pickCleeves scores another solid mystery with 'The Killing Stones.' She sets up such a sense of place in Orkney and Shetland that you swear you were there. This is a spin-off of the Shetland series. Jimmy Perez returns when he finds his good friend Archie has been murdered. The case is extremely personal and emotional for Jimmy. Full of mood and atmosphere, this is a great mystery. 4 stars.
pickT. Kingfisher has become an auto-read for me. 'What Stalks the Deep is no exception. Alex Easton arrives in America on request of their friend Denton. Denton's cousin has disappeared into a coal mine under suspicious circumstances. The mood T. Kingfisher establishes in the mine is very well done. It is very claustrophobic and filled with dread. The audio version is great as well. The narrator's voice is very unique. 5 stars. Thanks, NetGalley!
pickIf you are in the mood for a great murder mystery/thriller, settle in with 'No Rest for the Wicked.' I finished it in one sitting. Dolores returns to her Halloween obsessed town when her father disappears with evidence of foul play. As she delves into the mystery, memories begin to return of a Halloween night 22 years before, which sent her fleeing to the other side of the country. There are multiple POVs and a dual time. 5 stars
pick'The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre' was a great slasher. There were cozy moments in the solving of the murders. However, the gorey descriptions kept it from being a true cozy. Rose isn't your typical final girl in that she is in her 70's. Together with her friends in the home, she investigates the strange deaths. TW for gore and death scenes of the elderly. I really liked this audio edition. 4.5 stars.
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pick'The October Film Haunt' is an interesting, atmospheric book. The October Film Haunt is a group that goes to former movie sites and explores the setting. While exploring 'Proof of Demons,' a local teenager dies. Jorie, the leader of the group, disappears into isolation. One day, she receives a video cassette called #FuneralWatching. Someone has found her. Well-written with cerebral chill and thrills. 4 stars.
pick'The Wasp Trap' starts out slow then takes off. Like most of Edward's books, the characters are well-developed with their own back stories. Six friends come to a dinner to commemorate their late mentor. It quickly becomes a hostage situation. The aggressors aren't there for a robbery, but to ferret out secrets that are 25 years old. There are two timelines, one in 1999 and one in 2024. There are many twists along the way. 5 stars.
pick'80s Ghosts' is a great nostalgia novel when ghost hunting shows were taking off. It's also a novel for those who enjoyed 'Ghost Hunters' and things that go bump in the night. Chrissy Rodriguez wants to get her online ghost hunting show off the ground. She and her team investigate a burned down school. Chaos ensues during the investigation. The audio version was great. 4 stars.
'They Fear Not Men in the Woods' is a solid eco-thriller. The book read more like a thriller mystery than horror. The supernatural nature of the forest was well-described. I just thought it took the main character too long to discover what was going on. Besides that, this was a solid thriller. 4 stars. Thank you, NetGalley!
pick'Body of Water' is a survival story with a twist that comes at the very end. This twist will have you rethinking everything you just read. It deals with grief, memory, and what makes reality. I enjoyed the book a lot. I do wish the ending was elaborated a little more. 4 stars.
pick'My Ex, the Antichrist' read like a rock ballad of Armageddon. Told through multiple POV and an interview style, the characters are well-developed. The book tells of the rise of the Antichrist, Drake, and his love, Lily. Armageddon is a battle of the bands between the two of them. I enjoyed the ensemble cast narration throughout the audiobook. My only criticism is the ending seemed a little rushed. 4.5 stars. Thank you, NetGalley.
pick'The Silenced' offers a shocking look at the Troubled Teen Industry. The conditions the teens faced are truly horrifying. In some ways, they are scarier than the actual haunting within the book. The abandoned school setting was great for a ghost story of the teenes who died there. The book follows two timelines: Hazel in the present and a teen from the past. 5 stars. Thank you, NetGalley!
pickI haven't read a mystery that gave me this much of a sense of place in a while. 'The Witch's Orchard' is very atmospheric, set in mountain country. Annie is a PI, hired to find out what happened to three missing girls ten years ago. The second girl was returned, but the other two were never found. I really liked Annie as a character. She was very well-rounded. I hope this becomes a series as I would follow Annie's mysteries anywhere. 5 stars.
pickI love fairy tale retellings, and 'Hemlock & Silver' did not disappoint. I enjoyed the plus size MC. Also the talking cat is totally on point for a feline. The interplay of poisons and antidotes interested me. I also like how Kingfisher straddles the line between fantasy and horror in her work. The narrator was excellent as well. 5 stars.
pick'Secret Lives of the Dead' is an excellent folk horror novel. Lebbon's prose is on point throughout the book. Several times I stopped reading just to turn his words over in my mind. The novel has multiple time lines and POVs leading to a consistent storyline. No one writes horror quite like Tim Lebbon. His style is as unique as a fine wine. 5 stars.
Sun. Fun. And mass murder. In 'How Bad Things Can Get,' Ruth and friends are attending an island party with 600 other people. Things quickly start to get messy. The games cause injuries, and guests begin to disappear. The smiling staff are a little off. The action was so intense at one point, I had to do some dishes. If you enjoy bloody books about cults, run and get your copy today. 5 stars.
'Mayra' was an intricate gothic literary horror novel. I loved the prose and the slow burn of encroaching dread. The house becomes its own character within the novel. Themes of friendship, memory, and identity are explored. 4.5 stars.
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pick'The Locked Ward' offers many thrills as it twists and turns. Mandy discovers she has a twin sister, Georgia, who needs her help beating a murder rap. Most of their interactions take place in the locked wing of a psychiatric hospital. The hospital itself is atmospheric. Most of the twists occur through family secrets. 4 stars.
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Dark, twisted, and atmospheric, 'Tiny Wild Things' is a great thriller. Fran is given one last chance to revive her career: go to an isolated location and interview a reclusive artist. Almost immediately after arriving, all is not what it seems. The plot twists and secrets come to light. 4 stars. Thanks, NetGalley!
In 'Hidden Strings,' Tessa recently lost her grandmother who was also the puppeteer for the family fun park. The woman who replaces her is completely different. Her stories are scary, and children begin to disappear as new puppets appear. I really liked the story within story element. The book was fast paced and easy to understand for reluctant readers. 4 stars.
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Pilots call off their flights when they receive a phone call from their mothers, begging them not to fly. Some mothers have been dead for years. Somehow Seeker Script from DARPA has been activated. While Carson mainly writes chillers, 'Departure 37' is more like a science fiction mystery. The dual timeline is well-written between 1962 and 2025. I enjoyed this one a little less than his other books, but it is still a solid entry. 4 stars.
'The World Inside' was a nice, spooky YA read. It's targeted audience is reluctant readers. It accomplishes this very well. With easy sentences and short chapters, 'The World Inside' goes quickly. It still has detail and is a satisfying read. I also loved the supernatural elements. 4 stars.
'Seven Rivers: The Darkness' is a very atmospheric book with great and frightening imagery. Cora flees her past only to be in a car accident and shot. A passerby takes her to Seven Rivers after she begs to avoid hospitals and the police. Cora has quite a journey ahead of her. I really enjoyed the final twist of the novel, which was unexpected. 4 stars. Thank you, NetGalley!
pick'The Flowers at Flood House' is an excellent haunted house and mystery novella. The house is haunted by its own memories. The haunting is more psychological than gorey. It gets inside your head and heart. At 106 pages, it can easily be read in one sitting, and the pacing is just right. 5 stars.
pickIn 'A Dance of Lies,' Vaseline was framed for a murder and imprisoned for two years. She is released by the king who framed her if she will be his spy. Vasalie suffers from chronic pain from her imprisonment. Having a MC with a disability was refreshing. As she gets further into the political intrigue, she must decide who to trust. I really enjoyed Arena's writing style and might continue the series. 4 stars.
pick'Ink Ribbon Red' was an intellectual puzzle box of a mystery. Friends gather for a Bank Holiday. Their host tasks them with writing murder stories with each other as the murderers or victims. The stories are told throughout the novel, and it's the reader's job to separate fact from fiction. I enjoyed the stories within stories theme a lot. I also had fun trying to separate the real murder from the fictional. 5 stars.
pickI adored 'The Spellshop,' so I was very excited for the audiobook of 'The Enchanted Greenhouse.' While there were new characters, it was in the same universe. I loved the cosy factor and the found family trope. The sentient plants were awesome. I think I might have enjoyed this one a little more than 'The Spellshop,' but it was close. I thought the narrator did a great job. 4.5 stars.
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pickCherie Priest creates a great mystery/horror novel in 'It Was Her House First.' Dark and atmospheric, the novel was fun to read. It included diary entries from one of the entities in the house, and input from the main character Ronnie, and the ghost of a former detective. Cherie Priest is an auto-read for me and this book was no exception. 5 stars.
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pickJeremy Renner's memoir 'My Next Breath' is very inspiring. For 45 minutes, he kept himself breathing until help arrived. He does believe he died at some point, but fought his way back. His recovery was intense and terrible at the same time. Yet he pushed through and is now acting and doing his own stunts. He believes that his full recovery will take a lifetime, but still he has hope. 4.5 stars
pick'This is Where We Die' is a solid thriller in the mode of 'And Then There Were None.' Six teenagers, who survived a previous tragedy, rent an island for a graduation party. They expect others to join them the next day. At the island, they find the mansion deserted, and people start to die. Each character has their own POV. A nice addition to the “locked room mystery.“ 4 stars.
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pick“Roll for Romance' is a nice addition to the romance genre. Sadie has run out of luck in NY and flees to a friend's place in Texas. Through her friend's D&D campaign, she meets Noah and sparks eventually fly both in real life and in the game. The characters are well-developed, and I enjoyed the prose. 4.5 stars
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pick'The Unravelling of Julia' accomplished exactly that, and then she is rebuilt stronger than before. Shortly after Julia's husband is murdered, she inherits a small fortune and villa in Tuscany. When she arrives, strange things occur, making her doubt her sanity. Scottoline creates an atmospheric thriller with many twists and turns. In the end, justice prevails over all. 4 stars.
pick'Writers and Liars' is another great outing for Carol Goodman. Maia is called back to the island where the best and worst times of her life occurred. There, with a group of fellow writers, she must solve the murder of the island's benefactor. The novel is full of twists and turns like the labyrinth of King Minos' minotaur. If you love Greek mythology, you are in for a treat as the novel is chock-full of it. 5 stars. Thank you, NetGalley!
pick'Party of Liars' has a different structure than most who-done-it mystery thrillers. You know from the beginning that someone has died. However, you don't know who until around 90% in. There are so many secrets and twists within the book, it could be any of the 5 characters narrating the book, or someone else entirely. Shorter chapters rachet up the tension. A dual timeline before and after the party both foreshadows and gives background. 5 stars.
pickWhen Caitlin R. Kiernan has a new title out, I rush to get it. 'Bright Dead Star' is no exception. They have written 25 tales of the weird or the uncanny. While the subject matter of each tale varies, there is always a sense of wonder. While I love Kiernan's full length novels, I believe they excel in writing short stories. Highly recommended for those who remember the “weird tale“ genre. 4.5 stars. Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC.
pick'The Colony of Lost Souls' is an interesting book that borders on Gothic. I think it fits the mystery/thriller category better. May receives a letter from her sister whom she thought might be dead. June asks her to visit her at the Kinima Theosophical Society. Once May arrives, she is told June is off on a secret mission. May decides to stay and wait for her sister's return. There are a lot of secrets an suspense within this novel. 4 stars
pickOnce again, Lisa Jewell has written a great novel with 'Don't Let Him In.' I wasn't expecting to like this book as much as her other novels. Romantic entanglements and cheating aren't my thing. However, Jewell proved me wrong. There is such a sense of coming doom in the cat-and-mouse book. I couldn't stop reading it. There's a dual timeline, and short chapters keep the story going. 4.5 stars.
'The Witch at the End of the Wood' is a cozy cottage core novel. Velina escapes the work factory and begins a search for a witch who can help her. Instead she finds an abandoned house that can grant wishes. Along the way to discovering herself, she finds a found family and a home who respects her for who she is. 4 stars.
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pickThis is an excellent mystery to be enjoyed by teens and adults alike. Bonus if you have an interest in death metal. Kasper, the MC, investigates the death of the rocker Grim from over 30 years ago with the help of Iris. The narrative style is interesting as there are dual timelines and supporting materials like appendices (I promise; they aren't boring). There is also a supernatural angle. 4 stars.
pickIf you like dark academia with a little cosmic horror, 'The Library at Hellebore' might be right for you. Alessa Li was kidnapped and forced to attend Hellebore. Each student, whether recruited the traditional way, or facing forced enrollment, has certain monstrous gifts. Hellebore is labeled as a sanctuary for these students. However, it harbors a dark secret. The faculty don't expect the students to survive graduation.
pickI really enjoyed 'The Ghostwriter.' It has a captivating storyline. Olivia returns to her father's home of Ojai. Her career in tatters. This book might be what brings her back to her life, professionally and personally. All she has to do is write whether her father killed his sister and brother like many believe. The catch is he has Lewy Body Dementia, and fact and fiction are intertwined. 5 stars.
