Review: The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

Published: August 6, 2019

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Format: via audiobook

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

When she stumbles across the ad, she’s looking for something else completely. But it seems like too good an opportunity to miss—a live-in nannying post, with a staggeringly generous salary. And when Rowan Caine arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten—by the luxurious “smart” home fitted out with all modern conveniences, by the beautiful Scottish Highlands, and by this picture-perfect family.

What she doesn’t know is that she’s stepping into a nightmare—one that will end with a child dead and herself in prison awaiting trial for murder.

Writing to her lawyer from prison, she struggles to explain the unraveling events that led to her incarceration. It wasn’t just the constant surveillance from the cameras installed around the house, or the malfunctioning technology that woke the household with booming music, or turned the lights off at the worst possible time. It wasn’t just the girls, who turned out to be a far cry from the immaculately behaved model children she met at her interview. It wasn’t even the way she was left alone for weeks at a time, with no adults around apart from the enigmatic handyman, Jack Grant.

It was everything.

She knows she’s made mistakes. She admits that she lied to obtain the post and that her behavior toward the children wasn’t always ideal. She’s not innocent, by any means. But, she maintains, she’s not guilty—at least not of murder. Which means someone else is. 

My Thoughts

I’ve always had an iffy relationship with Ruth Ware, I’m always excited by her new reads but sadly they don't live up to the hype. Now maybe it's just me who hypes them up so high but her books just never “get” there for me. Well, all that has changed with her newest book The Turn of the Key, this book is just...spectular!

The Turn of the Key is told through letters from the main character Rowen to a lawyer she hopes can help her. All we know is that she is accused of murder. We met Rowen who comes across an ad as a nanny so she goes for an interview to this massive home which is all decked out tech-wise. When she meets the kids things don't go well but somehow she gets the job and strange and scary things begin to happen.

She is soon left with the children while their parents go away and Rowen tries her best to get along with the kids but they are a handful and one of them continues to tell Rowen that she should leave or bad things will happen. The fact that Rowen begins to hear things and suspect somethings aren't right doesn’t help matters.

While Rowen does have reason to fear, she’s isn't so innocent we start to learn more and more about Rowen as the book goes on and soon her secrets are relieved and the real reason she came to this house. As things unravel Rowen’s real story doesn't help her case and she is left to defend herself. 

This book was just amazing to me, you get this story that straight up opens with a murder and a suspect already in jail. If that wasn't enough we get this huge mansion with a ghost or something and nannies that keep disappearing. Then we find out Rowen’s secrets which was a huge plot twist and lastly, we get a second plot twist at the end! Ruth Ware doesn't disappoint with this thriller it is one that pays off dividends! If you want a great page-turner of a book look no further than this one….it’s the ultimate read!

Review: Because You're Mine by Rea Frey

Because You’re Mine by Rea Frey

Published: August 6, 2019

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Format: via NetGalley

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

Single mother Lee has the daily routine down to a science: shower in six minutes. Cut food into perfect squares. Never leave her on-the-spectrum son Mason in someone else’s care. She’ll do anything—anything—to keep his carefully constructed world from falling apart. Do anything to keep him safe.

But when her best friend Grace convinces her she needs a small break from motherhood to recharge her batteries, Lee gives in to a weekend trip. Surely a long weekend away from home won’t hurt?

Noah, Mason’s handsome, bright, charismatic tutor—the first man in ages Lee’s even noticed—is more than happy to stay with him.

Forty-eight hours later, someone is dead.

But not all is as it seems. Noah may be more than who he claims to be. Grace has a secret—one that will destroy Lee. Lee has secrets of her own that she will do anything to keep hidden.

As the dominoes begin to fall and the past comes to light, perhaps it's no mystery someone is gone after all.

My Thoughts

Because You’re Mine is like no other psychological thriller I have ever read before. It all starts out simple: Lee who has a child, Mason, on the autistic spectrum has her life on a strict schedule because of him but she wouldn't have it any other way, he is her world. However, she misses having a relationship and soon finds herself with a crush on her son’s teacher, Noah and she can't help herself and she has to tell him. With her crazy routine her best friend, Grace, demands that Lee join her and their group of friends on a girls getaway and even though Lee doesn't want to let her son she knows she needs and deserves it.

Grace has been a savior when it comes to Lee and her son. She is the best friend anyone could ever ask for and she has a bond with Mason that can't be explained. She helps with Mason when she can and she even has become his legal guardian if anything happens to Lee. But Grace has a secret she has been hiding from Lee one that can break her heart and end their friendship. However Grace isn't all she's cracked up to be, she isn't so nice and innocent either and her secrets are ones that can destroy a friendship and other things beyond anyone’s imagination.

Noah seems like a nice and sweet guy who loves and cares for Mason. He is patient with him and teaches him that he can live without limitations. However Noah has some things in his past that he tries to forget but like all things his past is about to catch up to him and what he has done, and he is about to pay for.

This novel is told in past and present chapters and the characters are so rich with layers that continue to peel and give us a storyline I NEVER saw coming. We have all these characters and how the past relates to the present. And the ending? WOW!!! Is all I can say, that ending is what made me give it five stars. The last few chapters when everything wraps up and comes to a head is what made this book for me. I never saw that ending coming and it totally shocked me, which I loved! This novel took it to a place I could have never imagined! Simply put if you want fast-paced interesting read definitely check out this one, you will not regret it.

Review: The Night Olivia Fell by Christina McDonald

The Night Olivia Fell by Christina McDonald

Expected Publication: February 5, 2019

Publisher: Gallery Books

Format: via publisher

Rating: 4.5/5

Synopsis

In the vein of Big Little Lies and Reconstructing Amelia comes an emotionally charged domestic suspense novel about a mother unraveling the truth behind how her daughter became brain dead. And pregnant.

A search for the truth. A lifetime of lies.

In the small hours of the morning, Abi Knight is startled awake by the phone call no mother ever wants to get: her teenage daughter Olivia has fallen off a bridge. Not only is Olivia brain dead, she’s pregnant and must remain on life support to keep her baby alive. And then Abi sees the angry bruises circling Olivia’s wrists.

When the police unexpectedly rule Olivia’s fall an accident, Abi decides to find out what really happened that night. Heartbroken and grieving, she unravels the threads of her daughter’s life. Was Olivia’s fall an accident? Or something far more sinister?

Christina McDonald weaves a suspenseful and heartwrenching tale of hidden relationships, devastating lies, and the power of a mother’s love. With flashbacks of Olivia’s own resolve to uncover family secrets, this taut and emotional novel asks: how well do you know your children? And how well do they know you?

My Thoughts

The NIght Olivia Fell is told in dual voices and chapters, that of her mother and of Olivia herself. We get the story of Olivia and how she got to the point she is and of that of her mother and her loved ones and how they are dealing with the aftermath of her ordeal.

Olivia is your average teen who is getting ready to go to college and one day on a school trip she sees someone who looks just like her so much so that she now questions her whole existence. Her whole life her mother told her that her dad is dead, that he died before she was born and she has always had this part that was missing in her life. That one meeting sets off something her in that will change her life forever.

Olivia is now on a mission to find out who this girl is and if they are related and if so how. Do they share a father and if they do why did her mother lie to her. What is her mother hiding? By Olivia wanting to know who she is cost her, her life. We know from the start that Olivia is dead and pregnant but the questions are by who and who is the father. Her mother wants answers especially after she finds out that the police haven't even been notified. So what is she to do but take action into her own hands. She sets out to bring justice for Olivia and her baby she knows Olivia won't come back but her grandbaby deserves a chance.

This book is part mystery as it unfolds Olivia’s last days and we see the people she encounters and things she has to deal with. However, I didn’t expect how emotional this one would be. The ending is so heartwrenching I was a cry baby. When we find out what all happened and Olivia’s last days you can’t help but be touched. This book grabs you from the very beginning and doesn’t let you go until the last page but believe me it stays with you way after that. If you are looking for a great read with an emotional twist this one definitely fits the bill.

Review: Her One Mistake by Heidi Perks

Her One Mistake by Heidi Perks

Published: January 8, 2019

Publisher: Gallery Books

Format: via NetGalley

Ratings: 4/5

Synopsis

It all started at the school fair…

Charlotte was supposed to be looking after the children, and she swears she was. She only took her eyes off of them for one second. But when her three kids are all safe and sound at the school fair, and Alice, her best friend Harriet’s daughter, is nowhere to be found, Charlotte panics. Frantically searching everywhere, Charlotte knows she must find the courage to tell Harriet that her beloved only child is missing. And admit that she has only herself to blame.

Harriet, devastated by this unthinkable, unbearable loss, can no longer bring herself to speak to Charlotte again, much less trust her. Now more isolated than ever and struggling to keep her marriage afloat, Harriet believes nothing and no one. But as the police bear down on both women trying to piece together the puzzle of what happened to this little girl, dark secrets begin to surface—and Harriet discovers that confiding in Charlotte again may be the only thing that will reunite her with her daughter.

My Thoughts

Her One Mistake is a twisted tale that had me constantly thinking what was truly going on. We met two women who are vastly different yet they share something deep inside that has brought them together. Charlotte is a women who from the outside seems to have it all. She has the beautiful kids and a well decorated house but her marriage is over and everything just seems to be falling apart. Harriet is a one who has always kept to herself, her personal life is something she has always kept private yet Charlotte seemed to take a liking to her and decided to befriend her. None of Charlotte’s friends seem to understand why but Charlotte sees something in her. One day Harriet asks Charlotte to take care of her daughter and she takes her to the school fair but once they are there and with everything going on she loses Alice, from that point all everything changes.

There are mounting questions that must be answered and everyone is a suspect. Why is Harriet so secretive about her home life and her past? Does Charlotte’s past play a role in all of this? This read had me by the seat of my pants with all the twist and turns. We go into the past of both of these women and by doing so we get little clues into how that plays a part into what happened. However, things aren’t always what they seem and once things are revealed I was blown away! Sometimes the ends don’t justify the means but maybe they do. To what ends will we go to save ourselves and others and in doing so do we hurt the ones we love, even if we didn’t mean to?

This story is one that will always have you guessing. This is something I love, I love not knowing where the plot is going. I love being surprised by the plot and never seeing something I would've imagined happen. I find this to be a mystery and you won't be disappointed by it I promise. So if you want something entertaining and a page turner this is the one for you.

Review: The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Published: January 9, 2018

Format: audiobook via Overdrive

Ratings: 3/5

Synopsis

When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.

You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife.

You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement – a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry the man they both love.

You will assume you know the anatomy of this tangled love triangle.

Assume nothing.

Twisted and deliciously chilling, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen's The Wife Between Us exposes the secret complexities of an enviable marriage - and the dangerous truths we ignore in the name of love.

My Thoughts

I kept hearing a lot of this novel so when I finally finished it I was so on the fence. In The Wife Between Us it was labeled as a thriller and so I went into this looking for that but I never got it. There were parts when I was confused as to who was who and in the beginning, I felt something building up but nothing ever really happened.

We see the tale as old as time about a couple who divorce and now he is about to remarry and his ex seems to become obsessed but is she really? Then we hear parts of her story and her past which does come into play. Is she just an obsessed ex who is crazy or is she a victim of sorts? To be honest, by the end I really didn’t care. I did give it three stars because when the “reveal” finally happened I was a bit taken back and surprised.

All in all, I think this failed the hype in my opinion. There were great parts but other times I was like umm okay, I think if it was dubbed a mystery which is what it was more to me I would’ve maybe liked it more. In the end, it wasn’t bad but it was the greatest either.

Review: Sadie by Courtney Summers

Sadie by Courtney Summers

Published: September 4, 2018

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Format: via audiobook

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

Sadie hasn't had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she's been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water.

But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie's entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister's killer to justice and hits the road following a few meager clues to find him.

When West McCray—a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America—overhears Sadie's story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie's journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it's too late.

My Thoughts

In Sadie, we have West, a podcaster who hears a story about a local girl and is now on the hunt for Sadie and to find out what exactly happened to her and where is she now. Sadie has a very mysterious feel to her, people tend to think she went on the hunt for her sister’s killer but where and who she thinks this person is a mystery. Sadie sees herself responsible for Maddie’s death since she was the one looking after her after their mother left them. We see Sadie’s dark side but as we slowly see what kind of life she has lead her pain and anger is understandable.

I loved everything about this read. I listened to the audio which I recommend because it's amazing! I loved the podcast idea and the interviews format which totally gave me Dateline vibes. I enjoyed how all these different styles gave it a definitely unique feel and made it so interesting not to mention it really added to that dark creepy kind of feel...in a good way!!

This was without a doubt one of my favorite reads of the year, I felt for Sadie and the things she had to endure in her life. I liked how she was strong despite her hardships in life, even if that meant doing things that weren’t right. All in all, Sadie is a winner, this has a lot of elements I look for in a great read. I like the different points of views we got which just made the read so much more enjoyable. If you get the chance to read this please do you won't be disappointed.

Review: Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker

Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker

Published: August 8, 2017

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Format: via audiobook

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

One night three years ago, the Tanner sisters disappeared: fifteen-year-old Cass and seventeen-year-old Emma. Three years later, Cass returns, without her sister Emma. Her story is one of kidnapping and betrayal, of a mysterious island where the two were held. But to forensic psychiatrist Dr. Abby Winter, something doesn't add up. Looking deep within this dysfunctional family Dr. Winter uncovers a life where boundaries were violated and a narcissistic parent held sway. And where one sister's return might just be the beginning of the crime.

My Thoughts

Emma in the Night is the tale of Cass who return after being gone for a few years and now must tell everyone where she has been and what happened to her sister who left with her but never returned. This tale has many twists and turns when it comes to the Tanner sisters, we see a crack in her home life that showcases a family that has many problems, to say the least. We see a mother who is hanging by a thread and a stepfather and stepbrother who don’t have the best intentions.

Cass’s story of where she and her sister were all this time is kind of sketchy to the police, they think some of what she is saying is true but they think there is definitely more to her story than she is saying. So we are left to figure out what if any of her stories are true. This story has layers upon layers of secrets and lies that when unfolded gives us the real and true story of Cass and Emma’s life. When everything is finally revealed I was shocked and truly felt for Cass, she lived a life that was hard but in the end, she was free to live a life that she deserved.

Emma in the Night is part thriller part mystery but what regardless what you want to call it, bottom line the story is amazing! It definitely draws you in and keeps you engaged until the last page is turned. So if you like a story that has any of these elements this is surely the book for you.

Review: Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Published: September 2006

Publisher: Broadway Books

Format: audiobook via Overdrive

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tiny hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed in her old bedroom in her family's Victorian mansion, Camille finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the story—and survive this homecoming.

My Thoughts

Camille returns home after years of being away to cover a string of murders in her hometown. While there she returns to her childhood home to her mother who she hasn’t had the best relationship with and a sister she doesn’t really know. Camille still longs for her other sister who died and she accuses her mother of killing her. The relationship between these two is so odd and creepy and once we find out why they are this way with each other I definitely felt sorry for Camille and I understood why Camille did the things she did to herself. During her time there still meets some very interesting people and slowly tries to figure out who has been killing these young girls and while she has her suspicions the killer might be closer than she ever realizes.

I’m a huge fan of Gillian Flynn I love that her stories slowly unfold and how every second you think you have it figured it but no sooner than that happens your theory is shot down. The way she weaves a story together is so flawless not to mention she does gritty like nobody’s business. Everyone in this story has so many flaws and it seems like everyone is a victim here that you can’t help but feel sorry for them. However, some of those same people are so evil and sick that you can’t believe what you are reading. This is another winner from Gillian Flynn and I can’t for her next book.

Review: Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough

Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough

Published: January 31, 2017

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Format: via Overdrive

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

Louise is a single mom, a secretary, stuck in a modern-day rut. On a rare night out, she meets a man in a bar and sparks fly. Though he leaves after they kiss, she’s thrilled she finally connected with someone.

When Louise arrives at work on Monday, she meets her new boss, David. The man from the bar. The very married man from the bar…who says the kiss was a terrible mistake but who still can’t keep his eyes off Louise.

And then Louise bumps into Adele, who’s new to town and in need of a friend, but she also just happens to be married to David. David and Adele look like the picture-perfect husband and wife, but then why is David so controlling, and why is Adele so scared of him?

As Louise is drawn into David and Adele’s orbit, she uncovers more puzzling questions than answers. The only thing that is crystal clear is that something in this marriage is very, very wrong, but Louise can’t guess how wrong―and how far a person might go to protect their marriage’s secrets.

My Thoughts

This one hard review to write not because I didn’t like it but because I LOVED it so much! It's hard to discuss mainly because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read it yet.  Let me just say this read was nothing like anything I have EVER read before. For those who want to read it, I’ll just say you have to go into this with an open mind that’s the only way you can enjoy and accept this for what it is. Trust me the pay off it well worth it and the ending….OMG!!! I never saw it coming and its nothing like I’ve ever read before in a book. I’m so glad I didn’t know that much about the book going in, because I went into this blind I let the story unfold and simply went with the flow of the novel and the ride was so mind blowing I’m still thinking about it weeks later.  If you want a unique, twisted and out of this world reading experience all you have to do is pick up this read, sit back and enjoy!

Blog Tour [Review]: Somebody's Daughter by David Bell

Somebody’s Daughter by David Bell

Published: July 10, 2018

Publisher: Berkley Books

Format: via NetGalley

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

When Michael Frazier's ex-wife, Erica, shows up on his doorstep pleading for help, she drops a bombshell that threatens to rip his family apart: Erica's nine-year-old daughter is missing--and Michael is the father. Unable to quickly determine if Erica is telling the truth, and unwilling to leave the little girl's fate to chance, Michael has no choice but to follow the elusive trail of the child he has always wanted and never knew he had.

But finding Felicity comes at a price--the closer Michael gets to the truth, the further into jeopardy his marriage falls and the faster his family begins to unravel. As lies that span a decade bubble to the surface and the window for Felicity's safe return closes, Michael will have just a few short days to decide who can be trusted and who is hiding the truth.

My Thoughts

Somebody’s Daughter starts off with a ring at the door that will change Michael and his wife Angela’s life forever. Michael’s ex-wife Erica is there after ten years of their divorce and tells him that he has a daughter that he never knew about and that she is missing and needs his help. He is stunned and doesn’t know what to think of all this but being a good guy decides to go and help Erica find her daughter.

What happens next is a series of twists and turns and so many characters that are there to tell the story of finding Felicity, as to who took her and why.  I don't want to spoil anything but this story is about finding a missing girl but it's also about so much more. The questions are mounting as to who Felicity's father is and her mother is under questioning about her past. Also if she is in real danger or is there something else going on with her disappearance. Everyone is a suspect and there are good reasons for each one, that’s why I loved this story. With each person, we met there is a valid reason why they could be behind Felicity being gone but slowly the web is untangled and when it's revealed what really happened I was generally surprised. I love a book that keeps me engaged and I love when I’m caught by surprise and can't figure it out right away. This is a great novel with mystery and suspense but it also has an element of family which is really relatable. This is one book that is a summer must have!

Review: Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris

Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris

Expected Publication: June 19, 2018

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Format: via NetGalley

Rating: 3.5/5

Synopsis

A young British couple are driving through France on holiday when they stop for gas. He runs in to pay, she stays in the car. When he returns her car door has been left open, but she's not inside. No one ever sees her again.

Ten years later he's engaged to be married; he's happy, and his past is only a tiny part his life now. Until he comes home from work and finds his new wife-to-be is sitting on their sofa. She's turning something over in her fingers, holding it up to the light. Something that would have no worth to anyone else, something only he and she would know about because his wife is the sister of his missing first love.

As more and more questions are raised, their marriage becomes strained. Has his first love somehow come back to him after all this time? Or is the person who took her playing games with his mind?

My Thoughts

This started out as a promising novel about a young couple who stop at a rest stop and then the female disappears. Flash forward ten years and we see the man living happily with another female but soon he starts getting these strange little nesting dolls and knows of only one person who had those same dolls… he’s presumed, dead girlfriend. At this time we find out his new girlfriend is her sister. WTF??!! How crazy is that?

So the search is on as to who is sending these dolls and what do they want? We get two timelines in this read, the present and how the couple met which was interesting and kept the book moving along.

 I was really getting this storyline it was intriguing and it kept my attention some twists were really good but the “main” twist towards the end what so far fetched in my opinion I couldn’t believe it! Like really?? Like how could something like that happened and the person didn’t know? While I didn’t really like this part, story-wise it was great plotwise. I didn’t see it coming and that’s what I look for in a good read.

While there were parts that I kind of rolled my eyes at, overall the parts I enjoyed outweighed the others. While this wasn’t my favorite B.A. Paris read the story is a good one. This is definitely something you could take to the beach or poolside and enjoy it for what it's for.

Review: The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand

The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand

Expected Publication: June 19, 2018

Publisher: Little Brown and Co

Format: arc via publisher

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

It's Nantucket wedding season, also known as summer-the sight of a bride racing down Main Street is as common as the sun setting at Madaket Beach. The Otis-Winbury wedding promises to be an event to remember: the groom's wealthy parents have spared no expense to host a lavish ceremony at their oceanfront estate.

But it's going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons after tragedy strikes: a body is discovered in Nantucket Harbor just hours before the ceremony and everyone in the wedding party is suddenly a suspect. As Chief of Police Ed Kapenash interviews the bride, the groom, the groom's famous mystery-novelist mother, and even a member of his own family, he discovers that every wedding is a minefield-and no couple is perfect.

My Thoughts

For me, it isn’t summer until I read an Elin Hilderbrand book and this summers book might be her best to date at least in my opinion. In The Perfect Couple we have Celeste and Benji who are set to wed in Nantucket but the night before their wedding the maid of honor is found dead which leads to a who dun it and what is revealed is just secrets after secrets being uncovered.

We get the backstory on how Celeste and Benji met and how their love story is. On paper, both are as different as night and day but Benji showed Celeste a life she never knew and while she has feelings for him she doesn’t know if she wants to marry him not when her heart belongs to someone else. Now, who that person is isn't someone who she should be with but the heart wants what it wants right?

As the police try to solve who was at fault, the question is was the maid of honor murdered or was it indeed just an accident? We see the police undercover the layers of all those involved from both families and their friends. What the police thought would be an easy case isn’t,  it's soon revealed that some of the family members have bigger secrets that could point to any one of them as suspects. I loved how there were twists and turns and I was shocked at some parts which were great. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

This is one of Elin Hilderbrand’s best novels, I loved how she brought back some her beloved characters from her past books and I really enjoyed the mystery part that was included which was honestly my favorite. I didn’t think I could love her books more but I do! I felt that this book was fresh and intriguing I just couldn’t put it down. If you want something fun and compelling at the same time I highly recommend this amazing book its everything you could want in a book for the summer.

Spotlight: The New Neighbors by Simon Lelic

THE NEW NEIGHBORS by Simon Lelic

Berkley Trade Paperback

April 10, 2018

The Girl Before meets The Couple Next Door in an utterly satisfying Hitchcockian story about a couple who moves into their dream neighborhood only to discover nothing is as it seems...
The perfect couple. The perfect house. The perfect crime.
Londoners Jack and Syd found their dream home: lots of space, a great location, and a friendly owner who wanted a young couple to have it.

Everything is exactly what they hoped for when they move in—except Jack makes a disturbing discovery in the attic, and Syd begins to wonder about the girl next door. And they each keep the other in the dark.

A mistake.

Because someone has just been killed outside their back door, and now the police are watching them.

This is their chance to prove they're innocent—or to get away with murder.

Whose story do you believe?

About Simon Lelic

Simon Lelic is the author of The New Neighbors, A Thousand Cuts (winner of a Betty Trask Award and shortlisted for the John Creasy New Blood Dagger), The Facility and The Child Who (longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger and CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger 2012). 

The New Neighbors is his first psychological thriller, inspired by a love of Alfred Hitchcock and Stephen King.

Simon is married, with three young children, and lives in Brighton, England. Other than his family, reading is Simon's biggest passion. He also holds a black belt in karate, in which he trains daily.

Review: All the Beautiful Lies by Peter Swanson

All The Beautiful Lies by Peter Swanson

Published: April 3, 2018

Publisher: William Morrow

Format: via Edelweiss

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Harry Ackerson has always considered his stepmother Alice to be sexy and beautiful, in an "otherworldly" way. She has always been kind and attentive if a little aloof in the last few years.

Days before his college graduation, Alice calls with shocking news. His father is dead and the police think it’s suicide. Devastated, Harry returns to his father’s home in Maine. There, he and Alice will help each other pick up of the pieces of their lives and uncover what happened to his father.

Shortly after he arrives, Harry meets a mysterious young woman named Grace McGowan. Though she claims to be new to the area, Harry begins to suspect that Grace may not be a complete stranger to his family. But she isn’t the only attractive woman taking an interest in Harry. The sensual Alice is also growing closer, coming on to him in an enticing, clearly sexual way.

Mesmerized by these two women, Harry finds himself falling deeper under their spell. Yet the closer he gets to them, the more isolated he feels, disoriented by a growing fear that both women are hiding dangerous—even deadly—secrets . . . and that neither one is telling the truth.

My Thoughts

Since I've discovered Peter Swanson’s book I have devoured them slowly but surely so when I read he had a new book coming out I knew I had to get my hands on a copy! In All the Beautiful Lies we met Alice who married to a much older man and is stepmother to Harry. We find out that Harry’s father is dead and Harry comes back to town to deal with it. He has always found Alice attractive and semi close in age but he tries to not think of her in that way. Soon he finds himself taken by both Alice and a mysterious lady, Grace who claims to have had a relationship of sorts with his father. Harry soon realizes that maybe his father's death wasn’t just an accident but maybe something more sinister.

We soon find out more about Alice and her upbringing and that to me is the meat of this story. We see her growing up and see some of the things she dealt with, like an alcoholic mother and a stepfather who wasn’t all that he lead us to believe. Alice’s past and her relationships showcase what lead her to become the person she is today. She definitely has some issues that she needs to come to terms with and those are some of the things that make this novel so riveting.

Peter Swanson gives us a tale that is twisted and dark, about obsession and lies and that’s what I love about his writing. There are some twists and turns that I didn’t see coming and Alice’s background story was amazing! He gives us another winner in this novel and I can't stress enough about how great his books are so please if you haven’t read them what are you waiting for??

Review: The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson

The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson

Published: February 3, 2015

Publisher: William Morrow

Format: audiobook

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis

On a night flight from London to Boston, Ted Severson meets the stunning and mysterious Lily Kintner. Sharing one too many martinis, the strangers begin to play a game of truth, revealing very intimate details about themselves. Ted talks about his marriage that’s going stale and his wife Miranda, who he’s sure is cheating on him. Ted and his wife were a mismatch from the start—he the rich businessman, she the artistic free spirit—a contrast that once inflamed their passion, but has now become a cliché.

But their game turns a little darker when Ted jokes that he could kill Miranda for what she’s done. Lily, without missing a beat, says calmly, “I’d like to help.” After all, some people are the kind worth killing, like a lying, stinking, cheating spouse. . . .

Back in Boston, Ted and Lily’s twisted bond grows stronger as they begin to plot Miranda's demise. But there are a few things about Lily’s past that she hasn’t shared with Ted, namely her experience in the art and craft of murder, a journey that began in her very precocious youth.

Suddenly these co-conspirators are embroiled in a chilling game of cat-and-mouse, one they both cannot survive . . . with a shrewd and very determined detective on their tail.

My Thoughts

The Kind Worth Killing is an amazing and captivating tale of Ted and Lily two strangers who meet on a flight from London to Boston. On the long plane ride seated next to one another, they start talking and with the help of a few drinks begin to tell each other things one might not tell anyone otherwise. Ted begins to tell Lily that he thinks his wife is cheating on him and Lily simply tells him she will help him kill his wife. WTF?! Yes, she did tell him that. So they make a plan to meet again and if they both show up the plan is set in motion.

We get the backstory to why Ted thinks his wife is cheating and we also get Lily’s whole backstory to when she was a kid and her life growing up. We get glimpses to why she is the way she is. She is twisted and we are shown she has been this way from the very start. This read had me on my toes from the very start. There are twists and turns and we see why Lily would help a stranger she just met. We see how this web is intertwined and when it was revealed I was shocked! The characters are intriguing and the way everyone comes together is so smart and flawless. The character of Lily is sick and twisted yet I felt sorry for her at times but then she does something and it’s like are you serious? She is one of the best characters I’ve read in a long time and she definitely stayed with me way after I finished the book.

I’ve become obsessed with Peter Swanson’s reads. Each one better than the next, the way he writes thrillers is simply wonderful. Just when you think you have figured it out he throws a curveball and totally takes everything to left field. Like I've said I have enjoyed all of his books that I have read, I only need to read one more, but this one is my fave it’s a masterpiece in my opinion. If you are looking for something that keeps you engaged and will blow your mind look no further than this read.

Blog Tour: Such A Pretty Girl by Tess Diamond

Such A Pretty Girl by Tess Diamond

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance Suspense / Thriller

Publisher: Avon Books

Publication Date: September 26, 2017

The body count is rising. Who can Grace Sinclair trust? No one.

Grace Sinclair is a woman of many talents. The FBI’s top profiler, she’s also a crime novelist, drawing upon the cases she works for inspiration that helps her top the bestseller lists. When women begin to be murdered, women who look just like Grace, she finds herself enmeshed in a dangerous cat and mouse game with her biggest-and deadliest-fan. And the man who’s tasked to help her? He may be even more dangerous. A new member of an elite FBI team and Grace’s old flame, Gavin Walker is assigned Grace’s case and it’s personal this time. As they work together to figure out the killer’s sick game, it soon becomes clear that he’s closer to Grace than they could have imagined. As more women begin to be targeted, the team is running out of time and chances. In order to come out the winner in this fatal game, Grace is forced to confront her past, her fears, and even the idea of a forever love.

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McCord’s Jewelers was a tiny place, tucked in a nondescript brick building just outside of downtown DC. The gold-leaf letters on the door shone bright as Gavin pushed it open, and bells tinkled as they entered.

Gavin automatically glanced all around, taking in the two cameras situated in the room. Surveillance meant tapes. Maybe they’d be able to catch their guy buying the earrings. That’d make this an open-and-shut case, for sure.

An older man with gray hair and a sweater-vest looked up from his place at the counter, where he’d been examining a tray of loose diamonds. “Welcome,” he said with a smile. “How can I help you? Wait.” He held out his hand. “Let me guess. An engagement ring?”

Gavin could feel his cheeks heating up a little as he glanced over at Grace. But she just smiled, shaking her head, pulling out her badge. “I’m afraid we’re here for business, not pleasure,” she said. “I’m Special Agent Sinclair. This is Special Agent Walker.”

“Oh, my,” he said. “I’m Anthony McCord. I own this place with my wife. How can I help you?”

“We’re investigating a murder,” Gavin said. “We believe the victim in question was wearing earrings purchased from your shop.”

Grace held out her phone, the screen showing a picture of Janice Wacomb’s earrings in an evidence bag. “Do these look familiar to you?”

Mr. McCord pulled on his glasses, leaning forward and looking at the phone. “Yes, those are definitely my work.”

“Can you remember who you sold them to?”

“If you get me the serial number, yes,” Mr. McCord said.

“Serial number?” Gavin asked.

“Each diamond that we sell has a serial number engraved on the stone. It’s microscopic; you can’t see it with the naked eye. It’s done for insurance purposes—if a piece of jewelry gets stolen or lost, it can be traced that way. Isn’t that how you found the store?”

“We’re not forensics, but I’m sure that’s how they found you,” Grace said. “Just give me a moment; I’ll get the serial number for you.”

She stepped away and Gavin smiled at Mr. McCord. “While she’s doing that, mind if I ask just a few more questions?”

“Anything I can do to help,” Mr. McCord said.

“What’s your surveillance like here? I see the cameras. Do you save your tapes?”

“We don’t have the capacity for that, I’m afraid. We’re just a mom-and-pop shop. We keep the tapes for only a week. Then they’re erased and recorded over.”

“Okay,” Gavin said. Damn, unless their killer had bought the earrings in the last week, they weren’t going to get a video of him. They would have to rely on Mr. McCord’s memory to discover if he’d been the one to sell the killer the earrings. “And how many employees do you have?”

“Just my wife and me,” Mr. McCord said. “She does the books, I make the jewelry.”

“Sounds like a good system,” Gavin said.

“She’s always had a better head for numbers than me.”

“And what about your customers. Anyone stand out to you lately? Maybe he was nervous?”

Mr. McCord smiled. “I’m a jeweler, Agent Walker. That means most of the men coming in here are looking for engagement rings. And that’s almost guaranteed to make a man nervous.”

Gavin laughed. “Okay, fair enough,” he said. “What about someone who put in a big order? Was there someone in the last few months who ordered multiple pairs of those earrings Agent Sinclair showed you?”

Mr. McCord frowned. “Actually, there was,” he said. “I remember there was a gentleman who came in to buy a pair of earrings for his wife. And then about a week later, he came back in and put in an order for three more pairs. He said that his wife had loved them so much, she wanted their granddaughters to have matching pairs. It was very sweet.”

“You remember when this was?”

“I’d say maybe two months ago?” Mr. McCord said.

“I’ve got those serial numbers for you.” Grace pushed a piece of paper across the counter and Mr. McCord took it.

“Let me go look in my files,” he said. “Just a moment.”

He disappeared into the back room, and Grace leaned lightly against the counter, gazing at all the baubles surrounding her. Gavin couldn’t help but think she shone the brightest, even surrounded by all these diamonds.

“You like this stuff, Sinclair?” he asked, gesturing to the dazzling array of bracelets in the glass case in front of him.

“Diamonds are a girl’s best friend,” she said, but there was a dry note of sarcasm in her voice that surprised him. He looked over to her questioningly, and she shrugged. “I’m more of an art collector,” she said. “Most jewelry isn’t exactly practical in our line of work. I have a few pieces, but they’re mostly sentimental and inherited.”

“From your grandmother,” he said, remembering how she had mentioned her that night they’d spent together. She’d been wearing a necklace then; the sapphires had glittered darkly against her skin, making it seem luminous.

Something flickered in that extraordinary face of hers, her eyes widening in what looked like confusion . . . or maybe surprise. “You remembered,” she said.

Gavin couldn’t tear his eyes off her. He wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch her—any part of her, just to remind himself what it was like. “I remember everything about you,” he said quietly.

About Tess Diamond

Tess Diamond is a romantic suspense addict with a taste for danger – and chocolate cake. She lives in Colorado Springs with her law enforcement husband, two kids, and ferocious Jack Russell guard dog. She always dreamed of being an FBI agent, and now she almost is – if watching 24 reruns and plotting her next novel counts.

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