The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones

Ah, Sandie Jones. She’s a go-to author of mine that I never want to miss! I’m excited to share her latest novel releasing today!

Thank you Minotaur Books for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: Six friends. Rachel and Noah have been friends since they met at university. While they once thought that they might be something more, now, twenty years later, they are each happily married to other people, Jack and Paige respectively. Jack’s brother Will is getting married, to the dazzling, impulsive Ali, and the group of six travel to Portugal for their destination weekend. Three couples. As they arrive at a gorgeous villa perched on a cliff-edge, overlooking towering waves that crash on the famous surfing beaches below at Nazaré, they try to settle into a weekend of fun. While Rachel is looking forward to getting to know her future sister-in-law Ali better, Ali can’t help but rub many of the group up the wrong way: Rachel’s best friend Paige thinks Ali is attention-seeking and childish, and while Jack is trying to support his brother Will’s choice of wife, he is also finding plenty to disagree with Noah about. One fatal misunderstanding . . . But when Rachel discovers something about Ali that she can hardly believe, everything changes. As the wedding weekend unfolds, the secrets each of them hold begin to spill, and friendships and marriages threaten to unravel. Soon, jumping to conclusions becomes the difference between life and death.

Okay, so maybe this wasn’t my favorite book of hers. That’s alright! I think the problem for this book was that it was really similar to her style of her previous novels. I was hoping for something a little more dramatic and something that would stand out a bit more. The characters were unlikable for me and there was too much conversation going on between them that I really could care less about. It was a middle-of-the-line thriller for me. Not bad, but not one I would read again or jump to recommend to others.

3/5 Stars

The Abduction of Pretty Penny by Leonard Goldberg

Have you watched the Enola Holmes movie on Netflix yet? I fell in love with it and wanted to dive into the world of Sherlock Holmes books as soon as possible!

Thank you Minotaur Books for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: Joanna and the Watsons are called in by the Whitechapel Playhouse to find Pretty Penny, a lovely, young actress who has gone missing without reason or notice. While on their search, the trio is asked by Scotland Yard to join in the hunt for a vicious murderer whose method resembles that of Jack The Ripper. It soon becomes clear that The Ripper has reemerged after a 28-year absence and is once again murdering young prostitutes in Whitechapel. Following a line of subtle clues, Joanna quickly reasons that Pretty Penny has been taken capture by the killer. But as Joanna moves closer to learning his true identity, the killer sends her a letter indicating her young son Johnny will be the next victim to die. Time is running out, and Joanna has no choice but to devise a most dangerous plan which will bring her face-to-face with the killer. It is the only chance to protect her son and rescue Pretty Penny, and save both from an agonizing death.

This is book number 5 in the series, and I definitely need to go back and read the others. I hadn’t heard about this series, mostly because I hadn’t dabbled into the world of Sherlock Holmes, but it’s wonderful! You can easily read this as a stand-alone novel, so if you haven’t read any of the previous books, you are fine to dive right in. I actually really enjoyed the historical context scattered throughout the book. Of course, since this is book number 5, the character development is a little flat. That is to be expected, but I was wanting a little bit more. The ending didn’t take my breath away, but I still had a fun time reading this and want to read more!

4/5 Stars

The Photographer by Mary Dixie Carter

Do you have a bookish item that you like? I have officially found my new favorite! This viewfinder brings back all the nostalgia from when I was little! Take a look at what’s inside:

Thank you Minotaur Books for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: As a photographer, Delta Dawn observes the seemingly perfect lives of New York City’s elite: snapping photos of their children’s birthday parties, transforming images of stiff hugs and tear-stained faces into visions of pure joy, and creating moments these parents long for. But when Delta is hired for Natalie Straub’s eleventh birthday, she finds herself wishing she wasn’t behind the lens but a part of the scene―in the Straub family’s gorgeous home and elegant life. That’s when Delta puts her plan in place, by babysitting for Natalie; befriending her mother, Amelia; finding chances to listen to her father, Fritz. Soon she’s bathing in the master bathtub, drinking their expensive wine, and eyeing the beautifully finished garden apartment in their townhouse. It seems she can never get close enough, until she discovers that photos aren’t all she can manipulate.

This was such a unique story! This wasn’t bad for a debut thriller, but the ending made me a little crazy. I wasn’t left with a satisfied wrapped up story this time around, and I really wanted one here! It was entertaining and written well which didn’t leave me completely disappointed. This is a true obsession story that will be highly talked about this summer.

3.5/5 Stars

The Girl Who Died by Ragnar Jonasson

For as many mystery novels that I read, I have not delved into the world of Icelandic or Scandinavian noirs. This is my first taste of one, so let’s see how it goes!

Thank you Minotaur Books for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: Una wants nothing more than to teach, but she has been unable to secure steady employment in Reykjavík. Her savings are depleted, her love life is nonexistent, and she cannot face another winter staring at the four walls of her shabby apartment. Celebrating Christmas and ringing in 1986 in the remote fishing hamlet of Skálar seems like a small price to pay for a chance to earn some teaching credentials and get her life back on track. But Skálar isn’t just one of Iceland’s most isolated villages, it is home to less than a dozen people. Una’s only students are two girls aged seven and nine. Teaching them only occupies so many hours in a day and the few adults she interacts with are civil but distant. She only seems to connect with Thór, a man she shares an attraction with but who is determined to keep her at arm’s length. As darkness descends throughout the bleak winter, Una finds herself more often than not in her rented attic space – the site of a local legendary haunting – drinking her loneliness away. She is plagued by nightmares of a little girl in a white dress singing a lullaby. And when a sudden tragedy echoes an event long buried in Skálar’s past, the villagers become even more guarded, leaving a suspicious Una seeking to uncover a shocking truth that’s been kept secret for generations.

As I teacher myself, I can’t imagine the feeling of heading to a new job and getting WAY more than you bargained for. It was a little hard to immerse myself in this atmosphere since I really don’t have much context or experience in it, but it was eerie and mystifying in a good way. It has elements of the supernatural which is especially entertaining to me as of lately. It’s not a style of mystery I can see myself reading again, but it was enjoyable.

4/5 Stars

The Lost Village by Camilla Sten

One of the houses I grew up in was not too far from where The Blair Witch Project was filmed. For some reason, even though I wasn’t a fan of the film, I’m drawn to story lines similar to it. This is one of them!

Thank you Minotaur Books for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: Documentary filmmaker Alice Lindstedt has been obsessed with the vanishing residents of the old mining town, dubbed “The Lost Village,” since she was a little girl. In 1959, her grandmother’s entire family disappeared in this mysterious tragedy, and ever since, the unanswered questions surrounding the only two people who were left—a woman stoned to death in the town center and an abandoned newborn—have plagued her. She’s gathered a small crew of friends in the remote village to make a film about what really happened. But there will be no turning back. Not long after they’ve set up camp, mysterious things begin to happen. Equipment is destroyed. People go missing. As doubt breeds fear and their very minds begin to crack, one thing becomes startlingly clear to Alice: They are not alone. They’re looking for the truth…But what if it finds them first?

The author crafted this story so well! It is most definitely creepy and twisted in every way that you’d desire. I was actually worried it would be a bit too much for me, but I totally handled it. The ending seemed a little far-fetched. I chatted with friends who read this too, and we realized that it was just the only foreseeable way the author could have wrapped up the story. This is a perfect October read, or anytime read if you love the creeps! Also, I have to mention, I wear this masks a lot because the faces I get are PRICELESS 🙂

4/5 Stars

The Lost Village by Camilla Sten

Part of my childhood was where the Blair Witch Project was filmed, so when I saw this book was advertised to dabble in it’s features, I was intrigued!

Thank you Minotaur Books for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: Documentary filmmaker Alice Lindstedt has been obsessed with the vanishing residents of the old mining town, dubbed “The Lost Village,” since she was a little girl. In 1959, her grandmother’s entire family disappeared in this mysterious tragedy, and ever since, the unanswered questions surrounding the only two people who were left—a woman stoned to death in the town center and an abandoned newborn—have plagued her. She’s gathered a small crew of friends in the remote village to make a film about what really happened. But there will be no turning back. Not long after they’ve set up camp, mysterious things begin to happen. Equipment is destroyed. People go missing. As doubt breeds fear and their very minds begin to crack, one thing becomes startlingly clear to Alice: They are not alone. They’re looking for the truth…But what if it finds them first? 

I absolutely loved the creepy, eerie tones throughout this story. The author did an excellent job at keeping the atmosphere to match exactly what I predicted this story to read like. If you don’t like a horror suspense story, this may not be for you. On the other hand, the ending was not believable. It seemed way out of left field and lead to some disappointment. It’s imaginative, but I wanted something more, and I can’t quite put my finger on it. In all, I’m still super drawn the the documentary setting trying to solve a mystery. You don’t see that often!

3.5/5 Stars

Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay

I’m excited to check out and share today’s new debut thriller!

Thank you Minotaur Books for my gifted ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: After a late night of partying, NYU student Matt Pine returns to his dorm room to devastating news: nearly his entire family—his mom, his dad, his little brother and sister—have been found dead from an apparent gas leak while vacationing in Mexico. The local police claim it was an accident, but the FBI and State Department seem far less certain—and they won’t tell Matt why. The tragedy makes headlines everywhere because this isn’t the first time the Pine family has been thrust into the media spotlight. Matt’s older brother, Danny—currently serving a life sentence for the murder of his teenage girlfriend Charlotte—was the subject of a viral true crime documentary suggesting that Danny was wrongfully convicted. Though the country has rallied behind Danny, Matt holds a secret about his brother that he’s never told anyone: the night Charlotte was killed Matt saw something that makes him believe his brother is guilty of the crime. When Matt returns to his small hometown to bury his parents and siblings, he’s faced with a hostile community that was villainized by the documentary, a frenzied media, and memories he’d hoped to leave behind forever. Now, as the deaths in Mexico appear increasingly suspicious and connected to Danny’s case, Matt must unearth the truth behind the crime that sent his brother to prison—putting his own life in peril—and forcing him to confront his every last fear.

This is a dark and twisty thriller that will you have you biting your nails late at night! This story is told from multiple perspectives and different timelines, and I didn’t love it. Those who have been reading my reviews for awhile know that about me, and authors really have to be perfect at executing it for me to be okay with it. Besides that, the red herrings in the book were so entertaining to follow, I felt like an FBI agent trying to piece the puzzle together myself! An enjoyable read, and I will certainly be reading the next book by this author.

4/5 Stars

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

Sometimes the best kind of surprises come in books that knock your socks off. Cue Final Donovan…

Thank you Minotaur Books for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: Finlay Donovan is killing it . . . except, she’s really not. She’s a stressed-out single-mom of two and struggling novelist, Finlay’s life is in chaos: the new book she promised her literary agent isn’t written, her ex-husband fired the nanny without telling her, and this morning she had to send her four-year-old to school with hair duct-taped to her head after an incident with scissors. When Finlay is overheard discussing the plot of her new suspense novel with her agent over lunch, she’s mistaken for a contract killer, and inadvertently accepts an offer to dispose of a problem husband in order to make ends meet . . . Soon, Finlay discovers that crime in real life is a lot more difficult than its fictional counterpart, as she becomes tangled in a real-life murder investigation.

This book really took me by surprise! I went into it thinking it was going to be really cheesy. Instead, it was completely hilarious and had the perfect amount of of thrill for it’s murder mystery vibes. Also, if you are a fan of Panera Bread, you will love this book! Yeah, Finlay was a bit naive most of the time, but the background intrigue kept me glued to every page. Super fun and refreshing read!

4/5 Stars

The Wicked Hour by Alice Blanchard

Here comes the latest novel to follow up Alice’s Trace Of Evil.

Thank you Minotaur Books for my gifted ebook copy in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: The day after Burning Lake’s notorious, debauched Halloween celebration, Detective Natalie Lockhart uncovers a heartbreaking scene—a young woman, dead and lying in a dumpster. There’s no clue to who she is, save for a mystifying tattoo on her arm, and a callus underneath her chin. She’s not from around here. No one knows who she is. As Natalie retraces the young woman’s steps leading up to her death, she uncovers a deeper, darker horror—a string of murders and disappearances, seemingly unconnected, that may have ties to each other—and explain the abrupt disappearance of her best friend years ago. As she digs deeper within the mind of the hunter, Natalie finds a darkness she could never have imagined. And as she draws closer to the truth, the killer is weaving a trap for her that may prove inescapable.

I read the first story in this series and really enjoyed it – not a favorite, but definitely worth getting excited about this next installment coming out. I didn’t love this one as much as the first one. I felt like it was a little forced and rushed, especially trying to cover events, relationships, and emotions that had passed since the last book but also not trying to bring so much attention to them. The ending leaves a great opening for a third book which I still feel like I would want to read after this one! The Halloween setting was absolutely perfect if I do say so myself!

3.5/5 Stars

The Silver Shooter by Erin Lindsey

If you’ve been following my blog for some time, you will know that I am a huge fan of this series. I read the first book in the Rose Gallagher series when it was released in 2018 (Murder on Millionaires’ Row) and absolutely fell in love (check out my review here – I will be reading it again in October for sure!) Here is the third book in the series being released in November.

Thank you Minotaur Books for my gifted ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: It’s the spring of 1887, and Rose Gallagher is finally coming into her own. She’s the proud owner of a lovely little home near Washington Square, where she lives with her mother and friend Pietro, and she’s making a name for herself as a Pinkerton agent with a specialty in things . . . otherworldly. She and her partner Thomas are working together better than ever, and mostly managing to push aside romantic feelings for one another. Mostly. Things are almost too good to be true—so Rose is hardly surprised when Theodore Roosevelt descends on them like a storm cloud, hiring them for a mysterious job out west. A series of strange occurrences in the Badlands surrounding his ranch has Roosevelt convinced something supernatural is afoot. It began with livestock disappearing from the range, their bodies later discovered torn apart by something monstrously powerful. Now people are dying, too. Meanwhile, a successful prospector has gone missing, and rumors about his lost stash of gold have attracted treasure hunters from far and wide – but they keep disappearing, too. To top it all off, this past winter, a mysterious weather phenomenon devastated the land, leaving the locals hungry, broke, and looking for someone to blame. With tensions mounting and the body count rising, Roosevelt fears a single spark will be all it takes to set the Badlands aflame. It’s up to Rose and Thomas to get to the bottom of it, but they’re against the clock and an unknown enemy, and the west will prove wilder than they could possibly imagine…

My grandpa would always watch Western movies when I was growing up. I was never a huge fan. I just felt the stories to be quite dull and could never relate to them. This western story? I loved! The supernatural twist is what adds such character to the West, who would’ve thought?! I love the historical context and mystery…I just can’t say enough great things about Erin’s writing. I’m a huge fan yet again!

5/5 Stars