J's bookshelf: all en-US Wed, 09 Apr 2025 04:08:50 -0700 60 J's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Fifth Grave Past the Light (Charley Davidson, #5)]]> 15813668 339 Darynda Jones 1250014409 J 4 4.41 2013 Fifth Grave Past the Light (Charley Davidson, #5)
author: Darynda Jones
name: J
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/09
date added: 2025/04/09
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<![CDATA[The Evil Men Do (Detective P. T. Marsh, #2)]]> 50745220 The author of The Good Detective delivers a gripping and atmospheric new novel in which a cop takes on a harrowing new case and confronts old personal demons. What if the one good thing you did in your life doomed you to die?

A hard-nosed real estate baron is dead, and detectives P.T. Marsh and Remy Morgan learn there's a long list of suspects. Mason Falls, Georgia, may be a small town, but Ennis Fultz had filled it with professional rivals, angry neighbors, and a wronged ex-wife. And when Marsh realizes that this potential murder might be the least of his troubles, he begins to see what happens when ordinary people become capable of evil. As Marsh and Morgan dig into the case, it becomes clear that Fultz's death was not an isolated case of revenge. It may be part of a dark web of crimes connected to an accident that up-ended Marsh's life a couple years earlier--and that now threatens the life of a young child. Marsh veers dangerously off track as his search for clues becomes personal..and brings him to a place where a man's good deeds turn out to be more dangerous than his worst crimes.]]>
368 John McMahon 052553556X J 0 currently-reading 3.90 2020 The Evil Men Do (Detective P. T. Marsh, #2)
author: John McMahon
name: J
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2020
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/09
shelves: currently-reading
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<![CDATA[Sixth Grave on the Edge (Charley Davidson, #6)]]> 16061295
Unfortunately, another case has fallen into her lap—one with dangerous implications. Some very insistent men want Charley to hunt down a witness who is scheduled to testify against their boss, a major player in the local crime syndicate. If Charley doesn't come up with an address in 48 hours, the people closest to her will start to disappear.

Add to that a desperate man in search of the soul he lost in a card game, a dogged mother determined to find the ghost of her son, and a beautiful, young Deaf boy haunted by his new ability to see the departed as clearly as he sees the living, and Charley has her hands full. The fact that Reyes has caught on to her latest venture only adds fuel to the inferno that he is. Good thing for Charley she's used to multi-tasking and always up for a challenge…especially when that challenge comes in the form of Reyes Farrow.]]>
326 Darynda Jones 1250045630 J 0 currently-reading 4.32 2014 Sixth Grave on the Edge (Charley Davidson, #6)
author: Darynda Jones
name: J
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2014
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/09
shelves: currently-reading
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<![CDATA[Until You're Mine (DI Lorraine Fisher #1)]]> 16142191 You're alone. You're vulnerable. And you have something that someone else wants. At any cost...

Claudia Morgan-Brown finally has it all. Pregnant with a much-wanted first baby of her own, she has a happily established family of two small step-sons and a loving husband with a great career. But she is also committed to her full-time job as a social worker, and her husband travels often. So when Claudia hires Zoe to help her around the house in anticipation of the baby’s arrival, it seems like the answer to her prayers. But despite Zoe's glowing recommendations and instant rapport with the children, there's something about her that Claudia cannot trust.

Moreover, there has been a series of violent attacks on pregnant women in the area, and Claudia becomes acutely aware of her vulnerability. With her husband out of town for work and her family far away, who will be there to protect her? And why does she feel unsettled about Zoe? Realizing appearances can be deceiving even in her seemingly perfect world, Claudia digs deeper into Zoe’s blurry past and begins to wonder � how far would someone go to have a child of her own?

Riveting from its very first pages, Until You’re Mine is a multilayered masterwork of twisted, psychological suspense. Readers of Before I Go to Sleep and Turn of Mind will be enthralled by this multilayered novel, featuring a twisted plot that ends in a breathtaking and shocking finale.]]>
368 Samantha Hayes 1780891482 J 0 currently-reading 3.86 2014 Until You're Mine (DI Lorraine Fisher #1)
author: Samantha Hayes
name: J
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2014
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/09
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Date Night 52757344
Days later, when I’m arrested for Sasha’s murder and torn away from my perfect little family, I’ll wish I had told someone about the threatening note I received that morning.

I’ll hate myself for not finding out who the gift hidden inside my husband’s wardrobe was for.

I’ll scream from the rooftops that I’m innocent � but no one will listen.

I will realise I was completely wrong about everything that happened that night�

But will you believe me?]]>
330 Samantha Hayes 1786817659 J 0 to-read 3.88 2019 Date Night
author: Samantha Hayes
name: J
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2019
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/07
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The Adults 9061509
An irresistible chronicle of a modern young woman’s struggle to grow up, The Adults lays bare—in perfect pitch—a world where an adult and a child can so dangerously be mistaken for the same exact thing.]]>
307 Alison Espach 1439191859 J 3 3.45 2011 The Adults
author: Alison Espach
name: J
average rating: 3.45
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/07
date added: 2025/04/07
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The Marriage Rules 226412193 The rules are there to keep their family safe. But what happens when they get broken�?

Fiona Fisher lives a quiet and contented existence. A former nurse who married Jason, the doctor of her dreams, she is now a mother to his two daughters and living in the sort of cosy village home she’d always wished for.

Life is pretty much perfect in every way. As long as they stick to their rules�

Everyone in bed by eight o’clock sharp.

No loud music, no news on the TV, no social media. The house phone for emergency use only.

Locks on every door. No leaving the house.

And absolutely no talking about the past.

But one day, someone starts breaking the rules�

This insanely twisty psychological thriller will have you flipping pages all night long. Anyone who held their breath as they raced through The Housemaid, The Wife Between Us and The Girl on the Train needs to drop everything and start reading!

What readers are saying about Samantha

OMG!!I literally read it in one sitting and I am sitting here at 3.30am� Gripping from very first page right up until the last� Absolutely brilliantWOW! Just wow is all I have right now. As I closed my e-reader I was speechless.� Confessions of a Bookaholic, ⭐⭐⭐⭐�

LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT!!!!!! YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE THE TWISTS AND YOU WILL NOT GUESS THE ENDING! THIS BOOK MUST BE READ BY EVERYONE.� ŷ Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐�

I literally devoured this book, staying up late to finish it � and it was worth the dark circles and bags under my eyes the next morning.� ŷ reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐�

THIS. WAS. INCREDIBLE� Nail-biting� Kept me up way past my bedtime. I was sucked in� Couldn't put it down. I cannot find a single flaw� Every plot twist had me gasping� A wild ride� Gosh this was incredible!mariaareadss, ⭐⭐⭐⭐�

Couldn't put it down, read into the late hours of the night� Read the whole book in a day! I simply couldn't go to bed until I knew how it would end� I was sitting there with my mouth wide open and mind blown.� ŷ reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐�

Jaw-droppingI did literally gasp and say, “NO WAY!� out loud� And at the end, I just sat there thinking, “What the hell did I just read?”� Freaking awesomeThe twists do not stop until the very last page.� Fireflies & Free Kicks, ⭐⭐⭐⭐�

‘I was hooked from the first page and read this until I finished at 3.30 in the morning� The ending is one I just didn’t see coming� Brilliant.]]>
374 Samantha Hayes 1836185421 J 0 to-read 4.23 The Marriage Rules
author: Samantha Hayes
name: J
average rating: 4.23
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rating: 0
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<![CDATA[Rated X: How Porn Liberated Me from Hollywood]]> 59366286
Maitland Ward got her start in acting as a teenager when she was cast in The Bold and the Beautiful , but it wasn’t until she joined the later seasons of the sitcom Boy Meets World that she got her first taste of fame. As the loveable, sexy (but not too sexy) co-ed Rachel McGuire, Ward soon found herself being typecast as the good girl next door and was repeatedly denied darker, more intriguing roles. So she made a career change—one that required her to turn away from the Disney universe—and eventually established herself as one of the most-respected actresses in the porn industry today.

Now, Ward reveals the ups and downs of her fascinating career, including personal stories from her time on one of the most beloved shows of the 1990s, in this anything but a run-of-the-mill memoir. By showing Hollywood and triple-X stardom in a whole new light, she offers a fresh and stirring perspective on the sex industry. Ultimately a story of hope and triumph, Rated X is a sharp and provocative look at a former Disney princess who found her fairy tale in porn.]]>
256 Maitland Ward 1982195894 J 0 currently-reading 3.64 2022 Rated X: How Porn Liberated Me from Hollywood
author: Maitland Ward
name: J
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/06
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<![CDATA[Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet (Charley Davidson, #4)]]> 13538992 Welcome to the world of grim reaper extraordinaire Charley Davidson. Try as she might, there’s no avoiding her destiny.

Sometimes being the grim reaper really is, well, grim. And since Charley’s last case went so awry, she has taken a couple of months off to wallow in the wonders of self-pity. But when a woman shows up on her doorstep convinced someone is trying to kill her, Charley has to force herself to rise above...or at least get dressed. It becomes clear something is amiss when everyone the woman knows swears she’s insane. But the more they refute the woman’s story, the more Charley believes it.

In the meantime, the sexy, sultry son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, is out of prison and out of Charley’s life, as per her wishes and several perfectly timed death threats. But his absence has put a serious crimp in her sex life. While there are other things to consider, like the fact that the city of Albuquerque has been taken hostage by an arsonist, Charley is having a difficult time staying away. Especially when it looks like Reyes may be involved.

Just when life was returning to normal, Charley is thrust back into the world of crime, punishment, and the devil in blue jeans in this hilarious fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling series.

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308 Darynda Jones 1250014468 J 4 4.31 2012 Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet (Charley Davidson, #4)
author: Darynda Jones
name: J
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/06
date added: 2025/04/06
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<![CDATA[The Good Detective (Detective P. T. Marsh, #1)]]> 40953686 How can you solve a crime if you’ve killed the prime suspect?

Detective P.T. Marsh was a rising star on the police force of Mason Falls, Georgia—until his wife and young son were killed in an accident. Since that night, caught in a spiral of grief and booze, he’s lost the ability to see the line between smart moves and disastrous decisions. Such as when he decides to ’help out� an exotic dancer by confronting her abusive boyfriend. When the next morning he gets called to the scene of his newest murder case, he is stunned to arrive at the house of a dead man, the very man he beat up the night before. He could swear the guy was alive when he left, but can he be sure? What he does know is that his fingerprints are all over the crime scene.

But the trouble is only beginning. P.T. and his partner Remy begin to suspect the murder is connected to a local arson and lynching; two days earlier, the dead body of a black teenager was found in a burned-out field, a portion of a blackened rope around his neck—and P.T. realizes he might have killed the #1 suspect of this horrific crime.

Amid rising racial tension and media scrutiny, P.T. uncovers something sinister at the heart of the boy’s murder—a conspiracy leading all the way back to the time of the Civil War. Risking everything to unravel the puzzle even as he fights off his own personal demons, P.T. races headlong toward an incendiary and life-altering showdown.]]>
320 John McMahon 0525535535 J 3 3.71 2019 The Good Detective (Detective P. T. Marsh, #1)
author: John McMahon
name: J
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/06
date added: 2025/04/06
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<![CDATA[Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers (Vera Wong, #1)]]> 61827543 Tea-shop owner. Matchmaker. Detective?

Sixty-year-old self-proclaimed tea expert Vera Wong enjoys nothing more than sipping a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy ‘detective� work on the internet (AKA checking up on her son to see if he’s dating anybody yet).

But when Vera wakes up one morning to find a dead man in the middle of her tea shop, it’s going to take more than a strong Longjing to fix things. Knowing she’ll do a better job than the police possibly could � because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands � Vera decides it’s down to her to catch the killer.

Nobody spills the tea like this amateur sleuth.]]>
339 Jesse Q. Sutanto 0593549228 J 0 to-read 4.01 2023 Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers (Vera Wong, #1)
author: Jesse Q. Sutanto
name: J
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/04
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<![CDATA[Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man) (Vera Wong, #2)]]> 215806352 Vera Wong is back and as meddling as ever in this follow-up to the hit Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.

Ever since a man was found dead in Vera's teahouse, life has been good. For Vera that is. She’s surrounded by loved ones, her shop is bustling, and best of all, her son, Tilly, has a girlfriend! All thanks to Vera, because Tilly's girlfriend is none other than Officer Selena Gray. The very same Officer Gray that she had harassed while investigating the teahouse murder. Still, Vera wishes more dead bodies would pop up in her shop, but one mustn't be ungrateful, even if one is slightly...bored.

Then Vera comes across a distressed young woman who is obviously in need of her kindly guidance. The young woman is looking for a missing friend. Fortunately, while cat-sitting at Tilly and Selena's, Vera finds a treasure Selena's briefcase. Inside is a file about the death of an enigmatic influencer—who also happens to be the friend that the young woman was looking for.

Online, Xander had it a parade of private jets, fabulous parties with socialites, and a burgeoning career as a social media influencer. The only problem is, after his body is fished out of Mission Bay, the police can't seem to actually identify him. Who is Xander Lin? Nobody knows. Every contact is a dead end. Everybody claims not to know him, not even his parents.

Vera is determined to solve Xander's murder. After all, doing so would surely be a big favor to Selena, and there is nothing she wouldn't do for her future daughter-in-law.]]>
Jesse Q. Sutanto 0593546261 J 0 to-read 4.45 2025 Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man) (Vera Wong, #2)
author: Jesse Q. Sutanto
name: J
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/04
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Head Cases (PAR Unit, #1) 211004897 Head Cases follows an enigmatic group of FBI agents as they hunt down a murderer seeking his own justice in this electrifying—and commercial—series debut.

FBI Agent Gardner Camden is an analytical genius with an affinity for puzzles. He also has a blind spot on the human side of investigations, a blindness that sometimes even includes people in his own life, like his beloved seven-year-old daughter Camila. Gardner and his squad of brilliant yet quirky agents make up the Patterns and Recognition (PAR) unit, the FBI’s hidden edge, brought in for cases that no one else can solve.

When DNA links a murder victim to a serial killer long presumed dead, the team springs into action. A second victim establishes a pattern, and the murderer begins leaving a trail of clues and riddles especially for Gardner. And while the PAR team is usually relegated to working cold cases from behind a desk, the investigation puts them on the road and into the public eye, following in the footsteps of a killer.

Along with Gardner, PAR consists of a mathematician, a weapons expert, a computer analyst, and their leader, a career agent. Each of them must use every skill they have to solve the riddle of the killer’s identity. But with the perpetrator somehow learning more and more about the team at PAR, can they protect themselves and their families…before it’s too late?

With an enigmatic case that will keep readers on the edge of their seats and a thoroughly engaging ensemble cast, John McMahon’s Head Cases is a triumph.]]>
341 John McMahon 1250348293 J 5 4.01 2025 Head Cases (PAR Unit, #1)
author: John McMahon
name: J
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/02
date added: 2025/04/02
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Count My Lies 214151565 A read-in-one-night suspense thriller narrated by a compulsive liar whose little white lies allow her to enter into the life and comfort of a wealthy married couple who are harboring much darker secrets themselves. For the millions of us still chasing those gone girls, this is perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Lucy Foley, and Laura Dave.

Sloane Caraway is a liar.

Harmless lies, mostly, to make her self-proclaimed sad, little life a bit more interesting.

So when Sloane sees a young girl in tears at a park one afternoon, she can't help herself—she tells the girl's (very attractive) dad she's a nurse and helps him pull a bee stinger from the girl's foot.

With this lie, and chance encounter, Sloane becomes the nanny for the wealthy, and privileged Jay and Violet Lockhart. The perfect New York couple, with a brownstone, a daughter in private school, and summers on Block Island.

But maybe Sloane isn't the only one lying, and all that's picture-perfect harbors a much more dangerous truth. To say anything more is to spoil the most exciting, twisty, and bitingly smart suspense novel to come out in years.

The thing about lies is that they add up, form their own truth and a twisted prison of a world. And in Count My Lies, Sophie Stava spins a breakneck, unputdownable thriller about the secrets we keep, and the terrifying dangers that lurk just under the images we spend so much time trying to maintain.

Careful what you lie for.]]>
336 Sophie Stava 1668079348 J 0 currently-reading 3.75 2025 Count My Lies
author: Sophie Stava
name: J
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/27
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Their Monstrous Hearts 212431583 A haunting novel about the boundaries people will cross to keep their dreams alive.

A mysterious stranger shows up at Riccardo’s apartment with some news: his grandmother Perihan has died, and Riccardo has inherited her villa in Milan along with her famed butterfly collection.

The struggling writer is out of options. He’s hoping the change of scenery in Milan will inspire him, and maybe there will be some money to keep him afloat. But Perihan’s house isn’t as opulent as he remembers. The butterflies pinned in their glass cases seem more ominous than artful. Perihan’s group of mysterious old friends is constantly lurking. And there’s something wrong in the greenhouse.

As Riccardo explores the decrepit estate, he stumbles upon Perihan’s diary, which might hold the key to her mysterious death. Or at least give him the inspiration he needs to finish his manuscript.

But he might not survive long enough to write it.

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320 Yiğit Turhan 0778368270 J 0 to-read 3.63 2025 Their Monstrous Hearts
author: Yiğit Turhan
name: J
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/27
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Metamorphoses 20808817 723 Ovid 0141394617 J 0 to-read 4.18 8 Metamorphoses
author: Ovid
name: J
average rating: 4.18
book published: 8
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/26
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Under the Same Stars 200982339
In 1940s Germany, Sophie is excited to discover a message waiting for her in the Bridegroom's Oak from a mysterious suitor. Meanwhile, her best friend, Hanna, is sending messages too—but not to find love. As World War II unfolds in their small town of Kleinwald, the oak may hold the key to resistance against the Nazis.

In 1980s West Germany, American teen transplant Jenny feels suffocated by her strict parents and is struggling to fit in. Until she finds herself falling for Lena, a punk-rock girl hell-bent on tearing down the wall separating West Germany from East Germany, and meeting Frau Hermann, a kind old lady with secrets of her own.

In Spring 2020, New York City, best friends Miles and Chloe are slogging through the last few months of senior year when an unexpected package from Chloe’s grandmother leads them to investigate a cold case about two unidentified teenagers who went missing under the Bridegroom’s Oak eighty years ago.

Age Range: 12-18]]>
480 Libba Bray 0374388946 J 3 4.22 2025 Under the Same Stars
author: Libba Bray
name: J
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/25
date added: 2025/03/25
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Good Bad Girl 83668030 Sometimes bad things happen to good people, so good people have to do bad things. Alice Feeney, returns with another thrilling mystery filled with drama and her trademark surprises.

Twenty years after a baby is stolen from a stroller, a woman is murdered in a care home. The two crimes are somehow linked, and a good bad girl may be the key to discovering the truth.

Edith may have been tricked into a nursing home, but at eighty-years-young, she’s planning her escape. Patience works there, cleaning messes and bonding with Edith, a kindred spirit. But Patience is lying to Edith about almost everything.

Edith’s own daughter, Clio, won’t speak to her. And someone new is about to knock on Clio’s door…and their intentions aren’t good.

With every reason to distrust each other, the women must solve a mystery with three suspects, two murders, and one victim. If they do, they might just find out what happened to the baby who disappeared, the mother who lost her, and the connections that bind them.

In the style of Daisy Darker and Rock Paper Scissors, Good Bad Girl is a thriller in which nobody can be trusted and the twists come fast and furious.]]>
306 Alice Feeney 1250843960 J 0 to-read 3.62 2023 Good Bad Girl
author: Alice Feeney
name: J
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/24
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<![CDATA[Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson, #3)]]> 12043770 310 Darynda Jones 1250001544 J 4 4.31 2012 Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson, #3)
author: Darynda Jones
name: J
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/24
date added: 2025/03/24
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<![CDATA[The Watchers (The Watchers, #1)]]> 58321103
Mina finds herself in a room with a wall of glass, and an electric light that activates at nightfall, when the Watchers come above ground. These creatures emerge to observe their captive humans—and terrible things happen to anyone who doesn't reach the bunker in time.

Afraid and trapped among strangers, Mina is desperate for answers. Who are the Watchers? Why are these creatures keeping them imprisoned? And, most importantly, how can she escape?]]>
310 A.M. Shine 1801102120 J 4 3.83 2021 The Watchers (The Watchers, #1)
author: A.M. Shine
name: J
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/24
date added: 2025/03/24
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<![CDATA[Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson, #2)]]> 9565045 307 Darynda Jones 0312360819 J 4 4.24 2011 Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson, #2)
author: Darynda Jones
name: J
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/21
date added: 2025/03/21
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<![CDATA[Stay in the Light (The Watchers, #2)]]> 203579112
When Mina encounters a stranger near her home, she fears the worst - for she knows the figure is not what it seems. Soon, people she has encountered start to disappear.

Mina knows the Watchers' power is growing. She flees for her life, but when she reports her fears she finds her sanity questioned. Can she convince people that the Watchers are real, and ready to strike - or will she suffer the fate she has dreaded since she first encountered those malevolent beings?

A chilling modern twist on the Gothic horror novel, perfect for fans of Kealan Patrick Burke, T. Kingfisher and classic horror.]]>
320 A.M. Shine 180454793X J 0 to-read 3.90 2024 Stay in the Light (The Watchers, #2)
author: A.M. Shine
name: J
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/15
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The Four Winds 53138081 Texas, 1934. Millions are out of work and a drought has broken the Great Plains. Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as the crops are failing, the water is drying up, and dust threatens to bury them all. One of the darkest periods of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl era, has arrived with a vengeance.

In this uncertain and dangerous time, Elsa Martinelli—like so many of her neighbors—must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or go west, to California, in search of a better life. The Four Winds is an indelible portrait of America and the American Dream, as seen through the eyes of one indomitable woman whose courage and sacrifice will come to define a generation.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Great Alone comes an epic novel of love and heroism and hope, set against the backdrop of one of America’s most defining eras—the Great Depression.

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781250178602]]>
464 Kristin Hannah 1250178606 J 3 4.27 2021 The Four Winds
author: Kristin Hannah
name: J
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/15
date added: 2025/03/15
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<![CDATA[For I Have Sinned (Charley Davidson, #1.5)]]> 10954974 78 Darynda Jones J 4 4.13 2011 For I Have Sinned (Charley Davidson, #1.5)
author: Darynda Jones
name: J
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/12
date added: 2025/03/12
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<![CDATA[I Bet You’d Look Good in a Coffin (Kitty Collins #2)]]> 217417588 My name is Kitty Collins and I’m a serial killer.

I don’t want to kill. It’s just so hard to resist. Some men really, really deserve it.

Men like Blaze Bundy, an anonymous influencer spreading misogyny online. He’s making it very hard for me to control my murderous urges.

Meanwhile I’m in the South of France to watch my mother marry a man I’ve never met. I should be drinking cocktails and focusing on my tan, not plotting a murder.

But a woman’s work is never done. Surely one more teensy little kill wouldn’t hurt, would it?

Fans of How to Kill Your Family and Bad Sisters will love this deliciously dark, hilariously twisted new novel from the author of How to Kill Men and Get Away With It and The Murder After the Night Before. ]]>
368 Katy Brent 0008656738 J 3 4.16 2025 I Bet You’d Look Good in a Coffin (Kitty Collins #2)
author: Katy Brent
name: J
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/10
date added: 2025/03/10
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Spider to the Fly 222928934 A true crime author helps in a desperate hunt for a killer in this dark and twisted thriller from the deviously inventive horror author that Peter Farris calls the “clear heir to Stephen King.�

Perfect for fans of cat and mouse serial killer thrillers like The Butcher and the Wren and The Jigsaw Man.

Ellie Isles first became obsessed with the I-64 murders when she saw her own face on one of the victims. Identical to every detail, the woman wasn’t her, but she could have been. Compelled to discover the story of her dopplegänger’s death, Ellie wrote a bestselling true crime book about the serial killer, dubbed “the Spider.”�

Four years later, the Spider still hasn't been caught, and his victim count is climbing. Many of the bodies remain unidentified, but with Ellie’s online network of true crime followers, that’s slowly changing. Together they’ve pooled information to create a massive database that tracks people at risk of becoming Jane and John Does–the homeless, the drug addicted, and the downtrodden–with the hopes that if they become victims, they might at least be identified. 

Now that Ellie has successfully identified multiple victims, the law enforcement task force tracking down the Spider pulls her in to help–and after Ellie’s therapist is arrested for the murders, she is more determined than ever to help catch the Spider. 

With striking prose and a horror flair, Spider to the Fly is an engrossing serial killer thriller, perfect for fans of The Whisper Man.]]>
320 J.H. Markert J 0 to-read 4.10 2025 Spider to the Fly
author: J.H. Markert
name: J
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/09
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<![CDATA[Rebel Witch (The Crimson Moth, #2)]]> 60217777 The stakes are even higher in this epic, romantic conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Crimson Moth duology.

A WITCH...
Rune Winters is on the run. Ever since the boy she loved, Gideon Sharpe, revealed who she was and delivered her into enemy hands, everyone wants her dead. If Rune hopes to survive, she must ally herself with the cruel and dangerous Cressida Roseblood, who’s planning to take back the Republic and reinstate a Reign of Witches—something Cressida needs Rune to accomplish.

A WITCH HUNTER...
Apparently it wasn’t enough for Rune to deceive Gideon; she’s now betrayed him by allying herself with the witch who made his life a living hell. Gideon won’t allow the Republic to fall to the witches and be plunged back into the nightmares of the past. In order to protect this new world he fought for, every last witch must die—especially Rune Winters.

AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE...
When Rune makes Gideon an offer he can’t refuse, the two must pair up to accomplish dangerous goals. The more they’re forced into each other’s company, the more Gideon realizes the feelings he had for Rune aren’t as dead and buried as he thought. Now he’s faced with a terrible choice: sacrifice the girl he loves to stop a monster taking back power, or let Rune live and watch the world he fought so hard for burn.

In Kristen Ciccarelli's Rebel Witch, the exciting conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology, love has never been so deadly.]]>
464 Kristen Ciccarelli J 4 4.25 2025 Rebel Witch (The Crimson Moth, #2)
author: Kristen Ciccarelli
name: J
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/09
date added: 2025/03/09
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<![CDATA[First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson, #1)]]> 8788554 This whole grim reaper thing should have come with a manual.
Or a diagram of some kind.
A flow chart would have been nice.

Charley Davidson is a part-time private investigator and full-time grim reaper. Meaning, she sees dead people. Really. And it's her job to convince them to "go into the light." But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (like murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she's been having about an entity who has been following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely. But what does he want with Charley? And why can't she seem to resist him? And what does she have to lose by giving in?

With scorching-hot tension and high-octane humor, First Grave on the Right is your signpost to paranormal suspense of the highest order.

]]>
310 Darynda Jones 0312662750 J 4 4.02 2011 First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson, #1)
author: Darynda Jones
name: J
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/08
date added: 2025/03/08
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The Seventh Veil of Salome 199927990 A young woman wins the role of a lifetime in a film about a legendary heroine � but the real drama is behind the scenes in this sumptuous historical epic from the author of Mexican Gothic.

1950s Hollywood: Every actress wants to play Salome, the star-making role in a big-budget movie about the legendary woman whose story has inspired artists since ancient times.

So when the film’s mercurial director casts Vera Larios, an unknown Mexican ingenue, in the lead role, she quickly becomes the talk of the town. Vera also becomes an object of envy for Nancy Hartley, a bit player whose career has stalled and who will do anything to win the fame she believes she richly deserves.

Two actresses, both determined to make it to the top in Golden Age Hollywood—a city overflowing with gossip, scandal, and intrigue—make for a sizzling combination.

But this is the tale of three women, for it is also the story of the princess Salome herself, consumed with desire for the fiery prophet who foretells the doom of her stepfather, Herod: a woman torn between the decree of duty and the yearning of her heart.

Before the curtain comes down, there will be tears and tragedy aplenty in this sexy Technicolor saga.]]>
336 Silvia Moreno-Garcia J 4 3.75 2024 The Seventh Veil of Salome
author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
name: J
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/04
date added: 2025/03/04
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I'll read anything Silvia Moreno-Garcia writes. She always draws me in with her dream-like stories, and I just can't get enough.
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Too Old for This 221146758 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…]]>
Samantha Downing 0593101057 J 0 to-read 4.50 2025 Too Old for This
author: Samantha Downing
name: J
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/03
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<![CDATA[Supernatural Inc. (Supernatural Inc. #1)]]> 59515568
Now I'm surrounded by three beautiful women, all drawn into the mystery, and it turns out that my new dog is a smoking hot shapeshifter. Life's gotten crazy, but maybe, if we all work together, we'll find out who the real killer is.]]>
276 Simon Archer J 2 4.14 Supernatural Inc. (Supernatural Inc. #1)
author: Simon Archer
name: J
average rating: 4.14
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/27
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Hell Inc. (Hell Inc. #1) 42411109 Alternate cover edition of ASIN B07JDNYSVW


A desperate man makes a wager with the Devil: to save his dying wife, he must find an ancient lamp.

Allowed to have three strangers help him on his quest, he's got just days to scour the planet and find the four interlocking pieces. Once assembled, the lamp could save the dying Carissa.

But, does the Devil have secret, dark plans for the lamp? (hint: uh, yeah! I mean... Devil, right?)]]>
412 Dick Wybrow J 4 3.90 Hell Inc. (Hell Inc. #1)
author: Dick Wybrow
name: J
average rating: 3.90
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/23
date added: 2025/02/23
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The God of the Woods 199698485 When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp, two worlds collide

Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.

As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.]]>
490 Liz Moore J 4 4.16 2024 The God of the Woods
author: Liz Moore
name: J
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/23
date added: 2025/02/23
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<![CDATA[Lethal White (Cormoran Strike, #4)]]> 42283287
Trying to get to the bottom of Billy's story, Strike and Robin Ellacott � once his assistant, now a partner in the agency � set off on a twisting trail that leads them through the backstreets of London, into a secretive inner sanctum within Parliament, and to a beautiful but sinister manor house deep in the countryside.

And during this labyrinthine investigation, Strike's own life is far from straightforward: his newfound fame as a private eye means he can no longer operate behind the scenes as he once did. Plus, his relationship with his former assistant is more fraught than it ever has been � Robin is now invaluable to Strike in the business, but their personal relationship is much, much trickier than that.

The most epic Robert Galbraith novel yet, Lethal White is both a gripping mystery and a page-turning next instalment in the ongoing story of Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott.]]>
650 Robert Galbraith 0316422770 J 4 4.22 2018 Lethal White (Cormoran Strike, #4)
author: Robert Galbraith
name: J
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/20
date added: 2025/02/20
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I Stopped Time 17211930
2009: Disgraced politician Sir James Hastings has resigned himself to living out his retirement in a secluded Surrey village. He doesn’t react when he learns that the mother who abandoned him as a baby has died at the age of 108: he presumed she had died many years ago. Brought up by his father, a charismatic war-hero turned racing driver, young James, torn between self-blame and longing, eventually dismissed her as the ‘villain� of his childhood. But, when he inherits her life’s work � a photography collection spanning over six decades - he is forced to confront his past. Assisted by student Jenny Jones, who has recently lost her own mother to cancer, Sir James is persuaded to look at the photographs as if he is seeing through his mother’s eyes. And there he discovers an extraordinary tale of courage and sacrifice.]]>
366 Jane Davis J 3 4.07 I Stopped Time
author: Jane Davis
name: J
average rating: 4.07
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/17
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<![CDATA[A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor (The Carls, #2)]]> 49003616 An Absolutely Remarkable Thing.

The Carls disappeared the same way they appeared, in an instant. While they were on Earth, they caused confusion and destruction without ever lifting a finger. Well, that’s not exactly true. Part of their maelstrom was the sudden viral fame and untimely death of April May: a young woman who stumbled into Carl’s path, giving them their name, becoming their advocate, and putting herself in the middle of an avalanche of conspiracy theories.

Months later, the world is as confused as ever. Andy has picked up April’s mantle of fame, speaking at conferences and online about the world post-Carl; Maya, ravaged by grief, begins to follow a string of mysteries that she is convinced will lead her to April; and Miranda infiltrates a new scientific operation . . . one that might have repercussions beyond anyone’s comprehension.

As they each get further down their own paths, a series of clues arrive—mysterious books that seem to predict the future and control the actions of their readers; unexplained internet outages; and more—which seem to suggest April may be very much alive. In the midst of the gang's possible reunion is a growing force, something that wants to capture our consciousness and even control our reality.

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor is the bold and brilliant follow-up to An Absolutely Remarkable Thing. It’s a fast-paced adventure that is also a biting social commentary, asking hard, urgent questions. How will we live online? What powers over our lives are we giving away for free? Who has the right to change the world forever? And how do we find comfort in an increasingly isolated world?]]>
452 Hank Green 152474347X J 4 4.23 2020 A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor (The Carls, #2)
author: Hank Green
name: J
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/17
date added: 2025/02/17
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It Had to Be You 206205244
Their parents fostered children of all ages, and although the girls loved playing their part in providing a safe haven, it meant that life was rarely peaceful.

Now as a single mother of two, Libby’s life is still anything but peaceful. In her work as an antenatal coach, as well as for the charity she and Nicky run for teenage mothers, Libby uses all the skills she learnt growing up surrounded by children. Her days are full, caring for her family, the mothers-to-be and the latest strays she has welcomed into her home. But in the dark of the lonely nights, Libby worries she’s falling apart at the seams.

One troubled boy and a reckless decision she made thirteen years ago still haunts her.

Two hearts that were broken, still not mended.

The time has come for Libby to look out for herself. As her family, friends and her community have known forever, Libby is one of a kind, and if she can just learn to love herself, she may be able to welcome back the love she let slip through her fingers.

Uplifting, heart-warming and irresistibly good for the soul, it’s impossible not to fall in love with a Beth Moran story. Perfect for all fans of Jill Mansell, Julie Houston, and Jenny Colgan.]]>
393 Beth Moran 1804833673 J 0 to-read 4.37 It Had to Be You
author: Beth Moran
name: J
average rating: 4.37
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rating: 0
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<![CDATA[Career of Evil (Cormoran Strike, #3)]]> 40611999 Cormoran Strike is back, with his assistant Robin Ellacott, in a mystery based around soldiers returning from war.

When a mysterious package is delivered to Robin Ellacott, she is horrified to discover that it contains a woman’s severed leg.

Her boss, private detective Cormoran Strike, is less surprised but no less alarmed. There are four people from his past who he thinks could be responsible � and Strike knows that any one of them is capable of sustained and unspeakable brutality.

With the police focusing on the one suspect Strike is increasingly sure is not the perpetrator, he and Robin take matters into their own hands, and delve into the dark and twisted worlds of the other three men. But as more horrendous acts occur, time is running out for the two of them�

Career of Evil is the third in the series featuring private detective Cormoran Strike and his assistant Robin Ellacott. A mystery and also a story of a man and a woman at a crossroads in their personal and professional lives.]]>
609 Robert Galbraith 0316349925 J 4 4.22 2015 Career of Evil (Cormoran Strike, #3)
author: Robert Galbraith
name: J
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/13
date added: 2025/02/13
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<![CDATA[An Absolutely Remarkable Thing (The Carls, #1)]]> 24233708 343 Hank Green 1524743453 J 5 4.05 2018 An Absolutely Remarkable Thing (The Carls, #1)
author: Hank Green
name: J
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/06
date added: 2025/02/06
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<![CDATA[The Silkworm (Cormoran Strike, #2)]]> 18214414 Private investigator Cormoran Strike returns in a new mystery from Robert Galbraith, author of the #1 international bestseller The Cuckoo's Calling.

When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. At first, Mrs. Quine just thinks her husband has gone off by himself for a few days—as he has done before—and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home.

But as Strike investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine's disappearance than his wife realizes. The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were to be published, it would ruin lives—meaning that there are a lot of people who might want him silenced.

When Quine is found brutally murdered under bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer, a killer unlike any Strike has encountered before...]]>
464 Robert Galbraith 0316206873 J 4 4.02 2014 The Silkworm (Cormoran Strike, #2)
author: Robert Galbraith
name: J
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2014
rating: 4
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Sleepless in Dubai 61135655 From the author of My Sister's Big Fat Indian Wedding comes this hilarious, smart, and swoon-worthy rom-com about two teens traveling to Dubai for Diwali

In this hate-to-love teen rom-com from the author of My Sister's Big Fat Indian Wedding, Nikki, an aspiring photographer, accompanies her family on a trip to Dubai to celebrate the five days of Diwali in style. It should be the trip of a lifetime, if Yash, the boy next door--with whom Nikki has a rocky history--weren't on board. Oblivious to the tension, Nikki's matchmaking family encourages Nikki to get better acquainted with Yash. Turns out a lot can change on a 12-hour flight beyond just continents. But can betrayals and conflicting ambitions be set aside long enough for the two teens to discover the true meaning of the Festival of Lights?]]>
Sajni Patel J 3 3.55 2023 Sleepless in Dubai
author: Sajni Patel
name: J
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/02
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Under the Whispering Door 53205888 Welcome to Charon's Crossing.
The tea is hot, the scones are fresh, and the dead are just passing through.

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace begins to suspect he might be dead.

And when Hugo, the owner of a peculiar tea shop, promises to help him cross over, Wallace decides he’s definitely dead.

But even in death he’s not ready to abandon the life he barely lived, so when Wallace is given one week to cross over, he sets about living a lifetime in seven days.

Hilarious, haunting, and kind, Under the Whispering Door is an uplifting story about a life spent at the office and a death spent building a home.]]>
376 T.J. Klune 1250217342 J 4 4.11 2021 Under the Whispering Door
author: T.J. Klune
name: J
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/29
date added: 2025/01/29
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Funny and lovely with characters I wanted to hang out with and share delicious cups of tea.
]]>
The Island of Sea Women 40538657 9781501154850

Set on the Korean island of Jeju, The Island of Sea Women follows Mi-ja and Young-sook, two girls from very different backgrounds, as they begin working in the sea with their village’s all-female diving collective. Over many decades—through the Japanese colonialism of the 1930s and 1940s, World War II, the Korean War, and the era of cellphones and wet suits for the women divers—Mi-ja and Young-sook develop the closest of bonds. Nevertheless, their differences are impossible to ignore: Mi-ja is the daughter of a Japanese collaborator, forever marking her, and Young-sook was born into a long line of haenyeo and will inherit her mother’s position leading the divers. After hundreds of dives and years of friendship, forces outside their control will push their relationship to the breaking point.

This beautiful, thoughtful novel illuminates a unique and unforgettable culture, one where the women are in charge, engaging in dangerous physical work, and the men take care of the children. A classic Lisa See story—one of women’s friendships and the larger forces that shape them�The Island of Sea Women introduces readers to the fierce female divers of Jeju Island and the dramatic history that shaped their lives.]]>
374 Lisa See J 4 4.29 2019 The Island of Sea Women
author: Lisa See
name: J
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/24
date added: 2025/01/24
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<![CDATA[Cruel Acts (Maeve Kerrigan, #8)]]> 35478092
Detectives Maeve Kerrigan and Josh Derwent are tasked with re-examining the evidence. Before long, they uncover links between Stone and a possible third victim.

But with Stone behind bars, a fourth woman disappears in similar circumstances. Is there a copycat killer out there, or have they been wrong about Stone from the start? And will Maeve discover the truth before another innocent victim is killed?]]>
368 Jane Casey 0008149038 J 5 4.11 2019 Cruel Acts (Maeve Kerrigan, #8)
author: Jane Casey
name: J
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/22
date added: 2025/01/22
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<![CDATA[My Sister's Big Fat Indian Wedding]]> 59020058 A fresh, witty rom-com romp set against the backdrop of a high-profile music competition and a riotous Indian wedding

Zurika Damani is a naturally gifted violinist with a particular love for hip hop beats. But when you’re part of a big Indian family, everyone has expectations, and those certainly don’t include hip hop violin. After being rejected by Juilliard, Zuri's last hope is a contest judged by a panel of top tier college scouts. The only problem? This coveted competition happens to take place during Zuri’s sister’s extravagant wedding week. And Zuri has already been warned, repeatedly, that she is not to miss a single moment.

In the midst of the chaos, Zuri’s mom is in matchmaking mode with the groom’s South African cousin Naveen—who just happens to be a cocky vocalist set on stealing Zuri’s spotlight at the scouting competition. Luckily Zuri has a crew of loud and loyal female cousins cheering her on. Now, all she has to do is to wow the judges for a top spot, evade getting caught by her parents, resist Naveen’s charms, and, oh yeah . . . not mess up her sister’s big fat Indian wedding. What could possibly go wrong?]]>
368 Sajni Patel 141975453X J 4 3.74 2022 My Sister's Big Fat Indian Wedding
author: Sajni Patel
name: J
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/01/20
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<![CDATA[The Cuckoo's Calling (Cormoran Strike, #1)]]> 16160797 456 Robert Galbraith 0316206849 J 4 3.88 2013 The Cuckoo's Calling (Cormoran Strike, #1)
author: Robert Galbraith
name: J
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/18
date added: 2025/01/18
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Finders Keepers 219301783
Last week, Nina Hunnicutt was a professor about to move into a gorgeous new apartment with her long-term boyfriend. Now, she’s single, unemployed, and living with her parents. Even more surprising is the fact that Quentin Bell, her childhood neighbor (and okay, fine, crush), is also back in town—and wants to resume the treasure hunt that ended their friendship almost two decades ago.

Hoping the reward promised to whoever finds the rumored riches left behind by the town’s eccentric turn-of-the-century seltzer magnate will help her get her life back on track, Nina agrees. Granted, last time the search resulted in a broken heart and seventeen years of silence. But Nina’s older and wiser now—surely things will be different.

Except, Quentin is also older and wiser…not to mention distractingly handsome. As they resume their hunt, Nina and Quentin begin to rediscover all the things they once loved best about each other. But unlike the treasure, the secrets that left them empty-handed the first time refuse to stay buried. If there’s any hope of finding what they’re looking for—and for a future together—Nina and Quentin will have to be brave enough to excavate their past as well.]]>
400 Sarah Adler 0593817427 J 0 to-read 4.11 2025 Finders Keepers
author: Sarah Adler
name: J
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/17
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No Place Left to Hide 209823376 Some secrets just won't stay hidden in this twisty new thriller from New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Megan Lally!

To Brooke, image is everything. She works hard to maintain perfect grades, perfect looks, a perfect life—especially after "the incident" that threatened it all. Getting into her dream university puts her that much closer to a fresh start. How can she say no to celebrating with all her classmates?

Hanging out with her crush by the bonfire is the perfect end to the night. Except it isn't the end. An old truck starts aggressively tailing Brooke and her best friend on the isolated road toward home. Someone thinks they know the truth about "the incident," and they won't stop until it's all out in the open. This terrifying drive is about to bring out Brooke's worst fears…if she survives it.]]>
259 Megan Lally 1728270146 J 3 3.56 2025 No Place Left to Hide
author: Megan Lally
name: J
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/17
date added: 2025/01/17
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<![CDATA[Let the Dead Speak (Maeve Kerrigan, #7)]]> 31450668
London detective Maeve Kerrigan and the homicide team turn their attention to the neighbours. The ultra-religious Norrises are acting suspiciously; their teenage daughter and Chloe Emery definitely have something to hide. Then there’s William Turner, once accused of stabbing a schoolmate and the neighborhood’s favorite criminal. Is he merely a scapegoat, or is there more behind the charismatic façade?

As a body fails to materialize, Maeve must piece together a patchwork of testimonies and accusations. Who is lying, and who is not? And soon Maeve starts to realize that not only will the answer lead to Kate Emery, but more lives may hang in the balance.

With Let the Dead Speak, Jane Casey returns with another taut, richly drawn novel that will grip readers from the opening pages to the stunning conclusion.]]>
352 Jane Casey 1250100836 J 4 4.09 2017 Let the Dead Speak (Maeve Kerrigan, #7)
author: Jane Casey
name: J
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/15
date added: 2025/01/15
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The Blue Hour 207252770
Once home to Vanessa: A famous artist whose notoriously unfaithful husband disappeared twenty years ago.

Now home to Grace: A solitary creature of the tides, content in her own isolation.

But when a shocking discovery is made in an art gallery far away in London, a visitor comes calling.

And the secrets of Eris threaten to emerge . . .

A masterful novel that is as page-turning as it is unsettling, The Blue Hour recalls the sophisticated suspense of Shirley Jackson and Patricia Highsmith, and cements Hawkins’s place among the very best of our most nuanced and stylish storytellers.]]>
320 Paula Hawkins 0063396521 J 4 3.25 2024 The Blue Hour
author: Paula Hawkins
name: J
average rating: 3.25
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/15
date added: 2025/01/15
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<![CDATA[They All Love Jack: Busting the Ripper]]> 22693213
In exploring the case of Jack the Ripper, Robison goes beyond the who that has obsessed countless others and focuses on the why. He asserts that any "gentlemen" that walked above the fetid gutters of London, the nineteenth century's most depraved city, often harbored proclivities both violent and taboo—yearnings that went entirely unpunished, especially if he also bore royal connections. The story of Jack the Ripper hinges on accounts that were printed and distributed throughout history by the same murderous miscreants who frequented the East End of her Majesty's London, wiping the fetid muck from their boots when they once again reached the marble floors of society's finest homes.

Supported by primary sources and illustrated with 75 to 100 black and white photographs, this breathtaking work of cultural history dismisses the theories of previous "Ripperologists." A Robinson persuasively makes clear with his unique brilliance, The Ripper was far from a poor resident of Whitechapel . . . he was a way of life.]]>
752 Bruce Robinson 006229637X J 3 3.61 2015 They All Love Jack: Busting the Ripper
author: Bruce Robinson
name: J
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/15
date added: 2025/01/15
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Where Sleeping Girls Lie 61484909 In Where Sleeping Girls Lie � a YA contemporary mystery by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, the New York Times-bestselling author of Ace of Spades � a girl new to boarding school discovers dark secrets and coverups after her roommate disappears.

It’s like I keep stumbling into a dark room, searching for the switch to make things bright again. To make me remember. But the switch isn’t there. Was it there before?

Sade Hussein is starting her third year of high school, this time at the prestigious Alfred Nobel Academy boarding school. After being home-schooled all her life and feeling like a magnet for misfortune, she’s not sure what will happen. What she doesn’t expect though is for her roommate Elizabeth to disappear after Sade’s first night. Or for people to think she had something to do with it.

With rumors swirling around her, Sade catches the attention of the most popular girls in school � collectively known as the ‘Unholy Trinity� � and they bring her into their fold. Between learning more about them - especially Persephone, who Sade finds herself drawn to - playing catch-up in class, and trying to figure out what happened to Elizabeth, Sade has a lot on her plate. It doesn’t help that she’s already dealing with grief from the many tragedies in her family.

And then a student is found dead.

The more Sade investigates, the more she realizes there’s more to Alfred Nobel Academy and its students than she realized. Secrets lurk around every corner and beneath every surface…secrets that rival even her own.]]>
416 Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé 1250800846 J 0 to-read 4.01 2024 Where Sleeping Girls Lie
author: Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
name: J
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/14
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<![CDATA[The Grey Wolf (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #19)]]> 203578881 The nineteenth mystery in the #1 New York Times bestselling Armand Gamache series

Relentless phone calls interrupt the peace of a warm August morning in Three Pines. Though the tiny Québec village is impossible to find on any map, someone has managed to track down Armand Gamache, head of homicide at the Sûreté, as he sits with his wife in their back garden. Reine-Marie watches with increasing unease as her husband refuses to pick up, though he clearly knows who is on the other end. When he finally answers, his rage shatters the calm of their quiet Sunday morning.

That's only the first in a sequence of strange events that begin The Grey Wolf, the nineteenth novel in Louise Penny's #1 New York Times bestselling series. A missing coat, an intruder alarm, a note for Gamache reading "This might interest you," a puzzling scrap of paper with a mysterious list—and then a murder. All propel Chief Inspector Gamache and his team toward a terrible realization. Something much more sinister than any one murder or any one case is fast approaching.

Armand Gamache; Jean-Guy Beauvoir, his son-in-law and second in command; and Inspector Isabelle Lacoste can only trust each other, as old friends begin to act like enemies, and long-time enemies appear to be friends. Determined to track down the threat before it becomes a reality, their pursuit takes them across Québec and across borders. Their hunt grows increasingly desperate, even frantic, as the enormity of the creature they’re chasing becomes clear. If they fail, the devastating consequences would reach into the largest of cities and the smallest of villages.]]>
421 Louise Penny 1250328136 J 0 to-read 3.96 2024 The Grey Wolf (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #19)
author: Louise Penny
name: J
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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The Boyfriend 208503280 She's looking for the perfect man. He's looking for the perfect victim.

Sydney Shaw, like every single woman in New York, has terrible luck with dating. She’s seen it men who lie in their dating profile, men who stick her with the dinner bill, and worst of all, men who can't shut up about their mothers. But finally, she hits the jackpot.

Her new boyfriend is utterly perfect. He's charming, handsome, and works as a doctor at a local hospital. Sydney is swept off her feet.

Then the brutal murder of a young woman―the latest in a string of deaths across the coast―confounds police. The primary suspect? A mystery man who dates his victims before he kills them.

Sydney should feel safe. After all, she is dating the guy of her dreams. But she can’t shake her own suspicions that the perfect man may not be as perfect as he seems. Because someone is watching her every move, and if she doesn’t get to the truth, she’ll be the killer’s next victim...

A dark story about obsession and the things we’ll do for love, #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden proves that crimes of passion are often the bloodiest…]]>
368 Freida McFadden 1728296226 J 0 to-read 3.95 2024 The Boyfriend
author: Freida McFadden
name: J
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/14
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<![CDATA[The Private Diary of Lyle Menendez: In His Own Words!]]> 368204 263 Norma Novelli 0787104744 J 2 2.34 1995 The Private Diary of Lyle Menendez: In His Own Words!
author: Norma Novelli
name: J
average rating: 2.34
book published: 1995
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/06
date added: 2025/01/06
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<![CDATA[The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper]]> 37570548
What they had in common was the year of their murders: 1888.

Their murderer was never identified, but the name created for him by the press has become far more famous than any of these five women.

In this devastating narrative of five lives, historian Hallie Rubenhold finally gives these women back their stories.]]>
352 Hallie Rubenhold J 5
Hallie Rubenhold gives The Five back their stories, their heartbreaks, their loves, their familes, their losses. She describes the harshness of life in 1880's London, where these women fought every day just to survive.

Mary Ann (Polly) Nichols

Annie Chapman

Elizabeth Stride

Catherine Eddowes

Mary Jane Kelly

I will never forget them.]]>
4.06 2019 The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper
author: Hallie Rubenhold
name: J
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/06
date added: 2025/01/06
shelves:
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These five women have been ignored and dismissed, described only as prostitutes, which is not even accurate for most of them. Nor is it the most important thing about any of them.

Hallie Rubenhold gives The Five back their stories, their heartbreaks, their loves, their familes, their losses. She describes the harshness of life in 1880's London, where these women fought every day just to survive.

Mary Ann (Polly) Nichols

Annie Chapman

Elizabeth Stride

Catherine Eddowes

Mary Jane Kelly

I will never forget them.
]]>
<![CDATA[After the Fire (Maeve Kerrigan, #6)]]> 24909778 Arson, accident or murder?

After a fire rips through a North London tower block, two bodies are found locked in an 11th floor flat. But is the third victim that ensures the presence of detective Maeve Kerrigan and the murder squad. It appears that controversial MP Geoff Armstrong, trapped by the fire, chose to jump to his death rather than wait for rescue. But what was such a right wing politician doing in the deprived, culturally diverse Maudling Estate?

As Maeve and her senior colleague, Derwent, pick through the wreckage, they uncover the secret world of the 11th floor, where everyone seems to have something to hide…]]>
496 Jane Casey 0091948320 J 4 4.18 2015 After the Fire (Maeve Kerrigan, #6)
author: Jane Casey
name: J
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/06
date added: 2025/01/06
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The Kill (Maeve Kerrigan, #5) 18460043 Maeve Kerrigan is used to investigating murders.But this time a killer has struck far too close to home...

When a police officer is found shot dead in his car, DC Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent take on the investigation. But nothing about the case prepares them for what happens next: a second policeman dies . . . and then another . . .

The Metropolitan Police struggle to carry out their usual duties, but no one knows where or how this cop killer will strike again. While London disintegrates into lawlessness Maeve's world starts to fall apart too. For if the police can't keep themselves safe, how can they protect anyone else?]]>
464 Jane Casey 0091949688 J 4 4.11 2014 The Kill (Maeve Kerrigan, #5)
author: Jane Casey
name: J
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/04
date added: 2025/01/04
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<![CDATA[How to Kill Men and Get Away With It (Kitty Collins #1)]]> 61833058 Meet Kitty Collins.

FRIEND. LOVER. KILLER.

He was following me. That guy from the nightclub who wouldn’t leave me alone.

I hadn’t intended to kill him of course. But I wasn’t displeased when I did and, despite the mess I made, I appeared to get away with it.

That’s where my addiction started�

I’ve got a taste for revenge and quite frankly, I’m killing it.

A deliciously dark, hilariously twisted story about friendship, love, and murder. Fans of My Sister the Serial Killer, How to Kill Your Family and Killing Eve will love this wickedly clever novel!]]>
384 Katy Brent 0008600481 J 3 3.66 2023 How to Kill Men and Get Away With It (Kitty Collins #1)
author: Katy Brent
name: J
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/02
date added: 2025/01/02
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Rock Chick Bonus Tracks 216412344
The stories of the Hot Bunch and Rock Chicks continue in the hero’s point of view for one more chapter in each book. What happens when Lee and Indy run into Cherry at the Mexican Joint? When Eddie first sees his purple bathroom? What’s Christmas like with Herb and Trish? What was going on with Boo after Jules got shot?

Find out all of this and more in the Rock Chick Bonus Tracks, now available in one anthology.]]>
221 Kristen Ashley 1954680627 J 4 4.24 2024 Rock Chick Bonus Tracks
author: Kristen Ashley
name: J
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/02
date added: 2025/01/02
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<![CDATA[Thorn In My Side (Sweetpea, #4)]]> 194027112
Rhiannon Lewis thought she finally had it all: thanks to the pandemic she’s had to keep a much lower profile but has found happiness with her fiancé Rafael and his family. For once, she is surrounded by people who love her for who she is (or who they think she is).

After over 800 days without murdering anyone, the woman formerly known as the Sweetpea Killer thinks she might have finally turned over a new leaf.

That is until her soon-to-be sister-in-law has a run in with her abusive ex, and Rhiannon rediscovers her taste for revenge. This time, with a loving family in tow, the stakes are much higher. Wedded bliss and life as a normal person are finally within Rhiannon's reach, but you can never keep a good serial killer down.

Can you?]]>
418 C.J. Skuse J 0 to-read 4.25 2023 Thorn In My Side (Sweetpea, #4)
author: C.J. Skuse
name: J
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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Bright Young Women 101124639
The survivors, including key witness Pamela Schumacher, will be forever changed by this night. They have all become victims. But they tell their perspectives here, they remain masters of their stories. And they hunt the perpetrator on their own - against resistance from the justice system and the police; against public opinion, which idolizes the serial killer.]]>
384 Jessica Knoll 1501153226 J 0 to-read 3.99 2023 Bright Young Women
author: Jessica Knoll
name: J
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/31
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<![CDATA[Back in the Saddle (Avenging Angels #2)]]> 210128123
She doesn’t think it’s dangerous.

Eric Turner disagrees.

Eric is a member of the Nightingale Investigations and Security team. Therefore, Eric knows what he’s talking about.

Eric isn’t only badass, he’s also a seriously gorgeous guy, and Jessie has a huge crush on him. She doesn’t think he knows she exists…until now.

Eric steps in, and so do Jessie’s besties, the Avenging Angels. Soon, the Angels and the Hottie Squad are on the case to find Jessie’s missing sibling.

There’s more happening when it comes to Eric, though. Jessie’s so worried about her brother, she’s not paying attention. Eric sets about changing that, and just like all the Hot Bunch before him, when he finds his one, he doesn’t mess around.

However, something is afoot in Phoenix. And as the Angels uncover the sinister workings behind people going missing, and Eric and Jessie unpack their emotional baggage, the Angels dive deeper into the dark underbelly of the city�

Finding heroes, more hot guys, lots of hijinks…and heart.]]>
511 Kristen Ashley J 4 4.30 2024 Back in the Saddle (Avenging Angels #2)
author: Kristen Ashley
name: J
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/27
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<![CDATA[The Ruined (The Beautiful, #4)]]> 61105796 The stunning conclusion to the instant New York Times bestselling quartet that began with The Beautiful.

The Sylvan Vale and the Sylvan Wyld are at war. Now that the unsteady truce between them has been broken, lines must be drawn. In an effort to protect the weakened Winter Court, Bastien rallies powerful allies and friends in New Orleans to come to their aid.

Meanwhile, under protection alongside her injured mother in the Summer Court, Celine is uncertain of whom to trust. She cannot get word to Bastien, and does not understand why he has not returned. When she realizes war between the fey courts is imminent, she journeys with Ali in an effort to find the time traveling mirror and change their fate.

But when Celine's rivals realize Bastien has rallied his allies in the mortal world, they decide to take the fight to him.]]>
400 Renée Ahdieh 1984812645 J 2
It also took the strong-willed, determined Celine, and made her best qualities weaknesses.

There were several loose ends, so who knows, maybe RA plans to finish the story in a better way. I really hope so.]]>
2.98 2023 The Ruined (The Beautiful, #4)
author: Renée Ahdieh
name: J
average rating: 2.98
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2024/12/27
date added: 2024/12/27
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I loved the first three books in the series. This one doesn't honor the love, friendships, and promise of what came before.

It also took the strong-willed, determined Celine, and made her best qualities weaknesses.

There were several loose ends, so who knows, maybe RA plans to finish the story in a better way. I really hope so.
]]>
<![CDATA[RedHanded: An Exploration of Criminals, Cannibals, Cults, and What Makes a Killer Tick]]> 56622219
Based off Hannah Maguire and Suruthi Bala's popular podcast of the same name, RedHanded explores real-life true crime cases to help answer once and for all if a killer is born or made.

After meeting at a house party in London, where they discovered a mutual obsession for all things true crime, Suruthi Bala and Hannah Maguire drunkenly promised to one day start their own murder podcast. Six weeks later they ordered their first microphones and the rest is history. From the hosts of the hit podcast RedHanded (dubbed by Anna Paquin as her “all- time favorite true crime podcast�), Bala and Maguire have amassed a cult following of “spooky bitches.�

What is it about killers, cults, and cannibals that capture our imaginations even as they terrify and disturb us? Do we find these stories endlessly and equally compelling and frightening, because they hold up a mirror to society’s failings and to the horrors that we humans are capable of? RedHanded rejects the outdated narrative of killers as monsters and that a victim “was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.� Instead, it dissects the stories of killers in a way that challenges perceptions and asks the hard questions about society, gender, poverty, culture, and even our politics.

With their trademark humor, research on real-life cases, and unflinching analysis of what makes a criminal, Bala and Maguire take you through what drives the most extreme of human behavior to find out once and for what makes a killer tick?]]>
256 Suruthi Bala 0762473797 J 4 4.15 2021 RedHanded: An Exploration of Criminals, Cannibals, Cults, and What Makes a Killer Tick
author: Suruthi Bala
name: J
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/24
date added: 2024/12/24
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<![CDATA[De-Witched (Toil and Trouble, #2)]]> 198132867
Six weeks ago, Leah Turner snuck into a witch high-society masked ball and promised to abide by two

1. Don't draw attention to yourself.

2. Don't talk to anyone.

As a human, Leah took a huge risk by even attending—and by talking to the enigmatic warlock who had her wanting to rip off her mask. But this Cinderella had to leave the ball before anyone discovered her secret.

Gabriel Goodnight is everything a Higher family warlock should be. Powerful, responsible—to a fault, some might say. Still, before he can inherit his parents� business, he’ll have to prove his merit to the board one final time…by living among humans, without his powers, for three months.

When Gabriel walks into Leah’s bar, she immediately recognizes him—but it’s obvious he has no idea who she is, and he definitely doesn’t know she knows about magic. This condescending, uptight man is hardly the Prince Charming she thought she knew…but that doesn't mean they can't have a little fun�

Toil and Trouble

Book 1: The Witch is Back
Book 2: De-Witched]]>
368 Sophie H. Morgan 1335146644 J 4 3.79 De-Witched (Toil and Trouble, #2)
author: Sophie H. Morgan
name: J
average rating: 3.79
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/21
date added: 2024/12/21
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<![CDATA[The Righteous (The Beautiful, #3)]]> 56876830 The third book in the instant New York Times bestselling series that began with The Beautiful.

Pippa Montrose is tired of losing everything she loves. When her best friend Celine disappears under mysterious circumstances, Pippa resolves to find her, even if the journey takes her into the dangerous world of the fae, where she might find more than she bargained for in the charismatic Arjun Desai.

Renée is back with her rich, atmospheric fantasy world that will continue to enthrall readers, new romance and mystery, and lush, pacey writing.]]>
432 Renée Ahdieh 1529368391 J 4 3.79 2021 The Righteous (The Beautiful, #3)
author: Renée Ahdieh
name: J
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/19
date added: 2024/12/19
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<![CDATA[Painted Devils (Little Thieves, #2)]]> 59406591
After taking down a corrupt margrave, breaking a deadly curse, and finding romance with the vexingly scrupulous Junior Prefect Emeric Conrad, Vanja had one great mystery left: her long-lost birth family� and if they would welcome a thief. But in her search for an honest trade, she hit trouble and invented a god, the Scarlet Maiden, to scam her way out. Now, that lie is growing out of control—especially when Emeric arrives to investigate, and the Scarlet Maiden manifests to claim him as a virgin sacrifice.

For his final test to become a prefect, Emeric must determine if Vanja is guilty of serious fraud, or if the Scarlet Maiden—and her claim to him—are genuine. Meanwhile, Vanja is chasing an alternative sacrifice that may be their way out. The hunt leads her not only into the lairs of monsters and the paths of gods, but the ties of her past. And with what should be the simplest way to save Emeric hanging over their heads, he and Vanja must face a more dangerous question: Is there a future for a thief and a prefect, and at what price?]]>
512 Margaret Owen 1250831164 J 4 4.24 2023 Painted Devils (Little Thieves, #2)
author: Margaret Owen
name: J
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/14
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<![CDATA[Holy Terrors (Little Thieves, #3)]]> 197364659 Pfennigeist, she bucks the law in order to help the desperate and haunt the corrupt all across the empire—and no matter what, she works alone.


But an impossible killer is tearing through royalty, and leaving Vanja’s signature red penny on every victim. Suddenly the Pfennigeist is no longer a folk hero but a nightmare. When even the Blessed Empress falls, the empire’s seven royal families must gather to elect her successor within a matter of weeks, or risk the collapse of reality itself� even though it puts every house in the killer’s sights.


Vanja tells herself she’s wading into the royalty’s vicious games only to save the name she made, and the loved ones also in jeopardy. But the Order of Prefects has also put their sharpest official on the case, the one who swore he’d always find Vanja—until she broke his heart. Journeyman Prefect Emeric Conrad may no longer be the boy Vanja knew, but they’ll have to work together one last time to have any chance of surviving the deadly catastrophe coming for them all.


With bloody conspiracy, sinister magic, and old adverseries closing in, it will take everything Vanja has to save not just the people she loves, but the future she’s fought for. In this thrilling final chapter of the Indie Next series Little Thieves, New York Times-bestselling author Margaret Owen shows us the pain and beauty of choosing which demons to face, and which to forgive.]]>
560 Margaret Owen 1250831172 J 0 to-read 4.60 2025 Holy Terrors (Little Thieves, #3)
author: Margaret Owen
name: J
average rating: 4.60
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[The Fallow Year (Little Thieves, #2.5)]]> 205031105
Available to read for free in AO3.


Chapter 1: Plausible Deniability
Chapter 2: Landfall
Chapter 3: Beauty without Mercy
Chapter 4: The Agenda
Chapter 5: Many Happy Returns
Chapter 6: Providence
Chapter 7: Due Diligence
Chapter 8: The Cycle
Chapter 9: Phantom Roses, Part I
Chapter 10: Phantom Roses, Part II]]>
240 Margaret Owen J 0 to-read 4.50 The Fallow Year (Little Thieves, #2.5)
author: Margaret Owen
name: J
average rating: 4.50
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<![CDATA[At the Foot of the Cherry Tree]]> 95585293

Gordon Parker is just an eager eighteen-year-old Australian boy desperate to fight for his country, and Nobuko 'Cherry' Sakuramoto is a sixteen-year-old girl struggling to survive in Japan in the aftermath of World War II. But when they fall in love, they change the course of history.

When Gordon arrived in Japan, he expected ruthless samurai, angry Japanese men ready to kill Australians at every corner. Instead, he found Cherry, terrified of ex-enemy soldiers, a 16-year-old survivor of the atomic bomb. Against all the rules and against all odds, they fall in love. But when Gordon discovers the White Australia Policy prevents Cherry coming home with him as his war bride, Gordon does what any 20-year-old soldier would do. He vows to fight. Leaving Cherry alone and pregnant in post-war Japan, Gordon somehow has to convinces his family to accept his marriage and wage a desperate campaign against a xenophobic and war-scarred government to allow his wife and his family to come home.

A story spanning seven years and two countries reeling from the aftermath of war, At the Foot of the Cherry Tree is a sweeping and moving novel about faith, trust, and the power of a love that alters history - written by Gordon and Cherry's granddaughter, accomplished scriptwriter, Alli Parker.]]>
336 Alli Parker 1460715926 J 0 to-read 4.27 2023 At the Foot of the Cherry Tree
author: Alli Parker
name: J
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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Yellowface 62047984
So what if June edits Athena’s novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song—complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? This piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller. That is what June believes, and The New York Times bestseller list agrees.

But June cannot escape Athena’s shadow, and emerging evidence threatens her stolen success. As she races to protect her secret she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.]]>
319 R.F. Kuang 000853277X J 0 to-read 3.69 2023 Yellowface
author: R.F. Kuang
name: J
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/14
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Crying in H Mart 54814676
In this exquisite story of family, food, grief, and endurance, Michelle Zauner proves herself far more than a dazzling singer, songwriter, and guitarist. With humour and heart, she tells of growing up the only Asian-American kid at her school in Eugene, Oregon; of struggling with her mother’s particular, high expectations of her; of a painful adolescence; of treasured months spent in her grandmother’s tiny apartment in Seoul, where she and her mother would bond, late at night, over heaping plates of food. As she grew up, moving to the east coast for college, finding work in the restaurant industry, performing gigs with her fledgling band � and meeting the man who would become her husband � her Koreanness began to feel ever more distant, even as she found the life she wanted to live.

It was her mother’s diagnosis of terminal pancreatic cancer, when Michelle was twenty-five, that forced a reckoning with her identity and brought her to reclaim the gifts of taste, language, and history her mother had given her.

Vivacious, lyrical and honest, Michelle Zauner’s voice is as radiantly alive on the page as it is onstage. Rich with intimate anecdotes that will resonate widely, Crying in H Mart is a book to cherish, share, and reread.]]>
243 Michelle Zauner 0525657746 J 0 to-read 4.25 2021 Crying in H Mart
author: Michelle Zauner
name: J
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2021
rating: 0
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<![CDATA[The Mirror (The Lost Bride Trilogy, #2)]]> 203578918 #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts continues the hauntingly spectacular Lost Bride Trilogy with book two, The Mirror.

When Sonya MacTavish inherits the huge Victorian mansion on the coast of Maine, she has no idea that the house is haunted. The footsteps she hears at night, the doors slamming, the music playing, are not figments of her imagination. In her dreams she sees glimpses of the past. In the present she finds portraits of brides. And when she has visions of an antique mirror, she is drawn to it, sensing it holds dark family secrets.

Then one night the mirror appears and Sonya glides through this looking glass, into the past—and sees a bride murdered on her wedding day, the circle of gold torn from her finger. It is a scene that will play out again and again—a centuries-old curse that must be broken—and a puzzle she must solve if there is any hope of breaking the curse.]]>
435 Nora Roberts 1250288770 J 4 4.01 2024 The Mirror (The Lost Bride Trilogy, #2)
author: Nora Roberts
name: J
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2024
rating: 4
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<![CDATA[The Darkest Chase (Dark Hearts of Redhaven #3)]]> 216633604 Two complete opposites fall into a heart-ripping fairy tale in this scorching hot small-town grumpy sunshine romance.

Life is just full of crazy surprises with teeth.
One day you're the forever single wallflower keeping up the boring family furniture shop.
The next, you're getting mouth-to-mouth from a scary hot stranger who wants to make your life a thriller novel.
Yes, my disaster has a name.

Micah Ainsley.
Everything I'm not. Nothing remotely good for me.
He's all wolf—moody, savage, and ferociously protective.
I'm a human puppy.
He thrives on secrets.
Everybody knows what I had for breakfast.
He's experienced. So experienced.
I've never even been kissed.

But when he needs my help to take down a rich creep who just happens to be my new client, I'm game.
I'm ready to live a little.
I'm eager to prove I'm more than a hot mess with a cross-eyed crush on a coldhearted man who's too old for me.

Then another surprise bites me in the face.
The night Micah claims me.
The moment our wrong becomes reality and there's no going back.
The darkest chase is on and it only ends one way—sweet dreams or total devastation.

All the small-town sugar, spice, and angsty goodness in one epic slow-burn romance. Remember to breathe as you watch Redhaven's coldest man thaw for the little spark he'll fight like mad to keep.]]>
478 Nicole Snow J 3 4.22 2024 The Darkest Chase (Dark Hearts of Redhaven #3)
author: Nicole Snow
name: J
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/14
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All the Colors of the Dark 203019740 From the New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End comes a soaring thriller and an epic love story that spans decades.

1975 is a time of change in America. The Vietnam War is ending. Mohammed Ali is fighting Joe Frazier. And in the small town of Monta Clare, Missouri, girls are disappearing.

When the daughter of a wealthy family is targeted, the most unlikely hero emerges—Patch, a local boy with one eye, who saves the girl, and, in doing so, leaves heartache in his wake.

Patch and those who love him soon discover that the line between triumph and tragedy has never been finer. And that their search for answers will lead them to truths that could mean losing one another.

A missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, a unique twist on each, Chris Whitaker has written a novel about what lurks in the shadows of obsession, and the blinding light of hope.]]>
608 Chris Whitaker 0593798872 J 0 to-read 4.24 2024 All the Colors of the Dark
author: Chris Whitaker
name: J
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/13
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The Frozen River 112975658 A gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into American history.

Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own.

Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.

Clever, layered, and subversive, Ariel Lawhon’s newest offering introduces an unsung heroine who refused to accept anything less than justice at a time when women were considered best seen and not heard. The Frozen River is a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day.]]>
432 Ariel Lawhon 0385546874 J 0 to-read 4.38 2023 The Frozen River
author: Ariel Lawhon
name: J
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/13
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<![CDATA[The Seven Rings (The Lost Bride Trilogy, #3)]]> 222361665 The #1 New York Times-bestselling author concludes her compelling Lost Bride trilogy as two women—one dead, one alive—prepare for a terrifying final showdown�

Long ago, Arthur Poole built a grand house overlooking the turbulent ocean, in a Maine village that bore his name. Today, Sonya MacTavish lives in that house—a manor that has been cursed for generations. Within its walls, she has witnessed the deaths of seven brides and the thefts of seven wedding rings. And now, to break the curse and banish a malevolent spirit once and for all, a difficult task must be completed.

After Sonya, her boyfriend, Trey, and their friends are forced to hear, see—and feel—the suffering of the house’s many ghosts as their torment is reenacted by the evil presence, their bond only strengthens and their anger is renewed. Refusing to let her spirit be broken, Sonya searches each room for clues to her ancestors� hidden story, putting the picture together, unearthing small treasures, and uncovering the moments of joy that existed among the sorrows. She’s determined to bring light to this haunted place—to fill it with people, with life and hope, once again.

But the enemy in the black dress continues to hover, to come at her in frightening forms. They may be illusions—but illusions can be powerful enough to wound and kill. She feeds on fear, and lies are her weapon. This dark-hearted witch wants to be mistress of Poole Manor, at any cost. And Sonya will need to fight a battle across two realms to finally take possession of the house on the clifftop—and of her own future…]]>
448 Nora Roberts 1250288800 J 0 to-read 4.20 2025 The Seven Rings (The Lost Bride Trilogy, #3)
author: Nora Roberts
name: J
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/10
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<![CDATA[The Brawl (Calamity Montana, #5)]]> 60421789
Except Calamity’s sweetheart has sworn off men. The last time Ronan was rejected was, well . . . never. Yet Larke dismisses him without even batting those pretty brown eyes.

Bruised ego in check, he’s about to walk away when a teenager marches into his office and asks to hire Ronan as her lawyer. Something about a bad grade and a ruined grade point average that will inevitably destroy her future. He’s about to lecture the kid for being melodramatic until he learns that the teacher she wants to sue is Larke.

Suddenly this frivolous lawsuit seems like a bright idea. Ronan wants Larke’s attention and this is guaranteed to snag it. So let the brawl begin.]]>
322 Willa Nash J 3 4.13 2022 The Brawl (Calamity Montana, #5)
author: Willa Nash
name: J
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/10
date added: 2024/12/10
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<![CDATA[The Brood (Calamity Montana, #6)]]> 62608904
But when his oldest friend calls, begging for a favor, Wilder begrudgingly agrees. For the next two months, he’ll give up his guest room to his friend’s little sister.

Iris Monroe isn’t the girl Wilder remembers. Gone is the shy, quiet mouse ten years his junior who always had her nose in a book. Grown-up Iris talks too much and asks too many questions, especially about his past. And her bright smile and clear blue eyes are hard to ignore.

Two months. He just has to survive two months. Except Iris is as nosy as she is beautiful. And his secrets prove hard to hide when she’s living under his roof.]]>
320 Devney Perry 1957376279 J 3 4.19 2023 The Brood (Calamity Montana, #6)
author: Devney Perry
name: J
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/10
date added: 2024/12/10
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<![CDATA[The Stranger You Know (Maeve Kerrigan, #4)]]> 18404155
Then the evidence starts to point to a shocking DCI Josh Derwent, Maeve's partner on the police force. Maeve refuses to believe he could be involved, but how well does she really know him? Secrets Derwent has long kept locked away are coming back to haunt him, and the more Maeve learns about her partner's past, the more difficult it is to dismiss him as a suspect. After all, this is hardly the first time Derwent's been accused of murder.

Jane Casey returns with her most outstanding novel yet in The Stranger You Know, a taut thriller and an intimate portrayal of complicated, all-too-human characters.]]>
384 Jane Casey 1250048834 J 4 4.15 The Stranger You Know (Maeve Kerrigan, #4)
author: Jane Casey
name: J
average rating: 4.15
book published:
rating: 4
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date added: 2024/12/10
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Whiteout 214101838 A researcher stranded in Antarctica receives a radio message that a nuclear war has broken out in this claustrophobic survival thriller, perfect for fans of The Martian, The Last Murder at the End of the World and Breathless.

It’s been four months since glaciologist Rachael Beckett left her husband and daughter to join an urgent research trip to a remote field station deep in the Antarctic. But after losing all communication with her crew at base camp, she’s trapped and alone � and running out of supplies. The only information she has about what’s gone so catastrophically wrong is an emergency radio broadcast playing on a a nuclear war has broken out, and Rachael might be the last survivor on Earth. 

Abandoned and starving, all she has left is a fierce determination to stay alive in the extreme cold and perpetual darkness of the polar winter. The research she’s gathered about catastrophic climate damage means she holds the fate of the continent and the world in her grasp…if there’s even a world left to save.

Struggling with loneliness and grief over the unknown fate of her family back home, Rachael knows both her life and her sanity balance on a knife edge. As she battles to stay alive in unimaginable conditions, she soon discovers she’s not completely alone in the dark and cold–but she might wish she was…]]>
352 R.S. Burnett J 0 to-read 3.58 2025 Whiteout
author: R.S. Burnett
name: J
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/03
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<![CDATA[The Bully (Calamity Montana, #4)]]> 58312432
When her archnemesis dares to show his face one Saturday morning, declaring he is moving there too, she vows to make his life a misery. The town isn’t big enough for the both of them and besides . . .

She was here first.

Cal has been a thorn in her side since high school. He might have bullied her back then, but she’s not a modest teenager anymore and has learned a few plays of her own. If all goes to plan, she’ll run the former pro quarterback out of town within a month.

There’s only one problem. Cal has the same plan. He wants Calamity bad enough to pull out all the stops. And after one kiss, she realizes that he doesn’t play fair.]]>
332 Willa Nash J 4 4.06 2022 The Bully (Calamity Montana, #4)
author: Willa Nash
name: J
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/03
date added: 2024/12/03
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Beautiful Ugly 211004123 The million-copy bestselling Queen of Twists Alice Feeney returns with a gripping and deliciously dark thriller about marriage. . .
. . . and revenge.

Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life.

Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there. . . but his wife has disappeared.

A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, and he can’t write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible � a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.

Wives think their husbands will change but they don’t.
Husbands think their wives won’t change but they do.
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306 Alice Feeney 125033778X J 0 to-read 3.65 2025 Beautiful Ugly
author: Alice Feeney
name: J
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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The Hitchcock Hotel 204316865 A Hitchcock fanatic with an agenda invites old friends for a weekend stay at his secluded themed hotel in this fiendishly clever, suspenseful new novel.

Alfred Smettle is not your average Hitchcock fan. He is the founder, owner, and manager of The Hitchcock Hotel, a sprawling Victorian house in the White Mountains dedicated to the Master of Suspense. There, Alfred offers his guests round-the-clock film screenings, movie props and memorabilia in every room, plus an aviary with fifty crows.

To celebrate the hotel’s first anniversary, he invites his former best friends from his college Film Club for a reunion. He hasn’t spoken to any of them in sixteen years, not after what happened.

But who better than them to appreciate Alfred’s creation? And to help him finish it.

After all, no Hitchcock set is complete without a body.]]>
352 Stephanie Wrobel 059354711X J 4 3.57 2024 The Hitchcock Hotel
author: Stephanie Wrobel
name: J
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/02
date added: 2024/12/02
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The Haters 201627012 The bestselling author of The PartyԻ The Drowning Woman returns with a twisted tale of fame, obsession, and the dark recesses of social media.

Camryn Lane is living her dream. After years of struggle and rejection, her first novel has finally been published. Her editor is happy; her teenage daughter is proud; and her boyfriend and friends are all excited for her. She’s on top of the world—until she receives a disturbing message from an unknown sender.

Rattled by the accusations she finds there, Camryn swallows the sick feeling in her stomach and resolves to put the missive out of her mind. But when she checks her ratings on a popular book site, she finds a scathing one-star review. The reviewer is so articulate and convincing that soon, Camryn’s book is flooded with bad reviews. Could the reviewer be the same person who sent the ugly email? And why do they want to ruin her?

As the online harassment creeps into Camryn’s personal life, she vows to find out who’s behind it. Is it really a disgruntled reader? Or could it be someone she knows? The troll’s actions are escalating, and when the abuse turns deadly, it will take everything Camryn has to unmask the enemy so intent on destroying her—and finally learn why she's being targeted.]]>
342 Robyn Harding 1538766108 J 4 3.56 2024 The Haters
author: Robyn Harding
name: J
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/02
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Icebreaker (Maple Hills, #1) 63133206
Nothing will stand in her way, not even the captain of the hockey team, Nate Hawkins.

Nate’s focus as team captain is on keeping his team on the ice. Which is tricky when a facilities mishap means they are forced to share a rink with the figure skating team—including Anastasia, who clearly can’t stand him.

But when Anastasia’s skating partner faces an uncertain future, she may have to look to Nate to take her shot.

Sparks fly, but Anastasia isn’t worried…because she could never like a hockey player, right?]]>
433 Hannah Grace 1668026031 J 0 to-read 3.84 2022 Icebreaker (Maple Hills, #1)
author: Hannah Grace
name: J
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/01
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Mansfield Park 45032 488 Jane Austen J 4 classics 3.86 1814 Mansfield Park
author: Jane Austen
name: J
average rating: 3.86
book published: 1814
rating: 4
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date added: 2024/11/28
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<![CDATA[The Brazen (Calamity Montana, #3)]]> 56682105 USA Today Bestselling Author Devney Perry, writing as Willa Nash, comes a stranded together, small town romance.

Kerrigan Hale’s personal life is about as exciting as a bucket of tar. With hard work and hustle as her steadfast companions, who needs romance or adventure? Her empire in Calamity, Montana, isn’t going to build itself.

For years, her mentor—and investor—helped make her dreams come true. Until his unexpected death put her fate in his grandson’s hands. A brazen billionaire, he seems intent on ruining Kerrigan’s life.

But if Pierce Sullivan thinks she’ll go down without a fight, he’s sorely mistaken. Pushed to the extreme, she drives to his ritzy mountain lodge to force the arrogant You Can Call Me Mr. Sullivan to hear her out.

No sooner does she arrive than a snowstorm traps her with Pierce. Stranded together for days, she’s in for the battle of her life. Pierce is nearly irresistible by candlelight. Without his suits and fancy cars, he’s almost human.

Except only a fool would let down her guard. And Kerrigan can’t risk her future. Not when she doesn’t know if he’s out to pilfer her dreams . . . or to steal her heart.]]>
322 Willa Nash J 4 4.10 2021 The Brazen (Calamity Montana, #3)
author: Willa Nash
name: J
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/27
date added: 2024/11/27
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<![CDATA[Conspiracy in Death (In Death, #8)]]> 172691 364 J.D. Robb 0749934174 J 4 4.34 1999 Conspiracy in Death (In Death, #8)
author: J.D. Robb
name: J
average rating: 4.34
book published: 1999
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/26
date added: 2024/11/26
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<![CDATA[Little Thieves (Little Thieves, #1)]]> 54017820 Once upon a time, there was a horrible girl...

Vanja Schmidt knows that no gift is freely given, not even a mother’s love―and she’s on the hook for one hell of a debt. Vanja, the adopted goddaughter of Death and Fortune, was Princess Gisele's dutiful servant up until a year ago. That was when Vanja’s otherworldly mothers demanded a terrible price for their care, and Vanja decided to steal her future back� by stealing Gisele’s life for herself.

The real Gisele is left a penniless nobody while Vanja uses an enchanted string of pearls to take her place. Now, Vanja leads a lonely but lucrative double life as princess and jewel thief, charming nobility while emptying their coffers to fund her great escape. Then, one heist away from freedom, Vanja crosses the wrong god and is cursed to an untimely end: turning into jewels, stone by stone, for her greed.

Vanja has just two weeks to figure out how to break her curse and make her getaway. And with a feral guardian half-god, Gisele’s sinister fiancé, and an overeager junior detective on Vanja’s tail, she’ll have to pull the biggest grift yet to save her own life.]]>
512 Margaret Owen 1250191904 J 5 4.24 2021 Little Thieves (Little Thieves, #1)
author: Margaret Owen
name: J
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/26
date added: 2024/11/26
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<![CDATA[The Damned (The Beautiful, #2)]]> 53131137 The Beautiful, Sébastien Saint Germain is now cursed and forever changed. The treaty between the Fallen and the Brotherhood has been broken, and war between the immortals seems imminent. The price of loving Celine was costly. But Celine has also paid a high price for loving Bastien.

Still recovering from injuries sustained during a night she can’t quite remember, her dreams are troubled. And she doesn’t know she has inadvertently set into motion a chain of events that could lead to her demise and unveil a truth about herself she’s not quite ready to learn.

Forces hiding in the shadows have been patiently waiting for this moment for centuries. And just as Bastien and Celine begin to uncover the danger around them, they learn their love could tear them apart.

New York Times bestselling author Renée Ahdieh returns with the second installment of her new sumptuous, sultry and romantic series, The Beautiful. ]]>
401 Renée Ahdieh 1984812580 J 4 3.74 2020 The Damned (The Beautiful, #2)
author: Renée Ahdieh
name: J
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/23
date added: 2024/11/23
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Here One Moment 208516656 If you knew your future, would you try to fight fate?

Aside from a delay, there will be no problems. The flight will be smooth, it will land safely. Everyone who gets on the plane will get off. But almost all of them will be forever changed.

Because on this ordinary, short, domestic flight, something extraordinary happens. People learn how and when they are going to die. For some, their death is far in the future—age 103!—and they laugh. But for six passengers, their predicted deaths are not far away at all.

How do they know this? There were ostensibly more interesting people on the flight (the bride and groom, the jittery, possibly famous woman, the giant Hemsworth-esque guy who looks like an off-duty superhero, the frazzled, gorgeous flight attendant) but none would become as famous as “The Death Lady.�

Not a single passenger or crew member will later recall noticing her board the plane. She wasn’t exceptionally old or young, rude or polite. She wasn’t drunk or nervous or pregnant. Her appearance and demeanor were unremarkable. But what she did on that flight was truly remarkable.

A few months later, one passenger dies exactly as she predicted. Then two more passengers die, again, as she said they would. Soon no one is thinking this is simply an entertaining story at a cocktail party.

If you were told you only had a certain amount of time left to live, would you do things differently? Would you try to dodge your destiny?

Liane Moriarty’s Here One Moment is a brilliantly constructed tale that looks at free will and destiny, grief and love, and the endless struggle to maintain certainty and control in an uncertain world. A modern-day Jane Austen who humorously skewers social mores while spinning a web of mystery, Moriarty asks profound questions in her newest I-can’t-wait-to-find-out-what-happens novel.]]>
512 Liane Moriarty 0593798600 J 5 3.99 2024 Here One Moment
author: Liane Moriarty
name: J
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/21
date added: 2024/11/21
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This is my favorite book by Liane Moriarty. I loved so many of the characters and wanted to know even more about them, alas, it had to end sometime.
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Morsels 213066340 Meeting the family is scary. Surviving them is a nightmare.

Connie can’t deny she’s nervous about meeting her boyfriend’s family. Spending the weekend at their ritzy woodland summer home, Evan’s already given her fair warning: that his parents are cold, snobbish, and especially unpleasant toward those outside their usual social circles.

So when Evan’s mother warmly greets them with open arms, Connie is as confused as he is. Evan’s parents are nothing like he described. They’re so friendly, in fact, Evan himself can hardly believe they’re real.

Then, while helping Evan’s mother with dinner preparations, Connie overhears strange noises coming from the basement—what almost sounds like voices calling out for help.

Connie doesn't realize that once the door is opened, it can’t be closed. Or that once she descends those rickety steps into the darkness below... she may never see the light of day again.

From horror author Abe Moss comes a relentlessly fast-paced supernatural nightmare that will leave you gripping the pages long into the night, and afraid to turn out the lights long after you're done. ]]>
305 Abe Moss J 0 to-read 3.71 2024 Morsels
author: Abe Moss
name: J
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/18
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<![CDATA[The Bluff (Calamity Montana, #2)]]> 55239381
As Calamity’s newest resident, Everly Christian thought life in small-town Montana would be dull and tame—and she needs a little mundane after the last few chaotic years. But one night, boredom drives her to the local bar, where she finds herself sitting beside a handsome and mysterious artist.

The man is anything but dull and tame, especially in the bedroom, and when she steps out of his shower and overhears his conversation, life gets interesting again.

Reese Huxley needs a wife.

And why shouldn’t Everly be the bride?

She’s got her reasons for agreeing to the hasty nuptials—reasons she’s keeping to herself. As long as she can stop herself from falling in love with her husband, she’ll make it out of this sham marriage in one piece. But Everly has a weakness for wayward men, and the more Hux pushes her away, the more she realizes this bluff is anything but a lie.]]>
338 Willa Nash J 4 4.18 2021 The Bluff (Calamity Montana, #2)
author: Willa Nash
name: J
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/17
date added: 2024/11/17
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<![CDATA[Inheritance (The Lost Bride Trilogy, #1)]]> 65213377 Inheritance is the first in The Lost Bride Trilogy by #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts―a tale of tragedies, loves found and lost, and a family haunted for generations.

1806: Astrid Poole sits in her bridal clothes, overwhelmed with happiness. But before her marriage can be consummated, she is murdered, and the circle of gold torn from her finger. Her last words are a promise to Collin never to leave him�

Graphic designer Sonya MacTavish is stunned to learn that her late father had a twin he never knew about―and that her newly discovered uncle, Collin Poole, has left her almost everything he owned, including a majestic Victorian house on the Maine coast, which the will stipulates she must live in it for at least three years. Her engagement recently broken, she sets off to find out why the boys were separated at birth―and why it was all kept secret until a genealogy website brought it to light.

Trey, the young lawyer who greets her at the sprawling clifftop manor, notes Sonya’s unease―and acknowledges that yes, the place is haunted…but just a little. Sure enough, Sonya finds objects moved and music playing out of nowhere. She sees a painting by her father inexplicably hanging in her deceased uncle’s office, and a portrait of a woman named Astrid, whom the lawyer refers to as “the first lost bride.� It’s becoming clear that Sonya has inherited far more than a house. She has inherited a centuries-old curse, and a puzzle to be solved if there is any hope of breaking it�
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419 Nora Roberts 1250288320 J 4 4.17 2023 Inheritance (The Lost Bride Trilogy, #1)
author: Nora Roberts
name: J
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/17
date added: 2024/11/17
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Those People 42041520 From the author of the international bestseller Our House, a new novel of twisty domestic suspense asks, "Could you hate your neighbor enough to plot to kill him?"

Lowland Way is the suburban dream. The houses are beautiful, the neighbors get along, and the kids play together on weekends.

But when Darren and Jodie move into the house on the corner, they donʼt follow the rules. They blast music at all hours, begin an unsightly renovation, and run a used-car business from their yard. It doesn't take long for an all-out war to start brewing.

Then, early one Saturday, a horrific death shocks the street. As police search for witnesses, accusations start flying--and everyone has something to hide.]]>
368 Louise Candlish 0451489144 J 0 to-read 3.26 2019 Those People
author: Louise Candlish
name: J
average rating: 3.26
book published: 2019
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/16
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<![CDATA[Midnight in Death (In Death, #7.5)]]> 129524
Eve's name has made a Christmas list, but it's not for being naughty or nice. It's for putting a serial killer behind bars. Now the escaped madman has her in his sights. With her husband, Roarke, at her side, Eve must stop the man from exacting his bloody vengeance - or die trying.]]>
90 J.D. Robb 0425208818 J 4 4.19 1998 Midnight in Death (In Death, #7.5)
author: J.D. Robb
name: J
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1998
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/15
date added: 2024/11/15
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Mirror, Mirror 41157965 What if the Evil Queen poisoned the prince?

Following her beloved mother's death, the kingdom falls into the hands of Snow White's stepmother, commonly referred to as "the Evil Queen" by those she rules. Snow keeps her head down at the castle, hoping to make the best of her situation.

But when new information about her parents resurfaces and a plot to kill her goes haywire, everything changes for Snow. With the help of a group of wary dwarfs, a kind prince she thought she'd never see again, and a mysterious stranger from her past, Snow embarks on a quest to stop the Evil Queen and take back her kingdom. But can she stop an enemy who knows her every move and will stop at nothing to retain her power... including going after the ones Snow loves?]]>
384 Jen Calonita 136801383X J 3 3.75 2019 Mirror, Mirror
author: Jen Calonita
name: J
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/15
date added: 2024/11/15
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Don't Let the Forest In 200982373 Once upon a time, Andrew had cut out his heart and given it to this boy, and he was very sure Thomas had no idea that Andrew would do anything for him. Protect him. Lie for him.

Kill for him.

High school senior Andrew Perrault finds refuge in the twisted fairytales that he writes for the only person who can ground him to reality―Thomas Rye, the boy with perpetually ink-stained hands and hair like autumn leaves. And with his twin sister, Dove, inexplicably keeping him at a cold distance upon their return to Wickwood Academy, Andrew finds himself leaning on his friend even more.

But something strange is going on with Thomas. His abusive parents have mysteriously vanished, and he arrives at school with blood on his sleeve. Thomas won't say a word about it, and shuts down whenever Andrew tries to ask him questions. Stranger still, Thomas is haunted by something, and he seems to have lost interest in his artwork―whimsically macabre sketches of the monsters from Andrew's wicked stories.

Desperate to figure out what's wrong with his friend, Andrew follows Thomas into the off-limits forest one night and catches him fighting a nightmarish monster―Thomas's drawings have come to life and are killing anyone close to him. To make sure no one else dies, the boys battle the monsters every night. But as their obsession with each other grows stronger, so do the monsters, and Andrew begins to fear that the only way to stop the creatures might be to destroy their creator...]]>
336 C.G. Drews 1250895669 J 0 to-read 4.12 2024 Don't Let the Forest In
author: C.G. Drews
name: J
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/12
shelves: to-read
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