Author: Christina McDonald

A Stranger at the Door by Jason Pinter My rating: 5 of 5 stars Smart and cleverly plotted, this fast-paced crime mystery is compelling with tons of emotion and a protagonist bent on justice. Beneath the layers of plot are characters so well written I felt I actually knew them. Suspenseful, funny, tense and gripping,…

The Perfect Family by Robyn Harding My rating: 5 of 5 stars Unsettling and darkly sublime, Robyn Harding deftly explores twisted family dynamics and devastating secrets in suburbia in this stunning novel that will shock readers by the final page. The Perfect Family explores a perfect family’s perfect façade, and how even perfect lies can…

You Will Remember Me by Hannah Mary McKinnon My rating: 5 of 5 stars Magnificently malevolent and darkly diabolical, what begins as a case of amnesia quickly turns into a riveting, sinister ride. Every twist, every layer skilfully unravels to an explosive conclusion that will have you gasping out loud. You Will Remember Me is…

Girls with Bright Futures by Tracy Dobmeier My rating: 5 of 5 stars Wickedly paced and devilishly clever, Girls with Bright Futures is a serious case of moms behaving badly, perfectly showcasing the dark side of ambition in the cut-throat world of elite college admissions. With a ripped-from-the-headlines feel a la Felicity Huffman, we get…

Her Last Holiday by C.L. Taylor An interesting, slow paced mystery with a lot of drama. I loved the premise of a sister looking into what happened to her sister. With a cast of several excellent suspects at the retreat, I was entertained, even if I did guess the twist. A light beach read. View…

The Perfect Guests by Emma Rous My rating: 5 of 5 stars A richly atmospheric time-slip mystery with the pulse of a thriller, The Perfect Guests is deliciously evocative and absolutely spellbinding. Set up like a game of Clue, the story alternates between two narratives, one in the past, the other in the present, each…

Crazy Love You by Lisa Unger A twisted tale about a graphic artist with a lot of unresolved childhood issues, Crazy Love You explores, through a fog of haze and desperation, the things that are real and the things that aren’t. With pitch-perfect pacing, a dark psychological heart, and deeply moving flashbacks, I couldn’t put…

Pines by Blake Crouch Very M Knight Shamalayan or Dean Koontz, but with spies. Lots of scenes that were pretty gruesome, intense, blood, torture. In fact, the first 3/4 of the book is all about the protagonist being beaten, then he’s running, then he’s tortured, running, climbing, then beaten again. There seems to be little…

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb My rating: 5 of 5 stars Profoundly moving, charming, and thoroughly absorbing, I’m not even exaggerating when I say Lori Gottlieb’s memoir resonated with me deeply. There were so many parts that left me in awe or questioning…

Confessions on the 7:45 by Lisa Unger My rating: 5 of 5 stars Smart, textured and unsettling, Confessions on the 7:45 may just be my favorite Lisa Unger book yet. With a deep dive into human psychology and a fascinating character study, this one explores the gritty behind the gorgeous, the human behind the façade,…

Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone Anyone who reads this should know it’s heavily laced with magical realism. I do enjoy a little magical realism, it was to the extent that I really struggled with the first 50% of the storyline. It did pick up and I’m glad I finished, as I really enjoyed the ending. While…