Emma In the Night by Wendy Walker ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Child Abuse, Dysfunctional Families, Mystery, Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Psychological Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

320 Pages

Synopsis: One night three years ago, the Tanner sisters disappeared: fifteen-year-old Cass and seventeen-year-old Emma. Three years later, Cass returns, without her sister Emma. Her story is one of kidnapping and betrayal, of a mysterious island where the two were held. But to forensic psychiatrist Dr. Abby Winter, something doesn’t add up. Looking deep within this dysfunctional family Dr. Winter uncovers a life where boundaries were violated and a narcissistic parent held sway. And where one sister’s return might just be the beginning of the crime.

We believe what we want to believe. We believe what we need to believe. Maybe there’s no difference between wanting and needing. I don’t know. What I do know is that the truth can evade us, hiding behind our blind spots, our preconceptions, our hungry heart that long for quite. Still, it is always there if we open our eyes and try to see it. If we really try to see.

I knew as soon as I read these chilling opening lines, that I was going to enjoy Emma In the Night, and I wasn’t disappointed. I was completely mesmerized from beginning to end.

The book alternates between Cass and Dr. Abby Winters, the forensic psychiatrist who was originally assigned to the sisters case when they first disappeared three years previously. Starting with the return of Cass, the story brings the reader back to the girls’ childhood and what their lives were like growing up with their mother who has narcissistic personality disorder. From there, what happens slowly comes together, much like a puzzle. From the onset, Cass is an unreliable yet hypnotic narrator which adds to the mystery because you’re constantly wondering if she’s telling the truth. I was so sucked into Cass’s cringe-worthy story that when Abby’s chapters came, they were a little jarring, although necessary to the plot. 

The story itself is full of many twists and turns. There were quite a few times that I thought I’d figured everything out, only to be proven wrong. The only reason why I’m not giving this 5 stars is because I did think the story dragged just a bit at times, especially in the middle. But overall, I really enjoyed Emma In the Night and I highly recommend it to fans of psychological suspense and mysteries filled with sketchy characters.

 

 

 

 

The Perfect Stranger, By Megan Miranda – 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mystery, Psychological Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

352 Pages

Synopsis: Confronted by a restraining order and the threat of a lawsuit, failed journalist Leah Stevens needs to get out of Boston when she runs into an old friend, Emmy Grey who has just left a troubled relationship. Emmy proposes they move to rural Pennsylvania, where Leah can get a teaching position and both women can start again. But their new start is threatened when a woman with an eerie resemblance to Leah is assaulted by the lake, and Emmy disappears days later.

Determined to find Emmy, Leah cooperates with Kyle Donovan, a handsome young police officer on the case. As they investigate her friend’s life for clues, Leah begins to wonder: did she ever really know Emmy at all? With no friends, family or digital footprint, the police begin to suspect that there is no Emmy Grey. Soon Leah’s credibility is at stake, and she is forced to revisit her past: the article that ruined her career. To save herself, Leah must confront the truth about Emmy Grey–and along the way, confront her old demons, find out who she can really trust, and clear her own name.

Everyone in this rural Pennsylvania town has something to hide–including Leah herself. How do you uncover the truth when you are too busy hiding your own?

Megan Miranda’s debut novel All the Missing Girls was one of my favorite psychological suspense novels of last year, so I’ve been eagerly anticipating Perfect Stranger. While this wasn’t a perfect read for me, it was still an enjoyable and quick one. 

After finishing this second book, it’s obvious that Megan Miranda’s writing style is beautiful. Every word, every detail, is just perfectly placed, which makes the narrative flow so smoothly. When you combine this with the story’s fast pace, and suspenseful plot, it makes for a real page-turner that makes it difficult to put down.

I have to be honest and say I had a difficult time connecting with any of the characters, including Leah. She made some extremely questionable decisions through the story, that me suspicious of her motives. I also thought the secondary characters could have been fleshed out a little more. 

As I previously said, the plot is suspenseful and filled with interesting developments which ratcheted up the tension. But, after all the build up, I confess I was a little disappointed in the ending which I thought was okay, but somewhat anticlimactic. 

I admit I went into Perfect Stranger with high expectations, perhaps exceedingly so. I always do my best to judge the books I read on their own merit no matter how I’ve felt about an author’s previous works. Sometimes that’s more difficult than others and that was the case for me with this novel. Overall, I thought this was a good, solid psychological suspense story, and there’s a part of me that’s wondering if I would have enjoyed it even more if I hadn’t loved the first book so much. Whatever the case, I have absolutely no no qualms over recommending this to anyone who loves this genre, and I’m looking forward to Miranda’s next novel.

 

 

The Marriage Pact by Michelle Richmond ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Cults, Psychological Suspense, Relationships

Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: Available Now

432 Pages

Synopsis: Newlyweds Alice and Jake are a picture-perfect couple. Alice, once a singer in a well-known rock band, is now a successful lawyer. Jake is a partner in an up-and-coming psychology practice. Their life together holds endless possibilities. After receiving an enticing wedding gift from one of Alice’s prominent clients, they decide to join an exclusive and mysterious group known only as The Pact.

The goal of The Pact seems simple: to keep marriages happy and intact. And most of its rules make sense. Always answer the phone when your spouse calls. Exchange thoughtful gifts monthly. Plan a trip together once per quarter…Never mention The Pact to anyone.

Alice and Jake are initially seduced by the glamorous parties, the sense of community, their widening social circle of like-minded couples. And then one of them breaks the rules. The young lovers are about to discover that for adherents to The Pact, membership, like marriage, is for life. And The Pact will go to any lengths to enforce that rule. For Jake and Alice, the marriage of their dreams is about to become their worst nightmare.

The Marriage Pact poses an interesting question. With so many marriages ending in divorce, how far would you go to guarantee that your own marriage stayed intact? I have to be upfront and say that there’s a certain amount of disbelief you have to suspend going into this book. I mean, who in their right mind would sign a contract to join a group that they really know nothing about? And, Jake and Alice don’t even read the contract, despite Alice being a lawyer herself. But they both have their own reasons why they’re drawn to this group, and much to my surprise, I found myself being a lot more understanding than I thought I would. 

The story is told by Jake, and perhaps because of this I felt more connected to him than Alice. They’re both highly educated people, but because of their individual insecurities, they allow themselves to be sucked into this cult. Naturally, it’s not long before the newlyweds discover that The Pact is not the benevolent group of “…like-minded individuals intent on achieving a similar goal.” Far from being supportive of their members, there are consequences for breaking the rules listed in the Manual. At this point Jake and Alice want to leave, but no one ever leaves The Pact. 

There are many twists and turns in this story, which kept me glued to its pages. For the majority of the book, I honestly had no idea where this was going to end up, and as the conclusion neared I found myself shocked at the way events unfolded. And the ending? Well, let’s just say you’re going to either love it, or you’re going to hate it.

The Marriage Pact had me hooked from the very beginning, and with its relentless pace, I finished it over the course of two nights. Yes, there are some moments that will leave you incredulous, but the book is so well written, that this doesn’t negatively impact the story. It’s a truly creepy tale that will leave you wondering “What if?”

Child’s Play (Elle Harrison #3) ~ By Merry Jones – 2.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Child Abuse, Mystery, Psychological Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Release Date: January 3rd, 2017

320 Pages

Synopsis: Since her husband’s murder two years earlier, life hasn’t been easy for Elle Harrison. Now, at the start of a new school year, the second grade teacher is determined to move on. She’s selling her house and delving into new experiences–like learning trapeze.

Just before the first day of school, Elle learns that a former student, Ty Evans, has been released from juvenile detention where he served time for killing his abusive father. Within days of his release, Elle’s school principal, who tormented Ty as a child, is brutally murdered. So is a teacher at the school. And Ty’s former girlfriend. All the victims have links to Ty. 

Ty’s younger brother, Seth, is in Elle’s class. When Seth shows up at school beaten and bruised, Elle reports the abuse, and authorities remove Seth and his older sister, Katie, from their home. Is Ty the abuser?

Ty seeks Elle out, confiding that she’s the only adult he’s ever trusted. She tries to be open-minded, even wonders if he’s been wrongly condemned. But when she’s assaulted in the night, she suspects that Ty is her attacker. Is he a serial killer? Is she his next intended victim?

Before Elle discovers the truth, she’s caught in a deadly trap that challenges her deepest convictions about guilt and innocence, childhood and family. Pushed to her limits, she’s forced to face her fears and apply new skills in a deadly fight to survive.

What did I miss? That was the first thought that entered my mind when I finished Child’s Play. Have I mentioned how much I hate it when everyone else seems to like a book but I don’t? I thought the actual plot was pretty good, but my overwhelming dislike for most of the characters overshadowed any enjoyment I could have had from reading this book. It is the third in a series, but although I haven’t read the first two, I was never confused, so that was a positive. Sadly it was one of only a few. The MC, Elle, is a victim straight from the Perils of Pauline. This isn’t a supernatural book, but it literally seemed as though she was being stalked by the Grim Reaper. I mean honestly! How much bad luck can one person have? I went on Goodreads and read the premises of the first two books, and honestly, no one could have witnessed that much death without at least being in therapy. It is stated that she suffers from a dissociative disorder, but unbelievably she’s not under a doctor’s care. At least not in this book. She’s a likable enough character, but her personality came across as rather bland for the most part. Through the majority of the book I found her judgement questionable as she recklessly put herself in danger again and again. What I found even worse though were her so-called friends, who seemed unsympathetic and patronizing toward Elle. Actually, they’re all supposed to be around forty, but they spoke and acted more like teens. I wound up guessing who the real killer was before the halfway point of the book, but there was a cool little twist regarding their motivations that I really liked. The story was also fast-paced which made it a very quick read. Sadly, for me, the negatives far outweighed the positives. But, as I said at the beginning of this review, going by the reviews on Goodreads I’m definitely in the minority, so if you enjoy suspenseful mysteries and psychological thrillers I encourage you to give this a try. 

Her Last Tomorrow ~ By Adam Croft – 1.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mystery, Psychological Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: November 22nd, 2016

246 Pages

Synopsis: Nick and Tasha are a couple held together by their five-year-old daughter. Until one ordinary morning, when Ellie vanishes amid the chaos of the school run.

Nick knows she can’t have gone far on her own, which can only mean one thing: she’s not on her own. Who would take his daughter, and why? With no motive and no leads, Nick is thrown into a tailspin of suspicion and guilt. Like Tasha, he doesn’t know what to think, or who to trust…

But then someone starts doing the thinking for him. Confronted with an impossible choice, Nick will have to make a decision, and both options will leave him with blood on his hands. But perhaps that’s to be expected.

After all, Nick’s not as blameless as he seems.

When I read the synopsis for Her Last Tomorrow, it reminded me a little of two of my favorite thriller/suspense authors: Linwood Barclay, and Harlan Coben. Unfortunately despite a terrific premise, I don’t feel it’s a well-written book and I was left feeling frustrated and disappointed at the end. The story is easy to follow and is basically divided into three parts: Nick’s daughter Amy goes missing; Nick has to choose between saving his little girl or killing his wife, Tasha; and Nick miraculously discovers the identity of the killer. That’s it. Game over. The plot was extremely rushed, and there was basically no character development whatsoever. I will say I had no clue as to who the villain was, but it turned out that he was such a minor player, I had completely forgotten him. All I can really say is that I was left wanting more. More character development, a more substantive storyline, and more suspense. The best I can say about Her Last Tomorrow is that it’s a quick read and I finished it under two hours. Other than that though, I think there are plenty of more satisfying books out there in terms of psychological suspense. As always when giving a poor review, I encourage you to check out some other reviews, especially on Goodreads where there seems to be a mix of love it or hate it feelings toward it. 

 

Before You Leap~ By Keith Houghton – 2.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mystery, Psychological Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

302 Pages

Synopsis: Peace of mind is all Greg Cole has wanted since the murder of his twin sister, Scarlett.

In his new sun-soaked Florida life, he thought he had found it. But when Scarlett’s killer is released early from prison with a cast-iron alibi, Greg realizes that his past is about to explode into his present, with terrifying consequences.

To expose the truth he must open up old wounds. As a talk therapist, Greg knows all about dark secrets, but when a childhood friendship comes to the fore and the police turn their spotlight on him, the thought of analyzing his own psyche is a disturbing prospect. How far can he trust his own memories?

With his life coming apart at the seams, and his grip on reality beginning to unravel, Greg must face the ghosts of his past if he hopes to prove his innocence and live to see another day.

Before You Leap should have been an intriguing psychological thriller, but for me it just had too many flaws to make it enjoyable. The first few chapters are made up of a huge info dump which makes the the rest of the story unfold at rather a slow pace. Also slowing the action down is that the author felt the need to explain and describe EVERYTHING. The chapters were too long and made up of too much filler. They were also confusing at times because there were two time frames involved, and while this can work fine when you use this device in alternating chapters, doing it in the same one just muddies the waters. The characters were rather cliched and I was never able to connect with Greg, who at times had a good sense of humor, but mostly came across as too self-pitying. There were a few interesting  twists which kept me reading, but the ending didn’t surprise me and it left a few loose ends. Overall, I thought Before You Leap had great potential, but in the end it just came up short for me. It has garnered some positive reviews, so even though I didn’t care for this book, if you’re intrigued by its premise I encourage you to give it a try. 

While You Were Sleeping ~ By Kathryn Croft – 3.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mystery, Psychological Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: November 16th, 2016

296 Pages

Synopsis: Tara Logan lives a quiet life with her husband, Noah, and two children, teenager Rosie and eleven-year-old Spencer.

But her peace is shattered when she wakes up in her neighbor Lee’s bed, with no memory of how she got there or what happened between them. And worse–he has been stabbed to death.

Convinced she didn’t kill Lee, Tara stays silent, fearing the truth will rip her family apart.

But as her daughter spirals out of control, and her husband becoming increasingly distant, Tara soon realizes that someone in her life knows what really happened to Lee. She must get to the truth before they do.

Tara made a mistake…but will one night cost her everything?

While You Were Sleeping begins with an exciting premise, and the story follows through in some respects. I did have some issues though. The main one involves the actual police investigation, which to me is an absolute joke, and took much of the enjoyment out of the story. Tara, winds up waking up in the bed of her murdered neighbor after consuming several glasses of wine, yet she leaves no forensic evidence behind? Maybe I watch too many crime shows but all I could think was: “What? No hairs? No fingerprints? No clothing fibers? No DNA whatsoever?” And what about the wine glasses? Tara briefly worries about them, but then they’re never brought up again. Instead, you have a lead detective who relies solely on his “hunches”. Maybe this is because of my OCD, but this drove me a little crazy. I also found incredibly annoying, the complete and total lack of parenting skills shown by both Tara and her husband Noah in regards to their seventeen-year-old daughter Rosie. Without giving away any spoilers, there’s something seriously wrong with her psychologically, yet beyond the occasional visit to a therapist, they have a completely hands off approach. Neither have any backbone when it comes to dealing with her and even when Rosie becomes a prime suspect, this doesn’t change. What did work for me though, was the pacing and all the twists and turns in the story. Literally every single character at some point or another is a suspect but when the murderer is actually revealed I can honestly say I was shocked. I wound up reading this in one sitting because I just had to know who the killer was! While You Were Sleeping is the first book I’ve read by Kathryn Croft and I enjoyed it enough that I am interested in trying some of her other novels. Although this wound up not being a perfect read for me, it’s received plenty of positive reviews including some right here on WordPress, so if you’re interested, I encourage you to check them out. 

You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone ~ By Kevin O’Brien – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Bullying, Mystery, Psychological Suspense, Thrillers

Thanks to NetGalley and Pinnacle for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: 

No forgiveness 

Andrea Boyle moved to Seattle to give her seventeen-year-old nephew, Spencer, a fresh start after the death of his parents. Andrea has found her own new beginning with Luke, a successful playwright and father of a teenage son, Damon. The boys appear to have little in common, but in truth they share a private torment…

No Remorse

When a tragedy befalls Damon, it’s just the beginning of a nightmare that unfolds. But the worse is yet to come once a dark secret from Spencer’s past is exposed. And when Luke is brutally attacked, both their futures are at stake.

No Second Chances

Now it’s up to Andrea to prove Spencer’s innocence to the police–and to herself. Because for reasons she has revealed to no one, even Andrea can’t help questioning the truth–and fearing that she may be next to pay the ultimate price…

The first book I read by Kevin O’Brien was The Next To Die (2005). Since then I’ve learned he can always be counted on to provide white-knuckle thrillers, and You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone is no exception. Centered around the consequences of bullying, he builds upon that using incredible characters and amazing plot twists. Spencer is the standout in this story with not only his own struggles with bullies, but his attempts to keep secret his complicated past. He’s an absolute sweetheart, who had me completely wrapped around his finger. His aunt, Andrea, makes some questionable decisions, but you can’t help but have empathy for her as she scrambles to protect Spencer while battling her own doubts. Even the bullies are well-written and you get to see their vulnerabilities as they try to fight an unseen foe. The only complaint I have is with Luke who has become a father figure to Spencer. I thought he started out strong, but then seemed to fade into the background as the story progressed. The rest of the novel is so well written though, that this is relatively minor and it in no way spoiled my overall enjoyment. The story itself is absolutely mesmerizing , with dazzling plot twists that will make your head spin! Even though it’s over 500 pages, the pace never drags, and I finished it in two days. You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone is a multi-layered mystery that you’ll be hard-pressed to put down. If you’re not familiar with Kevin O’Brien, this is a good place to start. Once you do I guarantee you’ll want to go back and read all his previous books. 

 

The Beauty of the End ~ By Debbie Howells – 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mystery, Psychological Suspense

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: “I was fourteen when I fell in love with a goddess…”

So begins the testimony of Noah Calaway, and ex-lawyer with a sideline in armchair criminal psychology. Now living an aimless life in an inherited cottage in the English countryside, Noah is haunted by the memory of the beguiling young woman who left him at the alter sixteen years earlier. Then one day he receives a troubling phone call. April, the woman he once loved, lies in a coma, the victim of an apparent overdose–and the lead suspect in a brutal murder. Deep in his bones, Noah believes that April is innocent. Then again, he also believed they would spend the rest of their lives together.

While Noah searches for evidence that will clear April’s name, a teenager named Ella begins to sift through the secrets of her own painful family history. The same age as April was when Noah first met her, Ella harbors a revelation that could be the key to solving the murder. As the two stories converge, there are shocking consequences when at last, the truth emerges.

Or so everyone believes…

This is the second book in a row where I had mixed feelings about main character. But thankfully, after a bit of a slow beginning, I was soon wrapped up in the intriguing mystery and well written characters. I’m going to be honest and say I was not thrilled with the main character Noah, at least not in the beginning. While it was nice having a male narrator for a change given there doesn’t seem to be many of them in the psychological suspense genre, he doesn’t exactly have a sparkling personality and I found myself wincing everytime he reminisced about how in love he was with April “the goddess”. I actually found him to be a tad excessive regarding his love and devotion given how little he really knew April. However, certain things start developing which make him much more interesting. As the story unfolds, it alternates between the 1980’s when Noah and April first meet as teens, the 1990’s when their adult relationship develops, and 2016 with April in a coma and Noah determined to prove her innocence. While it seems as though Noah is completely blinded by love, there are some inconsistencies that begin to appear in his story leaving you to question his reliability. Equally important is his former friend Will, who has a complicated history with both Noah and April and whose true motives are shrouded in mystery. As the book progresses, you get pieces of everyone’s pasts and how they connect with one another. It’s not until the very end though that you get the entire picture. There are so many twists and turns on the way there, that it winds up being an almost compulsive read. Overall, despite a rocky beginning, I quite enjoyed The Beauty of the End, and I’ll definitely be checking out Debbie Howells’ other books. I recommend this as a great beach read for fans of mystery and psychological suspense.

The Last One ~ By Alexandra Oliva – 3.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Psychological Suspense, Thriller

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: July 12th, 2016

Synopsis: It begins with a reality tv show. Twelve contestants are sent into the woods to face challenges that will test the limits of their endurance. While they are out there, something terrible happens–but how widespread is the destruction, and has it occurred naturally or is it man-made? Cut off from society, the contestants know nothing of it. When one of them–a young woman the show’s producers call Zoo–stumbles across the devastation, she can imagine only that that it is part of the game.

Alone and disoriented, Zoo is heavy with doubt regarding the life–and husband–she left behind, but she refuses to quit. Staggering countless miles across unfamiliar territory, Zoo must summon her survival skills–and learn new ones as she goes.

But as her emotional and physical reserves dwindle, she grasps that the real world might have been altered in terrifying ways–and her ability to parse the charade will either be her triumph or her undoing.

I have to be upfront and admit I don’t generally care for survival reality tv shows. I think that for the most part they tend to bring out the worst in people. Still, the premise of The Last One intrigued me, but alas, it just wasn’t for me. The biggest problem I ran into was I couldn’t connect to any of the characters including the main one, Zoo (yes that’s a nickname). The story is laid out between what is happening in real time, after the virus(?) has hit, to chapters that flashback to the start of the production where you get all the background information on the show In the Dark, and the contestants. The producers assign the contestants nicknames based on their occupations: Zoo, Rancher, Tracker, Waitress, Banker, etc. There’s even one who’s a self-proclaimed exorcist, who provides for some interesting moments. In a way the contestants are treated as things, rather than people which left me even more disconnected from them. And, there were some occasions where the characters address each other by their real names which confused me to no end. So, back to Zoo, because it’s her journey that is the main focus of the book. She’s described as being likeable and charismatic enough that from the beginning of the production she’s chosen by the show’s producers as a “fan favorite “, but for me, these traits didn’t really come across. I thought she seemed nice enough, but she’s completely self-obsessed and her short-sightedness winds up becoming a major part of the plot. I kept hoping for another character’s viewpoint which could have perhaps made Zoo a little more interesting. The worldbuilding is okay, but there’s nothing that really stands out from the multitude of other end-of-the-world novels that are out there. Despite these issues I had, I kept reading because even though the rational side of me knew something very bad had happened in the outside world, there was a part of me that kept wondering if this really could be part of the show. Even though The Last One wasn’t my cup of tea, I do understand what the author was trying to accomplish here. It’s an interesting social commentary and psychological exploration on how reality tv plays mind games with its viewers even when there’s not a global pandemic going on. I think fans of reality tv series like Survivor and Naked and Afraid will enjoy this and get much more out of it than I did.