Thriller

Review: Heart of Glass (Wonderland #2) by Jennifer Hillier

~ megs14malloy

Heart of Glass (Wonderland #2)Heart of Glass by Jennifer Hillier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Heart of Glass is a follow-up to Jennifer Hillier’s twisty 2015-release, Wonderland. Set at an amusement park, Wonderland ended up being a 5-star read for me. I had a blast with it.

I never expected to be returning to the world of Wonderland, so was delighted when I first heard about Heart of Glass. After all this time though, could it stand up?

This worked great for me!

I’d heard some mixed things about it, so was a little nervous going in, but yeah, I had such a fun time with it, and would recommend it to anyone else who loved Wonderland.

In this book, there’s a few different things happening. It kicks off with a True Crime podcast that interviews The Carnival Killer, the man who was sent to prison for the killings from the 1st-book.

He shocks the nation when he claims that one of the victims, a local high school girl, wasn’t killed by him. He was with her that night, he admits, but he did not kill her.

It’s been 25-years. Why would he be saying this now?

Regardless of his motives, this startling recantation sends shockwaves through Seaside, the small town home of Wonderland. We then get the perspectives of Barb and Nicolette, the two best friends of the murdered girl, Lorelei.

We find out what has become of them since their best friend was brutally murdered. They were with her that night, they met The Carnival Killer, who was calling himself Sam at the time. They witnessed him and Lorelei making out, but what else happened that night? Lorelei never returned home, and their lives were forever impacted by that fact.

Not only do we get the podcast, and the two women’s perspectives, but we also get flashbacks to the past and what really happened on the night that Lorelei disappeared.

I found this to be incredibly well-plotted. I was hooked from the start. The audiobook production was fabulous and featured some of my favorite narrators. It also included fun sound effects, which made it extra engaging, IMO.

I do think perhaps the audio format would be the best way to take in the story actually. So, if you have that available to you, I highly recommend it.

Another notable aspect of this is the reality show angle. Nicolette, in her life since Seaside, has become a star on a popular reality show, think Real Housewives. So, there’s a lot in here just about that and her life, which was fun.

Even though I don’t watch reality television, the exceptions being some competitions shows like Survivor, DWTS and The Traitors, I have found that I really enjoy the incorporation of reality tv characters in my fiction for some reason.

It was fun for me too just seeing Barb and Nicolette as adults. Their lives had both changed so much since they were teens, and it was interesting watching them coming together again for a common goal.

I love Hillier’s writing. She’s great at character creation, and always has fantastic pacing and fun reveals. She never fails to draw me in and keeps me invested and at the edge of my seat. This was such a delightful and engrossing read.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I look forward to whatever Hillier has coming next!!!

View all my reviews

Review: Ten Years Gone by Wendy Walker

~ megs14malloy

Ten Years GoneTen Years Gone by Wendy Walker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ten Years Gone is the story of Clare and Griffin.

When they were teens they fell madly in love with one another. It’s the classic boy meets girl story, where the boy is from the wrong side of the tracks.

They risk a lot to be with one another, but the relationship doesn’t last as long as they would’ve hoped. Unfortunately, it ends abruptly with Griffin being incarcerated for murder.

After he’s locked up, Griffin refuses to remain in contact with Clare. It’s not that he doesn’t still care for her, he just doesn’t want her wasting her life on him. She’s hurt, but she’s also young and resilient. She does move on, but you never forget your first love. We all know that.

Ten years later, Griffin is finally being released. He doesn’t know what to expect from life on the outside and he could never have expected what happens to him. Newly released, he’s abducted, and he barely escapes with his life.

He finds himself on the run, hiding from who, he doesn’t know, but he needs to figure out the truth about the past if he has any chance of surviving for the future.

Clare is startled when she hears the news of Griffin’s release. She days away from her own wedding, but she’s never forgotten Griffin. When she starts getting cryptic text messages bringing up the past, she decides it’s time to figure out the truth of that night.

Alternating between the past and present, Walker did an amazing job weaving together this tense and exciting Thriller. I had so much fun with it. It’s definitely a Popcorn Thriller, juicy and enticing, with plenty of twists and turns to keep the Reader engaged.

There were so many times that I thought I knew the answer to it all, and while I was picking up on little things, it was much more complex than I originally anticipated. Walker was bringing the layers and I was sat.

I liked the sort of star crossed lovers aspect that Walker created here as well. Boy from the wrong side of the tracks, rich good girl dating outside her parents’ comfort zone, and the night that changed it all.

It was almost a bit too romantic for me, in regards to the way the characters thought about one another, but I think a lot of Readers will eat that aspect up.

Walker is such a great writer. There’s a fantastic flow and pace in all of her books, and this one is no exception. They’re just highly readable and so gripping. Once I started this, it was all I could think about. I just wanted to keep going.

It wasn’t perfect, but I didn’t need it to be. It was fun. It was entertaining and I had a blast learning the truth at the heart of Clare and Griffin’s story.

I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a fast-paced and drama-filled Popcorn Thriller. Bonus points if you enjoy a little romance with your thrills!

Thank you to the publisher, Thomas & Mercer, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This book doesn’t release until 2027, but I couldn’t wait.

I love Wendy Walker!

View all my reviews

Review: With Friends Like These by Alissa Lee

~ megs14malloy ~ 2 Comments

With Friends Like TheseWith Friends Like These by Alissa Lee
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**2.5-stars**

With Friends Like These follows a group of women, all adults currently living their lives in and around NYC, who met while roommates at Harvard. For decades they’ve been playing a secret game that they call the Circus.

Since they’re all highly-competitive, the Circus, which I would describe as a bit of a Murder Game, has a tendency to get slightly dangerous. In fact, the death of classmate is alluded to throughout the story in connection to the Circus.

Our MC is Sara. She wants out of the Circus and is prepared to break the news to her friends. Sara also finds herself strained financially though, so when the group discovers that a small fortune is awaiting the winner of this round, she decides to suck it up and play one more time.

Needs must and all that.

As the Circus begins, Sara believes the others may not be playing by the rules. The higher stakes could be pushing people to new extremes.

As the danger turns real, and people start pointing fingers, Sara discovers those closest to her may be dangerous. Will their fake kill game turn deadly, or will all the women be able to make it to the end unscathed?

This story was fine. IMO, it’s a little basic, and certainly not as exciting, or intriguing, as I needed it to be, however, I’ve also read a lot worse. I think maybe for someone just branching out into Thrillers and for someone who likes stories involving complicated friend groups, this could definitely work.

We get the entire story from the MC, Sara. I didn’t mind that. It was actually refreshing to focus on one perspective, as it feels like most stories lately pull out all the stops with regards to perspectives, and even timelines.

Unfortunately, Sara wasn’t a particularly compelling lead. She sort of reminded me of that girlfriend you have, who is a lovely person, but tells the longest and most rambling stories, providing details you in no way need. The whole time she’s talking, you’re smiling and nodding, while you’re internally screaming, get to the bloody POINT!!!

I believe this is a debut for Alissa Lee, and it does show a lot of promise. I don’t want to be all doom and gloom. Do I wish I had enjoyed this a little more? Sure, but I also will not be writing off Alissa Lee as an author at this point.

I’d pick up whatever she writes next. I’m sure with more time and experience her stories will come to deliver all I’m looking for in a gripping Thriller novel. This story had a great concept, it just needed a bit more bite for me.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I will be keeping an eye out for future works from Alissa Lee.

View all my reviews

Review: The Vanishing Place by Zoe Rankin

~ megs14malloy

The Vanishing PlaceThe Vanishing Place by Zoe Rankin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

After a murder in the New Zealand bush, and a witness who looks like a ghost of the past, Effie decides she must return to her home country, a place she’d sworn never to return.

Effie grew up in the bush, caring for her younger siblings, raised by parents who completely cut them off from the rest of the world. It was a hard existence, and the children experienced things that would make you toes curl. It’s left permanent scars on Effie’s psyche.

Effie’s been living her adult life in the UK, far from the places of her earlier traumas. When she gets a phone call though, from someone from her past, telling her of this young witness, who looks just like a younger version of herself, she has to return.

She needs to put this to bed. She needs to actually find out what happened to her family, and perhaps help this young witness in the process. In order to do so though, Effie’s going to have to face the demons of her past all over again.

I read this at the wrong time, I think. I didn’t vibe with it all. Though reading the synopsis, you’d think I would. Unfortunately, I was bored for the majority of the story. The writing is great, so it’s not that, and I did appreciate the depth of it, but it just wasn’t for me right now.

Many of my Book Friends, whose tastes normally align with mine, loved it, so def don’t take my word for it. I honestly think it was just the wrong book for me in the moment.

I never connected with the characters in a way that would establish the empathy I think is needed to truly enjoy a story like this. I needed to be invested in Effie and her past, and sadly, I just wasn’t.

It was refreshing to read a story set in New Zealand and I did enjoy the audiobook narration as well. I also think the author did a good job of taking us back-and-forth between past and present without making it confusing or convoluted.

I think there’s a lot of heart in this story, unfortunately my ice cold heart just wasn’t receptive to it at this time. i would definitely be open to reading more from this author in the future though.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would recommend this to Readers who enjoy more Literary Thrillers, particularly with a strong focus on the family.

View all my reviews

Review: The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen

~ megs14malloy

The Women in WhiteThe Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen, one of my go-to Thriller authors, is a story told in two-timelines.

Our present day perspective follows, Riley, who after a recent separation from her husband, gets a live-in caretaker position with an elderly woman named Betty.

Since they are living together and both open to companionship, Betty and Riley start to share things about their lives with one another. Riley finds Betty to be a very interesting woman. Her home is a time capsule, with no modern appliances, no cell phone or even a television.

As Betty starts to fill Riley in on her past, she expresses wanting to locate some of her old university friends. Riley offers to help, but she never could have guessed the truth behind what Betty was involved in all those years ago.

The past perspective follows Betty and the other women she’s told Riley about. We follow them as they become participants in a parapsychology study undertaken at a prestigious university. The project, run by a powerful and overbearing scientist, changes these women’s lives forever.

On the cusp of a revolutionary breakthrough, the women disappeared and the program was erased from history.

Riley believes Betty, even if the records are unclear. She’s locked into this mystery. She’s invested; as was I. Riley starts digging in and discovers that the repercussions of that program have lasted through to today.

But what happened to Betty’s friends? Is there any way to find the truth?

I really enjoyed this one. The subject matter was a good fit for my personal tastes, and I loved having both the past and present timelines. The way it was all pieced together by Pekkanen was perfectly plotted, IMO.

I also felt it easy to connect with the set of characters created here. I had sympathy for them, all they had been through, but was also intrigued and entertained by it.

Riley and Betty especially. I enjoyed watching the way their relationship developed. They became so close over the course of the story and I really felt that.

They found each other when they both needed someone, and I think Pekkanen did such a great job showing that, and making you feel that as the Reader.

The past perspective, in the 60s, the research into parapsychology, that reminded me of Firestarter, or other things like that. There was an air of MKUltra about it as well.

It all felt so sinister, and the women involved, by comparison were all innocent and unsuspecting. It made that timeline so gripping, just the way Pekkanen slowly revealed all that had happened within that program.

I also liked the excitement at the end, the conclusion to the mystery. Overall, I just think this is a really enjoyable read that I would recommend to people who enjoy dual timeline Thrillers with a lot of character work.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I always look forward to Pekkanen’s new works. I love her writing and her story concepts. I’ll can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next!

View all my reviews

Review: She Had Enough by Stacie Grey

~ megs14malloy

She Had EnoughShe Had Enough by Stacie Grey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

While out to dinner on a Girl’s Night with her college friends, Mallory Taylor has an interaction in the bathroom with a member of their group, Caitlin, that she doesn’t know as well as the other women. Caitlin is quiet, and Mallory doesn’t know too much about her, except that she comes from money and her mother recently passed away.

If pressed, Mallory might describe Caitlin as someone who has always seemed a little lost, like she’s not living up to her potential. Nevertheless, when Caitlin asks Mallory to hold something for her, she does and then forgets about the object shortly thereafter.

Mallory’s not a forgetful person, but shortly after the dinner breaks-up, with all women going their separate ways, a giant earthquake rocks their city of San Francisco.

It’s a really scary night, and Mallory is lucky that she and her two cats survive unscathed, though her apartment, not so much. In the aftermath, Mallory realizes that she still has the object Caitlin asked her to hold. Thinking it might have sentimental value to her, Mallory vows to find her and return it when things settle down.

However, with the city in shambles, that task isn’t as simple as it may sound. As it turns out, Caitlin disappeared the night of the earthquake and no one has seen her since.

No one else seems alarmed though, reasoning that a lot of people left the city after the quake, but Mallory knows it’s more than that. The more she digs, the stronger her feelings that something terrible has befallen Caitlin.

Mallory begins her own investigation, and what she discovers is disturbing. All her digging hasn’t gone unnoticed either. Soon she find herself in the hot seat. Will she be able to find the truth about what happened to Caitlin, and expose the perp before they get to her too?

This was fun. It’s the 3rd-novel that I’ve read from this author, and I’ve enjoyed them all. I loved the backdrop of the San Francisco earthquake, and I enjoyed following Mallory as a main character.

Mallory felt very relatable to me. She just seemed like just an average woman, but one who wasn’t willing to turn the other way when someone may be in trouble. She was determined and plucky, and I liked that about her a lot.

She was also smart, and I enjoyed the way she worked through all of the information she had, and came up with steps to take next in order to try to find out the truth about Caitlin. She was very methodical about it all, which obviously made her dangerous to the baddie.

The mystery though, while intriguing throughout, did wrap-up a little too quickly and easily for my tastes. It had this great build, and Grey did a good job of steadily giving new info and adding tension to progress the plot. However, the big reveal lacked oomph for me.

Also, some of the side characters’ reactions, or more like non-reactions, to the who and what of it all, seemed lackluster. This was a major event, and they were like, ‘huh, weird, can’t believe they did that. Let’s brunch!’

It seemed odd right there at the very end.

At the end of the day though, I did find it gripping and entertaining. I liked many aspects, and even though the ending didn’t have quite the impact that I would’ve hoped for, I’m still happy with the experience overall.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m looking forward to future work from this author. She’s quickly becoming a go-to author for me!

View all my reviews

Review: The Anniversary by Alex Finlay

~ megs14malloy

The AnniversaryThe Anniversary by Alex Finlay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

The Anniversary follows two main characters, Jules Delaney and Quinn Riley. When they were both 17-years old, back in 1992, one fateful night changed the trajectory of both of their lives, and intertwined their stories forever.

This sounds dramatic, but it’s true. Finlay expertly-weaves together the stories of Jules and Quinn, keeping me at the edge of my seat the whole way through.

On the fateful night in question, Jules survives an attack of the elusive May Day Killer, a serial predator who attacks unsuspecting young women every May 1st in small Midwestern towns. Though she survived the attack, certain psychological scars may never heal.

And poor Quinn, trying to break-up a fight, severly injures one of the participants, and he’s arrested and ultimately ends up in juvenile detention because of it. While he’s there, his mother is murdered, and the crime goes unsolved.

A year later, Jules is plagued with survivor’s guilt, and Quinn, recently released from juvie, struggles to put the pieces of his life back together.

We follow both of their perspectives through that process, with the book ultimately spanning over many years.

Jules and Quinn never give up their search for answers, and over time, more and more clues are revealed, bringing their paths back together once again. The bottom line is the May Day Killer is still out there, Quinn’s mother’s murderer is still out there, and they’re determined to find the truth before any other innocent lives are lost.

I feel like I’m not giving this detailed plot justice, but you get the gist. I really enjoyed the back and forth and how we followed the two MCs over such a long period of time. As the puzzle pieces started to fall into place, my attention was fully captured.

The audiobook was fantastic. It’s dual narrated by Brittany Pressley and Ari Fliakos, and having the individual narrators for both perspectives, really lent believability to the plot. It also kept my attention more than had I just been reading a hard copy, I think.

Jules and Quinn were both great characters. They had been through so much, but they never let the negativity of those events completely overwhelm them. Sure, they struggled through some complicated emotions, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but they never lost their determination and will to fight for closure.

They were also both very smart and resourceful. A highlight for me was their interactions together. I felt like they supported each other nicely.

Overall, I had a blast with this. It’s really, really good. The story is gripping, with tons of twists and turns that’ll keep you flipping pages well into the night.

Finlay’s last release, Parents Weekend, fell a little flat for a lot of people, I enjoyed it, but certainly not as much as some of his earlier works. With The Anniversary, I feel like he’s hit his stride again. I definitely recommend this one.

Thank you to the pubisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I look forward to whatever Finlay has in store for us next!

View all my reviews

Review: No One Aboard by Emy McGuire

~ megs14malloy

No One AboardNo One Aboard by Emy McGuire
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I love this cover. It’s what immediately attracted me to this book. Unfortunately, I didn’t love the story inside as much as the gorgeous cover art.

In the 1st-quarter, I thought to myself, I wonder why the overall rating is so low? I was sort of into it. It didn’t seem like it was deserved of under a 3.5-overall. However, as the story went on, I started to understand why.

The story follows a wealthy family, Francis and Lila Cameron, and their two children, as they embark on a family vacation on their luxury sailboat.

The kids, whose names escape me now, I believe have just graduated high school, so this is a transitional moment for them, and that is explored as well.

Three weeks later, the boat is found with no occupants off the coast of Florida. What happened to the Camerons?

I found a lot of the build-up rather forgettable, and then there was a twist, a coincidence let’s say, about 65% of the way through that was sort of like, really? IDK, it just all seemed a little ridiculous to me.

Like the ocean itself, I’m a little salty about this overall though, so take my opinion for what you will. I’m sure there is an audience for this. Sadly, I’m just not in it.

Thank you to the publisher, Graydon House, for providing me a copy to read and review.

While this had promise, it just ended up a big ole’ flop for me. I would try more from this author though, nevertheless. I never give up on an author after only one go. Some of them might wish I did, but I don’t.

View all my reviews

Review: The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards

~ megs14malloy

The Wasp TrapThe Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

The Wasp Trap is a Psychological Thriller novel set at an intimate dinner party in a Notting Hill townhouse.

The dinner guests are six University friends reunited after the death of their past employer, a Professor, who brought them all together in 1999 to build a dating website based on psychological testing.

What starts as a bittersweet, somewhat awkward reunion, quickly spirals into a vicious game, as the guests are given an ultimatum. Either they reveal their darkest secrets, or they’re forced to pick each other off one-by-one.

It’s clear what’s happening is connected to their past, but they’re all gonna need to open up and be honest if they want to have any chance of figuring it out.

Alternating between past-and-present, the Reader is filled in on that period of time in 1999, as well as the lasting repercussions it may have had.

This was good. I enjoyed the set-up most of all, and did find it entertaining in the moment. For me, some of the back-and-forth was confusing, particularly since certain characters felt samsie.

I didn’t have the easiest time keeping all of the characters straight. Not necessarily in the scenes as they’re happening, but more transferring what happened to who in the past, and connecting that to their present day character.

Will, who is an author, was the most obviously distinct to me, but the others…

The end gets really wild, and I do enjoy OTT-Thrillers, but for me, I was almost mentally checked out by that point. I did like this author’s ideas and the way he incorporated the twists, and even though this didn’t blow me away, I would still be interested in picking up more from him.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would recommend this to Locked Room Mystery fans.

View all my reviews

Review: It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell

~ megs14malloy

It Could Have Been HerIt Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jane Trevally is walking her dogs in the heathlands of her country estate when a West Highland Terrier suddenly appears. It’s clear the dog has been lost for a bit, and she’s sure someone must be missing him terribly.

She’s able to leash him up and walk him back to her house along with the rest of her pack. She quickly takes him to her local vet, and the dog is recognized. His name is Hugo. It seems he may have been staying with a teenage girl, who had recently rented a nearby cottage.

When the young lady is reported as missing by her landlord, Jane offers to return Hugo to his registered owner, found via microchip, hours away in London.

Arriving at the address, Jane can hardly believe it. She knows this house. She has a dark connection with it. One terrifying night from years ago that she’s never, ever forgotten.

But the man who opens the door isn’t the man she remembers. Nevertheless, the home’s current occupant seems sketch AF. He claims to know nothing about the missing girl, but Jane’s instincts are on high alert.

There’s definitely more to this story, and like the proverbial dog with a bone, Jane is not letting it go.

Jane knows that this unsettling house has secrets to spill, and she’s gonna get to the bottom of all of them. Perhaps it will help her get some closure for herself as well. Thus, an amateur sleuth is born.

Y’all, I had such a great time reading this. It Could Have Been Her is a bit slower to start than some of Jewell’s previous works, but with her signature style, she’s able to amp up the intensity with time and pull out all the stops bringing this dark Domestic Drama to its necessary conclusion.

This is the type of story where you need to be comfortable not fully understanding everything in the beginning. There’s multiple perspectives and timelines and it’s not necessarily clear straight away how they all fit together.

However, this is purposeful and for the Readers with the patience, Jewell expertly drops the reveals that will eventually piece it all together for you. I just went with the flow, and though I was uncomfortable in my uncertainty at times, once it clicked, I was hooked.

With all this being said, IMO, this will play better for the 40+ crowd, like myself, but nevertheless it’s a dark and intriguing tale.

I loved the MC, Jane, and am really hoping we might get another book with her. She was such an interesting character, and I’d love to follow her more on this new chapter of her life.

I would recommend this to any Domestic Suspense Reader, or Readers who like layered mysteries. There’s a lot going on here, but as mentioned above, as it all comes together, the payoff is worth it.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

Lisa Jewell is one of the best in the business and I look forward to all of her new releases. This did not disappoint!

View all my reviews