Thriller Book Reviews
Thriller book reviews!
These recent thriller/suspense novels earned 5 stars from me and many other readers. I love a good nail-biting novel and these are all outstanding. See what you think!
I loved Wicked River for many reasons! It’s a great, taut, thriller. It’s a wonderful snapshot of a marriage in crisis. Big time crisis. Tons of gorgeous nature scenes. And resilience. SO MUCH RESILIENCE! And it’s only $3.99!
Six million acres of Adirondack forest separate Natalie and Doug Larson from civilization. For the newlyweds, an isolated backcountry honeymoon seems ideal-a chance to start their lives together with an adventure. But just as Natalie and Doug begin to explore the dark interiors of their own hearts, as well as the depths of their love for each other, it becomes clear that they are not alone in the woods.
Because six million acres makes it easy for the wicked to hide. And even easier for someone to go missing for good.
As they struggle with the worst the wilderness has to offer, a man watches them, wielding the forest like a weapon. He wants something from them more terrifying than death. And once they are near his domain, he will do everything in his power to make sure they never walk out again.
There’s a very similar feel to this book: Breaking Wild by Diane Les Becquets. It kept me up way too late. Actually, given the raging insomnia of this the Winter of No Sleep, I was already up. Might as well be reading, right?
Driven to spend days alone in the wilderness, Amy Raye Latour, mother of two, is compelled by the quiet and the rush of nature. But this time, her venture into a remote area leaves her on the verge of the precarious edge that she’s flirted with her entire life.
When Amy Raye doesn’t return to camp, ranger Pru Hathaway and her dog respond to the missing person call. After an unexpected snowfall and few leads, the operation turns into a search and recovery.
As the novel follows Amy Raye and Pru in alternating threads, Breaking Wild assumes the white-knuckled pace of a thriller, laying bare Amy Raye’s ultimate reckoning with the secrets of her life and Pru’s dogged pursuit of the woman who, against all odds, she believes she can find.
Try Not to Breathe was amazing. It deals with Locked-In Syndrome and is about as creepy and thrilling as can be.
Alex Dale is lost. Destructive habits have cost her a marriage and a journalism career. All she has left is her routine: a morning run until her body aches, then a few hours of forgettable work before the past grabs hold and drags her down. Every day is treading water, every night is drowning. Until Alex discovers Amy Stevenson. Amy Stevenson, who was just another girl from a nearby town until the day she was found unconscious after a merciless assault. Amy Stevenson, who has been in a coma for fifteen years, forgotten by the world. Amy Stevenson, who, unbeknownst to her doctors, remains locked inside her body, conscious but paralyzed, reliving the past.
Soon Alex’s routine includes visiting hours at the hospital, then interviews with the original suspects in the attack. But what starts as a reporter’s story becomes a personal obsession. How do you solve a crime when the only witness lived but cannot tell the tale? Unable to tear herself away from her attempt to uncover the unspeakable truth, Alex realizes she’s not just chasing a story—she’s seeking salvation.
Shifting from present to past and back again, Try Not to Breathe unfolds layer by layer until its heart-stopping conclusion. The result is an utterly immersive, unforgettable debut.
And perhaps the most disturbing, haunting and unforgettable of them all, The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis. I don’t read a lot of YA but if this multi-award-winning book is representative, then I ought to be.
Edgar Award-winning author Mindy McGinnis delivers a riveting contemporary YA novel that examines rape culture through alternating perspectives. A stunning, unforgettable page-turner.
Alex Craft knows how to kill someone. And she doesn’t feel bad about it.
Three years ago, when her older sister, Anna, was murdered and the killer walked free, Alex uncaged the language she knows best—the language of violence.
While her own crime goes unpunished, Alex knows she can’t be trusted among other people. Not with Jack, the star athlete who wants to really know her but still feels guilty over the role he played the night Anna’s body was discovered. And not with Peekay, the preacher’s kid with a defiant streak who befriends Alex while they volunteer at an animal shelter. Not anyone.
As their senior year unfolds, Alex’s darker nature breaks out, setting these three teens on a collision course that will change their lives forever.
Rox Reads: Jill Shalvis, Jeannie Moon and Liane Moriarty
Rox reads… oh yes: Jill Shalvis, Jeannie Moon, and Liane Moriarty
Some great grabs for you today. Hope you find something you like here!
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The talented Jill Shalvis has gathered all my catnip into one book in this one. Blended families, women-friendships, SISTERS, grief and recovery, a few quirky characters, including an adorable dog and an irascible cat, plus her trademark humor made this an unputdownable read for me. I hope you think so too! (Looks like it’s back to regular price of $7.99 – but totally worth it!)
After losing her sister in a devastating car accident, chef Quinn Weller is finally getting her life back on track. She appears to have it all: a loving family, a dream job in one of L.A.’s hottest eateries, and a gorgeous boyfriend dying to slip an engagement ring on her finger. So why does she feel so empty, like she’s looking for a missing piece she can’t find?
The answer comes when a lawyer tracks down Quinn and reveals a bombshell secret and a mysterious inheritance that only she can claim. This shocking revelation washes over Quinn like a tidal wave. Her whole life has been a lie.
On impulse, Quinn gives up her job, home, and boyfriend. She heads up the coast to the small hometown of Wildstone, California, which is just a few hours north, but feels worlds apart from Los Angeles. Though she doesn’t quite fit in right away, she can’t help but be drawn to the town’s simple pleasures…and the handsome, dark-haired stranger who offers friendship with no questions asked.
As Quinn settles into Wildstone, she discovers there’s another surprise in store for her. The inheritance isn’t a house or money, but rather something earthshattering, something that will make her question everything she thought she knew about herself, about her family. Now with a world of possibilities opening up to Quinn, she must decide if this new life is the one she was always meant to have—and the one that could finally give her the fulfillment she’s searched so long for.
Buy it on Amazon here: Lost and Found Sisters
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Here’s a sale item for you: I grabbed it on sale for $0.99 and it’s waiting on my Kindle right now. Jeannie Moon’s latest book looks great and it’s still on sale so move fast!
Mia DeAngelis knew it was time to make a change. Wanting to provide a better life for herself and her ten-year-old nephew, Ben, she took a chance and moved to the small town of Compass Cove. Now, the college librarian is adapting to a new job, a new town, and living with her feisty seventy-eight-year-old grandmother. Mia is determined to make it all work, hoping the coastal hamlet gives both her and Ben the sense of community, family and belonging they both want so much.
Adam Miller, a retired NFL quarterback, has come back to Compass Cove to start over after an injury puts an end to his high-octane life. Settling into the small town routine proves to be a challenge, but his job coaching at Jennings College gives him a sense of purpose, while keeping him connected to the game he loves.
There couldn’t be two people more different, yet the minute they meet, friends and family have no doubt they belong together. Now if Mia and Adam can only get out or their own way and embrace a little home town magic, they can find the happy ever after they both crave…
“A warm and lovely comfort read that will make you fall in love–not only with Mia and Adam, the endearing leads, but with the town of Comfort Cove!” — Virginia Kantra, New York Times Best Selling Author
Buy it on Amazon here: Then Came You (Compass Cove Book 1)
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And lastly, if I haven’t already recommended it, this book by BIG LITTLE LIES author Liane Moriarty really tickled my fancy. Now, I’ve loved everything I’ve read by Ms. Moriarty so far, so that wasn’t a stretch. But it’s always nice to have my expectations met and exceeded. 🙂 Also, it’s priced at $2.99 so go, run, get it now.
A “sharp and funny romantic tale” (O, the Oprah Magazine) from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Big Little Lies.
Ellen O’Farrell is a professional hypnotherapist who works out of the eccentric beachfront home she inherited from her grandparents. It’s a nice life, except for her tumultuous relationship history. She’s stoic about it, but at this point, Ellen wouldn’t mind a lasting one. When she meets Patrick, she’s optimistic. He’s attractive, single, employed, and best of all, he seems to like her back. Then comes that dreaded moment: He thinks they should have a talk.
Braced for the worst, Ellen is pleasantly surprised. It turns out that Patrick’s ex-girlfriend is stalking him. Ellen thinks, Actually, that’s kind of interesting. She’s dating someone worth stalking. She’s intrigued by the woman’s motives. In fact, she’d even love to meet her.
Ellen doesn’t know it, but she already has.
Buy it on Amazon here: The Hypnotist’s Love Story
Rox Reads: Parrish, Davis, Mofina, and Small
Rox reads, oh yes! Today she’s discussing books by P.J. Parrish, Justine Davis, Rick Mofina, and Deborah Small
Happy Friday! As you know, I read a lot. A LOT. Here are a few of my latest favorite reads.
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She’s Not There by P.J. Parrish. I enjoyed this one so much, I’m listening to it on audio for a second time now.
They say it’s better to battle the devil you know. But what if you don’t recognize him before it’s too late?
She knows her name is Amelia, but after waking up in a hospital battered and bruised with just the clothes on her back, it’s all she knows. Unable to piece together her shattered memory, she’s haunted by a vision: menacing faces and voices implying her nightmare is far from over.
Relying only on her wits and her will to live, Amelia becomes a fugitive from a mysterious man, and a life she can’t even remember. But the past she’s fleeing has no intention of letting her go.
Whiskey River Rescue by Justine Davis was a delightful treat! It reminded me a bit of an old L.M. Montgomery story called The Blue Castle. Highly recommended!
Still reeling from the unexpected sale of the land she and her horses live on, horse rescuer Kelsey Blaine is frantic when she comes home to find her possessions already boxed up and her house being bulldozed without any notice. Normally calm and kind, Kelsey becomes furious and impulsively cuts a privacy fence to confront the culprit–her mysterious neighbor, Joe.
Joe Kilcoyne is in a desperate place. He guards his secrets and hides from the world for a reason. He’s the hottest topic of speculation around Whiskey River, but no one has ever dared to get close to him. That is, until fiery Kelsey comes barging straight into his life.
The last thing Joe needs is for Kelsey to breach his defenses and make him confront his past. But when her sunny, open, and determined personality collide with a haunted man with no idea how to reconnect with the world, the sparks that ignite shock them both.
Snowfall at Willow Lake (The Lakeshore Chronicles) by Susan Wiggs. This is a wonderful story, with motherhood issues and animals (both my catnip). Loved it!
International lawyer Sophie Bellamy has dedicated her life to helping people in war-torn countries. But when she survives a hostage situation, she remembers what matters most—the children she loves back home. Haunted by regrets, she returns to the idyllic Catskills village of Avalon on the shores of Willow Lake, determined to repair the bonds with her family.
There Sophie discovers the surprising rewards of small-town life—including an unexpected passion for Noah Shepherd, the local veterinarian. Noah has a healing touch for anything with four legs, but he’s never had any luck with women—until Sophie. But Sophie’s heart needs healing…and both she and Noah need a chance at happiness.
Be Mine by Rick Mofina, one of my favorite crime writers. I always stay up too late with Rick’s books!
A personal message written in human blood is left for crime reporter Molly Wilson at the murder scene of her boyfriend, San Francisco Homicide Inspector, Cliff Hooper.
The horrific death of a revered cop shocks the San Francisco Police Department’s Homicide Detail. Shaken to the core, his grieving fellow detectives go flat out to find his killer under the glare of the city’s news media.
And the book I’m currently reading: My Dear One: A Novel by Deborah Small. I started this one last night and I can see I’m going to lose a lot of sleep with it!
Disgraced, and fleeing an arranged marriage, Dianna Marshall sails on the Titanic with a childless couple who offer her sanctuary in exchange for her unborn child. But when the Titanic sinks, taking her benefactor and his fortune with it, Dianna lands on foreign shores, destitute, and facing desperate choices…
Texas rancher Jake Douglas knows heartache. He lost his wife and son and childbirth. So, when his cousin’s widow washes up in New York in the company of an expectant runaway, he does the only thing his conscience will allow…
From a lush green British estate, to the windswept Texas panhandle and gritty streets of turn-of-the-20th-century New York, Dianna and Jake battle fate, family, and a society that continues to deny women independence. They also find love, love tested when Dianna is forced to choose between the life she’s been raised to lead, the child she’s come to love, and the man her heart desires…
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Happy Friday – and happy reading!