CW: Self-harm, suicidal ideation, abortion It’s difficult to review a book that is so, so good, but you don’t want to reveal too much for fear of ruining it for others. The Guest List is one of those books; it’s a thriller that is so superbly plotted that I’m afraid to say anything about it because I want other readers to enjoy every reveal as much as I did. I just want to shove it … Continue reading The Guest List by Lucy Foley
CW: The death of a child, sexual assault, suicidal ideation The Lost Ones by Anita Frank lured me in with the promise of a Gothic set in WWI, but the pacing was massively slow and the characters largely unlikeable. As a result, I only finished the book because I needed resolution on the ghostly portion. This book actually made me grind my teeth, and at one point my cat, Dewey, shut the book on me … Continue reading The Lost Ones by Anita Frank
CW: Domestic violence, violence against women, violence against animals, references to sexual assault A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh is a tightly plotted thriller that has pervasive feeling of rage coiled around it. Every character in this book feels angry and on edge, on the verge of snapping. This creates a superb tension that carries throughout the novel and, when combined with a perfectly plotted mystery and well-developed characters, results in a fantastic reading … Continue reading A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh
The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle is a YA horror novel set in the Amish community, and it’s one of the most genuinely frightening books I’ve read in a long time. It’s far more scary than some adult horror novels I’ve read, and it doesn’t rely on themes like sexual violence or violence against children to be frightening. It’s also incredibly well-executed and uses the choice of setting (a small Amish community) to amplify the … Continue reading The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle
I love creepy shit–the creepier the better. The Stillwater Girls by Minka Kent promised to deliver some of that creep, but as far as psychological thrillers go, it wasn’t that dark. This book was a little too tame for me, but I think it would be an excellent novel for readers who want to dip their toe into the psychological thriller genre without getting too scared. There is no on-page violence and… The Stillwater Girls … Continue reading The Stillwater Girls by Minka Kent
CW/TW in this review: discussion of domestic abuse, domestic violence, gaslighting, suicide and murder. The Woman in the Dark by Vanessa Savage looked to be the kind of creepy psychological thriller that is normally right up my alley. It has a family moving into a place called the “Murder House,” for heaven’s sake. That’s some Elyse-nip right there. Unfortunately this book was much less a psychological thriller and more a story of a woman escaping … Continue reading The Woman in the Dark by Vanessa Savage
I’ve been in a bit of a reading rut, so I decided that I should try something completely different to break my cycle of ennui. It worked. First off, Contagion isn’t a romance (as you can probably tell from the cover). It’s a YA SciFi/Horror novel about a ragtag team sent to investigate a distress call from a drill site on a remote planet. If you’re like, “Oh hey, I’ve seen this movie. I know how … Continue reading Contagion by Erin Bowman
Before I ever read a romance novel, I devoured Gothics by Phyllis Whitney and Victoria Holt. When I was probably around twelve I found them on a bookshelf in our basement, and I think over the course of one summer I read everything both authors had written. Gothic romances were and are the perfect blend of the creepy and the sexy. Usually set on a crumbling estate, the innocent heroine shows up (sometimes as a … Continue reading His Dark Kiss by Eve Silver
Looking to escape the summer heat? A fan of murder? I have recommendations for you! It occurred to me recently that many of my favorite mystery series are set in cold-weather climates, and that I seem to read these books most often in summer (which is like all of two months long up here) when I’m struggling with boob-sweat and inadequate AC. Maybe this is true for you as well! All of these books contain … Continue reading Wintry Chills for Summer Thrills
One of my favorite books from last year was Megan Miranda’s psychological thriller All the Missing Girls, so I went into her follow-up book The Perfect Stranger with high expectations. I was not disappointed. If you like books that screw with your mind and cause you to question everything, then this is the book for you. I always felt just off-balance while reading, never quite able to trust my footing. It was delicious. Leah Stevens … Continue reading The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda
The Devil’s Daughter is a romantic suspense that is heavy on thrills and fairly light on romance. I enjoyed the mystery elements, but the romance between the two main characters felt flat to me. The mystery centers around a group called Elysia in a small Montana community. Supposedly worshippers of Persephone and led by a woman named Martha Collins, the group is most definitely a cult — and some of their rituals are terrifying (you’re in … Continue reading The Devil’s Daughter by Katee Robert
