Tropical Girl Reads

A razor-sharp novel of suspense about the lies families tell—and those we choose to believe—by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of Jane Doe.

Lauren Abrams wants nothing to do with her damaged mother, whose spurious testimony sent Lauren’s father to prison for murder years ago. After a serial killer’s confession to the crime restored justice, Lauren chose to live with her father and grandmother. Now an adult, Lauren has come home to the Sacramento family estate for good, her mother’s lies be damned…

It’s been decades since Donna made her cheating boyfriend pay, but she hasn’t forgotten the past. She knows her estranged daughter has made a terrible mistake by returning to the estate. There’s more to the story of the welcoming old homestead—and her childhood—than Lauren knows.

As Lauren settles in, she is haunted by the questions of what really happened with her father, what her mother might be hiding, and what secrets the family ranch holds. It’s getting so dark, Lauren may not be able to see the truth to save her life

No. of pages:- 301 pages

Publisher:- Lake Union

Date published:- will be published on 30th March 2021

Genre:- Domestic Thriller

Lauren Abrams inherits a house from her grandmother and has an estranged relationship with her own mother, who apparently lied and sent her father to the prison over the death of a girl. Now the person who actually did commit the crime is safe behind the bars and her father is a free man, happily married. Lauren gets messages from the killer himself who is in the prison. Meanwhile, she uncovers a secret in the house…

I haven’t read her previous books Jane Doe yet, which is actually in my want to read book list so I was excited to try this book out first. The story is told from the perspectives of Lauren, which is present day and Donna, Lauren’s mother, back in the 1980’s when she was pregnant with Lauren, each recounting about their encounter with that particular house. To me, it wasn’t fast paced but more like a sleepy thriller, not much twists and turns as I expect to from a thriller. The writing was however OK and good. It was however a short thriller but nonetheless I thought this was kind of an OK thriller–not like a dying thriller with twists and turns. Kind of predictable as well.

Overall, I give this book three stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union for this ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion.

Victoria Helen Stone is the nom de plume for USA Today bestselling author Victoria Dahl. After publishing more than twenty-five novels, she is now taking a turn toward the darker side of genre fiction. Born and educated in the Midwest, she finished her first manuscript just after college. In 2016, the American Library Association awarded her the prestigious Reading List Award for outstanding genre fiction. Having escaped the plains of her youth, she now resides with her family in a small town high in the Rocky Mountains, where she enjoys hiking, snowshoeing, and not skiing (too dangerous).

A new couple moves in next door.
And nothing will ever be the same again…

I watched you move in and thought we might be friends.

I saw you watching from the window – and knew I’d have to keep you away from my husband.

I started to trust you. Confide in you.

I started to mistrust you. Suspect you.

I was confused when I blacked out after an evening at your place. Was I really that drunk?

I came up with a plan. A plan to make you both pay . . .

No. of pages:- 380 pages

Date published:- August 24th 2020

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Publisher:- Avon

This book was an interesting thriller book to me. A couple moves to a house next to your house. Jade is suspicious of her husband Tomas and thinks he is having an affair with Emma, who is a dentist. Meanwhile, Emma is in a relationship with Alastair, a forensic pathologist. Emma lives across from Jade’s house and then their lives start to change.

The chapters were short which made it easier for me to read and so I was able to finish this book fast, thus good for quick read. There were twists and turns in the book. Jade seems to be a complicated character but later on in the book we find Emma more complicated. The story is told from the perspectives of Jade, Emma and Alastair and so you could get to know what each of the character thinks, coupled with a past taunting event that made Emma vulnerable. Overall, this was a good fast paced thriller with the drama happening between these two couples.

Worth four stars!

After graduating, Amanda Robson worked in medical research at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and at the Poisons Unit at Guy’s Hospital where she became a co-author of a book on cyanide poisoning – a subject which has set her in good stead for writing her dark and twisting novel about love affairs gone wrong. Amanda attended the Faber novel writing course and writes full-time. Obsession is her debut novel. http://www.amandarobson.co.uk

The truth lies just beneath the surface…

Kate’s world falls apart when her teenage son drowns in the waters by his school. She’s convinced it wasn’t just a tragic accident, but no one will listen.

Then, six years later, Kate unearths Michael’s lost diary and realises she may finally be able uncover what really happened that night.

But as she delves deeper, she begins to realise that she didn’t really know her son – or the people in his life – at all. And that, sometimes, secrets are better left submerged…

An absorbing, emotionally-charged and addictive page-turner that will keep you gripped into the dark hours, perfect for fans of Linda Green and Teresa Driscoll.

No. of pages:- 397 pages

Date published:- will be published on 18th March 2021

Genre:- Thriller

Publisher:- Avon

Kate is still trying to get on with her son’s death, Michael, who died six years ago in a drowning accident. When Kate’s mother gets sick, Kate moves to her mother’s house and discovers a diary written by Michael. Then she discovers a deep dark secret in her own son’s diary that Kate suspects that her son’s death is more than just an accident.

This was actually a good book with a good plot. The emotions Kate is going through as a mother is real and raw. The characters are good, as the story is told from the perspective of Kate. I was actually glued to the story, wanting to know, who this Diving Fish really is and I couldn’t wait to read the ending. The author did a good job getting the reader hooked into the story! This was also quite unputdownable. There were no surprising twists or turns but nonetheless, it was actually a good thriller book. I also like how Kate would do anything, to find the real identity of who the Diving Fish, who supposedly had a relationship with Michael, even bribing a girl. It was intense, particularly the ending. I was holding my breath as I read the story. The only problem was, the story was a bit predictable and there were some unnecessary side story that was irrelevant to the story. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Avon publishers for granting me this ARC. This review is based on my honest opinion. Worth four stars!

Originally from Montreal, Louise move to the UK nearly thirty years ago after falling in love with a British sailor. She began writing short fiction, and in 2010 won the Woman & Home Magazine Short Story Competition. Her entry Black Rock, was subsequently published as part of an anthology, ‘The Best Little Book Club in Town’ (Orion 2011), alongside writers such as Ruth Rendell, Jodi Picoult and Lee Child. This gave her the confidence to embark on her first novel, a young adult dystopia, ‘The Time of Forgetfulness’, and then her adult psychological thriller ‘The Lake,’ which will be published by Avon Books in March 2021. Louise is fascinated with exploring ideas and themes around why good people do bad things, and her experience working with people who have experienced homelessness gives her work a strong humanitarian and social justice theme. Above all, Louise wants to tell a good story that is entertaining, thought provoking and well written.