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.