Behind A Closed Door by J.D. Barker

 Title: Behind A Closed Door by J.D. Barker

Publisher: Hampton Creek Press

Release Date: May 13, 2024

Abby and Brendan Hollander have trouble in their marriage so they seek help from a marriage counselor. Their sex life has stalled due to a slight indiscretion on Brendan's part. The therapist suggests a popular app for their phones called Sugar and Spice. They download it, accept the terms and conditions, and that is when the fun begins.

Sugar and Spice is basically an adult version of truth or dare. The Hollanders find themselves communicating more and being more sexually adventurous. Abby begins using the app as an inspirational tool for writing her next book. The app starts pushing the envelope too far when it asks the question "Would you kill a total stranger to save someone you love?".

Abby and Brendan quickly learn that the app has fully infiltrated their lives and there is no way to get rid of it. Drawn into a dark web of intrigue they find themselves in a fight to get their lives back...but is it too late?

This book grabbed my attention from the first chapter and held it until the very end. The tension builds and builds and I enjoyed every minute of it. It also made me think about all the apps on my phone and what may be buried in the terms and conditions.

This was the first book I've read by J.D. Barker and I was thoroughly impressed. There is talk that the book is going to be made into a movie and I can't wait to see it. If you are looking for a fast paced, action packed thriller, this book is for you.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hampton Creek Press for the advanced copy of this amazing book.

Ladykiller by Katherine Wood

 Title: Ladykiller by Katherine Wood

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam

Release Date: July 9, 2024

Gia and Abby are so close they are almost sisters, despite the one major difference between them - money. Gia is an heiress and Abby is a hard working lawyer. Gia marries a man she barely knows and this causes a rift in their friendship. To make amends, Gia invites Abby and her brother Benny to a resort to celebrate her birthday. Abby reluctantly agrees and once she and Benny arrive at the resort they realize that there is a problem. Gia doesn't show up.

They travel to Greece and discover an explosive manuscript that Gia has left behind. It reads like part diary, part trashy romance novel and Benny and Abby don't know what to believe.

The book alternates between Abby's point of view, and Gia's manuscript. Abby also receives threatening text messages in reference to a secret that she and Gia share. That's just the tip of the iceberg as more and more secrets are revealed. Who is behind the texts? What are the circumstances behind Gia's disappearance? Who can she trust?

The story is well placed and keeps you guessing until the end. The ending, however, is a tad disappointing as it is very open ended and doesn't offer much closure. The setting descriptions are beautiful, however, and makes this book a great read for pool or beachside.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random Publishing Group for giving me an ARC in exchange for my review.

Twenty-Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate

 Title: Twenty-Seven Minutes by Ashley Tate

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

Release Date: January 30, 2024

Twenty-Seven minutes is the well-written debut novel by Ashley Tate. Grippng your attention from the first page, you'll be treated to a story told over multiple POVs and multiple time periods. The chapters are short but efficient. There are bread crumbs of clues scattered throughout, sometimes containing confirmation of what you think is the truth and sometimes conflicting with it. This makes for a slow build but also keeps you turning the page.

The novel tells the tale of the death of young Phoebe Dean and the ripple effects it has through the small town in which she lived. It's a town full of secrets, but the biggest one is why did it take twenty-seven minutes for help to be called after the accident? Phoebe may still have lived had she gotten help sooner.

Told from the POV of several unreliable narrators, you soon learn that everyone has secrets and everyone is carrying around guilt or heartache over something. Guilt and it's side effects are a constant theme in this book.

There are no likable characters in this book which was something I did not care for. I also wish the conclusion had been fleshed out a bit more, but it was still a good ending. Overall the book was a very solid debut novel and I'm looking forward to see what the other comes up with next. 

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

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.