Behind Closed Doors follows Grace in her picture perfect marriage as she recounts how she got in predicament in the first place, through detailed flashbacks.
I was excited to pick up another fast-paced thriller audiobook from the library, and while this book was an easy enough listen, I came away a little disappointed. I really enjoy those thrillers that keep you bouncing around from suspect to suspect, always keeping you guessing, never really knowing what’s coming next, and… that’s not this book.
This book is definitely more slow, methodical kind of thriller. Most of Grace’s attempts of escape are shown via flashback, so since we already know the outcome, I felt like the tension wasn’t as intense as it could’ve been, and the premise kind of required me to suspend my disbelief in kind of strange ways. Jack comes off as a little one-dimensional, and if you’re waiting for a twist… well there isn’t really one.
Behind Closed Doors is an easy read though, a well-narrated audiobook, and has a mostly satisfying conclusion. Overall: a solid thriller that takes it time. (3.5/5)
⭐⭐⭐½
I’m not sure this one was quite Elsa and I’s speed.
Another solid thriller that takes its time with some surprises in store as well. The story follows Chloe two decades after her father was found guilty of murdering six teenage girls. Chloe is an unreliable narrator with some unhealthy coping mechanisms, so when a fresh series of murders crops up, she understandably starts on a downward spiral.
This book is chock full of tension, and sells its red herrings hard, but ultimately I thought the ending was kind of a downer. Chloe makes some choices that are a little hard to stomach, and it makes me feel bad for one character in particular as it rips all of their lives apart.
The audiobook was well narrated and the writing style feels rich and full even if it does slow down after the halfway point. Overall a solid listen I’d recommend to fans of dark thrillers. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! A Flicker in the Dark launches on 11 Jan!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Elsa’s still looking over her shoulder after reading this one.
This book is Brutal. And it makes it a little tough to review.
Usually I shy away from super long books, but I was tired of having to pick out a new audiobook every few days, so I settled on the first thriller that caught my eye.
The story follows two sisters who, as children, survive a violent and horrific home invasion. In the first chapter we experience this visceral and gut-wrenching event right along with them, and it is HARD to read.
Then we fast forward three decades to where another violent school shooting shakes the survivors and the town they live in once again, unearthing unsolved mysteries from the past and present.
The Quinn family of lawyers is easy to root for, the banter between the sisters feels real, and the personalities of all the characters seem to pop off the page. Although this audiobook was 19 hours long, it felt like it passed quickly.
There are plenty of red herrings in this complicated mystery, and while some of the reveals were certainly unexpected there was at least one in there that didn’t feel quite right to me. But the real thing that I just couldn’t stomach was the brutality of the violence scenes. This book does not hold back, and it really comes off as disturbing. They actually tell the account of the original home invasion three times, and every time the details get worse.
Honestly, if I’d known there was… (*Spoilery Trigger Warning*)
…violent, onscreen child rape I would’ve passed this book by. (That’s what I get for picking it up books at random I guess.) But if extreme, realistic violence doesn’t bother you, you’ll probably enjoy this tense, complicated thriller. I really enjoyed the style of writing, and would probably pick up another book from this author (but you can bet I’ll check out the trigger warnings first!)
⭐⭐⭐¾
This is my disturbed face. I am disturbed. (You know, more than I was before reading, anyway.)
Fatal Obsession starts off with the assault of a star college football player, Deke, and then follows his fiancé, Sloan, as she tries to unravel the aftermath. This is a short, fast-paced mystery/mild thriller with a hook that’ll keep you turning pages and an interesting reveal. However, although we get the perspectives of Deke, Sloan, and the assailant, I thought the characters could’ve used a little more development, and the ending didn’t quite work for me (I thought it was a bit too happily ever after considering the circumstances.) Also, this could’ve just been the ARC format I received, but there were quite a few instances where words were missing between pages.
Thanks so much to BookSirens and the publisher for the free ARC!
⭐⭐⭐
I fear we are still wading through our reading slump. Send help. (And by help, I really just mean audiobook recommendations.) 😂
So I started reading Split Therapy by EP Stavs after my last two book had endings that kind of left me unsatisfied, and I was a little worried about an impending reading slump. But this book was such a breath of fresh air!
I really enjoyed EP Stavs’ Shendri Series, so when I saw the chance to get an ARC of her thriller novella, I just couldn’t help myself! Split Therapy follows sweet college student Jane as she tries to carry on with life after a traumatic incident. Meanwhile, her vigilante alter ego, Jae, roams the night finding a different way to come to terms with the incident.
First of all, I just love EP Stavs’ writing style. It is sharp and snappy but still paints the clearest picture of the action. Her banter is always on point, and she always manages to paint the most loveable characters that are so easy to connect with. I read this book in one enjoyable evening, totally drinking in the building tension and the sweet love interest, and I put it down feeling ready for another!
I totally recommend to anyone looking for a fun thriller to get lost in (that doesn’t mind adult themes and language) and can’t wait to see what Stavs writes next! Thanks so much to EP Stavs for the ARC; Split Therapy comes out on 4 Nov!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Working on my mysterious alter ego over here. Got the mug shot ready to go. (Yep… I went there.)
Suffer Little Children by Freda Hansburg starts out as Robin begins a new job opportunity in cancer research, and struggles with her relationship with her boyfriend Ben over his unruly children, Amber and Jaden. Enter Gloria, a concerned friend of Ben’s trying to get her son into the cancer research study.
I had trouble starting this one, because Amber (one of the POVs) and Ben really grated on my nerves. Which is pretty much how Robin feels too though, so it’s easy to connect with her. The plot thickens as Gloria, an incredibly well-spun character, goes from irritating to unhinged, and the last half is quite engrossing as the characters’ lives start to unravel. As the twists are thrown at them (which were definitely surprising), Robin and Amber both evolve in satisfying ways, ending in a well-executed conclusion. I was a little thrown off by the prologue, which I thought was unnecessarily spoilery, but I would still recommend to anyone looking for a satisfying psychological thriller! Thanks so much to the author for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.
This is Exactly how a thriller should be done! The story follows a father trying to move on after the death of his wife, his young son who is… different, an older detective who investigated the whisper man (a child killer who whispers to children through their windows to gain their trust) decades ago, the detective who’s assigned to the case now, and… the killer. ☠️
This book totally sucked me in, hitting all the right beats. With some deliciously creepy vibes, this book kept me on the toes with quite a few surprises I didn’t see coming. The characters’ wildly different perspectives are great, and I love how it flirted with the paranormal for an extra creepy feel. The overall tone is definitely somber and chilling rather than breakneck thriller, but it still keeps you hanging on every line.
I picked up this audiobook from the library, and the narrator did a fabulous job of bringing this story to life. A perfect weekend read for fall that I would recommend to any and all fans of slow build thrillers and mysteries with a side of spook. And it left me seriously craving more thrillers! More!!!!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A big thumbs up for this creepy thriller! But… if anyone whispers to me through a window, I will probably just keel over right there. 😂
So, The Guilt Trip starts off with a dead body. Then, backtracking, we follow three couples as they travel to a destination wedding, and stay together in a scenic villa in Portugal. We follow Rachel, a 40yo mother, as pieces of old and new secrets are uncovered, ratcheting the tension ever higher as they get closer to the wedding.
This book was kind of like watching a train wreck in motion, you just can’t look away as these characters start to unravel before your eyes. The tension was excellent, and tightly strung the whole way through. We live heavily inside Rachel’s unreliable, over-imaginative and highly paranoid mind as she struggles to keep her secrets hidden, while also desperately trying to pry open everyone else’s. I think this book did an excellent job of keeping us guessing on what was true and what was a lie as everyone became more and more unstable. And I will give it to this book, I did not know how it was going to end, and it definitely gave me that, “I have to know” feel.
But, Rachel was not my favorite…. I wouldn’t say I actively hated her… but there was definite dislike. She’s highly hypocritical, constantly beating around the bush, quite repetitive in her justifications and worries (maybe trying to convince herself of certain things perhaps, but still a little wearisome), and honestly just overall hard to connect to. I didn’t really get why the other characters liked her… and I definitely didn’t get the connection between her and Jack at all. I guess my one biggest beef was that this book hinges on a past mistake she made that I still just *Really* don’t understand, and it makes her really unlikeable. I actually had to stop and look at my husband and ask if her actions made sense in any way. Answer: Um. No.
But, despite that issue, I still enjoyed the listen. I thought the narrator did a wonderful job with the voices and the tension, and even though I didn’t like Rachel, I blew through this twisty story, and was mostly satisfied with the ending. If you’re into dramatic relationship-based thrillers, I would totally recommend this. (3.75/5)
⭐⭐⭐¾
Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC!
Me trying to remember any horrible life-altering decisions I made 20 years ago. In fairness, fourth grade was tough.😂
Hayley Reese Chow 