And regret on my mind: A VERY BAD THING.

A Very Bad Thing by J.T. Ellison
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I always look forward to a J.T. Ellison book because she's so good at suspenseful, wild stories!

A VERY BAD THING is just that. Does it get a little crazy sometimes? Sure. But it's a complete page-turner that draws you into the world of famous author Columbia Jones, adored by her fans and both revered and slightly feared by her daughter/publicist, Darian. On the final night of Columbia's most recent book tour, she collapses on stage, and Darian is sure it's because her mother spotted someone in the audience. Then, that night, after Columbia and Darian have a fight, Columbia is found dead. The local police Detective Sutcliffe suspects murder. Darian is sure it was Riley, a reporter her mother hired to follow her on tour and report on her life story.

What follows is a bit far-fetched at times and often dark and brutal. We hear from the perspective of Darian, Sutcliffe, Columbia (in the past), Riley, and others. The book is long, but it's exciting and everything flies by, as Ellison keeps you guessing the entire time. There are even some ties to some of her other works, thanks to the case taking Sutcliffe to Nashville (side note: I would totally read another book about Detective Sutcliffe--I loved him).

This is an enjoyable, dramatic thriller with lots of twists and turns! 4+ stars.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer in return for an unbiased review.

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I never mean to do bad things to you: DEAR HANNA.

Dear Hanna by Zoje Stage
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Much like BABY TEETH, I left DEAR HANNA wishing for more. There's nothing wrong with this book, per se, but it also seems like nothing really happens, though our protagonist (antagonist?) Hanna tries. All grown up, with the childhood attempts at murdering her Mommy in the past, Hanna is now married to Jacob, a man 20-ish years her senior with a pre-teen daughter. Jacob does not know much about Hanna's past, just that her brother, Gustav "Goose" is now in a boarding school, just like Hanna was as a child. Hanna feels safe with Jacob and Joelle, his daughter, until Joelle grows into a teenager and her decisions threaten the small life Hanna's made for herself. Hanna returns to her old habits, attempting to control the behavior and outcomes of the people around her--no matter the cost.

The problem is, so much of what Hanna does is predictable, or rather lame, not scary. Yes, she's a sociopath, but not an effective one. We get a look into grown up Hanna's psyche and that's about it--lots of thoughts and ponderings. The chapters where Hanna exchanges letters with her brother are actually more interesting, as she often says what she really thinks to her own sibling.

HANNA looks into the dynamics of motherhood and marriage, exploring both Hanna's past and her present, and, of course, highlights the perils of untreated mental illness. We see how far someone can go to convince others that they are fine (and how easily we may want to believe it). Some of the book is creepy, and there's a twist or two, but mostly it's rather simple and predictable. 2.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer in return for an unbiased review.

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Between the lines of fear and blame: WHAT LIES IN DARKNESS.

What Lies in Darkness by Christina McDonald
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the first book in this series and really wanted to read the second right after! It was just as twisty and dark as the first! Heading home on Christmas Eve, the Harper family's car crashes. Only sixteen-year-old Allison survives, found hurt by the road. The rest of her family, though? Gone--disappeared from the site without a trace, including her little sister, Ella. A year later, Ella's backup turns up and Detective Jess Lambert investigates.

Jess' investigation unravels a lot of dark secrets about the town, the Harpers, and even Jess' own life. With the second entry in the Jess series, I found myself liking Jess more and more. In the first book, she's a severe alcoholic, hanging on by a thread. She's still dealing with ghosts here (literally), but she's starting to get things together, and we see more of her personality shine through. The result is an excellent mystery with a human side, as Jess relates to Allison through their shared history of loss and trauma. I just love McDonald's books--they are dark and heavy, yet so well-written with nuanced characters and plots that keep you guessing until the end. 4+ stars.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer in return for an unbiased review.

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Waiting as my heart drops: THESE STILL BLACK WATERS.

These Still Black Waters by Christina McDonald
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a brutal story that interweaves secrets and anguish into a gripping thriller. I quite enjoyed my introduction to Jess Lambert, a troubled detective who has returned to work after a horrific family tragedy. She must investigate the murder of a woman by Black Lake. This leads her to the woman's neighbor, Neve, who has just moved to town after a brutal home invasion. The murder sends Neve into a tailspin, wondering if she made a mistake bringing her daughter to Black Lake to recover from their own trauma.

This dark story alternates between Jess' point of view and Neve's, plus mysterious italics from someone who could be our killer. It's full of eerie tension and also introduces a paranormal aspect. At times, the story is hard to read, as Jess is a heavy drinker thanks to her family hardship, and sadness and grief surround her like a dark cloud. Some horrific events take place throughout the story.

McDonald does an excellent job of linking Neve and Jess through their roles as mothers, showing what mothers will do for their children. The book keeps you guessing with some amazing twists and turns--it's a great, eerie, and heartrending thriller. 4+ stars.


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There's shadows in my mind: THE GUESTS.

The Guests by Margot Hunt
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

It's been a long time since I read a book in one day, but I did it with THE GUESTS!

This is a great, quick read that flies by: a Category 5 storm, Hurricane Celeste, pounds down on the Davies family-Lee, Marlowe, and their teenage twins. It feels like the hurricane is truly happening and the tension building as the storm hits. Just before Celeste arrives, a boat docks at the family's home, and three strangers (brothers Bo and Jason and Bo's girlfriend Darcy) arrive. Since Celeste changed track, they need a place to stay.

What ensues is a totally wild read. Some of the characters reveal a few surprise connections, and the book feels like a locked room thriller, with the family, the new arrivals, and a few others (a friend, an assistant, a handyman) all stuck in the house. I felt like I could hear the wind howling and rain pounding down. Things get a little preposterous by the end, with a few predictable turns and some not at all, but the result is still a fun, exciting, and often violent (!) thriller.

I received a copy of this book from Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review. Look for THE GUESTS on 01/09/2024!


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And the memories bring back, memories bring back you: THESE TOXIC THINGS.

These Toxic Things by Rachel Howzell Hall
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Mickie Lambert has a job creating digital Memory Boxes, where she curates digital artifacts for people. When she's hired to create a Memory Box for the elderly Nadia, the shop owner of Beautiful Things, she's fascinated by Nadia's life and her shop of curiosities. But Nadia dies shortly after they get started, apparently by suicide, but no one is quite sure. Mickie inserts herself in the investigation, determined to find out what happened to Nadia, and continues to finish her Memory Box.

This is my first book Howzell Hall, and I really liked the premise of it, though I have to say, the outcome seemed really obvious from Day 1. The story is interspersed with descriptions of Nadia's objects and where she found them, which is an interesting concept.

My problem with this one is that I just really disliked Mickie, and the whole book is focused on her. She takes advantage of her parents, makes poor decisions, sticks her nose in everything (except for using Google when it could easily solve a lot of problems). She's so whiny and needy and drove me insane.

This story starts off very ominous, and I was sucked in right away. Then it plateaus a bit, with Mickie doing her Mickie thing. It also wraps up a bit fast after everything we've been through. I give it points for being a quick read and a unique storyline, but I wish there was a bit more. 3 stars.

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Searching the darkness for something: OUT OF THE ASHES.

Out of the Ashes by Kara Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As a teen, Samantha Newsom's uncle Scott is pulled over by a cop in August 2021 and beat up. A month later, Sam's entire family is murdered: her uncle, dad, mom, and baby sister, Lyndsay. Over twenty years later, Sam returns to her hometown of Carney. While there, an investigator tells her a prison snitch has proffered up some new information about the night of the murder, and there's a chance Lyndsay may be alive.

So this book shouldn't have been so good. It's total trope city: a woman with a messed up past and dead family from a small town filled with secrets comes back and then starts her own misguided investigation. And, of course, she's drinking more than she should. Why with the investigations that only lead to certain trouble, why? I wanted to yell at Sam to just get out of Carney and never come back!

Yet this is an addictive read with a complex and tortured main character desperate to figure out the truth about her past. Sam has more than her share of survivor's guilt, but also plenty of secrets. Thomas weaves a twisty read that keeps you guessing, especially as Sam jumps from place to place searching for the truth. I wanted to wring her neck as she made a string of horrible choices, but she was a surprisingly strong character nonetheless. ASHES has that perfect small town feel, illustrating how trapping a corrupt and dying town can feel. There are corrupt cops, drugs, messed up families, horrible friendships, and so much more.

Overall, this is an addictive read that follows a lot of different paths. 4 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

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Must be something in the water or that I'm my mother's daughter: LOVELY GIRLS.

Lovely Girls by Margot Hunt
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Kate Turner and her daughter Alex are attempting to start fresh in Florida after the death of Kate's husband (Alex's father). Moving from Buffalo is supposed to give them both a new start. Kate quickly makes friends with a trio of local moms, but their daughters dislike Alex immediately. When Alex displaces one of the girls from the lead spot on the tennis team, tensions rise, and Kate realizes that her daughter is a victim of bullying.

LOVELY GIRLS is a quick read that captures your interest from the start. I'm not sure it covers any new ground, but it certainly keeps you reading. It opens up with a dead body and then we hear the story from Kate's point of view and Alex's video diary.

The mean girls in GIRLS are way mean. Wow. And their moms are just as bad. Be prepared for some immense bullying and intensity. GIRLS takes everything to the extreme to the point that you are very afraid of everything and about what will happen to Kate and Alex. (And scared to send your children to high school, in my case.) As the action unfolds, we learn more about Kate's complicated relationship with her late husband--as well as how Alex related to her father. The book gives us an in-depth look at how women raise their daughters, as well as how kids treat each other--and how parents affect that treatment.

GIRLS gets crazy at the end (okay maybe it's crazy for a while) but it's an addictive train wreck kind of insanity. 3.5+ stars.

I received a copy of this book from Thomas&Mercer and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review. Look for LOVELY GIRLS on 03/01/2023!

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But it feels just like drowning: MOTHERED.

Mothered by Zoje Stage
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

In the midst of the pandemic, Grace is not particularly thrilled when her mother, Jackie, moves in with her. But Jackie has recently lost her husband and been ill and Grace is unemployed and could use help with her mortgage. Soon, though, stuck in the house with her mother, Grace feels claustrophobic, flashing back to her unhappy childhood with her mother and her late sister. She starts having horribly realistic nightmares and clashing with her mother over her hobbies, which oddly include catfishing people online. As things come to a head, Jackie accuses Grace of something unspeakable, and Grace feels unable to delineate her dreams from reality.

Ugh, I had to slog through this one. I didn't really realize it was written with a pandemic setting and wow, it's fully pandemic-centric, with COVID playing a central role. I don't mind pandemic books, but I just did not feel like reading a gloomy book about sad, depressing pandemic themes and unhappy, mean characters.

Even worse, MOTHERED took the unreliable narrator trope too far for me. Between Grace's nightmares and Jackie's passive aggressive anger, I couldn't tell what was happening and wow, that got annoying really fast. The book moves so slow--Grace and Jackie fight, Grace has bad dreams that may or not be real, and then it repeats. There's a weird side plot with Grace catfishing women that does not really make sense, as well as pieces about Grace's missing dad. Then there's the focus on her deceased twin sister, which is central to the plot, but almost seems grotesquely portrayed at times (Hope was disabled) and done in poor taste.

I just wanted to get to the end, but then there was no real payoff that explained things. Ugh! Overall, MOTHERED just annoyed me.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer in return for an unbiased review. It releases 3/1/2023!

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And she don't care when you're down: THE WIDOW.

The Widow by Kaira Rouda
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Jody Asher defines her life by her husband, Martin, a well-known congressman. She loves the status that comes with his position. Jody is throwing a wedding for their daughter and it's about to be the event of the year. But everything changes when scandal hits Martin--there's a rumor he's sleeping with a young intern and has dirty political ties to other countries. Then Martin dies and Jody truly stands to lose everything.

Ugh, I hate when I do not care for a book, but I just did not like this one! I almost DNF'd this one, but I kept hoping it would improve. And it did pick up a bit near the end, but things never truly gelled for me. THE WIDOW featured stilted writing, despicable characters, and--worst of all--nothing happened for the first half of the book! It's called THE WIDOW, but nothing happens to Martin until the halfway point (despite it appearing in the book summary and title). I just kept waiting and waiting for something exciting to happen!

Jody is billed as a psychopath character, but THE WIDOW did not take it far enough for me. If you are going to go that path, own it! The plot jumps around, trying to play spy thriller, lobbyist saga, and then tossing in their daughter and her wedding occasionally. Even better, somehow everyone went to school together! Martin, Jody, the Vice President, his wife went to college together, and then magically, Martin and their daughter's father went to high school together. Oh, the coincidences abound! It was way too much to believe.

There was a decent enough wild twist here at the end, but it couldn't redeem this story. There are boring "tips for congressional spouses" thrown in between every chapter that I eventually started to skim. Overall, I wish I had skimmed the whole thing. 2 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Thomas&Mercer and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

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I've been lost in yesterday: SOMEBODY'S HOME.

Somebody's Home by Kaira Rouda
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Julie Jones finally musters the courage to leave her wealthy but inattentive husband, Roger. She and her daughter Jess move across town to a new house in a different part of Oceanside. The old owners, Doug and Sandi, have moved out. However, they have left someone behind, their eldest son, Tom. Tom lives in the guesthouse and he hates his father and stepmother with a passion. For Doug, the feeling is mutual. Tom is supposed to vacate the guesthouse by the end of the weekend, but he has other plans. Ones that will change the lives of all involved by the time the weekend is over.

"Somebody's home, and he isn't supposed to be there."

This book starts off creepy, letting us know that someone has invaded a home and shouldn't be there. But then it flashes back several days later, leading up to the days before the event and truly goes sort of off course. The premise is interesting--a man refuses to leave his childhood home--but the story heads off in so many directions: Julie's marriage; a scandal with Jess and her friends; a scandal with Roger; a scandal with Doug, a pastor (sense a thread here)...

Each character tells their story from their point of view and it's a bit boring and repetitive at times. There is certainly an impending sense of doom at times and some good twists, but more needed to happen. Every person repeats their feelings over and over, instead of progressing the story forward. Worse, many are hateful, and it's hard to care about them or their motivations.

Overall, this one has its creepy at moments and some story threads are interesting, but it didn't work very well for me as a thriller. 2.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

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Stuck in a tower in a forest: THE SPIRES.

The Spires by Kate Moretti
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Penelope Cox thinks she's put her college years behind her, when, twenty years later, her old friend Willa shows up unexpectedly on her doorstep. Willa Blaine needs help escaping her abusive husband. Penelope hasn't seen Willa since their gap year after college, when they and three other friends lived together in a converted church. Calling themselves "the Spires" they were a close-knit group, until hidden resentments and jealousies tipped over. Focused on their leader, Jack, things started to change when he brought home a girlfriend, Grace. Then tragedy struck and the group went their separate ways. Now, Willa seems the perfect guest, bringing order and happiness to the Cox household. But Penelope feels like her friend is putting her life off-balance and bringing up horrible memories: memories she'd rather leave long buried.

"Six months after they moved in, he brought home Grace and sent them all into a tailspin."

This is slow burn read--it's sluggish to start, but picks up as the story gets moving. Less thriller, more character-driven, THE SPIRES focuses on relationships more than mystery, though there is certainly plenty to figure out as the tale progresses.

The book skips back and forth between the group's gap year after college at The Church House and present day, when Penelope's friend Willa shows up without warning. The two haven't seen each other since they scattered after The Church House tragedy. We know something bad happened at The Church House, but it takes a while (basically the whole book) to get it all figured out. There is a lot of drama and angst as this all happens. None of the characters are particularly likeable, but there are plenty of motives and secrets tossed in along the way.

I didn't find THE SPIRES as thrilling as some of Moretti's other books. Still, it became more interesting and suspenseful as I read, and there are definitely some good twists. This is an especially good read for those who like a good psychological mystery. 3.5 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

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To help me not to wonder how I ended up like this: GIRLS OF BRACKENHILL.

Girls of Brackenhill by Kate Moretti
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Spooky, eerie & captivating thriller

As a kid, Hannah spent several summers at Brackenhill, her aunt and uncle's beautiful mansion in the Catskills. Joined by her older sister, Julia, they enjoyed a peaceful time away from their troubled mother and her boyfriend. But that final summer, Hannah made the journey home alone after Julia disappeared. Now, seventeen years later, Hannah is back at Brackenhill, accompanied by her calm and steady fiance Huck, to deal with the aftermath of her Aunt Fae's death. Her uncle Stuart is quite ill and Hannah must handle the necessary affairs. But once at Brackenhill, long buried memories flood to the surface, along with some undiscovered family secrets.

"She'd escaped Brackenhill once. She could do it again."

I read this completely captivating thriller in one breathless day. It's such a wonderfully eerie and ghostly mystery that excellently captures the spooky atmosphere of Brackenhill. I'm all for a read with a creepy castle, ghostly happenings, and a history of missing girls. Told in a then (Hannah and Julia's summers at Brackenhill) and now format, Moretti sucks you in from the beginning, making the reader feel as if they are a part of the haunted happenings at Brackenhill.

"The Ghost Girls of Brackenhill are an urban legend."

The result is a twisted and dark story--a true Gothic ghost tale. I figured out a few pieces, but still found this impossible to put down. Moretti excels at weaving in the devastation of family secrets and small town mystery. As Hannah unravels the mystery of her family history and her sister's disappearance, we do as well, and you'll share her sense of dread and the overall foreboding that sweeps across the pages.

I wished the ending offered a bit more resolution, but this is an excellent, haunting, and spooky supernatural read. You'll be madly flipping the pages (with the lights on)! 4+ stars.

I received a copy of this novel from Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer in return for an unbiased review.

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