Such an entertaining read, with a premise that’s equally intriguing and mysterious. I listened to the audiobook for this one, and the narrator’s (DylaSuch an entertaining read, with a premise that’s equally intriguing and mysterious. I listened to the audiobook for this one, and the narrator’s (Dylan Moore) performance really brought to life the tension and mystery in many scenes of this novel.
I wasn’t sure what kind of story I would get walking into this one. It seemed to oscillate between thriller, mystery, and at times even horror with its atmospheric setting and premise. While I didn’t find myself invested in any of the characters, the plot was obviously the central focus of this story more so than its characters and was more than entertaining enough to keep me on the edge of my seat.
Jules was probably the most fleshed out as the protagonist; her tragic history with the missing sister and the death of her parents made it understandable why she was desperate to be an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew. Her financial situation also made it impossible for her to leave such a tantalizing amount of money offered, and while I was frustrated at her inaction with a lot of the creepy and unexplainable things that started happening in the building, it was also obvious that she had little choice about making smart decisions due to poverty.
A lot of moments and decisions made by characters came back around to this topic, which definitely raised a lot of interesting points from philosophical and moral standpoints. I will say that for once I actually predicted the twist in this novel at around the halfway point, but knowing the ending didn’t make it any less interesting for me. It actually reminded me a lot of a certain movie released not too long ago (which is probably the reason I was able to figure out the twist at all lmao), and I was very intrigued to see how Sager might spin the tale to put his own twist on it.
It seems this author tends to get mixed reviews, but I enjoyed this one a lot and will likely read their other novels in the future. ...more
Thank you to the author and my partners at Books Forward for a gifted arc of this novel in exchange for my honest thoughts.
The Book of Demons is the cThank you to the author and my partners at Books Forward for a gifted arc of this novel in exchange for my honest thoughts.
The Book of Demons is the conclusion to The Book of Souls novel about Jack Kelly, an adult who wakes up as his thirteen-year-old self after a terrible accident and discovers that he possesses supernatural abilities. Demons picks up after the events of Souls and finds Jack battling a new foe who seeks to acquire a magical painting in Jack’s possession for evil gains.
Much like the first book, this sequel was an atmospheric read and did a nice job with setting up a creepy and mysterious tone for the plot. Readers will encounter plenty of familiar characters who helped Jack discover and hone his abilities. It also deals with the fallout of Jack’s dangerous adventures, including repairing a strained relationship with his father and his struggle to find balance between his investigations and having a normal home/school life.
In my opinion, this sequel suffers from having a much shorter novella length than the previous book. Sitting at a very brisk 137 pages, the pacing was difficult to judge–the pages were eventful but at the same time, the plot felt quite plodding, especially in the first half. There was a noticeable lack of thrilling and heartstopping moments unlike in the first book which made it so fun to read.
I would have loved an expansion on the backstory of the villain to understand his motives better. The ending seemed to come abruptly also, though the overarching plot was resolved by the last pages. There’s definitely potential to expand on this universe should the author decide to return to it. ...more
The premise is what initially pulled me towards this book; here is this island where only the most prominent and high profile figures are invited to vThe premise is what initially pulled me towards this book; here is this island where only the most prominent and high profile figures are invited to vacation without fear of being hounded by the general public. When the guests arrive and bodies start turning up, no one is allowed on or off the island as investigations go underway.
This book’s major flaw is the lack of uniqueness among its numerous characters within an abundance of povs. The chapters cycle between four major players and several supporting ones, all written in an overly descriptive style that had little influence on how the central conflict ended up playing out. The novel spends a lot of time discussing the exclusivity and lavishness of the club and its patrons, painting the world and setting the foundation, but I personally found the payoff lacking.
Despite a strong start, the slow pacing detracted from the momentum of the plot, and sadly never recovered. I was not at all invested in any of the characters, and at times had difficulty telling them apart. The execution was quite lackluster, and there were too many threads being pulled in all directions for me to properly follow the main story. ...more
I really enjoyed this one! I listened to the audiobook and I felt the pacing was great from beginning to end. The premise was intriguing and though I I really enjoyed this one! I listened to the audiobook and I felt the pacing was great from beginning to end. The premise was intriguing and though I didn’t find myself rooting for any one particular character, all of the individuals involved added a certain amount of tension and depth to the mystery of the plot.
I liked the alternating pov with each chapter; it gave a glimpse of what was going through each character’s head, but the authors wrote them in a way that still retained a lot of unsolved questions for the reader. I think I was more invested in the drama between these characters and how everyone was connected to each other, so I wasn’t trying too hard to figure out the big twist of the story lol. But I wasn’t disappointed when it did come at the end, and I felt things were mostly wrapped up nicely enough by the final chapter.
The audiobook was fun to listen to! The narrators did well with injecting an undercurrent of tension and unsettling vibes into the storytelling that made the twists and turns so enjoyable. I even liked all the drama between the school mom rivals (though I was more into the shady stalker part of the plot), and I could totally see this being adapted into a domestic thriller on the big screen! ...more
Huge thanks to the author and my partners at Dreamscape Media and Poisoned Pen Press for providing an ALC of this novel in exchange for my honest
3.5/5
Huge thanks to the author and my partners at Dreamscape Media and Poisoned Pen Press for providing an ALC of this novel in exchange for my honest thoughts.
This title has a unique storytelling format of having a story within a story. Hannah is an author in the midst of writing a thriller novel, and sends her progress chapter by chapter to a fellow writer named Leo. Hannah’s novel is about a group of four individuals who become intricately tied together after hearing a murdered woman’s screams in the Boston Public Library. The reader follows these storylines concurrently as similar themes and dark tones begin to permeate both narratives.
I really enjoyed the formatting of this book. It starts out with the story in the library, and it isn’t until later that we find out that it is a book being written by Hannah. I personally was a lot more invested in her storyline than Freddie’s; Freddie’s story felt more like the ‘fictional’ one due to the arrangement of the plotlines, if that makes sense.
Hannah’s side was gripping because the reader only ever got to read these chapters through Leo’s pov. Leo acts as a beta reader for Hannah, responding to her manuscript with enthusiastic feedback as well as anecdotes about his struggles to get his own literary work published. I was thoroughly entertained by Leo’s transformation from excited fan and fellow author into a sinister individual who becomes obsessed with Hannah and begins to interpret her work as reality. I’ve seen other reviews say they disliked Leo’s parts because it took them out of the main plotline, but the letters were my favorite parts of the book.
Though I didn’t connect with any of the characters, the library mystery was intriguing and kept me guessing until the end. I was actually expecting it to be a closed-setting/locked room mystery set exclusively in the library, so I was disappointed that it expanded to the entirety of Boston. And I wish we got more of Hannah and Leo; the ending felt so abrupt and anticlimactic, especially because I was waiting to see the significance of the two narratives and how they tied together. Overall though it was a compelling read, and I enjoyed the audiobook immensely. ...more
“This is the terrible thing about a tragedy. It isn’t with you every minute. You forget it, and then you remember it.”
I’m not sure why I was expecting“This is the terrible thing about a tragedy. It isn’t with you every minute. You forget it, and then you remember it.”
I’m not sure why I was expecting some grandiose, heartstopping thriller when I read this, but it’s definitely more of a domestic thriller. The central plot line is very simple, focusing on a woman whose husband inexplicably disappeared and left his daughter in her care with only one short message: ‘Protect Her.’ At its core, this is a tale about family and how far a parent will go to protect his or her loved ones.
The highlights were Hannah and sixteen-year-old Bailey’s interactions. Bailey is Owen’s daughter from a previous marriage who dislikes Hannah at the beginning of the book. When the two realize that Owen is missing and may be implicated in a huge business scandal, they work together to discover the truth behind his disappearance. I love how Hannah stepped up and always considered Bailey’s wellbeing, and how Bailey learned to rely on Hannah as a parental figure and not just on her father.
The story switches between present day and flashbacks to moments the women spent with Owen. I felt there were just enough flashbacks to get a handle on Owen and Hannah’s characters and chemistry. The author was deliberate with her pacing, and I never felt like any scenes were inserted for padding or that the story was dragging.
The latter half of the book is where the story suffered for me. The big reveal felt anticlimactic and there was no real sense of urgency with solving the riddles. The discovery of clues felt very random, and even too convenient considering Hannah and Bailey had little help and were essentially hunting down leads based on vague memories that Bailey had as a child. I liked the message behind the story, but I wasn’t totally satisfied with how it ended....more
When 47-year-old Jack has a near-death experience that leaves him seeing ghosts and shadowy crea3.5/5
“The dead don't come back, but some never leave…”
When 47-year-old Jack has a near-death experience that leaves him seeing ghosts and shadowy creatures, he is further baffled by the fact that he has awakened in the body of his 13-year-old self. Why do doctors keep saying his memories are residual effects of the accident when he has such vivid memories of a wife and children as well as a lifetime of experiences? In this paranormal thriller, Jack embarks on a journey to make his way back to the reality he has already lived.
So in the horror movie Insidious, there’s a character who can astral project to a place in between life and death. When he’s unable to get back into his body, he’s plagued by demons and all sorts of horrors in this in-between. I kept imagining these particular scenes while reading this book. The writing style was so visceral and read in a very cinematic way, which elevated the suspenseful mood of the story. There was a sense of eeriness and uncomfortable stillness that never quite left the room regardless of the scene I found myself reading.
Moore has an incredible way of drawing you into the horrors of this universe. I can’t tell you how many times I felt my skin crawl at the creepy moments in which Jack is tortured by visions of demons and ghosts. There’s a huge mystery involved in the central plot, which added to the tense atmosphere of this story and left me feeling as disoriented as its characters. The pov alternated between a number of characters, but the way the story was woven together kept me guessing at everyone’s motives and connections.
This is a dark tale that touches on a number of themes such as identity and one’s sense of self, religion, the occult, belief and support systems, substance abuse, and the struggle to connect to others. I felt the paranormal aspects of this story were an interesting touch to a tale that strongly focuses on the loneliness with which many individuals struggle, and the sense of belonging that some struggle to achieve. Behind the creepy and horror filled pages was the respective journeys these characters took to find their identity and purpose in life.
If I had to be nitpicky, there were some noticeable grammatical and punctuation errors in the writing. The perspective also sometimes would switch between first and third person in the same paragraphs and same chapters, of which I was not a fan. But overall it didn’t detract too much from the storytelling and I still enjoyed the thriller elements. Although the main story ended on a cliffhanger, multiple narratives came together to resolve a few of the conflicts Jack encountered throughout the novel. The ending left on a bittersweet note, and readers will have to wait until Oct 2022 for the second installment in this series.
Huge thanks to the author, Books Fluent, and my partners at Books Forward for an arc of this novel and the bookish swag in exchange for my honest thoughts!...more
I have mixed feelings about this book because although I found most of the characters unlikable, I’m trying not to base my rating on this and trying tI have mixed feelings about this book because although I found most of the characters unlikable, I’m trying not to base my rating on this and trying to avoid disliking a book just because I wasn’t able to connect with its characters. This is one of those stories where the setting, premise, and writing style worked perfectly, but the characters’ actions and motivations just didn’t click for me.
I really questioned a lot of the protagonist’s actions for most of the story because while Lux was brave at times, she was such a pushover when it came to anything involving her boyfriend Nico. A horrible tragedy left her alone and without much resources, but she was really limiting her potential by attaching herself to Nico, who was at many times inconsiderate and a relatively uncaring individual (Lux mentions many times that he was a trust fund kid and yet he was content to just be ‘slumming’ it with her while she’s stuck struggling in a dead-end waitressing job).
The story really picks up when other characters join the couple and the group of strangers end up stuck on a mysterious island. Nobody is as they seem, and it was pretty interesting seeing how these people were all interconnected. The past/present chapters gave good insight on several of the characters, though the alternating format did get a little bit repetitive in the latter half of the book.
I really enjoyed the writing style though; the way the author wove tension into the story and had the characters playing chicken as well as cat-and-mouse with each other added to the mystery of the central plot and had me finishing the story in one afternoon. Consider picking this one up if you’re a fan of isolated settings in thriller stories. ...more
Now this is how you pull off a winter thriller! Not only were the characters intriguing and all had interesting backstories, the mystery of the centraNow this is how you pull off a winter thriller! Not only were the characters intriguing and all had interesting backstories, the mystery of the central plot was integral in understanding these individuals’ motives and helping solve this atmospheric whodunnit story. After reading this novel, I’ve become a fan of mystery and thriller stories that are set in isolated places. Shiver takes place at a winter ski lodge where a group of friends find themselves deserted and playing a deadly game of cat and mouse in order to identify the culprit of a death that occurred ten years ago in the very same place.
The atmosphere in this book was incredible; a good author will be able to paint a picture of a setting with words, but a great one is also able to make you feel as if you are precisely in that kind of location, mood, and backdrop. I remember being cozy and warm at home when I read this book, but I still found myself burrowing under the covers and gasping at all the right moments from the sheer chill and frosty setting of the ski resort described vividly in the story.
I was impressed with the number of twists and turns this story took from beginning to end. The book jumps between past (when the friends first met each other) and present as they try to learn how much each individual has changed from their ten years apart from everyone else. The young and hungry have become beaten down and cynical, the innocent have become untrusting, and the hopeful have become broken. I’m not a veteran thriller reader so I can’t really say if the final big twist was a surprising one by your average thriller standards, but I didn’t have a clue who did what and was mostly along to enjoy the ride lol.
Overall this was a page-turner read for me. I loved that even though I found certain characters unlikable, their actions had meaning and important purpose in setting the story in the present time. I enjoyed discovering how much they all changed, and who exactly was running the show in forcing these friends to confront ‘the event’ from ten years ago. ...more
A shocking event that traumatized twin sisters Alexa and Beth led them to spend time at a psychiatric facility as children. While Alexa has been able A shocking event that traumatized twin sisters Alexa and Beth led them to spend time at a psychiatric facility as children. While Alexa has been able to heal and acclimate to everyday life now as a young woman in her 20’s, Beth has had more difficulty adjusting. Just as Beth finishes another stint at the psychiatric center and reunites with her sister, Alexa–in contrast–has flourished and gained more independence through a new job and apartment in the city. The sister’s bond grows strained and secrets come to light about the terrible night that has haunted them since they were nine years old.
Holy moly what a tale. I started listening to the audiobook without checking the synopsis to help kill time while doing chores, and I ended up really enjoying this story. My gripe with a lot of thrillers recently is that they can take too long to progress the plot and reveal interesting twists, but I thought this one was the perfect length. The pacing moved at a brisk speed and every passage had a purpose in moving the storyline along.
In terms of characterization, Alexa and Beth had distinct personalities that set them apart. Beth is direct, quick to anger, and has no problem speaking her mind, whereas Alexa is reserved and the more level-headed half of the duo. There is an influencer-type boyfriend who comes into the picture early on and serves as a buffer between the two sisters’ sometimes clashing personalities. There’s also a few chapters involving the doctor assigned to care for the sisters at the psychiatric facility. I found him particularly interesting and well-written because he had his moments of being sympathetic to Alexa and Beth’s situation but also his moments of pure focus on the medical aspect of their case as a scientific professional. But truthfully I was definitely a lot more invested in the interactions between Alexa and Beth.
The twist in the story obviously is what caused the sisters to end up at a psychiatric center at nine years old. It’s quite interesting so I won’t mention anymore and save any potential spoilers. What I do wanna mention is how the story goes beyond that night. I’m so used to thrillers unveiling a final twist to shock readers, and then fading to black, that it caught me off guard when I was reunited with the main characters and the story continued. Because this book leans on the shorter side, it didn’t feel like the author was dragging the story out. It rather felt like the full story had yet to be unveiled and there were more pieces of the puzzle to be discovered, which definitely excited me and kept me reading.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and was satisfied where it ended. I haven’t read a lot of thrillers so I can’t say if the curveballs were predictable, but I personally enjoyed where the plot went and how each character reacted as the story went on. I thought the narrator of the audiobook did a wonderful job with highlighting the mounting tension between the sisters, and giving Alexa and Beth distinct voices. It’s a short read so if you’re looking for something quick to occupy some time definitely consider giving this one a try!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group Press for an ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest thoughts....more
Mira takes up her plane seatmate’s offer to share a rental in order to get home in time for Christmas, but later discovers that everyone in the car isMira takes up her plane seatmate’s offer to share a rental in order to get home in time for Christmas, but later discovers that everyone in the car is a stranger to each other. As belongings start disappearing and lies are thrown around, her decision to travel through a snowstorm may prove to be a sinister and life-threatening one.
My biggest criticism—this story suffers terribly from the fact that it is a YA novel. I never felt fully creeped out or scared by anything that was happening because the elements that were meant to drive suspense into the plot were very tame. I didn’t find any of the characters interesting or likable, and I wasn’t invested in the protagonist even though we do get a little bit of background on her as a person at the beginning of the book.
Everyone in the car was meeting each other for the first time that day, but as far as strangers go, they were all quite petty and immature. They preferred to argue and talk about personal drama instead of worrying about the crazy weather and dangerous roads that they were idiotically driving in. Would it really have been the worst thing in the world to miss spending Christmas day with her mom this one year so that she could avoid the dangerous elements outside? Apparently for Mira, she’d rather risk her life so yes.
This is quite a basic stalker thriller and I found myself continuing to read just to finish the story, as it’s not a very long one. The lack of realistic stakes and believable plot was notable in a lot of the filler dialogue between the characters. I know much of it was meant to serve as red herring to throw off the reader but I just didn’t care for any of it tbh. The part where they are escaping from a certain duo was probably the one exciting part in the whole book for me. Overall it was pretty underwhelming and I recommend looking at adult thriller novels for more suspenseful reads.
P.S. A random point: the pandemic is part of this universe and they mention people wearing masks and such, and that was such a turnoff for me hahaha. I read to escape the real world, why would I wanna read about covid in a fictional book too. ...more
To everyone who has been hyping this and asking me to read it, you can say ‘I told you so’ because my mind was blown! I sat down one afternoon to readTo everyone who has been hyping this and asking me to read it, you can say ‘I told you so’ because my mind was blown! I sat down one afternoon to read this and didn’t get up until I was finished. The absolute mastery with which Hoover writes compelling plots and flawed characters is evident in Lowen’s story. The majority of the plot occurs in the span of a matter of weeks, but so much happens in such little time. There’s essentially only four characters in this book in terms of the main plot and I was hooked from the first chapter.
My sympathy for Verity and her unfortunate condition that led to Lowen arriving at the Crawford home for a work contract quickly spiraled into dismay and shock as the story progressed. While the novel reads from Lowen’s pov, I believe Verity’s work gave the reader a truly unfiltered view of her as an individual. Although Jeremy has done his best with the circumstances, it is clear how much of a toll the whole situation has taken on him over time, and I felt for him and his son.
The psychological suspense delivered well, in my opinion. Small things that should have been normal became strange and unsettling inside the Crawford’s quiet and secluded home. Lowen’s slow descent into mental anguish as she learned more and more about the household’s occupants was evident in the loss of her calm demeanor and the uptick in her questioning her own actions, which added even more to the suspense of the novel.
The final chapters upended so much of my previous notions and left me buzzing with shock for days. I love that there’s no clear cut answer to the mystery, and I hope that Hoover will write this genre again someday because her writing style is totally down my alley. ...more
This was almost four stars, but the pacing got a little stagnant in the middle and I was able to call the twist at the end! When I figured out the endThis was almost four stars, but the pacing got a little stagnant in the middle and I was able to call the twist at the end! When I figured out the ending, I actually had to skip most of that part and just read the aftermath and epilogue of the book. I went in blind because I like to be surprised by twists in thrillers, and unfortunately I couldn’t stomach what I knew was going to happen to certain characters. I don’t wanna give much away so I’ll just note that trigger warnings should be researched if you have limits with certain book contents.
What I did enjoy about this book were the characters. The chapters alternate timelines between the present day with Laurel, a grieving mother whose daughter disappeared one average day ten years ago, and the past with Ellie, the aforementioned girl. I could tell how close the relationship between these two was from the alternating povs, and when considering all of the extreme emotions that Laurel exhibits upon Ellie’s disappearance like worry, anxiety, grief, and guilt. As the story progresses, breadcrumbs slowly reveal the events that transpired all those years ago. There are a number of other characters at play and I felt they were fleshed out well and added to the depth and mystery of the central plot.
I also appreciated the way the plot unfolded, slowly revealing clues here and there and with enough red herrings to keep the reader curious and guessing at the ending. The prose is written in such a way that even though there wasn’t anything remarkably interesting happening in certain chapters, I still felt a great deal of dread during most of the story because I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I wouldn’t necessarily say that I enjoyed the plot content, but I did appreciate the writing style and the author’s ability to keep the mood of the story dark and sinister. The ending was poignant and left me wishing that certain events had transpired differently, if only to avoid the tragic reality that these characters found themselves living in the present story. This is my first book from this author and I'm looking forward to reading her other works. ...more
I don’t know what it is about my reading tastes, but my overall enjoyment of a thriller novel seems to depend on how shocking or good of a twist the e I don’t know what it is about my reading tastes, but my overall enjoyment of a thriller novel seems to depend on how shocking or good of a twist the ending is. Unfortunately, the ending of Final Girls failed to wow me. This is a spoiler-free review so I can only say that the reveal seemed to come out of nowhere and that the author sprinkled one too many red herrings throughout the story for me to have any kind of prediction on who the bad guy was at the end.
The premise was really interesting though; I liked the idea of taking surviving victims from a number of different murder incidents and playing them off of each other in one story. Lisa, Sam, and Quincy are all survivors of their own versions of their worst nightmares and came out of their respective experiences as completely unique individuals from each other, and with different coping mechanisms and outlooks on life.
The most problematic aspect of this novel for me was the pacing, with the first two-thirds of the story being a snore-fest consisting of Quincy taking Xanax and doing a lot of baking to cope with her anxiety, and a number of flashbacks to the events of Pine Cottage which reveal little to nothing of the massacre that night and the people involved. I understand that the slower burn is meant to ramp up the thrill and suspense in an upward trajectory, but the lack of action and plot progression failed to keep me invested in the storyline. By the end at which the culprit was finally unveiled, I could only shrug, say ‘huh, okay then’ and keep moving onto the final pages to wrap up the book.
I’ve heard some great reviews on this novel so perhaps it might have been a little bit overhyped for me going into this one, but overall it was an okay read. The characters were fairly interesting, the premise was unique, and the writing style gave me just enough thriller vibes to keep my attention on the pages. I have a few other Sager novels on my TBR so I’m hoping those will prove to be more exciting reads than FInal Girls. ...more
Thirteen is a crime procedural thriller in which lawyer Eddie Flynn defends famous actor Bobby Solomon in a case trial that accuses him of murdering h Thirteen is a crime procedural thriller in which lawyer Eddie Flynn defends famous actor Bobby Solomon in a case trial that accuses him of murdering his wife and her supposed lover. As evidence and various clues start emerging, Flynn realizes that the crime is part of a string of serial murders committed by one individual over a number of years. He begins to suspect that the true murderer may have actually been hiding among the jury all along.
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The question you’re probably asking after reading that blurb is: how in the world does a serial killer manage to make his way onto a jury for a high-profile trial, and why?? Well you’ll have to read to find out! This was an absolute rollercoaster ride of a book. Intrigue, mystery, shock, and suspense are just some of the emotions I felt throughout my reading experience. The chapters are fairly short which aided towards a swiftly-moving plot with compelling characters and events. Thank you so much to Joanna for recommending this one, it was worth the wait to pick this up from the library!!
The chapters alternated POVs between Flynn and Kane, which made for a fascinating read because I was able to get a peek at both the lawyer and the criminals’ thoughts, plans, and motivations. Kane’s chapters were especially gripping because we are treated to flashbacks of his upbringing and various traumatic experiences, which may have affected his psyche as a child and contributed to him becoming the ruthless mastermind that he is. I also enjoyed the writing style which was snappy and straightforward. I was worried I would get lost within the legal jargon and lawyer-speak that many courtroom dramas like to use, but the story spent just enough time explaining these things to keep the flow of the story well-paced and easy to follow.
There’s quite a few gruesome and violent scenes that really exhibit Kane as a genius but cuckoo individual, but I appreciated these scenes because the shock factor drew me into the story even more. I didn’t know which direction the story was going to go so I was on the edge of my seat the whole way and flew through this book in a short amount of time. If you like crime dramas with a focus on a cat-and-mouse type of chase in a fast-paced story with multi-layered characters, definitely give Thirteen a try! This is book number 4 in the Eddie Flynn series by Cavanagh, but it totally works as a standalone so don’t be afraid to jump into this one without reading the previous books.
When a rich couple is murdered at their home after an Easter dinner with their three children, an investigation unearths a number of alarming secrets When a rich couple is murdered at their home after an Easter dinner with their three children, an investigation unearths a number of alarming secrets involving the family. The children become primary suspects in the case, as they were the last individuals to see the victims. That, and because they all stand to inherit millions of dollars from their father’s will.
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Despite the two stars, I didn’t hate or dislike this book. Rather, I was just extremely underwhelmed by the overall story and its components. None of the characters are particularly likeable, although the author attempts to set them apart from each other by giving them some questionable personality traits and habits. I say attempts, because ultimately they all end up playing predictable roles within the family. One sibling is the token perfect child, another has some very dark and disturbing habits, and the last sibling takes the role of the black sheep of the family. There were also a lot of names and characters thrown at the reader at the start of the book, which made it a bit confusing to understand who was doing what.
My biggest issue with this was the pacing. Perhaps it’s because I’m not normally one to read contemporary thrillers, but the first half of the book dragged on for way too long. The author spent a lot of time introducing many characters and connecting them to each other, but sometimes there were both too many and not enough details provided for me to want to care about anything that was happening. The plot bounces between the siblings suspecting each other of murdering their parents, and the spouses of the siblings suspecting their significant other of committing the crime. There are a few side characters mixed in to try to throw off the reader with extra details, but on the whole I just thought there was too much dialogue happening. There were two moments in the book that ramped up the suspense for me, but aside from those, the rest of the book is fairly lukewarm in the action and suspense department.
The ending was very bland and uninspired. There were supposed twists that came out of nowhere with no supporting details, and to be honest I don’t even remember reading any hints or lines that could have led to the conclusion of the story. Everyone’s primary motivation was money, which was pretty uninteresting. I kept reading because it wasn’t a particularly long book, and because I wanted to see if the ending had any exciting curveballs that would redeem the mediocre beginning and middle parts. I wish the characters were more fleshed out and had better motivations, and that the plot had a more interesting trajectory. ...more
Imagine a single mother who is a struggling author with writer’s block. She has very little money, a boatload of late bills, and impossible divorce laImagine a single mother who is a struggling author with writer’s block. She has very little money, a boatload of late bills, and impossible divorce lawyer fees to pay. When a stranger at a restaurant overhears her conversation with her editor about her manuscript, she is mistaken for a hitman and offered $50,000 for a job. Can you really blame her for considering it when her electricity was shut off just this morning, her ex is threatening to sue for full custody of their children, and her editor won’t stop hounding her to meet writing deadlines? That’s the premise of Finlay Donovan, and it’s only the beginning.
Yesss #bookstagram delivers with this one! There was a period of two or three days where I kept seeing posts and reviews about this book all over my feed, which drew my curiosity so I had to check it out. This story was the perfect blend of mystery, thriller, and comedy. Finlay is a no-nonsense, abrasive, and unforgiving type, and I found these qualities refreshing in a protagonist since readers can so often be treated to cookie-cutter ‘good girl’ characters. Once the ball gets rolling, the plot moves at a well-balanced pace and there is never a dull moment. There is plenty of humor mixed in with this story, but there were also plenty of heartfelt moments to be found. Finlay finds support from one of the last people she could have expected, and she not only forges strong friendships but even gets to have a little bit of romance along the way.
Through all the farfetched hijinks and thrilling mysteries, the writing style stays consistently snappy and witty. Additionally, the audiobook elevated the experience for me. I thought the narrator did an excellent job of bringing each character to life and giving them distinct voices (even the kids sounded believably adorable lol). The premise is very reminiscent of Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Dial A for Aunties, which I also loved, but each novel finds their own ways to be unique and add different twists to their stories. I really enjoyed Finlay Donovan and the epilogue delivered a pretty interesting cliffhanger so I’ll be sure to look forward to the sequel! ...more
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