PLBR Book Reviews 2018 - A BOOK BLOG

SADIE BY COURTNEY SUMMERS

10/16/2018

Sadie is an intriguing young adult mystery that revolves are a little girls murder and her sisters fight to find the killer. This is a deeply emotional story when you think of it's context.

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: September 4, 2018
Genre: Young Adult Mystery and Crime
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 311 pages
Format: Hardcover. Purchased.

A missing girl on a journey of revenge. A Serial—like podcast following the clues she's left behind. And an ending you won't be able to stop talking about.

Sadie hasn't had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she's been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water.

But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie's entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister's killer to justice and hits the road following a few meager clues to find him.

When West McCray—a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America—overhears Sadie's story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie's journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it's too late.

SPEAK OF THE DEVIL BY BRITNEY KING

10/4/2018

Once again, Britney King brings her readers an edge of your seat thriller that will leave you gasping! I love the way she writes these twisty reads and I highly recommend her novels to anyone who loves a psychological thriller and suspense novel

Rating: ★★★★★
Release Date: October 4, 2018
Genre: Domestic Thriller
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 269 pages
Format: eBook. ARC.

In the tradition of Gone Girl and Behind Closed Doors comes a gripping, twisted, furiously clever read that demands your attention, and keeps you guessing until the very end. For fans of the anti-heroine and stories told in unorthodox ways, Speak of the Devil delivers us the perfect dark and provocative villain. The only question--who is it?

In the upscale suburb where Vanessa Bolton lives, she's your average suburban housewife.

She does her grocery shopping on Tuesday, Thursday mornings are reserved for Pilates, Sundays for church. At home, she's an impeccable housekeeper and a mother with a mediocre track record.

But in discreet hotel rooms throughout the city, she can be

THE REPLACEMENT WIFE BY BRITNEY KING

9/26/2018

This is only the second book I have read from Britney King and I can say that I am totally addicted! If you are a fan of domestic thrillers and twisted endings, you need to grab this one!

Rating: ★★★★★
Release Date: May 3, 2018
Genre: Domestic Thriller
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 269 pages
Format: eBook. Purchased.

From the bestselling author of The Social Affair comes a new riveting, powerful psychological thriller which offers a savage look into a utopian cultish society where beauty and perfection are valued at all costs.

For readers of Gillian Flynn and Paula Hawkins, The Replacement Wife offers a peek into the lives of a married couple up against impossible odds and the notion that history has a way of repeating itself.

Statistically speaking, fifty percent of marriages end up in divorce. What are the odds formurder?

Widower Tom Anderson is a savant with more affinity for numbers than people. Problem is, one is a lonely number. Thankfully, he solved for X by finding the perfect woman. It wasn't easy. Tom is very specific. He has to be.

AN UNWANTED GUEST BY SHARI LAPENA

9/24/2018

Wow! This is an excellent murder mystery reminiscent of Agatha Christie novels. I devoured this one and couldn't stop thinking about long after I read it. I highly recommend it.

Rating: ★★★★★
Release Date: August 7, 2018
Genre: Murder Mystery
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 304 pages
Format: Hardcover. Purchased.

A weekend retreat at a cozy mountain lodge is supposed to be the perfect getaway . . . but when the storm hits, no one is getting away

It's winter in the Catskills and Mitchell's Inn, nestled deep in the woods, is the perfect setting for a relaxing--maybe even romantic--weekend away. It boasts spacious old rooms with huge woodburning fireplaces, a well-stocked wine cellar, and opportunities for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or just curling up with a good murder mystery.

So when the weather takes a turn for the worse, and a blizzard cuts off the electricity--and all contact with the outside world--the guests settle in for the long haul.

Soon, though, one of the guests turns up dead--it looks like an accident. But when a second guest dies, they start to panic.

THREE LITTLE LIES BY LAURA MARSHALL

9/8/2018

Three Little Lies is a fantastic book and I am so glad to have read it! Laura Marshall does it again in this brilliant book. I hope everyone gets a chance to read it!

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: September 4, 2018
Genre: Mystery. Thriller. Suspense.
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 352 pages
Format: eBook. ARC.

When Sasha disappears, Ellen fears the worst. Then long-buried secrets resurface, Ellen realizes she may not know Sasha -- or what she's capable of -- at all.

2005: 17 year old Ellen falls under the spell of glamorous newcomer, Sasha. As Ellen is welcomed into Sasha's family, she doesn't see the darkness that lies beneath their musical, bohemian lifestyle. At a New Year's Eve party, events come to a dramatic head, resulting in a court case (in which Ellen is a key witness) that means family life at the Corner House will never be the same again.

2018: Now 30, Ellen and Sasha are still entwined in each other's lives and sharing a flat in London. When Sasha disappears, Ellen fears the worst. She has gone missing like this before and the police won't take it seriously, but long-buried events in their shared past mean that Ellen has good reason to be frightened - not only for Sasha, but also for herself. Finding out the truth about

LEAVE NO TRACE BY MINDY MEJIA

9/6/2018

Yes! Normally after a sucessful debut novel the one that comes after doesn't meet expectations. This one though DOES. Wohoo! I am a huge fan of the author and I can't wait for more!

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: September 4, 2018
Genre: Mystery. Thriller. Suspense.
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 336 pages
Format: eBook. ARC.

From the author of the “compelling” (Star Tribune, Minneapolis) and critically acclaimed Everything You Want Me to Be, a riveting and suspenseful thriller about the mysterious disappearance of a boy and his stunning return ten years later.

There is a place in Minnesota with hundreds of miles of glacial lakes and untouched forests called the Boundary Waters. Ten years ago a man and his son trekked into this wilderness and never returned.

Search teams found their campsite ravaged by what looked like a bear. They were presumed dead until a decade later...the son appeared. Discovered while ransacking an outfitter store, he was violent and uncommunicative and sent to a psychiatric facility. Maya Stark, the assistant language therapist, is charged with making a connection with their high-profile patient. No matter how she tries, however, he refuses to answer questions about his father or the last ten years of his life.

CROSS HER HEART BY SARAH PINBOROUGH

9/3/2018

Having previously enjoyed Sarah Pinborough's books, I went into this one with high expectation. Sadly, it's didn't meet them. Although the book was decent, I wouldn't read it again.

Rating: ★★★
Release Date: September 4, 2018
Genre: Domestic Drama. Thriller.
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 352 pages
Format: eBook. ARC.

Lisa is living a lie and everyone is about to find out.

Lisa lives for her daughter Ava, her job and her best friend Marilyn.
But when a handsome client shows an interest in her, Lisa starts daydreaming about sharing her life with him, too. Maybe she’s ready now. Maybe she can trust again. Maybe it's time to let her terrifying secret past go.

But when her daughter rescues a boy from drowning and their pictures are all over the news for everyone to see, Lisa's world explodes.

As she finds everything she has built threatened, and not knowing who she can trust, it's up to Lisa to face her past in order to save what she holds dear.

But someone has been pulling all their strings. And that someone is determined that both Lisa and Ava must suffer.

THE TALL MAN BY PHOEBE LOCKE

8/9/2018

This story is well executed with a creepy story line but the buildup was much to slow for my tastes. I'm not sure if I would recommend it but it's a decent, mindless read.

Rating: ★★★
Release Date: June 14, 2018
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 368 pages
Format: eBook. Purchased.

The Tall Man is an ADDICTIVE and UNFORGETTABLE blend of psychological suspense and spine-tingling chills that will be perfect for fans of Stephen King and Sarah Pinborough.

A SENSELESS MURDER. A TERRIFYING LEGEND. A FAMILY HAUNTED.

1990: In the darkest woods, three girls devote themselves to a sinister figure.

2000: A young mother disappears, leaving behind her husband and baby daughter.

2018: A teenage girl is charged with murder, and her trial will shock the world.

Three chilling events, connected by the shadow he casts.
He is the Tall Man. He can make you special...

THE CHEERLEADERS BY KARA THOMAS

8/1/2018

The Cheerleaders is an awesome young adult murder mystery and I recommend it so much! Every time Kara Thomas writes a new book they get better and better!!

Rating: ★★★★★
Release Date: July 31, 2018
Genre: Young Adult Mystery
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 384 pages
Format: eBook. ARC.

There are no more cheerleaders in the town of Sunnybrook.

First there was the car accident—two girls gone after hitting a tree on a rainy night. Not long after, the murders happened. Those two girls were killed by the man next door. The police shot him, so no one will ever know why he did it. Monica’s sister was the last cheerleader to die. After her suicide, Sunnybrook High disbanded the cheer squad. No one wanted to be reminded of the girls they lost.

That was five years ago. Now the faculty and students at Sunnybrook High want to remember the lost cheerleaders. But for Monica, it’s not that easy. She just wants to forget. Only, Monica’s world is starting to unravel. There are the letters in her stepdad’s desk, an unearthed, years-old cell phone, a strange new friend at school. . . . Whatever happened five years ago isn’t over. Some people in town know more than they’re saying. And somehow Monica is at the center of it all.

GIRLS' NIGHT OUT BY LIZ FENTON & LISA STEINKE

7/24/2018

A little bit slow and quite anticlimactic, but a good solid book if you're looking for something easy and interesting to read. I liked the book but there was something missing for me.

Rating: ★★★
Release Date: July 24, 2018
Genre: Mystery. Thriller. Suspense.
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 333 pages
Format: eBook. ARC.

From the bestselling authors of The Good Widow comes a chilling novel of psychological suspense that will make you think twice about what your best friend may be hiding…

For estranged friends Ashley, Natalie, and Lauren, it’s time to heal the old wounds between them. Where better to repair those severed ties than on a girls’ getaway to the beautiful paradise of Tulum, Mexico? But even after they’re reunited, no one is being completely honest about the past or the secrets they’re hiding. When Ashley disappears on their girls’ night out, Natalie and Lauren have to try to piece together their hazy memories to figure out what could have happened to her, while also reconciling their feelings of guilt over their last moments together.

Was Ashley with the man she’d met only days before? Did she pack up and leave? Was she kidnapped? Or worse—could Natalie or Lauren have snapped under the weight of her own lies?

THE LAST TIME I LIED BY RILEY SAGER

7/3/2018

If you are looking for a fantastic and thrilling book to read by the pool this year, I highly recommend this one. I take you on a journey that will leave you riveted.

Rating:★★★★
Release Date: July 3, 2018
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 384 pages
Format: eBook. ARC.

In the latest thriller from the bestselling author of Final Girls, a young woman returns to her childhood summer camp to uncover the truth about a tragedy that happened there fifteen years ago.

Two Truths and a Lie. The girls played it all the time in their cabin at Camp Nightingale. Vivian, Natalie, Allison, and first-time camper Emma Davis, the youngest of the group. But the games ended the night Emma sleepily watched the others sneak out of the cabin into the darkness. The last she--or anyone--saw of them was Vivian closing the cabin door behind her, hushing Emma with a finger pressed to her lips.

Now a rising star in the New York art scene, Emma turns her

BRING ME BACK BY B.A. PARIS

6/19/2018

While I didn't care much for this book, I did find the twist to be creepy, original, and downright perfect! Fans of the author should certainly give this one a chance.

Rating: ★★★
Release Date: June 19, 2018
Genre: Domestic Thriller
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 304
Format: eBook. ARC.

She went missing. He moved on. A whole world of secrets remained—until now.

Finn and Layla are young, in love, and on vacation. They’re driving along the highway when Finn decides to stop at a service station to use the restroom. He hops out of the car, locks the doors behind him, and goes inside. When he returns Layla is gone—never to be seen again. That is the story Finn told to the police. But it is not the whole story.

Ten years later Finn is engaged to Layla’s sister, Ellen. Their shared grief over what happened to Layla drew them close and now they intend to remain together. Still, there’s something about Ellen that Finn has never fully understood. His heart wants to believe that she is the one for him...even

JAR OF HEARTS BY JENNIFER HILLIER

6/12/2018

Jar of Hearts is an intense and twisted thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats from beginning to end. If you are a fan of the authors previous novels, this is the book for you this summer.

Rating:★★★
Release Date: June 12, 2018
Page Number: 320 pages.
Genre: Thriller. Crime. Suspense.
Series: None. Standalone.
Format: eBook. ARC.

This is the story of three best friends: one who was murdered, one who went to prison, and one who's been searching for the truth all these years . . .

When she was sixteen years old, Angela Wong—one of the most popular girls in school—disappeared without a trace. Nobody ever suspected that her best friend, Georgina Shaw, now an executive and rising star at her Seattle pharmaceutical company, was involved in any way. Certainly not Kaiser Brody, who was close with both girls back in high school.

But fourteen years later, Angela Wong's remains are

THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN BY DOT HUTCHISON

4/19/2018

The Butterfly Garden is a dark crime novel. While I found it to be dull despite the subject matter many readers truly enjoyed this one. I suppose it's up to you whether you read it or not. I personally didn't like it.

Rating: ★★
Release Date: June 1, 2016
Genre: Dark Crime Novel
Series: The Collector Trilogy #1
Pages: 288 pages
Format: eBook. Kindle Unlimited.

Near an isolated mansion lies a beautiful garden.

In this garden grow luscious flowers, shady trees…and a collection of precious “butterflies”—young women who have been kidnapped and intricately tattooed to resemble their namesakes. Overseeing it all is the Gardener, a brutal, twisted man obsessed with capturing and preserving his lovely specimens.

When the garden is discovered, a survivor is brought in for questioning. FBI agents Victor Hanoverian and Brandon Eddison are tasked with piecing together one of the most stomach-churning cases of their careers. But the girl, known only as Maya, proves to be a puzzle herself.

AFTER ANNA BY LISA SCOTTLINE

4/10/2018

I really enjoyed Scottline's latest domestic thriller! It's taught, suspenseful, and downright engrossing. If all her books are like this I will be an instant fan girl!

Rating:★★★★
Release Date: April 10, 2018
Page Count: 380 pages
Genre: Domestic Thriller
Series: None. Standalone.
Format: eBook. ARC.

Nobody cuts deeper than family...
Dr. Noah Alderman, a widower and single father, has remarried a wonderful woman, Maggie Ippolitti, and for the first time in a long time, he and his young son are happy. Despite her longing for the daughter she hasn’t seen since she was a baby, Maggie is happy too, and she’s even more overjoyed when she unexpectedly gets another chance to be a mother to the child she thought she'd lost forever, her only daughter Anna.

Maggie and Noah know that having Anna around will change their lives, but they would never have guessed that everything would go wrong, and so quickly. Anna turns out to be a gorgeous seventeen-year-old who balks at living under their rules, though Maggie, ecstatic to have her

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