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wanderingthepage's reviews
168 reviews
The Rumor by Lesley Kara
4.0
Alright y’all, I have seen mixed reviews about this book so I had to read it soon. I really enjoyed it. I did not see the big twist coming, I was suspicious of everyone, the last twist wasn’t as ohemgee but it was good.
Reputation by Sara Shepard
4.0
Reputation by Sara Shepard has more twists than you could ever imagine, and so many juicy secrets. There is so much drama and I am here for it! The story is told in mulitple POVs. I am not going to lie, I started a page of notes in the beginning so I could refer back to who was married to who, how many children they had and what their connections were. If you are a fan of Sara Shepard, you know that all information is important and everyone ends up being connected somehow! After I got further in, I didn't need the reference. I am not saying there were too many characters either, I loved all of the POVs and feel like they make the story!
I don't feel like I can say much about the plot because I don't want to give away one clue. The plot centers around a hacking scandal at a university, so it has a university feel to it all while still feeling like an adult read. The story is so relevant to today's society, our dealings with technology and our false sense of security. I really enjoyed this read a lot and I couldn't wait to pick it back up to see what new secrets were about to unfold. Just when you think you have it figured out, you are wrong! I am definitely a Sara Shepard fan so I recommend picking this one up soon, it will be a quick read for many of you.
I don't feel like I can say much about the plot because I don't want to give away one clue. The plot centers around a hacking scandal at a university, so it has a university feel to it all while still feeling like an adult read. The story is so relevant to today's society, our dealings with technology and our false sense of security. I really enjoyed this read a lot and I couldn't wait to pick it back up to see what new secrets were about to unfold. Just when you think you have it figured out, you are wrong! I am definitely a Sara Shepard fan so I recommend picking this one up soon, it will be a quick read for many of you.
The Murder List: A Novel of Suspense by Hank Phillippi Ryan
3.0
Let me start off with this, I wouldn't classify The Murder List as a thriller. The book is more of legal drama with a twist at the end. You have three POV's and a dual timeline. We hear perspectives from: Rachel North, whom the story is centered around, a law student; Jack Kirkland, Rachel's husband, a very successful defense attorney; and Lisa Gardner, the district attorney and one of Jack's biggest rivals.
Rachel is very smart and has plans to become a lawyer and then partner with her husband. Before getting married Rachel worked with a senator as the chief of staff. While working for the senator, there is a murder that takes place. The killer is never found and the case goes cold for six years. Back to the present day, Rachel has taken an internship with the district attorney's office which is a requirement for her degree. She decides to accept the internship, even if it is with her husband's rival.... the questionable Lisa Gardner. During her time at the DA's office, the cold case of the murder that took place during her time with the senator is reopened. So we follow them on interviews of potential suspects, all from Rachel's past.
The alternating timeline did help this story from becoming too monotonous. I had a strong feeling from very early on who committed the murder in this story. Never at any point did I feel like the murderer could have been anyone else, and I was correct. I didn't even have a glimmer that it could have been anyone else, so the twist in this story fell a bit short. I think having the big whodunit figured out, made this one read a little slow for me. I found myself wanting to know how things were going to unravel, but also feeling a bit lackluster at times. I think this book is perfect for someone who is looking for a legal drama, that has some physiological aspects and isn't heavy on police procedural. I have read many great reviews for this book and Hank Phillippi Ryan is a great writer, so even though this one may not have worked for me, it very well could work for you!
Thanks so much to St Martin’s Press for providing this free review copy.
Rachel is very smart and has plans to become a lawyer and then partner with her husband. Before getting married Rachel worked with a senator as the chief of staff. While working for the senator, there is a murder that takes place. The killer is never found and the case goes cold for six years. Back to the present day, Rachel has taken an internship with the district attorney's office which is a requirement for her degree. She decides to accept the internship, even if it is with her husband's rival.... the questionable Lisa Gardner. During her time at the DA's office, the cold case of the murder that took place during her time with the senator is reopened. So we follow them on interviews of potential suspects, all from Rachel's past.
The alternating timeline did help this story from becoming too monotonous. I had a strong feeling from very early on who committed the murder in this story. Never at any point did I feel like the murderer could have been anyone else, and I was correct. I didn't even have a glimmer that it could have been anyone else, so the twist in this story fell a bit short. I think having the big whodunit figured out, made this one read a little slow for me. I found myself wanting to know how things were going to unravel, but also feeling a bit lackluster at times. I think this book is perfect for someone who is looking for a legal drama, that has some physiological aspects and isn't heavy on police procedural. I have read many great reviews for this book and Hank Phillippi Ryan is a great writer, so even though this one may not have worked for me, it very well could work for you!
Thanks so much to St Martin’s Press for providing this free review copy.
One of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus
3.5
Rating: 3.5 Stars
I had a hard time trying to figure out what to rate One of Us Is Next, I had decided on three stars for probably the first three fourths of the book. I felt like it was a slow build to get to the action, some parts felt a little long winded to me and I felt myself wishing it would get to the action already.
Once the book picked up, I was definitely flipping quickly to figure out what was going to happen next. The plot twist was pretty good.
I like that we get to revisit the Bayview Four, not directly, but we still get a glimpse at their current lives. This story revolves around Maeve, Bronwyn’s sister, and her friends. I have to admit that I enjoyed the One of Us Is Lying more than One of Us Is Next. I felt more connected to the Bayview Four, Nate’s story from One of Us Is Lying, actually made me cry! I just didn’t feel that connection with this cast.
Overall is was a good read. The ending has bumped it to a 3.5. I almost gave it four, but I just can’t rate it the same as the first book.
I had a hard time trying to figure out what to rate One of Us Is Next, I had decided on three stars for probably the first three fourths of the book. I felt like it was a slow build to get to the action, some parts felt a little long winded to me and I felt myself wishing it would get to the action already.
Once the book picked up, I was definitely flipping quickly to figure out what was going to happen next. The plot twist was pretty good.
I like that we get to revisit the Bayview Four, not directly, but we still get a glimpse at their current lives. This story revolves around Maeve, Bronwyn’s sister, and her friends. I have to admit that I enjoyed the One of Us Is Lying more than One of Us Is Next. I felt more connected to the Bayview Four, Nate’s story from One of Us Is Lying, actually made me cry! I just didn’t feel that connection with this cast.
Overall is was a good read. The ending has bumped it to a 3.5. I almost gave it four, but I just can’t rate it the same as the first book.
The Tenant by Katrine Engberg
3.0
I am going to keep this review short. I had a very hard time connecting with this book, it took me until around the 40% mark to become interested. There was a lot of unnecessary, long winded information. This made the book drag for me.
The book opens with a Murder scene, it was a decently gory scene, yet they didn’t delve as deep as some Nordic noir I have read.
The bones of this mystery were pretty good, I definitely enjoyed parts of it. The twist was a pretty decent one and I enjoyed the way it played out and the way the author wrapped everything up. I will admit that there was still something lacking for me.
While this may not have worked the best for me, I could see some really enjoying this book. If you are new to Nordic noir, mysteries and you like a detailed slow burn, this could work for you! This author has a lot of potential and I am excited to see what she will have to offer in the future!
Thank you to Scout Press for providing this book for an honest review.
The book opens with a Murder scene, it was a decently gory scene, yet they didn’t delve as deep as some Nordic noir I have read.
The bones of this mystery were pretty good, I definitely enjoyed parts of it. The twist was a pretty decent one and I enjoyed the way it played out and the way the author wrapped everything up. I will admit that there was still something lacking for me.
While this may not have worked the best for me, I could see some really enjoying this book. If you are new to Nordic noir, mysteries and you like a detailed slow burn, this could work for you! This author has a lot of potential and I am excited to see what she will have to offer in the future!
Thank you to Scout Press for providing this book for an honest review.
The Wife and the Widow by Christian White
4.0
The Wife and The Widow opens with a dramatic scene and you are pulled in from the first page.
We have two main character POVs, The Wife and then The Widow. Each chapter switches back and forth between the two. The widow, Kate, is trying to piece together clues to solve her husband’s murder and figure out why he was lying to her. The wife, Abby, suspects that her husband is hiding something from her and starts to dig for answers.
We delve deeper in to each of their lives and their search for answers. Kate, following the clues as they unfold and Abby as she tries to figure out if her husband really has something to hide and if so, what really happened.
The twist in this story truly is genius, and I love hearing about how it came to be in Christian White’s Author’s Note. I didn’t suspect what was coming! The author truly did an amazing job of keeping us in the dark all while actually laying out the entire story for us.
I think the plot adds in some topics I don’t see in thrillers very much and I am glad he brought some new elements to the table. I truly can’t expand beyond that because I don’t want to spoil one thing!
I think many of you will enjoy this one, and appreciate the topics the author bings into the story and that plot twist! I would be shocked if you guess the entire ending on this one.
We have two main character POVs, The Wife and then The Widow. Each chapter switches back and forth between the two. The widow, Kate, is trying to piece together clues to solve her husband’s murder and figure out why he was lying to her. The wife, Abby, suspects that her husband is hiding something from her and starts to dig for answers.
We delve deeper in to each of their lives and their search for answers. Kate, following the clues as they unfold and Abby as she tries to figure out if her husband really has something to hide and if so, what really happened.
The twist in this story truly is genius, and I love hearing about how it came to be in Christian White’s Author’s Note. I didn’t suspect what was coming! The author truly did an amazing job of keeping us in the dark all while actually laying out the entire story for us.
I think the plot adds in some topics I don’t see in thrillers very much and I am glad he brought some new elements to the table. I truly can’t expand beyond that because I don’t want to spoil one thing!
I think many of you will enjoy this one, and appreciate the topics the author bings into the story and that plot twist! I would be shocked if you guess the entire ending on this one.
Served Cold by Alan Baxter
Served Cold by Alan Baxter is a collection of horror short stories. This was my first time reading a book of short stories, I am not sure that the format works the best for me. I find it hard to come to an overall rating because there were stories that I enjoyed more than others. I seem to give the longer stories higher ratings, this is the reason I believe short stories may not be for me. Alan's writing is truly great and his ideas are pretty cool, I would really like to read a full length novel from him! One of my favorite stories from the collection was How Father Bryant Saw the Light, I found myself wanting more of that story. I wanted more build up and atmosphere because the story was great, Alan did such a good job building as much as possible in so few words though. The horror is more than just a ghost in the corner, this horror takes you to multiple places, it’s different with each story. It takes you to those dark places that some have lived that may scare some more than others because they have been in that darkness. Saying this, some stories definitely made the hair on the back of my neck stand more than others. Overall, I would say, if you like short stories and different types of horror this book would be a good choice.
The Look-Alike by Erica Spindler
3.0
In my opinion The Look-Alike by Erica Spindler will be for people that are looking for a lighter thriller/mystery, someone that is newer to the genre or readers that like a romance trope within a thriller/mystery.
We start out with a murder scene, the story then has past and present chapters which worked well for this plot and I thought the author did well with the transitions. There is a large focus on mental health of a loved one. The plot gets tied up neatly in the end with no strings left untied.
I think this book will work for many, I was kinda indifferent when I finished. There were parts that I found myself wanting to speed up and get through, but overall there wasn’t anything I just disliked about the book. I would recommend that you read this one and decide for yourself!
We start out with a murder scene, the story then has past and present chapters which worked well for this plot and I thought the author did well with the transitions. There is a large focus on mental health of a loved one. The plot gets tied up neatly in the end with no strings left untied.
I think this book will work for many, I was kinda indifferent when I finished. There were parts that I found myself wanting to speed up and get through, but overall there wasn’t anything I just disliked about the book. I would recommend that you read this one and decide for yourself!
Dead to Her by Sarah Pinborough
4.0
I think Dead to Her will possibly be another polarizing Sarah Pinborough book. Personally, I really enjoyed and appreciated the story. We have a multiple POV storyline and everytime you think you know how it’s going to pan out, there’s another clue leading you in a different direction.
What I loved most about this book is that it broke away from your average, tick all the boxes, domestic thrillers. You are placed in the south where last names have worth and prestige, where younger women marry for money, where everyone is part of the country club (well, that is, if you have a husband to get you an associate membership because only men can become actual members) and interracial relationships are still seen as somewhat taboo. But, don’t let these things scare you, Pinborough really defies these old school southern “norms” with some of her characters. It’s so hard to tell you just exactly what topics she tackles without giving away a spoiler, just trust me lol. I also really loved the element of the macabre she added into the mix, very unexpected.
If you’re looking for a domestic thriller that brings something different to the table, this is your book!! I ultimately gave this one four stars because there were just a few spots where the pacing was off for me, and there were a couple places where I wish the author had gone just a bit further or darker. I mean, who doesn’t love a good thriller full of sociopaths and unlikable characters for all the right reasons?!
What I loved most about this book is that it broke away from your average, tick all the boxes, domestic thrillers. You are placed in the south where last names have worth and prestige, where younger women marry for money, where everyone is part of the country club (well, that is, if you have a husband to get you an associate membership because only men can become actual members) and interracial relationships are still seen as somewhat taboo. But, don’t let these things scare you, Pinborough really defies these old school southern “norms” with some of her characters. It’s so hard to tell you just exactly what topics she tackles without giving away a spoiler, just trust me lol. I also really loved the element of the macabre she added into the mix, very unexpected.
If you’re looking for a domestic thriller that brings something different to the table, this is your book!! I ultimately gave this one four stars because there were just a few spots where the pacing was off for me, and there were a couple places where I wish the author had gone just a bit further or darker. I mean, who doesn’t love a good thriller full of sociopaths and unlikable characters for all the right reasons?!