Tag: Books On Tour

Hoo boy, is there a lot to unpack in The Daughters, a chilling psych thriller from Julia Crouch.

I’m not even sure where to start.

I guess I should have had an inkling about the mental states of both Sara and Lucy from the very first chapter. But the author does a great job of not giving away too much. Just enough to make the reader question backstory.

And there is a lot of backstory.

As always, you can get the gist of it from the blurb but suffice to say that Sara and Lucy’s mom allegedly committed suicide years prior. And that is questionable for more than a few reasons.

Actually, as I am writing this, I realize that none of the characters are particularly trustworthy in their perspectives. Sara is bitter. Lucy is a broken toy. And Carys is too good to be true.

In fact, Carys got on my nerves from the beginning. I’m not sure if that is the author’s intent, but she truly was too much of a do-gooder to believe that she didn’t have ulterior motives about…well, anything.

I’m not telling you if my instinct was right, but let’s just say that it is a good psych thriller partially because of how her true character is revealed.

Additionally, however, she was difficult to root for because it just felt like she was more caricature than character. Like she was too good for anything. Again, I think that is by design. But I was totally with Sara not liking her.

I really felt for Sara and Lucy, especially the latter. She is obviously so damaged for some reason (that is revealed in the book) that it is easy to see how past traumas can affect present mental health. So, there is another “psych” angle to the psych thriller.

Given recent events in the real world, this is something that truly struck home with me.

But this isn’t about that.

I liked how the author made me question pretty much everyone’s perspectives and I liked being off-balance as to who was trustworthy. The reveals come about at just the right time in the book. The plot progresses at a good pace.

I actually stayed up late reading this one. And that rarely happens.

I enjoyed The New Mother by Julia Crouch, and The Daughters is another good psych thriller that should go on your list.

Author Bio:

Julia started off as a theatre director and playwright. While her children were growing up, she swerved into graphic design. After writing and illustrating two children’s books for an MA, she discovered that her great love was writing prose. The picture books were deemed too dark for publication, so, to save the children, she turned instead to writing for adults. Her first book, Cuckoo, was published in 2011, and she has been writing what she calls her Domestic Noir novels ever since. She also writes for TV and teaches on the Crime Writing MA at the University of East Anglia. She has three grown up children and lives in Brighton with her husband and two cats, Keith and Sandra.

If there is one lesson to learn from The Bridesmaids (a new psych thriller by Victoria Jenkins), it’s that women do not need men to screw up their lives. They are quite capable of being vicious to each other and causing all kinds of devastation.

That may sound a bit dramatic, but then again, so are the plot threads in this book.

What is supposed to be a fun hen weekend away for Holly and her bridesmaids, most of them lifelong friends, turns dark in many ways.

It is apparent almost immediately that everyone at this party has something to hide. Some secrets are ancient history, and some are more recent. But they all affect each of the other women in some way.

I imagine these connections were not easy to establish and keep straight, because it does become quite a web of lies and deceit. But the success of it is also what makes it a psych thriller. So, kudos to the author on that.

I liked how the action is told from alternating points of view. The reader gets a holistic sense of the events because each person has a different perspective and very different motivations for their actions.

While you would think that Holly is the main narrator (as it is her weekend) that isn’t necessarily the case. I would say that she isn’t even the one who is most impacted by it all.

I don’t want to give anything away, but let’s just say that nobody gets out of the weekend unscathed.

There are a few unfinished threads. For example, Zoe doesn’t seem to have much to do except be there as a catalyst for the others. It would have been nice to have her be a bit more balanced with the others.

But there is so much else going on, it kind of doesn’t matter. I guess that is a bit nitpicky on my part.

There is a point in the book where the secrets start to come to light and once that begins, the actions of the women and the ensuing event come fast and furious. The author holds nothing back – it is punch after punch of “holy crap, no way!” revelations.

I also think the author is bold in the choice of ending. Many books wrap everything up neatly and characters make amends of some kind. But real life isn’t like that. So, allowing everything to be more natural actually reflects the impact the weekend had on the women.

And even then, the author still has one last revelation in the last pages.

As I said at the beginning of this review, women are quite capable of sabotaging and being horrible to each other. Victoria Jenkins does an excellent job of illustrating this in The Bridesmaids.

Want to read another psych thriller? Check out The New Family, also by Victoria Jenkins (review contains links to others as well!)

Victoria Jenkins lives with her husband and daughters in South Wales, where her bestselling series of crime novels featuring Detectives King and Lane is based. The first in the series, The Girls in the Water is a top 5 US kindle bestseller. She has an MA in Creative and Media Writing from the University of Wales, Swansea.

I have read several books by K.L. Slater, and she can usually be depended on to write a good psych thriller. While Missing is decent, it doesn’t quite meet the standards I have come to expect with her books.

Now, let me qualify this review by saying I thoroughly expect other people will enjoy the book more than I did. My reviews are never to put someone off or change their mind about reading something.

They are solely my opinion and my experience. So, take it with a grain of salt.

I realize that might be confusing, so let me just tell you what worked and didn’t work for me in this psych thriller.

The premise was intriguing. Josie suffered a family tragedy when she was younger. As an adult, she is thrust into another perilous situation and is forced to rely on someone who has proven to be untrustworthy in the past.

That’s enough to give anyone pause about trusting someone. But what is Josie to do when her daughter’s safety is at stake?

I thought that Josie was an interesting character, but she didn’t necessarily grab me and want me to root for her in the present. I think maybe she relied too much on being the victim of the previous event?

Can’t quite put my finger on it, but I didn’t connect with her as I have with past heroines in Slater’s books.

The whole resolution was also a bit more gonzo than her books usually are. I don’t know if she was trying a new approach. Frankly, a lot of it worked for me, because it was not a usual ending.

There are connections and relationships that are only hinted at throughout the rest of the book. So, in that regard, she did get a couple of good twists in. I’ve made no secret about my tendency to try to outguess the author. I didn’t succeed this time.

I would still recommend Missing because it was another good effort from K.L. Slater. But be sure to also check out her other books as well: Single, The Widow, Little Whispers, The Marriage, The Evidence

Author Bio:

For many years, Kim sent her work out to literary agents but never made it off the slush pile. At the age of 40, she went back to Nottingham Trent University and now has an MA in Creative Writing.

Before graduating, she received five offers of representation from London literary agents which was, as Kim says, ‘a fairytale … at the end of a very long road!’

Kim is a full-time writer and lives in Nottingham with her husband, Mac. Her website is

https://klslaterauthor.com/

Make Me Disappear by Jessica Payne is a psych thriller that you think will be about one thing but actually goes in a completely different direction.

In other words, it lives up to the promise of the “twist you won’t see coming.” Sometimes those promises are not fulfilled, but in the case of this psych thriller, it meets the standard.

Noelle is in a bad relationship. We know that right from the prologue. Just how bad, however, unfolds over several chapters. It takes a while to realize just how awful the situation is. The author does a great job of keeping the tension building.

Instead of being a damsel in distress, however, Noelle is a thinker, and she makes a plan to escape.

And that’s where everything really lets loose, and the action gets more interesting.

There are revelations that have bearing on the events (or do they) and you think you know who is controlling the entire thing (you won’t).

I thought the entire plot was well-done as it kept me guessing and second-guessing all the way through to the very end.

I especially liked the author’s writing style. The story is largely Noelle’s and chapters alternate between the present and the year or so leading up to the events that make up the main plot of the book. The “past” chapters are clearly marked with timeframes, so pay attention to those.

Every so often, there is a chapter from Daniel’s point of view. Those are deliciously creepy and enforce why Noelle feels the need to escape.

But, if you’re paying attention, you’ll realize there is actually more to Daniel than meets the eye. He’s…complex. That’s all I’m saying on that.

Once Noelle goes on the offensive, there are a few events that push the limit of belief, but I didn’t mind ignoring what would happen in reality. By that point, I was so invested that they could have turned it into a totally different novel, and I would still have finished it.

In other words, I definitely wanted to see the end result no matter what else happened in between.

Make Me Disappear is a debut novel from Jessica Payne. If it is any indication of future stories, I look forward to reading them!

About the Author

Jessica Payne is the author of MAKE ME DISAPPEAR. She grew up in Kansas City, later moving to the Pacific Northwest where the mountains and Puget Sound became home. Beyond writing, she loves to run, rock climb, and explore the great outdoors with her daughter and husband. She is an RN and recently finished her degree as a nurse practitioner. When holding still, which isn’t often, you’ll find a book in her hand and a cat or dog (or both!) in her lap. Jessica writes suspense and thriller and is the host of #MomsWritersClub on Twitter and YouTube. You can find out more about her at her website, jessicapayne.net

I thought that The Housemaid by Freida McFadden was going to be a good psych thriller just from the description. I did not expect to be blown away.

But I was. This is by far one of the best psych thrillers I have read in recent memory. And yes, I may have said that a few times recently, but this one really shoots to the top of the list.

I feel like I repeat myself about plot spoilers, but I also feel like I cannot stress enough how important it is to me to NOT give anything away. Especially with this one.

The action is in three parts. The first part is from Millie’s point of view. If there is a definition of “down on your luck” it can be found in her situation. She is desperate and knows that she has slim chances at success in anything she does due to a mysterious past.

It is the perfect setup for the action of the rest of the book.

Millie’s dream come true job as the housemaid soon turns out to be nothing that she expected. But, as she is hiding secrets, she has to stick with it no matter how bad it gets.

And boy, does it get bad.

Nina is a real piece of work. I can’t say why (because…spoilers). I spent a lot of time in the first part wanting to scream at Millie, “GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN!” I also wondered about Millie’s character…that she tolerated so much.

But the worse it got, the more I started thinking there had to be another reason for everything that was happening. I mean, it is a psych thriller. So, there should be.

And boy, are there reasons.

The second part of the book gives the reader an alternative viewpoint on the action of the first part. It may sound convoluted, but it isn’t. It’s a genius way to show what was really going on.

The third part converges the first two parts and secrets are uncovered, wrapping everything up to one of THE most satisfying conclusions in a psych thriller that one could hope for.

And just when you think the author has given you everything about the characters you could possibly know, she hasn’t. She saves the final surprise for literally the last page in the book.

I am not exaggerating when I say that my jaw dropped, and I instantly thought “what a frickin’ amazing twist that was!”

(Side note: I don’t know if it was intentional, but the last character introduced in the epilogue has an epic last name (sort of NSFW) that is a clue to what may happen).

Honestly, I can’t believe this is my first book from this author – how have missed Freida McFadden’s other psych thrillers?

I am headed to Unlimited right now because The Housemaid was amazing, and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

About the author

#1 Amazon bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple Kindle bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. She lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

I enjoyed The Widow’s Husband by Lesley Sanderson. It is a solid psych thriller.

It is also a cautionary tale about relationships and how gut instinct may be the best indicator of who to trust.

There is not a lot to unpack from this book because it is not overly complicated or twisty. You don’t have to pay attention to every little detail.

However, if you feel like you should, you might figure out a few of the surprises. Otherwise, it is pretty straightforward.

The blurb clearly spells out the plot, so I don’t need to recap. I found Rachel to be a decent heroine. She is real and her reactions and thoughts are genuine.

I also found Heidi to be a bit more of an enigma, and I think that was on purpose. I have an inherent mistrust for people like her (who doesn’t?). It was difficult to tell if she was “typical” or if there was a surprise to be found in her character.

But of course, I’m not telling you which one of those is right.

I will say that this book is heavy on the “psych” aspect of the psych thriller. Not necessarily because it plays with the reader’s mind, but because there is a lot of introspection.

The author delves heavily into character motivation, which results in long passages of inner monologues. They are good for development but they also do slow down the action.

A last note: I am a bit puzzled about the title. It seems to give away the plot. This is an odd choice given the way the story is crafted.

But regardless, it is still a good psych thriller.

Other books by Lesley Sanderson for you to check out: The Birthday Weekend, Every Little Lie, The Leaving Party, I Know You Lied

Author Bio

Lesley is the author of several psychological thrillers. She spends her days writing in coffee shops in Kings Cross where she lives and works as a librarian. She loves the atmosphere and eclectic mix of people in the area.

There were times in The Breakdown by Arianne Richmonde that I thought the psych thriller would give ME a breakdown.

Seriously, there were so many times that I wondered exactly what was going on.

And there is a LOT going on.

At first, I thought it had a very Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights feel to it. Perhaps that is because of Jayne’s name, or the situation where the nanny is entering into a strange family situation in a fairly secluded area.

I don’t know if that is the intention, but it is a strong vibe.

As I got further in the plot, however, I realized that there was an undercurrent of action that I had missed because I was set in my initial mindset.

At that point, I dropped everything I thought I had figured out and just went along for the ride. Trust me when I say the book is best enjoyed if you do this from the beginning.

I don’t want to say too much about the characters, because this is a case where one thing could give away a bigger plot point.

There is not a large cast of characters, but everyone is hiding something. It does take a bit of concentration to keep everything straight. There are more than a few “blink and you’ll miss it moments.”

And even if you don’t blink, by the time you get to the end, you’ll wonder if there IS something you didn’t notice. Because there are twists you will not see coming. Right up to the very end.

Even though it started a little slow, The Breakdown ended up being another great psych thriller from Arianne Richmonde.

Here are some more of the author’s books to try: The Newlyweds, The Guilty Sister, The Wife’s House

Author Bio:

Arianne Richmonde is the USA TODAY bestselling author of the psychological thrillers, THE WIFE’S HOUSE and THE NEWLYWEDS (published by Bookouture, Hachette UK). Her Pearl series has sold more than half a million copies worldwide. Her stories are always character-driven and full of unexpected twists and turns.

When not writing about the passions and fragilities of human nature, she loves to spend time with her husband and their animals, including a femme fatale Husky with one blue eye and one golden eye. Arianne’s a chocoholic and sometimes sneaks off to sunny, exotic locations, all in the name of research.