Survive the Night, By Riley Sager ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

1990s, Adult Fiction, Classic Cinema, Mental Health, Mystery, Thrillers, Trauma

Release Date: Available Now

336 Pages

Synopsis: It’s November 1991. George H. W. Bush is in the White House, Nirvana’s in the tape deck, and movie-obsessed college student Charlie Jordan is in a car with a man who might be a serial killer.

Josh Baxter, the man behind the wheel, is a virtual stranger to Charlie. They met at the campus ride board, each looking to share the long drive home to Ohio. Both have good reasons for wanting to get away. For Charlie, it’s guilt and grief over the murder of her best friend, who became the third victim of the man known as the Campus Killer. For Josh, it’s to help care for his sick father. Or so he says. Like the Hitchcock heroine she’s named after, Charlie has her doubts. There’s something suspicious about Josh, from the holes in his story about his father to how he doesn’t seem to want Charlie to see inside the car’s trunk. As they travel an empty highway in the dead of night, an increasingly worried Charlie begins to think she’s sharing a car with the Campus Killer. Is Josh truly dangerous? Or is Charlie’s suspicion merely a figment of her movie-fueled imagination?

What follows is a game of cat-and-mouse played out on night-shrouded roads and in neon-lit parking lots, during an age when the only call for help can be made on a pay phone and in a place where there’s nowhere to run. In order to win, Charlie must do one thing–survive the night. (Goodreads)

Before I begin my review I thought I’d share my quest in attempting to obtain an eARC of Survive the Night. I requested it on NetGalley and as I had been approved for two Riley Sager’s previous books : Final Girls (2017) and Home Before Dark (2020), I figured for sure I’d be approved. Well that little bubble of arrogance was burst when I was turned down not only on NetGalley but also Edelweiss. Disappointed, yet still determined, I emailed the publisher explaining that I was turned down but that I was a huge fan of the author. I even provided links to my reviews of not only Mr. Sager’s books but other ones from Dutton Books that I had been approved for and reviewed. Much to my dismay I was politely told that they’d keep me in mind. And you know what happened? Crickets. Over the last several months I tried reaching out a couple of more times, but fearing that they might think me a stalker and take out a restraining order against me, I finally gave up. Then I began to sulk and thought to myself that if Dutton Books no longer thought I was good enough to read and review their books, fine, I wouldn’t! I know. This wasn’t my finest moment. Well, I’ve made it past my rebellious sulk, splurged and bought a copy, and I’m glad I did because I gobbled up Survive the Night in one sitting.

I have to be honest and say I had a problem with Charlie in the beginning. I mean, who gets into a car with a stranger shortly after their best friend falls victim to a serial killer who’s been stalking the campus and still hasn’t been caught? And this isn’t the only questionable decision she makes through the next six hours. However, the more I found out about Charlie’s background the more I was able to give her a little leeway. Charlie is obviously an unreliable character, but I wound up finding her surprisingly likable and sympathetic even though I wanted to take her by the shoulders a few times and shake her. Unsurprisingly, given this is Riley Sager, there is more than one twist. A couple I saw coming, but one, concerning Josh, I did not. For all that a good portion of the story takes place in a car, the pace is surprisingly fast and I found it impossible to put down. The ending left me a little torn as I’m not thrilled with who Charlie winds up with, but it’s imaginative and unique which is another aspect that Sager is known for.

Overall, Survive the Night is another winner that will standout in this year’s crowded field of new thrillers, thanks to its engaging protagonist, nostalgic setting of the 90s and creative inclusion of classic cinema. Riley Sager is someone who’s not afraid to take chances with his stories and characters, which is why he’s become one of my favorite authors in the mystery/thriller/horror genres in such a few short years. As most of you know I try to avoid spoilers of any kind in my reviews, and with this I’ve taken particular pains not to because I think it’s a story that’s even more enjoyable if you go in blind. Whether you’re already a fan of Sager, or if you’re new to his writing, but you’re looking for an unputdownable read, you’re going to want to snap this up from your favorite book retailer or local library!

No Bad Deed, by Heather Chavez ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mystery, Thrillers

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

Release Date: February 18th, 2020

320 Pages

Synopsis: Driving home one rainy night, Cassie Larkin sees a man and woman fighting on the side of the road. After calling 911, the veterinarian makes a split second-decision that will throw her sedate suburban life into chaos. Against all reason and advice, she gets out of her minivan and chases after the violent man, trying to help his victim. When Cassie physically tries to stop him, he suddenly turns on her and spits out an ominous threat: “Let her die, and I’ll let you live.”

A veterinarian trained to heal, Cassie can’t let the woman die. But while she’s examining the unconscious victim, the attacker steals her car. Now he has her name. Her address. And he knows about her children. Thought they warn her to be careful, the police assure her that the perpetrator —a criminal named Carver Sweet—won’t get near her. Cassie isn’t so sure.

The next day—Halloween—her husband disappears while trick-or-treating with their daughter. Are these disturbing events a coincidence or the beginning of a horrifying nightmare? Her husband has been growing distant—is it possible he’s become involved with another woman? Is Cassie’s confrontation with the road-side attacker connected to her husband’s disappearance? With all these questions swirling in her mind, Cassie can trust no one, maybe not even herself. The only thing she know for sure is that she can’t sit back while the people she loves are in danger.

As she desperately searches for answers, Cassie discovers that nothing is as random as it seems, and that she is more than willing to fight—to go to the most terrifying extremes—to save her family and her marriage.

HOLY GUACAMOLE! No Bad Deed is without a doubt one of the craziest books I’ve read, and the fact that this is Heather Chavez’s debut, has me expecting great things from her! While readers will have to suspend their disbelief over some of Cassie’s actions, she still comes off as a sympathetic character as she desperately tries to make sense of the sudden downward spiral her life has taken. Almost every chapter has a plot twist, and what you think are random, albeit crazy coincidences, are anything but. The only thing that’s clear is what’s down is up and what’s up is down. Each revelation leads to an explosive climax, but I didn’t know what the heck was happening or why until Cassie’s backstory is unveiled. While it’s not entirely believable, it does explain everything that’s happened.

Overall, No Bad Deed is a fantastic popcorn read that will suck you in from the very first page. I read this in under three hours because I couldn’t bring myself to put it down until I knew what was happening. I HIGHLY recommend this for fans of unputdownable high octane thrillers with enough twists to make your head spin. I can’t wait to see what Heather Chavez does for an encore!

 

Smoke and Iron (The Great Library #4), by Rachel Caine ~ 5 Stars

Tags

Fantasy, Science Fiction, Thrillers, YA Fiction

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

Release Date: Available Now

448 Pages

Synopsis: The opening moves of a deadly game have begun. Jess Brightwell has put himself in direct peril, with only his wits and skill to aid him in a game of cat and mouth with the Archivist Magister of the Great Library. With the world catching fire, and words printed on paper the spark that lights rebellion, it falls to smugglers, thieves, and scholars to save a library thousands of years in the making…if they can stay alive long enough to outwit their enemies.

Smoke and Iron is the latest in a thrilling YA series that just keeps getting better and better with each installment! I know I’ve said this repeatedly, but in my humble opinion, the prolific Rachel Caine is a brilliant author, whether she’s writing for teens or adults. I’ve read everything she’s written over the years and have never been disappointed.

This picks up immediately where Ash and Quill left off. Our group of heroes are split up and each is facing more danger than ever before. As usual the story is told from multiple POVs which not only gives the reader a wonderful sense of the characters, but also adds to the fabulous world building. 

In terms of action and pacing, I think this might be my favorite book in the series. It adds further complexity to both the characters and the story yet is tightly written. There’s plenty of blood, gore and heartbreak though, so be warned!

Smoke and Iron has left me feverishly anticipating the conclusion to The Great Library series. Sadly it will most likely be a year before fans see the as yet untitled book. On the plus side this gives readers who haven’t started the series ample time to catch up. Even if you don’t normally read YA, if you like fantasy, science fiction, thrilling adventure, and you’re a bibliophile, I guarantee you’ll LOVE these books!

Killer Choice, by Tom Hunt ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Suspense, Thrillers

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

Release Date: Available Now

344 Pages

Synopsis:

His wife is sick.

He needs $200,000 to save her

A mysterious man offers to give him the money with just one catch: He has to murder someone to get it.

Gary Foster’s life is finally heading in the right direction. After years of trying, his wife, Beth, is pregnant, and he recently opened a business with his brother. But one phone call changes everything…

After collapsing suddenly, Beth has been rushed to the hospital. Tests reveal a devastating diagnosis: an inoperable brain tumor. Their only hope is an expensive experimental treatment available abroad, with a cost that’s out of their reach. And Beth’s time is running out…

Then a strange man approaches Gary and offers the money he needs, on one condition: that he kill someone, no questions asked. End one life to save another.

In this nail-biting debut novel of domestic suspense, one man makes a choice that forces him to confront the darkest reaches of his soul and betray those closest to him. As he’s swept up into a nightmare of escalating violence, he must question his own morality—-and determine just how far he’s willing to go to save the woman he loves.

I love books that forces a main character into a moral quandary. And no, it’s not because I’m sadistic! Okay. Maybe I am…a little. Seriously, I like to put myself in that person’s shoes and mull over what I would do in their situation. Killer Choice poses such a question, and it kept me thoroughly engaged throughout the entire story.

Gary is a realistic Mr. Nice Guy. He’s running an outdoor apparel store with his younger brother who he’s extremely close with. He adores his wife Beth and is devastated when just as they’re finally realizing their dream of having a child, Beth is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. But there’s hope in an experimental treatment overseas if they can come up with $200,000. Despite friends, family and fundraisers, they’re nowhere near the amount they need. And then Otto strolls into Gary’s life holding out hope. 

What would you do to save the life of the person you love most in the world? Would you be willing to kill someone? To sweeten the pot, what if the target was a villain in every sense of the word, who had ruined other’s lives. Would that make a difference?

There’s a couple of things that grabbed my attention. First, the beginning of the story although a little slow, focuses on Gary’s and Beth’s increasingly frantic fundraising efforts. With the assistance of their friends and family, they put their story out on internet fundraising sites, hold hot dog fundraisers, and do interviews with the media. But despite their best efforts they don’t even make it to the halfway mark of their goal. So, when Otto approaches Gary with his offer, Gary is absolutely desperate and primed to do something, well, stupid. This makes his naïveté and serious lack of judgement, for the most part, understandable. 

I also liked that Otto’s story was told and his life as a sketchy pawnbroker/drug dealer involved with some even nastier characters than himself, was almost as compelling as Gary’s. He’s in a desperate situation as well, which leads him to concoct this crazy plan. The dichotomy between these two men’s lives couldn’t be more stark. Under just about any other circumstances their paths never would have crossed, but because of Beth’s illness they do, and their actions result in horrible repercussions that drag in people who Gary also loves.

While the story is a little slow setting everything up, once Gary’s peaceful middle-class and Otto’s violent, criminal worlds collide, the pace is frenetic and I couldn’t put the book down. The ending is realistic and a little open-ended which made me wonder what the future would hold for Gary and Beth.

Despite the slightly slow beginning and a few implausible scenes, Killer Choice is a fun thrill ride of a debut, that reminded me a little of one of my favorite authors, Harlan Coben. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what Tom Hunt comes up with next.

Little Monsters, by Kara Thomas ~ 4.5 Stars

Tags

Dysfunctional Families, Mysteries, Teen relationships, Thrillers, YA Fiction

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

Release Date: June 25th, 2017

336 Pages

Synopsis: Kacey is the new girl in Broken Falls. When she moved in with her father, she stepped into a brand-new life.  A life with a stepbrother, stepmother, and strangest of all, an adoring younger half sister.

Kacey’s new life is eerily charming compared with the wild highs and lows of the old one she lived with her volatile mother. And everyone is so nice in Broken Falls–she’s even been welcomed into a tight new circle of friends. Bailey and Jade invite her to do everything with them.

Which is why it’s so odd when they start acting distant. And when they don’t invite her to the biggest party of the year, it doesn’t exactly feel like an accident.

But Kacey will never be able to ask, because Bailey never makes it home from that party. Suddenly, Broken Falls doesn’t seem so welcoming after all–especially once everyone starts looking to the new girl for answers.

Kacey is about to learn some very important lessons: Sometimes appearances can be deceiving. Sometimes when the you’re the new girl, you shouldn’t trust anyone.

Little Monsters has been one of the more hotly anticipated books of 2017, and I’m happy to say that it more than lives up to the hype. 

I love stories about the darker layers of the human psyche, especially in regards to teens. It would have been easy to turn this into a more horror/thrillerish ripoff of Mean Girls, but Kara Thomas has made her characters fascinating if not always likable. Kacey herself, is a sketchy character. There were times when I really liked her, especially during her interactions with her stepbrother and half sister, and other times, I had doubts in her innocence, even though she seemed determined to discover what happened to Bailey. The other characters are equally well written. I especially loved Bailey’s journal entries, which showed how much someone can change in a fairly short amount of time. Their inclusion gives the already suspenseful story an additional creepy and menacing layer. 

The story itself moves along at a steady pace and because I was so invested in the characters I finished it in two sittings. There are a lot of red herrings, so I didn’t really guess who was behind Bailey’s disappearance until right before the big reveal. The only reason why I didn’t give this a perfect 5 is because I thought the supernatural plot device of the “Red Lady” was interesting, but ultimately never went anywhere. 

In the end, I have to agree with the many other reviewers who have commented that Little Monsters is a perfect book for fans of Pretty Little Liars. It’s an enjoyable, twisty mystery and thriller that will keep you guessing right up until the end!

Proof Of Lies (Anastasia Phoenix #1) ~ By Diana Rodriguez Wallach – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Espionage, Mystery, Thrillers, YA Fiction

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

Release Date: March 7th, 2017

400 Pages

Synopsis: Some secrets are best kept hidden…

Anastasia Phoenix has always been the odd girl out, whether moving from city to international city with her scientist parents or being the black belt who speaks four languages.

And most definitely as the orphan whose sister is missing, presumed dead.

She’s the only one who believes Keira is still alive, and when new evidence surfaces, Anastasia sets out to follow the trail–and lands in the middle of a massive conspiracy. Now she isn’t sure who she can trust. At her side is Marcus, the bad boy with a sexy accent who’s as secretive as she is. He may have followed her to Rome to help, but something about him seems too good to be true.

Nothing is as it appears, and when everything she’s ever known is revealed to be a lie, Anastasia has to believe in one impossibility.

She will find her sister.

Proof of Lies is the introduction to Wallach’s new Anastasia Phoenix series, and it certainly starts things off with a bang! The action begins on the very first page and never slows down, which had me finishing this in one sitting despite it being 400 pages. What really carries this book is its main character, Anastasia who’s basically a teenage James Bond. After their parents are killed in a car accident Keira becomes Anastasia’s guardian, but there’s a lot of resentment between them and their relationship is rather rocky. Despite that, when Keira disappears, Anastasia doesn’t think twice about conducting her own rescue mission when the official police investigation stalls. She stubbornly believes Keira is still alive despite everyone else saying otherwise. She continuously dives into dangerous situations that could easily get her killed, but she doesn’t let this stop her. She’s already lost her parents, she’s parents and she’s determined that she’s not going to lose her sister too. Aiding her in her cross-country search are Keira’s best friend and computer hacker extraordinaire, Charlotte, and the mysterious Marcus, who has an intriguing connection to Anastasia’s family. The romance between Anastasia and Marcus was a little bland, but I think this may be because it’s meant to take a back seat to the search for Keira. What I really loved though is that the author sets her completely wild story against events that actually happened. The two blend together into a unique and intriguing mystery which kept me guessing right up until the end. Proof Of Lies is the type of book where many of the situations are totally improbable, but you just have to go with it. I highly recommend it to YA and adult fans of exciting mysteries and espionage thrillers. I can’t wait for the sequel, Lies That Bind to come out next year!

Alone (The Generations Trilogy#3) ~ By Scott Sigler – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Science Fiction, Thrillers, YA Fiction

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

Release Date: March 7th, 2017

240 Pages

Synopsis: “We thought this place was our destiny–not our doom.”

Pawns in a millennia-old struggle, the young people only known as the Birthday Children were genetically engineered to survive on the planet Omeyocan–but they were never meant to live there. They were made to be “overwritten,” their minds wiped and replaced by the conscious of the monsters who created them.

Em changed all that.

She unified her people and led a revolt against their creators. Em and her friends escaped an ancient ghost ship and fled to Omeyocan. They thought they would find an uninhabited paradise. Instead, they found the ruins of a massive city long since swallowed by the jungle. And they weren’t alone. The Birthday Children fought for survival against the elements, jungle wildlife, the “Grownups” who created them…and, as evil corrupted their numbers, even against themselves.

With these opponents finally defeated, Em and her people realized that more threats were coming, traveling from across the universe to lay claim to their planet. The Birthday Children have prepared as best they can against this alien armada. Now, as the first ships reach orbit around Omeyocan, the final battle for the planet begins.

I’ve loved this trilogy from the beginning so I’m happy to say it ends on a high note. All the characters, especially Em have gone through so many changes since the first book, and it’s been  wonderful watching them grow. They all have their flaws, but this just makes them more realistic. And the villains aren’t even completely evil, not even the worst of them, Matilda. While I absolutely despised her in the previous two books, after finally learning her backstory, I was surprised to find myself feeling some sympathy for her. There’s plenty of action which keeps the story moving swiftly along, and the ending is bittersweet yet satisfying. The best part is that any lingering questions are answered so there are no frustrating plot holes. I would caution that because of some of the brutality that takes place in this series, it’s definitely more for older teens. That said, this is one of the strongest finales I’ve had the pleasure of reading. I highly recommend The Generations trilogy to YA and adult fans of science fiction and thrillers.

The Operator (The Peri Reed Chronicles #2) ~ By Kim Harrison – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Mysteries, Science Fiction, Suspense, Thrillers

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

Release Date: November 22nd, 2016

512 Pages

Synopsis: Peri Reed’s job eats her mind, but for a special task agent in hiding, forgetting the past can be a blessing. 

Betrayed by the man she thought she loved and the agency who turned her into the very thing she fought against, Peri abandoned the wealth and privilege of Opti for anonymity riddled with memory gaps and self-doubt. But when a highly addictive drug promises to end her dependency on those who’d use her as a tool for their own success, she must choose to remain broken and vulnerable, or return to the above-the-law power and prestige she once left: strong but without will–for whoever holds her next fix, will hold her loyalty.

Yet even now as then, a love based on lies might still save her life.

Before I begin my review let me first stress that The Operator is the sequel to The Drafter, and it absolutely CANNOT be read as a standalone. If you try to read it without having read the previous book you will be completely lost and possibly wind up with a very bad headache! So, now that I’ve done my duty and warned you all, I can now tell you how awesome this book is! Some of you might be familiar with Kim Harrison’s urban fantasy series, The Hollows, which I’m still lamenting the end of. While the Peri Reed Chronicles features a kick-ass heroine, in the same vein as the beloved Rachel Morgan, that is the only similarity between the two series. This series is set in Detroit in the year 2030. Peri Reed is part of a select group of people who can manipulate time. She works for a covert government agency called Opti and her talents as a drafter come into good use because if a mission goes bad, she can skip back in time, not far, just a minute or two. But in most cases it’s more than enough to turn a failure into a success. Unfortunately there are consequences to having this ability. Living through two different timelines can completely destroy the mind, so drafters are partnered with “anchors” to help blend the timelines together. Even then, memories are usually lost, but Peri used to believe that what she was doing was worth the sacrifice. Without going into spoiler territory, let’s just say that by the end of The Drafter everything pretty much blew up in her face, and she was left betrayed, hurt and confused and on her own. The Operator opens almost a year later, with Peri hiding out from the same people she used to trust and love. She’s determined to have nothing to do with Opti and her former colleagues but sadly, they’re intent on getting her back. They’ve concocted a drug that will stop the memory loss associated with drafting without destroying the mind and try to draw Peri back into the fold with this tempting offer. Of course there’s a catch: the drug is highly addictive and when Peri initially rebuffs their overtures, they inject her without her consent. So now she spends almost the entire book running for her life and fighting the addiction. Just like Rachel Morgan was in The Hollows, Peri is a character you can’t help but root for. She’s smart, tough, has mad skills, and is independent, yet she also makes her fair share of mistakes. Which makes it a good thing that she has friends who stand by her. Chief among these is Silas, who is a gorgeous scientist/anchor that I regretted not seeing enough of in the first book. He and Peri have a rather complicated history which is revealed fully in this story. Because of his intelligence, love, and unwavering loyalty to Peri, he’s the perfect partner for her, even when she doesn’t want to admit it. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s quite handy to have around in a fight. There are quite a few secondary characters which, could have derailed the main plot, but not in Kim Harrison’s skilled hands. While a good chunk of the novel is told in the third person from Peri’s POV, you get to see things from the other characters’ perspectives, even the villains, which really brings them to life. The one complaint I had about The Drafter was that initially it was a little confusing mainly because poor Peri didn’t know what was going on half the time because the very people she trusted were playing her. In The Operator though, everything is pretty above board. You know who the villains are and Peri’s objectives are clearly set out. The only reason why I didn’t rate this a perfect 5 is because I think (I can’t even believe I’m saying this), it could have been a little shorter. At 512 pages, it’s a hefty book, and while the book was action-packed from beginning to end, I think the story could have been just a little bit tighter if say, 50 pages or so had been shaved off. But honestly, this is just one small flaw in what otherwise is an absolutely outstanding read. The ending perfectly ties things up while setting the stage for the next book. If you enjoyed The Drafter, I guarantee you’ll love The Operator even more. If you’re a fan of The Hollows but have been unsure of Kim Harrison’s transition from urban fantasy to science fiction, I encourage you to give this series a try. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. And finally, if you’ve never even heard of Kim Harrison (Really? Where have you been? Not judging!), but you love fast-paced science fiction, with fantastic world-building, awesome car chases, and memorable characters, I think you might want to give this series a look. As for me, the third book can’t come soon enough!

The Rains (Untitled #1) ~ By Gregg Hurwitz – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Adventure, Horror, Science Fiction, Thrillers, YA Fiction, Zombie Apocalypse

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

Release Date: October 18th, 2016

353 Pages

Synopsis: In one terrifying night, the peaceful community of Creek’s Cause turns into a war zone. No one under the age of eighteen is safe. Chance Rain and his older brother brother, Patrick, have already fended off multiple attacks from infected adults adults by the time they arrive at the school where other young survivors are hiding.

Most of the kids they know have been dragged away by once-trusted adults who are now ferocious, inhuman beings. The parasite that transformed them takes hold after people turn eighteen–and Patrick’s birthday is only a few days away.

Determined to save Patrick’s life and the lives of the remaining kids, the brothers embark on a mission to uncover the truth about the parasites–and what they find is horrifying. Battling an enemy not of this earth, Chance and Patrick become humanity’s only hope for salvation.

Before I begin my review, a word of caution: The Rains is not for the faint of heart. Some of the scenes are so graphic that they actually made even me a tad queasy, and I have a pretty strong stomach for blood and gore. But it also fits in within the theme of the story, so for me, it wasn’t generally a problem. For anyone who doesn’t recognize the author’s name, Gregg Hurwitz is a bestselling and prolific author of adult fiction written for the suspense/thriller genres. He’s one of my favorites, so I’ve been chafing at the bit since I heard he was going to try his hand with YAs, and The Rains does not disappoint. It’s a completely unique take on the popular zombie apocalypse trope, where the action takes off from the very first page and never lets up. This also is not your typical zombie story and that’s because of the very real and touching relationship between Chance and Patrick. I honestly just loved these two, but especially Chance. The chapters are laid out as “Entries” in a journal he’s keeping, so you get more of a personal look into his mind than anyone else’s. 15 year-old Chance and 17 year-old Patrick have already had to deal with the tragic loss of their parents before alien spores infect all the adults in their small town. They’re extremely close and Chance idolizes his good looking, popular big brother, but he also feels the pressure of walking in his shadow. While it would be completely understandable if he held some resentment toward his brother, especially as he also has a crush on Patrick’s girlfriend, Alex, he doesn’t. Instead, he turns inward, and is constantly trying to live up to his brother’s example. Patrick actually annoyed me a little in the beginning because he’s a little too perfect, but Gregg Hurwitz does such a great job at fleshing out his personality that my annoyance didn’t last long. The secondary characters, particularly the kids are equally well developed and I even felt a certain amount of sympathy for the local juvenile bully. The only disappointment I had was with the relationship between Patrick, Alex, and Chance. While there’s not much room for romance in this first book, there’s definitely some hints to a love triangle developing in the next book, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Hurwitz rethinks this. The pacing in this is absolutely insane! I started reading this about 7:00 last night and by about 10:00 pm, I kept thinking at the beginning of each chapter that it would be the last one and then I’d go to bed, but I just couldn’t stop reading. So, I was up until the wee hours of the morning because I just had to see the story through to its finish. The ending is a perfect cliffhanger in that it leaves me excited for the second book without being frustrated. I highly recommend this for older teens and adults who love science fiction and horror. If you’ve never read anything by Hurwitz, The Rains is a great book to start with. If you’re already a fan of his, this book will further cement your love of his writing.

Rise The Dark (Mark Novak #2) ~ By Michael Koryta – 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adult Fiction, Domestic Terrorism, Mystery, Suspense, Thrillers

Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown and Company for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: August 16th, 2016

Synopsis: Rise the dark. These were the last three words written in Laura Novak’s notebook before she was murdered in a strange Florida village. They’ve never meant anything to the police or to her husband, investigator Marcus Novak. Now the man he believes killed her is out of prison, and draws Marcus to the place he’s avoided for so long: the lonely road where his wife was shot to death beneath the cypress trees  and Spanish moss in a town called Cassadaga.

In Red Lodge, Montana, a senseless act of vandalism shuts the lights off in the town where Sabrina Baldwin is trying to adjust to a new home and mourning the loss of her brother, who was a high voltage linesman just like her husband, Jay. As the spring’s final snowstorm calls Jay deeper into the mountains, chasing the destruction on the electrical grid, Sabrina is abducted by Garland Webb, the man Marcus Novak believes killed his wife. Drawing them all together is a messianic villain who understands that you can never outpace your past. You can only rise against the future.

I’ve been a fan of Michael Koryta’s for several years, and Rise the Dark is a perfect example of why I believe he’s one of the best authors out there in terms of writing mystery, suspense and thrillers. Although this is the second book in his Mark Novak series, after last year’s Last Words, have no fear. You can easily pick this up without feeling lost whatsoever. Koryta gives just enough details about what happened in the previous story, but not so much as to slow down the action here. This book begins with Mark’s continuing pursuit of his wife’s killer, while at the same time tackling a new threat involving a sinister messianic villain intent on domestic terrorism. The two stories become intertwined in a very interesting way. Koryta even makes all the technology behind our power grid system interesting to a non-technical person like me. There are also brief hints of the supernatural which adds another intriguing layer to a tightly packed storyline. As in the first book, Mark Novak shines as the MC, but there are plenty of compelling secondary characters backing him up. The action begins on the very first page and it never slows down until the electrifying conclusion, which sets things up nicely for the third book. Michael Koryta is a master storyteller and if you haven’t tried him already, I can’t recommend him highly enough!