Category: Thriller

Title: Invisible Girl
Author: Lisa Jewell
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Canada
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook, Paperback
Release Date: October 13, 2020
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

The author of the “rich, dark, and intricately twisted” (Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author) The Family Upstairs returns with another taut and white-knuckled thriller following a group of people whose lives shockingly intersect when a young woman disappears. 

Owen Pick’s life is falling apart.

In his thirties, a virgin, and living in his aunt’s spare bedroom, he has just been suspended from his job as a geography teacher after accusations of sexual misconduct, which he strongly denies. Searching for professional advice online, he is inadvertently sucked into the dark world of incel—involuntary celibate—forums, where he meets the charismatic, mysterious, and sinister Bryn.

Across the street from Owen lives the Fours family, headed by mom Cate, a physiotherapist, and dad Roan, a child psychologist. But the Fours family have a bad feeling about their neighbor Owen. He’s a bit creepy and their teenaged daughter swears he followed her home from the train station one night.

Meanwhile, young Saffyre Maddox spent three years as a patient of Roan Fours. Feeling abandoned when their therapy ends, she searches for other ways to maintain her connection with him, following him in the shadows and learning more than she wanted to know about Roan and his family. Then, on Valentine’s night, Saffyre Maddox disappears—and the last person to see her alive is Owen Pick.

Review:

Owen Pick is a thirty-year-old man who lives with his aunt and has never had a romantic relationship. One day, he was accused of sexual assaulting and behaving inappropriately with some of his students, but he denies it and he left his job. Owen lives across the street from Cate and Roan Fours and their two teenage children. Roan is a child psychologist. On Valentine’s Day, Saffyre Maddox, one of Roan’s patients, goes missing. She was last seen alive by Owen outside of Roan and Cate’s home, making him their prime suspect. All signs point to Owen having something to do with Saffyre’s disappearance, but is he guilty?

Lisa Jewell’s books have a unique thriller layout. The main crime or incident of the thriller doesn’t happen until a few chapters into the story. The first part introduces the characters living their day to day lives. Most thrillers begin with the crime or inciting incident hooking the reader into the story. Though the main incident doesn’t happen for a few chapters, the characters all seem guilty and suspicious of something. They each seem to be hiding a dark secret. With this layout, the reader can get to know the characters before the main incident happens.

I was surprised at the ending. I was sure that all signed pointed to one character, but I didn’t guess correctly. It was a complicated ending, involving a few different parts. When I read a thriller, I prefer a clear, final ending, so this ending didn’t satisfy me.

Though I didn’t really like the ending, I enjoyed reading this twisty thriller.

Thank you Simon and Schuster Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

Have you read Invisible Girl? What did you think of it?

Title: Confessions on the 7:45
Author: Lisa Unger
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Park Row
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: October 6, 2020
Rating: ★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

From master of suspense Lisa Unger comes a riveting thriller about a chance encounter that unravels a stunning web of lies and deceit.

Everyone has a secret… Now she knows yours.

Selena Murphy is commuting home from her job in the city when the train stalls out on the tracks. She strikes up a conversation with a beautiful stranger in the next seat, and their connection is fast and easy. The woman introduces herself as Martha and confesses that she’s been stuck in an affair with her boss. Selena, in turn, confesses that she suspects her husband is sleeping with the nanny. When the train arrives at Selena’s station, the two women part ways, presumably never to meet again.

But days later, Selena’s nanny disappears.

Soon Selena finds her once-perfect life upended. As she is pulled into the mystery of the missing nanny, and as the fractures in her marriage grow deeper, Selena begins to wonder, who was Martha really? But she is hardly prepared for what she’ll discover.

Expertly plotted and reminiscent of the timeless classic Strangers on a Train, Confessions on the 7:45 is a gripping thriller about the delicate facades we create around our lives.

Review:

When Selena Murphy is riding the train home one evening, she tells a woman that her husband is having an affair with their nanny. A few days later, the nanny, Geneva, disappears. Her disappearance is suspicious, and Selena worries about the stranger on the train who knows about Selena’s husband’s affair. Selena hopes that the police won’t make a connection between her husband’s affair and Geneva’s disappearance. When the stranger starts texting Selena out of the blue, she has to wonder if that woman is connected to Geneva.

This story was told from multiple perspectives. It was confusing at the beginning because the first few chapters each had a different perspective. The stranger that Selena met on the train even gave a fake name, which was confusing since it happened right when the characters were being introduced. Some of the chapters only used a character’s perspective once or twice, which I think could have been removed or changed to a main character to make it a little simpler to follow.

The characters did a lot of reflecting on what was going on in the story. Since the characters spent a lot of time thinking about the events, the twists were easy to figure out before they happened. There was also a lot of unnecessary background on the characters. They had detailed life histories, which were thought out and provided motive and connections, but they didn’t really progress the story.

This was a good crime story, but not as suspenseful as I expected.

Thank you HarperCollins for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Someone’s Listening by Seraphina Nova Glass

When I Was You by Amber Garza

About the author:

Lisa Unger is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of eighteen novels, including CONFESSIONS ON THE 7:45 (Oct. 2020). With millions of readers worldwide and books published in twenty-six languages, Unger is widely regarded as a master of suspense. Her critically acclaimed books have been voted “Best of the Year” or top picks by the Today show, Good Morning America, Entertainment Weekly, Amazon, IndieBound and others. Her essays have appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, and Travel+Leisure. She lives on the west coast of Florida with her family.

Have you read Confessions on the 7:45? What did you think of it?

Title: Don’t Look for Me
Author: Wendy Walker
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 15, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

One night, Molly Clarke walked away from her life.

She doesn’t want to be found.

Or at least, that’s the story.

The car abandoned miles from home.

The note found at a nearby hotel.

The shattered family that couldn’t be put back together.

They called it a “walk away.”

It happens all the time.

Women disappear, desperate to leave their lives behind and start over.

But is that what really happened to Molly Clarke?

Review:

Molly Clarke was driving home from her son’s football game when she’s caught in a storm. She’s upset because her son ignored her despite driving four hours to see him play. Her husband no longer speaks to her and her daughter says she hates her. That’s all stemming from when Molly hit and killed their nine-year-old daughter five years ago. When a truck stops on the side of the road to rescue Molly from her broken down car, she jumps in. She wasn’t heard from again, until a note was found saying that she was leaving her family. Two weeks later, her daughter receives a tip about her mother’s disappearance that sends her back to the small town where her mother was last seen.

This was such a fast paced thriller. There were constant twists and cliffhangers at the ends of the chapters that made it difficult to put the book down. The chapters became shorter as the pacing of the story sped up at the end of the story, which made it easier to fly through it.

I was quite surprised at the ending. I thought I had it all figured out, but I was wrong. The clues were clever in the way that they could refer to different characters, so I didn’t guess correctly. Even when I realized the truth right before it was revealed, it was still such a shock.

This was a great, fast paced thriller.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker

The Girl from Widow Hills by Megan Miranda

Have you read Don’t Look for Me? What did you think of it?

Title: When I Was You
Author: Amber Garza
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: MIRA
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: August 25, 2020
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

You meets Fatal Attraction in this up-all-night psychological thriller about a lonely empty-nester’s growing obsession with a young mother who shares her name.

It all begins on an ordinary fall morning, when Kelly Medina gets a call from her son’s pediatrician to confirm her upcoming “well-baby” appointment. It’s a cruel mistake; her son left for college a year ago, and Kelly has never felt so alone. The receptionist quickly apologizes: there’s another mother in town named Kelly Medina, and she must have gotten their numbers switched.

But Kelly can’t stop thinking about the woman who shares her name. Lives in her same town. Has a son she can still hold, and her whole life ahead of her. She can’t help looking for her: at the grocery store, at the gym, on social media. When Kelly just happens to bump into the single mother outside that pediatrician’s office, it’s simple curiosity getting the better of her.

Their unlikely friendship brings Kelly a renewed sense of purpose, taking care of this young woman and her adorable baby boy. But that friendship quickly turns to obsession, and when one Kelly disappears, well, the other one may know why.

Review:

Kelly Medina gets a call from her son’s former pediatrician one day to remind her of her baby’s appointment. However, her son is now nineteen, so she doesn’t have that appointment. It is meant for another mom who is also named Kelly Medina. It becomes even stranger when Kelly goes to her gym, and finds out that this other Kelly Medina was also at the same gym that morning. Kelly decides she must meet this other woman whose life mirrors her own. Their relationship quickly becomes an obsession, when Kelly starts to wonder why this new Kelly has arrived in her town.

This story had a bunch of typical thriller tropes. Kelly has a past with some mental health struggles. Kelly could be unreliable because she lied to her friends and husband. There were some mysterious things that happened in her past that also contributed to her unreliability. Since the people close to Kelly suspected something was wrong with her new relationship with the other Kelly, I was suspicious as well.

There was a surprising twist in part two of the story. I didn’t see it coming. Some of the reveals that happened close to the end of the story weren’t very surprising because they had been hinted at so much throughout the first part of the story. There was a good twist that was shocking, and I liked the end of the story.

This was a good, fast paced thriller.

Thank you HarperCollins for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Someone’s Listening by Seraphina Nova Glass

The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica

About the author:

Amber Garza has had a passion for the written word since she was a child making books out of notebook paper and staples. Her hobbies include reading and singing. Coffee and wine are her drinks of choice (not necessarily in that order). She writes while blaring music, and talks about her characters like they’re real people. She lives with her husband and two kids in Folsom, California, which is—no joke—home to another Amber Garza.

Have you read When I Was You? What did you think of it?

Title: The End of Her
Author: Shari Lapena
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Penguin Books
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: July 28, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

The new domestic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door and Someone We Know

In upstate New York, Stephanie and Patrick are adjusting to life with their colicky twin babies. The girls are a handful, but Stephanie doesn’t mind being a stay-at-home mom, taking care of them while Patrick does the nine to five to pay the bills.

When a woman from Patrick’s past drops in on them unexpectedly, raising questions about his late first wife, Stephanie supports her husband wholeheartedly. She knows the car accident all those many years ago was just that–an accident. But Erica is persistent, and now she’s threatening to go to the police.

Patrick is afraid his job–and his reputation–will be at risk if he doesn’t put an end to Erica’s questioning immediately. And when the police start digging, Stephanie’s trust in her husband begins to falter and Patrick is primed to lose everything he loves. As their marriage crumbles, Stephanie feels herself coming unglued, and soon she isn’t sure what–or who–to believe. Now the most important thing is to protect her girls, but at what cost?

Review:

Stephanie and Patrick are new parents to twin girls. They are both severely sleep deprived, which is making Stephanie forgetful. One day, a woman enters their life with a shocking accusation that Patrick murdered his first wife when she was pregnant. Stephanie knew that Patrick’s first wife died in an accident, but when she hears the details, she can’t help but wonder if Patrick is guilty.

This is another great thriller from Shari Lapena. Her books are so fast paced and difficult to put down. I had to stop reading it one evening because I knew if I continued, I wouldn’t be able to put it down to go to sleep. The short chapters with cliffhanger endings make the pages fly by.

There were a lot of characters introduced in the first couple of chapters. It was a little confusing to keep straight at first because there were so many different people. I actually thought I had the story figured out right away. However, there were some shocking twists that kept me surprised right until the last page.

I really enjoyed this fast paced thriller!

Thank you Penguin Books for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica

Have you read The End of Her? What did you think of it?

Title: Lies Lies Lies
Author: Adele Parks
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: MIRA
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Format: Ebook
Release Date: August 4, 2020
Rating: ★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Daisy and Simon’s marriage isn’t what it seems… 

After years together, the arrival of longed-for daughter Millie sealed everything in place. They’re a happy little family of three.

So what if Simon drinks a bit too much sometimes–Daisy’s used to it. She knows he’s just letting off steam. Until one night at a party things spiral horribly out of control. And their happy little family of three will never be the same again.

In Lies, Lies, Lies, #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Adele Parks explores the darkest corners of a relationship in free fall in a mesmerizing tale of marriage and secrets.

Review:

Daisy and Simon want to have another child so their six-year-old daughter Millie can have a sibling. When they go to a fertility clinic, a doctor tells Simon that he could never have children, so he realizes Millie must not be his biological daughter. Instead of asking his wife about it, Simon drinks and becomes an alcoholic. His drinking gets so out of control that he loses his job, and causes an accident that changes all of their lives.

This was a slow burn thriller. There was a lot of time building up to the plot twists. Sometimes it took too long to get to a new development, with the characters reflecting on the past before an obvious plot twist or reveal. If some of the reflection was cut and the space between plot twists was shorter, it would have been a more suspenseful story.

There were some disturbing scenes that need some content warnings. There was alcoholism, abuse, rape, and animal abuse. These things really escalated at the end of the book. The final chapters were quite intense, but also more graphic than the beginning of the book.

Unfortunately this slow burn thriller didn’t work for me, but I’m sure other readers will like it.

Thank you HarperCollins for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

I Invited Her In by Adele Parks

The Last Wife by Karen Hamilton

About the author:

Adele Parks was born in Teesside, North-East England. Her first novel, Playing Away, was published in 2000 and since then she’s had seventeen international bestsellers, translated into twenty-six languages, including I Invited Her In. She’s been an Ambassador for The Reading Agency and a judge for the Costa. She’s lived in Italy, Botswana and London, and is now settled in Guildford, Surrey, with her husband, teenage son and cat.

Have you read Lies Lies Lies? What did you think of it?