Tag: thriller

Posted in Book Review

Review: “All I Want” by Darcey Bell

Posted on by writingkat95

The Hook:

Emma and her husband, Ben, move into a dilapidated mansion with a creepy backstory. Not long after they’ve started settling in, strange things begin happening that make Emma question her sanity.

My Impressions:

Okay so obviously we all know someone is getting gaslit in this story right? Like there’s never not gaslighting in a book with that kind of description. If the blurb of a book tells me that a woman is questioning her sanity, I pretty much set out with the strong hypothesis that she’s being gaslit.

I promise the book is still fascinating even though we all know that. In fact, I think the efforts the author made to subvert that trope actually made the plot a little less coherent by the end, but frankly, it was still a damn enjoyable read. Let’s be real here, if you’ve read Bell’s previous work, you know that it’s not necessarily the plot itself we’re here for, it’s the impeccable, gloriously entertaining style and panache with which Bell executes said plot. Her writing style is a joy to experience, and I highly recommend this and all her works.

Happy Reading!

Posted in Book Review

Review of “The Family Next Door” by Sally Hepworth

Posted on by writingkat95

The Hook:

When newcomer Isabelle moves into the small suburb of Pleasant Court, she stands out as a single woman among the neighborhood of mostly young families. Her new neighbors suspect that she may be hiding a secret, but is that because they have so many secrets of their own?

My Impressions:

As usual, Sally Hepworth delivers a stunning domestic suspense with layer upon layer of secrets, lies, and ulterior motives. Hepworth’s style, which I’ve come to think of as “slice of life, but with crimes,” is truly at its best in this book. Every moment of the characters’ mundane daily lives is infused with tension by their own secrets and their suspicion of one another.

Fans of the domestic thriller genre who haven’t yet experienced Hepworth’s writing should immediately go out and read her entire backlog, as I’ve rarely seen her equal. This book in particular managed to set me on my heels with it’s twists, despite knowing going in that there almost certainly would be at least one big twist on its way.

Part of what makes this subgenre so fun in my opinion is the tension created by the reader’s knowledge that there will be a twist at some point, a secret revealed which will inevitably cast every event that preceded it in a new light. This book is no exception, and the twist in question is such a doozy, it’ll have you racing to tell your friends to read the book as soon as possible.

Happy Reading!

Posted in Book Review

Review of: Reckless Girls, By Rachel Hawkins

Posted on by writingkat95

The Hook:

Adventurous couple Lux and Nico are hired to sail two women to a remote island in the South Pacific, a job which Lux is more than eager to take. The group quickly bond, but the girls may be more than Lux has bargained for. The island itself has a reputation for grisly shipwrecks and tales of cannibals, and to the group’s surprise, is already playing host to golden couple Jake and Eliza when they arrive. Off the grid and each protecting their own secrets, the group of six are in for an unforgettable time on the island.

My Impressions:

As usual, Rachel Hawkins delights and entertains with her witty, snappy writing style and deliciously devious characters. I consumed this book in practically a single bite, surprised when I reached the end and saw how much time had passed. It felt like a much shorter read than it was, largely because it was such fun to devour.

I’m a huge fan of this sort of book, where several characters with hidden agendas and dark secrets are confined together in some beautiful setting, then shaken up like a snow globe to see how everything lands. Hawkins is excellent at this, carefully setting up each character before she knocks them down with precision.

Fans of Liv Constantine and Megan Collins are sure to enjoy this twisty tale of secrets and suspense, and if you’re looking for a good beach read this summer, you couldn’t ask for a better one than this.

Happy Reading!

Posted in Book Review

Review of Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

Posted on by writingkat95

The Hook:

This domestic thriller features a man with face blindness and his wife on a vacation for their wedding anniversary. Their relationship is far from perfect, and this trip is a last ditch effort to save the marriage. Someone doesn’t want them to live happily forever, though, and might not let them live at all.

My Impressions:

I love a lot of things about this book that are absolutely too spoilery too share, so I’ll just say that it is truly a worthwhile read. If you enjoy domestic thrillers with plenty of meticulously plotted out twists, this is definitely the book for you. Beautifully atmospheric and fraught with tension, this one will keep you reading until you reach the end.

Fans of Sally Hepworth and Megan Collins will especially enjoy this book, which has a similar style and cadence. If you’re in the mood for a chilly winter book to sweep you away and make you forget the hot weather swiftly approaching with summer just over the horizon, this one will certainly do the trick. Crank up the air conditioner and let Alice Feeney chill you to the bone.

If you’ve read this book, feel free to comment with your own thoughts in the comments.

Happy reading!

Posted in Book Review

Review of All The Way Home by Wendy Corsi Staub

Posted on by writingkat95

The Hook:

In a sleepy town in upstate New York, people still talk about the summer ten years ago when four teenage girls mysteriously disappeared. When girls start disappearing again, the unsolved disappearances are on everyone’s mind as they race to find the missing girls.

My Impressions:

So based on the cover and the synopsis, I went in expecting this to be a really easy popcorn read, something I could consume hungrily while waiting for some newer books to be available from the library. I absolutely misjudged it, as it is far darker and more complicated than I went in expecting. Definitely closer to the Gillian Flynn end of the spectrum than I was prepared for, but in the best way.

The ending was so genuinely disturbing I had to read something relaxing to wind down, as I finished reading it just before bed. I really think the narrator of the audiobook did an incredible job bringing the characters to life, and especially at the end, made everything feel that much more pressing and frightening.

If you’re looking for a slow build up to an absolutely gutting and horrifying series of twists, this is absolutely the book for you. I’ve probably already said too much if I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll leave it at that.

If you’ve read this book feel free to comment on this post.

Happy reading!

Posted in Book Review

Review of A Dark and Secret Place by Jen Williams

Posted on by writingkat95

The hook:

While processing her grief over her estranged mother’s suicide, Heather Evans discovers several letters sent to her mother over the years by a notorious serial killer known as the Red Wolf. When a victim is found murdered and disposed of in the same way the Red Wolf was known for, Heather’s questions about the past become all the more urgent.

My impressions:

This book gave me goosebumps and at one point while listening to the audiobook I physically jumped with fright. As someone who reads hundreds of mysteries and thrillers, it’s not often that something manages to scare the absolute snot out of me without alienating me or detracting from the fun of reading, but this book did it masterfully. It has the ideal balance of deliciously spooky moments and relief, all culminating in an ending so compelling I haven’t stopped thinking about it.

If you enjoy memorable villains and intensely atmospheric suspense, this is absolutely the book for you. I would recommend it for fans of Maureen Johnson’s YA mysteries who are looking for something a lot darker but with similar stylistic sensibilities. It isn’t for the faint of heart, but if you stick it out for the whole story, the payoff is absolutely worth it and none of the scares felt unearned or unnecessary.

Feel free to comment below if you’ve read this book and talk about your own thoughts.

Happy reading!

Posted in Book Review

The Ten Best Mysteries and Gothics I Read in 2021

Posted on by writingkat95

I set out to write a post about the top ten books I read this year, but found that I wound up with a list of 20 books, ten of which were mysteries or other vaguely spooky things, so I decided they should get a list of their own.

In no particular order, because I couldn’t possibly decide which books are the best of the best, here are the ten books I most enjoyed being spooked and thrilled by this year. They were not all published this year, but I did read them all this year.

1. If I Disappear

Kept me rushing towards the end and exclaiming out loud at each new twist. Super fun read!

2. Dial A For Aunties

I hadn’t thought I could laugh so hard, much less at a book that revolves around a murder. I plan to read this one again anytime I need a pick-me-up.

3. The Wife Upstairs

Easily the best modern take on Jane Eyre I’ve read, compulsively readable and a real pleasure. I can’t wait to see what the author does next.

4. The Wife Stalker

If you like thinking you’ve got a plot figured out and then being completely surprised by the ending, give this one a try and see if you are gripped by the sudden need to read everything else the author has ever written; I certainly was.

5. Don’t Look For Me

Absolutely nail biting suspense all the way through. This was another one that made me pick up and read several more by the author.

6. Behind the Red Door

I wish I could erase the memory of this one just so I could read it for the first time again. Memorable and full of incredibly well plotted twists.

7. Don’t Tell a Soul

Gothic and lovely, with a central mystery that ties up so satisfyingly you’ll want to read it again and again. The book equivalent of a fantastic meal, leaves you utterly content.

8. The Last House on Needless Street

If you’re reading this one and find yourself thinking “oh I know where this is going and I’m a little disappointed” no, you don’t, it’s going to surprise you. Read to the end and I dare you not to yell “oh my god, what?!” at least a few times near the end.

9. Summer Sons

One of the best gothics I’ve read in a long time, even in a year when I came across so many fun gothics to read. Memorable characters impossible not to root for.

10. The Death of Jane Lawrence

If Crimson Peak were a Doctor Who episode I imagine it would play out something like this book, which I enjoyed so thoroughly I immediately recommended it to several friends. I will be reading this one over again for many years to come.

I hope everyone has a great new year, and if you haven’t read the books on this list yet, I highly recommend looking for them at your local library or independent bookstore. Remember, most libraries allow digital checkouts of audiobooks, and many of the books on this list are even more delightful as audiobooks.

Happy reading!

Posted in Book Review

Review: Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

Posted on by writingkat95

The Hook:

A woman named Shelby Tebow goes missing, followed shortly after by Meredith Dickey and her young daughter, Delilah. Eleven years later, Delilah miraculously reappears, throwing the town into uproar as everyone waits to hear where she’s been all this time. The secrets that come out following her reappearance shake the town to its core.

My Impressions:

This book was one of those thrillers that made me a little sick to my stomach, the terrible suffering of some of the characters truly palpable in the pages. I almost stopped reading a couple of times, and I feel I should note here that if you plan to read this book, you should probably find a list of trigger warnings. If you’re prepared for the stomach turning things you’ll witness within those pages, though, it’s an excellent suspense novel and a master class in how to write twists that feel simultaneously surprising and inevitable.

If you’re looking for something that will make you feel a little queasy long after the last page, this is absolutely the book for you. It’s easily one of the most suspenseful things I’ve read this year, and I highly recommend it for seasoned fans of the genre. For newer mystery readers, approach with caution but know that if you make it to the end, the payoff is worth the ride.

Happy reading!

Posted in Book Review

Review: Survive the Night by Riley Sager

Posted on by writingkat95

The Hook:

While on the road with someone she met on her college’s ride share board, Charlie Jordan becomes increasingly convinced that the stranger in the car with her is in fact the serial killer who has been stalking the campus.

My Impressions:

It’s hard to make something scary and delightful, but this book manages it. I had a blast reading it, and that fun was only enhanced by the edge-of-my-seat state of suspense I was in. Just when I believed I had the plot figured out, more twists appeared and made me gasp out loud and whisper “oh of course” as the pieces fell into place.

Told in a cinematic style that practically begs to be adapted for film, Sager’s tense thriller had me hooked from the start. The themes of reality and self-doubt brought the atmosphere into an almost gothic space, and every scene advanced the story with such precise pacing it felt as if I were watching a movie in my head.

If you’re looking for a book to read on a long cold night that will compel you to finish it in one sitting, this is the book for you. Fans of Stephanie Perkins who are looking for slightly less gory fare than her horror YA will likely enjoy this book. Sager has a delicious authorial voice ideal for the fast pacing of the thriller genre, and this book really shines because of it.

Happy reading!

Posted in Book Review

Review: The Mother in Law by Sally Hepworth

Posted on by writingkat95

The Hook:

Lucy has had a tense relationship with her mother in law from day one, when they seemingly got off on the wrong foot. Lucy has never felt as if Diana accepts her, and Diana doesn’t quite know what to make of Lucy. Now Diana is dead and Lucy may know more than she’s telling.

My Impressions:

I’m a huge fan of Hepworth’s writing, and this book was a real treat. I went in with certain expectations about the characters and was surprised by the ways the story subverted those expectations, all while building the tension of the story until I found myself rushing towards the end to see what would happen.

If you are looking for a good book to read curled up by the fire or listen to on audio while you wrap presents this year, this is a great place to start. Fans of Liane Moriarty will surely enjoy Hepworth’s writing style, which is similar, though quite a bit more fast paced in my opinion.

Domestic thrillers can be hard to pull off without retreading the same characters over and over from one book to the next, and I have to say, Hepworth has managed to avoid that particular pitfall with her books. I highly recommend this book as well as her other works.

Happy reading!