Sheryl

I tend to love books about high school, or boarding school, or college, or... whatever. I don't know what it is. But I guess kids in school just really know how to create the best drama. So when I read the description of Girl Gone Mad by Avery Bishop, I just knew I wanted to read it. Thankfully, I managed to snag a copy of it from NetGalley for review.

Plot Details
Girl Gone Mad takes place from the viewpoint of Emily, a therapist. Some of the chapters are about her current life, whether it be with her fiance Daniel or talking to her therapist, Lisa. Some of them take place back when she was a member of the Harpies back in middle school. The Harpies were ultimately a middle-school clique. Emily didn't even like them all of the time, but she still did whatever it took to fit in, even when it included Grace, the new girl. Now, years later, the Harpies are dying. One after another, they seem to be committing suicide. But why? What did they do back in middle school that they all want to forget? How were they so horrible to Grace? And is she now somehow back for revenge?

My Thoughts
As I said, I tend to love books about crimes or drama involving school. I don't know what it is, but they always tend to interest me and involve a lot of good drama and secrets. Kids in school are great at having secrets. And it always seems to make for a good setting and great story. Girl Gone Mad was no exception. This was another one where I loved trying to figure out exactly what happened. There's a lot of twists in this one. What happened with the Harpies in school? What did they do to Grace Farmer? And why do some of them now seem to be committing suicide 14 years later? I enjoyed getting sucked into this one and trying to figure out what was going on.

Girl Gone Mad was yet another one I had trouble putting down. This is why I read thrillers! There are so many good twists and turns. They always involve a good mystery. When I started reading a lot as a kid, I got my start with Nancy Drew. I wanted to be a detective when I grew up. It didn't happen, but obviously the girl that loves a good mystery is still in there somewhere. The only thing I wasn't too sure about with this one was how it ended. Without giving away any spoilers, it seemed farfetched. Sometimes a good twist is almost TOO twisty. I love a twist or surprise as much as the next person, but I also enjoy a plausible story. Not to say Girl Gone Mad wasn't, but... it was a bit out there. Nevertheless, I definitely had a hard time putting it down and would recommend it as a great thriller. It's free right now on Kindle Unlimited, so go grab it and enjoy a good weekend read!

It's been a while since I've read a medical thriller. I remember reading books by Robin Cook years ago, and I really enjoyed them. Interference by Brad Parks is a novel that I would consider something akin to a medical thriller as well. Amazon actually categorizes it as a “technothriller”. I loved diving back in to a book like this. It actually made me want to read more Robin Cook again!

Plot Details
Brigid's husband Matt is a very smart guy. He's a quantum physicist doing research for Dartmouth. Working with a virus that he thought only affected plants, is it possible that he's encountered something else? When Matt has an episode in his lab that seems to be something like a seizure, he gets taken to the hospital. Hours later, he's just fine and goes home. But then it happens again. And then Matt disappears. What is going on? Brigid becomes determined to find out what else is at stake here and whether or not it has anything to do with what Matt was working on in his lab.

My Thoughts
Interference was a Kindle First Reads book for me, which I actually didn't realize when I also requested it from NetGalley. Double the free books! And the good news is, if you have Kindle Unlimited, you can snag this one for free as well. Definitely worth the cost! This book was perfect for the mood I happened to be in and really did make me want to maybe check out some more medical thrillers. While I didn't 100% understand all of the science behind it (um, quantum physics, anyone?), I enjoyed it even so. I've always liked reading science-y (I know, not a real word) thrillers. I even liked reading books or watching movies about viruses until they became too close to reality lately! This one was no exception. I honestly didn't even realize it was something I missed reading until picking up Interference.

I got sucked in to this book right away and was excited to see how the story played out. And there were some details that I knew would intentionally factor into the story somehow in the end. I'm not not sure how I feel about how it ended, though. With all of the buildup and background about quantum physics, I think I expected a different ending. Not a bad thing necessarily, just not really what I expected. However, I enjoyed it and read it very quickly. It was interesting, and I plan to seek out more by Brad Parks.

Lately I've been reading mostly crime thrillers. And after finishing Little Cruelties by Liz Nugent, I'm still trying to decide if that is what it is or not. Heck, I'm still trying to decide what I thought of it. But that's not a bad thing, is it? Books that leave you thinking are usually really good ones.

Plot Details
The Drumm brothers, William, Brian, and Luke, are only a few years apart. You'd have thought they might be close growing up, but they are just so different. Little Cruelties tells their story from each of their points of view in turn. At the end, all three brothers are at a funeral. But only one of them is in the casket. Which one is it?

My Thoughts
Little Cruelties definitely gives you a lot to think about. Each chapter is about what happened in different years in the lives of the Drumm brothers. You get to see all points of view – William's, Brian's, and Luke's. As you get deeper into the book, you find out secrets that some brothers knew about the others. The brothers themselves also find out more, both about each other and themselves.

I hesitate to define this as a crime thriller. It's definitely a psychological thriller, but even then, is it really a thriller? One thing I can be sure of, it's a family drama. Because this family has a lot of drama, that's a given. It's kind of a mystery, since you don't even know which brother dies, just that one of them does. But why, and how? And what does it have to do with the other two? Lots of questions, so I guess you might say it's suspense.

This book is really hard for me to rate. On one hand, part of me wants to give it three out of five stars, because it wasn't what I was looking for. But, on the other hand, if I had been suspecting more of a family drama, then I wouldn't have any problem rating it four stars. It handles each character with sensitivity, but is not overly sympathetic towards them, which is a good thing. If you're looking for a crime thriller, you might want to look elsewhere. But if you want some good psychological suspense in the form of a family drama, this one was pretty hard to put down. Grab it when it comes out in the US on November 10.

Rating: 4/5

This was book #7 in a series, and I might not have requested it if I'd known that. Not that you can't read it as a standalone, but I always feel like you're missing something by doing that. I'd rather start a series at book #1, and then continue on if I like the characters. I think I might have enjoyed the book better if I'd done that.

Detective Gina Harte is investigating an apparent serial killer (even though you get most of the way through the book before the second murder, but you know there's one coming). Two local girls stumble upon a shallow grave in the woods. It turns out to be a local homeless man, buried alive. But who did this to him, and why? That's what Gina aims to find out.

I had a hard time getting through this book. I don't think it was a bad story, but it seemed a bit too typical to me. I found myself speed reading through the last few chapters, once you find out what's going on. It just seemed like a pretty standard police procedural without a lot to differentiate. And again, maybe if I knew the characters better and had been reading since the beginning of the series, I would have liked it more. Not a bad book, but it just really didn't stand out much to me.

Merged review:

This was book #7 in a series, and I might not have requested it if I'd known that. Not that you can't read it as a standalone, but I always feel like you're missing something by doing that. I'd rather start a series at book #1, and then continue on if I like the characters. I think I might have enjoyed the book better if I'd done that.

Detective Gina Harte is investigating an apparent serial killer (even though you get most of the way through the book before the second murder, but you know there's one coming). Two local girls stumble upon a shallow grave in the woods. It turns out to be a local homeless man, buried alive. But who did this to him, and why? That's what Gina aims to find out.

I had a hard time getting through this book. I don't think it was a bad story, but it seemed a bit too typical to me. I found myself speed reading through the last few chapters, once you find out what's going on. It just seemed like a pretty standard police procedural without a lot to differentiate. And again, maybe if I knew the characters better and had been reading since the beginning of the series, I would have liked it more. Not a bad book, but it just really didn't stand out much to me.

Plot Details
This kind of thriller is right up my alley. The book starts out with the wedding of Zoe and Toby. But Zoe has just woken up. She hit her head and lost consciousness and can't remember what happened right before. But she doesn't want anything to go wrong on her wedding day. So she sucks it up and goes on with the day. But for the next ten years, she's a bit haunted by the fact that she can't remember exactly what happened. And when those around her start to act a bit strange right before her tenth anniversary, she starts to doubt that things happened the way she was told they did.

My Thoughts
I devoured this book! I started it late on Sunday and finished it by early Tuesday morning. Books like this where you just know something is off right from the beginning really tend to suck me in. The harder it is to figure out exactly what's going on, the more I like them.

There were a lot of factors at play in this book. What happened at the wedding? Why did Zoe hit her head? Her sister was out of the picture, but why? I do wish we'd gotten to learn more about Zoe's relationship with Dina, her sister. It wasn't quite clear why things weren't great between them.

The Wife definitely kept me guessing. And I loved the tension in it too, especially with some of Zoe's past friends. I read it so quickly, it felt shorter than it was. This one's definitely a great one to snag if you like psychological thrillers! It comes out on September 9, but if you have a Kindle, you can preorder the book right now for only 99 cents. Worth checking out if crime thrillers are your thing.

Merged review:

Plot Details
This kind of thriller is right up my alley. The book starts out with the wedding of Zoe and Toby. But Zoe has just woken up. She hit her head and lost consciousness and can't remember what happened right before. But she doesn't want anything to go wrong on her wedding day. So she sucks it up and goes on with the day. But for the next ten years, she's a bit haunted by the fact that she can't remember exactly what happened. And when those around her start to act a bit strange right before her tenth anniversary, she starts to doubt that things happened the way she was told they did.

My Thoughts
I devoured this book! I started it late on Sunday and finished it by early Tuesday morning. Books like this where you just know something is off right from the beginning really tend to suck me in. The harder it is to figure out exactly what's going on, the more I like them.

There were a lot of factors at play in this book. What happened at the wedding? Why did Zoe hit her head? Her sister was out of the picture, but why? I do wish we'd gotten to learn more about Zoe's relationship with Dina, her sister. It wasn't quite clear why things weren't great between them.

The Wife definitely kept me guessing. And I loved the tension in it too, especially with some of Zoe's past friends. I read it so quickly, it felt shorter than it was. This one's definitely a great one to snag if you like psychological thrillers! It comes out on September 9, but if you have a Kindle, you can preorder the book right now for only 99 cents. Worth checking out if crime thrillers are your thing.

Plot Details
The Best of Friends is the story of three mothers and their families. The mothers are Dani, Lindsey, and Kendra, and they were all friends since high school. They have kids about the same age, including three teenage boys, Sawyer, Jacob, and Caleb. At the very beginning of the book, a tragedy occurs, which changes all their lives forever. The details of what really happened that night are unknown to all but the three boys that were there. What really happened? And can the ladies and their families ever recover from it?

My Thoughts
This book was a great find! I don't remember exactly how I came across it, but I added it to my list of books I wanted to read. And I was right to do so. I loved the mysteries in this book and how they all played out. I have seen some other reviews where the confusion of all the characters was mentioned. That's the only reason I'm dropping from five stars to four on this one. It did help me to keep notes from the beginning on who was in each family and what their circumstances were. I liked that each mother had her own things going on on top of the main tragedy. The Best of Friends had a lot of facets to it. The main storyline was a mystery, trying to determine what exactly happened “that night”. But because of what happened, a lot of other threads were revealed along the way as well. It gave me something to wonder about the whole way through the book, with additional details I never thought of popping up too.

If you like psychological thrillers as well as a good mystery and some good twists, I'd highly recommend this one. I definitely plan to check out more by this author for sure.

I spent a good chunk of my weekend absorbed in You and Me by Nicola Raynor. This book doesn't come out until October 1, but thanks to NetGalley, I was lucky enough to get an advance copy of it. It's another one that I had trouble putting down!

Plot Details
You and Me is written from the viewpoint of Fran, a bookseller who can't seem to get past her high school days. But it's not entirely her fault. Not only is she still hung up on Charles, her high school crush, but things keep happening to her former classmates. What's going on, and will these circumstances bring her closer to Charles?

My Thoughts
Having read several books lately that seem to be trying to be “different” (not that that's a bad thing!) by telling stories from different viewpoints or jumping back in time and whatnot, this one was kind of refreshing. Yes, it does go into stories from the past. But it still tells them from a straightforward timeline, so it was very easy to follow. It's written from the perspective of Fran, the main character.

One thing I really liked about this book is that it gives you information piece by piece. As you're reading about Fran and her life, you find out things gradually about both the past and present. You know right off the bat that Fran is still into Charles, her high school crush. In fact, she's kind of obsessed with him. But that's honestly the least of her worries once other things start happening.

I really enjoyed this book. It was easy to follow, hard to put down, and it kept me guessing all the way through. What happened back in Fran's and Charles' high school days and what is really going on now? It was a unique story with just the right amount of twists and turns to make you think and question what's really happening behind the scenes. I'd definitely recommend picking this one up. It will be out on October 1, so mark your calendar and make sure to grab it!

Rating: 4/5

Plot Details

Grayson Sykes has been sent on a mission to find someone. She's a PI hired to find Isabel Lincoln, who presumably left town with her boyfriend Ian's dog, Kenny G. But where is she? WHO is she? Is she even really Isabel Lincoln? Gray has more than she bargained for with this case and her own closet skeletons seem to keep popping up along the way as well.

My Thoughts

This book was middle-of-the-road for me. I found myself reading it and wanting to know what the outcome was and how or where Isabel turned up and what happened to Gray. But it also seemed kind of convoluted. There were a lot of minor characters brought into play around Isabel and where she'd gone or what she'd done, and it got kind of overwhelming. I found myself just wanting to get through it and not caring enough about the mystery surrounding Isabel or even what Gray's background was either.

This book might be appealing to some, and I wouldn't say it was bad. I think it just wasn't my favorite, or not my style. I did like that the author had a good style in writing about Las Vegas and Los Angeles and the grittiness of both places. I think the mystery just wasn't for me, but it might be right up someone else's alley.

Well, the first thing I have to say about The First to Lie is that it is probably the most twisty novel I've read in a while. And yes, I said twisty – not twisted. Maybe the question shouldn't be about who is or was the first to lie, but who ISN'T lying? Wow. This one really threw me for a loop. I started reading it and kept asking questions all the way through.

Plot Details
The First to Lie by Hank Phillippi RyanIt's so very hard to describe exactly what this book is about! Essentially, there's a company – Pharminex – that is run by a family, the Vanderwalds. Pharminex has some kind of iffy business practices, and they've made money off of doing some things that have hurt people. I don't want to get into it too much because I don't want to spoil anything. But some of those people are out for revenge. And that's all I'm going to say. For anything more, you really need to read the book!

My Thoughts
Well, I definitely had a hard time putting this book down. When I first picked it up, I honestly just kind of wondered what was going on. It started off with multiple viewpoints from multiple characters and it took just a bit of time to pick up. You didn't know until a little ways into the book what was really going on. And then – more characters and more viewpoints! Once you figure out the story, though, you do get sucked in.

The biggest question that I found myself asking myself while reading The First to Lie was “who's who?”. There are several characters introduced both in the present and from the past. It's easy to get a sneaking suspicion about some of the characters from the present actually being some of the characters from the past, but it's also really hard to guess what the truth is. I have to admit, I do like not being able to figure out what is going on. I like a story that can keep me guessing.

This book did prove to be hard to put down, and I do plan to read more from the author. The only thing I found that I might not have liked with it was that it was maybe TOO twisty? I can see how in some ways it could seem like the goal was just to throw you for a loop just for the sake of throwing you for a loop. But I also have a hard time judging it by that because of the fact that I actually did like the story, and I do like some good twists!

Overall, if you do like a good novel with a twist or two that keeps you guessing and hanging on throughout, I highly recommend this one. It also does have a good story that I feel could have been expounded on even a bit more. The First to Lie is out THIS Tuesday. If you're looking for something good to get hooked on, definitely check it out!

Rating: 4/5

Plot Details
Set in a prestigious prep school in Indiana, The Suicide House tells the story of what happened on one summer solstice evening in 2019. Two students from the school were brutally murdered. And more students that participated in the covert secret society they were a part of keep committing suicide since then. What really happened at the abandoned “suicide house” in the woods near Westmont Preparatory High School in Peppermill? TV personality Mack Carter has started a podcast to find out.

My Thoughts
Ok, I just can't go much farther without saying that I absolutely loved this book. I almost feel like it was written just for me. I loved absolutely everything about it. The setting, in a prep school with a secret society, is right up my alley. When I find a thriller with a setting like that, it intrigues me, and I will likely add it to my reading list immediately. I love secret societies! And The Suicide House did not disappoint. Plus, it takes place in Indiana, where I'm from. The author lives in Chicago, and it shows. He references things like the Indianapolis Star and O'Hare Airport. Being a native Hoosier who often travelled to Chicago, it was all very familiar to me, and I loved the references. Plus, it even involves a trip to southwest Florida where I lived for two years – even more familiarity on my end.

I also loved the characters. Rory Moore was a personal favorite. I found myself heavily relating to her quirks and even her personality a bit. Relating to a character always makes any book more of a joy to read. Plus, she knows her beer! A dark, introverted detective girl who wears combat boots, a beanie, and drinks really good beer. See what I mean about this book being written just for me? I do need to talk to Charlie Donlea and see who supplies his Dark Lord, though. How does this girl get so much of it?

The Story
Now, let's talk about the story. This was for sure a very twisty psychological thriller. The book jumps back and forth a bit between characters, even from the viewpoint of unknown characters. I've read reviews that say it tries to do too much, but I disagree. You dive deeper into some of the characters than others, and I liked getting to know more of their personalities. For the other characters, I think it just goes deep enough to pull you into the story. It definitely kept me guessing until very close to the end. As I read it, a lot of questions came up that I was dying to know the answer to (good or bad choice of word there?). Not only do you wonder exactly who the killer is, you find yourself wondering exactly what all went on that night.

One more thing to note, while this book sometimes shows up as “Book 2” about Rory Moore and Lane Phillips, it actually functions as a standalone. There's a note by the author at the end of how each of his books has little sprinklings in them from other books. So if you are interested in reading more about Rory and Lane, you can (and I will!). But it's not actually a series. And I love that.

All in all, this book had just the right amount of psychological twists and turns in it. It was a great read for me, and I found myself wanting to finish it but not finish it. I just didn't quite want it to end! I know I mentioned four top books in my last post, but I think this one would round it out to five. Looking forward to checking out more of Charlie Donlea's work, especially more stories of Rory and Lane.

I love a book with a lot of layers, and The Deadly Houses by Charlie Gallagher probably fulfills that more than any other one I've read recently. I just finished this one, and honestly, I think I'm still processing it.

Plot Details
This is Book 6 in the Detective Maddie Ives series by Charlie Gallagher. I've actually never read any other books in the series! I picked this one up on NetGalley because it sounded like a great crime story. Maddie is surprised by a case that should be open and shut, but it's just TOO easy. A killer that just shows up at the police station and confesses to a murder, giving the police all the details? It's just way too cut and dry. Maddie aims to get to the bottom of what is really going on as the connections just continue to pile up.

My Thoughts
A UK police offer wrote The Deadly Houses, so he definitely knows what he's talking about, and it shows. There are a lot of characters at play in this book, but they all have equally interesting stories. At first, I found it a bit hard to keep up, trying to pull all the stories together. But it soon became a bit clearer what was at play here. Like I said, this one has lots of layers, and I appreciated that. If you like police or detective type procedural TV shows (think Criminal Minds or NCIS), I think you'd definitely enjoy this book.

I'd have to say that I probably enjoyed the middle of this book the best. That was my “hard to put down” time when reading it. The beginning was a bit confusing just because you don't really know at first what's going on, and there are several characters and scenarios at play. But once you get up to speed, it's easy to get very interested in finding out just what is going to happen next. I thought the ending was just a bit slow to play out once you figure out what's coming. However, the characters are definitely very well developed, and I loved the plot! It seemed very unique to me, not quite like anything I've read before.

Overall, I enjoyed this one. I'm rounding up to 4 stars from what I'd probably give a 3.5. I really enjoyed the characters and all the layers in the story, and I'd be interested in reading more about Maddie Ives and Harry, so I might have to check out more of this series.

Merged review:

I love a book with a lot of layers, and The Deadly Houses by Charlie Gallagher probably fulfills that more than any other one I've read recently. I just finished this one, and honestly, I think I'm still processing it.

Plot Details
This is Book 6 in the Detective Maddie Ives series by Charlie Gallagher. I've actually never read any other books in the series! I picked this one up on NetGalley because it sounded like a great crime story. Maddie is surprised by a case that should be open and shut, but it's just TOO easy. A killer that just shows up at the police station and confesses to a murder, giving the police all the details? It's just way too cut and dry. Maddie aims to get to the bottom of what is really going on as the connections just continue to pile up.

My Thoughts
A UK police offer wrote The Deadly Houses, so he definitely knows what he's talking about, and it shows. There are a lot of characters at play in this book, but they all have equally interesting stories. At first, I found it a bit hard to keep up, trying to pull all the stories together. But it soon became a bit clearer what was at play here. Like I said, this one has lots of layers, and I appreciated that. If you like police or detective type procedural TV shows (think Criminal Minds or NCIS), I think you'd definitely enjoy this book.

I'd have to say that I probably enjoyed the middle of this book the best. That was my “hard to put down” time when reading it. The beginning was a bit confusing just because you don't really know at first what's going on, and there are several characters and scenarios at play. But once you get up to speed, it's easy to get very interested in finding out just what is going to happen next. I thought the ending was just a bit slow to play out once you figure out what's coming. However, the characters are definitely very well developed, and I loved the plot! It seemed very unique to me, not quite like anything I've read before.

Overall, I enjoyed this one. I'm rounding up to 4 stars from what I'd probably give a 3.5. I really enjoyed the characters and all the layers in the story, and I'd be interested in reading more about Maddie Ives and Harry, so I might have to check out more of this series.

The book starts out as Lucy, the main character, is leaving her home and her now ex-boyfriend, Davis. She secretly moves from New York to Woodstock, hoping to find a quieter place to get away from the abusiveness of Davis. She meets her new neighbors, Vera and John, and immediately hits it off and starts spending a lot of time with them. But as soon as she has found them, she finds out she might lose them. They are also trying to get away from their past and are making plans to go so far as to fake John's death and leave town. Rather than lose them, Lucy decides that it might be in her best interest to help them. Except things don't quite go as planned...

All the Broken People truly is about just that... broken people. But that honestly made it all the more interesting to me. We're all broken people, and the characters in this book are certainly good examples of that. The characters were fleshed out just well enough that you got to know them – or at least you thought you did. You were still left guessing as to who did what even to the very end. I liked that this book didn't take the typical path; I wasn't able to guess all the answers by the end just by guessing “the twist”. It was enjoyable getting to know everyone in the book. They even sounded like they might be interesting to know!

I would categorize All the Broken People as a psychological thriller. It just makes sense given the name of the novel. It is also very much suspense, keeping you hanging on until the very end. You'll definitely be trying to figure out what really happened. But where this book shines is its characters, who you'll both enjoy getting to know and who will also continuously keep you guessing.

This one is a perfect weekend read to dive into this summer. But be careful, it might just take over your whole weekend!

My latest read is The Choice by Gillian McAllister. Not surprisingly, I finished it before going to bed last night. I really wanted to find out how this one ended! I've heard it described as a “sliding door” scenario, which means that after what happens at the beginning of the book, there were two potential outcomes, and the book covers both of them. I don't think I've ever read anything written quite this way before.

Plot Details
The book starts out with the main character, Joanna, out for a night out with her friend, Laura. They have an encounter with one of those sleazy guys that you sometimes encounter in bars at night hitting on women, and at the end of the night Joanna begins traveling home. But she senses that she's being followed and that it's likely the guy from the bar. She goes to defend herself, and disaster sort of happens. How should she proceed? What should she do? The book follows Joanna's path both if she chooses to “conceal” or “reveal” what happened and the form her life takes after that. (Each following chapter is titled either “Conceal” or “Reveal”.) What would you do?

My Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book both as a sort of mystery/thriller as well as from a life decision standpoint. The approach wasn't to convey Joanna as a villain or hero, but to consider the path her life takes depending on the choice she makes. The story – well, both stories – were very thought-provoking. The author seems to be asking the reader to consider what they would do in such a situation. You'd think it's black or white, right or wrong, confess or hide your mistakes, but things are not always so straightforward.

The main characters in The Choice were well fleshed out, and you even got some insight into the peripheral characters, although I would have liked a bit more character development there. You really get to see inside Joanna's head as she considers this choice and how it could impact her life. The two scenarios both seem very extreme, which kept me on the edge of my seat wondering how things would play out. One focus of both stories seemed to be about Joanna accepting herself, and I loved that! I feel like this is something most people struggle with, and I definitely identified with her on that level.

The Choice might be one of my favorites this year so far. I loved how it played out, and I loved the life lessons and thoughts that it really made you consider. I look forward to diving into more books from Gillian McAllister. Definitely pick this one up if you get a chance, and see which “choice” you would make!

The Safe Place is the story of Emily, an aspiring actress who seems to be having no luck lately. However, her luck starts to turn around when her former boss, Scott, offers her a new job as the housekeeper and helper for his wife and young daughter on his estate in France. After some thought, Emily jumps at the chance. Spending a summer on a beautiful secluded property on the water in France? What's not to like? So she heads there and finds that it is everything Scott described it as. Has her luck finally changed? While the estate is beautiful, as is Scott's wife, Nina, Emily starts to feel like something is off. Is it their supposedly ill daughter? Why is it that Nina won't even let her in the main house, instead banishing her to just the guest house, as beautiful as it is? The more Emily starts to notice about Scott's home and family, she starts to wonder if this is really a dream or more of a nightmare.

This is Anna Downes first novel, and it is a doozy. I was into this one from the start! It's such a fascinating premise. Girl is down on her luck and gets an offer that's too good to refuse. I know I'd be tempted to go stay at this awesome place in France too. Of course, there's almost always a catch. But what are Scott and Emily hiding? One thing that kept me sucked in was that I really didn't know what the twist was. You know from the very beginning that something is going on, but it could be so many different things. I have to admit, the ending really wasn't what I was expecting. But that's a good thing!

One great thing about this book was the slow burn. But not too slow. Just enough to keep you hooked and make you want to keep reading to find out more. The book is told from both Scott and Emily's perspectives, alternating chapters between the two. You got to see both sides this way. There's also some scatterings in there from even Nina's perspective. You find out bits and pieces but it's not quite enough to piece together the whole story until you're meant to. And that's about as much as I can say without giving away spoilers!

The Safe Place was a perfect summer read. Whether you're stuck inside or sitting by the pool, pick this one up when it comes out next week. Anna Downes is a great storyteller, and I can't wait to read whatever's next from her – hopefully there will be more to come!

I read this book really quickly! It was definitely hard to put down, but as I got closer to the end, I kind of started to lose a little bit of interest, unfortunately. I enjoyed probably the first 90% of the book very much. It's a great premise - a mother allows her 12-year-old boy to go to a sleepover with friends, and the next day he's nowhere to be found. I liked the slow burn of finding out the background of some of the characters. But I think it started to lose me when the mother found out something very important, and then inexplicably neglected to tell anyone. It didn't make a lot of sense. I also thought the ending was a bit too convoluted and “twisty”. Overall, I did enjoy most of it, but I would have appreciated a better ending.

I wasn't sure what I would think of this book since it's supposed to be the beginning of a series. That seems to be done a lot these days. You take a character or two, usually a police detective or something of the sort, and start a series about mysteries or murders they solve or adventures they get involved in. There are just so many series out there like this right now. I wasn't sure I wanted to start one. But I liked the concept of the book regardless, so I gave it a chance.

SAFE centers around a teenage girl named Lauren Sykes, whose father is the head of a crime family. Lauren is on the run from her father's wrath after getting involved in a bad situation. She enlists the help she is able to get, from an undercover cop named Petra Merrow. The book covers what happens as Lauren and Petra try to figure out what to do to stay safe from Kyle Sykes, Lauren's father.

The premise of this book was great, and the ending was perfect. The story was something new and different, including the perspective of someone inside a family whose legacy is centered around crime. I found it interesting reading about how things are done inside a family kind of akin to the local mob family. The characters were compelling, and it would be nice to see a prequel with more of the backstory of the families involved. 

Overall, I really enjoyed SAFE. It was hard to put down. If you're looking for a new crime thriller to check out this summer, give this one a shot. And hey, I might even pick up the next book in the series when it comes out!

Merged review:

I wasn't sure what I would think of this book since it's supposed to be the beginning of a series. That seems to be done a lot these days. You take a character or two, usually a police detective or something of the sort, and start a series about mysteries or murders they solve or adventures they get involved in. There are just so many series out there like this right now. I wasn't sure I wanted to start one. But I liked the concept of the book regardless, so I gave it a chance.

SAFE centers around a teenage girl named Lauren Sykes, whose father is the head of a crime family. Lauren is on the run from her father's wrath after getting involved in a bad situation. She enlists the help she is able to get, from an undercover cop named Petra Merrow. The book covers what happens as Lauren and Petra try to figure out what to do to stay safe from Kyle Sykes, Lauren's father.

The premise of this book was great, and the ending was perfect. The story was something new and different, including the perspective of someone inside a family whose legacy is centered around crime. I found it interesting reading about how things are done inside a family kind of akin to the local mob family. The characters were compelling, and it would be nice to see a prequel with more of the backstory of the families involved. 

Overall, I really enjoyed SAFE. It was hard to put down. If you're looking for a new crime thriller to check out this summer, give this one a shot. And hey, I might even pick up the next book in the series when it comes out!

Loved this book so much! Lisa Jewell is one of my new favorites. This was a very interesting story, and it kept me guessing all the way through. Definitely not something I can think of having been done before. I love how descriptive she was of the characters. I felt like I knew them. I couldn't put it down and read it in two days. Can't wait for what's next from her.

This might just be my favorite book now.

I loved it! David Duchovny's best novel so far. I hope he keeps writing more. It's interesting how each of the books he's written is so different.

This is a wonderful telling of Irish mythology. I feel like to even go into the story too much would spoil it. The mixing of mystical elements with reality is done very well, and that's one thing I'm critical of in stories like this. I think it's a fine line to walk to create a balance between the fantastic and what we know is reality. It's easy to get so far over to the other side that you just encounter too much disconnect, but without enough mystical elements, why include any at all? Duchovny does a good job finding that balance.

I found it kind of Neil Gaiman-esque, and I consider that a good thing, as I love Gaiman's work. He's one of the best storytellers of our time, and I feel like if he keeps it up and gains a following, Duchovny could be among those as well.

Pretty good, but not as impressive as I thought based on how popular this book is right now.

Entertaining, but way too predictable.

Plot Details:
Emma is a downstairs neighbor to Paul, Steph, and Freya. She can't help but eavesdrop on their lives sometimes. Until one day, she realizes that Freya, Paul and Steph's teenage daughter has gone missing. What happened to her? Are things with this family not as great as they seem? Are Paul and Steph hiding something that led to Freya's disappearance? Emma has her own problems to deal with, but it seems that her neighbors' problems are affecting her as well.

My Thoughts:
Wow, was there a lot going on in this book! So many secrets being hidden. I loved this book for all that it had going on. I love finding out secrets and what characters are hiding. And of course, there's a twist. What really happened to Freya? I'm usually horrible at guessing these things, and this book was no exception. I loved the ending and the things that tied together. The characters were very likable, even if you had to suspend disbelief a bit on some things. I gave this book 4/5 stars, only docking one star because I thought that having so many characters to learn about seemed to make it so that you never got to know and relate to any of the characters as well as I'd like to.