Review: Gone for Good by Joanna Schaffhausen

Read this if…you like reading about serial killers and are prepared to read late into the night.

*This book contains violence and some graphic descriptions. Nothing overboard, but your typical thriller fare.*

It’s been twenty years since the Lovelorn Killer terrorized the people of Chicago. Responsible for the deaths of seven women, whom he tied up and strangled in a ritualistic way, this terrifying serial killer is no longer active. Many believe he’s dead or locked up for lesser crimes, but a small group of armchair detectives led by Grace Harper believe he’s still out there and can be caught. When Grace is found murdered in the same way as the Lovelorn Killer’s other victims, Detective Annalisa Vega gets her chance to solve the infamous case that has eluded the best law enforcement agencies, but at what cost?

WOW! I haven’t read a police procedural this good in a long time! It was suspenseful and spooky. I read mostly at night and there were a few times that I got up to close the blinds because I was just so creeped out by this story. This is my first time reading this author, but I plan on following more of Detective Vega’s adventures as they come out. I guessed the serial killer, so I took a star off for that, but then the ending just blew me away, so it earned the lost star back. If you’re a thriller fan, you’ll devour this one!

My Rating: ★★★★★

At the time of this post, this title is set to be released on August 10th, 2021.

*Thanks to the author, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Review: For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing

Just a disclaimer: no teacher I know thinks or behaves the way teachers in this book do! Haha! 

Teddy is a teacher at a prestigious private school where the students are entitled and the parents are even worse. He puts up with all the nonsense because he believes it is his job to teach these kids how to be decent human beings. If their parents have shielded them from appropriate consequences, then Teddy steps in to show them how the real world works, even if that means being a tad unethical and petty at times. It’s all for the good of the students, after all. However, Teddy’s lessons aren’t solely focused on his students, which becomes clear when one of his pranks goes horribly wrong and leaves someone dead. Teddy doesn’t stop there though and the whole school is about to become known as #HomicideHigh.

I had previously read ‘My Lovely Wife’ by Samantha Downing and really enjoyed it. So when this one popped up on NetGalley, I put my request in right away. Being a teacher, I have to admit that Teddy couldn’t have been much farther from a teacher of the year with his warped sense of duty to his students. That being said, this novel was extremely enjoyable to read. Teddy is a true villain and there were a lot of twists and turns throughout the book to keep me reading. My only complaints were that the pacing slowed down quite a bit about 2/3 of the way through and while the ending was satisfying, it seemed a little subdued considering the huge buildup.

My Rating: ★★★★☆

At the time of this post, this title is set to be released on July 20, 2021.

*Thanks to the author, Berkley Publishing, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Review: Dark Roads by Chevy Stevens

Being addicted to ID Discovery shows about murder and mayhem, I was instantly intrigued by Chevy Stevens's newest novel, Dark Roads. I vaguely remember watching a special about a Canadian highway that was the last known location of a lot of missing women and is believed to be the hunting route of a serial killer. So when I read the synopsis of Dark Roads, about a similar stretch of highway through the dark Canadian wilderness where women from all walks of life, especially indigenous women, disappear never to be seen or heard from again, I knew I needed to add it to my TBR pile.

The story is narrated by two young women who experience first-hand the evil that can lurk in the dark. Hailey was recently orphaned when her father died in a tragic accident and now has to live with her aunt and uncle. Her Uncle Vaughn is referred to as "The Iceman" by the kids in town because of his strict demeanor. He is always nagging Hailey about not walking or biking at night along the Cold Creek Highway. An apparent control freak, Vaughn and Hailey do not get along well under the best of circumstances, so it's no surprise that things come to a head when Hailey discovers that Vaughn is keeping a dark and dangerous secret. Fearing for her safety, Hailey runs away to live off the grid in an attempt to free herself from Vaughn's control. It doesn't take long for the town to assume that Hailey too has become a victim of the Cold Creek Highway.

One year passes and the story picks up with Beth, a young woman who drops out of law school after her sister is found murdered in a ditch along the infamous highway. Beth is struggling to come to terms with her sister's death and the fact that the police don't seem to have answers about the monster who destroyed her family's lives. She decides to visit Cold Creek herself and steps into the life her sister lived, waitressing at the same restaurant and living out of a motel before deciding to set herself up at the local campground. When Beth accidentally crosses paths with Hailey, the two girls must work together to stay out of the clutches of a ruthless killer who is watching their every move.

This turned out to be a completely different story from what I had been expecting, but I still enjoyed it. Dark Roads started off really strong. I flew through the first part of the book where Hailey was the only narrator. Stevens did a wonderful job of developing characters and building the 'creep' factor. Her ability to create a realistic setting is quite impressive. Unfortunately, the novel really slowed when the narrator switched to Beth and took quite awhile to pick back up again. Having read the whole book now, I would say this is just a minor flaw considering the intensity takes back over for the last 20% of the book. There were times I considered not finishing it because I was bored of Beth's day to day life in Cold Creek, but I'm so glad I stuck with it because what followed was action-packed and exciting! There will be a few spots you'll have to trudge through in order to get to the thrilling ending, but it really is worth it! If that sounds like something you can handle, go check it out!

My Rating: ★★★★☆

At the time of this post, this title is set to be released on August 3rd, 2021.

*Thanks to the author, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Review: The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

One thing I love is a good scary movie from the 1980s, before horror movies became all about the gore and shock value. When I read the synopsis of Grady Hendrix's novel, The Final Girl Support Group, I knew it was something I would have to read. It follows the lives of several "final girls" decades after they each became the sole survivor in their own real-life horror movie. Many of these women's tales inspired hokey film franchises and tell-all books written by horror-obsessed fans. Lynette is one of these final girls and finds life after tragedy to be difficult, to put it mildly. Scared that she'll one day be the target of a psychotic killer again, she practically lives as a shut-in, literally behind a cage she's installed in her apartment. She has no one in her life, besides a plant she talks to and her fellow final girls, who meet monthly for a group therapy session in secret. All of Lynette's precautions prove inadequate though when the final girls become the target of someone who wants them all dead. She must face her fears of the outside world and put decades' worth of preparation into action if she wants to survive and save the only people who understand her.

This book was a fun read! It got a bit over-the-top with the gore and violence for me in a few bits, but I'm not going to hold that against the story because it is in the appropriate horror genre. It honestly felt like I was watching a modern-day horror movie. There were a lot of connections to famous horror films like Halloween, Friday the 13th, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Scream, just to name a few. I found myself spooked quite a few times while reading this late at night when I was the only one in the house awake. My biggest complaint is that the ending to the big scene at the end seemed a little rushed. I went back a few pages just to make sure I hadn't accidentally skipped over a big chunk because I couldn't really believe that was it. The build up to the scene was great and then it just deflated. There were also several instances throughout the novel where the characters were just too unbelievable or stared to annoy me. Lynette could be very repetitive and whiny. Also, there's no way the cops would have acted towards Lynette the way they did in the novel. I mean, they refuse her right to a lawyer, lock her up for days while taunting her with graphic material related to her traumatic past. Maybe a handful of cops would've been jerks, but an entire station psychologically abusing someone like that without repercussions just seems so far-fetched. 

Overall, The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix is worth your time, especially if you're a fan of classic horror movies. Despite some minor issues with the story, it is mostly fast-paced and suspenseful with some surprising twists and a lot of bad-ass female characters. 

My Rating: ★★★★☆

At the time of this post, this title is set to be released on July 13th, 2021.

*Thanks to the author, Berkley Publishing Group, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Review: The Therapist by B.A. Paris

I always forget how much I love B.A. Paris's writing until I start another one of her novels and then her talent is hard to ignore! I've loved some of her previous works, including Behind Closed Doors, The Break Down, and The Dilemma. She writes in the domestic suspense genre, which is important to know. I would not describe her novels as thrillers, but they keep me up reading late into the night regardless. If you're unfamiliar with her work, you should really check out some of her books. Her latest release, The Therapist, would be a great place to start!

Much like her previous work, The Therapist is a slow burn with a lot of character development and tension that builds with each page until an intense climax. The reader follows Alice, a woman who moves into a gated community in London with her boyfriend, Leo. Hoping that this will be the start of their happily-ever-after, Alice blissfully moves into one of the twelve homes in The Circle and immediately tries to make friends with the neighbors. It doesn't take long before Alice learns that the former owners of their new beautiful home met a tragic end in an apparent murder-suicide. The murdered woman shares the name of Alice's sister who, along with their parents, died a long time ago in a car accident. Because of this coincidence, Alice becomes obsessed with the details of the murder and is not ready to accept the murder-suicide label as fact. Enter a mysterious stranger who crashes a party within The Circle's gated community, which sets Alice off on what may or may not be a delusional trip down the rabbit hole.

If you've enjoyed B.A. Paris's previous work, you're sure to enjoy this latest novel as well. If you haven't read this author before, then you're in for a real treat!

My Rating: ★★★★★

At the time of this post, this title is set to be released on July 13th, 2021.

*Thanks to the author, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Review: The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

Alex Michaelides's previous novel, The Silent Patient, got a ton of buzz when it was released and even won some readers' choice awards for its unique plot. Having read and enjoyed it immensely, I was excited to read Michaelides's next novel, The Maidens. I have to say that it exceeded my expectations and (in my opinion, of course) is better than The Silent Patient.

The Maidens follows Mariana Andros, a group therapist who is still dealing with her husband's tragic death a year later. The only person left in her family circle is Zoe, her niece who was left in Mariana's charge when her parents were killed in a car crash. While attending university, Zoe's best friend is found murdered, her throat slit and her body found in a way that makes her death seem almost sacrificial or ritualistic. Mariana immediately goes to Zoe and her mama bear claws come out as soon as she realizes that a young, handsome professor might be preying on his unsuspecting students. Determined to find the person responsible for the murder, Mariana gets herself into all kinds of trouble with the police. Her digging continues even as more bodies of young girls start to show up. The victims all have one thing in common-they were part of a secret group on campus called "The Maidens," which shows all the signs of being a cult run by the suspicious professor. The police don't seem to be putting two and two together, so Mariana sets off to find the killer and stop him before he can turn his sights to her beloved Zoe.

I loved this one! While I enjoyed The Silent Patient, I was worried The Maidens would fall victim to the same kind of ending where the reader is expected to suspend reality a bit to accept the resolution. This plot veered towards unbelievability for a moment, but righted itself in time. I did not see the big twist coming and there were plenty of red herrings that kept me guessing throughout. The pacing was quick and had I not been so end-of-the-year-teacher tired, I would have finished it in just a few sittings. I think those who liked The Silent Patient will definitely like this one, especially since there are some 'Easter egg' references to characters and places from that novel sprinkled into the Maidens. If you didn't love The Silent Patient, I still think there's a good chance you'd like this book as it doesn't have any of the same issues that I found with the other title.

My Rating: ★★★★★

*Thanks to the author, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for providing me with the audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

At the time of this review, this title will be available to purchase on June 15th, 2021.

Review: The Savage Instinct by Marjorie DeLuca

If you're into domestic suspense and historical fiction, then The Savage Instinct by Marjorie DeLuca should be your next read! (Readers should be aware that the novel has themes involving miscarriage, stillbirth, and violence against the incapacitated.) Set in Victorian England, the story follows Clara, a young wife who is released from an asylum for experiencing a violent display of emotion after delivering a stillborn baby. Her husband is more concerned with Clara's inheritance than her well-being and having her committed is the easiest solution to his money woes. Clara has to tread carefully as her husband and his companions plot and scheme to have her declared insane and locked away forever. 

One of Clara's hobbies is to read scriptures to women at the local prison. She is especially attached to Mary Ann Cotton, a real historical person who has been hailed as England's first female serial killer. Mary Ann is being tried for the murders of her husbands and many children via arsenic poisoning. Mary Ann's impending trial and sentencing are the backdrop for the tumultuous events in Clara's life. The novel has a slow build and there's plenty of infuriating "man talk" about how fragile and pathetic the female sex is, but there is plenty of suspense at the end to make this a worthwhile read. The ironic ending was unexpected. I'm interested to learn a bit more about the real Mary Ann Cotton after reading this book. I think fans of suspenseful historical fiction will enjoy this one!

My Rating: ★★★★☆

*Thanks to the author, Inkshares, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Review: The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner

When done well, historical fiction can be pure magic! I can't think of a title I've read recently that has
gripped my attention so firmly as The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner. Everything about this novel is executed perfectly, from the authentic depictions of late 18th century London to the characterization of the three female protagonists. I've read that this is her novel debut and if that is true, Sarah Penner has quite a gift. Make this your next read and you will not be disappointed!

The storyline of Penner's tale seamlessly weaves together the lives of three remarkable women: Caroline, Nella, and Eliza. Caroline is a modern-day woman who discovers an old apothecary shop bottle while on a mudlarking tour in London. She's supposed to be enjoying a 10-year anniversary trip with her husband, but recent developments in their relationship resulted in this being a solo journey for Caroline. Researching the mysterious vial she's discovered serves to be the perfect distraction from dealing with the drama that has become her marriage. Her initial findings reveal a 200-year-old mystery surrounding an apothecary responsible for many poisoning deaths in the area. Determined to uncover as much information about this enigmatic woman as possible, Caroline soon makes another discovery that could possibly be the key to finally identifying London's first female serial killer.

The novel jumps back in time to tell Nella and Eliza's interconnected tale. Nella is the female apothecary who has a secret business on the side selling poisonous concoctions to women looking to get rid of the men in their lives. She conducts her business according to two simple rules: first, only men can be victims of her elixirs, never women and two, she must record every transaction in her registry. She writes down every transaction, including the names of the purchaser and the intended victim. One day, Eliza, a 12 year-old girl, shows up at Nella's shop looking to purchase a deadly remedy on her mistress's behalf. The intended recipient is the master of the house who has begun to cast his predatory eyes onto Eliza. Without knowing it, Nella and Eliza's paths will cross again, leading to an unexpected friendship and a cataclysmic event.

It's rare for me to like all the characters in a novel, but Penner created such a wonderful trio in Caroline, Nella, and Eliza that it was impossible not to love these women. I was rooting for Caroline to find her place in the world and even though the other two ladies passed away long ago, I still found myself hoping for them to have a happy ending. These characters will stay with me for a long time.

I was also delighted to find I learned a few new things while reading this novel. I had never heard of 'mudlarking' before and now I hope I can try it sometime because it sounds so fun! I'm sure I'll be disappointed at not finding a historical artifact right out of the gate like Caroline did, but either way, it sounds like a great experience. I also got a chance to learn some new vocabulary. Fun fact: the word 'apothecary' is used to refer to a person who sells medicines, much like a pharmacist or chemist today. I had always heard the term used to describe an old-timey pharmacy, but apparently it was more common to refer to a person as an apothecary and their place of business as an apothecary shop. Maybe that's already well-known, but I thought I'd share since it was news to me!

Overall, this was a fabulous read. I actually contemplated waking up EARLY after staying up late just so I could continue the story. I didn't end up doing that, but the fact I even seriously considered it should be a testament to how much I enjoyed this novel!

My Rating: ★★★★★ out of 5

*Thanks to the author, Harper Audio, and Netgalley for providing me with this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!  

Review: Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane

I finished Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane the day I saw it was one of the November choices for the Book of the Month Club. I wasn't surprised at all to see it had been chosen. It's a tightly woven murder  mystery that is sure to please fans of the domestic suspense genre.

Right from the start, this novel hooked me. Lila is a trophy wife who is sick of taking her husband's abuse and finally decides to put an end to their marriage in the most vengeful way possible. She's plotted his murder out to the tiniest of details, but things do not go as planned. Instead of the police knocking on her door to tell her that her husband's body has been found, she answers it to find Aaron's boss instead. He tells her that Aaron didn't show up for work that day, which isn't a surprise to Lila. Dead men don't show up for work. What is a surprise, however, is that his car isn't where she left it and there is no sign of Aaron's body anywhere. Dead men also don't come back to life and drive away...or do they?

To make matters worse, Lila starts receiving threatening notes. She doesn't want to believe it's Aaron, but who else could possibly know what she tried to do? As if she doesn't have enough to worry about, Lila has become the target of a bulldog detective who isn't buying her clueless wife act. Lila feels the walls begin to close in around her as her husband's disappearance becomes connected to a series of missing women. She's not sure what to believe anymore, but one thing she knows for certain- if Aaron is still alive, he won't rest until he's killed her.

This novel was a thrilling ride from start to finish. I loved every twist and turn and even though I was able to figure out some of the ending, Kane did a wonderful job explaining all the whys and answering all the questions I had. The story was fast-paced throughout and I'd give it a solid 4.5 stars out of 5. My only complaint was in the characterization of Lila. Despite having valid reasons for portraying her as cold and unfeeling, she was just too hard a character to connect with. She was flat and lacked the depth I was really hoping for. If Kane had developed Lila the same way she did Ginny, the bulldog detective, then this would have easily been a 5/5. Despite that small critique, this was a gripping novel perfect for a chilly fall or winter night and I encourage you to pick up a copy if you're a fan of domestic suspense.

My Rating: ★★★★ 1/2 out of 5

*Thanks to the author, HarperCollins Publishers, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

At the time of this review, this title will be available to purchase on December 29, 2020.

Review: Little Bones by N.V. Peacock

 I was really excited to read Little Bones by N.V. Peacock for two reasons. The first being that the plot was unique and stood out from the average missing child thrillers I often read. The protagonist is the daughter of Mr. Bones, a serial killer who murdered little boys and used their bones to create macabre works of art. Cherrie has given herself a new name and a new life in an attempt to escape her previous life as "Little Bones," the nickname she received at 8 years-old when the public discovered she was a potential accomplice in her father's crimes. Considering her involvement in the kidnappings of eleven young boys when she was a child, Cherrie is not the typical protagonist.  The second thing that lured me in was the mention of a true crime podcast that stirs up Cherrie's life and leads to the subsequent abduction of her young son. I enjoy listening to true crime podcasts myself, such as "Serial," "Teacher's Pet," and "Up and Vanished" to name a few, so I was interested in seeing how the author incorporated her own version of this popular media into the story.

The book had me hooked from the beginning and I was not able to put it down for the first 60% or so. I was rooting for Cherrie to find her son and was very intrigued by her relationship with her serial killer father. Unfortunately, the last 40% of the novel did not live up to the beginning and I was left feeling disappointed and confused. While there were several red herrings introduced, the "bad guy" wasn't a huge shocker. I had suspected the culprit multiple different times throughout the story so the final reveal was less than shocking. My other complaint is that I lost my connection with Cherrie as soon as she switched into vigilante mode. I'm all for a bad ass protagonist, but Cherrie almost came across as being manic where she'd be frantically plotting and scheming on how to run her own investigation into her son's disappearance and the next minute she's sitting on the couch eating a bowl of cereal and watching Grey's Anatomy. Thankfully, my child has never gone missing, but if she did, I could promise you that I would NEVER be able to chill out and watch mindless television just a few days into her disappearance. One minute she'd talk about not being able to sleep because her mind is racing with fears for her son and the next minute, she's calmly going to bed early as a way of passing time as she waits for developments. It just seemed so unlikely to me that a mother in this position would act the way she does. Her actions made me dislike her which was frustrating because I didn't start the novel feeling that way.

Overall, this was an entertaining enough read, but the inconsistent characterization of Cherrie ruined it for me in the end.

My Rating: ★★★ 1/2 out of 5

*Thanks to the author, Avon Books, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

At the time of this review, this title will be available to purchase on October 31, 2020.

Review: Flowers for the Dead by Barbara Copperthwaite

Flowers for the Dead by Barbara Copperthwaite follows protocol for the all-too-familiar thriller/police procedural plot, but still manages to create a very unique and terrifying serial killer. 

The novel bounces back and forth between multiple characters, including Mike who is a recently widowed police detective. Nothing stands out about Mike. He's the typical damaged detective trying to balance his life as a single father with his career hunting the bad guys. He may be a little rough around the edges, but it's a given that he has a heart of gold. Laura is a young woman trying to bring herself out of the pits of depression after being the sole survivor in a horrific car accident that killed her entire family. There's nothing too memorable about her, but I did enjoy watching her evolve from a victim to a proactive and confident woman. 

While dealing with her grief, Laura unknowingly catches the attention of Adam, the psychotic serial killer and star of the story. Adam is unusual because he spends a significant amount of time wooing his victims. When he finds a woman who seems perfect for him, he falls fast and he falls hard. He sends these unlucky ladies messages via the types of flowers he sets on their doorsteps. He buys them groceries and tidies up their homes for them while they're sleeping. He puts their every need in front of his own. Sounds like a catch, right? The only problem is he does all of this in complete secrecy, using hidden surveillance systems to spy on the women who have no clue who Adam is. They all react to his attention differently. Some start to believe they're going crazy, while others just assume an ex is pulling out all the stops to get back together. One thing that stays the same, however, is that Adam eventually feels unappreciated, hurt, angry, etc. That doesn't bode well for the current recipient of his affections.

What I found to be unique about this novel was that the reader spends much of his/her time watching the story unfold through Adam's perspective. Most thrillers I read either ignore the serial killer's POV entirely as a way of keeping the mystery and fear factor high or they only give brief glimpses into the bad guy's thought process. In Flowers for the Dead, the author uses flashbacks to show the reader Adam's entire life, beginning with his childhood as a young boy and up to the present time. His younger years are not simply glossed over. While this does make the story's presentation stand out from a lot of the other novels in the same genre, I'm not sure if it was the best use of the reader's time. In fact, one of my complaints is that I feel there was far too much time spent on Adam's backstory. His experiences are quite heavy and if the point was to show how he evolved into becoming the monster he is later in life, that could have been accomplished in about half the number of pages. The extra background slowed the momentum of the story and caused me to feel like I was slogging through at a glacial pace.

Overall, the writing was great and the storyline was definitely very creepy. Readers with sensitivities should be aware that there were grotesque descriptions as well as disturbing child sexual abuse in the novel. Had I known about the latter, I probably would have skipped this read altogether, but that is my personal preference. If you're looking for a scary thriller to keep you up at night, this would definitely do the trick!

My Rating: ★★★★☆

*Thanks to the author, Bookouture, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Review: The Heatwave by Katerina Diamond

After a few disappointing reads, I was in desperate need of a great thriller. You know the ones; the kind where you don't even realize you've spent hours reading because the plot is so compelling. I picked up The Heatwave by Katerina Diamond because I saw a friend with similar tastes had recently left a promising review about it. It absolutely did not disappoint! Books like this make me happy and remind me why I love to read in the first place.

The storyline alternates between the past and the present through the use of two narrators. Felicity is a wife and mother of two who drops everything to return to her hometown when she sees on the television that a teenage girl has mysteriously disappeared there. This strikes a nerve with her because when she was growing up, another teenage girl went missing under similar circumstances. For reasons that aren't immediately revealed to the reader, Felicity feels like she is the missing link that connects these two disappearances. She sets out to do some investigating on her own, hoping to get answers to questions that have plagued her for years and save the latest missing girl. This is the first time she's returned home since she left as a teenager after having done something terrible. Jasmine is the narrator for back "then" when the first girl went missing. She is best friends with Felicity and lives a privileged life, spending her summers with her parents traveling the world as they do charity work. This particular summer, however, plans have fallen through and Jasmine is excited by the prospect of actually getting to experience a normal summer vacation. Jasmine's family has recently relocated and taken on a renter, Tim, who lives in a small garden house in the backyard. Jasmine can tell immediately that Tim is not the picture-perfect man her parents believe him to be. She embarks on a dangerous journey when she decides to find out what Tim might be hiding. Felicity and Jasmine's stories interweave seamlessly to tell a thrilling tale full of deception and depravity.

This book was just what I was hoping it would be! I have never read anything by Katerina Diamond before, but she is definitely an author I will be following from now on. I don't typically think too much when I read mysteries. I'm not a reader who is constantly trying to figure out the twists before they come. I simply read it and let the plot unfold as it may, but I wouldn't have been able to figure out the ending of this book no matter how hard I tried. There were several twists and reveals that I never saw coming. This book was just so...effortless. It was so easy to get sucked in and before I knew it, I had finished it! This would definitely make a great summer beach read and has been one of my favorites of 2020 so far.

My Rating: ★★★★★
At the time of this post, this title is set to be released on June 25, 2020.

Thanks to Avon Books and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Review: Secrets of a Serial Killer by Rosie Walker

My go-to books are edge-of-your-seat thrillers. There are so many books published every day that promise to scare me, keep me up at night, etc. They very rarely live up to their hype, so I was skeptical when the tagline for my latest read promised to "make your skin crawl." My obsession with the thriller genre began by reading R.L. Stine's Fear Street books way back in middle school. Even then I could tell the writing was subpar, but they were quick reads and I loved trying to figure out the bad guy. Later on, I graduated to reading adult thrillers and I can still remember Dean Koontz's Intensity in vivid detail all these years later. I enjoyed that story so much and it's been quite awhile since I've found a book that scared me in such an effortless way. And then I read Secrets of a Serial Killer by Rosie Walker.

Holy cow! This book is phenomenal! I could not put it down. The writing is superb and the plot is creepy and full of suspense. There is some violence and gore, but none of it feels like it's there for shock and awe. It serves a purpose in creating suspense and fear, but it doesn't get out of control. This could be easily turned into a terrifying horror movie. I know it may be hard to believe, but I don't have a single complaint about this book. Not one!

When I began reading, I was worried that I would have difficulty keeping track of all of the narrators. There is Zoe, a 17 year-old girl dating an older man, much to her parents' chagrin. She thinks she has all the answers and is fiercely independent, as you'd expect of a teenager. Helen is Zoe's mother and she works as an architect, specializing in repurposing historical buildings into modern living spaces. Her current project involves an old insane asylum. She is divorced from Zoe's father and tends to put all her energy into micromanaging her daughter's life. We also have Thomas, a prepubescent boy who lives next door with his journalist mother. He's consumed with finding out what happened to his father who left suddenly without explanation. He spends his time with his cousin, Maggie, who loves to explore and pretend she's a detective. And then we have HIM, the elusive serial killer the police claim doesn't exist. He's determined to make Zoe his next victim and has twisted things in store for her. Despite the numerous narrators, I needn't have worried. The points of view are masterfully woven together into a seamless story line that had my heart pounding from start to finish. The characters feel very real and authentic in their roles.

Great characters aside, the setting of this novel is also spot on. The time is set in the present in Lancaster, UK, but there's a lot of talk about the history of the lunatic asylum Helen is developing. A famed serial killer was kept there for some time in the 1980s and there seems to be quite a few coincidences between his crimes and several girls who have recently gone missing. The cops chalk it up to a bunch of runaways, but Thomas's mother causes problems for the authorities when she claims there's a serial killer on the loose in her articles. The abandoned asylum and its surrounding woods create the perfect ambiance for such a terrifying story. I could actually smell the mildew from the old caravan in the woods. The writing was that descriptive. I was able to visualize every single scene in this book without any problems and it really was a total creep fest. There's no way this story would have been half as engrossing as it was without such a dynamic setting.

After doing some research on the author, it appears this is her debut novel, but I will definitely be reading whatever Rosie Walker comes up with next. If you're a fan of thrillers and are looking for a truly scary reading experience, you've really got to check this one out. You won't be disappointed!

My Rating: ★★★★★
At the time of this post, this title is set to be released on July 17, 2020.

*Thanks to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!