The Guest List by Lucy Foley
A wedding in Ireland turns into a disaster and a crime scene. It’s told from the perspective of the bride, the groom, the best man, the plus one, the wedding planner and the bridesmaid.
I LOVED this book. I finished it in about two days. The chapters are short, but there’s suspense on every page. The twist at the end is one I didn't see coming.
Rating: 10/10
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
Written by the same author as The Guest List.
A group of friends from Oxford go away on a trip together after a few years apart. It’s told back and fourth from different character’s perspectives and has a timeline from when they arrived to when one of them disappears.
I also finished this book in about 2 days. Lucy Foley is an amazing author and I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next. IT HAS A HUGE PLOT TWIST THAT I DIDN’T SEE COMING.
Rating: 10/10
The Rise and Fall of Aaron Hernandez All American Murder by James Patterson, Alex Abramovich and Mike Harvkey
We all know the story by now about Aaron Hernandez, the New England Patriot who was hiding some dark secrets. The book goes through the crimes, his trials and his death.
I’ve literally watched everything about Aaron Hernandez, from the Oxygen show to the Netflix show. I feel like they always through twists in there that I didn’t expect. Aaron was a complicated person, but in my eyes he’s a cold blooded murderer.
Rating: 8/10
Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
The authors from the popular podcast My Favorite Murder take you through their early lives, mental health and why they wanted to start this podcast.
Honestly, this is the first true crime podcast that I really got interested in and it became an obsession after that. BTW, I can relate about being one of the only people out my friends and family that has an obsession with true crime. After reading and listening to them, I feel like they’re my besties.
Book Rating: 9/10
Podcast Rating: 10/10, THE PODCAST IS HILARIOUS!
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
Summary: Anna Fox lives alone in NYC. She’s afraid to go outside and spends her days drinking wine, watching movies and spying on her neighbors. One day she notices she has new neighbors, The Russell’s and begins to spy on them. Just when she’s thinking that they are a perfect family, she sees something tragic happen and secrets start to unravel about this new family and about Anna herself.
I liked the book, but it was kind of boring in some areas, so I didn’t finish it as fast. I got through it once it picked up again, but I recommend it.
Rating: 9/10
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Not everything is as it seems in Shaker Heights. This book explores the life and secrets of the Richardson and Warren families, and what happens once they exposure each other’s secrets.
Rating: 10/10, now I really want to watch the show as well! I still haven’t gotten to it, I’m so behind! I’ve heard they added more drama to the tv show, so I’m excited to compare the two.
Plus, I love Reese and Kerry!
The Power Couple by Alex Berenson
Summary: Rebecca and Brian Unsworth appear to have it all. A nice house in the suburbs of Washington, DC. Two well-behaved, healthy teenage children. Important government jobs—Rebecca working in counterterrorism for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Brian serving as a coder for the National Security Agency. Their lives stand to improve even more as Brian, in his off-hours, has just developed and sold a highly profitable app.
However, the Unsworths’ marriage isn’t as perfect as it seems. After two decades together, they’ve drifted apart, talking little and having sex even less. Seeking to revive their strained relationship, they decide for their twentieth wedding anniversary to take their two kids, Kira and Tony, on a European getaway.
They have a blast…until one night in Barcelona when Kira doesn’t come home from a dance club. She’s gone. Abducted.
Rating: 10/10.
This book was AMAZING. It was full of twists and turns, and I can honestly say I didn't see any of it coming. The only thing I would have to say is I would have liked all of the characters to have closure, not just the "power couple."
I also really either loved or hated each character, but every character had an amazing storyline and backstory.
Overall, it's one of the best books I've read this year by far.
And Now She’s Gone By Rachel Howzell Hall
Summary: It's up to Grayson Sykes to find her. Although she is reluctant to track down a woman who may not want to be found, Gray's search for Isabel Lincoln becomes more complicated and dangerous with every new revelation about the woman's secrets and the truth she's hidden from her friends and family.
I LOVED this book! I finished it in 3 days, because I couldn’t put it down. First, the main character has her own secrets, and she’s had a hard life of her own. She becomes such a badass by the end of the book, kicks ass at her job as a private investigator and fights for what she really wants.
The very last reveal of the book gave me chills. The book did a very nice job of putting all the secrets and back stories of each character together.
Rating: 10/10
Our Little Secret by Lesley Sanderson
Summary: This weekend was supposed to bring them all back together. But the tragedy that drove them apart has resurfaced. And this time it will destroy them.
When Louise receives an invitation to her old friend Amy’s birthday weekend in a cottage in the country, a chill runs down her spine. Of all the places they could go, why there? Why would they want to go anywhere near the scene of the worst thing that ever happened to them?
In their final year of college, their friend Hannah, part of their close-knit gang of six, went missing. Her body was found in the woods near their campus, and her death was ruled a suicide. The remaining five dealt with their grief and guilt at not being able to save her by drifting apart, trying to put the past behind them. So why has Amy brought them back now?
Over the course of the weekend, old loyalties are tested and shocking betrayals uncovered. Then a game of truth or dare is proposed. And it’s only a matter of time before someone dares to tell a secret that will shatter everything they thought they knew about Hannah’s death…
Thoughts: Another fantastic book that I couldn't put down. If you like love triangles, secrets and twisty thrillers, this is the book for you.
I liked all the characters, and I liked that they didn’t all stay close after what happened to their friend. I think it made it better when they agreed to seeing each other over the weekend, and were very wary of each other and what each of them knew about that tragic day.
I also had an inkling of what the outcome of the book would be, but even when I was right, there were still a lot of twists thrown into it!
The one thing I didn’t like about it was one of the character’s seemed to be in a toxic relationship and stayed with them, despite all the shitty things he did to her. Maybe it’s just my opinion, and I guess I’ve never been in that situation to judge.
Rating: I still give it a 10/10
Beyond the Headlines by R.G. Belsky
Summary: Laurie Bateman was living the American dream. Since her arrival as an infant in the U.S. after the fall of Saigon, the pretty Vietnamese girl had gone on to become a supermodel, a successful actress, and, finally, the wife of one of the country’s top corporate dealmakers. That dream has now turned into a nightmare when she is arrested for the murder of her wealthy husband. New York City TV journalist Clare Carlson does an emotional jailhouse interview in which Bateman proclaims her innocence—and becomes a cause celebre for women’s rights groups around the country.
At first sympathetic, then increasingly suspicious of Laurie Bateman and her story, Clare delves into a baffling mystery which has roots extending back nearly fifty years to the height of the Vietnam War.
Soon, there are more murders, more victims, and more questions as Clare struggles against dire evil forces to break the biggest story of her life.
Review: I loved it. You can tell I clearly have a thing for psychological thrillers and true crime type books. I again finished it within a week because I couldn’t put it down. This was also my first time reading anything by this author, and I want to read the other books in this series.
I also like all the twists and the turns, and I really didn’t except what was going to come next, like I did in some other books I’ve read.
This book also talks about important issues like the #metoo movement and domestic abuse.
Rating: 10/10
Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane
Summary: Lila Ridgefield lives in an idyllic college town, but not everything is what it seems. Lila isn’t what she seems.
A student vanished months ago. Now, Lila’s husband, Aaron, is also missing. At first these cases are treated as horrible coincidences until it’s discovered the student is really the third of three unexplained disappearances over the last few years. The police are desperate to find the connection,if there even is one. Little do they know they might be stumbling over only part of the truth….
With the small town in an uproar, everyone is worried about the whereabouts of their beloved high school teacher. Everyone except Lila, his wife. She’s definitely confused about her missing husband but only because she was the last person to see his body, and now it’s gone.
Review: This book was amazing! One of the best books I’ve read this year.
The characters were unlikeable, but they had such tragic backstories that made you actually feel bad for them. I also liked the twists and turns, it made me not want to put the book down and enjoy it with some wine or a white claw!
Besides mystery and secrets, this book also dealt with marriage, relationships and mental health.
Rating: 10/10
Little Threats by Emily Schultz
SUMMARY: In the summer of 1993, twin sisters Kennedy and Carter Wynn are embracing the grunge era and testing every limit in their privileged Richmond suburb. But Kennedy's teenage rebellion goes too far when, after a night of partying in the woods, her best friend, Haley, is murdered, and suspicion quickly falls upon Kennedy. She can't remember anything about the night in question, and this, along with the damning testimony from a college boy who both Kennedy and Haley loved, is enough to force Kennedy to enter a guilty plea.
In 2008, Kennedy is released into a world that has moved on without her. Carter has grown distant as she questions Kennedy's innocence, and begins a relationship with someone who could drive the sisters apart forever. The twins' father, Gerry, is eager to protect the family's secrets and fragile bonds. But Kennedy's return brings the tragedy back to the surface, along with a whole new wave of media. When a crime show host comes to town asking questions, believing the murder wasn't wasn't as simple as it seemed, murky memories of Haley's death come to light. As new suspects emerge and the suburban woods finally give up their secrets, two families may be destroyed again.
Review: I loved this book! I thought the plot was really interesting, and I loved the dynamic between the main character and her family. I enjoy how it went back in time and started with the main plot and about what happened, and how it took me as the reader through what actually happened, the trial and who the real culprit was. It made each character look guilty at point or another, until the truth was finally revealed.
Rating: 9/10
A Familiar Sight by Brianna Labuskes
Summary: Psychologist and criminologist Dr. Gretchen White is a specialist in antisocial personality disorders and violent crimes. She’s helped solve enough prominent cases for detective Patrick Shaughnessy that her own history is often overlooked: Gretchen is an admitted sociopath once suspected of killing her aunt. Shaughnessy still thinks Gretchen got away with murder. It’s not going to happen again.
When a high-profile new case lands on Shaughnessy’s desk, it seems open and shut. Remorseless teenager Viola Kent is accused of killing her mother. Amid stories of childhood horrors and Viola’s cruel manipulations, the bad seed has already been found guilty by a rapt public. But Gretchen might be seeing something in Viola no one else does: herself.
If Viola is a scapegoat, then who really did it? And what are they hiding? To find the truth, Gretchen must enter a void that is not only dark and cold-blooded, but also frighteningly familiar.
Review: As a true crime blogger and podcaster, I LOVED this book! I'm a sucker for a murder trial, as well as other twists and turns. I couldn't put it down, and that's when you know it's a good book!
I also loved the dynamic between the main characters, it was almost flirty, unprofessional, but they were also very suspicious of each other. I think I would be suspicious too if someone showed up every time there was a dead body!
Honestly it was so good, and I would love to read more books by this author!
Rating: 10/10
Possession by Katie Lowe
Summary: Ten years ago, Hannah’s husband was brutally murdered in their home, and she (conveniently) doesn’t remember a thing about that night. But the police charged someone else—a stranger—and put him away for life. And Hannah packed up her six-year-old daughter and left London behind.
But now her hard-won countryside peace is threatened. Conviction, a viral true crime podcast known for getting cases reopened and old verdicts overturned, has turned its attention to Hannah’s husband’s murder for its new season. They say police framed the man who was found guilty, and that Hannah has more suspicious secrets than just her memory loss: a history of volatility; citations at the clinic where she worked as a psychiatrist; dependencies on alcohol and pills; and a familicidal grandmother, locked away in a Gothic insane asylum until her death. As Hannah loses the trust of everyone she loves, the only person she feels she can confide in is a former colleague, Darcy, who’s come back into her life—but who may have motives of her own. But Hannah can’t tell even Darcy her deepest secret: that she’s still tormented by the memory of her husband and the crater he carved through her life.
Review: I LOVED this book. I just did an episode and blog post about Garrett Phillips and Nick Hillary being accused of the murder, and that’s similar to the case because of the is he guilty or is he innocent? I like how the case was brought back up after many years because the podcast host believed Hannah was hiding secrets, and there were many secrets indeed.
I finished this book in four days because I couldn't put it down! It's definitely the type of book that I recommend to others as well.
Rating: 10/10
The Ballerinas by: Rachel Kapelke-Dale
Summary: Dare Me meets Black Swan and Luckiest Girl Alive in a captivating, voice-driven debut novel about a trio of ballerinas who meet as students at the Paris Opera Ballet School.
Fourteen years ago, Delphine abandoned her prestigious soloist spot at the Paris Opera Ballet for a new life in St. Petersburg––taking with her a secret that could upend the lives of her best friends, fellow dancers Lindsay and Margaux. Now 36 years old, Delphine has returned to her former home and to the legendary Palais Garnier Opera House, to choreograph the ballet that will kickstart the next phase of her career––and, she hopes, finally make things right with her former friends. But Delphine quickly discovers that things have changed while she's been away...and some secrets can't stay buried forever.
Thoughts: I loved this book, and when I was younger I would go to the Nutcracker ballet with my grandmas, mom and cousin. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen the Nutcracker, but I loved it more and more each time.
This book is a little less glamorous than the Nutcracker, but it proves that the ballet is far from perfect. Ballet and dance has an age limit on it, and I liked that one of the characters wanted to push the boundaries of having an older woman as the lead. This book also had secrets and jealousy, and that's the type of book I enjoy the most.
I also loved the flashbacks between the past and present. It can be sometimes hard to follow, especially if there is a lot going on. I think the author did a good job, and I could follow everything very easily. I couldn't put this book down!
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for letting me review this amazing book!
Rating: 10/10
Under Her Care by Lucinda Berry
Summary: On a humid summer day in Alabama, a mayor’s wife turns up brutally murdered under a railroad bridge. Standing next to her body is fourteen-year-old Mason Hill, the autistic son of former Miss USA Genevieve Hill. The locals are quick to level their verdict on young Mason: he did it.
The town detective calls in local autism expert Casey Walker to consult on the case. At first, Casey tries to keep an open mind. But the more time she spends with Genevieve, the more her unease grows, and she suspects that Genevieve is doing more than just protecting her son.
Casey’s misgivings surrounding Genevieve’s story only intensify when she meets Savannah, Genevieve’s nineteen-year-old daughter. Savannah, as it turns out, has some disturbing secrets of her own. But as Casey dives ever deeper into the Hill family dynamic, her search for the truth leads to another shocking murder—one that shatters her understanding of the human condition in ways she never imagined.
Thoughts: Mason becomes the prime suspect in a murder. His mom, Genevieve said they were out for their daily walk when she lost track of him.
When Casey Walker, a psychologist comes onto the case, she learns more about Mason, Genevieve, and Genevieve’s daughter, Savannah. Casey also learns why people are afraid of Genevieve.
The characters and story are really well written, and there’s a twist in every chapter.
Rating: 10/10
Under Her Care by Lucinda Berry
Summary: On a humid summer day in Alabama, a mayor’s wife turns up brutally murdered under a railroad bridge. Standing next to her body is fourteen-year-old Mason Hill, the autistic son of former Miss USA Genevieve Hill. The locals are quick to level their verdict on young Mason: he did it.
The town detective calls in local autism expert Casey Walker to consult on the case. At first, Casey tries to keep an open mind. But the more time she spends with Genevieve, the more her unease grows, and she suspects that Genevieve is doing more than just protecting her son.
Casey’s misgivings surrounding Genevieve’s story only intensify when she meets Savannah, Genevieve’s nineteen-year-old daughter. Savannah, as it turns out, has some disturbing secrets of her own. But as Casey dives ever deeper into the Hill family dynamic, her search for the truth leads to another shocking murder—one that shatters her understanding of the human condition in ways she never imagined.
Thoughts: Mason becomes the prime suspect in a murder. His mom, Genevieve said they were out for their daily walk when she lost track of him.
When Casey Walker, a psychologist comes onto the case, she learns more about Mason, Genevieve, and Genevieve’s daughter, Savannah. Casey also learns why people are afraid of Genevieve.
The characters and story are really well written, and there’s a twist in every chapter.
Rating: 10/10
The Sleepover by Keri Beevis
Summary: When you’re a kid, you imagine monsters to have horns and fangs. That they hide under the bed or in the wardrobe. And you believe they can only come after you when it’s dark.
You don’t expect them to look like everyday people or that they may be someone you already know…
The summer in question started out with hot, fun-filled days and new friendships.
We had just turned thirteen and had our whole lives ahead of us.
But that was before her…
Before we became known as the Hixton Five and our lives become defined by one night.
It’s hard to believe twenty years have passed since she was locked away.
But now she’s free and strange things have started to happen.
When I close my eyes, the creeping anxiety and fear is overwhelming and all too real.
Because the monster is back, and I know she has a score to settle with us.
Review: This book was truly really good. The Hixton Five are now adults, and barely keep in touch. The only two friends to actually still be close are Hannah and Rosie. The book mostly follows them as they cope with learning that the “monster” from their past has been released from prison. The book goes back and forth between what happened when they were young to the present day. It kept me guessing until the very end.
Rating: 9/10
The It Girl by Ruth Ware
Summary: April Coutts-Cliveden was the first person Hannah Jones met at Oxford.
Vivacious, bright, occasionally vicious, and the ultimate It girl, she quickly pulled Hannah into her dazzling orbit. Together, they developed a group of devoted and inseparable friends—Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily—during their first term. By the end of the second, April was dead.
Now, a decade later, Hannah and Will are expecting their first child, and the man convicted of killing April, former Oxford porter John Neville, has died in prison. Relieved to have finally put the past behind her, Hannah’s world is rocked when a young journalist comes knocking and presents new evidence that Neville may have been innocent. As Hannah reconnects with old friends and delves deeper into the mystery of April’s death, she realizes that the friends she thought she knew all have something to hide… including a murder.
Review: Hannah and April are complete opposites, but they become fast friends when they meet at Oxford. Hannah also meets her other friends through April. The group is a bunch of misfits, who are all just as enamored with April as she is.
This book is told in flashbacks from Hannah’s college days with April to life without April after her death. In the present day, Hannah is married to the man she fell in love with in college, Will. They are also expecting their first child.
A journalist contacts Hannah after John Neville dies in prison. John has always maintained his innocence. Hannah’s testimony placed John near her and April’s room on the night of the murder. Soon, Hannah wonders if she had it right, or if she remembered the situation wrong.
Rating: 9/10
The Girl Who Was Taken by Charlie Donlea
Summary: Two abducted girls—one who returns, one who doesn't.
The night they go missing, high school seniors Nicole Cutty and Megan McDonald are at a beach party in their small town of Emerson Bay, North Carolina. Police launch a massive search, but hope is almost lost—until Megan escapes from a bunker deep in the woods...A year later, the bestselling account of her ordeal has made Megan a celebrity. It's a triumphant story, except for one inconvenient detail: Nicole is still missing.
Nicole's older sister, Livia, a fellow in forensic pathology, expects that one day soon Nicole's body will be found and her sister's fate determined. Instead, the first clue comes from another body—that of a young man connected to Nicole's past. Livia reaches out to Megan to learn more about that fateful night. Other girls have disappeared, and she's increasingly sure the cases are connected.
Megan knows more than she revealed in her book. Flashes of memory are pointing to something more monstrous than she described. And the deeper she and Livia dig, the more they realize that sometimes true terror lies in finding exactly what you've been looking for...
Review: To me, this was one of the best thrillers that I read over the summer.
One girl returns home from a traumatic experience, and the other doesn’t.
Megan returns, and all eyes are on her. Except, she is not the same person she once was. Before her abduction, she was popular and ready to go to college. Now, she’s sad and angry about what happened to her and about having to speak about the book that she didn’t want to write.
Nicole is still missing. Her sister looks into the case and discovers some shocking secrets from Megan who remembers more than she originally let on. Shocking secrets about her sister, and what or who she may have been involved with.
Rating: 10/10