Four once-friends reunite when a secret from their past makes them a target—in Alex Finlay’s new fast-paced thriller, WHAT HAVE WE DONE.
Jenna, Donnie,Four once-friends reunite when a secret from their past makes them a target—in Alex Finlay’s new fast-paced thriller, WHAT HAVE WE DONE.
Jenna, Donnie, Nico, Arty, and Ben were best friends, having become close after the nightmares they endured in foster care. Twenty-five years later, Jenna is a former assassin and now stepmother to two girls, Donnie is a washed-up rockstar with a drinking problem, Nico is a reality TV producer with debts to pay, and Arty a tech billionaire. But when Ben—a judge—is murdered, and each barely survives their own assassination attempt, they realize the key to everything lies within their shared past, and a secret they swore to never talk about again.
Through alternating past and present chapters, we learn their backstories and what led them to do what they did so many years ago. This very much felt like a ‘popcorn thriller’ with unrelenting twists and fast-paced action. Each character was troubled and multifaceted, uniquely shaped by the trauma of their past. Taut and tangled, this is one that will keep you guessing all the way to its white-knuckle ending. Finlay is quite the exciting thriller writer and this one reads like a pulse-pounding action movie from which you can’t look away....more
A writing retreat spirals into a horrific nightmare for a group of young writers in Julia Bartz’s The Writing Retreat.
Alex grew up idolizing the recluA writing retreat spirals into a horrific nightmare for a group of young writers in Julia Bartz’s The Writing Retreat.
Alex grew up idolizing the reclusive, feminist horror writer Roza Vallo. In fact, Roza was who brought her and her best friend, Wren, together, as they aspired to pen their own like-minded novels. Now, however, Alex grinds at a job she hates, all while wrestling with writer’s block and struggling in the aftermath a scandalous split with Wren.
She then receives an invite to Roza’s highly coveted writing retreat—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be mentored by her hero. But as soon as they arrive at Blackbriar—Roza’s remote estate—the retreat becomes more cutthroat competition than the amiable workshop for which they hoped.
The terms? They must complete an all-new novel in a month, submit their daily word count for critique, and whomever writes the best manuscript wins a life-changing seven-figure deal. As the women hunker down to submit the prerequisite 3,000 words a day, Alex’s research leads her down a sinister path, stoking fears about Blackbriar (and its rumored haunting) and ratcheting unease on Roza’s real motivation. Worse yet, everything wildly unravels when one of their own vanishes in the haze of a night gone wrong. Trapped by a snowstorm, and without Wi-Fi or phone service, Alex desperately searches for answers before it’s too late for them all.
This book really caught me by surprise in the best way. The gothic atmosphere, the nuanced characters, the intensifying tension, and threads of horror, all contributed to the immersiveness and unpredictability of the narrative. The tension between the women, especially Alex and Wren, exacerbated their already dire situation, spurring me to tear through the pages at break-neck speed. The whole experience felt like a wild ride—one teeming with betrayal, obsession, seduction, intrigue, and murder.
A girl returns home in search of answers to a past trauma, in Ana Reyes debut thriller, THE HOUSE IN THE PINES.
We meet Maya, who struggles to kick a dA girl returns home in search of answers to a past trauma, in Ana Reyes debut thriller, THE HOUSE IN THE PINES.
We meet Maya, who struggles to kick a drug habit that started seven years prior when her best friend, Aubrey, died unexpectedly, dropping dead while in conversation with her then boyfriend, Frank.
Maya has spiraled in the aftermath of the trauma, unable to both forget and remember exactly what happened. Haziness and lost time shape memories past, but when she sees a video of yet another girl inexplicably dying across a diner table from Frank, she’s convinced there’s a connection.
Chapters alternate between past and present, as we learn more about enigmatic Frank, about their relationship, and about a small cabin in the woods which may hold the secrets she’s desperate to unearth.
THE HOUSE IN THE PINES is wonderfully atmospheric with a captivating premise. An unreliable narrator (Maya) ratchets curiosity for what transpired, propelling me to flip furiously through the last set of pages. The start, however, felt a bit slow, with the narrative culminating in an ending that although surprising and inventive, perhaps could have packed a stronger punch. Nonetheless, this was an impressive debut teeming with tension, misdirection, and menace, and I look forward to reading more from Ana Reyes....more
"I knew I would love Indigo forever. I didn’t know what it would cost."
A marriage between a scholar and an enigmatic heiress collapses under the weigh"I knew I would love Indigo forever. I didn’t know what it would cost."
A marriage between a scholar and an enigmatic heiress collapses under the weight of her dark secrets in Roshani Chokshi’s lushly imagined gothic fantasy, THE LAST TALE OF THE FLOWER BRIDE.
We meet an unnamed Bridegroom, who falls fast and hard for the beautiful and mysterious Indigo Maxwell-Castañeda. They fall in love in a tempest of mythical stories and rapturous promises, swept away by their own fairytale. In exchange for a life together, Indigo forces the Bridegroom to promise he would never pry into her past.
Years later, when Indigo’s estranged aunt falls ill, the Bridegroom must accompany her to her childhood home—the House of Dreams—and step into the once-extravagant manor and the crumbling walls which hide her dark secrets. There, he learns more about Azure, Indigo’s best friend, who vanished when they were teens.
Slowly, but with an urgency that can’t be denied, the house begins to whisper of transgressions past, unearthing what once transpired between two young girls who forged a world glimmering with magic, promises and play.
Chokshi’s story reads like a dark and haunting fairytale, and I was swept away from the beginning. Vivified by her lyrical prose, the narrative felt like a mesmeric and dazzling fever dream in which reality and fantasy blur, drawing you into a story darker than the light you expect.
Roshani Chokshi’s mastery of words is extraordinary, and I love how each page ripples with the seduction of an otherworldly magic. This must-read gothic tale of love and friendship is an immediate 2023 favorite, and a story (like all her stories), that will long linger with me.
"If you pry, you’ll destroy our marriage. But oh, my love, you lied."...more
A retired tennis player returns to reclaim her record and cement her legacy as the GOAT—in Taylor Jenkins Reid’s CARRIE SOTO IS BACK.
In 1989 and at 31A retired tennis player returns to reclaim her record and cement her legacy as the GOAT—in Taylor Jenkins Reid’s CARRIE SOTO IS BACK.
In 1989 and at 31, Carrie Soto bows out of the game, retiring as the best tennis player in the world, with records aplenty.
“I was now the most decorated tennis player by nearly every measure. Most Grand Slam singles ever. Most weeks at number one for any player in the history of the tour. Most singles titles, most aces over the course of a career. Most years ending number one. Highest-paid female athlete of all time. I was the Carries Soto I had always believed I could be.”
Five years later, she and her father (former coach and retired Argentinian tennis player) sit in the stands and watch Nicki Chan tie her record. Both Soto and Chan aren’t looked on favorably by the media—criticized for their aggressive tennis playing and not-so-soft temperaments. Chan is dubbed “The Beast” while Soto, “the Battle Axe,” makes her comeback amidst continuing vitriol that she’s cold, “a machine” (cue The Bitch is Back by Elton John).
Soto rejoins the circuit—the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the final, nail-biting match—the 1995 U.S. Open.
Carrie is a brash, often unlikeable character, her ambition and competitiveness driving her every decision. It’s exactly these traits, however, that make her fascinating and deepen the narrative’s impact. CARRIE SOTO IS BACK probes the scrutiny around women’s ambition. The unfeminity of it, the unlikability of it, the sexism of it—especially when levied against how the media treats men of similar ambition. The timing, and parallels to Serena William’s own story and retirement, makes this novel all the more topical, and impossible to put down.
I’ve been a devoted fan of Taylor Jenkins Reid for many years, have read—and loved—every single novel she’s published, and this latest once again proves her storytelling prowess.
An immediate 2022 favorite, and a riveting and powerful must read....more
Katherine Center has become one of my go-to authors. Her books are immersive and utterly addictive, brimming with charm, humor and emotion and this laKatherine Center has become one of my go-to authors. Her books are immersive and utterly addictive, brimming with charm, humor and emotion and this latest, was no different. I fell in love with the story, the characters and the intimacy and vulnerability imparted....more
After a raid gone wrong, agent Logan Ramsey’s genome gets a major upgrade, unraveling a plan set to wreak havoc on humanity—in Blake Crouch’s extraordAfter a raid gone wrong, agent Logan Ramsey’s genome gets a major upgrade, unraveling a plan set to wreak havoc on humanity—in Blake Crouch’s extraordinary thriller, UPGRADE.
Former molecular geneticist Logan Ramsey has spent years atoning for his family’s legacy, working as a government agent in the Gene Protection Agency. When a routine raid goes terribly wrong, he finds himself in a hospital, terrified he may have been exposed to a lethal virus.
What happens, however, is practically the opposite. In the days following the raid, long-ago memories return in vivid detail, his reading speed exponentially increases, he needs less sleep, his body is stronger. Something is happening to him, something that causes him to process the world and those he loves differently.
Logan’s new abilities upend his life, but worse yet, he uncovers he’s the trigger to a terrifying plan which puts humanity at risk… and he’s the only one that can stop it.
Blake Crouch once again delivers a mind-blowing, immersive thriller rife with high-octane action, ratcheting tension, vivid worldbuilding and riveting science. It’s clear the work was meticulously researched, making the premise equal parts fascinating and frightening. Crouch probes the moral complexity and perceived boundaries of ‘playing God’ while buoying the science-heavy narrative (which I love) with surprisingly emotive moments.
Ten years after finding her roommate murdered, Hannah Jones begins to doubt what happened that night, and the role she played in sending a potentiallyTen years after finding her roommate murdered, Hannah Jones begins to doubt what happened that night, and the role she played in sending a potentially innocent man to prison—in Ruth Ware’s latest, THE IT GIRL.
April Clarke-Cliveden was the first friend Hannah made as a student at Oxford. Beautiful, vivacious, and captivating – April was the “it” girl on campus. Together with Emily, Ryan, Hugh and Will, Hannah and April were inseparable friends… until Hannah discovered April dead in their apartment.
Ten years later—expecting and now married to Will—Hannah struggles to move on. Worse yet, when the man convicted of killing April dies in prison, she’s approached by a true-crime podcaster who proffers evidence which points to a different culprit.
Hannah spirals into the past, determined to re-examine everything—and everyone—surrounding the mystery of April’s death. Trouble is, the more she digs, the more she realizes those closest to her have been hiding secrets that change everything.
Ware once again crafts a meticulous narrative that immerses you into the mystery. Alternating past and present chapters allow us to get to know (and doubt) each character at play, which from my perspective is the novel’s big draw. It didn't feel as tense or high stakes as other books I've loved by Ruth Ware, it's more of a steady, character-driven 'whodunit' avid thriller readers will nonetheless enjoy.
Compulsively readable and perfect for poolside binging....more
Riley Sager returns with a voyeuristic page-turner rife with fascinating characters, ratcheting suspense, and surprises aplenty.
After the unexpected dRiley Sager returns with a voyeuristic page-turner rife with fascinating characters, ratcheting suspense, and surprises aplenty.
After the unexpected death of her husband, actress Casey Fletcher spirals into an alcoholic binge. After being fired from a movie, she’s exiled to her family’s lake house in Vermont, where she spends days with a glass of bourbon in one hand, binoculars in the other.
Across the lake, Casey spies on former super-model Katherine Royce and her tech-mogul husband, Tom. But when Casey saves Katherine from drowning, the two strike an unexpected friendship. She soon uncovers the glamorous couple isn’t all they seem, an understanding that upends everything when Katherine suddenly vanishes.
Intent on getting to the bottom of Katherine’s disappearance, Casey is desperate to dig out the truth and targets Tom as the culprit, but what she uncovers in the end is something far more frightening.
With themes of grief, love, friendship, and revenge, Sager once again freshens a familiar trope to deliver something wholly unexpected. Between the blur of Casey’s bourbon benders and the unforgiving darkness of the lake, there’s a heavy, almost suffocating feeling that adds to the already sinister and paranoiac atmosphere of the narrative. And as the story gradually unfurls, it soon becomes clear that everything you thought you knew was dead wrong.
Entertaining and suspenseful—the perfect summer escape....more
New Year’s Eve 1999. Four teenagers attacked at a Blockbuster Video in Linden, New Jersey.
A sole survivor.
The suspect—another teenager—is captured theNew Year’s Eve 1999. Four teenagers attacked at a Blockbuster Video in Linden, New Jersey.
A sole survivor.
The suspect—another teenager—is captured then released.
Then vanishes.
Fifteen years later, more teen girls are once again attacked at an ice cream store in the same town, and again, only one girl makes it out alive.
So is the construct of Alex Finlay’s latest—a propulsive, unputdownable thriller rife with surprises.
In this tangled tale of trauma and secrets aplenty, we meet the FBI agents who pull together threads from the past, the surviving women, the local police, and those who continue to reel in the aftermath of the murders.
Finlay thrusts us into a nightmare, atmosphere heavy with suspicion and distrust, as truths emerge which tangle the mystery even tighter.
This is the kind of book you can’t help but binge. Told from multiple, alternating points of views, this intricately knotted thriller probes the ties that bind, the many crimes of its characters, and the secrets they hide.
It’s wildly entertaining and immersive with breakneck pacing—a ‘whodunit’ procedural with nostalgic underpinnings perfect for those of us who relish the 90s....more
A fake relationship between scientists spirals when irresistible attraction and real feelings upend plans—in Ali Hazelwood’s knockout debut, THE LOVE A fake relationship between scientists spirals when irresistible attraction and real feelings upend plans—in Ali Hazelwood’s knockout debut, THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS.
Biology Ph.D. candidate Olive Smith needs to convince her best friend Anh that she’s happy and dating, a feat she knows requires proof. Panicking, Olive kisses the first guy she sees… trouble is, that guy ends up being hot-shot Professor Adam Carlsen.
Carlsen’s infamy hails from his ruthless, tyrannic ways be it in the lab, or in a dissertation committee meeting. So Olive is struck speechless when he agrees to be her fake boyfriend, a temporary charade with mutually beneficial benefits.
News about their relationship sends both grad students and professors into a frenzied tailspin, especially as they’re forced to keep up the ruse publicly. But the more time Olive and Adam spend with each other, the more she sees a different side to him, and the more desire threatens to complicate their already precarious situation. Worse yet, as their time to end things looms, real feelings foreshadow inescapable heartache.
Hazelwood’s ‘opposites-attract’ love story is one of those rare gems that feels entirely fresh and fun to read. A once-Microbiology student myself, I loved the academic backdrop of the story which was buoyed by whip-smart banter and charm. Endearing characters bring this off-beat romcom to life in the most delightful way, making it the perfect one-weekend binge that is sure to leave you smiling....more
A British couple hopes a weekend away gets their fractured marriage back on track in Alice Feeney’s latest domestic thriller, ROCK PAPER SCISSORS.
AdamA British couple hopes a weekend away gets their fractured marriage back on track in Alice Feeney’s latest domestic thriller, ROCK PAPER SCISSORS.
Adam and Amelia Wright’s marriage isn’t what it used to be. Adam is a workaholic screenwriter obsessed with adapting crime novels from his favorite author, Henry Winter. He’s slowly pulled away from his wife, who he can’t recognize due to his face blindness (Prosopagnosia). Meanwhile, Amelia longs for connection with her husband, who easily sacrifices their relationship to get ahead in his craft.
When Amelia wins a weekend away in the Scottish Highlands, it’s the perfect opportunity to set things right—be it rekindling their lost magic or ending things once and for all. Immediately, however, luck is not on their side as they trudge through a snowstorm with their dog, Bob. Their destination—a converted chapel—is freezing with faulty electricity. Amelia swears she sees someone spying. Then she’s sure she hears someone at night. Then their dog Bob goes missing.
The novel alternates between his & her chapters, as well as annual letters written to Adam on their anniversary. As with Feeney’s other novels, the pacing gradually builds as she draws you in with her unpredictable characters. Suspicion marinates as tension ratchets between the couple, who hide many a secret from each other.
Feeney creates a sinister, cinematic atmosphere, threading through clues you only see in hindsight. True to her name — queen of the twist — she strikes again with a gasp-inducing shocker, delivering a fantastic gothic thriller.
Clever, tightly plotted and brimming with deliciously dark secrets, this is one you shouldn’t miss....more
Lars Kepler is back with a chilling installment in the Killer Instinct series—Joona Linna must track down a serial killer who abducts and kills young Lars Kepler is back with a chilling installment in the Killer Instinct series—Joona Linna must track down a serial killer who abducts and kills young women.
Sixteen-year-old Jenny Lind was kidnapped and despite the case receiving wide-spread attention, she vanishes without a trace until she’s found hung from a winch in a playground five years later.
Joona is determined to track down the perpetrator, especially as he uncovers new connections with an older case. Worse yet, as more women go missing, it’s clear the killer has no intention of stopping.
Alternating point of views proffer perspectives from key players including Joona and the victims, whose harrowing experiences intensify the dark and sinister tone of the novel. Kepler (the pen name of Alexander and Alexandra Ahndoril) masterfully builds tension throughout, as they lead us toward a mind-blowing culmination.
Avid readers of the series will delight in seeing Psychiatrist Erik Maria Bark and former Detective Superintendent Saga Bauer appear on the page. Meanwhile, in the aftermath of Lazarus/Jurek Walter, Joona descends on an internal exploration of ‘the monster within’ as he grapples with the trajectory of his life and relationships.
As expected, I absolutely loved THE MIRROR MAN. Kepler’s books are not for the faint of heart—they’re dark, intense, and utterly terrifying, but time and time again, theirs are the thrillers I can’t stop thinking about. They have the extraordinary ability to sustain edge-of-your-seat pacing while thoughtfully drawing out nuance of situations, atmosphere, and characters. The result is always an immersive, cinematic, unrelenting nail-biter that leaves you breathless.
A novelist probes into the disappearance of a young couple in Lisa Jewell’s latest—THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPPEARED.
The story unfurls in three intertwined tA novelist probes into the disappearance of a young couple in Lisa Jewell’s latest—THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPPEARED.
The story unfurls in three intertwined timelines—months prior to the disappearance, the events more directly leading up to the night in question, and a year later, when mystery author Sophie Beck moves into the house where it all happened.
We meet 19-year-old Tallulah Knox, who along with her boyfriend Zach, care for their baby Noah. And while Tallulah could never regret her infant son, she longs to escape Zach’s cruel and possessive vise.
In college, Tallulah meets Scarlett Jacques, a girl who seemingly has it all. As Tallulah’s relationship with Zach continues to deteriorate, her friendship with Scarlett takes a tumultuous turn—all events which lead to the night Zach and Tallulah vanish after a late-night party at Tallulah’s cottage at the edge of the woods, dubbed “Dark Place” by locals.
The mystery of the disappearance grips Sophie, who begins to ask questions. Then, a cryptic clue sends Sophie spiraling even deeper, unearthing new evidence that could shed new light on what happened to the young couple. It’s clear someone knows something, and together with Tallulah’s mom, Kim, she’s determined to draw out the truth.
Jewell’s latest is a slow-burning, character-driven psychological suspense. Engrossing at every level, the story immerses you in the drama and intricacies of its characters, pulling you in so deeply that before you know it, you’re lost to the narrative, deeply invested and clamoring to unravel the mystery. There’s an almost procedural-like feel to this one too, as Sophie and Kim sleuth away to uncover the truth.
I’ve been a long-time fan of Jewell’s and THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED brims with everything I love about her novels: rich characters, a compelling mystery, simmering tension, and immersive storytelling to keep you turning the pages....more
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