Tropical Girl Reads

Title:- The Perfect Girlfriend

Author:- Hayley Smith

Date published:- 332 pages

Publisher:- Bookouture

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:-5/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

He loves me. He trusts me. He shouldn’t.

Jay and I have only known each other a short while, but whenever I gaze into his deep green eyes I tell him he’s the one. His little house by the deep forest’s edge is perfect for the two of us – there’s no internet, no phone signal, and no neighbours. I’m about as far from my past as I could be. No one knows where we are, and I need to keep it that way.

He wants me to stay here where he can keep me safe from the outside world. I don’t question him, I won’t challenge him. I have him exactly where I want him. He has to think I’m the perfect girlfriend, far better than the one before. Because I know what he did.

All I have to do now is play my part and bide my time. So I tell myself Jay doesn’t have a clue who I really am. I’ve been so careful. Haven’t I?

A completely addictive psychological thriller packed with incredible twists you won’t see coming. Perfect for fans of The Housemaid, The Split, and The Serial Killer’s Wife.

This book kind of gave a hippie feeling throughout the book.

Lauren meets Jay at a music festival and it was a passionate love affair at the first sight. Lauren moves in to live with Jay and as soon as she moved in, Jay started the things that Lauren owned to get money. Lauren finds out about a girl named Ruth who was Jay’s ex-girlfriend. But Lauren wants to know what really happened to her friend Nell who also happened to know Jay.

This was kind of slow paced but nonetheless it was actually a good story. It has sort of a creepy feeling, like a serial-killer vibe in it, although there is no serial killers in the book. There were some twists and turns but towards the middle and towards the end is where the story started getting juicier and more interesting that I couldn’t wait to see what is going to happen in the end. Jay has gorgeous green eyes while Lauren has luscious black hair–description that seem to embed the reader. The ending was unexpected so overall, I actually enjoyed reading this book. I cannot believe that this was the author’s debut book and cannot wait to read more of her books! Overall, this book worth five stars!

Many thanks to Bookouture for making me a part of this blog tour. Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

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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Audio:

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Title:- The Inmate

Author:- Freida McFadden

Date published:- June 13th 2022

No. of pages:- 302 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 3/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 3.5/5

There are three rules Brooke Sullivan must follow as a new nurse practitioner at a men’s maximum-security prison:

1) Treat all prisoners with respect.

2) Never reveal any personal information.

3) Never EVER become too friendly with the inmates.

But none of the staff at the prison knows Brooke has already broken the rules. Nobody knows about her intimate connection to Shane Nelson, one of the penitentiary’s most notorious and dangerous inmates.And they certainly don’t know that Shane was Brooke’s high school sweetheart—the star quarterback who is now spending the rest of his life in prison for a series of grisly murders.

Or that Brooke’s testimony was what put him there. But Shane knows. And he will never forget.

Have you read the Housemaid’s Secret by Freida McFadden? If you haven’t, you should check it out as it took me only 48 hours for me to finish that book! So this book, the Inmate is also written by the same author but I feel this book wasn’t as good as the Housemaid’s Secret.

The good things about this book is, the story divides between the present and the past, a murder that happened eleven years ago when Brooke testified against her boyfriend Shane that puts him into Riker Prison. The “go” was there in the book, meaning it was quiet a page turner. The epilogue part was kind of unexpected.

The bad thing about this book is, this was highly predictable and unrealistic in my opinion. Brooke was one of those stupidest and naive characters I have ever read (who would want to work in a prison where your ex-boyfriend whom you testified against is locked up in that prison???). I feel like you are watching a horror/slasher movie. Someone in the Goodreads review commented on how this book is very similar to the movie Scream and yes, I agree with that comment. If you have watched the movie Scream and then read this book, you will find some similarities between the book and the movie (won’t give further details)

Overall, this book worth 3.5 stars!

#1 Amazon bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple Kindle bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. She lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

‘I’m sorry, Sam’s not available,’ says the woman who answers my husband’s phone. I can’t place her voice, so I politely ask who she is. Her answer sends my world spinning out of ‘I’m his wife.’I know I want to marry Sam the moment I meet him. After I lost my beloved mother so suddenly, this charming, softly spoken architect with his deep-brown eyes is just the fresh start I’ve been searching for.I’m delighted to be expecting our first child before we’ve even had a chance to plan a honeymoon. I want our family to work so I try to ignore his long work trips. I turn a blind eye to the private calls he takes and I listen to his excuses about why the money keeps disappearing from my bank account. After all, he has no idea what I’ve been doing in our house whilst he’s away or how I really made that money.Then I find out Sam’s got more to hide than I ever imagined was possible. Because my husband is leading a double life. He’s already married to someone else.But what Sam doesn’t know is that he’s not the only person keeping secrets.And he has no idea how far I’ll go to protect myself…A totally unputdownable, twisty, will-leave-you-gasping story of marriage, guilt and lies. If you love Lisa Jewell, Gillian Flynn and Paula Hawkins, you will not be able to sleep until you’ve finished every last page of The Bigamist.

This was such a great psychological thriller!!

The story starts with Emma meeting a man named Sam and the two start a relationship. Soon Emma gets pregnant and one day when she calls Sams number, a woman answered the phone claiming she is Sams wife. Is Sam leading a double life?

This was a fast paced thriller with lots of unexpected twists and turns. The author has written very well that the reader feel like they are watching some thriller movie and being on the edge of the seat. All characters are highly unreliable and untrustworthy which made the story bit compelling as to who is actually telling the truth. Emma is an unreliable character and so this made the story enjoyable. The ending to me was a bit confusing but unexpected. Overall this thriller worth five stars!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the arc. This review is based on my honest opinion only

Rona is the bestselling author of psychological thrillers published by Bookouture. She loves to turn domestic storylines on their head to keep her readers guessing what the heck is going on.

She has been a bit of a nomad during her adult life, moving around the north of England, before settling in Snowdonia, North Wales where she brought up her family while working as a business mentor. She now lives on the Isle of Man with her little nutter of a Border Collie, Maid. You’ll find all the places she’s lived in her stories!

She is an outdoorsy person and loves stomping up a mountain, walking the coastal paths and exploring the wonderful glens and beaches on the Island while she’s plotting her next book. She has three children and two stepchildren who are all grown up and leading varied and interesting lives, which provides plenty of material for new stories.

To find out more about Rona and her novels, visit her website: https://ronahalsall.com/ and sign up to her newsletter to get the latest info on new books and offers.

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Book Details

Title:- Vera Wong’ s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers

Author:- Jesse Q Sutanto

Date published:- March 14th 2023

No. of pages:- 339 pages

Genre:- Cozy Mysteru

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

Put the kettle on, there’s a mystery brewing…
Tea-shop owner. Matchmaker. Detective?

Sixty-year-old self-proclaimed tea expert Vera Wong enjoys nothing more than sipping a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy ‘detective’ work on the internet (AKA checking up on her son to see if he’s dating anybody yet).

But when Vera wakes up one morning to find a dead man in the middle of her tea shop, it’s going to take more than a strong Longjing to fix things. Knowing she’ll do a better job than the police possibly could – because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands – Vera decides it’s down to her to catch the killer.

Nobody spills the tea like this amateur sleuth.

Have you read Jess Sutato’s Dial A for Aunties yet? If not, you should read Dial A for Aunties!

Vera Wong is a typical Chinese-American sixty something year old woman, who owns a tea house that is basically non functional. But one early morning she discovers a body of a dead man named Marshall Chen lying on the floor of her tea shop. Though the police rule out as an accident, Vera believes that foul play is involved and she meets Riki, Sana, Julia and Oliver who all had some troubles and connections with Marshall, making each of them a likely suspect for Marshall’s murder. And Vera’s nagging style soon brings all four together with Vera.

This was really a quick read and interesting to read. There were some funny parts in the book which made me laugh out loud. The story is told from Vera’s, Oliver’s, Julia’s Sana’s and Riki’s POV and I really like Vera’s character in the story. I also liked the diversity of the characters in the story–Sana is Indian-American, Riki is Indonesian, Julia is Caucasian thus bringing much diversity into the story. I felt like I was reading a comic sort of mystery rather than a thriller and it was predictable as to what is going to happen in the end which lowered my rating to a four star. However, if you are looking for a quirky funny comedy cozy mystery then I recommend Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers. Worth four stars!

Jesse Q Sutanto grew up shuttling back and forth between Jakarta and Singapore and sees both cities as her homes. She has a Masters degree from Oxford University, though she has yet to figure out a way of saying that without sounding obnoxious. She is currently living back in Jakarta on the same street as her parents and about seven hundred meddlesome aunties. When she’s not tearing out her hair over her latest WIP, she spends her time baking and playing FPS games. Oh, and also being a mom to her two kids

Book Details

Title:- After That Night

Author:- Karin Slaughter

Date published June 22nd 2023

No. of pages:- 432 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

Will Trent and Sara Linton are back! This is the 11th electrifying thriller featuring GBI investigator Will Trent and medical examiner Sara Linton from New York Times bestselling author Karin Slaughter.After that night, nothing was ever the same again …Fifteen years ago, Sara Linton’s life changed forever when a celebratory night out ended in a violent attack that tore her world apart. Since then, Sara has remade her life. A successful doctor, engaged to a man she loves, she has finally managed to leave the past behind her.Until one evening, on call in the ER, everything changes. Sara battles to save a broken young woman who’s been brutally attacked. But as the investigation progresses, led by GBI Special Agent Will Trent, it becomes clear that Dani Cooper’s assault is uncannily linked to Sara’s.And it seems the past isn’t going to stay buried forever …

First of all, thank you Harper Collins and Netgalley for granting me an ARC for this book. I know this review is super late but nonetheless I wanted to leave a review.

Let’s welcome Will Trent and Sara Linton back to the scene!

On the night of Sara’s shift at a hospital, a woman named Dani Cooper was admitted to the hospital. Before she succumbed, to her injuries, Dani told Sara that she was raped. Dani’s incident reminds Sara of her own incident when she was raped many years ago in the same hospital. And as the police are investigating on Dani’s case. Sara, Will and Faith realize that there are other rape victims including Sara’s that are connected to each other and that there’s a cult involved in these cases…

As usual, Karin Slaughter’s books are captivating, unputdownable and…disturbing. Having read Will Trent’s books, I expected some gore in the book but there wasn’t much gore and I thought the story wasn’t that disturbing as her previous books. This was fast paced, there were some twists and turns, particularly the ending where the ending was completely unexpected that I simply couldn’t even believe the ending! Overall, this was a fast paced unputdownable thriller that will keep you up all night–worth five stars!

Book Details

Title:- She Says She’s My Daughter

Author:- Lauren North

Date published:- will be published on July 24th 2023

Publisher:- Bookouture

No. of pages:- 346 pages

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

‘I don’t know who you are or why you’ve come here,’ I say, jabbing my finger at her, shaking as much as my voice. ‘But you are not my daughter. You are not Abigail.’Fourteen years ago , our family holiday ended in tragedy when my darling four-year-old girl was snatched from us on the beach. Not a day goes by when I don’t picture her wide brown eyes, and the freckles dusting her cheeks. I only looked away for a second, and I have never forgiven myself.Today , a seventeen-year-old girl has walked into a police station near our house. She says she’s my daughter. Abigail is back. I can’t believe it. After years of grieving, my family is finally complete again.This should be the happiest moment of my life, but something doesn’t feel quite right. As hard as I try, I don’t know the teenager in front of me. Then holes appear in Abigail’s story, her accent starts to slip, and I catch her faking tears for the journalists outside – and I’m more certain than ever that she is not my daughter. That she is a stranger. And that we cannot trust her…But if this mysterious girl isn’t Abigail, then who is she – and what does she want with my family?A totally unputdownable psychological thriller with a twist that will blow you away. 

This was a fast paced page turning book with lots of twists and turns you wouldn’t expect and quiet a page turner too.
Years ago, Sarah’s daughter Abigail mysteriously disappeared. Present day, a girl named Abi comes to the police station claiming that she was the missing girl Abigail Wicks. But when Sarah meets her, she believes that Abi is not her daughter. Is someone impersonating her daughter?
This was actually really good, the story is told in Sarah’s and Abis point of view. As a reader you know that one of them is hiding something . There were twists and turns, the ending was completely unexpected. I also like the authors style of writing – it was compelling and did a good job of drawing the reader to the story. Overall This thriller worth a whopping five stars!!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Lauren writes psychological suspense novels that delve into the darker side of relationships and families. She has a lifelong passion for writing, reading, and all things books. Lauren’s love of psychological suspense has grown since childhood and her dark imagination of always wondering what’s the worst thing that could happen in every situation.

Lauren studied psychology before moving to London where she lived and worked for many years. She now lives with her family in the Suffolk countryside. Readers can follow Lauren on Twitter @Lauren_C_North and Facebook @LaurenNorthAuthor

Book Details

Title:- The Girls on Chalk Hill Book 1

Author:- Alison Belsham

Date published;- will be published on 26th June 2023

Publisher:- Bookouture

No. of pages;- 419 pages

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

hey lie on the hillside, wearing matching white dresses, tiaras in their blonde hair. Each of them clutches a red rose. They could be sleeping, but frost shines on the lashes of their wide blue eyes, frozen open forever…

Detective Lexi Bennett is devastated when she finds the two teenagers lying side by side on the quiet green hillside, their throats cut. Convinced this is no ordinary killer, she vows to draw on all her profiling experience to find justice for these beautiful girls who will never have the chance to grow up.

But when the victims are identified as Lucy and Eden Carter, Lexi’s blood turns cold. The sisters were triplets – and the third girl, Paige , is missing. The case suddenly feels frighteningly personal. Lexi was a triplet too, and she and her sisters were abducted as teens. Two of them escaped but Lexi’s dreams are still haunted by memories of the faceless man who took them, and her sister Rose , who she never saw again.

Her boss thinks she’s too close to the case, but Lexi is sure the monster who took her is back with a message. She throws herself into the investigation, hunting down every clue, certain that time is running out to save Paige.

Then she returns home to find the back door open and Rose’s diary on the kitchen table. As she traces her beloved sister’s handwriting, her heart breaking, Lexi swears she will not rest until this brutal monster is caught. Will the diary help her find him before Paige is killed? Or is she walking into a trap designed just for her?

This is the first book of the series of Lexie Bennett. The story starts with the discovery of the bodies of two girls while one of their sisters is still missing. This seems to be a copycat case of when Lexie was a victim herself and she and her sister Amber escape while their sister couldn’t. Lexie knew it has to be the same abductor and was determined to save Paige before it was too late. This was fast paced and a page Turner. There were many suspects and so it was hard to pinpoint who is the real killer. There were some slow moments but overall, the author manage to keep the reader guessing till the end. The flashback scene of Lexie when kidnapped and the killers pov was interesting to read. Overall this book worth four stars. Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only