Psychological Thriller

Review: Nine Lives by Catherine Steadman

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

Nine LivesNine Lives by Catherine Steadman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

After a messy divorce, Frankie moves herself and her lovable cat, Blue, into their own place in a posh London neighborhood.

It’s her first time living on her own for many years, so of course there’s a bit of anxiety surrounding that. The neighborhood seems lovely though, and Frankie is ready to settle in. Lord knows, she needs a fresh start.

Being alone in the house, particularly at night, does leave Frankie unsettled. She assumes this is something that will just take getting used to. Everything is fine, right?

But then after Blue arrives home after an evening carousing the neighborhood, Frankie makes a startling discovery. Someone has etched the words HELP ME into his collar.

Frankie is shocked. She doesn’t know what to believe. Is this some sort of a prank, perhaps? Local teens looking to get a rise out of somebody?

Frankie’s not willing to just let it go, regardless. Someone could really need help. Assuming that Blue couldn’t have gone too far, and the person in distress must be nearby, Frankie digs out an old cat cam to attach to his collar to try to figure out where the person may be located.

As Frankie starts secretly watching the footage that Blue is capturing each day, she starts to learn a lot inadvertently about the households around her.

Eventually, Frankie finds the footage she’s been waiting for. Now her casual curiosity has become an obsession. She needs to find the truth, and she’ll stop at nothing to get it.

I had an absolute blast reading Nine Lives. Catherine Steadman definitely delivered all the fun things I look for in a Suspenseful Neighborhood Drama. She got my pulse racing so many times and I was fully invested.

I also loved the use of the cat cam. I felt like it was such a clever way to progress the plot. The voyeuristic nature of this, it’s deliciously-compelling. Who doesn’t want to know what’s going on inside their neighbors homes?

Steadman wastes no time getting us to the action of this story either. Within the first 10%, I was hooked. There were some disturbing things happening, even within Frankie’s home, that were getting under my skin. I had to know what was going on.

Frankie was a great MC for me. She sort of fits my tastes as far as her reliability as a narrator went. She is unmoored by her recent divorce and her new home. There were moments when I questioned whether I could believe everything she was telling me.

With this in mind, I’m sure this won’t work as well for everyone, because of that, but for me, it was a real success.

In addition to Frankie, she had some other neighbors that I also really enjoyed. I liked seeing her relationships with those neighbors develop throughout.

Frankie really need someone in her corner after all she’d been through with her ex, and I felt like a couple of people she met on her street would be able to fill that role for her. It made me feel hopeful in a way, even with all the craziness that was going on as well.

As this story approaches the conclusion, the pace really picks up. Steadman has now slotted into place for the Reader exactly what is going on, and if you’re invested still by that point, you will be on the edge of your seat.

One would assume they know how a story like this is going to conclude, but Steadman still managed to bring major intensity and cause of concern. I was gagged, racing through, I just needed to see how it was gonna wrap up.

I would highly recommend this to Psychological Thriller Readers, particularly those who love messy neighborhood drama. Steadman delivers that here in spades.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Bantam, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I have a feeling this will be making my Favorite Books of 2026 list!

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Review: The Girls Before by Kate Alice Marshall

~ megs14malloy

The Girls BeforeThe Girls Before by Kate Alice Marshall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

The Girls Before is a twisty, fast-paced Thriller from one of my go-to authors, Kate Alice Marshall. For me, KAM has such variety with her writing and I love getting my hands on each of her books as they’re released.

This story follows Audrey, a Search & Rescue expert, and a kidnapped woman, Stranger. The narrative transitions back-and-forth between them, slowly revealing connections and the truth of Stranger’s captivity. I loved that back-and-forth as the larger picture starts to become clear.

Audrey was a great main character. She has a lovable pitty named Barry, who I loved having involved in the story. Audrey was portrayed as a good dog mom and we do always appreciate that in a story.

In addition to following Audrey’s work in SAR, we also get to see a bit going on in her personal life and I liked that aspect. I felt like I really got to know her and it made me connect to her more and care about her as the story progressed.

Stranger’s perspective was rather horrifying. Everything she had gone through. Her struggles felt real. It was just awful to think about, to imagine being in that circumstance. Of course that made me empathetic to her in a different way than I was to Audrey.

I loved trying to figure out what was actually going on. There ended up being a lot of different players that comes into the action in a heavy way.

I’m sure this won’t be for everyone, but for me it was very entertaining. I listened to the audiobook in a day, a format I would recommend. The narration by Ina Barrón and Karissa Vacker brought the story to life. I felt sucked into this world and I wasn’t stopping until I had all the answers.

I love nothing more than digging into the secrets of a really toxic family or disturbing small town, and this definitely satisfied that itch. I did feel it got a little convoluted in the second half, however, I still liked it a lot.

I’m confident I followed all the lines KAM was setting and I was happy with the conclusion. I would recommend this for Thriller Readers, particularly if you’ve enjoyed KAM’s work in the past, or if you enjoy stories featuring missing persons.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I had a lot of fun reading it. Kate Alice Marshall’s work is always a good bet for entertainment!

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Review: You Did Nothing Wrong by C.G. Drews

~ megs14malloy

You Did Nothing WrongYou Did Nothing Wrong by C.G. Drews
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**2.5-stars rounded up**

Greetings from Outlier Island!!

I’m surprised to find myself here again and certainly surprised that it’s with a C.G. Drews novel. I anticipated loving this, but sadly, I really did not. I’m struggling to keep my feelings for the MC apart from my overall feelings for the story, but it’s a challenge, since she’s such a pivotal piece.

Additionally, I did find a lot about the plot predictable, and super annoying to read. I had almost a constant feeling of distaste in my mouth, which sadly for me, overshadowed the rest of the story.

There’s no denying Drews skills as a writer, and my opinion on this one book by no means changes the fact that I’m going to pick up everything Drews releases. I really enjoyed both Don’t Let the Forest In and Hazelthorn.

The deeply complex relationships and stunning writing in both of those novels are to be admired, but here, I just didn’t feel that same pull, intrigue or raw ache for any of the characters and their journeys. I hate Elodie, the MC in this book, and never felt even one ounce of sympathy for her, which I think I was supposed to.

I’m not going to go into any of the details of this book, as I do feel it’s just best to dive into it. Further, there are so many glowing reviews of it, that I feel you would be best served going to read those to see others thoughts. I’m clearly in the minority opinion, so don’t let my experience keep you from picking this one up.

Even though the content wasn’t to my tastes, I would recommend the audiobook format though. The narration by Saskia Maarleveld was so, so good. It fit Elodie to a tee, and I did find myself not able to look away; like a train wreck.

It’s also fast-paced, and whether you enjoy it or not, it’s a memorable experience. I remember so many details of this book, and will moving forward. There’s something to be said for that. Drews has created a story that is sure to evoke a lot of emotions in the Readers, that’s for sure.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio and St. Martins Press, for providing me with copies to read and review.

Drews’ creativity cannot be denied and I’m already looking forward to their next release. I have a feeling, this will be a one-off for me when it comes to this author.

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Review: My Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney

~ megs14malloy

My Husband's WifeMy Husband’s Wife by Alice Feeney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After a rejuvenating run, Eden Fox, an up-and-coming artist, returns to her recently-acquired home, a beautiful property known as Spyglass, only to be faced with a locked door and a key that no longer fits the lock.

Saying she’s confused is putting it mildly, but the confusion turns to fear after she knocks, and a woman who could pass for her twin answers the door. Her husband appears as well, but instead of clearing things up, he acts like he doesn’t know her, and claims the other woman is his wife.

We also follow a woman named Birdy, whose long-lost grandmother was once the proud owner of Spyglass. Birdy’s perspective is quite different for Eden’s, and involves her discovery of a shadowy London clinic that claims to be able to predict a person’s death date.

As you can imagine, both of these perspectives are intriguing in their own right. As you go back and forth between the two women, and others, pieces begin slotting into place and you’re left pondering, how are they connected?

Secrets, mystery, deception and obsession, this story has it all. Grab your popcorn and buckle up, because it’s a wild ride. The perfect read if you need a distraction from the world. I read this in a day after a terrible winter storm had knocked out our power for days.

Luckily, I had this downloaded and it definitely saved my mood from getting too low. I listened to it all at once, while I cleaned and tidied as much as I could, and I was absolutely swept up into the story.

The audiobook is fantastic, with multiple narrators and occasional sound effects, this production succeeded in bringing the drama and action of this story to life. It felt like a cinematic event versus a book. I highly recommend the audio format for those who enjoy audiobooks.

I consider Alice Feeney to be the Queen of Twists, and this novel did nothing but solidify that belief. My Husband’s Wife was so crazy and outrageously fun. All of the unpredictable drama, the turns, the sly shifts in perspective bringing continuous new insights, I loved it all.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. As always, Feeney is an absolute delight to read. I’m looking forward to whatever she writes next!!

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Review: Her Last Breath by Taylor Adams

~ megs14malloy

Her Last BreathHer Last Breath by Taylor Adams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙💜💙

Her Last Breath, like Taylor Adams’s last novel, The Last Word, has firmly secured Adams fate as one of my top Thriller authors. Wild and wickedly-entertaining, both of these books kept me glued to the seat and flipping pages.

Taylor Adams has knocked another one out of the park!

Caves, and caving more particularly, petrify me. I was interested in this book as soon as I read the synopsis. I figured it would be harrowing, and easily get my heart racing, and boy and boy, did it ever.

We’re following best friends, Tess and Allie, who go on a caving trip, supposedly a day trip, but it turns into so much more than that. Though Allie is an experienced caver, and knows the cave they are going into like the back of her hand, Tess is a complete amateur.

She goes more because she wants to please Allie, than due to any desire of her own. From the start it doesn’t go well. They have a bit of a confrontation with a mysterious stranger lurking just inside the cave entrance, and from that moment on, the vibes seem off.

As the two women descend into the depths, they soon realize they aren’t alone. The stranger has followed them, and he’s not planning to let them back out alive.

24-hours later, a hospitalized Tess walks a clever Detective Washington through the culminating events of their ill-fated adventure. Together, the two begin to determine that the events weren’t as random as they initially appeared.

Y’all, my claustrophobia was fully initiated by 30% into this novel. It was stirring a bit ahead of that, as even thinking of entering this cave makes me feel queasy, but by 30%, I needed to get up, walk around and stretch.

The way that Adams drew me in, it felt effortless. It was so well written, to keep me fully engaged and keep me guessing. Tess and Allie are both complex characters and I wasn’t sure if I could trust either one of them.

My mind was spinning, trying to keep up with what was going on in this hellscape of a cave. The stranger, the man they met at the cave mouth, was so unsettling. The way he interacted with the women was so inappropriate and creepy. I would have turned around immediately.

I loved that we got Detective Washington’s perspective as well. I loved following along with her during her interview process with Tess.

It felt like we were puzzling it out together. What exactly went on down there? Who was this man? And why does it seem he was targeting them? Was he, or did the odd circumstances of their encounter just make it feel that way?

This is such a wild ride. It’s bound to keep you hooked. I flew this so quickly, half the time with my stomach in my throat. I needed answers. Taylor Adams, I’ll be sending you my therapist’s bill for the mind spin I had from reading this.

After reading The Last Word, I thought, how can Adams possibly top this? I was totally gripped by that story. Now I know. Her Last Breath is the answer to that, at least IMHO.

I can’t recommend this enough to anyone looking for an intense, nail-biting thrill ride. Bonus points if you’re as scared of caves, or any small spaces, as I am. This is sure to have you squirming in your seat!

Thank you to the publisher, William Morrow, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I expected this to be good, but I had no idea it would be this good!

I cannot wait to see what Taylor Adams comes up with next!!

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Review: A Killer Motive by Hannah Mary McKinnon

~ megs14malloy

A Killer Motive: A NovelA Killer Motive: A Novel by Hannah Mary McKinnon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

The night that Stella Dixon helped her teenage brother, Max, sneak out of their parent’s house to attend a beach party with her and her boyfriend, Jeff, she never could have imagined the night would end the way it did.

Max disappearing without a trace. The worst night of Stella’s life, and it forever changed their family. Even 6-years later, the repercussions of that choice feel to Stella like it happened just yesterday. Max is always on her mind.

The one thing that keeps Stella moving forward day-by-day is her true crime podcast, A Killer Motive, where she hopes to help other families find closure by investigating cold cases.

Building a successful podcast isn’t easy however, and in an effort to attract new sponsors, Stella goes on a local radio show to be interviewed about the podcast. The interview goes south though, when the host insists on talking about Max, a tender subject for Stella.

It’s after this show that Stella begins receiving cryptic messages enticing her to play a game, which if she wins, the anonymous individual claims they’ll give her information about what happened to Max all those years ago.

At first, Stella thinks it’s just a sick joke, until Max’s best friend Kenji ends up disappearing as well. The person claims they have Kenji and if she tells anyone, he dies.

Stella is forced to play along and try to figure out who could be behind the messages. She needs to do it alone and she can no longer trust anyone in her life.

As the games escalate and the clues become darker, Stella puts everything else on the line as she desperately scrambles for answers. She vows to get to the bottom of it all, even if it’s the last thing she does.

A Killer Motive pulled me in easily, and held on tight until the very end. I enjoyed so many things about this one. The plotting, the examination of criminality and the ideas behind what types of people commit what types of crimes, and of course, the podcast element.

Hannah Mary McKinnon is a go-to author for me, and this book is the perfect example of why. I find it easy to just lose myself in her stories. If you read for escapism, like me, and love a twisted psychological thriller, you should def check this one out.

I loved how intriguing this was from the start. When the evil messages start rolling in, I couldn’t help but read them to myself in the voice of Jigsaw from the Saw movies. They just had that tone to them. They felt dangerous and I couldn’t imagine being Stella and receiving those messages and not being able to tell anyone about them.

I suspected every person around Stella at one point or another. I feel like McKinnon did a great job of building the side characters so that it could have been anyone. My mind was going a mile a minute trying to figure it out.

I almost felt like I was rushing because the stakes felt so high and I just wanted Stella to be okay. She’s haunted by so much guilt and grief regarding Max, and then when Kenji was taken, to feel like she was the cause of that too. I just had so much empathy for her.

I also felt she was extremely brave and fearless. She felt like she had nothing to lose, so she was willing to risk it all. Unanswered questions had plagued her since the night of Max’s disappearance and the only way to get it to stop would be to figure it out.

She was a great character to follow. The pace is so fast towards the end. Oh my word. As McKinnon novels usually do, it gets wild and I was living for every minute of it.

This is the 6th-novel I have read from this author, and I hope it’s far from the last. I love her stories. They’re dramatic, OTT, fast-paced, intriguing and I look forward to every one.

Thank you to the publisher, MIRA, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Hannah Mary McKinnon, I’m your fan for life!

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Review: The Memory Ward by Jon Bassoff

~ megs14malloy

The Memory WardThe Memory Ward by Jon Bassoff
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

The Memory Ward kicks off as we meet a postal worker named Hank, who lives in the idyllic town of Bethlam, Nevada. The way the town is described, it sounds like something from a postcard or Norman Rockwell painting.

As many of us know though, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is, but what does that mean for Hank, and the rest of the residents of Bethlam?

As a Reader, you can pick up a vibe very early that something is off. It feels sinister, but you can’t quite put your finger on why. Then Hank makes a discovery, the mail he is delivering, there’s nothing but blank paper inside.

Apparently at least one other resident is cued into the fact that something is wrong in Bethlam, as Hank receives a message to look behind the wallpaper in his room.

When he does, the floodgates open. He discovers dozens of sheets of paper, mapping out a story that is either the whole truth, or utter madness.

But which is it?

The Memory Ward definitely includes some interesting concepts to explore. I would recommend this for fans of Pines, or Paradise. It’s got that trippy sort of, what the hell is going on in this town feeling.

And while I did enjoy the vibe of the story, the feeling of having to question everything and doubting what I had learned, I also continuously felt disconnected from the story for some reason. There was something about it that just didn’t work for me, and it did end up depleting my enjoyment level a little.

I’ve thought a lot about it, and my best guess is that it was the way the various character’s perspectives were delivered. There was something flat about it, but in hindsight, perhaps that makes sense, IDK.

I do really enjoy Bassoff’s writing, I just think this concept was one that was really hard to pull off, and for me, it just fell a little flat. There was nothing to really stick in my mind longer term, or get me super invested in the story.

At the end of the day though, it was entertaining and had a strong build. I’m glad I picked it up and tried it.

Thank you to the publisher, Blackstone Publishing, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Bassoff is definitely an author I want to explore more from.

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Review: Goodnight Beautiful by Aimee Molloy

~ megs14malloy

Goodnight BeautifulGoodnight Beautiful by Aimee Molloy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I bought a copy of Aimee Molloy’s Goodnight Beautiful immediately upon its release in 2020. I didn’t know much about it, except I had heard that it was in some way influenced by Stephen King’s Misery.

I had no idea how, or how much of an influence that played in the actual plot, there was just some chatter and I knew I needed it. Anything even mildly King-related, I need.

Of course, like many novels before her, she came into my house and was promptly stuffed onto a shelf, where she’s been waiting to be read for all these years.

Recently, I did a huge unhaul, I’m talking over a 100-books, and I still held on to this one. I was still so interested, and I made a promise to myself, this was the year.

I’m glad I picked it up now. I was wildly-entertained. Luckily, I have never managed to spoil the plot for myself, so was taken by surprise with numerous twists and turns.

The first big twist, I was jaw on the floor, literally. Like, WHAT?! It made me stop to reconsider everything I thought I was understanding about this story.

I love that type of twist. Clever misdirection is something I always appreciate. I also enjoyed the direction the story went in. I wasn’t sure if that’s what we were doing, but when I figured out it was, it was still quite pleasing to me.

I just thought this was very well executed and although it won’t go down in history as a new FAVORITE book of all time, I can still recommend it to anyone who enjoys a twisty, popcorn Thriller.

If you’re like me, and you’ve had this one sitting on your shelves for half a decade, now is the time, girlfriend, give it a whirl; a fun and fast-paced Summer Thriller.

I’m looking forward to reading more from Aimee Molloy!

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Review: Whispers of Dead Girls by Marlee Bush

~ megs14malloy

Whispers of Dead Girls: A NovelWhispers of Dead Girls: A Novel by Marlee Bush
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A decade has passed since Ren left her hometown, but now she’s back, accepting a job at her old high school.

She’s hoping the position will help her find some sort of closure regarding her traumatic past, and the death of her older sister when the two were teens.

Back in the school, Ren is unprepared for the wave of memories and emotions that come rushing back to her. Additionally, there was a bit of a scandal wrapped-up in her sister’s death, and people sometimes still whisper about it.

For her part, Ren will never forget the days and events leading up to tragedy, but being back is causing her to see things a little differently.

We get a bit of past and present, as well as a current situation involving one of her coworkers, a physics teacher, Mr. Lewis. Ren becomes suspicious of him, fearing history will soon repeat itself. She vows, not on her watch.

While Whispers of Dead Girls was compelling and enticing, it did sort of tick me off, NGL. I’ve been thinking on it for a while, anticipating that resounding sense of annoyance with it would dissipate in time, yet it hasn’t.

With this being said, most of the journey to get to the conclusion kept me entertained and invested. I was sucked into both the past and present timelines.

Additionally, I loved the set-up of the MC returning to their hometown after a long period of time away, and investigating a circumstance that seems reminiscent of something she herself had gone through. This returning MC aspect is actually one of my favorite tropes.

I also liked how Ren was an unreliable narrator. I never knew what she was going to do next. Nevertheless, the resolutions she came to, I was sort of miffed by all that.

So much so, that in a way, it started to feel like a waste of my time. Though I can acknowledge this is a good story, and I think Bush pulled off a lot of great twists and turns, I still feel a slight sense of distaste about how it all played out.

I wish I could say more about this, but I can’t without spoiling major reveals, and I’m not about to do that. I still want others to enjoy this book and I know many will.

It does have many strong aspects, it’s a good story, but at the end of the day, I rate based on my personal reading experience, and this one left me a wee bit perturbed.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I’ll definitely be picking up more from this author.

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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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