Tropical Girl Reads

Title:- One of Those Faces

Author:- Elle Grawl

Date published;- will be published on 1st December,2022

Publisher:- Thomas and Mercer

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 3/5

Overall rating:- 3/5

From debut author Elle Grawl comes a psychological thriller about an insomniac artist who discovers a shocking truth about a recent spate of murders in her city: the victims all look just like her.

Years after escaping her abusive childhood, Harper Mallen has only ever known sleepless nights—or terrifying nightmares. She’s struggling to maintain an artist’s life in a hip Chicago neighborhood, getting by on freelance gigs at a local painting studio, when she suffers another terrible shock.

A young woman is killed outside Harper’s apartment—a woman who chillingly resembles her. As Harper searches for information about the victim, she discovers unsettling links to two other murders. And then there’s a third doppelganger, still alive. Harper’s life is not the only one hanging in the balance.

As her obsession and paranoia deepen, everyone is a suspect: the handsome stranger in the café, the owner of the painting studio, even the ghosts from her past. The closer she comes to unraveling the truth behind the murders, the more Harper realizes there is no one she can trust—not even herself

Harper Mallen is an insomniac artist who has escaped from an abusive childhood. She gets paid doing free-lance gigs in the studio and is mostly kept to herself. But just in front of the apartment where Harper lives, a woman was murdered brutally. The woman bore strong resemblance to Harper. Harper soon finds out that two more women were murdered and all these women look so much like Harper.

I do like the plot of the story. I was also instantly hooked into the story from the beginning of the chapter and fell that this book might be a really good and engaging psychological thriller. However, I felt that there are too many questions in the story. Harper in my opinion seemed to be a disturbing and toxic character in the book and it seems that people around Harper are literally dying! The ending was a bit rushed but confusing with sort of a cliffhanger. Who really is the killer? What is the motive behind the murders? Why was Harper targeted? These are the questions that never seemed to have answered in the book.

I think in my opinion, this was an OK book–could have been better. Worth three stars.

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

Title:- Her First Child

Author:- Sheryl Browne

Date published:- will be published on 0th 2022

Publisher:- Bookouture

No. of pages:- 369 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Writing:- 4/5

Plot:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

A perfect mother. A loving daughter. A secret that could destroy them both.

New mother Eve is overwhelmed with love for her baby son, Kai. As she swaddles him in a fluffy white blanket, she shudders at a memory of her own childhood. She hasn’t seen her heartless mother Lydia in years, and she hasn’t told a soul about what really happened the night her baby brother died in the squalid little house she grew up in…

When the phone rings in the dead of night, Eve’s heart pounds as she hears the voice at the other end. ‘Hello Mother’, she replies, an ice-cold chill creeping down her spine. She grips her son’s tiny frame close to her trembling chest as she reluctantly agrees to let her mother visit.

But when Eve has to make an emergency call from Kai’s bedroom early one morning, she curses herself for allowing her mother back into her perfect little family.

‘Kai was fine when I checked on him a few hours ago.’ Her mother says, breathlessly as she watches her daughter’s face change from fear to rage.

Why was Lydia in Kai’s bedroom during the night? And as Lydia pleads her innocence, could it be that she’s not the most dangerous mother in this family?

This is one of those psychological thrillers, where nearly every character are unreliable and unpredictable and never know who is telling the truth.

The story begins with Eve, who is the mother of a new born baby Kai. She has a dark secret–she hasn’t seen her mother Lydia, with whom she is not getting along and the night her brother, Jacob died, Eve knew what really happened that night. So when Lydia comes back into the life, she was worried if the history might repeat itself again.

This was a mind blowing thriller, divided between the present and past, when Eve was a kid. Her only support was her friend Chloe who knew about her history and her husband Dom. But as the story dwells deeper, we see that neither of these characters are trustworthy and as a reader, you don’t know which character you would believe in. The story is packed with twists and turns, the author doing a good job of drawing the reader into the story. The ending was unpredictable and a bit confusing to me in the end, which loweredmy rating slightly but nonetheless this was a gripping and unputdownable thriller that will keep you up all night–worth 4.5 stars.

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

Title:- Missing Girl At Frozen Falls (Kay Sharp Series Book 5)

Author:- Leslie Wolfe

Date published:- will be published on November 29th 2022

Publisher:- Bookouture

Genre:- Thriller

No. of pages:- 325 pages

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

She lay in the frosted grass behind Frozen Falls. Her eyes were wide open, and the wind blew her hair, ash-blond locks reflecting the blue sky. Her face, beautiful even in death, was pale, as if the bitter cold from the mountain had drained the color from her cheeks.

On a crisp autumn day in the small town of Mount Chester, Detective Kay Sharp comes face-to-face with the past she has spent the last decade running from. Her ex-husband, Brian, has been accused of murder.

Seeing Brian brings a flood of painful memories—he betrayed her in the worst possible way. Yet despite her heartbreak, Kay is willing to put her career on the line to prove his innocence.

Brian is accused of killing Kay’s former best friend, Rachel—the woman he cheated on Kay with, getting her pregnant. The blood drains from Kay’s face; she received a voicemail from Rachel two days ago. “I hope you’ll forgive me,” she’d said, her voice fraught with tears. “I know I have no right, but I need you.” Kay’s stomach plummets. By the time she called back, Rachel was already dead. Could Brian really be the murderer?

Kay faces pressure from her crime team, who don’t want her working on an investigation so close to home. But she’s willing to risk everything—she vows to get justice for Rachel.

When Kay visit’s Rachel’s mother, she uncovers a heart-stopping discovery that makes the case even more critical: Rachel’s eight-year-old daughter, Holly, is missing. Could the little girl still be alive?

Up against the most complex—and most personal—case of her career, can she save precious Holly before it’s too late? And will Kay’s determination to find out the truth lead to justice—or be her undoing?

This was such a gripping thriller that kept me awake all night, trying to finish the book!

The story starts with Kay, whose ex-husband Brian suddenly wants her help–Brian’s fiancee and also Kay’s best friend Rachel was brutally shot to death and their daughter Holly is missing. Brian has become the main suspect in Rache’s murder. Even though Kay didn’t really want to help, she helps him nonetheless and realizes that Rachel was in a witness protection program after she witnessed a murder of one of the gang members. Meanwhile, a body of a girl was found dead and Kay’s partner Elliot was called to the scene to investigate the murder.

This book was completely mind blowing and I was literally hooked from the first chapter till the end, wanting to know what is going to happen next! Out of all the Kay Sharp series, I have to say that this book is one of the best book in the series and I couldn’t even put the book down. As usual, the author has done a good job of drawing the reader into the story and make the reader feel like they are in a cat and mouse chase game with Kay and keeping the reader literally at the edge of the seat! The ending wasn’t expected and I do like some twists and turns that were thrown along the way.

If you haven’t read the Kay Sharp series then it’s fine–this book is fast paced unputdownable thriller that will keep you awake all night. Worth complete full five stars!

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

Title:- The Sanctuary

Author:- Emma Haughton

Date published:- will be published on 24th November 2022

No. of pages:- 372 pages

Publisher:- Hodder and Stoughton

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Writing:- 3/5

Plot:- 2.5/5

Overall rating:- 2.5/5

Very few people get the opportunity to stay here.
And some don’t get to leave …

Zoey doesn’t remember anything about last night. But she knows something went badly wrong. For she is no longer in New York. She’s woken up in the desert, in a white building she doesn’t recognise, and she’s alone.

When she discovers she’s been admitted to The Sanctuary, a discreet, mysterious, isolated refuge from normal life, to avoid jail, she is stunned. She knows she has secrets, troubles, but she thought she had everything under control. But as she spends more time with other residents, she begins to open up about what she’s running from. Until she realises that not everyone in The Sanctuary has her best interests at heart, and someone might even be a killer . . 

The story starts with Zoey waking up in a place. She couldn’t remember how she ended up in the place with no recollection of what happened the previous night. She knew she was no longer in New York but is in some desert area. Zoey then later on realizes that she is in a place called Santuary where they house the people who might end up in jail. Zoey wondered what she did to be deserved to go to jail although later on she finds that she has secrets of her own. Then soon, people start getting disappearing and there might be a killer on loose.

I like story plot line which actually made me want to request this ARC. However, the first few chapters were kind of boring and bland in my opinion. This story reminded me a bit of Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty which kind of had the same vibe in the story as well. It was towards the ending that actually intrigued me as secrets about the Sanctuary was revealed and the actual killer was known.

There were not many plot twists and turns, the story to me kind of feels direct to me in my opinion and this was a slow burn thriller in my opinion, not fast paced. However, I think I do like a bit of multi-cultured concept in the book. Despite the fact that I didn’t enjoy this much, I am looking forward to read more from this author. Worth 2.5 stars

Many thanks to Netgalley and Hodder for ARC.. The review is based on my honest opinon only.

The Dark, Emma Haughton’s chilling new thriller for adults, will be published by Hodder in August 2021.Emma grew up in Sussex; after a stint au pairing in Paris and a couple of half-hearted attempts to backpack across Europe, she studied English at Oxford University then trained in journalism. During her career as a journalist, she wrote many articles for national newspapers, including regular pieces for the Times Travel section.Following publication of her picture book, Rainy Day, Emma wrote three YA novels. Her first, Now You See Me, was an Amazon bestseller and nominated for the Carnegie and Amazing Book Awards. Better Left Buried, her second, was one of the best YA reads for 2015 in the Sunday Express. Her third YA novel, Cruel Heart Broken, was picked by The Bookseller as a top YA read for July 2016.

Title:- All The Dark Places

Author:- Terri Parlato

No. of pages:- 304 pages

Date published:- will be published on 27th December 2022

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

For fans of Megan Miranda and Shari Lapena, this stylish debut thriller from a skillful new voice in suspense, Terri Parlato, introduces seasoned Boston detective Rita Myers investigating the murder of a seemingly perfect husband. Filled with unexpected twists and well-drawn characters, this modern whodunit is set against the picturesque backdrop of a Massachusetts winter, as a woman with a traumatic past tries to uncover who among her friends is a killer.

A savage murder rocks a quiet Boston suburb, revealing the dark secrets at the center of a group of friends in this clever, propulsive debut from new master of suspense, Terri Parlato . . .

Snow falls softly outside Molly Bradley’s home on a frigid January night. Inside, half a dozen close friends are gathered to celebrate the fortieth birthday of Molly’s psychologist husband, Jay. Candlelight gleams against dark wood, wine flows, and the house rings with laughter. Everybody loves Jay, Molly most of all. Yet next morning, Molly discovers Jay dead on the floor of his office, his throat brutally slashed.

After decades working with the Boston PD, Detective Rita Myers has grown accustomed to the banality of evil—the murders that make no sense beyond bad luck or a tragic brush with the worst of humanity. But Jay Bradley’s murder isn’t random, or a mere crime of opportunity. Rita is convinced that someone in the couple’s small circle killed him. Someone who was celebrating with them that night.

Devastated, Molly tries to make sense of her husband’s death. Jay was her rock, the only person who really understood the nightmare she lived through long ago. He knew the horrors she’s kept hidden even from her friends. But shocking revelations are making her question if Jay was all he seemed to be—and whether someone else knows her past too. And until Molly figures out who she can really trust, she won’t be able to stop herself becoming the next target . . .

This is a fantastic debut by the author and I must say. I actually enjoyed reading this book and was hooked till the end!

The story starts with a birthday party held at Bradley’s house and all of their close friends were invited. Mrs. Bradley, known as Molly retires to bed early after the party and Joe is stuck in the office as he is busy working on his new book. When Molly wakes up, she finds that his side of the bed was empty and not slept in. When she goes downstairs, she finds her husband dead with his throat slashed. One of the guests at the party was guilty of the murder and someone in the group knows Molly’s turbulent past. The detectives Rita and Chse gets involved in the case as they believed that the murder of Dr. Bradley is connected to the disappearance of another woman happened months ago.

This was really engrossing. It was told from Molly’s and Rita’s POV and we do know through reading Molly’s POV about the secret that she was keeping. The book itself talks about the trauma the person gets when the person was abducted, and of couse, this was a quite page turner which is a plus sign in psychological thriller books. Also, there are some twists and turns and until the end, you would actually never know who the real killer was. Overall, this was truly an engaging thriller and I cannot wait to read more books from this author. Worth solid five stars.

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

Terri Parlato was born and raised in upstate New York. She currently lives in a small north Georgia town with her husband and their dog Lucy.

Title:- My Perfect Friend

Author:- Sarah Clarke

Date published:- will be published on November 23rd 2022

No. of pages:- 384 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

Beth has the perfect life. She has constructed it carefully over the last eighteen years. But one night she makes a choice that risks everything.

When Kat sees an article about that night online, buried memories begin to surface. She and Beth were friends once. Things ended badly then, but now she has a chance to make things right.

Kat introduces herself to Beth. Not as her old friend, but as a stranger. Beth has no idea Kat isn’t who she says she is.

But then neither is Beth. 

This was actually an entertaining read.

Beth is rich and glamorous, seemingly leading a perfect life. Kat is a local dog groomer. So when Beth is unexpectedly thrust herself into limelight after she catches a homeless man overdosed with drug, Kat recognizes Beth, though we have no idea why Kat recognizes Beth. Saskia is Beth’s neighbor and unexpectedly enters into the story.

The story is mainly told from Beth and Kat’s perspectives with a past that seemingly may have a connection to the present. The story started to reach climax towards the end and the author did a good job of drawing the reader into the story. There were some twists and turns, with a little bit of drama along the way and overall, it was a good psychological thriller book–worth four stars.

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

Sarah Clarke worked as a copywriter for 20 years before joining the Faber Academy Writing a Novel course and starting her first psychological thriller.

Sarah signed a 3-book contract with HarperCollins HQ Digital in March 2021. Her debut novel A Mother Never Lies published later that year, and her second thriller Every Little Secret published in February 2022. Sarah’s third book – My Perfect Friend – publishes in November 2022.

Sarah is represented by literary agent Sophie Hicks. She lives in London with her husband, two children and super-energetic cockapoo.

Title:- The Silent Child

Author:- MJ White

Date published:- 3rd November 2022

Publisher:- Hera

No. of: pages:- 431

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

When a body is discovered at an abandoned Suffolk farm, DS Rob Minshull and the squad believes it’s the latest casualty of the drugs war terrorising rural communities. But when the victim is identified as a well-respected local teacher, the case is thrown wide open.

While they hunt the murderer, the South Suffolk CID team face a new threat. A brutal vigilante group dispensing their own twisted justice puts the investigation in grave danger, as well as the detectives.

Educational psychologist, Dr Cora Lael, is called in to work with Lottie Arundel, a troubled teen who stopped speaking a year ago.

As Cora enters Lottie’s world, it seems that the teen’s silence might hold the key to the case. But as Cora and Rob work together to find a vicious killer, it’s clear that uncovering Lottie’s secrets will take Cora and Rob into the most dangerous of places – where the price to pay for the truth might be death…

This is the second book of the Cora Lael series but this is the first time I have started reading this series. And I actually enjoyed reading this book really much.

The story starts with a discovery of a dead body in a lonely barn. The body was identified that as of a school teacher named Oliver. Meanwhile, Cora is asked to see a teenager named Lottie Arundel who stopped speaking a year ago. As Cora gets to work with Lottie, she finds that there is a similarity between Lottie and the current murder case that Cora sets to work with the detectives to find the vicious killer and the reason why Lottie stopped talking a year ago.

This was a completely compelling and gripping thriller. The author has done a good job of drawing the reader into the story thus making the reader feel like they are a part of the story as well. There were some twists and turns, the story gets more and more interesting towards the middle and the end, when you find out that even the victim has some sort of a dark history. The story talks about sexual molestation happening in shcools and how the teachers seemed to have ignored it and I like how the author handled the sensitive issue. Neverthless, the ending really gripped me and completely unexpected. I cannot wait to read more books from Cora Lael series! Worth five stars.

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

Title:- Hidden Scars

Author:- Angela Marsons

Date published:- will be published on November 9th 2022

Publisher:- Bookouture

Genre- Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

While Jamie’s cold, lifeless body lay in the morgue, Detective Kim Stone stared at the empty board in the incident room and felt her anger boil. Why were there no photos, details, or lines of enquiry?

When a nineteen-year-old boy, Jamie Mills, is found hanging from a tree in a local park, his death is ruled a suicide. Detective Kim Stone’s instincts tell her something isn’t right – but it’s not her investigation and her temporary replacement is too busy waiting for the next big case to be asking the right questions.

Why would a seemingly healthy boy choose to end his life?
Why does his mother show no sign of emotional distress at the loss of her son?

Still mending her broken mind and body from her last harrowing case, Kim is supposed to be easing back into work gently. But then she finds a crucial, overlooked detail: Jamie had a recent injury that would have made it impossible for him to climb the tree. He must have been murdered.

Quickly taking back charge of her team and the case, Kim visits Jamie’s parents and is shocked to hear that they had sent him to a clinic to ‘cure’ him of his sexuality. According to his mother, Jamie was introverted and prone to mood swings. Yet his friend speaks of a vibrant, outgoing boy.

The clues to smashing open this disturbing case lie behind the old Victorian walls of the clinic, run by the Gardner family. They claim that patients come of their own accord and are free to leave at any time. But why are those that attended the clinic so afraid to speak of what happens there? And where did the faded restraint marks identified on Jamie’s wrists come from?

Then the body of a young woman is found dead by suffocation and Kim makes two chilling discoveries. The victim spent time at the clinic too, and her death was also staged to look like a suicide.

Scarred from an ordeal that nearly took her life, is Kim strong enough to stop a terrifying killer from silencing the clinic’s previous patients one by one?

Detective Kim Stone is back!

Jamie Mills, a nineteen year old boy was found hanging from a tree. The death was initially ruled as a suicide and DI Kim Stone was surprised at how his mother didn’t seem to be too upset about his death. However, as further investigation goes on, similar deaths have occured and soon, DI Stone and her partner discovers a ruthless place, where they carry out some horrible acts on people to redeem their “sins”.

This was quite a page turner! So many twists and turns and from the first page to the last page, I was literally hooked into the story. I couldn’t even put the book down and I only read this book in a span of two days, wanting to know what is going to happen next and who is the actual killer. This also deals with LGBTQ issues and how some society is dealing with this issues through brtual schemes. Overall, I actually enjoyed reading this book and cannot wait to read more of Kim Stone series! Worth five stars.

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