Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt

 

Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves
7/7/26; 256 pages
Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster 

Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves is a beautifully written, compassionate, very highly recommended literary novel about... the end. Have you ever read a novel and then found yourself quoting from it when in the midst of a serious conversation about a life threatening situation? I have, and this novel was the one I quoted from the day after I read it. I'll be the first to admit that this novel had me in tears frequently as it truly showed the importance of treasuring every moment of your life because it could be your last. 

Travis Smith is Death. He's a handsome young man who lives a quietly with a cat who chose him and also works in photo restoration. His real job is to offer comfort to those in their final hours of life. He neither judges nor interferes in anyone's fate. He is gentle, compassionate, and present as he visits people in their last moments of life. He understands that every life must eventually end.

Dalia, a midwife, and her boisterous eight-year-old daughter Layla, live across the hall from Travis. Even though he tries to keep his distance, Layla inexplicably adores him and soon Dalia starts a relationship with him. Through them, Travis actually discovers what it means to be alive, the connections people have, and what they lose when a death occurs.

This is a brilliant, heart-felt, lyrical novel that is also a highly emotional novel in which you may find yourself suddenly sobbing while reading. In the narrative are brief scenes of the deaths of people Travis is with at the end of their lives. These scenes are found throughout the plot, even while the relationship between Travis, Dalia, and Layla develops. Many of these short interludes are deeply moving. All of them are ultimately about appreciating and cherishing life even while accepting that in the end death comes for us all.

I loved the title before I even knew what the book was about. After you get a few years under your belt, it becomes easier to long for a place and time where everything is beautiful and nothing hurts. Personally, I looked at Travis as the angel of death. He's not the grim reaper in any sense of the word. He is sympathetic while giving comfort and peace to those facing the end. As for quoting from this book, in different circumstances it might have been from the Bible, and an encouragement to spend time with your loved ones and remember the good while storing your treasures in heaven where they can't be destroyed because where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt is an excellent choice for those who enjoy literary novels and can handle a novel about finding beauty in the brevity of life. Thanks to Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster for providing me with an advance reader's copy. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.    

January and July

 

January and July by Jeff Abbott
7/7/26; 368 pages
Blackstone Publishing 

January and July by Jeff Abbott is a highly recommended mystery/thriller.

After a disastrous failed mission in Paris, intel officer January Holte is demoted and sent on a new mission. Her task is to uncover the identity of an agent who is selling agency secrets and the clues lead her to the small town of Lethey, Texas.  January is looking for a man named Bill Connors. She arrives at his house in Lethy, finds it was broken into and there is a older woman there who is a neighbor also looking for Bill. Then someone else shows up for the same reason. It becomes abundantly clear that Lethey is one odd little town inhabited by odd citizens all looking for Bill.

At the same time, Houston bodyguard July Whitlock has lost his first client, Bill Connors. July was to wait outside a warehouse while Bill had a meeting inside. Bill never emerges, a car speeds away, and when July looks inside, he finds a used syringe but little else. Since he is technically still being paid for his time, July continues his investigation at Bills apartment. A confrontation with another man looking for Bill, leads July to the small town of Lethey where, after threats from others, he ends up cautiously working with January to find Bill.

It seems everyone is looking for Bill, all of them have questionable motives, most of them are capable of deadly violence, and there appears to be some sort of major monetary graft going on involving millions of dollars. And the money may be missing, or at least inaccessible. People have turned to violence for less, and that greed appears to be a motive here. At the same time, at every turn someone is out to get January and July. Additionally, there are other players in town looking for someone or something. Nothing is as it seems.

The writing is excellent, while the premise and set up are compelling and interesting. The intrigue and mystery factor, along with the tension, is high, although the pace is even for much of the novel. When things start moving faster toward the end of the novel, the pace takes off at a breakneck speed and throws all manner of twists and new information at you. The twists are surprising and all of them keep the suspense and tension high. The final denouement and lead up to it is all very well done.

The cast of characters are all vastly different and interesting. Both January and July are complicated, well-developed characters with strengths and weaknesses who are facing some real questions along with life-changing information. There is certainly more room for development of these two characters.  I mention this because, once I finished January and July, it appears that it may represent the start of a series and, if this is the case, I'm all in. I liked both January and July and the ending presented some real possibili.ties for future missions and it would be interesting to see them in another thriller. 4.5 rounded down when required

January and July is a great choice for those who enjoy mystery/thrillers where nothing may be exactly how it appears. Thanks to Blackstone Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.     

No One Knows You're Here

 

No One Knows You're Here by Rachel Howzell Hall
6/30/26; 363 pages, reissued
Thomas & Mercer 

No One Knows You're Here by Rachel Howzell Hall is a recommended thriller. This novel was originally published on 11/21/11 and is being reissued.

Syeeda (Sy) McKay is a crime reporter in LA who is currently following the Phantom Slayer investigation. She is writing stories on the investigation and hopes to publish a book on the serial killer who has targeted sex workers in South Los Angeles for nearly twenty years. She was reached out by the latest victim to meet with her for more information. Instead Sy discovered her body at the meeting site. This latest victim, as a minister's daughter, didn't really seem to fit the profile of the victims.  It helps that Sy's on/off boyfriend Adam is a police detective on the cases and can feed her more information along with other inside sources like Spencer, the medical examiner. There is also a delusional stalker who is following Sy.

There is a lot going on in this novel and not all of it relates to the current investigation or past cases. The reason I'm reading the novel is for the mystery and the investigation. While some personal life of the protagonist inserted into the plot is expected, it seemed that much of the drama inserted in this story follows events in Sy's personal life and these minor story lines sometime overwhelms the actual investigative. The perpetrator was easily identified early on in the story which perhaps made the added personal drama more frustrating.

Ultimately, Syeeda became an unlikable character. While she is intelligent, it seems she often makes foolish choices and bad decisions which put her directly in the path of danger. Be prepared. If you have an alarm system, use it. Don't meet strangers anywhere by yourself. If you have that little feeling you are being watched, listen to it and get to a safe place. And, for a woman recovering from recent cancer surgery, she could allow herself to take some time off to recover rather than continually put herself in the path of danger. Or, alternately have her recovered now and don't include this in the plot.

The ending was very abrupt, which was a disappointment. In the author's end notes it was interesting to know she based the plot on the true story of the Grim Sleeper case, however, as a reader, I wasn't there for the additional lecture. It made some assumptions about the readers. This is a revised and reissued edition of the novel that you can tell it was originally published in 2011.  3.5 rounded down when required. Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The Cold Room

 

The Cold Room by J. T. Ellison
6/30/26; 397 pages (reissue)
Thomas & Mercer
Taylor Jackson #4 

The Cold Room by J. T. Ellison is a highly recommended procedural/thriller and the fourth book featuring Nashville detective Taylor Jackson. This is a revised and reissued edition of the novel originally published on 3/1/2010. 

A murder victim has been starved and then the body is found posed like a famous painting, Il Macellaio. Nashville Metro Homicide Detective Taylor Jackson, who was demoted in the last novel, is called to the scene along with her new partner Renn McKenzie. Once she views the positioning of the body, she calls her fiancé, FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin. Baldwin has been working with the CIA following a serial killer who has been operating in Europe and leaves bodies in a similar macabre manner. 

The plot captures your attention immediately and kept a tighter focus for more of the narrative in this outing. The serial killer is creepy and disturbing. The plot didn't seem to scattered in as many different directions this time. However, there are still sections where the plot and the focus seem to be dropped for lighter fare and the pace slows down. Skim these parts to get to the actual procedural and investigation. Again, some disbelief must be set aside. It can be read as a standalone novel, but it is clear that following the series will give you more background information on the various characters and past events.

Two drawback in this outing. The addition of New Scotland Yard detective James "Memphis" Highsmythe and the sudden plot shift to a romance novel/love-triangle, left me cold. Not interested. Again, Taylor needs focus, better control of her emotions, and to try to act in a logical manner. Second, get serious Taylor, cut your hair so you can stop messing with it. Obviously it's getting in your way. I noted this quirk in the last novel. This time it was annoying. 

The actual case was disturbing, compelling, and strong enough to carry the narrative without adding all the additional emotional/relationship drama along with the personal threats. It also could be reading the two reissued novels back to back was too much Taylor all at once. I was also left questioning what editorial revisions were made because it certainly wasn't to tightened up the plot. 3.5 rounded up when required.

The Cold Room is another good choice for those who enjoy procedurals that also include some subplot and romance. Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.   

Judas Kiss

 

Judas Kiss by J. T. Ellison
6/30/26; 351 pages (reissue)
Thomas & Mercer
Taylor Jackson #3 

Judas Kiss by J. T. Ellison is a highly recommended police procedural/thriller and is the third novel in the Taylor Jackson series. It can be read as a standalone novel. This review is for the reissued and revised edition of a novel that was originally published on 12/23/2008.

Twenty-six-year-old Corinne Wolff, seven months pregnant, is found brutally murdered in her own home by her sister. Corrine's young 18 month-old daughter is left with her mother's body, covered in blood. As Nashville homicide detective Lieutenant Taylor Jackson and her team begin investigating, it becomes quit clear that much more is going on than they initially thought. The investigation initially points to the husband's involvement, uncovers links to online porn, a trafficking network, and even pulls Taylor into several scandals.

During this time John Baldwin, Taylor's fiancé, is called back to DC. He is the acting director title of the Behavioral Science Unit, but he is also working on an off-grid assignment partnering with the CIA to catch an international assassin out for revenge. The trouble is Taylor is a target due to her relationship with Baldwin.

This is a fast-paced thriller that has a whole lot going on and seemingly becomes more twisted as the plot unfolds. You may need to set aside some disbelief over the vast amount of moving pieces and investigative leads all uncovered and being some how related, including several video attempts to discredit Taylor. Admittedly, I quickly read the chapters following Baldwin as everything happening to Taylor was enough for one novel. Really, multiple story lines involve someone trying to humiliate and discredit Taylor was over-the-top. It will hold your attention but it is also quite obvious while reading that it was originally released in 2008. 

Taylor is basically a likeable character, but she does have a bit of an attitude, needs better control of her emotions, and didn't always act in a logical manner. Also the story lines involving her past became a bit much as the actual murder investigation was enough to follow. Also I guessed the perpetrator immediately and was surprised this person wasn't initially looked at more closely. 3.5 rounded up when needed.

Judas Kiss is a good choice for those who enjoy procedural with lots of moving pieces. Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.    

The Wash-Ashores

 

The Wash-Ashores by Hannah McKinnon
6/30/26; 336 pages
Atria/Emily Bestler Books 

The Wash-Ashores by Hannah McKinnon is a highly recommended women's fiction/beach read for the right reader.  Set on Cape Cod, the plot brings a feel-good Hallmark movie to mind as characters have personal entanglements.

Holly is taking over running the historic Cranberry Inn on Cape Cod in hopes of inheriting it from her grandmother Francine. Francine is ready to retire, maybe, but she is unsure Holly can run and update the inn on her own. Holly is determined to keep the Cranberry up, running, and profitable, knowing that if she doesn't her grandmother has a developer interested in buying it. The summer takes off at a gallop, Holly is working nonstop to keep her team working toward the goal and make a profit. Part of Holly's plan is to open up the inn to events and this summer a prominent New York family, the Suttons, are bring the whole bridal party there in preparation for their daughter’s wedding.

This is a very descriptive novel that creates the setting and then focuses more on the characters than the actual day to day running of the inn, although certainly some of the daily complications are necessary to keep the setting and tone of the novel realistic and create drama. The inn is the setting for the many romantic/personal relationships and complications. Employees at the inn are like family to each other in the way that many high stress jobs create a closeness between employees. It's the love lost and found plot points that drive the narrative forward. 

Holly's previous love interest Ben is back. Greta and Oliver slowly make a connection. A bride is suddenly hedging. Ezra finds a purpose and pleasure in life again. Francine struggles with letting go. Guests create drama and demands. Linus keeps everything running smoothly. And Holly makes plans to expand Cranberry Inn's business. 3.5 rounded up.

The Wash-Ashores is a good choice for an entertaining summer vacation read that will appeal to women. Thanks to Atria/Emily Bestler Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.   

Keep Them Close

 

Keep Them Close by David Ellis
6/30/26; 368 pages
G.P. Putnam's Sons 

Keep Them Close by David Ellis is an exceptional, very highly recommended, twisty murder mystery and legal thriller. It is so surprising and twisty it's like a pretzel on steroids. This complex, clever thriller will surprise you multiple times while reading. Read this book. Oh, and trust no one.

When Finley Brice is found dead in a dumpster, his wife, Allison, is obviously a suspect. Allison is also a top lawyer in Chicago and has, incidentally, been keeping tack of her husband's affairs. During this same time Allison's brother, Luke, is facing legal problems of his own, but Allison and Luke always have each other's backs, or do they?

This is an extremely well written, complex, original, clever, and twisty thriller that moves at a fast-pace throughout and will hold your complete attention throughout. It will also blow your mind with some of the complex twisty-twists and the pages will fly by. Trust me, this one has it all and you will not be able to guess where it is going. Pay attention and follow the chapter timelines closely. They are all based on April Fools Day, the day Finley died, but can be following action before and after that day. The plot unfolds through the points-of-view of Allison, Luke, and Louise, the police detective on the case. 

Allison is a complex, fully realized character. She's astute, cunning, intelligent, and never a pushover. Luke is also more than he seems. You wouldn't want to turn your back on either of these siblings as they are both very intelligent but also have secrets. None of the characters are trustworthy. The complications, duplicity, questions, suspicions, and lies abound throughout the plot. Again, trust no one and nothing is as it seems.

Keep Them Close is an exceptional mystery mystery/investigative thriller and should not be missed. Thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

Not What It Seems

 

Not What It Seems by Lisa Jackson
6/30/26; 416 pages
Kensington
The Savannah Series #5 

Not What It Seems by Lisa Jackson is a highly recommended Southern Gothic murder mystery. This is the 5th book in the Savannah series featuring crime writer Nikki Gillette and her husband, Detective Pierce Reed. It can be enjoyed as a standalone thriller as enough background information is provided in the plot.

When Detective Pierce Reed gets phone call out to a murder, his wife, reporter and crime writer Nikki Gillet, is immediately intrigued. Victim Billy Huber’s house and land resemble a junkyard, so the scene that initially resembles an accident only becomes a murder scene upon closer examination. The polished, engraved stone left under his body is also curious. Nikki, although warned against getting close to the scene, is on Huber's land, watching. Within days another body is found. This time a wealthy, thrice-married Savannah socialite dead in her lavish home, also with a polished engraved stone. Soon another body follows.

This is a well-written investigative crime thriller that focuses on both the investigation of the murders along with the domestic life of Nikki and Pierce. When the novel is focused on the murder investigations it is compelling and will hold your attention.   There are chapters from the point-of-view of the killer. Several red herrings are within the plot, although attentive readers may guess the real serial killer. 

Even when Pierce warns her off Nikki continues to be headstrong and takes unnecessary risks rather than taking a modicum of thoughtful consideration concerning the consequences of her actions. Since she is described as a successful crime writer of books and only a supplementary news writer, mainly using the office at the newspaper for research, perhaps she could stop inserting herself into active investigations, especially considering the danger and the fact that it interferes with Pierce's job.

Since the last Savannah novel was The Third Grave published in 2021, (following 2013, 2004, and 2003) the focus on the domestic life and goings on of Nikki and Pierce don't seem quite as vital to share as it does in linear series where books follow each other in a quick succession. Much of that could have been edited out, keeping the basics, which would result in tightening up the pace tremendously. This would include the personal romantic interludes. Also I could have done without the paranormal/black magic.

Not What It Seems is a good choice for those who like murder mysteries with a Southern Gothic atmosphere. Thanks to Kensington for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.   

The Top of the World

 

The Top of the World by Ethan Joella
6/30/26; 272 pages
Scribner 

The Top of the World by Ethan Joella is an exceptional, very highly recommended literary family drama and coming-of-age story that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. This is one of the best novels of the year and should not be missed. The bulk of the story takes place over the summers of 1974 and 1975 at The Red Maple Inn, a resort in the Poconos, and in a dual narrative follows two siblings, Chip and Maggie Bishop.

In 1974 Chip Bishop has just graduated from high school and is also undergoing treatment for leukemia. Rather than staying in town, where everyone knows he is dying, he leaves without a word to his family and starts working at The Red Maple Inn for the summer. There Chip can lead a relatively normal life for a time, returning home when he knows the end is near. Chip has arranged with his doctor to get transfusions at the local hospital. When he returned home after his summer adventure, he never tells his family where he went.

In 1975, Maggie Bishop has been grieving along with her parents ever since her brother Chip died. He never told anyone where he went last summer, but Maggie finds his name tag for The Red Maple Inn. She decided to follow in his footsteps, taking off for the inn without telling her parents where she is going. Once there she is welcomed by the employees when they learn she is Chip's sister. While working, she also tries to find people who knew Chip and can tell her about his last summer there while she is also making connections of her own. 

The writing is excellent in this character-driven, emotional story as the narrative flips between the point-of-view of Chip in 1974 and Maggie in 1975, with some chapters from earlier times/memories in their lives. One sibling knows he is dying while another is on the cusp of her adult life. Both are grieving a loss. The narrative captures the close relationship between the siblings. Expect emotions to run high during some scenes. The time period is depicted realistically and factually. The story of The Velveteen Rabbit plays a role in the novel, along with The Catcher in the Rye. 

All the characters are wonderfully depicted as fully realized, emotionally complex individuals, with even minor characters resembling real people. The siblings both have rich interior lives, with Chip's perhaps more complex, but as he knows he is facing death this seems understandable. The grief, which is at the forefront of the plot for multiple characters, is handled well, with compassion, insight, and grace. Maggie begins to experience healing while dealing with her loss. Anyone who has experienced a loss of a sibling or loved one will appreciate the way the experience is handled in the plot.

The Top of the World is a perfect novel for those who enjoy literary character-driven, emotionally complex family dramas and coming-of age stories. Thanks to Scribner for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.    

The Toxic Friend

 

The Toxic Friend by Nicole Trope
6/26/26; 286 pages
Bookouture 

The Toxic Friend by Nicole Trope is a recommended psychological thriller. To enjoy, know you will have to set all disbelief and doubts aside and just go with the action/story line. Trope is known for churning out a high volume of fast-paced, entertaining popcorn thrillers with soapy plots full of secrets that will hold your attention to the end.

Victoria, married to Ed, and Reese, married to Nick, have been best friends for over 20 years, experiencing many ups and downs along the way. Camilla used to be a third member of their friend group, but they all had a falling out many years ago. Now Victoria and Reese have both individually received a text from Camilla threatening to expose their big lie. Apparently pictures are also being taken of the two and their families. What is the big secret, the lie from years ago and why would it matter so many years later? 

The narrative has an uneven pace at the beginning and the plot unfolds through the point-of-view of all three women and chapters are presented from in both the present and the past. The present chapter show what is happening now to Victoria and Reese, both is their family lives and through Camilla. Past chapters tell the background of the three women, along with their interpersonal interactions and struggles. It is clear that they have a history but have come to some taciturn agreement to forget the past. Remember to keep setting that disbelief aside.

The pages move quickly and the page count is low, so this is a fast read, however, it wasn't a favorite for me. It felt a little too formulaic for most of the novel until the big twists hit later. Parts were also too predictable. Additionally, at least four character have green or hazel eyes. Come on already. As someone with green eyes, they aren't that common.

The Toxic Friend is a good choice if you are looking for a quick popcorn thriller. Thanks to Bookouture for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The View from Here

 

The View from Here by Rachel Howzell Hall
6/22/26; 287 pages (re-release)
Thomas & Mercer  

The View from Here by Rachel Howzell Hall is a recommended psychological thriller. This is a revised re-release of the novel originally published on 11/7/2010.

Nicole and Truman Baxter have been married for eleven years and are having relationship problems. It seems Truman is always too busy and they are having problems communicating and making time for each other. Truman flirts with other women at his birthday part angering Nicole. Nicole has an early miscarriage and Truman doesn't have a clue. She also has a fling with a neighbor. Before she has a chance to talk to Truman, he disappears, presumed dead, after a scuba diving accident near Catalina Island. This is followed by Nicole seemingly losing her mind while grieving, as she begins to see Truman, along with signs of him being in the house. Is he haunting her?

The pace moves quickly and the plot is basic, so easy to follow. The plot could basically be summarized as: couple has marital problems, husband dies, woman grieves and thinks she's going crazy or is haunted.  Truman doesn't disappear until the 35% mark in the book. Normally I wouldn't disclose this information considering it a spoiler, but it's part of the description and really the whole point of the story is he dies/disappears and she is grieving/haunted. It is disconcerting and should be noted how much Nicole depends upon and takes prescribed medication.

Really, none of the characters seem to be trustworthy as doubts are placed throughout the narrative that encourage questioning the motives of every single one of them. I guessed what was going on and my suspicions were proven correct. The plot felt like a familiar, widely used trope and the characters are all caricatures of a type of person. The page count is low and the pacing is fast, so the action does move relatively quickly.

The View from Here will best be appreciated by those who like fast-paced psychological thrillers with paranormal undertones. Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.     

Fear the Reaper

 

Fear the Reaper by David Housewright 
6/22/26; 320 pages
St. Martin's Press/ Minotaur
Rushmore McKenzie Novel #23

Fear the Reaper by David Housewright is a very highly recommended investigative mystery. This is an excellent addition to the series but can easily be read as a stand alone novel. Rushmore McKenzie was once a police detective in St. Paul, Minnesota, but now does occasional investigations as an unlicensed PI after becoming an unexpected millionaire. 

Rushmore along with his wife and good friend, Bobby Dunston, St. Paul head homicide detective, are visiting Patty and George at their retirement home on the Minong Flowage in Wisconsin. The group heads to Terrible Timmy’s Terrific Wine Club at Patty's insistence. While there a man stands and begins to point an AR-15 at the crowd. Bobby and Rushmore immediately take the suspected shooter down before he shoots and restrain him until law enforcement arrives. 

Since the police department is small, the local sheriff asks McKenzie if he would be willing to help to further investigate who was the intended target. Complicating matters are Wisconsin's open carry laws, so, since no shots were fired, the charges against the gunman are minimal. McKenzie accepts the assignment and sets out to interview everyone who was at the wine bar again. Security footage helps point out anyone who was acting in a questionable manner,  but once he starts questioning people, all manner of secrets and hidden activities come to light. 

The writing is masterful in this fast-paced, well-plotted series. I was engrossed in the complicated plot from start to finish. All the clues uncovered are logically followed up along with all lines of inquiry. McKenzie may be questioning everyone who was present, which represents a lot of characters, but the logical investigation helps keep all the various characters separate as distinct individuals. There is so much going on in the group of suspects that it seems that if he want to, McKenzie could probably uncover several more crimes along the way.  Everyone seems to have secrets they are keeping and want to keep hidden, which creates a complicated, intricate tangle of clues and potential motives.

McKenzie is a wonderful character who can be very personable, funny, and relatable, but he can also read the room and body language at the same time. He is a fully realized character, with strengths and weaknesses. Reading previous novel in the series will provide a richer experience because you will know his background and former cases, but this can still be appreciated as a standalone because enough background on his character is provided. 

Fear the Reaper is an excellent choice for everyone who enjoys intricate investigative mysteries along with those already following the series. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.   

In Deep Water

 

In Deep Water by Michael J. Tougias
6/22/26: 304 pages
St. Martin's Press 

In Deep Water: A True Story of Sharks, Survival, and Courage by Michael J. Tougias is a highly recommended true story of survival along with insight into the Coast Guard rescue operations.

On October, 8, 2022 three friends from New Orleans, Paul, Lu and Sonny, take Paul's new boat out on the Gulf of America to fish. They are looking mainly for for red snapper by oil rigs in the area. After successfully fishing for hours the men begin to head in when they notice the boat is taking on water and ended up sinking 15 miles from shore. The men manage to get life jackets on and find two coolers floating in the water they tie together to use as floats. Awaiting rescue, the men end up in the water for a brutal 28 hours, all while enduring jellyfish stings, other fish nibbling them, and sharks circling below.

Tougias presents an hour by hour account of their desperate and determined struggle for survival, while also following the Coast Guard’s all-out effort to find several missing men that day, before the three missing men were brought to their attention. This is truly a race against time and it is a miracle that the three survived for that long. Highlighting the actions of the Coast Guard's rescue operations that day, along with the crew of the Jayhawk helicopter who rescue them, only increases the tension while reading. Their survival and the rescue really is a race against time.

This is a well-written, factual account that would actually make a great real life survival movie. The harrowing ordeal the three men survived along with the Coast Guard rescue is a compelling story of survival. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.    

It Could Have Been Her

 

It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell
6/23/26; 384 pages
Atria Books 

It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell is a very highly recommended investigative domestic thriller which all starts with a lost dog and a missing woman. Jane Trevally from Jewell’s 2025 thriller, Don’t Let Him In, returns to unofficially investigate.

Jane Trevally, twice divorced and 55 years-old, is walking her four dogs on her deteriorating country estate she can't afford to repair when a small white terrier appears, alone and with no sign of an owner. She takes the dog to her vet to read the chip and then offers to return the dog named Hugo to his owners in London. When she arrives at the home in Hampstead, she immediately recognizes it as the home where she had a terrifying encounter twenty-five years earlier that she just managed to escape. Stuart Tucker, the man who answered the door, did seem dubious, however Hugo was happy to see him and he obviously wasn't the man she encountered years ago.

Then she learns that a girl, Rose White, disappeared from an Airbnb near her home, leaving everything behind, and she had Hugo with her there. Returning to talk to Stuart about this, he claims to not know Rose. Along with the help of her stepson, Dexter Lombardi, Jane decides to do some amateur sleuthing into the missing girl and the family living at the house called Thornwood in the Vale of Health, Hampstead, as she is positive something is wrong there. 

With excellent writing, an interesting plot, top-notch pacing, and plenty of suspense, It Could Have Been Her represents another excellent, twisty thriller from Jewell which held my complete attention throughout. The narrative is mainly told through Jane's current day point-of view, along with chapters from Stuart nine years ago, and some from a young Jessamine Black whose family owns the home. The chapters from the past put together tell a dark and dysfunctional story of the residents of the house, their trauma and buried secrets. Clearly something is very wrong at that house.

I loved the character of Jane who decides with great determination to investigate the missing girl and with that, the inhabitants of Thornwood. It combines the best of a cozy mystery with a thriller. I love that she is thinking about becoming a private investigator because she enjoys looking into mysteries and uncovering clues. She also has plenty of connections to help her in her inquiry. Jane also has plenty of buried trauma in her own life and the case brings some of her past up. I also like her stepson Dexter who is all in on joining her in being a PI. Hopefully we'll see this duo on another case. 

The character of Stuart also evolves during the novel. He starts out feeling a little creepy, but soon it becomes clear that he is at heart a good man in his own way. When he first moves in with Jessamine Black, her mother Annie, and her daughter Daisy, he doesn't realize what he's getting in to and quickly becomes manipulated by them and a servant to them. Daisy is a likable character who readers will mainly know as a teen in the novel. There is also a mainly missing brother who left home early to become a clown. 

It Could Have Been Her is an excellent selection for everyone who enjoy dark, twisty investigative thrillers. Thanks to Atria Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.    

Whisper Creek

 

Whisper Creek by Allison Brennan
6/23/26; 336 pages
St. Martin's Press 

Whisper Creek by Allison Brennan is a very highly recommended domestic thriller where a family is battling both the weather and human threats in Cooke County Texas.  This is an excellent, fast-paced, compelling family drama that encompasses elements of both a survival story and a thriller. 

After her husband John's death eleven months ago, Ellen McKenna is working as hard as she can to keep the family farm going with the help of her four children, Jake, Avery, Lyla, and Billy. Along with her grandmother-in-law, Penny's cooking, and long-time hired hand Mateo Delgado, they have kept things going. Now they have just had bad storms go through, the ground is already saturated, and a huge new storm system is heading for them. They have some repairs to make from the last storm, which Jake and Mateo are doing, and Avery and Lyla are helping with all the regular chores. Billy is obsessed with a missing pregnant barn cat, Cleo, and wants to find her before the next storm hits.

Making things more tense are the Robinson brothers, Mitchell and Clive, who own Verdacorp, an agribusiness corporation. They have been buying up farm land across the area and Mitchell, the main driving force, has been ruthlessly trying to get some of the McKenna land. Known to the readers, simultaneously there are some nefarious plans underway. Three people were hired to steal something from four different families, after being assured that the owners would be gone. Brock, his wife, Rena, and her brother Sam have just broken into a home, but the owner was there, gun fire was exchanged, and now Sam is injured. 

After Clive from Verdacorp stops by and later a neighbors injured dog is found hit by a shotgun, it sets into motion a whole series of events that finds the McKenna family scattered, off helping and checking up on neighbors before the next storm hits. The whole area is under a flood warning, the creeks are high, and they know the risks are real.

The writing is exceptional, the action is non-stop, and the tension and suspense is high throughout this atmospheric, outstanding rural/domestic thriller that held my complete attention throughout. If you have ever lived in a rural area, or perhaps anywhere, where the weather can present some dangerous challenges, you will understand the family's concerns over flooding. There is so much to worry about with the impending weather alone, so when the additional stress is added over the home invasions, and bad faith actors, the apprehension and dread is palpable. I was glued to the pages and could not read fast enough while engrossed in this un-put-downable novel. 

Every member of the McKenna family has some stressful, tension-packed event going on in this novel, so as the narrative moves from one event to another, all of it is urgent and dangerous in some way. You will be concerned over each family member as events in the narrative unfold. The focus on individual family members and some friends, allows character development for all of them. They  are all fully realized individuals that are forced to face some event that threatens them and their survival. The final denouement was a perfect way to wrap up this intense, immersive drama and I fully recommend this novel.

Whisper Creek is an exceptional, well-written domestic thriller/mystery/survival story. Everyone, read this novel. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.    

The Gardens

 

The Gardens by Emma Babbington
6/18/26; 336 pages
HQ/HarperCollins 

The Gardens by Emma Babbington is a highly recommended psychological thriller following bones found in a garden and a story that is told through two timelines, past and present. 

Thirty-four years ago, in 1992, Jess McIntyre's eighteen-year-old sister, Nina, disappeared, and was presumed dead. Now Jess, who lives in Australia, receives the news that bones have been found under the shed in the garden of her childhood London home and they are though the be Nina's. Jess and her fifteen-year-old son Ollie, return to London to give DNA samples to the police and finally clean-up and sell the home since her mother is now living with them after her father died. Jess can also provide the police information on what she remembers at that time when she was sixteen and Nina disappeared.

Alternating chapters go back in time and follow a cult, Chisledown, up to the time of Nina's disappearance. Chisledown is lead by Mary, who adopted the children she brought in and purported that they were a learning community, but, as expected in any cult in a novel, that was not the case. As time went on, Mary became more of a dictator, manipulating everything to suit her. An unnamed male narrator tells the readers the events of Chisledown. Eventually the two story lines have a connection.

This is a well-written thriller that starts out at an even pace, with new information disclosed later in the plot which allows the pace and subsequent tension to quickly pick up. Jess is recalling events from years ago, so her memories are that of a younger sister. She does remember a group of young squatters in the house next door and how they all became friends with Nina. This piecemeal memory leads to more information and connections that the police didn't make, or apparently try to unravel, thirty-four years earlier. 

Generally, I'm not a fan of novels that use cults as a device to move the plot forward. The connections to Chisledown and Nina's disappearance are not immediately apparent, so those chapters early on in the novel actually, for me, detracted from the present day concern over the identification of the bones and the reopening of Nina's case. I had no reason to care as I was there to read a psychological thriller and discover the identity of bones found on a property.

Jess is a believable, sympathetic character who has been placed into an extremely stressful situation. She has been living in Australia for years, is a widow, and is raising her son alone. Her mother moved down under a couple years earlier. Now she is revisiting her grief from years earlier, which opens up all the emotions again, and she wants closure and an answer to what happened to Nina. Ollie is written as a typical teen. The other supporting characters, including the neighbor and police, are all believable. 

As everything begins to be revealed and connected, the pace picks up, along with the suspense, tension, and sense of dread. With all the twists and new revelations toward the end of the novel, it does become a more compelling read. Some of the twists may be predicted ahead of time, but several will be a surprise.

The Gardens is a good choice for anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers and will appreciate a tie in to a cult in the plot. Thanks to HQ/HarperCollins for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.   

Against the Tide

 

Against the Tide by G. D. Wright
6/18/26; 416 pages
Avon Books 
DS Sue Willmott #3 

Against the Tide by G. D. Wright is a very highly recommended, heartbreaking, investigative thriller/domestic drama. This is the third book in the series featuring DS Sue Willmott but it can be read as a standalone novel.

DC Vinny Robson already has his hands full between work and his mother Mary's dementia so when an elderly couple are violently murdered in Beachbrook, it adds even more stress as the police investigate. The police are already busy with a series of home burglaries plaguing the town. Working along with DS Sue Wilmott and the team, everyone is now seeking clues concerning the murder victims and potential suspects. In this case Vinny acts as the Family Liaison Officer to Natalie, the  daughter of two murder victims and a therapist, while also seeking any information from their past that might point to the perpetrators. As Vinny's mom worsens she says something that shakes him to the core and has him looking into his own past while still investigating the murders.

The well-written, complicated, compelling, and emotionally charged narrative alternates between the points-of-view of Vinny, Sue, some chapters from Natalie, and excerpts from a dairy. Vinny doesn't discover the dairy until later in the plot but readers will know his mother wrote it, which make the plot even more complex and intense. The narrative is well-plotted and full of new discoveries, twists and devastating revelations. There is a whole lot going on in this plot and you will be glued to the pages, reading as fast as you can to see what happens or is revealed next, even as it all breaks your heart for those involved. 

Along with an excellent mystery and investigation, all the characters are portrayed as emotionally realistic, fully realized individuals with strengths and weaknesses. The characters come to life as realistic individuals, dealing with doubts and personal struggles, all presented along with plenty of emotionally charged situations. The facts and details of the investigation are dark and difficult, but the raw emotional turmoil of those experiencing the events in the novel is captured realistically. 

While reading you will be able to try and piece together clues and many of the twists at the end will shock and surprise many readers. I was able to predict parts of the final denouement and piece together many of the clues but that didn't lessened the impact of the ending. I haven't read the previous two novel by G.D. Ward, (After the Storm and Into the Fire) but based on the quality of the writing and impact of Against the Tide, they are going on my TBR list asap.

Against the Tide is an excellent choice for everyone who enjoys complex, detailed investigative thrillers/domestic dramas. Thanks to Avon Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.    

Hysteria

 

Hysteria by LJ Ross
6/2/26; 320 pages (re-release)
Poisoned Pen Press
Alexander Gregory Thriller #2 

Hysteria by LJ Ross is a highly recommended  investigative/psychological thriller and the second book in the series, following Impostor, featuring psychologist and profiler Dr. Alexander Gregory. 

It is Paris Fashion Week and one of the models in the city for the shows has been attacked at the Hôtel Violette. Camille Duquette has had her face slashed and she was also stabbed. Forensic psychologist and criminal profiler Dr. Alexander Gregory is in Paris when he receives a call from the French Police and Justice Department requesting his assistance in the case. Camille is recovering in the hospital, but now is selectively mute. She has been too traumatized to speak. Dr. Gregory ends up working with Camille as her psychologist. Then another model, Juliette Deschamps, who was there and found Camille, is found murdered in her home. Can Camille regain her voice and are the two events connected?

This is another well-written, excellent addition to the series and I'm looking forward to future books. The plot itself is interesting and delves into mental health issues while providing readers with an interesting investigation along with suspense and intrigue. The development of Dr. Gregory's character and his personal mental health continues to be explored while he is working on these current cases. He still suffers from nightmares and guards himself by keeping emotionally distant. The psychological insight he provides, his observational skills, and the insight he has into the behavior of people in general, all work together during the investigation. 

I loved the first book in this series, Impostor, and although this is a strong addition to the series, it wasn't quite as compelling. The setting in Paris and some of the the dialogue in French wasn't quite as appealing to me. Hysteria was originally published on 12/10/2019. There are seven books in the Alexander Gregory series which is being re-released by Poisoned Pen Press. This is a series that may be best to read in the order in which they are written as the first novel sets up what Dr. Gregory is struggling with personally and is an excellent introduction to his character in an exceptional novel. 

Hysteria is a wonderful choice for readers who have read Impostor and those who enjoy psychological thrillers. I'm looking forward to the next, third book in the series, Bedlam. Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.     

Midnight Ridge

 

Midnight Ridge by Rita Herron
6/12/26; 402 pages
Bookouture
Detective Ellie Reeves #12 

Midnight Ridge by Rita Herron is a very highly recommended investigative crime thriller. Detective Ellie Reeves, FBI Agent Derrick Fox and SAR Cord McCain all again return to search for a serial killer. Even though this is the twelfth book in the series, it can be read as a standalone novel. 

When a body is found at the bottom of Midnight Ridge, Detective Ellie Reeves, from the small town of Crooked Creek in the Appalachian Mountains, is the first one called by SAR (Search and Rescue) Ranger Cord McCain. Initially it is thought to be the third suicide of a young woman by the sheriff, but clues quickly point to something more nefarious. A witness heard another person at the top of the ridge with sixteen-year-old Minnie Benton before she was murdered. Now the question is where is Minnie's young daughter, Iris, and who is murdering young women and taking their children?

This completely addictive and jaw-dropping crime thriller is another well-written, entertaining addition to the series. The short chapters are action-packed, new information is quickly uncovered, and the investigation moves at a brisk pace.  All of this creates a lightning-fast pace that will hold your complete attention throughout the novel. Your heart will be pounding as you fly through the pages and the tension is palpable as the team tries to find the perpetrator before another young woman is murdered. 

The narrative follows multiple points-of-view, including the perpetrator, which helps to add tension, complexities, and suspense. There are numerous twists in the investigation while the clues are logically followed along the way. For those following the series, you will know all these characters and understand that Ellie and Cord are in a burgeoning relationship. The relationship is not a major part of the plot. 

Midnight Ridge is an excellent well-written investigative thriller that will hold your complete attention. Fans of the series will want to read this asap. Thanks to Bookouture for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.    

Lost in the Dark

 

Lost in the Dark by Debra Webb
6/9/26;  367 pages
Thomas & Mercer 

Lost in the Dark by Debra Webb is a recommended investigative thriller. Originally published as Everywhere She Turns (2009) this is the revised edition of the story.

When her sister Shelley is found murdered in the woods, CJ Patterson, a medical resident in Baltimore, returns to her struggling hometown, a mill village in Alabama. Detective Kevin Braddock, a former romantic partner of CJ's, is leading the investigation. The two key suspects are Shelley's boyfriend, Ricky Banks and the local crime boss, Tyrone, who has declared himself king.

The quality of the writing is actually quite good through most of the novel. The pace is even at the beginning and can be a bit repetitive, which I attribute to the fact that it is a revised edition. It picks up later along with the suspense and sense of danger increasing and includes several twists along the way.  The narrative is told through multiple points-of-view, with the main one being CJ. I did correctly guess the perpetrator early on. 

While I enjoyed parts of the novel, especially after the action picks up, CJ is not always an appealing or likeable character. I want to give her a pass due to grief and the ongoing investigation, and, also, I'd have to admit that none of the characters are particularly likeable. Most of them have some hidden agenda. 

There are two main drawbacks in the novel for me, the first and main one is CJ's relationship with Braddock and the romance aspect of the novel, which I could personally do without. The lingering attraction could have been present, in the background, without having CJ immediately "jump" him physically soon after seeing her dead sister in the morgue. I almost DNF when this happened very early in the plot. The second drawback is the multiple graphic descriptions of violence and mutilation. 

In the final determination I have to go with 3.5 rounded down. As mentioned, the quality of the writing is good. The plot and pacing that let me down, but I was fully invested in reaching the final denouement. I'll be looking forward to Webb's future novels, since this doesn't represent her best. 

Lost in the Dark is a good choice for those who enjoy dark investigative thrillers with a romantic attraction between characters. Thanks to Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.   

Heather

 

Heather by Caitlin Mullen
6/9/26; 352 pages
Celadon Books 

Heather by Caitlin Mullen is a highly recommended mystery set in the woods of the New Jersey Pine Barrens which follows several timelines as a new police chief investigates a drug ring, opens up a cold case, and tries to overcome officers predisposed to dislike her.

Opening back in time in the 1990's the prologue follows two sixteen-year-old twins, Sabrina and Annabelle Riley, who are in a dysfunctional household in Pine Lakes where their mother is gone and their father is rarely there. Sabrina is having an affair with an older man she calls the coyote. Annabelle is curious and makes the mistake of meeting up with him. We learn in subsequent chapters that she became pregnant and the sisters disappeared.

In the present New police Chief Callie Hauser left her job as a narcotics detective and returns to her home town of Pine Lakes to help her best friend, Jane, recover after getting hurt in a hit-and-run accident. Callie's first arrest is her estranged mother, Jenna, for drunk driving. As Jenna's paperwork is being done, Callie overhears a discussion about an unsolved case. Apparently when Jenna was sixteen she found a dead infant and the case went cold. Although her focus is on shutting down a local drug ring, Callie immediately requests the paperwork on the cold case. Jenna then disappears after she is released.

The even-paced narration focuses more on the atmosphere while slowly building up some suspense and tension. The novel continues alternating between the two time lines up to about the 44% mark when a third narrator is introduced. These chapters begin in September 2023 and follow a teenager named Blair. The plot resumes, now following the three timelines. 

Seemingly no one is telling the truth in this novel of intrigue and there are so many pieces that are may be interconnected, or not. Additionally, trust no one and set some disbelief aside for some twists. The slow-moving plot seems to follow the formula for a small town mystery, or rather in this case several mysteries including ones that were never resolved. The story could also have been tightened up a bit to keep the pace up while holding the reader's interest. The pace does pick up toward the end. 

It might have helped the pace to drop the romance and increase the time spent on actual investigations. The other officers under Callie's command, are apparently incompetent and defiant, something which should have been addressed immediately. There is also one glaring error which I'm sure editors will catch. FYI: Jimmy Stewart starred in Rear Window, not Gregory Peck. 3.5 rounded up.

Heather is a good selection for anyone who enjoys an even paced, atmospheric small town mystery told through multiple timelines. Thanks to Celadon Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.    

Contrapposto

 

Contrapposto by Dave Eggers
6/9/26; 432 pages
Knopf Doubleday 

Contrapposto by Dave Eggers is an exquisite, very highly recommended, sometimes heartbreaking, literary tale of art, friendship, creativity, and love over a lifetime. As one of the best books I've read this year, this is certainly one novel that I can totally relate to and feel as if I've lived portions of it.

Growing up in Indiana, Cricket (Robert) Dib always knew he loved art and to draw and his grandfather Silas encouraged him. After his grandfather died, he was left with a dysfunctional family consisting of his mother and abusive stepfather. It is there he first met Olympia Argyros when she encouraged him to deface a playground. This begins a sixty-five-year complicated interconnection between Cricket and Olympia. Cricket is encouraged by his mother with a couple private painting lessons, which opens him up to a new world, and he later pays for life drawing classes on his own. 

The two eventually go to college and art school together, a questionable choice. While Olympia manages to establish connections in the art world, Cricket does what ever he can to make his way in the world while also making art. Over the years Olympia always seems to reappear to encourage him, offering friendship, and later opportunities, their love affair is always seemingly one-sided, with Olympia always flitting off to new opportunities and relationships. 

This is a wonderfully well-written, detailed art story that hits on some hard truths about artistic pursuits that not everyone will know or quite comprehend. Setting the whole inability to commit and/or unrequited love story aside, which I could easily do, it seemed part of the role Olympia's character plays in the novel was to display some of the highs and pitfalls of art and life. She is driven, and portrays the knowledge of, passion for, and the business of the art scene. This contrasts with Cricket who seeks beauty and the perfection in creating and enjoying a well done work of art. Cricket is art for art's sake and Olympia is the commercialization of art.

Written as seven sections, with each one jumping ahead in years, the narrative covers the long time friendship and the various events that occur over their lives. Cricket is clearly a fully realized, well portrayed character with strengths and weaknesses. He is also a sympathetic, character and remains so throughout the narrative. His early lessons and work with Marcus Carpenter help cement the love of art while also understanding the practicality of using those same gifts of seeing to make a living. Olympia is a constantly shifting force of nature, always changing and adapting while involved in the art world in some capacity. 

A lifetime ago I told students this: "Learning to draw is learning to see." You have to really see something, three-dimensionally, to capture on paper how anything takes up the space. Understanding this will help readers understand why figure drawing can be so essential. Including the figure drawings was a brilliant addition. (As an aside, the whole story line of having your art show suddenly removed is something I experienced with another artist years ago when the gallery space wanted interior design, no nudes, and nothing controversial.)

Contrapposto is an excellent choice for anyone who would enjoy a detailed literary story of artistic pursuits and a complicated friendship covering a lifetime. Thanks to Knopf for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.   

Based on a True Story

 

Based on a True Story by Sarah Vaughan
6/9/26; 416 pages
HarperCollins 

Based on a True Story by Sarah Vaughan is a recommended domestic drama following a series of secrets and lies. 

Children's author, Dame Eleanor Kingman, is holding a seventieth birthday party at her fourth home, an estate near the cliffs off the Cornish coast in Cornwall. She has invited her family and friends to celebrate that and her recent best seller. There is also a film crew there who is making a documentary about her. What she doesn't tell anyone is that she has been receiving emails threatening to expose her secrets and lies. What she doesn't know is who is threatening her over what secret. There are several candidates and secrets. Her daughters arrive with their own secrets and sibling rivalry.

Oldest daughter, Gilly, is unmarried and works for her mother, coordinating everything. What she really wants is the ability to actually take a vacation and time for herself. Rachel is married with two children and is her mother's accountant. Rachel needs to ask her mother for a loan due to her husband's financial irresponsibility. He is being threatened by a loan shark. Both older daughter are underappreciated and underpaid. The youngest daughter Delia is an influencer and the apple of their mother's eye. Delia inspired a character in Eleanor's books, which she now resents, but she always has their mother's support, along with her demanding expectations. The older two daughters, who are often taken to task by the exacting Eleanor, certainly have cause for resentment.

The quality of the writing is very good and descriptive while the plot is complex as each character adds to a mass accumulation of various concerns.  Every single one of the characters readers will encounter in this novel have secrets, flaws, and none of them are especially likeable, but their reactions can be understandable. The narrative unfolds from the different point-of-view of multiple characters so you will get all the various perspectives along with all of their individual problems. 

After slowly introducing the reader to the cast of characters and the various secrets, points of contention, lies, and intrigue, the pace continued to inch along at a glacially slow pace. I kept thinking okay, here we go, time to take off and bring on the action we know is coming based on the opening foreshadowing of a body on the beach, among other things, and... the measure pace continued. The final denouement, when all the accumulated secrets, lies, and intrigue are revealed, is actually satisfying.

Ultimately some of the secrets and lies from characters could have been left out of the plot which would have made the ending more impactful. Also, one of the big secrets ultimately seemed pointless. Additionally, although this isn't Vaughan's responsibility, I have read a whole streak of one book after another with men behaving badly or irresponsibly, especially financially, and I really want to know why their partners aren't paying attention to their finances. Actually, this novel could make for a lively book club discussion.

Based on a True Story would be a good choice for readers who enjoy an even-paced, detailed family drama. Thanks to HarperCollins for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.    

Beach Thriller

 

Beach Thriller by Jamie Day
6/9/26; 368 pages
St. Martin's Press 

Beach Thriller by Jamie Day is a very highly recommended psychological suspense/family drama and a great beach read. Day always dependably writes entertaining thrillers. 

Holly Sinclair is being evicted from her apartment in NYC so she has no choice but to move to the dilapidated beach house in Beauport, Massachusetts, that she inherited after her mother recently passed away. She's a struggling writer who is broke and needs to get her next book written asap. Holly was traumatized as a teenager after Anna, her older sister, was potentially murdered in Beauport and she left the area eighteen years ago with no plans to return.  Gail, a local  realtor, is right there when Holly moves in, making plans for her to sell the house and sending Evan, a local handyman, to help her make repairs. Holly also reconnects with Serena, the town psychic.

Soon after moving back, Holly discovers Jade, a runaway teenager who has been squatting in the house. After a bumpy start, the two make peace with each other and Holly allows her to stay there. Jade found pages of a book in the attic which she brings to Holly's attention. Holly had started the book, Beach Thriller, as a teenager and it is the unfinished true account of events years earlier. Jade soon finds a job with the wealthy Carmichael family, whose estate holds bad memories for Holly as the place where Anna died. When Jade is at the Carmichael's she also notices that there are secrets being kept there. 

The plot unfolds at an even pace in the first part allowing trepidation and suspense to gradually build up until the until the pace picks up later leading to an exciting and dangerous end game. Through chapters told from the point-of-view of Holly, Jade, and someone who only identifies themselves as The Watcher, the tension and suspense build and grow dramatically throughout the novel. There are also excerpts for Holly's unfinished book Beach Thriller from eighteen years earlier telling readers about events from the past leading up to Anna's death. 

All these points-of-view combine to make for a detailed plot which immediately grabbed my attention and I was all in, concerned for the safety of both Holly and Jade while trying to figure out the identity of The Watcher, whose chapters seem subtly threatening and unsettling. Holly finds herself trying to uncover what really happened to her sister Anna and suspects a cover-up from the police and the Carmichael family. The suspense is found both in the past and the present.

Both Holly and Jade are interesting characters and you will become invested in their stories and safety. Additional characters are all suspects for The Watcher at one time or another while reading, although there are a couple who were seemingly written to be your main suspects. Among the other supporting characters there was added additional drama in all their stories. Serena, the psychic, was one character who didn't really provide information fully necessary for the development of the plot. 

Beach Thriller is a perfect choice for readers who enjoy psychological suspense mixed with family drama. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.    

The People Next Door

 

The People Next Door by Carla Kovach
6/2/26; 350 pages
Bookouture 

The People Next Door by Carla Kovach is a highly recommended domestic suspense/popcorn thriller. 

Gemma has inherited her Aunt Dorette's house on Clover Lane, a place she never thought she'd return to after her friend went missing during the last disastrous summer she was there.  However, when her husband makes some business mistakes the family finds themselves forced to move into part of the crumbling house while they work on fixing it up to sell. Their 14-year-old daughter Morgan isn't happy to leave her friends, but quickly meets Harry, a neighbor her age. What also happens right after the family moves in is all the neighbors receive disturbing letters which they all assume Morgan wrote. From this point on the rumors and vitriol fly fast and furious and Gemma doesn't feel she or her family are safe on Clover Lane.

Always keeping in mind that you have to set disbelief aside, jump into this popcorn thriller.  While it starts rather even-paced the plot will get better with each new disclosure and the tension and suspicion will also increase. The plot really doesn't pick up the pace and get better until later in the novel when more starts happening and the threats move beyond the nasty notes, rumors, and paranoia flying around the neighborhood. While some developments are predictable, once the twists start coming the novel does become more entertaining  

The narrative is mainly told through Gemma's point-of-view, with additional chapters from Morgan's point-of-view. While characters are lightly developed, the real focus is on events in the toxic neighborhood. Morgan and Harry are using the notes as clues to figure out who is writing them. None of the characters/neighbors are trustworthy and the tie to Gemma's past in the area may be the clue needed to discovering who is writing the notes. 3.5 rounded up.

The People Next Door is a good choice for anyone who enjoys popcorn thrillers and stories with potentially toxic neighbors. Thanks to Bookouture for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.    

Don't Look Back

 

Don't Look Back by O J Mullen
6/2/26; 328 pages
Boldwood Books 

Don't Look Back by O J Mullen is a recommended domestic drama where the fallout from a bad decision results in a disintegrating marriage, among other things.

By all appearances, Gavin and Jess Sterling are a successful couple who live in a beautiful home and have a successful business. The two are partners with David Hastings in their trucking company, GJD Transport. When Gavin notices that the owner and advisor of the investment firm he is with has been found dead, right after he invested all of his and Jess's savings in company stock he recommended, Gavin immediately looks up the stock. It has plummeted to nothing and they are wiped out. 

The problem is that Gavin didn't tell Jess what he did and now has to tell her that he has lost everything. Obviously it didn't go well. Then with no provocation, their business partner, David, calls up and tells Gavin he heard a rumor and wants to make it clear that he is not interested in selling GJD. As equal partners, the three, Gavin, Jess, and David, all have to agree to any sale. Suddenly, it occurs to Gavin that if they sold GJD it would solve all of his problems, setting into motion a series of bad decisions.

The initial set up of the plot showed real promise that was subsequently quickly diluted by a glacially slow pace. This is not a thriller. It is a domestic drama where a independent decision destroys a marriage and leads to increasingly bad decisions. There are several twists which work to various degrees of success in the novel that are teased in the synopsis and do serve to increase suspense. One of them begins with Gavin trying to find a financial buffer by selling one of his classic cars. Another is someone wanting to buy GJD. A third is a totally unbelievable development. 

Most of the focus is on Gavin, his drinking, and his increasingly bad, futile decisions. Jess is a sympathetic character, but underdeveloped and unrealistic. Gavin's decision is a betrayal to everything they were supposed to be working toward as a couple and all of his excuses and denial can't overcome that fact. He destroyed the future Jess thought they both wanted. Both Gavin, who is depicted as a volatile and foolish feckless liar, and David, who is set in his ways and quick to anger, are wholly unappealing characters.

Don't Look Back will appeal to those who enjoy dramas following a couple after an action from one of them tears their world apart. Thanks to Boldwood Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.