The Last Word by Taylor Adams

The Last Word by Taylor Adams

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘📘

Genre - Conspiracy Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller

Format - Hardcover

Length - 400 pages

*Amazon Blurb*

Emma Carpenter lives in isolation with her golden retriever Laika, house-sitting an old beachfront home on the rainy Washington coast. Her only human contact is her enigmatic old neighbor, Deek, and (via text) the house’s owner, Jules.

One day, she reads a poorly written—but gruesome—horror novel by the author H. G. Kane, and posts a one-star review that drags her into an online argument with none other than the author himself. Soon after, disturbing incidents start to occur at night. To Emma, this can’t just be a coincidence. It was strange enough for this author to bicker with her online about a lousy review; could he be stalking her, too?

As Emma digs into Kane’s life and work, she learns he has published sixteen other novels, all similarly sadistic tales of stalking and murder. But who is he? How did he find her? And what else is he capable of?

Displaying his trademark command of rapid-fire pacing, unnerving atmosphere, and razor-sharp characterization, Taylor Adams once again delivers a diabolically disturbing—and deadly—game of cat and mouse.

*My Review*

This book was like a rollercoaster. The beginning was like standing in line. I thought that everything seemed a bit to coincidental. But when you finally get on the ride you can't stop. Just when you thought you'd reached the top to go down the other side, you would start climbing up even higher. I remember getting to multiple points in the book where I was like, this is it, I've reached the end.....but there's still so much left to read. That's because it was never "it". Taylor keeps you in suspense the entire book. The "who done it" bounced all over and made me second guess myself constantly. I was also kept on my toes by the "book" that was being written during the story. Who was writing it? Was it true? What happens? 

The Perfect Family by Shalini Boland

 

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘📘
Genre - Psychological Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Thriller
Format - Paperback
Length - 282 Pages

*Amazon Blurb*

‘Mummy, she’s gone…’ 

Gemma Ballantine is getting ready for work one morning when her eldest child comes running down the stairs, saying the words every mother dreads. 

 The front door is open. And her six-year-old daughter has disappeared. Frantic with fear, Gemma starts a nail-biting search for her little girl. 

After what feels like forever, her mother-in-law Diane finds Katie wandering lost a few streets away. Relieved to have her youngest child back in her arms, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair, Gemma thinks the nightmare is over. 

But then her perfect family starts to fall apart. And she realises it’s only just beginning…

 

*My Review* 

 

This book was twisting throughout the whole thing. Is Gemma really just having the worst luck or is someone out to get her.....and if so, who and WHY? There really is no such thing as the perfect family. I did NOT see the ending coming and those are the ones that I love the most.

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas

Available on Amazon

Rating (1-5) 📘📘📘📘
Genre -Suspense, Fiction, Gothic Fiction, Thriller
Format - Paperback
Length - 448Pages


*Amazon Blurb*


Catherine House is a school of higher learning like no other. Hidden deep in the woods of rural Pennsylvania, this crucible of reformist liberal arts study with its experimental curriculum, wildly selective admissions policy, and formidable endowment, has produced some of the world’s best minds: prize-winning authors, artists, inventors, Supreme Court justices, presidents. For those lucky few selected, tuition, room, and board are free. But acceptance comes with a price. Students are required to give the House three years—summers included—completely removed from the outside world. Family, friends, television, music, even their clothing must be left behind. In return, the school promises a future of sublime power and prestige, and that its graduates can become anything or anyone they desire.
Among this year’s incoming class is Ines Murillo, who expects to trade blurry nights of parties, cruel friends, and dangerous men for rigorous intellectual discipline—only to discover an environment of sanctioned revelry. Even the school’s enigmatic director, Viktória, encourages the students to explore, to expand their minds, to find themselves within the formidable iron gates of Catherine. For Ines, it is the closest thing to a home she’s ever had. But the House’s strange protocols soon make this refuge, with its worn velvet and weathered leather, feel increasingly like a gilded prison. And when tragedy strikes, Ines begins to suspect that the school—in all its shabby splendor, hallowed history, advanced theories, and controlled decadence—might be hiding a dangerous agenda within the secretive, tightly knit group of students selected to study its most promising and mysterious curriculum.
Combining the haunting sophistication and dusky, atmospheric style of Sarah Waters with the unsettling isolation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, Catherine House is a devious, deliciously steamy, and suspenseful page-turner with shocking twists and sharp edges that is sure to leave readers breathless.

*My Review* 

What does the future mean to you? What could you give up to be successful? What about 3 years of your life? Sounds easy, but what if those 3 years meant you had to give up any contact with the world outside of the school walls. No TV, no cell phone, no personal picture....nothing.

For the kids in this book, it's worth it. But are they only giving up 3 years of their life or more? Catherine House is like no other college you will ever find. The rules are strict and the classes are intense. At least there's a never ending supply of wine...what? Yes, you read that correct.

It doesn't take long for Ines (the main character) to start to question what is really going on at the school. Is it all too good to be true, is this school that dedicated to the future of young adults or is there something behind it all? Ines works on gathering what little clues there are and what she finds out will shock you.

The House Swap by Rebecca Fleet

Available on Amazon

Rating (1-5) 📘📘📘📘
Genre - Psychological Thrillers, Fiction, Thriller
Format - Audio-book
Length - 10 hours

*Amazon Blurb*

She may not know exactly who is in her house. But she knows why they are there. Be careful who you let in....
A house swap becomes the eerie backdrop to a crumbling marriage, a long-buried affair, and the fatal consequences that unfold.
When Caroline and Francis receive an offer to house swap - from their city apartment to a house in a leafy, upscale London suburb - they jump at the chance for a week away from home, their son, and the tensions that have pushed their marriage to the brink.
As the couple settles in, the old problems that permeate their marriage - his unhealthy behaviors, her indiscretions - start bubbling to the surface. But while they attempt to mend their relationship, their neighbor, an intense young woman, is showing a little too much interest in their activities.
Meanwhile, Caroline slowly begins to uncover some signs of life in the stark house - signs of her life. The flowers in the bathroom or the music might seem innocent to anyone else - but to her they are clues. It seems the person they have swapped with is someone who knows her, someone who knows the secrets she's desperate to forget....
Be careful who you let in....

*My Review* 

I really wished I'd read this book instead of listening to the audio book. When it switched over to the person staying in Caroline's house it was done in a whisper which just irritated me more than anything. I think it should have just been told like the rest of the story.
Other than the whispered sections I truly enjoyed the book, though I did get angry at Caroline for not being straight forward with her husband sometimes and with the neighbor at the house they were staying at. I was shocked to find out everything that Caroline did in the end. I think it was a bit far fetched, but still enjoyable.

Firestarter by Stephen King

Firestarter

by Stephen King

Available on Amazon

Rating (1-5) 📘 📘📘
Genre - Psychic Thrillers, Witch & Wizard Thrillers
Format - Paperback
Pages - 401

*Amazon Blurb*

Andy McGee and Vicky Tomlinson were once college students looking to make some extra cash, volunteering as test subjects for an experiment orchestrated by the clandestine government organization known as The Shop. But the outcome unlocked exceptional latent psychic talents for the two of them—manifesting in even more terrifying ways when they fell in love and had a child. Their daughter, Charlie, has been gifted with the most extraordinary and uncontrollable power ever seen—pyrokinesis, the ability to create fire with her mind. Now the merciless agents of The Shop are in hot pursuit to apprehend this unexpected genetic anomaly for their own diabolical ends by any means necessary...including violent actions that may well ignite the entire world around them as Charlie retaliates with a fury of her own....

*My Review* 

For some reason I found myself unable to really stay interested in this book. I knew before reading it that the girl, Charlie had a pyrokinesis and a general idea of how the story would go. I had not seen the movie, though, so I didn't know how it would end. This book starts out with lots of action and it never seems to slow down. Usually that will hold my attention, so I honestly don't know what happened.

Andy and Charlie are on the run from the "Shop" who want to capture and test both Andy and Charlie because of their unique abilities. The Shop will stop at nothing to get what they want. Once they capture Andy and Charlie they set to work on trying to get Charlie to start fires. Little do they know, she made a promise to her Dad that she would never make another fire. What will the shop do to this little girl if she doesn't cooperate? Will they torture her? Punish her? Will she make them their fires? Lots of questions that you can get answered by reading the book (or watching the movie if that's your thing).

Camino Island by John Grisham

Camino Island by John Grisham

Available on Amazon

Rating (1-5) 📘 📘
Genre - Amateur Sleuths, Crime, Suspense, Thriller
Format - Hardcover
Pages - 304

*Amazon Blurb*

A gang of thieves stage a daring heist from a vault deep below Princeton University’s Firestone Library. Their loot is priceless, impossible to resist.

Bruce Cable owns a popular bookstore in the sleepy resort town of Santa Rosa on Camino Island in Florida. He makes his real money, though, as a prominent dealer in rare books. Very few people know that he occasionally dabbles in unsavory ventures.

Mercer Mann is a young novelist with a severe case of writer’s block who has recently been laid off from her teaching position. She is approached by an elegant, mysterious woman working for an even more mysterious company. A generous monetary offer convinces Mercer to go undercover and infiltrate Cable’s circle of literary friends, to get close to the ringleader, to discover his secrets.

But soon Mercer learns far too much, and there’s trouble in paradise—as only John Grisham can deliver it.

*My Review* 

I was surprised to find this book pretty disappointing. It has an amazing beginning that just kind of leads into a boring story that drags. To make matters worse, the ending (in my opinion) was awful.

I thought that it was going to be suspenseful with the way things begin. Very important and expensive valuables are stolen from a library vault. It is not a clean getaway and the FBI immediately has a suspect. From there things get, well, not as interesting. It feels as if you are then jumping all over trying to keep track of the characters, only to end up with Mercer and Bruce. The story then seems to revolve around just them and looses interest. The ending was the worst part for me as. I was a "happy ending" that a fairy tale would have, not a suspense book.

The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison

The Silent Wife

by A.S.A. Harrison

Availble on Amazon

Rating (1-5) 📘 📘
Genre - Psychological Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
Format - Audiobook

*Amazon Blurb*

Jodi and Todd are at a bad place in their marriage. Much is at stake, including the affluent life they lead in their beautiful waterfront condo in Chicago, as she, the killer, and he, the victim, rush haplessly toward the main event. He is a committed cheater. She lives and breathes denial. He exists in dual worlds. She likes to settle scores. He decides to play for keeps. She has nothing left to lose. Told in alternating voices, The Silent Wife is about a marriage in the throes of dissolution, a couple headed for catastrophe, concessions that can’t be made, and promises that won’t be kept. Expertly plotted and reminiscent of Gone Girl and These Things Hidden, The Silent Wife ensnares the reader from page one and does not let go.

*My Review* 

I always enjoy books that are told from two different points of view. This one includes Jodi and Todd.  I give much credit to Jodi for being able to go that far in denial of her husbands infidelity that she is able to continue on like nothing is wrong. Then again, when you have nothing, there's not much to lose. The book didn't see to have much suspense to me as I was basically able to predict what was going to happen right from the beginning. I think it would've been better if Jodi had a bit of a temper in her or if Todd had some kind of backbone, instead of being pushed around by his mistress.

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest by Stieg Larsson

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest

by Stieg Larsson

Availble on Amazon

Rating (1-5) 📘📘
 Genre - International Mystery & Crime, Thriller, Political, Murder
 Format - Audio Book

*Amazon Blurb*

In the third volume of the Millennium series, Lisbeth Salander lies in critical condition in a Swedish hospital, a bullet in her head. But she's fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she'll stand trial for three murders. With the help of Mikael Blomkvist, she'll need to identify those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she'll seek revenge--against the man who tried to killer her and against the corrupt government institutions that nearly destroyed her life.


*My Review* 

I was quite disappointed in this book for the Millennium series. There were so many characters, the book jumped all over the place and all in all, left me feeling confused for the majority of it.

I almost feel that there was no "main" character this time, but a combination of main characters. It almost seems like the author knew how he wanted the book to end, but wasn't sure how to get there so he threw a bunch of scenarios together until the book seemed long enough and then added a nice ending.

There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

There's Someone Inside Your House 

by Stephanie Perkins

Available On Amazon

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘
Genre - Teen, Romance, Thriller, Suspense, Horror
Format - Audio
Approx Listening Length - 9 hrs 26 min

*Amazon Blurb* 

One by one, the students of Osborne High are dying in a series of gruesome murders, each with increasing and grotesque flair. As the terror grows closer and the hunt intensifies for the killer, the dark secrets among them must finally be confronted.

*Review*

It's nice to have finally found an audio book that I could listen to. You never realize how important a narrator is until you are trying to listen to someone talk for hours.

This was a good book that flowed nicely. It was easy to follow who the characters were and what was going on...a series of murders. The main characters, Makani and Ollie, seemed to have quite a realistic teenage relationship who also harbored secrets. Could one of them be committing these murders, and why? Although there were a couple characters who I thought might be the murderer, at the same time I didn't think it was them because it was too easy. It also seemed there was no connection between the murders. I was surprised about who the killer turned out to be.

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

An Anonymous Girl

by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

ARC

Available On Amazon

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘📘

Genre - Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

Format - Paperback

Pages - 371

*Review*

Another book by this team that I was unable to put down once I started reading. The chapters go back and forth between the two main characters, Jessica and Dr. Shields, in the first person. They are short which is one of the reason is was so easy and fast to read. The other reason was the suspense. 

Jessica is your average girl, living an average life while working an average job. Like many of us, she has a dark secret that she's never shared with anyone, that is, until she meet Dr. Shields.

After sneaking into a study to earn a bit of cash on the side, Jessica eventually realizes that nothing in life is free or easy. What starts off as just a an anonymous survey on morals and ethics turns into a test on her own. Jessica doesn't understand the tests that Dr. Shields asks of her, but she does know that the extra money would really help her parents out.

How many secrets would you share with a stranger? How many tests to you do, that go against your beliefs, for a little extra money? And the biggest questions of all, how do you get out a situation where there seems to be no out in sight?

The Perfect Mother by Aimee Molloy

The Perfect Mother

by Aimee Molloy

Available On Amazon

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘📘
Genre - Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
Format - Hardcover
Pages - 317

*Blurb from Amazon


A night out. A few hours of fun. That’s all it was meant to be. 
They call themselves the May Mothers—a group of new moms whose babies were born in the same month. Twice a week, they get together in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park for some much-needed adult time. 
When the women go out for drinks at the hip neighborhood bar,they are looking for a fun break from their daily routine. But on this hot Fourth of July night, something goes terrifyingly wrong: one of the babies is taken from his crib. Winnie, a single mom, was reluctant to leave six-week-old Midas with a babysitter, but her fellow May Mothers insisted everything would be fine. Now he is missing. What follows is a heart-pounding race to find Midas, during which secrets are exposed, marriages are tested, and friendships are destroyed. 

*Review*

New moms find it hard to get a break from their newborns. It seems that the days are just a blur of feeding, diaper changes and not much sleep. So, is it ok to go out for just a couple hours for a change of pace? The May Mothers think it is and everyone seems to be having a good time, except for Winnie who can't stop thinking (and watching via video) about her 6 week old baby Midas. So when Midas is kidnapped it seems that Winnie must have had something to do with it, but did she? If she didn't, then who did? Go on a journey of a mothers nightmare to try and find her child. Can you guess who did it? The ending was far from what I thought.
The book features different characters as the main point of view which I enjoy because it makes the book read faster.

It by Stephen King

IT

by Stephen King

Available On Amazon
Available On Book Depository 

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘
Genre -Suspense, Thriller, Mystery
Format -Paperback
Pages -1184


*Blurb*

Stephen King’s terrifying, classic #1 New York Times bestseller, “a landmark in American literature” (Chicago Sun-Times)—about seven adults who return to their hometown to confront a nightmare they had first stumbled on as teenagers…an evil without a name: It.

Welcome to Derry, Maine. It’s a small city, a place as hauntingly familiar as your own hometown. Only in Derry the haunting is real.

They were seven teenagers when they first stumbled upon the horror. Now they are grown-up men and women who have gone out into the big world to gain success and happiness. But the promise they made twenty-eight years ago calls them reunite in the same place where, as teenagers, they battled an evil creature that preyed on the city’s children. Now, children are being murdered again and their repressed memories of that terrifying summer return as they prepare to once again battle the monster lurking in Derry’s sewers.

Readers of Stephen King know that Derry, Maine, is a place with a deep, dark hold on the author. It reappears in many of his books, including Bag of Bones, Hearts in Atlantis, and 11/22/63. But it all starts with It.

*Review*

This book took me forever, but it's also the longest book I've ever read. I've wanted to read this book for a long time too because there's so much hype about it as well as the movies. I promised myself that I'd read the book, watch the original movie and then the new one. I hope the movie is better than the book.

I give lots of credit to Stephen King for the time it took to write this book - September 9th, 1981 until December 28th, 1985. Anyone who loves an overly descriptive book would enjoy this. There was a lot going on. You read from the view of seven different children from two different time periods. You would think that would make it hard to follow, but it was quite easy to keep up with. That was the reason for 3 books instead of just 2. The issue I have was how much detail went into the book. There were some parts that I think could've been left out and it wouldn't have changed anything except the length.

Some people have considered this to be a very scary book. Not once was I scared nor did I find it suspenseful. Overall I was disappointed.

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

The Wife Between Us

by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Available On Amazon
Available On Book Depository 

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘
Genre - Thriller, Suspense
Format - Hardcover
Pages -352

I received this in my Book Of The Month subscription box for May. 

It was also voted for the book of the month in Read N' Reviews Facebook Group. 

It will be discussed later this month. Check back for a link to the discussion.

Inside cover excerpt.

The just over one page prologue made me say "whoa" and I was quite excited to continue. I began reading about a woman who was very bitter about her marriage falling apart due to her younger replacement. She drinks to try and help relieve some of the pain of loosing her husband. I previously read The Girl On The Train as well as The Woman In The Window and was wondering if it was going to be just another book whose main character was a drunk and made up stories for attention. Turns out the woman did drink, but wasn't a drunk and who made up stories, but not for the reasons you'd think.

I find this book a bit hard to really review without giving away anything. I didn't find it as suspenseful as I thought I was going to. The ex-wife always seemed to lack a backbone. Instead of speaking her mind she'd either be shut down by someone else or not say anything. She made me quite annoyed throughout the book. Both of the women were a bit annoying with how much control they let Richard have over both their lives. I also thought that maybe there was too much effort put into "dealing" with Richard. I get that the ex-wife was trying to right a wrong, but I think she should've just moved on. What he did was not right, but it wasn't as bad as it seemed it was going to be. Then again, if she'd just moved on there wouldn't have been a book either.

The cover tells you not to assume anything and you really shouldn't. It did make me stop halfway through and wonder if I had even been paying attention to what I was reading.

The Woman In Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

The Woman In Cabin 10

by Ruth Ware

Available On Amazon

Available on Book Depository 

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘
Genre - Crime, Thriller, Suspense
Format - Hardcover
Pages - 340

I chose this for one of my books in my Book Of The Month subscription box. This subscription is different that my PageHabit because I get to choose the books that I want in it.

The Woman In Cabin 10 started off really slow for me. Although an easy read, there were parts that I thought were taking too long. As much as I enjoyed the book, it is the 3rd one in the last few months where the main character drinks too much, can't sleep and goes around blaming everyone. Only this one takes place on a ship.

Lo is a travel journalist who gets the chance to cover a story on a new luxury cruise ship, the Aurora, while her boss is sick. She almost passes off the story due to a break in at her home, but realizes that this could be her chance to show what she can do and advance in her career. Plus, isn't a weeks vacation with housekeeping, extravagant dinner parties and nothing but relaxation the best way to forget about a bad situation, at least for a little while? It might be, as long as another, even worse situation, doesn't happen during your vacation. Unfortunately for Lo, she couldn't be any further away from relaxation.

At the beginning of her trip, Lo witnesses a murder in the cabin next door to hers. She talks to the head of security, but the investigation is over as soon as it starts. Cabin 10 is empty, or is it. The more she tries to find out who the woman was, the more she starts to doubt everyone on board the ship. Lo doesn't know who she can trust besides herself. Instead of enjoying her time aboard the ship gathering material for an awesome story, she is constantly looking over her shoulder and having panic attacks. To top it all of the WiFi is down and there's no cell service - how convenient.

There were a couple parts that made me want to yell because of how stupid Lo was being. It was almost like watching a horror story where the people are doing the most obvious stupid move a person can make. Don't go down there, don't follow that person, stay in your room - all things I probably said out loud and didn't realize it.

Despite the annoying moments, there were some good twists that had me wondering how I hadn't figured it out. If your looking for a quick book to pass the time, I suggest this one.

Lies You Never Told Me by Jennifer Donaldson

Lies You Never Told Me

by Jennifer Donaldson

Available On Amazon

Available on Book Depository 

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘📘
Genre - Young Adult, Romance, Thriller, Suspense
Format -Softcover

I received this an ARC (advanced reader copy). The book will be released on May 29, 2018.

I was so glad to have received this book. I finished it within 2 days. A page turner that is very easy to read. The teens in this book have quite extreme situations. There's Gabe, who is dating Sasha, the most popular girl in school. Sasha thinks that she can boss Gabe around and he'll do whatever she says with question. Gabe finally realizes that he doesn't want that kind of relationship and breaks it off, however, Sasha isn't going to let him get away so easy.

Elyse has lived a tough life taking care of her addict mom. She is not use to being in the spotlight, so when she lands the part of Juliet in her school play she doubts her ability. With the help of her teacher she starts to realize her potential. In addition to the play she also becomes the center of someone's attention leading to another rough road in life.

Lastly, there's Catherine. Catherine does everything she can to not be noticed. She doesn't want to stand out in the crowd. She tries to keep a low profile, but when she crosses Gabe's path she realizes that she really wants to have friends. Her home life doesn't make it so easy and she has to hide the feelings that she is starting to feel for Gabe.

Although the book changes character views, the chapters are set up so that you don't get confused. I wanted to know what was going to happen to everyone from the very beginning and the I never could have predicted the twist..dun...dun....duuun. The ending was good, but at the same time I thought it was sad and wished things were different. You will know what I mean when you finish the book (because you really should read it).

Sleepwalker: A Keyhole Novel by Sarah A. Kenney

Sleepwalker: A Keyhole Novel 

by Sarah A. Kenney 

 Author Requested Review

(Find out more about requesting a review here)

📘📘📘📘📘
(5 out of 5 book rating)

Sleepwalker: A Keyhole Novel (The Keyhole Novels Book 1) by Sarah A. Kenney is a short story that will keep you wanting more. Right from the first couple pages I wanted to read this book and do nothing else. When I started reading I wanted to know what the "accident" was that had happened and why it was so hard to get passed. There is never a moment of relaxing. I feel so bad for the main character, Ashley, who seems to go from one bad event in her life to another. This girl can't seem to ever catch a break. It was so well written that I had no trouble envisioning everything that was happening and to me that is very important for a book.
The ending was just the I like and hate them. I always want books to end because I hate being left wondering, but isn't that the point when your an author. Leave the readers wanting more so they will get the next book? That's exactly the case with this one. Just when you think it's over....surprise! And the surprises just keep coming. I actually finished the book and sat there saying whoa, why, how and mostly what?
I feel as though I should write more for this review, but at the same time if I do I might give away the story. Just trust me. If you love short stories, thriller and horror books, this is a definite read.