I have read one Alice Feeney book before but it was a while ago and I don't recall too many of the details. It's 4 star rating means it must have imprI have read one Alice Feeney book before but it was a while ago and I don't recall too many of the details. It's 4 star rating means it must have impressed me at the time but I know it pales in comparison to the mystery and majesty of this brilliant thriller, which I know I won't be forgetting any time soon!
This story saw a news reader and a police detective return to their own pasts and confront their personal traumas as new tragedies, some relating and some seeming not to relate to them, were simultaneously occurring.
I was enjoying this thriller but, initially, thought it was doing nothing ground-breaking. This did not deter me from continuing on however as the plot was moving along nicely and the characters were interesting. I, foolishly, thought I knew exactly where this was going, however. I was so very wrong!
So many twists featured here that I honestly get chills just writing this and thinking back on how cleverly this author had played her readers. Just when one bomb was detonated she turned around and directed us to another that had long been burning in the background. This is up there with one of my favourite thrillers and I am so excited to see what else this author has to deliver!...more
This is the fourth instalment in The Inheritance Games series.
Grayson and Jameson Hawthorne are brothers raised inside the same household, playing theThis is the fourth instalment in The Inheritance Games series.
Grayson and Jameson Hawthorne are brothers raised inside the same household, playing the same games for money and affection, and have grown to become opposite personalities. Whilst one was raised as the heir the other became the spare and it moulded the people they became, the way they valued themselves, and what they were willing to sacrifice to win. Now they most work both alone and together as a new puzzle has arisen. They must do what both do best to conquer it - be Hawthornes.
This did not follow all of the Hawthorne brothers for much of the storyline and I missed those not featured more than I thought I would have. It made me realise how much of my enjoyment was linked to the interactions between all the personalities that feature in the initial trilogy.
Avery joined the two brothers and we got to see how she now fits into their world, which I did enjoy. New characters also featured here and I didn't bond with them like I thought I would have. None were dislikable as such but I think I had preconceived notions that they would disappear from the page after this novel was done, as book five begins a new storyline. This is, of course, entirely my fault and I was also entirely mistaken. It would be interesting to revisit this book, with this knowledge, just before the release date for the next instalment to see if my connection to the unfurling events alters. The final pages were full of twists and really amped up my excitement for book five! Let the new games begin!...more
Logan Ramsay might have been wearing a hazmat suit, but that did not protect him from the flying shrapnel that sliced througActual rating 3.5/5 stars.
Logan Ramsay might have been wearing a hazmat suit, but that did not protect him from the flying shrapnel that sliced through both it and his skin or the airborne virus that then infected him, when his SWAT team investigated a suspicious basement space. After weeks spent inside a hospital and even longer spent in daily agony in every part of his body, he then began to notice new differences occurring. He could run faster, see better, lift more, hit harder, retain all information from everything he had ever witnessed, experienced, watched, or read and put it all into practise moments later. In short, he had been upgraded.
The initial portions of this novel, that focused on Logan's alterations and both his and his family's coming to terms with it, were my favourite parts of this storyline. Once he began to investigate the whys behind it I was still full of intrigue but this soon dwindled. There seemed too long a portion of the novel where Logan was on the run and being chased. Both he and the reader were aware of who was behind the attack and what the purpose of it was. Logan was eager to counteract them but unsure how best to go about this, leading many pages to feel repetitive and with no real forward motion of plot in sight. It concluded with my interest regained and I was impressed with the novel overall, even if I did wish it had been slightly truncated in length....more
I believe I state this in every review for books written by this author but I'm going to say it again here anyway. I can always trust in Ruth Ware to I believe I state this in every review for books written by this author but I'm going to say it again here anyway. I can always trust in Ruth Ware to deliver me an unputdownable storyline! I eat up her thrillers in ways I do with very few others authors in this genre (Riley Sager and Alex Michaelides are the only others that come to mind right away) and will autobuy every new release as I know I will enjoy certain aspects about the story even if I don't gel with everything. I was once again proven correct, here.
Zero Days introduces the reader to Jack. She is already on the wrong side of the law and the prime suspect in her husband, Gabe's, murder. She evades the law, goes on the run, and attempts to use her skills to clear her name and find the true culprit for who ended the life of the man she loved.
This was a wild and crazy ride that had my heartbeat racing just as much as Jack's was. I thought I was going to be let down as I guessed at one of the reveals pretty early on in the story but this was then discovered by Jack herself, only pages later, and a new adventure embarked upon.
The conclusion left me with tears in my eyes at the bittersweet ending and I felt the full range of emotions preceding this, as Jack used all of her strength and wits to defeat her many, many foe....more
Eight strangers are shipped off to live on a remote sea fort off the coast of England. They must solve a series of puzzles to survive and be crowned tEight strangers are shipped off to live on a remote sea fort off the coast of England. They must solve a series of puzzles to survive and be crowned the winner. All have as many secrets to hide and as much of a reason to want to win the prize funds as each other. But that is just one of the reasons why this is going to make Channel 5's latest reality TV show, The Fortress, such a good watch.
I LOVE reading thrillers that have a reality TV or podcast element to them. When I discovered that this one featured both I knew I was going to enjoy my time with it but to find it also heavily featured strong puzzles, a well-thought out plot, and a truly twisted final quarter was a gladly received surprise.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, L. D. Smithson, and the publisher, Bantam, for this opportunity....more
This is the second instalment in The Far Reaches short story series.
An intergalactic luxury cruise ship is full of all the sorts of wealthy individualThis is the second instalment in The Far Reaches short story series.
An intergalactic luxury cruise ship is full of all the sorts of wealthy individuals you would expect it to hold. But, beneath the surface, scurry the maintenance staff that go largely unnoticed by these wealthy patrons. When one is found murdered, however, it is both up to them to clean the floors of all traces of him and to find out who ended his life in such a way, as well.
I really enjoyed puzzling out this short murder mystery. It was played out in front of the backdrop of space but Roth ensured we never forgot her setting and the futuristic landscape still had a part to play in the unfurling events. The conclusion was one I did not guess at and provided many sorrowful emotions as the book closed. I would love to revisit this futuristic creation and protagonist, Ace, again....more
Lucy Michaels lost her little brother years ago, to the flood waters and broken dam that also nearly ruined the town she lives in. They all rebuilt anLucy Michaels lost her little brother years ago, to the flood waters and broken dam that also nearly ruined the town she lives in. They all rebuilt and time moved on. She was not prepared to lose another brother, however, or to have old traumas and secrets reappear and threaten to bury them all again.
Damn, that was a twisted final quarter! Everything that occurred before that point had me engaged and enthralled, but the concluding events proved, yet again, that Court Stevens can pen an emotionally taut and truly twisted novel.
I felt like I knew the town and all its inhabitants, by the novel's close, and Stevens had me not only invested in the outcome but feeling like I was a part of the drama unfolding so truly did she recreate the events occurring in both the characters' present and in their pasts.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Court Stevens, and the publisher, Thomas Nelson Fiction, for this opportunity....more
Ten teen influencers travel to a remote island to discover what life is like when lived without their phones constantly glued to their hands. They encTen teen influencers travel to a remote island to discover what life is like when lived without their phones constantly glued to their hands. They encounter more than they bargained for when challenges begin and the consequences for the losers mean getting cancelled... permanently!
I adore thrillers with social media stars at the centre of them. There is something about discovering who the real individual - behind the filtered, online presence - really is that is endlessly alluring to me. This one allowed me this voyeuristic insight to all of the teens here and it was a wild ride to the truth!
Every last one of them had a secret to hide which meant my mind was swarming with possibilities on what they could be and how all gathered here became connected, as it dually sought to discover who the menace behind the cancelling and murdering of them truly was. I was forever a few steps behind the plotting and thought Worley crafted a very clever plotline - fast-paced, twisted, and full of depth. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Olivia Worley, and the publisher, Hodder Children's Books, for this opportunity....more
Nora's childhood home was like any other's... at least from the outside. The basement was where her dad spent all his time and the locked door leadingNora's childhood home was like any other's... at least from the outside. The basement was where her dad spent all his time and the locked door leading down to it could be explained away as keeping his eleven-year-old daughter safe from the tools he housed there. But when the police knock on their front door and examine what dwells beyond this locked one, secret upon secret is unveiled.
Decades have past since then but the demons still haunt Nora, more so recently when her successful surgeries start to appear days later, dead and in a similar fashion to how her father would also leave his victims all those many years ago...
I love a split-timeline and how the reader has secrets to learn from both. Nora's adult and childhood self were as equally interesting to read about and I remained engaged in learning about what haunted her, right until the very end. She was a very interesting character to dissect and her past was just one of the many intriguing aspects about her.
I did, however, find my intrigue could not quite keep up with the relentless pacing. Reveals, shocks, twists, and new discoveries were thrust at the reader without pause for breath and I would have preferred a more underhanded way to deliver the thrills and chills that this book had to offer.
I did not guess at the final reveal but nor was I overly shocked by it, as I felt almost desensitised to any new information after the barrage that had come before it. This book will work well for many readers and, whilst I did enjoy my time with it, I'm not sure it was exactly suited to my specific reading tastes.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Freida McFadden, and the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for this opportunity....more
This thriller's synopsis mentioned that it was penned for fans of the reality TV series Below Deck and I was immediately sold! No pleasure should be gThis thriller's synopsis mentioned that it was penned for fans of the reality TV series Below Deck and I was immediately sold! No pleasure should be guilty but the amount of hours I have dedicated to watching that show is a little guilt-inducing.
I thought this initially was an accurate account of boat life, but this is the opinion of someone who is judging it based from what she has seen from a reality TV show so take from that what you will. The work was gruelling, the hours were long, and the living quarters cramped but the cast was young, healthy, and as ready to socialise and party as they were to work hard and receive big tips.
The drama and the crew were a brief and primary focus but a death in their pasts lent a sombreness to their antics on board. They were very different to the people they had once been, working and partying together a year ago and before the death occurred. Very quickly a past perspective was then introduced and the reader learned about the deceased from her own perspective.
This was were the book's focus strayed from where I thought it would be and became an insight to this character's personal history rather than her very brief time aboard a boat and before her death. I did not dislike it but it wasn't personally what I had come into this book looking for.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, J.M. Hewitt, and the publisher, Canelo, for this opportunity....more
This is the fourth instalment in the On Pointe Mystery series.
Thrillers revolving around intense rivalries will forever be my favourite, which is why This is the fourth instalment in the On Pointe Mystery series.
Thrillers revolving around intense rivalries will forever be my favourite, which is why academic or arts based ones are those I tend to gravitate towards. I knew nothing about this book but saw the cover and immediately wanted to read it.
The thriller was a solidly delivered one and I did enjoy exploring the narrative twists and turns. It did not have as much actual dance content as I had anticipated and I really wished to see more practise sessions feature.
There was also much occurring in the protagonist's past, which took the focus away from what was currently occurring even though it did have bearing on the current concerns, but this was to be expected from the fourth book in a series. I had not read the prior three novels before beginning this one so it was entirely my fault that I did not bond more with these aspects, however.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Lori Robbins, and the publisher, Level Best Books, for this opportunity....more
This layout made the already tense and dramatic reveals appear all the more emotional and it is now the only format I want to ingest my thriller fictiThis layout made the already tense and dramatic reveals appear all the more emotional and it is now the only format I want to ingest my thriller fiction in....more
A group of famous and wealthy friends vacation to their host's isolated island home but the relaxing time they were promised isn't delivered. Murder iA group of famous and wealthy friends vacation to their host's isolated island home but the relaxing time they were promised isn't delivered. Murder is, instead.
I adore an unlikable character, and this novel had a whole host of them! I did not care for a single one of the figures who featured here and yet it did not spoil my enjoyment of the storyline, to struggle over bonding with its central players. In fact, it aided in my suspended belief when the horrible deeds and malicious words were made public, as I could truly believe it from these individuals.
This is the third novel I have read by this author and I have found each a clever, thrilling, and twisted read. Michaelides proves himself again and again to only have the ability to pen captivating prose, chilling murder mysteries, and authentic characters but to also scatter in a plethora of twists designed to leave the reader shocked, in awe, and thoroughly duped. This occurred here right at the novel's closing scenes and left me, yet again, confused as to just how he did it. I feel lured in to believing one truth and cheated out of it! In the best possible way, of course.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Alex Michaelides , and the publisher, Michael Joseph, for this opportunity....more
Emma Carpenter is residing in isolation, house-sitting an old beachfront home on the rainy Washington coast. She only has heActual rating 3.5/5 stars.
Emma Carpenter is residing in isolation, house-sitting an old beachfront home on the rainy Washington coast. She only has her golden retriever Laika, her elderly neighbour Deek, and the books he recommends as company. His latest recommendation prompts an immediate one-star review from her and, then, chaos descends. Are the current chilling occurrences and her online spat with the author connected? Surely something so absurd could only occur in fiction..?
I, like in all of Adams' novels, was intrigued by the premise and the early set-up of the novel. Tension built quickly and I could feel the primary character's apprehension as if it was my own emotion. Events, however, about the mid-way point began to feel a little repetitive and outlandish but the reveals at the close brought my excitement and intrigue back in full force. ...more
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