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If You Lie
Author: Caleb Stephens
Publisher: Thrillerscape Press
Date Published: November 1, 2024This is a thriller done right! Stephens ramps up the pace from page one and doesn’t let up!
I had to take a minute before I could write a review so that I could digest everything that happened. And a LOT happened.
Olivia receives a letter from her estranged sister Quinn, inviting her on a cruise to meet her “intelligent, kind, hot, and very funny” fiancé. What could go wrong?
The limo, the yacht with a glittering chandelier, the beautiful stateroom – how did Quinn go from her former life of poverty to become the graceful, designer-clad version of herself now? Xclivity. And if that reminds you of all the cults you’ve ever heard of you would be right! Weird rituals. a mesmerizing leader, and a missing person. Once Olivia realizes she’s not safe, she is ready to leave the boat.
“They came with knives.”
To me, that was the most chilling line of the book!
Olivia has a master plan and she’s enlisted some of the other passengers, but they are out-weaponed. I could not see a way out for her. Thank goodness the author meticulously plotted this book so that you are on the edge of your seat the whole way through.
Caleb Stephens is a new-to-me author and I immediately downloaded his addendum (QR code at the end of the book) to read the letter one of the passengers writes to her son. I don’t often read series, but I would definitely read a sequel to If You Lie! Do yourself a favor and read this book!
Thanks to Caleb Stephens and Booksirens for an advance reader’s copy! -
One More Lie
Author: Sheryl Browne
Publisher: Bookouture
Date Published: November 18, 2024BOOKS ON TOUR
College friends have managed to remain a friend group even though they all are holding onto guilt from an incident 20 years ago. It all comes back to Pippa and what happened to her on the beach – and who was responsible!
Someone knows what happened, and that’s the person who was there on the beach with Pippa that night. Was it the guy she had sex with (no one knew she had a boyfriend)? Was it a crime of passion, jealousy, or hate? Those are the questions Becky has been living with for the past 20 years, and now she doesn’t know who to trust. And now her friends are dying…one…by…one.
The book turns dramatically about 50% in and though you might guess some of the twists, you’ll stay for the taut action and the unexpected ending.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Books on Tour for an advance reader’s copyAuthor Bio
Bestselling Author, Sheryl Browne, writes taut, twisty psychological thriller. A member of the Crime Writers’ Association and the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Sheryl has several books published and two short stories in Birmingham City University anthologies where she completed her MA in Creative Writing. Sheryl has also obtained a Certificate of Achievement in Forensic Science and – according to readers – she makes an excellent psychopath. Sheryl’s latest psychological thriller HER HUSBAND’S HOUSE comes to you from BOOKOUTURE. Her previous works include the DI Matthew Adams Crime Thriller series, along with contemporary fiction novels, The Rest of My Life and Learning to Love.
To find out more about Sheryl. go to www.sherylbrowne.com
If you would like to join her Bookouture Mailing List you can grab her short story 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗬 #FREE! https://t.co/bIigwwALCs
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What the Nanny Saw
Author: Kaira Rouda
Publisher: Bookouture
Date Published: November 13, 2024BOOKS ON TOUR
Book Description:
I keep all her secrets. She thinks she can trust me…
Cecilia has it all. The house on the beach. The cute figure. The beautiful baby. But she’s a long way from perfect.
She’s let me into her gorgeous house as her nanny because now she’s on her own, she needs a little help with her baby daughter Peyton. She barely notices me. But I see everything.
While Peyton naps, I rifle through her drawers and discover the dark secrets in her past, the threatening letter from her ex-husband.
It’s a shame that Cecilia doesn’t have my powers of observation. If she took some time, she might just recognise me. I’ve been following her for a while, after all.
If she knew who I was then I don’t think I’d be so invisible. And she wouldn’t be so surprised one morning when little Peyton’s cot is found empty…
A completely gripping and unputdownable read that will have you turning pages deep into the night. Fans of Shari Lapena and Freida McFadden will be hooked by What the Nanny Saw.MY THOUGHTS
This is classic Kaira Rouda, a fun, over-the-top, domestic thriller! The author gives us a host of unlikeable characters to pick through and a couple of ambiguous ones as well. Because of that, we are just waiting to see who the bad guy turns out to be!
Facts:
• Lizzie was unappreciated in her job with the Johnson’s.
• Cecelia desperately needed help with her 5 month old, because her back injury prevented her from basic care.
• Cecelia is generous but naive.
• Paul, her husband who is in prison for attempted murder (of her), is a bad guy.
Needs context:
• Lizzie is an excellent nanny.
• Evan (Cecelia’s) partner and Peyton’s father, loves Peyton and cares about Cecelia.
Even though they are on my TBR, I didn’t realize Best Day Ever and The Second Mrs. Strom are book 1 and 2 in the series, respectively, but it didn’t matter, because Rouda describes enough background to make this book a standalone.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Books-on-Tour for an advance reader’s copy.AUTHOR BIO
Kaira Rouda is an award–winning, USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling author of contemporary fiction that explores what goes on beneath the surface of seemingly perfect lives. Her novels of domestic suspense include The Widow, Somebody’s Home, The Next Wife, The Favorite Daughter, Best Day Ever, All the Difference, Beneath the Surface – optioned for a feature film – and Under the Palms. Her next novel, The Second Mrs. Strom, is out in August 2024, and Only the Nanny in November 2024. To date, Kaira’s work has been translated into more than a dozen languages. Three of her novels have been named Amazon Editor’s Picks for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense. The Next Wife was named a Suspense Magazine’s Best Book of 2021 Award, and a 2022 Silver Falchion for Best Suspense Novel and a 2022 Silver Falchion first runner-up for Best Book of the Year.
https://kairarouda.com/
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Buy Link:
Amazon: https://geni.us/B0DC735YG3social -
Her Housekeeper
Author: Samantha Hayes
Publisher: Bookouture Books
Date Published: November 11, 2024Books on Tour
Description
I clean, I tidy, I fold.
I listen, I watch, I lie…
I told her I was the housekeeper, and why wouldn’t she believe me? What I lack in experience, I make up for in hard work. I do my best to keep this enormous house neat and stay on top of laundry. She’s a doting mother and a devoted wife, and I’d do anything to please her.
I fuss over her darling children, offering to take them off her hands when she’s looking frazzled. And when she returns home to find my bags in the hallway, she gives me a room when I tell her I have nowhere else to go. She’s so trusting, she always has been.
I thought she would ask me to leave the moment she caught me rooting through her belongings. Does her perfect family know her secrets? Does she know what I’m looking for, and why I’m really here? And once I find it, will she realise too late she’s in unimaginable danger? Or should I be the one running for my life?
An absolutely gripping psychological thriller from an Amazon No.1 bestselling author. Strap yourself in for a totally twisty page-turner that will leave you gasping for breath. Fans of The Housemaid, Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train will be flipping pages all night long!My Thoughts
Her Housekeeper was a tense thriller!
Gina didn’t really want to come back here, to this town where “it” all happened. But her home was destroyed in a fire and once Annie, her best friend, invited her, her husband, and their two kids to stay in her enormous house while she was traveling, it seemed like a great solution. But then Mary shows up proclaiming to be Annie’s housekeeper. You know that’s going to be a problem right?
Gina catches Mary snooping, and worse, she gets a funny feeling about her. And that Tyler shows up. Mary’s son. Although Hayes never really says, he seems to be neurodivergent with some uncanny tech skills. You might guess some of the predictable twists, but as the story escalates, you won’t be able to put this book down!
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Books on Tour for an advance reader’s copy.Author Bio
Samantha Hayes grew up in a creative family where her love of writing began as a child. Samantha has written over twenty thrillers, including the bestselling titles Date Night and Until You’re Mine. The Independent called her writing ‘fantastically written and very tense’ while Good Housekeeping said ‘her believable psychological thrillers are completely gripping.’ Samantha’s books are published in multiple languages (over twenty-two at the last count). In her free time, Sam loves painting watercolours, going to the gym and swimming. She has three grown-up children and lives in Warwickshire.
https://www.samanthahayes.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/SamanthaHayesAuthor/
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https://twitter.com/samhayes -
The Wonder Drug
Author: Susanna Beard
Publisher: Joffe Books
Date Published: October 24, 2024So much for wanting to go to Iceland! This book totally had me feeling the mountains of snow, the cold weather, and the dark days.
Michelle is a divorced woman of a certain age, obsessed with wanting to look younger, and looking for something exciting. So she takes over for a maternity leave at a pharma company in Iceland. Her job is PR and as such she’s on a “need-to-know” basis with what goes on at the top floors of the company, where scientists are working on a top-secret, ground-breaking drug. That is until she is thrust into the role of whistle-blower by a chance encounter. What follows is a story worthy of any episode of Mission Impossible. Michelle is on the run, but not without help. I swear I winced and ducked every time Michelle did!
Thanks to Joffe Books for an advance reader copy for reviewCapsule photo adapted from and-machines on @unsplash.
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Loving Mothers
BLOG TOUR
Author: Miranda Smith
Publisher: Bookouture
Date Published: October 3, 2024Blurb
A-sixteen-year-old girl goes out on a crisp fall evening and never comes home. It’s every parent’s worst nightmare. Every mother in the neighborhood holds their children tighter. But two of these loving mothers are hiding something terrible…
Stella
Moving to this neighborhood was meant to be a fresh start for my son and me. As I sip wine at the block’s Halloween party, I can finally feel myself relax. But then the next morning I hear the terrifying news. A young girl is missing. Shelby is just sixteen, with beautiful blonde hair and bright blue eyes. And there’s a
rumor my son was dating her. I can’t believe he kept something like this from me, not after all the terrible things we’re running from. What else might he be hiding? And with another family torn apart, how far will I have to go to protect my son?Mary
My daughter was Shelby’s best friend. She should be distraught that she’s missing. But when I go to talk to her, I hear her giggling on the phone with Shelby’s boyfriend. And then I find her Halloween costume, stuffed into a bag in her closet, covered in blood.My heart pounds in my chest. Just down the street, Shelby’s family are going through the unimaginable. But I can’t let anyone look at my family too closely. If our secret comes out, it will destroy us all. And I will do anything to protect my daughter.
Even if it means blaming someone else’s child…Mothers will do anything for their children. But when all the lies are revealed, will any of these families survive?
A totally gripping psychological suspense about the dark secrets that lie behind perfect families. If you love Claire Douglas, Ruth Ware or Karin Slaughter, Loving Mothers will have you glued to the pages till the final jaw-dropping twist.
My Thoughts
Miranda Smith is a new-to-me author and I will definitely read more of her titles.
Loving Mothers gave me Stepford Wives meet Mean Girls meet Housewives of ____ vibes. Stella moves with her son to a new neighborhood to escape her horrible husband. She thinks she’s finally fitting in with the women. But on Halloween night, one of the local girls (Shelby) goes missing. To divert attention from her daughter Grace, Mary spreads a rumor about what Hudson did at his old school, and now there’s a witch hunt. Is Hudson more like his father as Stella fears, or is Grace keeping secrets? Both Stella and Mary know their kids are guilty of something. And when the final secret is exposed, it has an explosive impact on the perfectly curated neighborhood of Hickory Hills.
The characters of the four moms and three kids are well-developed, with separate personalities in this a highly readable thriller.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Books on Tour for an advance reader’s copy.
Author Bio
Miranda Smith writes psychological and domestic suspense. She is drawn to stories about ordinary people in extraordinary situations. Before completing her first novel, she worked as a newspaper staff writer and a secondary English teacher. She lives in East Tennessee with her husband and three young children.
Featured Blogs
“I absolutely loved! Had me hooked from the very beginning… had my jaw hitting
the floor!… had me guessing the whole way through! Definitely recommend!”
Mrs.g508, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I couldn’t put this book down. The suspense & twists keeps you hooked in each
chapter! And wow – what an ending!!” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ -
Her Daughter’s Lies (Bailey Family #3)
Book Tour
Author: Mikayla Davids
Publisher: Indie
Date Published: August 27, 2024I was so glad to see Mikayla Davids come out with another book in The Bailey Family series, because I was sad when the first two books ended. I want to send another shout-out to Love Books Tours for introducing me to this new-to-me author last year!
This fast-paced book continues the saga of the Bailey family and the secrets they keep for a double surprise birthday celebration at their chalet in the mountains. Although this is book 3 in the series, the author revisits enough of the story that you can read it as a standalone. However, this book seemed more like a cozy mystery, while still having all the suspense, twists, and reveals as much as the first two books. I was happy to see some loose ends tied up, and I wouldn’t be mad if there was a fourth book in the works!
Thanks to Love Books Tour and the author for an advance reader’s copy.Blogs Featured
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The House on Devil’s Lane
Book Tour
Author: S. L. Ireland
Publisher: Red Fern Press
Date Published: September 24, 2024Kat Riley has a horrible home life. So when the taxi driver who drove her to the hospital while she was in labor asks her to move in with him, she barely hesitates before accepting. She doesn’t love him, but maybe she could grow to, and he’s good to baby Matthew.
But when they arrive at 11 Derville Lane, Kat is horrified by the condition of the house. It’s filthy and needs a lot of renovation. But the worst part is the creepy stuff that starts to happen. Kat makes the mistake of chronicling her sunroom renovation on social media, with glimpses of baby Matthew in the background. Trollers are quick to reveal the unsavory history of the house, and Kat is on a quest to get to the bottom of why they call her road Devil’s Lane.
This was an interesting read and I was very happy with the direction it took. It combined elements of a good ghost story with gaslighting, legend, and secrets.
Thanks to Love Books Tours for an advance reader’s copy. -
No One Will Know
Author: Rose Carlyle
Publisher: William Morrow
Date Published: October 1, 2024I thought I knew where this book was going but it turns out…I did not!
Poor Eve is left grieving and pregnant, and I I felt her pain. Then someone makes her an offer that is too good to be true…and you know what they say….
Eve has a choice…take the Hygate’s offer and give her baby a life she could not…or reject the offer and struggle with childcare and a job. But once she’s ferried by private boat to a remote island with no means of escape, she realizes there is a lot more to this job offer. Why is there so much secrecy? Why does she have to stay hidden? Why can’t she turn the lights on, or visit the Hygates at their house?
I love a locked room mystery and the intricate plot of No One Will Know kept me on tenterhooks!
Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advance reader’s copy! -
The Childminder
BOOKS ON TOUR
Author: Hayley Smith
Publisher: Bookouture
Date Published: September 18, 2024A school has set up a unique solution to the lack of quality and affordable daycare: a Childcare Circle consisting of parents rotating days of the week to mind their own and four other children. Because there have been some new additions to the group, and as a little reward and motivational activity, the group has decided to go together with their kids, on a weekend away.
The vacation house is kept as a surprise until the last minute and when the group arrives…it’s definitely not what they expected. But they have plenty of food and games, and decide to make the best of the beautiful location. But there is a lingering question – who sent the letters and text accusing each of them of having a secret? And should they really be trusting each other to watch their children?
The characters each had their own personality, secrets, and motivations and this is a book you will be totally absorbed in, racing to the final twist!
Thanks to NetGalley and to Bookouture for taking me along on Books on Tour.
Author Bio
Hayley Smith is married with three children and lives in a north Derbyshire village. She has worked as a graphic designer, youth worker and musician, and has been involved for many years in organising music festivals and gigs. She studied English Language and Creative Writing with the Open University and is an avid reader of psychological fiction. Having a penchant for all things alternative, she often dips into the counter-culture scene for writing inspiration, producing quirky rough-edged characters and dark, unpredictable twists, turns and moral dilemmas.
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Amazon: https://geni.us/B0D8JJWW44social
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