Category: Book reviews

Dear Daughter by Elizabeth Little After her mother is killed, Janie Jenkins is convicted of her murder based on circumstantial evidence. But her memories of that night are missing. Released from prison on a technicality years later, Janie decides to find her mothers killer and clear her name. This sharp thriller has an abrasive, irritating,…

Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker My rating: 5 of 5 stars A slow-burning, psychological thriller with a ton of mind games that will warp your sense of what’s true and who to trust! From a technical standpoint, this book is pretty much flawless. The dual narration is perfectly executed, flowing seamlessly between the…

Miracle Creek by Angie Kim My rating: 5 of 5 stars A captivating, tightly-woven courtroom drama with a crime at its heart and characters I loved to follow! This is a fantastic debut from Kim, who uses a courtroom as the launching pad to tell the story of a devastating crime that left two people…

Before She Was Found by Heather Gudenkauf My rating: 5 of 5 stars Heather Gudenkauf is one of the most reliably excellent authors I’ve ever read, so I was delighted to read an early copy of Before She Was Found. The story is about three pre-teen girls who sneak out to the train tracks during…

Little Darlings by Melanie Golding My rating: 5 of 5 stars A VERY unsettling tale with echoes of Grimms Fairy Tales, Little Darlings is utterly captivating, gorgeously atmospheric and deliciously creepy. The story follows Lauren, who’s just given birth to twins. Exhausted and overwhelmed, Lauren isn’t coping well, and things go from bad to worse…

The Woods by Harlan Coben Such a fun, interesting read! I love Harlan Coben because, as a writer, I can learn so much for him. He hits every plot point perfectly and even the character development is great. Yes, it’s maybe a little formulaic, but you’ll definitely be entertained along the way. Lots of twists…

All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker An intriguing psychological thriller about Jenny, who is brutally raped at age 15. She’s given a controversial drug in order to forget the rape, but this messes her up more than the memory of it, so she goes to a psychologist to help her recover her memories. The…

Broken Things by Lauren Oliver An enjoyable read about a teenager murdered in the woods. Everyone thinks her best friends did it after becoming obsessed with a made-up story. But the murderer is still out there. I did have a difficult time differentiating between the two teenage protagonists, so I never knew who was narrating.…

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.…