Jess Ryder is a fantastic author, and I have enjoyed everything she’s written. Her last is called The Night Away, and those who love thrillers and suspense will definitely want to get it. What I like about Jess’s books are the twists and unexpected turns the stories take, keeping me engaged and on my toes.
Check out the premise:
No relationship is perfect. But since the birth of baby Mabel, seven months ago, Amber and George have been in desperate need of a night away. Mabel is all that Amber has ever wanted but she can’t deny that sometimes she struggles to cope. George has booked them into a luxury hotel and Amber’s sister is babysitting. Yet just as they are ready to leave, Amber can’t suppress a feeling of worry…
Amber is right to be anxious. Because as she and George sip cocktails at the hotel bar, what she doesn’t know is that her little girl is in terrible danger. Somebody has been following her every move, taking note of her habits. Somebody who desperately wants a child of their own. Somebody who believes that Mabel is supposed to be theirs.
When Amber’s sister reports that Mabel’s cot is empty, Amber’s world implodes. She knows that if her baby is not found, she will never forgive her sister.
But Amber also has a secret, hidden from those she loves. Is the only person who knows the truth out to make her pay? Amber will do whatever it takes to get her daughter back… but could her lies have put her little girl at risk?
I knew ahead of time when I picked it up that I would settle in for a good read and I was right. Enjoyable, fun, twisty and a quick read, get it next month. Coming out on November 2! Pre-order here.
I’ve mentioned a few times, or maybe more…. that I don’t love series. I read the Kinsey Milhone books by Sue Grafton and that is one of the few series I ever read and looked forward to the coming novels. But Lisa’s series about Jessica Shaw have been excellent and somehow she crafts suspense in every chapter that keeps you turning the pages quickly.
Once you begin reading, you don’t want to stop and that’s the best kind of book. Dark Highway is the latest story and its a must-read.
Check it out:
LA-based artist Laurie Simmonds disappeared two months ago, her campervan abandoned on the isolated Twentynine Palms Highway, miles from anything—or anyone. With the police investigation stalled, her parents put all their faith in private investigator Jessica Shaw to find out the truth of what happened.
Jessica and her partner Matt Connor discover that two other women are missing, their disappearances connected to the same highway. When a link emerges between these women and a group of former college friends, Jessica feels certain they’re closing in on their target.
But no sooner do they follow this up than Laurie’s parents get spooked and drop the case. Jessica is blindsided but determined not to give up: three women are missing, and many more may be at risk. She can’t turn her back on them. But the more she pulls at the threads of the truth, the closer she comes to danger. Can she find out who’s behind these crimes before they come for her?
Though the Jessica Shaw books are a series and this is number 3, you don’t have to read the other books ahead of this one. I think they can be read out of sequence and you won’t be totally lost. Since this comes out on November 19, you have time to read the first couple of books in the series if you want!
A few months ago, I read What I Know by Miranda Smith and really enjoyed it. If you haven’t read it, get it now! Her latest, The One Before, is another suspense-filled book with a creepy, promising premise. Imagine you move with your fiance to a beautiful, quiet town. Then you find out that your boyfriend’s girlfriend disappeared and all signs point to your beloved. What would you do? I would start digging and curiosity would get the best of me.
Take a look at the plot:
Whisper Falls is a fresh start for Madison and her fiancé Cooper. The safe, quiet town on the shores of a beautiful lake is the perfect place to spend the rest of their lives.
But then Madison learns that Cooper’s high-school girlfriend Celia disappeared after a party. Three days later, her body was found in the lake. And the town thinks it wasn’t an accident.
Madison loves Cooper, but she can’t help wondering. She has to know the truth. But if she starts asking questions, what other secrets will be revealed? Will she meet the same fate as the woman who came before her?
You can pre-order the book here and it will be delivered on November 4!
The Perfect Liar by Beverley Harvey is a fun book that will have you questioning the characters, its well-written with a story that moves forward. A girl’s trip with a mystery! It centers on three women; Susanne who is separated from her husband, Evie is dealing with grief because her mother just died, and Dale who is hoping for a bit of fun as the three women go for a vacation.
They rent a villa in Tuscany, where meet the owner’s son, Harry. Though he is much younger than her, Susanne is drawn to this charismatic man despite alarm bells going off in Dale’s head.
OF COURSE he is not as perfect as Susanne thinks. There is more to this young man…
The month in Tuscany was meant to be a relaxing getaway for Susanne and her two best friends. Meeting handsome fellow holidaymaker Harry, and the passionate fling they embark on, is just the icing on the cake.
But Harry is not who he says he is.
He has a plan, and Susanne is at the heart of it. Win her over, turn her against her friends, make her see he’s the only one who can make her happy. Then she will become his ticket to the luxurious life he craves. He has done terrible things to get this far – nothing will stop him now.
Not even Harry can plan for what happens next.
As Susanne’s friends fight Harry for her affection, hostility builds in the villa along with the heat until it erupts in a devastating act of violence. But a worse betrayal is yet to come – from the last place any of them expect…
Keep your eye on this book, I think a lot of readers will enjoy it! Coming out on November 6. Only 99 cents on Kindle!
The Lost Children by Shirley Dickson is a wonderful historical fiction story that you WILL LOVE. Shirley is a terrific writer and I have really enjoyed her other books, especially The Orphan Sisters.
Historical fiction is a hit-or-miss genre for me but Shirley’s books are consistently well-written and I love the stories she comes up with.
Take a look here:
England, 1943: Home is no longer safe for eight-year-old twins Molly and Jacob. Night after night wailing bombs and screeching planes skim the rooftops overhead. They cradle each other, shivering in terror, not knowing if they will live to see dawn. Their mother, Martha, has no choice but to evacuate them to the safety of the countryside.
At the train station, Martha bites back tears as she says goodbye to her precious children. Knowing she might never see them again, she gives Jacob a letter, pressing the envelope into his hands and telling him to only read it if they are in danger.
In the country, Molly and Jacob must adjust to life with strangers. Every night they dream of returning home to the arms of their beloved mother. But then the unimaginable happens. Martha is killed in an explosion, leaving the twins all alone in the world.
The war has robbed Molly and Jacob of everything – all they have left is one another. Motherless and destitute, they face the grim reality of life in an orphanage. The time has finally come for Jacob to open the letter. What secret does it hold, and could it change the course of their tragic fate? Because if they are together, they can survive anything – but what if they are torn apart?
The Lost Children will make you emotional, your heart will break a little. Its always tough to read stories with war as a backdrop. You will be fully immersed and sad when the book is over!
This book is out now, be sure to get it! SO GOOD.
The Perfect Sister by Zoe Miller focuses on sisters Alice and Holly. They were close growing up, but are now estranged. A mistake from several years ago looms large in this story. What is Holly hiding?
Synopsis:
Once inseparable, years of resentment and jealousy have driven Alice and Holly apart. But, though they barely speak these days, Alice knows her sister is hiding something.
When she hears that a discovery at a soon-to-be-demolished apartment building has led police to re-open an ‘accidental death’ case, Alice thinks nothing of it. She’s distracted by a recent chance encounter with a charismatic man named Damien, and the possibility of romance when she had given up all hope. Until someone knocks at her door, with questions about Holly.
Alice doesn’t believe her sister is capable of involvement in anything so sinister. But when she tries to contact Holly, she can’t be reached…
Forced to dig through the past in order to uncover the truth, Alice starts to uncover years of Holly’s secrets – and to doubt her innocence. As the evidence mounts up, Alice has a choice to make: does she want to help her sister clear her name, even if the price is her own future with Damien?
I’d classify this as a “slow burn” type of book that is suspenseful but not a page-a-minute-thrill ride. It’s a good, solid story, and I liked it.
Out now! Get it right this minute by going here.
The Pact by Dawn Goodwin was a fun read. It was suspenseful, moved quickly, and the reader doesn’t quite know what’s going to happen next. If you’ve ever made an off handed, jokey comment and someone took it seriously… then you will sympathize with Maddie. When her husband leaves her and moves in with someone new, of course Maddie’s broken-hearted. She commiserates with her neighbor Jade, and the two lament over the men who have done them wrong.
When Jade makes a comment, Maddie agrees, assuming it’s a hypothetical comment. But it’s not, Jade is completely serious.
Here’s the scoop:
I’ll kill yours, if you kill mine.
Maddie’s life has come crashing down around her. Her husband has left her and moved on with a new woman and baby. No longer can she run from the past that’s been haunting her. The past has destroyed her future.
In a new flat, trying to start a new life, Maddie meets Jade and her young son, Ben. All too swiftly Maddie finds the dark thoughts whirring through her brain. But Jade’s different, she loves Ben, doesn’t she?
As the two women begin to open up about their exes over a few glasses of wine, Jade conjures a plan, a pact. She’ll kill Maddie’s if Maddie kills hers. Laughing it off, Maddie returns to her normal life. But what if it wasn’t a joke at all…
This was a great suspenseful ride of a book. It kept me engaged from beginning to end.
I think a lot of you will enjoy this story! It comes out on October 8!
The Last To See Her by Courtney Evan Tate starts with a bang when Meg’s sister Gen goes missing in New York City. What a fantastic premise! Naturally, there is more to the story with some secret issues and tension that is slowly revealed.
Gen is on the verge of a divorce from her cheating husband. When her sister, Meg, has a convention to attend in the Big Apple, she invites Gen along to celebrate her newly found freedom. But the perfect sisters’ getaway quickly goes awry when a tipsy Gen defiantly throws her wedding ring off the hotel room’s balcony. Then, wanting some fresh air, she decides to take a late-evening walk alone and vanishes without a trace.
The investigation that follows uncovers secrets—and betrayals—between sisters and spouses that will twist the truth in on itself until nothing is clear.
What really happened to Gen and who, besides Meg, was the last to see her?
WOW I didn’t expect the book to take the turns it did. I think you will be surprised too. I had some ideas about what might happen, but I was wrong!
I really love books that shock me and surprise me.
Coming out on December 15, pre-order now.
Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten is a great book, wonderfully detailed, rich in history, and will surely please those who enjoy a look back at another time and place. Im always so happy to find a well researched historical fiction book.
Synopsis:
St. Petersburg, 1725. Peter the Great lies dying in his magnificent Winter Palace. The weakness and treachery of his only son has driven his father to an appalling act of cruelty and left the empire without an heir. Russia risks falling into chaos. Into the void steps the woman who has been by his side for decades: his second wife, Catherine Alexeyevna, as ambitious, ruthless and passionate as Peter himself.
Born into devastating poverty, Catherine used her extraordinary beauty and shrewd intelligence to ingratiate herself with Peter’s powerful generals, finally seducing the Tsar himself. But even amongst the splendor and opulence of her new life—the lavish feasts, glittering jewels, and candle-lit hours in Peter’s bedchamber—she knows the peril of her position. Peter’s attentions are fickle and his rages powerful; his first wife is condemned to a prison cell, her lover impaled alive in Red Square. And now Catherine faces the ultimate test: can she keep the Tsar’s death a secret as she plays a lethal game to destroy her enemies and take the Crown for herself?
From the sensuous pleasures of a decadent aristocracy, to the incense-filled rites of the Orthodox Church and the terror of Peter’s torture chambers, the intoxicating and dangerous world of Imperial Russia is brought to vivid life. Tsarina is the story of one remarkable woman whose bid for power would transform the Russian Empire.
Fantastic historical fiction, don’t miss this one. It will be published on November 10!
