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Release date: November 3, 2016

Publisher: Bonnier Zaffre 

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb: 

For fans of THE FALL a slick, dark contemporary thriller, in the tradition of SARAH HILARY and ROBERT GALBRAITH that grips from the very first page…

One Missing Girl. Two Million Suspects.

Ruby is a vlogger, a rising star of YouTube and a heroine to millions of teenage girls.

And she’s missing . . .

But she’s an adult – nothing to worry about, surely?

Until the video’s uploaded . . .

Ruby, in the dirt, pleading for her life.

Enter Detective Inspector Kate Riley; the Met’s rising star and the head of a new team of investigators with the best resources money can buy. Among them, Detective Sergeant Zain Harris, the poster boy for multiracial policing. But can Kate wholly trust him – and more importantly, can she trust herself around him?

As hysteria builds amongst the press and Ruby’s millions of fans, Kate and her team are under pressure to get results, and fast, but as they soon discover, the world of YouTube vloggers and social media is much darker than anyone could have imagined.

And the videos keep coming . . 

Review: 

I was pretty stoked about reading this one and excited when it was finally time to pick it up as I had requested it several months ago on NetGalley but wanted to wait until release month to review it. (Ok I actually had planned on reviewing it before release day and didn’t manage that) Anyway, I’m not sure if it’s because I’m suffering from a bit of a book hangover after just reading the amazing The Bird Tribunal or if I’m getting into some sort of slump, but my overall feeling after finishing this was that I was totally underwhelmed. It may just be me as several other bloggers seemed to love this one, so this time, take my thoughts with all that in mind.

I really liked the initial first twenty five percent of this book. Ruby is a vlogger and she gets kidnapped. Her captor posts a video of her online and all hell breaks loose. I found the whole world surrounding the vloggers and their community utterly fascinating. Clearly I can get behind the blogging thing but I don’t spend very much time on YouTube. Maybe an occasional makeup tutorial but it’s rare. My kids however? They’ll watch anytime I let them. I don’t understand the appeal of watching someone playing video games, (much like Ruby’s boyfriend Dan)but I know it’s very big with kids today. God, I sound elderly. There was a lot of talk about millions of subscribers and endorsement deals and it’s just mind boggling. I know there are a ton of YouTube stars, but seeing it play out in this manner in print was so interesting.

Initially, the investigation is all over the place with no real leads. Kate and her team were interesting enough and their backstories were developed and revealed enough to peak my interest, but no real deep character development was done. I think this was because there were so many characters, too many for me to list honestly without boring myself and you. Kate and team is five people, then there is their supervisors, Kate’s mother and care taker and that’s just anyone related to police personnel. The list of possible suspects is equally large and daunting along with friends and family of Ruby and Dan. The list is endless and just too much for me. 

After the beginning, I really wasn’t all that invested or impressed by the plot. I figured out the plot twists easily and in any mystery that’s always a huge letdown. The investigation took a few sharp detours that just seemed to serve no actual purpose except to maybe throw the reader off? I’m not even sure. Add in a ton of technical talk relating to computers that, frankly bored me and I really had to power through this. It wasn’t a bad book, Caan is a good writer and I would probably pick up one of his future books, but I just could not get into it in the end.

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to Bonnier Zaffre for my review copy.

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Release date: July 30, 2016

Publisher: Orenda Books

Genre: Psychological Thriller/Suspense 

Blurb: 

TV presenter Allis Hagtorn leaves her partner and her job to take voluntary exile in remote house on an isolated fjord. But her new job as housekeeper and gardener is not all that it seems, and her silent, surly employer, 44-year-old Sigurd Bagge, is not the old man she expected. As they await the return of his wife from her travels, their silent, uneasy encounters develop into a chilling, obsessive relationship, and it becomes clear that atonement for past sins may not be enough. Haunting, consuming and powerful, The Bird Tribunal is a taut, exquisitely written psychological thriller that builds to a shocking, dramatic crescendo that will leave you breathless. 

Review: 

I had heard amazing things about The Bird Tribunal for awhile now and while I was very eager to read it myself, I was also a bit apprehensive. I’m sure we’ve all read heavily hyped books and been disappointed by them, but I can happily say that this one deserves all of the hype and more. I’ve never read a book quite like this before, it’s hard to even put my finger on what genre I would classify this under, but I think that only adds to the intensity and mystery of the story.

The world in this story is small, the majority takes place in a very secluded house inhabited by a man named Sigurd Bagge. Allis is the woman he hires to be his housekeeper/gardner and she is desperate to escape her current life, so the opportunity to live in such an inaccessible location is perfect for her. It’s clear from the get go that Bagge is hiding something, there is a very apparent feeling of uneasiness and dread throughout. He reveales very little about himself to Allis, he is shrouded in mystery and any slight details he does share are hauntingly vague. 

I was so wrapped up in their odd, desolated existence, Ratavan’s writing pulled me right into the house with Bagge and Allis. There were no dialogue/speech markings and instead of alienating me, it only served to draw me deeper into the story. I found it odd that it didn’t bother me as I think it would have if this were any other book, but it worked brilliantly here. She created such a confining and vivid atmosphere that was eerily beautiful, yet unsettling. I worried for Allis living in such a remote location with such a moody and sometimes volatile man such as Bagge. I found myself very anxious and paranoid about the entire situation, but not in an unnerving way, in a protective manner and one where I was yearning to find out what Bagge was hiding from Allis.

This book is on the short side but it sure packs one hell of a punch. The ending left me with a sense of peace that I didn’t even realize I was craving. I don’t recall ever being quite so absorbed by a book before and I believe this is due in part by never being exactly sure where things were heading. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys dark, mysterious settings, fascinating characters with secrets and obsessions,  and writing that enraptures you and transports you to a chilling and intriguing location.

Overall rating: 5/5

Huge thanks to Karen at Orenda Books for my review copy.

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Release date: August 16, 2016

Publisher: Atria Books

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Blurb: 

If you loved Luckiest Girl Alive and The Girl on the Train, you’ll devour this stunning debut novel about an intense best friendship between two college girls which leads to the abrupt disappearance—and presumed death—of one and the survival of the other, who reveals the twists and turns of their relationship seven years later.

Glo never thought she’d become best friends with a girl like Cyn. Blonde, blue-eyed, and stunningly gorgeous, Cyn is the kind of girl other girls love to hate. Yet Cyn is the only person who embraces Glo when she transfers to their tiny liberal arts college in Florida, looking for a second chance to get things right after falling apart at her first-choice school. With her dark sense of humor and bad-girl ways, Cyn is captivating to a nice girl like Glo, and soon they’re inseparable.

Until they both fall for the same guy.

It’s Cyn who suggests they share Raj. Half the time he’ll be Cyn’s boyfriend, the other half he’ll be Glo’s. And for a while, everything goes smoothly. Until Glo realizes that she doesn’t know Cyn or Raj half as well as she thinks. Until Glo and Cyn’s friendship implodes while they’re studying abroad in Costa Rica. Until Cyn disappears one night, setting off a media firestorm and leaving Glo in the dark for seven long years.

Until Cyn resurfaces. 

Review: 

Between the gorgeous cover and the blurb, this book might as well have my name literally written all over it. I love unreliable narrators and how I’m constantly guessing, and second guessing who to trust. I also love missing persons stories, then when the person turns up seven years later? That’s gold in my book. As much as I had hoped that this one would fly straight to the top of my best reads of the year list, it didn’t quite make it. It had all the ingredients necessary to secure a spot on said list, but I just had too many issues with the second part of the book to add it.

Part one begins when Cyn and Glo meet in college and is told from Glo’s point of view. Glo is in a fragile state after a rough freshman year, so when she meets the captivating and beautiful Cyn, she’s taken under her spell immediately. She’s never really had a super close female friend before, but she’s desperate to belong and she can’t quite believe her good fortune when Cyn accepts her with open arms. The two grow close swiftly and before too long they meet Raj. Both girls are suddenly taken by his charming good looks and unsure how to proceed as it seems like Raj is into the both of them. Cyn suggests they share him and they all agree to try out this bizarre dating arrangement. Things are going alright, though there is the typical jealously and angst you would expect, until the girls head to Costa Rica for a school trip. Cyn disappears and both Glo and Raj are shattered. 

Part two begins seven years after Cyn goes missing and again begins from Glo’s viewpoint. Her and Raj are now married, and while they’re happy, they are both haunted by Cyn’s ghost. Glo is guilt ridden and wishes she had done more to save her friend, while Raj is too, but he’s torn up about the last time he saw Cyn. That all may sound vague, but going into more detail would only serve to spoil important details. When Raj and Glo both separately think they see Cyn, things begin to unravel. Unfortunately, this is also where the book unraveled for me. 

Raj begins to narrate some chapters in part two and I was really interested in hearing things from his POV. Upon Cyn’s return, I wrongfully assumed that we would now hear from her, even if briefly. I think that was a crucial missing component to this story and I really wish I could’ve seen what was going on in that head of hers. The ending left a few too many loose ends for my liking, and the parts that were tidied up were too plausible for me to believe easily. I did appreciate Lee’s writing, it was polished and the characters were extremely interesting as well. I guess I just wanted a little more in the end, maybe a stronger conclusion to match up to the compelling beginning.

Overall rating: 3/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy, I truly appreciate it.

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Release date: August 17, 2015

Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing

Genre: Romantic Suspense, Thriller

Blurb: 

A chance encounter with a celebrity, an impromptu video, and a shiny new espresso machine. It all added up to a juicy tale for 24-year-old Rachael Allen to share with friends. but when her best friend posts the video online, bizarre threats, home break-ins, and deadly gift from an obsessed fan follow close behind.

“You’ll Be Thinking of Me” is the story of Rachael’s serendipitous encounter with a celebrity, her brush with obsessive love, and the bittersweet gift left behind by the very person fixated on destroying her life.

Review: 

This blurb instantly grabbed my attention when the author contacted me about a possible review. Chance encounters, ties to Hollywood and fame, and an obsessed fan? Yes please! While it’s labeled as a romantic suspense, and Rachel and Mick’s relationship is a key part of the story, I think that fans of thrillers in general would like this one as well. 

Rachel is an average twenty four year old struggling after college to find her place in the world. She has ambitions of working in the music industry and living in New York, but for now she’s stuck living back at home with her parents in New Jersey. When she has a random encounter with celebrity Mick Sullivan neither of them realizes the impact one chance meeting will have on their entire lives.

As soon as Rachel’s best friend, Jenna posts a video of Rachel and Mick’s brief meeting online, it goes viral. Things are harmless enough, until one obsessed fan begins to take things too far. Rachel begins receiving frightening messages and letters from this unknown woman, and before long she ups the ante and sends terrifying “gifts” to her. People stalking celebrities has always fascinated and appalled me, I’ve often wondered what drives their obsession? This book takes a look at what makes a person behave in such an awful and scary manner and provides a look at the impact of stalking on both the stalker and the stalkee.

I don’t want to talk too much about what exactly the stalker does, but suffice it to say it was downright petrifying and disturbing. Getting a glimpse into the mind of a deranged and delusional person never fails to interest me and Webb did a great job of showcasing how a person so far removed from reality thinks and feels. Rachel was a really relatable character as she’s just a regular girl who happened to get entangled with a huge celebrity. The implications this has on her life are at once exciting and full of complications. Mick was charming and fun, a total bad boy. But there is much more to him than meets the eye and he’s hiding things from the world that are sad and devastating. Both are imperfect and damaged, but I really enjoyed seeing their relationship evolve throughout the book.

This was a fun and engaging read that had enough plot twists and turns to capture my attention. The pacing was good and everything flowed together nicely. The last chapter jumps ahead twenty years which delighted me, I’m a big fan of closure in my books. And the final twist in the end was unexpected and valued.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the author for my review copy.

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Release date: November 4, 2016

Publisher: Bookouture

Genre: Crime Fiction

Blurb: 

How do you catch a killer who leaves no trace? 

A victim killed with a single, precise stab to the heart appears at first glance to be a robbery gone wrong. A caring, upstanding social worker lost to a senseless act of violence. But for Detective Kim Stone, something doesn’t add up. 

When a local drug addict is found murdered with an identical wound, Kim knows instinctively that she is dealing with the same killer. But with nothing to link the two victims except the cold, calculated nature of their death, this could be her most difficult case yet. 

Desperate to catch the twisted individual, Kim’s focus on the case is threatened when she receives a chilling letter from Dr Alex Thorne, the sociopath who Kim put behind bars. And this time, Alex is determined to hit where it hurts most, bringing Kim face-to-face with the woman responsible for the death of Kim’s little brother – her own mother. 

As the body count increases, Kim and her team unravel a web of dark secrets, bringing them closer to the killer. But one of their own could be in mortal danger. Only this time, Kim might not be strong enough to save them…

Review: 

Wow! That was my absolute first thought after finishing this brilliant read. Second thought was, well, she’s done it again! How does she do it though?! Seriously, how does each book in this series just keep getting better? Amazing.

So Kim and crew are back with another seemingly impossible case to solve. A woman is ruthlessly killed and left in her car. This is a killing void of any emotion and the leads are nonexistent. Simultaneously, Kim receives a letter from none other than Alex Thorne. Just typing her name out turns my blood cold. As the team races against the clock to stop the string of murders from continuing, Kim must face her own demons in the form of her biggest adversaries; her mother and Dr. Thorne.

Kim is as feisty and prickly as ever, but this book brought out a softer side of her that melted my heart. You learn more about her relationship with her mother, (I use the term relationship loosely here) as well as what drives her unrelenting ambition. She finds herself unwillingly caught up in a deadly game of cat and mouse with Alex and the two of them together are a real treat to watch. I don’t know if I’ve loathed a character as much as I do Alex since Angie from Karin Slaughters Will Trent series. There is an epic battle between these two, but can Kim outsmart the sociopathic doctor before more innocent people are hurt, or worse, killed?

The character development in this series sets it apart and makes it a standout, and Marsons continues to dig deeper into the lives of the team in Blood Lines. I mentioned learning more about Kim’s past earlier, but we also see plenty of scenes between her and Bryant which is always a joy. Their relationship is fun and comes from a deep place of caring and shows you their human sides instead of the badass cop side alone. Kev may make many mistakes still, but his intentions are good and he craves approval and acceptance from Kim so greatly. Stacy is still holding down the fort in front of her computer for the most part, but make no mistake, her role is vital to the success of the team. 

I read this one at warp speed, partly due to the fact that Marsons is oh so tricky and writes brief chapters that make me keep saying, oh just one more chapter. Before I know it, it’s after midnight, but honestly I didn’t care, I had to find out what was going to happen next. Full of plenty of bombshells and shocking revelations, this one was a true page turner and extremely hard to put down.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to Bookouture for my review copy.

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Release date: November 3, 2016

Publisher: Bookouture

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Blurb: 

Thirteen years ago someone did something very bad to Anna. Now it’s her turn to get even …

Anna lives a solitary existence, taking solace in order and routine. Her only friend is the lonely old lady next door. She doesn’t like to let people to get too close – she knows how much damage they can do.

Then one ordinary day Anna witnesses a devastating road accident and recognises the driver as Carla, the woman who ruined her life all those years ago. Now it’s Anna’s chance to set things straight but her revenge needs to be executed carefully …

First she needs to get to know Liam, the man injured in the accident. She needs to follow the police investigation. She needs to watch Carla from the shadows…

But as Anna’s obsession with Carla escalates, her own secrets start to unravel. Is Carla really dangerous or does Anna need to worry about someone far closer to home?

A compelling, gripping psychological thriller, perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train and The Sister.

Review: 

I have to start by saying that I’m completely blown away by the fact that this is Slater’s debut novel. This was polished, gripping and entirely riveting. If this is what she comes up with for a debut, I can’t wait to see what she does next! This is one of those books that will be a bit hard to review because I don’t want to give up anything unintentionally, but I’ll do my best to give you a feel for the book without revealing anything pertinent.

This is told from two timelines, present day and thirteen years ago. There was clearly a big tragedy in the past, but details are released slowly and methodically throughout the book until it all comes to a head with a shocking climax. When Anna witnesses a car accident and recognizes Carla, a woman who is related in some way to the tragedy, she feels like she finally has the chance to right the wrongs from the past. She swiftly and immediately inserts herself into the lives of Liam, the man injured in the accident and Ivy his grandmother. 

 Anna narrates and she is quite the character. I’ve never seen someone quite as detached and delusional as she is. What made her simultaneously fascinating and disturbing is the fact that she has no idea the way she behaves isn’t normal. She manages to convince herself that the insane decisions she makes are justified and that she knows what’s best for anyone and everyone. I felt like I was watching someone’s cheese slid right off of their cracker and I couldn’t look away. 

This book had so many dark undercurrents running between the pages and I was unsettled and creeped out the entire time I was reading it. Anna’s cold indifference and stark paranoia really chilled me, in fact I found myself looking over my shoulder even though I read this book in the comfort of my own home. I was quite wrapped up in Anna’s sad and strange little world and was keen to find out what the tragedy was exactly so maybe I could discover why she turned out the way that she did. 

The ending was the only thing that kept me from rating this higher, I just wanted a bit more and maybe some greater explanations about some of the events. I like things all neat and tidy at the end of a book, but that’s just a personal preference of mine. It was still a very good read, full of deadly obsessions, manipulations, and plenty of twists that kept me guessing. 

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to Bookouture for my review copy.