Tropical Girl Reads

Her father was one of the most prolific serial killers in American history. Now Detective Margot Phalen must face a chilling what if it runs in the family?

As the daughter of notorious serial killer Ed Finch, Margot has spent decades escaping her past—changing her name, her appearance, and building walls no one can breach, except her partner, Detective Wes Fox, whose growing closeness threatens the isolation she depends on.

When her troubled brother shows up needing a place to stay, pressuring her to participate in a true crime documentary about their father, Margot’s carefully controlled world begins to unravel. Then she notices blood on her brother’s shoes just as a body is discovered in a dumpster near her home. Is she being paranoid, or might the monstrous legacy of her father be closer than she ever imagined?

A visit to her imprisoned father delivers another Ed had an accomplice who’s still free—and still hunting. As Margot investigates, she must confront the question that’s haunted her entire how much of her father’s darkness might she carry within herself?

Dark, gripping, and emotionally raw, this taut thriller will have you reading late into the night. Perfect for fans of Karin Slaughter, Tana French, and Lisa Gardner.

This is the fourth book of the Detective Meghan Phalen series and boy I simply couldn’t put the book down.

Detective Margot Phalen is the daughter of America’s most prolific serial killers Ed. Her father is incarcerated but someone is copying what her father had done many years ago. Meanwhile, Margot and her partner are set to investigate an arson case where a woman was almost burned to death and Margot and Wes must find the person responsible for the arson.

I couldn’t follow up with most of the characters since I haven’t read the first three books but it didn’t really matter to me. I really liked the pacing–it was fast paced and unputdownable in my opinion. There are some twists and turns and I like how the author managed to put the reader on the edge. I really enjoyed reading this book and couldn’t wait for the fifth book to come soon.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Storm publishing for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

New York Times bestselling author Megan Miranda returns with a gripping and propulsive thriller that opens with the disappearance of a journalist who is investigating a string of vanishings in the resort town of Cutter’s Pass—will its dark secrets finally be revealed?

Ten years ago, Abigail Lovett fell into a job she loves, managing The Passage Inn, a cozy, upscale resort nestled in the North Carolina mountain town of Cutter’s Pass. Cutter’s Pass is best known for its outdoor offerings—rafting and hiking, with access to the Appalachian trail by way of a gorgeous waterfall—and its mysterious history. As the book begins, the string of unsolved disappearances that has haunted the town is once again thrust into the spotlight when journalist Landon West, who was staying at the inn to investigate the story of the vanishing trail, then disappears himself.

Abby has sometimes felt like an outsider within the community, but she’s come to view Cutter’s Pass as her home. When Landon’s brother Trey shows up looking for answers, Abby can’t help but feel the town closing ranks. And she’s still on the outside. When she finds incriminating evidence that may bring them closer to the truth, Abby soon discovers how little she knows about her coworkers, neighbors, and even those closest to her.

Megan Miranda brings her best writing to The Last to Vanish, a riveting thriller filled with taut suspense and shocking twists that will keep you guessing until the very end.

I like reading Megan Miranda’s books and so this book is no exception. A unique plot like, about hikers going missing through the Appalachian trail. A journalist, who comes to this small town starts to investigate the missing case but he himself also disappears. Abby Lovett has been working in the inn for almost ten years and when the journalist’s brother Trey comes back to look for the answers about his brother’s disappearance, Abby also start investigating on her own.

The pacing was a bit slow but I really like the plot of the story. Did something happen to those hikers? Or is a serial killer on lose? This was to me an OK read in my opinion. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great either. The twist at the end wasn’t great as I thought it will be. To me, this book was more an emotional thriller than a psychological thriller in my opinion. It wasn’t unputdownable like most thrillers should have been but it was OK.

Overall this book is worth 3.5 stars in my opinion.

‘Welcome! I hope you’ll be happy here,’ I say, standing on the doorstep and holding out a freshly baked cake. Amanda smiles but it doesn’t reach her eyes. The new arrivals to West Street clearly have secrets. But that’s okay. Because so do I…

Caroline twitches aside her curtains to see the new family moving in. A mother – beautifully dressed in expensive clothes – and two young children. Where is her husband, she wonders? And why are they moving in to the smallest house on the street? They really don’t seem the type.

But Caroline believes it’s important to be welcoming. It’s important to know everything that’s happening on West Street.

Amanda unpacks another box and breathes a shaky sigh. Her son is refusing to speak. Her daughter misses her friends. But we’re safe, Amanda tells herself. Her neighbour Caroline seems nice, if a little nosy. And most importantly, West Street is peaceful. Anonymous. Nobody knows who she is… do they?

But can Amanda really trust anyone on West Street? And can they trust her? Because when her secrets catch up with her…

Someone will go missing.

Someone will be taken away in handcuffs.

And someone, will die.

A totally addictive psychological thriller about a peaceful suburb where nothing is as perfect as it seems. Fans of Lisa Jewell, Shari Lapena and The Perfect Marriage won’t be able to put this down.

This is one of the unputdownable fast paced psychological thrillers written by Nicole Trope.

Amanda takes her two children and move to a house on West Street. She is running away from her husband who has been abusive towards her. However moving into the new house wasn’t as easy as she thought. Her eleven-year-old son Joshua seems to be very difficult and wants nothing but return back to his father. Meanwhile Amanda’s neighbor Caroline seems to be very observant towards the new neighbors. Then one day, Joshua runs away from the house in anger. Meanwhile, on the same day Amanda’s son runs away, her husband Mike was murdered and the police suspect that Amanda might be behind Mike’s murder. But Caroline is very particular about keeping the street calm as possible and would do anything, including getting rid of someone…

This was a fast paced thriller and quiet a page turner too. This is more like a domestic thriller than a psychological thriller but the whole story was executed well and it was intriguing and engaging. The story is told in the POVs of Amanda, Caroline, Joshua and Gemma, another character. The ending was quiet unexpected and the small twist at the end was quiet surprising and unexpected.

Overall, I give this book as 4.5 stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.