Category: Book reviews

The Retreat by Mark Edwards My rating: 5 of 5 stars I’ve been reading Mark Edwards’s backlist and enjoying every single one. The Retreat is atmospheric, creepy, and haunting, about a writer who goes to an idyllic retreat to finish writing his horror novel. Except this writing retreat is different than most. First of all,…

The Maid’s Diary by Loreth Anne White My rating: 5 of 5 stars A maid with a snooping problem. A couple with a lot to hide. Loreth Anne White is consistently one of my favorite authors, and The Maid’s Diary is another winner. Gorgeously atmospheric with complex, fully drawn characters and a multi-layered plot, the…

The Quiet Tenant by Clémence Michallon My rating: 5 of 5 stars Tense, terrifying with incandescent prose, The Quiet Tenant is a literary thriller about a woman who is the captive of a serial killer. When Aidan’s wife dies, he and his 13yo daughter are forced to move, and Rachel, his prisoner, manages to convince…

Where They Lie by Joe Hart My rating: 5 of 5 stars A powerful, captivating tale of a social worker with a tragic past who goes the extra mile for the children in her care. But when a plane crash kills a family she has placed a number of children with, and one of those…

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger My rating: 5 of 5 stars A locked-room mystery that still manages to be fresh and surprising. Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six is Lisa Unger’s 20th novel, and she only gets better and better. This one centers around a luxury weekend away with family and close friends that quickly…

What She Found by Robert Dugoni My rating: 5 of 5 stars The 9th instalment of the Seattle-based Tracy Crosswhite series, Robert Dugoni only gets better and better. In What She Found, Tracy is now a cold case detective, which allows her more time to spend with her husband and small daughter. Tracy knows what…

One Year Gone by Avery Bishop My rating: 5 of 5 stars An emotionally charged mystery that’s simultaneously heartbreaking and thrilling as a single mother risks everything to find her missing daughter. One Year Gone is deeply unsettling and gorgeously disturbing. Don’t miss this one! View all my reviews

Strangers We Know by Elle Marr My rating: 5 of 5 stars A fun domestic suspense with some interesting themes to sink your teeth into. After her mystery illness prompts her to take a DNA test, Ivy Hon discovers she’s related to an infamous killer. Told in multiple POVs with excellent characterization and clear, sparse…

A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing My rating: 5 of 5 stars A toxic relationship on the brink of disaster, a delightfully devious cast of characters, and beguiling and sinister twists you won’t see coming. What’s not to love? Told with Downing’s typical tongue-in-cheek sarcasm, you’ll find out what ‘Love is a serious mental…

Blood Sisters by Vanessa Lillie My rating: 5 of 5 stars An action-packed, intoxicatingly original thriller! Every character is beautifully crafted, the mystery compelling and fresh. The story explores the themes of sisterhood, friendship, and the search for justice in a system that has historically ignored Indigenous women. An important and gorgeously written story. Our…

The Drowned Girls by Loreth Anne White My rating: 5 of 5 stars If you haven’t read a Loreth Anne White book, you are missing out! One of my favorite authors, every single book is expertly plotted and gorgeously written, and this one is no exception. Angie Pallorino is a detective in sex crimes, hoping…

The Red House by Roz Watkins My rating: 5 of 5 stars Tense breathtaking, and unputdownable, The Red House is richly atmospheric with such an intoxicatingly original plot I couldn’t put it down. We follow Eve, the only child who lived after her older brother gunned down their parents and baby brother. The only thing…