Tag: Now Available

Posted on

Missing-Slater-Review-Psych Thriller-Available Now

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?

Buy Link:
Amazon: https://geni.us/B09V191B43social

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

Facebook: KimLSlaterAuthor/
Instagram: klslaterauthor/
Twitter: KimLSlater

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/
Posted on

The Tenant-Lester-Review-Psych Thriller-Available Now

The Tenant by Angela Lester is a psych thriller that will keep you guessing right up to the very end.

Yeah, I know that is a familiar refrain when it comes to psych thrillers, but in this case, it is actually true.

The author does a great job of building the plot from the ground up, giving the reader just enough information to keep going while also leaving enough doubt about the motives of the characters.

That might sound confusing, but it isn’t in actual practice in the story.

Kate is an interesting character. Her backstory is just questionable enough that when odd things start to occur, she appears to be an unreliable narrator.

Amy is…well, she’s Amy. I can’t say too much about her without giving major points of the story away. But again, here is where the author excels, because in spite of my initial feelings about her, I found myself questioning whether or not she might be the victim.

And you won’t find that answer here.

Buy Links
Amazon UK –  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tenant-gripping-psychological-thriller-ending-ebook/dp/B09Z6W745R
Amazon US –  https://www.amazon.com/Tenant-gripping-psychological-thriller-ending-ebook/dp/B09Z6W745R

There are also some good red herrings along the way, which lend additional doubt to both Amy and Kate’s motivations.

There were a few times that I felt the story disconnected. Like a good plot point that makes sense but then kind of goes nowhere.

For example, without giving anything away, there were times that I wasn’t sure about Clara and Philip’s roles in the entire situation. I suppose that was by design as well. Because at one point, I wondered if they had something to do with everything that was going on.

Another example was when Kate was working in the library and saw a man sitting in a place where Philip sat. Then, a while later in the book, Clara is describing Philip at a point in his life. The description was very similar to the person Kate saw in the library.

Again, not sure if it was by design, but it would have been nice for that to have been explored more. Maybe calling Kate’s sanity into question?

But I suppose that was done enough. I did guess early about parts of the plot, and I kept hoping that the author would have a twist proving me wrong. She did, but not in the way I expected, so that was good.

All in all, I would say that The Tenant by Angela Lester was a definite solid psych thriller and it should go on your TBR list.  I look forward to reading more from her.

Author Bio 

Angela Lester loves writing psychological suspense that explores the dark side of human nature.

A philosophy graduate, she came over from Germany in 1991 and has lived in Cardiff ever since.  She plays the piano, sings in a choir, and loves walking in the great Welsh countryside. Her real passion is writing. She has written short stories and novels in German and English. The Tenant is her first published thriller.

Posted on

Make Me Disappear-Payne-Review-Psych Thriller-Available Now

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.

Make Me Disappear psych thriller blog tour
Buy link: https://geni.us/B09VXXGZLPsocial

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!

Jessica Payne author headshot
Twitter: @authorjesspayne
Facebook: @authorjessicapayne
Instagram: @jessicapyane.writer

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

Posted on

On a Quiet Street-Glass-Review-Thriller-Available Now

On a Quiet Street by Seraphina Nova Glass is a thriller that has a great surface story and an even better undercurrent.

In other words, the different levels of this book are nuanced but complimentary. It makes for one heck of a novel.

Everyone has secrets, and nobody is telling the entire truth. In some ways, that makes each of the characters unreliable narrators. But that’s too simplistic.

There are layers to each of the main characters’ stories and they all intertwine seamlessly. But the reader doesn’t thoroughly understand that until they’re well into the book.

After a mysterious prologue, the action unfolds from alternating points of view between Paige, Cora, and Georgia. It took me a while to get a full feeling for each of them beyond their introductions.

I think that was by design, because of the secrets that each of them held. It wouldn’t be a thriller without that!

It is actually a little difficult to write this review because there is so much detail, but also so much underneath the surface, that it would be easy to give something away.

Suffice to say that everything is really complicated until about halfway through when threads start to unravel, and the reader starts to find out the truth about…everything.

Buy Links:  BookShop.org Harlequin  Barnes & Noble
Amazon Books-A-Million Powell’s 

Like another book I recently read, there seems to be a bit of “men are bad” thing going on here. Of the three husbands to the three main characters, only Paige’s husband (Grant) isn’t a complete jerk (and that’s going easy on the other two).

But even he has his faults. But that’s okay because the women do too.

Once the revelations start to appear, the action really picks up and the last third of the book is a true page-turner. That’s not to say that the beginning wasn’t as well. But that was more “draw you in slowly with intrigue” page-turning, not “omg, what happens next!” page-turning thriller.

The author does a fantastic job of illustrating how everyone has secrets of some kind, and you never really know what the truth is. Well, that, and you’ll probably start looking at your neighbors differently, wondering what they may be hiding.

Check out these other thrillers from Seraphina Nova Glass: Such a Good Wife and Someone’s Listening

Twitter: @SeraphinaNova
Facebook: Seraphina Nova Glass: Author

Author Bio: 

Seraphina Nova Glass is a professor and playwright-in-residence at the University of Texas, Arlington. She teaches film studies and playwriting. She holds an MFA in playwriting from Smith College, and she’s also a screenwriter and award-winning playwright.

Posted on

The Adoption-Kernan-Review-Psych Thriller-Available Now

I am left with mixed feelings about The Adoption by Jenna Kernan. On the one hand, it is one heck of a psych thriller. The reader is just about as psyched out as the characters.

On the other hand, my reading of it was almost derailed by (what I saw as) unnecessary and repetitive commentary. I’ll explain this in a minute.

(NOTE: The publisher indicates that early feedback was taken into consideration and the repetition was addressed in a new version. I do not have the time to go back in and read the entire book again. So, please know that this review is of the original version. Therefore, some of these points may not be valid anymore.)

First, the good parts of the book. There are so many twists and layers that I had to read very carefully. Usually, I do not have the patience to dive into a pleasure read. But by simple luck, I read this at the right time to be in the right frame of mind.

Dani returns home after having been in a mental hospital for a period of time. That’s really all you need to know. Everything else from that premise is a tie to the mysteries of the book.

There is not actually a lot of character development, but the story itself is full of detail. Dani is a wreck, and her husband Tate is a young judge with political aspirations. All other characters are secondary (for the most part).

Tate proves himself to be unreliable very early on. But, due to her conditions, Dani is also an unreliable narrator. So, actually, one of them may be more reliable than it appears.

See what I mean about being a psych out?

Amazon: https://geni.us/B09V3B7LZPsocial

Part of Dani’s unreliability is due to a condition called acquired prosopagnosia – also known as face blindness. I’m not going to go into detail here. The author does plenty of that in the first half of the book. (Remember my note from above here).

In fact, there are so many mentions of Dani’s afflictions that they got repetitive and boring. Fortunately, at one point, the author decided that was enough and the plot really took off. Unfortunately, that was about halfway through.

What is odd is that it gets barely a mention in the second half of the book. It would have fit, especially as Dani tries to figure out the truth in her situation. A little more balance would have been nice.

Additionally, due to Dani’s condition, we are to believe that she is okay with how her husband goes about the adoption. As someone who is adopted and has adopted a child, this was one of the toughest parts for me to just let go. Everything about it screamed at me that it was beyond ridiculous.

But it is a psych thriller sooo….<shrug>.

On a different note. I almost stopped reading the book early on when the author kept mentioning the pandemic. It was especially annoying when Dani muses that her newborn is “too young yet for the shot.” This is such a lightning rod topic that it took me right out of the action.

I get that the contemporary setting made the author feel that she needed to include it. Perhaps if more had relied on the mask-wearing? It would have felt more natural to the story, especially due to Dani’s problems. As it is, though, it felt gratuitous and not organic.

So, take my note about the first half. If that has been fixed, you’ll find that The Adoption is a multi-layered psych thriller that leaves the reader in knots.

If you’re looking for a thriller/suspense novel, you can check out A Killer’s Daughter, also by Jenna Kernan.

Website: www.jennakernan.com.
Twitter: jennakernan

Author Bio:

Bestselling author Jenna Kernan writes gripping domestic thrillers. Her 2021 release, A Killer’s Daughter, won the bronze medal from the Florida Book Awards in the popular fiction category.

Posted on

The Family I Lost-Mercer-Fiction-Available Now

I have read a lot of Ali Mercer books (see list of past reviews at the end of this one). Her family drama stories are heartfelt and show the complicated nature of relationships. The Family I Lost has all of that in spades.

The setup is not unusual. After a prologue that sets the scene for later events, the action jumps right into Lisa finding some interesting items while cleaning out her mom’s house after her mom passes away.

The ensuing action is told in five parts. Part one alternates between Lisa and Amy in the present, and part two is largely Lisa’s. Part three then moves to Julie (Lisa’s mom) in the far past before part four focuses on Amy at two different time periods.

Finally, part five alternates between the stories of all three women from the entire time between the earliest of Julie’s story up to the present.

This sounds confusing, but it isn’t as long the reader pays attention to the headings for the timeframe and whose point of view is being told. It is actually deft handling of some complicated storylines.

Buy Link:  https://geni.us/B09VH9VCB4social
AUDIBLE: 
UK: http://ow.ly/62yH50IVH38
US: http://ow.ly/uxWM50IVH36

I don’t want to give away more than the blurb does but suffice to say that “complex family issues” is an understatement. This is the type of fiction that the author does so well.

There are revelations that surprise both Amy and Lisa. Everything they thought they knew about their family is questionable.

I found this one a little difficult to get into. There seemed to be a longer setup than in some of the author’s other books. However, the baseline of Lisa and Amy is vital to understanding the importance of Julie’s story.

I promise it all makes sense in the course of the plot. The action does pick up around part three and continues to the end.

In spite of the slow start, this may be my favorite of all of the Ali Mercer books. It is difficult to find more complicated family drama than her stories.

Other family drama/fiction books from Ali Mercer: The Marriage Lie; My Mother’s Choice

Author Bio:

Twitter: @AlisonLMercer
Instagram: @alimercerwriter
Facebook: AliMercerwriter

Author Bio:

Ali decided she wanted to be a writer early on and wrote her first novel when she was at primary school. She has two children, a daughter and a son who is autistic. Ali is fascinated by families, their myths and secrets, and the forces that hold them together, split them up, and (sometimes) bring them back together again.

Posted on

The Dachshund Wears Prada-Review-London-Rom Com-Available Now

The Dachshund Wears Prada by Stefanie London is a pithy rom com that doesn’t exactly break any new ground but is a thoroughly fun and enjoyable read.

Although, I will say that the way Isla loses her initial job is described in spectacular fashion. I think people who follow stars on social media secretly hope to eventually see something like this.

At least I would.

Anyway, the plot is fairly basic (that’s not a bad thing). Girl loses job, boy has job open, girl takes job (as strange as it is), there’s attraction, good things happen, bad things happen, etc.

Exactly what you expect from a rom com.

This one has something extra though. It has heart that many others are missing. As breezy as the story is, there are multiple relationships that are surprisingly deep.

I loved the relationship between Isla and her younger sister Dani. I never thought that a middle-aged person like me would be able to relate to a 14-year-old character. But I totally understood the passion for ballet. So, I think that endeared her to me a bit.

The Dachshund Wears Prada Cover
Buy Links:  BookShop.org Harlequin  Barnes & Noble
Amazon Books-A-Million Powell’s 

Theo and Isla have a relationship that grows naturally and is haunted (there has to be conflict) but it also did not feel over-dramatized or “too much.” I guess that is a complicated way to say that everything felt “real.”

And then there is Camilla. The pooch of the title is a force to be reckoned with. The early descriptions of her going through dog sitters certainly invoked the proper images of Anna Wintour.

But even that little dog shows growth throughout the story. I imagine it isn’t always easy to do that for humans, much less a dog.

Stefanie London has created the perfect, beach-worthy rom com in The Dachshund Wears Prada. I can’t wait to read more of her books.

Social Links:
Author Website
Instagram: @stefanielondon
Facebook: @London’s Lovelies
Goodreads

Author Bio: 

Stefanie London is a USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance. Originally from Australia, she now lives in Toronto with her very own hero and is doing her best to travel the world. She frequently indulges her passions for lipstick, good coffee, books and anything zombie related.

Posted on

The Perfect Family-Dounaeva-Review-Psych Thriller-Available Now

This is the first psych thriller I have read by Lorna Dounaeva, but The Perfect Family was just good enough to make me want to come back for more.

It is an intriguing look at how far a person will go to protect their image…and their family. But it also is a searing look at how quickly that image can disappear.

Victoria is a character who is easy to dislike. She is too perfect, too driven, and too clueless about the realities surrounding her situation.

Even as her image is “perfect” (hence “the perfect family”), there are several things that she chooses to stick her head in the sand about.

Her teenage daughter is pulling away from her.

Her son is showing all signs of being on the spectrum.

And she and her husband are hiding a deep secret that she will do anything to keep hidden.

As I said, she is easy to dislike because she is of a single mind about the last one. At least, that’s how it seems.

I got most annoyed with her when it came to her son. I have dealt with parents like her more often than I care to admit, and they bug the heck out of me. It does a kid no good to be protected to the point of “there is nothing wrong with them” when acknowledging an issue can do the kid a world of good.

Buy Links
Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Perfect-Family-gripping-psychological-thriller-ebook/dp/B09Y1W92VZ
Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Family-gripping-psychological-thriller-ebook/dp/B09Y1W92VZ

But that is my little soapbox moment.

I think the author uses that to show just how narrow Victoria’s thinking is. Not that she is narrow-minded, just doesn’t have a large vision.

Anyway, the story is told from three points of view: Victoria, Anna (her daughter), and diary entries from Joey. To me, the last point of view is the most telling, and I wish there had been more of it.

To be frank, this is a decent psych thriller with okay plot points and a questionable lead character…right up until the end.

The choices made by the author for the climax and aftermath are shocking (given everything that comes before) and will leave you wondering what just happened.

I think it’s part character redemption (but who?) and part “let’s take the reader for a real ride.” I’m good with that.

So, pick up The Perfect Family and you will find that Lorna Dounaeva has created a story proving that perfection only exists on the surface.

Facebook: LornaDounaevaAuthor
Instagram: lorna_dounaeva/
Twitter: LornaDounaeva

About the Author

Lorna Dounaeva has a Masters in European Studies and used to work at the Home Office before turning to crime fiction. She lives in Godalming, Surrey with her husband, three children, and a crafty cat. 

The Perfect Family is her second psychological thriller with Inkubator Books.

Website: https://www.lornadounaeva.com

Posted on

The Girl Before Me-Wolfe-Review-Psych Thriller-Available Now

The Girl Before Me by Laura Wolfe has all the hallmarks of a good psych thriller.

Rachel is a likable heroine. It is easy to root for her because she is not a caricature. She is realistic, and her actions and thoughts are understandable. It is easy to see where the reader could make the same decisions she does.

There is a “locked room” vibe to the plot. It is obvious from the prologue that Annie is (probably) “the girl before me” – with the “me” being Rachel. But most of the important action occurs within a few apartments in one building.

This allows for a finite number of suspects when things start to go a little strange for Rachel. The author does a great job of casting each person who Rachel comes in contact with as a potential villain.

It also allows for a sense of claustrophobia to permeate through several scenes. I got a definite “Rosemary’s Baby” feeling from the people and the building.

And that’s all I have to say about that point.

Buy Link: 
https://geni.us/B09RQS5TSSsocial

A good psych thriller has red herrings. Part of that is which characters are suspicious. But part of it is also not allowing the red herrings to be unbelievable. This is another area where the author largely succeeds.

I did think that Rachel’s situation that led her to be in the apartment wasn’t quite as fleshed out as it could have been. It served as a good option for the events but could have used a little more oomph to be completely believable. The same goes for Rachel’s mom.

Some of the characters, however, were more like caricatures (kindly old couple, hot single guy, trendy girl, weirdo guy) – but I like to think that is by design. They didn’t bother me, they just felt familiar.

It is also a little strange that after the prologue, everyone is sort of like, “yeah, the person is gone” and…that’s it. On the surface, it seems odd that nobody would mention the police or offer more solid theories on where the person went.

However, in today’s transitory culture, especially in big cities, I don’t think it is unusual for people to adopt an “Oh well” type of attitude toward their neighbors. Especially when there are plausible excuses given for the person’s absence.

I know that sounds confusing, but I promise it makes sense in the context of the plot.

What I did like most about the book was that it all just made sense. Once the plot is revealed and the secrets are uncovered, it was possible to look back and see how everything was clearly laid out. It’s a good story when the author makes a clear path for the reader but then leads them astray.

Again, I know that is cryptic, but I don’t want to give anything away. Especially as there are a few final twists even after you think everything is wrapped up.

The Girl Before Me is another solid psych thriller from Laura Wolfe.

Facebook: LauraWolfeBooks/
Twitter: LauraWolfeBooks
Instagram: lwolfe.writes/

Author Bio

Laura Wolfe is an Amazon charts bestselling author who writes fast-paced and twisty psychological thrillers and suspense novels. Her recent titles published by Bookouture include WE LIVE NEXT DOOR, HER BEST FRIEND’S LIE, SHE LIES ALONE, and TWO WIDOWS. Laura is a lover of animals and nature. When she is not writing, she is hanging out with her husband and two kids, growing vegetables in her garden, or spoiling her rescue dog. She enjoys living in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Website: https://www.laurawolfebooks.com/

Posted on

The Caretaker-Shiner-Review-Psych Thriller-Available Now

I will always grab a psych thriller written by Emily Shiner. I find her writing to be simple but engaging. The Caretaker is a perfect example.

It feels like this one is a little more elementary than her others. There are passages that are vague, and detail is sketchy or missing entirely.

That being said, the overall plot is a good one that built satisfying tension. Even though the reader knows (for the most part) what is going on, there are still a few surprises left.

I liked the setup of the old house needing rehab and TLC. That’s always a good setting for conflict…and secrets.

The gaslighting was in strong effect in this story as well. It is another effective plot trope that works well in this story.

Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Caretaker-gripping-psychological-thriller-killer-ebook/dp/B09XQTTX27
Amazon US https://www.amazon.com/Caretaker-gripping-psychological-thriller-killer-ebook/dp/B09XQTTX27

Less effective was the whole pre-marriage/affair thread. I get that it is there to show that there is distrust between Amy and Tim. And it does provide a wedge to use against them by the villain. But there is another aspect that doesn’t work as well.

In fact, to me, this plot point served to be more melodramatic than anything else. And it took the characters in places that I didn’t feel were realistic or natural.

Back to the gaslighting for a second – I did like how the villain got to the couple. There were some very effective spooky moments, and it was easy to see how that could affect how people looked at other events with a crooked eye.

And I also liked how the author wrapped up the story. Often there is a hopeful note, where the hero and heroine have overcome (either separate or apart) and things go on.

This is not that ending. By the last pages, it is apparent just how much of a toll the events took on a main character – but I’m not saying which one.

All in all, it is a decent book. Some of the writing was lazy and elementary, but the overall plot was good for a psych thriller. I’ll continue to read books from Emily Shiner.      

Facebook: authoremilyshiner
Instagram: authoremilyshiner/

Author Bio 

Emily Shiner always dreamed of becoming an author but first served her time as a banker and a teacher. Now she gets to live out her dream of writing novels and sharing her stories with people around the world. She lives in the Appalachian Mountains and loves hiking with her husband, daughter, and their two dogs.

Emily writes psychological thrillers. Check out The Secret Wife and The Promise, also from Inkubator Books

close

Enjoy this blog? Please spread the word :)