Sarah Alderson: Friends Like These
We all know someone like Becca.She has the job everyone wants, a designer wardrobe, a hot-shot lawyer boyfriend, holidays to exotic locations. And she flaunts her perfect life all over social media. It drove her colleague Lizzie mad, but she couldn’t stop looking. They were never really friends – and yet Lizzie knew everything about her. Or did she? When chance, and a terrible mistake, pulls Lizzie back into Becca’s orbit years after they lost touch, she’ll realise that you can’t always believe what you see online… and that finding out the truth might be the worst thing you can do.
I had never read anything by Sarah Alderson but after reading this I now have all of her books downloaded on my Kindle, waiting to be read! This is actually a cautionary tale showing how social media can affect mental health and damage self-confidence but this book also explored female rivalry, envy, and revenge starting in the workplace. This is one of those books that it’s best if you go in blind so I’m not going to say much more! It was a page turner, the writing was great and I loved the fact that you never knew who you could trust! Once you’ve read this, you will certainly think twice before pressing send and before you put every detail of your life on social media because, as this story shows, you never know who is watching!
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Chris Merritt: Knock Knock (#1)
Natasha Mayston wasn’t expecting anyone to knock on her door so late at night. And she has no idea that the face staring back at her is the last one she’ll ever see…As Detective Dan Lockhart is called to a wealthy London street to investigate Natasha’s death, he’s startled by the similarity to a previous case. Noticing the cable-tie restraints and the tiny scratches on Natasha’s wedding finger, Dan already knows what he will find if he looks in her mouth – the metal ball which choked her to death. He knows Natasha isn’t the killer’s first victim and is certain that he will strike again. Fearing that he’s dealing with a psychopathic serial killer, Dan calls in psychologist Dr Lexi Green to help him to get into the perpetrator’s mind. Tough and smart, Lexi will stop at nothing to hunt down the man responsible for the deaths.
Knock Knock is the first book in a new series by author Chris Merritt, featuring DI Lockhart and Green. I have to be honest, I would’t have read this book if I read the blurb because I’m not really into disgusting serial killers themes these days but…I actually really liked it! You learn pretty early on that the killer is part of an extremist group, Incels. This is the second time I’ve read a book this year where this group is mentioned but this one was especially shocking because I learned from the author’s afterwords that everything about it in this book is true! Merritt has done his research about that world and the police procedural bits also feel quite authentic, so it’s very difficult to put it down. The only thing I didn’t like was the length (416 pages!) , multiple perspectives and the many many details! Otherwise, if you are into serial killer books, I recommend this one!
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Holly Jackson: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (#1)
The case is closed. Five years ago, schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it. Everyone in town knows he did it. But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the murder, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn’t so sure. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final year project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth?
I’ve been enthusiast of YA crime stories since forever even though I felt recently that maybe I’m too old for them so I stopped reading! But I’m so glad I picked this up! The book is written in a very unique format, with journal entries decorated with newspaper clippings, charts, text screenshots, and interview recordings and while reading it you get the feeling you are right there, solving the crime with Pippa. The book is full of plot twists, some of them predictable but some of them quite shocking. It was so complex and well built and gripping from the first page! I read it in two sittings even though it has over 400 pages! If you’re looking for a good YA thriller, with a good chase and fun characters, don’t miss this! I will certainly have Holly Jackson on auto-buy from now on!
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Sam Carrington: The Open House
Nick and Amber Wilson are divorcing and selling the family home, but despite the great location, it isn’t getting much interest. Their real estate agent, Carl suggests an Open House day.
Amber is not thrilled with the idea of her neighbours snooping around her home so she’s secretly watching everything from her SmartRing App. She counts 13 people entering her home. But, only 12 leave.
After that the weird things start to happen…
I was completely captivated for 70% of this book! It was tense, a bit scary and made me double check my doors in the evening! But then all of the sudden it was like a cold shower. It became too repetitive! What really made me give it only 3 stars was the ending. I never thought I’d say this but there were just too many twists! It ended up getting diluted somehow and wasn’t as surprising or as impactful as it could have been. I felt that the first part of the revelation, about the house, was too simple. The second part was just too much and it went on for too long. It was like watching one of the most farfetched tv soap operas. Ambers’s final decision was so out of character that it put final nail in the coffin.
Overall it was entertaining and a fast paced domestic suspense but had a very disappointing ending which really let the story down.
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Tana French: The Searcher
Retired detective Cal Hooper moves to a remote village in rural Ireland. His plans are to fix up the dilapidated cottage he’s bought, to walk the mountains, to put his old police instincts to bed forever.Then a local boy appeals to him for help. His brother is missing, and no one in the village, least of all the police, seems to care. And once again, Cal feels that restless itch.Something is wrong in this community, and he must find out what, even if it brings trouble to his door.
I was debating if I should even do a review of this book and if it’s worth even 1 star but here we go! A whole 2 stars! First of all, I have to ask myself…am I missing something? This book is nominated for the best mystery/thriller of the year by Goodreads. I was so excited to read it but… I don’t know what this book is but it’s definitely not a mystery! It’s so painfully sloooow! I mean I read lots of books that start slow for a good reason but this was long and slow for the sake of it. Let me give you an example how slow it was! There were pages and pages describing Cal sanding drawers and even chapters where he teaches the kid how to hunt! I mean, you can easily skip all of that if you want and you won’t be missing any important character development or a detail important for the story! I feel that the actual plot could’ve been told in 2 chapters, that’s how simple it was. If there was a book this year I wouldn’t recommend to anyone, it’s this one!!!
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Cara Hunter: Close to Home(#1)
Last night, eight-year-old Daisy Mason disappeared from a family party. No one in the quiet suburban street saw anything – or at least that’s what they’re saying. DI Adam Fawley is trying to keep an open mind. But he knows the nine times out of ten, it’s someone the victim knew. That means someone is lying… And that Daisy’s time is running out.
I heard great thinks about Cara Hunter’s books so I thought this would be a great pick to read after the depressing book I previously read (The Searcher, see above)…and it didn’t disappoint! It was so fast paced with a cliffhanger at the end of almost every chapter! This was a page turner in every sense, the storyline was utterly gripping, and the characters were believable. I don’t think I ever changed my mind so many times on who the perpetrator was and at the end I still didn’t guess it so well done to the author for that. As this is the first book in a series I will definitely read the rest of them now.
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Claire Douglas: Just Like the Other Girls
Una Richardson’s heart is broken after the death of her mother. Seeking a place to heal, she responds to an advertisement and steps into the rich, comforting world of Elspeth McKenzie. But Elspeth’s home is not as safe as it seems. Kathryn, her cold and bitter daughter, resents Una’s presence. But more disturbing is the realization that two girls had lived here before. Two girls who ended up dead. Why won’t the McKenzies talk about them? What other secrets are locked inside this house? As the walls close in around her, Una starts to fear that she will end up just like the other girls . . .
This was my first buy from Claire Douglas and after finishing it I quickly made a note to read all of her books! The way she’s writes a mystery is amazing! Set in Bristol, England, this was a wonderfully tense, dramatic and nerve-wracking read and everything I would want to see in a thriller! There were several red herrings and every time I was sure I knew where the story was going I was knocked way off track. I was hooked from beginning to end, the characters were so well developed even though some of them were very unlikeable and got on my nerves at times. But because of that I was suspicious of every single character right until the end. I highly recommend this tense and ‘unputdownable’ thriller!
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