PLBR Book Reviews 2018 - ELLES BOOK BLOG

ELLES BOOK BLOG

THE COUSINS BY KAREN M. MCMANUS

12/25/2020

Young adult mystery and thrillers are my guilty pleasure and McManus slays the genre! I love a book that not only keeps me interested but surprises the heck out of me just like this one!

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: December 1, 2020
Genre: Young Adult Mystery and Thriller
Series: None. Complete standalone.
Pages: 330 pages
Format: Hardcover. Purchased.

Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each another, and they've never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they're surprised . . . and curious.

Their parents are all clear on one point--not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother's good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it's immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious--and dark--their family's past is.

The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn't over--and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.

THE NIGHT SWIM BY MEGAN GOLDIN

12/7/2020

The Night Swim is by far one of my favorite books of 2020! It's a relevant thriller with all the pieces of a well woven mystery too. I highly recommend it!

Rating: ★★★★★
Release Date: August 4, 2020
Genre: Crime. Thriller. Suspense.
Series: None. Complete standalone.
Pages: 352 pages
Format: Hardcover. Book of the Month Box.

In The Night Swim, a new thriller from Megan Goldin, author of the “gripping and unforgettable” (Harlan Coben) The Escape Room, a true crime podcast host covering a controversial trial finds herself drawn deep into a small town’s dark past and a brutal crime that took place there years before.

Ever since her true-crime podcast became an overnight sensation and set an innocent man free, Rachel Krall has become a household name—and the last hope for people seeking justice. But she’s used to being recognized for her voice, not her face. Which makes it all the more unsettling when she finds a note on her car windshield, addressed to her, begging for help.

The new season of Rachel's podcast has brought her to a small town being torn apart by a devastating rape trial. A local golden boy, a swimmer destined for Olympic greatness, has been accused of raping the beloved granddaughter of the police chief. Under

HYDRA BY MATT WESOLOWSKI

10/31/2020

Hydra is the second standalone in the Six Stories series by Matt Wesolowski. This is such a unique series as each book depicts a podcast that discusses an old cold case murder. I loved it!

Rating: ★★★★★
Release Date: December 24, 2017
Genre: Crime. Podcasts. Suspense.
Series: Six Stories series #2 (can stand alone).
Pages: 251 pages
Format: eBook. Purchased.

A family massacre
A deluded murderess
Five witnesses
Six stories
Which one is true?

One cold November night in 2014, in a small town in the north west of England, 21-year-old Arla Macleod bludgeoned her mother, father and younger sister to death with a hammer, in an unprovoked attack known as the Macleod Massacre.

Now incarcerated at a medium-security mental-health institution, Arla will speak to no one but Scott King, an investigative journalist, whose Six Stories podcasts have become an internet sensation.

King finds himself immersed in an increasingly complex case, interviewing five witnesses and Arla herself, as he questions

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 WIFE WHO KNEW TOO MUCH BY MICHELE CAMPBELL

7/29/2020

The Wife Who Knew Too Much was executed fantastically however, it was a bit of a slow read. I felt the tension but wish it was faster paced.

Rating: ★★★
Release Date: July 28, 2020
Genre: Domestic Thriller. Murder Mystery.
Series: None. Complete standalone.
Pages: 329 pages
Format: eBook. ARC.

From Michele Campbell, the bestselling author of It's Always the Husband comes a new blockbuster thriller in The Wife Who Knew Too Much.

Tabitha Girard had her heart broken years ago by Connor Ford. He was preppy and handsome. She was a pool girl at his country club. Their affair should have been a summer fling. But it meant everything to Tabitha.

Years later, Connor comes back into Tabitha's life—older, richer, and desperately unhappy. He married for money, a wealthy, neurotic, controlling woman whom he never loved. He has always loved Tabitha.

When Connor’s wife Nina takes her own life, he’s free. He can finally be with Tabitha. Nina’s home, Windswept, can be theirs. It seems to be a perfect ending to a fairy tale romance that began so many

DIRTY GIRLS BY LILY WHITE

7/25/2020

If you mix a bully romance with a murder mystery you get Dirty Girls by Lily White! This book is insanely good and I recommend it to all dark romance fans!

Rating: ★★★★★
Release Date: January 22, 2020
Genre: Dark, Bully Romance. Murder Mystery.
Series: None. Complete standalone.
Pages: 345 pages
Format: eBook. Borrowed from Kindle Unlimited.

They were the boys any good girl knew to avoid.

Rich and privileged.
Gorgeous and cruel.
The poster boys for rebellion…their tongues so sharp they cut to the bone.

We worshipped them despite their dangerous games.
We laughed even as we cried.
It was all fun and games until the first dirty girl died.

Now, as the bodies pile up, I believe I can endure their wicked ways. Only time will tell if I’ll escape.

Because when wealthy boys are accustomed to getting everything they want, not even the lives of those around them are too high an asking price.

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 SUN DOWN MOTEL BY SIMONE ST. JAMES

2/19/2020

The Sun Down Motel is an incredibly written and eerie read that mixes both horror and thriller. This is my first read from the author but you can bet I'll be reading more from her in the future!

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: February 18, 2020
Genre: Psychological Horror. Ghost Story.
Series: None. Complete standalone.
Pages: 3336 pages
Format: Hardcover. BOTM Pick.

Something hasn’t been right at the roadside Sun Down Motel for a very long time, and Carly Kirk is about to find out why in this chilling new novel from the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of The Broken Girls.

Upstate New York, 1982. Viv Delaney wants to move to New York City, and to help pay for it she takes a job as the night clerk at the Sun Down Motel in Fell, New York. But something isnʼt right at the motel, something haunting and scary.

Upstate New York, 2017. Carly Kirk has never been able to let go of the story of her aunt Viv, who mysteriously disappeared from the Sun Down before she was born. She decides to move to Fell and visit the motel, where she quickly learns that nothing has changed since 1982. And she soon finds herself ensnared in the same mysteries that claimed her aunt.

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 LAST WITNESS BY CLAIRE MCFALL

1/6/2020

This is a haunting young adult thriller with a killer twist NO reader will see coming! While I wish it was a paced a little faster I can't rate it any lower because of that UNIQUE ending!

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: January 7, 2020
Genre: Young adult mystery and thriller
Series: None. Complete standalone.
Pages: 272 pages
Format: eBook. ARC.

One year ago she survived...but being the last one standing has consequences.

Heather agrees to go camping with Dougie and his friends because she's desperate to get closer to him, and a secluded beach sounds like the perfect place. But the trip takes a sinister turn that brings Heather's plans to a violent end.

One by one, the group begins to vanish.

A year later, Heather knows she's just lucky to be alive. And now, people are asking for answers, or else she will be the one to take the blame.

A chilling psychological thriller from unflinching and award-winning writer Claire McFall.

TWO CAN KEEP A SECRET BY KAREN MCMANUS

5/31/2019

This is an awesome young adult, murder mystery and thriller novel! I was a little worried that her second novel wouldn't live up to her debut, but am happy to say it's just as good!

Rating: ★★★★
Release Date: January 8, 2019
Genre: Young Adult. Murder Mystery.
Series: None. Standalone.
Pages: 336 pages
Format: Hardcover. Purchased.

The New York Times bestselling "must-read YA thriller" (Bustle) from the author of One of Us Is Lying!

Echo Ridge is small-town America. Ellery's never been there, but she's heard all about it. Her aunt went missing there at age seventeen. And only five years ago, a homecoming queen put the town on the map when she was killed. Now Ellery has to move there to live with a grandmother she barely knows.

The town is picture-perfect, but it's hiding secrets. And before school even begins for Ellery, someone has declared open season on homecoming, promising to make it as dangerous as it was five years ago. Then, almost as if to prove it, another girl goes missing.

Ellery knows all about secrets. Her mother has them; her grandmother

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?

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.

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