Characters who do not always act in their own best interests; misguided decisions sometimes form a central theme in the story.
Girl on the Train, Big Little Lies, Descent
Quincy seems to be fine, years after she was the only survivor of a mass murder at a lake cottage. But meeting another “final girl” will change her perceptions of how well she’s coping. Fast paced and twisty Characters are not likable Nonlinear timeline Some unbelievable plotting Enjoyable thriller if you don’t think too hard… Read More Final Girls by Riley Sager
This book caught my eye because of the Chicago setting but the narrative contains almost no regional detail or flavor. As psychological suspense goes, The Good Liar lays out the story well, creating tension through multiple unreliable narrators who all have something to hide and through flashbacks to build the characters and show the experiences… Read More The Good Liar by Catherine McKenzie
Standard psychological suspense with a few clever tricks.
#3 in The First Law trilogy The conclusion to an adventurous, inventive, and bloody trilogy with fascinating characters and complex plots. Say one thing for Joe Abercrombie – he knows how to spin a good yarn. This final book in the First Law trilogy hits all the notes. The odd combination of travelers has returned… Read More Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie
Loo’s whole world revolves around her father. At age 12, he’s the only parent she’s ever known. Loo’s mother, Lily, drowned when she was just a baby. Hawley and Loo have lived many places since and they never stayed in one place for too long – Hawley was always ready to pack up and move… Read More The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti
As the author describes it, this is a playful reimagining of how Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol that incorporates historical facts but sometimes changes or embellishes them to fit the story. Silva captures the tone of Dickens’ era and quite probably what his life was like at times – he was well-known and popular… Read More Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva
I am thinking how I am going to spend the next year ignoring the fact that there will be any year beyond it – I will get wildly drunk whenever possible, dally with pretty girls who have foreign accents, and wake up beside Percy, savoring the pleasant kick of my heartbeat whenever I’m near him.… Read More The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Maureen Coghlin series #2 Maureen Coughlin is an outsider on the New Orleans Police Department but she is determined to make a place for herself on the force. When an investigation raises some red flags about her fellow officers, Maureen looks the other way — but she’s not happy about it. Is being a team… Read More Doing the Devil’s Work by Bill Loehfelm
Gus Murphy lives on Long Island – but not the trendy Hamptons end. A former cop, Gus’s life fell apart when his son suddenly died, his marriage crumbled, and his daughter is still struggling to cope. Now, he works as a driver for a mediocre hotel – friendless, purposeless, and essentially numb to the… Read More Where It Hurts by Reed Farrel Coleman
My review may be tainted by a growing weariness with novels that rely on creating suspense and tension by keeping dialogue and descriptions vague. At least Rader-Day keeps the reader interested with other elements such as the main character’s capacity for analyzing handwriting and a slow-burning romantic development. The tone is more tense and anxiety-ridden… Read More The Day I Died by Lori Rader-Day
