Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: October 1, 2018

Publisher: Thomas and Mercer

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

Family is not what it seems in this raw, edgy thriller that New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline says “you won’t be able to put down.”

When a mutilated body is found hanging in a seedy motel in Philadelphia, forensics specialist Liam Dwyer assumes the crime scene will be business as usual. Instead, the victim turns out to be a woman he’d had an affair with before breaking it off to save his marriage. But there’s a bigger problem: Liam has no memory of where he was or what he did on the night of the murder.

Panicked, Liam turns to his brother, Sean, a homicide detective. Sean has his back, but incriminating evidence keeps piling up. From fingerprints to DNA, everything points to Liam, who must race against time and his department to uncover the truth – even if that truth is his own guilt. Yet as he digs deeper, dark secrets come to light, and Liam begins to suspect the killer might actually be Sean …

When the smoke clears in this harrowing family drama, who will be left standing?

Review:

I love when books cross genre lines a bit, while this was firmly a thriller it was also part domestic suspense and also had the feel of a CSI episode. It was also extremely exciting and super fast paced making for an entertaining read that gripped me the entire time.

Memory loss is not exactly a new premise when it comes to thrillers but what made this one stand out for me was that every theory I would come up with was almost immediately debunked as soon as I thought of it. This was a clever tool, it kept me thinking, well if that wasn’t the answer then WTF is?! The chapters were fairly short and you guys know that’s my downfall, it always keeps me engaged and reading way past my bedtime.

At first thought I wouldn’t call this twisty but in the last quarter there were several surprises that truly shocked me. It’s one of those that may be tense throughout but the last half really picks up and the suspense is at an all time high. Definitely a new fan of the authors and will be looking forward to what he comes up with next.

What Have You Done in three words: Twisty, Gripping and Suspenseful.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: September 8, 2018

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb:

A city on fire, a killer on the loose, and she’s next…

Amsterdam wakes to an explosion that rips the historic heart out of the city. Weary Inspector Paul van den Bergen of the Dutch police is tasked with finding the terrorist mastermind behind what appears to have been a suicide-bombing of a university library. Hitting nothing but dead ends and finding two young men murdered in gruesome circumstances, he turns to British exchange student and aspiring criminologist, Georgina McKenzie for help. She’s young, sharp and sassy; her insight is unique.

As the case catches fire, George is certain that a murderous psychopath walks among Amsterdam’s student population and the city’s red-light-district. Have Van den Bergen’s superiors been jumping to all the wrong conclusions? Can she track down the killer before his next victim is blown sky high?

The hunt is on, but little does George realise that she is now the prey…

Review:

I’ve been hearing great things about this series from some of my blogger friends across the pond and when I heard that it was being released in the US I figured it was the perfect opportunity to start another series that I’ve been meaning to get to forever. I’m really glad that I did, I found it to be something different and exciting written by a very talented author.

George was an unusual protagonist and she offered up a unique viewpoint. She’s a student and budding criminologist and I loved the fresh insight this provided. This was really fast paced and exciting, it read like an action thriller with plenty of heart pounding moments.

Another thing I really enjoyed was the setting, Riches really brought Amsterdam to life, it was highly atmospheric. If you like entertaining thrillers with strong female leads give this one a try, it was really unique.

The Girl Who Wouldn’t Die in three words: Exhilarating, Dark and Smart.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: September 25, 2018

Publisher: HQN

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Blurb:

He’s giving her children a season of wonder…

Dani Capelli seized a chance to start over in a small town with her daughters. Now, facing her first Christmas in Haven Point, she wonders if leaving New York was a mistake. Dani loves working alongside veterinarian Dr. Morales, but her two children aren’t adjusting to small-town life. And then there’s Dr. Morales’s son, Ruben—Dani’s next-door neighbor. Gorgeous, muscled and dependable, the deputy sheriff is everything she secretly craves and can’t bear to risk loving…and losing.

Ruben never pictured himself falling for a big-city woman like Dani. But beneath her prickly facade, she’s caring and softhearted and she needs all the love and protection he can give. When Dani’s teenage daughter starts acting out, Ruben draws on family traditions to show the girls just how magical a Haven Point Christmas can be. But can he convince Dani that she’s found a home for the holidays—and forever—in his arms?

Review:

So now that it’s officially fall I’m assuming everyone is ok with me talking about holiday novels all the time, right? Great! (Haha) just wanted to get that out of the way. I have become a huge fan of Thayne’s magical series set in Haven Point and nothing is better than a new book that’s set during Christmas to me. All of her books have a sense of enchantment but this one had a little extra magic that made me feel like a giddy little kid on Christmas Eve.

This book follows Dani and Ruben who have intense chemistry that they’re both trying to ignore, what is it about those storylines that always make me so happy?! They were adorable and then Dani also has two daughters who rounded out the main cast. Little Mia totally stole my heart immediately and while it took me a little longer to warm to her sister Silver, she won me over in the end. As always, this is full of wonderful characters that you learn to know and love and you get to check in with a handful of characters from the previous books as well.

As much as reading in general is my escape from reality when I really want to be swept away I know I can always turn to a Thayne novel. There is something so uncomplicated and easy about her books, I always end up in a happy slightly giddy mood when I’m finished, I think she always restores my faith in humanity a little with each book and for escapism she is one of the best. I’ll follow this series as long as she keeps writing about it, firm fan here!

Season of Wonder in three words: Magical, Sweet and Heartfelt.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Little Bird Publicity and the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: May 28, 2019

Publisher: St. Martin’s

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Blurb:

Twelve hours earlier, she was…

Hopeful.

Excited.

Safe.

Now she’s gone.

Review:

When I got the rare opportunity to do a super early read of Walker’s latest I was ecstatic! This one isn’t even out until next summer, no cover yet even and the blurb is still very short so I’m going to keep this brief so as pique your interest but not to spoil anything.

Really the only thing you can tell from the brief blurb is that a woman is missing, that’s Laura and then you also hear from her sister Rosie. This is not your run of the mill missing persons story, Walker puts her own unique spin on things and she wrong footed me more times than I can count. I had a new theory practically every single chapter and in the end none of mine were right. The pacing was awesome, it started out strong and steady, hooking me instantly and then the closer you get to the end the faster it gets. It all ends in a whirlwind of surprising revelations and it’s only then do you realize the depth of Walker’s plotting and keen ability to weave a dark tale. I loved this one and urge you to preorder it, must read!

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

The Night Before in three words: Compulsive, Fast and Clever.

Goodreads|Amazon

Release date: October 2, 2018

Publisher: Ballantine

Genre: Fiction

Blurb:

The warm fall day starts like any other at the Center—a women’s reproductive health services clinic—its staff offering care to anyone who passes through its doors. Then, in late morning, a desperate and distraught gunman bursts in and opens fire, taking all inside hostage.

After rushing to the scene, Hugh McElroy, a police hostage negotiator, sets up a perimeter and begins making a plan to communicate with the gunman. As his phone vibrates with incoming text messages he glances at it and, to his horror, finds out that his fifteen-year-old daughter, Wren, is inside the clinic.

But Wren is not alone. She will share the next and tensest few hours of her young life with a cast of unforgettable characters: A nurse who calms her own panic in order save the life of a wounded woman. A doctor who does his work not in spite of his faith but because of it, and who will find that faith tested as never before. A pro-life protester disguised as a patient, who now stands in the cross hairs of the same rage she herself has felt. A young woman who has come to terminate her pregnancy. And the disturbed individual himself, vowing to be heard.

Told in a daring and enthralling narrative structure that counts backward through the hours of the standoff, this is a story that traces its way back to what brought each of these very different individuals to the same place on this fateful day.

Jodi Picoult—one of the most fearless writers of our time—tackles a complicated issue in this gripping and nuanced novel. How do we balance the rights of pregnant women with the rights of the unborn they carry? What does it mean to be a good parent? A Spark of Light will inspire debate, conversation . . . and, hopefully, understanding.

Review:

Oh my god you guys, I actually read this book months ago and I’m still thinking about it today. As soon as I received a copy I dropped everything and started it and it totally blew me away. It has her trademark hard hitting subject matter and deeply moving storyline and she rips her storylines straight from the headlines like no ones else does. If you read one book I recommended this year I urge you to make it this one, I feel like we can all learn something profound from this book.

The structure of this was amazing, it’s told in reverse order which always sounds super confusing but if it’s done well then it’s a little bit of magic and if anyone has the magic touch it’s Picoult. I don’t know how else to describe her writing other than to say it’s beautiful and even poetic at times and she’s writing about this god awful tragedy and still hope and beauty shines through.

Abortion is arguably one of the hottest of hot button topics of all time and I so admire how Picoult examines the issue from every single angle you can think of, and also from some you would never think of yourself. She forces you to consider your own personal values and morals while doing so sensitively and with so much respect. I don’t usually expect straight up fiction novels to be twisty but she also manages to throw a knock down punch (or two) that made me gasp in disbelief. This book was total perfection in my eyes and I cannot wait to see where she takes me next.

Spark of Light in three words: Profound, Emotional and Incredible.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Amazon|Goodreads

Release date: December 1, 2018

Publisher: Lake Union

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Blurb:

Forgive and forget? In this twisty thriller of psychological suspense, the past and present collide for two sisters who survived a tragedy—and must now survive the truth behind it.

It’s been twenty years since Cara’s boyfriend died in a horrible accident and her sister, Anna, went to prison. The tragedy has become a local legend, but Cara has moved past her grief to have a successful career and a happy family. Pity about Anna. Recently released from incarceration, she’s struggling with addiction, guilt, and shame—a shattered life. Cara’s forgiveness seems to be the only thing that helps her pick up the pieces.

But as Anna pulls herself together, her memories of that night on the bridge start to come into focus. And few of them match her sister’s.

As past secrets unfold and nothing is what it seems anymore, Anna desperately searches for the truth. But what if Cara doesn’t want her to find it?

Review:

My immediate thought after finishing this was, now THAT is how you write a psychological thriller! I’m blown away that this is a debut, Cowie’s writing is polished and sharp and she plotted one hell of a story, if this is how she begins her career as an author I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next.

This follows two sisters, Anna and Cara and flips between the late nineties and 2016. The girls were in high school in 1997 and were both in a tragic accident that killed Cara’s boyfriend. Anna’s life went down the drain afterwards, she spent time in prison and developed an alcohol addiction while Cara moved on and has a picture perfect life with her husband and daughter. Two very different outcomes and both women were interesting and complex.

The events leading up to the accident are slowly revealed in alternating chapters as you begin to piece together what really happened. Let me tell you, I thought I knew what happened and I was way off, this had a good reveal, a twist if you wanna call it that but it’s not a book that’s solely dependent on a shocking twist but instead was awesome all the way through. If you can’t tell, I loved this one and highly recommend it to thriller fans!

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.