Thriller

Review: You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto

~ megs14malloy

You Will Never Be MeYou Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jesse Q. Sutanto is one of my go-to authors. I try to pick-up everything she writes either as soon as it releases, or even prior to its release, when I’m lucky.

For this one, even though I had an ARC in my hot little hands, and was anticipating it, I never ended up picking it up, and then it just got buried in my stacks and my mind.

Recently, while stalking Jesse’s author page to see if there was a new Vera Wong book listed, I noticed this one and snapped to attention. I needed to read it immediately.

I ended up getting the audiobook from my library and listened to it over the past couple of days. I loved the dual narration from Eunice Wong and Risa Mei, and am glad I ended up taking in the story via the audio format.

This story follows two up-and-coming social media influencers, so having the audio narration for them, it really added authenticity to those influencer personalities. I feel like both women channeled what I would anticipate these characters would have really sounded like.

In this story we follow Meredith and Aspen, best friends, who are both in the influencer space. Mer started out as a fashion and beauty influencer, and ended up teaching Aspen all she knew.

After Aspen got married and had kids, she turned more towards the parenting space and became a Momfluencer. It was at that point, with her handsome husband and adorable children, that her content really started taking off, leaving Mer’s numbers in the dust.

Their friendship was strained by this shifting dynamic and the two ended up having a falling out. By the time we meet them, they’re no longer speaking, but the story catches us up on all we need to know in regards to their messy friendship break-up.

I loved the back-and-forth between the two perspectives as all the details of their relationship were filled in. I also liked how we were shown the truth behind their lifestyles. Sure, online all was beauty, grace and stress-free days, but behind the scenes, it was anything but.

I like the exploration of that topic. Social media influencers have such sway over the way many of us see our own lives in comparison and I thought it was interesting to get a bit behind-the-scenes, even in a fictional capacity.

The 1st-half of the book is building up these characters and developing the drama between them. At the mid-point, it does take a turn though and suddenly we’re thrust into a dark world following Mer’s disappearance.

Things get really crazy from there. I haven’t read any reviews yet, but I was surprised after completing it to see that the overall rating is only at a 3.63 currently.

I think perhaps it may be due to the slower nature of the 1st-half, and the fact that neither MC is particularly likable. They’re more like characters you love to hate versus just love. You’re prob not rooting for either of them.

I tend to enjoy stories that follow influencers, or really any type of celebrity, so this worked for me in that regard. Additionally, I loved how messy and twisted the drama was. I always enjoy digging into a toxic friendship, and this definitely was that.

Overall, I feel like this is another really solid showing for Sutanto, who seems to have no issues jumping amongst various genres and age-ranges with her stories.

This is the 12th-novel that I’ve read from Sutanto and I’m always impressed with how easily I get drawn into her stories. I found this riveting. Her characters are well-developed and the drama is always delivered.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m sorry it took me so long to get to it. I had so much fun with it and definitely should have picked it up sooner!

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Review: Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang

~ megs14malloy

Julie Chan Is DeadJulie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Julie Chan, a supermarket cashier struggling just to survive, is surprised when she gets a phone call from her estranged twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen, a mega-social influencer.

After their parents were killed when they were very young, Julie and Chloe were adopted into separate families and they rarely spoke. The phone call is cryptic, and Julie rushes to her sister’s apartment where she finds her deceased.

It’s in the moments after this incredible shock, as the emergency personnel arrive that Julie realizes something, she and Chloe are identical. No one can tell them apart. This is her chance to seize an amazing life, and she does.

Before she knows it, Julie is swept up into her role as Chloe and all the glitz and glam that comes with that. It’s a surprisingly easy transformation for her, but as Julie gets pulled deeper into the influence circle, she discovers not all may be as perfect as it seems.

Wow, what a surprising delight this story was. I can’t believe this a debut from Liann Zhang. I actually just looked at the rating for this for the first time and am surprised that it’s currently under 3.5-stars.

I loved how creative, fresh and unique this felt. The biting social commentary, and tone of Julie’s narrative voice were both huge wins for me.

The plot does get a little wild in the 2nd-half, which I can definitely understand some Readers not vibing with, but I feel like with this type of social satire, you need that. I feel like Zhang did such a great job mapping out the action and character trajectory.

I also appreciated how dark Zhang took some of her imagery. As a Horror girlie, I’m always wanting dark stuff, and some of the descriptions in this, do toe the line into Horror territory, at least in the images they put into your mind. There were some legit cringe-worthy moments.

Overall, I had a blast reading this. I couldn’t put it down once I started. Going in, I was a little worried about it being too Literary-feeling for me, but it absolutely was not.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Dark Social Thrillers, bonus points if you like to examine modern culture, including the reach and effects of social media.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I cannot wait to see what Liann Zhang comes up with next!!!

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Review: The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen

~ megs14malloy

The Locked WardThe Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Twins, separated at birth and adopted into different families, come back together in adulthood when one of them is accused of murder.

Will Mandy be able to find the truth of the crime and use it to help free Georgia, or is Georgia actually guilty?

Georgia, adopted by the wealthy and well-connected Cartwright family, grew up very differently from Mandy, who was adopted by a family of much more modest means.

Another difference is that the Cartwright’s were able to conceive a child naturally just after adopting Georgia. Thus, her little sister, Annabelle came into their lives. It’s rumored that Georgia was always viciously jealous of Annabelle.

When Annabelle is murdered, and Georgia is found with the body with blood all over herself, it seems like a clear-cut case, and Georgia gets sent to a psychiatric hospital. But is the case really as clear-cut as it seems?

When Mandy is contacted about the whole situation, she can hardly believe it. She didn’t even know she had a sister, let alone a twin. This seems absolutely crazy, yet she’s intrigued, and goes to see Georgia.

Seeing the situation her sister is in, Mandy is compelled to help. She begins to dig in, finding out more about her mysterious sister, her adoptive family, and where both Mandy and Georgia came from. She discovers things she could have never imagined, but will anyone believe her?

There’s many scandalous secrets and individuals who, for various reasons, would prefer the past stay well and truly buried. Will these twins be able to come out on top, or will the evil actors be able to silence them forever?

The Locked Ward is the latest from one of my go-to Thriller authors, Sarah Pekkanen. I always look forward to Pekkanen’s new releases. I love how readable her stories are, and I find her plots and characters compelling.

This story is no exception. I found the set-up so interesting. It easily pulled me in. Mandy finding out that she had a twin, and the horrific circumstances that twin was currently in; I couldn’t even imagine being in that position.

Georgia’s perspective however, is told in 2nd-person, and honestly, I wasn’t crazy about that choice. I’m not a fan of 2nd-person in general anyway, and I just felt like in this story, I would have preferred a more clear, 1st-person narrative style for Georgia.

That is but a tiny personal preference issue though, and I felt like the rest of the story was great. It’s quite a tangled web. I found it unpredictable and very entertaining.

In addition to recommending the book itself, I would also recommend the audiobook if you’re going to give this one a shot. The narration by January LaVoy, unsurprisingly, was excellent. It definitely helped me to fully immerse myself into this story.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copies to read and review. As always, I look forward to whatever Sarah Pekkanen releases next!

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Review: Night Watcher by Daphne Woolsoncroft

~ megs14malloy

Night WatcherNight Watcher by Daphne Woolsoncroft
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nola Strate is a late-night radio host in Portland, Oregon. Her show, Night Watch, features listeners calling in to share stories of hauntings and other creepy happenings.

One evening, a caller, seemingly in present distress, strikes a special cord with Nola, reminding her of her own escape from a serial killer years before.

It’s after this disturbing call that Nola begins to feel like she’s being watched. Could it possibly be The Hiding Man, the serial killer from her past, back to finish the job, or is there a new threat looming just outside her sight?

Nola is convinced it is The Hiding Man, but will she be able to figure out who it actually is before it’s too late?

Y’all, this was really good. I listened to the audiobook and felt like the narration fit the story to a tee. It legit had some moments that got under my skin, playing into some of my own real life fears. Nola was also quite believable as an MC with an intriguing backstory.

I also loved the overriding True Crime feel. Nola’s show, Night Watch, gave it a podcast vibe that I thought was really well done. At times, I felt like a real-life listener.

It was compelling from the start, and I found myself completely invested very early. I think it was that call that’s mentioned in the synopsis, that Nola receives at the show, it would be impossible to walk away after that.

The mystery was super intriguing. Had Nola’s past truly come back to haunt her? I wasn’t sure, but I loved sticking around to find out.

I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys intense Thriller stories, perhaps with a podcast, or serial killer element. Also, this is just Horror enough to appeal to true Horror fans. Don’t believe me? You’ll have to check it out for yourself.

Thank you to the publisher, Grand Central Publishing and Hachette Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I’m looking forward to more from this author, especially if she remains in this lane.

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Review: The Perfect Marriage (Perfect #1) by Jeneva Rose

~ megs14malloy

The Perfect Marriage (Perfect, #1)The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

On paper, Sarah and Adam have the perfect marriage. The couple live in a beautiful home, and Sarah has an extremely successful career as a Defense Attorney in Washington, D.C., while Adam gets to pursue his passion in writing.

But in truth, Adam’s grown tired of Sarah’s focus on her career. She’s constantly working, and yeah, maybe he is even a little jealous of her success.

Adam begins to pursue another passion in the form of a young waitress named Kelly Summers. He uses their 2nd-home as a rendezvous point with his mistress, which is perfect because Sarah never goes there.

Adam’s other life gets suddenly exposed, however, when he is arrested for Kelly’s murder. The young woman was found murdered in the bed at the lover’s retreat, shortly after Adam was known to have been there.

Being the best in the business, there’s no one better to take on Adam’s defense than Sarah; conflicts of interest be damned. Even though he’s broken her heart, Sarah agrees to take on his case. He’s her husband and in spite of his betrayal, he still deserves the best defense. Doesn’t he?

The Perfect Marriage follows the deeply twisted lives of this power couple via both Sarah and Adam’s perspective. I loved the dual narration of the audiobook, and would recommend that format.

Initially, I wasn’t sure if I was going to round up to 4-stars, but after thinking about it for a couple of weeks, I really feel it deserves it. This was so fun. It’s so messy, but all the more engaging because of that. I seriously never knew what was going to come next

It’s true that the plot probably won’t be the most memorable long term, but Rose got so devious with it, I gotta give her love for that. There were so many twists, and although there’s not a ton of substance, it’s a hella good time.

I would recommend this for Readers who love fast-paced Domestic Thrillers, bordering on diabolical. Get your popcorn ready, cause you’re gonna want it!

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Review: Too Old for This by Samantha Downing

~ megs14malloy

Too Old for ThisToo Old for This by Samantha Downing
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

Lottie Jones has worked hard to gain the quiet life she’s currently living in her retirement, and she’s enjoying it. It wasn’t easy, changing her name, moving to a small town, and putting her past behind her.

All that is threatened to be upended though, the day Plum Dixon shows up on her doorstep. Plum is an investigative journalist whose been digging into Lottie’s past, wanting to include her in her podcast; her True Crime podcast.

This just will not do. Even though Plum claims she just wants to clear her name, Lottie knows that’s never going to happen, because the things they say about her are true.

Plum has greatly underestimated whose door she just knocked on…

Too Old for This is like a breath of fresh air in the saturated Thriller market, where it sometimes feels like you’ve read everything before.

Downing did an incredible job of creating Lottie’s character. It’s messed up, you shouldn’t be rooting for her, she’s doing awful things, but somehow, you do. At least, I did, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.

We get to follow everything she does after Plum shows up, some of it will make your toes curl, and other things, like bingo nights with her friends, seem so wholesome. I guess it’s true, we all contain multitudes.

This story is a ride, almost guaranteed to surprise you. There are so many twists and turns. Just when you think it can’t get any crazier, it does.

Overall, I had a blast with this. I Buddy Read it with a friend, and we both really enjoyed it, plus it was very fun to discuss. I highly recommend it for Readers who are looking for something unique and who aren’t shy about a little murder.

Thank you to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Downing did not disappoint!!

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Review: Lakewood by Megan Giddings

~ megs14malloy

LakewoodLakewood by Megan Giddings
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lena’s Grandmother was the matron of their little family, helping to take care of both Lena, and Lena’s Mom, who suffers from a chronic illness. So, when Lena’s Grandma passes away, it leaves a big hole in that regard.

Soon it’s clear that the family has a lot of debt and practically no income. Lena must therefore do whatever she can to try to make ends meet for her and her Mom.

Even though she’s enrolled in college, Lena knows she needs to get high-paying work as soon as she can, which may mean putting her studies on hold for awhile. Unfortunately, the job market is depressing as heck and not offering her a lot of opportunities.

Starting to despair, Lena then learns about a chance to participate in some sort of medical or psychological experiment. She’s intrigued. After pursuing it, it seems almost too good to be true.

The downfall, she’ll have to move from home, to the remote town of Lakewood. Her Mom would be alone, which makes her most nervous of all, but arrangements can be made.

With her participation, Lena will get free housing and the pay is very high, more than she could ever make anywhere else given her current options. Additionally, free healthcare for both her and her Mom. She can’t pass that up.

She has to keep her participation 100% secret though. She needs to lie to family and friends. She even signs an NDA to that effect. Luckily, they’ve come up with a believable cover story for her.

The heart of the story follows Lena moving to Lakewood and taking part in the program. She’s recording everything that happens each day, at least what she can remember, writing it down in a letter format and then hiding it, for reasons I won’t go into here.

I liked the way Giddings chose to format Lena’s perspective. It felt very personal, the way she was recounting all that was happening. I felt like that friend receiving the letters.

I also found Lena to be a very empathetic character. She was so honest about everything, and as the Reader, you see this young person struggling, she’s got so much on her plate, and she’s willing to do anything to help her family. Including potentially putting herself at risk.

She’s smart, she’s tough, she’s someone you root for through thick and thin. Lakewood is full of mysteries and the experiments continually get stranger and more dangerous.

The other people who are participating all add their own levels of drama and intrigue to the story as well. The way this softly intensifies throughout is chef’s kiss. I would realize in various moments that I was feeling fear, but I had no idea why. It made for such a cool reading experience.

While it did have a bit of a slow start, I think the pay off was well worth sticking with it. I appreciated the spotlight it shined on medical experimentation and the racial injustices historically witnessed in such practices.

Side recommendation for the non-fiction book, Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present, that I feel could pair nicely with reading this one.

Overall, I think this is a stellar debut. It left me with a lot to think about. I loved the tone and mood of the writing, the topics explored, and Lena as a protagonist. I would recommend it to fans of When No One Is Watching and The Other Black Girl.

For me, it was the shadow organization feel that I really vibed with. The uneasiness of following Lena’s day-to-day existence in this strange place, with even stranger things happening to her, it was powerful. I’m looking forward to picking up more from Megan Giddings!

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Review: The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark

~ megs14malloy

The GhostwriterThe Ghostwriter by Julie Clark
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

The Ghostwriter is such a beautifully-tragic Thriller. I loved the way Clark constructed this story. The way the truth was revealed, the stellar character work, and the emotions she was able to elicit in me upon completion; wow.

I quickly became invested in this one and loved how it kept me guessing the entire way through. Even when I thought I had the answer, I was never 100%, and I got so much wrong.

The Ghostwriter is told in two timelines. Presently, our MC, Olivia Dumont, is returning to her hometown to help her estranged father write his memoir.

Olivia makes her living as a ghostwriter, and it seems she is perfect for the project. Her father is an iconic Horror writer, infamous for the family tragedy that took the lives of his two siblings when he was just a teen.

Olivia has always hidden the fact that THE Vincent Taylor is her Dad. It’s complicated.

The past timeline is set in 1975, the year Vincent’s siblings, Poppy and Danny, were brutally murdered in their home. As the case went cold, many suspected that Vincent had something to do with the crime.

Decades later, Vincent has been diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, a progressive brain disorder that disrupts his behavior and memories. It’s at this point, he decides he needs to tell his side of the story, before he no longer can.

We’re told this story through this beautiful blend of these different points in time; through Vincent telling his version of events, and Olivia putting her Journalism education to the test, digging into the events of the past via outside sources.

This book has a lot of my favorite things in it, so that was working in its favor right off the bat. I love characters returning to their hometown after a long period away, looking into some sort of mystery of their past. Additionally, I love journalism as an occupation for main characters.

They frequently make the most fun investigators to follow.

I was so invested in both timelines and loved trying to figure out the truth of what happened to the Taylor siblings. It was completely gripping and entertaining.

I would absolutely recommend this to any Thriller Reader, particularly if you enjoy those of the darker, or more violent variety. Also, check it out if you enjoy dark family secrets and past-present timelines.

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

This was my first time reading from Julie Clark, and I cannot wait for more!

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Review: The Chamber by Will Dean

~ megs14malloy

The ChamberThe Chamber by Will Dean
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

The Chamber follows six deep sea divers as they head out on a new assignment in the North Sea, where they’ll be working for the next month. The world of saturation diving is small, and unsurprisingly, the team has worked together before.

Thus, they’ve built up a certain level of trust and camaraderie amongst them. The dynamics feel like a family. We’re told the story via the perspective of Ellen, a rare woman worker in a mostly male industry.

Everything seems to be going as planned, until one of the team is found dead in his bunk. The remaining crew members are shook. How did he die? What are they supposed to do with his body?

With four days of decompression required before they can open the hatch back to the regular world, they need to watch each other’s back. What if he didn’t die of natural causes? What if one of them did it?

They could be trapped in the smallest, most panic-inducing living quarters, with an actual killer? This isn’t good.

A short-time later, when another diver is discovered unresponsive in much the same way, everyone puts their guard up. It’s becoming increasingly possible that these events aren’t a natural occurrence.

As suspicions run rampant, and tensions rise, everyone wonders, who is going to make it out of this dive alive?

While this sounds like an electrifying set-up, and it did keep me guessing, there was something about it that I didn’t quite vibe with. I’ve been thinking about it, and I think maybe it had to do with the delivery of Ellen’s perspective. I found it a bit choppy and hard to connect with.

I’ve had this book since it’s release, but finally decided to make time for it after recently watching the Netflix documentary, Titan: The OceanGate Disaster. I’ve always been interested in these types of deep sea diving careers, and this was definitely a fun read after watching that unsettling doc.

I feel like Dean captured the details of the saturation divers’ challenges and lifestyle, as well as the setting of the hyperbaric chamber, really well. In fact, those details on the profession itself, and the environment the divers were in, was my favorite aspects of this book.

It’s also a very quick read. I listened to the entire audiobook on a Saturday while doing my housework. I was entertained, but I didn’t find it truly gripping.

I wasn’t at the edge of my seat, but honestly, that’s okay. Not every book is going to blow your hair back. This is still a fun Locked Room Mystery, with a unique concept. I just wish I could have connected a little more with the writing style, and the way Ellen’s perspective was delivered.

Nevertheless, I would still recommend this if you enjoy Locked Room Mysteries, and very much so if you are interested in deep sea diving, and the aspects of a career in that field. I feel that was a success here.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I really enjoy Will Dean’s creativity and willingness to take some risks with his stories. I’m looking forward to more!

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Review: King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby

~ megs14malloy

King of Ashes: A NovelKing of Ashes: A Novel by S.A. Cosby
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After Roman Carruthers receives word that his father has been in a terrible car accident, he returns home to be with his brother, Dante, and sister, Naveah, and closer to the hospital where his Dad is being kept.

The accident was serious, and the prognosis is grim. They aren’t sure if Dad will ever fully recover.

Roman has been away from his hometown, where his family owns and operates a crematorium, for many years. He’s built himself a highly-successful career in Atlanta, and seems to have left central Virginia in the past.

Now that he’s returned though, he must confront his younger brother, Dante’s, dangerous criminal enterprises, which have left him riddled in debt, as well as his sister, Neveah’s, burn out, as she struggles to hold everything together with regards to the family and the business.

Roman is a bit gobsmacked by the current state of his family. He didn’t know things had progressed this far, particularly in regards to Dante’s debt and substance use issues.

In doesn’t take Roman long to parse out that his father’s crash wasn’t an accident, and Dante’s recklessness has placed them all in very grave danger.

Vowing to get his brother out of trouble, and save his family, Roman offers his very applicable services to the criminal overlords hunting down his brother. Roman is an expert negotiator and he’s sure he can see this through, and free Dante from his debts.

Concurrently, his sister is working on her own mystery project. She’s trying to determine what exactly happened to their mother, who disappeared years before.

There’s so much going on in King of Ashes. The most impressive part is Cosby’s incredible skill at writing such a complex story, while keeping it flowing naturally, and never making the Reader feel overwhelmed.

I enjoyed how quickly it all kicks off as well, as far as getting Roman back to Jefferson Run and involved with the flourishing criminal underworld there.

Additionally, this is a Long Game story, IYKYK, which is one of my favorite tropes in this kind of novel. Roman, as an MC, is incredible. He was so easy to root for. I loved his courage and determination in spite of the danger, no matter what, he was gonna fight to reach his goals.

I also enjoyed him as a bit of a reverse prodigal son. In spite of his successful time away, he still did seek a bit of forgiveness in a way from the other members of his family.

All the other characters were really well done too. Dante, though frustrating as heck, the guy’s literally a walking liability, was still believable and sympathetic, and I loved Naveah as well.

The plot was fast-paced and kept me super invested. I had no moments where I wasn’t fully locked into the audiobook while listening to it. I adored it.

In short, S.A. Cosby’s gripping, gritty stories, paired with the impeccable narration of Adam Lazarre-White, is nothing short of perfection. A winning combination!

While I was completely invested in this story, and maybe because I was so invested in it, I’m NGL, it CRUSHED me. This one is going to stick in my brain for a long, long time.

This is a must for everyone’s Summer Reading List!!

Thank you, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. S.A. Cosby is an auto-read author for me, and this firmly secures his place on that list!

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