The Menu of Happiness – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Kamogawa Food Detectives Menu of Happiness

Author:- Hisashi Kashiwai

Translated by Jesse Kirkwood

Date published:- will be published on 9th October 2025

No. of pages:- 224 pages

Genre:- Japanese Fiction

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5 Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

A beloved Japanese bestseller, The Menu of Happiness is for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold and asks the question: What’s the one dish you’d do anything to taste just one more time?

Every memory has a flavor. A very special restaurant in Kyoto helps find them . . .

Tucked away down a Kyoto backstreet lies the extraordinary Kamogawa Diner, run by Chef Nagare and his daughter, Koishi. The father-daughter duo have reinvented themselves as “food detectives,” offering a service that goes beyond cooking mouthwatering meals. Through their culinary sleuthing, they harness the power of taste to rekindle forgotten memories.

From the yakisoba holding the memories of precious first love to the dumplings shared between sworn enemies, each client will be forever changed by what they find on the menu, because the Kamogawa Diner doesn’t just serve meals—it’s a door to the past.

This is the third book of the Kamagowa Food Detective series. We meet again the father and daughter duo, Nagare and Koishi. Again just like the two previous books, we follow the hidden stories behind the meals that the customers used to fondly remember and the father-daughter duo try to bring happiness to those meals, thus bringing back fond memories of the customers.

The story pattern is similar as before so there is no difference between the two previous books. The only thing is the customers are different. We have a lonely Japanese pianist, who comes to Japan from Austria to find a meal prepared by her ex-boyfriend. We find a boy who remembers eating delicious meals prepared by his classmate’s mother. We also find the hidden stories behind those meals.

This is a good comfort read for anyone who is willing to read a quick read. And anyone who is fond of Japanese fiction must try out the Kamagowa Detective series.

Overall the book is worth four stars.

The Christmas Party – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Christmas Party

Author:- Kathryn Croft

Date published;- 3rd October 2025

No. of pages:- 209 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5 Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

On a cold winter’s night, a little girl went missing. What really happened at the Christmas party?

Twelve years ago, the six of us were young and carefree, getting ready to celebrate Christmas. We had the house to ourselves: no parents, nobody telling us to behave. We just had to look after Seffie, my friend Gabby’s little sister. We thought she was tucked up safely in her lilac pyjamas, sleeping through the music. We were wrong. The next morning, when we went to wake her, her bed was empty. She was never seen again. And no one ever found out why…

Twelve years later, I receive a call from Gabby, inviting me to spend Christmas at her remote Scottish lake house. None of us have spoken since the night that Seffie disappeared, and part of me knows I shouldn’t go.

But Gabby says we need to be together to help us move on. Yet as soon as I arrive, it becomes clear that she has another reason to bring us all together. She claims one of us knows what happened to her little sister. And, as a snowstorm traps us in the house, she’ll stop at nothing to get to the truth…

Kathryn Croft is one of those underrated psychological thrillers that you should read. She has written many fast paced psychological thrillers that will definitely keep you up all night.

The Christmas Party follows Sasha when she gets an unexpected invitation from one of her college friends Gabby to attend her Christmas party at her house. Nearly ten years ago, Gabby hosted a party which resulted in the mysterious disappearance of Gabby’s younger sister Saffy. Sasha had been responsible to look after Saffy and she carries the guilt with her even today. Sasha when she reaches Gabby’s place, she finds that other college friends have been invited as well–Fin, Shaun, Andre, Anna. As there is snow storm ad that the friends seem to be stuck in Gabby’s house, Sasha realizes that someone in the room is Saffy’s murderer as she got a mysterious email from someone before she came to the party.

This was quiet unputdownable and fast paced thriller and quiet a page turner. The book goes back to the event that happened ten years ago to the present day. If you liked locked room mysteries then this book will be a perfect choice. Sasha couldn’t remember the events that happened the night ten years ago as her memories seemed muddled up. Then of course, the ending was quiet unexpected.

Overall, this book was worth reading and worth four stars.

Home is Where the Bodies Are – Book Review

Title:- Home is Where the Bodies Are

Author:- Jeneva Rose

Date published:- April 30th 2024

No. of pages:- 256 pages

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5 Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:-

After their mother passes, three estranged siblings reunite to sort out her estate. Beth, the oldest, never left home. She stayed with her mom, caring for her until the very end. Nicole, the middle child, has been kept at arm’s length due to her ongoing battle with a serious drug addiction. Michael, the youngest, lives out of state and hasn’t been back to their small Wisconsin town since their father ran out on them seven years before.

While going through their parents’ belongings, the siblings stumble upon a collection of home videos and decide to revisit those happier memories. However, the nostalgia is cut short when one of the VHS tapes reveals a night back in 1999 that none of them have any recollection of. On screen, their father appears covered in blood. What follows is a dead body and a pact between their parents to get rid of it, before the video abruptly ends.

Beth, Nicole, and Michael must now decide whether to leave the past in the past or uncover the dark secret their mother took to her grave.

Jeneva Rose’s Perfect Marriage was unputdownable and Home is Where the Bodies Are is also another fast paced thriller

Outline:- When the mother passes away, the three estranged siblings reunite again. Beth the oldest was at her mother’s side when she passed away. Nicole is a drug addict but now on the path to recovery and hadn’t contacted Beth a long time. Michael, the youngest and the only one who seemed to be leading successful life out of the state earning money. While cleaning up their parents’ things, the siblings come across a collection of VHS tapes. When they put one of the VHS tapes, they were horrified and shocked to find their own father asking their mother for help to get rid of a body–the body was eleven year old Emma Harper who supposedly disappeared from the town. Now the siblings must work together to find out what their parents had been hiding.

Thoughts:-

The story outline was realistic. The pacing was great–it was fast paced. Not many twists or turns and the ending in my opinion was a bit predictable. However, the story itself was enjoyable and intriguing. None of the characters in the book were appealing to me and each of these characters seemed to be hiding some dark secret in their lives.

Overall this book is worth four stars.

It’s a Love Story – Book Review

Title:- It’s a Love Story

Author:- Annabel Monaghan

Date published:- May 27th 2025

No. of pages:- 368 pages

Genre:- Romance

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5 Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:-

From the USA Today bestselling author of Nora Goes Off Script, a novel about a former adolescent TV punchline who has left her awkwardness in the rearview mirror thanks to a fake-it-till-you-make-it mantra that has her on the cusp of success, until she tells a lie that sets her on a crash-course with her past, spending a week in Long Island with the last man she thinks might make her believe in love.

Rules for a love story: There are none. It’s all a lie.

Jane Jackson knows that true love is a lie. Laughter is the only truth—you can’t fake a belly laugh. Jane should know, she spent her adolescence as “Poor Janey Jakes,” the barbecue-sauce-in-her-braces punchline on America’s fifth-favorite sitcom. Now she’s a Creative Executive at Clearwater Studios and she’s living by a new mantra: Fake it till you make it.

Except, she might have faked it too far. Desperate to get her first project greenlit and riled up by pompous cinematographer and one-time crush Dan Finnegan, she opened her mouth and a big fat fib fell out. She claimed that Jack Quinlan, hottest popstar of the moment, has promised to write an original song for the soundtrack. Jack may have been her first kiss—and greatest source of shame—but she hasn’t spoken to him in twenty years.

Now, Jane must turn to the last man she’d ever want to owe: Dan Finnegan. Because Jack is playing a festival in Dan’s hometown on Long Island, and Dan has an in. A week in close quarters with Dan while facing down her past is Jane’s idea of hell, but Dan just might surprise her. While covering up her lie, can they find something true?

Annabel Monaghan has released another new romance novel–It’s a Love Story this year and really glad I got my hands on this book. I have become a huge Annabel Monaghan fan and enjoyed reading all her books and make it a point to read all her latest published novel.s

Outline– Jane Jackson was a former child star and now she works as a creative executive at a studio. Desperate to get a big break in her career, Jane tells everyone that she knows Jack Quinlan, now a famous singer. Along with her former crush and nemesis Dan Finnegan, the two travelled to Long Island, New York where Jack supposedly was performing. Will Jane succeed in getting Jack work with her and at the same time, keeping her feelings towards Dan to herself?

Thoughts – This was a cheesy romance novel set up. Sometimes, most of Annabel Monaghan books are enjoyable to read and at the same time laughable in some plot lines. And most of the time, characters don’t immediately fall in love with each other at once.

Characters Jane Jackson used to be insecure about her looks even though now she has grown out of it. Jane doesn’t really want to fall in love with Dan even though she couldn’t help later on being in love with her. I also like the gradually increasing chemistry between Jane and Dan.

Writing The writing was great and intriguing and engaging.

There are some funny parts in the book, but I really like the family dynamics mentioned in the book. Jane’s character started growing throughout the story which made her a likable character in my opinion.

Overall thoughts– I enjoyed this book even though I think her previous books are better than this. This book will be a perfect beach or summer read for anyone looking forward to go on a vacation to beach. Worth four stars.

Annabel Monaghan is the New York Times bestselling author of IT’S A LOVE STORY, SUMMER ROMANCE, SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER and NORA GOES OFF SCRIPT. She is also the author of two novels for young adults, A Girl Named Digit and Double Digit.

Clown in the Cornfield – Book Review

Title:- Clown in a Cornfield

Author:- Adam Cesare

Date published:- August 25th 2020

No. of pages:- 368 pages

Genre:- Horror/Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5 Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

In Adam Cesare’s terrifying young adult debut, Quinn Maybrook finds herself caught in a battle between old and new, tradition and progress—that just may cost her life.

Quinn Maybrook and her father have moved to tiny, boring Kettle Springs, to find a fresh start. But what they don’t know is that ever since the Baypen Corn Syrup Factory shut down, Kettle Springs has cracked in half.

On one side are the adults, who are desperate to make Kettle Springs great again, and on the other are the kids, who want to have fun, make prank videos, and get out of Kettle Springs as quick as they can.

Kettle Springs is caught in a battle between old and new, tradition and progress. It’s a fight that looks like it will destroy the town. Until Frendo, the Baypen mascot, a creepy clown in a pork-pie hat, goes homicidal and decides that the only way for Kettle Springs to grow back is to cull the rotten crop of kids who live there now.

Don’t miss this Bram Stoker Award-winning novel from rising star Adam Cesare.

Clown in a Cornfield is a Slasher Horror book that is suitable for people who liked Friday 13th movie.

Quinn Maybrook and her father Glenn move into the small-town Kettle Springs Missouri after their mother died from an overdose. Quinn’s house faces a burned down factory with the logo of the freaky clown Frendo on the sign. Quinn missed Philadelphia where she was from originally and while in school, she meets some of her classmates–Cole, Tucker, Matt, Ronnie and Janet. On the day of the Founder’s Day, while partying with friends, someone dressed as Frendo the clown starts killing the teenagers. Quinn realizes that the whole town has got together dressed as clowns to kill all the teenagers and to bring back whatever the traditions that seemed to have lost in the town.

I actually enjoyed reading the book. I feel like watching a horror movie while reading this book and right now, this book is already made into a movie, which I haven’t watched yet. I just like the tense atmosphere in the book. Quinn is the new girl and also the final girl who survived the massacre.

Overall, this was an unputdownable book which I actually enjoyed reading. Worth four stars.

Adam Cesare is a New Yorker who lives in Philadelphia. His books include Clown in a Cornfield, Video Night, The Summer Job, and Zero Lives Remaining. He’s an avid fan of horror cinema and runs Project: Black T-Shirt, a YouTube review show where he takes horror films and pairs them with reading suggestions.

Still Missing – Book Review

Title:- Still Missing

Author:- Chevy Stevens

Date published:- July 6th 2010

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

No. of pages:- 413 pages

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5 Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

On the day she was abducted, Annie O’Sullivan, a 32-year-old realtor, had three goals – sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever-patient boyfriend. The open house is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van as she’s about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all.

Still Missing interweaves the year Annie spent as the captive of a psychopath in a remote mountain cabin, which unfold through sessions with her psychiatrist, with a second narrative following the events after her escape—her struggle to piece her shattered life back together and the ongoing police investigation into the identity of her captor.

Still Missing is a shocking, visceral, brutal and beautifully crafted novel.

Annie O Sullivan is a successful realtor. One day, she was abducted by a man, whom she calls as The Freak. While in therapy, Annie recounts her ordeal with the Freak, being locked up in a cabin and being constantly tortured by the Freak. Annie soon escapes and the whole story deals about the aftermath of Annie’s abduction and how Annie experienced her abduction.

This was well written–each of the chapters are based on therapy sessions where Annie recounts her ordeal with the abductor and the aftermath after she escaped. The whole story is realistic as if you are reading a nonfiction recount of a woman who got abducted and escaped. The book details all the trauma Annie went through, including r*pe and the death of her child. How she deals with emotions and feelings after she has escaped from the cabin

The only thing was this was slow paced, and it took me a while to get into the book. However, towards the middle of the book, it was unputdownable. The ending was completely unexpected, and it was a greatest twist shown at the end. I really didn’t expect that type of ending at all. I also have to praise author for handling and writing a very sensitive topic very well.

Overall, this is worth four stars and looking forward to reading more books from this author.

CHEVY STEVENS lives on Vancouver Island with her husband and daughter. When she’s not working on her next book, she’s spending time with her family and their two dogs. Chevy’s debut novel, STILL MISSING, was a New York Times bestseller and won the International Thriller Writers Award for Best First Novel. Her books, including THOSE GIRLS which Stephen King called “incredibly scary” have been published in more than thirty countries. Her eighth novel, THE HITCHHIKERS, is out Oct.7/25

8 Spooky Reads for Spooky Season

It’s the Spooky Season and it’s time to read Spooky books for the season! Here are my top picks to read for this spooky season

1 Home Before Dark – Riley Sager

One of the best books by Riley Sage and a perfect book to read for Spooky Season. The story follows a girl who moves back into her childhood house that shares a traumatic past.

This is more like a psychological thriller with a hint of horror in it

2 Hidden Pictures – Jason Rekulak

This is one of my top favorite horror/thriller books I have read! There are creepy pictures drawn by the child which also makes the story more haunting.

A girl gets a job as a nanny to work for a family but the child seem to be drawing disturbing pictures.

3 We Used to Live Here – Marcus Kliewer

A family claims that they used to live in the house and then weird thing starts happening in the house.

Perfect read if you want to read something of a horror genre

4 September House – Carissa Orlando

Haunted House and how to survive in a haunted house when there is an evil entity residing in the house–perfect read for this Halloween season.

5. The Sun Down Motel – Simone St James

This is the most one of the scariest books I have read. The Sun Down Motel will keep you up all night and boy, there are some parts that made you jump at the scene.

A worker works in the motel at night–the same motel where her own aunt disappeared more than thirty years ago. And she realizes this motel has a dark history…

6. The Broken Girls – Simone St James

This is also another one of my favorite Simone St James books, perfect to read for the Halloween season.

7. Never Lie – Freida McFadden

Freida McFadden’s Never Lie is a thriller to die for and perfect to read during the spooky season. A newly wedded couple move into their dream house but the house has a darker secret.

8. Daisy Darker – Alice Feeney

It’s a thriller with a bit of horror in it. Daisy Darker follows the story of Daisy Darker who reunites with her family to celebrate Nana’s 80th birthday. But Nana is found dead and one by one seem to follow them.

9. Ask for Andrea – Noelle W Ihli

A thriller–a girl becomes a ghost after becoming a victim of a serial killer and tries to bring justice for herself.

What are your book recommendations to read this spooky season? Leave a comment below!

The Ex Who Came Back – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Ex Who Came Back

Author:- Daniel Hurst

Date published:- will be published on 24th September 2025

No. of pages:- 306 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 3/5 Writing:- 3/5

Overall rating:- 3/5

Your biggest mistake is your sister’s new boyfriend.

All the family are gathered to meet my sister’s new boyfriend, including my husband Seth, and it should be a happy occasion. But the moment I see him my stomach drops. It’s Mateo. My worst mistake. My biggest secret. I hoped I’d never see him again – why is he here now?

‘It’s nice to meet you,’ he says. As I look into Mateo’s cold green eyes, I know he’s playing a deadly game. My hands tremble. This man can’t be trusted. He’s pretending not to know me… and he knows I have to pretend, too.

I’m caught in a lie with no way out. Mateo is dangerous. I don’t want my sister to get hurt. But if I admit who Mateo really is – what really happened between us – I could lose everything. My gorgeous husband. My precious little boy.

Or even my life…

Corinne and her husband Seth and son Freddie were excited to meet her sister Georgia’s new boyfriend along with their parents. But when Corinne meets him, she realized and recognized who he was–he was Mateo and five years ago, when Corinne was questioning about her relationship with Seth, she had an affair with Mateo which didn’t last long. But now Mateo is back and he wants nothing but getting back with Corinne. But Corinne will make sure that no one will know about her secret affair with Matteo even if it involves killing Matteo.

This was a fast-paced thriller–the story is told in the POV of Corinne entirely. I just like how the atmosphere in this book is tense overall, with Corinne worried about her husband finding out about her secret affair and Matteo threatening to tell everyone about their affair so it was well written in my opinion. However, I actually have a problem with the main character, Corinne–I think she is flawed in my opinion. Also compared to other thrillers written by Daniel Hurst, this wasn’t really great. Not many twists or turns you would expect and I kind of predicted what the ending was going to be. Nonetheless, I would continue reading Daniel Hurst’s books even though this wasn’t great.

Overall this is worth 3 stars.

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

The Woman He Married – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Woman He Married

Author:- Willow Rose

Date published:- will be published on 22nd September 2025

No. of pages:- 350 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Writing:- 4/5 Plot:- 3/5

Overall rating:- 3.5/5

Nobody trusts her. How far will they go to get rid of her?

The Elizabeth has never been good enough for my perfect son Richard. I see through her pearly-white smiles and swanky hospital fundraisers to the real reason she married him. When I hear Richard is missing, I know she’s done something terrible. I will find my boy, and force her out of the family…

The Richard has always played away, so I just shrug my shoulders as I’m told he’s missing. But Jane’s accusations are like a dagger to my heart. I love my husband, despite everything we’ve been through. But she lost her grip on her son the day we got married. Has she set me up to get rid of me for good?

The When Jane asks me to watch Elizabeth, she doesn’t need to explain why. I know what it’s like to come from nothing just like Elizabeth did. What people will do to hide their past. And I see the way she looks around at the house she now owns as if a weight has been lifted off her shoulders. She can’t be trusted, but then neither can I…

Jane does not trust her daughter-in-law Elizabeth. She believes that Elizabeth has something to hide. She hires Marie to work as a cleaner at Elizabeth’s house. Marie’s role is simple–spy on Elizabeth and report whatever she finds to Jane. Marie keeps a close tab on Elizabeth but the more she works for Elizabeth the more she believes that Elizabeth may not be getting along with her mother-in-law and that Elizabeth’s marriage to Robert Jane’s son isn’t happy. But then Robert goes missing and Jane suspect that Elizabeth has something to do with his disappearance.

The story is told in the POVs of Jane and Marie. There are some twists and turns on the story and the story was quiet fast paced and intriguing as well. We see Jane who is determined to prove that Elizabeth has something to do with Robert’s disappearance and we see Marie who is doubting Jane’s theory and is trying to get closer to Elizabeth. The ending was completely unexpected but it was an OK ending in my opinion. The complete diversion of Marie’s character at the end was also completely unexpected.

The writing overall was good, and the author managed to keep the reader feel like they are at the edge of their seat.

Overall this is an OK thriller, worth 3.5 stars.

Willow Rose is a multi-million-copy best-selling Author and an Amazon ALL-star Author of more than 70 novels.

Several of her books have reached the top 10 of ALL books on Amazon in the US, UK, and Canada. She has sold more than three million books all over the world.

She writes Mystery, Thriller, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense, Horror, Supernatural thrillers, and Fantasy.

Willow’s books are fast-paced, nail-biting pageturners with twists you won’t see coming. That’s why her fans call her The Queen of Scream.

Willow lives on Florida’s Space Coast. When she is not writing or reading, you will find her surfing and watch the dolphins play in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

Razor Blade Tears – Book Review

Title:- Razorblade Tears

Author:- S.A. Cosby

Date published:- July 6th 2021

No. of pages:- 336 pages

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5 Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

A Black father. A white father. Two murdered sons. A quest for vengeance.

Ike Randolph has been out of jail for fifteen years, with not so much as a speeding ticket in all that time. But a Black man with cops at the door knows to be afraid.

The last thing he expects to hear is that his son Isiah has been murdered, along with Isiah’s white husband, Derek. Ike had never fully accepted his son but is devastated by his loss.

Derek’s father Buddy Lee was almost as ashamed of Derek for being gay as Derek was ashamed his father was a criminal. Buddy Lee still has contacts in the underworld, though, and he wants to know who killed his boy.

Ike and Buddy Lee, two ex-cons with little else in common other than a criminal past and a love for their dead sons, band together in their desperate desire for revenge. In their quest to do better for their sons in death than they did in life, hardened men Ike and Buddy Lee will confront their own prejudices about their sons and each other, as they rain down vengeance upon those who hurt their boys.

I enjoyed S.A. Cosby’s All Sinner Bleed (I have given the review for the book) and so this is the second book I have been reading from this author.

Razorblade Tears follows the story of two fathers seeking vengeance and revenge from their sons’ killers. Ike Randolph and Buddy Lee were both criminals having been in prison and they both had estranged relationship with their sons–Isaiah and Derek. Isaiah and Derek were married to each other and both fathers struggled to come to terms they their sons were gay. But their sons’ brutal murders shocked both fathers and as the police failed to catch the criminals, both Ike and Buddy come together to handle the matters on their own.

This was well written–just like All Sinners Bleed. The raw emotions and heartbreak that each father was experiencing was too real. Ike having been in prison seemed to be having a successful landscaping business while Buddy seem to be struggling with his addiction in alcohol. One of the unique thing about this is, one of them, Ik is Black while Buddy is white and how despite racial differences, they work together to find their sons’ killers. The language and the words used in this novel give a hint of southern atmosphere in this novel.

I enjoyed this book and so overall I rate this book 4 stars.