The Perfect Couple by Jackie Kabler is a gripping suspense about Gemma, a wife whose husband goes missing. She goes away for work and when she returns, instead of Danny waiting there with a homecooked meal as promised, he’s nowhere to be found. Time passes with no word from Danny or anything about him. What’s so strange is that nothing of his is gone. So where did he go?
Gemma eventually goes to the police to report her husband as missing. She soon discovers that a serial killer is on the loose and is going after men who look like Danny. If he is a victim of the killer, then where is his body?
The reader is kept guessing as the book progresses…
Synopsis:
A year and a half ago, Gemma met the love of her life, Danny. Since then, their relationship has been like something out of a dream. But one Friday evening, Gemma returns home to find Danny is nowhere to be seen.
After two days with no word from her husband, Gemma turns to the police. She is horrified by what she discovers – a serial killer is on the loose in Bristol. When she sees the photos of the victims she is even more stunned … they all look just like Danny.
But, the police aren’t convinced by Gemma’s story. Why has no one apart from Gemma seen or heard from Danny in weeks? Why is there barely a trace of him in their flat? Is she telling them the truth, or are there more secrets and lies in this marriage than meets the eye?
Slow in parts, this was a solid story with some twists that I found surprising. I liked this book and recommend for those of you who enjoy mysteries as I do!
Coming to you on April 17! Pre-order here.
Sister Dear by Hannah Mary McKinnon is a shocking, surprising, dark, and twisty story!
When a young woman named Eleanor’s father dies, it devastates her. To make things worse, she learns that he wasn’t even her real father! What a double blow! How upsetting!
Of course, she goes looking for her real dad. What she discovers is a half-sister who is everything she is not and is living the life that should be Eleanors. Victoria has a perfect life, full of luxuries plus she’s rich and beautiful with a handsome husband. Its enough to make Eleanor seethe with anger- and a large dose of jealousy.
Synopsis:
When Eleanor Hardwicke’s beloved father dies, her world is further shattered by a gut-wrenching secret: the man she’s grieving isn’t really her dad. Eleanor was the product of an affair and her biological father is still out there, living blissfully with the family he chose. With her personal life spiraling, a desperate Eleanor seeks him out, leading her to uncover another branch on her family tree—an infuriatingly enviable half-sister.
Perfectly perfect Victoria has everything Eleanor could ever dream of. Loving childhood, luxury home, devoted husband. All of it stolen from Eleanor, who plans to take it back. After all, good sisters are supposed to share. And quiet little Eleanor has been waiting far too long for her turn to play.
Eleanor is such a flawed character, she’s insecure and damaged by her upbringing. She’s an interesting main character and I enjoyed Hannah Mary McKinnon’s writing. I know this is going to be a favorite of many readers when it comes out in May!
Coming out on May 26, pre-order here!
Playing Nice by JP Delaney was fantastic! I loved everything about this book which wasn’t a surprise considering how much I enjoyed the author’s other novels. But this one I was absolutely glued to the pages from beginning to end. What a conundrum!
You discover that your robust toddler is really someone else’s and they have your child who is sickly. For Pete and his partner Maddie, this is heartbreaking but they feel they can handle it by being kind and “playing nice.” They have some ideas that will make everyone happy and allow both kids to get to know both sets of parents.
Unfortunately, Pete feels that his way is the only way. At first, he’s amiable and likable but turns menacing and cold. Trouble for Pete and Maddie begins to mount when they don’t readily agree with how Pete is handling things. Pete’s wife is caught up in her husband’s threats and lawsuits, his bullying behavior but there’s not much she can do as she seems quite nervous and scared of him.
As I read this book, I had such sympathy for Pete and Maddie and couldn’t imagine this happening in real life though I know it does. JP Delaney created such a layered novel, with every chapter brought some new issues for the characters to contend with.
Here’s the official plot:
Pete Riley answers the door one morning and lets in a parent’s worst nightmare. On his doorstep is Miles Lambert, a stranger who breaks the devastating news that Pete’s son, Theo, isn’t actually his son—he is the Lamberts’, switched at birth by an understaffed hospital while their real son was sent home with Miles and his wife, Lucy. For Pete, his partner Maddie, and the little boy they’ve been raising for the past two years, life will never be the same again.
The two families, reeling from the shock, take comfort in shared good intentions, eagerly entwining their very different lives in the hope of becoming one unconventional modern family. But a plan to sue the hospital triggers an official investigation that unearths some disturbing questions about the night their children were switched. How much can they trust the other parents—or even each other? What secrets are hidden behind the Lamberts’ glossy front door? Stretched to the breaking point, Pete and Maddie discover they will each stop at nothing to keep their family safe. They are done playing nice.
Don’t miss this book, it’s absolutely amazing! It will be published on July 28!
I really loved Eliza Starts a Rumor by Jane L. Rosen! This is a great story, showing how something that begins innocently can completely spiral out of control.
Eliza feels old and not relevant after her children have grown and middle age has settled in. She loves running the online parenting page for her community. It’s the sole source of her enjoyment and fulfillment but when she hears two younger women discuss how outdated the page is, Eliza starts to wonder what she could do to add a little spark to it. So she creates a rumor out of thin air, only some people see it and realize the post could be about them. This ignites the story and creates havoc like Eliza could have never imagined.
Here’s the Goodreads synopsis:
It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. When Eliza Hunt created The Hudson Valley Ladies’ Bulletin Board fifteen years ago she was happily entrenched in her picture-perfect suburban life with her husband and twin preschoolers. Now, with an empty nest and a crippling case of agoraphobia, the once-fun hobby has become her lifeline. So when a rival parenting forum threatens the site’s existence, she doesn’t think twice before fabricating a salacious rumor to spark things up a bit.
It doesn’t take long before that spark becomes a flame. Across town, new mom and site devotee Olivia York is thrown into a tailspin by what she reads on the Bulletin Board. Allison Le is making cyber friends with a woman who isn’t quite who she says she is. And Amanda Cole, Eliza’s childhood friend, may just hold the key to unearthing why Eliza can’t step out of her front door.
In all this chaos, one thing is for sure…Hudson Valley will never be the same. Funny, romantic, raw, and hopeful, this is a story about being a woman and of the healing power of sisterhood.
As I read this book, I really felt emotional for Eliza and her need to create some excitement in her life, at the same time she is dealing with serious issues that she’s kept from those close to her. There is so much to love about this novel including the themes of friendship, mental health, marriage, being a mother. It’s so incredibly well written and its light and fun yet goes beyond just a cute book to include serious subjects.
In short- get this book as soon as its published! This is one of those books I read and wished I could turn it into a Netflix or Amazon series!
This fabulous book will be published in June, pre-order it here!
I was super excited to get my hands on Lies Lies Lies by Adele Parks, she is an author whose books I have really enjoyed in the past. This one centers around family secrets and the main characters certainly have some! Daisy and Simon have a wonderful life that Daisy feels is complete with their daughter Millie. After going to through IVF, she is content to have one child. However, Simon wants another and starts to aggressively pursue infertility treatments by going in to see the doctor alone, just to get things started.
There he learns he’s sterile. But the IVF worked last time! Just look at their daughter! Obviously the doctor is incompetent and more than that, he’s wrong. Simon is capable of fathering a child… isn’t he?
Cue the suspense music because Daisy has some explaining to do!
Here’s the official premise for Lies Lies Lies:
Daisy and Simon’s marriage isn’t what it seems…
After years together, the arrival of longed-for daughter Millie sealed everything in place. They’re a happy little family of three.
So what if Simon drinks a bit too much sometimes—Daisy’s used to it. She knows he’s just letting off steam. Until one night at a party things spiral horribly out of control. And their happy little family of three will never be the same again.
This book deals with themes of alcoholism, lying, depression, and obviously- lies. Its an engaging story and I enjoyed the writing style of the author, looking forward to whatever she writes next!
Coming out on June 16! Pre-order here.
What Lies Between Us by John Marrs is one crazy roller coaster ride of a story! It’s a book that you should go into not knowing much about the characters or the plot. I’m not even sure how to review this without giving away some clues as to what happens.
Here is the plot:
Nina can never forgive Maggie for what she did. And she can never let her leave. They say every house has its secrets, and the house that Maggie and Nina have shared for so long is no different. Except that these secrets are not buried in the past.
Every other night, Maggie and Nina have dinner together. When they are finished, Nina helps Maggie back to her room in the attic, and into the heavy chain that keeps her there. Because Maggie has done things to Nina that can’t ever be forgiven, and now she is paying the price.
But there are many things about the past that Nina doesn’t know, and Maggie is going to keep it that way—even if it kills her. Because in this house, the truth is more dangerous than lies.
I mean…WOW! All I can say is that the suspense is tight here and the writing is excellent as usual. As I read this book, I felt nervous and scared and worried for the character (not saying which one). I’ve never read a book that explores the mother-daughter dynamic quite in this way. Renee Zellweger’s Big Picture production company bought the movie rights of this story so we can see it play out on the big screen but as always, the book should be read first!
I can’t wait to see what everyone else thinks of this novel.
Free with Kindle Unlimited, $3.99 if you don’t have it. Pre-order now, you won’t be sorry- this book is insane!
One of Us is Lying by Shalini Boland is the latest from a favorite author. Shalini crafts good suspense novels that keep you hooked from beginning to end and she expertly throws in twists that you don’t expect. You know you’re in good hands when you pick up a book that she wrote.
This book alternates between three friends: Tia, Fiona, Kelly. They are old friends who share a secret, something happened to one of them long ago. What was once buried may now be brought to light but who is telling? Who can be trusted?
As with her other books, Shalini does an impressive job creating a web of characters who cannot be trusted by the reader. I never get bored or restless reading her books and already look forward to whatever she writes next.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Tia is walking home with her children, along the lakeside of their quiet, safe town, when she realises something is wrong with her five-year-old daughter, Rosie. She seems troubled, not at all her usual happy self. But when Tia finally coaxes Rosie to open up, she wishes she hadn’t. Because her sweet daughter asks a question Tia never thought she’d hear.
‘Mummy, why did you kill someone?’
Tia knows how rumours spread around her small town. She just can’t understand who would have shared such a horrible story. Or why.
It can’t have anything to do with what happened. Only her two best friends really remember that…
Tia thought she could trust Fiona and Kelly with her life. They’ve been through so much together. But when she’s sent photos of herself that could tear her whole world apart, she starts to wonder. Someone is determined to punish her. But who? And will her friends stand by her, or will the past destroy all of their lives?
In heat of the moment, you think you can trust someone… but time and circumstances change and secrets that were once firmly buried will always rise to the surface, at least in suspense novels!
Coming out on April 3, you can pre-order now for $3.99!
The Wife Who Knew Too Much by Michelle Campbell was a fantastic and well-paced suspense novel that I KNOW you will love. I was looking forward to reading this and was not disappointed. From the first page, I was hooked and I couldn’t put it down. I typically read somewhat fast, and I flew through this novel quickly because I had to know what was going to happen, I thought I had it figured out but nope. I love when I’m wrong! When reading suspense, I want to be surprised and shocked!
The synopsis:
Tabitha Girard had her heart broken years ago by Connor Ford. He was preppy and handsome. She was a pool girl at his country club. Their affair should have been a summer fling. But it meant everything to Tabitha. Years later, Connor comes back into Tabitha’s life—older, richer, and desperately unhappy. He married for money, a wealthy, neurotic, controlling woman whom he never loved. He has always loved Tabitha.
When Connor’s wife Nina takes her own life, he’s free. He can finally be with Tabitha. Nina’s home, Windswept, can be theirs. It seems to be a perfect ending to a fairy tale romance that began so many years ago. But then, Tabitha finds a diary. “I’m writing this to raise an alarm in the event of my untimely death,” it begins. “If I die unexpectedly, it was foul play, and Connor was behind it. Connor—and her.”
Who is Connor Ford? Why did he marry Nina? Is Tabitha his true love, or a convenient affair? As the police investigate Nina’s death, is she a convenient suspect? As Tabitha is drawn deeper into the dark glamour of a life she is ill-prepared for, it becomes clear to her that what a wife knows can kill her.
Wow! The girl from the wrong side of the tracks falls in love with a rich boy but alas, their love is not meant to be. Many years later, they reconnect and realize there are still feelings but Conner is married to an older, very wealthy woman named Nina, that he doesn’t love or so he tells Tabitha. When Nina dies, suspicion swirls around Connor and Tabitha starts to question his true feelings for her. In fact, can she trust him? Really, how well does she know him? If this sounds like an episode of Dateline, you are correct. Its crazy and filled with intrigue and mystery and I loved every page!
This is one of those books I read and think about how it would make such a great movie! This will be out on June 9, pre-order here! You are going to LOVE IT.
I read about Take it Back by Kia Abdullah and was instantly intrigued by the premise. The author is so gifted with storytelling and I found the book to be well-written.
Is 16-year-old Jodie is telling the truth, or is it the boys who are lying? They have so much to lose if what Jodie accuses them of is true. What would Jodie gain by concocting a story that propels her into the spotlight as this case develops? Jodie is a white girl with what I surmised are severe facial deformities.
The boys she accuses of rape are Muslim so instantly there is a race issue. Lawyer turned rape counselor Zara herself is Muslim but she doesn’t want that to get in the way of her supporting Jodie. She struggles with criticism from her own community as she defends Jodie.
The suspense builds as Zara attempts to piece together the truth. Its a case of he said/she said but goes so far beyond that simple premise due to the fact that Jodie is disfigured and even her mother doesn’t believe her, leaving Jodie to deal with this on her own with just Zara to help her fight.
This book will make you think and takes on so many different issues that I have to applaud the author for her writing and weaving this complex tale.
Synopsis:
The Victim: Jodie Wolfe, a physically flawed 16-year-old girl accuses four boys in her class of something unthinkable. The Defendants: Four handsome teenagers from hard-working immigrant families, all with corroborating stories. The Savior: Zara Kaleel, a former lawyer, one of London’s brightest legal minds, takes on this case. She believes her client, even though those closest to her do not. Together, they enter the most explosive criminal trial of the year, where the only thing that matters is justice for Jodie. But this time justice comes at a devastating cost.
I expect this to be widely read and discussed when it comes out this winter, however, you can find this now at the Book Depository or pre-order here and it will be delivered in December!
Who Did You Tell by Lesley Kara centers around Astrid, a recovering alcoholic who moves back in with her mother as she gets her life back on track. She attends AA meetings and hopes to leave her past where it belongs, including a toxic ex, and create a better future for herself.
I felt compassion for Astrid as she struggles with her demons and attempts to take more positive steps. We see the pain of addiction as Astrid deals with things from her past.
At AA, she meets two women Rosie and Helen. She instantly gets a weird vibe from Rosie and decides to keep her distance but Helen is lovely and she falls into a friendship with her.
As the story progresses, its clear someone is watching Astrid and knows what she did in her past, something awful. The pace and tension begin to pick up as the reader questions ever person in Astrid’s life. Who can she trust and what did she do?
Here’s the official synopsis:
Astrid is newly sober and trying to turn her life around. Having reluctantly moved back in with her mother, in a quiet seaside town away from the temptations and darkness of her previous life, she is focusing on her recovery.
She’s going to meetings. Confessing her misdeeds. Making amends to those she’s wronged. If she fills her days, maybe she can outrun the ghosts that haunt her. Maybe she can start anew.
But someone is tormenting me now. Someone knows where I am and what I’ve done.
Someone knows exactly what Astrid is running from. And they won’t stop until she learns that some mistakes can’t be corrected. Some mistakes, you have to pay for.
I really like Lesley Kara’s writing and this book was a good suspense which kept me guessing. If you haven’t read her novel, The Rumor, that was excellent as well and its available right now.
Who Did You Tell? Is out on June 16, pre-order here.
White Out by Daniell Girard was perfect in its execution. The author did a great job of everything you’re supposed to do when writing a book and I was really into it!
First, the book starts with a heart-pounding scene. Imagine a car teetering on the very edge of a mountain. You are trapped in the car and one move can send it over the edge, killing you. As you try carefully to move, you fight your memories to determine what happened but your mind is blank. Your pants and shoes are wet. The man next to you is a stranger. You have clearly been in an accident. Are you hurt? Can you move? As you inch your way out of the car, it begins to dangle precariously…
And that’s just the first pages. Whew! This is quite a suspenseful novel and if you enjoy a true mystery/suspense with some police work, you should get this as soon as you can.
Lily has very little memory after being in a car accident with a mysterious man. She’s not sure about anything but she might be in some kind of trouble. Across town, Iver is waking up from a terrible hangover which was more like an epic blackout. He too is missing parts of his memory from the past several hours. When a dead woman is discovered in the dumpster outside of the bar he owns, he’s a prime suspect.
Kylie is new to town and is the only detective in the small police department full of men. She needs to prove herself and this case is her first. She must get to the bottom of who the dead woman was, what role did Iver play and how is Lily involved?
Synopsis:
After surviving a car accident on an icy road in Hagen, North Dakota, Lily Baker regains consciousness with no idea where or who she is. Scattered Bible verses and the image of a man lying in a pool of blood haunt her memory.
The same night of the accident, a young woman is murdered and tossed in a dumpster. Kylie Milliard, Hagen’s only detective, doesn’t immediately recognize the victim, but Kylie soon discovers that Lily and the dead woman share a dark past…if only Lily could remember what it was.
Lily and Kylie both want answers. But Kylie has to play by the book. Lily has to play it safe. And the more Lily learns about her identity, the more she fears the truth.
The book alternates between Lily, Kylie, and Iver and let me tell you, there are twists and turns and dead ends and left turns the whole way through the book! I was glued to the book for hours as I read it. I know it’s going to be a huge hit with my fellow book lovers.
This book comes out on August 1! Pre-order here.
When reading Kingdomtide by Rye Curtis two words come to mind: dark and gritty.
I liked that the main character was a 72-year-old woman, not expected in books, and I always seem to enjoy books where survival is a key element. Debra, the park ranger is someone with a host of issues that makes her very real and human. Who doesn’t have their own issues to overcome in life?
The sole survivor of a plane crash, seventy-two-year-old Cloris Waldrip is lost and alone in the unforgiving wilderness of Montana’s rugged Bitterroot Range, exposed to the elements with no tools beyond her wits and ingenuity. Intertwined with her story is Debra Lewis, a park ranger struggling with addiction and a recent divorce who is galvanized by her new mission to find and rescue Cloris.
As Cloris wanders mountain forests and valleys, subsisting on whatever she can scavenge, her hold on life ever more precarious, Ranger Lewis and her motley group of oddball rescuers follow the trail of clues she’s left behind. Days stretch into weeks, and hope begins to fade. But with nearly everyone else giving up, Ranger Lewis stays true until the end.
I didn’t love some of the other quirky characters in this book but I was turning the pages, eager to see how everything played out. Cloris tells this story from in the future so we know she survives. I wonder how the story would have been if we didn’t know ahead of time that she makes it out of the wilderness?
This book is out now! Get it here.
The Imperfects: A Novel by Amy Meyerson is beautifully told and I was intrigued right away but that cover! If you follow me on Instagram, you know how much I love a gorgeous, eye-catching cover.
Here’s what you need to know about this novel:
The Millers are far from perfect. Estranged siblings Beck, Ashley and Jake find themselves under one roof for the first time in years, forced to confront old resentments and betrayals, when their mysterious, eccentric matriarch, Helen, passes away. But their lives are about to change when they find a secret inheritance hidden among her possessions—the Florentine Diamond, a 137-carat yellow gemstone that went missing from the Austrian Empire a century ago.
Desperate to learn how one of the world’s most elusive diamonds ended up in Helen’s bedroom, they begin investigating her past only to realize how little they know about their brave, resilient grandmother. As the Millers race to determine whether they are the rightful heirs to the diamond and the fortune it promises, they uncover a past more tragic and powerful than they ever could have imagined, forever changing their connection to their heritage and each other.
When Beck finds out that the missing Florentine diamond is worth millions and the family needs to prove Helen was in possession of this diamond legally, the family sets out to learn more. Of course, they do, wouldn’t you?
I loved the author’s writing and the premise of this book. I am always looking for a story that I haven’t seen before so I enjoyed the idea of finding a secret item and learning about what else Helen hid. Can you even imagine a 137 carat diamond? WOW.
I liked the relationships between the characters and how they interacted with each other and ultimately found peace within their family. Dysfunctional dynamics are always good in a book! I also really enjoyed the history and details in this novel.
My current read is The Perfect Father: The True Story of Chris Watts, His All-American Family, and a Shocking Murder by John Glatt. Do you know this story?
I am a bit of a true crime junkie, having started reading this genre back in the 80s thanks to Ann Rule, queen of the true-crime book. Honestly, I didn’t know about Chris Watts and I only briefly read the synopsis before digging into this book. I had to stop and look up pictures of Chris and his wife.
The author’s writing style is straightforward and detailed as he takes us back to the beginning of the relationship between Chris and his Shanann.
Chris was a mild-mannered introvert married to the very outgoing and strong-willed Shanann. They were both hard workers and dedicated to their young daughters. In fact, Shanann often posted on social media about how amazing her husband was and how much she loved him.
I definitely get the sense that Shanann was controlling and bossed Chris around but according to friends, he didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he was described as being “obsessed” with her several times. But did her controlling ways push him over the edge?
In the early morning hours of August 13th, 2018, Shanann Watts was dropped off at her Frederick, Colorado home by a colleague after returning from a business trip. It was the last time anyone would see her alive. By the next day, Shanann and her two young daughters, Bella and Celeste, had been reported missing, and her husband, Chris Watts, was appearing on the local news, pleading for his family’s safe return.
But Chris Watts already knew that he would never see his family again. Less than 24 hours after his desperate plea, Watts made a shocking confession to police: he had strangled his pregnant wife to death and smothered their daughters, dumping their bodies at a nearby oil site. Heartbroken friends and neighbors watched in shock as the movie-star handsome, devoted family man they knew was arrested and charged with first degree murder. The perfect mask Chris had presented to the world in his TV interviews and the family’s Facebook accounts was slipping–and what lay beneath was a horrifying image of instability, infidelity, sexual ambivalence, and boiling rage.
I’m not quite finished with this and am anxious to get back to reading it. This is a book where perhaps the less you know, the better.
If you like true crime, get this book it’s very good and of course disturbing. It will be out on July 21, you can pre-order here.
You can also listen to a Crime Junkie podcast about the case here.
If you want a true crime book to read right now, you can go wrong with Ann Rule books. I really liked If You Tell by Gregg Olsen.
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