very event at which her engagement was to be announced. A man strides onto the lawn – tall, handsome, and dressed in the finest Naval officer’s uniform. When he declares that he is Hunter Lyndon, the long lost Earl of Kingsmead and a man everybody had thought dead for thirteen years, it seems Geraldine had won a small reprieve.

As the Captain seeks to prove himself the rightful heir, the Myers and Danvers families try everything in their power to hold on to what they see as theirs. Left at the Kingsmead Dower house to spy on the man everybody claims is an impostor, Geraldine finds herself falling for this mysterious man. Is he the tall figure she barely remembers from her childhood, or is he a cruel trickster playing on the emotions of the mother who had lost her son so cruelly?

With her feelings spiralling and her allegiances tested, will Geraldine ever truly know who this handsome, mesmerizing man is? And, as her love deepens, will his identity really matter in the end?

As she draws closer to the truth, Geraldine draws closer to danger in this romantic Regency novel with a twist.

This novel in apx 70,000 words is a clean love story with no cheating, no cliffhangers, and a happy ever after.

First Line:

“If nothing else, it is perfect weather for a garden party, Geraldine.”

Return of the Long, Lost Earl by Kate Carteret

My Review:

I know that I have mentioned this in past blogs, but I am a massive fan of historical romance. I am not going to fangirl over how much I enjoy them. I’ve done that enough in past blogs. I am also a fan of mystery/thriller/suspense novels. When the two are combined, I am thrilled to death. So when I read the blurb for Return of the Long Lost Earl, I needed to read it. I am glad I did because this was a great combination of historical romance and mystery.

Return of the Long Lost Earl is the story of Lady Geraldine Myers and Captain Ashley Winters. Geraldine is betrothed to the heir of the Earl of Kingsmead. She is unhappy with the decisions being forced upon her. Begging and pleading with her parents and brother fall on deaf ears. Then Captain Ashley Winters shows up at her betrothal party and throws a wrench in things. Is Ashley the long-dead son of the Earl of Kingsmead? If so, who is buried in his grave?

I enjoyed the mystery angle of Return of the Long Lost Earl. The author did what few mystery authors have been able to do. She was able to keep me guessing if Ashley was Hunter. She was also able to take two past murders and intertwine them into the plot. It made for a fantastic read because I didn’t know what was going to happen next.

The romance angle of Return of the Long Lost Earl was sweet. It wasn’t love at first sight for Geraldine or Ashley. Instead, they fell for each other as they got to know one another. I also liked that there was no sex. After the last few books that I have read, I need a book where sex wasn’t the main focal point of the book. It was refreshing.

I liked Geraldine. I thought that she was progressive for her time. She wanted to make her own decisions and didn’t want to be forced into things. I liked that she kept an impartial view of Ashley’s claims. She challenged Ashley about why he stayed away from Kingsmead for so long.

I did have my doubts about Ashley. He came across as shady. But as the book went on, I started to wonder if he was Hunter. I liked how the author slowly released bits and pieces of his past. I did like him though, even if I thought he was shady for most of the book.

The end of Return of the Long Lost Earl was terrific. I loved how the author was able to resolve the mystery of who Ashley was along with the other two mysteries brought up in the book. I will say that justice was served. I loved how Ashley and Geraldine got their HEA.

I would give Return of the Long Lost Earl an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is no language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread Return of the Long Lost Earl. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

The Perfect Wife by J.P. Delaney

The Perfect Wife: A Novel by [Delaney, JP]

3 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books

Date of publication: August 6th, 2019

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Where you can find The Perfect Wife: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Book synopsis:

A missing woman receives a second chance at life, thanks to her billionaire husband–but the consequences are deadly in this gripping psychological thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Before.

Abbie awakens in a daze with no memory of who she is or how she landed in this unsettling condition. The man by her side claims to be her husband. He’s an icon of the tech world, the founder of a lucrative robotics company. He tells Abbie that she is a gifted artist, an avid surfer, a loving mother to their young son, and the perfect wife. He says she had a terrible accident five years ago, and that, through a huge technological breakthrough, she has been brought back from the abyss. She is a miracle of science. 

But as Abbie pieces together memories of her marriage, she begins questioning her husband’s motives–and his version of events. Can she trust him when he says he wants them to be together forever? And what reallyhappened to Abbie half a decade ago?

My review:

When I started reading The Perfect Wife, I was expecting a psychological thriller. I was expecting to read about Abbie’s remembering what happened to her the night of her accident. I was even expecting a few twists to the plot, which the book delivered. What I wasn’t expecting was the science fiction angle of the book. That took me by surprise.

The plotline of The Perfect Wife was interesting. Abbie wakes up wondering who she was. She is filled in by her husband. Abbie is an AI. She is a replica of Tim’s wife who went missing over five years ago. Abbie’s memories of her marriage show that Tim and herself are in love and happy. But Abbie can’t help but think that something is missing. That memories are missing. Abbie soon embarks on a mission to discover her missing memories. She also wants to find out what happened to Abbie 5 years earlier. Did she disappear? Or did something more sinister happen?

I liked Abbie, but I couldn’t get a feel for the AI. She was bland, personality- wise, for 90% of the book. I couldn’t connect to either version of her, which irritated me because I wanted to in the worse way. Abbie before was much more enjoyable.

Tim creeped me out. I understood that he was devastated by Abbie disappearance. But to make an AI that had her memories was creepy. Even creepier was how he was before Abbie. Talk about chills!!

Danny was also an essential character in The Perfect Wife. The author did a tremendous job of describing his form of autism. The author also did a fantastic job of explaining the various schools/treatments that Abbie and Tim tried.

I wasn’t a fan of the switch between 2nd person POV and 3rd person POV. I don’t like 2nd person POV. Add in that it kept switching to 3rd person and I was like “What” during some parts of the plotline. I kept having to reread chapters, and I am not a huge fan of doing that.

The end of The Perfect Wife confused me. I had to read it a few times. Even now, after I have finished the book, I still don’t get it. The author did wrap up the “What Happened To Abbie” storyline well but it didn’t jive with the rest of the story. Plus, what happened to Abbie and Danny at the end. I couldn’t figure out which one was the truth.

I would give The Perfect Wife an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I am on the fence if I would reread The Perfect Wife. I am also on the fence if I would recommend it to family and friends.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Perfect Wife.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Have you read The Perfect Wife?

What are your thoughts on it?

Do you think that there will eventually be AI’s that look like human beings?

Let me know!!

Nocturne in Ashes (Riley Forte: Book 1) by Joslyn Chase

Nocturne In Ashes: A Riley Forte Suspense Thriller, Book One by [Chase, Joslyn]

4 Stars

Publisher:

Date of publication: July 20th, 2017

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Series: Riley Forte

Nocturne in Ashes—Book 1

Where you can find Nocturne in Ashes: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Book synopsis:

Now she’s playing for her life!

With the death of her husband and son, concert pianist Riley Forte’s life and career shattered. Her comeback performance bombs, her sponsor pulls out, and she faces the tattered ruins of a once-happy life.

When Mt. Rainier erupts, isolating her in a small community stalked by a serial killer, it seems like the end of everything, but it brings a new chance for Riley.

If she can evade the clutches of a dedicated killer.

In a riveting action story filled with breathtaking suspense, Riley fights to hang on to the one thing she has left—her life, and the one thing she needs to turn it around—redemption.

First Line

The summer he turned thirteen, he took his first life.

Nocturne in Ashes by Joslyn Chase

My Review:

When I read the blurb for Nocturne in Ashes, my interest was caught. I haven’t read a lot of books that take place in Washington state. I also haven’t read a lot of books that deal with catastrophic eruptions of volcanoes. Add in that there is a serial killer loose in a community isolated by the eruptions and I had to read it. I am glad that I did because this book was a fantastic read.

Nocturne in Ashes starts with Riley Forte having a breakdown during her come back tour. Once a promising concert pianist, Riley’s world was torn apart when her husband and young son were killed. That concert was supposed to usher back into the spotlight. Instead, she is left with no sponsor and her career in shambles. She is at home when Mt. Rainier erupts. She discovers that there is a serial killer in the gated community. As the body count rises, suspicion is cast at everyone in the community. Will the killer be caught? Who will it be?

Nocturne in Ashes was one of those books that started with a bang and kept its momentum for the entire book. I couldn’t believe how fast-paced the book was. Usually, when a book is fast-paced, there is lag at some point in the book. There wasn’t any, and I loved it.

I felt awful for Riley during the book. She was struggling to overcome and understand why her husband and son had to die. She was struggling to get her career back on track. She had so much on her plate. Then to get involved in an investigation that involves a serial killer? Which is why I didn’t blame her for taking off when she did. Was it a stupid move? Yes, but she needed to do it. She would have never figured out who the killer was if she didn’t.

I did figure out who the serial killer was early in the book. But, there was a twist in that plotline that I didn’t see coming. It blindsided me. I had to put down my Kindle to process what I read. I was that shocked.

Nate’s investigation was another plotline that I loved. I liked that his investigation went on even though he was cut off from the rest of the state. I found it fascinating how he handled different situations.

I found Rick’s journey to get to Nate fascinating. He knew who the killer was and he wasn’t going to leave Nate stranded. He had some creative ways of getting to Nate. There were specific points in the book where I doubted if he would get there.

The end of Nocturne in Ashes was intense. Like I mentioned above, there was a twist in the plot that took me by surprise. What I liked the most is that the author didn’t end the book after the twist. She kept it going. She showed what happened to the characters afterward. Loved it!!

I would give Nocturne in Ashes an Adult rating. There is no sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Nocturne in Ashes. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

The Stories You Tell (Roxane Weary: Book 3) by Kristen Lepionka

The Stories You Tell: A Mystery (Roxane Weary Book 3) by [Lepionka, Kristen]

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: July 9th, 2019

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Series: Roxane Weary

The Last Place You Look—Book 1

What You Want To See—Book 2

The Stories You Tell—Book 3

Where you find The Stories You Tell: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Book synopsis:

The Stories You Tell is Shamus Award-winning and Anthony and Macavity Award-nominated author Kristen Lepionka’s heart-pounding third novel that will keep listeners on the edge of their seats with her signature twists and mile-high stakes.

A late-night phone call is never good news, especially when you’re Roxane Weary. This one is from her brother Andrew whose evening was interrupted by a visit from Addison, a hip young DJ he knows from the hotel bar where he works. She was drunk, bloody, and hysterical, but she wouldn’t say what was wrong. After using his phone, she left as quickly as she appeared, and Andrew is worried. That’s when he calls Roxane.

But another late-night call occurs as well: Addison’s father calls the police after getting a panicked voicemail from his daughter. The only thing he could understand is the address she gave in the message—Andrew’s. Before long, the police are asking Andrew all about why there’s blood in his apartment and what he did to Addison. Meanwhile, another cop is found dead on the opposite side of town, leading to a swirl of questions surrounding a dance club whose staff—which includes Addison—has suddenly gone AWOL.

My Review:

If you have been following this blog long enough, y’all know how much I hate reading books out of order if they are in a series. So when I realized that The Stories You Tell was the 3rd book in the Roxane Weary series, I did a facepalm. I prepared myself for being lost while reading this book. Well, I lucked out. The Stories You Tell can be read as a standalone book.

I enjoyed The Stories You Tell storyline. I thought that the storyline was well written. There was a little lag in the middle of the book. That happened right around when Andrew got arrested. But the book got back on track shortly afterward.

I liked Roxane. She committed to finding Addison after Andrew called her that night. She was also committed to finding out the truth when Andrew got arrested. I was iffy about her relationship with Catherine. I don’t know what went down in the first two books, but there was a disconnect between them the beginning. I was also confused about what was going on with Tom. The end of the book didn’t help with my confusion.

The mystery angle of the book was well written. The author did a fantastic job keeping where Addison was and what happened that night at the club under wraps. There were several other storylines (the dead ex-cop, the missing club staff, and the dating app) that were spun off from the main plotline. The author also did a fantastic job of combining all the secondary plotlines into the first one. When she started doing it, it didn’t make sense. But, after the scene with Brock, it began to make sense.

The end of The Stories You Tell was intense. It went lightning fast from the moment Roxane started putting things together. For a brief minute, I did think Jordy was in on what Elise was doing. But my mind was changed shortly after that.

I would give The Stories You Tell an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Stories You Tell I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

The Rumor by Lesley Kara

The Rumor: A Novel by [Kara, Lesley]

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books

Date of Publication: June 18th, 2019

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Where you can find The Rumor: Barnes and Noble | Amazon | BookBub

Book synopsis:

A single mom discovers just how deadly gossip can be in this irresistible debut thriller inspired by a sensational true crime story, for fans of Big Little Lies, The Couple Next Door, and The Widow.

Joanna is desperate to ingratiate herself with a popular clique of mothers at her son’s new school. But when she tries to impress them by repeating a rumor she overheard at the school gates, there’s no going back. . . .

Rumor has it that a notorious killer, a woman who has been released from prison years after her brutal crime, is living under a new identity in Joanna’s seaside town. So who is the supposedly reformed murderer now living in their neighborhood? Suspicion falls on everyone.

Joanna becomes obsessed with the case, pawing through decades-old records in an attempt to name the killer. But her curiosity not only ostracizes her from the community, but exposes her son and his father to a heartless psychopath who has killed–and may kill again. 

How dangerous can one rumor become? And how far will Joanna go to protect those she loves from harm, when she realizes what she’s unleashed?

Joanna is going to regret the day she ever said a word….

First Line

It’s happening again.

The Rumor by Lesley Kara

I am guilty of judging a book by its blurb. When I read the blurb, I thought that it was going to be a run of the mill suspense/thriller/mystery. I thought that I would be able to figure out who the killer was by the middle of the book. Yeah, well, that didn’t happen. I was taken by surprise by The Rumor , and I loved it.

The murderer in The Rumor is based on a real crime. Mary Bell killed a four-year-old and a three-year-old in 1968. The author had Sally follow Mary’s path in life. I was chilled reading those parts of The Rumor. The question that burned in my mind as I was reading was, “What can drive a ten-year-old to kill?“

The plotline in The Rumor was fast paced. There were no slow interludes. Everything that occurred in the book, happened within a few weeks of Joanna repeating the rumor. There was no lag, and there were no dropped or missing storylines.

Joanna became a hot mess during the book. The minute she repeated that rumor, she was on a fast track to collide with the killer. There were times where I wanted to shake her, though. Mainly with her personal life. I did feel bad for her at the end of the book. What she learned shocked me as much as it shocked her.

I was surprised at who the child killer was. When it was revealed, my mouth dropped open, and I said, out loud, “No effing way.” I was not expecting it to be that person. The author did a fantastic job of throwing out red herrings and pointing fingers at various people in the book. I loved it!!

The end of The Rumor was intense. Everything was revealed in a showdown that I can only describe as epic. I couldn’t put the book down because I needed to know what was going to happen. What chilled me was the last chapter. I got chills up and down my spine when I read it.

I would give The Rumor an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Rumor. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Waltz of the Crows (Steam and Shadow: Book 3) by L.G. Rollins

Waltz of the Crows (Steam and Shadow Novel Book 3) by [Rollins, L.]

4 Stars

Date of publication: June 4th, 2019

Genre: Steampunk, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Romance

Series: Steam and Shadow

Masked by Moonlight—Book 1

Buried in Blue—Book 2

Waltz of the Crows—Book 3

Where you can find Waltz of the Crows: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Leila Hale’s orders are clear: impersonate a nurse, make contact with her fellow spy, and get London the information it needs without being caught or killed; or worse, tripping up so horribly her superiors deem her incompetent.

Samuel Rowley has returned to find his hometown disease-ridden, with many on the brink of madness. Not a man to sit back and merely hope for the best, he determines to explore every resource available until he finds a solution. 

Together, Leila and Samuel sort out the relevant from the distractions and tease truth from lies. But as they uncover various secrets, it becomes evident that this insanity isn’t a disease at all, but a meticulously infiltrated poisoning; and the perpetrator has them in their sights.

When all is made known, will Leila and Samuel have enough wit and strength to save themselves, their future, and a town full of innocent victims?

Waltz of the Crows is Book 3 in the Steam and Shadow Series; all books in this series are stand-alone and can be read in any order. Waltz of the Crows is a Victorian Era Steampunk (think Woman in White but with cool gadgets) bundled up with a cozy mystery and sweet romance. Perfect for lovers of Marissa Meyer’s Cinder and Stephanie Garber’s Caraval.

My Review:

When I read the blurb for Waltz of the Crows, I got excited. It has been a long time since I have read a good steampunk book. I was hoping that the book lived up to its blurb. I am happy to report that this book lived up to the blurb and then some!!

The plot for Waltz of the Crows was simple. Leila was in France on a mission. There is a deadly flu that has been confined to a village in France. Leila is to gather intel on the flu and send it to London. While in France, Leila meets the dashing Samuel. With his help, Leila discovers that the people are being poisoned. Soon, it becomes a race to find out who is poisoning the village and why. Can Leila and Samuel expose the villain without getting themselves hurt? Can they stop the poisoning?

I loved Leila. She had been forced into the field early and hadn’t been able to complete her training. She was terrified that she was going to get killed or be labeled incompetent. It made her cautious at the beginning of the book. But once Victor was compromised, she started to shed her doubts. I loved watching her character grow. I cheered her on when she was intel gathering. I liked her.

I liked Samuel too. At first, I did wonder why he was being brought into the book. But as the book went on, his role in everything became crystal clear. He had a set of skills that Leila needed. He also wanted to get to the bottom of who was poisoning the village. I loved watching him fall for Leila. It was sweet.

The steampunk angle of the book was well written. This book was set in Victorian England. There were motorcars, steam run submarines, gears, and airships. I couldn’t get enough of reading about that. I couldn’t get enough of reading about that.

The mystery angle of the book was well written also. The author did a great job at keeping who was poisoning the village under wrap until the end of the book. I did have my suspicions about who it was, and I was wrong. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I loved it!!

There was also a romance angle in Waltz of the Crows. The romance between Leila and Samuel was sweet. It was innocent. It was a perfect fit in with the story.

The end of Waltz of Crows was action-packed. I was surprised at who the villain turned out to be. The author did a great job of keeping it under wrap. The other surprise is what happened to Leila and Samuel. I never predicted what happened to happen. It was a fantastic end to the book.

I would give Waltz of Crows an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread Waltz of Crows I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

The Night Window (Jane Hawk: Book 5) by Dean Koontz

The Night Window: A Jane Hawk Novel by [Koontz, Dean]

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Bantam

Date of publication : May 14th, 2019

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Series: Jane Hawk

The Bone Farm—Book 0.5

The Silent Corner—Book 1 (review here)

The Whispering Room—Book 2 (review here)

The Crooked Staircase—Book 3 (review here)

The Forbidden Door—Book 4 (review here)

The Night Window—Book 5

Where you can find The Night Window: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Book synopsis:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz brings Jane Hawk’s one-woman war to an explosive climax as the rogue FBI agent wages her final battle against a terrifying conspiracy–for vengeance, for justice, and for humanity’s freedom. 

Groundbreaking, wholly involving, eerily prescient and terrifyingly topical, Dean Koontz’s Jane Hawk series sets a new standard for contemporary thrillers. Since her sensational debut in The Silent Corner, readers have been riveted by Jane Hawk’s resolute quest to take down the influential architects of an accelerating operation to control every level of society via an army of mind-altered citizens. At first, only Jane stood against the “Arcadian” conspirators, but slowly others have emerged to stand with her, even as there are troubling signs that the “adjusted” people are beginning to spin viciously out of control. Now, in the thrilling, climactic showdown that will decide America’s future, Jane will require all her resources–and more–as she confronts those at the malevolent, impregnable center of power.

My review:

I was excited when I saw that The Night Window was available for review. I was waiting for this book. I needed to see how Jane Hawk’s quest to bring down the Arcadian’s would end. And I wasn’t disappointed. This book was a fast-paced ride from beginning to end.

All the storylines were fast paced and well written. I had issues putting the book down, that is how into I got. I needed to find out if Jane was going to expose the Arcadians and reunite with her son. I needed to know if Tom was going to outwit Hollister. Also, let’s not forget the secondary storylines. Instead of distracting me from the storyline, they added to it. They added that little bit of extra depth to the book that was needed.

Jane, by far, was my favorite character in The Night Window. Her determination to protect her child and to expose the Arcadian’s came off the pages. She took more risks in this book. Her near misses with the Arcadian’s were incredible and nerve- wracking. I did feel bad for her, though. She was exhausted from all the running that she had to do. She wanted to be with her son. She wanted it to be over and justice for her husband.

I wanted to shake Vikram. He took a lot of risks to help Jane. Like going to Ricky and getting the modified RV. He made me nervous. But he was brilliant. It was that brilliance that kept them ahead of the Arcadians. It was also that brilliance that had him do what he did during the last chapters.

Warwick Hollister was one of the evilest characters that I have read to date. The glimpses of him that I got in the previous books didn’t prepare me for what was in this book. I shuddered every time he appeared in the book. But, I did enjoy his descent into madness. Without giving anything away, let’s say that he got paid back tenfold.

The Night Window was a perfect fit into the thriller genre. As with any of his books, Dean Koontz knows how to deliver a thriller. I was kept on edge the entire book. The build-up of that angle was fantastic.

The mystery angle wasn’t there for me. I wasn’t feeling it. The only time I even got a tiny bit of feel for it was when the Arcadians were chasing after Jane and Vikram. But even then, it was more of a thriller.

I loved the end of The Night Window. I did not expect it to go the way it did. But, in hindsight, it was the only way. The author did what few do. The author did what few do — showing what happens after the fact. It was also a fitting ending to the series.

I would give The Night Window an Adult rating. There is no sex (but there are references to sexual situations). There is violence. There is language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Night Window. I would recommend this book to family and friends.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

I would like to thank the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Night Window.

All opinions stated in this review of The Night Window are mine.

Have you read The Night Window?

What were your thoughts on it?

Do you think that something like the Hamlet List could exist?

Let me know!!

The Night Before by Wendy Walker #TheNightBefore #NetGalley

The Night Before

4 Stars

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Date of publication: May 14th, 2019

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Where you can find The Night Before: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

The night before…and the nightmare after.

Rosie and Laura are as different as two sisters can be. One is stable and has a perfect family. The other struggles to break free from her troubled past. When Laura disappears after going on a blind date, Rosie takes matters into her own hands. 

But as Rosie begins to search for her sister, her greatest fears come to the surface. Could Laura be more of a danger than the stranger she meets or is the night before her last night alive? 

Told in dual timelines—the night before and the day after—The Night Before is a riveting thriller about family loyalty, obsession, and what happens when the desire for love spins out of control.

My review:

Laura is getting ready to go on a blind date. The first date she has gone on since her boyfriend dumped her by text months before. Taking her sister, Rosie’s minivan, she goes on the date. When Laura doesn’t come home, Rosie isn’t too worried. Then Rosie’s van is found, but Laura isn’t there. Going to the police does nothing. Rosie is soon on an all-out desperate search for her sister. Where is Laura? What has Laura done?

I am a huge fan of psychological thrillers. So when I saw that Wendy Williams had another book up for review, I jumped on it. I was a big fan of Emma in the Night. I figured that The Night Before would be as good. And guess what, it was.

When I first started the book, I wasn’t a fan of the dual timelines. But, as I got into the book, I started liking it. It grew on me. This is going to sound weird, but it made sense by the time Laura went home with Jonathan Fielding.

This book had a lot of twists and turns. When I thought one thing was figured out, the author threw another monkey wrench into the mix. I will say that the after plotline got the most monkey wrenches thrown into it. I felt terrible for Rosie. She had a whole lot of information, true and false, thrown at her. If that were me, I would have been in a tailspin.

Laura was a broken person. It came across the pages during the before parts of the books. I liked how the author chose to have her therapy visits highlight the beginning of her chapters. I will admit, I did think the same thing as Rosie at one point during the book.

I did feel for Rosie during the book. She was a mess, as she should have been. There were certain scenes in the book where I wanted to hug her. I also would have acted the same way if I thought what she thought about her husband.

The end of the book was a mind screw. I couldn’t believe what was happening when I read it. All I kept saying was “No way, no way, NO WAY.” The author did a fantastic job of keeping everything under wraps.

I would give The Night Before an Adult rating. There is sex (not graphic). There is language. There is violence. There are triggers. They would be stalking, attempted sexual assault, child abuse, and mental illness. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Night Before. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank the publishers, the author, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Night Before.

All opinions stated in The Night Before are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

I Know You by Erik Therme

I Know You: A gripping suspense thriller with a heart-stopping twist by [Therme, Erik]

4 Stars

Publisher: Bookouture

Date of publication: April 12th, 2019

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Where you can find I Know You: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Book synopsis:

Sisters Bree and Alissa Walker share a special bond. Neglected by their parents, they have always looked out for one another. But one day, sixteen-year-old Alissa goes missing. When Bree discovers her green backpack with all her belongings, abandoned on the steps of their run-down trailer, she knows that something bad has happened …

Then she receives a chilling text message. Someone has Alissa. But Bree will have to give up something very precious in exchange.

Desperate to save Alissa, Bree looks at everyone close to their family. She’s sure that Alissa’s best friend is keeping something back about her little sister and a boy at school, and why has their estranged uncle, who they’ve not seen in years, been hanging around again?

It soon becomes clear that the person behind the message knows a lot about the dark truths within the Walker family and will go to any lengths to get revenge. And as the search for Alissa continues, Bree discovers something about her brother Tyler that she wishes she hadn’t, a dangerous secret, which is also the key to bringing her little sister back home …

My Review:

I am a huge fan of thrillers. I love being kept on edge while reading a book and not knowing what will happen next. When I read the blurb of I Know You, I knew that this was going to be a good book. My expectation of the book was met and then some.

The plotline of I Know You was frightening. When Bree sees Alissa’s backpack sitting on the steps of the trailer they live at, she has a feeling something terrible happened. Her feelings were confirmed when she gets a text that tells her Alissa has been kidnapped and not to go to the police. The kidnapper wants Bree to do one thing. She needs to find her brother, Tyler, and bring him to the kidnapper. As Bree searches for Tyler and Alissa, she learns that each has secrets. It is Tyler’s secrets that have an impact on her search. Will Bree find Alissa? What is Tyler’s secret? How will if effect Bree’s search?

I Know You was a very fast paced book. The plotline flew from the minute Bree got that text to the end. There were a few times where the plotline lagged, but the author was able to pull it back on track.

The characters in I Know You were dysfunctional. They were not likable. That is what made this book such a great read. Even though I didn’t like them, I could relate to them. These characters are like people that I deal with daily. That relatability made the book a good read for me.

I wasn’t surprised that Tyler was somehow involved in Alissa’s disappearance. I didn’t like him. Something about him grated on me. He reminded me of people I have known in the past.

I liked Bree. She was as tough as nails, and she was doing whatever it took to get Alissa back.

The secrets in this book were the backbone. Everyone had secrets. Each secret was worse than the last one.

There were a couple of twists in the plot that made me go huh? The first twist involved why Alissa got taken. It made zero sense to me until the second twist was revealed. That’s when I went “It makes sense now.”

The end of I Know You was great. The author didn’t hold back anything when everything was revealed about why Alissa was kidnapped. I felt bad for the kidnapper. The only thing I didn’t like was the very end. It made me go “Why?” when I read it.

I would give I Know You an Adult rating. There is no sex. There is language. There is violence. I would reccomend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread I Know You. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Have you read I Know You?

What are your thoughts on it?

Let me know!!

Little Darlings by Melanie Golding

Little Darlings

4 Stars

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Date of publication: May 10th, 2019

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller

Where you can find Little Darlings: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Goodreads synopsis:

“Mother knows best” takes on a sinister new meaning in this unsettling thriller perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman andGrimms’ Fairy Tales.

Everyone says Lauren Tranter is exhausted, that she needs rest. And they’re right; with newborn twins, Morgan and Riley, she’s never been more tired in her life. But she knows what she saw: that night, in her hospital room, a woman tried to take her babies and replace them with her own…creatures. Yet when the police arrived, they saw no one. Everyone, from her doctor to her husband, thinks she’s imagining things.

A month passes. And one bright summer morning, the babies disappear from Lauren’s side in a park. But when they’re found, something is different about them. The infants look like Morgan and Riley―to everyone else. But to Lauren, something is off. As everyone around her celebrates their return, Lauren begins to scream, These are not my babies.

Determined to bring her true infant sons home, Lauren will risk the unthinkable. But if she’s wrong about what she saw…she’ll be making the biggest mistake of her life.

Compulsive, creepy, and inspired by some of our darkest fairy tales, Little Darlings will have you checking―and rechecking―your own little ones. Just to be sure. Just to be safe.

My review:

Laura swears that she was attacked in her hospital room, shortly after the birth of her twins. She is written off as a tired, new mother when the police are involved. Her husband and the doctors think that she is imagining things. When she gets home, things start to get worse. She starts seeing that woman outside of her house. Again, she is written off as being a tired new mother. Then she takes the twins out for a walk in a park. Where they disappear. The twins are found shortly after being reported missing. But Laura swears that there is something different about them. She needs to bring her boys back. How is she going to do that? Are the myths and legends about changelings to be believed? Or is Laura suffering from a form of postpartum psychosis?

I couldn’t wait to read Little Darlings. From the reviews that I have read, the book was going to be fantastic. So, when I finally got around to reading, I was excited. Little Darlings has earned every bit of praise that has been thrown its way. When a book has me wondering which end is up, it is good!!

I wish that I hadn’t put it off. This book is that good. It is also super creepy. The bit of folklore that the author chose to put at the beginning of each chapter only added to the supernaturalness of the book. I loved it!!

What I also liked is that I didn’t know what was true. Was everything that Laura was experiencing real or in her head? That is what I loved the most about this book. The author did a great job of putting up both sides. And then she does a fantastic job of letting you make your own conclusion at the end of the book. Like I mentioned above, I love it when a book can keep me guessing about what actually happened. Even after it was over.

The end of Little Darlings sent a chill up my spine. Not going to get into it but let’s say that enough doubt is cast that I wondered what happened. The epilogue (well, I wouldn’t quite call it that) was what made me think. It also made me sit and think for a while after I finished the book.

I gave Little Darlings a 4-star rating. This was a creepy book to read. The characters were relatable. The plotlines were fast paced and well written.

I would give Little Darlings an Adult rating. There is no sex. There is violence. There is language. There are triggers. They would be postpartum depression, postpartum psychosis, and cheating. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Little Darlings. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read and review Little Darlings.

All opinions stated in this review of Little Darlings are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Have you read Little Darlings?

Love it? 

Hate it?

Meh about it?

Let me know!!!