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Release date: December 15, 2016

Genre: Psychological Thriller 

Blurb: 

Emily and Elizabeth spend their childhood locked in a bedroom and terrorized by a mother who drinks too much and disappears for days. The identical twins are rescued by a family determined to be their saviors.

But there’s some horrors love can’t erase…

Elizabeth wakes in a hospital, strapped to her bed and unable to move or speak. The last thing she remembers is finding Emily’s body in their bathroom. Days before, she was falling in love and starting college. Now, she’s surrounded by men who talk to themselves and women who pull out their eyebrows.

As she delves deeper into the mystery surrounding Emily’s death, she discovers shocking secrets and holes in her memory that force her to remember what she’s worked so hard to forget-the beatings, the blood, the special friends. Her life spins out of control at a terrifying speed as she desperately tries to unravel the psychological puzzle of her past before it’s too late.

Phantom Limb is a character-driven mystery that begs to be read in a single setting. The shocking and shattering conclusion will make you go back and read it again.

Perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train, Behind Closed Doors, and The Girl With No Past.

Review: 

I read another book by Berry a few months back, Missing Parts and while I enjoyed that one, I liked this one even more. From the blurb alone I was hooked, I always like reading about the relationship between twins and combine that with holes in one of the characters memories and a dark past and I’m jumping in feet first. 

I will be saying very little about the plot with this one, but there were some killer twists that jarred me. Elizabeth wakes up in a hospital and the last thing she remembers is finding Emily dead and soon enough she’s a patient in a psychiatric hospital. But she knows she’s not crazy, she has worked really hard to overcome her past demons and make something of herself. But she’s confused and unsure about several things her family and team of doctors have been telling her and she has no idea who to believe. 

I loved the pacing here, it was fast and furious and kept me glued to my Kindle. It’s relatively short and with so many crazy things happening, it’s one of those books that just begs you to read it as fast as possible. This was one of those reads where you’re constantly trying to figure out exactly what’s going on and a few times I wondered if I was going a little bit crazy.

As much as I was into the storyline, I really liked the deep look into the human psyche. Berry is a clinical psychologist and it’s very apparent that’s she knowledgeable while reading this, her insight and attention to detail was impeccable. Psychology has always fascinated me and seeing how a high security mental hospital runs was so interesting. 

I do want to mention that this is very dark and disturbing and there is a lot of difficult subject matter from child abuse, eating disorders, sexual abuse and more. 

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy. 

Goodreads|Amazon
Release date: January 12, 2017

Publisher: Doubleday

Genre: Crime Fiction, Mystery/Thriller

Blurb: 

Sirens is the brooding and assured debut from Joseph Knox, the next big name in crime fiction.

Set in a sprawling, twilight northern city, Sirens introduces Aidan Waits, a disgraced young detective caught stealing drugs from evidence and subsequently blackmailed into going undercover. When an MP’s daughter runs away from home, Waits is sent to track her down and finds himself at the centre of a maelstrom of drugs, blackmail and deception.

Uncovering the motives of those involved, he’s thrown forwards through politicians, police and drug lords – towards a conclusion and a truth he really doesn’t want to know.

Review: 

I am on a roll so far for 2017, I’ve read some seriously amazing books and this may be my favorite read of the year thus far. Yes, I know we’re only a few weeks into the new year, but I don’t think time will dull my feelings about Sirens, it is a stunning debut that knocked me off of me feet and as a new voice in crime fiction, Knox is a force to be reckoned with.

Aidan Waits is not your typical crime fiction protagonist, yes he’s a detective but he is no hero and he surely doesn’t want to be one either. His life is in shambles, both personally and professionally and he has made a mess of both sides beyond repair. There is no redemption here, he’s dug his own grave and I think that’s a big part of what made him so appealing to me. He literally has nothing to lose, he drinks and takes drugs with abandon and is on the fast track to death. Sirens opens with him being picked up out of the gutter if that gives you a sense of his situation. As damaged and destroyed as he is, I found myself drawn to him. He’s dark, brooding and sullen, but there is something buried deep inside him that is whole and good and that part really spoke to me.

Often times crime fiction is described as dark and gritty, but Sirens almost redefines those words. The city of Manchester provides a perfect backdrop for the plot, its bleak atmosphere adds to the dangerous and deadly criminal underworld. I’m not going to discuss the plot here at all, but Knox is a superbly talented writer and this book is paced absolutely perfectly. I was utterly absorbed by every single page of this book and any crime fiction fans will not want to miss this massively admirable debut.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to Alison Barrow for my review copy. 

Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website
Release date: January 9, 2017

Publisher: Clipboard Press

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Romance

Blurb: 

“Is it too late to tell him you love him when you are looking down the barrel of his gun?”
An English debutante transforms from Miss-Perfectly-Correct to criminally insane as she breaks the bonds of her rigid upbringing. Sheriff Hank Gephart tries to reel her in – but she’s out of control and she’s not hitting the brakes.
What happened to the genteel lady in twin-set and pearls? And why did she shoot Mr Right?
Brake Failure is set in 1999 in the months leading up to Y2K “meltdown” when the US government was spending $150 billion preparing for Armageddon As Lionel Shriver says in her novel, We Have To Talk About Kevin: “1999, a year widely mooted beforehand as the end of the world.”

Review: 

This book takes place in the weeks leading up to New Year’ Eve 1999 and it was nostalgic in a way for me. I remember all of hoopla and uncertainty surrounding Y2K and revisiting this time period was a whole lot of fun! The prologue begins with sheriff Hank being shot and found in front of a nursing home, then flips back to a few months prior. I was curious as to how the prologue would connect to Ruby’s story as she’s an English woman and Hank is a sheriff in Kansas, but as the details are slowly revealed and things start making sense, I didn’t expect to have so much fun along the way.

Ruby and her new husband Edward move to Kansas after his job requires him to do so. Ruby isn’t exactly happy as they were supposed to be moving to Paris instead and she was hoping to finally one up her sister, Claire once and for all. The two have an epic sibling rivalry and I really didn’t care for Claire. She’s hoity toity and arrogant and not always kind to Ruby. I liked Ruby though, she tries very hard to make the best of her new and unexpected life, I was reminded of Rebecca Bloomwood from Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic series as she kept finding herself in these wacky and outrageous situations.

Ruby undergoes quite a transformation throughout the book, when it begins she’s a neurotic hypochondriac who always seems to be a ball of nervous energy. By the end she has done a complete one eighty and is confident, sexy, bold and wildly funny. There were so many moments where I was cracking up laughing here, one of my favorite parts was when Ruby was writing her epic poem. Epic indeed. There was tons of funny, sarcastic banter and just the right amount of romance. 

As I wasn’t sure how things would all fit together in the end, especially as there was quite the eccentric cast of characters converging including a group of bikers, pearl clutching older women, and Ruby’s upper crust family, I had no real expectations but even so, the ending really was fabulously perfect. I loved that it wasn’t so tidy and happy ever after but it was still totally satisfying. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy. 

Goodreads|Amazon
Release date: January 12, 2017

Publisher: Michael Joseph Books

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Blurb: 

SET TO BE ONE OF THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY, CONTROVERSIAL AND EXPLOSIVE DEBUTS OF 2017 – for fans of quality psychological suspense and reading group fiction: once you read this book you’ll want to talk about it.

‘NEW N A M E .

NEW F A M I L Y.

S H I N Y.

NEW.

ME . ‘

Annie’s mother is a serial killer.

The only way she can make it stop is to hand her in to the police.

But out of sight is not out of mind.

As her mother’s trial looms, the secrets of her past won’t let Annie sleep, even with a new foster family and name – Milly.

A fresh start. Now, surely, she can be whoever she wants to be.

But Milly’s mother is a serial killer. And blood is thicker than water.

Good me, bad me.

She is, after all, her mother’s daughter…

Translated into over 20 languages, Good Me Bad Me is a tour de force. In its narrator, Milly Barnes, we have a voice to be reckoned with, and in its author, Ali Land, an extraordinary new talent.

Praise for Good Me Bad Me

‘An astoundingly compelling thriller. Beyond tense. You hardly breathe. Best read in ages’ Matt Haig

‘Intelligent and disturbing, Good Me Bad Me had me hooked from the first page’ Debbie Howells, author of Richard & Judy book club bestseller The Bones of You

‘Milly’s voice is gripping and shocking. This is a book you will want to discuss with everyone you know’ Claire Douglas author of The Sisters and Local Girl Missing

‘This book is a work of twisted genius. It is going to be HUGE. Watch out for Ali Land’ Bryony Gordon

‘Unbelievably good, utterly gripping’ Jill Mansell, bestselling author of You & Me Always 

Review: 

This was a powerful read for me, one of those books that stays with you long after you turn the last page. Milly in particular is still lingering in the back of my mind, clearly she captivated me even if I’m still not quite sure exactly how I feel about her. Good Me Bad Me is a unique story and one that left a lasting impression on me.

Milly’s mother is a serial killer and she’s had enough, so she turns her in to the police. We meet Milly as she’s getting ready to live with her new foster family; father Mike, mother Saskia and daughter Phoebe. To Milly, they seem like the perfect family, everything she’s never had. Mike doubles as her psychologist which is interesting but also seems to blur the lines a bit. Saskia is a flighty, disengaged woman and Phoebe is a classic high school mean girl. She is not pleased that her family has taken Milly in and she doesn’t even know the truth. The only people who are aware what Milly’s mother has done is Mike, Saskia and the headmaster at her new private school.

This is an intense character study inside the mind of Milly. She’s understandably struggling with many issues, but the biggest may be the guilt she feels about betraying her mother. She’s about to go to trial for the brutal killing of nine very young children and Milly knows it’s all because of her. There is a constant battle of good versus evil inside her head, she’s always wondering if the good part of her will win or will the dark, violent part from her mother overcome and consume her? Land has a peculiar writing style with subtle nuances, but it works brilliantly here as it really fits as to how you would imagine a damaged girl such as Milly to think and speak. 

I can’t accurately describe how I feel about Milly. On one hand I feel extremely emphatic towards her, she was raised in a house of horrors where unspeakable things were occurring and to be honest, most times she comes across as shockingly well adjusted. She desperately wants to fit in to her new family and school, but unfortunately Phoebe makes it her mission to make her life a living hell. The cattiness is accurately frightening and I found myself thanking the stars that I’m well beyond my high school years. Then on the other hand, she will have a thought or a moment that makes me uneasy and chilled right to the bone. It’s unsettling to say the least and that’s probably the best word I could use to describe my entire experience here. 

This is an impressive debut, with a slow burn and a sense of dread bubbling under the surface. Don’t mistake the slowness for weakness though, it surely delivers on all levels. It’s dark,tortured and obsessive and I still can’t decide if I trust Milly or not. It’s still haunting me days after I finished it, but I’m not terribly surprised as it raised quite a few deeply profound questions. Are we a product of our environment? Is it more about the DNA we’re born with? A little of both? Milly grappled with these questions continuously and was almost fighting against herself to push away the bad parts of her. I could blather on about this one forever, but I’ll spare you all for now and just end with this; if you’re looking for a highly intelligent psychological thriller that won’t let you out of its clutches, this is for you.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to Olivia Thomas at Michael Joseph for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website
Release date: January 3, 2017

Publisher: Bloodhound Books

Genre: Domestic suspense

Blurb: 

When Erica’s husband Joel dies in a tragic accident nobody suspects she had anything to do with it. But appearances can be deceptive.

Erica describes her successful, lawyer husband as handsome and charismatic when she recounts their whirlwind marriage. But nothing is what it seems.  

What is Erica hiding?

Was Joel’s death really an accident?

Sometimes the truth can be ugly.

Review: 

I’m so happy to be a stop on the blog tour for Beautiful Liar today. This was a riveting and often times an uneasy read as it deals with the subject of domestic abuse, but it was also a fascinating look inside a toxic relationship from both the perspective of the abuser and the one being abused.

The opening chapter is a stunner as it starts with Joel’s death. It then flips back and forth with chapters from Erica and then Joel, both in the past and in the present. Though you know that Joel is dead it was really interesting to see the events that lead to his demise. Joel is a vile man, from the start of his relationship with Erica he manipulates her to suit his sick and twisted needs. She has no idea he’s playing her and is utterly charmed by him. Erica was a vibrant and strong woman before she married Joel and seeing her crumble under his control was so heartbreaking. As Mullins reveals exactly what has been happening inside their home I was horrified and chilled to the bone. 

I don’t want to discuss the plot too much more, but as hard as parts of this book were to read, it was an excellent domestic suspense which is quickly becoming one of my favorite genres and I really enjoyed Mullins engaging writing style. 

Check out the other stops on the tour!

Overall rating: 4/5 

Thanks to Bloodhound Books for my review copy.

Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website
Release date: January 10, 2017

Publisher: Pegasus Books

Genre: Crime Thriller/Mystery

Blurb: 

Detectives David Murphy and Laura Rossi are charged with the investigation of the murder of a student at the City of Liverpool University. Attached to her body is a letter from her killer, which details a famous unethical psychological experiment—an experiment that the killer had replicated on the victim, resulting in her death. Convinced at first that the murderer is someone close to the victim, Murphy and Rossi dismiss the letter as a bid to throw them off the scent—until more bodies are found, each with their own letter attached.

When it becomes apparent that each victim has ties to the university, the detectives realize they’re chasing a killer unlike any they’ve hunted before—one who doesn’t just want his victims’ bodies, but their minds as well. As they rush to prevent any more deaths, they are forced to delve into the darkest channels of psychological research in an attempt to understand the motives of the madman. 

Review: 

By now most of you know that nothing makes me happier than discovering a new to me author. The only thing better is realizing that there are already three more books in this series! Never mind that for now they’re only available in the U.K., that’s what Book Depository is for. This was crime fiction the way it’s supposed to be with intelligent detectives, an extremely complicated case, and plenty of surprises along the way. 

Essentially there are two mysteries going on here, the obvious is the case that Murphy and Rossi are trying to solve, but there is also the murder of David’s parents lingering in the background. Though he knows who is responsible for their deaths, it’s revealed to the reader slowly and precisely. It’s clear that Murphy has had a rough time as of late as he’s estranged from his wife Sarah and has been for the past year and a half. He’s struggled on the job as well as in his personal life and this case is his chance to redeem himself. 

I really liked Veste’s writing style, it’s smart and sharp and he juggled various viewpoints and timelines like a pro. There are chapters from eighteen months prior when a woman named Jemma disappears, then present day from Murphy, but there are also some parts told from the point of view of the killer and I love getting to see a peek inside their depraved minds. He’s a ruthless serial killer and he immensely enjoys toying with not only his victims, but also the police. This is violent and at times a bit gory, so it’s definitely not for the faint of heart.

There is great character development with Murphy and I really liked seeing him grow as the book progressed. I liked him individually but the scenes with him and Rossi really shone brightly, she’s younger and fresher than he is and they balance each other out perfectly. I changed my mind about who the killer was several times, and though in the end my hunch was right, Veste still managed to throw me for a loop a few more times. I can’t wait to see where this series takes these two and I’m looking really forward to reading more from Veste.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. 

Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website
Release date: January 10, 2017

Publisher: Scout Press

Genre: Thriller

Blurb: 

A high stakes drama set against the harsh beauty of the Maine wilderness, charting the journey of four friends as they fight to survive the aftermath of a white water rafting accident, The River at Night is a nonstop and unforgettable thriller by a stunning new voice in fiction.

Winifred Allen needs a vacation.

Stifled by a soul-crushing job, devastated by the death of her beloved brother, and lonely after the end of a fifteen-year marriage, Wini is feeling vulnerable. So when her three best friends insist on a high-octane getaway for their annual girls’ trip, she signs on, despite her misgivings.

What starts out as an invigorating hiking and rafting excursion in the remote Allagash Wilderness soon becomes an all-too-real nightmare: A freak accident leaves the women stranded, separating them from their raft and everything they need to survive. When night descends, a fire on the mountainside lures them to a ramshackle camp that appears to be their lifeline. 

With intimately observed characters, visceral prose, and pacing as ruthless as the river itself, The River at Night is a dark exploration of creatures—both friend and foe—that you won’t soon forget.

Review: 

I don’t know if I’ve ever read a book more accurately labeled before, talk about a thriller! I did cut a small part out of the blurb as I think it shows a minor spoiler and all you really need to know is that Wini, Pia, Sandra and Rachel plan their annual girls trip and nothing goes according to plan. 

Once the action starts it is nonstop and merciless, though it does take a little time to get there. I enjoyed the initial set up as it provided me with some background on the four friends who decide to go on this crazy trip. I say crazy because there is not enough money in the world that would make me choose to spend one night, much less five in the wilderness in Maine. I’m similar to Wini in feeling like a vacation means a beach and a cocktail, NOT wild animals, a vast forest and countless hidden dangers. 

There is such an ominous undercurrent running throughout the book, clearly you know things are going to go south, but even after the first catastrophe, I found myself waiting on pins and needles for the next thing to go wrong. This had me on the edge of my seat the entire time and I was holding my breath one minute, then gasping out loud as Ferencik slapped me with another surprise. There were as many twists and turns as the river itself and I loved how the river was a character of its own. Between the river and the woods, this setting was crafted so well by Ferencik that I could easily picture its breathtaking beauty. 

There was such a nice flow in this book, I was frantically flipping pages as I was so desperate to find out if these women would make it out of this deadly and chilling situation alive. It’s a story about survival, and friendship as they realize that their only hope of coming out of this relatively safely is by banding together. It would also be a fantastic movie, Ferencik’s writing style made the wilderness come to life so brilliantly that it was playing out like a movie for me. If you’re looking for a heart pounding read with depth, look no further. 

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to Scout Press for my review copy.