2026 releases

Review: Paper Cut by Rachel Taff

~ megs14malloy

Paper CutPaper Cut by Rachel Taff
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Paper Cut is a Contemporary Fiction novel following Lucy Golden, who is a bit of a True Crime superstar. She’s best known for escaping a cult as a teenager.

You might be wondering, what about that would make her so famous? Well, she had to commit murder to escape, so that fact alone has made her infamous in the public eye.

Twenty-years later, Lucy is still well known, but her life is a battlefield. She’s always one news cycle away from obscurity, which isn’t a great feeling. She has a stalker, online haters, and her family is a mess.

When a hotshot documentarian makes Lucy’s life the subject of his next film, she jumps at the chance. This would be a great opportunity for her.

Perhaps she can finally shut down the doubters and haters, cementing her place in the public consciousness, but what’s she going to do about her family?

As the filming begins, Lucy must return to the California desert and face some of the people she thought she had left behind forever. Soon enough, long-buried secrets are coming to the surface, and present threats escalate.

Can Lucy get control of all these chess pieces and protect the story she’s been telling all along, or will a truth be exposed she never wanted to face?

Paper Cut is a classic it’s not you, it’s me novel.

This is a fine story, the writing is solid and Taff did a great job creating the characters and seeing the plot through coherently, and at a steady pace. The issue for me is just that the content wasn’t to my taste.

It has a much more Literary feel than I tend to enjoy, and I felt like I was constantly waiting on more thrills, chills and suspense. I was bored. It left me feeling unsatisfied.

My experience with Paper Cut reminds me so much of my experience with The Three Lives of Cate Kay. While I can appreciate the merits of the story, particularly the detailed character exploration, it’s just not to my personal tastes.

For more Literary Readers, maybe who enjoy the slightly unsavory side of humanity, I think this could be very successful. However, I rate based on my own personal experience, so it’s just a 3-star for me.

Thank you to the publisher, William Morrow and Harper Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I’d definitely be willing to give Rachel Taff another shot, and plan to do so in the future.

I never write off an author after just one book!

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Review: A Penance for Crows by Shannon Morgan

~ megs14malloy

A Penance for CrowsA Penance for Crows by Shannon Morgan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

A Penance for Crows is a modern Gothic Horror novel that feels like it’s been torn from the past. The novel takes place on the Irish island of Beanna Dubh, set off the Southern tip of the Beara Peninsula. The community is quite insular. They like to keep to themselves.

In fact, there are many on the island who have never even been to the mainland. Untouched by modern technology, the islanders live under strict rule of the church.

As a people, they adhere to many superstitions. The island is also home to thousands of crows, so that fact only enhances those creepy vibes, with the islanders believing the crows are harbingers of coming disaster.

Our MC, Grizela, fled to the island 40-years ago, leaving her native-Glasgow, and her unsettling past well behind her. Though Grizela has been on the island for decades, she’s still considered an outsider by many.

She has been able to forge some strong connections with the young folks on the island though, who she treats as her own. Many of them confide in her things they wouldn’t trust telling their parents, or other elders.

Our action kicks off when Grizela discovers the dead body of the island’s young priest with a diabolical symbol drawn on his chest. Crows darken the sky, and Grizela fears there’s a different kind of darkness now among them.

As the mysterious symbols continue popping up randomly, and more residents meet terrible ends, the islanders’ suspicious fall on Grizela. She’s the outsider, after all.

Mass hysteria quickly takes over and Grizela is scrambling to prove her innocence. During her investigations into these disturbing happenings, she begins to learn new, and startling, information about a group of young women she has previously taken under her wings.

If you follow my reviews at all, you may know that I’m an Atmosphere Girlie through and through. I read to escape, and I particularly love remote settings with an overriding ominous air about them. IMO, this novel delivered that to me exactly as I wanted.

I was so invested in A Penance for Crows. This Occult Horror novel with strong Gothic atmosphere swept me up in the drama of the small island of Beanna Dubh.

I loved the MC, Grizela, who is in her early-60s, which in and of itself was refreshing. I also related to her experience on the island, as far as ‘being from away’ and no matter how long she’s there, she’s still considered an outsider. As an island girl myself, I get it.

Morgan created a great cast of characters in this noveal and the intrigue is excellent. Things keep happening and there’s an awesome feeling of ‘is it supernatural, is it not supernatural’ about it that I always appreciate it.

There were so many twists and turns, and as soon as I thought I knew who, or what, was behind all the mysterious happenings on the island, something new would occur that would blow my theory out of the water.

I loved the Occult elements that Morgan included. I feel like those made the novel so much more beguiling. That type of element rarely gets executed like it was here, in a fully believable, non-cheesy, way and I was living for it.

I highly recommend this to any Gothic, or Atmosphere, Girlies in the crowd. If you’re looking for that atmosphere, this is absolutely going to deliver it to you.

Thank you to the publisher, Kensington, for providing me a copy to read and review. I’m so impressed by this and cannot wait to read more from Shannon Morgan. I really hope she stays in this lane, because it’s fabulous!

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Review: Crawlspace by Adam Christopher

~ megs14malloy

CrawlspaceCrawlspace by Adam Christopher
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

When I picked this up, I noticed that Crawlspace was one of the lowest rated books currently on my TBR. Sadly, after reading it, I can see why.

I listened to the audiobook, which was probably the only reason I got through it. It has great narration from Jennifer Pickens, but overall the story left me underwhelmed.

My largest gripe would probably be that I didn’t get what I thought I was getting. Maybe it’s me, maybe I misunderstood the marketing, but I expected an ‘edge of your seat nightmare’ and I was so far back in my seat, I was falling asleep. The only nightmare was how slow this was.

Personally, I feel like the cover is a bit of a mismatch for the story as well. I was expecting more Space Horror, less detailed space mission. We did eventually get some Horror of course, I’m not claiming it isn’t Horror, I just wanted SO MUCH MORE than what was delivered.

I made a status update at 71% that almost nothing had happened up to that point. My eyes were glazing over. Nothing stuck from the plot, no names, no circumstances, no nothing. I just wasn’t interested.

However, with my salty opinion out on the table, let me conclude with the fact that this is strictly my opinion based upon my personal experience with this book. Just because it wasn’t for me, doesn’t mean it won’t be for you.

If this sounds interesting to you, give it a go. You could end up really enjoying it, and then you can come back and tell me how wrong I am. I welcome it!

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio and Tor Nightfire, for providing me with copies to read and review.

I’m sad this didn’t work for me, but glad I gave it a try nevertheless.

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Review: We Were Never Here by Sophia Hannan

~ megs14malloy

We Were Never HereWe Were Never Here by Sophia Hannan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

We Were Never Here follows three estranged friends, Georgia, Circe and James, who reunite to finish a task they set out to do months ago. They need to steal a prized painting from a haunted mansion on their school campus.

What could go wrong, you’re probably asking, and the answer to that is a lot. Back in July, the three, along with their other friend, Jules, had tried to steal the painting while filming an episode of their YouTube Ghost Hunting show.

The result of that mission was Jules, dead, with a knife in her chest, and Georgia waking up in a pool of blood with zero recollection of what happened.

Oh, and they didn’t get the painting.

Now it’s October, and the buyer for the painting is back, and he wants it. No excuses. They agree to get back together and try one more time. They need to put this to rest.

Unfortunately, haunted houses never rest and the three are about to enter another nightmare. Will they all make it out alive this time? And what’s the deal with this painting?

Y’all, I’m not going to drag this out. In no way, shape or form, was this for me. I didn’t enjoy any of it, really; not the writing, the characters, the plot, or even the overall tone.

I do love the cover though. The art style and colors, it drew me to it immediately. I really wanted to love this and while it had a solid concept, the execution fell flat, IMO.

It felt like it was 700-pages long. It just dragged and dragged. It’s completely morose. There’s no nuance at all in the pacing, or energy; very one note.

It also somehow felt like it was trying to do too much, while simultaneously not doing much of anything at all. James was the one beacon of hope, but even he couldn’t save it for me.

I’m sure Readers for this exist. They’re out there and I’m hoping they find it and love it. Perhaps someone with a bit more patience than me, or with less of an urge to eye roll all the drama at the end. Sadly, that Reader isn’t me, and I’m ready to put this far behind me.

Thank you, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. On to the next!

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Review: Incarnate by Alma Katsu

~ megs14malloy

IncarnateIncarnate by Alma Katsu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

I was sold on Incarnate after seeing it described as a reimagining of The Picture of Dorian Gray, one of my favorite Gothic novels of all time, but for the internet age?

How was Katsu going to spin this? I had to find out.

In this story, we’re following Dorothy Wagner, a VFX designer, who has always wanted to standout and be noticed. Dorothy was bullied terribly when she was younger, but she’s come a long way since then. Old insecurities are hard to totally shake though, and she constantly feels like she needs to prove herself.

After she gets a job with a small upstart company that’s focused on cutting-edge deep fake technology, her abilities to standout start to grow. The owner of the company, Tomas, who has a lot of nervous energy, but boundless knowledge, becomes a bit of mentor for Dorothy.

She learns so much from him that she’s able to master the tech, and in her free time, she creates Isabella. The perfect girl, who takes social media by storm.

Everyone wants to be Isabella, and Dorothy finally feels like she’s reaching her own potential, but as the partnership requests roll in, and the money starts to flow, the inevitable cracks start to show.

I know that rhymes. How perfect. Just like Isabella.

I thought this was incredibly-creative and it’s actually my favorite Alma Katsu to date. They say to write what you know, and she definitely took that advice here. In the mid-2000s, Katsu was one of the US Intelligence community’s 1st Social Media Researchers.

This book is a fantastic exploration of social media’s influence in our lives, and some potential unintended consequences of disruptive technologies.

Framing the story as a The Picture of Dorian Gray retelling was a brilliant choice, IMO. It did drag just a touch for me at the end, but overall, it was a fantastic reading experience.

I loved the body horror bits Katsu included and definitely was impressed with how dark she actually ended up taking this story. Once Dorothy starts spiraling, she really starts spiraling. It was hard to predict how it could possibly end.

I would recommend this to any dark fiction Reader. It’s a great melding of Techno-Thriller and Social Horror, with a dash of fantastical. I really appreciated all the pertinent issues that Katsu explored here. I think this would be a stellar book club pick, as there’s so much to discuss.

Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons for providing me with a copy to read and review. I cannot wait to get a hard copy of this one for my collection!

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Review: Happy Hour (Killer VHS Series #9) by Gemma Amor

~ megs14malloy

Happy Hour (Killer VHS Series Book 9)Happy Hour by Gemma Amor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Happy Hour by Gemma Amor is the 9th-installment in the Killer VHS series. If you’ve never heard of these, they’re a series of standalone Horror novellas, written by a host of different authors, that channel the vibes of 80s/90s Horror.

My thoughts on this one are fairly simple, and can actually be summed up with just one word: UNHINGED!

In this novel, we’re following Brian, who owns a unique ((putting it mildly)) cocktail bar in 1990s-London. Brian has some interesting eccentricities that set his bar apart from the others. I let you discover the details for yourself.

Brian’s perspective reminded me a lot of Patrick Bateman. I’m not sure if the author was inspired by his character when writing Brian, but honestly, he could be Patrick’s cousin. I think they’d get along famously at the family reunion.

As far as the content of the story, I found it compelling. I liked the backstory we got for Brian’s character and the way that the back-and-forth was pieced together.

There’s some great, cringey body horror as well, and I felt Amor did a fantastic job balancing an actual plot with all the toe-curling Horror aspects. There’s actually a coherent story in here, which isn’t necessarily always the case.

While i wouldn’t classify this as Extreme Horror, it’s definitely dipping a toe in those deeper waters. This is actually the first I’ve read from Gemma Amor, but I’m stoked to read more. This was a tantalizing introduction to this author for me. For sure.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Shortwave, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’d love to collect all of these paperbacks.

The covers are always so good, and I’d love to add them to my always-growing Horror collection!

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Review: Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line (Finlay Donovan #6) by Elle Cosimano

~ megs14malloy

Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line (Finlay Donovan, #6)Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line by Elle Cosimano
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line is the 6th-installment of the much loved Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano.

I’ve listened to all of these books on audio, and absolutely adore the narration by Angela Dawe. She is Finlay to me at this point. As soon as I hear her voice, I’m locked in and ready for whatever Finlay has in store for me.

This installment continues the story of Vero’s shady past. We’ve had piecemeal info on what exactly lead to Vero working for Finlay, but this book definitely helps fill in the entirety of her backstory.

Vero gets extradited back to Maryland, facing criminal charges for a theft that occurred at her sorority house while she was Treasurer there, which she swears she didn’t commit. She’s placed under house arrest at her Mom’s home back in her hometown, ankle bracelet and all.

Finlay knows Vero is innocent and she’s committed to helping her friend clear her name. Vero has been there for her through all sorts of tough times, and Finlay is ready to step up to return the favor.

Leaving her kids behind in Virginia with her boyfriend, Finlay heads off to Maryland to support Vero any way she can, and if you’ve read any of the books in this series, you know a lot of hi-jinks are going to ensue.

While this wasn’t my favorite of the series, as far as the plot and mystery component, I still really enjoyed my time with it. I absolutely love this great cast of characters that Cosimano has created. Their relationships and banter, watching their bonds grow, it’s all filled my heart.

Prior to reading this, I hadn’t seen the announcement for the 7th book, but this ending made clear there was another coming and I’ve since found that information. I’m personally hoping Finlay’s Mom will be more prominent again in the next installment, because I definitely missed her in this one.

Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me copies to read and review.

I love this series and will continue to pick them up as long as they’re released. I’m already looking forward to Book #7!!

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Review: Scary Movie Night by Miranda Smith

~ megs14malloy

Scary Movie NightScary Movie Night by Miranda Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Scary Movie Night is a modern Popcorn Thriller meets Locked Room Murder Mystery, that also manages to bring all the luxury of Old Hollywood at the same time. It’s sounds like a lot, and it sort of is, but I had a blast reading it.

In this story, we follow Tippi, who has recently broken off her engagement and is planning to travel to Europe for a reset. Before she goes though, her BFF decides to throw her a horror-themed party for her upcoming 35th-birthday.

Tippi, named for Tippi Hedren, of Hitchcock’s The Birds fame, is a huge Hitchcock fan. In fact, she wrote a book on it, Hitchcock films. Thus, the party will stick true to those roots, with the guests even dressing as different characters.

The party is going to be held at Tippi’s Grandmother’s lavish mansion. Tippi was raised by her Grandmather, Marmee, and the two remain very close. Even though Tippi’s not really in a mood to party, she appreciates the gesture, and honestly, how bad can it be?

It’s just for a weekend and the guest list is small, just Tippi and 5 of her closest friends, plus Marmee squirreled away in her room upstairs. What could possibly go wrong?

The tone is set when before the party is even in full swing, Tippi discovers a mysterious and threatening note on the gifts table. Her first thought is her ex, Oliver, could he possibly be there, lurking around the enormous property? Who else would have written such a nasty note?

Then the terror escalates, it’s not just notes, people are getting hurt, disappearing and worse. Tippi and the other guests find themselves thrust into the action of a Thriller movie, and Tippi wants no part of it. This night will change everything forever. Who will even make it out alive?

As a Hitchcock girlie, this was such an enjoyable read. I loved the set-up and the mixed media elements Smith included. We actually get little excerpts from Tippi’s book, where she discusses some of Hitchcock’s most popular films. I loved that and how certain plot points from those films could be loosely found within this story.

I loved Tippi and her Grandmother, Marmee. Their relationship was great, though I was disturbed by the fact that, with everything going on, Tippi just left Marmee upstairs in her bedroom alone. Like don’t worry, there’s only an apparent killer on the loose, just stay here.

It definitely gets wacky and OTT in the 2nd-half, but I was eating it up. I was sat and invested in the chaos. The friend group is freaking messy. Everyone had secrets and sort of nasty personalities, NGL, besides Tippi and her bestie.

I loved the atmosphere as well. Marmee’s mansion is stacked with luxurious items and memorabilia of Old Hollywood. There’s also inclement weather, and though the mansion is large, a feeling of claustrophobia does set in once the intensity amps up. It did feel quite cinematic because of that.

Overall, I just felt like this was a really entertaining dark Thriller. It’s messy and high stakes, with a cast of morally grey characters and captivating twists. I would recommend it to Horror Thriller Readers, or fans of Hitchcock films.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Bantam, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I enjoyed this a lot more than Smith’s earlier release, Smile for the Cameras, and I’m excited to pick up more from her.

We love an upward trajectory with an author’s work!

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Review: Better the Devil by Erik J. Brown

~ megs14malloy

Better the DevilBetter the Devil by Erik J. Brown
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Better the Devil is a YA Psychological Thriller that’s both dramatic and entertaining. It reads like one of the After School Special movies I used to love when I was younger.

I’m not throwing shade when I say that either. I’m serious. I loved those things, and a lot of popular celebrities starred in various episodes. I felt like this story captured a cinematic quality that could translate well to the screen.

In this story, we’re following a gay teen who is forced to run away from home after his extremely religious parents threaten to send him to a conversion camp. For him, it’s the logical next step, but unfortunately, extended life on the streets is very tough.

The teen is forced to do things that he never thought he would have to do, like stealing food to survive. When he gets caught shoplifting food from a store, he gets brought into a police station. While there, he notices a missing person poster with a boy on it, whose age progression happens to look shockingly like himself.

The missing boy’s name is Nate Beaumont. When the police ask him his name, he says Nate Beaumont. It’s the only thing he can think to do, but boy, oh boy, he could never have expected the insane can of worms that one choice would open.

The police are shocked. They know who Nate Beaumont is. He tells them he’s escaped from his captors, but he has no memory of anything prior to his escape. He’s taken to the hospital for assessment and the Beaumont family is notified.

The boy, now calling himself Nate, recognizes that things are quickly getting out of hand, but he assumes they’ll do some sort of tests, DNA tests or something, that will give him the time he needs to escape. But that doesn’t happen, and before he can make his escape, the Beaumont family is welcoming him home with open arms.

The next thing he knows, he’s at their house, at Nate’s house, swept up into their family. He has to play along, bide his time until he can figure out his next move.

The Beaumonts are such an enigma to him though. They’re nurturing and loving, so unlike his own family. He could get used to this, but then disturbing events start happening.

Someone is targeting Nate. Someone who probably knows the truth, that Nate isn’t who he says he is, but who? And more importantly, why?

Nate, along with his new friend, Miles, start digging for answers, but we all know, sometimes the past is best left buried. Will they be able to to figure out what happened to the real Nate, or will the baddie stop them before they get the chance?

This is a good novel. Many aspects of it were gripping. For me, the pace was off a bit, and I’m not sure I feel the author was really able to balance the serious aspects of this story with the more cinematic, entertaining aspects. A lot of it sort of gave me the ick, what Nate was doing.

I do understand his motivations, for sure. Brown did do a good job of building that up, and he still makes Nate a character you have great empathy for, but I don’t know, I still felt a little queasy at times, NGL.

I did end up loving many of the characters in here though. Not just Nate, but also his neighbor Miles, Miles’s dog, Chardonnay, and Nate’s Grandma Sharon, were all super fun and brought a lot of humor to the story.

I would recommend this to YA Thriller Readers, particularly for its actual target audience. I can definitely imagine teens really getting hooked into this one. I’ve never read any other work from Erik J. Brown, but I’m looking forward to doing so in the future.

Thank you to the publisher, HarperAudio Children’s, for providing me with a copy to read and review. The audiobook narration from Daniel Henning was excellent and definitely channeled the overall vibe of the story!

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Review: It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell

~ megs14malloy

It Could Have Been HerIt Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jane Trevally is walking her dogs in the heathlands of her country estate when a West Highland Terrier suddenly appears. It’s clear the dog has been lost for a bit, and she’s sure someone must be missing him terribly.

She’s able to leash him up and walk him back to her house along with the rest of her pack. She quickly takes him to her local vet, and the dog is recognized. His name is Hugo. It seems he may have been staying with a teenage girl, who had recently rented a nearby cottage.

When the young lady is reported as missing by her landlord, Jane offers to return Hugo to his registered owner, found via microchip, hours away in London.

Arriving at the address, Jane can hardly believe it. She knows this house. She has a dark connection with it. One terrifying night from years ago that she’s never, ever forgotten.

But the man who opens the door isn’t the man she remembers. Nevertheless, the home’s current occupant seems sketch AF. He claims to know nothing about the missing girl, but Jane’s instincts are on high alert.

There’s definitely more to this story, and like the proverbial dog with a bone, Jane is not letting it go.

Jane knows that this unsettling house has secrets to spill, and she’s gonna get to the bottom of all of them. Perhaps it will help her get some closure for herself as well. Thus, an amateur sleuth is born.

Y’all, I had such a great time reading this. It Could Have Been Her is a bit slower to start than some of Jewell’s previous works, but with her signature style, she’s able to amp up the intensity with time and pull out all the stops bringing this dark Domestic Drama to its necessary conclusion.

This is the type of story where you need to be comfortable not fully understanding everything in the beginning. There’s multiple perspectives and timelines and it’s not necessarily clear straight away how they all fit together.

However, this is purposeful and for the Readers with the patience, Jewell expertly drops the reveals that will eventually piece it all together for you. I just went with the flow, and though I was uncomfortable in my uncertainty at times, once it clicked, I was hooked.

With all this being said, IMO, this will play better for the 40+ crowd, like myself, but nevertheless it’s a dark and intriguing tale.

I loved the MC, Jane, and am really hoping we might get another book with her. She was such an interesting character, and I’d love to follow her more on this new chapter of her life.

I would recommend this to any Domestic Suspense Reader, or Readers who like layered mysteries. There’s a lot going on here, but as mentioned above, as it all comes together, the payoff is worth it.

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

Lisa Jewell is one of the best in the business and I look forward to all of her new releases. This did not disappoint!

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