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The New One
Author: Evie Green
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Date Published: March 28, 2023I liked this book so much! You will too, especially if you’re a fan of Black Mirror or the books in the Jolvix series by Faith Gardner. It’s thriller meets technology in the (maybe) not so distant future.
The story starts with a very dysfunctional family. Their home is a caravan, Ed and Tamsyn aren’t really communicating, and their daughter, Scarlett, is out of control. She runs from the house to meet someone, and the next thing we know she’s in a coma from a hit and run. Ed is approached with an offer he can’t refuse….VitaNova will provide medical care, a place to live, and a new job for Ed. The catch? They will create a clone of Scarlett. And what’s a little lack of privacy and morally gray areas when you can have your precious daughter back?
If you’re even a little intrigued, read this book! You won’t be disappointed!
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for an advance reader’s copy.
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Eve in Overdrive
Author: Faith Gardner
Publisher: Mirror House Press
Date Published: March 23, 2023The format of this novella was perfect for Eve’s fast paced trip across the country in her new, over-the-top, self-driving Sunray. The only problem? It’s a trip Eve hadn’t planned on.
Faith Gardner is wonderful at capturing her character’s thought processes, be they human or technological. In Eve in Overdrive, she’s thought of everything. We get to hear Eve’s thoughts and feel her physical discomfort. We are in the driver’s seat (or passenger seat because you know…it’s self-driving) and we see everything through Eve’s eyes. I don’t want to give away spoilers, but I definitely caught myself wondering what I would do if I was in her situation..
FYI, I would not have bought this book if I saw the cover, but as a fan of Faith Gardner’s other works (read them!) I took a chance and had an entertaining two hour read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Mirror House Press for the chance to read Gardner’s latest in the Jolvix series!
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How I’ll Kill You
Author: Ren DeStefano
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Date Published: March 21, 2023This book about sisters who enter a pact to kill off their boyfriends reminded me a female You (Caroline Kepnes). In triplicate. Each of the sisters has a skill that makes their kills efficient and virtually untraceable. Their loyalty to each other is what holds them together and each knows the other one will be there for them.
But what if they allow someone else in?
When Sissy (Jade) gets too close to her neighbor, the sisters get restless. When she gets too close to her target, Edison, they get downright mutinous!
There was strong character development as we see the triplets background and how it played into their strong adulthood bond. We see how Jade pulls the “real” Edison out, showing that he might possibly have a dark side too. There were some moments that made me laugh, and some that made me sad (“His dead wife sleeps forever in the albums in the fireplace”). But the overall tone of the book is lighthearted and entertaining. I know that’s a crazy thing to say about a dark thriller – but read it and you’ll see what I mean!
Background map of Arizona courtesy of Stephen Monroe on Unsplash.
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advance reader’s copy.
Ren DeStafano, Author, How I’ll Kill You -
Gone Again
Author: Minka Kent
Publisher: Thomas Mercer
Date Published: March 7, 2023An unsettling childhood in a severely religious household causes one child to rebel, one to tow the line, and one to be doted on. Celia escapes after a failed attempt to run away. Then, after years of a happy marriage, she finds a note among her 40th birthday presents that unsettles her. She deals with it by doing what she knows best. Running away. It was only meant to be a day trip. Until something happened, and Celia went missing.
This is a story about how shared experience seen from different perspectives can tear people apart. And how a tragedy can bring them together and heal their bonds. Wrapped up in a wonderful domestic thriller from Minka Kent.
Background image courtesy of Kwan Fung @unsplash
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance reader’s copy.
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What Have We Done
Author: Alex Finlay
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Date Published: March 7, 2023This book is about a group of kids who grow up in a group home together. It tells the story of where they are now as adults, as they try to figure out who is trying to kill them and why. There are likeable and unlikeable characters, some really creepy bad guys, and some taut intrigue.
But what I really like about Alex Finlay is…he goes there. His descriptions of Washington, D.C., a town he knows well are solid and full of tongue in cheek commentary. He also riffs on famous politicians and public figures in the spotlight, for example, “These rich dudes who have more money than they’ll ever need, but waste it on flying into space or buying more companies or mansions.”
Every Last Fear was my favorite Finlay title, but this one is not far behind!
Background image courtesy of Sebastian Unrau @unsplash.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance reader’s copy.
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Angel Maker
Author: Alex North
Publisher: Celadon Books
Date Published: February 28, 2023Fate…or just pure evil
When I first started reading The Angel Maker, I was convinced I was delving into a YA story about a romance between two teenagers. But when the question arose, “If you could see into the future, would you want to?” I was intrigued because who hasn’t asked themselves that question?
The story jumps ahead to the future and the mystery ensues – why has a wealthy man let go of his staff just before he died? Who murdered him, and did he know it was going to happen?
There were a lot of characters which at first was confusing, but I knew there would eventually be connections.
The book felt to me like it was written in the era of Jack the Ripper, or Sherlock Holmes. It had an atmosphere of dark alleys, crumbling, moldy, mansions, and antiquities. The horror was just under the surface.Background image thanks to Maxim Tajer on Unsplash
Many thanks to NetGalley/Bookish First and Celadon Books for an advance reader’s copy!
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Dying to Tell
Author: Val Collins
Publisher: Val Collins
Date Published: March 1, 2023Aoife is back! A totally likeable character who has been in all five of the Val Collin’s Aoife Walsh standalone thrillers, Aoife finds herself doing an investigative piece on a man who has gone missing while on his honeymoon in Italy. But soon the journalistic article (and her own pending wedding) is overwhelmed with details that just aren’t adding up! Was he cheating on his wife? Was he involved in something sordid? Do the neighbors know more than they are letting on?
With each piece of evidence, Aoife comes up with a new theory of who, what, where, why, and how, and I’m right there beside her! Everyone’s a suspect! Guess along with Aoife as she dodges around a wedding, soon-to-be-in-laws, people who are lying to her, and a really bad man to find the killer!
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Val Collins, one of my favorite indie authors, for advance copies of this enjoyable book!
Background photo courtesy of Kristian Ranstrom (@redabpollos) on Unsplash.
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The House Guest
Author: Hank Phillippi Ryan
Publisher: Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Forge Books
Date Published: February 7, 2023Although I’ve long been a fan of Hank and Karen Dionne’s popular The Back Room author interviews, this is the first book I’ve read by Hank. And what a ride! There is something to grab and hold your attention in each chapter. The plot is complicated but not so much that you can’t follow along. The main character does come across as a bit guileless, but essentially is a good person who sees another woman in a bad situation and makes an offer she might later regret.
As the book moves toward the end, you might think you’ve got the full story, but there’s more to come. At first the ending seemed to contradict some of the events that happened previously, but everything is explained. I loved that this book had different storyline than the types of thrillers I’m used to. This is one of those “stay up until you finish it reads”!
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Forge Books for an advance reader’s copy.
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The Sanctuary
Author: Katrine Engberg
Publisher: Gallery Books/Scout Press
Date Published: February 7, 2023Katrine Engberg has written another atmospheric Nordic noir, this time set on the island of Bornholm. While this is part of a series, it’s completely readable as a standalone.
Anette Werner works for the police in Copenhagen but has a case that seems to have roots in Bornholm. She reaches out to her former partner Jeppe, who is on leave from the police force and has taken refuge doing some part time physical work in a sawmill. There is a parallel story about Esther, a writer compiling a memoir of a recently deceased anthropologist, Margarethe Dybris who has left an overflowing stash of letters and correspondence during her 30 years on the island.
The island is a place where there are many secrets, where each person Anette and Jeppe encounter add a little bit of a piece to the puzzle of a mysterious death. There is quite a bit of descriptive gore, but the manner in which the unknown corpse has died is crucial to the story, that plays out in unexpected ways.
It’s always nice to see Anette and Jeppe back together as they playfully banter with each other. Sadly, this is the last of the 5 part series, but I’m sure Ms. Engberg has more in store for us!
Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an advance reader’s copy.
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The Doctor’s Wife
Author: Daniel Hurst
Publisher: Bookouture
Date Published: January 31, 2023Daniel Hurst is an auto-buy for me. He not only does lies and deceit well, but he can tell a story from a woman’s point of view flawlessly.
I loved how Fern lulls Drew into thinking she went along with his idea to move to a small village even though she loves her life in the city. Drew thinks he has gotten away with a grand deception, but he has no idea what’s coming! What is Fern planning and how will she pull it off?
I loved how the characters grew and morphed in this quick read that will keep you guessing.
Thanks to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for an advance review copy by one of my favorite authors!
Book Cravings 