Psychological suspense in a single setting

Yikes, I just realized it's been a month since I last posted. I've been ripping through books so quickly (I'm sure some of you can relate) there has never seemed to be enough time to sit down and post a review. But I'm here today to do just that!

Longtime readers of the blog will know that I'm a huge fan of Swedish authors. In fact, some of my favorite books from the last couple of years come from that beautiful country. So when I saw Camilla Sten's The Lost Village on LibraryReads it was a no-brainer. This is a psychological suspense thriller where our main character is trying to uncover what happened in the past while simultaneously trying to unravel the very real danger of what is happening to them in the present. Alice has grown up hearing stories from her grandmother about her hometown where the inhabitants (all 900 of them including Alice's great grandparents and great aunt) vanished without a trace in the 1950s. Well, almost all of the inhabitants vanished. A murdered woman (tied to a pole and stoned to death) and a crying baby were all that was found when the police arrived on the scene. Alice has always been interested (read: obsessed) in her grandmother's story and now that she's got a film degree she's determined to make a documentary to uncover the truth of what happened there. So the reader is bounced between Now where Alice and her small crew are scouting the location and Then with Elsa (Alice's great grandmother) as the tale of what really happened slowly unfolds. 

The beginning did drag a bit but around the halfway point it picked up significantly and by the last third of the novel the action is basically nonstop. [A/N: I preferred the Then sections somewhat more than the Now as the characters were more likable. 😬] She has another psychological suspense thriller slated for 2022 (this is the English translation if I'm not mistaken) and is also working on a YA series (labeled as dark and atmospheric). If you're in the mood for a suspenseful book that takes place in a single setting then I think this is a great option. 7/10

Source: Amazon

What I'm currently reading: A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome by Emma Southon

**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click here. This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **

Under the microscope

Continuing with the theme of 'murder murder murder' I picked up It Takes One by Kate Locke which is a psychological thriller taking place in a small rural town. (Looking at the descriptions of some of Locke's other books it seems like 'small town murder mystery' might be a specialty of hers.) Audrey Harte is a criminal psychologist who is frequently asked to lend her opinion on true crime shows where a professional analysis is required. Unbeknownst to her colleagues, she has a dark past that she's been trying to leave behind for years. You see Audrey murdered her best friend's father when they were kids and spent several years at a juvenile facility for violent girls. O_O So when she goes home for the first time in several years and a body turns up...you can imagine where the fingers start pointing. Now Audrey has to find the killer before either she's found guilty or dead. I will say that when you find out whodunit it is a SHOCK to say the least.

This is the first in a series featuring Audrey Harte as the main character but I think I've probably had my fill after reading this one. (She's not particularly likable if you want my opinion and the explicit sex scenes are not my cup of tea.) A surprising ending doesn't override the fact that I've read better psychological thrillers. 5/10

Source: Goodreads

What's Up Next: The 7th Victim by Alan Jacobson

What I'm Currently Reading: Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

**If you're interested in buying this book or any books really, you can click here or here. The first will re-direct you to AbeBooks and the second will re-direct you to The Book Depository. These are great websites for purchasing books (AbeBooks carries inexpensive used and out-of-print books and The Book Depository ships free everywhere in the world). Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made by following either of these links. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **

Gratuitous sex scenes

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley was an absolute blast. Last year I went through several weeks where all I wanted to read were murder mysteries and this was the first one from the recommended reading list. The Hunting Party is a psychological thriller taking place at an isolated hotel in the middle of the Scottish countryside during a snowstorm. There are a multitude of characters in this book but they're all such distinctly different personalities that you're unlikely to get character fatigue. [A/N: Did I just invent 'character fatigue'? If you ever tried to read Casual Vacancy then surely you understand what I'm talking about.] Stuck out in the Scottish highlands with no way to get help, a murder puts a real crimp on the New Year's festivities. Backtracking from two days prior to our main event, the reader is introduced to a group of friends who have known each other since college. There are cliques within this clique and not everyone is likable (in fact I don't recall particular loving any of them). You're trying to work out who the killer is along with the rest of them and the craziest thing is that I wasn't even totally sure who was dead until the last 20 pages! O_O

If you're looking for a real page turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat this is the one for you. 9/10 because the unnecessarily explicit sex scenes really turned me off.

Let me know if you worked out who the killer was before it was revealed. (I did but it was made harder by my lack of confidence in who was actually dead. You'll get what I mean if you read it.)

Source: Amazon

What's Up Next: We Were Killers Once by Becky Masterman

What I'm Currently Reading: Caging Skies by Christine Leunens

**If you're interested in buying this book or any books really, you can click here or here. The first will re-direct you to AbeBooks and the second will re-direct you to The Book Depository. These are great websites for purchasing books (AbeBooks carries inexpensive used and out-of-print books and The Book Depository ships free everywhere in the world). Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made by following either of these links. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **

Newly Released: Best Day Ever

I received an email from the wizards over at Wunderkind PR who asked me to fill you guys in on a new book hitting shelves today. I had a feeling that at least a few of you might be interested so I said yes. You're welcome. ;-)

"As I opened the door and stepped into the humid night, her scream followed me out. But I knew there was still love for me in her heart…

I'm unforgettable."

Paul Strom has the perfect life: a glittering career as an advertising executive, a beautiful wife, two healthy boys and a big house in a wealthy suburb. And he's the perfect husband: breadwinner, protector, provider. That's why he's planned a romantic weekend for his wife, Mia, at their lake house, just the two of them. And he's promised today will be the best day ever.

But as Paul and Mia drive out of the city and toward the countryside, a spike of tension begins to wedge itself between them and doubts start to arise. How perfect is their marriage, or any marriage, really? How much do they trust each other? Is Paul the person he seems to be? And what are his secret plans for their weekend at the cottage?

Forcing us to ask ourselves just how well we know those who are closest to us, Best Day Ever crackles with dark energy, spinning ever tighter toward its shocking conclusion. In the bestselling, page-turning vein of The Couple Next Door and The Dinner, Kaira Rouda weaves a gripping, tautly suspenseful tale of deception and betrayal dark enough to destroy a marriage…or a life.

Kaira Rouda is a USA TODAY bestselling, multiple award-winning author of contemporary fiction, including Here, Home, Hope, and The Goodbye Year. Kaira is also the author of Real You Incorporated: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs and the creator of Real Living, one of the nation’s most successful real estate brands and the first national women-focused brand in real estate. She now lives in Southern California with her family, where she’s lucky enough to write full time, and enjoys the beach whenever possible.  Kaira’s latest novel, Best Day Ever, is one of the major launch titles for Harlequin’s new imprint Graydon House, and will be available on September 19, 2017.

Her website: KairaRouda.com.
Facebook: Facebook.com/KairaRoudaBooks
Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter - @KairaRouda.

Where to buy BEST DAY EVER: At your local bookstore or online at--
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Best-Day-Ever-Kaira-Rouda/dp/1525811401?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/best-day-ever-kaira-rouda/1125489157?ean=9781525811401&st=PLA&sid=BNB_DRS_Core+Shopping+Books_00000000&2sid=Google_&sourceId=PLGoP62464
Indiebound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781525811401

Anniversary of Death + The Dark Angel's Lover

I'm very thankful to have been sent copies of the following books by the lovely Emma at Wunderkind PR. Both of these books were published by Thomas & Mercer and are out now.

I jokingly referred to this book as Murder Murder Murder in homage to my mother and cousin who are seemingly obsessed with the ID channel. (Who knows why with those awful reenactments.) The book's actual title is Baggage and the author is S.G. Redling. Anna Ray has led what could be considered a cursed life. At 12 years of age, her father was murdered and her mother imprisoned as the perpetrator. That was on February 17th. Fast forward to another February 17 (generally spent in torturous remembrance) when she comes home to a ghastly sight…and so it continues. I have to say that I was genuinely surprised at the conclusion…and disappointed somewhat. I didn't get that satisfactory "just solved a case" feeling which generally accompanies this type of story. However, I was kept on my toes wondering whodunit (and giggling at the references to work in Higher Education as I know them to be all too true). If you're easily triggered by references to substance abuse and/or child abuse then I suggest you steer clear of this one. If you think you can stomach such things and enjoy a fast paced psychological thriller then this might be the book for you. (You know the feeling of gratification when you stumble upon the reference for the book's title? Yeah you're not gonna get that here.)

Also, sent to me was Journey to Death by Leigh Russell. This is another psychological thriller but I believed it was a supernatural mystery right up until the last few chapters. The story begins with George Hall who has arrived in Seychelles (it's an archipelago off the coast of East Africa) as the new accountant of the Garden of Eden Hotel. He meets a beautiful woman named Veronique and falls in love. They are separated and the story jumps to present day when George accompanied by his wife and daughter arrive in Seychelles on vacation. It seems that his prior stay has not been forgotten by everyone...I can't give away  more than this because SPOILERS but there's quite a bit of drama, mystery, and walks along the beach. I wasn't a huge fan of this one to be honest. I found the narrative to be plodding and not all that interesting. The fact that it felt more like a supernatural mystery as opposed to a psychological thriller might be the key. I just didn't feel invested in the characters and as a result wasn't drawn into the story. If you like books that follow a straight trajectory from A to B then you'll probably like this one but if you prefer to have a lot of WHOA moments...this book will be a disappointment.

**If you're interested in buying these books or any books really, you can click here or here. The first will re-direct you to AbeBooks and the second will re-direct you to The Book Depository. These are great websites for purchasing books (AbeBooks carries inexpensive used and out-of-print books and The Book Depository ships free everywhere in the world). Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made by following either of these links. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **