drama

Review: Tiny Threads by Lilliam Rivera

~ megs14malloy

Tiny Threads: A NovelTiny Threads: A Novel by Lilliam Rivera
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**2.5-stars rounded up**

Tiny Threads. I’m sad about this. I wanted to love it, as it explores the dark-side of the fashion industry and that’s something that truly interests me. While I can recognize there’s a good story in here somewhere, I just didn’t feel the execution pulled off what the author was hoping.

Sadly, it felt very mid to me, with no real memorable qualities. The overall story was quite bland, and I walked away wanting more. More of everything, more character development, intrigue, horror and plot.

Our main character is Samara, who leaves her home in New Jersey to pursue a job in Southern California with legendary fashion designer, Antonio Mota.

Samara is out of her element, and struggles to regain her bearings in her new home. Her coping mechanism is vodka, which I was told very, very, very, very frequently that she was drinking copious amounts of.

That was one of the first issues I had with this novel. How frequently I was told how much Samara was drinking. I would have preferred to have been shown her bad coping mechanisms and decisions in some other, more varied, ways.

I get it, she’s an unreliable narrator. I love an unreliable narrator, particularly those that drink too much, but I need a bit more depth to their character than what I feel I was delivered here.

I also liked getting the inside peek at this fashion house. I love stories that incorporate the business-side of things, and Rivera was doing that, I just wish she would have leaned even further into that exploration.

There were also some hints of some interesting horror elements, particularly those revolving around the nearby slaughterhouse, but again, I wanted her to explore that even further. To give me more; more history, more disturbing visuals, more substance.

I think Rivera has creative ideas. I liked how she brought the cultural identity of our MC into the story. That was the strongest aspect to me. I just wish, overall, it could have been a more well-rounded reading experience.

At the end of the day, I can see the good elements of this, there just weren’t enough to pull me through above a 3-star rating. I would be interested in picking up more from this author in the future. I know she’s a talented, this just didn’t work for my tastes.

I would still encourage anyone who thinks this sounds interesting, to pick it up and give it a go. Just because it didn’t work for me, doesn’t me it won’t work for you.

Thank you to the publisher, Del Rey, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m happy I gave it a shot.

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Review: So Happy Together by Olivia Worley

~ megs14malloy

So Happy TogetherSo Happy Together by Olivia Worley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

So Happy Together is a twisty and dramatic Social Thriller that should be read as a warning about the potential hazards in modern dating. Singletons listen up!!

This story follows Jane, a 24-year old, aspiring NYC-playwright. Jane meets Colin, her perfect person, via a dating app. She can hardly believe her luck. He’s too perfect.

Sadly, he breaks things off after only 6-dates. Jane doesn’t see it as forever though, just a bump in the road of their longer term relationship. She’ll do anything to make it so.

Then Colin starts dating Zoe, a up-and-coming New York artist, who also appears to be quite successful in various online space as an artistic influencer.

Zoe may have a lot, but Jane knows Zoe will never be able to love Colin like she can, but what’s she willing to do about it?

I enjoyed this novel quite a bit. The audiobook was well narrated and kept me engaged during a very long solo road trip. Nevertheless, the story itself was a bit of a mixed bag for me, particularly in the second-half.

The beginning was super engaging and gripping, but the further it went, the more it started to lose my attention. It almost got too twisty, if that’s possible?

With this being said, I did still enjoy quite a few of the twists thrown into this wild tale. Also, I appreciated the risks the author took with the story. It’s not your typical Dramatic Thriller and actually went a lot darker than I expected.

I think for me, the most difficult area was towards the end. There were so many things popping up, and some were hard to track, so it felt muddled. I’m still not entirely sure I understand how exactly everything played out.

I think where the author really succeeded here was with the creation of the characters. I love an unreliable narrator, and Jane seemed like one, but she wasn’t the only character in this story who you couldn’t necessarily believe.

I liked how the author played with the abundant psychological manipulations of this cast of characters. It had me doubting everyone, and I sort of love that.

I also really enjoyed the New York setting, and just that whole feel of being a young person, transplated to NYC, trying to make a go of it. You’re amongst millions of people, but it can be such a solitary endeavor.

Overall, I definitely vibe with Worley’s ideas and character work, even if the execution wasn’t perfect in this one. This is the 2nd-novel I have read from this author, and I’m definitely excited to read more.

You never really know what you’re going to get.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I do recommend the audiobook. Michelle H. Lee’s narration was perfect for Jane’s perspective.

Again, while this wasn’t a flawless novel, I still found it to be a lot of fun and appreciated how dark and twisted the author went with it. Looking forward to more Worley!!

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The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

~ megs14malloy

The Seventh Veil of SalomeThe Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of those beloved authors who I will willingly step outside of my comfort zone for, and this novel is a perfect example of why.

Set against the Sword and Sandal era of old Hollywood, I was absolutely transported into this story. I cannot recommend the audiobook format enough. Flawless.

Historical Fiction can often be a drag for me, but I do love Old Hollywood and Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s name on a cover. There was never any doubt I was going to read this.

I am glad that I waited the 7-months for my library hold to come through on a copy of the audiobook though. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure I would have loved it quite as much if I had read it physically.

The full cast narration of this truly brought this story to life. I love the mixed media aspects that Moreno-Garcia included, making it feel like I was taking in a documentary or podcast. That aspect really shone in the audio-version.

This story follows three main perspectives. Two of these perspectives, Vera and Nancy, are set in 1950s Hollywood. The last perspective is set in biblical times and is that of the Jewish Princess, Salome.

Vera and Nancy are actresses. Vera, an unknown Mexican ingenue, gets cast to play the lead role of Salome in a big-budget movie sure to be a hit. Nancy is a bit player who was eyeing that lead for herself. Her career has stalled, but she’s got a lot of ideas of how great she could be.

If only this stupid girl hadn’t stolen the part from her…

I’ll be honest, I knew nothing of the historical figure of Salome, so it was interesting to learn about her a bit here.

I like how Morena-Garcia presented her story, and then showed how over a thousand years later, her story was still being…manipulated, I guess for lack of a better word. As in life, so in death, her story took on mythical proportions.

I don’t know if this is making sense. I understand it in my brain, but it’s hard to express without giving anything away, or going to far into the details.

The real star of the show for me though was the back-and-forth between Vera and Nancy’s perspectives. You know they are on a collision course with one another, but how?

I just thought everything set in Hollywood, the descriptions of the production, all the people involved, the how and why of everything going on, was so good. There’s also quite a bit of the social scene, which I found equally enticing.

I was surprised how truly invested I became in this. I honestly was expecting to like it, but not love it the way I did. I’m still gobsmacked thinking of it even hours after finishing. It was incredibly-crafted.

I would highly recommend this to Historical Fiction fans, or people who have a great love of the Golden Age of cinema. Also, I cannot stress enough how fabulous the audiobook is; 10/10 recommend that format.

Thank you to Del Rey for providing me with a copy to read and review. Silvia Morena-Garcia is such a talent!!!

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Review: The Really Dead Wives of New Jersey by Astrid Dahl

~ megs14malloy

The Really Dead Wives of New JerseyThe Really Dead Wives of New Jersey by Astrid Dahl
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

‘Footage first, feelings never.’

Hope is the newest cast member on the popular reality television show, Garden State Goddesses.

After her cousin, Eden, the program’s showrunner, introduced her to Leo Fontana, of the show’s infamous Fontana family, the two fell in love and their wedding kicked off the first episode of this latest season.

Garden State Goddesses mainly focuses on the Fontana family, Sicilian-Americans located in Shady Grove, New Jersey.

Soft-spoken, doe-eyed singer/songwriter, Hope, who originally hails from Northern California, is a fish out of water amongst the rest of the cast. She’s struggling to find her place; uncertain and self-conscious.

Hope’s new sister-in-law, Carmela, is the Queen Bee of the family, and the show. She’s less than elated by Hope’s presence and doesn’t pull any punches, making Hope uncomfortable at every turn.

Drama is top on the menu throughout this story, until eventually, someone ends up dead. Everyone has motives. Everyone is acting suspicious, but whodunit and is anyone else in danger?

I was sucked into this story fairly quickly. The set-up was interesting and I loved meeting all the characters. Dahl had me grabbing my popcorn early and often.

I love how she chose to include Confessional sections, which makes perfect sense with regards to the reality show production. I thought Eden did a good job of digging information out of these cast members.

I felt like Hope was a bit of wet noodle, so I agreed with Carmela on that one, but it was fun watching her try to fit in and get along. It’s clear she had a bit of shady history and I liked watching as all that was revealed.

While some things I thought seemed obvious, I was never sure and loved guessing what was actually going on. It kept me engaged and flipping pages at a frantic pace.

Unfortunately, this is one of those cases where I was loving it for the first 80-85%, and then it lost my interest at the end. Admittedly, I was slightly-disappointed with the way it wrapped-up.

I did like some elements of the conclusion, including a last minute mini-reveal, but I also felt like certain aspects were drawn out unnecessarily.

For most of it though, oh my word, was I having fun. The ‘propulsive page-turner’ comment in the synopsis is spot-on. I never knew what was going to be revealed next.

I don’t watch reality television, but I can see how it could be addictive. I feel Dahl absolutely succeeded in bringing those vibes to the page. I would recommend this to Readers who enjoy OTT-drama and intrigue.

Thank you to the publisher, Simon & Schuster, for providing me a copy to read and review. I appreciated how Dahl really leaned into the reality show concept. It was a lot of fun!

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Review: The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan

~ megs14malloy

The Three Lives of Cate KayThe Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

💖💛💚💖💛💚💖💛💚💖💛💚💖

The Three Lives of Cate Kay was a quick and enjoyable read. I particularly enjoyed the quality and tone of Fagan’s writing. It was easy and fast-paced.

While I wasn’t crazy about the arrangement of how the story was told, I still really appreciated the lovely character work.

I was drawn to this because of the synopsis. The idea of following a mysterious author, Cate Kay, and learning all about her life and success appealed to me. I would say Fagan def delivered in that regard.

Kay wasn’t quite the kind of mysterious I tend to vibe with though. I don’t know, it’s hard to explain. This just didn’t pack the punch for me that I was hoping it would. It was nice, but also felt a little safe.

There’s a lot of different characters introduced over the course of this tale, and we get all of their various perspectives and the timeline varies as well. I’ll admit to at times needing to remind myself, who I was reading from at any particular time, and where they were in time.

I think as an audiobook, if it is done with full cast, like Daisy Jones, this could flow well and be quite impactful. Unfortunately, reading it with my eyeballs, it sometimes felt a little disjointed.

With all this being said though, I did really love Annie and Amanda’s relationship. I think that aspect of this book captivated me the most and kept me moving forward at a steady clip.

Further, I think for Literary Fiction fans this is going to be a big hit. It did remind me in certain structural ways of Daisy Jones and the Six, and I’m anticipating many, many comparisons to Evelyn Hugo. I’ve never read EH, so can’t comment in that regard personally.

I would recommend this though to anyone who enjoyed either of those books. I feel like for the right Reader at the right time, this book could be sheer perfection.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me a copy to read and review. Even though this is a little outside my comfort zone, I’m really glad I picked it up. It was a nice change of pace.

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Review: The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel

~ megs14malloy

The Hitchcock HotelThe Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alfred Smettle is the proud founder, owner and manager of The Hitchcock Hotel, an Alfred Hitchcock-themed hotel settled amongst the rugged landscape of the White Mountains in New Hampshire. It’s beautiful, yet secluded.

The Hotel has been a labor of love for Alfred, a life-long Hitchcock fan. With the 1-year anniversary of the hotel’s founding approaching, Alfred decides it would be a great time to invite his best friends from college for a reunion.

Of course, he hasn’t really spoken to any of them in 16-years, but that doesn’t stop him from reaching out and extending the invitations.

For their part, the five invitees, once all members of the Film Club at their college, are surprised to get the invitations. It just seems strange after all this time, but curiosity gets the best of them and they all accept.

Zoe, Samira, Grace, TJ and Julius arrive one-by-one at the hotel and the strange weekend begins. As the Reader you get to know each of these characters. The story jumps around between perspectives, as well as past-and-present timelines.

It is a fully unlikable cast with a ton of interpersonal drama and secrets among them. Personally, I enjoy that kind of set-up, but if you are someone who needs to like your characters, you may not. There’s not much to like here.

This is in part a murder mystery, although it does take some time to get there. You know pretty early on that not all is going to go right with this weekend.

Even though I knew someone was bound to die, I still didn’t see it coming. Not the person, not the circumstance. Every single one of the remaining people had a motive, which did successfully keep me guessing.

I’ll be honest though, after the first few chapters, I wasn’t sure I was going to like it, but IMO, Wrobel pulled it off in the end. There were some fun twists and reveals.

It may have helped that I am a big Hitchcock fan, so have watched all the movies mentioned and understood the many references. I’m not sure I would have had quite the same experience with it if I didn’t have that background.

At the end of the day, I feel like this is a solid showing for Wrobel. I would recommend it to people who enjoy secluded locations with set cast of characters. I also, of course, would recommend it to any other Alfred Hitchcock fans.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m interested to see what Wrobel delivers us next. All her books have been quite distinct from one another, but I like her in this Murder Mystery space.

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Review: Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

~ megs14malloy

Listen for the LieListen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Five years ago, Lucy’s best friend, Savvy, was brutally murdered. The night of the tragedy, Lucy and Savvy had been attending a wedding, along with many of their other friends and family members.

Later that same night, Lucy was found wandering, battered, bruised, and disturbingly covered in Savvy’s blood. Savvy’s body was eventually found. Lucy has no memories of what occurred that night, and of course all suspicions fell to her.

There was no proof Lucy was involved in the crime, she was never convicted of anything, but you know how the court of public opinion can be. In the aftermath, Lucy fled to L.A., hoping to never have to return.

It’s five years later though and her family is throwing her favorite Grandma an 80th-birthday party. She can go back for that at least…

As it happens, Ben Owens, creator and host of a popular True Crime Podcast, is also in Lucy’s Texas hometown and he wants to meet her. He’s digging around the case for content for the second season of his show, and of course, he’s ridiculously good-looking and charming.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot, because I do feel it is best enjoyed if you go in knowing as little as possible. Tintera did a great job of allowing this story to unfold in such a creative and enjoyable way. It shouldn’t be missed.

Listen for the Lie is definitely one of my favorite Mystery-Thrillers of 2024. This will standout in my mind for it’s overall intrigue and provocative storyline.

Do yourself a favor, if you haven’t read this yet, make sure you grab a copy of the audiobook. If this doesn’t win the Goodreads Choice Awards Best Audiobook category, there will be riots. It’s an exceptionally well-produced audio.

The podcast elements were perfectly blended into the overall story and it felt so real. I loved it. It kept me guessing and wanting more every moment I was reading it.

The characters were also well-developed and the drama kept me on my toes. Lucy’s Grandma was such a riot — absolutely hilarious and one of my favorite types of characters to read. Goals.

Lucy also had some character quirks I wasn’t expecting. Her narrative voice was snarky and frankly, surprising. She kept me guessing most of all. I loved being inside her head.

I would absolutely recommend this to any Mystery-Thriller fan, particularly if you enjoy podcast elements, or an amnesia trope. I’m really looking forward to reading more from this author!

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Review: No Place Left to Hide by Megan Lally

~ megs14malloy

No Place Left to HideNo Place Left to Hide by Megan Lally
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

After reading Megan Lally’s debut, That’s Not My Name, as my first book of 2024 and giving it a strong 5-star rating, I knew she was an author I wanted more from.

No Place Left to Hide is her upcoming 2025-release, with an expected publication date of January 7th, but I couldn’t wait that long. Once I had my ARC, graciously received from Sourcebooks Fire, I knew I would be getting to it soon.

Unsurprisingly, this was so gripping and absolutely overflowing with twists and turns. It took me no time to read at all, and now I must wait for more Lally. It really was a double-edged sword reading this so early.

This felt a little inspired by the true life Murdaugh murders in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. I don’t know if that was intentional by the author, but I was definitely picking up details and connections that made me think of that case.

It also brought to mind Holly Jackson’s Five Survive. If you had fun with that, you should check this out too.

You may be wondering what it’s all about, and I’m going to tell you as briefly I can; trying not to gush on about it.

So, we’re following MC, Brooke, and to her, image is everything. She comes from a very successful family. Her father has been involved in law in their county for decades and is well respected. Her Mom is the principal of their prestigious school.

There was an incident with a classmate a year ago that almost ruined it all for Brooke. Luckily, she was able to move on from it and has just been accepted into her dream school.

She’s been laying low, but with the Yale acceptance, is finally convinced by her best friend, Jena, to attend an Ivy Party, to celebrate along with the rest of their classmates.

It’s been a while since Brooke attended a party, and even though she’s hesitant, she’s looking forward to letting loose for a bit. At the party though, she is confronted by the brother of the classmate she had the incident with last year.

He blames her for what happened to his sister, and from there, everything begins to go downhill quickly.

There are screaming matches, accusations, threats, car chases, police involvement; it’s pretty edge of your seat until the very BITTER end.

I love teen drama. I love rich people behaving badly. I love having a front seat to it all and that’s exactly what Lally delivered me in this one.

Once I started, I could not put this down. Don’t get me wrong, none of the characters are likable and I wasn’t rooting for anyone, but boy, did I want to know all the tea!

While this is very different plot-wise to That’s Not My Name, Lally’s intriguing storytelling style was still on full display.

I didn’t give this a full 5-stars, because there were some minor things that didn’t quite work for me, but overall, it was a very successful, fun reading experience.

I would recommend this to any fan of YA Thrillers. Particularly, if you love really twisted stories.

Thank you to the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I can’t wait to see what more Readers think of this one, and more importantly, I can’t wait for more from Megan Lally!

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Review: Under the Surface by Diana Urban

~ megs14malloy

Under the SurfaceUnder the Surface by Diana Urban
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Under the Surface is the latest Thriller from one of my go-to YA authors, Diana Urban. I have been soooooo freaking excited about this one. I love Urban’s stories and synopsis for this sounded hella fun.

Teens trapped in the Paris Catacombs, yes, please!

This story follows Ruby and Sean, two teens enjoying Paris on a class trip. Ruby and Sean are good friends, but lately their feelings for each other have started to lean in a more romantic direction.

They’re both excited to escape from their regular lives for a bit and experience the City of Light together. It doesn’t get any more romantic than that.

Their romantic aspirations are derailed, however, when Ruby’s best friend, Val, sneaks away on the first night to meet up with a French boy she had met earlier in the day.

Not wanting Val to get in trouble, Ruby goes after her, hoping to bring her back before getting caught. In an unfortunate set of events, Ruby ends up reining other classmates, Selena and Olivia, into her endeavor.

When they find Val, she’s with the mystery boy and he has an enticing offer; the chance to attend an exclusive party underground in the infamous catacombs of Paris.

This intricate maze of galleries and tunnels were once used by the city as a way to house their dead, due to serious health concerns regarding overflowing cemeteries. It’s believed that over 6-million bodies were stored there.

As you can imagine, these catacombs are fascinating to many people. The girls weren’t immune. They were dying to explore this underground tunnel system.

Unable to find the party and feeling like they are being watched, and worse, possibly chased, the crew of teens end up hopelessly lost under the surface.

Up above, Sean is the first to suspect that something may be seriously wrong. It’s not like Ruby to disappear without telling anyone. Certainly not overnight. He won’t rest until the adults start to him seriously and begin a search.

And if they won’t, he’ll find her himself.

This book sucked me in pretty quickly. I loved the idea of these teens being in Paris on a Senior Trip and then having the ultimate misadventure. I had no idea how stressful it would become though.

Originally, I rated this 3.5-stars and rounded up to 4, mainly because it did slow down a bit for me in the 2nd-half; that being my only critique, that it’s a tiny bit too long.

With this being said, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it, so decided a straight 4-star rating was more true to my experience.

I feel like Urban did a sensational job building the tension in this story. The level of claustrophobia and panic I started to feel, it was real.

Even considering being in the place of Ruby, Val, Olivia, or Selena, OMG, I can’t even imagine how horrifying it would be. Sometimes when I was reading, I had to get up and walk around, to stretch and take a break. It got that stressful, all whilst remaining entertaining.

The interpersonal drama is very YA, but it is a book for Teens, so what else would we expect. It fits the target audience. Also, that never bothers me. If it did, I wouldn’t gravitate towards YA books so often.

I do feel Urban did a great job making these characters relatable as well. They’re all going through different struggles common to the Teen experience. If anything, that should only help to connect Readers more with this story and the nail-biting events contained herein.

The things that happened in the catacombs, it got wild. Urban took it in a direction I wasn’t expecting. For me, I wouldn’t say I disliked the direction it took, but once certain things were revealed, I was slightly disappointed.

In saying this, I am not really critiquing the book, it’s not my story to tell and it’s 100% personal taste, but I just wish it hadn’t gone down certain paths, if you will.

Because of this, the first half was stronger for me than the second, however, I do think overall this is still an exciting YA Thriller, toeing the line into Horror. It succeeded in making me feel claustrophobic almost the whole way through!

Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for YR, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I feel like this is Urban’s most adventurous work to date. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next!!

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Review: The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley

~ megs14malloy

The Midnight FeastThe Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Midnight Feast is easily one of my most anticipated releases of 2024, coming from one of my go-to Mystery/Thriller authors, Lucy Foley. I love her classic style, her sense of place, as well as her dramatic characters.

The moment I read this synopsis, I needed it.

This story follows four different perspectives: Francesca, the founder, Owen, the husband, Bella the mystery guest, and Eddie the kitchen help. On first observation, you may think four perspectives it a lot, but honestly, it never felt like it here.

They’re all equally interesting in their own right, and so well developed. Additionally, each play an important role in the events that play out over the course of the story.

We join these characters on the first night of the grand opening weekend at The Manor, a luxury retreat that Francesca has created, along with the help of her husband, Owen, upon her familial coastal estate.

The unique property is sold out for the weekend and all guests are expecting the best of the best, to be pampered and low-key treated like royalty. Francesca is pulling out all the stops, no expense has been spared, but will it all come off without a hitch? She’s beyond stressed.

It doesn’t take long after you meet all the characters for the ominous tone to set in. There are some mysterious things happening and the property itself seems to be mired in a darkness. It’s unsettling; wicked and wild.

The abutting woods feel like they are looming over the resort, like they may harbor secrets and other disturbing things. The local lore surrounding these woods certainly doesn’t help matters. This atmosphere got under my skin fairly quickly and I was eating it up.

Further, I loved the construction of this story. The chapters are short and you alternate between all of these perspectives. With each chapter you’re learning more and more about what is actually going here, the history and connections.

We also get some journal entries, which take us back to the property, I believe, 15-years prior, and the horrific events that happened there at that time. Through these journal entries we learn a bit more about some of the players in our modern timeline. Enlightening stuff.

I was at the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading this. I found the story to be so gripping. As each chapter ended, it felt like another puzzle piece falling into place.

I was scrambling to get through it. I had to know the truth behind all the connections and what was going to happen on the night of the Midnight Feast. It was a real race to figure everything out. I had so much fun with it.

I’m trying not to give too much away about what happens. It’s best to just go in and be surprised. This definitely went places that I wasn’t expecting.

I can’t stress enough how great this atmosphere felt though. I’m an atmosphere-girlie through-and-through. That’s the number one thing I want out of my stories and Foley delivered it in spades here.

It felt rich, dangerous, hedonistic, and a bit pagan in nature. It almost toes the line into Folk Horror territory, if I’m being honest, and you know I love that.

This was wildly-engaging and non-stop entertainment. There’s no lulls ever in the forward progression of the narrative and mystery of The Manor. The conclusion was exciting and included more than one jaw-dropping moment.

In my most humble opinion, this is Foley’s strongest work yet. Everything about this gets top marks from me. I literally have no complaints.

It comes with my highest recommendation. If you haven’t already, you need to add this to your Summer TBR. If you love atmosphere, clever plot development and non-stop twists and turns, you are sure to enjoy this as much as I did.

Thank you so, so much to the publisher, William Morrow, for providing me with a copy to read and review. As mentioned above, this was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and it far exceeded my expectations.

Well done, Lucy Foley. Well done!

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