She Didn't See It Coming by Shari Lapena

When a beloved wife and mother disappears, a luxurious condo building transforms into a potential crime scene, and the investigation begins: can the detectives find her before it's too late?

Bryden and Sam have it all: thriving careers, a smart apartment in a luxury condominium, supportive friends and a cherished daughter. The perfect life for the perfect couple.

Then Sam receives a call at his office. Bryden–working from home that day–has failed to collect their daughter from daycare. Arriving home with their little girl, he finds his wife’s car in the underground garage. Upstairs in their apartment her laptop is open on the table, her cell phone nearby, her keys in their usual place in the hall.

Except Bryden is nowhere to be seen. It’s as if she just walked out.

Paperback, 352 pages

Published July 29, 2025

 by Doubleday Canada

4.5/5 stars

Shari Lapena’s She Didn’t See It Coming was a gripping page‑turner that was a fast paced story that opened with a chilling twist: Bryden, a devoted mother and wife vanishes mysteriously from her upscale condominium while working from home. Her keys, phone, and laptop are all in place, everything suggests she never left...but she’s nowhere to be found.

The novel flows with multiple viewpoints and as suspicion grow throughout the building as an investigator pieces together secrets that some want to keep secret. What kept me reading was the premise, it was captivating in the sense of Bryden's portrayed perfect life which makes her disappearance baffling. The characters were flawed but authentic.  The plot I found to be tight, the twists were cleverly executed - I've come to expect that with Lapena's books.

She Didn't See It Coming isn't just a suspense mystery, it's also a story of family and trust. In the end I grabbed the audiobook through my Spodify account so I could listen to the last half, highly recommend both formats.

This book was part of my 2025 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge, #39

One Dark Night by Hannah Richell

One night in the woods
A party gone wrong
A body discovered at sunrise

He murdered her at the folly on their wedding day, left her body for the crows. They say she haunts the woods now, a girl in a white dress …

Everyone in the small town of Thorncombe knows the tales of the haunted woods where the birds don’t sing and a girl in a white dress roams, luring people to their deaths. But when a girl in white is found dead the morning after Halloween, her body carefully arranged at the bottom of an old stone folly, the community is thrown into turmoil.

With a teenage daughter of his own, police detective Ben Chase knows how high the stakes are. Was the girl the victim of a party prank gone wrong, or does her death represent something more sinister and ritualistic?

As the investigation unfolds and the noose tightens around Chase’s own family, the only thing anyone can be sure of is that no one is safe until this violent killer is caught.

Kindle Edition, 419 pages

Publishing on August 19, 2025

by Atria Books

4.5/5 stars

This is my first time reading a Hannah Richell novel and I can say it won't be my last.

One Dark Night  begins with the chilling discovery after a Halloween gathering near an elite boarding school. What follows is far more than a mystery, it’s a layered, character-driven story about the effects of trauma, fractured relationships and the secrets families keep.

Told from multiple povs - including a detective, his estranged wife, and their teenage daughter - the novel slowly unpacks the events of that fateful night. Richell does an exceptional job balancing suspense with tension and emotion that drew me into a world where guilt, grief, and love all exist. It was atmospheric giving that gothic and moody vibe. 

One Dark Night was a suspenseful read that wasn't just focused as a whodunit but delves into themes of family dynamics, privilege and the past. As for the whodunit part, it kept me guessing right to the end. Definitely recommend this one, it sure helped me out of a reading slump.

My thanks to Atria Books for a digital ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Too Old for This by Samantha Downing

A retired serial killer’s quiet life is upended by an unexpected visitor. To protect her secret, there’s only one option left—what’s another murder? From bestselling author Samantha Downing.

Lottie Jones thought her crimes were behind her.

Decades earlier, she changed her identity and tucked herself away in a small town. Her most exciting nights are the weekly bingo games at the local church and gossiping with her friends.

When investigative journalist Plum Dixon shows up on her doorstep asking questions about Lottie’s past and specifically her involvement with numerous unsolved cases, well, Lottie just can’t have that.

But getting away with murder is hard enough when you’re young. And when Lottie receives another annoying knock on the door, she realizes this crime might just be the death of her…

Kindle Edition, 395 pages

Expected publication August 12, 2025

 by Berkley

4.5/5 stars

Too Old For This was a captivating read as were my previous reads by Samantha Downing. She writes about morally grey characters with unpredictable plots.

Lottie Jones she is more than a flawed protagonist, she is calculated, complex and oddly compelling. I was never quite was sure if I should root for her or not.  Her motivations were rooted in the past, which the author wove seamlessly into the present day narrative.  She is also elder, plays weekly bingo with her church friends and looking at places to live out her final years. A retired serial killer you say...a very interesting story.

Too Old For This is a story of unfinished business, buried secrets and the deadly consequences of not letting the past stay in the past.  There was lots of tension and, of course, twists...many surprises along the way. Yes a few parts might have felt over the top but Downing makes it work without realizing how implausible some things might sound.  All in all this was a binge-worthy read that keep me reading just one more chapter (pun intended).

My thanks to Berkley Publishing for a digital ARC in exchange for a honest review.

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark

June, 1975.

The Taylor family shatters in a single night when two teenage siblings are found dead in their own home. The only surviving sibling, Vincent, never shakes the whispers and accusations that he was the one who killed them. Decades later, the legend only grows as his career as a horror writer skyrockets.

Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont has spent her entire professional life hiding the fact that she is the only child of Vincent Taylor. Now on the brink of financial ruin, she's offered a job to ghostwrite her father's last book. What she doesn't know, though, is that this project is another one of his lies. Because it's not another horror novel he wants her to write.

After fifty years of silence, Vincent Taylor is finally ready to talk about what really happened that night in 1975.

Kindle Edition, 368 pages, 

Published June 3, 2025 

by Sourcebooks Landmark

4.5/5 stars

Julie Clark has been a go-to author since reading The Last Flight and The Lies I Tell. She knows how to grab and keep my attention.  The Ghostwriter is no except, it is a well written, emotionally charged thriller that blends suspense along with a fractured father-daughter relationship. 

The Ghostwriter is told with two timelines, that skillfully weaves the past and present to unravel a decades-old mystery that continues to haunt those left behind.

Estranged from her father, Olivia is reluctantly pulled back into his world when she’s hired to help write his memoir. Long suspected, though never charged in the brutal murder of his two younger siblings many years ago, Olivia left the past and here the past has finally caught up with her.

The Ghostwriter is a story of secrets, many, many secrets that opens past hurts and the only way to combat them is ultimately to face them.  This was an addicting read that alternates between the present-day memoir and the past events leading up to the murders.  It was intricately woven, creating a layered, suspenseful story where the truth feels just out of reach. Slowly unraveling of both the murder case and the emotional distance between father and daughter was handled nicely bringing a conclusion with some surprises.  I highly recommend The Ghostwriter if you like an addicting read with twists and turns.

This book was from my Kindle library.

The Unraveling of Julia by Lisa Scottoline

Lately, Julia Pritzker is beginning to think she’s cursed. She’s lost her adoptive parents, then her husband is murdered. When she realizes that her horoscope essentially foretold his death, she begins to spiral. She fears her fate is written in the stars, not held in her own hands.

Then a letter arrives out of the blue, informing her that she has inherited a Tuscan villa and vineyard —but her benefactor is a total stranger named Emilia Rossi. Julia has no information about her biological family, so she wonders if Rossi could be a blood relative. Bewildered, she heads to Tuscany for answers.

There, Julia is horrified to discover that Rossi was a paranoid recluse, who believed herself to be a descendent of Duchess Caterina Sforza, a legendary Renaissance ruler. Stunned by her uncanny resemblance to Rossi, and even to Caterina, Julia is further unnerved when she unearths eerie parallels between them, including an obsession with astrology.

Before long, Julia suspects she’s being followed, and strange things begin to happen. Not even a chance meeting with a handsome Florentine can ease her troubled mind. When events turn deadly, Julia’s harrowing struggle becomes a search for her identity, a race to save her sanity, and ultimately, a question of her very survival.

Kindle Edition, 396 pages

Audiobook, 10 hours, 28 minutes

Expected publication July 15, 2025

 by Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Audio

3.5/5 stars

This was my first time reading (and listening to) anything by Lisa Scottoline, I was intrigued from the start. Splitting my time between the audiobook and the Kindle edition, both formats worked really well - the narration added an extra layer of intensity, especially during the more suspenseful moments.

The story follows Julia, who's grieving the sudden loss of her husband when she unexpectedly inherits a villa in Italy. Sounds dreamy, right? But of course, it’s not that simple. From the moment Julia arrives the atmosphere shifts, there's a heavy moody vibe with a setting that is vivid and at times spooky.

Things take a turn toward the paranormal pretty quickly, and nothing is quite what it seems. There are some unreliable characters, strange events, and twists that kept me guessing the whole way through. Just when I thought I had things figured out, something else would unravel (pun totally intended).

The Unraveling of Julia is a mix of grief, mystery with just enough supernatural weirdness that keep me wondering what was real. If you're into books with a haunting setting, emotional depth, and plenty of twists, this one’s worth a read.

I’ll be checking out more from Lisa Scottoline after this.

My thanks to Grand Central Publishing and Hachette Audio for advanced copies in exchange for a honest review.

Guess Again by Charlie Donlea

On the 10th anniversary of a teenage girl’s disappearance, her cold case breaks open in dangerous ways…and threatens to tear apart her small Wisconsin town all over again in the masterfully twisty new psychological suspense novel from the internationally bestselling author of Twenty Years Later.

For fans of Riley Sager, Anna Downes, Alex Finlay, Stacy Willingham, and Karin Slaughter.

Ten years ago, 17-year-old high school volleyball star Callie Jones vanished from her quiet Wisconsin lake community. A highly publicized search followed but her body was never found. The case went cold, but the echoes still linger.

Ethan Hall, a former renegade detective turned ER doctor, left law enforcement to escape the horrors of the kid crime division. But on the tenth anniversary of Callie’s disappearance, his former partner, Pete Kramer, makes a desperate request. Pete is the veteran detective who originally investigated the case. Now he’s dying, and to ease his conscience and get closure for the Jones family, he needs Ethan to return to the haunting work he left behind—and solve what happened to Callie, once and for all.

Word soon spreads and everyone in the small town of Cherryview feels a rush of hope that answers will finally be found. Amid a sweltering heatwave, Ethan’s investigation gains momentum, but reexamining old evidence won’t be enough. He needs a new way into the case, no matter how dangerous or unconventional. And it comes from the least likely of sources—an inmate in a maximum-security prison.

Soon Ethan’s methods draw him deeper into a twisted psychological game. Because there is much more to the nightmare of Callie’s disappearance than he imagined, including a connection with his own dark past . . . and secrets that are still worth killing for.

Kindle Edition, 353 pages

Expected publication July 29, 2025

 by Kensington Books

4/5 stars

This is my second time reading a Charlie Donlea book, I remember really enjoying The Suicide House and was hoping for a similar experience with Guess Again. Safe to say, I wasn’t disappointed.

Guess Again comes out later this month, it centers around the case of 17-year-old Callie, who vanished from her Wisconsin hometown a decade ago. Her body was never found and the case has gone cold. That is until someone close to Ethan Hall - a former detective turned ER doctor - asks him to take another look.

It’s a bit of a career jump for Ethan, but it actually works. As he starts digging into the old case things start to unravel in all the best ways. There are layers of mystery, secrets from the past colliding with the present and a whole cast of characters to keep track of - some trustworthy, some not so much.

I flew through this one in just a few days. The pacing is tight, especially in the second half, which I basically devoured in a single sitting. Short chapters, lots of twists, and enough tension that kept me stumped. There’s also an emotional thread with Ethan still dealing with the trauma of losing his father to a serial killer, which added much to the story.

The ending felt right, satisfying well leaving the door open for more. 

After finishing this, I know I need to dig into Donlea’s backlist whenever I’m in the mood for a fast, twisty mystery.

My thanks to Kensington Publishing for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Traces of Guilt by Dee Henderson

Evie Blackwell loves her life as an Illinois State Police Detective . . . mostly. She's very skilled at investigations and has steadily moved up through the ranks. She would like to find Mr. Right, but she has a hard time imagining how marriage could work, considering the demands of her job.

Gabriel Thane is a lifetime resident of Carin County and now its sheriff, a job he loves. Gabe is committed to upholding the law and cares deeply for the residents he's sworn to protect. He too would like to find a lifetime companion, a marriage like his parents have. . . .

When Evie arrives in Carin, Illinois, it's to help launch a new task force dedicated to reexamining unsolved crimes across the state. Spearheading this trial run, Evie will work with the sheriff's department on a couple of its most troubling missing-persons cases. As she reexamines old evidence to pull out a few tenuous new leads, she unearths a surprising connection . . . possibly to a third cold case. Evie's determined to solve the cases before she leaves Carin County, and Sheriff Thane, along with his family, will be key to those answers.

Audiobook, 12 hours

Hardcover, 389 pages

Published May 3, 2016

 by Bethany House Pub

4/5 stars

It’s been a while since I picked up a Dee Henderson book, I was excited to dive into Traces of Guilt. This is the first book in the Evie Blackwell Cold Case series - and as you might guess, it’s all about digging into those lingering unsolved mysteries.

In this one, Evie heads to a small town in Illinois to take another look at the disappearance of a family - mom, dad, and their 12-year-old son. Right off the bat, I was introduced to a lot of characters, and it took me a minute to keep track of who was who and how they were connected. But once I got into the rhythm, it all started to come together.

The story is labeled as a suspense romance, though honestly, there wasn’t a ton of suspense or romance for me. Still, it was a good read. Most of the characters are involved in law enforcement and some of them definitely gave off vibes like they were hiding something - which kept things interesting.

The pacing was pretty steady, though the ending wrapped up quicker than I expected. There are some side plots sprinkled throughout, which helped keep the story moving. I really appreciated the character development - Evie and Gabriel (plus his big extended family) felt real and relatable, which made me want to keep reading. I’m looking forward to book two, Threads of Suspicion.

I listened to the audiobook through my Everand subscription,  it was really well done. If you like crime stories with a personal touch and solid characters, this might be worth adding to your list.

Night Watcher by Daphne Woolsoncroft

Nola Strate, a late night radio host in Portland, Oregon, listens to stories of hauntings and cryptic sightings for a living. But one foggy evening, a caller describes an eerie scene that triggers memories of Nola’s childhood escape from a serial killer, and she fears he’s back to finish what he started.

Nola Strate is being watched, again.

After an encounter with a notorious serial killer in the Pacific Northwest as a child, Nola has grown up and tried her best to forget her traumatizing night with the Hiding Man. She installed security cameras outside her Oregon home, never spoke of her experience, and now hosts Night Watch, a popular radio call-in show her semi‑famous father used to run. When coincidences lead Nola to believe that she is being stalked, and a caller on Night Watch has a live incident with an intruder in the caller's home—the description of whom is chillingly familiar—Nola is convinced that the Hiding Man has resurfaced and is coming for her.

With a mysterious next‑door neighbor lurking in the shadows, more people getting hurt, the police not taking her concerns seriously, and evidence pointing towards her own father, Nola decides to become, like her listeners, a Night Watcher herself, and uncover the monster behind the Hiding Man's mask.

Kindle Edition, 332 pages

Audiobook, 9 hours, 7 minutes

Expected publication July 8, 2025

 by Grand Central Publishing

3/5 stars

This was my first time reading anything by Daphne Woolsoncroft.

The story follows Nola Strate, a late-night radio host whose world gets shaken when a caller brings up something that drags her straight back to a traumatic night in her past, the night her babysitter was brutally murdered. As new crimes start popping up around the city, Nola can’t shake the feeling that history might be repeating itself and 'The Hiding Man' is back.

There’s a good mix of mystery and some tension here. The story of the past slowly unraveled and showed parallel similarities. I read this one in a mix of audio and Kindle,  both formats worked really well. The audiobook narrator added some emotional weight to the tense moments. That being said, something felt just a little off,  it was intriguing, but not fully immersive for me. I wanted a bit more punch or surprise from the ending. Still, it was a satisfying read overall.

Thanks to Hachette Audio for the audiobook and Grand Central Publishing for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell

Three women are connected by one man in this kaleidoscopic thriller.

“Who are you? Who are you really?”

Nick Radcliffe is a man of substance and good taste. He has a smile that could melt the coldest heart and a knack for putting others at ease. He’s just what Nina Swann needed in her life after her husband’s unexpected death. But to Nina’s adult daughter, Ash, Nick seems too slick, too polished, too good to be true. Without telling her mother, Ash begins digging into Nick’s past. What she finds is more than unsettling…

“Because there are things that don’t make sense, and I’ve been so patient, so very patient…”

Martha is a florist living in a neighboring town with her infant daughter and her devoted husband Alistair. But lately, Alistair has been traveling more and more frequently for work, disappearing for days at a time. When Martha questions him about his frequent absences, he always has a legitimate explanation, but Martha can’t share the feeling that something isn't right.

“You know that’s mad, don’t you? I’m your husband. We know everything there is to know about each other.”

Nina, Martha, and Ash are on a collision course with a shocking truth that is far darker than anyone could have imagined. And all three are about to wish they had heeded the same warning: Don’t let him in. But the past won’t stay buried forever.

Kindle Edition, 368 pages

Expected publication June 24, 2025

 by Atria Books

2/5 stars

Lisa Jewell has long been one of my go-to authors - an auto-read whose unique plots and unexpected twists usually has me finishing within a couple days. Naturally, I dove into her latest release, Don’t Let Him In without reading any reviews or even looking at the blurb. I was anxious to experience the story fresh, trusting in Jewell's talent to deliver a gripping story.

The novel follows a man who appears charming and confident - someone who believes he's irresistible to women - but beneath that facade lies someone far more sinister. He preys on women from various walks of life, manipulating them with ease. As suspicions grow, the truth about him begins to unravel piece by piece, like a jigsaw puzzle slowly taking shape.

While the premise had all the ingredients of a compelling psychological thriller, the execution didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The pacing was so slow, there were many characters to keep track of and the execution - jumping between similar characters and multiple timelines - made it difficult to stay engaged. By the time the story picked up, I found myself emotionally detached from the characters and their outcomes.

Don’t Let Him In had promise, and I appreciated the clever setup of its central mystery. But overall, it didn’t captivate me the way Lisa Jewell’s previous books have. Longtime fans might still find elements to enjoy, but for me, this one fell short of the mark.

My thanks to Atria Books for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review.

The Busybody Book Club by Freya Sampson

A dysfunctional book club must pull together when one of their members goes missing in this bighearted new mystery from the USA Today bestselling author of Nosy Neighbors.

The five members of the St. Tredock Book Club disagree on everything, from the books they read to the biscuits they eat. But when one of the group suddenly disappears and a dead body is discovered at his house, these bibliophiles must put their differences aside to solve the mystery.

Having recently moved to Cornwall, Nova Davies started the book club to impress her new colleagues at the community center, but so far it’s a disaster. To make matters worse, six thousand pounds is stolen from the community center during one of her meetings, putting both her job and the whole center at risk.

Suspicion for the theft falls on book club member Michael, especially when a dead body is discovered at his house and Michael disappears. The police think he’s simply run away, but the other members have their own theories. Agatha Christie superfan Phyllis is determined to prove he’s a murderer as well as a thief, while secret romance reader Arthur believes Michael’s eloped with his mistress, and teenage sci-fi fan Ash thinks dark forces are at play.

While trying to find Michael and recover the money, each book club member has their own secrets to protect. With inspiration from their favorite fictional sleuths, they won’t rest until they’ve cracked the case and everyone is safe at home where they belong.

Kindle Edition, 384 pages

Published May 27, 2025

 by Berkley

4/5 stars

I don’t usually gravitate toward cozy mysteries—if this even fits that genre—but I have to say, this was a surprisingly fun read.

The story centers on a newly formed book club made up of five very different individuals, each with their own quirks, secrets, and backgrounds. What unites them is their shared love of reading—though not everyone is thrilled with every book pick, the meetings are more about connection than the literature itself. (The blurb gives a good rundown of who's who.)

Things take a dramatic turn when a large sum of money goes missing, and Nova finds herself accused. That accusation sets off a chain of events involving a dead body, long-buried secrets, and a determined effort by the group to clear Nova’s name—and save her job in the process.

The Busybody Book Club is ultimately a heartwarming story about unexpected friendship, healing old wounds, and solving a pretty compelling mystery along the way. The characters are delightfully quirky, easy to root for, and the plot had enough twists to keep me engaged throughout. It was a genuinely enjoyable ride.

 My thanks to the Berkley for a digital arc (via Netgalley) in exchange for a honest review.

Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh

Two sisters on trial for murder. They accuse each other. Who do you believe? 

“911 what’s your emergency?”

“My dad’s dead. My sister Sofia killed him. She’s still in the house. Please send help.”

“My dad’s dead. My sister Alexandra killed him. She’s still in the house. Please send help.”

One of them is a liar and a killer.

But which one?

Kindle Edition, 384 pages

First published September 3, 2020

Rereleased June 3, 2025

 by Atria Books

3.5/5 stars

Here is another chapter in the Eddie Flynn series, I have read book 8 and 1 - in that order and now the 5th book.  I think they work fine as a stand alone, though I am curious about some of the players.  I hope to read the rest of the series in order.

Fifty Fifty is a fast paced story about two sisters each charged with the murder of their father, both say the other one did it. The story alternates point of view between each of the sisters and Eddie along with another one. It was an intriguing read that kept my attention. There was action along with familiar faces from his other books and yes, I did have to suspend my belief a couple times.

If you like an addicting read with courtroom drama, twist and turns along with unreliable characters, mystery and suspense then I highly recommend Steve Cavanaugh.

Thanks to Atria Books for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

The Breakdown by B.A. Paris

If you can’t trust yourself, who can you trust?

Cass is having a hard time since the night she saw the car in the woods. It was on the winding rural road, in the middle of a downpour, and a woman was sitting inside—the woman who was killed. She’s been trying to put the crime out of her mind; what could she have done, really? It’s a dangerous road to be on in the middle of a storm, and she probably would have been hurt herself if she’d stopped. Not only that, her husband would be furious if he knew she’d broken her promise not to take that shortcut home.

But since then, she’s been forgetting every little thing. Where she left the car; if she took her pills; even the alarm code.

The only thing she can’t forget is that woman, the woman she might have saved, and the terrible nagging guilt.

And the silent calls she’s receiving, or the feeling that someone’s watching her…

Kindle Edition, 337 pages

Audiobook 9 hours, 25 minutes

Published March 1, 2019

 by St. Martin's Press

3/5 stars

This was my first time reading a book by this author. The Breakdown started with an enticing scene that had me hunkering down as I listened to the audiobook. I also had the Kindle version and alternated while not driving.

Like I said the opening scenes really grabbed my attention.  A dark stormy night, deserted country road until it wasn't, the guilt Cass feels for not stopping...I was feeling the vibes.  But then it lost a little momentum. It got bogged down with repetitiveness as Cass feels like she is losing her mind. Since her mother passed away after having dementia diagnosed while young, Cass feels she has inherited this trait. Cass also feels guilt for not helping the woman stranded on the side of the road though that is her little secret that keeps eating away at her thoughts, thus creating tension within.

It wasn’t until the last quarter that things really picked up, it became an addicting read that I had to finish before retiring for the night.

The Breakdown is a story of inner demons, tragedy and mystery. Is Cassie really losing her mind or is something else to play?

Like I said I listened to the audio for most of this book and I’m glad I went that route, I think if I read I might have given up at the halfway point.

The audiobook was obtained through CloudLibrary with the Kindle via the publisher, St. Martin Press

The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak

From the bestselling author of Hidden Pictures comes a breathtaking work of suspense about a father trying to save his daughter from a life-altering decision that will put everything he loves on the line.

Frank Szatowski is shocked when his daughter, Maggie, calls him for the first time in three years. He was convinced that their estrangement would become permanent. He’s even more surprised when she invites him to her upcoming wedding in New Hampshire. Frank is ecstatic, and determined to finally make things right.

He arrives to find that the wedding is at a private estate—very secluded, very luxurious, very much out of his league. It seems that Maggie failed to mention that she’s marrying Aidan Gardner, the son of a famous tech billionaire. Feeling desperately out of place, Frank focuses on reconnecting with Maggie and getting to know her new family. But it’s difficult: Aidan is withdrawn and evasive; Maggie doesn’t seem to have time for him; and he finds that the locals are disturbingly hostile to the Gardners. Frank needs to know more about this family his daughter is marrying into, but if he pushes too hard, he could lose Maggie forever.

An edge-of-your-seat thriller that delves deep into the heart of one family, The Last One at the Wedding is a work of brilliant suspense from a true modern master.

Paperback, 368 pages

Published October 8, 2024

 by Flatiron Books

3.5/5 stars

I really enjoyed the author‘s previous book Hidden Pictures. It was 5 stars for me so maybe my expectations were a little high for this his latest, which released last fall.

I wouldn’t exactly call this a thriller, but rather a mystery. It’s been three years since Frank Szatokski has seen or communicated with his daughter Maggie, then out of the blue he gets a call announcing that she is getting married and would like Frank to walk her down the aisle.

When Frank turns up to meet the fiancé red flags start to appear. And then for the wedding weekend Frank questions so much about this new family Maggie is married to. It is a twisty story, there are secrets of the  past and present that are revealed with drastic consequences.

Maybe my expectations were too high, this was an okay mystery but definitely not suspenseful or a thriller like advertised.

This book was part of my 2025 reading off my shelf challenge (#18).

Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay

In the glow of their children’s exciting first year of college at a small private school in Northern California, five families plan on a night of dinner and cocktails for the opening festivities of Parents Weekend. As the parents stay out way past their bedtimes, their kids—five residents of Campisi Hall—never show up at dinner.

At first, everyone thinks that they’re just being college students, irresponsibly forgetting about the gathering or skipping out to go to a party. But as the hours click by and another night falls with not so much as a text from the students, panic ensues. Soon, the campus police call in reinforcements. Search parties are formed. Reporters swarm the small enclave. Rumors swirl and questions arise.

Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella—The Five, as the podcasters, bloggers, and TikTok sleuths call them—come from five very different families. What led them out on that fateful night? Could it be the sins of their mothers and fathers come to cause them peril or a threat to the friend group from within?

Told through multiple points of view in past and present—and marking the return of FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller from Every Last Fear and The Night Shift—Parents Weekend explores the weight of expectation, family dysfunction, and those exhilarating first days we all remember in the dorms when our friends become our family.

Kindle Edition, 384 pages

Expected publication May 6, 2025 

by Minotaur Books

3.5/5 stars

Alex Finley is an author I discovered a number of years ago and have read his last three books, enjoying them all. This his latest Parents Weekend releases on May 6.

Taking place in Northern California parents gather at their children’s private school for a dinner together. However, five kids don’t show up and what follows is a twisty road as to what happened. The book starts with introductions so as you can imagine five older teens and their parents, that is a lot of who's who, and which parents belong to which teen. Once I finally got everything straight in my brain, the story took off.

I didn’t realize that a face from past books, FBI special agent Sarah Keller was going to make an appearance (and you don’t really need to read the other books to get her story) but I do remember her and hope that I see more of her in the future. It was Sarah‘s point of view that was my favorite.

Parents Weekend is a fast paced story with many layers, red herrings, and characters that I really couldn’t connect with or even like. With Sarah being the exception.. It was a quick read as I was intrigued as to what was taking place. The mystery itself kept me guess, trying to solve it, but Sarah beat me to the punch.

All in all a quick read, with chapters leaving me wanting to read just one more .

I thanks to Saint Martin’s Press for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review

A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young

A woman investigates her brother's mysterious death while coming to terms with her own haunting past in this atmospheric novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Unmaking of June Farrow

The only thing James and Johnny Golden have ever had is each other. For as long as she can remember, James’s deep connection with her twin brother, Johnny, has gone beyond intuition—she can feel what he feels. So, when Johnny is killed in a tragic accident, James knows before her phone even rings that her brother is gone and that she’s alone—truly alone—for the first time in her life.

When James arrives in the rural town of Hawthorne, California to settle her brother’s affairs, she’s forced to rehash the ominous past she and Johnny shared and finally face Micah, the only person who knows about it. He’s also the only man she’s ever loved.

But James soon discovers that the strange connection she had with Johnny isn’t quite gone, and the more she immerses herself into his world, the more questions she has about the brother she thought she knew. Johnny was keeping secrets, and he’s not the only one. What she uncovers will push her to unravel what happened in the days before Johnny’s death, but in the end, she’ll have to decide which truths should come to light, and which should stay buried forever.

Hardcover, 288 pages

Published January 7, 2025

 by Delacorte Press

3.5/5 stars

This is my second Adrienne Young book, the previous being The Unmaking of June Farrow, which was a magical realism story. 

James returns home to go through your brother’s belongings after his sudden and tragic death. Johnny was killed in the bush while researching the lifestyle of a certain owl. James left many years ago after the tragic death of a friend that still brings up bitter memories of the past.

This was very slow paced story that I did a combo read and listen to the audiobook, it isn’t very long, but still managed to keep my attention with the multiple layers. It slowly unraveled the past to reveal what happened in the months previous to Johnny’s death. There were parts of the story that took me by surprise, not anticipating some things. It wasn’t the best mystery suspense story that I have read, but it was entertaining as it talks about the connection between twins, and even in your 30's this is a story of self discovery. 

I continue to read this author as I found she delivers with unique plots and likeable characters.

This book was part of my 2025 reading off my shelf challenge (#20) .

Hello, Juliet by Samantha M. Bailey

In a dark thriller from USA Today bestselling author Samantha M. Bailey, a TV reunion brings costars back for the drama and betrayals their viewers once craved—and this time, the stakes are deadly.

Ivy Westcott fled LA as her acting career imploded. In a flash, she lost her first love and chosen family—her Hello, Juliet castmates. But she never discovered who turned her closest friends against her. Now the whole world knows her as #PoisonIvy.

A decade later, Ivy is horrified when a celebrity exposé thrusts the Hello, Juliet cast back into the limelight, dredging up the old scandals she hoped to escape. Desperate for a fresh start and some financial stability for her mother and manager, Ivy agrees to participate in a top-secret reunion episode.

Ivy’s poised for a comeback, but past betrayals become a present danger when she and the man who once broke her heart find their costar dead.

Determined to find justice and clear her name, Ivy must tear down the facades of cast and crew to uncover chilling secrets that have plagued the Hollywood set from day one. Or she could be the next to die.

Kindle Edition, 303 pages

Expected publication April 29, 2025

 by Thomas & Mercer

4/5 stars

Hello Juliet is Samantha Bailey’s 4th novel, she’s one author I have managed to stay current with.

Hello Juliet is told in dual time periods. Current day Ivy has discovered the body of a former friend and castmate. A decade earlier on Ivy was cast in the lead role in a teen drama that ended with her reputation ruined - social media handles that role.

Hello Juliet is a twisty story that goes into the life of a celebrity and how one wrong move can ruin a career. It's a story of friendship and what can divide them, secrets because everyone has them, and the search for new beginnings. A captivating slow burn mystery with nice short chapters, making it a perfect fit for just one more chapter (pun intended). Along with the right amount of tension amongst the many layers that revealed a satisfying ending. 

Coming in at 303 pages it didn’t take long to zip through this, but don't let the size fool you into thinking this is a cozy mystery because it isn't.

My thanks to Thomas & Mercer for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review

The Defence by Steve Cavanagh

The truth has no place in a courtroom. The truth doesn't matter in a trial.

The only thing that matters is what the prosecution can prove.

Eddie Flynn used to be a con artist. Then he became a lawyer. Turned out the two weren't that different.

It's been over a year since Eddie vowed never to set foot in a courtroom again. But now he doesn't have a choice. Olek Volchek, the infamous head of the Russian mafia in New York, has strapped a bomb to Eddie's back and kidnapped his ten-year-old daughter Amy.

Eddie only has 48 hours to defend Volchek in an impossible murder trial - and win - if wants to save his daughter.

Under the scrutiny of the media and the FBI, Eddie must use his razor-sharp wit and every con-artist trick in the book to defend his 'client' and ensure Amy's safety. With the timer on his back ticking away, can Eddie convince the jury of the impossible?

Lose this case and he loses everything.

Kindle Edition, 321 pages

Published September 1, 2023

 by Headline

3.5/5 stars

This is the first book in the Eddie Flynn series. A few months ago I read Witness 8, which is book 8, and while it was fine on its own. But I was intrigued with all the characters and how a con artist turned into a lawyer came to make that transition, so alas here I am having read The Defence.

I’ll be very honest here and say that I struggled for the first part of this book, there seemed to be a lot of suspending of belief and I just wasn’t enamored as I was with Witness 8. However I persevered and then read the last third in a day.

The Defence is a story of a father‘s love for his daughter and the lengths he will go to protect her. It is a story of the Russian mafia and the control it had on New York. And it is a story of a murder trial that Eddie needs to win to save his daughter. All in all, a fast paced story with many layers, characters and has what I have come to expect in Eddie Flynn, he has a lot of cards up his sleeves and you never know what his next move will be, he keeps those thoughts to himself until he shows his hand.

I will continue the series because I have had book 4, Thirteen on my shelf for a while and it sounds very intriguing.

My copy was obtained through my Kindle library, you can find this book in Canada for 4.99 via Kindle or Kobo, unfortunately I was never able to find it as an e-book through my library.

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano

From New York Times bestseller and Edgar-Award nominee Elle Cosimano, comes Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave—the hugely anticipated next installment in the fan-favorite Finlay Donovan series.

Finlay Donovan may have skeletons in her closet . . . but at least there's not a body in her backyard.

Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime, Vero, have not always gotten along with Finlay’s elderly neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty, the community busybody and president of the neighborhood watch. But when a dead body is discovered in her backyard, Mrs. Haggerty needs their help. At first a suspect, Mrs. Haggerty is cleared by the police, but her house remains an active crime scene. She has nowhere to go . . . except Finlay’s house, right across the street.

Finlay and Vero have no interest in getting involved in another murder case—or sacrificing either of their bedrooms. After all, they’ve dealt with enough murders over the last four months to last a lifetime and they both would much rather share their beds with someone else.

Audiobook, 10 hours, 18 minutes

Expected publication March 4, 2025

 by Macmillan Audio

4/5 stars

Book 5 in the Finlay Donovan Series continues as has her earlier ones, right where the previous book left off.  Her neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty has been arrested after a body was found buried in her backyard. She is the neighborhood busy body, watcher of all that is going on and quite cranky. But when she turns to Finlay for help, how could Finlay say no. Well she tired will little success.

This book had a different feel than the previous ones in this series. The previous ones sometimes had a outrageous convoluted feel with too much suspending of belief while at the same time still being entertaining. With Digs Her Own Grave, it is a story that had relevant and poignant themes while still being mysterious and humorous.

I was given the audio, which is how I have read the other books.  The reader is Angela Dawe who again delivered an awesome performance. She brings the book and characters to life. If you haven’t read any of the series, I highly suggest you start at the beginning otherwise nothing really is going to make sense. 

Digs Her Own Grave shows a side of Mrs. Haggerty that no one expects.

My thanks to Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for a honest review.

Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh

Something is wrong with Ruby Johnson.

A former resident of the ultra-elite Manhattan upper class, Ruby now works as a maid in the type of houses she used to live in. Unassuming, she sees everyone’s dirty secrets from the inside of their beautiful, renovated brownstones. But when Ruby witnesses a murder, she has wicked plans in mind that don’t involve telling the authorities the truth.

Eddie Flynn, streetwise ex con-artist-turned-defense attorney, is the only lawyer in New York City willing to take on hopeless cases. And none is more hopeless than John Jackson’s—the gun that killed his neighbor found, with Jackson’s DNA, in his own home. Flynn and his unconventional team will need to use every trick they know to keep an innocent man from being locked up. But to save his client’s life, Eddie must first protect his own, as the scariest organized criminals in the city are out for his head.

Kindle Edition, 416 pages

Expected publication March 25, 2025

 by Atria Books

4/5 stars

It wasn’t till after I had started reading Witness 8 that I realized this is book 8 in the Eddie Flynn Series. For me it worked fine as a standalone but I am intrigued about his past - con-man turned lawyer.

Witness 8 starts with a grab that kept my attention and it didn’t take long to know there are many layers to this story.  It was fun keeping track of them all, which made the story all the more twisty.

I enjoyed this book, almost as much as Kill For Me Kill For You (a standalone read). I loved the mystery that kept me guessing, the characters that I liked and even those I didn’t. Trying to figure out the workings of Eddie’s mind and the bond he has with his team.

This was a well written book, with attention to detail. The ending saw everything fit together. I loved how  the author kept me stumped right till the end.  The blurb on the cover fits perfectly "What if the witness was more twisted than the killer?" Absolutely spot on!

My thanks to Atria Books for a digital arc in exchange for a honest review.

Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben

Former special ops pilot Maya, home from the war, sees an unthinkable image captured by her nanny cam while she is at work: her two-year-old daughter playing with Maya’s husband, Joe—who had been brutally murdered two weeks earlier. The provocative question at the heart of the mystery: can you believe everything you see with your own eyes, even when you desperately want to? To find the answer, Maya must finally come to terms with deep secrets and deceit in her own past before she can face the unbelievable truth about her husband—and herself.

Hardcover, 387 pages

Published March 22, 2016

 by Dutton

4.5/5 stars

Recently I received an arc for book 2 in the Sami Kierce Series, Nobody's Fool so it only stands for a reason that I need to read book 1 which is Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben.

I’ve yet to be disappointed in any books I’ve read of his so I was pretty excited to hunker down with this one. The book opened with Maya at the funeral for my husband who was murdered two weeks prior. 

A former special ops pilot, Maya is back in the States with her two year-old daughter. She starts to obsess about what happened with her husband when a nanny cam shows her dead husband in the house. What follows is a fast paced suspense story that kept me glued to the pages. Actually, I did a combo read and listen to the audiobook. The audio was excellent. 

 Along with the baggage of her husband, there are parts of Maya's life that she is dealing with, and as she digs deeper, many secrets that are uncovered, until the ending which I did not seeing coming at all.

Harlan Coben has again delivered an addicting read that was suspenseful. Though the series is named for Detective Sammy Kierce he does not play a predominant role like I thought he would. Book 2 in the series entitled, Nobody’s Fool releases on March 25 and from the blurb he takes center stage.

My copy of this book was obtained through CloudLibrary and the audio through Everand. Well browsing through my bookshelf at home I found have a physical copy so it fits into my 2025 reading off my shelf challenge.