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Leave the Lights On
Cape Morgan, Maine, is the utopian ideal for a charmed life, and Beatrice Wicker knows it. The multi-million-dollar house on the sea coast. The joint bank accounts. The safety and security that go along with being married to an esteemed architect and community leader. The scenic coastline, perfect for her ambitious plan to turn an abandoned asylum into an artists’ retreat. So what if her husband sneaks off to see his second family now and again? Beatrice is willing to look the other way. It’s simply the price she must pay to keep their life together.
Josh doesn’t realize that Beatrice knows about his other life. That’s just one of Beatrice’s secrets. And now, that truth—along with a deadly host of other secrets from the past—is about to upend their false paradise.
When there’s an explosion at the local elementary school playground, and a two-year-old boy is abducted, it doesn’t take Beatrice long to make the connection between the missing boy and her husband. It was the son from Josh’s other life who was kidnapped, and Josh can’t do anything about it without revealing the truth.
Helping Josh find his son would destroy the façade of her perfect marriage and could put more children’s’ lives in danger. But that’s not all. It would reveal her deeper secret: Beatrice Wicker is not who she claims to be.
Josh doesn’t realize that Beatrice knows about his other life. That’s just one of Beatrice’s secrets. And now, that truth—along with a deadly host of other secrets from the past—is about to upend their false paradise.
When there’s an explosion at the local elementary school playground, and a two-year-old boy is abducted, it doesn’t take Beatrice long to make the connection between the missing boy and her husband. It was the son from Josh’s other life who was kidnapped, and Josh can’t do anything about it without revealing the truth.
Helping Josh find his son would destroy the façade of her perfect marriage and could put more children’s’ lives in danger. But that’s not all. It would reveal her deeper secret: Beatrice Wicker is not who she claims to be.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 17, 2023
About the author
Liv Andersson
2 books66 followersLiv Andersson is the pseudonym of Wendy Tyson.
Tyson is an author, lawyer, and former therapist whose background has inspired her thrillers and mysteries. As Liv Andersson, she writes thrillers, including Leave the Lights On and Little Red House. As Wendy Tyson, she is the author of several mystery series, including the Amazon bestselling Greenhouse Mystery Series. Wendy’s short fiction has appeared in literary journals and crime anthologies, and she has written for The Big Thrill and The Thrill Begins, International Thriller Writers’ online magazines. Wendy is a member of International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime. She and her husband live in the beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont with their sons and three dogs.
Tyson is an author, lawyer, and former therapist whose background has inspired her thrillers and mysteries. As Liv Andersson, she writes thrillers, including Leave the Lights On and Little Red House. As Wendy Tyson, she is the author of several mystery series, including the Amazon bestselling Greenhouse Mystery Series. Wendy’s short fiction has appeared in literary journals and crime anthologies, and she has written for The Big Thrill and The Thrill Begins, International Thriller Writers’ online magazines. Wendy is a member of International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime. She and her husband live in the beautiful Green Mountains of Vermont with their sons and three dogs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 321 reviews
April 12, 2023
Thank you Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. IYKYK, my reviews are ALWAYS honest.
Writing: 4/5 | Plot: LMFAAOOOOOOO/5 | Ending: oh ok?/5
SYNOPSIS
A missing boy. A husband with another family. A wife with a couple skeletons in her closet. A bunch of ?????
MY OPINION
Anddddd another author bites the dust. Similar to Little Red House, the writing ain't BAD but it's clear the plot is written to be picked up as an HBO series, because the math did not mathulate. Even Albert Einstein couldn't figure out how any of Beatrice's behaviour added up.
I picked this up because I was intrigued by the concept of Beatrice knowing that her husband was dipping his dong in other ketchup cups and how that would play out when his son went missing... if this is what entices you as well, forget it. The book has little to do with Beatrice's wildin ass husband and missing love child and more to do with Beatrice being a stage 5 dumbass. Unfortunately, I can't say much more without spoilies soooo....
SPOILERS ALERT... SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM
Ight so Beatrice is like Shay in The Last Housewife in regards to being indoctrined into some weird ass cult in about 15 seconds. Beatrice is kidnapped by the father of the boy that she was assigned to as a social worker and at first she's like hey this is not cool, and then the dad is like ok but I'm actually a scientist that the gov is tryna kill because I'm too smart for these fools... and if you need proof here's my notebooks. Beatrice reads them and then suddenly she's okay with being kidnapped and not only that but she's in LOVE with her kidnapper???? HUH??? So you read his lil diary and was like, yep checks out, and it totally makes sense as to why he had to hold me captive! Girl cmon.
The author completely skipped the steps where Beatrice is mentally broken down by this paranoid schizophrenic loser and succumbs to being held captive. One day she's not chill with it, and the next day she's going full Martha Stewart in the kitchen for the family. Also, she's given a car to buss around town but never thinks of driving to the police station... oh and I guess no one gives af about her disappearance because the police stop by one time to question the family (it was the last place she was seen) and then... that's it? She even goes out to a whole ass job interview and no one blinks an eyes. Ok then.
In the present, Beatrice is obvi being hunted down by someone who knows her sordid past. At one point, she's on this secluded island where she's renovating some janky ass former asylum, and she finds the exact outfit she wore to her job interview (where she unknowingly dropped off a bomb), in full display. So what does miss smarty pants do? Get off the island? Call the police? Nope. She runs into the rain, stops, and screams at full volume while "the rain washes away my tears" AND THEN SHE GOES BACK TO THE COTTAGE AND PAINST A WHOLE ASS MURAL DURING THE NIGHT???? LMFAOAOODJFOJFOJF??????? Literal Darwinism. Why call the police or get to safety when you can express yourself with art???????
The same shit happens again and again on this secluded island to the point where you're like, hoe if you die, I really don't care, you kinda deserve it. At one point, Beatrice decides that her torturer must've packed their bags and given up because their antics stop, so she just continues on as normal LMAOOO. Sooooo you don't actually want to know who was behind all this? But of course shit starts up again and Beatrice decides now is the perfect time to hunt down some professor and ask if he wants to do something with the patient files she found while cleaning out the abandoned asylum? Because we really needed four pages of that journey when SOMEONE IS TRYNA RUIN YOUR WHOLE ASS LIFE??????
Ok ad somewhere along the way Beatrice hires a PI who has the skills of my dog Nobu tryna get to his bed in the dark (good luck, buddy). In fact, Beatrice has to tell this guy "did you try searching for him with his maiden name?" and he dead ass says "you think that'll help?" JFC did this man have a lobotomy or something? Later, Beatrice has to once again tell mans how to do his job to find Luke, who happens to just be a short trip away, living his best life as a gay carpenter. Because of course he is. Beatrice, I sincerely hope you asked for a refund, because this PI couldn't detect his left foot from his right.
Then we get to the end which is either 1) the world's most abrupt cliffhanger or 2) setting this up to be a series. Please not #2. We don't need any more of Beatrice's stupid ass antics. Again, nothing made sense during this scene. So homegirl has been bopping about tryna psychologically torture you, setting off bombs, and snatching innocent children but when you finally find her... she's just chillin and is like hey wanna go inside to this isolated home and talk? And Beatrice is like, le duh, I love walking into the lion's den. And to top it all off, you help homegirl ESCAPE on a boat to Canada with you??? FOR WHAT??????????????
SPOILERS DONE
Liv, you can actually write, but your plots are messier than I was on my 21st birthday after 10 $1 shots. Get yourself a developmental editor and sort this shit out because you're wasting your talents on this nonsensical faffing about ass plot. A big disappointment.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: 256 pages only, the prose is actually good
Cons: the plot made absolutely no sense, Beatrice is the world's dumbest "protagonist", the ending was ??????
_____________________________
For some sick reason, do you want to hear more of my nonsense? Check out my podcast: Novels & Nonsense streaming everywhere.
Writing: 4/5 | Plot: LMFAAOOOOOOO/5 | Ending: oh ok?/5
SYNOPSIS
A missing boy. A husband with another family. A wife with a couple skeletons in her closet. A bunch of ?????
MY OPINION
Anddddd another author bites the dust. Similar to Little Red House, the writing ain't BAD but it's clear the plot is written to be picked up as an HBO series, because the math did not mathulate. Even Albert Einstein couldn't figure out how any of Beatrice's behaviour added up.
I picked this up because I was intrigued by the concept of Beatrice knowing that her husband was dipping his dong in other ketchup cups and how that would play out when his son went missing... if this is what entices you as well, forget it. The book has little to do with Beatrice's wildin ass husband and missing love child and more to do with Beatrice being a stage 5 dumbass. Unfortunately, I can't say much more without spoilies soooo....
SPOILERS ALERT... SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM
Ight so Beatrice is like Shay in The Last Housewife in regards to being indoctrined into some weird ass cult in about 15 seconds. Beatrice is kidnapped by the father of the boy that she was assigned to as a social worker and at first she's like hey this is not cool, and then the dad is like ok but I'm actually a scientist that the gov is tryna kill because I'm too smart for these fools... and if you need proof here's my notebooks. Beatrice reads them and then suddenly she's okay with being kidnapped and not only that but she's in LOVE with her kidnapper???? HUH??? So you read his lil diary and was like, yep checks out, and it totally makes sense as to why he had to hold me captive! Girl cmon.
The author completely skipped the steps where Beatrice is mentally broken down by this paranoid schizophrenic loser and succumbs to being held captive. One day she's not chill with it, and the next day she's going full Martha Stewart in the kitchen for the family. Also, she's given a car to buss around town but never thinks of driving to the police station... oh and I guess no one gives af about her disappearance because the police stop by one time to question the family (it was the last place she was seen) and then... that's it? She even goes out to a whole ass job interview and no one blinks an eyes. Ok then.
In the present, Beatrice is obvi being hunted down by someone who knows her sordid past. At one point, she's on this secluded island where she's renovating some janky ass former asylum, and she finds the exact outfit she wore to her job interview (where she unknowingly dropped off a bomb), in full display. So what does miss smarty pants do? Get off the island? Call the police? Nope. She runs into the rain, stops, and screams at full volume while "the rain washes away my tears" AND THEN SHE GOES BACK TO THE COTTAGE AND PAINST A WHOLE ASS MURAL DURING THE NIGHT???? LMFAOAOODJFOJFOJF??????? Literal Darwinism. Why call the police or get to safety when you can express yourself with art???????
The same shit happens again and again on this secluded island to the point where you're like, hoe if you die, I really don't care, you kinda deserve it. At one point, Beatrice decides that her torturer must've packed their bags and given up because their antics stop, so she just continues on as normal LMAOOO. Sooooo you don't actually want to know who was behind all this? But of course shit starts up again and Beatrice decides now is the perfect time to hunt down some professor and ask if he wants to do something with the patient files she found while cleaning out the abandoned asylum? Because we really needed four pages of that journey when SOMEONE IS TRYNA RUIN YOUR WHOLE ASS LIFE??????
Ok ad somewhere along the way Beatrice hires a PI who has the skills of my dog Nobu tryna get to his bed in the dark (good luck, buddy). In fact, Beatrice has to tell this guy "did you try searching for him with his maiden name?" and he dead ass says "you think that'll help?" JFC did this man have a lobotomy or something? Later, Beatrice has to once again tell mans how to do his job to find Luke, who happens to just be a short trip away, living his best life as a gay carpenter. Because of course he is. Beatrice, I sincerely hope you asked for a refund, because this PI couldn't detect his left foot from his right.
Then we get to the end which is either 1) the world's most abrupt cliffhanger or 2) setting this up to be a series. Please not #2. We don't need any more of Beatrice's stupid ass antics. Again, nothing made sense during this scene. So homegirl has been bopping about tryna psychologically torture you, setting off bombs, and snatching innocent children but when you finally find her... she's just chillin and is like hey wanna go inside to this isolated home and talk? And Beatrice is like, le duh, I love walking into the lion's den. And to top it all off, you help homegirl ESCAPE on a boat to Canada with you??? FOR WHAT??????????????
SPOILERS DONE
Liv, you can actually write, but your plots are messier than I was on my 21st birthday after 10 $1 shots. Get yourself a developmental editor and sort this shit out because you're wasting your talents on this nonsensical faffing about ass plot. A big disappointment.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: 256 pages only, the prose is actually good
Cons: the plot made absolutely no sense, Beatrice is the world's dumbest "protagonist", the ending was ??????
_____________________________
For some sick reason, do you want to hear more of my nonsense? Check out my podcast: Novels & Nonsense streaming everywhere.
September 20, 2023
2.5🌟
This was not what I expected.
Beatrice and Josh's marriage is on the rocks. Everything comes to a head when his “love child” goes missing. Which means, there’s no way Josh can hide what he’s been doing behind Beatrice’s back. Exactly how do you move forward from that?💁🏻♀️
But wait a second…Josh isn’t the only one who’s been hiding a secret. Now Beatrice is about to watch her own life unravel in the fallout!
Don’t you love that premise!? Wow! I sure did.
Unfortunately it went off in directions that left my head spinning. Kidnappings, conspiracy theories and domestic terrorism. All with timelines and locations that had no direction.
I love domestic dramas and from the blurb that’s what I was expecting.
This book just didn’t come together for me. Once I realized that the domestic drama was just a fraction of the storyline, I was already checking-out.
I had both digital and audio copy that I toggled between. The narration provided by Mia Barron was entertaining, but the read itself wasn’t a good fit for me.
If this book is on your list I hope it works out and gives you a five-star experience!
Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media
This was not what I expected.
Beatrice and Josh's marriage is on the rocks. Everything comes to a head when his “love child” goes missing. Which means, there’s no way Josh can hide what he’s been doing behind Beatrice’s back. Exactly how do you move forward from that?💁🏻♀️
But wait a second…Josh isn’t the only one who’s been hiding a secret. Now Beatrice is about to watch her own life unravel in the fallout!
Don’t you love that premise!? Wow! I sure did.
Unfortunately it went off in directions that left my head spinning. Kidnappings, conspiracy theories and domestic terrorism. All with timelines and locations that had no direction.
I love domestic dramas and from the blurb that’s what I was expecting.
This book just didn’t come together for me. Once I realized that the domestic drama was just a fraction of the storyline, I was already checking-out.
I had both digital and audio copy that I toggled between. The narration provided by Mia Barron was entertaining, but the read itself wasn’t a good fit for me.
If this book is on your list I hope it works out and gives you a five-star experience!
Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media
Read
April 17, 2023Unfortunately this will be a DNF for me, at 30%-no rating.
I was intrigued about exploring the psyche of a woman who would ignore her husband’s infidelity in exchange for the money he could provide to open her Artist’ retreat.
Or even the psyche of one who would resort to eliminating his offspring, which is the direction it hinted at going in when it began, despite how awful that would be.
But, as soon as her husband’s son Oliver’s disappearance became tied to HER past, and a family who believed the Government stole their life from them, and subsequently held her in captivity when she discovered their compound-you lost my interest.
Not the storyline I expected from the synopsis and not one that interests me.
I was intrigued about exploring the psyche of a woman who would ignore her husband’s infidelity in exchange for the money he could provide to open her Artist’ retreat.
Or even the psyche of one who would resort to eliminating his offspring, which is the direction it hinted at going in when it began, despite how awful that would be.
But, as soon as her husband’s son Oliver’s disappearance became tied to HER past, and a family who believed the Government stole their life from them, and subsequently held her in captivity when she discovered their compound-you lost my interest.
Not the storyline I expected from the synopsis and not one that interests me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2024
Cape Morgan, Maine, is the utopian ideal for a charmed life, and Beatrice Wicker knows it. The multi-million-dollar house on the sea coast. The joint bank accounts. The safety and security that go along with being married to an esteemed architect and community leader. The scenic coastline, perfect for her ambitious plan to turn an abandoned asylum into an artists’ retreat. So what if her husband sneaks off to see his second family now and again? Beatrice is willing to look the other way. It’s simply the price she must pay to keep their life together.
Josh doesn’t realize that Beatrice knows about his other life. That’s just one of Beatrice’s secrets. And now, that truth—along with a deadly host of other secrets from the past—is about to upend their false paradise.
When there’s an explosion at the local elementary school playground, and a two-year-old boy is abducted, it doesn’t take Beatrice long to make the connection between the missing boy and her husband. It was the son from Josh’s other life who was kidnapped, and Josh can’t do anything about it without revealing the truth.
Helping Josh find his son would destroy the façade of her perfect marriage and could put more children’s lives in danger. But that’s not all. It would reveal her deeper secret: Beatrice Wicker is not who she claims to be.
I just couldn’t. After getting a third of the way into Leave the Lights On, I made the difficult decision to DNF it right then and there. After all, what was promised in the synopsis was nothing like what I found. Instead, I was disappointed to encounter a plot full of domestic terrorism and conspiracy theories. Trust me when I say, that was not what I was expecting in the least.
Told in dual timelines of then and now, I was initially excited to learn that Beatrice had a secret past that she’d been hiding from Josh. The further into the plot that I got, however, the less realistic and more ridiculous the whole scenario seemed to get. After it dragged on for quite awhile, I turned to the reviews (perhaps I should’ve done this sooner) and learned it wasn’t promised to get better, which is when I decided to call it a day.
There were some pluses, of course. Despite the wild direction of the storyline, it was still relatively fast-paced and thoroughly kept my attention. This supposed domestic suspense novel (which felt decidedly more like a drama) also had enticing story chapters that had me reading just one more until I just couldn’t hack it anymore.
In the end, though, this just wasn’t my kind of book. Don’t get me wrong, it was easy to read and well-written for the most part, but the subject matter just wasn’t my cup of tea. So perhaps this is an example of a literary “It’s not you, it’s me” kind of breakup. So if government interference and kidnapping with a healthy dose of Stockholm syndrome are your jam, give this one a shot. Hopefully it will work out better for you than it did for me. Rating of 2 stars.
Trigger warning (not complete as I didn’t finish the book): infidelity, kidnapping, forced captivity, mention of: bombing at a school
*Misleading synopsis provided by the publisher.
Josh doesn’t realize that Beatrice knows about his other life. That’s just one of Beatrice’s secrets. And now, that truth—along with a deadly host of other secrets from the past—is about to upend their false paradise.
When there’s an explosion at the local elementary school playground, and a two-year-old boy is abducted, it doesn’t take Beatrice long to make the connection between the missing boy and her husband. It was the son from Josh’s other life who was kidnapped, and Josh can’t do anything about it without revealing the truth.
Helping Josh find his son would destroy the façade of her perfect marriage and could put more children’s lives in danger. But that’s not all. It would reveal her deeper secret: Beatrice Wicker is not who she claims to be.
I just couldn’t. After getting a third of the way into Leave the Lights On, I made the difficult decision to DNF it right then and there. After all, what was promised in the synopsis was nothing like what I found. Instead, I was disappointed to encounter a plot full of domestic terrorism and conspiracy theories. Trust me when I say, that was not what I was expecting in the least.
Told in dual timelines of then and now, I was initially excited to learn that Beatrice had a secret past that she’d been hiding from Josh. The further into the plot that I got, however, the less realistic and more ridiculous the whole scenario seemed to get. After it dragged on for quite awhile, I turned to the reviews (perhaps I should’ve done this sooner) and learned it wasn’t promised to get better, which is when I decided to call it a day.
There were some pluses, of course. Despite the wild direction of the storyline, it was still relatively fast-paced and thoroughly kept my attention. This supposed domestic suspense novel (which felt decidedly more like a drama) also had enticing story chapters that had me reading just one more until I just couldn’t hack it anymore.
In the end, though, this just wasn’t my kind of book. Don’t get me wrong, it was easy to read and well-written for the most part, but the subject matter just wasn’t my cup of tea. So perhaps this is an example of a literary “It’s not you, it’s me” kind of breakup. So if government interference and kidnapping with a healthy dose of Stockholm syndrome are your jam, give this one a shot. Hopefully it will work out better for you than it did for me. Rating of 2 stars.
Trigger warning (not complete as I didn’t finish the book): infidelity, kidnapping, forced captivity, mention of: bombing at a school
*Misleading synopsis provided by the publisher.
June 22, 2023
Beatrice Wicker leads a charmed and wealthy life in Maine with her husband Josh. She’s going to turn an old ghostly asylum into an artist retreat.
Her past comes back to haunt her and children are kidnapped including her husband’s child with his mistress. She uncovers secrets and lies on this creepy Cape Morgan coast.
This was a very good book with interesting characters that I quickly raced through. I hope to read more by this author. Thanks NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC that will be released on October 17, 2023!
Her past comes back to haunt her and children are kidnapped including her husband’s child with his mistress. She uncovers secrets and lies on this creepy Cape Morgan coast.
This was a very good book with interesting characters that I quickly raced through. I hope to read more by this author. Thanks NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC that will be released on October 17, 2023!
October 5, 2023
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Liv Andersson, and Dreamscape Media for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
In the world of thrillers, those of a psychological nature tend to be my favourite. Keeping the reader on the edge of their seat while they delve deeper into the story is a sure way to provide a great deal fo excitement for the attentive reader. Liv Andersson does just that with this piece, as she formulates a strong story on the surface but adds the impact of a secondary, and darker, tale with connections to the primary plot. When a small child goes missing, Beatrice Wicker takes notice. This child has a horrible way of reminding Beatrice of the issues within her marriage. While the hunt for the child and their kidnapper continues, Beatrice remembers an event from her past that she hopes to keep secret. However, that secret could all be revealed too soon and the reason for the kidnapping may not be what everyone is thinking. Andersson does well to keep the reader engaged throughout with a great ending.
Life in Cape Morgan, Maine is as peaceful as it could be, which Beatrice Wicker has enjoyed since arriving. Living in a massive home on the coast with her husband, Josh, there is noting that Beatrice could want more. As Beatrice begins making plans to turn an abandoned asylum into a captivating art retreat, she is happy to see things coming to fruition. Nothing can derail her, even that Josh will occasionally sneak off to see his other family, something that no one knows about and Beatrice chooses to ignore.
While he thinks himself sly and able to muffle it all, Josh is completely unaware that Beatrice knows about his indiscretion and hopes to keep it that way. Beatrice is also harbouring a deep secret from her past, which has had her running from many of the small towns in which she lives. Should it all come out, the utopian life she’s become accustomed to could come crashing down.
After an explosion leads to the disappearance of a young boy, the community is in a panic. Beatrice knows that this is Josh’s son, but remains calm in hopes that he will admit the truth and be able to panic or grieve. Yet, Josh remains stoic and does not tip his hand, which only angers Beatrice more. While they watch others in the community comb the area, Josh and Beatrice are stuck in this circular waiting game, each unsure what they other knows.
The hunt to find little Oliver is exacerbated when a clue turns up one day outside the family home. As Beatrice tries to brush it off, she is left to wonder if her own secret is about to come out, which could ruin things and force her to admit that she is not as pristine as she lets on. A struggle to find the boy, trap the kidnapper, and yet keep the truth from spilling out is all part of this thrilling psychological book that keeps the reader flipping pages well into the night.
Liv Andersson makes a glaring impact on the genre with this piece, sure to shake loose many of the cobwebs for the passive reader. The story is well-constructed, strengthened by a strong narrative core. As it moves at a brisk and yet reasonable pace, there are characters who develop and find their own footing throughout. The story uses some of these central characters to drive things along, though it is the essence of the secrets that both Beatrice and Josh keep that provides the greatest impetus. Plot development is strong and finds itself merging with every passing moment, keeping the reader on their toes as things take a turn for the worse. How will Beatrice face the truth of her past? Will Josh be able to play the role of protective father that he wants? Who is eyeing the children of the community as part of their larger game? All these answers can be found within the pages of this book, though Liv Andersson does not allow the reader to meander through this story.
Kudos, Madam Andersson, for a great and impactful read. I will have to look into some of your other work.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Be sure to check for my review, first posted on Mystery and Suspense, as well as a number of other insightful comments by other reviewers.
https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/le...
In the world of thrillers, those of a psychological nature tend to be my favourite. Keeping the reader on the edge of their seat while they delve deeper into the story is a sure way to provide a great deal fo excitement for the attentive reader. Liv Andersson does just that with this piece, as she formulates a strong story on the surface but adds the impact of a secondary, and darker, tale with connections to the primary plot. When a small child goes missing, Beatrice Wicker takes notice. This child has a horrible way of reminding Beatrice of the issues within her marriage. While the hunt for the child and their kidnapper continues, Beatrice remembers an event from her past that she hopes to keep secret. However, that secret could all be revealed too soon and the reason for the kidnapping may not be what everyone is thinking. Andersson does well to keep the reader engaged throughout with a great ending.
Life in Cape Morgan, Maine is as peaceful as it could be, which Beatrice Wicker has enjoyed since arriving. Living in a massive home on the coast with her husband, Josh, there is noting that Beatrice could want more. As Beatrice begins making plans to turn an abandoned asylum into a captivating art retreat, she is happy to see things coming to fruition. Nothing can derail her, even that Josh will occasionally sneak off to see his other family, something that no one knows about and Beatrice chooses to ignore.
While he thinks himself sly and able to muffle it all, Josh is completely unaware that Beatrice knows about his indiscretion and hopes to keep it that way. Beatrice is also harbouring a deep secret from her past, which has had her running from many of the small towns in which she lives. Should it all come out, the utopian life she’s become accustomed to could come crashing down.
After an explosion leads to the disappearance of a young boy, the community is in a panic. Beatrice knows that this is Josh’s son, but remains calm in hopes that he will admit the truth and be able to panic or grieve. Yet, Josh remains stoic and does not tip his hand, which only angers Beatrice more. While they watch others in the community comb the area, Josh and Beatrice are stuck in this circular waiting game, each unsure what they other knows.
The hunt to find little Oliver is exacerbated when a clue turns up one day outside the family home. As Beatrice tries to brush it off, she is left to wonder if her own secret is about to come out, which could ruin things and force her to admit that she is not as pristine as she lets on. A struggle to find the boy, trap the kidnapper, and yet keep the truth from spilling out is all part of this thrilling psychological book that keeps the reader flipping pages well into the night.
Liv Andersson makes a glaring impact on the genre with this piece, sure to shake loose many of the cobwebs for the passive reader. The story is well-constructed, strengthened by a strong narrative core. As it moves at a brisk and yet reasonable pace, there are characters who develop and find their own footing throughout. The story uses some of these central characters to drive things along, though it is the essence of the secrets that both Beatrice and Josh keep that provides the greatest impetus. Plot development is strong and finds itself merging with every passing moment, keeping the reader on their toes as things take a turn for the worse. How will Beatrice face the truth of her past? Will Josh be able to play the role of protective father that he wants? Who is eyeing the children of the community as part of their larger game? All these answers can be found within the pages of this book, though Liv Andersson does not allow the reader to meander through this story.
Kudos, Madam Andersson, for a great and impactful read. I will have to look into some of your other work.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Be sure to check for my review, first posted on Mystery and Suspense, as well as a number of other insightful comments by other reviewers.
https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/le...
December 5, 2023
4/5 Stars for the writing, however the PLOT was 2 Stars, tops!!
When I read a novel that has a plot that's hard to believe, for the most part I can tolerate it. This one, however was just way out there, and I really struggled to engage on account of that. I won't go into the details, because that would definitely spoil a lot in this one, but just take my word for it. The main character was also nonsensically, frustratingly unrealistic - who reacts the way she does to various things that happened to her?! I really can't think of one person!! The ending was also mostly unresolved, which made me feel like I really wasted my time reading this. I admit, I picked this one up because the beautiful, creepy cover and title captured my attention immediately, and this one is definitely a case of me mistakenly judging a book by its' cover - lesson learned!!
When I read a novel that has a plot that's hard to believe, for the most part I can tolerate it. This one, however was just way out there, and I really struggled to engage on account of that. I won't go into the details, because that would definitely spoil a lot in this one, but just take my word for it. The main character was also nonsensically, frustratingly unrealistic - who reacts the way she does to various things that happened to her?! I really can't think of one person!! The ending was also mostly unresolved, which made me feel like I really wasted my time reading this. I admit, I picked this one up because the beautiful, creepy cover and title captured my attention immediately, and this one is definitely a case of me mistakenly judging a book by its' cover - lesson learned!!
Shelved as '2023'
June 4, 2024📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books
Read
September 27, 2023I really enjoyed reading this book! The book started out a bit slow but when it got to the good part it was really good. I couldn’t put the book down. That’s how good it was for me!
October 22, 2023
This was a great read! Told through multiple timelines and POV’s, I was flipping pages! My favorite timeline was in the past, learning about everything that leads up to the present. The present was a little slower, but still captured my attention. It definitely has psychological thriller vibes and was a quick read. There was a game of cat and mouse between our main character, Beatrice, and her husband Josh, where they both had secrets they were trying to hide. This is a book you should pick up if you are looking for a quick, popcorn thriller to read!
OUT NOW!
OUT NOW!
October 15, 2023
ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.
The narration by Mia Barron fit perfectly with the characters in this book! She was so easy to listen to for hours at a time and hope I hear other books narrated by her in the future. At first the storyline was a little confusing since it jumps back and forth from the present to the past and it took me a while to get the hang of it and realize what was going on. The story was really interesting and held my attention from the first page to the last. I really liked that i couldn’t see where it was headed either! If you like psychological thrillers and mysteries be sure to check this book out!
The narration by Mia Barron fit perfectly with the characters in this book! She was so easy to listen to for hours at a time and hope I hear other books narrated by her in the future. At first the storyline was a little confusing since it jumps back and forth from the present to the past and it took me a while to get the hang of it and realize what was going on. The story was really interesting and held my attention from the first page to the last. I really liked that i couldn’t see where it was headed either! If you like psychological thrillers and mysteries be sure to check this book out!
March 29, 2023
Thank you Liv Andersson, Crooked Lane Books, and Netgalley for an ARC of Leave The Lights On.
This is one of those books that makes you truly question how well do you actually know someone?
I got wrapped up in this book and kept wanting to know more. I loved the twists and turns from the beginning. Josh and Beatrice live in a million dollar house on the coast on Maine. Both live their idyllic lives while they both are holding onto massive secrets that they want to keep in the dark from each other. Can they really do just that when Josh's secret 2 year old son is abducted?
I had a hard time trying to decide whether or not to rate this 3 stars or 4. I ultimately rated it a 3 because the book was extremely wordy throughout the entirety of the book like sometimes the dialogue just didn't seem remotely close to be what would be said in a scenario in real life. However, it was a great book and storyline that I really enjoyed. 4 stars for the story but dropped to a 3 overall.
This is one of those books that makes you truly question how well do you actually know someone?
I got wrapped up in this book and kept wanting to know more. I loved the twists and turns from the beginning. Josh and Beatrice live in a million dollar house on the coast on Maine. Both live their idyllic lives while they both are holding onto massive secrets that they want to keep in the dark from each other. Can they really do just that when Josh's secret 2 year old son is abducted?
I had a hard time trying to decide whether or not to rate this 3 stars or 4. I ultimately rated it a 3 because the book was extremely wordy throughout the entirety of the book like sometimes the dialogue just didn't seem remotely close to be what would be said in a scenario in real life. However, it was a great book and storyline that I really enjoyed. 4 stars for the story but dropped to a 3 overall.
January 14, 2024
Beatrice has a hidden past and her husband Josh has a secret love child so their marriage is struggling with mutual deceptions. Josh's child is kidnapped and this case appears to be tied to Beatrice's past life as a social worker kidnapped by the deranged Webb family who have been searching for her since she escaped from their captivity decades ago. I liked Beatrice's back story more than the kidnapping story going on in the present timeline and wish the focus had just been on Beatrice's life only. The two timeline plots did not mesh well for me and there were too many twists that just did not work. I liked most of the book but the ending was a letdown and didn't live up to my expectations.
Shelved as 'nope-dnf'
November 2, 2023DNF 3% - I picked this up PURELY based on that stunning cover.
Then I got to this little piece of the synopsis: "So what if her husband sneaks off to see his second family now and again? Beatrice is willing to look the other way. It’s simply the price she must pay to keep their life together."
COULDN'T BE ME - and I would pull my hair out reading about some lady accepting that treatment. Perfect example of DONT JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER!!!
Then I got to this little piece of the synopsis: "So what if her husband sneaks off to see his second family now and again? Beatrice is willing to look the other way. It’s simply the price she must pay to keep their life together."
COULDN'T BE ME - and I would pull my hair out reading about some lady accepting that treatment. Perfect example of DONT JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER!!!
October 18, 2023
Liv Andersson returns following Little Red House with her latest, LEAVE THE LIGHTS ON —a woman with dark dangerous secrets, and when the past and present collide, her idyllic life unravels in this twisty atmospheric psychological suspense thriller.
Set in Cape Morgan, Maine on Ross Island we meet Beatrice Wicker and her husband, Josh (architect), with a housekeeper, Maya. They live in a multi-million home on the coast on a remote island overlooking the sea surrounded by cottages. The Wicker Foundation had purchased the property. The main building and the cottages will remain, and the old inn to be demolished.
Cape Morgan is a small community, and Josh was a local public figure/hero. His company's non-profit had contributed to the town in many ways.
Miles Ross had lived there for 73 years and passed at the home in the upstairs corner of the main house. Eccentric and reclusive, the family fortune dwindled, and the buildings fell into disrepair. Some say the island is haunted.
Beatrice's goal is to renovate the abandoned asylum into an artist's retreat, and she is willing to overlook that her husband is having an affair and has another family, which he sneaks out to spend time with. He has no clue she knows.
Josh and his money will make her life and projects possible. She looks the other way and keeps quiet.
Now, the truth about Josh and his other family, along with the other past secrets, begin to unravel, and the idyllic, safe facade begins to crumble.
There is an explosion at the local elementary school playground, and a two-year-old boy, Oliver, is abducted. A fire. A missing boy. The little boy is Josh's son. People move here because it is safe. So what is going on?
Beatrice remembers an event from her past that she wants to keep secret. How is this connected to the kidnapping? She must stay quiet to keep from her past and who she is from coming out.
From two timelines, we meet Emma, a young social worker kidnapped and brainwashed by a family who convinces her the government is after them. She tries to help the boy, Luke, doing her job and gets pulled in by the charismatic and manipulative Gabriel.
She manages to escape and reclaim her life, but she is always on the run because they always seem to find her. Nearly 20 years later, she is settled down, married, and living her life under a different name, but once again, this family finds her. She thought she had lost them. Why now?
What is the connection between Emma, Beatrice, and Grace?
LEAVE THE LIGHTS ON is atmospheric, haunting, chilling, and terrifying. Full of mystery, conspiracy, and kidnapping, this domestic suspense will have you glued to the pages to discover how the past and present will connect—topics of kidnapping, mind control, conspiracy, deception, manipulation, and trauma.
Compelling! I read the e-book and listened to the audio narrated by Mia Barron for a chilling listening experience.
Thanks to Dreamscape Media for an ALC and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Blog Review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Oct 17, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
Oct 2023 Must-Read Books
Set in Cape Morgan, Maine on Ross Island we meet Beatrice Wicker and her husband, Josh (architect), with a housekeeper, Maya. They live in a multi-million home on the coast on a remote island overlooking the sea surrounded by cottages. The Wicker Foundation had purchased the property. The main building and the cottages will remain, and the old inn to be demolished.
Cape Morgan is a small community, and Josh was a local public figure/hero. His company's non-profit had contributed to the town in many ways.
Miles Ross had lived there for 73 years and passed at the home in the upstairs corner of the main house. Eccentric and reclusive, the family fortune dwindled, and the buildings fell into disrepair. Some say the island is haunted.
Beatrice's goal is to renovate the abandoned asylum into an artist's retreat, and she is willing to overlook that her husband is having an affair and has another family, which he sneaks out to spend time with. He has no clue she knows.
Josh and his money will make her life and projects possible. She looks the other way and keeps quiet.
Now, the truth about Josh and his other family, along with the other past secrets, begin to unravel, and the idyllic, safe facade begins to crumble.
There is an explosion at the local elementary school playground, and a two-year-old boy, Oliver, is abducted. A fire. A missing boy. The little boy is Josh's son. People move here because it is safe. So what is going on?
Beatrice remembers an event from her past that she wants to keep secret. How is this connected to the kidnapping? She must stay quiet to keep from her past and who she is from coming out.
From two timelines, we meet Emma, a young social worker kidnapped and brainwashed by a family who convinces her the government is after them. She tries to help the boy, Luke, doing her job and gets pulled in by the charismatic and manipulative Gabriel.
She manages to escape and reclaim her life, but she is always on the run because they always seem to find her. Nearly 20 years later, she is settled down, married, and living her life under a different name, but once again, this family finds her. She thought she had lost them. Why now?
What is the connection between Emma, Beatrice, and Grace?
LEAVE THE LIGHTS ON is atmospheric, haunting, chilling, and terrifying. Full of mystery, conspiracy, and kidnapping, this domestic suspense will have you glued to the pages to discover how the past and present will connect—topics of kidnapping, mind control, conspiracy, deception, manipulation, and trauma.
Compelling! I read the e-book and listened to the audio narrated by Mia Barron for a chilling listening experience.
Thanks to Dreamscape Media for an ALC and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Blog Review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Oct 17, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
Oct 2023 Must-Read Books
Read
November 5, 2023Lost interest. DNF
July 1, 2023
This was an enjoyable read told over multiple decades and POVs. It had characteristics of a psychological thriller and was definitely a fast read. I enjoyed the characters but some of the behaviors of Beatrice, the main character, had me rolling my eyes. The abrupt ending felt rushed and I just wanted more.
Thanks to Liv Andersson, NetGalley, and the publisher for the opportunity to read Leave the Lights On.
Thanks to Liv Andersson, NetGalley, and the publisher for the opportunity to read Leave the Lights On.
March 28, 2023
The time jumps in this one are a bit much, difficult to clearly follow. I didn’t find many redeeming qualities in these characters, so I didn’t have anyone to root for. I found some of the dialogue got pretty repetitive. Some aspects I think weren’t fully tied together, we’d explore an idea and it wouldn’t go anywhere. It was just a bit disconnected. The end result was predictable and didn’t surprise me. Overall I wasn’t a fan.
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.
February 14, 2024
I don't know why I was expecting some bland family thriller, but this was definitely NOT that. I really enjoyed everything about this story. It had police procedural, family drama, crazy hidden pasts, an affair child, mental illness... Emma truly was such a good person, what she did throughout the book and at the very end... not many people would do those things. I also found it kind of poetic that Emma was renovating an old asylum campus after having dealt with mentally ill individuals ruining her life.
Read
January 18, 2024I’m utterly confused and can’t decide how I feel about this book. On one hand, the writing was good - captivating, well plotted storyline, compelling, fast-paced.. - on the other hand though, the MC was just a mess. Her actions and decisions seemed utterly nonsensical. I also went into this one expecting it to be focused on the psychological aspect of willing to overlook and ignore one’s partner’s infidelity and living a double life. However, despite the synopsis putting strong emphasis on that aspect of the story, in truth, it’s merely a peripheral and completely insignificant part of it. It could have been easily edited out. Probably, that would have been better for the overall enjoyment of the story.
As much as I didn’t like the MC, I absolutely hated her husband even more. What a total butt wipe that guy was! Not only a nasty cheater, but he also dared to turn the situation around and blatantly blame it on his wife, because: “you knew for so long and didn’t say a word, what’s wrong with YOU?”. Dude, get the hell outtahere with your entitled, self-absorbed, middle-aged crisis nonsense.
Ugh, I rage read this book.
As much as I didn’t like the MC, I absolutely hated her husband even more. What a total butt wipe that guy was! Not only a nasty cheater, but he also dared to turn the situation around and blatantly blame it on his wife, because: “you knew for so long and didn’t say a word, what’s wrong with YOU?”. Dude, get the hell outtahere with your entitled, self-absorbed, middle-aged crisis nonsense.
Ugh, I rage read this book.
April 2, 2023
Beatrice Wicker has a charmed life. With a wealthy husband and a house on the sea coast. While she doesn't like the fact her husband, Josh, has a second life and family, they both have their secrets and she plays along. That is until Josh's son to his mistress goes missing, kidnapped from a playground and Beatrice can't help but know who may be involved.
This was such a cat and mouse suspense, with Beatrice and Josh both trying to keep their secrets hidden and deceive one another, along with their friends and family. I did have some suspicion on another character early but it didn't ruin the story. While I enjoyed the present tense, rather than the past outlined, it was still a page turner and I loved the twists.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this gifted review copy.
This was such a cat and mouse suspense, with Beatrice and Josh both trying to keep their secrets hidden and deceive one another, along with their friends and family. I did have some suspicion on another character early but it didn't ruin the story. While I enjoyed the present tense, rather than the past outlined, it was still a page turner and I loved the twists.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this gifted review copy.
October 22, 2023
I went back and forth with how to rate this one so please bear with me.
This book is interesting and held my attention all the way through. It was very different than books I would usually choose but I had no issue getting through it. Government conspiracies aren't really for me when it comes to books... HOWEVER I would love to watch a movie about it. Don't ask me to make it make sense because I can't. I received Leave the Lights On as an audiobook ARC and the narrator did a great job telling this story. I was able to imagine the entire book in my head which makes an audiobook all the better. If you are into thrillers with some government conspiracies, you should give this one a read or a listen, you will probably enjoy it!
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC and the chance to listen and review Leave the Lights On honestly.
This book is interesting and held my attention all the way through. It was very different than books I would usually choose but I had no issue getting through it. Government conspiracies aren't really for me when it comes to books... HOWEVER I would love to watch a movie about it. Don't ask me to make it make sense because I can't. I received Leave the Lights On as an audiobook ARC and the narrator did a great job telling this story. I was able to imagine the entire book in my head which makes an audiobook all the better. If you are into thrillers with some government conspiracies, you should give this one a read or a listen, you will probably enjoy it!
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC and the chance to listen and review Leave the Lights On honestly.
February 7, 2024
This was so unexpectedly good! It was recommended in my Spotify audiobooks sections and I started it on a whim because I wanted an easy thriller mystery. It actually turned out to be a whole interwoven story about secret relationships, government conspiracy, history on an old island, and dealing with past trauma the best you know how. I was genuinely invested the entire time, did not see the twist coming, and was very satisfied with the ending!! Great rec, spotify.
August 1, 2023
This was a little bit difficult to get into as there wasn’t much background up front but about 15-20% in it picks up.
I’m still not 100% sure about the ending, the last chapter was a bit chaos and there were some ends that weren’t fully tied up but overall it comes off as a newer writers book
I’m still not 100% sure about the ending, the last chapter was a bit chaos and there were some ends that weren’t fully tied up but overall it comes off as a newer writers book
October 29, 2023
Lots going on here. Very atmospheric.
October 19, 2023
I don’t even have the words lol.
December 2, 2023
There's not much to say, except Beatrice was dumber than a box of rocks, and the ending was awful.
February 14, 2024
Great and entertaining until the end. I think it could have been way better.
December 28, 2023
The plot of this book leaves a lot to be desired, especially when compared to the synopsis. Beatrice knows her husband is cheating but won't say anything because years ago she was brainwashed into doing something awful and doesn't want anyone to know. If you are intrigued, don't be. It's more of a wild experience of herding cats than following anything tangible.
May 1, 2023
Let's start with the good. The author has good writing skills and can tell her story. The blurb of this sounded fantastic and pulled me in. The not so good - well, can I be honest here? Just about everything to do with the storyline itself. For me, it was so unbelievable and implausible to me . People simply don't act this way or, if they do, it doesn't just go from zero to sixty like this woman's actions and reactions. I know I'm being vague, but I certainly don't want to spoil the story for anyone who attempts to take it on. I think there are good bones here, but a storyline editor and some frank honesty with the author should probably be in order.
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