Tropical Girl Reads

No. of pages:- 403 pages

Date published:- March 8th 2018

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:- 3/5 stars

The police say it was suicide.
Anna says it was murder.
Who do you believe?

One year ago, Caroline Johnson chose to end her life brutally: a shocking suicide planned to match that of her husband just months before. Their daughter, Anna, has struggled to come to terms with their loss ever since.

Now with a young baby of her own, Anna misses her mother more than ever and starts to ask questions about her parents’ deaths. But by digging up the past, is she putting her future in danger?

Sometimes it’s safer to let things lie . . .

This is the third book I have read of Clare Mackintosh, and I have yet to still read her latest book, the Hostage.

Plot:- Tom Johnson committed suicide by jumping out of the cliff. Few months later, his wife, Caroline follows the same suit. But now, a year later, their only daughter, Anna Johnson receives a note, claiming that her parents didn’t commit suicide but were murdered. And as Anna hands over the case to a retired CID officer, Murray, someone doesn’t really want Anna to know the truth.

It will be better to lie than to tell the truth.

Writing:- Unlike her first book, I Let You Go which actually prompted me to read all the books written by this author, this was a slow burner and a bit of a disappointment. The story started out slow and at times it was boring. The story is told mainly from the perspectives of Anna and Murray with an extract from a mysterious person who wants Anna to stop digging. I found some unnecessary parts in Murray’s part but it was OK. However, towards the middle of the book, the story started developing and soon, it became unexpected twists and turns like cat and mouse chase. It was by the end of the book that I got hooked into the story. The ending was confusing to me a bit but I am not sure if it was just me.

Overall, compared to Clare Mackintosh’s previous books, this was a bit of a disappointment. But that doesn’t mean I won’t stop reading more books from this author–worth three stars!

With over 2 million copies of her books sold worldwide, number one bestseller Clare Mackintosh is the multi-award-winning author of I Let You Go, which was a Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller and the fastest-selling title by a new crime writer in 2015. It also won the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year in 2016. Both Clare’s second and third novels, I See You and Let Me Lie, were number one Sunday Times bestsellers. All three of her thrillers were selected for the Richard & Judy Book Club, and together have been translated into forty languages. After the End was published in 2019 and became an instant Sunday Times bestseller, and in 2021 Hostage flew straight into the top ten. Together, her books have spent more than sixty weeks in The Sunday Times bestseller lists.

Clare is patron of the Silver Star Society, a charity based at the John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford, which supports parents experiencing high-risk or difficult pregnancies. She lives in North Wales with her husband and their three children.

No. of pages:- 286 pages

Publisher:- Crooked Lane

Date published:- will be published on 9th November 2021

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:- 2.5/5 stars

Perfect for fans of Celeste Ng and Megan Abbott, Lynne Reeves’ The Dangers of an Ordinary Night is an exploration of the explosive family secrets that are often hidden in plain sight.

On a chilly fall evening at the prestigious Performing Arts High School of Boston, best friends Tali Carrington and June Danforth go missing after auditioning for a play. They’re last seen in grainy, out-of-focus surveillance footage that shows them walking away from the school. Two days later in a town south of Boston, Tali is found disoriented and traumatized by the ocean’s edge, while June is pronounced dead at the scene.

Tali’s mother, Nell, is so bent on protecting her daughter from further emotional harm that she ignores rumors of her husband’s involvement and enlists the help of Cynthia Rawlins, a reunification therapist with personal insight into the riptide that hides below the surface of every unsuspecting family. Meanwhile, Detective Fitz Jameson uncovers a criminal undertow involving the high school’s overachieving students, and finally sees an opportunity for personal redemption from a secret that’s haunted him for years.

As Nell, Cynthia, and Fitz confront their own contributions to the scandals that beleaguer them, their lives turn out to be more deeply intertwined than they’d ever imagined. In the end, they must decide what lengths they’re willing to go to protect the people they love while also saving themselves.

The summary when I read sounded interesting to me that I was glad that Netgalley and Crooked Lane gave me an opportunity to read this novel. But unfortunately, this is not my cup of tea.

Plot:- Two girls Tali and June goes missing after auditioning for a play. They are both best friends. Few days later, the two girls were found–Tali is disorientated and seemed to be traumatized while June is pronounced dead. Nell, Tali’s mother is bent down in protecting the well being of her daughter while her husband Zeke is suspected for the case and meanwhile, the school where Tali and June are attending is holding a secret.

Writing:- The plot as I said earlier was interesting, prompting me to want to read this book. The first few chapters were good but then soon, it got boring that I almost DNF the book. I am usually one of those people who don’t DNF books as I would continue to read to finish the book. The pace was slow which was a negative thing about the book and I felt there was a bit too much talking and not much OMG moments. However, the ending was OK in my opinion–bit predictable but nonetheless it was OK.

Characters:- I am not sure what I can say about the characters but Nell might be probably one of the favorites.

Overall:- It’s a slow burn I have to say and for those who like slow paced thriller books, then this might be the one for you. But I prefer fast paced thrillers so I will pass out.

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

LYNNE REEVES GRIFFIN is a novelist and a nationally-recognized expert on family life.

Writing as LYNNE REEVES, she’s the author of the domestic suspense novel, THE DANGERS OF AN ORDINARY NIGHT (Crooked Lane Books, November 9, 2021).

Writing as LYNNE GRIFFIN, she’s the author of the novels, GIRL SENT AWAY (SixOneSeven Books, 2015), SEA ESCAPE (Simon & Schuster, 2010) and LIFE WITHOUT SUMMER (St. Martin’s Press, 2009).

Lynne has written the nonfiction parenting guide NEGOTIATION GENERATION (Penguin, 2007). She teaches writing at Grub Street Writers. She has written short fiction, essays, and articles for Parenting Magazine, Writer Magazine, Psychology Today, Chautauqua Journal, Solstice Literary Magazine, Brain, Child, and more.

To learn more about Lynne visit, http://www.LynneGriffin.com or follow her at https://twitter.com/Lynne_Griffin and https://www.instagram.com/lynnereevesgriffin/.

No. of pages:- 382 pages

Publisher:- Bookouture

Date published:- will be published on 12th November 2021

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:- 5/5 stars

My husband was not a monster. No matter what they say…

The day my husband, Michael, stepped in front of a lorry after being questioned by the police, my world fell apart. He was devoted to me and our six-year-old daughter. But they’d connected him to the disappearance of a young mother from our tiny village.

Now I stand at Michael’s funeral, clutching my little girl’s hand, with tears in my eyes as I insist to all our friends that he died an innocent man. Yet the questions have started, and nothing I say will stop them digging for the truth.

But none of them can read the secrets in my heart, or know about the phone I found hidden in his toolbox…

I’m determined that my daughter will not remember her father as a monster. I will erase any hint of wrongdoing in this house whatever the cost.

Because to keep my daughter safe, the last thing I need is for people to start looking at me…

I have been a fan of K.L Slater for these few months and is determined to read all her books, even though I haven’t read her first few books. This is the fourth book that I have been reading of this author.

Plot:- A Polish woman named Suzy goes missing leaving her son behind. The main suspect is Michael Shaw, Kate’s husband. Michael was loyal to Kate and had a good marriage, always letting her know everything. But was Michael hiding from Kate something?
Meanwhile, the police are investigating a missing case of a Polish man named Jakub, who went missing and whose family back in Poland wants closure. While investigating the case, they find that Jakub used to work for Michael and then soon things start to change as the bodies were recovered in a field where Michael Shaw worked.

Writing:- This story was so engrossing! Literally, I was so hooked into the book, from start to finish, wanting to know what is going to happen next. The story is told mainly from Kate Shaw’s point of view with some tits and bits about Jakub–his life in Poland to how he came to work in UK. There were some twists and turns and the story was written in a fast pace that I couldn’t wait what the ending is going to be. Is Michael Shaw guilty? What is his connection with Jakub? And soon, these questions began to get answered by the middle of the book. It was intense and the author as usual did a good job drawing the reader to the story. This was indeed a true psychological thriller! I also like the childhood friendship between Aleks, Suzy’s son and Tansy’s Kate’s daughter along with Ellie, Donna’s daughter who is also another one of the characters. The ending was unpredictable and unexpected but I truly enjoyed reading this book!

Characters:- I really like Kate’s character very well as she worked hard to prove her husband’s innocence and I like her relationship with her friend Donna who was supportive of her.

Overall:– overall, this was an intense and fast paced thriller that will make you at the edge of the seat–worth five stars!

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

Kim is the number one bestselling author of sixteen psychological crime thrillers. She has sold over two million copies of her books worldwide. She has also written four Carnegie-nominated Young Adult novels as Kim Slater for Macmillan Children’s Books. Kim has an MA in Creative Writing and lives with her husband in a small Nottinghamshire village in England.

No. of pages:- 402 pages

Publisher:- Bookouture

Date published:- will be published on 4th November 2021

Genre:- Thriller

Rating:- 4 stars

Recognition hits me as I look at the woman lying in the long grass. It’s my sister. Her hot-pink nails are chipped and caked with dirt, her blue eyes are cold and vacant. I desperately shake her, even though I know. She’s gone.

Fresh out of the Military Police, Georgia Fell has returned to her Michigan island hometown a decade after she ran away. Late to meet her younger sister at a bar on the isolated tip of the isle, she arrives to her worst nightmare: Rachel dead, purple bruises around her slim, beautiful neck.

When the police rule out murder, Georgia knows it can’t be true. Reluctantly, she must turn to the person she’s been avoiding since she came home. Georgia can’t forgive single dad Lincoln McNamara for his betrayal the night she left, but he has an in with the dangerous crew operating out of the roadhouse where Rachel was killed. The question is, can she trust him?

But before she can convince Lincoln to help her, another local girl goes missing. How deep into the darkness of island life must Georgia go to find out the truth? And with an innocent girl’s life on the line, does she even have a choice?

An absolutely unputdownable suspense thriller. Readers who adore Tami Hoag, Mary Burton and J.D. Robb will be hooked on this jaw-dropping new crime series.

One thing I like about reading ARC is I get to start on a series. This is the first book of Georgia Fell series.

Plot:- Fresh out the Military Police, Georgia Fell returns back to her small island near Michigan after being away for more than a decade. She came back to meet her little sister but instead found Rachel dead. Though the police rule out murder, Georgia believes that Rachel was murdered and set about to find the truth about Rachel’s death. Meanwhile, she reconnects with her former childhood lover, Lincoln who is actually an ex con. Is Lincoln innocent as he seems or something sinister?

Writing:- The story is told from the perspectives of Georgia and Lincoln that you have a chance of getting to know their characters. There were some twists and turns but it started a bit slow and soon it got fast paced. I was on the edge of the seat while reading this book and then couldn’t wait to see who the killer was! The author does a trick of tricking you to believe that particular person is the killer but the ending completely threw me off the radar. So anyway, this book actually was a complete surprise to me. The writing was really good and the author did a good job of drawing the reader to the story, making the reader feel like they are a part of the story.

Characters:- Since the story is told from the perspectives of Georgia and Lincoln, you get to know both their characters. I didn’t like Jenna’s character and I like how the relationship between Georgia and Lincoln soon developed towards the end.

Overall:- This was a great book, quite unputdownable with twists and turns along the way–worth four stars

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

Maegan Beaumont is the author of CARVED IN DARKNESS, the first book in the Sabrina Vaughn thriller series (Available through Midnight Ink, spring 2013). A native Phoenician, Maegan’s stories are meant to make you wonder what the guy standing in front of you in the Starbucks line has locked in his basement, and feel a strong desire to sleep with the light on. When she isn’t busy fulfilling her duties as Domestic Goddess for her high school sweetheart turned husband, Joe, and their four children, she is locked in her office with her computer, her coffee pot and her Rhodesian Ridgeback, and one true love, Jade.
She also writes a blog dedicated to helping writers with plot woes and answering writing questions. Check her out – maeganbeaumont.blogspot.com

No. of pages:- 336 pages

Date published:- September 1st 2020

Publisher:- HQ

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:- 4 stars

She’s in too deep….

Meet the first Mrs Ford. Beautiful. Accomplished. Wealthy beyond imagination. Married to a much younger man. And now… dead.

Meet the second Mrs Ford. Waitress. Small-town girl. Married to a man she never forgot, from an affair ten years before. And now, she’s wealthy beyond imagination.

But who is Connor Ford? Two wives loved him, and knew him as only wives can…

Who is the victim? Who is the villain? And who will be next to die?

Set amongst the glittering mansions of the Hamptons, The Wife Who Knew Too Much is a decadent thriller about the lives of those who will do anything for love and money from the Sunday Times bestselling author Michele Campbell.

High ratings I saw from this book prompted me to read the book and was so glad when I found this book on Scribd!

Plot:- Tabitha “Tabby” meets her childhood love, Connor Ford, after many years in the bar where she was working as a waitress. Connor is now however married to Nina Levitt, one of the wealthiest woman in the country but Tabitha and Connor start their steamy romance affair. Then Nina is tragically drowned and Tabitha marries Connor. But soon, Tabitha comes across Nina’s diary where she thinks Connor is going to kill her and Tabitha realizes she is in danger…

Writing:- The story is told from the perspectives of Tabitha and Nina though mainly from Tabitha’s perspective. The writing was good, engaging and intriguing though initially it started a bit slow but soon got fast paced with twists and thrills along the way. Towards the middle part of the book, the story got more interesting and unputdownable and there were moments in the book where I was at the edge of my seat, waiting to find out what is going to happen next. Although the ending was a bit predictable, I kind of liked the ending overall.

Characters:- Tabitha’s character was OK to me and so was Nina’s. The rest of the characters are simply meh.

Overall:- this book is a fast paced packed with twists and turns you didn’t expect that will keep you at the edge of the seat–worth four stars!

Michele Campbell is a graduate of Harvard College and Stanford Law School and a former federal prosecutor in New York City who specialized in international narcotics and gang cases.

A while back, she said goodbye to her big-city legal career and moved with her husband and two children to an idyllic New England college town a lot like Belle River in IT’S ALWAYS THE HUSBAND. Since then, she has spent her time teaching criminal and constitutional law and writing novels.

She has had many close female friends, a few frenemies, and only one husband, who – to the best of her knowledge – has never tried to kill her.

No. of pages:- 352 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Published:- Published on June 1st 2021

Rating:- 4 stars

A long-ago accident–and a visitor from out of the blue. . .

Stephanie and Patrick are adjusting to life with their colicky twin girls. The babies are a handful, but even as Stephanie struggles with the disorientation of sleep deprivation, there’s one thing she’s sure of: she has all she ever wanted.

Then Erica, a woman from Patrick’s past, appears and makes a disturbing accusation. Patrick had always said his first wife’s death was an accident, but now Erica claims it was murder.

Patrick insists he’s innocent, that this is nothing but a blackmail attempt. Still, Erica knows things about Patrick–things that make Stephanie begin to question her husband. Stephanie isn’t sure what, or who, to believe. As Stephanie’s trust in Patrick begins to falter, Patrick stands to lose everything. Is Patrick telling the truth–is Erica the persuasive liar Patrick says she is? Or has Stephanie made a terrible mistake?

How will it end?

This is the second book I have read of Shari Lapena, the first one being The Stranger in the House, which I have already written the book review on. So let’s discuss this novel in depth.

Plot:- Stephanie and Patrick seemed to be living a life–now becoming new parents to twins and they are struggling with their parenthood. But a woman from Patrick’s past comes back into their life, claiming that Patrick’s first wife, Lindsey, who actually died from a tragic car accident years ago did not die from the accident but was murdered. Stephanie wants to believe her husband but when she finds some things about Patrick’s past, she doubts his innocent and wondered if her life is safe.

Writing:- Lapena’s writing is simple and so easy to read without a hassle with no complicated words. So it was quick to read. The story started fast paced with some twists and turns along the way and the ending gave a room of whodunnit situation that the reader will wonder and ponder for a moment after finishing the book. The plot was interesting and gave a pathway to a dark thriller, wondering if the husband is actually a murderer as the woman claimed or not. Also, I like how the woman, Erica is a cunning woman who would do anything to get what she wanted.

Characters:- one downside of this story is, I didn’t like any characters. Erica seemed to be too vicious, too greedy, too manipulative though that actually made her a perfect villain though I couldn’t really stand her. I didn’t even like the main character Stephanie much either as she sounded too naive and stupid, although in the end, she acted smart. As a result, due to my dislike to many characters, I didn’t enjoy the story much.

Overall:- This is a fast paced thriller filled with twists and turns but the characters totally ruined my mood with the book. Worth four stars!