Tropical Girl Reads

Title:- The Baby Shower

Author:- S.E. Lynes

Date published:- will be published on 1st March 2022

Publisher:- Bookouture

No. of pages:- 360 pages

Gnere:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

She doesn’t know I’m there, watching her in the mirror. She slides her hand under her blouse. And then I see something impossible. She isn’t pregnant…

She bursts into my life like a storm, and nothing is the same again. She seems so perfect, with her lilting laugh and her beautiful face. One by one, I watch as my friends fall under her spell.

Only I seem to suspect something. Only I see that her smiles don’t reach her cold, furious eyes. And when I’m accused of things I didn’t do, when my home is vandalized, I know she’s behind it. But she only lets her mask slip when no one is looking, so if I say anything, I’ll look crazy.

So when the baby shower comes around I’m there, sitting on a velvet sofa in a posh hotel room, surrounded by balloons. We share gifts, we pour small glasses of champagne, and she beams, her bump just visible under her bright red shirt.

But that afternoon, I finally learn the unbelievable truth.

There is no baby…

This was actually really good!

Jane and Sophie had been friends…until Lexie comes along. Lexie changes Jane’s life drastically so much that she loses her only friend Sophie to her, who has fallen into her spell. Lexie somehow makes Jane’s life miserable, for no reason. Then both Sophie and Lexie gets pregnant and Lexie hosts a baby shower at her expense. By chance, Jane sneaks into Lexie in the bathroom…and finds that she wasn’t pregnant and has been faking it…

Initially, it started out a little slow but gradually, it started gaining its momentum. The story is told from Jane’s perspective mostly and also Frankie, Jane’s boyfriend, who falls into a woman named Natasha’s charm. Towards the middle of the book, with the start of the baby shower–things start getting interesting with Jane finding out that Lexie is faking her pregnancy. Jane being a loyal friend tells Sophie who dismisses her and the two friends stop talking. It was really intense what with Jane finding out about Frankie and soon, the ending got really interesting. I kind of predicted the ending but nonetheless, I was hooked into the book from start to finish! The author did a good job of drawing the reader into the story. I started liking Jane as in my opinion, she is a strong and courageous woman. I was glad “SPOILER ALERT” that she and Sophie did not continue being friends .

This is quiet an unputdownable thriller that will keep you up all night–worth four stars!

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

Hello and welcome to my Amazon author page – thank you for your interest in me and my books! My official author biography is below…

S.E. Lynes is the Amazon #1 best selling author of THE HOUSEWARMING, VALENTINA, MOTHER, THE PACT, THE PROPOSAL, THE WOMEN, THE LIES WE HIDE, CAN YOU SEE HER? HER SISTER’s SECRET and her latest, THE BABY SHOWER, out on preorder NOW for publication March 1st.

A former BBC Producer, she has lived in France, Spain, Scotland and Italy and is now settled in Greater London. After completing her MA, S E Lynes taught creative writing at Richmond Adult Community College for ten years. She now combines writing, mentoring and lecturing in Richmond Borough.

Lynes has also published three children’s books in Italy: IL LEOPARDO LAMPO, LA COCCODRILLA INGAMBA, and the bilingual LA SCIMMIA SPIRITOSA/THE FUNNY MONKEY, all available at Amazon.it

Title:- The Last House Guest

Author:- Megan Miranda

No. of pages:- 369 pages

Date published:- June 20th 2019

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:- 3/5 stars

Never overstay your welcome…

One year ago, Avery’s best friend Sadie was found dead – dashed on the rocks the night of the infamous end-of-summer party. To Avery’s disbelief, the police quickly rule Sadie’s death a suicide.

A year later new evidence surfaces that suggests Sadie was murdered. Evidence that places Avery under suspicion. Grief-stricken and ostracized, Avery must clear her name before she’s branded a killer…

The Last House Guest was in Reese Witherspoon’s book club list so I decided to check the book out–I am having mixed feelings about the book.

Avery’s friend Sadie disappeared on the night of the summer end party. Her body was later found and the police ruled it out as suicide. Later on the police confirmed that Sadie was murdered and Avery was the main suspect. Avery must do anything to clear her name and find the real killer.

The story is mainly told from Avery’s point of view and divides the time between the days before the party to the present day. Initially, it was a slow burn, now very fast paced and it kind of got boring but towards the end, it got interesting with some twists along the way. The ending was OK. However, it wasn’t that of a great thriller but in my opinion it was an OK one for me.

Overall, I give this book a three star rating.

Megan Miranda is the New York Times bestselling author of ALL THE MISSING GIRLS, THE PERFECT STRANGER, and THE LAST HOUSE GUEST, a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick. She has also written several books for young adults, including COME FIND ME, FRAGMENTS OF THE LOST, and THE SAFEST LIES. She grew up in New Jersey, graduated from MIT, and lives in North Carolina with her husband and two children.

Her next adult suspense, THE GIRL FROM WIDOW HILLS, will be published on June 23rd, 2020.

Follow @MeganLMiranda on Twitter and Instagram, or @AuthorMeganMiranda on Facebook.

http://www.meganmiranda.com

Title:- Home Before Dark

Author:- Riley Sager

No. of pages:- 402 pages

Date published:- September 17th 2020

Publisher:- Hodder and Stoughton

Genre:- Horror/Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

What was it like? Living in that house.

Maggie Holt is used to such questions. Twenty-five years ago, she and her parents, Ewan and Jess, moved into a rambling Victorian estate called Baneberry Hall. They spent three weeks there before fleeing in the dead of night, an ordeal Ewan later recounted in a memoir called House of Horrors. His tale of ghostly happenings and encounters with malevolent spirits became a worldwide phenomenon.

Now, Maggie has inherited Baneberry Hall after her father’s death. She was too young to remember any of the events mentioned in her father’s book. But she doesn’t believe a word of it. Ghosts, after all, don’t exist.

But when she returns to Baneberry Hall to prepare it for sale, her homecoming is anything but warm. People from the pages of her father’s book lurk in the shadows, and locals aren’t thrilled that their small town has been made infamous. Even more unnerving is Baneberry Hall itself – a place that hints of dark deeds and unexplained happenings.

As the days pass, Maggie begins to believe that what her father wrote was more fact than fiction. That, either way, someone – or something – doesn’t want her here. And that she might be in danger all over again . . .

Out of all the three books I have read of Riley Sager, in my personal opinion, this is his best book.

Twenty five years ago, Maggie Holt and her parents, Ewan and Jess moved to their “dream” house, known as Baneberry Hall, located in the small town of Vermonth. But three weeks later, the family fled the house after encounting a “dark” spirit–which prompted Ewan to publish a memoir known as “House of Horrors” which became an instant bestseller.

Now Maggie has inherited the Baneberry Hall from her father and believed that what her father had written were all lies. She moves to the Baneberry Hall and then realizes that what her father has written were facts and not fiction. Something…or someone doesn’t want her to live in the house.

From start to finish, the story was intense and gripping and I was literally hooked from the beginning. The story is mainly told from Maggie’s perspectives, with her motive to prove that her father’s ghost tale about the house was false. Then there were excerpts from her father’s book, retelling the story that happened twenty five years ago, when Maggie was five years old. As a reader, I wondered, is the house really haunted? What dark secrets are hiding inside this house? What made Maggie’s parents leave the house leaving behind all their things in the middle of the night? I kept reading this book, waiting to find the answers and finally, towards the end, I got the answer! Though I expected that ending, it was such a twist that left me really chilling….

I really like Riley Sager’s writing–while reading this book, I actually felt like I was watching a horror movie and not really reading a book–this book kind of reminded me of the horror movie, Conjuring a little bit. Though there were no jump scares moments (except the snake part), nonetheless, it was a little scary at some places to read. So kudos to the author for doing a good job of creating a horror atmosphere in the book and making the book engaging. Maggie Holt, the main protagonist is a complex character–she is an adult and doesn’t really want to believe in ghosts, with her mother urging her to stay away but at the same time, she was having a mixed feelings about her father’s book. I have to say, this is somewhat an engaging horror thriller.

Overall, if you like a version of horror movie that will make you scared, this book is one for you–worth full five stars!

Riley Sager is the New York Times bestselling author of six novels, most recently Home Before Dark and Survive the Night. His first novel, Final Girls, has been published in 30 countries and won the ITW Thriller Award for Best Hardcover Novel. His latest book, The House Across the Lake, will be published in 2022 by Dutton Books.

A native of Pennsylvania, he now lives in Princeton, New Jersey.

Title:- The Blood Tide

Author:- Neil Lancaster

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

Publisher:- HQ

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:-

‘Think Jack Reacher fronting Line of Duty’ Ian Rankin

You get away with murder.
In a remote sea loch on the west coast of Scotland, a fisherman vanishes without trace. His remains are never found.
 
You make people disappear.
A young man jumps from a bridge in Glasgow and falls to his death in the water below. DS Max Craigie uncovers evidence that links both victims. But if he can’t find out what cost them their lives, it won’t be long before more bodies turn up at the morgue…
 
You come back for revenge.
Soon cracks start to appear in the investigation, and Max’s past hurtles back to haunt him. When his loved ones are threatened, he faces a terrifying choice: let the only man he ever feared walk free, or watch his closest friend die…

When reading this book, I thought I was watching an action packed thriller that is keeping me at the edge of my seat!

In a remote place, a fisherman disappears without trace. Then a man jumps out of the bridge to his death and soon, the police find clues that link the two cases together.

This is the second book of the DS Mac Craigie series although I haven’t read the first book of the series yet. Though it was slightly confusing initially, gradually, I was hooked into the story from the start to the finish! The writing was good and the author did a good job drawing the reader into the story, making the reader feel like they are in this adventure with Max and Janie and Ross! In fact, I can’t wait for the third book of the series to come out soon!

Overall, this is an unputdownable thriller that will keep you up all night–worth five stars!

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

Neil was born in Liverpool but grew up in Kent, leaving aged seventeen where he served for six years in the Military Police with the RAF. He left the Metropolitan Police in 2015 where he served for over twenty-five years, predominantly as a detective, leading and conducting investigations into some of the most serious criminals across the UK and beyond.

Neil acted as a surveillance and covert policing specialist, using all types of techniques to arrest and prosecute drug dealers, human traffickers, fraudsters, and murderers. During his career, he successfully prosecuted several wealthy and corrupt members of the legal profession who were involved in organised immigration crime. These prosecutions led to jail sentences, multi-million pound asset confiscations and disbarments.

Since retiring from the Metropolitan Police, Neil has relocated to the Scottish Highlands with his wife and son, where he now writes crime thriller books,

Title:- The Body on the Moor

Author:- Rebecca Griffiths

No. of pages:- 361 pages

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

Publisher:- Bookouture

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:- 3/5 stars

A totally gripping mystery thriller inspired by a true story: an innocent young girl holds the key to unlocking a long-buried crime. Perfect for fans of Gregg Olsen, Catherine Ryan Howard and I’ll Be Gone in the Dark. Pulse-pounding, heart-wrenching and unforgettable.

Manchester, England 1965: Little Kathy Openshaw is waiting in the car with only her toy doll for company. Whilst her mother Connie visits close friends Myra and Ian, Kathy gazes out at the surrounding moorland and dreams of a happier life.

But when Connie returns to the car, Kathy has vanished. Instantly she thinks of the news reports of the children who have gone missing from the area. Parents everywhere are worried sick. Connie is struck with terror: what kind of mother leaves their child alone when a kidnapper is on the loose?

Black Fell Farm, Saddleworth Moor: no one has visited Ronald’s farm in decades. But when a young couple start acting suspiciously on his land and a mysterious visitor arrives on his doorstep, Ronald feels instantly threatened. He doesn’t want any unwanted attention directed towards his farm.

For on the wild and desolate moorland, Ronald has buried his own dark crime for years and if his secret is ever exposed, it will be more than just his life at stake…

Completely addictive and inspired by the true crime story of the Moors murders, this stunning mystery will keep you reading long into the night.

The title and the plot was intriguing to me and so I requested this book through the Netgalley.

The story is set during the 1965 when Kathy Oppenshaw was in the car playing with the doll while her mother Connie was visiting friends. When she returned back to the car, her daughter, Kathy is missing. Connie had heard of the kidnapping of young children in the area and blames herself for leaving her daughter behind. Meanwhile, Ronald returns back to the moorland where a couple start acting suspiciously. Ronald do not want anyone to be near the moor as he had buried the secret many years ago.

This was a good thriller though not very fast paced and not much of twists and turns you would usually expect in a thriller. However, I do like the 1965 setting, slightly different from the normal thrillers that I usually based which is based on the present day. But anyway, it was enjoyable, the author’s writing style was good and the ending was really good.

Overall, this is a good thriller and worth three stars!

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

Rebecca Griffiths grew up in west-Wales and went on to gain a first class honours degree in English literature. After a successful business career in London, Dublin and Scotland, she returned to rural west-Wales where she now lives with her husband, a prolific artist, their four black cats and two pet sheep the size of sofas and writes full-time.

Title:- #FollowMe for Murder

Author:- Sarah E Burr

Date published:- will be published on 15th February

No. of pages:- 300

Genre:- Mystery

Rating:- 3/5 stars

Murder is about to go viral for social media influencer Coco Cline.

After selling a tech startup to Facebook in a multi-million-dollar deal, blogger Coco Cline has returned to her hometown of Central Shores, Delaware to launch her own social media consulting firm. Her new clients, Sean and Olivia Chen, are ten days away from the grand opening of their specialty consignment shop when Coco stumbles across their assistant Stacy dead behind the register.

Worried that a cloud of suspicion will ruin their chances of a successful business launch, the Chens ask Coco to work alongside the inexperienced Central Shores police to speed up the investigation. Using her celebrity status and social media savviness, Coco realizes Stacy’s seemingly ordinary life was all an act. Following a trail of cryptic online posts, confusing timelines, and muddied gossip, Coco and her friends discover Stacy’s questionable relationships just might be the reason for her untimely demise.

I thought the cover looked cute and that it was another one of those series of cozy mystery series. This is the first book of the Trending Topic Mysteries.

A famous blogger, Coco Cline returns back to her hometown, in Central Shore to start up her own social media consulting firm. One of her clients is Sean and Olivia Chen who are going to be celebrating a grand opening of their store–but when Coco stumbles into the store, she comes across the dead body of their assistant, Stacy. Using her influence, Coco sets about finding the killer only to find this innocent assistant doesn’t seem to be that innocent at all…

This book to me was OK–not really good, but it wasn’t that bad either. Some parts of the story was boring, and I thought this sounds a bit like spoilt kids, kind of like I am watching Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars in the book. The characters particularly the main one didn’t really warm up to me and the story was in Coco’s perspective. However, towards the middle of the book, the story got teeny weeny interesting. The ending was predictable and expected. Not much twists and turns, not fast paced either.

This is an OK thriller but if you are into books about bloggers as a main character, then this one is for you–worth three stars.

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

Sarah E. Burr lives near New York City. Hailing from the small town of Appleton, Maine, she has been dreaming of being Nancy Drew since she was a little girl.

There’s always murder and mystery in the works for Sarah. #FOLLOWME FOR MURDER, first in the Trending Topic Mysteries, shines the spotlight on a social media PR expert after she discovers a dead body in her clients’ store, forcing her to untangle a web of secrets in her small, beachside town. This title arrives on February 22, 2022, from Level Best Books.

Sarah is the author of the new paranormal cozy mystery YOU CAN’T CANDLE THE TRUTH, first in the Glenmyre Whim Mysteries. Readers are introduced to candle shop owner Hazel Wickbury. Hazel has a secret. She knows when someone is going to die. This power, known as a “whim,” helps Hazel uncover a murder in her small, storied town. Together with her aunt, Hazel aims to shine a light on the killer before they snuff her out.

INNOCENCE IMPRISONED is the latest adventure in the Court of Mystery series, featuring her fearless heroine, Duchess Jacqueline Xavier, first introduced in “The Ducal Detective Mysteries.”

When she’s not spinning up new stories, Sarah is off seeing Broadway musicals, reading up a storm, video gaming, and enjoying walks with her dog, Eevee. She is represented by Blue Ridge Literary Agency.

Visit her website at http://www.saraheburr.com. Stay connected with Sarah and receive free stories, be the first to learn about book news, book deals, and more by signing up for her

Title:- The Invite

Author:- Sheryl Browne

No. of pages:- 331 pages

Date published:- will be published onFebruary 22nd 2022

Publisher:- Bookouture

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

The invites went out weeks ago, and tonightt a lavish manor house surrounded by friends and family, Kaitlin couldn’t be happier. But as the champagne corks pop, her dream party becomes her worst nightmare…

Staring at the stunning diamond solitaire on her finger, Kaitlin is finally getting the chance to introduce her best friend Zoe to her perfect fiancé. She hasn’t known Greg long, but he looks after her, and he loves playing dad to her young daughter. How could she say no when he’s already planned their elopement?

As guests arrive, why is Greg acting so shifty? And is that a flicker of recognition on Zoe’s face? And why does she look terrified every time her phone rings?

Kaitlin watches as Zoe knocks back her white wine and makes a beeline for Greg. After a heated conversation, Zoe stumbles towards the door and flees the party without looking back.

Days later, the police knock at Kaitlin’s door – Zoe is missing.

Kaitlin wants to believe her loving fiancé is not to blame, but she knows what she saw the night of the party. And when he lies to the police, can she trust the man she’s marrying? Could Kaitlin and her precious daughter’s life now be in danger too?

I made up my mind to read all Sheryl Browne’s books and so excited when I received the ARC copy of the book.

Kaitlin is engaged to Gregory Walker and have a party. She has invited her best friend, Zoe who is living in Portugal. Zoe meanwhile had an affair with a man named Daniel who turned out to be a married man. She then comes to England to attend her friend’s party. But at the party, Gregory looked shifty and Zoe asked Kaitlin and warns about Gregory. Kaitlin and Zoe had a fight which resulted in Zoe leaving the party. But on the next day, the police come knocking on the door–Zoe has gone missing. Is her fiance responsible for her disappearance?

This had multiple characters and multiple plotlines so initially it was slightly confusing. However, it wasn’t until the end that you find that there’s some sort of connection between the characters and the plots of the story. Despite multiple characters, I found the story fast paced, with some twists and turns, with multiple suspects that may have a role in Zoe’s disapperance. Initially, you are left slightly confused but towards the middle, the story starts building and gradually, there is a drama towards the end. The ending was slightly unexpected. Nonetheless, this was unputdownable and I actually stayed up all night reading the book.

Kaitlin is a complex character who was in an abusive relationship before and so it makes perfectly sense why she seemed to be fidgety. Her friendship with Zoe was briefly outlined although the author gives us a sense that they are really good friends.

Overall, this was an enjoyable thriller that you wouldn’t want to put down–if you like drama in a thriller, then this book is one for you–worth four stars!

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Bestselling Author, Sheryl Browne, writes taut, twisty psychological thriller. Sheryl’s latest book to be published with fabulous BOOKOUTURE is THE INVITE. Her previous works include the DI Matthew Adams Crime Thriller series, along with contemporary fiction novels The Rest of My Life and Learning to Love. A member of the Crime Writers’ Association and the Romantic Novelists’ Association, she also has short stories in Birmingham City University anthologies where she completed her MA in Creative Writing. Sheryl has obtained a Certificate of Achievement in Forensic Science and – according to readers – she makes an excellent psychopath.

Sheryl lives in Worcestershire UK with her husband and her rescue dogs, Brie and Pablo.

To find out more about Sheryl’s novels, go to http://www.facebook.com/SherylBrowne.Author/ or follow @SherylBrowne on Twitter. To find out more about Sheryl, go to http://www.sherylbrowne.com

Title:- Five Days Missing

Author:- Caroline Corcoran

Publisher:- Avon

Date published:- will be published on February 17th 2022

No. of pages:- 360 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:- 3/5 stars

Having a baby is all about firsts. The first touch. The first kiss. The first cuddle. They mark a lifetime of firsts – including the first goodbye.

When Romilly says goodbye to her new baby daughter, abandoning her at the hospital hours after giving birth, no one can understand why she would leave – and where she has gone.

In those first few hours she had been the image of a doting mother and would have done anything to protect her baby.
Something has clearly gone wrong. Could it be that Romilly is suffering from postpartum psychosis, just as her mother did?

Or is something even worse at hand? A danger so grave that she would leave her longed-for daughter to escape it…

A twisty, emotional tale of dark pasts and even darker secrets – perfect for fans of Adele Parks and Heidi Perks.

OK, I found the plot of the story really interesting. A woman, who after giving birth, leaves behind the baby and goes missing. The husband, Marc, the best friend and Romilly’s family members are worried about her. The story tells in a span of five days and what happened afterwards.

I do like the plot of the story, but I found the first part of the story slightly boring. The tension in the story starts developing in the middle of the book and soon, it actually piqued my interest in the book. The writing was good but then I didn’t find much of twists and turns you would normally expect in a thriller. The story is told from the perspectives of The Husband, Marc, The Best friend and finally the Woman, who is Romilly herself. So as a reader, it was interesting to get into the heads of these characters and see what each of the characters think. Then as a reader, you doubt if the woman, Romilly just ran away because she is suffering from depression or running away from her own husband.

Overall, this is an OK thriller–not much twists and turns, not a fast paced thriller but it was good. Worth 3 stars.

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

Caroline Corcoran is an author whose first novel, Through The Wall, came out in October 2019. It was a Sunday Times Bestseller and translated into numerous foreign languages.

Her second book, The Baby Group, was released in September 2020.

As well as writing books, Caroline is a freelance lifestyle and popular culture journalist who has written and edited for most of the top magazines, newspapers and websites in the UK.