Category: Book reviews

I, Witness by Niki Mackay My rating: 5 of 5 stars If you like brisk, pacy thrillers with well developed characters, this is the book for you! I thought it was going to be a legal thriller (the title, the cover), but instead it’s an excellently spun crime thriller, so don’t let the packaging turn…

The Killer You Know by S.R. Masters This debut novel has a contemporary feel with an interesting mix of nostalgia and thriller. It follows a group of friends who are torn apart at age sixteen by a number of strange events. Told with a dual time frame, the book has one of the most intriguing…

Three Days Missing by Kimberly Belle My rating: 5 of 5 stars Wowohwow! This was a stay-up-late-into-the-night read with pages you will burn through to get to the final resolution. I literally couldn’t put it down! The story follows Kat and Stef, Kat whose son has been kidnapped and Stef the mayor’s wife, whose son…

The Other Woman by Sandie Jones If there was such a thing as chick-lit thriller or dark chick-lit, this would fit solidly into that. I thought it was a thriller, so was a bit baffled by the chick-lit style writing, although the twist at the end moved it solidly in the thriller genre. This was…

Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson Ok, so it’s a science book, but as far as science books go, this is a pretty good one. I really enjoyed DeGrasse Tyson’s tone of voice, his easy, casual style, the way he broke down the complex into easy-to-understand bits of information. I kept…

What Was Mine by Helen Klein Ross My rating: 5 of 5 stars Wow! Just wow! What Was Mine was more addictive than Pringles with extra MSG! I couldn’t put it down and devoured it over the course of just a few sittings. Everything about it is beautiful: the story, the structure, the characters, the…

Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter Pieces of Her is a character-driven thriller focusing on themes of self-discovery, the tension of mother/daughter relationships, and a search for the truth. I love domestic suspense, so this was a great one for me. But fans should know up front that the book is very different from Slaughter’s…

See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt A deeply unsettling story based on the true ax murder of Andrew and Abby Borden. Lizzie, the protagonist and Andrew’s daughter (Abby’s stepdaughter), calls out to her maid and alerts the town of the grisly murder. While the police search for clues, Emma, the elder sister, comforts…

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders A sad but a weird story about loss and grief – literally the weirdest I’ve ever read. The plot follows the death of Abraham Lincoln’s son William, who is buried in Oak Hill Cemetary. Lincoln comes to see him, holding his dead body in his arms. Other souls…

When the Lights Go Out by Mary Kubica My rating: 5 of 5 stars I love me a good thriller, and especially a thriller that explores thoughtful themes and raises good questions. Mary Kubica’s book When The Lights Go Out does exactly this. An intricately plotted thriller with likeable characters warring with their individual obsessions…

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris My rating: 5 of 5 stars An Odyssean tale of humanity, survival and love in the darkest of times, the Tattooist of Auschwitz is heartwarming and unforgettable. Enterprising Lale is appointed as Tätowierer at Auschwitz, officially working for the political wing of the SS. This gives him some…

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier How have I never read this book?! Rebecca is a pristine example of a psychological thriller and I enjoyed every second of it. It’s hefty, filled with beautiful, atmospheric pose, and lyrical, almost poetic descriptions, so it isn’t something you’ll race through, but the story, the protagonist, the setting are…