Thriller

Review: I Did Warn Her by Sian Gilbert

~ megs14malloy

I Did Warn HerI Did Warn Her by Sian Gilbert
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I Did Warn Her is an Adult Thriller novel set at sea aboard the super-yacht, Opehlia. We follow a cast of characters working as crew members, or paid guests, of the Ophelia during a charter voyage across the Atlantic.

The week-long journey should be a piece of cake, but it turns out to be anything but with bodies dropping and valuable belongings going missing. Suspicions and paranoia flares. Before you know it, no one trusts anyone else. It’s a mess.

The concept of this is very Below Deck meets Locked Room Murder Mystery and I was on board for that. Unfortunately, even though the concept was strong, the execution was lacking, in my humble opinion.

Initially, I was intrigued. The group of stewardesses who work on the Ophelia are all described as carbon copies of each other. Why would the owner want such a specific type?

I thought that was a little weird, and if I had been aboard it probably would have icked me out. Unfortunately, I felt like not only were they described as carbon copies of one another, but they also felt it. I had a very hard time distinguishing between them.

We are told the story via quite a few different perspectives. Honestly, I read the whole thing and I cannot with confidence tell you how many perspectives there were, which in my mind, is sort of a problem.

I enjoyed the setting and dramatic feel, but the indecipherable perspectives sort of ruined it for me. I wish it would have been told from the perspective of one stewardess and one escort. I think it still could have been exciting and intriguing with that aspect reined in a bit.

With these issues in mind, it ended up being a big ole’ miss for me. It’s one of those cases of ‘great concept, poor execution’. Saying poor execution seems harsh, and it is a bit, I just felt like it was too messy, with too many similar characters to properly keep track of.

I enjoyed Sian Gilbert’s previous novel, She Started It, and was expecting more of the same here. At the end of the day though, I just walk away disappointed.

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

Even though this one didn’t work for me personally, I would definitely be willing to check out more from this author.

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Review: The Storm by Rachel Hawkins

~ megs14malloy

The StormThe Storm by Rachel Hawkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

The Storm centers around the coastal town of St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama, known for the deadly hurricanes that frequently sweep through. It’s also known for Lo Bailey, a local girl accused of killing the governor’s son, Landon Fitzroy, during Hurricane Marie in 1984.

We meet a cast of characters all connected to this town, and the Rosalie Inn, a century-old inn that seems to have been able to weather any storm. The Rosalie is currently owned and run by Geneva Corliss, but the property has been in her family for many years.

When Geneva hears about a writer coming to town to research the Fitzroy murder, she feels a glimmer of hope, not about solving the crime, but about the potential windfall that a successful True Crime book could bring to the Inn.

August Fletcher, the writer, will be staying at the Inn as a guest while he does some research, but he doesn’t come alone. Geneva is shocked when he shows up with none other than Lo Bailey in tow.

Lo claims she’s returned to town to clear her name once and for all, but the more Geneva interacts with Lo and August, she wonders if there’s not something more going on.

As another storm bears down on St. Medard’s Bay, things at the Inn begin to heat up and tension builds. Will the truth of that storm in 1984 finally be revealed after all, or will there just be more death and destruction instead?

This is a good book, though certainly not my favorite from Hawkins. I’m rounding up to 4-stars based on how great the production of the audiobook is. The full cast truly brought this story to life for me and I enjoyed listening to it.

I don’t think if I’d just read a hard copy I would have enjoyed it as much. Because of that, I strongly urge those with access to the audiobook, to go that route if you pick it up. I predict it’ll make for a more pleasurable reading experience.

This is a very character driven story and because of that having the various narrators definitely made it more captivating. There’s nothing particularly suspenseful, or mysterious, about it in my opinion, but if you’re down for the drama, it’s still entertaining.

I personally could have done with more atmosphere and more suspense, but it was fun to watch all of the various pieces come together until the truth was finally revealed.

I did like how Hawkins formatted it, the bits of mixed media and just the way it was told overall. It did keep me engaged, though I am a big fan of twisted dramas in general. I was also quite satisfied with the ending and felt fairly connected to Geneva by the end.

I would recommend this to Rachel Hawkins fans, particularly if you enjoyed The Heiress, which I feel this most closely resembles. Again, I definitely recommend the audiobook, as it’s a fantastic listening experience.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. While this won’t go down in history as my favorite Rachel Hawkins book, it was still quite entertaining and I look forward to whatever she writes next!

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Review: The Perfect Hosts by Heather Gudenkauf

~ megs14malloy

The Perfect HostsThe Perfect Hosts by Heather Gudenkauf
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Perfect Hosts is a new release Popcorn Thriller/Domestic Drama from Heather Gudenkauf.

I’ve loved some of Gudenkauf’s work in the past, so I was really looking forward to this one and it didn’t disappoint.

This story is set around Madeline and Wes Drake, and their epic gender reveal party that goes horribly wrong, leaving a family friend dead. Close to 200-guests were in attendance at the time and any of them could be responsible.

Due to the nature of the incident, a government special agent, Jamie Saldano, is brought in to investigate. Agent Saldano has his own connection to the Drake family and his own reasons for wanting to be there.

The Drake’s unexpected house guests up the tension, as well as the suspect list. Will Agent Saldano be able to find the killer, or will the killer find him first?

Gudenkauf wastes no time getting into it with this story. It kicks off with a truly explosive 1st chapter. I was absolutely hooked, popping my popcorn and settling in for the drama.

You can tell quickly that it’s going to get messy. It was giving me Real Housewives meets Yellowstone with a touch of Lifetime movie, and I’ll admit I got pretty invested in all the jaw-dropping twists and turns.

Sure, there were aspects that were slightly-predictable, but the journey getting to the reveals was still hella enjoyable.

As everything unfolds in the story, you start to realize how many layers and players are involved. I liked that we had Agent Saldano’s perspective, as it added a bit of an outside observer to this otherwise domestic story.

The intensity builds constantly throughout, with so many crazy things happening. It’s a super fun, quick and engaging read. I would recommend it to Readers who enjoy high octane Domestic Thrillers, particularly if you are interested in one set on an active horse ranch.

Thank you to the publisher, Park Row, for providing me with a copy to read and review. It’s safe to say that I’ll pick up anything Heather Gudenkauf writes at this point.

I’m looking forward to whatever is next!

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Review: This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead

~ megs14malloy

This Book Will Bury MeThis Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After the unexpected death of her beloved father, college student, Jane Sharp is left reeling. His death was so sudden, and she’s completely unmoored by it.

In search of distraction, she ends up becoming obsessed with True Crime, and finding a new home in underground forums where armchair detectives investigate real life cases.

She finds a particular group of people who show her the ropes, and who before long she considers true friends. After making a name for themselves with a case in Florida, they’ve become top tier of their like within the online space.

When news hits of the gruesome deaths of three college girls in Delphine, Idaho, the whole world is captivated, and online sleuths from all around scramble to gain access to the details of the investigation.

Jane and her online friends are determined to beat everyone else to the scoop, and end up traveling to Idaho where they can have a real boots on the ground investigation.

This story unfolds mainly in a kind of confessional format. It’s set a year after the events that ultimately went down in Idaho, and has Jane breaking her silence and exposing the true story of what happened after their crew ended up there.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Leslie Howard, and highly recommend that format. It felt like a true confessional, and really helped to bring the story to life for me. I’m not sure if I would have been as hooked into it if I had just read a physical copy.

I’ll be honest, I put off reading this for so long because I’d heard some negative buzz that it was exploitative of the Idaho College Murders case. After reading the novel, I do see why some people may assume that’s the case, or even feel that after reading it, but I have to respectfully disagree.

In my opinion, this really isn’t about the murders at all. It’s actually a fascinating exploration of the True Crime subculture and the phenomenon of armchair detectives. A topic worthy of discussion.

I think perhaps the author may have said she was inspired by the case, but I think when we say ‘inspired’ it’s more in the spirit of exploring the absolute public firestorm that came from those crimes, the whys and ramifications of the media coverage, and of the public interest.

I liked the way the author dove into this subculture of armchair detectives. I felt like each of the characters in Jane’s group had their own reasons and motivations for being there. I felt like she really tried to show all sides of the community, both good and bad.

At the end of the day, I ended up enjoying this so much. I feel the topics explored are important, particularly those surrounding the True Crime community and the phenomenon of armchair detectives. The goods, the bads, and the uglies. The details of the case mirroring the Idaho case so closely, I can see why that makes people uncomfortable, but I still feel like it’s well done.

It really opens up a lot of great issues for discussion, and maybe that uncomfortability is part of the point. I feel like this would make an incredible book club book because you are sure to have opposing opinions, both on the book itself and the subjects explored.

Thank you to the publisher, Tantor Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This is the first I’ve read from Ashley Winstead, but I’m definitely interested in picking up more!

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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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