So somehow I missed out on the hype surrounding Maureen Johnson’s Truly Devious series. I know. I know. Now, though, after finishing Death at Morning So somehow I missed out on the hype surrounding Maureen Johnson’s Truly Devious series. I know. I know. Now, though, after finishing Death at Morning House, I promise to rectify that misstep ASAP. After all, thanks to a finely layered plot, deliciously dark humor, and some truly addictive characters, I just couldn’t get enough of Ms. Johnson’s fabulous locked room whodunnit—times two. Complete with an evocative setting and dual storylines bracketing nearly a century, there wasn’t a thing missing as I inhaled page after page.
The characters, as I’ve mentioned, were amazing. They were also—in a word—fun. If this book was proof positive of how well this author can bring to life teenagers and their not quite adult behaviors, then I’m 100% won over. And despite it having been quite a while since I was one myself, their faulty logic and overly brave actions were nailed, in my humble opinion. Marlowe, though, was easily my favorite. Realistically flawed yet also a dynamite main character as she sniffed out the truth, she was everything I wanted and more in this YA tale of mystery and suspense.
Stuffed to the brim with deftly obscured clues, rising unease, and head-snapping twists, it was the prose that guaranteed that this was a winner from beginning to end. Coming across as though Marlowe was speaking directly to me, it was both familiar and complex. The latter was likely down to the dual timelines and multiple POVs. And while I can easily see this one appealing to almost any teen, it also worked just as well for this far from teenage adult. Utterly original, I can only hope that it too will turn into a series. So come one, come all, this is one unputdownable mystery you’re definitely going to want to solve right along with Marlowe. Rating of 4.5 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
The fire wasn’t Marlowe Wexler’s fault. Dates should be hot, but not hot enough to warrant literal firefighters. Akilah, the girl Marlowe has been in love with for years, will never go out with her again. No one dates an accidental arsonist.
With her house-sitting career up in flames, it seems the universe owes Marlowe a new summer job, and that’s how she ends up at Morning House, a mansion built on an island in the 1920s and abandoned shortly thereafter. It’s easy enough, giving tours. Low risk of fire. High chance of getting bored talking about stained glass and nut cutlets and Prohibition.
Oh, and the deaths. Did anyone mention the deaths?
Maybe this job isn’t such a gift after all. Morning House has a horrific secret that’s been buried for decades, and now the person who brought her here is missing.
All it takes is one clue to set off a catastrophic chain of events. One small detail, just like a spark, could burn it all down—if someone doesn’t bury Marlowe first.
Thank you to Maureen Johnson and Harper Teen for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: August 6, 2024
Trigger warning: getting drugged, house fire, mention of: death of a friend, drowning...more
From the superb setting to the rising claustrophobia, The Chamber offered glimpses of pure, unadulterated fear. I mean, just imagine being stuck in a From the superb setting to the rising claustrophobia, The Chamber offered glimpses of pure, unadulterated fear. I mean, just imagine being stuck in a small room as your friends and colleagues start dropping like flies one after the other. The strongest piece to this one, though, was the mood that Dean managed to invoke. I could feel the thick “air” and stifling heat. The panic of who to trust and who to try and avoid in a room the size of a small SUV. Even the brief look inside of the what has to be one of the worst of the worst jobs was hard to imagine. All told, it was an enticing premise to be sure.
Due to all of the above, I tried to love this book. I really, really did. After all, the premise of a pressure-packed locked room mystery was utterly intoxicating. Unfortunately, though, the plot just didn’t live up to my expectations. A long slow burn from beginning to end, the exciting moments were few and far between. From the dense, detailed info about saturation diving to the many stories about disastrous prior jobs, it all simply took away from the whodunnit plot. What clinched it for me, though, was the conclusion. Or, rather, the lack of one as I’m still not entirely sure what happened in that compression chamber.
Despite my frustrations with this supposed psychological thriller, there was still plenty of gripping paranoia and dread. And the exploration of the psychological ramifications of trauma for these six damaged characters was also exceptionally well done. Sadly, though, that just didn’t make up for the dawdling plot or the lack of any hard and fast answers. Perhaps, though, you should take my opinion with a large grain of salt. After all, plenty of people loved this novel far more than I. So if you enjoy a book with a strong psychological edge and a gradually unfurling plot, give this one a try. It definitely fit that bill to a T. Rating of 3 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
Six experienced saturation divers are locked inside a hyperbaric chamber. Calm and professional, they know that rapid decompression would be fatal and so they work in shifts, breathing helium, and surviving in hot, close quarters.
Then one of them is found dead in his bunk.
With four days of decompression to go before the locked hatch to the chamber can be safely opened, the group must watch one another’s backs at all times. And when another diver is discovered unresponsive, everyone is on edge. What…or who…is taking them out one by one? And will any of them still be alive by the time the four days is up or will paranoia, exhaustion, suspicion, and pressure destroy them all?
Thank you to Will Dean and Emily Bestler/Atria Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: August 6, 2024
Trigger warning: death of friends and family, intrusive thoughts...more
This is one book where reading the synopsis just might remove some of the fun and I, for one, highly recommend going in blind. If, however, you’re oneThis is one book where reading the synopsis just might remove some of the fun and I, for one, highly recommend going in blind. If, however, you’re one of THOSE people who just can’t decide to pick up a book without a glimpse inside, be sure to check out the blurb at the end of my review…
Exquisitely capturing the mother-daughter dynamic, McCreight blew me away with Like Mother, Like Daughter. From the multi-layered, finely plotted storyline to the ever rising suspense, my eyes were glued to the page from beginning to end. But the alternating dual POVs were the highest of the high in a well-packed field for me. With one cliffhanger chapter after another, I was spurred to continue reading just one more page far more times than I could count as the foreboding intensified and the what-ifs swirled about in my mind.
While all of the characters were expertly crafted, Cleo and Kat easily took the cake in the fight for stellar personas. Effortlessly illustrating the love-hate relationship between mother and daughter, the slow IV drip of secrets also revealed a mind-blowing character arc for Cleo. In the same way, I was equally enamored by Kat’s clever, take-no-prisoner personality as she sought to find out the truth. To be frank, both of these characters were utter perfection no ifs, ands, or buts.
In addition to the first-person dual POVs, the plot was strengthened by its dual timelines of before and after. In both of them, I was firmly in the passenger seat in a wholly realistic way. For Cleo, she was desperately searching for what could’ve happened to her mother, while Kat’s timeline was decidedly more complex. I can’t reveal too much without providing a much hated spoiler, so just know that there was many a delicious subplot and dark, twisted revelation. Two for two, they both had my fingers flying at speed thanks to a Hitchcockian feel.
All in all, this tale of psychological suspense hit all the sweet spots for me—a twisty, dynamic plot; sharp, tenacious heroines at the center; and a downright killer conclusion. But then, that’s no surprise considering it came from Kimberly McCreight’s virtuoso-like mind. After all, she’s the Queen with a capital Q at crafting hypnotic characters so real that they could walk right off of the page. Not to be outdone, however, the situations they found themselves in had me utterly transfixed. A nuanced stunner, it was, without a doubt, yet another slam dunk from one of my favorite authors. Rating of 5 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
When Cleo, a student at NYU, arrives late for dinner at her childhood home in Brooklyn, she finds food burning in the oven and no sign of her mother, Kat. Then Cleo discovers her mom’s bloody shoe under the sofa. Something terrible has happened.
But what? The polar opposite of Cleo, whose “out of control” emotions and “unsafe” behavior have created a seemingly unbridgeable rift between mother and daughter, Kat is the essence of Park Slope perfection: a happily married, successful corporate lawyer. Or so Cleo thinks.
Kat has been lying. She’s not just a lawyer; she’s her firm’s fixer. She’s damn good at it, too. Growing up in a dangerous group home taught her how to think fast, stay calm under pressure, and recognize a real threat when she sees one. And in the days leading up her disappearance, Kat has become aware of multiple threats: demands for money from her unfaithful soon-to-be ex-husband; evidence that Cleo has slipped back into a relationship that’s far riskier than she understands; and menacing anonymous messages from her past—all of which she’s kept hidden from Cleo…
Thank you to Kimberly McCreight and Knopf Publishing for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
Packed to the brim with suspicious characters, dastardly deeds, and a slowly unrolling plot, The House on Cold Creek Lanefilled me with dread. And whPacked to the brim with suspicious characters, dastardly deeds, and a slowly unrolling plot, The House on Cold Creek Lanefilled me with dread. And while this tale of domestic suspense mixed nicely with a neighborhood drama, it was the gaslighting and misdirection that utterly turned my head. Step by step, I reveled in how this storyline had them all walking toward an unthinkable end.
As for the characters, they were all thoroughly unlikeable. Two, in fact, had me itching to shake them good and hard. From a belittling husband to his spineless wife, both of them hit the mark with their irritating behavior. That’s not to say that I was turned off of this book in the slightest. Oh no. Their action—or inaction—totally got my blood boiling and, IYKYK, but only the best authors seem to manage to pull that feat off.
The only fly in the ointment was my ability to see through the twists. Now how much of that was merely down to my insatiable love of all things thriller and suspense, I’ll never know. Despite that, however, the multiple mysteries and unreliable narrators kept my fingers flying. So while I managed to work it all out, it just might be perfect for anyone looking for an utterly chilling novel. Especially if you’re new to the genre.
By the end of this slow burning plot, I was delighted by the eventually cascade of dead bodies. With plenty of foreboding and just enough suspense to whet my appetite, it’s clear as can be that Ms. Alterman nailed it in one. It’s also unsurprising why all of my colleagues at Thriller Book Lovers: The Pulse have been raving about this dark and twisted tale. After all, I did inhale it in just a single night. Rating of 4 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
Who was I? What had I become? Breathe, I commanded. You're doing this for your family.
When Laurel and Rob West move into their new home in New Jersey, it seems too good to be true. But Laurel can't shake off her old feelings of anxiety. The neighbor who pays far too much attention to the Wests' two young children…Rob watching her every misstep…and there's something people aren't telling her about this house...
I promised myself I wouldn't go to that neighborhood again. Not that street. Not so soon. But I couldn't help it. They made it too easy.
Corey Sutton is trying to outrun her past. Recently divorced and reeling from a devastating loss, she moves into her widowed mother's retirement condo in Florida. Everyone says she just needs some time to recover and rebuild…but is Corey beyond saving? She wants answers. And there's very little she won't do to get them.
Though Laurel and Corey have never met, the women have something in common, and if they're not careful, it may just destroy them both…
Thank you to Liz Alterman, Severn House, and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: August 6, 2024
Trigger warning: death of a child, mention of: infidelity...more
Holy cow! A gripping tale of suspense, Echoes of Memory paired an intricate, intense plot with compelling insights into the psychology of memory. FastHoly cow! A gripping tale of suspense, Echoes of Memory paired an intricate, intense plot with compelling insights into the psychology of memory. Fast-paced and heavy with foreboding, it was also thought-provoking and informative without losing its riveting, suspenseful edge. Together the two sides of this novel formed a stellar whodunnit that won me over hook, line, and sinker. After all, with dual compelling POVs and plenty of twists and turns, the premise that promised so much absolutely delivered in spades.
Starting off with a bang, it nevertheless took a bit to become accustomed to Quinn and her style of narration. That’s not to say that it was repetitive in the slightest. And despite the fact that it vaguely reminded me of 50 First Dates, the skilled manner in which Driscoll imparted Quinn’s palpable grief for her past life while also keeping the plot moving was truly impressive. She wasn’t the only persona to win me over, however. From an endearing detective to a few kind friends, the cast was rounded out beautifully from beginning to end.
All in all, I’m now crossing my fingers and toes that this was just book one in what would surely be a dynamite series. With immersive storytelling and quite the unique premise, it was an addictive, unputdownable storyline that I was sad to see end. So addictive, in fact, that my fingers flew through the pages in just a matter of hours. After all, it was one heck of a masterclass in suspense that kept me on tenterhooks throughout. So if you haven’t yet read anything by this truly talented author, take this as a sign to do so ASAP. Rating of 5 stars.
SYNOPSIS:
After surviving a terrible attack, Quinn Fleming has recovered in every way but one—her ability to retain new memories. Now, months later, it appears to the outside world as if the San Diego florist’s life is back to normal. But Quinn is barely holding on, relying on a notebook she carries with her at all times, a record of her entire existence since the assault. So when she witnesses a murder in the shadowy alley behind the florist shop, Quinn immediately writes down every terrifying detail of the incident before her amnesia wipes it away.
By the time the police arrive, there’s no body, no crime scene, and no clues. The killing seems as erased from reality as it is from Quinn’s mind…until the flashbacks begin. Suddenly, fragments of memories are surfacing—mere glimpses of that horrible night, but enough to convince Quinn that somewhere, locked in her subconscious, is the key to solving the case…and she’s not the only one who knows. Somebody else has realized Quinn is a threat that needs to be eliminated. Now, with her life on the line and only her notes to guide her, Quinn sets out to find a killer she doesn’t remember, but can’t forget…
Thank you to Sara Driscoll and Kensington Books for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
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