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Suspense Book Recommendation Thread

What is your favorite suspense genre?

  • Horror

    Votes: 35 9.0%
  • Mystery

    Votes: 95 24.5%
  • Romance

    Votes: 29 7.5%
  • Thriller

    Votes: 146 37.7%
  • All of the above

    Votes: 82 21.2%

  • Total voters
    387

NSP30

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Sooooo
I finished All Her Little Secrets and I personally liked it a lot. I thought it was well written, with sharp and thought provoking prose, a flawed yet likable protagonist, and the mystery aspect was well done even though the woman from a small town with secrets trope is not new or innovative, the protagonist voice as a Black woman made the story fresh, in my opinion. I will say that if you are looking for an escape from ugly reality of racism and sexism, this book may not be what you want to read. Nevertheless if you do pick this one up I would recommend the audio it is excellent.
Happy Reading!!!
 

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So what is everyone reading this weekend???
@Alisea are you still reading The Southern Book Club's Guide, if so how are you liking it? I have made it to chapter 4, starting tomorrow I will make more progress with this one.
Happy Reading
 

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So what is everyone reading this weekend???
@Alisea are you still reading The Southern Book Club's Guide, if so how are you liking it? I have made it to chapter 4, starting tomorrow I will make more progress with this one.
Happy Reading
This weekend I played way more Minecraft than I intended to, so I didn't get a lot of reading done :ROFLMAO: :emoji_sweat_smile:.

I am about 33% in, Chapter 14 right now.

And I am getting more and more annoyed with the main character tbh, she is so dumb omg! I feel like how the women are portrayed is a very male idea of women. And all of the black characters so far are like caretakers, bartenders or alleged witches in the woods and crazies who got framed and murdered for some background story. I wonder if the author has deliberately set his novel in the early 1990s in order to get away with this kind of representation of women and black people.

The story itself is entertaining so far. There are some funny moments, some really messed up ones. Not bad. Let's see how it goes, I haven't given up on the book yet.
 

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This weekend I played way more Minecraft than I intended to, so I didn't get a lot of reading done :ROFLMAO: :emoji_sweat_smile:.

I am about 33% in, Chapter 14 right now.

And I am getting more and more annoyed with the main character tbh, she is so dumb omg! I feel like how the women are portrayed is a very male idea of women. And all of the black characters so far are like caretakers, bartenders or alleged witches in the woods and crazies who got framed and murdered for some background story. I wonder if the author has deliberately set his novel in the early 1990s in order to get away with this kind of representation of women and black people.

The story itself is entertaining so far. There are some funny moments, some really messed up ones. Not bad. Let's see how it goes, I haven't given up on the book yet.
I am happy you enjoyed your weekend. You cannot read all the time. ☺

I've read your spoiler
Excellent critiques, this is why I wanted to read the book because I know of so many reviewers who seem nice and appear to be "woke" but love this book and noticed none of the critiques that Black readers readers mention, that is a big reason why I wanted to read it for myself. I am not saying they are engaging in performative activism but it definitely shows there is a blindspot for many of them when it comes to race.
The author did talk about the creation of the town, and says it was safety and crime but you know based in South Carolina that generally meant Black folk or other. So it is an accurate portrayal of life in the nineties in my opinion, and I think that is a great point about the authot placing a book just far enough in the recent past that he could get away with it.
 

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Reading Update
I had to look up where Grady Hendrix is from (South Carolina) because some of the dumb sh!t he has his characters saying was crazy, he sure is making white Southern women seem dumb as hell. At the same time, I am laughing my ass off. Only on chapter six, I cannot say if I think he is a good writer, I am not a big fan of his prose and I am not sure I like his storytelling, but his comedic timing is good and the one horror scene so far was well executed. Anyway.....
Happy Reading!!!!
 

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As the Wicked Watch was very flat and boring for the most part. It heavily relied on reiterating what we already know about Black people being treated horribly in our justice system over and over again. The blurb said a serial killer is on the loose but that's a little misleading when it's centered around one murder. And there's too many mundane details about Jordan's day to day life. While it was clear Tamron Hall drew from personal experience and was very familiar with Chicago and criminal investigations I can't say I connected with Jordan enough to follow her across a series. There was never that feeling of urgency to know what would happen next.
 
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Reading Update
I am only about 30 percent done with The Southern Book Club, but I have a slightly unpopular opinion.
Now, I generally do not like Black characters being used as a sacrifice to progress a story, but I do think his portrayal at that time was historically accurate because it was used to make social commentary on insular white communities and how Black people are always sacrificed for the sins of a white man who lies. How easy it is to manipulate these communities and create narratives about individuals who is different from everyone else. It is quite uncomfortable but I would say if you look history books and the news today are filled with these acts.

Still I have plenty of book to go.
Happy Reading!!!
 

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Greetings
So the end of the year is near and I will be posting some books that I am excited to read in 2022. Please post any that you guys are excited for as well.

Super excited for the new Lucy Foley, I really enjoyed The Guest List. I read her books as a form of escapism, in my opinion, despite having to suspend one's disbelief, I think her books are well plotted.
February 22, 2022
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From the New York Times bestselling author of The Guest List comes a new locked room mystery, set in a Paris apartment building in which every resident has something to hide…

Jess needs a fresh start. She’s broke and alone, and she’s just left her job under less than ideal circumstances. Her half-brother Ben didn’t sound thrilled when she asked if she could crash with him for a bit, but he didn’t say no, and surely everything will look better from Paris. Only when she shows up – to find a very nice apartment, could Ben really have afforded this? – he’s not there.

The longer Ben stays missing, the more Jess starts to dig into her brother’s situation, and the more questions she has. Ben’s neighbors are an eclectic bunch, and not particularly friendly. Jess may have come to Paris to escape her past, but it’s starting to look like it’s Ben’s future that’s in question.

The socialite – The nice guy – The alcoholic – The girl on the verge – The concierge

Everyone's a neighbor. Everyone's a suspect. And everyone knows something they’re not telling.
I really enjoy Simone St. James' books. I like how she discusses crime historically and today and its impact on women, since we are typically the victims of most crimes. Then on top of that she always has a spooky or supernatural element to her books which I enjoy.
March 15 2022
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In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect—a rich, eccentric twenty-three-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion.

Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases—a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea’s surprise, Beth says yes.

They meet regularly at Beth’s mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she’s not looking, and she could swear she’s seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn’t right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?

I have not read Jennifer McMahon's most popular books yet, but I read The Drowning Kind last year and I really liked her play on fantasy in modern life. She like St. James seem to always have dual timelines.

April 26 2022
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1978: At her renowned treatment center in picturesque Vermont, the brilliant psychiatrist, Dr. Helen Hildreth, is acclaimed for her compassionate work with the mentally ill. But when’s she home with her cherished grandchildren, Vi and Eric, she’s just Gran—teaching them how to take care of their pets, preparing them home-cooked meals, providing them with care and attention and love.

Then one day Gran brings home a child to stay with the family. Iris—silent, hollow-eyed, skittish, and feral—does not behave like a normal girl.

Still, Violet is thrilled to have a new playmate. She and Eric invite Iris to join their Monster Club, where they catalogue all kinds of monsters and dream up ways to defeat them. Before long, Iris begins to come out of her shell. She and Vi and Eric do everything together: ride their bicycles, go to the drive-in, meet at their clubhouse in secret to hunt monsters. Because, as Vi explains, monsters are everywhere.

2019: Lizzy Shelley, the host of the popular podcast Monsters Among Us, is traveling to Vermont, where a young girl has been abducted, and a monster sighting has the town in an uproar. She’s determined to hunt it down, because Lizzy knows better than anyone that monsters are real—and one of them is her very own sister.

A haunting, vividly suspenseful page-turner from the “literary descendant of Shirley Jackson” (Chris Bohjalian, author of The Flight Attendant), The Children on the Hill takes us on a breathless journey to face the primal fears that lurk within us all.

I have read two of Jennifer Hillier books, one I really liked which was Wonderland, one I didn't care for as much which is Jar of Hearts, but her books are always messy so I am excited for her new release, not much of synopsis yet though.

July 19 2022
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hings We Do in the Dark is a brilliant new thriller from Jennifer Hillier, the award-winning author of the breakout novels Little Secrets and Jar of Hearts, where the secrets of the past come back around when a woman, long believed dead, turns up alive...

Happy Reading
 

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Reading Update
I am now about 67 percent done with The Southern Book Club, so I can make a few assessments. I still do not like Hendrix's prose, but I do like his storytelling, his comedic timing is good in my opinion, and I still maintain that his scary scenes are detailed enough and well executed.
That scene with the rats was gross omg as someone in NYC I hate rats.
That scene where James and Patricia was talking about her disturbing James' meal OMG that was peak white American passive aggression, it was a highlight of the book for me.
The scene with Grace and Patty, where they skate around the domestic abuse, another highlight.
I can definitely understand folks criticism about the use of Black characters in the book, but I would say it is a historically accurate relationship when you are dealing with a community created strictly from white flight, particularly in a city like Charleston, unfortunately from my understanding not much has changed in that city. It is not like Colombia which has a more affluent and middle class Black community.
Finally, the underlining social commentary that Hendrix is making about this community and its ways are very interesting and accurate, especially from a sociological perspective. The way he is using horror and more specifically vampires to do this is quite interesting. They worried about so much evil from the outside that it plants itself in their own community. Turning a blind eye to other communities' plight until it impacts your own. The irony.

Happy Reading!!
 

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This one drops next week.

20211027_165636.jpg

Elise Littlejohn just got the opportunity of her life, promotion to general counsel, something she has dreamed of since she left Chillicothe, Georgia, and all of its secrets behind, it is umfortunate that it has come at the expense of the death of her married lover. His death not withstanding, this could be a chance of a lifetime, all of her sacrifice is being rewarded or is Elise actually the sacrificial lamb. Pick up All Her Little Secrets to find out which one.

All Her Little Secrets is a well written fast pace thriller replete with thought provoking prose and a flawed yet affable protagonist that you root for even when her sins come to light. I thought the mystery aspect was well done even though the small town girl who made it with secrets trope has been utilized time and again, Morris brought a fresh perspective with her Black protagonist Elise, a perspective which made it a satisfying read. I highly recommend that you pick it up.
 

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So this book is described as part mystery, part thriller, romance that is LGBTQ friendly. AC is an old school romance writer, nice to see her branching out.
Anyway the book publishes in November and will be available to read for free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription.
View attachment 3005492

Three women form an unbreakable bond in a sexy, suspenseful, and adventurous novel about empowerment and sisterhood through thick and thin.

Venus McGee, Draya Carter, and Jackie Benson are coworkers with a lot in common. They’re smart, independent, driven, and deserving of recognition—certainly more than they’ve been handed by a demoralizing boss. He’s the topic of conversation at their impromptu get-together after the company holiday party, where the threesome fantasizes about a life without him. There has to be an alternative to taking a deep breath and sucking it up. There is. It’s just not the one they expected.

When morning comes, Venus, Draya, and Jackie are blindsided by murder—a twist of fate that brings a startling new challenge to the table and forces them to navigate a hair-raising detour they never saw coming. For better and (unless they can help it) for worse, it’s going to turn their world upside down. What starts as a necessary bond of mutual trust soon morphs into an empowering and galvanizing friendship that Venus, Draya, and Jackie need now more than ever.

Happy Reading!!!!
I got this one in the mail. I've read her romance and enjoyed it.
 

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Insomniac Reading Update
71 percent done with The Southern Book Club
Horror has this issue with sacrificing Black life to move the storyline, and this book is taking the same path. Now there is a metaphorical case to be made that perhaps evil coming into a community impacts the marginalized more, but with none of the Black characters are being given a voice or agency, they are feeling more like sacrificial lambs, since the readers never get to form any attachment to them. Personally, I prefer no Black characters than having this.
Patricia is still the main protagonist, she has certainly found her voice. I also was expecting more backstory from the other members of the book club.

So far, I will admit this is a solid horror book, I do see why folks like it.
Happy Reading!!!
 

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Chileeeeeeeee
That scene in the attic with the rodents was some true psychological horror. OMG I am traumatized.
 

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Soooo
I am now 91 percent done with The Southern Book Club,
@Alisea I want to read your thoughts on it, when you find the time. Excited to read them.
@For The Culture, I hope all is well I have not seen your font in a minute, have you read this book? If so, I really would love your thoughts on the horror elements. Plus you keep me balanced since not much overly impresses you.
@sseashell1243 I know you read the book long ago but I want to know more about your reservations about it. I have some of the same.
 

For The Culture

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So, I have been traveling and it was the first time I made it back to the US in 3 years! Along with my teenager and 14-month-old baby, and husband (yes he acts 14 months old as well) so I have not been able to update much. Since we are now settled and in our location for the next couple of months, I have time. So this book "The Undesired" by Yrsa Sigurdardottir (thanks for the audiobook because I can finally say it lol) was pretty ok. The setup was interesting... basically, you get two stories, a story told by a character in the '70s and one in the present day. The blend was interesting and I enjoyed the pace of the book. A lot is left to be desired though... While there are some juicy twists, the end was a bit slapped together and I can say that I was a fan. Was this a horror? NO. I didn't find anything remotely creepy about this book but more mystery and thriller vibes. However, I would recommend this book because Sigurdardottir does a wonderful job keeping the reader's attention, cleverly misdirecting, and is somewhat realistic. I will be reading her other books; this one did not blow me away but there is something there that tells me she will be worth adding in the future. There is something almost refreshing about Scandinavian Literature/Nordic Noir that I cannot get enough of. The lens is different in comparison to American authors, the focus is shifted and I really enjoy reading this genre. 3/5 for this book but I promise to visit this author again.

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For The Culture

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Has anyone read The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires. I knoe sseashells read it and did not care for it, particularly for it's misuse of Black life if I recall correctly. Everyone seems to love it, I was sort of curious about it. I would like to form an opinion on it and critique it for myself. For those wondering what book I am asking about.
View attachment 3005812
Patricia Campbell’s life has never felt smaller. Her husband is a workaholic, her teenage kids have their own lives, her senile mother-in-law needs constant care, and she’s always a step behind on her endless to-do list. The only thing keeping her sane is her book club, a close-knit group of Charleston women united by their love of true crime. At these meetings they’re as likely to talk about the Manson family as they are about their own families.
One evening after book club, Patricia is viciously attacked by an elderly neighbor, bringing the neighbor's handsome nephew, James Harris, into her life. James is well traveled and well read, and he makes Patricia feel things she hasn’t felt in years. But when children on the other side of town go missing, their deaths written off by local police, Patricia has reason to believe James Harris is more of a Bundy than a Brad Pitt. The real problem? James is a monster of a different kind—and Patricia has already invited him in.

Little by little, James will insinuate himself into Patricia’s life and try to take everything she took for granted—including the book club—but she won’t surrender without a fight in this blood-soaked tale of neighborly kindness gone wrong.
So after reading The Final Girl Support Group by this author, I can say I won't be reading it regardless of how high it's rated. The Ikea book was pretty interesting but he is not my type and we have gone our separate ways :ROFLMAO:
 

For The Culture

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Greetings
So the end of the year is near and I will be posting some books that I am excited to read in 2022. Please post any that you guys are excited for as well.

Super excited for the new Lucy Foley, I really enjoyed The Guest List. I read her books as a form of escapism, in my opinion, despite having to suspend one's disbelief, I think her books are well plotted.
February 22, 2022
View attachment 3028918

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Guest List comes a new locked room mystery, set in a Paris apartment building in which every resident has something to hide…

Jess needs a fresh start. She’s broke and alone, and she’s just left her job under less than ideal circumstances. Her half-brother Ben didn’t sound thrilled when she asked if she could crash with him for a bit, but he didn’t say no, and surely everything will look better from Paris. Only when she shows up – to find a very nice apartment, could Ben really have afforded this? – he’s not there.

The longer Ben stays missing, the more Jess starts to dig into her brother’s situation, and the more questions she has. Ben’s neighbors are an eclectic bunch, and not particularly friendly. Jess may have come to Paris to escape her past, but it’s starting to look like it’s Ben’s future that’s in question.

The socialite – The nice guy – The alcoholic – The girl on the verge – The concierge

Everyone's a neighbor. Everyone's a suspect. And everyone knows something they’re not telling.
I really enjoy Simone St. James' books. I like how she discusses crime historically and today and its impact on women, since we are typically the victims of most crimes. Then on top of that she always has a spooky or supernatural element to her books which I enjoy.
March 15 2022
View attachment 3028920

In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect—a rich, eccentric twenty-three-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion.

Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases—a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea’s surprise, Beth says yes.

They meet regularly at Beth’s mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she’s not looking, and she could swear she’s seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn’t right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?

I have not read Jennifer McMahon's most popular books yet, but I read The Drowning Kind last year and I really liked her play on fantasy in modern life. She like St. James seem to always have dual timelines.

April 26 2022
View attachment 3028929

1978: At her renowned treatment center in picturesque Vermont, the brilliant psychiatrist, Dr. Helen Hildreth, is acclaimed for her compassionate work with the mentally ill. But when’s she home with her cherished grandchildren, Vi and Eric, she’s just Gran—teaching them how to take care of their pets, preparing them home-cooked meals, providing them with care and attention and love.

Then one day Gran brings home a child to stay with the family. Iris—silent, hollow-eyed, skittish, and feral—does not behave like a normal girl.

Still, Violet is thrilled to have a new playmate. She and Eric invite Iris to join their Monster Club, where they catalogue all kinds of monsters and dream up ways to defeat them. Before long, Iris begins to come out of her shell. She and Vi and Eric do everything together: ride their bicycles, go to the drive-in, meet at their clubhouse in secret to hunt monsters. Because, as Vi explains, monsters are everywhere.

2019: Lizzy Shelley, the host of the popular podcast Monsters Among Us, is traveling to Vermont, where a young girl has been abducted, and a monster sighting has the town in an uproar. She’s determined to hunt it down, because Lizzy knows better than anyone that monsters are real—and one of them is her very own sister.

A haunting, vividly suspenseful page-turner from the “literary descendant of Shirley Jackson” (Chris Bohjalian, author of The Flight Attendant), The Children on the Hill takes us on a breathless journey to face the primal fears that lurk within us all.

I have read two of Jennifer Hillier books, one I really liked which was Wonderland, one I didn't care for as much which is Jar of Hearts, but her books are always messy so I am excited for her new release, not much of synopsis yet though.

July 19 2022
View attachment 3028949

hings We Do in the Dark is a brilliant new thriller from Jennifer Hillier, the award-winning author of the breakout novels Little Secrets and Jar of Hearts, where the secrets of the past come back around when a woman, long believed dead, turns up alive...

Happy Reading
I am very excited by each of these books! "The Children on the Hill" especially. McHanon does a wonderful job scaring me lol!
 

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So, I have been traveling and it was the first time I made it back to the US in 3 years! Along with my teenager and 14-month-old baby, and husband (yes he acts 14 months old as well) so I have not been able to update much. Since we are now settled and in our location for the next couple of months, I have time. So this book "The Undesired" by Yrsa Sigurdardottir (thanks for the audiobook because I can finally say it lol) was pretty ok. The setup was interesting... basically, you get two stories, a story told by a character in the '70s and one in the present day. The blend was interesting and I enjoyed the pace of the book. A lot is left to be desired though... While there are some juicy twists, the end was a bit slapped together and I can say that I was a fan. Was this a horror? NO. I didn't find anything remotely creepy about this book but more mystery and thriller vibes. However, I would recommend this book because Sigurdardottir does a wonderful job keeping the reader's attention, cleverly misdirecting, and is somewhat realistic. I will be reading her other books; this one did not blow me away but there is something there that tells me she will be worth adding in the future. There is something almost refreshing about Scandinavian Literature/Nordic Noir that I cannot get enough of. The lens is different in comparison to American authors, the focus is shifted and I really enjoy reading this genre. 3/5 for this book but I promise to visit this author again.

View attachment 3035419
Glad to know you and your family are safe and sound. I hope you had fun with your family back in the US.
Great review, I enjoyed reading it.
 

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So after reading The Final Girl Support Group by this author, I can say I won't be reading it regardless of how high it's rated. The Ikea book was pretty interesting but he is not my type and we have gone our separate ways :ROFLMAO:
I totally understand. Don't let me interrupt your breakup.
 

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Any recommendations you have would be grateful.
What exactly are you interested in?
Are you looking specifically for Black writers?

I will give you some books that everyone has seemed to enjoy.
Black mystery/thriller
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A serial killer and his copycat are locked in a violent game of cat and mouse. Can DI Anjelica Henley stop them before it’s too late?

On the day she returns to active duty with the Serial Crimes Unit, Detective Inspector Anjelica Henley is called to a crime scene. Dismembered body parts from two victims have been found by the river.

The modus operandi bears a striking resemblance to Peter Olivier, the notorious Jigsaw Killer, who has spent the past two years behind bars. When he learns that someone is co-opting his grisly signature—the arrangement of victims’ limbs in puzzle-piece shapes—he decides to take matters into his own hands.

As the body count rises, DI Anjelica Henley is faced with an unspeakable new threat. Can she apprehend the copycat killer before Olivier finds a way to get to him first? Or will she herself become the next victim?

Drawing on her experience as a criminal attorney, debut novelist Nadine Matheson delivers the page-turning crime novel of the year. Taut, vivid and addictively sinister, The Jigsaw Man will leave you breathless until the very last page.

Nordic Noir
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A psychopath is terrorizing Copenhagen.

His calling card is a “chestnut man”—a handmade doll made of matchsticks and two chestnuts—which he leaves at each bloody crime scene.

Examining the dolls, forensics makes a shocking discovery—a fingerprint belonging to a young girl, a government minister’s daughter who had been kidnapped and murdered a year ago.

A tragic coincidence—or something more twisted?

To save innocent lives, a pair of detectives must put aside their differences to piece together the Chestnut Man’s gruesome clues.

Because it’s clear that the madman is on a mission that is far from over.

And no one is safe.

Asian/Japanese Thriller
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Her pupils murdered her daughter. Now she will have her revenge.

After calling off her engagement in the wake of a tragic revelation, Yuko Moriguchi had nothing to live for except her only child, four-year-old child, Manami. Now, following an accident on the grounds of the middle school where she teaches, Yuko has given up and tendered her resignation.

But first she has one last lecture to deliver. She tells a story that upends everything her students ever thought they knew about two of their peers, and sets in motion a diabolical plot for revenge.

Narrated in alternating voices, with twists you'll never see coming, Confessions probes the limits of punishment, despair, and tragic love, culminating in a harrowing confrontation between teacher and student that will place the occupants of an entire school in danger. You'll never look at a classroom the same way again.
 

For The Culture

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Glad to know you and your family are safe and sound. I hope you had fun with your family back in the US.
Great review, I enjoyed reading it.
I really loved the tone of the book! I was not shocked when the stuff hit the fan but still enjoyed the journey.
 

sseashell1243

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This one drops next week.

View attachment 3030047
Elise Littlejohn just got the opportunity of her life, promotion to general counsel, something she has dreamed of since she left Chillicothe, Georgia, and all of its secrets behind, it is umfortunate that it has come at the expense of the death of her married lover. His death not withstanding, this could be a chance of a lifetime, all of her sacrifice is being rewarded or is Elise actually the sacrificial lamb. Pick up All Her Little Secrets to find out which one.

All Her Little Secrets is a well written fast pace thriller replete with thought provoking prose and a flawed yet affable protagonist that you root for even when her sins come to light. I thought the mystery aspect was well done even though the small town girl who made it with secrets trope has been utilized time and again, Morris brought a fresh perspective with her Black protagonist Elise, a perspective which made it a satisfying read. I highly recommend that you pick it up.
I received a copy of this book and I will definitely move it up based off your review.
 

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Season's Greetings,


Spooky Season is almost over, although for me it is year around. But I decided now would be the perfect time to share some Christmas thrillers, I am going to start with Nordic Noir, I don't know I feel like whenever I read those books they are set in the dead of winter.

First up.
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This is book five in a six book series
Two days before Christmas, a young woman is found dead beneath the cliffs of the deserted village of KÁlfshamarvÍk.

Did she jump, or did something more sinister take place beneath the lighthouse and the abandoned old house on the remote rocky outcrop?
With winter closing in and the snow falling relentlessly, Ari ThÓr Arason discovers that the victim's mother and young sister also lost their lives in this same spot, twenty-five years earlier.

As the dark history and its secrets of the village are unveiled, and the death toll begins to rise, the Siglufjordur detectives must race against the clock to find the killer, before another tragedy takes place.

If you don't like to start in the middle of a series, this is book one of a four book series.
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The Darkest Day is the first novel in the five part Inspector Barbarotti series from renowned Swedish crime author Hkan Nesser.Its December in the quiet Swedish town of Kymlinge, and the Hermansson family are gathering to celebrate a big family birthday. But beneath the guise of happy festivities, tensions are running high, and its not long before the night takes a dark and unexpected turn . . . Before the weekend is over, two members of the Hermansson family are missing, and its up to Inspector Barbarotti to determine exactly what happened on that darkest day, and unravel a web of sinister family secrets in the process . . .Continue the thrilling investigative series with The Root of Evil.

So, we will leave the Scandinavian countries for other lands.

Set during Christmas Break
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During the languid days of the Christmas break, a group of thirtysomething friends from Oxford meet to welcome in the New Year together, a tradition they began as students ten years ago. For this vacation, they’ve chosen an idyllic and isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands—the perfect place to get away and unwind by themselves.

The trip begins innocently enough: admiring the stunning if foreboding scenery, champagne in front of a crackling fire, and reminiscences about the past. But after a decade, the weight of secret resentments has grown too heavy for the group’s tenuous nostalgia to bear. Amid the boisterous revelry of New Year’s Eve, the cord holding them together snaps, just as a historic blizzard seals the lodge off from the outside world.

Two days later, on New Year’s Day, one of them is dead. . . and another of them did it.

Keep your friends close, the old adage says. But how close is too close?

DON'T BE LEFT OUT. JOIN THE PARTY NOW.

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There’s a serial killer on the loose, who leaves their victims with a scrap of newsprint pinned to their bloodstained clothes. The killer has been planning his spree for years, so can Hunter and her team catch them out before there’s a bloodbath? She is a woman with a dark past and plenty to prove – but is she really up to the task at hand?

This one is short novella set in England.
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Have Yourself a Dickensian Christmas! That’s what the Dingley Dell, a secluded hotel in the English countryside, promises. Arabella Allen is eager to partake in the dancing, skating, and spiked punch—especially with Boswell, Dickens scholar and charming host. But when a blizzard leaves the guests snowbound, the cozy trappings feel more like an icy trap. Finding a frozen corpse can do that. Now Arabella is questioning the real motive behind drawing this assortment of strangers to the middle of nowhere. With all communication to the outside word cut off, the only one she can ask is Boswell. But as the temperatures drop and the body count rises, Arabella doubts she can trust even him on this increasingly deadly silent night.


This is a Techothriller set during Christmas time in NYC. Also book 1 in the series.
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Software millionaire Joe Tesla is set to ring the bell on Wall Street the morning his company goes public. On what should be the brightest day in his life, he is instead struck with severe agoraphobia. The sudden dread of the outside is so debilitating, he can't leave his hotel at Grand Central Terminal, except to go underground. Bad luck for Joe, because in the tunnels lurk corpses and murderers, an underground Victorian mansion and a mysterious bricked-up 1940s presidential train car. Joe and his service dog, Edison, find themselves pursued by villains and police alike, their only salvation now is to unearth the mystery that started it all, a deadly, contagious madness on the brink of escaping The World Beneath.

This one is set in Philly and is book 1 in a series.
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The Hannaford who made the family fortune called himself a tycoon. The newspapers called him a robber baron. Since the days of Robert Hannaford I, the family has infested Philadelphia society like a disease. The current Hannafords are a clan of embezzlers, gamblers, and fantasy novelists. This Christmas, they have money in their bank accounts, crime in their blood, and murder on their minds. Gregor Demarkian is their reluctant guest. A former FBI agent who quit the agency after his wife’s death, he is invited by the Hannaford patriarch to come for dinner at the family mansion. Demarkain arrives just in time to find his host bludgeoned to death in his study and his investigation will lead him to the Hannafords, a family of cold-blooded killers.

Psychological Thriller
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Out Christmas shopping one December afternoon, Jessica Gould meets the charming Dominic Lacey and impulsively agrees to go home with him for a drink. What follows is a Twelve Days of Christmas from hell as Lacey holds Jessica captive, forcing her to wear his missing wife’s gowns and eat lavish holiday meals. Each day he gifts her with one item from his twisted past—his dead sister’s favorite toy, disturbing family photos, a box of teeth. As the days pass and the “gifts” become darker and darker, Jessica realizes that Lacey has a plan for her, and he never intends to let her go.

But Jessica has a secret of her own … a secret that may just mean she has a chance to make it out alive.

Happy Reading, if you have any other suggestions please post them!!
 
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Menina25

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I just finished reading Not A Happy Family by Shari Lapena, about a rich couple who're murdered after easter dinner and all the kids are suspects
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NSP30

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Review for Within These Wicked Walls. This book is on my TBR but I have not had time to read it.


Please support Black bloggers it helps with their blogs and their access to the advanced reading copy books that they can review.

Happy Reading!!!
 

booknlooks

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Review for Within These Wicked Walls. This book is on my TBR but I have not had time to read it.


Please support Black bloggers it helps with their blogs and their access to the advanced reading copy books that they can review.

Happy Reading!!!

I read it. I liked it and though the audiobook was throwing off the vibe with the British accent. Very light on the gothic horror part and a little more heavy on the romance. Simple and straightforward magic system. Definitely read more teen than a lot of the YA fantasy lately that seems more geared towards adults.
 

NSP30

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I read it. I liked it and though the audiobook was throwing off the vibe with the British accent. Very light on the gothic horror part and a little more heavy on the romance. Simple and straightforward magic system. Definitely read more teen than a lot of the YA fantasy lately that seems more geared towards adults.
Really nice review thanks for sharing. I agree the audio seemed of with the narration, unsure why they could not find an authentic one. But some look at the narration as the book being read to them as opposed to dramatization.
 

booknlooks

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Really nice review thanks for sharing. I agree the audio seemed of with the narration, unsure why they could not find an authentic one. But some look at the narration as the book being read to them as opposed to dramatization.
It just threw things off for me becuase it made me immediately keep associating this with Europe instead of Ethiopia. I've listened to fantasy books inspired by North Africa where the narration matched so it would've been nice for them to find an East African narrator. Plus it reminded me of how movies and tv often default to a British accent if tbe story takes place outside of America.
 

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It just threw things off for me becuase it made me immediately keep associating this with Europe instead of Ethiopia. I've listened to fantasy books inspired by North Africa where the narration matched so it would've been nice for them to find an East African narrator. Plus it reminded me of how movies and tv often default to a British accent if tbe story takes place outside of America.
This is true, they do it a lot with Nordic Noir books as well, using default British accent. I have put back a few audio books because the narration was off American accents when books take place in Finland or Africa real or imaginary. I had the audio for Within These Wicked Walls and I chose to read the book later.
 

booknlooks

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This is true, they do it a lot with Nordic Noir books as well, using default British accent. I have put back a few audio books because the narration was off American accents when books take place in Finland or Africa real or imaginary. I had the audio for Within These Wicked Walls and I chose to read the book later.
At one point I turned the audiobook off and decided to just read the ebook
 

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