Crime Thriller Archives - The Litertarian

Love makes fools of us all, and we all know nothing is stronger than a mother’s love. Simone and Lucy just wanted to have a nice mother-daughter holiday camping in the west Texas desert.

Note to self: never book a holiday in west Texas.

Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister Book Cover

Lucy is snatched from her bed in the middle of the night, with nothing but an outdated flip phone in her place. When it rings, it’s an unknown caller, and they’ve ransomed her daughter. Simone and Lucy are in a time of transition. Lucy is preparing to go off to college, and Simone is feeling the absence of her more than ever, making the ache of intense love only a mother can understand more tender than ever. Perhaps it is this specific texture of feeling that leads to what happens next.

What would you do, when pressed into a corner, to recover one you love?

Gillian McAllister is so good at what she does. Her thrillers have an atmosphere and a desperation and a logic that propels you through the pages relentlessly. It’s a story about familial love, it’s a story of desperation, it’s a story about having to move without knowing if it’s safe, where it’s safe, or who is safe.

Don’t miss it.

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::Caller Unknown
Author::Gillian McAllister
Genre:: Thriller
Publisher:: Willam Morrow
Length:: 336 pages
Published::May 5th, 2026
The Litertarian Rating:: 5-Stars

If you liked this book, check out…

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