Lisa's bookshelf: all en-US Sun, 18 Aug 2024 13:36:32 -0700 60 Lisa's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg The Doll's House 217442094 A widowed mother, ready to give love another chance, moves into her fiancé’s old family home with her teenage daughter. But as they try to build a future together, the past refuses to let go in this haunting short story from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger.

When Jules first meets the handsome artist Kirin, she’s still mourning her husband’s death, but a fairytale romance soon sweeps her off her feet. Now she and her daughter Scout are moving out of the city and into Kirin’s once-lonely mansion. He’s thoughtfully updated and adapted the home to match their personalities. But Scout is determined to keep her father’s memory alive by rejecting the new life her mother and Kirin have spun for her.

Scout’s sullenness begins to fade, though, when she finds a beautiful handmade doll in one of the many empty rooms in the house. Kirin says that the doll belonged to his late sister and he’d like Scout to have it. Scout’s hopeful for a connection over their shared grief, but as she grows more curious about Kirin’s sister, she can’t escape the feeling that a danger lurks in the house…and its gaze is fixed on her mother.]]> 98 Lisa Unger 1662518323 Lisa 5 3.74 The Doll's House
author: Lisa Unger
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.74
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/08/18
shelves:
review:
I’m thrilled to share with you my new short story THE DOLL’S HOUSE coming your way in time for spooky season! Recently I’ve had an obsession with dolls and puppets and their role in culture, religion, and everyday life. And this story about a young widow Jules and her rebellious teenage daughter Scout embarking on a new life together (with Jules’s new fiancé) very much springs from my fascination with that topic. The very old tradition of doll making dovetails with technology in the form of a smart house, as well as a character we meet only via texts with Scout. The ancient and the ultra new have an uncomfortable relationship. But it’s one we are all forced to navigate in this modern world. THE DOLL’S HOUSE is about that to some degree but it’s also about motherhood and childhood, grief and loss, hard choices and how memory haunts us more effectively than any ghost. I hope you love reading it as much as I loved writing it! Happy Spooky Season!
]]> Unknown Caller 63833706 66 Lisa Unger 1662509499 Lisa 5 3.97 2023 Unknown Caller
author: Lisa Unger
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/08/06
shelves: award-winner, short-stories, itw-award
review:
What makes a someone a hero? What if someone does a heroic thing for a dark reason, or a terrible thing for a heroic reason? Take a deep dive into these questions (and more) in this gripping new collection, WE COULD BE HEROES, featuring my short story UNKNOWN CALLER and thrilling outings from some of my favorite writers Lisa Scottoline, J.T. Ellison, Janelle Brown and Victor Methos. You will not be able to put these stories down!
]]> <![CDATA[The Dark Door (Bibliomysteries)]]> 63032597
Pip Duke’s life has descended into chaos following the death of her father, a bestselling horror writer. She now hears voices all the time, saying troubling things like: Your father’s friends and family are after his money , or you should inherit everything . The voices also say she killed her dad, and the police are after her.

To silence these disturbing thoughts, Pip checks herself into an inpatient therapy center. However, the place is far from calming. She can’t trust the staff, and the voices in her head continue to say terrible things. There are those who want you released—only so they can continue to profit off your father’s name . A different voice says some wish to claim her inheritance by getting her declared insane...

If Pip hopes to ever know peace again, she must explore the depths of her psyche, sort through her memories, and unravel the secret that will be her key to freedom.

Praise for Lisa Unger

“Our most inventive suspense author.� —J.T. Ellison, New York Times –bestselling author of Her Dark Lies

“The premiere thriller writer.� —Megan Abbott, bestselling author of The Turnout

“Lisa Unger writes with compassion and deep psychological insights.� —Luanne Rice, New York Times –bestselling author of The Shadow Box]]> 75 Lisa Unger 1504079841 Lisa 5 short-stories 3.86 2022 The Dark Door (Bibliomysteries)
author: Lisa Unger
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/08/06
shelves: short-stories
review:

]]> House of Crows 58351096 That long-ago summer, four friends came face-to-face with strange, dark events they couldn’t explain away. As they grew up and left town, they all tried to forget. Instead, their secrets shaped their lives, haunting each of them in their own way. Now, in this chilling four-part serial by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger, it’s time to come home.]]> 252 Lisa Unger Lisa 5 short-stories, series 3.52 2021 House of Crows
author: Lisa Unger
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.52
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/08/06
shelves: short-stories, series
review:

]]> The Twenty 55533148 20 Lisa Unger Lisa 5 short-stories 3.86 2018 The Twenty
author: Lisa Unger
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/08/06
shelves: short-stories
review:

]]> Let Her Be 54381797
Will, an aspiring novelist, can’t stop parsing his ex-girlfriend’s popular social media accounts for clues that her ideal new rural life with the perfect man has a dark side. After all, nobody he knows has actually seen the blissful blogger in the flesh for nearly a year. When Will draws a wary friend into his “investigation,� the real question becomes who’s truly in danger.

Lisa Unger’s Let Her Be is part of Hush, a collection of six stories, ranging from political mysteries to psychological thrillers, in which deception can be a matter of life and death. Each piece can be read or listened to in one truly chilling sitting.]]> 61 Lisa Unger 1542018048 Lisa 5 short-stories
In LET HER BE, Will is a frustrated young writer going through a horrible time. He's been through a brutal break up, suffered a nervous breakdown, and survived a suicide attempt. He's on the other side and trying to find his way to a new normal. But he just can't let his ex-girlfriend Anisa go. She's an instagram influencer now, living with the man of her dreams in some remote location. No one she knows has seen her in the flesh or spoken to her in almost a year. Will becomes convinced that her social media feed is more fiction than truth, and sets out with the help of their mutual friend Emily to discover the real story behind Anisa's carefully constructed online presence.

I loved writing this story and I hope you love reading it just as much.]]> 3.72 2020 Let Her Be
author: Lisa Unger
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/08/06
shelves: short-stories
review:
I am thrilled to be included in HUSH, an exciting collection of short stories featuring conspirators, psychics, deceptive lovers and desperate killers, along with some of my (and yours, I’m sure) favorite writers: Ruth Ware, Laura Lippman, Alison Gaylin, Jeffery Deaver and Oyinkan Braithwaite!

In LET HER BE, Will is a frustrated young writer going through a horrible time. He's been through a brutal break up, suffered a nervous breakdown, and survived a suicide attempt. He's on the other side and trying to find his way to a new normal. But he just can't let his ex-girlfriend Anisa go. She's an instagram influencer now, living with the man of her dreams in some remote location. No one she knows has seen her in the flesh or spoken to her in almost a year. Will becomes convinced that her social media feed is more fiction than truth, and sets out with the help of their mutual friend Emily to discover the real story behind Anisa's carefully constructed online presence.

I loved writing this story and I hope you love reading it just as much.
]]> Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six 60023131 to die for in this chilling locked-room thriller.

What could be more restful than a weekend getaway with family and friends? An isolated luxury cabin in the woods, spectacular views, a hot tub and a personal chef. Hannah’s generous brother found the listing online. The reviews are stellar. It'll be three couples on this trip with good food, good company and lots of R & R.

But the dreamy weekend is about to turn into a nightmare.

A deadly storm is brewing.The rental host seems just a little too present.The personal chef reveals that their beautiful house has a spine-tingling history.And the friends have their own complicated past, with secrets that run blood deep.

How well does Hannah know her brother, her own husband? Can she trust her best friend? Meanwhile, someone is determined to ruin the weekend, looking to exact a payback for deeds long buried. Who is the stranger among them?]]> 396 Lisa Unger 077833323X Lisa 5
Every book starts with a germ, a seed that takes hold and starts to grow. For SECLUDED CABIN SLEEPS SIX, it was a couple of different things that I read and experienced over the last few years that kind of dovetailed.

I read an article in The New York Times "Modern Love" column about a man who sought out his children decades after he had anonymously donated his sperm, then fell in love with their mother. This really got me thinking about love and family, and what a strange alchemy it all is.

Meanwhile, during the pandemic when we couldn't go anywhere, we wound up renting some lovely but isolated cabins in the woods in Georgia to hike and have a socially distanced vacation. It was idyllic and gorgeous, and of course I couldn't stop myself from thinking about how isolated we were, and did they change the lock code for each guest? And no one would hear us screaming, etc.

Because I can't just relax and enjoy myself like a normal person.

So all of these things clattered around my brain until they collided into SECLUDED CABIN SLEEPS SIX. Buckle up!
]]> 3.38 2022 Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six
author: Lisa Unger
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.38
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/08/06
shelves: contemporary, crime, crime-fiction, domestic-suspense, domestic-thriller, dysfunctional-family, family, murder-mystery, mystery, mystery-thriller, psychological-thriller, psychological-thrillers, relationships, stand-alone, suspense, thriller, thriller-mystery, thriller-suspense, thrillers, 5-stars, best-books-of-the-year
review:
I am excited to share my twentieth novel with you!

Every book starts with a germ, a seed that takes hold and starts to grow. For SECLUDED CABIN SLEEPS SIX, it was a couple of different things that I read and experienced over the last few years that kind of dovetailed.

I read an article in The New York Times "Modern Love" column about a man who sought out his children decades after he had anonymously donated his sperm, then fell in love with their mother. This really got me thinking about love and family, and what a strange alchemy it all is.

Meanwhile, during the pandemic when we couldn't go anywhere, we wound up renting some lovely but isolated cabins in the woods in Georgia to hike and have a socially distanced vacation. It was idyllic and gorgeous, and of course I couldn't stop myself from thinking about how isolated we were, and did they change the lock code for each guest? And no one would hear us screaming, etc.

Because I can't just relax and enjoy myself like a normal person.

So all of these things clattered around my brain until they collided into SECLUDED CABIN SLEEPS SIX. Buckle up!

]]> Christmas Presents 122494785 Instead of presents this Christmas, one true crime podcaster is opening up a cold case�

When true crime podcaster Harley Granger drifts into Madeline Martin's bookshop days before Christmas, he seems intent on digging up a past that Madeline would much rather forget.

Granger's work has earned him fame and wealth - and some serious criticism for his various unethical practices. Granger also has a lot of questions about the night Madeline was left for dead, the only surviving victim of killer Evan Handy.

Handy, who also murdered Madeline's best friend and is suspected in the disappearance of two local sisters, has been in jail for a decade. Since then, though, three other young women have gone missing in similar circumstances. Is the true predator still out there somewhere?

As Christmas approaches and a blizzard bears down, Madeline must confront the past to answer questions that have haunted her since that day. Is the truth more terrible than she ever imagined?

Coupling a picturesque, cosy setting with a deeply unsettling and suspenseful plot, Christmas Presents is a chilling seasonal tale that can be enjoyed all year long.]]> 274 Lisa Unger 1613164521 Lisa 5 short-stories
Don’t expect something sweet, cozy, and sentimental � well, maybe it’s a little sentimental in the darkest possible way. Hope you enjoy! ]]> 3.61 2023 Christmas Presents
author: Lisa Unger
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/08/06
shelves: short-stories
review:
I was visiting with Otto Penzler of Mysterious Bookshop and Mysterious Press fame, and he asked me “have you ever thought about writing a Christmas novella?� I had, in fact. I’m always looking for the shadow side of a beautiful thing, and Christmas with all its glitter and high expectations has been on my mind for a while now. So, I started writing, and the result is this novella entitled CHRISTMAS PRESENTS!

Don’t expect something sweet, cozy, and sentimental � well, maybe it’s a little sentimental in the darkest possible way. Hope you enjoy!
]]> The New Couple in 5B 126267933 A couple inherits an apartment with a spine-tingling past in this binge-worthy thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six.

Rosie and Chad Lowan are barely making ends meet in New York City when they receive life-changing news: Chad’s late uncle has left them his luxury apartment at the historic Windermere in glamorous Murray Hill. With its prewar elegance and impeccably uniformed doorman, the building is the epitome of old New York charm. One would almost never suspect the dark history lurking behind its perfectly maintained facade.

At first, the building and its eclectic tenants couldn’t feel more welcoming. But as the Lowans settle into their new home, Rosie starts to suspect that there’s more to the Windermere than meets the eye. Why is the doorman ever-present? Why are there cameras everywhere? And why have so many gruesome crimes occurred there throughout the years? When one of the neighbors turns up dead, Rosie must get to the truth about the Windermere before she, too, falls under its dangerous spell.]]> 401 Lisa Unger 0369722418 Lisa 5
1) The vibe was loosely inspired by Ira Levin’s Rosemary’s Baby.

2) The Murray Hill apartment is based on an actual one, which belonged to my late Aunt Phyllis, and the descriptions are pulled completely from my childhood memory. To this day, her sunny two-bedroom remains the iconic New York City dream dwelling. The building, The Windermere, is fictional.

3) Bestselling author, New York Times Book Review critic, and friend Sarah Weinman gave me lots of insight into how true crime writers do their research. Sarah’s searing and important article in The Cut (June 3, 2019. Before, and After, the Jogger Survivors of the real ‘Central Park Five� attacker speak for the first time) was the inspiration for my character Rosie’s fictional first true crime book.

4) There are a number of other little pieces from my life that found their way onto the page.

]]> 3.64 2024 The New Couple in 5B
author: Lisa Unger
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/08/06
shelves: new-york-city, mystery-thriller, mystery, murder-mystery, 5-stars, bestsellers, book-club, book-club-books, book-club-favorites, book-club-picks, book-club-reads, book-group, bookclub, contemporary, crime, crime-fiction, domestic-suspense, domestic-thriller, dysfunctional-family, family, favorite, favorites, horror, international-bestseller, literary-thriller, psychological-thriller, psychological-thrillers, relationships, stand-alone, suspense, thriller, thriller-mystery, thriller-suspense, thrillers
review:
I am so excited to share THE NEW COUPLE IN 5B with you! And I hope you love reading it as much as I loved writing it. I know it seems like the release date is a long way off, but it will be here before we know it. In the meantime, here are some "behind the scenes" fun facts:

1) The vibe was loosely inspired by Ira Levin’s Rosemary’s Baby.

2) The Murray Hill apartment is based on an actual one, which belonged to my late Aunt Phyllis, and the descriptions are pulled completely from my childhood memory. To this day, her sunny two-bedroom remains the iconic New York City dream dwelling. The building, The Windermere, is fictional.

3) Bestselling author, New York Times Book Review critic, and friend Sarah Weinman gave me lots of insight into how true crime writers do their research. Sarah’s searing and important article in The Cut (June 3, 2019. Before, and After, the Jogger Survivors of the real ‘Central Park Five� attacker speak for the first time) was the inspiration for my character Rosie’s fictional first true crime book.

4) There are a number of other little pieces from my life that found their way onto the page.


]]> Volume 0: Issue Two 216297107 We've always loved short stories.

We see many great ones in our literary pursuits, and we want to share them will you. So we brought our book passion to short fiction, and carefully gathered seven intense stories across 150 pages, all in one premium soft cover collection. Introducing Volume 0. Our first issue sold out, so we're back with Issue Two!

Darker. Edgier. Strange-er.

We like our stories intense, offbeat, and fun in a slightly naughty way. So expect bad behavior, adult themes, a little magic and a bit of menace. You might not like all of these stories. Some might even make you a bit uncomfortable. But we certainly don't think you'll be bored.]]> 150 Marian Crotty Lisa 5
This short work of speculative fiction about a man being pursued on a hiking trail by a mysterious assailant was inspired by a conversation I had with my brother Joe. The idea knocked around my head for a few years, until I finally wrote it for him for his 50th birthday. I hope you love reading this as much as I loved writing it.

And I can’t wait to dive into the other intriguing stories featured by Marian Crotty, Quan Barry, Whitney Collins, Kate Brody, Kevin Maloney, and John Richards.]]> 3.38 Volume 0: Issue Two
author: Marian Crotty
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.38
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/07/12
shelves:
review:
Hey, Book of the Month club readers! I’m excited to share that my story “Exit Strategy� is included in Volume 0: Issue Two.

This short work of speculative fiction about a man being pursued on a hiking trail by a mysterious assailant was inspired by a conversation I had with my brother Joe. The idea knocked around my head for a few years, until I finally wrote it for him for his 50th birthday. I hope you love reading this as much as I loved writing it.

And I can’t wait to dive into the other intriguing stories featured by Marian Crotty, Quan Barry, Whitney Collins, Kate Brody, Kevin Maloney, and John Richards.
]]> <![CDATA[Close Your Eyes and Count to 10]]> 211894916 An extreme game of hide-and-seek turns deadly in this riveting new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger

When the real game begins, who will make it to the count of 10?

Charismatic daredevil and extreme adventurer Maverick Dillan invites you to the ultimate game of hide-and-seek. But as the players gather on Falcao Island, the event quickly spirals into a chilling test of survival. A storm rages as a deadly threat stalks the contestants, turning the challenge into something far more sinister than the social media stunt it was intended to be.

Enter Adele, a single mother with a fierce determination to protect her children at all costs. When she begins the game, she unwittingly enters a twisted web of deception and intrigue. Can she maneuver through the treacherous storm and the relentless competition and get home to her family? In a ruthless battle for survival where the stakes are higher than ever, the blurry line between the virtual and the real proves that the only person we can trust is ourselves.]]> 384 Lisa Unger 0778333361 Lisa 5
One of the big inspirations for this story came when my family and I traveled to the Azores, a chain of islands in the Atlantic. I'll share more later, as we get closer to the release date. ]]> 3.17 2025 Close Your Eyes and Count to 10
author: Lisa Unger
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.17
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/07/03
shelves:
review:
I’m thrilled to announce my new novel CLOSE YOUR EYES AND COUNT TO 10, coming February 18, 2025! It is about single mom Adele who travels to a remote island in the Atlantic to participate in an extreme game of hide-and-seek hosted by Maverick Dillan, a daredevil social media star and his company Extreme Games and Insane Challenges. Adele has traveled to Falcao Island, leaving her teenagers alone for the first time, to try to win the million dollar prize. After all, these things are just stunts, right? All for the cameras? There’s no real danger. But as a storm bears down and a very real threat looms, the situation quickly turns from game to race for survival.

One of the big inspirations for this story came when my family and I traveled to the Azores, a chain of islands in the Atlantic. I'll share more later, as we get closer to the release date.
]]> Confessions on the 7:45 49374505 From master of suspense Lisa Unger comes a riveting thriller about a chance encounter that unravels a stunning web of lies.

Selena Murphy is commuting home on the train when she strikes up a conversation with a beautiful stranger in the next seat. The woman introduces herself as Martha and soon confesses that she’s been stuck in an affair with her boss. Selena, in turn, confesses that she suspects her husband is sleeping with the nanny. When the train arrives at Selena’s station, the two women part ways, presumably never to meet again.

Then the nanny disappears.

As Selena is pulled into the mystery of what happened, and as the fractures in her marriage grow deeper, she begins to wonder, who was Martha really ? But she is hardly prepared for what she’ll discover�

Don't miss The New Couple in 5B , Lisa Unger's newest psychological thriller about a couple that inherits an apartment with a truly chilling past.]]> 368 Lisa Unger 0778310159 Lisa 5
Hope you enjoy the ride!]]> 3.85 2019 Confessions on the 7:45
author: Lisa Unger
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/09/28
shelves: mystery-thriller, mystery, book-club, thriller, psychological-thrillers, suspense, new-york-city, crime-fiction, domestic-suspense, dysfunctional-family, book-group, bookclub, book-club-reads, contemporary, crime, bestsellers, best-books-of-the-year, choice-awards-2020, goodreads-choice-2020, goodreads-choice-award, audie-award-nominee, strand-critics-award-nominee, international-bestseller, netflix
review:
You’re already having a hard day when the train home stalls on the tracks. A mysterious young woman in the next seat strikes up a conversation with a surprising confession. Maybe it’s the dark of the idling train, maybe it’s the drink you shouldn’t have had but, whatever the reason, you reveal to this stranger a secret, something you’ve never told anyone else. As the train rumbles to life and the lights come up, you’re embarrassed. Why would you say those things? You go your separate ways, hoping that you never see the woman from the train � ever again. Sometimes a stranger is the safest person in your life. Sometimes she’s the most dangerous.

Hope you enjoy the ride!
]]> Becoming the Boogeyman 101144676 411 Richard Chizmar 1668009161 Lisa 5 4.07 2023 Becoming the Boogeyman
author: Richard Chizmar
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2023/08/08
date added: 2023/08/08
shelves:
review:
BECOMING THE BOOGEYMAN is a compulsive, utterly immersive twist of fact and fiction. Richard Chizmar masterfully blends reality and imagination to deliver something wholly original and totally gripping from start to finish. I couldn’t stop turning the pages, even when I wanted to turn away. Don’t miss this edge-of-your seat chiller that will keep you guessing � and guessing again.
]]> Inherit the Dead 18775440 New York Times and USA Today bestseller, now in paperback, is a collaboration between twenty bestselling mystery novelists who have joined forces to create a spellbinding story of love, betrayal, and intrigue.

"Readers can't go wrong with this juicy thriller" raves Library Journal.

Pericles "Perry" Christo is a PI with a past - a former cop who lost his badge and his family when a corruption scandal left him broke and disgraced. So when wealthy Upper East Side matron Julia Drusilla summons him one cold February night, he grabs what seems to be a straightforward (and lucrative) case.

The socialite is looking for her beautiful, aimless daughter, Angelina, who is about to become a very wealthy young woman. But as Christo digs deeper, he discovers there's much more to the lovely "Angel" than meets the eye. This classic noir tale twists and turns down New York's mean streets and along Hamptons' beaches and back roads during a bitterly cold and gray winter where nothing is as it seems and everyone has something to hide.

In this inventive serial novel storytelling approach, each of the twenty bestselling writers brings his or her distinctive voice to a chapter of Inherit the Dead, building the tension to a shocking, explosive finale. The editor, Jonathan Santlofer, has arranged to donate any royalties in excess of editor and contributor compensation to Safe Horizon, the leading victim assistance agency in the country.]]> 304 Jonathan Santlofer 1451684770 Lisa 5 3.21 2013 Inherit the Dead
author: Jonathan Santlofer
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.21
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/08/01
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Suspense Magazine February 2012]]> 21326523 0 Kira Peikoff Lisa 5 4.00 2012 Suspense Magazine February 2012
author: Kira Peikoff
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/08/01
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Three Sisters (The Hollows Shorts, #3)]]> 195510625
The Three Sistersis the third and final short story in a gripping tale from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger, "an accomplished pro" (Kirkus Reviews).

When Eloise's granddaughter, twenty-year-old Finley, comes to live with her, Eloise's abilities start to change--things seem to be getting easier. Her load is lighter, and rather than chasing down people she needs, they are coming to her. She teams up with detective Jones Cooper to help a desperate father bring his daughter's killer to justice. Meanwhile, Finley, who is developing gifts of her own, has bigger problems than she's willing to admit. Will Eloise help Finley and others see the difference between justice and revenge, or will things spiral out of control first?]]> 3 Lisa Unger Lisa 5 3.59 2015 The Three Sisters (The Hollows Shorts, #3)
author: Lisa Unger
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/08/01
shelves: mystery, suspense, thriller, domestic-suspense, mystery-thriller, psychological-thriller, short-stories, psychological-thrillers, family, relationships, psychic, paranormal, series, favorites, horror, book-club, 5-stars, book-club-books, book-club-favorites, book-club-reads, book-group, bookclub, contemporary, crime, crime-fiction, dysfunctional-family, favorite, the-hollows
review:

]]> Twice (Lydia Strong, #3) 13069160
Julian Ross, a brilliant and acclaimed New York City artist, has been charged with brutally killing her second husband. She was found at the scene, hysterical, over his bloody, lifeless corpse. She maintains her innocence, but the cops are having trouble believing her: Ten years ago Julian was indicted and acquitted of murdering her first husband in exactly the same way.

Julian's mother, Eleanor, is convinced of her daughter's innocence and hires Lydia and Jeff to clear her name. A cold woman, Eleanor nonetheless seems dedicated to her family, even looking after Julian's five-year-old twins. But Lydia and Jeff, who are still dealing with the aftermath of a confrontation with Lydia's mother's murderer, dive into the case only to discover that little about the family is what it seems to be.

In a gripping, tense and surprising thriller, once again the talented Lisa Miscione delivers a complicated novel about the nature of evil, and the redemption of survival.
]]> 432 Lisa Unger 0307953173 Lisa 5 3.75 2004 Twice (Lydia Strong, #3)
author: Lisa Unger
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2004
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/08/01
shelves: mystery, psychological-thrillers, suspense, thriller, domestic-suspense, family, mystery-thriller, psychological-thriller, relationships, favorites, series, book-club, 5-stars, book-club-books, book-club-favorites, book-club-reads, book-group, bookclub, contemporary, crime, crime-fiction, dysfunctional-family, favorite, new-york-city
review:

]]> An Inconvenient Woman 51213054
Sloane Wilson left the LAPD to work as a “sin eater,� a contractor for hire who specializes in cleaning up inconvenient situations—situations which, for whatever reason, are better handled outside the law. Like, for example, an ex-wife who stalks her former husband, throws paint on his door, and makes vague, violent threats to his new wife. A domestic dispute like that can get messy when the cops are called; plus, there is a risk that their presence will aggravate the woman in question.

As Sloane investigates her newest mission, however, she finds that there is more to it than meets the eye, uncovering a history of trauma that casts aspersions on the stories of both Claire and Sloane’s client. In a case where objective truth is increasingly muddled by passions, suspicions, and fears, she soon loses the ability to distinguish fact from fiction. But Sloane knows one thing for certain: sometimes the only way to prevent a crime is by committing one.]]> 312 Stéphanie Buelens 1613161905 Lisa 5 3.58 2020 An Inconvenient Woman
author: Stéphanie Buelens
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/06/23
shelves:
review:
Addictive, immersive, unputdownable. The powerful women at the beating heart of this beautifully-wrought thriller � women with grudges and looking for a certain brand of justice � give the old school noir vibe a thoroughly modern energy. As deep and human as it is rocket-paced, An Inconvenient Woman is a slick, accomplished debut.
]]> <![CDATA[The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023: A Collection]]> 83814918 A collection of the year’s best mystery and suspense short fiction selected byNew York Timesbestselling author Lisa Unger and series editor Steph Cha.

“This form has a special kind of magic, the ability to transport you quickly, intensely, to capture character, time, place, and story with immediacy,� writes guest editor Lisa Unger in her introduction. The transporting stories in this year’s The Best American Mystery and Suspense are populated by those who exist on the fringe of our society and want more than what life has dealt A haunted veteran turned career criminal is on the run. An injured fighter turned bouncer seeks vengeance for his lost love. An assassin on his last job finds himself questioning his life choices and breaks all the rules to understand his final victim. By turns thrilling and enlightening, each story, according to Unger, “will have you holding your breath, flipping the pages, will leave you thinking about people and why they do the dark, dangerous, frightening things that they do.�

The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023 includes Ashley-­RuthM. Bernier � William Boyle � S.A. Cosby � Jacqueline Freimor � JamesA. Hearn � Ladee Hubbard � A.J. Jacono � Adam Meyer � Silvia Moreno-­Garcia � Walter Mosley � Leigh Newman � Joyce Carol Oates � Margaret Randall � Annie Reed � Anthony Neil Smith � Faye Snowden � Jervey Tervalon � JosephS. Walker � Thaai Walker � Jess Walter]]> 392 Lisa Unger 0063315823 Lisa 5 3.35 The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023: A Collection
author: Lisa Unger
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.35
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/05/08
shelves:
review:
I’m thrilled and beyond honored to announce that I have been asked to guest edit the BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE 2023 anthology. Invited by the brilliantly talented Steph Cha to help her select twenty stories from the very best short works written last year, I have loved every minute of working on this project. There is so much talent in our community and I simply can’t wait to share our dark, twisted, funny, wildly inventive, and moving selections with you when the book releases in October.
]]> The Guest List 52656911
The bride � The plus one � The best man � The wedding planner � The bridesmaid � The body

On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The groom: handsome and charming, a rising television star. The bride: smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher. It’s a wedding for a magazine, or for a celebrity: the designer dress, the remote location, the luxe party favors, the boutique whiskey. The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed.

But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human. As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. The groomsmen begin the drinking game from their school days. The bridesmaid not-so-accidentally ruins her dress. The bride’s oldest (male) friend gives an uncomfortably caring toast.

And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why?]]> 319 Lucy Foley Lisa 5 3.82 2020 The Guest List
author: Lucy Foley
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/03/14
shelves:
review:
Rocket-paced and character driven, full of expertly timed reveals. You have to love that haunted island setting, and when those closest to you are bent on revenge.
]]> Have You Seen Her 62919390 A thrilling and timely novel about three women with dark secrets whose lives intersect in the picturesque and perilous Yosemite National Park from the USA TODAY bestselling author of Please Join Us.

Equipped with a burner phone and a new job, Cassie Peters has left her hectic and secretive life in New York City for the refuge of her hometown of Mammoth Lakes, California. There, she begins working again with Yosemite Search and Rescue, where a case she worked a decade ago continues to haunt her.

She quickly falls into old patterns, joining a group of fellow seasonal workers and young adventurers who have made Yosemite their home during the summer. There, she meets Petal, a young woman living in a trailer with her much older wife, keeping a detailed diary of the goings on of the park, and Jada, a recent college graduate on a cross-country road trip with her boyfriend, documenting their journey on Instagram.

When these three women cross paths, Cassie’s past catches up with her, and the shocking consequences ripple out far beyond what any could have imagined in this unputdownable thriller.]]> 327 Catherine McKenzie 1668011115 Lisa 5 3.54 2023 Have You Seen Her
author: Catherine McKenzie
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/01/30
shelves:
review:
In this clever, breathless thriller, the talented Catherine McKenzie explores deep themes of trauma and revenge against the dangerous, atmospheric backdrop of Yosemite National Park. Full throttle action mingles with dark secrets and hidden agendas in a gripping thrill ride full of hairpin turns and jaw-dropping twists. You’ll devour this in one sitting � I know I did!
]]> <![CDATA[Broadway Butterfly: A Thriller]]> 63112147 432 Sara DiVello 1662510152 Lisa 5 3.96 2023 Broadway Butterfly: A Thriller
author: Sara DiVello
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/01/05
shelves:
review:
Sara DiVello transports us to a glitzy, glamorous, and dangerous 1920s New York City, in this pacy, twisting mystery. Through her layered, intriguing cast of characters, DiVello boldly takes on issues of class, gender, race, and corruption, while ratcheting up the tension page after gripping page. BROADWAY BUTTERFLY is classic noir suspense with a beating heart and DiVello is a writer to watch.
]]> Kismet 60166076 From Amina Akhtar comes a viciously funny thriller about wellness—the smoothies, the secrets, and the deliciously deadly impulses.

Lifelong New Yorker Ronnie Khan never thought she’d leave Queens. She’s not an “aim high, dream big� person—until she meets socialite wellness guru Marley Dewhurst.

Marley isn’t just a visionary; she’s a revelation. Seduced by the fever dream of finding her best self, Ronnie makes for the desert mountains of Sedona, Arizona.

Healing yoga, transcendent hikes, epic juice cleanses…Ronnie consumes her new bougie existence like a fine wine. But is it, really? Or is this whole self-care business a little sour?

When the glam gurus around town start turning up gruesomely murdered, Ronnie has her answer: all is not well in wellness town. As Marley’s blind ambition veers into madness, Ronnie fears for her life.]]> 336 Amina Akhtar 1542034248 Lisa 5 3.53 2022 Kismet
author: Amina Akhtar
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2022/08/02
shelves:
review:
Amina Akhtar had me at ravens! Then she kept me turning the pages with her colorful cast of characters, keen insights, and layered, engaging heroine. Kismet is darkly funny, sharply observant, and full of surprises. Don’t miss this utterly original and wildly entertaining thriller.
]]> Poster Girl 60012296
Sonya Kantor knows this slogan--she lived by it for most of her life. For decades, everyone in the Seattle-Portland megalopolis lived under it, as well as constant surveillance in the form of the Insight, an ocular implant that tracked every word and every action, rewarding or punishing by a rigid moral code set forth by the Delegation.

Then there was a revolution. The Delegation fell. Its most valuable members were locked in the Aperture, a prison on the outskirts of the city. And everyone else, now free from the Insight's monitoring, went on with their lives.

Sonya, former poster girl for the Delegation, has been imprisoned for ten years when an old enemy comes to her with a deal: find a missing girl who was stolen from her parents by the old regime, and earn her freedom. The path Sonya takes to find the child will lead her through an unfamiliar, crooked post-Delegation world where she finds herself digging deeper into the past--and her family's dark secrets--than she ever wanted to.

With razor sharp prose, Poster Girl is a haunting dystopian mystery that explores the expanding role of surveillance on society--an inescapable reality that we welcome all too easily.]]> 288 Veronica Roth 0358164095 Lisa 5 3.61 2022 Poster Girl
author: Veronica Roth
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2022/06/26
shelves:
review:
An intelligent, raw, emotional dystopian thriller that asks deep questions about human nature, society, and freedom. With searing prose, deft world building, and a layered, propulsive plot that will keep you turning the pages, the supremely talented Veronica Roth is at the top of her game in POSTER GIRL. Don’t miss this!
]]> One of Us Is Dead 58482479 The highly anticipated new thriller from the bestselling author of The Perfect Marriage.

Opulence. Sex. Betrayal � Sometimes friendship can be deadly.

Meet the women of Buckhead—a place of expensive cars, huge houses, and competitive friendships.

Shannon was once the queen bee of Buckhead. But she’s been unceremoniously dumped by Bryce, her politician husband. When Bryce replaces her with a much younger woman, Shannon sets out to take revenge �

Crystal has stepped into Shannon’s old shoes. A young, innocent Texan girl, she simply has no idea what she’s up against �

Olivia has waited years to take Shannon’s crown as the unofficial queen of Buckhead. Finally, her moment has come. But to take her rightful place, she will need to use every backstabbing, manipulative, underhand trick in the book �

Jenny owns Glow, the most exclusive salon in town. Jenny knows all her clients� secrets and darkest desires. But will she ever tell?

Who amongst these women will be clever enough to survive Buckhead—and who will wind up dead? They say that friendships can be complex, but no one said it could ever be this deadly.]]> 312 Jeneva Rose Lisa 5 3.77 2022 One of Us Is Dead
author: Jeneva Rose
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2022/03/25
shelves:
review:
Scheming mean girls, sex and scandal, secrets and lies all wrapped up in Buckhead privilege and opulence � what’s not to love? ONE OF US IS DEAD is wicked, twisty, thrilling fun from the first page to last.
]]> The Lying Club 57578394
A tangled web of lies draws together three women in this explosive thriller of revenge, murder and shocking secrets

At an elite private school nestled in the Colorado mountains, Natalie, an office assistant, dreams of having a life like the school moms she deals with every day. Women like Brooke—a gorgeous heiress, ferociously loving mother and serial cheater—and Asha, an overprotective mom who suspects her husband of having an affair. Their fates are bound by the handsome assistant athletic director Nicholas, whom Natalie loves, Brooke wants and Asha needs.

But when two bodies are carried out of the school one morning, it seems the tension between mothers and daughters, rival lovers, and the haves and have-nots has shattered the surface of this isolated, affluent town—where people stop at nothing to get what they want.

Don't miss Annie Ward's other twisty and utterly original thriller, Beautiful Bad!]]> 432 Annie Ward 0778389405 Lisa 5 3.66 2022 The Lying Club
author: Annie Ward
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2022/03/23
shelves:
review:
An elite private school, scheming, cheating parents, a terrible tangle of ambitions, secrets and lies, all the darkness hidden beneath the shimmer of glamour and privilege � what’s not to love? Annie Ward digs in deep to her richly drawn characters, revealing layer after layer with each twist and turn of this addictive, propulsive thriller. A deliciously juicy and unputdownable tale of revenge and all the twisted things we’ll do in the name of love.
]]> Lady in the Lake 42519229 The revered New York Times bestselling author returns with a novel set in 1960s Baltimore that combines modern psychological insights with elements of classic noir, about a middle-aged housewife turned aspiring reporter who pursues the murder of a forgotten young woman.

In 1966, Baltimore is a city of secrets that everyone seems to know—everyone, that is, except Madeline “Maddie� Schwartz. Last year, she was a happy, even pampered housewife. This year, she’s bolted from her marriage of almost twenty years, determined to make good on her youthful ambitions to live a passionate, meaningful life.

Maddie wants to matter, to leave her mark on a swiftly changing world. Drawing on her own secrets, she helps Baltimore police find a murdered girl—assistance that leads to a job at the city’s afternoon newspaper, the Star. Working at the newspaper offers Maddie the opportunity to make her name, and she has found just the story to do it: Cleo Sherwood, a missing woman whose body was discovered in the fountain of a city park lake.

If Cleo were white, every reporter in Baltimore would be clamoring to tell her story. Instead, her mysterious death receives only cursory mention in the daily newspapers, and no one cares when Maddie starts poking around in a young Black woman's life—except for Cleo's ghost, who is determined to keep her secrets and her dignity. Cleo scolds the ambitious Maddie: You're interested in my death, not my life. They're not the same thing.

Maddie’s investigation brings her into contact with people that used to be on the periphery of her life—a jewelry store clerk, a waitress, a rising star on the Baltimore Orioles, a patrol cop, a hardened female reporter, a lonely man in a movie theater. But for all her ambition and drive, Maddie often fails to see the people right in front of her. Her inability to look beyond her own needs will lead to tragedy and turmoil for all sorts of people—including Ferdie, the man who shares her bed, a police officer who is risking far more than Maddie can understand.]]> 340 Laura Lippman 0062390015 Lisa 5 3.53 2019 Lady in the Lake
author: Laura Lippman
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/12/15
shelves:
review:
Laura Lippman is just one of the best writers out there. Her prose is lyrical; her characters live and breathe. I think I’ve read everything she’s written and here she’s at the top of her game.
]]> The Collective 55100588 The USA Today bestselling and Edgar Award–winning author of Never Look Back and If I Die Tonight plumbs the dark side of justice and the depths of diabolical revenge in this propulsive novel of psychological suspense that melds the driving narrative of Then She Was Gone with the breathtaking twists of The Chain and the violent fury of Kill Bill.

Just how far will a grieving mother go to right a tragic wrong?

Camille Gardner is a grieving—and angry—mother who, five years after her daughter’s death, is still obsessed with the privileged young man she believes to be responsible.

When her rash actions attract the attention of a secret group of women—the collective—Camille is drawn into a dark web where these mothers share their wildly different stories of loss as well as their desire for justice in a world where privilege denies accountability and perpetrators emerge unscathed. Fueled by mutual rage, these women orchestrate their own brand of justice through precise, anonymous, complexly plotted and perfectly executed revenge killings, with individual members completing a specific and integral task in each plan.

As Camille struggles to comprehend whether this is a role-playing exercise or terrifying reality, she must decide if these women are truly avenging angels or monsters. Becoming more deeply enmeshed in the group, Camille learns truths about the collective—and about herself—that she may not be able to survive.
]]> 338 Alison Gaylin 0063083159 Lisa 5 3.89 2021 The Collective
author: Alison Gaylin
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/11/20
shelves:
review:
Brutal, raw, and beautifully wrought THE COLLECTIVE is top drawer psychological suspense. A mother’s grief ignites into rage, leading her down a dark, twisting, dangerous road to a certain brand of justice. Alison Gaylin doesn’t pull a single punch in this layered, engrossing, and nerve shattering thriller where wrong is right and revenge is a dish served white hot.
]]> <![CDATA[The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2021]]> 58962736
Steph Cha, a rising star who brings a fresh perspective as series editor, takes the helm of the new THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE',,with best-selling crime novelist Alafair Burke joining her as the first guest editor.

Beginning with the 2021 volume, the annual short story anthology 'The Best American Mystery Stories' will become 'THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE'. New series editor Steph Cha and best-sellingguest editor Alafair Burke select the best short mystery and suspense fiction of the year.

Contributors:

Jenny Bhatt, Alafair Burke, Steph Cha, Christoper Bollen, Nikki Dolson, Gabriel Flores, Alison Gaylin, Gar Anthony Haywood, Ravi Howard, Gabino Iglesias, Charis Jones, Preston Lang, Aya De León, Kristen Lepionka, Laura Lippman, Joanna Pearson, Delia C. Pitts, Eliot Schrefer, Alex Segura, Brian Silverman, Faye Snowden, and Lisa Unger.


©2021 Alafair Burke and Steph Cha (P)2021 HMH Adult Audio]]> 11 Alafair Burke Lisa 5 3.00 2021 The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2021
author: Alafair Burke
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.00
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/10/14
shelves:
review:
So honored that my story, “LET HER BE,� was chosen for The Best American Mystery and Suspense, edited by the amazing Steph Cha and Alafair Burke. This collection is filled with stories by stellar writers and I hope you enjoy them!
]]> The Turnout 55573785
Marie, warm and soft, teaches the younger students; Dara, with her precision, trains the older ones; and Charlie, sidelined from dancing after years of injuries, rules over the back office. Circling around one another, the three have perfected a dance, six days a week, that keeps the studio thriving. But when a suspicious accident occurs, just at the onset of the school's annual performance of The Nutcracker� a season of competition, anxiety, and exhilaration—an interloper arrives and threatens the sisters' delicate balance.

Taut and unnerving, The Turnout is Megan Abbott at the height of her game. With uncanny insight and hypnotic writing, it is a sharp and strange dissection of family ties and sexuality, femininity and power, and a tale that is both alarming and irresistible.]]> 340 Megan Abbott 059308490X Lisa 5 3.03 2021 The Turnout
author: Megan Abbott
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.03
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/07/29
shelves:
review:
You don't read a Megan Abbott novel, you dream it. Lyrical, dark, layered and exquisitely written THE TURNOUT is a crime thriller with a literary soul, as deep as it is beautiful, as engrossing as it is haunting.
]]> Last Girl Ghosted 55871026 Secrets, obsession and vengeance converge in this riveting thriller about an online dating match turned deadly cat-and-mouse game, from the New York Times bestselling author of Confessions on the 7:45.

Think twice before you swipe.

She met him through a dating app. An intriguing picture on a screen, a date at a downtown bar. What she thought might be just a quick hookup quickly became much more. She fell for him—hard. It happens sometimes, a powerful connection with a perfect stranger takes you by surprise. Could it be love?

But then, just as things were getting real, he stood her up. Then he disappeared—profiles deleted, phone disconnected. She was ghosted.

Maybe it was her fault. She shared too much, too fast. But isn't that always what women think—that they're the ones to blame? Soon she learns there were others. Girls who thought they were in love. Girls who later went missing. She had been looking for a connection, but now she's looking for answers. Chasing a digital trail into his dark past—and hers—she finds herself on a dangerous hunt. And she's not sure whether she's the predator—or the prey.]]> 394 Lisa Unger 077831104X Lisa 5
I’m thrilled to share my new novel with you on October 5, 2021. Hope you love it! ]]> 3.54 2021 Last Girl Ghosted
author: Lisa Unger
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/07/14
shelves: book-club, book-club-books, book-club-favorites, book-club-picks, book-club-reads, book-group, bookclub, contemporary, crime, crime-fiction, domestic-suspense, dysfunctional-family, family, justice, literary-thriller, murder-mystery, mystery, mystery-thriller, new-york-city, psychological-thriller, psychological-thrillers, relationships, revenge, the-hollows, thriller, suspense, thriller-suspense, thrillers, thriller-mystery, domestic-thriller, stand-alone
review:
What happens when you look for true love in this cold, tech-obsessed world? What happens when you think you’ve found it and fall hard? And then � he’s gone. The guy you thought was THE ONE � well, he’s disappeared. Do you just let him go? Or do you follow a winding digital trail into his very dark past � and yours? And what will you do when you realize that you’re just another broken heart in his wake. That you’re just the � LAST GIRL GHOSTED.

I’m thrilled to share my new novel with you on October 5, 2021. Hope you love it!
]]> The Stranger Behind You 55577670 In the tradition of Daphne du Maurier, Michelle Richmond, and Shari Lapena, comes the newest mystery thriller from Edgar Award–winning, bestselling author Carol Goodman�a twisty, chilling story set in a former Magdalen Laundry in Manhattan that explores today’s #MeToo complexities.

It’s taken Joan Lurie three years to write her article exposing a famous newspaper tycoon as a sexual predator. On the eve of its publication, she celebrates at a party thrown in her honor and is riding high…only to be brutally attacked as she is returning home late that night. Traumatized and suffering the effects of a concussion, she moves to a highly secure new apartment building in northern Manhattan called the Refuge. Safely sequestered away, she tries to begin writing a book that expands her much-lauded exposé.

At the Refuge, Joan encounters a frail 96-year-old woman who has been living in the building since the 1940s when it was a Magdalen Laundry and Refuge for Fallen Women. When Lillian first arrived, she was hiding out from the infamous Murder, Inc mobsters. As Lillian relates her story about the long-ago incriminating incident she witnessed that forced her into hiding, Joan recalls certain details of her own investigation.

The more Joan learns about Lillian and the fabled story of the Refuge, the more she realizes they may be linked to the book she is writing—and to her attacker that fateful night. As Joan starts to connect the clues and unravel decades worth of history, she must stay one step ahead of those who are desperate to make sure Joan never uncovers the final truth.]]> 336 Carol Goodman 0063020661 Lisa 5 3.71 2021 The Stranger Behind You
author: Carol Goodman
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/07/06
shelves:
review:
Carol Goodman’s THE STRANGER BEHIND YOU is at once a ripped-from-the-headlines thriller, a powerful meditation on the deep bonds and power of female friendship, and a colorful glimpse of New York City old and new. In a twisting, mesmerizing story that is as beautiful written as it is utterly propulsive, Goodman weaves a dream that blends the past and the present, takes us deep into the hearts and souls of her characters, and keeps us breathlessly turning the pages right to the shocking and poignant end. I absolutely loved this layered and moving novel!
]]> For Your Own Good 52379865
He says his wife couldn't be more proud—though no one has seen her in a while.

Teddy really can’t be bothered with the death of a school parent that’s looking more and more like murder or the student digging a little too deep into Teddy’s personal life. His main focus is on pushing these kids to their full academic potential.

All he wants is for his colleagues—and the endlessly meddlesome parents—to stay out of his way.

It's really too bad that sometimes excellence can come at such a high cost.

USA Today bestselling author Samantha Downing is back with her latest sneaky thriller set at a prestigious private school—complete with interfering parents, overeager students, and one teacher who just wants to teach them all a lesson�]]> 373 Samantha Downing 0593100972 Lisa 5 3.77 2021 For Your Own Good
author: Samantha Downing
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/07/03
shelves:
review:
FOR YOUR OWN GOOD takes us into the twisting, dark back corridors of Belmont, an elite private school populated by narcissistic kids, driven, manipulative parents, and brutally competitive teachers running questionable agendas. When people start dying, suspects abound. Is it the sociopathic teacher of the year, the skulking janitor, the unrelenting helicopter mom? Downing’s spare prose packs a wallop as she deftly ratchets up the suspense with every hairpin turn of this lean, mean, surprising, and utterly propulsive thriller.
]]> Choose Me 54503622 From New York Times bestseller Tess Gerritsen and acclaimed thriller writer Gary Braver comes a sexy murder mystery about a reckless affair and dangerous secrets.

Taryn Moore is young, beautiful and brilliant...so why would she kill herself? When Detective Frankie Loomis arrives on the scene to investigate the girl's fatal plunge from her apartment balcony, she knows in her gut there's more to the story, especially after the autopsy reveals that the college senior was pregnant. It could be reason enough for suicide-or a motive for murder.

To English professor Jack Dorian, Taryn was the ultimate fantasy: intelligent, adoring, and completely off limits. But there was also a dark side to Taryn, a dangerous streak that threatened those she turned her affections to--including Jack. And now that she's dead, his problems are just beginning.

After Frankie uncovers a trove of sordid secrets, it becomes clear that Jack may know the truth. He is guilty of deception, but is he capable of cold-blooded murder?]]> 335 Tess Gerritsen 154202613X Lisa 5 4.03 2021 Choose Me
author: Tess Gerritsen
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/05/29
shelves:
review:
Tess Gerritsen is one of my all-time favorite authors, and no one delivers smart, layered, expertly crafted thrillers quite like hers. In CHOOSE ME, teamed up with stellar thriller writer Gary Braver, Gerritsen is at the very top of her game. Don’t miss this edgy, twisting, rocket-paced story of marriage, betrayal, and the damage we do to each other in the name of love.
]]> <![CDATA[Love the Way You Lie (House of Crows, #4)]]> 57981141
Matthew, Claire, and Mason haven't been back to Merle House since the summer they were sixteen. They tried for years to put their history behind them, to forget the mystery of the girl who vanished so long ago. But a powerful force from their past is still at play. This time, there's no hiding from it.

Love the Way You Lie is part of House of Crows, a four-part serial about friends with a shard history of darkness. They've spent their lives running, but they can no longer hide from the past. Each story can be read or listened to in a single haunted sitting.]]> 91 Lisa Unger 1542027306 Lisa 5
Hope you love it!

P.S. Of course I gave it 5 stars! I wrote it!! ;) ]]> 4.02 2021 Love the Way You Lie (House of Crows, #4)
author: Lisa Unger
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/05/28
shelves:
review:
Loosely inspired by Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, HOUSE OF CROWS is about four adult friends who all share a common dark, unexplained event in their past. They’ve moved on and away from the town where they grew up. But in many ways the experience has formed each of them. Each has chosen a career that has allowed him or her to explore in various ways things that can’t be explained. Now a psychiatrist, a ghost hunter, a spiritual counselor, and a writer respectively, Claire, Ian, Mason, and Matthew are being called back to pay debts and address some unfinished business. What they find when they arrive at Merle House will depend very much on what they bring.

Hope you love it!

P.S. Of course I gave it 5 stars! I wrote it!! ;)
]]> <![CDATA[Circling the Drain (House of Crows, #3)]]> 57981221
Mason Brandt dropped out of seminary and found a job at a spiritual center offering guidance to troubled teens. Mason was on himself years ago - a suspect in a young girl's disappearance. When a female student is found murdered. Mason is dogged by suspicion and flees. He hopes Merle House will offer him sanctuary once again.

Circling the Drain is part of House of Crows, a four-part serial about friends with a shared history of darkness. They've spent their lives running, but they can no longer hide from the past. Each story can be read or listened to in a single haunted sitting.]]> 70 Lisa Unger 1542027292 Lisa 5
Hope you love it!

P.S. Of course I gave it 5 stars! I wrote it!! ;) ]]> 3.91 2021 Circling the Drain (House of Crows, #3)
author: Lisa Unger
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/05/28
shelves:
review:
Loosely inspired by Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, HOUSE OF CROWS is about four adult friends who all share a common dark, unexplained event in their past. They’ve moved on and away from the town where they grew up. But in many ways the experience has formed each of them. Each has chosen a career that has allowed him or her to explore in various ways things that can’t be explained. Now a psychiatrist, a ghost hunter, a spiritual counselor, and a writer respectively, Claire, Ian, Mason, and Matthew are being called back to pay debts and address some unfinished business. What they find when they arrive at Merle House will depend very much on what they bring.

Hope you love it!

P.S. Of course I gave it 5 stars! I wrote it!! ;)
]]> <![CDATA[Fog Descending (House of Crows, #2)]]> 57966605
Driven by an uncanny mystery from his youth, Ian Randall became a “spiritual cleanser,� ridding disturbances from homes. But his belief in the beyond was challenged by his wife’s death. Merle House, the root of Ian’s obsession, could change that. The woods are restless again. Maybe here, Ian will find what he needs—if he’s willing to make a deal with the dark.

Fog Descending is part of House of Crows, a four-part serial about friends with a shared history of darkness. They’ve spent their lives running, but they can no longer hide from the past. Each story can be read or listened to in a single haunted sitting.]]> 70 Lisa Unger 1542027284 Lisa 5
Hope you love it!

P.S. Of course I gave it 5 stars! I wrote it!! ;) ]]> 3.90 2021 Fog Descending (House of Crows, #2)
author: Lisa Unger
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/05/28
shelves:
review:
Loosely inspired by Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, HOUSE OF CROWS is about four adult friends who all share a common dark, unexplained event in their past. They’ve moved on and away from the town where they grew up. But in many ways the experience has formed each of them. Each has chosen a career that has allowed him or her to explore in various ways things that can’t be explained. Now a psychiatrist, a ghost hunter, a spiritual counselor, and a writer respectively, Claire, Ian, Mason, and Matthew are being called back to pay debts and address some unfinished business. What they find when they arrive at Merle House will depend very much on what they bring.

Hope you love it!

P.S. Of course I gave it 5 stars! I wrote it!! ;)
]]> <![CDATA[All My Darkest Impulses (House of Crows, #1)]]> 57981429
For disgraced professor Matthew Merle, the inheritance of his grandfather's crumbling mansion is both a burden and an offer of safe haven. His childhood friend Claire, a psychiatrist, desperately needs a haven of her own after one of her patients unleashes his dark side. At turning points in their lives, it's inevitable that they should return to the past. And to Merle House. It's been waiting for them.

All My Darkest Impulses is part of House of Crows, a four-part serial about friends with a shard history of darkness. They've spent their lives running, but they can not longer hide from the past. Each story can be read or listened to in a single haunted sitting.]]> 63 Lisa Unger 1542027276 Lisa 5
Hope you love it!

P.S. Of course I gave it 5 stars! I wrote it!! ;) ]]> 3.77 2021 All My Darkest Impulses (House of Crows, #1)
author: Lisa Unger
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/05/28
shelves:
review:
Loosely inspired by Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, HOUSE OF CROWS is about four adult friends who all share a common dark, unexplained event in their past. They’ve moved on and away from the town where they grew up. But in many ways the experience has formed each of them. Each has chosen a career that has allowed him or her to explore in various ways things that can’t be explained. Now a psychiatrist, a ghost hunter, a spiritual counselor, and a writer respectively, Claire, Ian, Mason, and Matthew are being called back to pay debts and address some unfinished business. What they find when they arrive at Merle House will depend very much on what they bring.

Hope you love it!

P.S. Of course I gave it 5 stars! I wrote it!! ;)
]]> <![CDATA[The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook: Wickedly Good Meals and Desserts to Die For]]> 22551846 176 Kate White 1594747571 Lisa 5 3.90 2015 The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook: Wickedly Good Meals and Desserts to Die For
author: Kate White
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/05/26
shelves:
review:

]]> Tampa Bay Noir 48644942
Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each book comprises all new stories, each one set in a distinct location within the geographic area of the book.

Brand-new stories by: Michael Connelly, Lori Roy, Ace Atkins, Karen Brown, Tim Dorsey, Lisa Unger, Sterling Watson, Luis Castillo, Sarah Gerard, Danny López, Ladee Hubbard, Gale Massey, Yuly Restrepo Garcés, Eliot Schrefer, and Colette Bancroft.

From the introduction by Colette Bancroft:

Ask most people what the Tampa Bay area is famous for, and they might mention sparkling beaches and sleek urban centers and contented retirees strolling the golf courses year-round. But it’s always had a dark side. Just look at its signature event: a giant pirate parade.

Not only does Gasparilla honor the buccaneer traditions of theft, debauchery, and violence; its namesake pirate captain, José Gaspar, is a fake who probably never existed. And if there’s any variety of crime baked into Florida’s history, it’s fraud. From the indigenous residents who supposedly conned Spanish explorers seeking the Fountain of Youth through the rolling cycles of real estate scams that have shaped the Sunshine State for the last century or so, the place is a grifter’s native habitat.]]> 296 Colette Bancroft 1617758108 Lisa 5
Florida boy turned tech billionaire returns to his coastal hometown to confront the past in this story about the tangle of secrets, lies, and lost love. Set on the edge of Caladesi Island, Unger visits one of her most beloved places to explore questions of class, identity, and the hard consequences of bad choices.

The Southern Literary Reviews say's "There’s a hint of The Great Gatsby in this tale... Unger brings out the tensions with her skillful sense of timing and precise narration. There is also a gentle nostalgic quality to Unger’s writing... she captures the natural splendor of the area when she writes... but no matter how much natural loveliness Unger fills her story with, the darkness is there in true noir fashion."

]]> 3.55 2020 Tampa Bay Noir
author: Colette Bancroft
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/05/26
shelves:
review:
ONLY YOU is my contribution to this original noir anthology from Akashic Books.

Florida boy turned tech billionaire returns to his coastal hometown to confront the past in this story about the tangle of secrets, lies, and lost love. Set on the edge of Caladesi Island, Unger visits one of her most beloved places to explore questions of class, identity, and the hard consequences of bad choices.

The Southern Literary Reviews say's "There’s a hint of The Great Gatsby in this tale... Unger brings out the tensions with her skillful sense of timing and precise narration. There is also a gentle nostalgic quality to Unger’s writing... she captures the natural splendor of the area when she writes... but no matter how much natural loveliness Unger fills her story with, the darkness is there in true noir fashion."


]]> Closing Costs 53968531
Nelle and Evan Pereira were thrilled to close on their “forever home,� a spacious paradise nestled against a state forest in Massachusetts. Three months later, on a brisk Saturday morning, their peace is destroyed when an intruder captures Nelle home by herself. Quickly overpowered by the aggressive stranger, she’s forced down to the cold, musty basement where he ties her to a chair. The intruder has a singular, if unusual, he wants her to make a phone call. One that Nelle isn’t confident she can make, even though her life depends on it.

Desperate to see herself and her husband to safety, Nelle doesn’t yet realize this was no chance encounter—it was a carefully planned attack. With no one to hear them scream, their secluded home feels horrifyingly isolated. And before this long day is through, Nelle and Evan, who share a dangerous secret, will bring a violent reckoning down upon all of them.]]> 320 Bracken MacLeod 035833473X Lisa 5 3.56 2021 Closing Costs
author: Bracken MacLeod
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/05/25
shelves:
review:
CLOSING COSTS is a compelling portrait of a marriage, and an unflinching look at a terrible tangle of secrets, lies, and mistakes that lead to irrevocable consequences. From the explosive first pages, through every hairpin twist and turn, and right to the shocking final scenes, Bracken MacLeod expertly ratchets up the suspense page by breathless page in this stellar home invasion thriller.
]]> You Will Remember Me 55004543 Forget the truth.

Remember the lies.

He wakes up on a deserted beach in Maryland with a gash on his head and wearing only swim trunks. He can't remember who he is. Everything--his identity, his life, his loved ones--has been replaced by a dizzying fog of uncertainty. But returning to his Maine hometown in search of the truth uncovers more questions than answers.

Lily Reid thinks she knows her boyfriend, Jack. Until he goes missing one night, and her frantic search reveals that he's been lying to her since they met, desperate to escape a dark past he'd purposely left behind.

Maya Scott has been trying to find her estranged stepbrother, Asher, since he disappeared without a trace. Having him back, missing memory and all, feels like a miracle. But with a mutual history full of devastating secrets, how far will Maya go to ensure she alone takes them to the grave?

Shared fates intertwine in a twisty, explosive novel of suspense, where unearthing the past might just mean being buried beneath it.]]> 352 Hannah Mary McKinnon 0778331814 Lisa 5 3.64 2021 You Will Remember Me
author: Hannah Mary McKinnon
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/05/07
shelves:
review:
Riveting, smart, and utterly diabolical YOU WILL REMEMBER ME is psychological suspense of the first order. Hannah Mary McKinnon knows how to keep us gripped and gasping at each layer revealed, each twist that we never see coming. Skillfully wrought and expertly executed, this chiller will keep you mesmerized right through the jaw-dropping ending. Don’t miss it!
]]> <![CDATA[When a Stranger Comes to Town (Mystery Writers of America Series, 2)]]> 54737079
Including NYT bestselling author Michael Connelly’s story “Avalon,� soon to be adapted for television by David E. Kelley.

"The very best of what crime fiction should deliver." -New York Journal of Books

The latest Mystery Writers of America story collection, featuringsurprising, page-turning twists on the genre from some of the top bestsellers and award winners in crime fiction

It’s been said that all great literature boils down to one of two stories—a man takes a journey, or a stranger comes to town. While mystery writers have been successfully using both approaches for generations, there’s something undeniably alluring in the nature of a stranger: the uninvited guest, the unacquainted neighbor, the fish out of water.

No matter how or where they appear, strangers are walking mysteries, complete unknowns in once-familiar territories who disrupt our lives with unease and wonder. In the newest collection of stories by the Mystery Writers of America, each author weaves a fresh tale surrounding the eerie feeling that comes when a stranger enters our midst, featuring stories by prolific mystery writers such as Michael Connelly, Dean Koontz and Joe Hill.
]]> 400 Michael Koryta 1335141472 Lisa 5
Jayne, a reclusive writer is doing her crossword puzzle and minding her own business when a moving van comes rumbling up the street. Great. New Neighbors. The house next store has been pleasantly empty for a couple of years after the family living there moved out, leaving behind their dog Scout. Now Jayne and Scout, who Jayne has adopted, watch as the new man moves in next door. He seems a little strange. Not very friendly. But at least he cleans up the place.

When Jayne learns that her new neighbor restores antiques, she decides to bring him her deceased father’s old watch for repair. But when she goes to retrieve it, he pretends to never have met her. She calls the police; he calls her crazy. True, she’s had her problems. Since “the accident,� there are things she can’t remember. Things she doesn’t want to remember. Still, she knows a thief when she sees one.

When Jayne’s other next door neighbor Ralph becomes convinced that the new guy is up to no good, Jayne and Ralph investigate. An internet search reveals that the antiques restorer has a history of accusations against him, and is connected to a missing persons case. But chasing after him is going to get then into more trouble than they can handle, and Jayne will have to face some ugly truths about both of her neighbors � and herself.]]> 3.74 2021 When a Stranger Comes to Town (Mystery Writers of America Series, 2)
author: Michael Koryta
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/04/21
shelves:
review:
A SIX-LETTER WORD FOR NEIGHBOR is my contribution to this Mystery Writers of America story collection, WHEN A STRANGER COMES TO TOWN, edited by the wonderful Michael Koryta. Hope you enjoy all of the stories!

Jayne, a reclusive writer is doing her crossword puzzle and minding her own business when a moving van comes rumbling up the street. Great. New Neighbors. The house next store has been pleasantly empty for a couple of years after the family living there moved out, leaving behind their dog Scout. Now Jayne and Scout, who Jayne has adopted, watch as the new man moves in next door. He seems a little strange. Not very friendly. But at least he cleans up the place.

When Jayne learns that her new neighbor restores antiques, she decides to bring him her deceased father’s old watch for repair. But when she goes to retrieve it, he pretends to never have met her. She calls the police; he calls her crazy. True, she’s had her problems. Since “the accident,� there are things she can’t remember. Things she doesn’t want to remember. Still, she knows a thief when she sees one.

When Jayne’s other next door neighbor Ralph becomes convinced that the new guy is up to no good, Jayne and Ralph investigate. An internet search reveals that the antiques restorer has a history of accusations against him, and is connected to a missing persons case. But chasing after him is going to get then into more trouble than they can handle, and Jayne will have to face some ugly truths about both of her neighbors � and herself.
]]> When the Stars Go Dark 54895727
As past and present collide, Anna realizes that she has been led to this moment. The most difficult lessons of her life have given her insight into how victims come into contact with violent predators. As Anna becomes obsessed with the missing girl, she must accept that true courage means getting out of her own way and learning to let others in.

Weaving together actual cases of missing persons, trauma theory, and a hint of the metaphysical, this propulsive and deeply affecting novel tells a story of fate, necessary redemption, and what it takes, when the worst happens, to reclaim our lives--and our faith in one another.

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife comes a novel of intertwined destinies and heart-wrenching suspense: A detective hiding away from the world. A series of disappearances that reach into her past. Can solving them help her heal?]]> 370 Paula McLain 0593237897 Lisa 5 3.81 2021 When the Stars Go Dark
author: Paula McLain
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/04/18
shelves:
review:
Lyrical and beautiful, WHEN THE STARS GO DARK is a riveting deep dive into trauma, survival and obsession. With her deeply flawed and utterly compelling heroine, elegant prose, and layered, twisting story, Paula McLain has penned an extraordinary novel of literary suspense, as gripping as it is unique and unforgettable.
]]> Her Dark Lies 49374479 At the wedding of the year, a killer needs no invitation

Jutting from sparkling turquoise waters off the Italian coast, Isle Isola is an idyllic setting for a wedding. In the majestic cliff-top villa owned by the wealthy Compton family, up-and-coming artist Claire Hunter will marry handsome, charming Jack Compton, surrounded by close family, intimate friends…and a host of dark secrets.

From the moment Claire sets foot on the island, something seems amiss. Skeletal remains have just been found. There are other, newer disturbances, too. Menacing texts. A ruined wedding dress. And one troubling shadow hanging over Claire’s otherwise blissful relationship—the strange mystery surrounding Jack’s first wife.

Then a raging storm descends, the power goes out—and the real terror begins…]]> 416 J.T. Ellison 0778388301 Lisa 5 3.49 2021 Her Dark Lies
author: J.T. Ellison
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.49
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/04/09
shelves:
review:
The wedding of the year, a dreamy island off the Italian coast, a looming storm, a bride and groom each with dark secrets � what could possibly go wrong? J.T. Ellison weaves the old and the new, art and history, mystery and love story into one stunning tapestry of a novel. This book swept me away on the very first page, and kept me breathlessly diving deeper and deeper into a story so rich in character, atmosphere, and exquisite suspense. Elegant, propulsive, and utterly unputdownable HER DARK LIES is the work of one of our most talented thriller writers at the very top of her game.
]]> Never Far Away 53915356
Then, in the wake of their father's untimely death, Leah's children call and she rushes to them in the guise of 'Aunt Leah'. They embark on a cross country journey but before they reach their destination, danger finds them and it is Leah who must come out of her seclusion to search for and protect her children.

Told with the deft plotting and enthralling storytelling of a genre master, these two captivating chase narratives will converge along the rugged Allagash River, in the wilds of Maine, where the wills, morals, and ingenuity of a broken family will be tested against all odds.]]> 378 Michael Koryta 0316535931 Lisa 5 3.92 2021 Never Far Away
author: Michael Koryta
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/04/09
shelves:
review:
Michael Koryta is a powerful and masterful writer with bone-deep understanding of his characters, and a gift for perfectly- paced suspense. With its transporting sense of place, and elegantly layered but utterly breathless story, NEVER FAR AWAY is the raw, emotional, and riveting work of a craftsman at the top of his game. By far one of the best books I’ve read this year.
]]> Do No Harm 54304103
But everything comes crashing down when her son, Josh, is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.

Determined to save him, Emma makes the risky decision to sell opioids to fund the life-saving treatment he needs. But when somebody ends up dead, a lethal game of cat and mouse ensues, her own husband leading the chase. With her son’s life hanging in the balance, Emma is dragged into the dark world of drugs, lies, and murder. Will the truth catch up to her before she can save Josh?]]> 368 Christina McDonald 1982142618 Lisa 5 3.62 2021 Do No Harm
author: Christina McDonald
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/04/09
shelves:
review:
DO NO HARM is a pulse-pounding deep dive into the dark heart of addiction. The stakes couldn’t be higher in this smart, breathlessly-paced and emotional novel about love, family, and how far we’ll go when our child’s life hangs in the balance. Riveting, ripped from the headlines, and not to be missed.
]]> If I Disappear 53066531 When her favorite true crime podcast host goes missing, an adrift young woman plunges headfirst into the wild backcountry of Northern California and her own dangerous obsession.

Sera loves true crime podcasts. They make her feel empowered in a world where women just like her disappear daily. She's sure they are preparing her for something. So when Rachel, her favorite podcast host, goes missing, Sera knows it's time to act. Rachel has always taught her to trust her instincts.

Sera follows the clues hidden in the episodes to an isolated ranch outside Rachel's small hometown to begin her search. She's convinced her investigation will make Rachel so proud. But the more Sera digs into this unfamiliar world, the more off things start to feel. Because Rachel is not the first woman to vanish from the ranch, and she won't be the last...

Rachel did try to warn her.]]> 296 Eliza Jane Brazier 0593198220 Lisa 5 3.11 2021 If I Disappear
author: Eliza Jane Brazier
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.11
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/01/26
shelves:
review:
“A propulsive thrill ride full of surprises right through the firecracker ending.�
]]> Girls of Brackenhill 49754777 Haunted by her sister’s disappearance, a troubled woman becomes consumed by past secrets in this gripping thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Vanishing Year.

When Hannah Maloney’s aunt dies in a car accident, she returns to her family’s castle in the Catskills and the epicenter of a childhood trauma: her sister’s unsolved disappearance. It’s been seventeen years, and though desperate to start a new life with her fiancé, Hannah is compelled to question the events of her last summer at Brackenhill.

When a human bone is found near the estate, Hannah is convinced it belongs to her long-lost sister. She launches her own investigation into that magical summer that ended in a nightmare. As strange happenings plague the castle, Hannah uncovers disturbing details about the past and startling realizations about her own repressed childhood memories.

Fueled by guilt over her sister’s vanishing, Hannah becomes obsessed with discovering what happened all those years ago, but by the time Hannah realizes some mysteries are best left buried, it’s too late to stop digging. Overwhelmed by what she has exposed, Hannah isn’t sure her new life can survive her old ghosts.]]> 330 Kate Moretti 1542000092 Lisa 5 3.77 2020 Girls of Brackenhill
author: Kate Moretti
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/10/24
shelves:
review:
A looming castle, a woman haunted by her sister's unsolved disappearance, and long buried secrets clawing their way up to the surface � Kate Moretti deftly weaves it all together in a gripping gothic ghost story of the first order. GIRLS OF BRACKENHILL is full of chills, thrills, and dark surprises. You won’t stop turning the pages until the stunning end � and even then you’ll be sleeping with the lights on. Don’t miss it!
]]> The Turn of the Key 42080142
What she doesn’t know is that she’s stepping into a nightmare—one that will end with a child dead and herself in prison awaiting trial for murder.

Writing to her lawyer from prison, she struggles to explain the unravelling events that led to her incarceration. It wasn’t just the constant surveillance from the cameras installed around the house, or the malfunctioning technology that woke the household with booming music, or turned the lights off at the worst possible time. It wasn’t just the girls, who turned out to be a far cry from the immaculately behaved model children she met at her interview. It wasn’t even the way she was left alone for weeks at a time, with no adults around apart from the enigmatic handyman, Jack Grant.

It was everything.

She knows she’s made mistakes. She admits that she lied to obtain the post, and that her behavior toward the children wasn’t always ideal. She’s not innocent, by any means. But, she maintains, she’s not guilty—at least not of murder. Which means someone else is.

Full of spellbinding menace and told in Ruth Ware’s signature suspenseful style, The Turn of the Key is an unputdownable thriller from the Agatha Christie of our time.]]> 337 Ruth Ware 1501188771 Lisa 5 3.91 2019 The Turn of the Key
author: Ruth Ware
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/09/30
shelves:
review:
Mind-bending, engrossing, and totally creepy in all the best ways. Ware is adept at ratcheting up the suspense little-by-little, keeping you breathless to know what happens next until the chilling ending.
]]> Good Girls Lie 43193837 J.T. Ellison’s pulse-pounding new psychological thriller examines the tenuous bonds of friendship, the power of lies and the desperate lengths people will go to in order to protect their secrets.

Goode girls don’t lie�

Perched atop a hill in the tiny town of Marchburg, Virginia, The Goode School is a prestigious prep school known as a Silent Ivy. The boarding school of choice for daughters of the rich and influential, it accepts only the best and the brightest. Its elite status, long-held traditions and honor code are ideal for preparing exceptional young women for brilliant futures at Ivy League universities and beyond.

But a stranger has come to Goode, and this ivy has turned poisonous.

In a world where appearances are everything, as long as students pretend to follow the rules, no one questions the cruelties of the secret societies or the dubious behavior of the privileged young women who expect to get away with murder.

When a popular student is found dead, the truth cannot be ignored. Rumors suggest she was struggling with a secret that drove her to suicide.

But look closely� because there are truths and there are lies, and then there is everything that really happened.]]> 387 J.T. Ellison 1488023565 Lisa 5 3.81 2019 Good Girls Lie
author: J.T. Ellison
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/09/17
shelves:
review:
GOOD GIRLS LIE was a smart, twisty, absolutely riveting read � deeply involving from page one.
]]> Have You Seen Me? 49949683 From New York Times bestselling author Kate White comes a gripping novel about one woman’s dangerous quest to recover lost memories someone would rather she never find.

The key to her missing memories could bring relief—or unlock her worst nightmares.

On a cold, rainy morning, finance journalist Ally Linden arrives early to work in her Manhattan office, only to find that she’s forgotten her keycard and needs to have a colleague she’s never met let her in. When her boss finally arrives, he seems surprised to see her—because she hasn’t worked there in five years.

Ally knows her name, but little else, and it’s only after several hours in an emergency room and multiple interviews with the hospital psychiatrist that she begins to piece together important facts: she lives on the Upper West Side; she’s now a freelance personal finance journalist; she’s married to a lovely man named Hugh. But she still can’t recall what happened to her during the previous two days. When she learns that she’s experienced a dissociative fugue state, Ally tries to think of triggers and remembers that she’d been seeing a therapist about a traumatic event from her childhood, in which she came across evidence for a murder that was never solved.

Desperate to unearth answers, Ally focuses on figuring out where she spent the missing forty-eight hours. As ominous details of the two days pile up, so does the terrifying pressure: she must recover the time she lost before the time she has left runs out.

Featuring Kate White’s signature twists and turns, Have You Seen Me? is a harrowing read that will keep readers guessing until its shocking ending.]]> 384 Kate White 0062747479 Lisa 5 3.53 2020 Have You Seen Me?
author: Kate White
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.53
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/08/29
shelves:
review:
Glamorous, shifting, and oh so smart, this is a classic Kate White thriller.
]]> Little Secrets 45046683
A year later, Marin is a shadow of herself. The FBI search has gone cold. The publicity has faded. She and her husband rarely speak. She hires a P.I. to pick up where the police left off, but instead of finding Sebastian, she learns that Derek is having an affair with a younger woman. This discovery sparks Marin back to life. She's lost her son; she's not about to lose her husband, too. Kenzie is an enemy with a face, which means this is a problem Marin can fix.

Permanently.

All it takes to unravel a life is one little secret...

Overwhelmed by tragedy, a woman desperately tries to save her marriage in award-winning author Jennifer Hillier's Little Secrets, a riveting novel of psychological suspense.]]> 352 Jennifer Hillier Lisa 5 4.19 2020 Little Secrets
author: Jennifer Hillier
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/08/29
shelves:
review:
Gorgeously written, so involving, and a searing deep dive into parenthood, marriage and friendship.
]]> My Lovely Wife 39796904 A couple's fifteen-year marriage has finally gotten too interesting...

Our love story is simple. I met a gorgeous woman. We fell in love. We had kids. We moved to the suburbs. We told each other our biggest dreams, and our darkest secrets. And then we got bored.

We look like a normal couple. We're your neighbors, the parents of your kid's friend, the acquaintances you keep meaning to get dinner with.

We all have secrets to keeping a marriage alive.

Ours just happens to be getting away with murder.

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780451491725]]> 390 Samantha Downing Lisa 5 3.81 2019 My Lovely Wife
author: Samantha Downing
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/08/29
shelves:
review:
Creepy and unsettling -- in the best possible way. A stellar, accomplished debut.
]]> The Second Mother 50199748 Opportunity: Teacher needed in one-room schoolhouse on remote island in Maine. Certification in grades K-8 a must.

Julie Weathers isn't sure if she's running away or starting over, but moving to a remote island off the coast of Maine feels right for someone with reasons to flee her old life. The sun-washed, sea-stormed speck of land seems welcoming, the lobster plentiful, and the community close and tightly knit. She finds friends in her nearest neighbor and Callum, a man who appears to be using the island for the same thing as she: escape.

But as Julie takes on the challenge of teaching the island's children, she comes to suspect that she may have traded one place shrouded in trouble for another, and she begins to wonder if the greatest danger on Mercy Island is its lost location far out to sea, or the people who live there.]]> 464 Jenny Milchman 1492694444 Lisa 5 3.41 2020 The Second Mother
author: Jenny Milchman
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.41
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/08/29
shelves:
review:
Rich in atmosphere, expertly plotted, and populated by characters that live and breathe, THE SECOND MOTHER is as much a portrait of survival and redemption as it is a harrowing deep dive into the secrets and troubles of an isolated island in Maine. Jenny Milchman writes with insight and compassion, creating a vivid sense of place, and masterfully ratcheting up the tension page by gripping page.
]]> The Girl from Widow Hills 52754102
Arden Maynor was just a child when she was swept away while sleepwalking during a terrifying rainstorm and went missing for days. Strangers and friends, neighbors and rescue workers, set up search parties and held vigils, praying for her safe return. Against all odds, she was found, alive, clinging to a storm drain. The girl from Widow Hills was a living miracle. Arden’s mother wrote a book. Fame followed. Fans and fan letters, creeps, and stalkers. And every year, the anniversary. It all became too much. As soon as she was old enough, Arden changed her name and disappeared from the public eye.

Now a young woman living hundreds of miles away, Arden goes by Olivia. She’s managed to stay off the radar for the last few years. But with the twentieth anniversary of her rescue approaching, the media will inevitably renew its interest in Arden. Where is she now? Soon Olivia feels like she’s being watched and begins sleepwalking again, like she did long ago, even waking outside her home. Until late one night she jolts awake in her yard. At her feet is the corpse of a man she knows—from her previous life, as Arden Maynor.

And now, the girl from Widow Hills is about to become the center of the story, once again, in this propulsive page-turner from suspense master Megan Miranda.]]> 325 Megan Miranda 1501165429 Lisa 5 Loved it! 3.68 2020 The Girl from Widow Hills
author: Megan Miranda
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/08/29
shelves:
review:
Loved it!
]]> Their Last Secret 49093787 “[A] lifetime of secrets and lies come back to haunt in this layered, engrossing thriller.... A riveting, moving read.� —Lisa Unger, New York Times–bestselling author of The Stranger InsideSome mistakes can never be forgotten—or forgiven.Janie Klassyn was only fourteen years old when she made the blood pact with her friends. She could never imagine she was setting in motion the horrifying crime that would tear her peaceful prairie town apart.Twenty years later in California, school counselor Emma Grant struggles to keep her past buried. But when she finds a note on her car threatening to reveal her secret, it becomes harder to keep up the deception. Even her teenage stepdaughter suspects that Emma is hiding something. Now, with her celebrated true-crime author husband digging into a decades-old murder case for his next book, and a suspicious accident involving someone who’s been following her, the perfect life Emma’s built is crumbling, forcing her to take desperate steps to save it... “Rick Mofina’s books are edge-of-your seat thrilling. Page turners that don’t let up.� —Louise Penny, #1 New York Times–bestselling author]]> 430 Rick Mofina Lisa 5 4.17 2020 Their Last Secret
author: Rick Mofina
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/08/29
shelves:
review:
A blood pact, a horrific crime, and a lifetime of secret and lies come back to haunt in this layered, engrossing thriller. THEIR LAST SECRET is Rick Mofina at his edge-of-your-seat, can't-stop-turning-the-pages best as he dives deep into questions of truth, justice, and ultimately redemption. A riveting, moving read.
]]> The Only Good Indians 52180399 The creeping horror of Paul Tremblay meets Tommy Orange’s There There in a dark novel of revenge, cultural identity, and the cost of breaking from tradition in this latest novel from the Jordan Peele of horror literature, Stephen Graham Jones.

Seamlessly blending classic horror and a dramatic narrative with sharp social commentary, The Only Good Indians follows four American Indian men after a disturbing event from their youth puts them in a desperate struggle for their lives. Tracked by an entity bent on revenge, these childhood friends are helpless as the culture and traditions they left behind catch up to them in a violent, vengeful way.]]> 305 Stephen Graham Jones 1982136456 Lisa 5 3.69 2020 The Only Good Indians
author: Stephen Graham Jones
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/08/27
shelves:
review:
A fresh, unusual writing style, creepy, thoughtful and utterly immersive.
]]> She Lies Close 52504866 A compulsive debut thriller about motherhood, obsession and how far we'd go to protect the ones we love.

Five-year-old Ava Boone has been missing for six months. There have been no leads, no arrests, no witnesses. The only suspect was quiet, middle-aged Leland Ernest.

And Grace Wright has just bought the house next door. Recently divorced, Grace uprooted her two small children to start again and hopes the move will reset her crippling insomnia. But now she understands bargain-price for her beautiful new house.

With whispered neighbourhood gossip and increasingly sleepless nights, Grace develops a fierce obsession with Leland and the safety of her children. Could she really be living next door to a child-kidnapper? A murderer?

With reality and dream blurring more each day, Grace desperately pursues the truth - following Ava's family, demanding answers from the police - and then a body is discovered...]]> 400 Sharon Doering 1789094194 Lisa 5 3.40 2020 She Lies Close
author: Sharon Doering
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.40
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/08/27
shelves:
review:
A relatable, if unreliable, heroine, darkly funny, and engrossing, this thriller asks how far you’ll go to protect your child.
]]> If It Bleeds 46015758 If it Bleeds is a collection of four new novellas �Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, The Life of Chuck, Rat, and the title story If It Bleeds� each pulling readers into intriguing and frightening places.

A collection of four uniquely wonderful long stories, including a stand-alone sequel to The Outsider.

News people have a saying: 'If it bleeds, it leads'. And a bomb at Albert Macready Middle School is guaranteed to lead any bulletin.

Holly Gibney of the Finders Keepers detective agency is working on the case of a missing dog - and on her own need to be more assertive - when she sees the footage on TV. But when she tunes in again, to the late-night report, she realizes there is something not quite right about the correspondent who was first on the scene. So begins 'If It Bleeds' , a stand-alone sequel to The Outsider featuring the incomparable Holly on her first solo case.

Dancing alongside are three more long stories - 'Mr Harrigan's Phone', 'The Life of Chuck' and 'Rat' .

The novella is a form King has returned to over and over again in the course of his amazing career, and many have been made into iconic films, If It Bleeds is a uniquely satisfying collection of longer short fiction by an incomparably gifted writer.]]> 438 Stephen King Lisa 5 3.99 2020 If It Bleeds
author: Stephen King
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/08/27
shelves:
review:
I have never read a single thing by Stephen King that hasn’t scared me, moved me, made me think, or floored me with his sheer power as a writer and a storyteller. And I sometimes think his novellas are the best of all � if not the most iconic. This is a dark and engrossing collection.
]]> <![CDATA[Outsider (Kate Burkholder, #12)]]> 51172016 Linda Castillo follows her instant New York Times bestseller, Shamed, with Outsider, an electrifying thriller about a woman on the run hiding among the Amish.

Chief of Police Kate Burkholder's past comes back to haunt her when she receives a call from Amish widower Adam Lengacher. While enjoying a sleigh ride with his children, he discovered a car stuck in a snowdrift and an unconscious woman nearby. Kate arrives at his farm and is shocked to discover the driver is a woman she hasn't seen in ten years: fellow cop Gina Colorosa.

Ten years ago, Kate and Gina were best friends at the police academy, graduating together as rookies with the Columbus Division of Police. But the reunion takes an ominous turn when Kate learns Gina is wanted for killing an undercover officer. Gina claims she's innocent, that she was framed by corrupt officers who want her gone because she was about to turn them in for wrongdoing.

Kate calls upon state agent John Tomasetti for help and with a blizzard bearing down, they delve into the incident. But no one wants to talk about what happened the night Gina allegedly gunned down a fellow cop. Even Tomasetti is stonewalled, his superior telling him in no uncertain terms to back off.

With whisperings of corruption and the threat of rogue cops seeking revenge, Kate and Gina hunker down at Adam Lengacher's farm. As Kate gets closer to the truth, a killer lies in wait. When violence strikes, Kate must confront a reality that changes everything she thought she knew not only about friendship, but the institution to which she's devoted her life.]]> 320 Linda Castillo 125014289X Lisa 5 3.99 2020 Outsider (Kate Burkholder, #12)
author: Linda Castillo
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/08/27
shelves:
review:
Castillo’s Kate Burkholder series never disappoints. In this 12th riveting installment Kate’s past comes back to haunt making her question everything she thought she knew and loved about her job.
]]> Blacktop Wasteland 51182571
After a series of financial calamities (worsened by the racial prejudices of the small town he lives in) Bug reluctantly takes part in a daring diamond heist to solve his money troubles - and to go straight once and for all. However, when it goes horrifically wrong, he's sucked into a grimy underworld which threatens everything, and everyone, he holds dear . . .]]> 285 S.A. Cosby Lisa 5 4.06 2020 Blacktop Wasteland
author: S.A. Cosby
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/08/27
shelves:
review:
Gritty, deep noir at its finest with echoes of Dennis Lehane and George Pelecanos.
]]> Ghosts of Harvard 52179715 A Harvard freshman becomes obsessed with her schizophrenic brother’s suicide. Then she starts hearing voices.

Cadence Archer arrives on Harvard’s campus desperate to understand why her brother, Eric, a genius who developed paranoid schizophrenia took his own life there the year before. Losing Eric has left a black hole in Cady’s life, and while her decision to follow in her brother’s footsteps threatens to break her family apart, she is haunted by questions of what she might have missed. And there’s only one place to find answers.

As Cady struggles under the enormous pressure at Harvard, she investigates her brother’s final year, armed only with a blue notebook of Eric’s cryptic scribblings. She knew he had been struggling with paranoia, delusions, and illusory enemies—but what tipped him over the edge? With her suspicions mounting, Cady herself begins to hear voices, seemingly belonging to three ghosts who walked the university’s hallowed halls—or huddled in its slave quarters. Among them is a person whose name has been buried for centuries, and another whose name mankind will never forget.

Does she share Eric’s illness, or is she tapping into something else? Cady doesn’t know how or why these ghosts are contacting her, but as she is drawn deeper into their worlds, she believes they’re moving her closer to the truth about Eric, even as keeping them secret isolates her further. Will listening to these voices lead her to the one voice she craves—her brother’s—or will she follow them down a path to her own destruction?]]> 480 Francesca Serritella 0525510362 Lisa 5 3.68 2020 Ghosts of Harvard
author: Francesca Serritella
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/08/26
shelves:
review:
An accomplished debut, richly imagined and beautifully wrought with all my favorite questions about hauntings, inner and outer.
]]> My Sister, the Serial Killer 38819868
My Sister, the Serial Killer is a blackly comic novel about how blood is thicker - and more difficult to get out of the carpet - than water...]]> 226 Oyinkan Braithwaite 0385544235 Lisa 5 3.65 2018 My Sister, the Serial Killer
author: Oyinkan Braithwaite
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/08/26
shelves:
review:
Such a rich, darkly funny story about two sisters � one of them, true to the title, a serial killer. But it’s not her fault! They were asking for it. Or where they? How far would you go to protect your family. The answer is complicated and the telling so engrossing.
]]> November Road 35430011 The Long and Faraway Gone.

Frank Guidry’s luck has finally run out.

A loyal street lieutenant to New Orleans mob boss Carlos Marcello, Guidry has learned that everybody is expendable. But now it’s his turn—he knows too much about the crime of the century: the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Within hours of JFK’s murder, everyone with ties to Marcello is turning up dead, and Guidry suspects he’s next: he was in Dallas on an errand for the boss less than two weeks before the president was shot. With few good options, Guidry hits the road to Las Vegas, to see an old associate—a dangerous man who hates Marcello enough to help Guidry vanish.

Guidry knows that the first rule of running is "don’t stop," but when he sees a beautiful housewife on the side of the road with a broken-down car, two little daughters and a dog in the back seat, he sees the perfect disguise to cover his tracks from the hit men on his tail. Posing as an insurance man, Guidry offers to help Charlotte reach her destination, California. If she accompanies him to Vegas, he can help her get a new car.

For her, it’s more than a car� it’s an escape. She’s on the run too, from a stifling existence in small-town Oklahoma and a kindly husband who’s a hopeless drunk.

It’s an American story: two strangers meet to share the open road west, a dream, a hope—and find each other on the way.

Charlotte sees that he’s strong and kind; Guidry discovers that she’s smart and funny. He learns that’s she determined to give herself and her kids a new life; she can’t know that he’s desperate to leave his old one behind.

Another rule—fugitives shouldn’t fall in love, especially with each other. A road isn’t just a road, it’s a trail, and Guidry’s ruthless and relentless hunters are closing in on him. But now Guidry doesn’t want to just survive, he wants to really live, maybe for the first time.

Everyone’s expendable, or they should be, but now Guidry just can’t throw away the woman he’s come to love.

And it might get them both killed.]]> 320 Lou Berney 0062663879 Lisa 5 3.79 2018 November Road
author: Lou Berney
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/08/26
shelves:
review:
This book beat out UNDER MY SKIN for a number of awards. But I still love Lou Berney. Two strangers, both on the run from darkness, hit the open road. It’s a love story, a crime story, gritty, moving and deep.
]]> The Other Mrs. 44422774 Propulsive and addictive, The Other Mrs. is the twisty new psychological thriller from Mary Kubica, the New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl

She tried to run, but she can't escape the other Mrs....

Sadie and Will Foust have only just moved their family from bustling Chicago to small-town Maine when their neighbor Morgan Baines is found dead in her home. The murder rocks their tiny coastal island, but no one is more shaken than Sadie.

But it’s not just Morgan’s death that has Sadie on edge. And as the eyes of suspicion turn toward the new family in town, Sadie is drawn deeper into the mystery of what really happened that dark and deadly night. But Sadie must be careful, for the more she discovers about Mrs. Baines, the more she begins to realize just how much she has to lose if the truth ever comes to light.]]> 405 Mary Kubica 148809960X Lisa 5 3.69 2020 The Other Mrs.
author: Mary Kubica
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/08/26
shelves:
review:
Starting over always seems like a good idea. Isolated islands are a perfect choice, until they’re not! Dark, atmospheric, and gripping.
]]> Your House Will Pay 43615778
In the wake of the police shooting of a black teenager, Los Angeles is as tense as it’s been since the unrest of the early 1990s.Protests and vigils are being staged all over the city.It’s in this dangerous tinderbox that two families must finally confront their pasts.

Grace Park lives a sheltered existence: living at home with her Korean-immigrant parents, working at the family pharmacy, and trying her best to understand why her sister Miriam hasn’t spoken to their mother in years.The chasm in her family is growing wider by the day and Grace is desperate for reconciliation, and frustrated by the feeling that her sister and parents are shielding her from the true cause of the falling out.

Shawn Matthews is dealing with a fractured family of his own.His sister, Ava, was murdered as a teenager back in 1991, and this new shooting is bringing up painful memories.Plus, his cousin Ray is just released from prison and needs to reconnect with their family after so many years away. While Shawn is trying his best to keep his demons at bay, he’s not sure Ray can do the same.

When another shocking crime hits LA, the Parks and the Matthewses collide in ways they never could have expected.After decades of loss, violence, and injustice, tensions come to a head and force a reckoning that could clear the air or lead to more violence.]]> 304 Steph Cha 0062868853 Lisa 5 4.08 2019 Your House Will Pay
author: Steph Cha
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/08/24
shelves:
review:
Beautifully rendered with deft characterization, this powerful novel explores racial tensions in the aftermath of a decades old crime.
]]> Don't Look for Me 49127515
The night Molly disappeared began with a storm, running out of gas, and a man in a truck offering her a ride to town. With him is a little girl who reminds her of the daughter she lost years ago. It feels like a sign. And Molly is overcome with the desire to be home, with her family—no matter how broken it is. She accepts the ride. But when the doors are locked shut, Molly begins to suspect she has made a terrible mistake.

When a new lead comes in after the search has ended, Molly's daughter, Nicole, begins to wonder. Nothing about her mother's disappearance makes sense.

Nicole returns to the small, desolate town where her mother was last seen to find the truth. The locals are kind and eager to help. The innkeeper. The bartender. Even the police. Until secrets begin to reveal themselves and she comes closer to the truth about that night—and the danger surrounding her.]]> 342 Wendy Walker 1250198704 Lisa 5 3.96 2020 Don't Look for Me
author: Wendy Walker
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/08/24
shelves:
review:
Molly walked away from her life � that’s what everyone thinks. But her daughter Nicole will not stop looking. Propulsive, expertly plotted and moving.
]]> The House Guest 49197789 A perfect summer. A perfect stranger. A perfect nightmare.

When British twenty-somethings Ruth and Adam are offered the chance to spend the summer housesitting in New York, they can’t say no. Young, in love and on the cusp of professional success, they feel as if luck is finally on their side.

So the moment that Eden turns up on the doorstep, drenched from a summer storm, it seems only right to share a bit of that good fortune. Beautiful and charismatic, Eden claims to be a friend of the homeowners, who told her she could stay whenever she was in New York.

They know you’re not supposed to talk to strangers—let alone invite them into your home—but after all, Eden’s only a stranger until they get to know her.

As suspicions creep in that Eden may not be who she claims to be, they begin to wonder if they’ve made a terrible mistake�

]]> 303 Mark Edwards 154209402X Lisa 5 3.82 2020 The House Guest
author: Mark Edwards
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/08/24
shelves:
review:
Be careful who you let into your home. They may not be so easy to get rid of. Smart and twisty psychological suspense.
]]> <![CDATA[The Revelators (A Quinn Colson, #10)]]> 48563877 In this gripping new crime novel from the New York Times-bestselling author, Quinn Colson returns to take down a criminal syndicate that has ravaged his community, threatened his family, and tried to have him killed.Shot up and left for dead, Sheriff Quinn Colson has revenge on his mind. With the help of his new wife Maggie, rehabilitation, and sheer force of will, he's walking again, eager to resume his work as a southern lawman and track down those responsible for his attempted murder. But someone is standing in his an interim sheriff, appointed by the newly elected Governor Vardaman, the man who Quinn knows ordered his murder. Vardaman sits at the top of the state's power structure--both legal and criminal--and little does he know, Quinn is still working to take him down. Quinn will enlist the help of his most trusted friends, including federal agent Jon Holliday, U.S. Marshal Lillie Virgil, and Nat Wilikins, an undercover agent now working for crime queen Fannie Hathcock. Since Quinn's been gone, the criminal element in north Mississippi has flourished, with Hathcock enjoying unbridled freedom. Now as a bustling factory shuts down, a labor leader ends up dead, and Quinn's own nephew goes missing, everything looks to be unraveling. Even an old friend from Quinn's past, Donnie Varner, is out of jail and up to his own ways.Quinn Colson and company have been planning for years, and now they're finally ready to bust apart a criminal empire running on a rigged system for far too long. This is the Battle of Jericho, the epic showdown that's been years in the making. Eventually, the war will end--for better or worse.]]> 300 Ace Atkins 0525539514 Lisa 5 4.22 2020 The Revelators (A Quinn Colson, #10)
author: Ace Atkins
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/08/24
shelves:
review:
Great writing, lots of action, and Atkins� signature wit, make this a don’t-miss in his Quinn Colson series � just optioned for HBO!
]]> Woman on the Edge 43900106 A moment on the subway platform changes two women’s lives forever—a debut thriller that will take your breath away.

A total stranger on the subway platform whispers, “Take my baby.�

She places her child in your arms. She says your name.

Then she jumps...

In a split second, Morgan Kincaid’s life changes forever. She’s on her way home from work when a mother begs her to take her baby, then places the infant in her arms. Before Morgan can stop her, the distraught mother jumps in front of an oncoming train.

Morgan has never seen this woman before, and she can’t understand what would cause a person to give away her child and take her own life. She also can’t understand how this woman knew her name.

The police take Morgan in for questioning. She soon learns that the woman who jumped was Nicole Markham, prominent CEO of the athletic brand Breathe. She also learns that no witness can corroborate her version of events, which means she’s just become a murder suspect.

To prove her innocence, Morgan frantically retraces the last days of Nicole’s life. Was Nicole a new mother struggling with paranoia or was she in danger? When strange things start happening to Morgan, she suddenly realizes she might be in danger, too.

Woman on the Edge is a pulse-pounding, propulsive thriller about the lengths to which a woman will go to protect her baby—even if that means sacrificing her own life.]]> 271 Samantha M. Bailey 1472264630 Lisa 5 3.76 2019 Woman on the Edge
author: Samantha M. Bailey
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/08/23
shelves:
review:
A propulsive beginning grabs the reader by the throat, but it’s the unspooling of the plot and the layers of Bailey’s characters that keep you turning the pages.
]]> He Started It 51373979
But time with your family can be tough. It is for everyone.

It's even harder when you're all keeping secrets and trying to forget a memory—a missing person, an act of revenge, the man in the black truck who won't stop following your car—and especially when at least one of you is a killer and there's a body in the trunk. Just to name a few reasons.

But money is a powerful motivator. It is for everyone.]]> 384 Samantha Downing 0451491750 Lisa 5 3.47 2020 He Started It
author: Samantha Downing
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/08/23
shelves:
review:
You thought you and your siblings had problems? Darkly funny, smart, and engrossing.
]]> To Tell You the Truth 49203372
Now decades later, with the whole world watching, Lucy’s past and present are colliding, and this bestselling author skilled in telling stories is losing control of her own narrative.

Where is Dan? What happened to Lucy's brother? And is the brilliant mystery writer—an expert in devising red herrings and hidden clues—revealing all she knows about both disappearances?

With twists and turns, Gilly Macmillan reveals the answers in this clever and compulsively readable mystery sure to thrill fans of Ruth Ware and Shari LaPena.]]> 301 Gilly Macmillan 0062875582 Lisa 5 3.46 2020 To Tell You the Truth
author: Gilly Macmillan
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/08/23
shelves:
review:
A successful writer runs away from her past, her diabolical imaginary friend, and her manipulative husband in this engrossing house of mirrors that is never quite what you think. Thrilling!
]]> The Guest List 51933429
On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The groom: handsome and charming, a rising television star. The bride: smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher. It’s a wedding for a magazine, or for a celebrity: the designer dress, the remote location, the luxe party favors, the boutique whiskey. The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed.

But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human. As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. The groomsmen begin the drinking game from their school days. The bridesmaid not-so-accidentally ruins her dress. The bride’s oldest (male) friend gives an uncomfortably caring toast.

And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why?]]> 330 Lucy Foley Lisa 5 3.64 2020 The Guest List
author: Lucy Foley
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/08/23
shelves:
review:
Rocket-paced and character driven, full of expertly timed reveals. You have to love that haunted island setting, and when those closest to you are bent on revenge.
]]> This Is How I Lied 52000813 Gudenkauf proves herself the master of the smart, suspenseful small-town thriller that gets right under your skin.� —Gilly Macmillan, New York Times bestselling author of The Nanny

Everyone has a secret they’ll do anything to hide�

Twenty-five years ago, the body of sixteen-year-old Eve Knox was found in the caves near her home in small-town Grotto, Iowa—discovered by her best friend, Maggie, and her sister, Nola. There were a handful of suspects, including her boyfriend, Nick, but without sufficient evidence the case ultimately went cold.

For decades Maggie was haunted by Eve’s death and that horrible night. Now a detective in Grotto, and seven months pregnant, she is thrust back into the past when a new piece of evidence surfaces and the case is reopened. As Maggie investigates and reexamines the clues, secrets about what really happened begin to emerge. But someone in town knows more than they’re letting on, and they’ll stop at nothing to keep the truth buried deep.

Check out these other riveting novels of suspense by bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf:

The Weight of Silence
These Things Hidden
One Breath Away
Little Mercies
Missing Pieces
Not a Sound
Before She Was Found]]> 332 Heather Gudenkauf 0778309703 Lisa 5 3.81 2020 This Is How I Lied
author: Heather Gudenkauf
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/08/23
shelves:
review:
Twisty, atmospheric full of dark surprises � and some deliciously diabolical characters � Gudenkauf’s latest outing might be be her best yet. Which is saying something!
]]> <![CDATA[The Silent Wife (Will Trent, #10)]]> 53065750 The New York Times bestselling author of Pieces of Her and The Last Widow returns with another electrifying Will Trent thriller.

Investigating the killing of a prisoner during a riot inside a state penitentiary, GBI investigator Will Trent is confronted with disturbing information. One of the inmates claims that he is innocent of a brutal attack for which he has always been the prime suspect. The man insists that he was framed by a corrupt law enforcement team led by Jeffrey Tolliver and that the real culprit is still out there—a serial killer who has systematically been preying on women across the state for years. If Will reopens the investigation and implicates the dead police officer with a hero’s reputation of wrongdoing, the opportunistic convict is willing to provide the information GBI needs about the riot murder.

Only days ago, another young woman was viciously murdered in a state park in northern Georgia. Is it a fluke, or could there be a serial killer on the loose?

As Will Trent digs into both crimes it becomes clear that he must solve the cold case in order to find the answer. Yet nearly a decade has passed—time for memories to fade, witnesses to vanish, evidence to disappear, and lies to become truth. But Will can’t crack either mystery without the help of the one person he doesn’t want involved: his girlfriend and Jeffrey Tolliver’s widow, medical examiner Sara Linton.

When the past and present begin to collide, Will realizes that everything he values is at stake . . .]]> 496 Karin Slaughter 0062858106 Lisa 5 4.16 2020 The Silent Wife (Will Trent, #10)
author: Karin Slaughter
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/08/23
shelves:
review:
I mean, it’s Karin Slaughter. Open the cover and plan to do nothing else until it’s done.
]]> <![CDATA[The Golden Cage (Faye's Revenge, #1)]]> 53104610 An exhilarating new novel from a global superstar--a sexy, over-the-top psychological thriller that tells the story of the scorned wife of a billionaire and her delicious plot to get her revenge and bring him to his knees.

Faye has loved Jack since they were students at business school. Jack, the perpetual golden boy, grew up wealthy, unlike Faye, who has worked hard to bury a dark past. When Jack needs help launching a new company, Faye leaves school to support him, waitressing by day and working as his strategist by night. With the business soaring, Faye and Jack have a baby, and Faye finds herself at home, caring for their daughter, wealthier than she ever imagined, but more and more removed from the excitement of the business world. And none of the perks of wealth make up for the fact that Jack has begun to treat her coldly, undermining her intelligence and forgetting all she sacrificed for his success. When Faye discovers that he's having an affair, the polished facade of their life cracks wide open. Faye is alone, emotionally shattered, and financially devastated--but hell hath no fury like a woman with a violent past bent on vengeance. Jack is about to get exactly what he deserves--and so much more. In this splashy, electrifying story of sex, betrayal, and secrets, a woman's revenge is a brutal but beautiful thing.]]> 352 Camilla Läckberg 0525657975 Lisa 5 3.72 2019 The Golden Cage (Faye's Revenge, #1)
author: Camilla Läckberg
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/04/10
shelves:
review:
THE GOLDEN CAGE is a twisting, brutal tale of betrayal and revenge. Lackberg paints a vivid portrait of a dark and complicated anti-heroine who is both the abused and abuser, victim and victimizer. A chilling, timely read sure to thrill her international legion of fans!
]]> Such a Fun Age 43923951 Such a Fun Age is a page-turning and big-hearted story about race and privilege, set around a young black babysitter, her well-intentioned employer, and a surprising connection that threatens to undo them both.

Alix Chamberlain is a woman who gets what she wants and has made a living, with her confidence-driven brand, showing other women how to do the same. So she is shocked when her babysitter, Emira Tucker, is confronted while watching the Chamberlains' toddler one night, walking the aisles of their local high-end supermarket. The store's security guard, seeing a young black woman out late with a white child, accuses Emira of kidnapping two-year-old Briar. A small crowd gathers, a bystander films everything, and Emira is furious and humiliated. Alix resolves to make things right.

But Emira herself is aimless, broke, and wary of Alix's desire to help. At twenty-five, she is about to lose her health insurance and has no idea what to do with her life. When the video of Emira unearths someone from Alix's past, both women find themselves on a crash course that will upend everything they think they know about themselves, and each other.

With empathy and piercing social commentary, Such a Fun Age explores the stickiness of transactional relationships, what it means to make someone family, and the complicated reality of being a grown up. It is a searing debut for our times.]]> 310 Kiley Reid 052554190X Lisa 5 3.76 2019 Such a Fun Age
author: Kiley Reid
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/03/08
shelves:
review:
Funny, observant, and character rich. The author dives deep into millennial angst, racism, and motherhood here, and is adept at offering nuanced, differing perspectives of the same event � something I really enjoy. It’s satirical edge might be somewhat harsh, and a little unkind. But Reid’s portrait of Emira and Briar the little girl in her care were true and beautiful and will stay with me.
]]> An Anonymous Girl 39863515
Dr. Shields seems to know what Jess is thinking� and what she’s hiding.

Jessica’s behavior will not only be monitored, but manipulated.

Caught in a web of attraction, deceit and jealousy, Jess quickly learns that some obsessions can be deadly.

From the authors of the blockbuster bestseller The Wife Between Us, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, An Anonymous Girl will keep you riveted through the last shocking twist.]]> 375 Greer Hendricks 1250133734 Lisa 5 3.79 2019 An Anonymous Girl
author: Greer Hendricks
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/03/08
shelves:
review:
Layered, smart, and riveting psychological suspense. Every chapter takes you deeper and deeper into the very twisted relationship between hapless, cash-strapped Jessica and the manipulative psychiatrist Dr. Shields � who is running her own dark agenda. Unputdownable.
]]> <![CDATA[The Mountains Wild (Maggie D'arcy, #1)]]> 51529983 In a series debut for fans of Tana French and Kate Atkinson, set in Dublin and New York, homicide detective Maggie D'arcy finally tackles the case that changed the course of her life.

Twenty-three years ago, Maggie D'arcy's family received a call from the Dublin police. Her cousin Erin has been missing for several days. Maggie herself spent weeks in Ireland, trying to track Erin's movements, working beside the police. But it was to no avail: no trace of her was ever found.

The experience inspired Maggie to become a cop. Now, back on Long Island, more than 20 years have passed. Maggie is a detective and a divorced mother of a teenager. When the Gardaí call to say that Erin's scarf has been found and another young woman has gone missing, Maggie returns to Ireland, awakening all the complicated feelings from the first trip. The despair and frustration of not knowing what happened to Erin. Her attraction to Erin's coworker, now a professor, who never fully explained their relationship. And her determination to solve the case, once and for all.

A lyrical, deeply drawn portrait of a woman - and a country - over two decades - The Mountains Wild introduces a compelling new mystery series from a mesmerizing author.

]]> Sarah Stewart Taylor Lisa 5 3.96 2020 The Mountains Wild (Maggie D'arcy, #1)
author: Sarah Stewart Taylor
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2020/02/21
shelves:
review:
Atmospheric and lyrical, THE MOUNTAINS WILD is that rare thing -- a riveting thriller with a beating heart. In this beautifully wrought portrait of love and family, secrets and lies, Sarah Stewart Taylor dives deep into character, all the while ratcheting up the suspense, page by gripping page, through to the stunning end.
]]> The Take (Simon Riske, #1) 33784305
Riske has maintained his quiet life by avoiding big, messy jobs; until now. A gangster by the name of Tino Coluzzi has orchestrated the greatest street heist in the history of Paris: a visiting Saudi prince had his pockets lightened of millions in cash, and something else. Hidden within a stolen briefcase is a secret letter that could upend the balance of power in the Western world. The Russians have already killed in an attempt to get it back by the time the CIA comes knocking at Simon's door.

Coluzzi was once Riske's brother-in-arms, but their criminal alliance ended with Riske in prison, having narrowly avoided a hit Coluzzi ordered. Now, years later, it is thief against thief, and hot on their trail are a dangerous Parisian cop, a murderous Russian femme fatale, her equally unhinged boss, and perhaps the CIA itself.
Length: 11 hrs and 55 mins

From New York Times bestselling author Christopher Reich, an international spy thriller featuring Simon Riske: one part James Bond, one part Jack Reacher

In the grand tradition of The Day of the Jackal and The Bourne Identity, Christopher Reich's The Take is a stylish, breathtaking ride.]]> 390 Christopher Reich 0316342351 Lisa 5 3.80 2018 The Take (Simon Riske, #1)
author: Christopher Reich
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2019/12/09
shelves:
review:
THE TAKE is impossible to put down: nonstop action, a mysterious letter, and a fascinating, complicated, and sexy hero whose tool bag of wit and strength helps him fight his way through the dangerous back alleys of glittering European capitals. An engrossing thriller.
]]> A Madness of Sunshine 43419669
Detective Will Gallagher knows all about ghosts; his own chased him out of a promising career in Christchurch, landing him as the sole cop in a quaint town where his most pressing concerns are petty theft and the occasional drunk. When Golden Cove resident Miri Hinewai goes out for a run and fails to return, Will finds himself heading up a missing person's search that rapidly escalates into an official investigation after this case is connected with similar ones from the past. As an outsider, Will begins to rely on Anahera's knowledge of the area and its residents to help him delve into Golden Cove's secrets, and to determine whether it shelters something far more dangerous than just an unforgiving landscape.]]> 344 Nalini Singh 0593099087 Lisa 5 3.79 2019 A Madness of Sunshine
author: Nalini Singh
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2019/12/09
shelves:
review:
Lush, atmospheric, and addictive, THE MADNESS OF SUNSHINE seduces with its beautiful sense of place and layered, compelling characters, then hooks you right in with a riveting noir mystery. When a beautiful girl goes missing and a dark past collides with the brutal present, the truth is as harsh and unforgiving as the landscape in which Nalini Singh's twisting tale is set.
]]> <![CDATA[The Room of White Fire (Roland Ford, #1)]]> 33313203 For fans of Michael Connelly and CJ Box, a stirring thriller from New York Times bestseller and award winner T. Jefferson Parker: The Room of White Fire is the tale of a private investigator tasked with hunting down a returned soldier broken and made dangerous by his experiences at war.

A young soldier shattered by war, on the run from a mental institute. A P.I. carrying his own vicious wounds hired to track that soldier down. A race against the clock to bring the soldier home before he reveals the secret that haunts him.

Roland Ford once a cop, then a marine, now a private investigator is good at finding people. But when he's asked to locate air force veteran Clay Hickman, he realizes he's been drawn into something deep and dark. He knows the weight of war, having served as a marine in First Fallujah; he also knows the nightmare of indescribable personal pain, as only two years have passed since his young wife's sudden death. What he doesn't know is why a shroud of secrecy hangs over the disappearance of Clay Hickman and why he's getting a different story from everyone involved.

To begin with, there's the teenage girl who helped Clay escape: she's smart enough to fend off Ford's questions but impetuous enough to be on the run with an armed and dangerous man. Then there's Clay's attractive doctor, who clearly cares deeply for his welfare but is impossible to read, even as she inspires in Ford the first desire he has felt since his wife's death. And there's the proprietor of the mental institute who is as enigmatic as he is brash, and ambitious to the point of being ruthless; what could Clay possibly know to make this search so desperate?

Soon, what began as just a job becomes a life-and-death obsession for Ford, pitting him against immensely powerful and treacherous people and forcing him to contend with chilling questions about truth, justice, and the American way.]]> 352 T. Jefferson Parker 0735212686 Lisa 5 3.56 2017 The Room of White Fire (Roland Ford, #1)
author: T. Jefferson Parker
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2019/12/09
shelves:
review:
Parker weaves all the best of classic noir fiction into a thoroughly modern, beautifully written novel about the horrors of war, loss, and, ultimately, redemption. Twisting, psychologically astute, and brutally honest, THE ROOM OF WHITE FIRE is a thrill ride to be sure. But it is also a moving story about the frailty of the human heart.
]]> One Kick (Kick Lannigan, #1) 18774963 309 Chelsea Cain 1476749787 Lisa 5 3.77 2014 One Kick (Kick Lannigan, #1)
author: Chelsea Cain
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2019/12/09
shelves:
review:
A high-octane story that will never let you catch your breath, nonstop action, and twists galore. But it’s Kick Lannigan that really gives this stellar read its heart and soul. Chelsea Cain has outdone herself—and that’s no small feat.
]]> All Your Twisted Secrets 41443369 This thrilling debut, reminiscent of new fan favorites like One of Us Is Lying and the beloved classics by Agatha Christie, will leave readers guessing until the explosive ending.

Welcome to dinner, and again, congratulations on being selected. Now you must do the selecting.

What do the queen bee, star athlete, valedictorian, stoner, loner, and music geek all have in common? They were all invited to a scholarship dinner, only to discover it’s a trap. Someone has locked them into a room with a bomb, a syringe filled with poison, and a note saying they have an hour to pick someone to kill � or else everyone dies.

Amber Prescott is determined to get her classmates and herself out of the room alive, but that might be easier said than done. No one knows how they’re all connected or who would want them dead. As they retrace the events over the past year that might have triggered their captor’s ultimatum, it becomes clear that everyone is hiding something. And with the clock ticking down, confusion turns into fear, and fear morphs into panic as they race to answer the biggest question: Who will they choose to die?]]> 400 Diana Urban Lisa 5 3.50 2020 All Your Twisted Secrets
author: Diana Urban
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2019/11/19
shelves:
review:
A locked room, a ticking time bomb, and six teenagers all hiding terrible secrets � the perfect recipe for terrific suspense. In her smart and gripping debut Diana Urban crafts a classic Christie style mystery with a thoroughly modern twist. Cleverly plotted and full of surprises, ALL YOUR TWISTED SECRETS marks the arrival of an exciting new voice in YA suspense.
]]> The Marriage Pact 40610803
The goal of The Pact seems simple: to keep marriages happy and intact, and most of its rules make sense: Always answer the phone when your spouse calls. Exchange thoughtful gifts monthly. Plan a trip together once per quarter. . . .

Never mention The Pact to anyone.

Alice and Jake are initially seduced by the glamorous parties, the sense of community, their widening social circle of like-minded couples--and then one of them breaks the rules. The young lovers are about to discover that for adherents to The Pact, membership, like marriage, is for life, and The Pact will go to any lengths to enforce that rule. For Jake and Alice, the marriage of their dreams is about to become their worst nightmare.]]> 423 Michelle Richmond 0804179867 Lisa 5 3.57 2017 The Marriage Pact
author: Michelle Richmond
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2019/11/19
shelves:
review:
Michelle Richmond is, simply put, a great storyteller. And THE MARRIAGE PACT, without gimmicks or tricks, is a twisting, suspenseful, keep-you-up-all-night thriller. But it’s more than that, too. It’s a deep, insightful, nearly voyeuristic view into modern marriage…A smart, engrossing, scary read!
]]> It's Always the Husband 31451082
How did things come to this?

As the novel cuts back and forth between their college years and their adult years, you see the exact reasons why these women love and hate each other—but can feelings that strong lead to murder? Or will everyone assume, as is often the case, that it’s always the husband?]]> 336 Michele Campbell 1250081807 Lisa 5 3.66 2017 It's Always the Husband
author: Michele Campbell
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2019/11/19
shelves:
review:
A compelling and twisting story of friendship, buried secrets, and revenge, IT’S ALWAYS THE HUSBAND gets deep beneath the surface of the ties that bind. Intricately plotted and driven by an undeniable momentum, Michele Campbell’s riveting story grabs on, holds tight, and haunts even after the book is closed. Don’t miss it!
]]> Restoration Heights 43232885 A debut novel about a young artist, a missing woman, and the tendrils of wealth and power that link the art scene in Brooklyn to Manhattan's elite, for fans of Jonathan Lethem and Richard Price

Reddick, a young, white artist, lives in Bedford-Stuyvesant, a historically black Brooklyn neighborhood besieged by gentrification. He makes rent as an art handler, hanging expensive works for Manhattan's one percent, and spends his free time playing basketball at the local Y rather than putting energy into his stagnating career. He is also the last person to see Hannah before she disappears.

When Hannah's fiance, scion to an old-money Upper East Side family, refuses to call the police, Reddick sets out to learn for himself what happened to her. The search gives him a sense of purpose, pulling him through a dramatic cross section of the city he never knew existed. The truth of Hannah's fate is buried at the heart of a many-layered mystery that, in its unraveling, shakes Reddick's convictions and lays bare the complicated machinations of money and power that connect the magisterial town houses of the Upper East Side to the unassuming brownstones of Bed-Stuy.

Restoration Heights is both a page-turning mystery and an in-depth study of the psychological fallout and deep racial tensions that result from economic inequality and unrestricted urban development. In lyrical, addictive prose, Wil Medearis asks the question: In a city that prides itself on its diversity and inclusivity, who has the final say over the future? Is it long-standing residents, recent transplants or whoever happens to have the most money? Timely, thought-provoking and sweeping in vision, Restoration Heights is an exhilarating new entry in the canon of great Brooklyn novels.]]> 336 Wil Medearis 1335218726 Lisa 5 3.16 2019 Restoration Heights
author: Wil Medearis
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.16
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2019/10/25
shelves:
review:
An old school mystery with a thoroughly modern vibe set against the back drop of the glittery art scene in a gentrifying New York City.
]]> The Night Visitors 39087704 The Lake of Dead Languages and The Other Mother, a story of mistaken identities and missed chances, forgiveness, and vengeance.

“Carol Goodman is, simply put, a stellar writer.”—Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of The Red Hunter

ALICE gets offa bus in the middle of a snowstorm in Delphi, NY. She is fleeing an abusive relationship and desperate to protect...

OREN, ten years old, a major Star Wars fan and wise beyond his years. Though Alice is wary, Oren bonds nearly instantly with...

MATTIE, a social worker in her fifties who lives in an enormous run-down house in the middle of the woods. Mattie lives alone and is always available, and so sheis the person the hotline always calls when they need a late-night pickup. And although according toprotocol Mattie should take Alice and Oren to a local shelter, instead she brings them home for the night. She has plenty of room, she says. What she doesn't say is that Oren reminds her of her little brother, who died thirty years ago at the age of ten.

But Mattie isn't the only one withholding elements of the truth. Alice is keeping her own secrets. And as the snowstorm worsens around them, each woman's past will prove itself unburied, stirring up threats both within and without.

]]> 0 Carol Goodman 0062852019 Lisa 5 3.58 2019 The Night Visitors
author: Carol Goodman
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2019/10/25
shelves:
review:
Goodman is a wonderful writer and always dives deep into her characters. This one has a touch of the supernatural� which I always love. A great story, propulsive and moving.
]]> The Elizas 35297385
Desperate to find out who attacked her, Eliza takes it upon herself to investigate. But as the publication date for her novel draws closer, Eliza finds more questions than answers. Like why are her editor, agent, and family mixing up events from her novel with events from her life? Her novel is completely fictional, isn’t it?

The deeper Eliza goes into her investigation while struggling with memory loss, the closer her life starts to resemble her novel until the line between reality and fiction starts to blur and she can no longer tell where her protagonist’s life ends and hers begins.]]> 352 Sara Shepard 1501162772 Lisa 5 3.28 2018 The Elizas
author: Sara Shepard
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.28
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2019/10/24
shelves:
review:
A twisting, clever thriller with a smart, darkly funny, and totally unreliable narrator at its heart. A sizzler!
]]> <![CDATA[The Undertaker's Daughter (Ilka Jensen, #1)]]> 34992126
Clinging to this last shred of communication from the father she hasn’t heard from since childhood, Ilka makes an uncharacteristically rash decision and jumps on a plane to Wisconsin. Desperate for a connection to the parent she never really knew, she plans to visit the funeral home and go through her father’s things–hoping for some insight into his new life in America–before preparing the business for a quick sale.

But when she stumbles on an unsolved murder, and a killer who seems to still be very much alive, the undertaker’s daughter realizes she might be in over her head . .]]> 326 Sara Blaedel 1455541117 Lisa 5 3.08 2016 The Undertaker's Daughter (Ilka Jensen, #1)
author: Sara Blaedel
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.08
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2019/10/24
shelves:
review:
Crackling with suspense, atmosphere, and drama.
]]> Jar of Hearts 36315374
When she was sixteen years old, Angela Wong—one of the most popular girls in school—disappeared without a trace. Nobody ever suspected that her best friend, Georgina Shaw, now an executive and rising star at her Seattle pharmaceutical company, was involved in any way. Certainly not Kaiser Brody, who was close with both girls back in high school.

But fourteen years later, Angela Wong's remains are discovered in the woods near Geo's childhood home. And Kaiser—now a detective with Seattle PD—finally learns the truth: Angela was a victim of Calvin James. The same Calvin James who murdered at least three other women.

To the authorities, Calvin is a serial killer. But to Geo, he's something else entirely. Back in high school, Calvin was Geo's first love. Turbulent and often volatile, their relationship bordered on obsession from the moment they met right up until the night Angela was killed.

For fourteen years, Geo knew what happened to Angela and told no one. For fourteen years, she carried the secret of Angela's death until Geo was arrested and sent to prison.

While everyone thinks they finally know the truth, there are dark secrets buried deep. And what happened that fateful night is more complex and more chilling than anyone really knows. Now the obsessive past catches up with the deadly present when new bodies begin to turn up, killed in the exact same manner as Angela Wong.

How far will someone go to bury her secrets and hide her grief? How long can you get away with a lie? How long can you live with it?]]> 311 Jennifer Hillier 1250154197 Lisa 5 4.09 2018 Jar of Hearts
author: Jennifer Hillier
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2019/10/22
shelves:
review:
I was hooked on page one. Hillier’s masterful storytelling and compelling voice pulled me deeper and deeper. The plot only twisted and ratcheted tighter from there until I couldn’t pull away. This is a smart, edgy thriller with lots of surprises. Buckle up.
]]> Descent 20312459
As their world comes undone, the Courtlands are drawn into a vortex of dread and recrimination. Why weren’t they more careful? What has happened to their daughter? Is she alive? Will they ever know? Caitlin’s disappearance, all the more devastating for its mystery, is the beginning of the family’s harrowing journey down increasingly divergent and solitary paths until all that continues to bind them together are the questions they can never bring themselves to ask: At what point does a family stop searching? At what point will a girl stop fighting for her life?]]> 376 Tim Johnston 1616203048 Lisa 5 3.55 2015 Descent
author: Tim Johnston
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2019/10/22
shelves:
review:
Lyrical and hypnotic, DESCENT is a pulse-pounding thriller of the first order. But it’s also a gorgeously written, thought-provoking, and haunting novel about family, survival, and the power of a single choice. You’ll be in Johnston’s unrelenting narrative grip until the final page, and his story will stay with you long after it’s done. A truly captivating read.
]]> Mischief 7609256 A child is left in the care of a disturbed babysitter in "surely one of the finest pure terror-suspense stories ever written" (The New York Times).

Bunny's parents shouldn't have brought her to New York City, but her father has an important speech to make, and her mother couldn't bear to be away from their darling nine-year-old daughter. And when her mommy and daddy leave for the speech, Bunny will stay in the hotel with a babysitter, sound asleep and perfectly safe. What could possibly go wrong?

The sitter is Nell, a plain young woman from Indiana. She puts Bunny to bed and amuses herself in the other room, making prank calls and trying on Bunny's mother's jewelry. So far, all is well. But Nell's dull expression conceals madness, and something is broken inside her mind . . .

From one of the greatest female crime writers of the mid-twentieth century, an Edgar Award winner and six-time finalist, Mischief is "a fine, chilly combination of horror and suspense" (The New Yorker).]]> Charlotte Armstrong Lisa 5 5-stars
From a mother’s perspective, there could hardly be a more perfect setup for nail-biting crime fiction—in 1950 or in 2015—as there is in Mischief...

Read my full appreciation for this amazing story in the Library of America publication Women Crime Writers: Four Suspense Novels of the 1950s: Mischief / The Blunderer / Beast in View / Fools' Gold or online at

]]> 3.62 1950 Mischief
author: Charlotte Armstrong
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.62
book published: 1950
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2019/10/21
shelves: 5-stars
review:
Tonight is the night, the big event. As Charlotte Armstrong’s Mischief begins, Peter O. Jones, small-town newspaper editor, and his wife Ruth have come to New York City so that Peter can accept an award. They are nervous but excited about the glamorous evening stretching out before them. There’s just one problem. Peter’s sister, who was scheduled to babysit the couple’s nine-year-old daughter Bunny, has cancelled. The couple has been forced at the last minute to hire the niece of the hotel elevator man to sit with their daughter—a stranger.

From a mother’s perspective, there could hardly be a more perfect setup for nail-biting crime fiction—in 1950 or in 2015—as there is in Mischief...

Read my full appreciation for this amazing story in the Library of America publication Women Crime Writers: Four Suspense Novels of the 1950s: Mischief / The Blunderer / Beast in View / Fools' Gold or online at


]]> <![CDATA[Grit: Passion, Perseverance, and the Science of Success]]> 25813921
Why do some people succeed and others fail? Sharing new insights from her landmark research on grit, Angela Duckworth explains why talent is hardly a guarantor of success. Rather, other factors can be even more crucial such as identifying our passions and following through on our commitments.

Drawing on her own powerful story as the daughter of a scientist who frequently bemoaned her lack of smarts, Duckworth describes her winding path through teaching, business consulting, and neuroscience, which led to the hypothesis that what really drives success is not genius, but a special blend of passion and long-term perseverance. As a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Duckworth created her own character lab and set out to test her theory.

Here, she takes readers into the field to visit teachers working in some of the toughest schools, cadets struggling through their first days at West Point, and young finalists in the National Spelling Bee. She also mines fascinating insights from history and shows what can be gleaned from modern experiments in peak performance. Finally, she shares what she's learned from interviewing dozens of high achievers; from JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon to the cartoon editor of The New Yorker to Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll.

Winningly personal, insightful, and even life-changing, Grit is a book about what goes through your head when you fall down, and how that not talent or luck makes all the difference.]]> 9 Angela Duckworth 1442397144 Lisa 5 5-stars 4.05 2016 Grit: Passion, Perseverance, and the Science of Success
author: Angela Duckworth
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2016/09/05
date added: 2019/10/21
shelves: 5-stars
review:
A fascinating and highly readable study of success � and failure. What makes some of us stick to our dreams through trials, tribulations, and failures? What makes others of us just give up? How do we find our “purpose� if we’re not sure what it is? Duckworth asks all the right questions of all the write people, and the answers are riveting.
]]> The Stranger Inside 43838525 “Brilliant.� �The New York Times Book Review

When former journalist Rain Winter was twelve years old, she narrowly escaped an abduction while walking to a friend’s house. The abductor was eventually found and sent to prison, but years later was released. Then someone delivered real justice--and killed him in cold blood.

Now Rain is living the perfect suburban life, spending her days as a stay-at-home mom. But when another criminal who escaped justice is found dead, Rain is unexpectedly drawn into the case, forced to revisit memories she’s worked hard to leave behind. Is there a vigilante at work? Who is the next target? Why can’t Rain just let it go?

Introducing one of the most compelling and original killers in crime fiction today, Lisa Unger takes readers deep inside the minds of both perpetrator and victim, blurring the lines between right and wrong, crime and justice, and showing that sometimes even good people are drawn to do evil things.]]> 336 Lisa Unger 077830969X Lisa 5 4.06 2019 The Stranger Inside
author: Lisa Unger
name: Lisa
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2019/08/29
shelves: mystery, suspense, thriller, mystery-thriller, crime-fiction, murder-mystery, psychological-thriller, literary-thriller, book-club-picks, book-club, book-club-books, book-club-favorites, book-club-reads, contemporary, psychological-thrillers, revenge, relationships, book-group, bookclub, 5-stars
review:

]]> Under My Skin 36911779 What if the nightmares are actually memories?

It's been a year since Poppy's husband, Jack, was brutally murdered during his morning run through Manhattan's Riverside Park. In the immediate aftermath, Poppy spiraled into an oblivion of grief, disappearing for several days only to turn up ragged and confused wearing a tight red dress she didn't recognize. What happened to Poppy during those lost days? And more importantly, what happened to Jack?

The case was never solved, and Poppy has finally begun to move on. But those lost days have never stopped haunting her. Poppy starts having nightmares and blackouts--there are periods of time she can't remember, and she's unable to tell the difference between what is real and what she's imagining. When she begins to sense that someone is following her, Poppy is plunged into a game of cat and mouse, determined to unravel the mystery around her husband's death. But can she handle the truth about what really happened?]]> 361 Lisa Unger 0778369781 Lisa 5
For UNDER MY SKIN, it wasn’t a single moment, as there often is. It was something Carl Jung wrote, a phrase that’s been kicking around in my head for a while:

“Between the dreams of day and night, there is not so great a difference.�

It’s a short sentence, but as with many Jungian quotes there are layers of meaning here. The dreams of day and night � what did he mean by this?

We spend an average of 229,000 hours asleep during our lifetime. That’s more time than we spend eating, working, or driving � more than a third of our lives sleeping and dreaming. Still we’re convinced that our waking life is more real than whatever it is we’re experiencing when we close our eyes at night.

Between those two worlds � the waking and the dreaming worlds � is a doorway called hypnagogia. Maybe you haven’t heard that word before, but you’ve definitely experienced it. It’s the threshold moment where we have those bizarre dreams � we’re falling, or a bear leaps out from the shadows � and we’re startled awake. This connection between the adjacent worlds of waking and dreaming has been a point of wonder for me, as are other states where perception is altered.]]> 3.76 2018 Under My Skin
author: Lisa Unger
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2019/08/29
shelves: 5-stars, contemporary, crime, crime-fiction, domestic-suspense, mystery, mystery-thriller, psychological-thriller, psychological-thrillers, relationships, suspense, thriller, unreliable-narrator, edgar-award-nominee, hammett-prize-nominee, macavity-award-nominee
review:
There’s almost always a single germ for each of my novels. A moment, a line of poetry, a news story, a piece of junk mail . What happens next is -- a bit odd. I start to hear a voice, or a couple of voices. And these voices draw me through my narrative. I don’t have an outline. I don’t know who is going to show up each day or what they are going to do. And I certainly don’t know how the book is going to end.

For UNDER MY SKIN, it wasn’t a single moment, as there often is. It was something Carl Jung wrote, a phrase that’s been kicking around in my head for a while:

“Between the dreams of day and night, there is not so great a difference.�

It’s a short sentence, but as with many Jungian quotes there are layers of meaning here. The dreams of day and night � what did he mean by this?

We spend an average of 229,000 hours asleep during our lifetime. That’s more time than we spend eating, working, or driving � more than a third of our lives sleeping and dreaming. Still we’re convinced that our waking life is more real than whatever it is we’re experiencing when we close our eyes at night.

Between those two worlds � the waking and the dreaming worlds � is a doorway called hypnagogia. Maybe you haven’t heard that word before, but you’ve definitely experienced it. It’s the threshold moment where we have those bizarre dreams � we’re falling, or a bear leaps out from the shadows � and we’re startled awake. This connection between the adjacent worlds of waking and dreaming has been a point of wonder for me, as are other states where perception is altered.
]]> Mother Knows Best 44081631 A mother’s worst nightmare, a chance at redemption, and a deadly secret that haunts a family across the generations.

There’s only room for one mother in this family.

Claire Abrams’s dreams became a nightmare when she passed on a genetic mutation that killed her little boy. Now she wants a second chance to be a mother, and finds it in Robert Nash, a maverick fertility doctor who works under the radar with Jillian Hendricks, a cunning young scientist bent on making her mark—and seducing her boss.

Claire, Robert, and Jillian work together to create the world’s first baby with three genetic parents—an unprecedented feat that could eliminate inherited disease. But when word of their illegal experiment leaks to the wrong person, Robert escapes into hiding with the now-pregnant Claire, leaving Jillian to serve out a prison sentence that destroys her future.

Ten years later, a spunky girl named Abigail begins to understand that all is not right with the reclusive man and woman she knows as her parents. But the family’s problems are only beginning. Jillian, hardened by a decade of jealousy and loss, has returned—and nothing will stop her from reuniting with the man and daughter who should have been hers. Past, present—and future converge in a mesmerizing psychological thriller from acclaimed bestselling author Kira Peikoff.]]> 288 Kira Peikoff Lisa 5 3.81 2019 Mother Knows Best
author: Kira Peikoff
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2019/08/23
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review:
MOTHER KNOWS BEST is a rocket-paced thriller that dives deep into questions about science, family, and how far we’ll go to protect the people we love the most. Peikoff brings her extensive scientific knowledge to the pages of this taut, smart, and compelling novel. Don't miss it!
]]> <![CDATA[The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It . . . Every Time]]> 25387895 From the New York Times bestselling author of Mastermind, a compelling investigation into the minds, motives, and methods of con artists—and the people who fall for their cons over and over again

While cheats and swindlers may be a dime a dozen, true conmen—the Bernie Madoffs, the Jim Bakkers, the Lance Armstrongs—are elegant, outsized personalities, artists of persuasion and exploiters of trust. How do they do it? Why are they successful? And what keeps us falling for it, over and over again? These are the questions that journalist and psychologist Maria Konnikova tackles in her mesmerizing new book.

From multimillion-dollar Ponzi schemes to small-time frauds, Konnikova pulls together a selection of fascinating stories to demonstrate what all cons share in common, drawing on scientific, dramatic, and psychological perspectives. Insightful and gripping, the book brings readers into the world of the con, examining the relationship between artist and victim. The Confidence Game asks not only why we believe con artists, but also examines the very act of believing and how our sense of truth can be manipulated by those around us.]]> 352 Maria Konnikova 0525427414 Lisa 5 3.61 2015 The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It . . . Every Time
author: Maria Konnikova
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2019/08/21
shelves:
review:
This is a compelling exploration of the con � its history and most famous perpetrators, as well as the psychology of both the criminal and his mark. There were so many fascinating nuggets here, but I think the most important take away is that no one is immune from being conned.
]]> <![CDATA[Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction]]> 572046 - The Guardian.]]> 145 Patricia Highsmith 031204867X Lisa 5 5-stars 3.74 1966 Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction
author: Patricia Highsmith
name: Lisa
average rating: 3.74
book published: 1966
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2019/08/19
shelves: 5-stars
review:
Patricia Highsmith is the godmother of psychological suspense; I would go so far as to say that she is one of the most important influences on modern crime fiction. This book is less nuts-and-bolts than its title implies, and more the philosophies and observations of a writer at work.
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