Goodreads

Release date: August 29, 2023

Publisher: Atria

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Synopsis:

Thirty-three-year-old Abby Stern has made it to a happy place. True, she still has gig jobs instead of a career, and the apartment where she’s lived since college still looks like she’s just moved in. But she’s got good friends, her bike, and her bicycling club in Philadelphia. She’s at peace with her plus-size body—at least, most of the time—and she’s on track to marry Mark Medoff, her childhood summer sweetheart, a man she met at the weight-loss camp that her perpetually dieting mother forced her to attend. Fifteen years after her final summer at Camp Golden Hills, when Abby reconnects with a half-his-size Mark, it feels like the happy ending she’s always wanted.

Yet Abby can’t escape the feeling that some­thing isn’t right…or the memories of one thrilling night she spent with a man named Sebastian two years previously. When Abby gets a last-minute invi­tation to lead a cycling trip from NYC to Niagara Falls, she’s happy to have time away from Mark, a chance to reflect and make up her mind.

But things get complicated fast. First, Abby spots a familiar face in the group—Sebastian, the one-night stand she thought she’d never see again. Sebastian is a serial dater who lives a hundred miles away. In spite of their undeniable chemistry, Abby is determined to keep her distance. Then there’s a surprise last-minute addition to the her mother, Eileen, the woman Abby blames for a lifetime of body shaming and insecurities she’s still trying to undo.

Over two weeks and more than seven hundred miles, strangers become friends, hidden truths come to light, a teenage girl with a secret unites the riders in unexpected ways…and Abby is forced to reconsider everything she believes about herself, her mother, and the nature of love.

Review:

I always know when I pick up a book by the author that it’ll be an enjoyable read, I truly just love her style and appreciate how she explores various topics in a way that feels important yet not heavy handed. While Abby is the main character here there are several switching viewpoints that brought some dimension to the story. I know next to nothing about cycling but I appreciated learning about it here especially as it’s importance to Abby us revealed along the way. The body positivity and acceptance piece here was well done and I think many people, especially women will relate to at least some piece of it. If you like books about friendships, love and relationships, and family alongside some hot button topics this was great.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: August 22, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

Jane is unhappy. 

A struggling midlist writer whose novels barely command four figures, she feels trapped in an underwhelming marriage, just scraping by to pay a crippling Bay Area mortgage for a house—a life—she’s never really wanted. 

There’s only ever been one person she cared about, one person who truly understood her: Thalia. Jane’s best and only friend nearly a decade ago during their Creative Writing days at Oxford. It was the only good year of Jane’s life—cobblestones and books and damp English air, heady wine and sweet cider and Thalia, endless Thalia. But then one night ruined everything. The blood-soaked night that should have bound Thalia to Jane forever but instead made her lose her completely. Thalia disappeared without a trace, and Jane has been unable to find her since.

Until now. 

Because there she is, her name at the top of the New York Times bestseller list: A Most Pleasant Death by Thalia Ashcroft. When she discovers a post from Thalia on her website about attending a book convention in New York City in a week—“Can’t wait to see you there!”—Jane can’t wait either. 

She’ll go to New York City, too, credit card bill be damned. And this time, she will do things right. Jane won’t lose Thalia again.

Review:

Give me a book with a sociopath as one of the main characters and I’m all in, there’s something about a character that just owns who they are, even if it’s dark and disturbed that just really works for me. This book flips back and forth between present day and nine years ago when Jane and Thalia first meet. I get annoyed when there’s some big secret from the past timeline sometimes, especially when the author draws it out to the point of torture but that didn’t happen here which was so refreshing. You find out at an appropriate time what happened in the past and then the story really began to move along at a rapid pace for the remainder of the book. I really liked the direction the author took and was surprised at many of the twists, super solid and well executed. If you like thrillers with unlikable and dark characters with interesting plots try this I had a lot of fun with it.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: August 8, 2023

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

Terence Bailey is about to be released from prison for breaking and entering, though investigators have long suspected him in the murders of six women. As his freedom approaches, Bailey gets a surprise visit from Maddison Logan, a hot, young influencer with a huge social media following. Hours later, Maddison disappears, and police suspect she’s been kidnapped—or worse. Is Maddison’s disappearance connected to her visit to Bailey? Why was she visiting him in the first place?

When they hit a wall in the investigation, the FBI reluctantly asks for Rachel’s help in finding the missing influencer. Maddison seems only to exist on social media; she has no family, no friends, and other than in her posts, most people have never seen her. Who is she, really? Using a fake Instagram account, Rachel Krall goes undercover to BuzzCon, a popular influencer conference, where she discovers a world of fierce rivalry that may have turned lethal.

When police find the body of a woman with a tattoo of a snake eating its tail, the FBI must consider a chilling possibility: Bailey has an accomplice on the outside and a dangerous obsession with influencers, including Rachel Krell herself. Suddenly a target of a monster hiding in plain sight, Rachel is forced to confront the very real dangers that lurk in the dark corners of the internet.

Rachel Krall, the true crime podcaster star of Megan Goldin’s acclaimed Night Swim returns to search for a popular social media influencer who disappeared after visiting a suspected serial killer.

Review:

I was really excited to be back in this world, the first book in the series was a solid read for me and I was looking forward to seeing what Rachel was up to. One of the things I liked most about the first book was the podcast aspect, it was really well done and I wanted more of that than what was given here but that’s a minor gripe. The first quarter of this one was really good for me, strong pacing and an intriguing plot but things did slow down for the middle sections quite a bit. Normally that would bother me but it actually didn’t this time, maybe it was because I enjoyed the influencer plot line or maybe I just liked seeing the growth of Rachel’s character but it did work pretty well for me. The suspense part of the story was great and some of the smaller twists came as a surprise to me, definitely higher tension in the very ending that bumped up my rating. If you liked The Night Swim I think you’ll like this too.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: August 15, 2023

Publisher: Minotaur

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Reese’s Book Club Pick The Other Woman comes The Trade Off , an electrifying new novel of suspense that begs the Would you tell a story, if you knew it was a lie? Or tell the truth and sleep at night?

For Stella, deputy editor of The Globe , the choice has always been clear. It doesn’t matter how low she has to stoop―getting the best story is what she’s built her reputation on.

For Jess, The Globe ’s rookie reporter, the story stops when the truth does. But she knows that the dirty tricks of the tabloids will be hard to overturn.

And when a celebrity is hounded by The Globe and pays the ultimate price, Jess wonders just how much Stella and the paper are responsible.

Determined to show the world what the tabloid is capable of, Jess will do whatever it takes to uncover the truth, but she needs to watch her back, because someone else is prepared to kill to bury it.

RISK or REWARD. JUSTICE or REVENGE. INNOCENCE or GUILT.

Review:

In my review of the authors last book I said maybe it was time for me to move on but dammit, I can’t seem to quit her! This one was better for me than some of her previous books, which is great because I have been super disappointed in the past. This one also had a totally different vibe to it than some of her other books, it starts off pretty slow and then about halfway things pick up but I wouldn’t classify it as a true thriller. Maybe more of a suspense with a few thriller type scenes. The dark side of the media and the tactics they take to get a story, even if most of it is fabricated was interesting so there was definitely parts I enjoyed I just wanted to be a little more entertained in the end.

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: August 8, 2023

Publisher: Atria

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

When Caz steps onboard the exclusive cruise liner RMS Atlantica, it’s the start of a vacation of a lifetime with her new love, Pete. On their first night they explore the ship, eat, dance, make friends, but when Caz wakes the next morning, Pete is missing.

And when she walks out into the corridor, all the cabin doors are open. To her horror, she soon realizes that the ship is completely empty. No passengers, no crew, nobody but her. The Atlantica is steaming into the mid-Atlantic and Caz is the only person on board. But that’s just the beginning of the terrifying journey she finds herself trapped on in this white-knuckled mystery.

Review:

I really liked the premise here, I can’t even imagine waking up alone on a cruise ship and I was so curious about what direction the author would take here. How did an entire ship full of passengers vanish into thin air? I had zero idea where this was going and as thing started to be revealed I was skeptical. You have to be able to suspend all disbelief here to even begin to enjoy this because there are a lot of things that happen that will make you go, umm no that doesn’t even make sense. But I went along with it for the most part and I would say I mostly enjoyed the ride. It did feel a bit drawn out and long winded at points for me, I think it could’ve been a little shorter and the ending did throw me for a loop. Not sure if I loved the clever last chapter or not but it made me think. This definitely won’t be for everyone, I can see it being very divisive but that’s always kind of fun for me to see different perspectives. I can’t really say anything else without verging into spoiler territory but this one was definitely unique.

Overall rating: 3.25/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: August 29, 2023

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Publisher: Blackstone

Synopsis:

The Girl on the Train meets the world of social media in this psychological thriller about influencer culture, parasocial relationships, and the secrets we keep from those we love most.

Molly Sullivan is used to sharing intimate details of her life with millions of followers. A thirty-one-year-old single mom, she has built a career out of fearless posts about parenthood and dating. But when Molly shares a photo of her new fiancé, Scott, she is shocked by his negative reaction. For the sake of their relationship, Molly agrees to remove the post and keep Scott and his ten-year-old daughter out of her social media spotlight.

But it’s too late, someone has already recognized him. Liv Barrett is certain Scott’s the man who killed her sister and disappeared with her infant niece nine years ago. The police don’t believe her, so Liv takes matters into her own hands. Driving cross-country to Colorado, Liv uses Molly’s social media posts to orchestrate “accidental” meetings, slowly gaining her trust. Meanwhile, newlywed Molly begins to unpack boxes in her new home and discovers her husband has been lying about his past.

While Molly and Liv uncover secrets that have been buried deep for almost a decade, they have no idea that someone else saw the photo of Scott–someone who poses a threat more dangerous than either of them can imagine. Someone who is watching them from the shadows.

Review:

I know some people are getting sick of social media influencers as characters in books but I eat that shit up. I love seeing everything from the darker side of SM to how huge influencers run their accounts and create their content so that aspect was what first drew me to this one. I also immediately liked the cat and mouse vibes and for about the first half I thought it was going to be an enjoyable, albeit predictable read and then things shifted and I was fully invested. This was addictive and gripping with a fast pace and a mixed media approach that I really liked. Every chapter starts with either a quote or tweet or comment from Molly and then there are snippets from a Reddit snark forum that just rags on her really showing just how nasty the internet can be. I think people who enjoy a lighter style of thriller will enjoy this, perfect for a summer binge read.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: August 8, 2023

Publisher: MIRA

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

In this chilling new novel, a woman discovers that her estranged daughter is missing, but no one believes her, until she meets a man claiming to be her daughter’s fiancé. 

Tatum hasn’t seen her daughter, Adrienne, in years, not since Tatum’s husband—the pastor in their small California town—all but disowned her. When she finally gathers the courage to secretly reconnect with Adrienne, Tatum’s thrilled she’s even willing to talk to her. But then—Adrienne disappears.

Tatum tries desperately to get the police or her husband to take her daughter’s disappearance seriously, but no one will listen, until a mysterious man shows up claiming to be Adrienne’s fiancé. It’s a relief to finally have someone who believes her, someone who’s trying as hard as she is to find out where Adrienne is. But can she trust that this stranger is who he says he is? And can she find her daughter before it’s too late?

Review:

This is exactly the fun type of popcorn thriller I enjoy, especially in a thriller. It read really fast, it has multiple POVs, and it has a compelling plot that definitely had me dying to know what happened to Adrienne. Did she flee on her own as it wouldn’t be the first time she flaked? Or was something more sinister at play? So many questions and the path to get to the answers was pretty twisty and fun. Some things will be obvious to avid thriller fans but there is one component that completely caught me off guard in the best way. As much as I would say this is a popcorn thriller there was church trauma explored and the way both Tatum and Adrienne were controlled by Pastor Shane was chilling. The last bit was really tense and creepy with everything coming together in a pretty satisfying way.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: August 22, 2023

Publisher: William Morrow

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

After that night, nothing was ever the same again

Fifteen years ago, Sara Linton’s life changed forever when a celebratory night out ended in a violent attack that tore her world apart. Since then, Sara has remade her life. A successful doctor, engaged to a man she loves, she has finally managed to leave the past behind her.

Until one evening, on call in the ER, everything changes. Sara battles to save a broken young woman who’s been brutally attacked. But as the investigation progresses, led by GBI Special Agent Will Trent, it becomes clear that Dani Cooper’s assault is uncannily linked to Sara’s. 

And it seems the past isn’t going to stay buried forever.

Review:

Getting a new Karin Slaughter book every year is always super exciting for me but getting a new Will Trent book makes it all the better. This series is hands down one of the best crime fiction series around and every time a new book is released they get better. A question I always get when a new book in this series is released is can it be read on its own? Yes, technically you can because the author does an excellent job of providing any pertinent background information but the series as a whole is so incredibly good I always say read the whole thing if you have time.

If you’ve read the author before you know she is unflinchingly dark in the stories she writes and this was particularly harrowing as it deals with brutal instances of sexual assault. It’s definitely difficult to read about at times but at the same time I couldn’t stop reading because the writing is so damn good. As disturbing as certain scenes are to read I always feel like her books are such important reads as she gives a voice to voiceless women and she does so with a particular brand of care and consideration. Her writing is so bold that it’s not the type of book you finish and forget about. I finished yesterday and still cannot get the characters out of my head. Speaking of the characters it was so amazing to be back in this world and see what Will, Sara, Faith and Amanda were up to. I have such a strong attachment to this group of people and it’s always a treat to check in with them. If you like your thrillers dark this one is a must read, so well written, so disturbing and so gripping. Highly recommended.

Overall rating: 5/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Goodreads

Release date: July 11, 2023

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis:

She’s back in her affluent hometown for the first time in years and determined to unravel the secrets of her mother’s death hidden in the unpublished memoir she left behind…even if it kills her…

After her troublemaker mother’s mysterious death, Kira fled her wealthy Texas town and never looked back. Now, decades later, Kira is invited to an old frenemy’s vow renewal party. Though she is reluctant to go, there are things calling her back . . . like chilled wine and days spent by the pool . . . like her sexy childhood crush, Jack. But, more importantly, it’s the urgent texts from her grandmother who says she has something to give Kira. Something about her mother’s death, something that looks an awful lot like murder.

When her grandmother gives Kira a memoir that her mother had been working on before she died, she is pulled into the past and all of the sizzling secrets that come along with it. With few allies left in her gossipy, country club town, Kira turns to Jack for help. As she gets closer to what–and who–might have brought about her mother’s end, it becomes clear that someone wants the past to stay buried.

And Kira might be next.

Review:

I love the authors brand of writing catty Texas women with a side of scandal and drama and the fact that Kira was trying to get to the bottom of her mothers death years ago is like cat nip for me, I’m a sucker for a cold case being resurrected. Not gonna lie, Kira was kind of annoying but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the story. When she gets the memoir that her mother was writing and doesn’t immediately read the entire thing in one sitting I was like umm no mam that would never happen. BUT I get it was written that way to build suspense and tension so I just went with it even though no one would ever really do that. It truly made me binge read this because I wanted to know what the memoir revealed so well played May, well played. 😉 Overall this was a fun and juicy summer read with a few surprises along the way.

Overall rating: 4/5

Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.