Month: March 2022

The Stepchild by Nicole Trope is one of those psych thrillers that is good on the surface but has a deeper current of something more sinister.

A psych thriller that can manage both a compelling surface story and underlying tension – and do so effectively – is a winner in my book.

On the surface, it is a simple missing child case. Those parts are fairly straightforward and easy to read. Stepsister is babysitting, little sister goes missing, parents panic, police get involved.

But there is much more to it. I don’t want to give anything away (because you really should enjoy it spoiler-free, like I did), but everyone has secrets.

Where was Leslie (the mom)? Why wasn’t Randall (the dad) around? And what is Shelby (the stepsister) not telling everyone?

The answers to these questions and many more are revealed gradually. I appreciate that, because it is a tactic that allows the action to continue without giving everything away too soon.

Interspersed between Leslie and Shelby’s points of view is Ruth’s story. Ruth is an odd duck – that is apparent from the very beginning.

But as Ruth tells her story in short bursts, you realize that this is where the undercurrent is. This is the heart of the story – and where the twists really come into play.

All of this takes place (as I mentioned) while Millie (the child) is missing. The author does a fantastic job of weaving everything together, keeping the focus on finding Millie, even as character’s secrets and actions threaten to derail the case.

Honestly, it’s a great juggling act and the author handles it deftly with lots of engagement.

I will admit that I guessed at a pretty big twist, but I’ve made no secret about how I like to challenge myself. The author resolves everything to great satisfaction – everyone’s story is realistic.

There should probably be a trigger warning on this book, as it does deal with a pretty serious issue. I really don’t want to say what it is, because that would totally give away big sections of the plot.

You can search other reviews that will most certainly mention specifics. Not here though.

But again, the author handles a very sensitive subject with tact and efficiency, using just enough to get the point across without being heavy-handed or preachy.

Now that I think of it, The Stepchild (and who is the stepchild, really?) is about as close to perfect a psych thriller as a reader could hope for.

Other psych thrillers from Nicole Trope: The Girl Who Never Came Home; The Family Across the Street; The Mother’s Fault; The Nowhere Girl

About the author

Nicole Trope went to university to study Law but realised the error of her ways when she did very badly on her first law essay because-as her professor pointed out- ‘It’s not meant to be a story.’ She studied teaching instead and used her holidays to work on her writing career and complete a Masters’ degree in Children’s Literature.

The idea for her first published novel, The Boy under the Table, was so scary that it took a year for her to find the courage to write the emotional story. Nicole went on to publish a further five novels in Australia before joining Bookouture in 2019. She is a USA Today and Amazon bestseller in the USA, UK, AUS and CAN.

She lives in Sydney with her husband and three children.

I have made no secret of how much I like the way Kerry Wilkinson writes, and The Party at No. 12 is a return to what I like best about a psych thriller.  

Hannah, as the main character, is the perfect foil for everything that occurs. She is sort of wishy-washy, but also intelligent enough to notice things. She also tries to see the best in people, especially those who are close to her.

With everything going on in her life, she has decided to go traveling, and her “going away” party is the one in the title. However, a simple, fun, family and friends get together turns…wrong.

How can I say this next part without giving anything away?

Yes, the action of the book is front-heavy, and a lot happens in the first few chapters. A reader’s inclination may be to think that it is wrapped up and obvious.

But this author is one of the best when it comes to “late-in-the-game” twists. And The Party at No. 12 is the perfect example.

There are several hints along the way, but I didn’t catch many of them until other events occurred, which caused me to look back at things from a different perspective.

I know that is confusing, but I don’t want to give the plot away.

I liked the “mystery” aspect of it because even as the reader knows what happened, there is still a lot to uncover. And having Zach be a catalyst for it is effective.

Again, cagey, I know. But I know of no other way to say it is a great book with lots of twists.

Oh, look at that, I just did!

Seriously, though. Even though the middle dragged just a little bit, The Party at No. 12 is still a great psych thriller. You will not know all of the details and motivations until the very last pages. And that is what makes this latest book from Kerry Wilkinson a must-read.

Check out my review of The Perfect Daughter for a link to other books by Kerry, or type “Kerry Wilkinson” into the search bar! 🙂

Author Bio:

Kerry Wilkinson is from the English county of Somerset but has spent far too long living in the north. It’s there that he’s picked up possibly made-up regional words like ‘barm’ and ‘ginnel’. He pretends to know what they mean.

He’s also been busy since turning thirty: his Jessica Daniel crime series has sold more than a million copies in the UK; he has written a fantasy-adventure trilogy for young adults; a second crime series featuring private investigator Andrew Hunter and the standalone thriller, Down Among The Dead Men.

S. E. Lynes has written excellent psych thrillers and The Baby Shower is no exception. This author has produced everything I love in a psych thriller.

There is a prologue that consists of a news article. Right off the bat, the author lets us know (in a clever way) that there is going to be one heck of a culmination of events in this book.

Well-done setups like this instantly grab me.

Chapter One is a mystery narrator. Those are always good for intrigue. If you’re paying attention, you will notice that both the newspaper article and Chapter One are set in May.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to take a careful look at when each chapter is set. The author lays out the plot clearly. But if you aren’t looking at when each event takes place you could get lost.

And you don’t want to do that.

I generally am not a fan of “girl power/friends” tropes. In this case, however, it works perfectly.

Jane has just enough going for her, and just enough against her, that her friend circle is vital to her well-being. This is why the rest of the story is so good.

As usual, I am not going to give away plot points here. But believe me when I say the author has written a tightly woven story that had me turning pages literally into the wee hours of the morning.

That’s not hyperbole. I’m not one to gush or throw out typical platitudes. But I stayed awake until 3 am to finish this one because I was totally enthralled by the plot.

I did guess a couple of the “surprises” but (as I have mentioned before) I like to challenge myself to guess where the author is going.

However, there are several twists that I did not figure out. One of them (no spoiler) made me doubt everything that I believed up to that point. I thought maybe I had it all wrong.

That’s another thing I love in a good psych thriller. Keep ‘em guessing is a great rule of thumb.

Sometimes psych thrillers have a backstory that only serves as a jumping-off point. That is not the case here. Jane’s backstory is specific and gives insight to her frame of mind while also providing an underlying current of dread (also felt by Jane) to current events.

There was a point at the end that felt like it verged on preachy about how bad women have it sometimes, but I understand why the author included it. That being said, the whole friendship angle is blown out of the water when one character gets what is coming to her.

Once again, not a spoiler. But that twist provides a cutting commentary on the danger of being carried away by material things and the “reality” presented on social media.

I am a big fan of S.E. Lynes, but The Baby Shower may just be my favorite one yet. Be sure to check out her other psych thrillers: The Lies We Hide, The Housewarming, Can You See Her, Her Sister’s Secret

Author Bio:

Former BBC Producer, S.E. Lynes is the Amazon best selling author of ‘intelligent and haunting’, ‘beautifully written’ psychological thrillers, VALENTINA, MOTHER, THE PACT, THE PROPOSAL, THE WOMEN, THE LIES WE HIDE, CAN YOU SEE HER? and her latest novel, THE HOUSEWARMING, available for pre-order NOW.

After completing her MA, Lynes taught creative writing at Richmond Adult Community College for over ten years. She now combines writing, mentoring and lecturing.