Goodreads

Release date: February 20, 2023

Publisher: Bookouture

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

Don’t go in the guest bedroom.” A shadow falls on Douglas Garrick’s face as he touches the door with his fingertips. “My wife… she’s very ill.” As he continues showing me their incredible penthouse apartment, I have a terrible feeling about the woman behind closed doors. But I can’t risk losing this job—not if I want to keep my darkest secret safe…

It’s hard to find an employer who doesn’t ask too many questions about my past. So I thank my lucky stars that the Garricks miraculously give me a job, cleaning their stunning penthouse with views across the city and preparing fancy meals in their shiny kitchen. I can work here for a while, stay quiet until I get what I want.

It’s almost perfect. But I still haven’t met Mrs Garrick, or seen inside the guest bedroom. I’m sure I hear her crying. I notice spots of blood around the neck of her white nightgowns when I’m doing laundry. And one day I can’t help but knock on the door. When it gently swings open, what I see inside changes everything…

That’s when I make a promise. After all, I’ve done this before. I can protect Mrs Garrick while keeping my own secrets locked up safe.

Douglas Garrick has done wrong. He is going to pay. It’s simply a question of how far I’m willing to go…

Review:

When I talk about a popcorn style thriller this book is exactly what I mean, the very definition of one for me. It’s juicy and fast paced, it’s wickedly fun and twisty and it’s addicting and unputdownable. Really I couldn’t want anything more and if I was worried this wouldn’t be quite as good as the first book I shouldn’t have even wondered for a second. I don’t even really want to discuss the plot at all, it’s too fun for me to even allude to anything but just know if you enjoy devious thrillers this is a must.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: January 10, 2023

Publisher: Gallery

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

In a fast-paced new novel in the vein of Big Little Lies, a single mom goes undercover to investigate a host of disturbing secrets held by the leaders of a local suburban parent-school association, including embezzlement, bribery, adultery, and murder—by the bestselling author of Wish You Were Gone.

Paige Lancaster, single mom and prodigal daughter, has returned to the East Coast from her prestigious, well-paid job in Los Angeles, writing for the smartest detective series on television. Something terrible happened to her back in Hollywood. Okay, two terrible things, one featuring a misplaced tire iron—and now she’s broke, homeless, and living with her widowed mother and eight-year-old daughter, Izzy, in her Connecticut hometown.

Paige needs to buckle down and find a new writing gig but first, she meets the movers and shakers of Izzy’s school’s Parent Booster Association, run by the intimidatingly gorgeous Ainsley Anderson, who just happens to be married to Paige’s old high school flame, John.

Then she shows up at the annual Parents and Pinot fundraiser, held at Ainsley and John’s dazzling mansion in the toniest part of town, where she’s caught in a compromising position with John, accidentally destroys the guest bathroom, overhears an incriminating conversation, and discovers that her purse has gone missing. And later that night, Ainsley turns up dead at the bottom of her own driveway.

Did she fall? Or was she pushed?

Paige may have only written about detectives, but she is convinced she can handle a little undercover sleuthing. After all, it’ll give her an excuse to spend more time with John. Still, she can’t help but wonder: could he be capable of murder? Or could one of the PBA members have planned a dastardly crime to reach the top? But the most important question of all: will Paige ever get her life back on track?

Review:

When a book is compared to Big Little Lies I’m always curious and then if the book lives up to the comparison I’m thrilled. I’m happy to say I think the comp was pretty spot on here, it had that same juicy and entertaining feel to it. I’m such a sucker for suburban dramas featuring rich and entitled people behaving badly and this one had plenty of those types making questionable decisions. I loved all the secrets the characters were keeping and while some of them were fairly obvious I was still wildly entertained by them. There are several viewpoints that switch back and forth between chapters and I enjoyed the bird’s eye overlook of what was going in the characters lives and the town in general. Some of the characters actually made me laugh so despite this being super dramatic I also found it to be humorous. Overall I definitely recommend as a fun popcorn thriller.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.