Category: Book Reviews

I totally thought that The Marriage Counselor was going to go in a different direction than Dea Poirier actually took it. I like it when a psych thriller author can do that.

However, there were times when the direction shifts (and yes, that’s plural) made it feel like I was reading an entirely different book – almost like the author couldn’t exactly decide which way the plot should actually go.

That doesn’t mean it wasn’t enjoyable though, because it was. And all of those switches had me turning pages to try and figure out what was going on.

Adele struggles with ghosts of her past, especially her parents who were tv personas. Following in their footsteps in a more practical way, she is the marriage counselor – and has built a steady business. Everything seems fine.

Until it isn’t.

Her husband disappears. She learns there may be more to the accident that claimed her parent’s lives. Her ex-boyfriend is an officer working on her husband’s missing person case. Lucas, her husband’s ex-business partner is…angry. Her assistant is angrier.

It all turns into a big mess. But what is really going on with her husband? How many lies has she built her life around? Who is responsible for events that make her feel hunted?

While it mostly works, there are a few things that I think got short shrift. The ex-business partner plotline feels more like a red herring than a legitimate thread. It didn’t feel complete. The same goes for the secrets about her parents. The impact of that was “blink and you’ll miss it” making it feel more like a device than an actual storyline.

The whole arc with her assistant, Emma, felt disjointed to me. I was left wondering how I was really supposed to feel about it…especially in light of the biggest twist of all – literally in the last pages. There were simply some holes that should have been filled.

But I’m not going to give anything away. You’ll have to read it for yourself to find out what I’m talking about.

In spite of what I mentioned, I did like The Marriage Counselor. There was enough psych to keep the psych thriller aspect, and there’s that aforementioned last-minute twist that had me wondering if I’d read everything the “right” way. It was certainly enough to make me look forward to the next novel by Dea Poirier.

The Lie by Kathryn Croft is a psych thriller that takes the reader in one direction before completely switching it up, leaving one wondering what the truth of the situation is.

I know that sounds convoluted, but I’ll try to explain.

In this case, Lucy and her family hold a bbq. Her son’s girlfriend (Rose) goes missing that same night. Blame falls on her son, Jacob, who isn’t exactly forthcoming in what was going on that night.

The story unfolds via alternating chapters with points of view from Lucy and Rose’s mom, Carrie. And every so often, there is a chapter from Rose. But it is difficult to tell when and where Rose is speaking from.

That, of course, comes clear, but not until later in the book. Most of the plot centers around where Rose is, and what actually happened that night.

As such, there are a lot of repetitive moments. Lucy had no idea what was going on with Jacob. Should she have known? Could she have paid more attention? Who knows. But she asks herself that several times. Carrie does the same. These are the parts that put the psych in psych thriller.

There’s a lot of introspection.

Ava, Jacob’s sister, goes between being a bookworm to screaming that she hates everyone. A mention late in the story of bullying and a potential diagnosis from Rose herself seems contrived and unsupported.

Carrie has a relationship with Joe, but it obviously isn’t working for them, as they both show interest in other people. I’m not saying who, because that would give away part of the plot. And it’s an important part.

I was intrigued by the story, but in retrospect, there are a lot of characters and points that go nowhere. Carrie’s ex, issues in London, Lucy’s quest to protect Jacob by doing something rash…all feel somewhat contrived.

That being said, at the end of Part II (there are three parts) my jaw literally dropped. And that’s when everything comes together.

While The Lie isn’t perfect, Kathryn Croft has written a solid psych thriller that had me reading late into the night to find out what happened to Rose.

I was intrigued by the blurb for Second Wives, a new psych thriller by Carey Baldwin. While there is a lot going on in this story, I mostly enjoyed it.

As with many a psych thriller, there is a prologue that gets the readers’ curiosity going. I do like it when it isn’t clear as to whether the prologue is in the past or something that will happen in the course of the story.

I’m not going to tell you which one it is in this case.

The setup itself is different. It makes for a lot of awkwardness among characters which naturally feeds the psych part of the psych thriller. Who is authentic? Who is putting up a front? Which character is lying…or are several hiding secrets?

While it makes for many of those types of questions, it also makes it difficult to know who is trustworthy in their narration.

For example, Charity seems too good to be true. And her inner monologues prove that she usually has an ulterior motive for being as nice as she is. Her competition with Brigid is understandable, but it clouds the waters.

Their character development is interesting. as it becomes clear that the two women have more in common than it would appear.

One thing I did struggle with is the sheer number of events that occurred throughout the plot. I get that it is a psych thriller, so the author needs to keep the reader on their toes. It feels like not enough is done to lay the groundwork for the ultimate reveal.

Yes, there are definitely some jaw-drop moments, and the author did surprise more than a few times. But I feel like there are not enough “connect the dots” moments – almost like the author had so many ideas but not a clear path to integrating all of them.

And I did not like the epilogue at all. That felt forced. However, I did enjoy Second Wives. Carey Baldwin certainly kept me guessing, and I suppose that’s what I ultimately want out of a psych thriller.