Tropical Girl Reads

Title – The Other Son

Author:- J.M. Hewitt

No. of pages:- 326 pages

Date published:- will be published on 7th April 2022

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:- 2.5/5 stars

She saved her son once. Would she do the same again?

Sara and her family needed a fresh start after a tragedy that ruined many lives. They have found peace since arriving at their new home in the Kielder Forest National Park twelve months ago. That is, unless you count the dark cloud that has settled over them, and the crippling tension behind closed doors. Sara tries to pretend everything is normal, but in reality she is haunted by a devastating truth about one of her children.

Travis has a reputation as a counsellor skilled at helping troubled teens. He has been watching Sara. He sees her fragility, and believes that he can fix her and her eldest son. Like his mother, Scott barely speaks, and has a look in his eye that hints at unimaginable trauma. If Travis could only get close to Sara she would see that he can protect her, and put an end to their suffering.

Yet below the surface, Sara is anything but weak. No matter what, she won’t give up on her child. And when she is cornered, she will go to extreme lengths to protect her most precious boy.

A compulsive tale of family secrets with twists you won’t see coming. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Shalini Boland and K.L. Slater.

This book actually talks about the aftermath of a school shooting and how a mother deals with the death of her son.

The story talks about Sara who moves to a new place to start a fresh new life after a tragedy that took away the life of her younger son, Ryan. Her older son, Scott is undergoing therapy and his new therapist Travis seems to have an interest towards Sara.

Although to me the plot of the story was good, it was a bit flat out boring to me. The story divides between the present day and the past, during the time when shooting was taking place. Not really a fast paced thriller and not much of twists and turns you would expect in a good thriller. The ending was predictable.

Anyway, this was an OK thriller to me and I feel this was more like a family drama. Worth 2.5 stars.

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

AUTHOR WEBSITE: http://www.jmhewitt.net

J.M. Hewitt is the author of eight crime fiction novels. Her work has also been published in three short story anthologies. Her books usually incorporate twentieth and twenty-first century events and far flung locations, and her novels explore the darker side of human behaviour.

In contrast to the sometimes dark content of her books, she lives a very nice life in a seaside town in Suffolk with her dog, Marley.

When she was ten years old she’d read all the books she owned, all those on her mother’s bookcase and everything the library had to offer. She decided the only course of action to take was to write her own stories. Thirty years later, she is still writing them.

Title:- The Weekend Away

Author:- Sarah Alderson

No. of pages:- 332 pages

Date published:- July 23rd 2020

Publisher:- Avon

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:- 4.5/5 stars

***Now a Netflix Original movie, starring Leighton Meester, streaming globally.***

Miles from home. Trust no one. Suspect everyone.

Orla and Kate have been best friends forever. Together they’ve faced it all – be it Orla’s struggles as a new mother or Kate’s messy divorce. And whatever else happens in their lives, they can always look forward to their annual weekend away.

This year, they’re off to Lisbon: the perfect flat, the perfect view, the perfect itinerary. And what better way to kick things off in style than with the perfect night out?

But when Orla wakes up the next morning, Kate is gone. Brushed off by the police and with only a fuzzy memory of the night’s events, Orla is her friend’s only hope. As she frantically retraces their steps, Orla makes a series of shattering discoveries that threaten everything she holds dear. Because while Lisbon holds the secret of what happened that night, the truth may lie closer to home…

A twisty holiday read for fans of The Holiday and Date Night.

After reading Sarah Alderson’s The Stalker, I was curious to read The Weekend Away which was recently made into a Netflix movie. So hence, I just finished with this book.

Kate and Orla goes to Portugal for a girls’ night out. They have a wild night with Kate inviting two male escorts which angered Orla. The next day, when Orla wakes up she finds that Kate is missing. And as she tries to find out what really happened to Kate, she soon became a suspect for her friend’s disappearance.

It was really good! Fast paced thriller packed with twists and turns you wouldn’t expect and I was drawn into the book. The story is told mainly from Orla’s point of view as she tries to find out what really happened to her friend that night. The author’s writing style was good and the author did a good job of drawing the reader into the story. However, the ending I felt was a bit predictable but nonetheless, it was like, I felt like I was watching an action packed movie and I was put at the edge of the seat as I was reading the book, thirsting to know what really happened to Kate!

Overall, this book will keep you up all night–worth 4.5 stars!

Sarah is a British born, LA based screenwriter and author.

Having spent most of her life in London, Sarah quit her job in the non profit sector in 2009 and took off on a round the world trip with her husband and toddler daughter on a mission to find a new place to call home.

She finished her first novel, HUNTING LILA, just before they left the UK, wrote the sequel on the beach in India, and had signed a two book deal with Simon & Schuster by the time they reached Bali. After living there for five years, during which time she wrote another ten books, she and her family made the move to California.

Her first non-fiction book, CAN WE LIVE HERE, based on her family’s travels around the world to find a new home, was published in 2015.

While now writing predominantly for TV and film, Sarah remains a prolific author, writing women’s fiction under the name Mila Gray. Her novels in this genre include the #1 bestselling COME BACK TO ME, STAY WITH ME and RUN AWAY WITH ME.

Her adult psychological thrillers include: FRIENDS LIKE THESE, IN HER EYES and THE WEEKEND AWAY, which is soon to be a Netflix movie.

Her books have appeared in translation in Germany, Mexico, Brazil, France, Italy, Portugal, Russia and Poland.

Title:- The Girl Before Me

Author:- Laura Wolfe

No. of pages:- 305 pages

Date published:- will be published on 28th April 2022

Publisher:- Bookouture

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

I’m so worried. You aren’t safe in that apartment! You have to get out. Before it’s too late…

When Rachel moves into a new apartment with her young daughter, Lily, it’s with a huge sense of relief. After escaping an abusive marriage, this perfect downtown fourth floor rental, within minutes from the lake, feels like the new beginning the two of them deserve.

It’s a place to call home. A place for them to grow together. A place for them to heal. And, as Lily starts at a nearby elementary school, and Rachel begins to develop feelings for her neighbor, Alex, who lives just down the hall, she dares to hope that their life is looking up.

But soon handwritten letters begin to arrive for someone called Annie. Alex says she was just the tenant who lived there before, who moved out one day without a word. Tentatively Rachel opens the first letter, intending to return it to the sender.

But the note says ‘Annie. I’m so worried. You aren’t safe in that apartment! You have to get out. Before it’s too late.’

Something happened to Annie. And Rachel is not nearly as safe as she thinks she is…

A totally unputdownable gripping thriller, perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Shari Lapena and Gillian Flynn.

WOW….This is simply wow for me.

Rachel Gleason moves into an apartment with her daughter, Lily who is about to start at en elite school. She is freshly divorced after having an abusive relationship with her husband Keith. When she moved into the apartment and checking the new mail box, she finds a letter from Julia in Australia addressing to her sister, Annie who used to live in the same apartment as Rachel right now. In the letter Julia has asked Annie to leave the apartment. When Rachel tries to dig in, Annie had left the apartment suddenly, taking away her furniture and everything. No one in the building knows what happened to Annie. But Rachel is determined to know more about her previous occupant.

To me, this was actually a fast paced thriller that will keep you on the edge of the seat. This was quite unputdownable and there were some twists and turns in nearly every chapter. What I liked about this book was there are so many suspects who may have been involved with Annie’s disappearance–the principal at the school Rachel’s daughter Lily is attending to, Rachel’s new lover Alex, Rachel new friend Bridget…the list goes on and on. The ending was unexpected. The author’s writing was really good and did a good job of hooking the reader into the story and making the reader feel like they are a part of the story. Overall, I actually enjoyed reading this thriller!

If you like an unputdownable, fast paced thriller with twists and turns that will keep you on the edge, then this book is one for you–worth five stars!

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

Laura Wolfe is an Amazon charts bestselling author who writes fast-paced and twisty psychological thrillers and suspense novels. Her recent titles published by Bookouture include WE LIVE NEXT DOOR, HER BEST FRIEND’S LIE, SHE LIES ALONE, and TWO WIDOWS. Laura’s YA mystery series and adult suspense novel, TOP PRODUCER, have been shortlisted for multiple indie book awards. Laura is a lover of animals and nature. When she is not writing, she can be found hanging out with her husband and two kids, growing vegetables in her garden, or spoiling her rescue dog. She enjoys living in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Title:- The Widow’s Husband

Author:- Lesley Sanderson

No. of pages:- 277 pages

Date published:- will be published on 21st April 2022

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:- 3/5 stars

For seven years I believed my husband was dead – until the note arrived this morning…

The day her husband Tom disappeared, Rachel’s life fell apart. Childhood sweethearts with two young children, they’d done everything together. And then, suddenly, Tom was gone. Without a word, without a note, without a single sign of where he might be, leaving Rachel to survive alone.

Now, nearly seven years later, Rachel has come to terms with life as a single mother, caring for their children who still secretly long for their father’s miraculous return.

But in his absence, Tom’s hidden life started to emerge, and Rachel has discovered things a wife should never have to. A secret life that betrayed everything Rachel thought she knew. Not knowing where he’d gone was no longer the main worry keeping her awake at night – it seemed much more likely he’d been silenced. Forever.

Until today, when – with just one month until Tom is to be declared legally dead – Rachel receives a note in handwriting she recognises with dread:

My darling, I’ve missed you so much. Give me a chance to explain. I’m coming home.

The husband she’d lost is alive.

And so are all his secrets…

Rachel’s husband, Tom went missing seven years ago. Before he disappeared he was having an extra marital affair with a woman named Heidi. Now after seven years, Rachel was ready to declare legally that her husband is dead until she starts receiving notes from her missing husband…after all these years.

The plot of the story is great but I feel like this was more a slow burn thriller. Not much twists and turns you would expect in a thriller. The story started out slightly boring though when Rachel started receiving the notes things began to get a little bit interesting. However, I felt the story was direct–knew who was going to be the mysterious person who was sending the notes and I kind of predicted the ending as well, so it wasn’t that exciting thriller to me. Nevertheless, the author’s writing was good.

This is a short review so I would say, this is an OK thriller. Worth three stars

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

Title:- Nanny Needed

Author:- Georgina Cross

Date published:- will be published on April 28th 2022

Publisher:- Avon

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

When Sarah Larsen answers the Bird family’s advertisement, her life changes overnight.

The job seems like a dream come true: nannying in a glamorous penthouse apartment with a salary that adds several zeroes to her current income.

Sarah signs the contract binding her to complete secrecy without a second thought. These are important people, after all – they can’t be too careful about who they let into their home.

All is well until events in Sarah’s life begin to take a sinister turn and the trail leads back to the Birds. She soon realises there’s something very strange about the family.

But by then, is it too late for her?

A completely gripping psychological thriller from the author of the number one bestseller The Stepdaughter. Perfect for fans of The Nanny, The Couple Next Door and The Family Upstairs.

I have read two books from this author and I actually enjoyed reading her books. So I was super excited when I got my hands on this book. And yes, Georgina Cross did not disappoint.

Sarah Larsen is in heaps of debts. So when she sees an ad about a nanny wanted for an elite family in Upper West Side, it was too good to be true and was hoping to solve the financial issues that she and her fiance Jonathan are facing. The family is none other than Birds family and Collette gets acquanited with Sarah. But soon, Sarah find a disturbing secret about the Birds family that might threaten her new career and…her life.

I have to say wow! I was literally hooked into the story from start to finish! The story is intense, told mainly from Sarah’s perspectives. This was actually a fast paced thriller, quite unputdownable with twists and thrills along the way. Though I expected that type of ending to happen, nonetheless, the story kept me hooked and I was literally thrown to the edge of the seat! The writing was really great as the author did a good job of drawing the reader into the story.

This is such a roller coaster ride–a fast paced thriller with twists and turns and quite unputdownable–worth five stars!

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

Georgina Cross is the author of NANNY NEEDED with Bantam, Penguin Random House, and THE STEPDAUGHTER and THE MISSING WOMAN with Bookouture, Hachette Publishing. Three more books will publish in 2022 and 2023. All works are psychological suspense/thriller.

She is represented by Rachel Beck with Liza Dawson Associates with her books appealing to readers of The Good Girl by Mary Kubica, The Marriage Lie by Kimberly Belle, The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth, and Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty.

Georgina has been writing since she was a child. Notebooks & printed pages filled with stories: adventures growing up in New Orleans and tales from Malaysia & England where her family lives. After graduating from Louisiana State University, she enjoyed a career in marketing & communications and founded Susie’s Wish non-profit which sends patients with life threatening illnesses to the beach. She spends time with her husband and their combined family of four sons watching scary movies and basketball tournaments and is thrilled to be a full-time author.

Title:- The Breakdown

Author:- Arianne Richmonde

Date published:- will be published on 11th April 2022

No. of pages:- 327 pages

Publisher:- Bookouture

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:- 4/5 stars

My family keep telling me I’m safe. But why don’t I believe them?

I stand at the very edge of the cliff face, looking at the roaring ocean below my feet. I’m in no danger, in fact my husband and his sister talk just feet away from me, watching my every move. They’re worried I’m losing my mind, and I sense their nerves as they watch me looking down on the jagged rocks below.

Behind them sits our summer house. Apparently it’s my favourite place in the world, not that I can remember. Since the car accident, I’ve struggled to recall a lot of important things in my life, like giving birth to my daughter, Violet, just days after the crash. Or my supposedly perfect marriage…

As I stare at the huge expanse of blue below, I have a flashback to the day of the crash—an argument, my husband’s face red with anger. Why is it so different to what everyone else is telling me about my life? Beads of sweat gather on my neck.

If my memory is true, my life and my children’s lives are in danger. What really happened the day of the accident? And is there anyone I can trust?

An absolutely gripping psychological thriller for fans of Gone Girl, The Wife Between Us and Mark Edwards’s Here to Stay. The Breakdown will have you hooked!

This was actually a good psychological thriller book!

Celeste has lost part of her memory due to a car accident. She lost her infant child Violet. Meanwhile, Celeste’s husband Maz hires a British au pair, Jayne Smith. Then one day, Celester’s four year old daughter Lizzie goes missing.

The first part of the chapter was slightly boring to me in my opinion. The story is told from Celeste’s. Jayne’s and Stephen who is Celeste’s doctor’s perspectives. But when Lizzie goes missing, then things start getting interesting as the police gets involved. From the middle part of the book onewards, the story gets intense and fast paced with thrills and twists along the way. The ending is what actually blew me off and I did not expect that kind of ending at all.

The author’s writing style was great and the author did a good job of at least drawing the reader into the story by the middle of the book. The characters in the story are nearly unlikable yet that did not deter me from reading the story. Overall, if you like an unputdownable thriller, then this book will be the one for you. Worth four stars!

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

Arianne Richmonde is s the USA TODAY bestselling author of the psychological thrillers, THE WIFE’S HOUSE and THE NEWLYWEDS (published by Bookouture, Hachette UK). Her Pearl series has sold more than half a million copies worldwide. Her stories are always character-driven and full of unexpected twists and turns.

When not writing about the passions and fragilities of human nature, she loves to spend time with her husband and their animals, including a femme fatale Husky with one blue eye and one golden eye. Arianne’s a chocaholic and sometimes sneaks off to sunny, exotic locations, all in the name of research.

For updates on new releases, sales and giveaways please sign up for her Newsletter by going to: https://bit.ly/2ZoRQVx (copy and paste to your browser). Or join her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorArianneRichmonde/ or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arianne_richmonde/or send her an email ariannerichmonde@gmail.com – she loves hearing from readers and will always reply.