It's been a minute since I read a hardcore thriller so when I was deciding my next book after the Fourth Wing series, I knew it had to be one that would satisfy that urge. Ever since reading The Family Plot by Megan Collins, she's become one of my favorite thriller authors so when I got an ARC of her latest novel, Cross My Heart I knew I would be in for a treat. 

Cross My Heart was published on January 14th, 2025 so yes, I am a little more than a month late but it was worth it. This was one of the most interesting book plots I've ever read and had the hairs on the back of my arms standing up more than once. 

If you need an interesting, thoughtful and thrilling book to sink your teeth into, that isn't predictable or too gory, Cross My Heart is that book.

I've read all of Riley Sager's books and I don't think there has been one that I didn't love; even the ones that everyone else didn't love like The House Across the Lake, I appreciated. I'm always excited whenever Sager releases a new book and it immediately gets added to my TBR. That was no different with his latest novel 'Middle of the Night'. 

I was going to pre-order or pick the book up from my library but then I saw it was available as an add on for Book of the Month and decided that was a better solution. It matches all my other Riley Sager books so that's always a plus.

I had purposely stayed away from any reviews or think pieces about the book so my opinion wouldn't be clouded, and I succeeded. I flew through the book and my thoughts were interesting... 

 This is a different type of book review post and that's because I'm going to tell you why you need to read an entire detective series. I am not usually a fan of detective series because I get a little overwhelmed with the storylines and characters; I find that I tend to forget a lot of the plot points and nothing ends up making sense. The other side of things is that I usually am finding series when they're like 15 books deep and I don't have the patience to read a backlist.

That's why I think I've taken up with the Detective Nikki Hunt series by Stacy Green -- I read it from the beginning and the books are released close enough together that the plot flows together very nicely. 

I reviewed the first two books of the series, Girls in the Snow and One Perfect Grave but then I was reading them so often that I just never reviewed the rest of the series. We're now up to book 8, Bone Lake, in the series and I figured that it was time to review the entire series as a whole and get everyone to read the series. 

When I read the summary of Mister Magic, I was intrigued. Immediately, my favorite childhood show, Barney, sprung to mind. I think when you read the summary your favorite show will come to mind because it's centered around imagination, innocence, and fun. 

However, you soon learn that's not the case...but nothing is as it seems in the town of Bliss, where Mister Magic was filmed. 

I thought Mister Magic was going to be a favorite of the year for me but it missed the mark; I did not love this book as much as I thought I would because of ultimately, how the book ended. I didn't hate this book, but didn't love it. You kind of have to know what you're going to get yourself into with this novel, and that's why I'm writing this review, even though it's not 100% glowing. 

There are a few authors who I will read anything they write, no matter what and Riley Sager is one of them. Whenever Sager has a new book coming out, I immediately add it to my TBR and I'm excited to dig my feet into it when it is released.

The Only One Left is his latest novel that was released on June 20th and I had it as a Book of the Month choice. I finally read it (because I barely read anything in June and July) this month and I think I can confidently say this is my favorite Riley Sager book yet. It has so many incredible elements of the thriller genre without being over the top. 

If you love thrillers, if you love Riley Sager, you will love The Only One Left.

 As I've said many times over the past few weeks, I've been in a huge reading slump. I have been trouble getting into the books I'm reading or have been overwhelmed by the choices in my personal library. I have so many ARCs from NetGalley, hardcovers from Book of the Month, eBooks that I continually buy on my Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook... it's just too much.

I think I need to look at more recommendations and to go along with the reading tides of my fellow book lovers. That's what really led me to crack open this new novel. 

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin was published on August 6th and I had an ARC just sitting on my Kindle. When I started seeing people talk about this book I knew I had to read it immediately. I was able to finish it within a week or so and it is hands down an incredible read, with a very unique and confusing plot. 

It's part psychological, part detective, part mystery and all round thrilling and exciting. 

After having this ARC sitting in my Kindle for a while I finally decided to read it and boy, am I glad I did! I've never read anything by Jennifer Hiller and I was delighted to see how unique and interesting her writing style is. I was enthralled from the very first page.

This story is truly unlike anything I've ever read before and had so many different elements, I didn't know where to put my focus first. It also had one of the more explosive, interesting, unforeseen endings I've experienced in a thriller in a while. 

Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hiller will be published on July 19th.

Let's get into the review! 

When I realized that "The Golden Couple" was written by the same authors as "The Wife Between Us" I knew it was going to be my Book of the Month pick for February. That was one of the wildest books I've ever read with so many twists I had whiplash. I had high hopes and big expectations for "The Golden Couple" and while I was slightly disappointed, it's still a really solid thriller.

The story is so interesting, multiple POVs keep you on your toes, and the ending was something I didn't necessarily see coming. It was really interesting and what I would say has the 'thriller' formula down pat. 

I read "Local Woman Missing" at the beginning of the year when I was just getting sick with Covid. It kept my mind occupied and busy while I had the worst sore throat of my life and it was one of the best distractions I could've asked for.

This book had been on my radar for quite some time and I'd been meaning to get around to reading it but the stars aligned and it had my full attention for a few days. This was one of those traditional thrillers that grab your attention from the first page and kept me guessing until the last minute.

 

When it came time to pick my January Book of the Month book there was only one choice and that was the new thriller called "A Flicker in the Dark" by Stacey Willingham. This is a debut novel from Willingham and it sounded too good to not read. 

I was in fact correct... this book did not disappoint in the slightest bit. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and it was definitely my favorite book I read in January.

Publisher's Summary

My Thoughts

This was such an interesting plot to a book... probably one of the most interesting domestic thriller/mystery novels I've read to date. It was unique because I've never read a protagonist like Frankie and I loved the intertwined stories of the other people in Boston along with the very real-life issue of race, immigration, and low-income neighborhoods. 

Angelique is one smart cookie and the way her character is set up is truly awe-inspiring. It's wild that a teenage girl had the balls to do everything she did... also, you find out more and more about her as the novel goes on and it's just the best. She's an amazing character. 

When you find out everything that happened that led to Angelique's disappearance, it's pretty intense and not the traditional mystery plot that you expect from a novel like this. 

Frankie and her struggles with alcohol and saving people is a huge plot point and while it's interesting, it's not totally 'new'. However, what does set Frankie apart is that she isn't a detective... she's just a regular person who knows how to ask good questions, has great instincts, and a passion for finding people in a way to pay back a debt she feels she owes the world. 

All the characters in this novel were so different and brought something to the table. The writing was excellent and the character development was even better. 

This was also a story that kept unraveling... it didn't completely climax at one point, it rolled slowly toward a reveal of what happened to Angelique and why it happened. Her reveal and the reasoning did happen fast, combined with so many other reveals, I sped read through the pages because I couldn't believe everything happening. It was wild and intense and perfect.

The ending was semi-satisfactory... I love that we got the entire story of Angelique wrapped up in a bow but Frankie left me wanting more. 

I felt like there was so much more to the story that we could've gotten -- not that this wasn't bursting with plotlines and jaw-droppers but that there is so much story to tell about this small Boston town. I would like at least two more novels about the city with these characters. 

What are you reading this week?
xoxo
B

To keep up with the spooky theme of the season, I'm only reading thriller novels, and first up was Final Girls by Riley Sager. This author has been on my radar for a long time but I never picked up one of his books, until now.

Final Girls was on sale a few months back and I've had it sitting in my Kindle library for a rainy day. Well, that was last week and I finished the book in less than two days.  

I can confidently say that this was one of the wildest books I've ever read. It was very twisty, very interesting, and had a deep psychological layer that was really interesting to see come to light.

Publisher's Summary

Ten years ago, college student Quincy Carpenter went on vacation with five friends and came back alone, the only survivor of a horror movie–scale massacre. In an instant, she became a member of a club no one wants to belong to—a group of similar survivors known in the press as the Final Girls: Lisa, who lost nine sorority sisters to a college dropout's knife; Sam, who went up against the Sack Man during her shift at the Nightlight Inn; and now Quincy, who ran bleeding through the woods to escape Pine Cottage and the man she refers to only as Him. The three girls are all attempting to put their nightmares behind them and, with that, one another. Despite the media's attempts, they never meet.
 
Now, Quincy is doing well—maybe even great, thanks to her Xanax prescription. She has a caring almost-fiancé, Jeff; a popular baking blog; a beautiful apartment; and a therapeutic presence in Coop, the police officer who saved her life all those years ago. Her memory won’t even allow her to recall the events of that night; the past is in the past.
 
That is until Lisa, the first Final Girl, is found dead in her bathtub, wrists slit; and Sam, the second Final Girl, appears on Quincy's doorstep. Blowing through Quincy's life like a whirlwind, Sam seems intent on making Quincy relive the past, with increasingly dire consequences, all of which makes Quincy question why Sam is really seeking her out. And when new details about Lisa's death come to light, Quincy's life becomes a race against time as she tries to unravel Sam's truths from her lies, evade the police and hungry reporters, and, most crucially, remember what really happened at Pine Cottage, before what was started ten years ago is finished.

My Thoughts

This was a book I got in a Book of the Month and one that I was a little skeptical about.

"When a group of neighborhood women gathers, wine in hand, around a fire pit where their backyards meet one Saturday night, most of them are just ecstatic to have discovered that their baby monitors reach that far. It’s a rare kid-free night, and they’re giddy with it. They drink too much, and the conversation turns personal. By Monday morning, one of them is gone."

Kristin suddenly disappeared and no one knows anything. What everyone does know is that her husband is sketchy and they were in the middle of a divorce. They know that the husband was not the real father of her twins, and he is not who he seems.



There are a few subplots that are tacked on along the way, like the reaction one of the neighbors, Clara, has to the revelations about Kristin's husband. Clara had experienced something traumatic that brings memories flooding back and makes her more aware of surroundings. 

Another subplot was the new neighbor, Izzy, dealing with her own issues like being in love with her sister's husband (which was really hyped up to be something but it was really nothing. The dumbest part of the book!) Soon enough, Izzy is fully thrown into the drama and it definitely makes for an interesting twist.

I have to say, this book is very slow and you're constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. Because of that, I went through the book pretty fast because I was a little bored. You're trying to figure out what actually happened to Kristin while still trying to be invested in the other subplots. 

I think the character development was natural and well paced, as was the writing. I just wish this book would've been a little juicer. It fell flat for most of the story...

That is, until the last few pages. I was so stunned I had to go back and re-read everything to make sure I was getting it right. 

It was an incredible twist, the most epic ending I've ever read because I never saw it coming. It was like the first time I read Gone Girl -- I was stunned and couldn't have seen that coming from a mile away.

All the negatives of the book aside, it's well worth the read to just get that super satisfying ending. 

Have you read 'Not That I Could Tell'? What did you think?
xoxo
B

When I saw that there was another Ruth Ware book on the market and one that I had never read, I jumped at the chance. I immediately purchased it with an Audible credit and started listening.

Like other Ruth Ware novels, it takes place in England and revolves around the lives of Fatima, Thea, Isabel, and Kate. Back when they were in school, at Sultan, something happened that they have kept secret for years. They never talk about it and haven't really seen each other since they left Sultan... until Kate comes calling and needs them.

The three girls are brought back to Sultan and their lives are turned upside down over this secret that is coming to light.

The name The Lying Game comes in because the girls used the play a 'lying game' where they would lie to anyone and everyone, just because it was fun to make stories and see if they could shock people.



I can't really reveal more about the plot without giving everything away but I wasn't thrilled with this book. I liked the entire book and I liked the plot until you realize what the girls were covering up. To me, it seemed a little dramatic and it was slightly annoying. They were acting like children and I just kind of got sick of it.

Also, the main character and narrator is Isabel has a new baby (I forget her name because it was a little odd) and honestly, it just seemed like an unnecessary plot twist. She brings the baby with her everywhere and is constantly breastfeeding her (which also seemed like an odd thing to keep bringing up. I mean yes, breastfeed all you want but why is it a descriptor for like half of the book?) It was just a really weird thing and it put me off a bit.

Like all good thriller novels, this had a twist at the end. At first, it was something you could suspect and even the girls suspected it, but then toward the very end, it was a little mind blowing. That part was good, really good.

I personally think Ware has written better; this wasn't my favorite thriller novel and it annoyed me more than most. If you really love Ware, I recommend it but if you're looking for something to knock your socks off, there are better out there!

Have you read this book? What did you think?
xoxo
B
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After I read "Woman in Cabin 10" a few months back (which I'm just realizing I don't think I did a review on) I knew I was going to have to read more by Ruth Ware. I knew that the first book was going to be 'In A Dark, Dark Wood'.



This book takes place in England (all the best thrillers do) and revolves around the hermit writer Leonora who gets invited to her old friend's Bachelorette party in the English countryside.

Below is the publisher's summary

"What should be a cozy and fun-filled weekend deep in the English countryside takes a sinister turn in Ruth Ware’s suspenseful, compulsive, and darkly twisted psychological thriller.

Sometimes the only thing to fear…is yourself.

When reclusive writer Leonora is invited to the English countryside for a weekend away, she reluctantly agrees to make the trip. But as the first night falls, revelations unfold among friends old and new, an unnerving memory shatters Leonora’s reserve, and a haunting realization creeps in: the party is not alone in the woods."

I wasn't sure what this book was about and wasn't sure how it would turn out but it was really good. The book starts slowly at first, and I have to admit, I didn't really like any of the characters, but it kept me on the edge of my seat.

At first, you're not sure why Leonora and the rest of the group fell out of touch or why she's invited to this party but by the end, everything makes sense even it comes with a fatal outcome.

By the time the climax of the story hits, you don't even realize what's happening. So many secrets come out throughout the course of this weekend you don't know who is telling the truth or what is the truth. It's truly wild.

I wouldn't say this is was my favorite book ever but it was a decent read and worth it if you don't know what book to read next!

xoxo
B

Back at it with another thriller book review. This was not so much as thriller as the rest of them and it was a rather quick read.... er listen.

The Perfect Girl centers around Zoe, a teenager who lives with her mom & her new stepfamily. Zoe has a secret that her and her mother, Maria, have kept between them for so long. It's weighing heavily on Zoe and eventually, it all comes to light.

Within a few hours after her stepfamily finds out, Maria turns up dead.



The entire book centers around trying to figure out how Maria died and flashes back and forth between Zoe's POV, Zoe's aunts POV, and Zoe's lawyer(?).

There are a few other story lines within the book but the main one has to do what happened with Zoe in the past, and what is happening with Maria's death.

Eventually, you find out what happened and it was super interesting, and it was even more interesting the way the book ended.

Was I seething at the mouth to find out what happened? Kind of but not as much as other books. This was on the more predictable side of thriller novels but it was still awesome.

I really did enjoy this book; it was just the right amount of suspense and mystery while also being entertaining. I would highly recommend this as it was interesting and a quick easy read.

*PS: Sorry if this seemed all over the place. I read this a while ago! Still a great book though ;) 

I went on a book buying binge before putting my Audible subscription on hold a few months ago. I wasn't in the mood for books and I had been listening to my podcasts on the commute to and from work, so I thought putting the subscription on hold was for the best.

One of the books I purchased before putting the freeze on my account was The Girl Before by JP Delaney. It's in that suspense/thriller genre (my favorite obviously!) and boy was this a doozy.

The book is the classic "goes back and forth to past and present" and is narrated by two women, Emma and Jane. The premises is surrounded around the idea of living a minimalist life in a house created by a famous architect.

The house is One Folgate Street and is a special kind of house with a lot of rules. If you don't follow the rules, there are problems, as one will find out.



That is a very vague description and I can't describe the book properly without giving a lot of detail away, so read the description on Amazon (*you can head to the "Favorite Book" category page in my navigation bar to shop my favorite books!)

I'll get right to my review...

I loved this book! It was so different from everything else I've read and reviewed on the blog. It had a deeper meaning than just being a mystery novel. It was about examining your life when something bad happens to you and dealing with it in a way that suits you. What lengths are you willingly to go to feel safe?

It's also the kind of book that will throw you for twists and turns; you think one thing but then something different happens. I will say though, I knew who committed whatever crime/mystery a little less than half way through the book. I think I've just gotten good at figuring out what the writers are thinking.

This was an easy, quick yet interesting read and I think it's a book that would be a great listen instead of read! A perfect one for your first, free Audible book *if you haven't checked it out yet*

What is on your reading list?
xoxo
B

I mentioned on my podcast this week  that I was finally out of my thriller stage in terms of reading, and back in the celebrity memoir track.

The Trespasser was kind of my demise, and the third to last thriller I've read over the past few months. When I purchased this book, I didn't realize that this was a series... but the good thing is, is that you do not need to read the other books. The series is called "Dublin Murder Squad" and each book kind of stands alone even though some of the characters are the same.

The novel, of course, takes place in Dublin/Ireland, and surrounds Antionette Conway & Stephen Moran as they try to solve the latest murder in Ireland. There is a very clear suspect in the Aislinn Murray case, but both Antionette & Stephen think there is something more.

They explore this something more against the wishes of the police force, but something is there.

As the reader, you also know that something is up. Things aren't adding up and it just seems sketchy, so you're pushing for the detectives to find something else. Like all good authors, Tana French leads you in a million different directions to make you think you know what is going to happen but then rips the rug out from under you.

You don't get to something hearty until you're basically at the end of the book, and figure out who was the murderer.



The murderer is a HUGE surprise, but it was almost anti climatic in a way. The book was very, very long and there was so much unnecessary detail. I started skipping through bits of the book because I knew it was unimportant, and it didn't even matter because the parts I skipped were so mundane and not relevant to the story.

I can't stand when books do that... just give me the details plus a few extra that I need to understand and feel invested in a book. When the book drags on and on for no reason at all, I get bored.

Also, I don't really recommend listening to this book. I don't know if this is politically correct to say, but I know the story takes place in Dublin so of course you want the narrator to have an Irish accent, but this narrator's Irish accent was so thick, I couldn't understand half of the book. That has nothing to do with the actual book, but I needed to mention it for my own sanity.

The book was not my favorite; even though the twist was incredible, the story was too slow and gave way too many unneeded details. I wouldn't really recommend it, unless you are obsessed with thrillers (more than me), and enjoy a long, twisty book.

What is the last "meh" book you read?