Category: suspense

A CALLER’S GAME by J.D.Barker

A Caller's Game

DIE HARD meets TALK RADIO in this heart-pounding, relentlessly fast-paced thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Fourth Monkey—master of suspense, J.D. Barker.

“I’m going to offer you a choice.”

J.D. Barker is truly a master of suspense and horror! Makes my black little heart all fluttery whenever I see his name on a book. This one is really scary because I can see this happening at any time.

Jordan Briggs is the female Howard Stern. Brash, in your face, controversial. A total bad-ass. She has no filter and doesn’t care in the least what she has to do to stay at the top of the ratings board. But this single- minded dedication to success has cost her. Her husband is now her ex. She hasn’t spoken to her mother in years. If not for Charlotte, her eleven -year -old daughter, she would be alone and she doesn’t seem too bothered about that.

If you get the impression she’s a pretty shallow and unpopular human being then you are correct.

Until… one day a caller asks if she would like to play a game. Angry because her boss has scheduled an interview with a rather shady senator, she decides to play along. And that sets into motion a series of events that lead to her past and the present colliding in awful ways.

Jordan has made some bad decisions in this business. Not very moral or ethical. And now she is about to pay for all of those. Consequences are always there waiting.

Is it odd to say I felt worse for the killer than Jordan? I understood his motivation although I didn’t agree with his deeds. You never know how your words and actions ripple out into the world until they find that one unstable person who is going to show you how much they matter.

Dare I say that I’ve replaced James Patterson with Barker? Well, I have.

NetGalley/ February 22nd, 2021 by Hampton Creek Press

The Unwilling by John Hart

The Unwilling

Set in the South at the height of the Vietnam War, The Unwilling combines crime, suspense and searing glimpses into the human mind and soul in New York Times bestselling author John Hart’s singular style.

This book had a little bit of everything in it. The Vietnam War, family secrets, misunderstandings,coming of age,gun running and even murder.

Gibson is the youngest of three brothers. His brothers Robert and Jason are twins. Robert and Jason both were drafted in the war and only one comes home. It’s not the one their mother wanted to come home and now Gibson is on lockdown. His mother controls his entire life. And isn’t about to let him get mixed up with Jason.

Jason wants a relationship with Gibson, but has no idea how to go about it. So they go behind their parents backs. Gibson is drawn to Jason and is determined to find out all he can about him. Spending an entire day with him and two young ladies seems like a good way however, one of whom is certifiable crazy. The day goes from bad to worse when the pass a prison bus and Tyra literally shows her bum. One person on the bus however, recognizes Jason and knows who will pay for that information.

Soon after Tyra is savagely murdered. And I do mean Savagely. There is nothing spared here. Jason is immediately a suspect and Gibson is under suspicion as well.

His brother does have a dark side and when he is caught with a lot of cash and weapons, he goes back to jail.

While he is there things become much clearer. There is a puppet master behind all of this and Jason will get out of jail when X says he can.

This was so twisty and insane I do hope there will be a follow up!

Well Done!

NetGalley/ February 2nd, 2021 by St. Martin’s Press

A STRANGER IN TOWN by KELLEY ARMSTRONG

A Stranger in Town (Casey Duncan Novels Book 6)

A Rockton Novel Number 9

We’re back in Rockton with Detective Casey Duncan and Sheriff Eric Dalton, along with all the characters we’ve grown to love! But this time the entire town may be in danger.

When a badly injured tourist from a group of four bursts out of the forest screaming and hysterical, Casey and Eric take her back to Rockton’s clinic for April to examine her. At the same time a new resident shows up who understands the woman is speaking Dutch. Hm…

Are the hostiles at work again? Or is this something more sinister?

When one of the original founders flies in, they are suspicious that they aren’t being told everything. Why have they not had any residents in quite a while? Why is no-one getting an extension?

I am not about to tell you anymore, except we finally find out how Rockton began and if it will continue or not.

Kelley’s books are always a solid read with capable female leads and great stories. I can’t wait to see what comes next.

NetGalley/ Minotaur February 02,2021

INVISIBLE GIRL by LISA JEWELL

 

Invisible Girl

Twisty, Suspenseful, with a lot of psychological suspense.

There are three points of view in this exciting book. Saffyre Maddox is one. When she was ten she suffered something horrible. This is a dark part. Abuse, rape, dark themes here. She is on the outside of life. Lonely, odd, and living with a huge secret.

Even after therapy, she may look and sound better, but she is so not okay. And now she is a stalker. Stalking her former therapist and uncovering his secrets.

Owen. Well, Owen was just bad. Odd doesn’t even describe it. And when Saffyre goes missing, he is the first one suspected. But did he do something to her? Was it something else she stuck her nose into that has her missing?

This was a dark and twisty thriller that left me thinking about it for days!

Good Job!

NetGalley/ October 13th, 2020 by Atria Books

 

 

 

 

JAMES PATTERSON AND J.D.BARKER PRESENT THE COAST-TO-COAST MURDERS

The Coast-to-Coast Murders

Who is on the mark?

What does that mean? Remember it. Always know who is on the mark.

Michael Fitzgerald is a long-distance truck driver and he is about to have a really bad day. At least I’m pretty sure he wasn’t planning on finding a dead woman in his bathtub. But then there are things he doesn’t remember and unfortunately things he can’t forget.

Michael and his sister Megan were adopted by the Fitzgeralds Two shrinks in one house who should never have had any children. Ever. Megan is the only person Michael can trust. At this point he doesn’t even trust himself! He’s lost time before but he never understood why.

Meanwhile…Detective Hobbs and FBI Agent Gimble have joined up to work a murder that seems straightforward. They have a suspect in custody and that seemed easy. Until the next murder happens. When they figure out they have multiple murders that crisscross the map, the Fitzgeralds’ name comes up. But which one? The father is dead. Megan is trying to help Michael and while they suspect Michael, he is elusive and very organized.

When two of my favorite authors team up on a book, I am going to read it! This was a long book and every minute was pushing harder and harder to the end. The characters were so well done and the suspense was intense all the way to the end.

You won’t believe this ending! I’m still going WHAT???? This is Psychological Suspense at it’s best!

NetGalley/ September 21st, 2020 by Little, Brown & Company

 

 

 



Don’t Look For Me by Wendy Walker

Don't Look for Me

People walk away from their lives every day. Especially when the pain at home is unbearable. But is that what happened to Molly Clarke?

When her car is found abandoned on the side of a road, out of gas, during a storm, the police and her family search everywhere for her. False leads and suspicious people make the search difficult.

A note is found at the only hotel telling her family not to look for her. But her daughter is not buying it. She is determined to find her mother. Believing there is no way she would abandon them.

Everyone in this little town is sketchy. I didn’t believe any of them. The suspense in this thriller built layer by layer until I was reading at warp speed!

This was a heartbreaking story of loss, guilt, insanity and what women will do to survive.

The question is what did happen to Molly Clarke? And will her daughter live to find out?

One very well done book!

NetGalley/ September 15th, 2020 by St. Martin’s Press

ONE BY ONE by RUTH WARE

One by One by [Ruth Ware]

Everyone is this book has secrets. Except maybe Danny. But the rest of them are pretty despicable people, not counting Erin, who takes care of the chalet and the guests with Danny as the chef.

Work retreats are nothing new for them. They host many at a luxurious ski chalet in the French Alps. Most are great and things run smoothly.

Not so when a start-up called Snoop and it’s co-founders come to stay. Right from the start, they are obnoxious and sketchy.  And as the days go by they began to dwindle in numbers. After an avalanche leaves them cut off from the rest of the world, they are all aware they are sharing quarters with a killer. But which one is it?

I could have told you who in Chapter one. The only person’s story I was interested in was Erin’s.

Not my cup of tea.

NetGalley/Gallery Scout Press September 8th, 2020

 

 

THE FIRST TO LIE by HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN

The First to Lie

Ryan is a genius at twisty, suspenseful writing! I felt the same way about this book as I do when all of my necklaces get tangled up in my jewelry box…I’m never going to get this untangled!

A daughter of privilege and wealth betrayed by the people who should have loved and protected her wants revenge and to get it she will have to be someone else.

A young, heartbroken widow. Betrayed in the same way.

A reporter trying to take down a big pharma company touting a drug that has horrific side effects. And doing it any way she can.

All it takes is a lie. But who will be the first to lie? And are any of them who they claim to be? And when the truth does come out, will one of them be the first to die?

Another crazy, suspense-filled tangle of a thriller!

NetGalley/ August 4th, 2020 by Forge Books/MacMillan

 

 

 

 

 

behind the red door by Megan Collins

Behind the Red Door: A Novel

From the author of The Winter Sister, comes this psychological thriller that seriously messed with my head!

Fern had an unorthodox upbringing to say the least! There are gaps in her memory and one day watching the news she sees a story about Astrid Sullivan, 34, and missing. But this isn’t the first time she has gone missing. Fern is positive she knows this woman. Scraps of memories bring nightmares that feel real.

Fern’s husband is convinced she is probably just remembering reading the first story as it happened near her childhood home. But Fern isn’t so sure.

When her distant father asks her to come home to help him clear out the house, she should have just hung up the phone!

I really don’t want to say a lot about the story. It is too wickedly twisted and you should have the joy of discovering what I did. And OMG! I just thought my family was screwy!

A great followup to The Winter Sister!

NetGalley/ August 4th, 2020 by Atria Books

 

 

 

THE VACATION by T.M.LOGAN

The Vacation

Seven days. Three families. One killer.

Four women. Friends since college decide to join each other and their families for a week’s vacation in a lovely villa in France.

Things are tense from the start. It looks like everyone’s family is not quite as together as they would like one to think. Only one of them has not married and she’s acting sketchy. Heck, everyone was shady and keeping secrets!

To tell you the truth I did not care for even one of them. Maybe Daniel. But it doesn’t matter because the story was that good!

Someone is willing to kill to keep their truth secret. But is it who you think it is?

This is one vacation I’ll pass on. But I’ll take the book!

Well Done!

NetGalley/ July 21st, 2020 by St. Martin’s Press