Review: The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas

The Darkest Corners is a psychological thriller about the lies little girls tell, and the deadly truths those lies become.

There are ghosts around every corner in Fayette, Pennsylvania. Tessa left when she was nine and has been trying ever since not to think about it after what happened there that last summer. Memories of things so dark will burn themselves into your mind if you let them.

Callie never left. She moved to another house, so she doesn’t have to walk those same halls, but then Callie always was the stronger one. She can handle staring into the faces of her demons—and if she parties hard enough, maybe one day they’ll disappear for good.

Tessa and Callie have never talked about what they saw that night. After the trial, Callie drifted and Tessa moved, and childhood friends just have a way of losing touch.

But ever since she left, Tessa has had questions. Things have never quite added up. And now she has to go back to Fayette—to Wyatt Stokes, sitting on death row; to Lori Cawley, Callie’s dead cousin; and to the one other person who may be hiding the truth.

Only the closer Tessa gets to the truth, the closer she gets to a killer—and this time, it won’t be so easy to run away.

Publication Date: April 19, 2016

I feel like it’s so hard to come across a good psychological suspense book. This was the reason I was so excited to get my hands on a copy of The Darkest Corners. The Darkest Corners didn’t disappoint and kept me guessing up until the very last pages. Although YA, this is definitely on the mature side.

Although the book is a murder mystery, the story is also a close examination about the complexities of friendship and family. Tessa and Callie have a strained friendship with more downs than ups. They both handle their emotions differently, which has caused friction between them. I was just as eager to have them work out their issues as I was to find out who killed Lori.

I felt for Tessa, because her family was a train wreck. And the more we learned about them, the darker and more heartbreaking the story became. The Darkest Corners is definitely a book you should vow to stick with, the plot only gets better the more you read.

I can’t say much else without spoiling, but this is a marathon read for sure. The climax is exciting with a twist I never saw coming. Pick this book up ASAP! 

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Review: The Widow by Fiona Barton

For fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, an electrifying thriller that will take you into the dark spaces that exist between a husband and a wife.

When the police started asking questions, Jean Taylor turned into a different woman. One who enabled her and her husband to carry on, when more bad things began to happen...

But that woman’s husband died last week. And Jean doesn’t have to be her anymore.

There’s a lot Jean hasn’t said over the years about the crime her husband was suspected of committing. She was too busy being the perfect wife, standing by her man while living with the accusing glares and the anonymous harassment.

Now there’s no reason to stay quiet. There are people who want to hear her story. They want to know what it was like living with that man. She can tell them that there were secrets. There always are in a marriage.

The truth—that’s all anyone wants. But the one lesson Jean has learned in the last few years is that she can make people believe anything…

Publication Date: February 16, 2016

I liked The Widow although it had a much slower pace than other psychological suspense novels I’ve recently read. I thought the dynamic between Jean and Glen was interesting and I found the novel interesting as a character study and how complex marriages can be when one of the partners is accused of a heinous crime.

Jean was an unreliable narrator, but I found her chapters to be a little boring. The author seemed to purposefully make her flat in order to give nothing about the plot away. The chapters from the point of view of the reporter and the detective working the case was much more engaging. However, I did like the flashbacks to Glen and Jean’s courtship and subsequent marriage to get a better understanding of why she stood by him as she saw the signs of the seemingly double life he was living.

There are some disturbing parts of The Widow that were really hard to stomach. As Jean and the police find out more about Glen’s porn addiction and how it relates to a missing child investigation, I felt truly revolted. Jean became increasingly frustrating as a character and I really couldn’t find any sympathy for the situation she finds herself in after Glen’s death.

There were a few twists that I didn’t see coming, but a few reveals were pretty obvious early on. I guess I was waiting for a big shocker to blow me away, but that never really happened. But despite my few issues, I did overall enjoy the book and finished reading the entire book within a couple days.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Review: All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda

Summary: 

Like the spellbinding psychological suspense in The Girl on the Train and Luckiest Girl Alive, Megan Miranda’s novel is a nail-biting, breathtaking story about the disappearances of two young women—a decade apart—told in reverse.

It’s been ten years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared from Cooley Ridge without a trace. Back again to tie up loose ends and care for her ailing father, Nic is soon plunged into a shocking drama that reawakens Corinne’s case and breaks open old wounds long since stitched.

The decade-old investigation focused on Nic, her brother Daniel, boyfriend Tyler, and Corinne’s boyfriend Jackson. Since then, only Nic has left Cooley Ridge. Daniel and his wife, Laura, are expecting a baby; Jackson works at the town bar; and Tyler is dating Annaleise Carter, Nic’s younger neighbor and the group’s alibi the night Corinne disappeared. Then, within days of Nic’s return, Annaleise goes missing.

Told backwards—Day 15 to Day 1—from the time Annaleise goes missing, Nic works to unravel the truth about her younger neighbor’s disappearance, revealing shocking truths about her friends, her family, and what really happened to Corinne that night ten years ago.

Like nothing you’ve ever read before, All the Missing Girls delivers in all the right ways. With twists and turns that lead down dark alleys and dead ends, you may think you’re walking a familiar path, but then Megan Miranda turns it all upside down and inside out and leaves us wondering just how far we would be willing to go to protect those we love.

Publication Date: June 28, 2016

Wow! This book has left me speechless. I was blown away by how much I absolutely adored All the Missing Girls. Megan Miranda is slowly, but surely working her way up to being one of my favorite contemporary authors.

All the Missing Girls is unique in the way that most of the novel is told backwards. The first chapter introduces us to the characters and sets up the plot nicely before jumping into the backwards narrative. The epilogue takes place three months after the events of the book and ties up any loose ends. I was afraid the narrative structure would be confusing, but it actually worked exceptionally well for the plot.

It’s really hard to post much about the characters or the plot without spoiling the suspense. But pretty on, it was easy to see that none of the characters are trustworthy. They all seem to have secret agendas and complicated pasts that have never been resolved. Readers have to unravel their pasts to find out not only what happened to the missing Annaleise, but also what took place ten years ago when Nic’s best friend Corinne disappeared as well.

This book is impossible to put down, so I recommend readers clear their schedules for the next several hours before picking it up. There were so many twists, most of which I couldn’t guess. If you liked The Girl on the Train, then you will love All the Missing Girls.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Review: Swerve by Vicki Pettersson

Summary:

It’s high summer in the Mojave Desert, and Kristine Rush and her fiancé, Daniel, are en route from Las Vegas to Lake Arrowhead, California, for the July Fourth holiday weekend. But when Daniel is abducted from a desolate rest stop, Kristine is forced to choose: return home unharmed, but never to see her fiancé again, or plunge forward into the searing desert to find him…where a killer lies in wait.

Publication Date: July 9, 2015

This book was good—really, really good. I’m a huge fan of psychological suspense and Swerve is one of my favorite 2015 reads in the genre. The book has non-stop action and the suspense keeps going at a frantic pace until the very last page.

I loved the setup of Swerve. A woman is led on a wild goose chase orchestrated by a murderer who is keeping her fiancé as the prize. I liked that there wasn’t a lot of information dumping at the beginning and the action started right away. Readers are giving more background as the story progresses about Kristine and her dark history.

There was so many twists and turns in the story that it kept me on my toes. I admit some of the twists I predicted early on, but it didn’t steal away any of my enjoyment of the book. The second half of the book was such a nail-biter that I stayed up way into the night to finish reading.

I can’t really say too much without giving away the plot, but some of the elements aren’t for the faint of heart. The depictions were pretty gruesome and there was a bit of disbelief over how many terrible things could happen to one person.

I would highly recommend Swerve to readers of thrillers. I’m now a huge fan of the author and can’t wait to check out more of her books.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Review: After We Fall by Emma Kavanagh

Summary:

A moody, intense debut psychological thriller by a former police psychologist, this debut novel explores four lives that fall apart in the tense aftermath of a plane crash, perfect for fans of Tana French, S. J. Watson, and Alice LaPlante. Unraveling what holds these four together is a tense, taut tale about good people who make bad decisions that ultimately threaten to destroy them. Debut author Emma Kavanagh deftly weaves together the stories of those who lost someone or something of themselves in one tragic incident, exploring how swiftly everything we know can come crashing down.

Publication Date: June 2, 2015

I loved the premise of this book! I was so curious to see how the stories on the ground would relate to the people on the doomed flight. The thing I enjoyed most about the story was the way the author interwove seemingly unrelated events together.

The characters were a mixed bag. I think my biggest issue was with Cecilia. As a mom myself, I just couldn’t find myself relating to her decision to abandon her child. Despite my dislike of her, I did find her and the other narrators characterized in a believable way.

The suspense was what kept me reading. I really needed to discover the mysteries surrounding the plane crash and the murder. I loved how the author kept me guessing on where she was taking the story.

The pace was good, but I did wish for the narrative to be a little clearer on the tenses. I found myself going back several times to determine whether the narrator was talking about the present or the past. Too many narrators can sometimes irritate me, but I found it worked well for After We Fall.

Overall, a good and complex story about flawed characters.  

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Review: The Lie by C.L. Taylor

Summary:

I know your name's not really Jane Hughes...

Jane Hughes has a loving partner, a job in an animal sanctuary and a tiny cottage in rural Wales. She's happier than she's ever been but her life is a lie. Jane Hughes does not really exist.

Five years earlier Jane and her then best friends went on holiday but what should have been the trip of a lifetime rapidly descended into a nightmare that claimed the lives of two of the women.

Jane has tried to put her past behind her but someone knows the truth about what happened. Someone who won't stop until they've destroyed Jane and everything she loves...

Publication Date: April 23, 2015

The Lie was a pleasant surprise in my to be read pile! I found the story to be so compelling and I really couldn’t stop reading until I discovered what was traumatic enough for Emma to leave her former life and become present-day Jane.

The story flips between past and present with the catalyst for the plot being a note Jane receives stating that they know her real name isn’t Jane. Jane has tried to rebuild her life after the events on a Nepal holiday with her former girlfriends, so she becomes terrified of everything being snatched away.

The characters weren’t very likeable. I kept wondering why they were all friends since each of them had reprehensible character traits. I wanted to reach through the book and shake some sense into them. I guess I wasn’t totally shocked how things fell apart in the way they did.

The suspense was so awesomely done. The author never gave much away besides a few breadcrumbs here or there. The climax is explosive and well worth the long wait.

Overall, a great book from a new to me author. Can’t wait to read her other books!

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Review: Remember Me This Way by Sabine Durrant

Summary:

The new, brilliantly tense psychological thriller by Sabine Durrant, author of the hugely praised UNDER YOUR SKIN.

Everyone keeps telling me I have to move on. And so here I am, walking down the road where he died, trying to remember him the right way.


A year after her husband Zach's death, Lizzie goes to lay flowers where his fatal accident took place.

As she makes her way along the motorway, she thinks about their life together. She wonders whether she has changed since Zach died. She wonders if she will ever feel whole again.

At last she reaches the spot. And there, tied to a tree, is a bunch of lilies. The flowers are addressed to her husband. Someone has been there before her.

Lizzie loved Zach. She really did.

But she's starting to realise she didn't really know him.

Or what he was capable of . . .

Publication Date: May 26, 2015

Remember Me This Way was such a great psychological suspense read! I was so caught up in the story, I literally couldn’t sleep until the book was finished. I had to find out what happened to Zach and Lizzie during their brief marriage before his tragic death in a car accident.

The book is told in flashes of the past and present. We get to see Lizzie dealing with her grief a year after her husband’s death. Although their relationship wasn’t healthy, she still misses him and wants to find out what happened during his final moments. The other chapters are Zach’s diary entries starting back to when he first met Lizzie.

Zach was one messed up character! Sometimes I probably enjoy reading from the perspective of crazies a little too much. Lizzie was a sad sort of character and really let a lot of people walk all over her. Although her attitude was frustrating at times, I felt like she was authentic. Zach chose her as his wife because of her submissiveness.

The climax was pretty crazy and there was a super messed up twist revealed in the third act. I suspected something early on, but I thought no way the author would go there. But it happened and I definitely felt traumatized by the reveal.

Highly recommend this book and author to suspense fans who don’t mind having their heads messed around with a bit!

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Review: The Pocket Wife by Susan Crawford

Summary:

An amazing talent makes her debut with this stylish psychological thriller—with the compelling intrigue of The Silent Wife and Turn of Mind and the white-knuckle pacing of Before I Go to Sleep —in which a woman suffering from bipolar disorder cannot remember if she murdered her friend during a breakdown.

Dana Catrell is horrified to learn she was the last person to see her neighbor Celia alive. Suffering from a devastating mania, a result of her bipolar disorder, Dana finds that there are troubling holes in her memory, including what happened on the afternoon of Celia's death. As evidence starts to point in her direction, Dana struggles to clear her name before her own demons win out.

Is murder on her mind - or is it all in her head?

The closer she comes to piecing together shards of her broken memory, the more Dana falls apart. Is there a murderer lurking inside her . . . or is there one out there in the shadows of reality, waiting to strike again? A story of marriage, murder and madness, The Pocket Wife explores the world through the foggy lens of a woman on the edge. 

Publication Date: March 17, 2015

I’ve been on a bit of a psychological suspense kick lately, so I was happy to delve into The Pocket Wife. For the most part, I loved the story and how Celia’s thoughts were often hard to decipher because of her mental breakdown. However, the ending was a little strange for me and I didn’t completely love how the author chose to wrap up the story.

Most of the book is told from Celia’s point of view. She has suffered bouts of depression in the past and seems to be in the midst of another emotional crisis. During this period, one of her neighbors is found dead. Celia tries to figure out if she’s responsible while also battling her paranoid delusions.

I loved the writing style in The Pocket Wife. There’s almost an ethereal quality to the way Celia views the world. I thought the narrative would confuse me, but I found myself still able to connect with Celia and empathize. I thought the secondary characters were riveting and I found myself really despising Celia’s husband as he continually took advantage of her mental illness.

The pacing was good and I never found myself bored. The only aspect of the book I really didn’t like was the conclusion. The mystery was wrapped up well enough, but it felt very anti-climatic. I was expecting more of an explosive ending to such a powerful story.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review! 

Review: Crazy Love You by Lisa Unger

Love hurts … Sometimes it even kills.

Darkness has a way of creeping up when Ian is with Priss. Even when they were kids, playing in the woods of their small Upstate New York town, he could feel it. Still, Priss was his best friend, his salvation from the bullies who called him “loser” and “fatboy”…and from his family’s deadly secrets.

Now that they’ve both escaped to New York City, Ian no longer inhabits the tortured shell of his childhood. He is a talented and successful graphic novelist, and Priss…Priss is still trouble. The booze, the drugs, the sex—Ian is growing tired of late nights together trying to keep the past at bay. Especially now that he’s met sweet, beautiful Megan, whose love makes him want to change for the better. But Priss doesn’t like change. Change makes her angry. And when Priss is angry, terrible things begin to happen…

Summary: February 10, 2015

Crazy Love You has an appropriate name because this book is CRAZY! I love psychological suspense novels like this one and every Lisa Unger book I’ve read so far has been an intense thrill ride. If you haven’t picked up one of her books yet, I highly recommend you do so immediately.

Crazy Love You is a book that I find hard to pigeonhole into one particular genre. It has a bit of mystery, suspense, romance and even some otherworldly elements. I liked how the twists in the novel kept me guessing and I could never really figure out completely where the plot was going. I enjoy unreliable narrators and Ian definitely falls into this category.

The plot moved at a good pace although I felt like the book took me a really long time to finish. While I was reading I didn’t notice the story dragging, but I think it could’ve been trimmed by about a third. Also, some of the time jumps threw me out of the plot because they were very frequent.

The final third of the book was excellent. The plot really came together as Ian’s life starts to fall apart. I wasn’t sure if the conclusion would be satisfying, but I was happy with the way the author chose to end the novel.

Although this wasn’t my favorite Unger book, I still would highly recommend the novel to readers who want a dark thriller with twisted and memorable characters.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review! 

Review: The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson

Summary:

From the author of the acclaimed The Girl with a Clock for a Heart--hailed by the Washington Post as crime fiction's best first novel of 2014"--a devious tale of psychological suspense involving sex, deception, and an accidental encounter that leads to murder that is a modern reimagining of Patricia Highsmith's classic Strangers on a Train.

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 cliche.

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.

Publication Date: January 6, 2015

The Kind Worth Killing was an incredible read! I haven’t picked up a good thriller in a long time and this book cured my reading slump. There were so many great twists that I didn’t see coming. I need to check out if the author has any more books released as soon as humanly possible.

The synopsis makes the plot of the book sound straightforward enough and I love that I went into the book with totally different expectations. I was completely blown away by just how complicated things become between Lily, Ted and Miranda. I’m usually pretty good at guessing plot twists, but the author totally threw me off my game.

There are no “true” good guys in the book. However, the author was still able to make me feel a connection with each narrator and allow me a glimpse into his or her twisted mind. There are multiple narrators in the novel, which can sometimes annoy me, but really worked with this story.

Pacing was fantastic and the writing was crisp which I appreciate for suspense novels. And normally I often find the conclusions of psychological suspense novels not very satisfying, but I loved the way the author ended The Kind Worth Killing. Honestly, I can’t recommend this book enough.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Review: You by Caroline Kepnes

Goodreads Summary:

Love hurts...

When aspiring writer Guinevere Beck strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe works, he’s instantly smitten. Beck is everything Joe has ever wanted: She’s gorgeous, tough, razor-smart, and as sexy as his wildest dreams.

Beck doesn’t know it yet, but she’s perfect for him, and soon she can’t resist her feelings for a guy who seems custom made for her. But there’s more to Joe than Beck realizes, and much more to Beck than her oh-so-perfect façade. Their mutual obsession quickly spirals into a whirlwind of deadly consequences . . .

A chilling account of unrelenting passion, Caroline Kepnes’s You is a perversely romantic thriller that’s more dangerously clever than any you’ve read before.

Publication Date: September 30, 2014

Well, that was different! I think it’s safe to say most readers will not have read anything much like You before. I was a little leery at first because of the second person narration, but Joe hooked me and I pulled an all-nighter to finish the book. You was suspenseful, funny and definitely a little on the bizarre side. But I loved it and I won’t be forgetting Joe and Beck anytime soon.

Second person narration is always tough for me. I usually end up throwing in the towel after the first few chapters. But the narrator of You was so compelling and freaking crazy I had to keep reading. Joe is the stalker of the novel and I found it incredible how I didn’t completely loathe him. He was funny! There was a lot of dark humor in the book and Joe skewers certain classes of people with exact precision. I felt horrible for laughing alongside someone so depraved, but Joe makes you believe many of his actions are almost justifiable.

Beck wasn’t the most likable character and her flaws helped make the book work. If she were this perfect young woman, then the ick factor would be a little too much for me to take. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely felt like I needed a long shower after reading, but Beck’s caustic personality made it easier to stomach some of the creepier things Joe does in his pursuit of her.

The pacing was excellent and I found so many of Joe’s diatribes hilarious. There were so many quotable lines within the book that I stopped highlighting after the first few chapters. Joe works in a bookstore and I loved the way he would come up with these outrageous connections between his life and his favorite books and movies.

The ending I guessed although I was hoping for a different outcome. But in a way the book’s conclusion fit with the overall creepy feel of the novel.  For fans of psychological suspense and thrillers, this book is a must read.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!

Review: The Half Life of Molly Pierce by Katrina Leto

Goodreads Summary:

You take it for granted. Waking up. Going to school, talking to your friends. Watching a show on television or reading a book or going out to lunch.

You take for granted going to sleep at night, getting up the next day, and remembering everything that happened to you before you closed your eyes.

You live and you remember.

Me, I live and I forget.

But now—now I am remembering.

For all of her seventeen years, Molly feels like she’s missed bits and pieces of her life. Now, she’s figuring out why. Now, she’s remembering her own secrets. And in doing so, Molly uncovers the separate life she seems to have led…and the love that she can’t let go.

The Half Life of Molly Pierce is a suspenseful, evocative psychological mystery about uncovering the secrets of our pasts, facing the unknowns of our futures, and accepting our whole selves.

Publication Date: July 8, 2014

The Half Life of Molly Pierce was a terrific debut novel! I couldn’t put it down until I found out what had been happening to Molly during her missing pieces of time. I’ve been getting over YA books a bit, but this novel revitalized my love for the genre.

Molly was a great character and despite her psychological issues, including depression, I found her relatable. She was such a well-drawn character and I think it helped that the author wrote the novel in a stream of consciousness style. I liked Molly’s siblings a lot as well as brothers Lyle and the unfortunately named Sayer that come into Molly’s life.

The central mystery at the heart of the novel wasn’t hard to figure out, but there was still a lot that the author kept me guessing over. I would think I had all the mysteries unraveled, but then something would happen and I’d start to question my theories.  

What I loved most about the novel was that although it was dark, there were some wonderful flashes of humor. Many of the plotlines in the novel are depressing and I appreciated the levity. The romance in the book was interesting, but doesn’t overshadow the main plot of trying to figure out what’s happening to Molly.

I really loved everything about this book and can’t recommend it enough to fans of YA contemporaries that want to read a solid novel of psychological suspense.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!