PLBR Book Reviews 2018 - ELLES BOOK BLOG

ELLES BOOK BLOG

THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS BY LISA JEWELL

1/19/2020

Lisa Jewell has written a riveting family thriller in The Family Upstairs and I was glued to this book from beginning to end. I'm so glad I took a chance on a new to me author and grabbed this one in my Book of the Month box!

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: November 5, 2019
Genre: Domestic Thriller. Gothic Thriller.
Series: None. Complete Standalone.
Pages: 349 pages
Format: Hardcover. Book of the Month Club.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Then She Was Gone comes another page-turning look inside one family’s past as buried secrets threaten to come to light.

Be careful who you let in.

Soon after her twenty-fifth birthday, Libby Jones returns home from work to find the letter she’s been waiting for her entire life. She rips it open with one driving thought: I am finally going to know who I am.

She soon learns not only the identity of her birth parents, but also that she is the sole inheritor of their abandoned mansion on the banks of the Thames in London’s fashionable Chelsea neighborhood, worth millions. Everything in Libby’s life is about to change. But what she can’t possibly know is that others have

UNSPEAKABLE THINGS BY JESS LOURNEY

1/2/2020

Unspeakable things that all the makings of an excellent read. However, it fell short for me in so many areas. I think the blurb is deceiving as well and doesn't live up to what it says it will be.

Rating: ★★★
Release Date: January 1, 2020
Genre: Mystery. Thriller. Suspense. Crime.
Series: None. Complete standalone.
Pages: 296 pages
Format: eBook. Amazon First Reads.

Inspired by a terrifying true story from the author’s hometown, a heart-pounding novel of suspense about a small Minnesota community where nothing is as quiet—or as safe—as it seems.

Cassie McDowell’s life in 1980s Minnesota seems perfectly wholesome. She lives on a farm, loves school, and has a crush on the nicest boy in class. Yes, there are her parents’ strange parties and their parade of deviant guests, but she’s grown accustomed to them.

All that changes when someone comes hunting in Lilydale.

One by one, local boys go missing. One by one, they return changed—violent, moody, and withdrawn. What happened to them becomes the stuff of shocking rumors. The accusations of who’s responsible grow just as wild, and dangerous town secrets

THE SILENT PATIENT BY ALEX MICHAELIDES

7/26/2019

The Silent Patient is Alex Michaelides debut novel and it's one I won't forget! What a thrilling ride! Shock after shock, twists and turns you won't see coming, and so much intrigue is what pushes this novel into a league of it's own.

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: February 5, 2019
Genre: Thriller. Suspense.
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 297 pages
Format: Hardcover. Purchased.

The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband—and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive.

Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.

Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.

BEFORE SHE WAS FOUND BY HEATHER GUDENKAUF

4/16/2019

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time! Heather Gudenkauf slayed this book and I couldn't stop reading until the very end. I highly recommend it.

Rating: ★★★★★
Release Date: April 16, 2019
Genre: Thriller and Suspense.
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 368 pages
Format: eBook. ARC.

A gripping thriller about three young girlfriends, a dark obsession and a chilling crime that shakes up a quiet Iowa town, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Weight of Silence.

For twelve-year-old Cora Landry and her friends Violet and Jordyn, it was supposed to be an ordinary sleepover—movies and Ouija and talking about boys. But when they decide to sneak out to go to the abandoned rail yard on the outskirts of town, little do they know that their innocent games will have dangerous consequences.

Later that night, Cora Landry is discovered on the tracks, bloody and clinging to life, her friends nowhere to be found. Soon their small rural town is thrust into a maelstrom. Who would want to hurt a young girl like Cora—and why? In an investigation that leaves no stone unturned, everyone is a suspect and no one can be trusted—not even those closest to Cora.

THE STILLWATER GIRLS BY MINKA KENT

4/9/2019

The Stillwater Girls is an excellent domestic drama/thriller that I devoured in one day! I was so invested in this book that I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend it!

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: April 9, 2019
Genre: Domestic Drama/Thriller
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 256 pages
Format: eBook. ARC.

Two sisters raised in fear are about to find out why in a chilling novel of psychological suspense from the author of The Thinnest Air.

Ignorant of civilization and cautioned against its evils, nineteen-year-old Wren and her two sisters, Sage and Evie, were raised in off-the-grid isolation in a primitive cabin in upstate New York. When the youngest grows gravely ill, their mother leaves with the child to get help from a nearby town. And they never return.

As months pass, hope vanishes. Supplies are low. Livestock are dying. A brutal winter is bearing down. Then comes the stranger. He claims to be looking for the girls’ mother, and he’s not leaving without them.

To escape, Wren and her sister must break the rule they’ve grown up with: never go beyond the forest.

NO EXIT BY TAYLOR ADAMS

3/18/2019

No Exit is truly an edge of your seat thriller. This book was so unexpected for me and I am so glad I gave a new author a chance. I very much recommend this to those who are looking for thrills and chills in their novels.

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: January 15, 2018
Genre: Thriller and Suspense.
Series: Standalone.
Pages: 336 pages
Format: Hardcover. Purchased.

A kidnapped little girl locked in a stranger’s van. No help for miles. What would you do?

On her way to Utah to see her dying mother, college student Darby Thorne gets caught in a fierce blizzard in the mountains of Colorado. With the roads impassable, she’s forced to wait out the storm at a remote highway rest stop. Inside, are some vending machines, a coffee maker, and four complete strangers.

Desperate to find a signal to call home, Darby goes back out into the storm . . . and makes a horrifying discovery. In the back of the van parked next to her car, a little girl is locked in an animal crate.

Who is the child? Why has she been taken? And how can Darby save her?

There is no cell phone reception, no telephone, and no way out.

THE NIGHT OLIVIA FELL BY CHRISTINA MCDONALD

2/12/2019

Woah! This book blew me away! I devoured it in a day because I simply couldn't take my eyes off the pages. I think this is one of the best domestic thrillers I have read in a long time.

Rating: ★★★★★
Release Date: February 5, 2019
Genre: Domestic Thriller.
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 368 pages
Format: eBook. ARC.

In the vein of Big Little Lies and Reconstructing Amelia comes an emotionally charged domestic suspense novel about a mother unraveling the truth behind how her daughter became brain dead. And pregnant.

A search for the truth. A lifetime of lies.

In the small hours of the morning, Abi Knight is startled awake by the phone call no mother ever wants to get: her teenage daughter Olivia has fallen off a bridge. Not only is Olivia brain dead, she’s pregnant and must remain on life support to keep her baby alive. And then Abi sees the angry bruises circling Olivia’s wrists.

When the police unexpectedly rule Olivia’s fall an accident, Abi decides to find out what really happened that night. Heartbroken and grieving, she unravels the threads of her daughter’s life. Was Olivia’s fall an accident? Or something far more sinister?

MY SISTER IS MISSING BY CARISSA ANN LYNCH

2/8/2019

My Sister is Missing is a fast paced, gripping read. It's also one that readers can easily get through in one sitting as the page count is just under 200 pages.

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: February 8, 2019
Genre: Mystery. Thriller.
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 197 pages
Format: eBook. ARC.

“Reminiscent of Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects" Christina Kaye, award-winning author of Presumed DeadA twenty-year-old local mystery that has never been solved.

A bone-chilling VHS tape depicting a horrific crime.

Neighbors with something to hide.

And a sister who is missing.

Emily has to find out the truth. But is her sister Madeline the victim…or the one to blame?

A creepy and chilling thriller that you won’t be able to put down. MY SISTER IS MISSING is the most gripping read of 2019.Readers can’t get enough of this book.

THE HIDING PLACE BY C.J. TUDOR

2/4/2019

The Hiding Place is a tense and original read that blew my mind! I got the chills, felt the tension, and wanted to scream in delight! I very much recommend this novel. It's one of my new favorites!

Rating: ★★★★★
Release Date: February 5, 2019
Genre: Suspense. Thriller. Psychological Horror.
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 281 pages
Format: eBook. Purchased.

The thrilling second novel from the author of The Chalk Man, about a teacher with a hidden agenda who returns to settle scores at a school he once attended, only to uncover a darker secret than he could have imagined.

Joe never wanted to come back to Arnhill. After the way things ended with his old gang--the betrayal, the suicide, the murder--and after what happened when his sister went missing, the last thing he wanted to do was return to his hometown. But Joe doesn't have a choice. Because judging by what was done to that poor Morton kid, what happened all those years ago to Joe's sister is happening again. And only Joe knows who is really at fault.

Lying his way into a teaching job at his former high school is the easy part. Facing off with former friends who are none too happy to have him back in town--while avoiding the enemies he's made in the years since--is tougher. But the hardest part of all will be

I'M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS BY IAN REID

1/10/2019

This is an excellent and unforgettable novel. I am so glad it's being made into a movie! This book feels like a horror novel and reads like a suspense! And the twist at the end will leave you utterly speechless. I highly recommend it.

Rating: ★★★★★
Release Date: June 14, 2016
Genre: Suspense. Thriller.
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 241 pages
Format: eBook. Purchased.

AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR 2016

“I’m Thinking of Ending Things is one of the best debut novels I’ve ever read. Iain Reid has crafted a tight, ferocious little book, with a persistent tenor of suspense that tightens and mounts toward its visionary, harrowing final pages” (Scott Heim, award-winning author of Mysterious Skin and We Disappear).

I’m thinking of ending things. Once this thought arrives, it stays. It sticks. It lingers. It’s always there. Always.

Jake once said, “Sometimes a thought is closer to truth, to reality, than an action. You can say anything, you can do anything, but you can’t fake a thought.”

And here’s what I’m thinking: I don’t want to be here.

AN ANONYMOUS GIRL BY GREER HENDRICKS AND SARAH PEKKANEN

1/6/2019

An Anonymous girl is an original and tense read that will have you hanging by the edge of your seat until the final twist! These two authors writing together are amazing!

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: January 8, 2019
Genre: Domestic Thriller
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 384 pages
Format: eBook. ARC.

The next novel of psychological suspense and obsession from the authors of the blockbuster bestseller The Wife Between Us

Seeking women ages 18–32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed.

When Jessica Farris signs up for a psychology study conducted by the mysterious Dr. Shields, she thinks all she’ll have to do is answer a few questions, collect her money, and leave.

Question #1: Could you tell a lie without feeling guilt?

But as the questions grow more and more intense and invasive and the sessions become outings where Jess is told what to wear and how to act, she begins to feel as though Dr. Shields may know what she’s thinking…and what she’s hiding.

Question #2: Have you ever deeply hurt someone you care about?

VERITY BY COLLEEN HOOVER

12/23/2018

This is by far one of my favorite books of the year! In fact, I think it's easily on my list of top reads of all time- it's that good! If you are looking for something different, something original, and something that cause goosebumps on your flesh, this is a must read for you!

Rating: ★★★★★
Release Date: December 7, 2018
Genre: Romantic Thriller
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 250 pages
Format: Borrowed. Kindle Unlimited.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover comes a chilling and unexpected standalone romantic thriller.
"It was a beautifully disturbing, completely twisted love story that was unputdownable...pure entertainment!!" -Two Unruly Girls Review
"Warning: Verity is not going to melt your heart. It's going to fry your soul." -Kindle Crack Book Reviews

Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.

Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years

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.

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