#StMartinsPress Archives

June 9, 2018September 7, 2018

BOOK REVIEW: “Lies”

WOW! It’s not often that a book leaves me speechless, but Lies certainly did. By the time the big reveal occurred (as it always does in psych thrillers) my jaw was hanging open and I couldn’t read fast enough! I really cannot say enough good things about this book. I loved that it was told from a male point of view, which is very different from many other psychological thrillers these days. I thought the plot was tightly written and there were no questions left unanswered; everything was “resolved” in the end. I especially liked the way the author wove a commentary about technology into the story, without preaching to the reader. Through Joe, the main character, we see how reliant we have become on the tech around us, and how that reliance can enable both good and bad events. A stand-out among psychological thrillers, and I can’t wait to read more from this author! Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

June 5, 2018September 7, 2018

BOOK REVIEW: “The Other Woman”

It’s so difficult to review a psychological thriller without giving away important plot points. I’m going to give it a try without giving too much away. This was one of the better books that I have read lately, but it had a few flaws. The author does a good job of making the primary villain extremely unlikable, almost too much so. At some points, I wondered why anyone would put up with someone so horrible, and not just walk away. However, I will say that that question does eventually get answered. Emily, the main character, goes through an awful lot, which is par for the course in a psychological thriller. I found her to be a little weak, but there was no particular reason given for her to be that way. In addition, the other antagonist (no name, don’t want to give it away) wasn’t fleshed out enough. I wanted more reasons for and/or examples of why and how that person was the way they were. The end reveal didn’t answer enough of those questions for me. All of that being said, it was still an enjoyable read, with a fairly tight plot. I would definitely recommend it to someone who likes the genre. I was given an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

May 29, 2018September 25, 2018

BOOK REVIEW: “Mr. Nice Guy”

I was honestly confused by this book. From the description, I expected a more straightforward “he said/she said” story told through the competing magazine columns. That part of the story was interesting, and I think the book would have been fine if that had been it. But there was more to the story; a secondary plot about the main character, Lucas, trying to find his way in the publishing business. This became very convoluted. His boss’ backroom dealings, an odd financial benefactor and various other characters seemed to be filler. That being said, the “magazine job” angle would have been an interesting story on its own as well. What it all boils down to is that this book seemed to be a mash up of two separate books that never seemed to really entirely gel. It tried to do too much, and as a result, nothing was as gripping as it could have been.