Category: Thriller

Book Review:: Closer Than You Know | Debra Webb

Retired cop Vera Boyett is back in her hometown, closer to her sisters, and closer to the secret they’ve been keeping since they were kids. She’s not there long before the sheriff calls her up to help on a case that has ties back to a serial killer she helped investigate and convict a decade ago, The Messenger. Strange things start happening before it becomes clear: Vera is the next target of this torture killer.

Closer Than You Know by Debra Webb Book Cover

Wow, this novel is quite the ride! This is the second book in the series, which I didn’t realize when I signed up for the arc. While the book did a great job rooting the reader in what was happening without having read the first book, it felt a little too explain-y at times, so I feel like having the full context of book one would have helped with that.

This felt exactly like a TV show episode. Back in the day I was really into Bones, and this brought me back. Vera has a history with the sheriff in town which was actually really steamy. Though this is a crime thriller, the romance was a very nice edition for this romance-loving girlie.

There are a lot of things going on in this story. There is the killer still behind bars, a copycat of some kind, and this shadow of the secret Vera and her sisters are keeping…from everyone. Layer in the personal dramas and you’ve got a very busy book here. At times it felt a little too fast paced, which says to me I’m not connected enough to what is going on.

If you’re a fan of crime thrillers, I think this novel is right up your alley. Though I didn’t connect with it as much as I like, it did feel like skilled writing and a properly tangled and exciting plot that will keep you guessing all the way through.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Closer Than You Know (Vera Boyett #2)
Author:: Debra Webb
Genre:: Mystery Thriller
Publisher:: Thomas & Mercer
Length:: 317 pages
Audio Length:: 10h
Audiobook Narrator:: TBA
Published:: May 6th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

Famous Last Words | Gillian McAllister
Wrong Place Wrong Time | Gillian McAllister
The Truth About the Devlins | Lisa Scottoline
The Reappearance of Rachel Price | Holly Jackson
The Christmas Jigsaw Murders | Alexandra Benedict

Book Review:: Parents Weekend | Alex Finlay

Parents Weekend is the perfect book to grab for your weekend thriller binge-read. It’s fast paced, engrossing, high-stakes, and fascinating. This one had me in a grip, all the way through.

Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay Book Cover

It’s parents weekend at a university in Northern California, and some of the parents are very high-profile. When a group of kids never makes it to dinner on the first night, they start to worry. Yes, college kids are too cool to hang out with their parents, but not a one of them is answering their phone, and this is not the school’s first incident. Just recently a girl turned up dead. We’re thrown into a break-neck paced investigation to find out what happened to the kids and why, and if it’s already too late to save them.

I knew early on that this book was going to be a good one. The kind of characters the author chose to include, and the type of details showcased made the entire reading experience so enjoyable! The tension remained high through the whole thing, and the conclusion made a lot of sense when we finally got there, while still being twisty and surprising. I cannot imagine being an investigator in a situation like this. So many things to handle, to look into, to question…

I’ve been absolutely loving thrillers recently, and ones like this just make me crave more more more.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Parents Weekend
Author:: Alex Finlay
Genre:: Mystery/Thriller
Publisher:: Minotaur
Length:: 320 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 15m
Audiobook Publisher:: Macmillan Audio
Published:: May 6th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

I Think I Was Murdered | Colleen Coble & Rick Acker
Wrong Place, Wrong Time | Gillian McAllister
The Truth About the Devlins | Lisa Scottoline

Book Review:: Nobody’s Fool | Harlan Coben

Nobody’s Fool is my first Harlan Coben novel, and wow – color me impressed! This is the second book in the series led by main character Sami Kierce, and I’m going back to read the origin story that left him off the police force as soon as possible, which is where he finds himself at the beginning of this novel.

Nobody's Fool by Harlan Coben Book Cover

Speaking of origin stories, in a way, this novel is really the exploration of Sami’s. After college, he had a fling with a beautiful woman in Spain, and was ready to give up everything for her, until he woke up beside her bloody body, knife in his hand. He fled, and it was the series of events set off by this experience that led him to becoming a cop in the first place. Now, he sees a woman he knows is her, alive and well and here, and it changes everything.

Not only is this case from Sami’s past coming back to haunt him, but the murderer of his former fiance is being released early from prison, and he’s determined to get justice from that case, too. He has a new baby, and a wife he loves, and though he’s no longer officially a cop, he teaches a criminal justice class that fulfills him. In short, a lot to lose.

What a skillfully written novel! This one had me questioning everything, fully engaged and wondering where the heck it was going to lead next. There are so many moving pieces and so many corners for spooky things to jump out from behind, it was entertaining as hell. If this is the level of mystery and suspense I can expect from Harlan Coben, I’m adding his entire backlist to my TBR! What more can you ask for from a thriller? That feeling is what you search for in this genre, and Nobody’s Fool absolutely delivers!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Nobody’s Fool (Detective Sami Kierce #2)
Author:: Harlan Coben
Genre:: Mystery/Thriller
Publisher:: Grand Central Publishing
Length:: 352 pages
Audio Length:: 11h 17m
Audiobook Narrator:: Vikas Adam
Published:: March 25th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

The Truth About the Devlins | Lisa Scottoline
Wrong Place Wrong Time | Gillian McAllister

Book Review:: Saltwater | Katy Hays

Lifestyles of the ungodly rich might seem aspirational, but they’re also highly secretive. You’re either behind the curtain, or you’re not, and they want as few people behind it as possible. Sometimes they even leave their own children unenlightened…until their hand is forced.

Saltwater by Katy Hays Book Cover

The Lingate’s traditional summer holiday is to the Italian island of Capri. It’s beautiful, but the coastline is almost completely hard, jagged cliff-facing. Dangerous – which they know better than most, since one of their own tumbled to her death there in the 90s. 30 years later they haven’t stopped their annual pilgrimage, and neither have the questions about Sarah’s untimely death. Money can buy a lot, but can it get away with murder?

This novel isn’t as quickly paced as a typical thriller, but it is suspenseful, mysterious, twisted, and tangled. There is generational drama and several potential suspects. It turns into a curiosity about one crime and turns into an investigation into another. And what a spectacular, picturesque setting!

The characters in this book aren’t exactly likeable, but they do inspire curiosity. What motivates people as powerful as these? Where are their weaknesses? Why have they made the decisions they’ve done, and what might compel them to reveal the truth of what happened 30 years ago?

I found myself very engaged with this story. I wasn’t sure where it was going, but there was enough intrigue from the first pages to keep me studying all the information presented, ready for anything. There are several characters with motivations to find out more about Sarah’s death, and just as many prepared to guard their secrets about her. It was really skillfully executed, and I wasn’t expecting quite as many twists as were revealed by the end.

Saltwater would make a great vacation read, an engrossing sick-day or weekend read, or it might just add some intrigue into your regular reading lineup. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Saltwater
Author:: Katy Hays
Genre:: Contemporary Suspense Thriller
Publisher:: Ballantine Books
Length:: 336 pages
Audio Length:: 11h
Audiobook Narrator:: TBA
Audiobook Publisher:: Random House Audio
Published:: March 25th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 4-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

Splendid Little Schemes | Robin Strong
The Truth About the Devlins | Lisa Scottoline
Double Exposure | Elissa R. Sloan

Book Review:: The Matchmaker | Aisha Saeed

Nura Khan is the best matchmaker in town, and everyone knows it. She’s taken the family business and made it bloom. She doesn’t just help her clients find love, she helps them become the type of people who can sustain love, then matches them with their perfect partners. It’s not a service for everyone, and she turns down a lot of clients. Sometimes, they’re not so happy about it.

The Matchmaker by Aisha Saeed Book Cover

When strange and dangerous things begin to happen surrounding her and her business, and disgruntled potential clients begin coming out of the woodwork, Nura and her closest friends must work to piece together who could be behind the attacks.

Did I mention she’s also in love with her fake fiancé slash best friend in the world?

The Matchmaker is a fast-paced thriller surrounded by and fueled by the darker side of romance, the part where things don’t always work out the way you plan. Sometimes the pursuit of love brings out the worst in people instead of the best.

The stakes rise quickly in this book. It is one incident after another and is immediately clear that someone is out to get Nura and her company. It gets quite intense and follows a thriller arc closely. I was personally hoping for a little more romance because that’s what I’m the biggest sucker for, but it is a pretty solid storyline. True feelings are always revealed when one, or both parties are in mortal peril.

Overall I enjoyed the book, but it didn’t draw me in as much as I like to be. While I was interested in the story, I wasn’t held in a grip with emotion for these characters. For me it was a solid three stars.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: The Matchmaker
Author:: Aisha Saeed
Genre:: Romantic Suspense Thriller
Publisher:: Bantam
Length:: 320 pages
Audio Length:: 8h
Audiobook Narrator:: TBA
Published:: April 8th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

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Double Exposure | Elissa R. Sloan
Sunshine and Spice | Aurora Palit
The Midnight Feast | Lucy Foley

Book Review:: Ambush | Colleen Coble

Paradise Alden is ready to confront the demons of her past. She takes a job as the vet at a big animal rescue in the hometown her parents were murdered in, hoping to find out more about what exactly happened that horrible night.

Ambush by Colleen Coble Book Cover

The animal refuge is run by the family she was closest to after her parents died, but they’re also the reason she was bounced back into the foster system, when she was in a bad situation. Trouble is, sometimes bad can turn worse, and unfortunately that’s what happened to Paradise.

In this first book of a new series by Colleen Coble, Paradise is searching for answers, but does she want justice? Or will she be able to find forgiveness in her heart for past transgressions?

The action gets started as soon as Paradise steps into her new role, and it doesn’t let up. With large animals (especially the large predators) in their sanctuary, careful execution of strict procedures are paramount to safety, and when locks are left open, animals not where they’re meant to be, and traps set for the unwitting, accidents are inevitable.

For me, the pacing was a little unhinged. It is one hurdle after another after another with barely room to adjust before the next big event happens. More incidents doesn’t necessarily mean more danger, and I think this book could have done with some trimming of the excessive dangerous episodes.

I found the relationship between Paradise and the son of the Sanctuary owner, Blake, very well done. They were once teenaged sweethearts, but after fifteen years of hard lifetime apart, will they be able to forgive one another and develop a friendship anywhere near the level of trust they once did? There are a lot of complicated emotions there, and the dynamics of Paradise and his family is a beautiful thing.

One of the main themes of the book is forgiveness and finding faith. When Paradise confronts one of her greatest fears, she has a moment of transcendence, but for me her realizations felt too in-your-face and repetitive through the rest of the book. If they had been a little more inter-woven into the story and subtle in the language, I think it would have been more immersive.

Overall it was quite a unique setting for a story which was very interesting to read. The characters are good, and I’m curious to know where the series is headed next!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Ambush (Sanctuary #1)
Author:: Colleen Coble
Genre:: Thriller
Publisher:: Thomas Nelson
Length:: 352 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 55m
Audiobook Narrator:: Karen Peakes
Published:: March 5th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 3-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

I Think I Was Murdered | Colleen Coble & Rick Acker
Before We Were Us | Denise Hunter
Every Moment Since | Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

Book Review:: Famous Last Words | Gillian McAllister

Cam’s first day back at work as a literary agent after maternity leave doesn’t exactly go the way she planned. But no one plans for the police to come looking for them because their husband is holding three hostages on the other side of town, do they? Luke is the last person she’d have expected to be in that situation, and her world is shaken to its foundations. The hostage negotiator insists on getting her to that warehouse, and what happens there has consequences that ripple outward for years.

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister Book Cover

This book had me in a grip! I was captured immediately by the POV characters who both have such rich depth and interesting vantages on what takes place. The author gives just enough away at a time to leave you right at the edge of the seat, mind buzzing with ideas of why, how, and what happened, and what might happen next.

Cam is a now-single mother having to make decisions for herself and her daughter she never expected to have to make. What does she tell her about her father? How do they move on from this?

Niall is the hostage negotiator navigating an impossible work/life balance. Something about this particular case bothers him, and he can’t let it go until he finds out the truth of what happened in that warehouse.

I am so grateful I had the opportunity to read this book early as an arc reader through netgalley and the publisher. Gillian McAllister wrote my favorite thriller read of 2024 (Wrong Place Wrong Time), and this one has left just as impressive an impression as that one did. I couldn’t put it down!

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Details

Title:: Famous Last Words
Author:: Gillian McAllister
Genre:: Mystery Thriller
Publisher:: William Morrow
Length:: 336 pages
Audio Length:: 13h 5m
Audiobook Narrator:: Emilia Fox
Audiobook Publisher:: Harper Audio
Published:: February 25th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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If you liked this book, check out…

Wrong Place Wrong Time | Gillian McAllister
I Think I Was Murdered | Colleen Coble & Rick Acker
The Truth About the Devlins | Lisa Scottoline

Book Review:: Still Beating | Jennifer Hartmann

This is the kind of book trigger warnings are meant for. This one has some brutal stuff in it, and if you can get through the first 40-ish %, you’ll find a love story that sinks into your soul. This is dark romance. Real dark. Kidnapped, locked in a basement and perpetually violated dark. Please know what you’re getting into if you decide to read it.

Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann Book Cover

Cora couldn’t stand Dean, her sister’s fiancé, who grew up with them. Constant badgering, teasing – a decade of resentment. But he still came to pick her up when she drank too much and lost her wallet. And when they were both abducted together by a psychotic madman, none of it mattered anymore. They were all each other had.

Common trauma forges strong bonds. Bonds that are sometimes hard for other people to comprehend. Bonds that cannot be erased. It changes you, fundamentally, forever.

Surviving a trauma like that derails everything – even the things you thought were the most unchangeable. Having someone who was there, who understands everything you’re processing because they are too is (maybe the worst kind of) luxury. But simply understanding isn’t enough. Healing isn’t something someone can do for you. It’s hard, it takes a long time, and no, nothing will ever be the same again, but that doesn’t mean we don’t keep on living.

This is a hard book to read. It’s horrifying, repulsive, and grotesque, at times. But it’s also a story I’ll probably never forget. The impression it leaves is a deep one, and it didn’t leave me feeling discouraged or morose, but hopeful. It’s a story of human resilience and courage. About lifting yourself up when all you feel like doing is drowning in your own grief and sorrow. It feels important. Beautiful, in its way, and I’m glad I read it.

Details

Title:: Still Beating
Author:: Jennifer Hartmann
Genre:: Dark Romance
Publisher:: Bloom Books
Length:: 448 pages
Audio Length:: 12h 7m
Audiobook Narrator:: Laurie West & Christina Black
Audiobook Publisher:: Tantor Audio
Published:: December 30th, 2020
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
Spice Rating:: 3

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If you liked this book, check out…

Every Moment Since | Marybeth Mayhew Whalen
I Think I Was Murdered | Coleen Coble & Rick Acker
Butcher and Blackbird | Brynne Weaver

Book Review:: Beautiful Ugly | Alice Feeney

What is it with tiny little Scottish islands?

Grady Green, bestselling author, is struggling to work after the disappearance of his wife Abby. Finally at a breaking point, his agent sends him off to a remote Scottish island, where another famous author used to live, to pound out his next great work. He’s not in a good mental place, and the island and its inhabitants are more than a little strange.

This is a true psychological thriller. Grady is at the end of his wits over what happened to his wife, literally. He never sleeps, he’s drinking far too much, and when he’s given a hallucinogenic tea on the island, we can’t tell what is real and what isn’t. He sees his wife’s face everywhere, and the red jacket she was last seen with. But every time, he blinks and he realizes his error. His mind is playing tricks on him, and he’s about as unreliable a narrator as they come.

This story doesn’t have a lot of action, but it keeps you on the edge of your seat. There are mysteries on the island that he’s sure he’s not imagining. It’s a strange place, objectively. There are no birds there, for example. No phones, and an unreliable ferry is the only way on or off the island.

Even if he wanted to leave, it’s not that simple.

I loved it. I’ve never read a book by Alice Feeney before this, but based on Beautiful Ugly, she really knows what she’s doing. It has a similar tension to a book like The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley. Twisted and sinister, but on another face seemingly pretty innocent. Brilliant. Captivating. Beautiful, and Ugly.

Note:: I received the audiobook version of this book for free via the publisher and netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. (And the audiobook narrators did a fantastic job, as well!)

Details

Title:: Beautiful Ugly
Author:: Alice Feeney
Genre:: Psychological Thriller
Publisher:: Flatiron Books
Length:: 320 pages
Audio Length:: 9h 19m
Audiobook Narrator:: Richard Armitage, Tuppence Middleton
Audiobook Publisher:: Macmillan Audio
Published:: January 14th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

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[Hardcover] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check out…

The Midnight Feast | Lucy Foley
Wrong Place Wrong Time | Gillian McAllister
The Truth About the Devlins | Lisa Scottoline

Book Review:: All the Missing Pieces | Catherine Cowles

So, like, romantic suspense is a thing?! If this book is good representation of that, this might be my new favorite genre! Oh my gosh, the mystery, the danger, the intrigue! I was hooked in early on and I was happy to let it reel me all the way in.

All the Missing Pieces by Catherine Cowles Book Cover

When Ridley’s sister disappeared, she started living double. She had to experience the world twice as much, in honor of the life her sister didn’t get to live. She lives life out of the back of her van, traveling the country recording true crime podcasts. She’s good at her job because she can empathize with the grieving family’s and has a bone-deep interest in finding sickos and getting justice for their crimes.

Of course she has been researching the disappearance of her own sister, and she believes it wasn’t just an isolated incident. Her next project is investigating the failed kidnapping of a woman Ridley believes was her sister’s killer’s first victim. When she rolls into town, she finds the victim’s brother is a sheriff, and overprotective at that, which won’t make things easy for her.

First of all, the construction. When an author crafts her characters to fundamentally fit, and then throws in a dramatic question that not only justifies but also inherently creates conflict for story between them, it’s like friggin magic, and Cowles has done it in All the Missing Pieces.

Come on! A crime podcaster and a cop? Both with family members who were victims of the same type of crime? Their goals don’t only align, they’re exactly the same, but there’s so much room for tension and conflict and that’s👏🏼what👏🏼we👏🏼live👏🏼for👏🏼

It’s spicy too, did I mention? *blushes*

We’ve got an active investigation, plenty of suspects, old secrets resurfacing, hot bods, sexual tension, and sparks a-flying. There is real danger, protective instincts, and cute animal sidekicks with quirks that make you go aww. Seriously, I loved every word, and I can’t wait to read more exactly like this. Everyone drop me some recs!

I am so grateful I got to listen to an advanced copy of this title through the publisher and netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.

Details

Title:: All the Missing Pieces (Shady Cove #1)
Author:: Catherine Cowles
Genre:: Romantic Suspense
Publisher:: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Length:: 384 pages
Audio Length:: 10h 50m
Audiobook Narrator:: Andi Arndt, Sebastian York
Audiobook Publisher:: Dreamscape Media
Published:: January 7th, 2025
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars
Spice Rating:: 3

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Goodreads
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Amazon Affiliate Links
[Paperback] [eBook] [Audible]

If you liked this book, check out…

Burn for Me | Ilona Andrews
In the Likely Event | Rebecca Yarros
The Reappearance of Rachel Price | Holly Jackson