Tag: Psychological Thriller

Review

Such a Pretty Smile: A Novel by Kristi DeMeester – My Review

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Title: Such a Pretty Smile: A Novel

Author: Kristi DeMeester

Release Date: January 18th 2022

Genre: Psychological Thriller, Paranormal Suspense

“Brutal and shocking, lush and evocative. DeMeester is a highly-original voice in horror.” – emily m. danforth, bestselling author of Plain Bad Heroines

A biting novel from an electrifying new voice, Kristi DeMeester’s Such a Pretty Smile is a heart-stopping tour-de-force about powerful women, angry men, and all the ways in which girls fight against the forces that try to silence them.

There’s something out there that’s killing. Known only as The Cur, he leaves no traces, save for the torn bodies of girls, on the verge of becoming women, who are known as trouble-makers; those who refuse to conform, to know their place. Girls who don’t know when to shut up.

2019: Thirteen-year-old Lila Sawyer has secrets she can’t share with anyone. Not the school psychologist she’s seeing. Not her father, who has a new wife, and a new baby. And not her mother—the infamous Caroline Sawyer, a unique artist whose eerie sculptures, made from bent twigs and crimped leaves, have made her a local celebrity. But soon Lila feels haunted from within, terrorized by a delicious evil that shows her how to find her voice—until she is punished for using it.

2004: Caroline Sawyer hears dogs everywhere. Snarling, barking, teeth snapping that no one else seems to notice. At first, she blames the phantom sounds on her insomnia and her acute stress in caring for her ailing father. But then the delusions begin to take shape—both in her waking hours, and in the violent, visceral sculptures she creates while in a trance-like state. Her fiancé is convinced she needs help. Her new psychiatrist waives her “problem” away with pills. But Caroline’s past is a dark cellar, filled with repressed memories and a lurking horror that the men around her can’t understand.

As past demons become a present threat, both Caroline and Lila must chase the source of this unrelenting, oppressive power to its malignant core. Brilliantly paced, unsettling to the bone, and unapologetically fierce, Such a Pretty Smile is a powerful allegory for what it can mean to be a woman, and an untamed rallying cry for anyone ever told to sit down, shut up, and smile pretty.

This is a pretty dark read and I was here for it! As you begin to read, there’s a sinister feeling. Like an unseen evil lurking around every corner. Caroline and Lila. Mother and daughter. You bounce between the present and Caroline’s past. Disturbing unexplained events unfold and you’re in for one crazy ride. I love how the author was able to both creep and fascinate me at the same time with how she described certain scenes. Fantastic writing style! Parts of the story were extremely slow but not enough for me to stop reading. It didn’t end like i thought it would. Which is a very good thing. As a whole, there’s an important message in this book. Read it to find out for yourself.

If you’re a fan of dark suspense reads, this book is for you. This is my first Kristi De Meester read and it won’t be my last. I plan on checking out her other books. I give this 3 stars.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion*

Review

No One Will Miss Her: A Novel by Kat Rosenfield – My Review

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Title: No One Will Miss Her: A Novel

Author: Kat Rosenfield

Release Date: October 12th 2021

Genre: Thrillers, Psychological

A smart, witty, crackling novel of psychological suspense in which a girl from a hardscrabble small town meets a gorgeous Instagram influencer from the big city, with a murderous twist that will shock even the most savvy reader.

On a beautiful October morning in rural Maine, a homicide investigator from the state police pulls into the hard-luck town of Copper Falls. The local junkyard is burning, and the town pariah Lizzie Oullette is dead—with her husband, Dwayne, nowhere to be found. As scandal ripples through the community, Detective Ian Bird’s inquiries unexpectedly lead him away from small-town Maine to a swank city townhouse several hours south. Adrienne Richards, blonde and fabulous social media influencer and wife of a disgraced billionaire, had been renting Lizzie’s tiny lake house as a country getaway…even though Copper Falls is anything but a resort town.

As Adrienne’s connection to the case becomes clear, so too does her connection to Lizzie, who narrates their story from beyond the grave. Each woman is desperately lonely in her own way, and they navigate a relationship that cuts across class boundaries: transactional, complicated, and, finally, deadly. A Gone Girl for the gig economy, this is a story of privilege, identity, and cunning, as two devious women from opposite worlds discover the dangers of coveting someone else’s life.

After I finished this book, I gave myself some time to think on both the story and my feelings. My feelings were all over the place! Let’s start with with story. This story had lots of twists and turns. Some unexpected and some I saw coming. The whole story had a dark vibe to it. Which I really liked. The characters are not very likable. Which wasn’t a bad thing. I did have trouble believing some of the actions and scenes that played out. Especially for the main character. It just wasn’t realistic. Yes, I know this story is fiction. Read the story to know what I mean! I think that’s why my feelings were all over the place. While I enjoyed the story, those twists made me feel some type of way. The story is well written. Very detailed. I really liked that ending though! 

Over all, this is a pretty entertaining read with lots of twists. This is a new to me author and I look forward to reading another book from her. I give this 3 stars. 

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion*

Review

Find You First: A Novel by Linwood Barclay – My Review

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Title: Find You First: A Novel

Author: Linwood Barclay

Release Date: May 4th 2021

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Tech millionaire Miles Cookson has more money than he can ever spend, and everything he could dream of—except time. He has recently been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and there is a fifty percent chance that it can be passed on to the next generation. For Miles, this means taking a long hard look at his past . . .

Two decades ago, a young, struggling Miles was a sperm donor. Somewhere out there, he has kids—nine of them. And they might be about to inherit both the good and the bad from him—maybe his fortune, or maybe something much worse.

As Miles begins to search for the children he’s never known, aspiring film documentarian Chloe Swanson embarks on a quest to find her biological father, armed with the knowledge that twenty-two years ago, her mother used a New York sperm bank to become pregnant.

When Miles and Chloe eventually connect, their excitement at finding each other is overshadowed by a series of mysterious and terrifying events. One by one, Miles’s other potential heirs are vanishing—every trace of them wiped, like they never existed at all.

Who is the vicious killer—another heir methodically erasing rivals? Or is something even moresinister going on?

It’s a deadly race against time . . .

What a wild ride! This book is definitely a mind twister.

The beginning is slow. I knew the author was setting up the players aka the characters. With each character that was introduced, you wondered what roll they would play. The more I read, the sinister it got. There were a lot of suspects with motives that I couldn’t decide who was the villain. We meet Chloe. She’s one of many who will get some news that will change her life. She was a hard character to like. As a matter of fact, none of the characters were very likable. I kept thinking how awful they were. Towards the end, I was totally team Chloe. There are so many secrets and lies in this story, along with many twists and turns, that I gave up trying to figure out who was the bad guy and just enjoyed the crazy ride this book was.

As a whole, this book is suspenseful and entertaining. It will keep you on your toes till the very end! If you enjoy thrillers, you should consider adding this one to your TBR. I give this 3 stars.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion*

Review

The Maidens: A Novel by Alex Michaelides – My Review

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Title: The Maidens: A Novel

Author: Alex Michaelides

Release Date: June 15th 2021

Genre: Psychological Thrillers

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient comes a spellbinding tale of psychological suspense, weaving together Greek mythology, murder, and obsession, that further cements “Michaelides as a major player in the field” (Publishers Weekly).

Edward Fosca is a murderer. Of this Mariana is certain. But Fosca is untouchable. A handsome and charismatic Greek tragedy professor at Cambridge University, Fosca is adored by staff and students alike—particularly by the members of a secret society of female students known as The Maidens.

Mariana Andros is a brilliant but troubled group therapist who becomes fixated on The Maidens when one member, a friend of Mariana’s niece Zoe, is found murdered in Cambridge.

Mariana, who was once herself a student at the university, quickly suspects that behind the idyllic beauty of the spires and turrets, and beneath the ancient traditions, lies something sinister. And she becomes convinced that, despite his alibi, Edward Fosca is guilty of the murder. But why would the professor target one of his students? And why does he keep returning to the rites of Persephone, the maiden, and her journey to the underworld?

When another body is found, Mariana’s obsession with proving Fosca’s guilt spirals out of control, threatening to destroy her credibility as well as her closest relationships. But Mariana is determined to stop this killer, even if it costs her everything—including her own life.

 

Where to start……

This story could have been good. Great even. It just fell flat for me. To say I’m disappointed is putting it mildly. I know that I am the unpopular opinion, as there are lots of raving reviews for this book. I just don’t agree. The plot just wasn’t a good one. There’s a lot of unnecessary scenes in the story that made me feel like I wasn’t reading a thriller. The twist was a pretty lame one. I figured it out and hoped he wouldn’t go that route. Nope, he went there.

This is the second book I read from this author. I was disappointed with his first and I find myself in the same situation with this one. The only thing I can say is, read it for yourself. I’m glad others enjoy it. It just wasn’t for me. I give this 2 stars.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion*

Review

The Perfect Daughter: A Novel by D.J. Palmer – My Review

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Title: The Perfect Daughter: A Novel

Author: D.J. Palmer

Release Date: April 20th 2021

Genre: Psychological Thrillers

A thriller that explores the truth or lies behind a teenage girl’s multiple personality disorder, from D.J. Palmer, the author of The New Husband.

Meet Ruby, who speaks with a British accent.
Then there’s Chloe, a perfectionist who strives for straight A’s in school.
And along comes Eve, who is spiteful and vicious.
All of them live inside Penny…
Or do they?

Penny Francone, age sixteen, is a murderer. Her guilt is beyond doubt: she was found alone in the victim’s apartment, covered in blood, holding the murder weapon. The victim’s identity and her secret relationship to Penny give Penny the perfect motive, sealing the deal. All the jury needs to decide now is where Penny will serve out her sentence. Will she be found not guilty by reason of insanity, as her lawyer intends to argue? Or will she get a life sentence in a maximum-security prison?
Already reeling from tragedy after the sudden passing of her beloved husband a few years before, now Grace is on her knees, grateful that Massachusetts doesn’t allow the death penalty.

As Penny awaits trial in a state mental hospital, she is treated by Dr. Mitchell McHugh, a psychiatrist battling demons of his own. Grace’s determination to understand the why behind her daughter’s terrible crime fuels Mitch’s resolve to help the Francone family. Together, they set out in search of the truth about Penny, but discover instead a shocking hidden history of secrets, lies, and betrayals that threatens to consume them all.

The perfect daughter. Is she fooling them all?

The Perfect Daughter is a total head spin of a read. You never saw the ending coming!

When reading a DJ Palmer book, I can expect a nice twist or turn. Don’t get me wrong, this book did have one but not sure how well it was executed. I wanted to like this book more than I did. The pacing of the story was up and down. I felt it lulled in a lot of places. The story was good but I felt it dragged on a bit longer than it should have. At one point I almost DNF’d but I wanted to see how everything came together and trudged on. I did feel for the characters. The emotional rollercoaster ride everyone was on. The fighting spirit the mom had. Plus the emotions the author made you feel as you read. Who to trust? What actually happened?

As a whole, this is a good read. If you’ve read others by her, you will enjoy this. This one wasn’t one of my favorites but I do look forward to her next release! I give this 3 stars.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion*

New Release · Review

The Imposter by Marin Montgomery – My Review

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Title: The Imposter

Author: Marin Montgomery

Release Date: March 9th 2021

Genre: Psychological Thriller

From the Amazon bestselling author of What We Forgot to Bury comes a twisted psychological tale of a mother and daughter’s mind-bending descent into the truth.

From the outside looking in, Sibley Sawyer has a perfect life. As a successful attorney, she’s worked hard to get to the top of her game—but when her personal and professional lives implode, Sibley looks for a way to turn the page.

Unable to shake the tragic circumstances that caused her to flee her rural Midwestern hometown, Sibley wants nothing more than to reunite with her estranged mother, Deborah, and bury their past tensions.

But as she reenters the life she left behind, she realizes her mother isn’t the same person she remembers, and she’s not the same daughter either.

As both women struggle to piece together a tangled web of deceit and lies, and the shocking circumstances that caused Sibley to leave in the first place, it becomes clear there are secrets rooted deeper than either mother or daughter could ever have imagined.

Can you really deceive your past and those around you?

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The blurb hooked me. Deceit, lies AND a painful past? Sign me up!

The story started off good. There was enough unexplained things happening that had me invested into the story. Oh Sibley…how I wanted to like you. I tried but you made it so hard. Deborah on the other hand, I just felt bad for her. Neither one were very likable. At times it felt like the story wasn’t going anywhere. Just rambling and wandering around. Then it found its way towards the end. Sort of. The ending was ok but I was expecting much more from this story that I felt let down. 

I felt like this story was missing something. It was an ok read and like I stated above, I expected more. Despite my feelings about this particular book, I will check out others by this author. I give this 3 stars. 

New Release · Review

If I Disappear by Eliza Jane Brazier – My Review

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NEW RELEASE

Title: If I Disappear

Author: Eliza Jane Brazier

Release Date: January 26th 2021

Genre: Psychological Thrillers

“Blending the true crime compulsion of Michelle McNamara’s I’ll Be Gone in the Dark with the immersive creepy-craziness of Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects, Brazier creates a heady, pitch-dark cocktail all her own.”
—Publishers Weekly

“This twisted and riveting thriller is one that will keep you up late at night with suspense.”
—CNN

A Most Anticipated Book of 2021 by CNN • E! Online • Buzzfeed • New York Post • Popsugar • Crime Reads • Hello Giggles

When her favorite true crime podcast host goes missing, an adrift young woman sets out to investigate and plunges headfirst into the wild backcountry of Northern California and her own dangerous obsession.

Sera loves true crime podcasts. They give her a sense of control in a world where women just like her disappear daily. She’s sure they are preparing her for something. So when Rachel, her favorite podcast host, goes missing, Sera knows it’s time to act. Rachel has always taught her to trust her instincts.

Sera follows the clues hidden in the episodes to an isolated ranch outside Rachel’s small hometown to begin her search. She’s convinced her investigation will make Rachel so proud. But the more Sera digs into this unfamiliar world, the more off things start to feel. Because Rachel is not the first woman to vanish from the ranch, and she won’t be the last…

Rachel did try to warn her.

I love me a good psychological thriller. The twisty, the better.

Right off the bat, this books gave me some dark haunting vibes. Excellent. It also felt like I was jumping into a story that had already started. No matter, on we go. Sera is on a mission. Her favorite true crime podcaster Rachel has disappeared. Sera knows she’s the only one who can find her. What happened to Rachel?

Ah I had such high hopes for this book. It started out pretty good. Some questionable characters. Check. The haunting vibe. Check. Trust no one vibe. Check. The pacing is slow. I started to feel like the story was going no where. By the time the ending came, I really didn’t care who did what. I struggled to connect with Sera. The twists fell flat as did the ending. 

All in all, this was an okay read. It wasn’t for me but others may enjoy it and I encourage you to read it and make up your own mind. Despite my issues with the book, I will not let it deter me from checking out the author’s next book. I give this 2 stars.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion*

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After All I’ve Done by Mina Hardy – My Review

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Title: After All I’ve Done: A Novel

Author: Mina Hardy

Release Date: November 10th 2020

Genre: Psychological Thrillers

Writing as Mina Hardy, New York Times bestselling author Megan Hart delivers a thrilling new psychological suspense for fans of The Woman in the Window and When the Lights Go Out.

She’s lost her best friend, her husband–and possibly, her mind.

Five months ago, an accident left Diana Sparrow badly injured and missing a few months of her memory. As if that’s not enough, she’s started having recurring nightmares about the night of the accident. Dreams that feel so real, she’s left questioning: maybe she didn’t just slide off the road into a ditch. Maybe, just maybe, she hit something. Or someone.

She can’t turn to her former best friend Val, who’s been sleeping with Diana’s husband Jonathan for months, but she might find some comfort in newcomer Cole Pelham. Yet the closer they become, the more Diana begins to wonder what really happened that night–and how Cole might be connected. Worse, it seems everyone else could be involved, too.

Who was with her that night? What really happened? As her life unravels thread by thread and the dreams become too real to ignore, Diana will have to face the unthinkable–and do the unforgivable.

After All I’ve Done is a fast paced thriller that will have your heart racing and rapidly turning those pages! 

Right from the start, the story had me in its clutches. It didn’t let go till the very end. This book is one crazy ride and I was there for it! There are many questions about what had happened to Diana. As the story went on, I found myself not liking any of the characters. They were all bad people and some were more irritating than others. This might be weird to say but it didn’t take away from the story. In fact, it enhanced the story and the mystery in solving what happened that night. Towards the end, there was an urgency to find out how all the pieces fit and boy was I surprised! That was one twist I did not see coming. Very nice Miss Hardy. 

This is a fantastic and thrilling read! It’s entertaining and an ending you won’t see coming. I can promise you that. The cover is very eye catching and pretty. I know this author is using a different pen name and I hope she continues to write more of these types of books. I look forward to reading more by Miss Hardy. I give this 5 stars.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion*

New Release · Review

The Girl in the Mirror: An Novel by Rose Carlyle – My Review

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NEW RELEASE

Title: The Girl in the Mirror: An Novel

Author: Rose Carlyle

Release Date: October 15th 2020

Genre: Thriller, Psychological

Written with the chilling, twisty suspense of The Wife Between Us and Something in the Water, a seductive debut thriller about greed, lust, secrets, and deadly lies involving identical twin sisters.

Twin sisters Iris and Summer are startlingly alike, but beyond what the eye can see lies a darkness that sets them apart. Cynical and insecure, Iris has long been envious of Summer’s seemingly never-ending good fortune, including her perfect husband Adam.

Called to Thailand to help her sister sail the family yacht to the Seychelles, Iris nurtures her own secret hopes for what might happen on the journey. But when she unexpectedly finds herself alone in the middle of the Indian Ocean, everything changes. When she makes it to land, Iris allows herself to be swept up by Adam, who assumes that she is Summer.

Iris recklessly goes along with his mistake. Not only does she finally have the golden life she’s always envied, with her sister gone, she’s one step closer to the hundred-million-dollar inheritance left by her manipulative father. All Iris has to do is be the first of his seven children to produce an heir.

Iris’s “new” life lurches between glamorous dream and paranoid nightmare. On the edge of being exposed, how far will she go to ensure no one discovers the truth?

And just what did happen to Summer on the yacht?

Only Iris knows . . .

Twin sisters. Identical but not the same.

The Girl in the Mirror is a suspenseful and twisted read! Lies and betrayal? YES! I love a good thriller and this book delivered. The pacing of the story was slow in some places but I was invested in the story so it didn’t bother me too much. These characters were insane! Some of the choices and actions they made, had my head spinning. It made for a great read though! Twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. I reached the ending and I closed the book and just sat there saying to myself, wooooow.

A wonderful debut! I enjoyed her writing style. Her storytelling style kept me engaged. I look forward to what she comes out with next. Miss Carlyle has a new fan! I give this 4 stars.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion*

Coming Soon · Pre-Order · Review

To Tell You the Truth: A Novel by Gilly Macmillian – My Review

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Title: To Tell You the Truth: A Novel

Author: Gilly Macmillian

Release Date: September 22nd 2020

Genre: Psychological Thrillers

“A spellbinding book about a missing child, and about the life of a writer. Bold, suspenseful, and impossible to put down. This one will stay with me for a long time.” — Samantha Downing, #1 internationally bestselling author of My Lovely Wife

The acclaimed author of The Nanny and What She Knew—hailed by stalwarts including Ruth Ware, Liane Moriarty, Rosamund Lupton, Tess Gerritsen, and Shari Lapena—returns with another serpentine thriller that cleverly blends atmosphere, tarnished memories, mystery, and twisty secrets from the past into a potent, intense read that will leave you questioning everything you believe.

To tell you the truth . . . everybody lies.

Lucy Harper’s talent for writing bestselling novels has given her fame, fortune and millions of fans.  It’s also given her Dan, her needy, jealous husband whose own writing career has gone precisely nowhere.

Now Dan has vanished. But this isn’t the first time that someone has disappeared from Lucy’s life. Three decades ago, her little brother Teddy also went missing and was never found. Lucy, the only witness, helplessly spun fantasy after fantasy about Teddy’s disappearance, to the detectives’ fury and her parents’ despair. That was the start of her ability to tell a story—a talent she has profited from greatly.

But now Lucy’s a grown woman who can’t hide behind fiction any longer. The world is watching, and her whole life is under intense scrutiny. A life full of stories, some more believable than others. Could she have hurt Teddy?  Did she kill Dan?  Finally, now, Lucy Harper’s going to tell the truth.

Cross her heart.

And hope to die.

This is the first book I’ve read from Gilly Macmillan and it won’t be my last. Right from the beginning, the story draws you in. I stayed up late once I started because I couldn’t put it down. I was hooked! It switches back and forth between the present and the past. Or does it? There was a dark vibe that settled over me, urging me on. I happily obliged. I was curious about Lucy. She had secrets that seemed to burden her. I admit I didn’t know who to trust. Everyone seemed shady. The author kept me guessing till the very end. I did not see ANY of that coming!!! The whole book was one twisty ride and the ending gave me mixed feelings and maybe that was the goal.

The book as a whole is enjoyable and thrilling. It will have you on the edge of your seat. The writing was great. The characters were great. I look forward to reading more from this author!! I give this 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion*