suspense

Review: The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North

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The Man Made of SmokeThe Man Made of Smoke by Alex North
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤❤️🖤

When he was a kid, Dan Garvie had an encounter with a serial killer that he luckily escaped physically unharmed, but he’s been mentally haunted by that day ever since.

It had a huge impact, not just on him, but also on his Dad, John, as well. John was a police officer at the time the killer was active, and to have his son directly impacted by that encounter definitely hit a little too close to home.

As an adult, Dan has moved away from his small island hometown and has dedicated his life to understanding criminal minds. Focused on forgetting his past, Dan doesn’t keep in as close of touch with his Dad as he probably should.

When he receives news that his Dad has passed away under highly-suspicious circumstances, he rushes back to the island determined to uncover the truth.

Returning to his childhood home stirs up a lot of feelings and memories for Dan. It also brings him into contact with people he hasn’t seen in many years, including his childhood best friend, Sarah.

As Dan starts digging around, trying to find out what could have happened to his Dad, he uncovers some startling things. Is it possible his Dad’s unfortunate fate is connected to that horrible nightmare Dan has been running from for all of these years?

The Man Made of Smoke was so incredibly-engaging. Gripping and intriguing from the very start, I found it difficult to put this one down once I was reading it.

The story is told via three perspectives and I appreciated what each of them brought to the story. I grew attached to each character, but particularly to John. This is one of those rare Crime Fiction novels that really tugs at your heart-strings, or at least it did mine.

We also get past and present perspectives, which I feel like helped to really build out the truth behind this story.

The past perspective had a visceral feel to it; imagining being in the circumstances portrayed was gut-wrenching. The current perspectives were similarly impactful, filled with the character’s inner regrets and turmoil.

It was so well executed and really made me feel connected with this story. I actually cared. There’s no way I could have walked away from this one.

It also didn’t hurt that the set-up of a character returning to their hometown, after a long period of time away, and they have to reinsert themselves into their communities in order to solve something, either an old or new mystery, is one of my all-time favorite tropes.

As someone who moved away from their hometown many years ago, this idea always intrigues me. Maybe I should go back and solve some stuff, you know? Also, it’s set on an island, which is another thing I love.

All around it was clear from the start that this should be a hit for me, and Alex North definitely pulled it off. I recommend this to anyone who is a fan of North’s previous novels, or if you love darker Crime Fiction stories in general.

Thank you to the publisher, Celadon Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This definitely met my lofty expectations. Well played by North!

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Review: Senseless by Ronald Malfi

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SenselessSenseless by Ronald Malfi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Senseless. I didn’t read the synopsis before starting this book. There’s no need for me to do so. If I see Ronald Malfi’s name on a cover, I am going to be reading it. It really makes no difference to me what it’s actually about.

I was delighted to discover this novel is a captivating blend of Crime Fiction, Horror and Suspense. This is a combination Malfi is so successful with, and brought to mind my favorite previous novel of his, Bone White.

This story is told via three perspectives: Detective Bill Renney, author Maureen Park, and the self-proclaimed human fly, Toby Kampen.

My favorite of these was Detective Renney. He reminded me a lot of another of another one of my fictional favorites, Detective Bill Hodges. Renney is flawed, but also incredibly compelling and endearing.

At the start of this novel, the corpse of a heavily-mutilated woman is found in the desert outside of L.A. Called in on the case, Renney can’t help but see glaring connections to a case he thought had been put to bed a year ago.

Is this some sort of a copy-cat killing? But how could that be? This level of details, as far as the specifics of the woman’s body, was never reported to the public.

Bill is disturbed by this and it ends up reopening some doors from the past he would rather have stayed closed.

Then we get Maureen’s and Toby’s perspectives. Besides living in and around the same area of the crime, how are these people connected? It’s not immediately clear.

You shouldn’t concern yourself too much with all of that though. Just sit back and let the magic happen. Through Malfi’s skill, all will become clear in the end.

Upon first completing Senseless, I was absolutely gobsmacked by how well-crafted it is. It gave me so many different themes to ponder, and reflect upon, both in the story, and just about life and human behavior in general.

It’s such a nuanced story, with many threads interwoven into a perfect blend of Crime Fiction, Thriller and Horror. The examination of grief and guilt is also expertly-explored, which is one of my favorite topics in Horror; just beautiful.

There were so many different threads of story here that had to be woven in and out, and placed at just the right time for the Reader to get maximum impact. I absolutely LOVED how Malfi pulled that off.

Each character brought their own unique circumstances and personalities to the table, as we all do in life, and it was just so fascinating to see it all come together.

There were some deep moments of intensity, particularly for me surrounding Maureen’s perspective, and some scenes in particular that horrified me and definitely got under my skin. I was so on edge for her. It was powerful.

While I don’t think this book will necessarily be for everyone, I think for the Readers who are able to connect with it, as I did, it’s a memorable one indeed.

Thank you to the publisher, Titan Books and Tantor Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. Ronald Malfi is one of my absolute favorite authors, and I always look forward to his new releases.

IMO, he’s one of the most talented voices in Horror Fiction today. There’s such a classic feel to his writing. I find them to have a nostalgic feel, even though they’re brand new.

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Review: The Last Session by Julia Bartz

~ megs14malloy

The Last SessionThe Last Session by Julia Bartz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

The Last Session is a slow burn, psychology-fueled, suspense story following a social worker named Thea.

Thea works on a psychiatric unit and one day, when a catatonic woman arrives, having been picked up on the streets, Thea feels moments of deja vu looking at her. She swears she knows her, but can’t figure out from where.

Even more strange is how similar the woman looks to her. Once out of her catatonic state, the woman claims she can’t remember the events leading up to her memory loss, and her being in the psych unit in the first place.

When Thea finally places who the woman is and how she knows her, she can hardly believe it. This person played a huge part in Thea’s own traumatic past. She offered her a sense of comfort and inspiration.

But just as suddenly as the woman appeared on the unit, she disappears. People claiming to be her parents came by and picked her up. Shortly thereafter though, her real parents arrive. So, who took her and where did they go?

What is going on here? Is this woman still in further trouble? Thea feels compelled to help her. She cannot let it go. She feels too strong a connection to her.

Following a trail of clues, Thea ends up in a Wellness Center in a remote area of Southwestern New Mexico. It’s there that a charismatic, New Age couple counsel individuals through a 1-month retreat focusing on romance and intimacy issues.

Thea enrolls herself in the program, and while she gets closer to finding answers for her missing patient, she’s maybe even more importantly, edging towards answers about her own past, and resulting hang-ups.

The Last Session is yet another story that immediately intrigued me, but started to lose me as it went on. Don’t get me wrong, Bartz did succeed with a lot of things here, but it veered too far into fever dream territory at the end for my liking. Ultimately, that did sour my experience a bit.

I did appreciate how bold the content was. The conversations about sex, and in particular, the MC’s explorations of her own issues surrounding sex and intimacy. I really enjoyed that side of the story.

I also loved Thea’s determination and how the whole mission evolved into not just being about her saving this mystery woman, but also saving herself; aiming to regain her own power and self-confidence.

I feel like the retreat, and the characters involved in that, were also really well-developed conceptually. It reminded me a lot of the cult of Mother God, or even Heaven’s Gate. I feel as far as cult stories go, it’s a good one, so if that’s something you enjoy, you should absolutely check it out.

Overall, I enjoyed this. While it was a little uneven for me, as far as my personal interest level goes, I still can appreciate its many strong attributes. Yet again, I am impressed by the risks that Julia Bartz takes with her stories.

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

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Review: Heartwood by Amity Gaige

~ megs14malloy

HeartwoodHeartwood by Amity Gaige
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Heartwood focuses on the story of the disappearance of 42-year old, Valerie Gillis, just as she was close to completing her journey hiking the entire Appalachian Trail, but it’s honestly so much more than that.

This story features a few different perspectives, as well as cleverly-incorporated mixed media elements.

Initially, I wasn’t sure how all of the perspectives were going to ultimately blend together, but Gaige did an incredible job with her pacing and reveals. I found myself equally invested in each perspective, which is rare, and enjoyed how they eventually merged.

The suspense was great, the inclusion of nature was beautiful, and the exploration of the personal journeys was top notch. I felt so immersed.

My recommendation would go into this knowing as little as possible. I feel like it’s one of those stories best served if you just experience it exactly as the author wants you to. I feel like, though this story had its intense moments, and moments when I feared for particular characters, I was left with such an overriding feeling of hope.

It was really quite lovely. A great reading experience.

I did feel an extra special connection with it as it is set in my home state, and in areas where I have had the pleasure of spending a lot of time, including on the trails.

I think Gaige did a great job with the portrayal of the Maine State Game Wardens, having known a few of them in my own life. I think that’s such an amazing profession to feature in a novel like this. I appreciated that aspect.

Thank you to the publisher, Simon & Schuster, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m so happy that I made time for this book.

If you love stories of survival, hiking stories or stories that explore nature, both human and the natural world, I highly recommend picking this up!

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Review: You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego

~ megs14malloy

You Are Fatally InvitedYou Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

**1.5-stars rounded up**

You Are Fatally Invited features a classic-Agatha Christie, And Then There Were None, set-up. Usually, an easy win for me.

Additionally, it’s set on a island off the coast of Maine. As an island resident myself, and having grown-up on the coast of Maine, both of these things should also have been wins.

What else? Oh, yes. The story also features a full cast of characters who are writers. Also a thing that I love, following author characters, getting insights on their processes.

However, even with all of these incredible items being ticked off my personal checklist, this didn’t work for me. It makes me sad, but I have to be honest about my experience.

From the very start, the writing style had me off-kilter. It just didn’t mesh with me. There was one character whose perspective was 2nd-person, and that’s not typically something I enjoy.

Every time I got to that character’s perspective it would jar me out of the story. Some people may assume that it’s the fact that this whole cast is unlikable, but I assure you, that’s not it. I love a cast of unlikable characters.

There were many times when I contemplated DNFing, but I felt like the least I could do was make it all the way through to the end. I owed it that, and it could have come around for me. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

It’s pretty rare for me to actively-dislike a book the whole way through. I can almost always find some aspects to point out that I can compliment.

Unfortunately, I actively-disliked this throughout. I switched to the audiobook at around 35% to see if that would help. For a minute, I thought it would. Sadly, that notion disappeared as quickly as a free pizza in a workplace lunchroom.

I had been so excited for it too, based upon the points listed above, but it just wasn’t the right story for me. We hated each other. I’m sure this book hated my eye-rolling, huffing-and-puffing ass very much by the end as well. I’m glad we can now go our separate ways.

To me, it felt like the author was more in love with their own words than the plot, or the characters, of this story. I’m not saying this is true, it’s just what reading this story made me feel. It’s the taste I walked away with.

With this being said, I want to be CLEAR, this is just my PERSONAL EXPERIENCE with this book. If you look at the current reviews, I am in the minority opinion on this one.

I would urge absolutely every Reader who is captivated by the synopsis, to go ahead and give this book a shot. It’s certainly worth a read and you can come to your own conclusion on it.

Also, I have pointed out in many of my other reviews, I never write an author off after one try. Even though this exact story wasn’t quite to my liking, I would totally be down to picking up this author’s next work.

Thank you, Bantam, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate it very much and I know that this novel is going to find a wide audience who loves it!

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Review: Nothing Ever Happens Here by Seraphina Nova Glass

~ megs14malloy

Nothing Ever Happens HereNothing Ever Happens Here by Seraphina Nova Glass
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There’s a reason why so many people enjoy living in small towns. They’re safe. They’re wholesome and it’s a great place to grow up, or raise your own children.

Shelby and Mack are best friends who still live in the small town they grew up in. Both are successful business women and have their own families. Life is steady and good.

That is until Shelby is viciously attacked, barely surviving the incident, and on that same night Mack’s husband, Leo, also goes missing.

This event shook the town. People were understandably shocked and disturbed. How could this happen here? Nothing ever happens here…

Honestly, this is all I want to say about this plot. I always look forward to new releases from Seraphina Nova Glass, because she always ends up surprising me. I’m never sure what I’m going to get.

I feel like for some Mystery-Thriller authors, they have a bit of a formula, and you know when you are reading their books that it’s one of theirs, because there is such a specific style. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

In fact, some of my favorite authors I would say this about. A great example, IMO, being the great Agatha Christie.

For SNG though, I don’t really feel that. This also isn’t a bad thing. Neither way is better than the other. I feel like her stories, the tone, the way they’re told, have really run the gamut for me.

I loved the unique perspectives in this one. We get Shelby and Mack, of course, but we also get the perspective of an elderly woman named, Florence, who lives at a care home that both Shelby and Mack are involved with.

I love getting older perspectives. I say older, but by that I just mean older than what we, on average, tend to get in fiction, and I completely loved Florence.

This book grabbed me from the start. By 10% in, I was hooked. I felt like the opening was so powerful and intriguing that it’s going to stick in my mind for a long time. I didn’t know what to think.

I did find Shelby and Mack a bit interchangeable at the start, NGL. I struggled at times to tell them apart, but that worked itself out the further along I got in the story.

The residents of the care home though, were all distinct and such a joy to read about. The time spent with them was honestly my favorite bits.

Another thing I loved about this was the setting and the climate. This story is set in Minnesota, entirely during the winter months. The snow and teeth-chattering cold play a huge role in the action.

It’s absolutely perfect for Winter reading. This entire story made me feel cold. I’m not joking. I could feel it. Make sure you have a nice warm blanket and hot drink at the ready when picking this one up!

Overall, I had a blast with Nothing Ever Happens Here. It’s such an intensely-OTT, wildly-wicked good time, and boy, oh boy, did it get my pulse racing towards the end.

Florence and Herb are absolute dolls. I love them both and their friendship so much. Goals.

Thank you to Graydon House, for providing me with a copy to read and review. As mentioned, I love Seraphina Nova Glass and always look forward to her latest works.

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Review: Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

~ megs14malloy

Local Woman MissingLocal Woman Missing by Mary Kubica
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Local Woman Missing is a completely engrossing Thriller. I cannot believe I’ve let this one sit on my backlist for so long.

I actually hadn’t read the synopsis in years, so went into this audiobook completely blind. It wasn’t what I expected, for some reason I was thinking this was about hikers who all went missing from trails around the same small town.

Spoiler alert: that’s decidedly not what this book is about. I’m not sure where I came up with that alternative plot?

This book is about missing women though, hence the title. The first to go missing was Shelby. Then two weeks later, Meredith and her 6-year old daughter, Delilah, went missing too. Both women from the same community, but they were seemingly unconnected.

Desperate searches lead to nothing conclusive. The initial investigations creating more questions than answers. The cases eventually go cold.

11-years later, Delilah, now a teen, suddenly reappears, in terrible shape, both physically and mentally. She was apparently held captive this entire time, until the day she forged a miraculous escape. But what became of her mother, Meredith? And for that matter, Shelby?

Also, why would anyone hold this girl captive for so long? And under the terrible conditions that she claims? Again, more questions than answers…

This book was gripping from the start, as you follow Delilah making her re-entrance into the community. This story follows various perspectives, including Meredith and Shelby, over both past and present timelines.

The way it is all pieced together is quite masterful, as far as building suspense and keeping the Reader on their toes.

I was most surprised that we got Leo’s perspective. Leo is Delilah’s little brother, and he has had to live with the aftermath of the disappearance of his mother and his sister for all these years.

I thought that was so interesting to include, because Leo was too young to have anything to do with the disappearances, but he had a lot of complex feelings following the return of his sister, that’s for sure.

I felt like that was such a compelling aspect to examine, and I was pleased that Kubica chose to include that more personal side of these events, instead of focusing solely on the crimes.

Overall, this was such a wicked web. The deeper you get into the past perspectives, the more the lightbulbs start going off in your head. You begin to see connections.

Nevertheless, there were still things all the way at the end that were dropping my jaw to the ground. I just felt like this was so entertaining. Some aspects felt a little convenient, but overall, a wickedly-wild ride!!

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Review: Head Cases (PAR Unit #1) by John McMahon

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Head Cases (PAR Unit, #1)Head Cases by John McMahon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Head Cases is a super-strong start to an all new Police Procedural Mystery series, following an elite, yet obscure, unit in the FBI called PAR (Patterns and Recognition).

I learned about this book through good ole’ fashioned word of mouth, and I could tell from what my friends were saying that this would align with my taste. Happily, it certainly did.

Our MC is FBI Agent Gardner Camden. He’s undoubtedly an analytical genius, but unfortunately, the people-side of his analysis tend to be lacking. He’s a puzzle genius, yet a mediocre people person.

Nevertheless, along with the rest of the team, each bringing their own special set of skills to the table, they’re a true force to be reckoned with.

The case in question involves a murder victim whose DNA links to a serial killer long-presumed dead. A 2nd-victim establishes a pattern, and the killer seems to be leaving behind clues and riddles especially created for Gardner.

The team flies into action and the rest of the story is a whirlwind of cat-and-mouse suspense as Gardner gets closer-and-closer to catching the killer.

I listened to the audiobook for this one and found it to be so gripping. I highly recommend that format should you have access to it. I felt the narrator became Agent Gardner for me. It was completely believable.

I loved the quirky team as well. They each have their own strengths and weaknesses, working well together to get the outcome they all desired. I love when strong teams are shown on page, versus teams full of drama and strife.

I would HIGHLY recommend this to fans of Criminal Minds. I was totally picturing Matthew Grey Gubler and Shemar Moore the whole time, which obviously is not a bad thing…

I’m not sure what the long-term plan is for this series, but the possibilities are endless. I’d definitely be down for joining this team on a lot more cases.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I cannot wait for more PAR Unit!!

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Review: Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

~ megs14malloy

Beautiful UglyBeautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Did I just read my favorite book of 2025?

I’m gagged, I’m gobsmacked, I’m elated. I had so much fun reading this. I highly recommend the audiobook, fabulously narrated by Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton.

It’s like Feeney wrote this with me in mind.

The very start of this novel gripped me so hard I could barely breath. That’s how you start a story. I can’t remember if it was a Prologue, or just the first chapter, but I was immediately hooked.

This story follows author, Grady Green, who we meet when he is on the cusp of receiving some excellent news for his career. His wife, Abby, is running late for dinner and he is anxious for her to return home, so they can hear the news together and celebrate.

They end up on the phone on her drive home, and while speaking, she comes across a person laying in the road. He tells her to keep driving, but she insists on stopping. He hears her get out of the car, with him still on the line, but never hears anything from her again…

Picking up a year later, Grady is an absolute mess. He can’t sleep, he can’t concentrate, and he certainly can’t write.

There are so many unanswered questions. Abby’s car was found, all of her belongings still there, but she was just gone without a trace.

Worried about his state of mind, his agent, Kitty, who was Abby’s Godmother, offers Grady an escape. The use of her cabin, a verifiable Writer’s Retreat, on the remote Scottish island of Amberley.

By remote, we’re talking only a handful of people live on this island year-round. Grady is willing to try anything, he needs to get his mind straight, so along with his lovable Labrador, Colombo, he sets off for Amberley.

From the very start, things do not go as planned. Once there, even he is shocked by the remoteness. It’s a bit like traveling back in time. The atmosphere, the solitude, the quiet, it ends up getting under his skin and into his mind.

Complicating matters further, he keeps seeing a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife? How can this be? Is it just the island playing tricks with his mind, or is Abby alive and well on Amberley?

Beautiful Ugly has everything I love. I was beyond immersed. I barely remembered the synopsis by the time I picked it up and I loved the directions Feeney took this one.

Not to mention, the ending left me with that exquisite little evil grin on my face that I love so much at the end of any Thriller story. It was brilliantly-executed.

I’m an Atmosphere Girlie, first-and-foremost and the atmosphere in this is off-the-charts.

The island itself was so interesting. We get to meet quite a few of the regular residents and they had me scratching my head. It’s an odd group of people.

There were aspects that reminded me a bit of Thomas Olde Heuvelt’s Hex, just in regards to the overall mystery of this little community. In fact, this did feel like she was toeing the line into Horror territory on more than one occasion with the haunting descriptions of this location.

As an island resident myself, I feel like Feeney truly nailed the island vibes, from the troubles with getting a ferry to and from, to the isolation over the off-season months.

The mystery and suspense of the story also kept me guessing and kept me wanting more. I read this so quickly, because I needed to know the truth of what was going on.

I know some Readers are not going to like the truth behind the mystery, but for me, I felt it was really fun and I’m happy with how it all turned out.

I would absolutely recommend this story to any Mystery-Thriller Reader, particularly if you’ve enjoyed other works by Feeney. I feel like it’s a must-read for 2025. I loved it.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I consider Feeney to be an absolute Queen of Suspense, and she didn’t disappoint here!

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Review: Ladykiller by Katherine Wood

~ megs14malloy

LadykillerLadykiller by Katherine Wood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gia and Abby, childhood best friends, have grown estranged slowly over the past 12-years, since the tragedy that occurred in Greece when they were both 18-years old.

After the tragic events of that summer, Abby threw herself into her studies, while Gia, a wealthy heiress without Abby’s common-woman concerns, writes a salacious memoir chronicling what had happened.

All these years later, Gia is back in Greece with her new husband. She’s at their family property prepping it for sale after her father’s death. She and her brother, Benny, have been forced to downsize their lifestyles a bit and the Greek property needs to go.

In spite of how heartbreaking losing the property will be, life must go on. With Gia’s birthday approaching in September, she reaches out to Abby and Benny and asks them to join her at a luxury Swedish resort to see the Northern Lights.

It’s something they had discussed when they were younger and always wanted to do. Now is the time. Even though she’s a little hesitant at first, Abby accepts Gia’s invitation.

The day of her flight though, Abby receives a cryptic email that gets her hackles up. It’s not exactly the vibe she was looking for heading into her first vacation in a while. Nevertheless, she proceeds and she’s looking forward to being reunited with her friends.

Once she meets Benny, and gets to the resort though, Gia isn’t there. After days of odd messages from her and placed calls that go unanswered, Benny and Abby get worried enough to travel to Greece and check on her.

Arriving at the family estate, they find it deserted. Gia has disappeared. The only clue, a manuscript she’s left behind detailing the events leading up to her disappearance.

Through shifting perspectives between Abby’s present and Gia’s manuscript, Katherine Wood creates a fast-paced and engaging story of domestic suspense.

I love messy rich people drama, so this definitely scratched that itch, and it did successfully keep me guessing throughout. I found all the details and character interactions just so intriguing.

Additionally, I loved the setting on the beautiful coast of Greece and how the author used Gia’s manuscript as a way of piecing together the story. I thought that was very fun, because what is truth and what is fiction? The lines are often blurry, aren’t they?


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Overall, I was impressed with how Wood pulled this all together. I thought it was very clever and well-plotted. I would recommend this to anyone who loves rich people drama, a luxury setting, or popcorn thrillers.

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

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