Date published:- will be published on March 3rd 2022
Genre:- Psychological Thriller
Rating:-
‘On May 26, 2004, Jessie Germaine went to school as normal and cheered at the end of year rally. That evening, she rode her bike into the forest and disappeared…into thin air.’
Margo hasn’t been back to Lake Moss since her school friend went missing. But as she returns, running from a failed marriage, the news breaks. Her hometown’s swimming hole has been Jessie’s grave for fifteen years.
Digging out her old diary, and steeling herself to face unfriendly ghosts of the past, Margo sets out to help a documentary crew as they investigate the infamous case the police bungled.
In a town where everyone knows everyone – but they all have secrets – the killer is certain to be close to home…
After reading The Family Tree, written by the very same authors, I got an invitation from the publisher to review their latest book, When She Disappeared, about a high school student named Jessie who went missing years ago.
The story starts with a couple of teenagers who go cliff jumping and finds the skeletal remains of a girl stored in a cooler. The girl is Jessie Germaine who disappeared years ago. Margo after dealing with Jessie’s disappearance and her mother’s death returns back to Lake Moss after being away for years and her failed marriage. She along with Austin sets out to question a few of Jessie’s friends for their podcast. But Margot receives threatening messages from someone, who does not want them to dig into the past.
Initially, the story started out a little boring. But soon, it gained momentum towards the middle, became fast paced. However, there were not much twists and turns you would expect in a thriller but nonetheless, the authors managed to draw the reader into the story. The ending…now that’s what I want to talk about. The ending was totally unexpected and for a moment I couldn’t even believe that the book ended in that way.
Overall, this is a good thriller book, quiet unputdownable that will keep you up all night–worth five stars
Many thanks to Netgalley and Avon the for ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
Date published:- will be published on 1st February 2022
Genre:- Literary Women’s Fiction
Rating:-
Two estrangedsisters find that forgiveness never goes out of style when they inherit their mother’s vintage jackets, purses… and pearls of wisdom
Estranged half-sisters Gabrielle Winslow and Lulu Quattro have only two things in common: mounds of debt and coils of unresolved enmity toward Bette Bradford, their controlling and imperious recently deceased mother.
Gabrielle, the firstborn, was raised in relative luxury on Manhattan’s rarefied Upper East Side. Now, at fifty-five, her life as a Broadway costume designer married to a heralded Broadway producer has exploded in divorce.
Lulu, who spent half her childhood under the tutelage of her working-class Brooklyn grandparents, is a grieving widow at forty-eight. With her two sons grown, her life feels reduced to her work at the Ditmas Park bakery owned by her late husband’s family.
The two sisters arrive for the reading of their mother’s will, expecting to divide a sizable inheritance, pay off their debts, and then again turn their backs on each other.
But to their shock, what they have been left is their mother’s secret walk-in closet jammed with high-end current and vintage designer clothes and accessories— most from Chanel.
Contemplating the scale of their mother’s self-indulgence, the sisters can’t help but wonder if Lauren Weisberger had it wrong: because it seems, in fact, that the devil wore Chanel. But as they being to explore their mother’s collection, meet and fall in love with her group of warm, wonderful friends, and magically find inspiring messages tucked away in her treasures — it seems as though their mother is advising Lulu and Gabrielle from the beyond — helping them rediscover themselves and restore their relationship with each other.
Two sisters, Gabrielle and Lulu, their mother dies leaving them only a small amount of fortune. Both the sisters have heaps of debts to pay and the money they both inherited from their mother is not very sufficient. However, they find a hidden closet in their mother’s house and when they open the closet, they find dozens and dozens of branded items, mainly Chanel items. While working out what to do with the items, the two sister’s relationship which was estranged before started to build.
The writing was great and the author did a good job of drawing the reader into the story, to feel like they are in this part of adventure with Lulu and Gabrielle. I do like how the relationship between Lulu and Gabrielle slowly developed and also I like there’s a backstory behind this novel. There were some funny parts in the book as well, the fact that Lulu is Jewish and the all these traditions the meals, the food is all interesting to read as well. Initially it was a bit boring at first but soon towards the middle of the book it got interesting. Though the ending was slightly predictable, I did like how the book ended..
Overall, I actually enjoyed this book–the writing was spot on, enjoyed and laughed about the book. Worth five stars in my opinion!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
Leigh Collier has worked hard to build what looks like a normal life. She’s an up-and-coming defense attorney at a prestigious law firm in Atlanta, would do anything for her sixteen-year-old daughter Maddy, and is managing to successfully coparent through a pandemic after an amicable separation from her husband Walter.
HIDES A DEVASTATING PAST…
But Leigh’s ordinary life masks a childhood no one should have to endure … a childhood tarnished by secrets, broken by betrayal, and ultimately destroyed by a brutal act of violence.
BUT NOW THE PAST IS CATCHING UP…
On a Sunday night at her daughter’s school play, she gets a call from one of the firm’s partners who wants Leigh to come on board to defend a wealthy man accused of multiple counts of rape. Though wary of the case, it becomes apparent she doesn’t have much choice if she wants to keep her job. They’re scheduled to go to trial in one week. When she meets the accused face-to-face, she realizes that it’s no coincidence that he’s specifically asked for her to represent him. She knows him. And he knows her. More to the point, he may know what happened over twenty years ago, and why Leigh has spent two decades avoiding her past.
AND TIME IS RUNNING OUT.
Suddenly she has a lot more to lose than this case. The only person who can help is her younger, estranged sister Callie—the last person Leigh would ever want to drag into this after all they’ve been through. But with the life-shattering truth in danger of being revealed, she has no choice…
Content Warning:- Rape, Sexual Assault of minors, Murder, Mutilation, Drugs and substances
I have been a fan of Karin Slaughter’s books and this is her fifth book and her second standalone novel I have read, having read Will Trent books. So I ordered this book and was glad I got hold of this book. The story starts with two sisters–Harleigh and Callie who gets involved in a murder of a pedophile named Buddy Waleski. Buddy had been raping and beating Callie and at the same time was recording the incident. The two sisters killed Buddy, in such a way and destroyed all the evidence and thought they were able to get away.
But they were wrong. Many years later now, Leigh is working as a lawyer and Andrew Tennant asked Leigh to be his lawyer over a violent rape case committed by him. Leigh knew Andrew–he was Buddy’s son whom Leigh and Callie had been babysitting. But Andrew, who they thought were sleeping when they committed the murder seemed to be the witness that fateful night.
I will start with the good things–the story was sent during the COVID pandemic, the regulations set in courts due to pandemic is realistic. Slaughter’s writing is engaging and at times, there were emotional and heartbreaking parts as well. I do like the strained sisterly relationship between Leigh and Callie, their estranged relationship with their mother, most of Slaughter’s books are based on estranged and dangerous relationships. Callie’s drug addiction is seemed to realistic and disturbing to read as well.
The bad thing is, again, the descriptions of the murder case is at times too disturbing to read–which is I supposed Slaughter’s work. And the book was a bit too long that I got bored at some parts.
Overall, it was a fast paced thriller–worth five stars!
Karin Slaughter is one of the world’s most popular and acclaimed storytellers. Published in 120 countries with more than 35 million copies sold across the globe, her 21 novels include the Grant County and Will Trent books, as well as the Edgar-nominated COP TOWN and the instant NYT bestselling stand-alone novels PRETTY GIRLS, THE GOOD DAUGHTER, and PIECES OF HER. Slaughter is the founder of the Save the Libraries project—a nonprofit organization established to support libraries and library programming. A native of Georgia, she lives in Atlanta. Her stand-alone novel PIECES OF HER is in development with Netflix, starring Toni Collette, and the Grant County and Will Trent series are in development for television.
Date published:- will be published on 8th February 2022
No. of pages:- 352 pages
Genre:- Women’s Fiction
Rating:-
When Keira first receives her breast cancer diagnosis, she never expects to end up joining a running group with three women she’s only just met. Totally blind-sided, all she can think about is how she doesn’t want to tell her family or step back from work. Nor does she want to be part of a group of fellow cancer patients. Cancer is not her club.
And yet it’s running – hot, sweaty, lycra-clad running in the company of brilliant, funny women all going through treatment – that unexpectedly gives Keira the hope she so urgently needs. Because Keira will not be defined by the C-word. And now, with the Cancer Ladies’ Running Club cheering her on, she is going to reclaim everything: her family, her identity, and her life.
One step at a time.
Moving, uplifting and full of hope, this is a beautifully crafted novel about love, family and the power of finding your tribe.
This is such an emotional and poignant novel I have read that this book actually brought tears into my eyes!
Keira gets the most horrible news–she was diagnosed with breast cancer. While awaiting for therapy, she meets a woman named Tamsin who asks her to joins running with her. Along with Keira, Tamsin, Amma and Sian also joins. All these women shared one thing–they all suffer from cancer. This book basically talks about friendship and the courage and bravery of these four women as they go through the journey together. And these four women then forms their own running club, known as the Bright Side Running Club.
This book is beautifully written and is told from Keira’s perspective. This book is also based on the author’s personal experience as a breast cancer survivor. The procedure of going through cancer treatment, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and the after effects of these treatments, is so realistic and yet Keira and all these women didn’t give up their will to live. It talks about how some people could be nasty towards Keira, taking advantage of her fragile state and at the same time talks about people who support and cares for them. I was so immersed into the book that I simply couldn’t put this book down! The writing was really good, beautifully written, the author doing a good job of drawing the reader into the story and making the reader feel like they are a part of the story and going on the journey with Keira as well.
This is such a moving, uplifting story that is heartbreaking, emotional tear-jerking all at the same time and there were some funny parts in the book too that made you out loud. Truly a touching novel. Worth five stars!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
Josie Lloyd’s first novel, It Could Be You, was published in 1997 and since then she’s written fifteen bestselling novels (as Joanna Rees and other pen names) including the number one hit Come Together, which she co-authored with her husband, Emlyn Rees, which was number one for ten weeks, published in twenty-seven languages and made into a Working Title film. Josie has also written several best-selling parodies with Emlyn, including We’re Going On A Bar Hunt, The Very Hungover Caterpillar and The Teenager Who Came To Tea. They both live together in Brighton with their three daughters and their dog.
In 2017 Josie was diagnosed with breast cancer, picked up on a voluntary mammogram. She underwent an operation, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, during which she met a group of women with whom she ran with regularly. Despite all of them being affected by cancer, and being in the middle of chemo and completely bald herself, she entered and finished the Brighton Marathon 10K with her gang of running mates.
This amazing experience inspired her latest novel, The Cancer Ladies’ Running Club, which is to be published by HQ in May 2021.
Thanks to the amazing cancer treatment available here in the UK, Josie is restored to fine health and is now an Ambassador for The Sussex Cancer Fund. She believes that a mid-life shake-up has been no bad thing and that it’s possible to not just survive cancer, but to positively thrive because of the experience of going through it.
She hopes that her book will enlighten people who are – like she was – terrified even of the word ‘cancer’. She also hopes that it will bring comfort and hope to people who have been affected by this dreadful disease.
Date published:- will be published on January 27th 2022
Genre:- Psychological Thriller
Rating:- 3/ 5 stars
You’re on your honeymoon at an exclusive couples-only resort.
You receive a note warning you to ‘Beware of the couple at the table nearest to yours’. At dinner that night, five other couples are present, and none of their tables is any nearer or further away than any of the others. It’s as if someone has set the scene in order to make the warning note meaningless – but why would anyone do that?
You have no idea.
You also don’t know that you’re about to be murdered, or that once you’re dead, all the evidence will suggest that no one there that night could possibly have committed the crime.
So who might be trying to warn you? And who might be about to commit the perfect impossible murder?
I really like the plot and the story and I have to say I was looking forward to reading this book. I was also excited when the publisher granted the ARC and I was looking forward to reading this one.
But I am having mixed feelings about this book and it’s in my opinion an OK thriller so let’s start with the good ones.
The plot of the story was really good and unique. There are six couples at a table in a vacation house and each of them gets a note “Beware of the Couple Next to you,” then one woman, Jane Brinkwood, who is the wife of William Gleave who happened to be the ex-husband of Lucy, the main protagonist gets stabbed and murdered. Which of the couple is responsible for Jane’s murder? So as I said, the plot was interesting and unique.
But as I read the story, it got a bit boring. Too much dialogue and at times it was a bit confusing. It wasn’t fast paced, not much of twists and turns you would expect in a thriller and overall, the ending was nothing new. The writing was OK but nonetheless, I didn’t enjoy this book as I thought I should.
Overall, I give this book as three stars!
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
Sophie Hannah is an internationally bestselling crime fiction writer whose books have sold millions of copies worldwide. Her crime novels have been translated into 49 languages and published in 51 countries. Her psychological thriller The Carrier won the Crime Thriller of the Year Award at the 2013 UK National Book Awards. In 2014 and 2016, Sophie published The Monogram Murders and Closed Casket, the first new Hercule Poirot mysteries since Agatha Christie’s death, both of which were national and international bestsellers. She went on to publish a third, The Mystery of Three Quarters in 2018 which was an instant bestseller, and her fourth Poirot novel, The Killings at Kingfisher Hill will be published in August 2020. Sophie helped to create a Master’s Degree in Crime and Thriller Writing at the University of Cambridge, for which she is the main teacher and Course Director. She is also the founder of the Dream Author Coaching Programme for writers which launched in September 2019.
Sophie is also an award-winning, bestselling poet, and her poetry is studied at GCSE level across the UK. She has co-written two murder mystery musicals with composer Annette Armitage: The Mystery of Mr. E and Work Experience. She has written a self-help book called How To Hold a Grudge: From Resentment to Contentment – The Power of Grudges to Transform Your Life, and hosts the How to Hold a Grudge podcast.
Sophie lives with her husband, children and dog in Cambridge, where she is an Honorary Fellow of Lucy Cavendish College.
Think you know the person you married? Think again…
Things have been wrong with Mr and Mrs Wright for a long time. When Adam and Amelia win a weekend away to Scotland, it might be just what their marriage needs. Self-confessed workaholic and screenwriter Adam Wright has lived with face blindness his whole life. He can’t recognize friends or family, or even his own wife.
Every anniversary the couple exchange traditional gifts–paper, cotton, pottery, tin–and each year Adam’s wife writes him a letter that she never lets him read. Until now. They both know this weekend will make or break their marriage, but they didn’t randomly win this trip. One of them is lying, and someone doesn’t want them to live happily ever after.
Ten years of marriage. Ten years of secrets. And an anniversary they will never forget.
Rock Paper Scissors is the latest exciting domestic thriller from the queen of the killer twist, New York Times bestselling author Alice Feeney.
I was high anticipating to read this book and I saw some raving reviews on this book. I haven’t read her His and Hers yet, which will apparently soon turn to a TV series.
Well, it was good. But not as good as I thought it would be.
Meet Adam and Amelia, who are facing some marital problems. In order to solve their issues, Amelia, wins a holiday getaway to Scotland as she hopes this would work out their marital problems. They stay in at a local chapel but soon, their problems were far from over when they spend the night at the chapel.
The story is told mainly from Adam’s , Amelia’s and a woman named Robin’s perspectives. You will find who Robin is by the end of the book so I would say, Robin is somewhat an important character. The first few chapters were boring but soon, towards the middle, it got more and more interesting and twists and turns started developing. The ending–all right, I really liked the ending. I actually did not expect that type of ending, at all….I mean, I was thinking that the story might end this way but boy, the ending left me flabbergasted. Because of the dramatic ending only, I decided that this book actually worth four stars.
I am yet to read the first book but in my opinion, this was a good thriller–not really fast paced but definitely there were twists and turns towards the end and a dramatic ending you didn’t actually expect. Worth four stars!
Alice Feeney is a New York Times bestselling author and journalist. Her debut novel, Sometimes I Lie, was an international bestseller, has been translated into over twenty languages, and is being made into a TV series by Warner Bros. starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. His & Hers is also being adapted for screen by Jessica Chastain’s Freckle Films. Alice was a BBC Journalist for fifteen years, and now lives in the British countryside with her family. Rock Paper Scissors is her fourth novel and is being made into a TV series for Netflix by the producer of The Crown. It will be published around the world in 2021.
First blog post of the year!!! Today, I will be doing two book reviews–Stolen Angels, which is the ARC by Rita Herron and Rock, Paper, Scissors by Alice Fenney
Title:- Stolen Angels
Author:- Rita Herron
No. of pages:- 434 pages
Date published:- will be published on 27th January 2022
Publisher:- Bookouture
Genre:- Thriller
Rating:-
Twisting her hands together, she bites back a sob. She only turned her back for a second, and then her daughter was gone. Every mother in town would be hugging their children tighter tonight.
Lara is baking cupcakes when her daughter Ava runs to catch the school bus just one block away. Chasing after her, Lara sees the bus tumbling past, and waves. But Ava never turns up at school.
Detective Ellie Reeves is in arace against time to find her––in missing child cases, every second counts. Searching the small town of Crooked Creek, she finds the child’s bunny in the local park, the toy Ava carried around everywhere. Did Ava ever get on the bus?
While Ellie works around the clock, a local reporter gets a message: There are others missing girls out there. Digging into previous cases, Ellie discovers that another girl went missing on the same day the previous year. How many more children could there be?
Ellie is certain that the date means something––and that the person who sent the message is the key. But the community is up in arms, with everyone worried that their daughter will be next and blaming Ellie. The pressure is mounting, and time is running out to bring Ava home. Can Ellie solve the toughest case of her career––and save Ava––before it’s too late?
An utterly addictive and twist-packed thriller guaranteed to get your heart racing! Perfect for fans of Lisa Regan, Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot.
Content Warning:- Child Abduction
Detective Ellie Reeves is back!
Ava Truman is excited about Christmas and her mother Lara promised to bake her cupcakes. But on that fateful day, Lara had a migraine that she thought she dropped off Ava at the school bus stop. Three hours later, when Lara gets well, she bakes cupcakes and takes them to Ava’s school. But Ava was not in school. Worst of all, the bus driver confirms that Ava never got into the bus. Someone has kidnapped Ava.
And there’s a sexual predator who lives right across from Ava’s house. Now Ellie working along with FBI agent Derrick must find Ava and they both find out that Ava was not the first victim–another girl named Kaylee had gone missing on the day Ava went missing, few years ago. Did the same person who kidnapped Kaylee took Ava?
This is a fast paced thriller. Though there were about more than one hundred chapters, I didn’t feel bored and I was literally hooked into the story. The chapters were short though there were some long chapters. The writing was really good, the author doing a good job drawing the reader into the story. There were so many twists and turns–and too many suspects that you have no idea who actually took Ava. Is it her own father? Or her father’s girlfriend? Or that sexual predator who lives right across the street? Or was it some random stranger? It was so intriguing that I actually couldn’t wait who had kidnapped Ava. The ending was unexpected and I stayed up all night reading the book!
Overall, this book is unputdownable, giving you a rollercoaster ride with twists and turns you never would expect! Worth five stars and I can’t wait for the next one!
USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Rita Herron fell in love with books at the ripe age of eight when she read her first Trixie Belden mystery. But she didn’t think real people grew up to be writers, so she became a teacher instead. Now she writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job.
With over ninety books to her credit, she’s penned romantic suspense, romantic comedy, and YA novels, but she especially likes writing dark romantic suspense and crime fiction set in small southern towns.
For more on. Rita and her titles, visit her at http://www.ritaherron.com. You can also find her on Facebook/ritaherron.com and Twitter @ritaherron.
Hey all! 2021 has been a hectic year and hopefully 2022 will be better. In a few hours, we will be celebrating the year 2022 though I would be mostly sleeping by then….
I decided to do a summary of all the books I have read in the Year 2021
Total Number of books I have read:- 230 books
Total number of pages I have read:- 69, 371 pages
Top five thriller books I have read of the year 2021
The Girl from Silent Lake – Leslie Wolfe
Pretty Little Wife – Darby Kane
For Your Own Good- Samantha Downing
Survive the Night – Riley Sager
The Last Thing He Told Me – Laura Dave
Top three historical fictions books I have read of the year 2021
Those I have Lost – Sharon Mass
The Secret Keeper of Jaipur – Alka Joshi
A Web of Secrets – Roberta Kagan
Top books with a comical setting
Dial A for Aunties – Jesse Q Sutanto
For the Love of Friends- Sara Goodman Confino
My Favorite Half Night Stand – Christina Lauren
Best Debut Books of the Year 2021
The Firekeeper’s Daughter – Angeline Boulley
2. Tokyo Ever After – Emiko Jean
3. The Reading List – Sara Nisha Adams
4. My Sweet Girl – Amanda Jayatissa
So what are your best and worst picks of the year 2021?
Date published:- will be published on 13th January 2022
Publisher :- Bookouture
Genre:- Historical Fiction
Rating:-
Inspired by true events, this is a heart-stopping, unforgettable story of ordinary people fighting for survival in the darkest of times. Fans of Orphan Train, The Tattooist of Auschwitz and My Name is Eva will be utterly gripped by this beautiful, tragic World War Two novel.
Germany, 1939:Annaliese is trapped in a loveless marriage. Her husband Hans has become cold and secretive since starting a new job as a doctor at Dachau. Every morning she watches from her kitchen window as he leaves in his car. The sight of him in the dark uniform of the SS sends shivers of fear down her spine and she longs to escape…
When a tall, handsome Russian prisoner named Alexander is sent from Dachau to work in their garden, lonely Annaliese finds herself drawn to him as they tend to the plants together. In snatched moments and broken whispers, Alexander tells her the shocking truth about the camp. Horrified, Annaliese vows to do everything she can to save him.
But as they grow closer, their feelings for each other put their lives at risk. And Annaliese finds herself in grave danger when she dares to fight for love and freedom…
America, 1989: Turning the pages of the newspaper, Annaliese gasps when she recognizes the face of a man she thought she’d never see again. It makes her heart skip a beat as a rush of wartime memories come flooding back to her. As she reads on, she realizes the past is catching up with her. And she must confront a decades-old secret – or risk losing her only son…
This book is based on true events and reading this book actually made me emotional.
The story starts with Annaliese who is married to Hans Vogel. When the Nazis come to power, Hans, who is a doctor gets a job to work as a doctor at Dachau. Though Annaliese seem to be living a perfect picturesque German family, she is trapped in a loveless marriage as she watches her husband, dressed in dark SS uniform leaving to work.
Soon, her husband, brings in a gardener, a Russian prisoner named Alexander. Annaliese soon finds solace and companionship and the two develop a friendship which in turn become a romantic relationship. Alexander tells Annaliese about the conditions at the camp, leaving her shocked as she vowed to save Alexander.
This book is beautifully written and I have to say, the author has done tremendous amount of research to make this into a factual story. Though the characters in the book are fictional, the emotions and feelings that each of these characters are facing seem too real. The appalling conditions at the camp, the brutal experiments that were conducted at the concentration camp was too disturbing to read that the reader must pause for a second that these things actually did happen in real life. Needless to say, my favorite part in the book was the blossoming romance between Annaliese and Alexander. The ending was really heartbreaking and touching as the story ended in the 1990’s with the death of Annaliese.
Overall, if you are into truly emotional and sensitive historical topic that covers Holocaust, this book is highly recommended. Worth five stars!
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
Debbie Rix has written seven novels, the latest of which – ‘The German Wife’ – will be published on 13th January 2022. As an ex-journalist, historical accuracy is key, and she strives to weave her stories around real life events. ‘The research process is vital,’ she says. ‘I work on the principle that if I find something fascinating, then so too will my readers.’
Her novels have been published in several languages – including Italian and Czech and her 5th novel ‘The Secret Letter’ will soon come out in Russia.
Debbie spends a lot of time in Italy and that country is the setting for 5 of her 7 novels. When not travelling she lives in the Kent countryside with her journalist husband, children, chickens and four cats. She began her career with the BBC – initially as the news reader on Breakfast Time, thereafter appearing as a presenter and reporter on a variety of factual and light entertainment television series. She had a spell as an Agony Aunt, and has also written about gardens and gardening – one of her private passions.
Hello All! Now 2021 is coming to an end and soon 2022 will be coming up next. So many great books seemed to be coming out in the year of 2022 and there are so many books that I couldn’t wait until it get published!
So here is my list of anticipated books of the year 2022
The Book of Cold Cases – Simone St James
After reading The Broken Girls and The Sun Down Motel, I simply cannot wait for this book to come and has been anticipating for this book. This book will be published on March 15th 2022
A true crime blogger gets more than she bargained for while interviewing the woman acquitted of two cold case slayings in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel.
In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Twomen, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect–a rich, eccentric twenty-three-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion.
Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases–a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea’s surprise, Beth says yes.
They meet regularly at Beth’s mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she’s not looking, and she could swear she’s seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn’t right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?
2. The Paris Apartment – Lucy Foley
This is another book I couldn’t wait to get my hands on–after reading The Guest List, I couldn’t wait to read Lucy Foley’s next book. This book will be released on February 22nd 2022
Jess needs a fresh start. She’s broke and alone, and she’s just left her job under less than ideal circumstances. Her half-brother Ben didn’t sound thrilled when she asked if she could crash with him for a bit, but he didn’t say no, and surely everything will look better from Paris. Only when she shows up – to find a very nice apartment, could Ben really have afforded this? – he’s not there.
The longer Ben stays missing, the more Jess starts to dig into her brother’s situation, and the more questions she has. Ben’s neighbors are an eclectic bunch, and not particularly friendly. Jess may have come to Paris to escape her past, but it’s starting to look like it’s Ben’s future that’s in question.
The socialite – The nice guy – The alcoholic – The girl on the verge – The concierge
Everyone’s a neighbor. Everyone’s a suspect. And everyone knows something they’re not telling.
3. Book Lovers – Emily Henry
I am yet to read The Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation which I already ordered and couldn’t wait to so I am waiting to read this book too. This book will be published on May 3rd 2022
One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn’t see coming…
Nora Stephens’ life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.
Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.
If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves
4. The Maid – Nita Prose
This seem to be having a higher rating on Goodreads and so I cannot wait to read the book–the plot seem to be interesting. Will be released on January 4th 2022
Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.
Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.
But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?
A Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different—and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart
5. I kissed Shara Wheeler – Casey McQuiston
The plot sounded interesting with good rating on Goodreads and I am yet to read Casey McQuiston books Red White and Blue and One Stop. Will be releasing on May 3rd 2022
From the New York Times bestselling author of One Last Stop and Red, White & Royal Blue comes a debut YA romantic comedy about chasing down what you want, only to find what you need…
Chloe Green is so close to winning. After her moms moved her from SoCal to Alabama for high school, she’s spent the past four years dodging gossipy classmates and a puritanical administration at Willowgrove Christian Academy. The thing that’s kept her going: winning valedictorian. Her only rival: prom queen Shara Wheeler, the principal’s perfect progeny.
But a month before graduation, Shara kisses Chloe and vanishes.
On a furious hunt for answers, Chloe discovers she’s not the only one Shara kissed. There’s also Smith, Shara’s longtime quarterback sweetheart, and Rory, Shara’s bad boy neighbor with a crush. The three have nothing in common except Shara and the annoyingly cryptic notes she left behind, but together they must untangle Shara’s trail of clues and find her. It’ll be worth it, if Chloe can drag Shara back before graduation to beat her fair-and-square.
Thrown into an unlikely alliance, chasing a ghost through parties, break-ins, puzzles, and secrets revealed on monogrammed stationery, Chloe starts to suspect there might be more to this small town than she thought. And maybe—probably not, but maybe—more to Shara, too.
Fierce, funny, and frank, Casey McQuiston’s I Kissed Shara Wheeler is about breaking the rules, getting messy, and finding love in unexpected places.
6. Violeta – Isabel Allende
I like reading Isabel Allende’s books and so I cannot wait for this latest historical fiction of hers. Will be released on January 25th 2022
This sweeping novel from the New York Times bestselling author of A Long Petal of the Sea tells the epic story of Violeta del Valle, a woman whose life spans one hundred years and bears witness to the greatest upheavals of the twentieth century.
Violeta comes into the world on a stormy day in 1920, the first girl in a family of five boisterous sons. From the start, her life will be marked by extraordinary events, for the ripples of the Great War are still being felt, even as the Spanish flu arrives on the shores of her South American homeland almost at the moment of her birth.
Through her father’s prescience, the family will come through that crisis unscathed, only to face a new one as the Great Depression transforms the genteel city life she has known. Her family loses all and is forced to retreat to a wild and beautiful but remote part of the country. There, she will come of age, and her first suitor will come calling. . . .
She tells her story in the form of a letter to someone she loves above all others, recounting devastating heartbreak and passionate affairs, times of both poverty and wealth, terrible loss and immense joy. Her life will be shaped by some of the most important events of history: the fight for women’s rights, the rise and fall of tyrants, and, ultimately, not one but two pandemics.
Told through the eyes of a woman whose unforgettable passion, determination, and sense of humor will carry her through a lifetime of upheaval, Isabel Allende once more brings us an epic that is both fiercely inspiring and deeply emotional.
7. Black Cake – Charmaine Wilerson
In development as a Hulu original series produced by Marissa Jo Cerar, Oprah Winfrey (Harpo Films), and Kapital Entertainment
We can’t choose what we inherit. But can we choose who we become?
In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett’s death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a traditional Caribbean black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking tale Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child, challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their lineage, and themselves.
Can Byron and Benny reclaim their once-close relationship, piece together Eleanor’s true history, and fulfill her final request to “share the black cake when the time is right”? Will their mother’s revelations bring them back together or leave them feeling more lost than ever?
Charmaine Wilkerson’s debut novel is a story of how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories, and even names, can shape relationships and history. Deeply evocative and beautifully written, Black Cake is an extraordinary journey through the life of a family changed forever by the choices of its matriarch.
8. One Italian Summer – Rebecca Serle
When Katy’s mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mom, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, their planned mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: two weeks in Positano, the magical town Carol spent the summer right before she met Katy’s father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone.
But as soon as she steps foot on the Amalfi Coast, Katy begins to feel her mother’s spirit. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliffsides, delightful residents, and, of course, delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life.
And then Carol appears—in the flesh, healthy, sun-tanned, and thirty years old. Katy doesn’t understand what is happening, or how—all she can focus on is that she has somehow, impossibly, gotten her mother back. Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman before her. She is not exactly who Katy imagined she might be, however, and soon Katy must reconcile the mother who knew everything with the young woman who does not yet have a clue.
9. The Golden Couple – Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekanen
If Avery Chambers can’t fix you in 10 sessions, she won’t take you on as a client. Her successes are phenomenal–she helps people overcome everything from domineering parents to assault–and almost absorb the emptiness she sometimes feels since her husband’s death.
Marissa and Mathew Bishop seem like the golden couple–until Marissa cheats. She wants to repair things, both because she loves her husband and for the sake of their 8-year-old son. After a friend forwards an article about Avery, Marissa takes a chance on this maverick therapist, who lost her license due to controversial methods.
When the Bishops glide through Avery’s door and Marissa reveals her infidelity, all three are set on a collision course. Because the biggest secrets in the room are still hidden, and it’s no longer simply a marriage that’s in danger.
10. The Night Shift – Alex Finlaye
It’s New Year’s Eve 1999. Y2K is expected to end in chaos: planes falling from the sky, elevators plunging to earth, world markets collapsing. A digital apocalypse. None of that happens. But at a Blockbuster Video in Linden, New Jersey, four teenage girls working the night shift are attacked. Only one survives. Police quickly identify a suspect who flees and is never seen again.
Fifteen years later, in the same town, four teenage employees working late at an ice cream store are attacked, and again only one makes it out alive.
Both surviving victims recall the killer speaking only a few final words… “Goodnight, pretty girl.”
In the aftermath, three lives intersect: the survivor of the Blockbuster massacre who’s forced to relive her tragedy; the brother of the original suspect, who’s convinced the police have it wrong; and the FBI agent, who’s determined to solve both cases. On a collision course toward the truth, all three lives will forever be changed, and not everyone will make it out alive.
Twisty, poignant, and redemptive, The Night Shift is a story about the legacy of trauma and how the broken can come out on the other side, and it solidifies Alex Finlay as one of the new leading voices in the world of thrillers
So which of these books are you waiting most for next year? Leave a comment below!
![When She Disappeared: The twisty new psychological thriller that will keep you turning the pages in 2022 by [Steph Mullin, Nicole Mabry]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41Zib7LuUtL.jpg)
![The Fashion Orphans by [Randy Susan Meyers, M.J. Rose]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/511wm3mkDIL.jpg)
![False Witness: A Novel by [Karin Slaughter]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41jsSqYm8QL._SY346_.jpg)
![The Couple at the Table: The new, must-read gripping thriller by [Sophie Hannah]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Nn9XyI9uL.jpg)
![The German Wife: An absolutely gripping and heartbreaking WW2 historical novel, inspired by true events by [Debbie Rix]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51bN0dMiGaL.jpg)
Tropical Girl Reads 