Thriller

Review: The Trap by Catherine Ryan Howard

~ megs14malloy

The TrapThe Trap by Catherine Ryan Howard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Trap is the latest release from beloved Irish author, Catherine Ryan Howard. I was so excited for this novel and happily, ended up really enjoying it.

Admittedly, I did reread about 40% of it, due to slight confusion with perspective shifts, but I was definitely invested in the story nevertheless.

The Trap is inspired by the real-life cases of missing women in Ireland in the late 1980s-early 1990s. If you are curious about these events, prior to picking up the novel, I would recommend a google search for Ireland’s Vanishing Triangle.

Additionally, if you do decide to pick this one up, which I absolutely recommend if you are a fan of Crime Fiction, be sure to read the Author’s Note at the end where she discusses her motivations for writing this story.

The Trap is told via a few different perspectives. I enjoyed them all and felt each of the main characters brought some intrigue and feeling to the table. I particularly enjoyed that we got the perspective of the criminal. That was disturbing.

One of the perspectives is Lucy, whose sister, Nicki, has been missing for a year; disappearing after a night out with friends. I felt like Lucy really took center stage in bringing all aspects of this story together.

We also get the perspective of a woman working in a civilian capacity for the police force investigating the disappearances, and as mentioned above, the baddie.

It does shift a lot and if you aren’t paying close enough attention, to people mentioned, as well as the timeline, it can be easy for it to get a little muddled. I came to a point, about 65% of the way through, where there was a reveal and I was like, who is this person?

Needless to say, I learned my lesson and went back and reread. It certainly made that reveal much more impactful and honestly, I was enjoying it so much that I didn’t mind at all. It helped to reiterate the facts of the story for me and I am glad I took the time to do that.

This is only the second book I have read from this author, but I am excited to read more. Incidentally, the other was Run Time, which I thought was so good.

I feel like Ryan Howard has a knack for examining the darker side of humanity with her stories and that’s what I am here for when I pick up a book. I love the atmosphere she creates as well. Her stories definitely have ominous vibes.

This got me in the end. I loved how it sort of flipped the script on how I was expecting it to end. I thought it was so well-plotted, particularly in that regard.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Blackstone Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I think a lot of Thriller Readers are going to really enjoy this.

I’m definitely going to start exploring some of Catherine Ryan Howard’s backlist. I think we are going to have a long and beautiful friendship…

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Review: You Can Trust Me by Wendy Heard

~ megs14malloy

You Can Trust MeYou Can Trust Me by Wendy Heard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m happy to say that You Can Trust Me is more than just a beautiful cover. In fact, it ends up being my favorite Wendy Heard novel to-date.

Quick and addicting, though slightly predictable, I had a ton of fun reading it. IMO, it’s a great Summer Thriller.

In this story we follow two perspectives, best friends, Summer and Leo. I call them best friends, but in truth, they’re more like sisters.

Both Summer and Leo are on their own and have been for years. They make their way through the cruel world the best ways they know how, usually by conning people, and for Summer, even some stealthy pick-pocketing.

Leo is more a long-game kind of girl, but she still gets enough dough to get by. The girls are free-spirited. Preferring the open road to being tied down in one place.

They’ve been traveling around California in Summer’s Land Cruiser and things have been good. They’re happy with and supportive of one another. In truth, they’re a great match.

Their constant hustle can get tiring though, but Leo has her eyes on a big payout, via a well known billionaire and philanthropist, Michael Forrester.

Michael seems to be taken by Leo’s charms and she receives an invite to his private island. She can hardly believe her luck. She’s about to hit the mother-load.

Then Leo disappears. When she doesn’t return back to the Land Cruiser when she should, and Summer hasn’t heard from her, Summer panics.

She needs to find her. Something must be wrong. Leo would never leave her without saying goodbye, would she?

Determined to find her friend, Summer sets out to infiltrate Michael’s island. This could be her toughest and most dangerous con yet, but Leo is worth it.

Leave no woman behind.

Going into this, I’ll be honest, from the synopsis, I wasn’t sure if it was going to be for me. However, I was very quickly wrapped up into the story. I loved learning about Leo and Summer and watching how they lived their lives.

It wasn’t a relatable lifestyle to me, by any means, but I do always love a devious long-game, so Leo was my jam. I had a lot of fun watching them plot and scheme.

I also thought the setting of Michael’s private island was quite interesting. There was something very Jeffrey Epstein about it. I enjoyed having something real life to sort of compare this to. It made it feel more realistic to me.

The way the girls could get swept away to this island and once there, they honestly could have vanished into the ether. They were just playthings for the powerful men visiting the island; mere arm candy, trotted around like little prizes.

Additionally, I enjoyed how Heard switched the perspectives back and forth. They’re also not completely synced in time through most of it, so it was interesting watching the truth of what happened to Leo unfold.

While all the present drama is unfolding, you also get to learn quite a bit about both Leo and Summer’s past; like before they met up and became friends.

I enjoyed that background information quite a bit. I think it helped to explain a lot about their lifestyle, reliance on one another, as well as some of their decision-making and motivations.

Again, this helped to make it feel more realistic to me. I could see how, considering what they had been through, they would end up in their current predicament.

Overall, I found this to be really enjoyable. Heard did a nice job with the character work and I liked the steady build-up of intensity over the course of the story. The conclusion was satisfying as well, which made it a nice, well-rounded story.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a quick, Summer-vibes Thriller, with devious characters and a wild plot. This would make a great weekend read.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Bantam, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m a little late to the party, but glad I finally made the time for this one!

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Review: Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen

~ megs14malloy

Gone TonightGone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Gone Tonight is the latest solo-release from beloved Thriller author, Sarah Pekkanen. I have had this one on my radar for a long, long time and she did not disappoint.

I listened to the audiobook and was so impressed with how it was able to hook me from the very start. I was intrigued, I was invested, I wasn’t able to put it down!!

In this story we’re following a mother and daughter, Ruth and Catherine, respectively. Catherine feels like she knows her mother almost as well as she knows herself. It’s always been just the two of them against the world.

Ruth loves her daughter Catherine with her whole heart and would do anything for her. Ruth was young when she got pregnant, and she gave up a lot for Catherine, but it was worth it. After all, a mother’s life is full of sacrifice.

As Catherine has aged, she has grown strong, smart and independent, just like her mother taught her. She’s now ready to spread her wings, move to a new city and get her first career-focused job.

It seems like everything is going her way, until it’s not. Secretly, Ruth isn’t ready for Catherine to be moving on. She’s willing to do what she has to in order to keep her daughter close to her. She knows it’s deceptive, but she also knows it’s for Catherine’s own good.

In her efforts to keep Catherine with her, Ruth has inadvertently opened herself up to her daughter’s scrutiny for the first time.

Ruth has always been secretive about her past. Catherine knows nothing about Ruth’s life before her, or even her own extended family members. Ruth’s recent behavior causes Catherine to dig, discovering she may not know her mom so well after all.

Y’all, I loved this! As mentioned above, I was hooked into this one from the start. I thought the plot was well-crafted by Pekkanen, keeping the Reader invested and on the edge of their seats.

I loved the character work. The way the truth of Ruth’s past was revealed was completely enticing. We do get Ruth’s past perspective to help that unfold and I was just as interested in those past sections as I was with the present perspectives.

I also really enjoyed being in the minds of both of these women, as they grappled with their present circumstances and the reality that they may not know everything about the one closest to them.

The way it was written you feel like you’re a fly on the wall, possibly with a piece of buttered popcorn, just watching all the drama unfold. It’s juicy and captivating.

In short, I love a book that captures my attention enough that I can read it in a day. That’s exactly what this one did.

I had such a fun experience with this one and would definitely recommend it to other Thriller fans, or people who enjoy reading about complicated family dynamics. If you end up enjoying this one half as much as I did, you’re bound to have a good time.

Thank you so, so much to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.

In my opinion, Pekkanen nailed this one. She should be proud!!

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Review: Before She Finds Me by Heather Chavez

~ megs14malloy

Before She Finds MeBefore She Finds Me by Heather Chavez
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Before She Finds Me is the latest release from Heather Chavez. I went into this very excited, as I really enjoyed Chavez’s two earlier releases, No Bad Deed and Blood Will Tell.

In this novel we follow the perspectives of two different women, Julia and Ren. On the surface, these women are as different as different can be, but their lives are about to become entangled in some pretty serious ways.

On the day Julia is moving her daughter, Cora, into her new college dorm, a viscous, seemingly senseless attack rocks the campus and leaves Cora injured.

It’s only due to Julia’s quick reaction that Cora wasn’t more seriously hurt. Unable to stop thinking about the event, Julia starts to question whether it was as random as everyone else seems to think.

Ren, pregnant with her first child, is a trained assassin, as is her husband, Nolan. Ren doesn’t know Julia and she wasn’t on the campus that day, but she knows who was, Nolan, and he’s left a big ole’ mess in his wake.

Ren needs to clean-up after him. After watching footage of the incident numerous times, Ren is curious about the woman in the crowd with the unbelievable reaction time. Who is she and what, if any, is her connection to this job?

When both women begin to hunt for answers, it’s inevitable that their paths are going to cross and their going to find themselves on opposing sides. With both Ren and Julia willing to risk it all to protect their families, which mother is going to come out of this alive?

Y’all, I went into this one with the highest of hopes. I found both of Chavez’s earlier novels to be engrossing and fast-paced. I had a blast with them. While I have read many great reviews for this newest book, I just could not connect with it.

The opening scenes were intense as heck, but then it slowed way down. By 21%, I was feeling nothing. I could have taken it, or left it. I just kept reading other reviews and they were glowing. I decided to keep going.

By 50%, I was contemplating giving up, but again, the rave reviews kept me going. I started feeling myself going into a slump. It felt like I had been reading it forever.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not the writing. I still really enjoy Chavez’s writing. It’s fluid, well-thought out and her characters feel real. However, the plot was plodding along slower than a snail crawling up hill.

Frankly, I don’t know if snails crawl slower going up hill, but you get the picture.

When I finished, it was cause for celebration.

At that time, if you asked me how long it had taken me to read this, I would have guessed 6-weeks, but it was actually just shy of a month. It wasn’t fun.

This made it tricky for me to rate. I love Chavez and her writing, but it’s clear this one didn’t hit for me. My personal experience was more of a 2-star, but I know there is a good story in here and if you can be drawn into it, or into the characters, I know you will have a good time with it.

So, with all this being said, and my tiny complaints aired, just ignore me. Go read all of the 4-star and 5-star reviews for this one. If you have any interest at all, give it a shot.

I will definitely be continuing to pick up all of Chavez’s books as they are released. Just because this one didn’t knock me out of the park, doesn’t mean the next one won’t.

Thank you to the publisher, Mulholland Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I look forward to seeing what Heather Chavez comes up with next!

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Review: The Weekend Escape by Rakie Bennett

~ megs14malloy

The Weekend EscapeThe Weekend Escape by Rakie Bennett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

After reading the synopsis for The Weekend Escape, I knew I needed to read it. This set-up is my absolute go-to for atmospheric, thrilling reads.

A deserted island, a vicious storm, a murderer amongst friends…

The weekend was intended as a fun reunion for six friends, Val, Bobbie, Juliet, Amanda, Lyndsey and Sonia, but almost as soon as the women arrive on the deserted island, their destination for the weekend, things take a turn for the worst.

The women form a bit of an informal climbing group, they’ve been climbing things together since they were school girls. Their mountain this weekend, an old lighthouse.

A climbing incident leaves one of the women injured. Inclement weather and other extenuating circumstances make communication with the mainland impossible.

Power outages, misplaced poison, secrets, lies and a mysterious Bird Warden, add to the tension and spiraling happenings. What started as a weekend for fun and adventure has turned into a weekend of survival and a fight for their lives.

Who will make it through the weekend escape?

I had fun with this. The setting and atmosphere delivered as promised. I also enjoyed learning about the characters and all their drama, as well as their shared history.

While I’m not sure how memorable this story is overall, it made for a fun weekend read.

I will say this is very, very, very similar to She Started It, which I read not long ago. For the record, this one was published in 2021. I wish I’d have read it first. I actually enjoyed this one more than SSI.

I liked this setting more and I also didn’t find this to be predictable, as I did SSI. I couldn’t help but make comparisons throughout while reading, which I did find to be distracting. I wish I had read this one and this one only.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a deserted island story, or stories involving friends weekends gone wrong. This had some intense moments and it was fun watching it all unfold.

Thank you to the publisher, One More Chapter, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m sorry it took me so long to get to it!

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Review: She Started It by Sian Gilbert

~ megs14malloy

She Started ItShe Started It by Sian Gilbert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

If one of your closest friends asked you to be her bridesmaid and then extended an invitation to an all-expenses paid trip to the Bahamas for the Hen Party, you would accept, right?

What if someone you were only slightly close friends with, but had grown apart over the years, did the same? You might accept, but think it was odd they were asking you, right?

Now what if someone who you weren’t close with and may not have always been kind to asked? Would you still say yes?

Personally, I would say, hell yes in the first instance, a kind, I’ll pass, for the second instance, and hide under a rock from the third, because that seems entirely off to me.

For Annabel, Esther, Tanya and Chloe, best friends since childhood, instance three becomes their reality when they are invited by Poppy Greer to attend her extravagant Hen Party in paradise.

The women are taken aback. They weren’t that close with Poppy. None of them have seen her in years, but it is a free trip to the Bahamas. They may not have been best friends with her before, but if she wants to take them on lavish vacations, they could always change that, right?

I mean, honestly, what’s the worst than could happen?

Traveling to the private island, the group are in good spirits. They’re meeting their hostess there and the trip is off to a jubilant start. They’re anxious to discover what Poppy is like after all these years. They couldn’t even find a picture of her on her socials.

Upon reaching the island they find a new and approved Poppy. She’s not the mousy-artist they remember, but a confident, beautiful woman. This could get interesting.

There’s no doubt that She Started It is a propulsive read. I’m always here for the drama and what better setting than a remote island in the Caribbean.

We get everyone’s perspective in this, including a past perspective via Poppy’s diary entries. There were times I felt it was hard to distinguish between the various women’s perspectives; they’re all quite similar, but I did start to get used to it as the story progressed.

Additionally, I could have done with a bit more intrigue. It all seemed fairly obvious quite quickly what was going on and I wish that initial suspense could have been drawn out longer.

With this being said, those are small nit-picky things and may not bother other Readers in the slightest. At the end of the day, this is an entertaining read and strong debut.

My recommendation: Grab your popcorn, grab a cocktail, sit back, relax and enjoy the shit-show!

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Review: What Remains by Wendy Walker

~ megs14malloy

What RemainsWhat Remains by Wendy Walker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After a violent incident in a department store, Detective Elise Sutton was hailed a hero in her community. The truth is though, Elise doesn’t feel like one.

She’s battling complicated and conflicting emotions about that day and the only person who seems to understand is the man she saved. A man she comes to know as Wade Austin. The two of them are now connected by the event.

Unfortunately for Elise, he’ll never let her go.

Elise quickly realizes she’s called a wolf to her door. This man is not who he says he is and soon he becomes an eminent threat to her and everyone she cares for.

Racing against the clock, Elise works to outsmart him and severe their tie before it’s too late. This guy has done his homework though and always seems two steps ahead.

Y,all! Wendy Walker has done it again. This was so gripping. The opening scene, oh my word, I was at the edge of my seat. 100% in it.

There were a lot of elements to this, like Wade’s interactions with Elise, that really got under my skin. The circumstances were playing off some of my own real-life fears. I always love when a narrative is actually able to raise my heart rate and that was certainly the case here.

I liked Elise as a main character. She was smart, resourceful and fiercely independent. I did get angry at her now and again for her secretiveness, but I understand her motivations for being that way.

I loved her partner, Rowan. I sort of wish we would get more Thrillers with them as a detective duo. I feel like there is more we could explore with them personally and since they specialize in cold cases, I am sure there is plenty of interesting mysteries for them to dig into.

Wishful thinking, I know. I’m sure this is a standalone, but this just gives you an idea of how much Walker sold me on this detective partnership.

In addition to the steady pace and tension throughout, the ending of this got nail-biting intense. I was at the edge of my seat, flying through the pages so fast, I think I saw sparks come from the end of my fingers.

I would absolutely recommend this to people who enjoy a taut, intense, well-plotted Thriller. I always enjoy Walker’s stories, but I think this is my favorite one yet!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Blackstone Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I’m sure you can tell by this review, but I’ll say it one more time, I loved it!!

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Review: All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby

~ megs14malloy

All the Sinners BleedAll the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

When I first completed the audiobook for All the Sinners Bleed I decided to give it 4.5-stars, not rounded up. My thought process was that I didn’t connect to it emotionally in the same way that I did Razorblade Tears, which I gave 5-stars.

For some reason, in my little pea-brain, I was thinking because I didn’t feel that way that it wasn’t as good a story for me as that one. Hence the slightly lower rating.

Even though that was my reasoning initially, and I stress the initially part, I was wrong. Here we are, a full 4-days after I completed the book, and I cannot stop thinking about Titus, Charon County, or this mystery.

First, can we all acknowledge that Adam Lazarre-White is one of the most talented voice artists out there. I could listen to him read anything and be lulled into happiness. It’s true. You think I’m embellishing, but I’m not.

In this story we follow Titus Crowne, the first black sheriff of Charon County in Virginia. Titus used to work for the FBI, but decided to come home for a number of different reasons.

He ran for sheriff with the hopes of making a difference in his community; changing it for the better. The job has had it’s ups-and-downs, but overall, it seems they’re are making headway. Then, a year to the day after his election, a school shooting rocks their small community.

Caution: Scenes from school shooting on page.

A teacher is dead and the shooter, a former student and someone Titus knows well, is shot and killed by the responding deputies.

Even though there are many witnesses, Titus insists on an internal review of the shooting. It’s the right thing to do.

Looking into the teacher, and the former student, Titus and his department unknowingly open up a big ole’ can of worms. It appears the student was abused by the teacher. The teacher everyone felt was so pristine was anything but.

Y’all, this story goes dark and I loved it. It’s extremely interesting. There are religious elements, a cult-like atmosphere, buried bodies and so many secrets it makes Washington D.C. seem transparent.

The most compelling thing about this novel though is simply Cosby’s quality of storytelling. From the very first chapter I was reminded of how easy it is to get swept away by his writing. The way the plot and characters are developed is a masterclass in style.

Titus is such a great main character. He has so many admirable qualities, but he also has a past. He’s human, he struggles with things and second-guesses himself, but he always works hard to do the right thing. He’s the type of character you want to succeed.

He’s also the type of character I’m really hoping I will meet again. To my knowledge, this is a standalone novel, but man, would I love to someday get a follow-up. I’m not ready to say goodbye to Titus.

The mystery aspect, which involves many dead bodies, goes there. It gets graphic. I was actually surprised by how dark certain scenes got. I was living for it.

I recommend this to Readers who enjoyed The Echo Man. If you like that mystery, I think you could end up really vibing with this one as well. There was just something about this that gave me the same level of toe-curling enjoyment that that one did.

I loved following along with this investigation and felt my pulse ratchet up a notch every time the stakes were raised, which spoiler alert, was a lot!

I highly recommend this one for your Summer reading list. If you love a fast-paced, intense, Police Procedural Thriller, this is an absolute must for you. It’s a nail-biter!!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I loved this!

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Review: The Last Word by Taylor Adams

~ megs14malloy

The Last WordThe Last Word by Taylor Adams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had the pleasure of Buddy Reading The Last Word with my beautiful niece, Lyss. I knew when she texted me the night we started saying she couldn’t read it if she was home alone, it was going to be good.

And it was!!! We had such a fantastic time with it. Although I am sure having someone to chat to about it while I was reading it, enhanced my experience, I am still proclaiming this to be my favorite book of 2023, so far.

The Last Word is getting a lot of buzz right now and IMO, it’s totally warranted. This is Adams returning to his No Exit-style and a lot of people, myself included, are eating it up.

If you aren’t aware, this story follows, Emma Carpenter, a woman who after a personal loss has secluded herself in a beach house on the Washington Coast. She’s technically house-sitting, but really she’s licking her wounds and trying to heal her broken heart.

Her days are spent with her dog, Laika, reading a ton of cheap e-books, walking on the beach, doing some drinking and chatting with the only neighbor via a whiteboard and binoculars. You know, the usual winter activities on an abandoned coastline.

After reading a particularly horrendous Slasher Horror novel, Emma can’t help herself. This book is trash. Absolute trash. She has to warn other unsuspecting e-book readers.

Therefore, she heads over to Amazon to leave a snarky 1-star review. She’s surprised moments later to get a direct reply from the author. He’s offended by her review and demands she take it down.

She refuses, or course. They go back and forth for a bit and he tells her that if she doesn’t take it down, she’ll regret it. Emma’s not playing this game. Sorry, loser, but your book sucked. Emma refuses to engage further.

Then things start happening…

Y’all, I loved this from the first 5-pages. I was hooked immediately. I’m not even exaggerating.

Honestly, the self-absorbed part of my brain wondered, did Taylor Adams write this after reading my review of Hairpin Bridge? Feeling frightened, I went back and read my review. It wasn’t that bad, so I figured I, at least, was in the clear.

As a reviewer and horror lover, this novel is disturbing, fun and disturbingly fun in so many different ways. It played on some of my biggest fears.

While I can see that there are some aspects of this that not everyone will love, for me, it was pretty much a perfect reading experience.

Even though I saw many of the twists coming a mile away, it didn’t damper my enjoyment of them one bit. I was still completely engaged and loved sitting by as Adams revealed it all in his own time.

I also loved the characters. Emma was a classic-feeling ‘good for her’ horror-girlie and I’m always down for that. Some of her lines had me laughing out loud and I loved watching her sort of come back to life throughout the story.

Lyss and I had some great discussions regarding this plot, both while we were reading it and after. I would absolutely recommend reading this with a friend. There really is a lot to discuss, as far as themes, structure and character development.

This is a case where I would recommend reading the hard copy, if you have the opportunity to do so. The way the book is arranged, including things such as the font choices, makes this a unique reading experience. I love how it was layed out.

I am so happy that Adams knocked this out of the park for me. Wild, crazy, gripping, anxiety-inducing terror ride of seclusion and desperation. I loved, loved, loved it.

I’m really looking forward to his next release!

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Review: The Vanishing Hour by Seraphina Nova Glass

~ megs14malloy

The Vanishing HourThe Vanishing Hour by Seraphina Nova Glass
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Kira has a missing daughter. Aden has a missing father. Grace was a missing girl once. These individuals have something else in common, Rock Harbor, Maine.

Welcome to Rock Harbor, a quaint tourist town with a seedy side. The drug scene is rampant, strip clubs and sex workers lining the streets and it seems everyone is keeping secrets.

When Kira’s daughter Brooke wanted to move to Rock Harbor to live with a boy she used to know in the summers, Kira was completely against it. But Brooke is technically an adult so she couldn’t stop it.

After Brooke disappears, Kira returns to the family cabin to begin the search herself. No one else will search for her daughter like she will. They’ll consider her a runaway, or worse, a throwaway.

When Aden hears his father has disappeared, he doesn’t believe it. Surely Dad has gone fishing or something and forgot to pass the message along to Mom. 70-something year old men don’t just go missing, do they?

Even though he suspects it’s a big fuss over nothing, Aden dutifully returns to his family home in the town he happily left years before, Rock Harbor.

From the safety of the cocoon she has built for herself in the hotel she runs, Grace knows nothing of the missing people. It’s the off-season, there are no guests and she’s not talking to anyone on the outside.

Since her own horrifying experience as a missing person, Grace avoids all media outlets and really, the outside world in general. She very rarely leaves the hotel grounds.

As the Reader, you get a front row seat as these three individual’s lives are set on a collision course with one another. Who will survive the vanishing hour?

I was entertained by this one. It drew me in and I finished it quickly. While it isn’t my favorite from this author, I would recommend it to Readers who enjoy stories with a gritty small town feel, full of dark secrets, deceptions and lies.

We get to see the underbelly of Rock Harbor in this story and it’s not pretty. Also, a great example of how monsters can hide in plain sight.

Initially, I felt a little thrown by the number of perspectives. I wasn’t sure how they were related, or how they would ever be able to merge in a meaningful way.

Glass succeeded in pulling it off. I felt like I really got to know our three mains and surprisingly, I was equally invested in all three of their stories, which was a plus.

In addition to enjoying watching the perspectives come together, I liked watching their relationships evolve. As they saw a similar plight in one another, and began to open up to one another, I felt that really added to the story.

Also, I always enjoy amateur investigators and this story definitely has that!


There were some twists I found surprising and some that I was a little underwhelmed by. I did like how this one wrapped up though. It was a wholly-satisfying ending.

I will say, as someone from Maine, this didn’t feel like Maine at all, like not at all, but I understand artistic license and know that the author intended this as a fictional town.

So, I tried to pretend it was just somewhere else entirely. It felt more like the red light district of Montreal to me.

Overall, besides the fact that I was thrown by the setting, it was a pretty entertaining read and I would recommend it to people looking for a twisty, suspenseful tale.

Thank you to the publisher, Graydon House, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I am looking forward to more from this author!

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