PLBR Book Reviews 2018 - ELLES BOOK BLOG

ELLES BOOK BLOG

WHEN NO ONE IS WATCHING BY ALYSSA COLE

11/2/2020

While When No One is Watching is one of the most original thrillers I've ever read, the story was extremely slow. I loved the plot but I feel like I needed it to be faster paced.

Rating: ★★★
Release Date: September 1, 2020
Genre: Psychological Thriller. Suspense.
Series: None. Complete standalone.
Pages: 360 pages
Format: Paperback. Purchased.

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

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

But Sydney and Theo’s deep dive into history quickly becomes a dizzying descent into paranoia and fear. Their neighbors may not

THE GUEST LIST BY LUCY FOLEY

10/14/2020

Lucy Foley has written a near perfect thriller with The Guest List and I devoured each page. The atmospheric setting and the killer plot twist are insanely good!

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: June 2, 2020
Genre: Murder Mystery. Psychological Thriller.
Series: None. Complete standalone.
Pages: 319 pages
Format: Hardcover. BOTM box.

A wedding celebration turns dark and deadly in this deliciously wicked and atmospheric thriller reminiscent of Agatha Christie from the New York Times bestselling author of The Hunting Party.

The bride – The plus one – The best man – The wedding planner – The bridesmaid – The body

On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The groom: handsome and charming, a rising television star. The bride: smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher. It’s a wedding for a magazine, or for a celebrity: the designer dress, the remote location, the luxe party favors, the boutique whiskey. The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed.

But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human. As the

CONFESSIONS ON THE 7:45 BY LISA UNGER

10/6/2020

Lisa Unger has set up a good, twisty thriller in Confessions on the 7:45. However, I found the book to be very slow. This type of book would be a better fast paced thriller.

Rating: ★★★
Release Date: October 6, 2020
Genre: Domestic Thriller. Suspense.
Series: None. Complete standalone.
Pages: 418 pages
Format: eBook. ARC.

From master of suspense Lisa Unger comes a riveting thriller about a chance encounter that unravels a stunning web of lies and deceit.

Be careful to whom you tell your darkest secrets…

Selena Murphy is commuting home from her job in the city when the train stalls out on the tracks. She strikes up a conversation with a beautiful stranger in the next seat, and their connection is fast and easy. The woman introduces herself as Martha and confesses that she’s been stuck in an affair with her boss. Selena, in turn, confesses that she suspects her husband is sleeping with the nanny. When the train arrives at Selena’s station, the two women part ways, presumably never to meet again.

But days later, Selena’s nanny disappears.

THE SHADOWS BY ALEX NORTH

9/26/2020

Alex North does it again! The Shadows is a creepy psychological horror novel mixed with a murder mystery. His books are fantastic and I know after reading this one and The Whisper Man that I'll be a long time fan!

Rating: ★★★★★
Release Date: July 7, 2020
Genre: Murder Mystery. Psychological Horror.
Series: None. Complete standalone.
Pages: 336 pages
Format: Hardcover. BOTM box.

The haunting new thriller from Alex North, author of the New York Times bestseller The Whisper Man

You knew a teenager like Charlie Crabtree. A dark imagination, a sinister smile--always on the outside of the group. Some part of you suspected he might be capable of doing something awful. Twenty-five years ago, Crabtree did just that, committing a murder so shocking that it’s attracted that strange kind of infamy that only exists on the darkest corners of the internet--and inspired more than one copycat.

Paul Adams remembers the case all too well: Crabtree--and his victim--were Paul’s friends. Paul has slowly put his life back together. But now his mother, old and senile, has taken a turn for the worse. Though every inch of him resists, it is time to come home.

ONE BY ONE BY RUTH WARE

9/6/2020

One By One is a chilling murder mystery and I devoured this book from beginning to end. Ruth Ware has one again proven why she is a pro in the mystery/suspense genre.

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: September 8, 2020
Genre: Murder Mystery. Suspense.
Series: None. Complete standalone.
Pages: 383 pages
Format: eBook. Arc.

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Turn of the Key and In a Dark Dark Wood returns with another suspenseful thriller set on a snow-covered mountain.

Getting snowed in at a luxurious, rustic ski chalet high in the French Alps doesn’t sound like the worst problem in the world. Especially when there’s a breathtaking vista, a full-service chef and housekeeper, a cozy fire to keep you warm, and others to keep you company. Unless that company happens to be eight coworkers…each with something to gain, something to lose, and something to hide.

When the cofounder of Snoop, a trendy London-based tech startup, organizes a weeklong trip for the team in the French Alps, it starts out as a corporate retreat like any other: PowerPoint presentations and strategy sessions broken up by mandatory bonding on the slopes. But as soon as one shareholder upends the

THE GIRLS WEEKEND BY JODY GEHRMAN

8/10/2020

The Girls Weekend is a suspenseful murder mystery and I loved it! This is a must read book for the summer and fall!

Rating: ★★★★★
Release Date: August 11, 2020
Genre: Thriller. Murder Mystery. Suspense.
Series: None. Complete standalone.
Pages: 320 pages
Format: eBook. ARC.

Their reunion just became a crime scene . . .

June Moody, a thirty-something English professor, just wants to get away from her recent breakup and reunite with girlfriends over summer break. Her old friend and longtime nemesis, Sadie MacTavish, a mega-successful author, invites June and her college friends to a baby shower at her sprawling estate in the San Juan Islands. June is less than thrilled to spend time with Sadie--and her husband, June's former crush--but agrees to go.

The party gets off to a shaky start when old grudges resurface, but when they wake the next morning, they find something worse: Sadie is missing, the house is in shambles, and bloodstains mar the staircase. None of them has any memory of the night before; they wonder if they were drugged. Everyone's a suspect. Since June had a secret rendezvous with Sadie's husband, she has plenty of reason to suspect herself. Apparently, so do the cops.

SOMETHING IN THE WATER BY CATHERINE STEADMAN

7/24/2020

I don’t know what I was expecting when I went into the story but it’s certainly not what unfolded before my eyes! This is a slow building thriller with twists and turns that leave readers wondering what the hell is going on!

Rating: ★★★
Release Date: June 5, 2018
Genre: Domestic Thriller.
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 373 pages
Format: Paperback. Purchased.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY GLAMOUR AND NEWSWEEK • FINALIST FOR THE ITW THRILLER AWARD

If you could make one simple choice that would change your life forever, would you?

Erin is a documentary filmmaker on the brink of a professional breakthrough, Mark a handsome investment banker with big plans. Passionately in love, they embark on a dream honeymoon to the tropical island of Bora Bora, where they enjoy the sun, the sand, and each other. Then, while scuba diving in the crystal blue sea, they find something in the water. . . .

Could the life of your dreams be the stuff of nightmares?

Suddenly the newlyweds must make a dangerous choice: to speak

THE WHISPER MAN BY ALEX NORTH

7/4/2020

The Whisper Man is a creepy mystery/thriller novel with a touch of the supernatural. I enjoyed this one a lot and am looking forward to reading the authors next book!

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: August 20, 2019
Genre: Mystery. Thriller. Suspense.
Series: None. Complete standalone.
Pages: 350 pages
Format: Print Copy. Purchased.

In this dark, suspenseful thriller, Alex North weaves a multi-generational tale of a father and son caught in the crosshairs of an investigation to catch a serial killer preying on a small town.

After the sudden death of his wife, Tom Kennedy believes a fresh start will help him and his young son Jake heal. A new beginning, a new house, a new town. Featherbank.

But the town has a dark past. Twenty years ago, a serial killer abducted and murdered five residents. Until Frank Carter was finally caught, he was nicknamed "The Whisper Man," for he would lure his victims out by whispering at their windows at night.

Just as Tom and Jake settle into their new home, a young boy vanishes. His disappearance bears an unnerving resemblance to Frank Carter's crimes, reigniting old rumors that he preyed with an accomplice. Now, detectives Amanda Beck and Pete Willis must

THE SWAP BY ROBYN HARDING

6/29/2020

The Swap is another amazing domestic thriller by Robyn Harding. She's one of my favorite crime authors and this book is everything I wanted and more. I highly recommend it.

Rating: ★★★★★
Release Date: June 23, 2020
Genre: Domestic Thriller.
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 352 pages
Format: eBook. ARC.

“No list of thrillers is complete without Robyn Harding,” proclaims Real Simple. Now the USA TODAY bestselling author of The Party delivers a riveting tale about the toxic relationship between two couples after a night of sexual shenanigans, and the manipulative teenager with an explosive secret at the center of it all.

Low Morrison is not your average teen. You could blame her hippie parents or her looming height or her dreary, isolated hometown on an island in the Pacific Northwest. But whatever the reason, Low just doesn’t fit in—and neither does Freya, an ethereal beauty and once-famous social media influencer who now owns the local pottery studio.

After signing up for a class, Low quickly falls under Freya’s spell. And Freya, buoyed by Low’s adoration, is compelled to share her darkest secrets and deepest desires. Finally, both feel a sense of belonging...that is, until Jamie walks through the studio door.

STRANGER IN THE LAKE BY KIMBERLY BELLE

6/9/2020

Stranger in the Lake is an exceptional murder mystery and it keeps me interested from beginning to end. The plot is taut, suspenseful, and builds at a slow pace. I really enjoyed it!

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: June 9, 2020
Genre: Murder Mystery. Suspense.
Series: None. Complete standalone.
Pages: 352 pages
Format: eBook. ARC.

Charlotte didn’t know her greatest risk was saying, “I do.”

When Charlotte married the wealthy widower Paul, it caused a ripple of gossip in their small lakeside town. They have a charmed life together, despite the cruel whispers about her humble past and his first marriage. But everything starts to unravel when she discovers a young woman’s body floating in the exact same spot where Paul’s first wife tragically drowned.

At first, it seems like a horrific coincidence, but the stranger in the lake is no stranger. Charlotte saw Paul talking to her the day before, even though Paul tells the police he’s never met the woman. His lie exposes cracks in their fragile new marriage, cracks Charlotte is determined to keep from breaking them in two.

As Charlotte uncovers dark mysteries about the man she married, she doesn’t know what to trust—her heart, which knows Paul to be a good man, or her growing suspicion that there’s something he’s hiding in the water.

THIS IS HOW I LIED BY HEATHER GUDENKAUF

6/5/2020

This is How I Lied is another is another fantastic murder mystery from Heather Gudenkauf! Her thrillers are top notch and I recommend each and every one of her books!

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: May 12, 2020
Genre: Murder Mystery. Suspense.
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 336 pages
Format: eBook. ARC

Everyone has a secret they’ll do anything to hide…

Twenty-five years ago, the body of sixteen-year-old Eve Knox was found in the caves near her home in small-town Grotto, Iowa—discovered by her best friend, Maggie, and her sister, Nola. There were a handful of suspects, including her boyfriend, Nick, but without sufficient evidence the case ultimately went cold.

For decades Maggie was haunted by Eve’s death and that horrible night. Now a detective in Grotto, and seven months pregnant, she is thrust back into the past when a new piece of evidence surfaces and the case is reopened. As Maggie investigates and reexamines the clues, secrets about what really happened begin to emerge. But someone in town knows more than they’re letting on, and they’ll stop at nothing to keep the truth buried deep.

THE WIFE STALKER BY LIV CONSTANTINE

5/26/2020

WOW! This book, while extremely frustrating in some aspects, was such a fantastic read! The big twist towards the end if one of the best twists I've seen in a long time! I now need more by the author asap!

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: May 19, 2020
Genre: Domestic Thriller & Suspense
Series: None. Complete standalone.
Pages: 316 pages
Format: eBook. ARC

The bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish returns with a psychological thriller, filled with chilling serpentine twists, about a woman fighting to hold onto the only family she’s ever loved—and how far she’ll go to preserve it.

Breezing into the upscale seaside paradise of Westport, Connecticut, gorgeous thirtysomething Piper Reynard sets down roots, opening a rehab and wellness space and joining a local yacht club. When she meets Leo Drakos, a handsome, successful lawyer, the wedding ring on his finger is the only thing she doesn’t like about him. Yet as Piper well knows, no marriage is permanent.

Meanwhile, Joanna has been waiting patiently for Leo, the charismatic man she fell in love with all those years ago, to re-emerge from the severe depression that has engulfed him. Though she’s thankful when Leo returns to his charming, energetic self,

LITTLE SECRETS BY JENNIFER HILLIER

5/22/2020

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier is a twisted read and I loved every minute of it. If you enjoyed domestic thrillers you won't want to miss this one!

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: April 21, 2020
Genre: Domestic Thriller
Series: None. Complete standalone.
Pages: 352 pages
Format: eBook. Arc.

Four hundred and eighty seconds. That’s how long it took for someone to steal Marin Machado's four-year-old son.

Marin had the perfect life. Married to her college sweetheart, she owns a chain of upscale hair salons, and Derek runs his own company. They're admired in their community and are a loving family. Up until the day Sebastian is taken.

A year later, Marin is a shadow of herself. The FBI search has gone cold. The publicity has faded. She and her husband rarely speak. The only thing keeping her going is the unlikely chance that one day Sebastian reappears. She hires a P.I. to pick up where the police left off, but instead of finding him, she discovers that Derek is having an affair with a younger woman.

Kenzie Li is an artist and grad student—Instagram famous—and up to her eyeballs in debt. She knows Derek is married. She also

ONE OF US IS LYING BY KAREN MCMANUS

2/6/2020

One of Us is Lying is a great young adult mystery and thriller! I remember trying to read it when it was first released and not really enjoying it but I'm so glad I picked it up again!

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: May 30, 2017
Genre: Young Adult. Mystery and Thriller.
Series: One of Us is Lying series #1
Pages: 359 pages
Format: Hardcover. Purchased.

The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars, One of Us Is Lying is the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide.

Pay close attention and you might solve this.

On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.
Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High's notorious gossip app.

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of

THE OTHER PEOPLE BY C.J. TUDOR

1/25/2020

WHAT A BOOK! Wow. Just processing this one is giving me major tingles across my body! C.J. Tudor KNOWS how to write a psychological thriller that will CONSUME you.

Rating: ★★★★★
Release Date: January 28, 2020
Genre: Psychological Thriller. Psychological Horror.
Series: None. Complete standalone.
Pages: 324 pages
Format: eBook. ARC.

Q: Why are you called the Other People?
A: We are people just like you. People to whom terrible things have happened. We’ve found solace not in forgiveness or forgetting. But in helping each other find justice.

Driving home one night, Gabe is stuck behind a rusty old car. He sees a little girl’s face appear in its rear window. She mouths one word: Daddy. It’s his five-year-old daughter, Izzy. He never sees her again.

Three years later, Gabe spends his days and nights traveling up and down the highway, searching for the car that took his daughter, refusing to give up hope, even though most people believe she’s dead.

When the car that he saw escape with his little girl is found abandoned with a body inside, Gabe must confront not just the day

FIND ME ON INSTAGRAM (OR CLICK THE PICTURES BELOW)

Tweets by ellesbookblog

COPYRIGHT
All content on this blog was created by Elle's Blook Blog, unless otherwise stated. Reproduction, duplication and/or republication without written permission are prohibited, with the exception of authors and publishers who may use parts of reviews for quotations where full and clear credit is given to this blog.

DISCLOSURE
All books reviewed on this blog are personally purchased or received from authors or publishers in exchange for my unbiased review. I do not receive any payment for any book reviews. This blog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees.

Copyright © 2015-2020 · ELLE'S BOOK BLOG