Tropical Girl Reads

We were all at the party. Which of us wanted her dead?

As the smoke from the bonfire spirals into the night sky and the cool drinks slip down our throats, none of us can take our eyes off Lacey. She dances in the dunes, her long golden hair damp from her late-night swim, her smile dazzling, her blue eyes closed.

Everyone who is close to Lacey sits by the smoky fire. Her adoring boyfriend, who holds onto her, perhaps a little too tightly. Her little sister, always in Lacey’s shadow, sifting fine soft sand through her fingers, never taking her eyes off Lacey. And me. Sad and full of rage, after an argument forced the man I love to leave the party early.

When the fire burns out, we stumble away from the beach, along the cliff path – faces burned by the wind, hearts full of secrets. But Lacey never makes it home. The next morning, her body is found in the sand dunes, a heart-shaped locket missing from around her neck.

Who would have thought our beach party could end the way it did? Close friends gathered on the last night of a long hot summer – which one of us could have killed the girl everybody loved?

The plot of the story sounded interested–five years ago, Lacey was found strangled at a beach house after a beach party. Now Katie has returned back to the small Cornish town with her friend Sophie to do a podcast on Lacey’s murder. But as they start questioning and meeting the people for the podcast, secrets are revealed which would soon be deadly…

As I mentioned earlier, the plot was interesting, which was the main reason why I requested this book. However, the book started out a little slow but gradually it picked up its pace with some twists and turns. It’s not really a fast paced thriller but it was OK. However, the reason why I gave this book a higher rating is because the ending was completely and totally unexpected that it actually blew my mind off! Especially the revelation of who actually killed Lacey on the night of the beach party. The way the story was executed was not really good and the writing wasn’t really great either but it was overall an OK thriller. The characters are all too bland to me, particularly the main character Katie–I didn’t really click with the main character much.

Overall, if you like a thriller which is slow burn, then this book might be one for you. Worth only 3.5 stars.

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

She’s a weapon forged in the fires of her past—but this time, the flames could consume her in Critically acclaimed Southern mystery novelist Christopher Swann’s next book, perfect for fans of Linwood Barclay ad Michael Farris Smith.

Orphaned at age ten by a violent home invasion, Susannah Faulkner grew up wild, her stubbornness the only thing harder than her heart. Since then, she’s used her skills to put a boot in the faces of those who deserve it. She knows she’s wired wrong and living a dangerous and violent life, but she’s determined to wring something decent from the world before she leaves it.

Then she gets word her brother Ethan needs her help and returns home to Atlanta. But in the airport, she finds her Uncle Gavin suffering a heart attack. Before he is rushed to the hospital, Gavin whispers a single word to Suzie: Peaches. She’s determined to uncover the meaning behind the cryptic message, but Ethan is also deep in trouble. An ex-soldier and ex-con named Finn appeared on his doorstep with a disturbing story: fifteen years earlier, Finn served with their father in Iraq, where they stole millions in cash. Now the money is missing, and Finn wants his share—or else.

A gang war threatens to explode on Atlanta’s streets. Uncle Gavin clings to life in the hospital. Finn is bent on finding his missing millions. And now, Suzie will be tested as never before in a crucible of violence where all that she holds dear is on the line.

This is the second book of the Faulkner series but I have not read the first book in the series. Maybe that’s why I wasn’t into this book much.

Suzanne Faulkner and her brother Ethan experienced home invasion which killed their parents. Now Suzanne is a PI and Ethan is a teacher. When Suzanne comes to Atlanta, her uncle, Uncle Gavin has a heart attack and before he is whisked away to the hospital, he simply says peaches. While trying to find the meaning of this meaning, a man appears at the doorstep of Ethan’s house–an ex-soldier, Finn. Many years ago, during Iraq war, Finn with their father stole millions of cash. Now Finn wants his share. Then comes the gang fight in the city of Atlanta.

The story is mainly told from Suzanne’s point of view. Though I didn’t find this book much interesting, nevertheless, it got interesting towards the middle. This book as a whole, felt like a some part of an action thriller movie which I am not really a fan of but overall I did enjoy the book.

If you like an action packed thriller, then this book is one for you–worth four stars

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

Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a taxi with no idea where she is or how she got there. When she’s dropped off at the door of her brownstone, a stranger answers―a stranger who now lives in her apartment and forces her out in the cold. She reaches for her phone to call for help, only to discover it’s missing, and in its place is a bloodstained knife. That’s when she sees that her hands are covered in black pen, scribbled messages like graffiti on her skin: STAY AWAKE.

Two years ago, Liv was living with her best friend, dating a new man, and thriving as a successful writer for a trendy magazine. Now, she’s lost and disoriented in a New York City that looks nothing like what she remembers. Catching a glimpse of the local news, she’s horrified to see reports of a crime scene where the victim’s blood has been used to scrawl a message across a window, the same message that’s inked on her hands. What did she do last night? And why does she remember nothing from the past two years? Liv finds herself on the run for a crime she doesn’t remember committing as she tries to piece together the fragments of her life. But there’s someone who does know exactly what she did, and they’ll do anything to make her forget―permanently.

In the vein of SJ Watson’s Before I Go to Sleep and Christopher Nolan’s cult classic Memento, Megan Goldin’s Stay Awake is an electrifying novel that plays with memory and murder.

WOW.!!!! I am still reeling my mind on this book even after I have finished this book! It was really good–so good that I stayed up all night to finish this book!

Liv Reese wakes up inside a cab, with no memory of how she got into the cab or why she was in the cab in the first place. Her skin is scribbled with a black ink pen, saying STAY AWAKE. And in her purse, she was carrying a bloodstained knife. When she reaches to her apartment, she finds that another couple is already living in the apartment. Liv has no recollection of what really happened. Meanwhile, the police are investigating on the murder of a man who was stabbed in his apartment and this may all tie to Liv Reese…

If you have Before I go Sleep and Memento, then this book will be one for you. This is the third book I have read of Megan Goldin and I must say, this book has to be her best book aftet Night Swim and The Escape Room. From the start of the chapter till the end, the author has done a good job of drawing the reader into the story and making the reader feel like they are at the edge of the seat! Liv is suffering from a very rare disorder due to the trauma she had faced two years ago which makes her an unreliable narrator, wondering as a reader whether Liv actually murdered someone or not. You also get to see Liv’s life two years ago, before whatever the trauma she was in and the story divides between past and present, so you could actually get a glimpse of what really happened. The ending…wow it was so unexpected and also the revealation of the actual killer was also a complete surprise and unexpected…WOW! I just couldn’t believe THAT ENDING!

So if you like a gripping psychological thriller that will throw you at the edge of the seat, which is quiet unputdownable with lots of unexpected twists and turns…then read this book–worth whopping five stars!

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

The best of friends keep the deadliest secrets…

Jo is my best friend. From high school to adulthood, we’ve gone through everything together. Even when I made a foolish mistake and betrayed her in the worst way, she forgave me. She’s godmother to my son and our lives are intertwined. We want the best for each other, always.

I hope she approves of my new boyfriend Noah. How could she not? Noah is kind, attentive and loves me for who I am. But when I introduce them over dinner one evening, Jo doesn’t look happy. She’s always been protective of me and as Noah clutches my hand, I force her reaction to the back of my mind.

But later Jo tells me that someone is threatening her and she fears for her life. And all too soon, the threats land at my door too. At first it’s small things: my precious roses destroyed, my mail sabotaged. But when I receive a note saying, “I want your life,” I’m terrified.

Someone wants to cause me harm. They’re prepared to take everything I love. But are they closer to me than I could have ever imagined?

This is such a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you awake and keep you at the edge of the seat!

Jo and Abi are best friends and despite the fact that Abi had once betrayed her, the two remained firm friends. However, as Abi is building a perfect life with Noah and is seeing her son going off to college. However, recently, Abi has been getting threats and someone has been sabotaging her at work. And it all related to a guy that Jo and Abi used to date back when they were in high school–Cal.

The story is told from Jo’s and Abi’s points of view so it was itneresting to read what they are really thinking about each other. You could see that clearly, the two girls used to be closest friends but eventually they seemed to be drifting apartment, thanks to an incident that got Abi pregnant. There were some twists and turns in the story and the author has managed to grab the reader into the story, making the reader feel like they are also a part of the story as well. The twisted end was completely unexpected and it actually made my day! Overall, I actually enjoyed reading this book–it felt like a love traingle and a person who is obsessed with what she wants!

If you are looking for a thriller that will keep you on the edge, then this book is one for you–worth five stars!

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