Review: Warning Signs by Tracy Sierra

Warning SignsWarning Signs by Tracy Sierra
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tracy Sierra impressed me with her debut novel, Nightwatching, when I read it back in 2024. It was disturbing in such a realistic way, and played off one of my own personal fears, which is being in my house as an intruder breaks in to cause harm.

That horrifying scenario is something I think about a lot actually, I write whilst being home alone for the weekend.

Warning Signs is Sierra’s Sophmore novel and follows 12-year old Zach as he joins his Dad, somewhat reluctantly, on a father-son ski weekend. Before you jump to conclusions and think, how nice, a Dad who wants to spend time with his son, I’ll just let you know, that’s not the case here.

Bram, Zach’s Dad, has his own strong motives for this trip and it has nothing to do with father-son bonding time. Bram’s business is currently in financial distress, and the weekend was planned as a way to woo potential investors.

Bram and Zach are being joined by some rich men, and their sons, in the hopes that Bram will be able to make some deals on the mountain. Because nothing says, let’s spend some money like apres ski drinks.

As you would expect in a Winter Thriller, things begin to go wrong with the group pretty quickly. There’s tensions among the adults and Zach feels like something scary is watching their cabin from the woods.

As the dangers escalate Zach’s unsure who to trust, but he’s sure thankful that he was trained in outdoor survival by his Mom. He might need to utilize all of that valuable knowledge in order to make it off this mountain alive.

While this may have started out feeling like a standard Winter Thriller, a ski weekend gone bad, it took a sharp turn in a direction I wasn’t expecting. Sierra knows how to get a Reader’s pulse racing and I was gripped until the end.

The initial sections of this doesn’t have the same intensity as Nightwatching, which got cooking right from the start, but this story definitely gets there as the story progresses. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a slow build, but it does take some time to really get humming.

I wasn’t sure either how I would feel about following the perspective of a 12-year old boy in this type of story, but it really worked. I feel like his perspective was the best way to convey the level of danger and I did grow attached to him. I was on the edge of my seat on his behalf.

At times it felt hopeless, and it definitely made me anxious, but in a good way. I flew through the second half and ended up enjoying the heck out of it. I would recommend this to anyone who loves an intense Winter Thriller, or anyone who had fun with Sierra’s previous book.

Thank you to Pamela Dorman Books for providing me with a copy to read and review. There’s no denying that Tracy Sierra is such a talented writer. I’m really looking forward to whatever she releases next!

View all my reviews

Review: 25 Days by Per Jacobsen

25 Days25 Days by Per Jacobsen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

25 Days is a Winter Horror Thriller set in the month of December. The author has cleverly structured it so that it can be read like an advent calendar, as each chapter is one day leading up to Christmas.

Hence the name, 25 Days.

The story follows Adam Gray and his family. Adam and his wife have been at odds recently, and in an effort to draw everyone closer together, he rents a holiday home for them for the days leading up to Christmas.

The vacation rental is a remote cabin tucked away on a snowy mountain. Far from the outside world, the family should have zero distractions, allowing more time for good ole’ fashioned family fun.

Things quickly take a dark turn though, when someone begins leaving grotesque gifts in a Christmas stocking tacked to the barn door. Each more brings something new, and the gifts progressively escalate in threat level.

It’s clear someone is stalking their cabin, toying with them like a cat with a mouse. How will Adam be able to protect his family? He needs to get them off this mountain, but the odds are definitely stacked against them.

I don’t have a ton to say about this one. This wasn’t bad by any means, it just felt very standard to me. Glancing at other reviews, it definitely seems that other Readers enjoyed this one a lot more than me.

It does have a particular intensity to it that I can see why it would pull people in, but for me, it just never truly captured me. I was reading it and it was fine, but nothing drew me in, or made me feel invested for this family.

It was mildly entertaining in the moment, but overall I’d say fairly forgettable. It’s giving standard Winter Thriller, vacation gone bad, vibes, but maybe amping it up a bit.

I do think it could be fun to read while on your own Winter vacation. It might keep you up at night, particularly if you’re in a remote location.

In only took me a day to read, quick and easy, so that was a plus, but I probably won’t think about it again now that the review is done. If you’re looking for a Wintery Horror Thriller though, give it shot. So many Readers are having fun with it, and you may too.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria, for providing me a copy to read and review. While I appreciate the thought the author put into the structure of the story, it just wasn’t for me.

On to the next!

View all my reviews

Review: Her Last Breath by Taylor Adams

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

πŸ’™πŸ’œπŸ’™πŸ’œπŸ’™πŸ’œπŸ’™πŸ’œπŸ’™πŸ’œπŸ’™

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

Taylor Adams has knocked another one out of the park!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

View all my reviews

Review: What We Did to Survive by Megan Lally

What We Did to SurviveWhat We Did to Survive by Megan Lally
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

What We Did to Survive is a YA Survival Thriller from well-loved author, Megan Lally. I’ve read both Lally’s previous works and was excited to get to this 3rd-book from her.

This story follows best friends, Hannah and Emmy, who while on vacation in Mexico take an ill-fated sailing charter, along with Emmy’s brother, Jackson, and her current love interest, Ben, a boy she met at the beach.

The charter is towards the end of their week-long vacation, and the girls only convince Emmy’s parents to let them go sailing with Ben, if her older brother, Jackson, also goes along. He’s not really jazzed about it.

Emmy and Jackson have their own history, so all-in-all it’s an uncomfortable traveling bunch to begin with. As they approach the docks it’s clear inclement weather is coming in. They’re even warned off by a captain of another boat, but Emmy and Ben insist they’re going, and all will be okay.

Against their better judgement, both Hannah and Jackson also agree to go along. We follow their journey from that moment until the very bitter end, and what a journey it is.

This was good. It’s very fast-paced and definitely kept me motivated to keep reading. The concept was fun, but I have to be honest, the character interactions were so grating and annoying for me. I would have tossed them all in the ocean if I’d been on this boat.

I had a hard time even believing that Hannah and Emmy would be friends, let alone best friends. They’re total opposites, with the only thing holding them together seeming to be their shared history.

Additionally, the whole plot is based on a series of dumb choices, which isn’t really bad in and of itself, I just had a hard time connecting with it, or understanding the characters motivations.

That would also be fine in a Survival Thriller if the Survival elements were front and center and kept me engaged. Here I felt the survival part played second fiddle to all of the absolutely OTT-interpersonal drama.

I found all the fighting and yelling so grating. It was like 96% of the character interactions. Also, there was too much ‘let’s air all our grievances’, instead of ‘let’s come up with a plan’ happening for my tastes.

I know this sounds a little doom and gloom, and I don’t mean it to be. This still kept me entertained and I did read it quickly, I just don’t feel like I had as much fun with it as I have with Lally’s previous books.

Nevertheless, I would still recommend it. The action is intense and there is a lot of action. I think if you’re just looking for a Popcorn Thriller, if you want to be glued to the pages, if you love stories set at sea; any of things, you absolutely need to check this one out.

As for me, though it’s not my favorite from Megan Lally, I’m still glad I read it and I look forward to whatever she writes next. I do love how varied her plots and scenarios have been. She has a lot of creativity and it’s anyone’s guess what she’s going to focus on next.

Thank you to the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I enjoyed my time with this one.

View all my reviews

Review: I Did Warn Her by Sian Gilbert

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.

View all my reviews

Review: Breath In, Bleed Out by Brian McAuley

Breathe In, Bleed OutBreathe In, Bleed Out by Brian McAuley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Breathe In, Bleed Out follows Hannah, a young woman plagued by grief after losing her fiancΓ© on a wilderness excursion.

No one knows the truth of what happened the day Ben died, and Hannah would like to keep it that way. She remembers though, and it haunts her so much she’s finding it hard to function in every day life.

When her friend group gets invited to an exclusive Wellness Retreat by Joshua Tree, and she mentions it to her therapist, he thinks it’s a great idea and encourages her to go.

In spite of her doubts, Hannah reluctantly agrees. Perhaps it’s the fresh start she needs. It can’t hurt, right?

As she joins her best friend, Tess, and the rest of their friend group, making their way to Joshua Tree, I quickly wondered, why are these people friends? Or more specifically, why are they friends with Hannah? Offense sort of intended.

It’s an odd group, but nevertheless, I was along for the ride. When they get to the town abutting the retreat, the real Slasher vibe starts to set-in. Including a run-in with a hostile local, and a potential historical aspect that could lend its influence to future killings.

And even though I was starting to really enjoy these classic Slasher elements, the character work veered quite quickly into eye roll territory. The stereotypes overfloweth, and Hannah was the biggest jerk amongst them, IMO.

I was feeling like I should have been rooting for her as a potential final girl, yet I found myself rooting for her to be the first victim.

Ultimately, those feelings continued for the rest of the book. While it was a fun Slasher story, it felt very uneven in enjoyment for me as well.

I do appreciate McAuley sticking to a true Slasher style, but at times it leaned too heavily into the character interactions and since they were all so annoying, I just didn’t care.

Therefore, I loved the kills and hated the characters. Frankly, I wish the killer would have taken out more of them…

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Even though this one didn’t knock it out of the park for me, I would be interested in checking out more from this author.

View all my reviews

Review: The Safari by Jaclyn Goldis

The SafariThe Safari by Jaclyn Goldis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up **

As Odelia Babel, successful-CEO to a fashion empire, prepares to marry for the 2nd-time, she decides to take her family on luxurious vacation for the special day. The ultimate destination wedding weekend.

Her betrothed, Asher Bach, is decades her junior, much closer to her grown children’s ages than her own, but nevertheless Odelia swears it’s true love, and so does Asher.

They’ll be staying at Leopard Sands in South Africa, a posh safari well-known to the family, as they’ve frequented it many times before. Even though it seems like a perfect trip, not everyone is excited for the soon-to-be newlyweds.

Attending the family event are Odelia’s three adult children, Joshua, Sam and Bailey, her daughter-in-law, baby granddaughter and her assistant/best friend. In spite of the closeness of this group of people, there’s a ton of tension simmering under the surface.

Sam and Odelia end up having an epic fight. Things are said that push the boundary further than ever before.

The following morning, a mere hours before the wedding ceremony, Odelia is found dead. Suspicion immediately falls on Sam. Everyone heard the fight. It was bad.

Sam swears it wasn’t him. He has an alibi. He was with his sister, Bailey. At least that’s what he claims. Bailey is nowhere to be found…

As the investigation starts, everyone is a suspect and the once peaceful Leopard Sands begins to feel menacing and claustrophobic. Even though there’s literally endless land and space around them, this still managed to pull off a classic Locked Room Mystery feel that I enjoyed.

This is the 3rd-year in a row I’ve read a new release Thriller from Jaclyn Goldis, and The Safari is definitely my favorite. I was here for all the craziness, it got wild and the setting felt refreshing for the genre.

It’s a dramatically-messy family drama set against a backdrop of beautiful South Africa. I loved the fly on the wall experience I got with this one. It was quite entertaining. It’s a straight-up popcorn read, and I was invested.

I loved the set-up, and getting to know the family. The dynamics were messy from the start. I liked getting a front row seat to all that.

As it progresses, it starts to get a little manic, and I suspected everyone at one point or another. Maybe the baby did it? I honestly didn’t know. Maybe they all did it. We’ve seen that happen before.

There were some areas, mainly involving Bailey, that meandered a bit, and sort of went a little out of focus, but that was brought around in the end and overall, I was pleased with her story arc.

Additionally, towards the end, it did get a little difficult to track. There were side characters, locals to the area, that took up larger roles and some of them, and their connections to the story, started to get a little convoluted.

Overall though, this was an entertaining read. I got through it so quickly and had a lot of fun with the wildly OTT-drama. You won’t like a lot of characters in this story, but you may like watching them spiral.

Thank you to the publisher, Atria, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Each one of this author’s releases have gotten stronger for me, and we love an upward trajectory. I can’t wait for the next one!

View all my reviews

Review: How to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold

How to Survive a Horror StoryHow to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

How to Survive a Horror Story features a classic Locked-Room set-up, but does actually still manage to bring something new to the trope-filled table.

After the death of legendary Horror author, Mortimer Queen, seven writers are invited to his mysterious manor home for the reading of his last will and testament. It’s believed that each one of them may be bequeathed a part of his estate.

Our characters are Melanie, Crystal, Winnie, Felix (Winnie’s uninvited +1), Scott, Petey, Buck and Chester. In addition, we also have Gia, working on behalf of Mr. Queen’s estate.

This story bounces between the perspectives and follows them over the course of their wild time within the manor.

Kicking off with a very classic Clue-like set-up, our characters individually make their way to the manor full of questions. Each wonders why exactly they’ve been included, and what they can possibly get out of it.

After everyone is settled, they’re told they need to attend dinner together and that’s when the rules of their stay are explained, and yes, it involves a dangerous game.

From here it proceeds into uncharted territory. The way the story was structured, the game itself and all that happened was fairly original. I wasn’t expecting the direction it went in, particularly in regards to the manor house itself.

And while I appreciate the author taking it in a new direction, it also felt like it was trying to do too much. For me, I wanted it to pick a lane. Was it going to be a gruesome, supernatural infused game for survival, or was it going to be a slow burn character driven literary horror story?

Nevertheless, I always love when an author takes risks and reaches to bring something new to their Readers. While the execution of this one wasn’t a perfect fit for me, that doesn’t mean it won’t be for you.

If you love this kind of classic set-up, but want something a little different, I highly recommend you check this one out. You could find a new favorite.

It also features a book-within-a-book aspect, so if that’s something you love, again, give it a shot. For me, it won’t go down in history as a new favorite, but I am definitely planning to pick up future releases from Mallory Arnold.

Thank you to the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I’m excited to see what other Readers think of this one. Maybe they’ll change my mind on it…

View all my reviews

Review: The Last Ferry Out by Andrea Bartz

The Last Ferry Out: A NovelThe Last Ferry Out: A Novel by Andrea Bartz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Abby has been unmoored by the unexpected death of her fiance, Eszter, who was on a solo trip to a remote island when she died of an apparent allergic reaction.

Having suffered from severe allergies her entire life, Eszter was always careful. Abby doesn’t understand how it could’ve happened and is unable to move past her many questions.

As the days pass, Abby decides she is going to need to go there, to Isla Colel, to the place where Eszter died. Perhaps there, she’ll finally be able to find some closure.

Upon arrival though, the island isn’t quite what she expected. Once a bustling tourist destination, a hurricane decimated the island a few years back, and only a few hearty locals and expats remain.

With ferry service sporadic, at best, it’s about as remote a location as you can get, but Abby slowly begins to understand the pull it has on people.

She ends up locating a small group of expats who she believes hung out with Eszter in her last days; recognizing them from a photo Eszter had shared with her. Abby introduces herself and becomes friendly with them, gently pushing for information when she can.

When one of the men, who seemed to have something he really wanted to tell Abby, ends up disappearing before he can, Abby grows suspicious. Is this some sort of cover-up? Is there more to Eszter’s death than what’s she been told?

We follow Abby as her quest for the truth reveals lies and dangers around every turn. Will she find out what happened to Eszter, or will she become another victim of the island?

This is a compelling Travel Thriller. I was drawn in from the start. I loved the small island setting, and our MC, Abby.

Abby is an easy protagonist to get behind. By the time she reaches the island, she’s practically bubbling over with questions, so when she ends up meeting the expats, she’s quite forthright about her reason for being there.

I appreciated how open she was about everything. It made me actually care about her getting the answers. I also liked how smart and determined she was.

I was surprised when we ended up getting short stints of other perspectives in addition to Abby’s. They were fun though and ended up adding a lot to the overall puzzle.

The biggest was Eszter’s, who we get to follow during her time on the island. Eszter was harder to figure out than Abby. She wasn’t as straight forward with her feelings and intentions, and I felt like I had as many questions as Abby regarding Eszter.

The small group of expats were also very mysterious. There was something almost cultish about the vibes they were giving off. They seemed so obsessed with the island, but did seem happy enough to bring Abby along to explore it.

As stranger things started happening, I was so ready for Abby to pack her bags and go. It does feel dangerous. You don’t know why, but you know something is off.

Then inclement weather sweeps in, as it does, and Abby is unable to leave the island, even if she wanted to. I liked how the author increased the intensity towards the end by using the weather issue to work against our protagonist.

It did have a slight lull for me around the mid-way point, where I was getting a little bored, but she definitely bounced back, and the concluding portion was absolutely gripping; featuring twist-after-demented-twist.

Overall, I had a fun time reading this. I thought Bartz did a fabulous job with the setting, the use of the inclement weather, and with the cast of untrustworthy characters.

I definitely recommend this to Readers looking for a strong Travel Thriller to add to their Summer TBR. This one should definitely keep you guessing.

Thank you to the publisher, Ballantine Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Of course, I’m looking forward to more from Andrea Bartz!!

View all my reviews

Review: Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 features a extreme version of Hide-n-Seek, played by various daring Adults, and streamed online to countless fans.

Maverick Dillan is a wildly-popular creator and influencer in the Adventure space. This game is his baby, and even though it has been played before with disastrous consequences that still haunt him, he’s up to host another round.

This round of the game is set to be played on the remote Falcao Island. In addition to Maverick and his people, we follow single-Mom, Adele, whose children get her to sign up for the game.

After her husband left them, Adele has had to wear a lot of different hats in their family, including resident badass. When her kids show how enthusiastic they are for the game, and how much they believe in her, she would be hard pressed to say no.

Plus, the $1,000,000 prize could change everything for them.

This story is very social media based, so it’s not surprising we get snippets in a mixed media format to introduce the Reader to the game and the players.

While I loved the set-up and the premise behind the game, as well as all the players involved, the social media aspects did feel a bit over-exaggerated. It felt a little, and this is just my opinion, that maybe the author was perhaps pandering a bit to the BookTok crowd.

That’s a very minor point though. I thought the set-up and basic premise of this story were both very well developed. I love how pulled into Adele’s life I felt, and how much I was rooting for her as a contestant.

The game itself did remind of Hide by Kiersten White, but honestly, I feel like it was executed better here. No offense to anyone who loves Hide. I get it, but that one definitely fell flat for me with the gaming element.

This one gave me more of the fast-paced energy and drama that I wanted. I would recommend it to Readers who enjoy books with a gaming trope. It’s worth the read.

This does give a lot of insight into Maverick and his partners in their dealings behind the scenes of the show. That was a good element to add, although personally, I did feel like that took over a bit.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed my time with Close Your Eyes and Count to 10. I loved the idea of the game having a bit of a survival element, and the setting on a remote island was great. Also, Unger added in inclement weather, which I always appreciate.

Unfortunately, the further it went along, the more it started to lose me. I wanted more time with the contestants and what they were going through, and instead I felt that aspect was sort of overshadowed by the drama going on amongst the game’s hosts, as mentioned above.

It was still an entertaining read, however, even with these minor complaints. I just wish I could have felt as connected and intrigued with it at the end, as I did at the beginning.

I would recommend the audiobook format. It was engaging and kept me flying through. I found the narrator very believable, particularly in Adele’s perspective.

Thank you to the publisher, Harlequin Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I haven’t read a lot from this author, but I do want to pick up more of her work.

Even though this wasn’t perfect for me, you cannot deny the fluidity and captivating nature of her writing.

View all my reviews