Book Review-GOOD GIRL by Miranda Smith @NetGalley @Bookouture #thriller #mystery #bookreviews #NetGalley

Good Girl by Miranda Smith

Pub Date June 24, 2020

Description:

My brother was thirteen the first time he tried to kill me.

These days, Della is a loving wife, a dedicated teacher, a woman trying to do her best. She has put her past far behind her. But she hasn’t forgotten the lessons she learned.

It’s just a regular morning when Della welcomes Zoey to her English class. She treats her like any other new student: assigns her a desk, hands out the work. But then she meets Zoey’s cold, calculating eyes and freezes as terrifying memories threaten to overwhelm her.

Della knows what evil looks like when it hides behind a confident smile. Her own brother, the town’s darling, couldn’t keep his true nature hidden for ever. Della has been watching out for people like him ever since, determined to stop them before it’s too late.

When a student is viciously attacked and Della is sent a detailed account of the crime, she’s more convinced than ever that Zoey has darkness inside her.

But to make people believe her, she needs proof. Will she risk everything to get it? And without it, can she be sure she’s right?

Prepare to be hooked by this dark, gripping crime thriller, perfect for fans of Karin Slaughter, Gillian Flynn and Rachel Caine.

Adele’s Review:

5 Stars!

Good Girl is a terrific story! I rarely read a book all the way through in one or two sittings, but this novel became an exception. I could hardly wait to see what happened next with Della, a wholly believable and sympathetic character. Della is a teacher who is able to see what others can’t when it comes to spotting abnormal behavior. When she becomes convinced one of her students is a dangerous psychopath, she has a tough time convincing colleagues there’s a reason for concern. No one believes her.

One of the things I liked best about this story was the supportive and loving relationship between Della and her husband Danny. It was sooooo refreshing to read a thriller where the husband is actually a good guy. Even when he doubted Della’s claims about one of her students being potentially dangerous, he didn’t belittle her concerns. He wanted her to be careful, but remained firmly on her side.

The Good Girl is well written, well paced, and thoroughly entertaining. Loved it! Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing an ARC to read and review.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3337900226

Book Review-The Sunday Girl by Pip Drysdale @NetGalley @sbkslandmark #thriller #mystery #bookreviews

The Sunday Girl by Pip Drysdale

Description:

The Girl on the Train meets Before I Go to Sleep with a dash of Bridget Jones! What would happen if a good girl snapped?

Any woman who’s ever been involved with a bad, bad man and been dumped will understand what it feels like to be broken, broken-hearted, and bent on revenge.

Taylor Bishop is hurt, angry, and wants to destroy Angus Hollingsworth in the way he destroyed her: ‘Insidiously. Irreparably. Like a puzzle he’d slowly dissembled, stolen a couple of pieces from, and then discarded, knowing that nobody would ever be able to put it back together ever again.’

So Taylor consults The Art of War and makes a plan. Then she takes the next irrevocable step – one that will change her life forever.

Things start to spiral out of her control – and The Sunday Girl becomes impossible to put down. It’s a tale of love gone wrong…and revenge done right.

Available Editions
EDITION Hardcover
ISBN 9781728210858
PRICE $26.99 (USD)
Sourcebooks Landmark Mystery & Thrillers

Adele’s Review:

5 Stars!

Many of us have probably known a woman like The Sunday Girl protagonist, Taylor, and some of us might have found ourselves in situations like hers, so I tried not to judge her too harshly as she moved from one catastrophic man-mistake to the other. When Taylor finally decides to take control of her life the plot deepens in fascinating ways. I couldn’t put the book down.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel, which alternately made me shiver or laugh out loud. Exceptional writing and storytelling make this a highly readable thriller with a most satisfying ending. Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing an ARC for review.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3151670851

Book Review-The Stranger Inside by Lisa Unger #bookreview @lisaunger @parkrowbooks #thrillers #suspense #bestsellers

THE STRANGER INSIDE by Lisa Unger

Product Details:

File Size: 1109 KB
Print Length: 384 pages
Publisher: Park Row; Original edition (September 17, 2019)
Publication Date: September 17, 2019
Sold by: Harlequin Digital Sales Corp.

Named a BEST BOOK OF FALL 2019 by People Magazine, Boston Globe, BookBub, PopSugar, CrimeReads and more.

“Completely unexpected and riveting.” (Houston Chronicle)

Even good people are drawn to do evil things … Twelve-year-old Rain Winter narrowly escaped an abduction while walking to a friend’s house. Her two best friends, Tess and Hank, were not as lucky. Tess never came home, and Hank was held in captivity before managing to escape. Their abductor was sent to prison but years later was released. Then someone delivered real justice–and killed him in cold blood.

Now Rain is living the perfect suburban life, her dark childhood buried deep. She spends her days as a stay-at-home mom, having put aside her career as a hard-hitting journalist to care for her infant daughter. But when another brutal murderer who escaped justice is found dead, Rain is unexpectedly drawn into the case. Eerie similarities to the murder of her friends’ abductor force Rain to revisit memories she’s worked hard to leave behind. Is there a vigilante at work? Who is the next target? Why can’t Rain just let it go?

Introducing one of the most compelling and original killers in crime fiction today, Lisa Unger takes readers deep inside the minds of both perpetrator and victim, blurring the lines between right and wrong, crime and justice, and showing that sometimes people deserve what comes to them.

Adele’s Review:

5 Stars!

Lisa Unger is an auto-buy author for me. Her thrillers are not only well-crafted and entertaining, her writing skills put her at the top of her genre. Reading Lisa Unger is like taking a Master Class in creative writing.

Her newest release, The Stranger Inside, might be her best book yet. This compulsive page turner kept me guessing until the very last page and made me wonder if we’ll see protagonist and new mother Rain Winter in a future book. I hope so. This could be the start of a compelling new series although the book stands well on its own.

Loved this one. Bought the book on Amazon.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3014507292

Book Review-I Know You by Annabel Kantaria #Thriller #IKnowYou @BellaKay @HQStories #NetGalley

I Know You
A Novel of Suspense by Annabel Kantaria
Crooked Lane Books

Mystery & Thrillers, Women’s Fiction
Pub Date 11 Jun 2019

Description:

A twisted domestic thriller in the vein of B. A. Paris and Shari Lapena that asks: How well do you know your friends?

That picture you posted?
I’ve seen it.
That location you tagged?
I’ve been there.
I know everything about your life . . .
And I’m going to destroy it.

A recent transplant from sunny California, life in the London suburbs is not what Taylor Watson expected. Far from the West End shops and city lights she imagined, she finds herself pregnant and lonely, with a husband frequently away on business and only social media to keep her company. It’s only after Taylor joins a book club and a walking group, that she finally starts to make some real-life friends.

Before long, Taylor’s hanging out with Anna, Sarah, Simon, and Caroline but, as her pregnancy progresses and her friendships blossom, a sense of unease develops. Nothing’s ever quite as it seems on the surface, and it soon becomes clear that Taylor’s new friends have secrets. One appears to be after Taylor’s husband, another’s always putting her down, and then there’s the question of Simon. Could he have feelings for Taylor?

But far more worryingly, one of the group’s not being too careful what they post on social media—and another is watching all too closely. Who’s stalking who . . . and why?

Adele’s Review:

4.5 Stars!

I loved reading this book! I Know You is a thrilling roller coaster ride that left me breathless and turning the pages until its explosive conclusion. Well plotted and very well-written, this novel is a must read for fans of the genre; especially if you’re one of the millions of people who post personal images on social media and share tidbits of your day to day life. We really don’t know who’s watching us!

I found the protagonist, Taylor, the pregnant American wife living in London to placate her not-so-great husband to be realistic and quite relatable. Pregnancy really does color a woman’s perspective, especially without the support of family and friends, and watching Taylor struggle to adapt to her new surroundings made me root for her from the first page to the last. There are lots of suspects in this mystery/thriller to choose from and all are interesting characters that lure us deeper into the drama. (Because I was drawn into the story, I was able to forgive the diction of the American heroine sounding exactly like her English acquaintances.) I thoroughly enjoyed reading I Know You by Annabel Kantaria and recommend adding it to your 2019 reading list. Received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2681187056

Book Review-The Second Wife by Sheryl Browne #Thriller #BookReview #NetGalley #TheSecondWife @SherylBrowne @Bookouture

The Second Wife by Sheryl Browne

Publisher: Bookouture
Mystery & Thrillers

Pub Date 29 Jan 2019

Description:

She made her bed. You’ll lie in it.

Rebecca only wanted to help out – to be kind. Richard seemed so alone after his wife, Nicole, died, and Rebecca wanted to make sure he knew he had someone to rely on.

But now she’s in Nicole’s immaculate house. Drinking from her favourite crystal wine glass. Keeping shoes in her orderly closet. Comforting her sweet and grieving step-daughter. It feels like Rebecca is living another woman’s life.

And as she gets to know the neighbours, Rebecca hears stories that make her wonder: was free-spirited Nicole happy in this perfect life, or did she feel trapped? Did she feel, as Rebecca is beginning to, that something wasn’t quite right?

The book everyone’s talking about! If you loved The Girl on the Train, The Wife Between Us and The Girl Before, you’ll be totally gripped and unable to put down this twisty page-turning psychological thriller.

Adele’s Review:

4.5 Stars!

I thoroughly enjoyed this fabulous thriller! It’s rare to find a perfectly plotted book with equally perfect pacing and tension, but Sheryl Browne hit the mark in The Second Wife. The story leads us on a trail of dark twists and turns to the best possible solution and satisfying ending. I rooted for the female protagonist all the way to the last page. I highly recommend adding this book to your 2019 reading list. Received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2667372605?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1