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The Suspect-Croft-Thriller-Available Now

The Suspect by Kathryn Croft is a thriller that does just enough to make it a page-turner. I read it in one sitting.

Jess was only two when her mother Lori was killed, and Jess has spent her entire life believing one person was responsible.

However, when that person shows up years later professing their innocence, Jess has questions. This sets her off on a mission to uncover the truth.

I liked Jess. I could understand both her desire and reluctance to learn the truth. Her actions and reactions felt realistic, and I could see myself making some of the same decisions that she did.

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I also liked the way the plot unfolded. Interspersing Lori’s experiences leading up to her death gave insight into her frame of mind, which gave the reader an interesting perspective to bring into the current timeline with Jess.

Even the secondary characters served their purposes, especially in Lori’s case. Her family…well, they must be experienced to be believed.

While I thought that the truth was obvious, I was surprised to learn that I was only partially correct. The author did just enough to keep me guessing throughout, changing my mind about the guilty party numerous times.

And even when you think you’ve figured everything out and the author has wrapped everything up – there’s still another twist to come.

I really enjoyed The Suspect and will be eagerly waiting for the next thriller from Kathryn Croft.

Kathryn Croft thriller author
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The In-Laws-Wolfe-Psych Thriller-Available Now

The In-Laws by Laura Wolfe is a psych thriller that feels like two stories mashed into one at times.

I think part of the reason for that is the title. There are also some plot points that feel inconsistent. But more on those later.

The initial premise is good. Two people getting married, their parents didn’t get along at an initial meeting, so they’re trying a team-building trip to break the ice.

Camping would not be my first choice for this, but it turns out that Abigail has reasons for pushing the method.

I liked most of the camping/wilderness survival plot points in the book. I thought the author did a good job with them and created enough distrust among the characters that the reader felt naturally suspicious as well.

Some of the interactions, however, did not seem realistic. It was like the author was trying too hard to make a character unlikeable. At one point, I even thought, “Really? Who actually talks that way?”

I suppose it was a way to build the “psych” part of the psych thriller (like, could someone really be that awful?), and I suppose in the bigger picture, it serves as background for later events.

Because it turns out that everyone on this trip has secrets. Some are worse than others, but nobody is unscathed. The way that the secrets are revealed mostly works. I definitely did not guess all of the twists and secrets that were hidden throughout.

The In-Laws psych thriller cover

However, there are also points that felt less like red herrings and more like forgotten moments. For example, the author has the in-laws, Darla and Kenny, exchanging looks quite often. Unless I missed it entirely, it was never clear what those glances meant.

I mean, there were hints, and I think I figured it out, but it wasn’t as clear as it could have been.

The pacing was also a bit lopsided. Nearly three-quarters of the book leads up to a certain event, and then the last 25% is reveal after reveal. Some of it has been hinted at, and some of it feels like it is on fast-forward.

Also: the title. That first 75% allows for the title to make sense. But that last quarter pretty much has nothing to do with the title. They are still characters, but not the focus that the title would suggest.

At any rate, Laura Wolfe has definitely written a page-turning psych thriller in The In-Laws. I’ll certainly be looking for her next one.

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A Mother Would Know-Garza-Psych Thriller-Available Now

A Mother Would Know by Amber Garza is a slow-burn psych thriller with many moving parts that keep the reader guessing until the final pages.

Valerie is a broken person-fame is gone, she’s alone in an old Victorian house that may or may not be haunted, and she’s got personal ghosts of her own.

Her kids, Kendra and Hudson, are products of her life. Each one is a piece of work in their own way. But which one is worse, and who is responsible for all the bad events in their lives?

There’s a whole lot to unpack character-wise. The psych thriller comes partly as usual (who is doing what and why), but the psych part is especially prevalent.

Is it fair to blame one person’s choices for a lifetime of misery? At what point does personal responsibility play a part? And should a mother always be able to figure out her kids and know exactly what they are feeling or doing?

The author works hard to keep the mystery throughout the plot. Two particular events are the focus of the story, and the reader gets the truth of them in bits and pieces.

A Mother Would Know psych thriller cover

I liked the reflection on how Valerie’s life choices have made an impact on her kids. Additionally, the “who is responsible” was well done. I had theories that changed numerous times throughout the book.

And just when you think the author has wrapped things up satisfactorily and you are vindicated in your guesses…you’re probably wrong.

A Mother Would Know is a definite page-turner of a psych thriller. And I will continue to look for books from Amber Garza.

This review was written based on a digital copy of the book from MIRA. For more reviews like this, please browse this page.

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The Personal Assistant-Belle-Psych Thriller-Available Now

I had high hopes for The Personal Assistant by Kimberly Belle. It seemed like a psych thriller that would be right up my alley. For the most part, I was right.

I’m not a social media person – it is more of a necessary evil these days. The bare minimum is used, and even that is very grudgingly.

I say that to point out why I had a difficult time relating to Alex. I get that social media influencers are a thing, but I just don’t GET them – if that makes sense. However, it is necessary for Alex to be “out there” for the rest of the plot to work.

The story is relayed from three points of view: Alex, AC, and Patrick (Alex’s husband). Through each of them, we get a plot that is carefully planned and mostly suspenseful.
I have a love/hate relationship with books like this. The love is because they keep me guessing, changing my mind about my predictions, and can usually surprise me at least once. But I hate them because they are so very difficult to write reviews on.

This is the type of book where one slip in a review could ruin an entire plot thread. But trying to hide it by being cagey gives the impression that it was too confusing to understand. And I’m making this review confusing by writing it this way.

I really enjoyed 75% of the book. I had inklings about some things early on, but I wasn’t certain about them until the actual reveal. In that regard, the author really put the psych in a psych thriller.

That being said, I thought the last quarter of the book felt rushed and disconnected from the rest. I get that the author wanted to shock the reader, but too much seemed to come out of left field, and there were several questions left unanswered.

For example, the background of the culprit and how they were able to get away with everything they did is never sufficiently explained, nor is there much background to support it. The reader is just supposed to go with it. Not a fan of that, mostly because the rest of it is so darn good.

I’m rounding up my review to four stars simply because ¾ of The Personal Assistant was everything I could want in a psych thriller. Kimberly Belle is an author I will continue to look for.

This review was written based on a digital copy of the book from Park Row. For more reviews like this, please browse this site.


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The Lie in Our Marriage-Weatherley-Psych Thriller-Available Now

The Lie in Our Marriage by Anna-Lou Weatherley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Lie in Our Marriage is book number six in the Detective Dan Riley series. But (as with previous books) Anna Lou Weatherley strikes a great balance between psych thriller and crime thriller.

You can get the gist of the story from the blurb. What I like most about the author’s way of writing is that there is a clear delineation between the psych thriller and crime procedural chapters, but they weave together for a cohesive story. The transitions between the two are seamless.

I thought this plot, in particular, was engaging. The author manages to make the characters relatable to multiple ages. Older readers will relate to Maggie and her perspectives on marriage and middle age. Younger readers will embrace the social media/influencer aspect that her daughter Remy lives for. Again – great balance here.

One of the most striking things about the plot is the choice that Maggie forces herself to make. It is every married woman’s nightmare, and what she contemplates is almost unfathomable. But in the context of the story, her choices make sense, and one can understand them.

I also thought the crime procedural parts of the story were well-done. They were not too technical, but just enough to understand what was happening. And I appreciate how each of the characters in that thread is an individual. They’re not just faceless “law enforcement.”

I did guess part of the “reveal” fairly early, but the author threw in enough red herrings that I second-guessed myself a few times. I didn’t know I had guessed correctly until the actual climax.

If one wants to deep-dive into a pleasure read, I think readers could also take a lesson in trust and reliability from Len and Maggie’s situation. That’s all I am going to say about that.

I really enjoyed The Lie in Our Marriage. Anna Lou Weatherley has definitely found a winning formula between psych thriller and crime procedural, and I’ll be looking for the next Dan Riley book.

This review was written based on a digital copy of the book from Bookouture. For more reviews, please browse this site.

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All the Dangerous Things-Willingham-Thriller-Available Now

All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If you ever want to know what a person goes through when their child disappears, read All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham. Through Isabelle, the main character and sole POV, we get extensive detail about the sleeplessness, the doubt, the worry, the suspicion…everything you could imagine, and probably some emotions you would never think of.
Unfortunately, that’s where the book gets bogged down. There is SO much emphasis on Isabelle’s emotions and thoughts that any forward action is often hampered or lost. Not to sound mean, but it sometimes felt like the author was being paid by the word because it was all extremely verbose.
The plot itself is decent, and the childhood memories that start to surface as Isabelle works her way through life (while trying to find out what happened to her son) cast enough doubt on the situation to make the reader wonder whether or not Isabelle is a reliable narrator.
Despite this, the culprit seemed obvious to me early on. I did like how it all resolved itself, however. I did enjoy the realizations that Isabelle came to and the actions she took in the end. For me, the book was okay but might have been better with maybe a thousand fewer words and some tighter plotting. 2.5 rounded up to 3 due to the culprit receiving just desserts.

Thank you to Minotaur Books for a digital copy of this book. For more reviews, please browse this site!
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Just the Nicest Couple-Kubica-Thriller-Available Now

Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I wanted to like Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica, but while there were a few good points, I was largely disappointed. The premise was good, but the execution felt like it was lacking. I think the biggest sticking point for me was that Christian had a prominent voice, but he was actually a passive character in the bigger scheme of things. That left too much room for his internal monologues, which essentially stopped any action. There were also parts where the writing felt very elementary like this was an early novel from the author that is now seeing the light of day due to her success. Regardless, while this book was not for me, others may have a different experience. I will continue to look for new releases from her, as everyone can have an off time at any point. This review was written based on a digital copy of the book from Harlequin Trade Publishing/ Park Row.



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Best Friends Forever-Hollinger-Thriller-Available Now

Best Friends Forever by Shannon Hollinger is a thriller that mostly delivers on its promises. There are definitely requisite thrills, more than one mystery, and a couple of decent twists thrown in.

In short, there is a lot going on – sometimes too much. But we’ll get to that.

Kate has to return home to help care for an ailing mother and mute sister. She had left her hometown abruptly a decade earlier because of a chilling event. Being home again opens up all kinds of cans of worms.

Additionally, almost as soon as she arrives home, there is another incident that raises even more questions and leaves Kate wondering if her memories of the event are accurate or not. Having “the old gang” around adds to the questions.

So goes the premise of this thriller.

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There is a lot to like about Best Friends Forever. The reader can appreciate Kate’s reluctance to be home again given the circumstances but also sympathize with her desire to find out what really happened on that night so many years prior.

I liked the mystery aspects of this thriller. In fact, the plot, in general, was really good. The author dropped enough red herrings and legit clues to keep me guessing.

There are several subplots that may or may not (no spoilers here) have bearing on the overall arc. Those were also mostly handled well.

And once the story reaches a climax, there is surprise after surprise. A few I guessed, but I was not entirely accurate on a couple of main ones until the moment of reveal.

I think the only thing keeping this from being a five-star thriller is that the middle drags…a lot.

Kate tends to dither. I get that it is her character and her unsettled nature at being back home. But there is a large chunk of the story where nothing really impels the plot forward.

A few of the subplots seem to be thrown in as twists that aren’t really needed. There isn’t enough character development for them to really matter (if that makes sense).

However, despite all of that, Best Friends Forever is still a good, page-turning thriller. I will be looking for future books from Shannon Hollinger.

Shannon Hollinger thriller author
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The Narrator-Slater-Psych Thriller-Available Now

K.L. Slater is fast becoming another favorite author when I need a psych thriller fix. The Narrator is definitely one of her best.

There are just enough questions thrown out about each of the characters that the reader is as off-balance as the main character.

Additionally, the author is clever in setting this story in the book world because it instantly adds relatability and awareness to situations.

Even the final, last gasp, jaw-dropping surprise is entirely plausible.

I guess, in some ways, that makes The Narrator a unique psych thriller. It is one of the few times I can remember thinking, “I could absolutely see this happening in real life.”

Obviously, I’m not going to give any plot points away. But again, the author is smart in the storytelling. The action unfolds from multiple perspectives in multiple time frames. And it is never confusing at all.

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In fact, I think it was one of the most seamless books I’ve read recently. Everything flowed smoothly. I particularly liked that there were a couple of characters who popped up occasionally who may or may not have anything to do with the overall plot.  (I’m not telling).

But it was effective storytelling because they did just enough to throw suspicion on themselves.

If I had to nitpick, the only thing that didn’t exactly fit for me was the thread about Eve’s father. I get it in the overall plot picture, but it seemed forced to me, while everything else seemed natural.

Regardless, The Narrator is still a fantastic psych thriller. I didn’t guess the big reveal until literally the last moment. For that reason alone, it earns high marks – but everything else is pretty darn good too!

K.L. Slater psych thriller author
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The Stay-at-Home Mother-Trope-Psych Thriller-Available Now

Nicole Trope has become one of my favorite psych thriller authors, and The Stay-at-Home Mother is the perfect example of why she is so good.

In a nutshell, whatever story she is telling is really only partial. It’s enough on its own, but if you’ve read her books, you know there is always another shoe to drop somewhere along the way (usually toward the end).


In this case, Gabby is the stay-at-home mother in question. She has an online following that commiserates with her over her troubles with her teenage son.

When Andrea (very pregnant), her husband Terry, and their 3-year-old son Jack move in across the street, Gabby can’t help but offer assistance to a frazzled Andrea. And Andrea is all too willing to rely on this virtual stranger who seems like the perfect lifeline.

However, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is…not true.

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Not only does Andrea have pregnancy fog, but her husband’s “issue” rears its ugly head at the same time as everything else comes to a climax. It’s really a perfect storm of distraction.

I don’t want to give anything away because, like any good psych thriller, the fun is in realizing what is actually occurring without any spoilers to wreck the enjoyment of the plot.

But I will say that even if you think you have it all figured out (which I did a few times) – there is still more that you will not guess.

And that is why The Stay-at-Home Mother is a quintessential psych thriller. Nicole Trope has cemented herself as an absolute go-to for a jaw-dropping read.

Nicole Trope psych thriller author
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