A woman being held captive is willing to risk everything to save herself, her unborn child, and her captor’s latest victim in this claustrophobic thriller in the tradition of Misery and Room.
On an isolated farm in the United Kingdom, a woman is trapped by the monster who kidnapped her seven years ago. When she discovers she is pregnant, she resolves to protect her child no matter the cost, and starts to meticulously plan her escape. But when another woman is brought into the fold on the farm, her plans go awry. Can she save herself, her child, and this innocent woman at the same time? Or is she doomed to spend the remainder of her life captive on this farm?
Intense, dark, and utterly gripping The Last Thing to Burn is a breathtaking thriller from an author to watch.
I have been following some Instagram accounts that talks about best thrillers to read and this book was one of them. I bought this book, as the person mentioned this book was really a good thriller. Turns out it is indeed a page turning thriller.
A woman is held as a captive in some remote farm in the UK. No one knows how the woman got into UK and the man has been keeping her as a captive by making her do house chores and spending time with her. The woman is called Jane but Jane is not her name. As the story progresses, the woman tells about her harrowing experiences–the birth of her daughter, a woman who is being imprisoned in the cellar, her sister’s letters to her and how she plans to someday escape from this hell.
This was a page turner. From the first chapter, I was really hooked into the story. The details of how the woman was held as a captive including when she attempted to run away and the punishment inflicted on her was at best truly disturbing to read. You really vouch for the woman that you really hope she would someday make out of this place. The descriptions and details written in this book is all too realistic in my opinion. In my opinion, this was more like a literary fiction than a thriller and is well written. Only thing is I wish I know the backstory of Thanh, how she ended up becoming Lenny’s captive. It is also disturbing that even though the book is entirely fiction, human trafficking still takes place around the world.
If you have read Emma Donahue’s Room, then try reading this book as this is a bit similar except this book involves the story of a Vietnamese girl being held captive. Worth five stars.
Will Dean grew up in the East Midlands, living in nine different villages before the age of eighteen. He was a bookish, daydreaming kid who found comfort in stories and nature (and he still does). After studying Law at the LSE, and working in London, he settled in rural Sweden. He built a wooden house in a boggy clearing at the centre of a vast elk forest, and it’s from this base that he compulsively reads and writes. He is the author of Dark Pines. (
Two girls vanished. A woman buried alive. Between two crimes—decades of secrets yet to be unearthed in a pulse-pounding novel by the Edgar Award–nominated author of Unspeakable Things.
Summer 1980: With no fear of a local superstition, three girls go into a Minnesota wood. Only one comes out. Dead silent. Memory gone. No trace of her friends. The mystery of the Taken Ones captures the nation.
Summer 2022: Cold case detective Van Reed and forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck are assigned a disturbing homicide—a woman buried alive, clutching a heart charm necklace belonging to one of the vanished girls. Van follows her gut. Harry trusts in facts. Their common ground is the need to catch a killer before he kills again. They have something else in common: each has ties to the original case in ways they’re reluctant to share.
As Van and Harry connect the crimes of the past and the present, Van struggles with memories of her own nightmarish childhood—and the fear that uncovering the truth of the Taken Ones will lead her down a path from which she, too, may never return.
In the 1980’s, three girls went out into the woods to play. But only one of them returns back. The case was dubbed as The Taken Ones and remained unsolved until the present day. In the present day, Van who is an agent is assigned to the Taken Ones case along with Henry when one of the girls’ body was found buried alive. Van must solve the case to find what really happened to the other girl by interviewing the only survivor while dealing with her own past that was similar to the Taken Ones case.
I enjoy reading Jess Lourey’s books as her books are all realistic though it is a work of fiction. This book is no exception. This was fast-paced, a page turner and there were times when the author managed to grab the reader’s attention by making the reader feel like they are on the edge of the seat. This book, just like all her other books are a page turner and I couldn’t wait what was going to happen towards the end. I also liked the fact that we get a glimpse of Van’s horrible which I did enjoy reading about. Overall, this is a page-turner twisty novel and worth 4.5 stars!
If you haven’t read Jess Lourey’s books, I recommend read Bloodline, by the same author
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publiher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
Hi, folks! While I write across genres, there’s one universal connecting all my books: secrets. I grew up in a house choking with them, and I remain fascinated by the thoughts and actions we hide from the world.
My beginnings as an author were pretty grim, something I speak about in my TEDx Talk (https://youtu.be/a5vSLh3oPXI). I’ve come a long way since that first book, and I’m proud to call myself an Amazon Charts bestselling, Edgar-nominated, ITW Thriller and Anthony Award-winning author of nonfiction, children’s books, YA adventure, magical realism, and crime fiction. I also love to teach creative writing in international workshops.
I live in Minneapolis with a rotating batch of foster kittens (and occasional foster puppies, but man those goobers are a lot of work). You can find out more at jessicalourey.com.
Thanks for checking out my books! If you’re wondering which to read next, check out my Jess Lourey Book Recommendation Machine: https://forms.gle/SfFSEPt9HZcpLibi6
Can you stop a murder after it’s already happened?
It is midnight on the morning of Halloween, and Jen anxiously waits up for her 18-year-old son, Todd, to return home. But worries about his broken curfew transform into something much more dangerous when Todd finally emerges from the darkness. As Jen watches through the window, she sees her funny, seemingly happy teenage son stab a total stranger.
She doesn’t know who the victim is, or why Todd has committed such a devastating act of violence. All she knows is that her life, and Todd’s, have been shattered.
After her son is taken into custody, Jen falls asleep in despair. But when she wakes up… it is yesterday. The murder has not happened yet—and there may be a chance to stop it. Each morning, when Jen wakes, she is further back in the past, first weeks, then years, before the murder. And Jen realizes that somewhere in the past lies the trigger for Todd’s terrible crime…and it is her mission to find it, and prevent it from taking place.
This book is one of the unusual thriller books I have read! And it involves the concept of time loop which makes the thriller more interesting to read!
Jen Brotherhood seemed to have a normal Friday night on the Halloween day. But one night changes forever when Jen sees her funny and happy son Todd stabs a stranger. Todd was taken to the police and was kept locked for the night. Jen in despair sleeps for the night. But when she wakes up, she realizes that she is now the day before the murder would take place. As it went on, Jen wakes up a day before and this process continues as Jen must find the answers to what made her son a murderer.
I have to say that from start to finish, the story was intense and quiet a page turner. There was so much hype about this book and now I understand why this book has so much hype. Reading this book made me feel like I was watching a movie that takes my attention. When is Jen going to find the truth? Why did Todd kill a random stranger? All these questions are soon answered as you read through the book and as Jen is in a time loop. The twist at the end was completely unexpected and overall, I liked how the ending turned out.
This is the first book I have read from this author and I have to say, I wasn’t disappointed–overall, this book is a page turner filled with twists and turns and worth 4.5 stars!
Lahore, Pakistan. Then. Misbah is a dreamer and storyteller, newly married to Toufiq in an arranged match. After their young life is shaken by tragedy, they come to the United States and open the Cloud’s Rest Inn Motel, hoping for a new start.
Juniper, California. Now. Salahudin and Noor are more than best friends; they are family. Growing up as outcasts in the small desert town of Juniper, California, they understand each other the way no one else does. Until The Fight, which destroys their bond with the swift fury of a star exploding.
Now, Sal scrambles to run the family motel as his mother Misbah’s health fails and his grieving father loses himself to alcoholism. Noor, meanwhile, walks a harrowing tightrope: working at her wrathful uncle’s liquor store while hiding the fact that she’s applying to college so she can escape him—and Juniper—forever.
When Sal’s attempts to save the motel spiral out of control, he and Noor must ask themselves what friendship is worth—and what it takes to defeat the monsters in their pasts and the ones in their midst.
From one of today’s most cherished and bestselling young adult authors comes a breathtaking novel of young love, old regrets, and forgiveness—one that’s both tragic and poignant in its tender ferocity.
I never expected this book to be so heartbreaking, emotional and one of the best books I have read so far this year!
Trigger warning:- The book deals with racism, domestic abuse, substance abuse.
The story talks about two Pakistani-American teenagers Salahuddin “Sal” and Noor. Both are best friends and both are childhood best friends. Sal’s life changes when Sal’s mother Misbah dies and his father Abu is an alcoholic. Determining to save the family run motel, Sal involves in drug dealing business. Meanwhile Noor is secretly applying to colleges behind her uncle’s back. Her uncle has no desire to send Noor to college as he wants Noor to help him run with the store. Noor gets a series of rejection letters from almost all the universities she had applied except from UCLA where she was still waiting for the reply. Noor also faces racist rants from another equally academic rival Jamie.
The story is very realistic and deals with day-to day situations. I like Misbah’s letters to her son, detailing about her son’s trauma, the alcoholism that seem to run through her husband’s family as she detailed on how her own mother-in-law was also an alcoholic. Noor and Sal’s friendship was really genuine and I really rooted for Noor and wanted Noor to go to college. The writing was really great and the author does a good job of drawing the reader into the story, making the reader feel like they are part of the story. The book also talks a great deal about forgiveness, grief, and this was very emotional. I also like the list of songs outlined in the book as well and how Noor and Sal mingle into both American and Pakistani cultures.
If you haven’t read this book yet, I urge you to read this book. An easy five star rating for me!
abaa Tahir grew up in California’s Mojave Desert at her family’s 18-room motel. There, she spent her time devouring fantasy novels, raiding her brother’s comic book stash and playing guitar badly. She began writing An Ember in the Ashes while working nights as a newspaper editor. She likes thunderous indie rock, garish socks and all things nerd. Sabaa currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.
Date published:- will be published on 21st September 2023
Publisher:- Bookouture
No. of pages:- 374 pags
Genre:- Psychological Thriller
Rating:-
Plot:- 4/5
Writing:- 4/5
Overall rating:- 4/5
Long blonde hair. Sparkling dark eyes. Perfect pearly-white teeth. I’ve never met her before but I know exactly who she is as I spot her through the crowds of the terminal. Because our new guest is the spitting image of the daughter we lost. And that’s exactly why I chose her.
From the moment our exchange student Tanya comes into our home, I feel like my daughter has come back to life. Tanya, with her long blonde hair and slender frame, looks so much like Anabel that sometimes I can almost pretend she didn’t die in that tragic accident.
Tanya really is the perfect guest – kind, polite, and always happy to help me in the kitchen. At last, a member of the family who compliments my beautiful house and enjoys my homemade dinners. And when she asks questions about my life, I feel I’ve finally found someone I can confide in.
My younger teenage daughter, Paige , isn’t so happy about our guest. She thinks it’s weird that Tanya looks like Anabel, and she hates it when she wears her sister’s old clothes. But then again Paige and Anabel always had a strained relationship… And I’m certain that having another teenage girl in the house will help heal our family.
But now Paige is insisting I check Tanya’s records. She’s become convinced Tanya isn’t who she says she is. But I learnt a long time ago that sometimes it’s best not ask questions you don’t want to know the answer to. And I definitely don’t want Paige pulling this thread… because I’m growing suspicious that our new guest Tanya might have a secret. But I’m certain it is nothing in comparison to mine…
The absolutely unputdownable, page-turning and twisty psychological thriller that will have you guessing until the very last page. Perfect for readers who love gripping suspense and fans of Freida McFadden’s The Housemaid , The Girl on the Train and Colleen Hoover’s Verity.
I didn’t expect much from this book but actually and surprisingly I enjoyed this thriller more than I have anticipated!
Tanya is a British exchange student who moves into live with the Merrit family for three months. Things didn’t start great between Paige Merrit and Tanya and even Paige’s own parents seem to favor towards Tanya more than towards their own daughter. Paige however suspect that Tanya isn’t who she really seem and together with her brother Will, she set about to find who Tanya really is and warn her parents about her.
The first part of the book is more like a teenage drama with both Tanya and Paige fighting with each other to the point when Tanya steals Paige’s boyfriend Lance from her. But the second part of the book is where the psychological thriller side starts when Tania’s true colors are revealed. The story is told mainly from Paige’s and Natalie’s POV. Natalie is Paige’s mother. Honestly, I found Natalie really annoying–the fact that she takes Tanya’s side and not her daughter’s side kind of made me angry a little bit. I do like the relationship between Paige and Will calling themselves as Sherlock and Watson. But other than Paige, Paige’s grandmother and Will, I found all the other characters including Natalie annoying.
The story was actually predictable–I knew what was going to happen next but it was fast-paced and a page turner. The ending was kind of a cliff-hanger. The writing was great as well and the author did a good job of drawing the reader into the story. Overall, if you are looking for a thriller with a bit of teenage drama in it, then this book is one for you. Worth four stars.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
Nelle Lamarr is the psychological suspense pen name for contemporary romance author Nelle L’Amour. Be it a thriller or romance, I love to write jaw-dropping , character-driven stories that will have you turning the pages and will stay in your heart forever. I live in Los Angeles with my Prince Charming-ish husband, twin daughters, and a bevy of royal pain-in-the-butt pets. (
Date published:- will be published on September 11th 2023
Publisher:- Storm Publishing
Genre:- Psychological Thriller
Rating:-
Plot:- 3/5
Writing:- 3/5
Overall rating:- 3/5
As the January wind whips down the stairs to the train platform, Ellen Randall huddles into her coat, shivering. Suddenly, a flash of red catches her eye and she turns. It’s a scarf. Red and cream, in a large, checked pattern. And the person wearing it— No! It can’t be …
Three weeks later. In the dimly lit depths of the abandoned station, an eerie silence hangs heavily in the stale air, wrapping around the young man like an invisible shroud. Every step he takes echoes through the tunnels. Cautiously, he ventures deeper into this forgotten place.
His pulse quickens as he stumbles upon her, a small figure huddled in a worn sleeping bag. The girl looks cold, hungry and very frightened. Carefully, he approaches her. “Please tell me how I can help you.” His voice is gentle. She meets his eyes, and his heart twists with worry and protectiveness. If someone’s hurt her—
Then, she laughs; a ripple of sound that rises to the arched roof and echoes around them. “I killed somebody,” she says. “And, before you ask, I meant to do it…”
A totally unputdownable psychological thriller, perfect for anyone who loved The Doctor’s Wife by Daniel Hurst and anything by Shalini Boland.
Ellen and Rosanna are sisters. Ellen is a worrier while Rosanna is fun loving. Rosanna falls in love with a married man named Matt and gets pregnant with his child but Matt leaves her. Ellen meets Matt on the train and while in the train, Ellen accidentally kills Matt–and that’s how the story starts.
This was at first slightly a slow burner to me and there were many characters in the book, although the main focus was towards Ellen and Rosanna who in my opinion are the main protagonists of the story. There some twists and turns along the story but I think it became more fast paced towards the middle part of the book. The writing was really great and I have to say there were some boring parts and confusing parts in the story. However, the ending was great with the unexpected twist at the end.
Overall, this book worth 3 stars in my opinion.
Thank you Netgalley and Storm publishing for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
Deirdre writes women’s fiction, with strong themes of family, friendship and love, and the challenges ordinary people face in their everyday lives. She also writes under the name Zara Thorne. Her novels are published by Crooked Cat and Fabrian Books.
Deirdre also writes short stories and is published by D C Thomson for The People’s Friend magazine.
Everybody lies. Even the ones you think you know best of all . . .
Olivia Bender designs exquisite home interiors that satisfy the most demanding clients. But her own deepest desire can’t be fulfilled by marble counters or the perfect rug. She desperately wants to be a mother. Fertility treatments and IVF keep failing. And just when she feels she’s at her lowest point, the police deliver shocking news to Olivia and her husband, Park.
DNA results show that the prime suspect in a murder investigation is Park’s son. Olivia is relieved, knowing this is a mistake. Despite their desire, the Benders don’t have any children. Then comes the confession. Many years ago, Park donated sperm to a clinic. He has no idea how many times it was sold—or how many children he has sired.
As the murder investigation goes deeper, more terrible truths come to light. With every revelation, Olivia must face the unthinkable. The man she married has fathered a killer. But can she hold that against him when she keeps such dark secrets of her own?
This twisting, emotionally layered thriller explores the lies we tell to keep a marriage together–or break each other apart . . .
Trigger Warning:- Deals with sensitive issues such as miscarriage and infertility
Olivia Bender and her husband Park had been trying to have a child together but their rounds of IVF was unsuccessful. When the body of a woman who had been missing was found dead, the police knock on the door with shocking news. There was DNA found at the scene and the DNA presumed to belong to a part of Park Bender–meaning that the killer was Park’s son. But Olivia knew that it cannot be until a secret that might threaten their marriage is revealed.
This was as I mentioned earlier dealt with some sensitive issues so I think I need to give kudos to the author for writing this topic well. This to me was initially a slow burn at first and there were too many POV’s–the wife, the husband, the daughter, the mother, the brother and of course the murderer. I also kind of predicted who the murderer could be but it was revealed by the middle of the book. There was so much tension and drama in the book as a whole. I do understand Olivia’s struggles and actually feel empathy for her. There were some twists and turns in the book but above all, in my opinion, this was an OK thriller as a whole. Worth three and a half stars.
J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 25 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of the literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.
With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards They have also been optioned for television, and published in 28 countries.
J.T. lives in Nashville with her husband and twin kittens, where she is hard at work on her next novel.
As we welcome the Rowe family to our beautiful clifftop hotel, a shadow passes over my husband’s face. In that moment I see my husband is hiding a terrible secret. Has he put us all in danger?
Mark and I pride ourselves on giving visitors to our hotel, high on the rugged Maine cliffs with views of the ocean, a vacation they won’t forget. But the Rowes are strangely over-familiar when they arrive with their teenage daughter. The wife puts a hand on Mark’s forearm and her husband meets my eyes with a knowing look as I hold my little son tight. They gush that they loved their previous stay here… But I’m certain I’ve never seen them before.
Mark reassures me that the Rowes are just being friendly. We have so many visitors, maybe we forgot meeting them. When I am locked in the master bedroom for over an hour, he later soothes my panic and says it was just an accident. But I know one of the Rowes was out in the hallway listening to me cry for help. I hear one of them whispering a lullaby to my baby on his monitor. I cannot trust these people.
But as the relentless icy rain gives way to the biggest blizzard of the season and we become cut off, I realize my son and I are trapped. Mark knows more about the Rowes than he’s letting on. I’ll do anything to protect my gorgeous baby boy. But how far will I have to go, to keep him safe?
This was such a fast-paced thriller!
The story starts with Abby and Mark allowing the Rowes family to book an entire hotel for the few weeks. But then when the Rowe family reaches the hotel, there was something mysterious and dark going on between the Rowe family and Abby and Mark. What started with minor things become a cat and mouse chase game with one of them ended up dead and Mark owing someone money.
This was a fast-paced thriller. The story is told from Abby, Mark, Lottie and Lottie’s daughter’s point of views so it is interesting to know what each of the characters are thinking about each other. The whole story was fast-paced and there were some unexpected twists and turns. I actually really liked the ending–with a cliffhanger in the end and as a reader you would really want to know, what is really going to happen next. Overall, if you have read Ruth Ware’s One by One book, and liked a thriller with a locked room mystery, then this book is one for you. Well written, gripping and atmospheric–worth five stars!
Many thanks to Bookouture for making me a part of the blog tour. The book is based on my honest opinion only.
Emily Shiner always dreamed of becoming an author. After spending years devouring stacks of thrillers, she decided to try her hand at writing them herself. Now she gets to live out her dream of writing novels and sharing her stories with people around the world. She lives in the Appalachian Mountains and loves hiking with her husband, daughter, and their two dogs.
Anastasia Allen has worked her entire life for a shot at Team USA.
A competitive figure skater since she was five years old, a full college scholarship thanks to her place on the Maple Hills skating team, and a schedule that would make even the most driven person weep, Stassie comes to win.
No exceptions.
This book had so much hype on Tiktok and Instagram and so I decided to get this book.
Here’s a warning–some books are worth the hype but most of the books are not worth the hype and Icebreaker was one such book.
I know this is going to be one of the unpopular book reviews as I have seen many raving reviews on this book but I didn’t find this book…that raving.
Meet Anastasia Allen who is an ice skater at a fictional university UCMH. She meets Nathan Hawkins, who is the hockey captain of UCMH. The two cannot stand each other but then eventually they form a relationship between.
Truthfully, I did have high expectations on this book. This is a debut book by Hannah Grace and I really thought there must be some thing that would have made this book so much hype. But I didn’t see any. This book really reminded me of Fifty Shades a little except there was no BDSM. I didn’t really like the character of Anastasia. Too many main characters in my opinion although the story was told by Nathan’s and Anatasia’s POVs mainly. This was a romance book and I felt like this book dragged on and on–this was more than 400 pages and I feel like romance books shouldn’t be more than 400 pages! I couldn’t really get into the story, and I was really bored with some parts. I nearly DNFed but then I don’t usually DNF the books so I had no choice but skim through the book because I really want to finish the book. It dragged on and on, felt like there were some repetitions as well. However, the good thing about the book is, the author can write well. Despite the fact that I didn’t enjoy the book, I want to try more of her books out in future. Worth 2.5 stars in my opinion.
Tropical Girl Reads 