Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates

Title: Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

Release Date: July 11, 2023

Dead of Winter grips you in icy cold hands from the first sentence and doesn't let you go until the last. Christa, her boyfriend Kiernan, and a group of travelers are on their way to stay at a lodge in the Rocky Mountains. A storm comes along and knocks down trees as well as separates Christa and her boyfriend from each other. Her purpose becomes clear. She must fight the snow and wind to find and reunite with her boyfriend.

The weary travelers take refuge in an empty, isolated cabin. When the tour guide is murdered overnight and they find his head hanging in a tree, her purpose becomes that of survival. One of them is a killer, but who? The killer starts to pick them off one by one. Fingers get pointed at people at the slightest provocation. As their numbers dwindle, so does the list of suspects. Who will be the last person standing?

The characters are well written. Each individual has a unique personality and story. The setting of the landscape and cabin almost become characters on their own. The constant snowfall and wind become another entity that Christa must fight to survive.

The pacing of this book is fast. Once started, you definitely won't want to put it down. The tension builds in the cabin as its inhabitants start to turn on each other as the tension builds in the reader as they continue to read. There are twists to keep the reader guessing as well. It was hard to figure out "whodunit".

Dead of Winter is the first book that I've read by Darcy Coates and I'm looking forward to checking out her earlier works. She definitely has a hit with this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC in exchange for my review.

The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin

 Title: The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam

Release Date: September 26, 2023

Sarah Slade is a social media influencer, author, and therapist. From the outside looking in, her life is almost enviable. She has a loving husband, a successful self-help book, and a growing fanbase on social media. While attempting to write her second book, Sarah and her husband Joe buy a house. They are able to get it dirt cheap because it's a "murder house" that has been sitting empty for 40 years. A man killed his wife in the home but that doesn't faze Sarah. Sarah's plan is to renovate the spooky house and document it for her fans to see. She also hopes to sell the home for a tidy profit.

It's soon revealed that things aren't as perfect as they seem. There are cracks in Sarah's marriage and they are both hiding secrets from their past. When renovations start adding up and strange things start happening in the house, their already strained marriage takes a hit.

Sarah starts becoming more and more scared and paranoid. She starts losing followers on her social media accounts. She almost believes the house is a living entity and it's definitely a character of it's own in the book. Every noise and creak has you wondering if Sarah is going crazy or is there really someone out to get her. Could it be one of the unfriendly neighbors or could it be the ghosts of the previous dead tenants? You'll have to read it to find out.

Sarah is a very flawed and unstable character but that only ramps up the tension. Her husband Joe is spineless and unlikable from the start. He adds to Sarah's stress level and paranoia. Will their secrets be revealed? Will they survive the renovations on the house?

I give kudos to the author for her descriptions of a small town in Australia. The cold eeriness of the forest bordering the property adds to the spook factor. There were a few words/slang that I was unfamiliar with but Google and an Aussie friend set me straight.

The Stranger Upstairs comes out September 26 which makes it a perfect start to the Halloween season. Cuddle under a blanket with a hot cup of coffee or cocoa and enjoy the goosebumps that this novel provides. This is a solid debut novel from Lisa M. Matlin and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me an ARC copy to review.

Between Two Strangers by Kate White

Title: Between Two Strangers by Kate White

Publisher: Harper Perennial and Paperbacks, Harper Paperbacks

Release Date: May 16, 2023

Skyler is an up and coming artist who takes graphic design jobs to make ends meet. One day, she gets a phone call from a lawyer with some shocking news. A man named Chris Whaley has left her a rather sizable inheritance. The problem? She can't for the life of her remember who the man was.

After meeting with the lawyer, flashes of Chris start coming back to her. As this is going on, Chris's widow is contesting the inheritance and several strange and threatening things happen to Skyler. Is the widow behind the threats or is someone else mad about the money? Skyler is determined to find out who and why she was left the money in the first place.

It's an intriguing story and a very fast read from page one. The characters are fleshed out and relatable. Even the cat, Tuna, had her own distinct personality. There are plenty of twists to keep you and Skyler guessing. The story offers a look into Skyler's past and a tragedy that has been having long term effects on her, her family, and even her art work. The ending ties things up neatly.

A good weekend or beach read and a solid thriller. Thank you to Harper Perennial and Paperbacks and NetGalley for this entertaining ARC.

 

Beware the Woman by Megan Abbott

Title: Beware the Woman by Megan Abbott
Publisher: Penguin Group Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons

Release Date: May 30, 2023

Jacy and Jed travel to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to visit Jed's father, the warm and welcoming Dr. Ash. He treats her like a member of the family from the start and Jacy enjoys the attention at first. When she has a pregnancy scare, however, he becomes very controlling and secretive. He definitely has an old school way of thinking about women. What secrets is he hiding? Is Jacy just being paranoid? And what does the mysterious caretaker of the house, Mrs. Brandt, have to do with everything?

The story is very slow building and the formatting can be a bit jarring until you get used to it. You spend a great deal of time in Jacy's head and you start to question what is real and what may not be. Jed starts to act weirdly and she wonders if she ever really knew the man she married. He's a main character but he fades into the background a lot.

Let's talk about the ending, shall we? While several loose endings are tied up, many are not and that made for a very abrupt end. I swiped left on my phone and was pretty angry not to have an additional chapter.  I've since gotten over the anger and can appreciate what the author did.

Overall it was a good book and I'd recommend it to fans of thrillers and psychological suspense. It's a book that you can definitely finish in a weekend.

Many thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the early ARC in exchange for my opinion.

Killing Me by Michelle Gagnon

 Title: Killing Me by Michelle Gagnon

Publisher: Penguin Group Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons

Release Date: May 16, 2023

This book grabs you from the very first sentence. The narrator is Amber Jamison, and she's just been kidnapped by a serial killer. Her first thought is that she feels stupid for getting into that predicament. I'd probably be thinking the same thing! Her feelings quickly turn to terror as her escape attempts don't pan out.

Things turn her way, however, when a mysterious woman rescues her from her fate. Amber is intrigued by the mystery woman but for her own reasons must flee from her life. She makes her way to Las Vegas. Once there, she returns to some of her old ways but ends up making her first real friends in the process.These characters are well-written and flawed, but lovable.

The mystery woman reappears in Amber's life and she soon discovers that there is another serial killer in her midst. Is he targeting Amber or is it just a coincidence? Can her luck really be that bad?

This book starts a little slow but builds momentum as it goes on. The backstory about the mystery woman is a bit cut and dried as opposed to Amber's colorful past but it's not boring. This book is perfect to read on a weekend or a beach vacation. You wouldn't think a thriller about a serial killer could be humorous but this one manages to be, and it works.

Highly recommended read. I thoroughly enjoyed the humor and the well-written characters.

Oh, and I read the acknowledgements. The author hints at a sequel!

Many thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC they provided in exchange for my review.

The Intern by Michele Campbell

Title: The Intern by Michele Campbell

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Release Date: October 3, 2023

Madison Rivera is a law student with a problem. Her idol and mentor, Judge Conroy, has offered her an internship. It will look outstanding on her resume and bring her even closer to her dreams of becoming a lawyer. The problem? Her younger brother Danny has been arrested and the judge in his case is Judge Conroy. Does she divulge the truth to the judge and risk losing the internship? 

Madison lies. She has numerous opportunities to come clean but she doesn't. She tells herself she's doing it to help her brother but in reality she's being a bit selfish and looking out for her future career. While I appreciate the sentiment of doing anything for a sibling, Madison was also looking out for herself.

We soon learn that the judge and Madison had similar upbringings, and they form a strange bond over it. It's also revealed that the judge has her own secrets and Madison finds herself drawn into the intrigue whether she likes it or not.

The story is told from both Madison and Judge Conroy's point of view, in both past and present day. Both women appear to be fairly intelligent but are plagued by impulsivity and resulting bad choices. There were a few times I paused in reading to shake my head at them. Both characters are flawed and it's hard for Madison to accept that the judge isn't as perfect as she had thought.

This book is a fast-paced, easy read. Hints of lies, corruption and even a mob-like feel will keep you reading. It wasn't my favorite book this year but it's definitely a solid read.

Many thanks go to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.