Category Archives: Thriller

#Review – Breakneck Bay by Faith Gardner

A dangerous waterpark. A missing girl. A wife trapped in a nightmare.

At Breakneck Bay, the rides are fast, the injuries frequent, and the lawsuits endless. But when a teenage employee vanishes after closing, leaving behind a blood-soaked crime scene, it’s clear this summer will be the deadliest yet.

Suspicion falls on park manager Mitch Blue, forcing his newlywed wife Kit to confront the cracks in their marriage—and the unsettling secrets he’s been keeping.

But Kit and the police aren’t the only ones looking for answers. Someone is watching from the shadows, waiting to finish what they started years ago. As Kit uncovers chilling ties between Mitch and the waterpark’s dark past, she’s left questioning everything she thought she knew—including whether she’s sleeping beside a killer.

Because at Breakneck Bay, the only thing deadlier than the rides is the truth.

So I had absolutely no idea what was going on through the majority of this book. I tried predicting and while I thought who was the killer did end up being the killer, I kept second guessing myself. I watch too many horror movies because I thought something really bad was going to happen when all was said and done. If you watch horror movies, you know that most of them don’t end on a happy note.

This book is written in Katherine “Kit’s” point of view for most of it, while some chapters are written in Hawk’s point of view. He’s the bad guy but Hawk is just a nickname he gave himself, so we really have no idea who he is until the end of the book.

Life is going well for Kit. She has a loving husband, a relatively decent job, not as many friends as she wants but life is satisfactory.

Someone goes missing, some odd things start happening at the park they work at and Kit is left questioning things between her and her husband Mitch and the park’s history. Although, I don’t think Kit was ready for the truth when she discovered it.

I liked this book and it was a fun read. All of the characters held their own and Kit’s feelings and emotions definitely made me wonder how I would react in her situation.

Can be read in KU – https://amzn.to/3UN8TPo

#review #thriller #mystery When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole

Rear Window meets Get Out in this gripping thriller from a critically acclaimed and New York Times Notable author, in which the gentrification of a Brooklyn neighborhood takes on a sinister new meaning…

Sydney Green is Brooklyn born and raised, but her beloved neighborhood seems to change every time she blinks. Condos are sprouting like weeds, FOR SALE signs are popping up overnight, and the neighbors she’s known all her life are disappearing. To hold onto her community’s past and present, Sydney channels her frustration into a walking tour and finds an unlikely and unwanted assistant in one of the new arrivals to the block–her neighbor Theo.

But Sydney and Theo’s deep dive into history quickly becomes a dizzying descent into paranoia and fear. Their neighbors may not have moved to the suburbs after all, and the push to revitalize the community may be more deadly than advertised.

When does coincidence become conspiracy? Where do people go when gentrification pushes them out? Can Sydney and Theo trust each other–or themselves–long enough to find out before they too disappear?

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49398072-when-no-one-is-watching

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/When-No-One-Watching-Thriller/dp/0062982656/ref=sr_1_1?crid=UHWS9HERAW4X&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.p4SspVLq-7UHB7rn297qXBOjioqBhN_8D6D54xk5O0QtD8cdgIGRpBxuiPboukj5uYAZPmLJ6XtSsZtglunVay7XTRYg6FGhzSXgTw2MUwmWsj2tZLkx5iAiLJRKZSvLjdwlVMpDxARkLXYY82hwglKle13QePUDL0mZ11jE0WFnVFMP3a5yuNkSvYVTHbGUv90JCGZ3oesxXNF04qFUzXE1H6i2TtCJ68eVMkna6Ow.whREtG1LyJ4qW29oXBwdzI5QkBg61ZqE93_ikmM-b5k&dib_tag=se&keywords=when+no+one+is+watching&qid=1756388158&sprefix=when+no+one+is+watching%2Caps%2C156&sr=8-1

Review by Twinsie Dee

i bought this book here is my honest review

Crazy things happening in this quiet, broke down part of town, when the neighbors are always looking out their windows how does something go amiss? when Sydney and Theo are working on a history tour for the neighborhood block party, they start to notice weird things that are taking place around them, neighbors missing then their homes are getting new owners. something bad is happening and will they find out what’s happening before it’s too late? this book i was looking forward to reading only to be disappointed it was very slow and took a while to really get into it. definitely not total thriller vibes till about the very end.

 

Alyssa Cole is an award-winning author of historical, contemporary, and sci-fi romance. Her Civil War-set espionage romance An Extraordinary Union was the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award’s Best Book of 2017 and the American Library Association’s RUSA Best Romance for 2018, and A Princess in Theory was one of the New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2018. She’s contributed to publications including Bustle, Shondaland, The Toast, Vulture, RT Book Reviews, and Heroes and Heartbreakers, and her books have received critical acclaim from The New York Times, Library Journal, BuzzFeed, Kirkus, Booklist, Jezebel, Vulture, Book Riot, Entertainment Weekly, and various other outlets. When she’s not working, she can usually be found watching anime or wrangling her pets.

 

#review #YA #thriller The Dare by Natasha Preston

Would you accept the dare?

In Marley’s town, seniors are given a prank as a rite of passage…a dare, if you will. The dares start out simple…egging houses, balloons filled with glitter, chickens running loose in the halls.

But this is no child’s play.

Accepting a dare means you could be expelled, arrested, or worse. No one wants to back down from a dare. But saying yes has consequences, too…

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/174146809-the-dare

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Dare-Natasha-Preston/dp/0593704061/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=s5oKC&content-id=amzn1.sym.4efc43db-939e-4a80-abaf-50c6a6b8c631%3Aamzn1.symc.5a16118f-86f0-44cd-8e3e-6c5f82df43d0&pf_rd_p=4efc43db-939e-4a80-abaf-50c6a6b8c631&pf_rd_r=P71543F06YA3G8JCW24R&pd_rd_wg=A9gqx&pd_rd_r=20d16ac2-4131-4f31-9d2f-fc2a71673722&ref_=pd_hp_d_atf_ci_mcx_mr_ca_hp_atf_d

Review by Twinsie Dee

i bought this book and here is my honest review

Senior year means planning for the famous senior prank. but when one of the riches families in town take it upon themselves to be the leaders of the pranks one brother after another, it was basically their way or suffer the consequences of saying no to the dare. but what if you dare not only had you braking and enter and theft but also a hit and run, messing with a dead body and inappropriately disposing of a body, its all fun and games till someone gets killed and it could ruin your whole future. so will you accept the dare or not?

 

#1 New York Times Bestselling Author of The Cellar and The Cabin. Romance and YA Thriller writer, boy mum, Tom Hardy enthusiast. Always buried in a book and a glass of wine.

 

#review #YA #thriller The Haunting by Natasha Preston

Haunted by the past . . .

Penny’s trying to forget about her ex, Nash. His father was arrested for the brutal murder of four teenagers on Devil’s Night last year. Penny’s parents have forbidden her to have anything to do with Nash or his family. It’s hard not to think of what happened as spooky season gets underway–but she’s trying.

That stops when she goes to the Halloween store with her friends to find a costume. What she finds instead is ripped from a horror movie: a girl from school bleeding out on the floor of a dressing room. Stabbed.

Is a copycat killer on the loose? The adults are saying no. But Penny knows better.

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75495009-the-haunting

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Haunting-Natasha-Preston/dp/0593481518/ref=sr_1_14?crid=1CEST1DW1BLM0&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ymjZUug-s220qr02Sc0ISZUZOF2pqQPXFlJMbJk6MhdO3Ytg40zJpLeUVH5agvubevsQgjmiSc3JnRqwkYcU1Vcm1qoWI0eNKvoGAMygp6sVD4Tj0mo2K65RD2Tx_-xfInudFAOqnD2arNufQIPw27UQW2VyHxH2KadfUtAYH4GsmNaj028lmbM8FIpkt4xM7hF4Cv5nzsCLuo8npbJUski785nmJATat1xrSJvJHNaSId0nPOl0RPS7vDrRHFl54cHuBinbZ9uOfTejMVD3vHJsNbcQ9W6GzJhSLZptnnw.Ax6zvRG_6QGzC-pbLE3i2ASbckh-Fa9YyDpb5pM8Faw&dib_tag=se&keywords=natasha+preston+books&qid=1754941170&sprefix=natasha+%2Caps%2C163&sr=8-14

Review by Twinsie Dee

i bought this book here is my honest review

Halloween is all about fun unless its the anniversary of hen five teens were murdered by a classmates father. the year before was a nightmare for the whole town, but when they turned their back on the murders kids anything slightly criminal happens now the whole town points the finger at his son. when a teen is found dead by the murder’s son ex-girlfriend a year later the whole town is freaking out again. Penny and her friends are on a mission to prove that her ex isn’t killing like his dad did, but when they find out the truth it will shake them to the core. a huge twist you wont see coming until the very end.

 

#1 New York Times Bestselling Author of The Cellar and The Cabin. Romance and YA Thriller writer, boy mum, Tom Hardy enthusiast. Always buried in a book and a glass of wine.

 

#review #thriller #standalone Middle of the Night by: Riley Sager

In the latest jaw-dropping thriller from New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager, a man must contend with the long-ago disappearance of his childhood best friend—and the dark secrets lurking just beyond the safe confines of his picture-perfect neighborhood.

The worst thing to ever happen on Hemlock Circle occurred in Ethan Marsh’s backyard. One July night, ten-year-old Ethan and his best friend and neighbor, Billy, fell asleep in a tent set up on a manicured lawn in a quiet, quaint New Jersey cul de sac. In the morning, Ethan woke up alone. During the night, someone had sliced the tent open with a knife and taken Billy. He was never seen again.

Thirty years later, Ethan has reluctantly returned to his childhood home. Plagued by bad dreams and insomnia, he begins to notice strange things happening in the middle of the night. Someone seems to be roaming the cul de sac at odd hours, and signs of Billy’s presence keep appearing in Ethan’s backyard. Is someone playing a cruel prank? Or has Billy, long thought to be dead, somehow returned to Hemlock Circle?

The mysterious occurrences prompt Ethan to investigate what really happened that night, a quest that reunites him with former friends and neighbors and leads him into the woods that surround Hemlock Circle. Woods where Billy claimed monsters roamed and where a mysterious institute does clandestine research on a crumbling estate.

The closer Ethan gets to the truth, the more he realizes that no place—be it quiet forest or suburban street—is completely safe. And that the past has a way of haunting the present.

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199026522-middle-of-the-night

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Middle-Night-Novel-Riley-Sager/dp/0593472373/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.7hc2FEAY4twFW84IePiiRxGe_x3qO-IVM37k5G6PrVxJHcrBWyMvLcyXVxvp1QIQYFjmAR163IVOM6v1UgzcKEZIlw-DhQWPwLQg5Aj_FKk4QtYgz7EQpWZPMYbDrXbFLNKxFiYCeD4cR3SXn5RNcMKXDiQZdspo3oGuRQI6wgV-X4m6unmIXCSASSj2pS700jw_2xpFsqwRLMeYRG0A4C3rczOt5edd12NimU_nsx4w4lrBogCbt17T3_mO-mG0S4ROhCD2ZBuFmgdxLEcC96qlM6LJRivTthsu0-XVMSM.VIfaMGYCc8Mc6k5Dl8kldqDQwKgWSmzxmG0n4nJ6q-4&qid=1752752816&sr=8-5

Review by Twinsie Dee

i bought this book and this is my honest review

Ethan was having a normal camp out with his best friend Billy, but when Ethan woke up there was a slash in the tent and Billy was gone nowhere to be found. Thirty years later, still no idea why he didn’t get taken with Billy, Ethan is now back in his childhood home with so many flashbacks and questions now coming back to him. but when Ethan starts having odd things start happening to him that where things between him and Billy, Ethan starts wondering if Billy is trying to tell him something they never found out if he was killed or not, so Ethan just can’t let this slip passed him. Can Ethan remember anything all these years later to help his friend find some peace, what will he do to get those last pieces to this puzzle together and find out what exactly happened all those years ago to his best friend. this book will keep you guessing till the very last page and you won’t see what actually happened coming.

 

Riley Sager is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, most recently Middle of the Night and The Only One Left. His books have been published in over 35 countries, with more than 3 million copies sold worldwide. A native of Pennsylvania, he now lives in Princeton, New Jersey.

 

#Review #Mafia #Military- American Novela by Marcus Amaro


When Filipino-American U.S. Marine Angelo Marquez receives orders to work in Spain from an old friend, the assumption of a laid-back workcation in Europe disappears when his eyes catch the attention of fiery fashion editor Elena Sanchez Vicario. Quickly, the line between military discipline and succumbing to the urgings of his heart becomes blurred when remnants of Angelo’s past are discovered, and his mid-summer romance quickly turns into a fight for survival in the streets of Seville.

Goodreads

Amazon

Review by Twinsie Kelly

I picked this book up on a whim while looking for something different to read. The cover grabbed attention, the blurb piqued my curiosity, and the writing kept my attention right to the very last page.

What is the essence of war? After reading this book, to me, it can mean so many different things.

Angelo is a Marine that has been in some crazy scary situations in warzones. The writing for these situations, even though I am not well versed in this lingo or situations, felt very real causing my heart to race and the hairs on my arms to rise as if I were right in the middle of the action. Angelo’s character is so easy to like that you will feel like “one of the guys”, even though you are only the reader.

Elena, what do I say about her. I have to say that I wanted to hate her. Especially at the beginning with their first encounter. I honestly wanted to strangle her and sort of got irritated because I thought I had the plot all figured out. She was this ice princess that Angelo was going to thaw out. Well, my friends, I had it all wrong!!! Give Elena a chance because she will change your mind!

Now, we have a budding romance forming, while demons from the past come forward, all while working with multiple agencies. It sort of ends up having a Jason Bourne vibe without the amnesia (and I love me some Jason Bourne!). Seriously, this book has a lot of a lot! The story hits on so many points with suspense, thriller, action, romance, hidden identities, kidnapping, military….I mean the list goes on and on and on. I highly recommend this book!

This is the first book I have read by this author and I look forward to reading many more!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

 

Marcus Amaro’s life is a dynamic story of resilience and adaptability. After a 21-year career in the US military, he discovered a hidden creative spirit and took on various roles that showcased his adventurous fire. From becoming a hibachi chef to a U.S. Marine to racing sports cars, designing clothes, and writing. Amaro has explored different paths with childlike curiosity and unending enthusiasm. Now living in San Diego, he enjoys taking on challenges and learning new things, even if he has no idea where they might lead. For him, the joy is in the journey, and he embraces each experience, hoping to surpass his own expectations as the ultimate reward. 

 



#WOTR25 #Review – Seek (Project Xol #1) by Amabel Daniels/Audrey Kaye



Cassidy is determined to find her mother at any cost…

It’s been months since Cassidy Shaw has heard from her mother, Rosa, a world-renown scientist. When she does, it’s in the form of an urgent edict to retrieve a key. Arriving at Rosa’s apartment in Cincinnati, Cassidy encounters strangers. One man who seems determined to silence her. The other, could he be her savior?

Luke Dixon enters the fray, believing his neighbor is being attacked. Never one to ignore someone in distress, he’s then shocked to realize he’s the one needing rescue. Bound together through violence, Cassidy and Luke must come to trust each other as they embark on a search, armed only with the key and Rosa’s cryptic directions. It’s a journey with unexpected answers and decades-old research. A search with more questions…and a lethal enemy who returns when least expected.

Seek is the first book in the thrilling Project Xol series. If you like gripping novels about seeking justice, entangled lead characters, and twisting outcomes, then you’ll love this romantic suspense series from top-selling author Audrey Kaye!

Goodreads

Amazon

Review by Twinsie Kelly

Notting Hill to Mission Impossible overnight! Holy OMG!

Reader Beware: This story ends with a major cliffhanger. I recommend being ready to dive right into the next book.

I could NOT put this book down! There was never a dull moment from the very beginning right to the very end. I started it, turned the page, it was over, I was purchasing the next in the series. Seriously, it was that good!

Cassidy is adopted. She and her mother are not super close. As both women are very independent, when Cassidy receives a letter in the mail from her mother stating, “I need your help,” it scares her deep. This letter puts so many things into motion. She is almost strangled to death and Luke saves her! Oh, and Luke. What can I say about Luke. I am still trying to figure out what he did in his past life, but he is as chivalrous as they come. However, he is definitely atoning for something. These two have a chemistry that is super intense.

These two end up needing one another more than each of them care to like at the beginning but cannot stay away from each other. The constant facing of fears can be exhausting for these two but the spiking of their heartrates and anxiety is also met with the mellowing crash of realizing survival is possible.

Seek is action packed with a lot of suspense and danger. But things are just starting to heat up!

 

Profile avatar for Audrey Kaye

Born and raised in Northwest Ohio, Audrey Kaye writes romantic suspense featuring strong, stubborn women and the men who can’t help but fall in love with them. Audrey lives with her husband, three daughters, and many pets, and has previously published under the name of Amabel Daniels. Her first novel, Better Than the Best, was written in 2015, and it’s been a wild ride of imagining the improbable ever since!

 



#Review – App by Rayne Havok

Salem logs on to her favorite app. Her and Kyle are a match. The night starts out fun, with both of them eager to take things further.

The next morning, however, Salem wakes with no recollection of the evening.

Salem joins a dating app that is used for a one night thing only. Those are the rules. No commitments or anything. Just some fun. She comes across Kyle’s profile and decides to choose him for her fun. They meet up and go on a date. But the night doesn’t exactly go as planned. Or does it? She wakes up with no memory of the night before but ends up getting proof of what happened. There’s a nice little twist at the end that I wasn’t expecting. This story is a short, fun read that proves that they do in fact have an app for anything. 

Can be read in KU – https://amzn.to/3W91PgQ

#Review #Apocalyptic – Killshot: Icarus Series Book 1 by Aria Michaels


After the death of their parents, seventeen year old Liv Larson and her younger brother are separated by the foster care system. Her grades slip, her friends drift away, and she gives up on her plans for college. The only thing that matters is keeping the promise to get back to her brother. After months of solitude and anti-social behavior, Liv’s best friend Riley drags her to their high school’s rooftop solar flare party. Despite the beautiful lights dancing in the sky, Liv finds herself captivated by Zander, a mysterious boy with a crooked smile. For a few hours, she allows herself to feel normal again.

That is until what should have been a small flare erupts into a massive solar storm. Cut off from the rest of the world with no sign of rescue, fear and paranoia begin to take their toll on the group. Battle lines are drawn and their ranks are divided. Soon, those left behind must embark on a perilous journey to save one of their own…but, something sinister awaits them in the shadows and it’s undeniably connected to Liv.

Can she keep her promise to reunite with her brother? What are Liv and her friends willing to do to survive? Will their bravery and determination be enough to save them all from a rogue military unit, a terrifying virus, and the things that go bump in the night?

Or was Icarus really the KILLSHOT?

Goodreads

Amazon

Review by Twinsie Kelly

It is not often that I have a difficult time writing a review because it left me speechless. I have had this book living in my TBR pile on my kindle for longer than I like to admit. I decided to go waaaay back and find something that caught my attention and wow, am I glad that I did. This book, just wow. I cannot find the words. If you like post apoc, conspiracy theories, military, teenagers overcoming obstacles, Sci-Fi, just some overall unexplainable craziness, (I am sure I am missing things) then I recommend Killshot.

Icarus is supposed to be a solar flare event but turns into so much more. We experience life just before and for the three days after Icarus. That’s right folks, this book gives us just before the solar flare and for three days after. So much happens and we get to experience is through Liv’s eyes. It is tough, emotional, frightening, mysterious, and overall…just WOW!

“Change is the only thing in this life that is ever guaranteed.”

There are things that people should never be exposed to but after a wicked event like Icarus, it has brought out the worst, but sometimes the best in people. Even if the best, hurts some of those people. It’s a strange combination but one that you won’t understand until you are put in those situations. Liv and her friends, well, experience it throughout this book.

I am now on my way to the next book. Not waiting around for this one!

 

Aria Michaels profile image

Aria Michaels is the author of The Icarus Series, a bestselling young adult dystopian saga as well as a contributor to ATZ’s Chronology of the Apocalypse. Aria is an avid reader, die-hard zombie fan, and enthusiastic lover of bonfires and red wine. When she is not glued to her computer pouring out the voices in her head, this busy single mom can be found playing in the dirt with her boys, painting, or binge-watching The Walking Dead. Aria is currently hard at work on the next installment of the Icarus Series and reveling in her role as instigator of literary mayhem and stealth assassin of fictional characters.

“You are never more than one chapter away from a different future.” –Aria Michaels

 



#mystery #thriller #family #horror – Home is Where the Bodies are by Jeneva Rose

From New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Marriage and You Shouldn’t Have Come Here comes a chilling family thriller about the (sometimes literal) skeletons in the closet.

After their mother passes, three estranged siblings reunite to sort out her estate. Beth, the oldest, never left home. She stayed with her mom, caring for her until the very end. Nicole, the middle child, has been kept at arm’s length due to her ongoing battle with a serious drug addiction. Michael, the youngest, lives out of state and hasn’t been back to their small Wisconsin town since their father ran out on them seven years before.

While going through their parent’s belongings, the siblings stumble upon a collection of home videos and decide to revisit those happier memories. However, the nostalgia is cut short when one of the VHS tapes reveals a night back in 1999 that none of them have any recollection of. On screen, their father appears covered in blood. What follows is a dead body and a pact between their parents to get rid of it, before the video abruptly ends.

Beth, Nicole, and Michael must now decide whether to leave the past in the past or uncover the dark secret their mother took to her grave.

Goodreads

Amazon

Review by Twinsie Angie

Home is Where the Bodies are by Jeneva Rose

I purchased this audio book.

I was scrolling on TikTok when I saw a post about this book.  The cover was amazing, but ya’ll did me dirty with this recommendation.  I read the blurb, and I was sold.  I mean it sounded like a book I would devour.  I knew there would be some thriller/mystery aspects and they aren’t usually my favorite, but I was all in because a friend keeps telling me I need to give mystery/thrillers another shot.  I was ready to love this book but that is not what happened.

When I started this book, I knew there would be world build and character building, so I settled in.  However, I felt there were so many spots where it was just 10 minutes of describing things…things I really didn’t care about or need to know.  I got bogged down with allllllllll the descriptions/details.  I honestly felt like 10 chapters could have been cut because it was almost a filler of sorts with all the descriptions.

The beginning story line was great.  I mean who killed Emma and where did Brian go plus why???  I was really wanting to get to the bottom of this especially after what mom spills in the first chapter. Again, I feel like it took forever to get to the bottom of the plot/story.  I feel like there was so much stuff and nothing really happened until chapter 40 of 48.  Then the story flew by and was over

I do think marketing the book as horror is completely not true. Seeing horror is what made me jump but there wasn’t anything really that was horror except a little girl is missing and presumed dead.  But that isn’t really “horror.”

I did like the book at the end when everything started to shake out but it took me 2 weeks to read this book because I kept putting it down and would read something else.  Would I reread?  No.  Might I try another book by this author as it was my first?  Maybe.

eneva Rose is the New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Marriage, One of Us is Dead, The Girl I Was, You Shouldn’t Have Come Here & Home is Where the Bodies Are. Her work has been translated into more than two dozen languages and optioned for film/tv. Originally from Wisconsin, she currently lives in Chicago with her husband, Drew, and her English bulldog, Winston.
Want to be a part of Jeneva Rose’s exclusive reader group on Facebook? You can join here – https://www.facebook.com/groups/jenev…