Category: Book reviews

The Perfect Life by Nuala Ellwood A compelling, twisty psychological thriller in which a much-adored boyfriend gaslights a vulnerable, naïve woman, leading us to ask: does anyone really have a perfect life? Vanessa gets a thrill out of viewing houses she can’t afford. After her mother died when she was young, she’s longed desperately for…

A Million Reasons Why: A Novel by Jessica Strawser My rating: 4 of 5 stars An emotional family drama, heavy on the drama. From heart attacks to secret children to surprise DNA test results to kidney transplants to past relationships to pregnancy stuff, there’s a lot going on. Well-developed characters and a lot to think…

Girls of Brackenhill by Kate Moretti My rating: 5 of 5 stars A dark and beguiling gothic mystery with a touch of the supernatural, Girls of Brackenhill has everything you want in a story at this time of year: a creepy castle, long-buried secrets, mysterious townspeople, and a troubled woman who’s (literally and figuratively) haunted…

Loss Lake by Amber Cowie My rating: 5 of 5 stars Wonderfully tense and gorgeously disturbing, Loss Lake is richly atmospheric, centering around a much-fabled monster-filled lake and a darkly twisted small town hiding big secrets. Hypnotic and irresistible, you won’t be able to look away. This beautiful, tautly written story is about love and…

A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell My rating: 5 of 5 stars A confidently written, utterly engrossing thriller, I literally couldn’t put it down and spent the whole day absorbed in this book. With a gorgeous beachfront setting, an intriguing plot, and characters I just couldn’t trust, this one had all the elements…

The Assistant by S.K. Tremayne My rating: 5 of 5 stars Wow! How did I miss this one last year? This book was incredible! Electric, riveting, and deliciously disturbing, The Assistant is a scarily believable story about the nature of modern technology and our reliance on virtual assistants, like Alexa or Siri. What happens when…

What Lies Between Us by John Marrs This book is just bonkers crazy, with two of the most devious and conniving women I’ve read in a long time! Dark, demented and dysfunctional are my three top words to describe it, with a toxic mother-daughter relationship at its core. We open with Nina and Maggie having…

Long Bright River by Liz Moore My rating: 5 of 5 stars Profoundly moving and beautifully written, Long Bright River is a story about the bond of sisters, addiction, and what’s left in the wake of a shared tragedy. It’s a murder mystery, but one that is quieter, focusing more on the relationship of the…

Don’t Look for Me by Wendy Walker My rating: 5 of 5 stars Electric and atmospheric, Don’t Look For Me is so much more than a cleverly-plotted, beautifully-written novel. This gorgeously layered thriller is riveting, haunting and emotional, following a family broken by tragedy and asking if redemption is ever an option when the unthinkable…

Rapid Falls by Amber Cowie My rating: 5 of 5 stars Cleverly plotted and utterly compelling, Rapid Falls is that rare story where you root for every single character – even those who may be the worst people of all. It’s sharply insightful while still being compassionate; creepy, while still being a beautiful exploration of…

To Tell You the Truth by Gilly Macmillan My rating: 5 of 5 stars A dazzling thriller with a compelling and unreliable narrator, To Tell You The Truth is fresh, bold and ferociously smart. The story begins with our protagonist, Lucy, a successful thriller author with a dark past – her little brother Teddy went…

A Beginning at the End by Mike Chen My rating: 5 of 5 stars “Some things cannot be undone. There is no reset. But we as a people can be smarter, better, and more focused on keeping it at bay. All of us carry this responsibility.” A few weeks back, I asked some fellow readers…