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Bitter by Francesca Jakobi My rating: 5 of 5 stars An absolutely stunning debut, Bitter is a heartbreaking portrait of a mother’s love for her son, and all the ways that love can go wrong. What I found so interesting is how Francesca Jakobi successfully made me sympathize with Gilda, a protagonist who is so…

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver My rating: 5 of 5 stars Let’s just be honest up front: this is not an easy read. It is chilling and terrifying and discusses themes that are difficult to talk about. What makes someone a murderer? Was Kevin born a killer or was he made…

Tear Me Apart by J.T. Ellison My rating: 5 of 5 stars A dark, multidimensional story with realistic characters you will love to hate! Mindy Wright is a competitive skier and she’s on the verge of massive success when she suffers a horrific accident. While in hospital, her family learn that she has leukemia and…

The Perfect Family by Shalini Boland My rating: 5 of 5 stars Fantastically twisted and utterly creepy! Gemma Ballantine has a perfect life: A gorgeous husband, two adorable little girls, a successful business. What more could she want? But she is constantly juggling work and family life, questioning if she’s a terrible mother or not.…

Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier My rating: 5 of 5 stars My write-in Goodreads Choice Award for 2018! I absolutely loved this book. Dark, tautly written with flawed and real characters, I couldn’t stop reading! At the heart of the story is Angela Wong, who was 16 years old when she went missing, not…

River Bodies by Karen Katchur My rating: 5 of 5 stars River Bodies is a compelling and dark mystery that shifts from a present day murder to one that happened 20 years ago. The setting is vivid and evocative, the forest and the river lending a fantastic atmosphere to the story. When Becca catches her…

We Were Mothers by Katie Sise An intriguing look at the gossipy, dark side of suburbia, with a number of well-drawn but unlikeable characters. The story starts very slow, but does build tension as you go. It’s an easy read that you can pick up and put down as and when you want. View all…

Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips What would you do if you were with your small son at the zoo when shooters started killing people? This is the question Gin Phillips explores in Fierce Kingdom. She sets the story in what many find a familiar and happy environment (the zoo) then pushes on many of our…

Little Broken Things by Nicole Baart Little Broken Things is a family drama exploring lies and dark secrets. When a little girl arrives, all those secrets start to come out into the open. Told primarily from the POV of Liz, Nora and Quinn, the story explores what happened in the past and who the little…

Final Girls by Riley Sager My rating: 5 of 5 stars Of the +/- 100 books I’ve read this year, Final Girls is definitely up there at the top of my list. I absolutely LOVED every page. Initially I stayed away because I thought it sounded too much like a slasher movie, but fortunately it…