Another year, another list of (mostly) thrillers! Here are the books I’ve read over the past year and what I thought of them. Get ready to add to your TBR list!
Synopsis: Propelled by grief and anger, Camille Gardner is obsessed with the boy she presumes is responsible for her daughter’s death. Her public outbursts have attracted the attention of a specific group of women called The Collective, which is comprised of all grieving mothers like herself who lost their child to a perpetrator who walked free. When she’s invited to a secret chat on the dark web, Camille finds herself among an anonymous group bent on taking justice into their own hands. At first, Camille things the mysterious errands she does are part of a role-play, until she realizes just how serious this group is about avenging their children.
Review: The concept of this book was interesting and different. However, the further into the story we got, the more unlikely it all seemed. It was a little far-fetched as a plot and I didn’t really feel a sense of urgency in the story. And the end didn’t thrill me, which might be an unpopular opinion. I felt I was reading to get to the end, rather than reading to find out what happens.
Synopsis: Juniper left her hometown 14 years ago after a murder and mysterious circumstances rocked the town. Her brother was the prime suspect but was never convicted. Now, Juniper is back and trying to remember what happened on that night so many years before while trying to mend the relationship she has with her estranged family.
Review: I really liked this book because of the characters and their storylines. I thought the author really captured the relationship aspect and feelings characters have. I feel as if this borders on mystery a little more than it does thriller because there wasn’t so much urgency. But the story was good enough that that didn’t bother me.
Synopsis: A married couple goes on a weekend getaway to a snowy chapel in Scotland. Adam is a workaholic writer suffering from face blindness and Amelia is tired of being unseen–in more ways than one. They’re hoping a weekend away can help repair their marriage, but the mistakes they’ve made in the past and the lies they’ve told to keep them buried start to surface when the chapel they’re staying in seems to know their secrets.
Review: I wasn’t sure how this one was going to go at the beginning because I didn’t have the slightest idea how the pieces would fit together. The writing was solid. The depth of the characters is hard to figure out until the end but mostly due to the fact that they’re all hiding secrets. I wasn’t sure where the story was going for about the first half, but the snowy setting and creepy chapel pulled me along until I hit the twist full on and had to flip back through the book in disbelief. And then I was like, ‘Ok, that was good.’
Amazon Rating: 4⭐
Synopsis: A wealthy family dines together on Easter, but the next morning, the parents are dead. The 3 adult children immediately become the suspects. Everyone has alibis, or do they? Each of the adult children is set to receive a very large inheritance and each potentially has motive to do it. So who did it?
Review: To me, this was not a thriller. It was more of a ‘who dunnit’ mystery. While it was interesting, I had a few issues. The first issue was that it was written in 3rd person omniscient in present tense. This is one of the least likely combinations in writing and there’s a reason for that. The head hopping throughout the book was exhausting and I even got to the last few chapters and was suddenly in Sheila’s POV and I was like, “….Who’s Sheila?!” That combination is pretty clunky and hard to read smoothly.
The 2nd issue was that the majority of the book is just everyone contemplating who did it while trying not to look like they did it. Basically not a lot happens. We go through every single character’s thoughts and feelings and then all the sudden there’s a break in the case that moves the story to the end. The idea of the story is good, but the execution of it didn’t hit for me.
Amazon Rating: 4.5⭐
Synopsis: Where the Crawdads Sing follows the life of a girl named Kya who grows up in the marsh on the outskirts of town. She watches as her family members leave one by one to escape their abusive father and poor upbringing until eventually, Kya is left to fend for herself at a very young age. The marsh is her home, her comfort and her way to hide herself from the cruel, outside world. Kya prefers a life in solitude but her beauty has caught the eye of 2 men. Rumors start to swirl about the ‘Marsh Girl’ when one of the men is found dead near the marsh.
Review: This book is beautifully written. The characters are well-described and while the story isn’t very fast-paced, it’s interesting and keeps you reading. This is a coming-of-age story that pulls at the heart strings. The mystery of the book is woven in the background while we learn about Kya’s life and the struggles she faces. You feel bad for Kya and root for her, while simultaneously understanding the feelings of the others as well. Not gonna lie, some tears were shed.
I wondered if the mystery was ever going to be solved, but by the end of the book, I found myself almost not caring if it was or wasn’t. I think I would have been fine if it were never solved because the story sort of transcends the mystery in a way. I’ve never really felt that way about a book because the mystery is usually why you keep reading. Great story, great characters, great read.
Amazon Rating: 5⭐
Synopsis: Sophie O’Neill moves from bustling Chicago with her family to a small town in Texas in order to slow down in life and live more presently. Soon, however, Sophie begins to get bored with this new life and instead fascinates herself with a particular socialite in town: Margot Banks. Margo is rich and beautiful with a commanding presence and Sophie is drawn to her to the point of obsession. When she is invited in to Margot’s friend group, the self-proclaimed ‘Hunting Wives’, she soon finds out that the group meets for more than just clay shooting and wine. Sophie finds herself trapped, but enthralled by the promiscuous group and is in over her head when the body of a girl is found on Margot’s property where they shoot.
Review: I’m a little torn with this book. The writing was great albeit a little jerky in the beginning with going back and forth (with no real reason for going back and forth). I read this book in a day and a half so that says something. However, the first half of the book is a little uneventful and the relationships with the guys is a little weird to read about. At times I didn’t really understand the main character’s reasons for continually making the decisions she did…almost as if her personality didn’t add up.
I also had some issues with the story at times. Like how they can drink to the point of oblivion and still manage to drive home every night. Or how she can pull a drunken all-nighter and just drink some coffee and go about her day. Like….that does not happen in your 30s. You can’t just stay out all night, get plastered and then just drive yourself home to start your day with your family without sleeping. Realistically, she’d be dying, vomiting and writhing in bed. The action starts mid-way through and once it does, you’re reading till the end, but you kind of just want to tell the main character to quit making back choices.
And this is a small thing but it annoyed me all the same. The author mentions Tallahassee at the start of the book and it’s literally 2 sentences about the city–THAT ARE WRONG! The mention of Tallahassee has no significance in the story but she writes that ‘Tallahassee was one of her fave places and she loved the sea breeze and walking along the shore picking up shells’. ……….Tallahassee isn’t on the coast!? (I lived in Tallahassee and as a Florida resident, this bothered me.) But it just really baffled me as a writer though. Why would you put a random sentence in about a place that has no purpose to the story and then get it wrong??
Amazon Rating: 4⭐
Synopsis: Jules Larsen is a down and out young women in desperate need of money and a break. She responds to an ad about being an apartment sitter and finds out it’s for a unit in the Bartholomew, one of NYC’s most prestigious and luxurious buildings. Jules thinks her luck is finally turning around when she moves in. However, the building has a past and when a fellow apartment sitter goes missing, Jules starts looking into the dark rumors that surround the Bartholomew and finds out it’s a lot more sinister…and present…then everyone thinks.
Review: After reading two Riley Sager books at the end of last year, I had to pick up another. This one is just as good. The Bartholomew is an interesting setting and you’re right along with the character trying to learn about the residents and why everyone thinks the building is mysterious. It’s a quick read and you’ll be reading until the end. While there are a few good moments of ‘twists’, I couldn’t help but think one was a little predictable. It’s a small complaint though. The book is thrilling and the buildings dark and twisted past wraps you up until the last page.
Amazon Rating: 4.5⭐
Synopsis: A young woman has the world at her fingertips with her parents’ trust fund. When Skye meets Burke, the man of her dreams, she thinks its all come together for her. Her friends are skeptical because of his older age and the amount of money she has to lose. And Burke isn’t who he seems to be. His past starts to unravel a twisted plot and Skye might just be the catalyst.
Review: For some reason when I think of crime, I think of death. While reading this, I kept thinking, ‘who dies?’ Turns out there are different kinds of crimes other than murder and this book finds a way to capture your attention without falling into the typical storyline of crime thriller. The twist comes, but not where you expect it to come. The characters are flawed, but not so much that you don’t understand where they’re coming from. The backstory is interesting and detailed, if not a little repetitive. If I’m being nit-picky, I’d say that because there was no life or death storyline, the ending misses a little of that excitement. However, the story is very well written and the characters are deep, which is enough to keep you reading all the way till the end.
Amazon Rating: 4.5⭐
Synopsis: Kieran returns to the small coastal town where he grew up but is haunted by the traumatic events of his childhood that changed his family forever. When a body is found on the beach, questions begin to arise about the events that happened years ago and suspicion starts to circulate about who may have been involved on that fateful day and who is involved now.
Review: The start to this story is a bit slow and doesn’t ever build too much momentum. I had higher expectations for the end but it came, it was explained and then it was over. I didn’t love it; I didn’t hate it. But it just didn’t draw any strong emotions about it from me and I felt that way throughout the whole story.
Amazon Rating: 4⭐
Other books I read:
Synopsis: House of Gucci is the true story about the Gucci family and building the Italian, fashion empire. It follows the rise of the Gucci brand as the family worked to build a household name. But as the company grew, so did the glamour and greed. House of Gucci is filled with family rivalry, lawsuits and murder.
Review: If you have any interest in fashion, I highly recommend this book. It’s an incredible story of the making of a fashion house. The author did a fantastic job on research and the history of the family and company. One common misconception (which likely came from the movie trailer/description) is that the story is more like a thriller-that it is mostly about the murder of Maurizio Gucci by his wife Patrizia. That isn’t true. While it does cover that at some point, it is not the whole story. Before the murder of Maurizio, there was rivalry between his father and uncle, who helped build the company that was their father’s. Maurizio and Patrizia are only a small piece of the story.
Synopsis: Alex and Poppy are two unlikely friends who forge a relationship becoming the best of friends. Poppy is outgoing and bold living in NYC, while Alex is quiet and reserved living in their small hometown. Throughout their friendship, they commit to taking a summer trip together each year, until one year, something happens and they never speak again. Two years later, Poppy convinces Alex to take one more summer trip together to try and fix their relationship.
Review: Romance novels are usually not something I pick up but the storyline is travel related and it sounded pretty cute. It had pretty good reviews and ended up being a book of the year finalist for the Book of the Month club. I had high hopes for this book but I thought it was a bit cheesy and honestly didn’t really like reading about their relationship. They are polar opposites, often wanting two completely different things and it just sort of felt like their friendship was forced and hard to believe that they enjoyed each other’s company so much. I didn’t love the characters either. Poppy is exhausting and immature at times so I wasn’t really rooting for her.
They also act as if this huge ordeal happened to change their relationship and to me it was obvious and a fake build up to a ‘conflict’.
Synopsis: Evelyn Hugo is a Hollywood starlet who rose quickly to fame because of her relentless ambition and stunningly good looks. After being reclusive in her older years, she finally decides to tell the truth about her scandalous life and the 7 marriages she was so infamously known for. She chooses Monique, a young, unknown reporter, to write her biography. Evelyn’s story is about love, fear, determination and choices, and reveals much more than anyone ever knew.
Review: I thought the writing was fantastic and I knew within the first few pages that I was going to like this book. The character description of Evelyn is wonderful and though you may not love the character, you know her. The glimpse into 1950s Hollywood is also intriguing. The story takes an unexpected direction and it’s interesting to read about. But I will say that after a certain number of husbands you kind of wonder why there’s so many ha.
Amazon Rating: 4.5⭐
Synopsis: Untamed is a memoir about the author Glennon Doyle. It’s about womanhood, societal pressures, finding yourself and finding your purpose. Glennon has lived most of her life following the path that society decides we should be on, until she finally decides to break free and live the life she wants to.
Review: First of all, Glennon Doyle is a fabulous writer with entertaining prose and a great way of weaving humor into the mundane. BUT, I didn’t finish this book. I made it a little over half-way through before I stopped. While the stories are humorous and well-written, a lot of the book is what I call ‘inspirational fluff’. It’s about encouraging women to be the woman they want to be, lessons she’s learned in life, etc, but it’s repetitive and just broad inspiration. Some people may like that and feel motivated/inspired, but it was just a lot of fluff to me. There were a few political undertones as well and that made me lose interest. Most of the time I’m trying to read for fun and not read about political experiences or opinions, since everything is political these days.
Amazon Rating: 4.5⭐
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