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In Deadly Company
Author: L. S. Stratton
Publisher: Union Square & Co.
Publication Date: September 2, 2025Thank you to Book Sparks for including me in their autumn release celebration of In Deadly Company by L. S. Stratton.
Description
As the assistant to the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, Nicole Underwood has plenty of tasks on her to-do list – one of which is the blowout birthday celebration for her nightmare, one-percenter boss, Xander Chambers. But when the party ends in chaos and murder and Nicole is one of the survivors, suspicion lands on her. Was she the reason for all the bloodshed?About the Author
D. S. Stratton is an NAACP Image Award-nominated author and former crime reporter who has written more than a dozen books under different pen names in just about every genre, from thrillers to romance to historical fiction. She currently lives in Maryland with her husband, their daughter, and their tuxedo cat.
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This Is How a Villain is Made
Author: Amanda Headlee
Publisher: Uncomfortably Dark Publishing
Publication Date: September 3, 2025When I first saw the cover of this book, my first thought was, “This is horror?”. When I realized it was both historical and western, I groaned. But since it was a novella, I figured, what do I have to lose? Because I had to know how a villain is made.
The dedication says it all: “For those who let the fire in – not just to burn, but to become”.
Bea has left an untenable situation in Philadelphia, and plans to take a train all the way to San Francisco. But when she only makes it to Chicago, on waning funds, she realizes she needs a job if she’s going to continue her journey. When she approaches a man about job opportunities and he invites her in, it sets in motion an evil that shows Bea that sometimes villains are born out of circumstance, nurtured rather than born that way.
The next train takes her as far as Colorado, where she meets a doctor who sees in her a companion with whom he can hold forth on scholarly topics. He offers her room and board. But he’s hiding a secret in the office that he keeps off limits.
It’s in the discovery of those secrets that Bea’s mind splinters. But his mistake was in underestimating the fierceness of a woman determined to survive by any means necessary.
This was a beautifully told tale of the progression of circumstances, the evolution of the will to live, and the innate strength of a woman who has endured more than enough.
P. S. You can also find a bonus playlist on Spotify under the book title.Thank you to Booked With the Emilys and Uncomfortably Dark Publishing for taking me on this advance readers feature tour.
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The Ever End
Author: Audrey Wilson
Publisher: Bywater Books
Publication Date: August 5, 2025I don’t know why this stayed on my TBR for so long, because once I started it, I couldn’t put it down. Holy cow! Why didn’t someone tell me about this book sooner?
After meeting on a train, Sam proposes to Margo six months later and asks her to come meet his family. That’s a natural progression, right? He warns her they’re a little old-fashioned. What he didn’t warn her about was the level of cult-like adoration they have for a televangelist. Okay, Margo is not without her own brand of crazy. She keeps seeing an apparition of the same dark figure she thought she saw (imagined) when she was 4. I put that down to the fact that she missed a few of her antidepressants. But once she’s in the presence of this family, the visions come back with a bang. The family starts planning her wedding, insisting they have everything she’ll need. They are offended when she suggests using a wedding planner. But, for the sake of Sam, she tries to comply with everything they’ve requested, even wearing the creepy satin nightgown they’ve provided to her. I wanted to scream, “No man is worth that. Run!”.
The author managed to describe scenes that evoked every creepy nightmare you’ve ever had. Think of future in-laws who are smiling to your face, while metaphorically stabbing you in the back. Over and over and over.
This is one of those books that, after you read it, you just kind of have to sit with it for a while. I was seriously reluctant to start another book while I still had this one in my mind.
Thank you, Audrey Wilson, for sending me an ARC and making a new fan out of me!Background photo courtesy of Mateus Campos Felipe on Unsplash
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Between Friends
Author: Natalie Banks
Publisher: Champion Books
Anticipated Publication Date: August 28, 2025Madison travels to North Carolina to clear out her mother’s estate, taking a break from her life in LA, where she has a glamorous and successful life as a celebrity photographer. They say you can’t go home again, and there’s a reason for that. For Madison, it brings back memories she’d kept hidden, and she falls into almost the same patterns. Under the thumb of the mean girl. Loving the man she loved as a boy. Worried that she can’t remember what happened to Olivia in the woods on graduation night.
But some secrets can’t stay buried. Everyone is a suspect. And nothing is as it seems.
If you love small-town, fast-paced mysteries (and cats – yay Leech!), and big twists, you’ll want to get a copy of Between Friends. This was my first read by this Indie author and I loved every minute of it!
Thanks to Natalie Banks and IRIS Influencer Society for an advance reader’s copy. -
Bad Things Happened in This Room
Author: Marie Still
Publisher: Rising Action Publishing Co.
Anticipated Publication Date: September 16, 2025If insanity is doing the same thing over and over, this book is the definition of that. Willow is stuck in a routine, and even worse, she goes through the motions in such a rote way that she doesn’t even remember doing things. Did she make dinner? Was she in the garden? Is Liam drugging her?
The book is accurately described as a fever dream; it’s also a hallucination, a never-ending carousel ride, and a very sad descent into madness. From the “incident” that means she can never go back to her favorite grocery store, to the disappearance of Sarah, the one person who means so much to Willow, we see inside the mind of someone struggling to make sense of her reality. To understand what bad thing happened in the room. Willow goes from one horrific scenario to the next. There but for grace, go you or I. Marie Still writes horror in a way that is vivid, and far too real.
If you want to know what it feels like to be immersed in a fever pitch of disorienting claustrophobia, read this book!
Thank you to Marie Still and Rising Action Publishing Co. for my signed advance reading copy. -
The Girl Without a Voice
Author: Sandra J. Paul
Publisher: Datura Books
Anticipated Publication Date: August 19, 2025Book Tour
The Girl Without a Voice was a haunting tale of a girl held prisoner, not just in her own house, but in her mind. Raised by cold parents, her mother, an alcoholic, and her father, mostly absent, Alice is told that her mutism will never be accepted in the outside world.
When a neighbor moves in, Alice has a reason to want to go out. They communicate from their bedroom windows, Alice through handwritten signs and sign language, Hailey by voice and rudimentary sign language. Alice learns she is not the monster her parents told her she was, and that she can make friends outside her home.
As her father lies dying from a disease he has kept from her, he begins to reveal a secret. When she can’t get more information from her mother, Alice goes searching and makes a gruesome discovery, which sparks a road trip with Hailey.
This book is about a bond of friendship as much as it is about the story of Alice’s father. Less of a thriller, it’s more about the effect of psychological abuse and resilience, and a young woman’s awakening.
Thank you to Datura Books for the opportunity to read an advance copy for this book tour.Meet the Author
Sandra J Paul is an award-winning author of over thirty novels, specialising in psychological thrillers. Her work has been awarded various accolades, including the prestigious “Best Thriller of the Year” award in The Netherlands. She was also selected for an exclusive masterclass in thriller writing, with mentors such as M.J. Arlidge. In addition to her novels, Sandra has written original audiobooks for Storytel Netherlands, further showcasing her storytelling versatility. Her books have been translated into over fourteen languages, with her flipover novels The Last Days of Holly Hayes and Dead Girls Don’t Talk becoming a worldwide TikTok sensation with over 7 million views. Dead Girls Don’t Talk has been sold to the USA, Brazil and Argentina. Twisted, another of her thrillers, will be released in the US in late 2025 under the title Everyone is Worried. Her novel My Truth has been optioned for film or a limited streaming series. Sandra’s work has earned her recognition in several prestigious writing competitions, including the Coverfly Cinematic Book and Short Story competition. She lives in a small town near Antwerp, Belgium, with her partner, their three teenage sons, and a collection of cats. Instagram, Tiktok, YouTube & Threads
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The Tapes
Author: Kerry Wilkinson
Publisher: Bookouture
Date Published: August 11, 2025BOOK TOUR
Eve’s dad has passed away, and while cleaning out his garage, she finds a box of cassette tapes. Since Eve’s mom was known for her pre-podcast daily recordings, Eve decides to check them out. While sorting through the box, she comes across one with her name on it, written in her mother’s handwriting. The tape starts, “If they say I’m missing, I’m not. I’ve been killed.” But so much of the tape is missing or skipping. But one thing is for sure. Her mom knew something she shouldn’t have. The identity of The Earring Killer.
In her quest to figure out who the killer is, Eve might have inadvertently tipped her hand to the real killer. Who can she trust? Her brother, who she’s all but estranged from? Her ex-neighbor’s husband, who assaulted her? Her boss, who’s a bully? Kerry did a great job of presenting multiple suspects so that our suspicion falls on any number of characters. And as usual, Kerry is so adept at doing dialogue.
There were interludes between chapters of a book written about the Earring Killer, giving us insight into his victims, and potentially clues to who it might be. There was some repetition, with Eve noting how notorious a liar her mom was. So was she right about knowing who the Earring Killer was? You’ll just have to read the book to find out!
Author BioKerry Wilkinson is an auto-buy for me!
Kerry Wilkinson is from the English county of Somerset but has spent far too long living in the north. It’s there that he’s picked up possibly made-up regional words like ‘barm’ and ‘ginnel’. He pretends to know what they mean.
He’s also been busy since turning thirty: his Jessica Daniel crime series has sold more than a million copies in the UK; he has written a fantasy-adventure trilogy for young adults; a second crime series featuring private investigator Andrew Hunter and the standalone thriller, Down Among The Dead Men.
Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Kerry Wilkinson here: https://www.bookouture.com/kerry-wilkinsonBuy Link:
Amazon: https://geni.us/B0FFH4CSRGsocial
You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for taking me on the book tour with an advance reader’s copy. -
So Shall You Reap
Author: Mark Jenkins
Publisher: Indie
Date Published: July 29, 2025I may have a serious case of whiplash after reading this book! This is classified as a thriller, but it read more like horror to me!
Belle Jackson is one of the original vigilantes, seeking justice for a wrong that was done to her. But she has convinced her devoted husband, Harvey, that they are ridding the world of predators. But because of their notoriety, they decide to live deep within Superior National Forest, in an area that is off-limits to most people. They raise a family, and their legacy continues.
Years later, five teenagers decide to rob a bank to help one of their dads pay off staggering medical bills. Something goes horribly wrong, and as they take off in their getaway car, they’re stopped by a police officer. When the girls make up a sob story, he tells them the best place to hide is in the bowels of Superior National Forest.
While these two stories seemed disjointed at first, they intersect in the most alarming and gruesome way. And when the twists come, they don’t stop.
There were podcast chapters interspersed that didn’t seem necessary, but perhaps were included to make the book appear relevant.
I loved the nod to Freida McFadden (IYKYK)!
Thanks to BookSirens for an advance reader’s copy. -
We Won’t All Survive
Author: Kate Alice Marshall
Publisher: Penguin Group/Penguin Young Readers Group
Date Published: July 29, 2025Eight people have been selected to participate in a reality show that tests their survival instincts. Only, when they arrive at the site, there is no one from the cast to greet them. The entrance gate is closed and locked, topped by barbed wire. They have to earn their food, water, and medical supplies through challenges. And their phones have been locked in a secure safe. And then someone dies….
I really liked this book, and here’s why:
– YA but reads still relatable on an adult level
– Fast-paced read
– Locked room (well, semi-locked room) trope, one of my favorites
_ Two female characters who are really strong, even though they might be in competition for the final girl
– Survivor/escape room vibesEach character is well developed as their initial trauma is revealed, known as their Precursor Crossroads Event – the point at which they had to make a life-changing decision. There are quite a few twists and suspects that kept me on my toes – I was so absorbed I read this book in a day!
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Penguin Young Readers Group for an advance reader’s copy.
Background photo courtesy of Asher Legg on Unsplash.
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I Will Find You
Author: Jessica Huntley
Publisher: Inkubator Books
Date Published: July 27, 2025First, I want to apologize to all of the chores I didn’t get done, because I couldn’t put this book down!
Bonnie and Stephan are hiking the Swiss Alps on a mission. Bonnie is on a quest, which is revealed later in the book. Stephan is an experienced hiker and Bonnie is a long-distance runner who has spent the last year training for the hike. Somehow, they get far off track. And then it snows.
I don’t know why, but I’m drawn to books that take place in snowstorms, even though they make me feel claustrophobic. And this book becomes doubly claustrophobic when Bonnie and Stepan seek shelter in a cottage with a crazy woman. Did I say crazy? I meant psychotic. But there’s a history there, and soon hers and Bonnie’s paths will intersect in the most awful way. I love how the characters develop under the author’s skilled hand, until none of them end up how, or where, they started out.
This book was like a cross between Hansel and Gretel and Stephen King’s MIsery. In a snowstorm. With lying husbands. And I enjoyed every minute of it.
Thanks to @jessicahuntley @netgalley @inkubatorbooks and @booksprouts for an advance reading copy for my reading pleasure! Background photo courtesy @annapodraczky on @unsplash
Book Cravings 