Deadly Little Scandals (Debutantes, #2) – Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Deadly Little Scandals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Received: Hachette Book Group Canada
Published: 2019
Publisher: Freeform Books
Recommended Age: 13+
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Mystery, Family Drama, Sisterhood, Secrets, Thriller

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REVIEW:

My head hurts. It’s like Jennifer Lynn Barnes is not okay with just one or two or three mind-fucking revelations. In her case, it’s the more, the better. And my brain is upside down. Don’t ask me to summarize this story for you because it’ll take me HOURS to explain these complex (and very messed up) relationships.

My Sister, the Serial Killer – Oyinkan Braithwaite

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Penguin Random House Canada
Published: November 2018
Publisher: Doubleday
Recommended Age: 14+
Genres & Themes: Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Siblings, Africa

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REVIEW:

This is the story of a woman in love with a man in love with her sister, a serial killer. If that sentence alone doesn’t make you want to go, ”Ooooohhhh… intriguing,” then please do stop reading this review. My heart won’t break.

The Perfect Child – Lucinda Berry

The Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Thomas Allen & Son
Published: March 1st, 2019
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Recommended Age: 14+
Genres & Themes: Adult, Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Family, Manipulation, Children, Mental Illness

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REVIEW:

This is one messed up book and Janie is one messed up child. You’d think that the more psychological thrillers you read, the less they will affect you. But actually, it doesn’t work like that. If anything, your insides instinctively prepare themselves to be disturbed the moment you begin a new thriller.

My Lovely Wife – Samantha Downing

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Penguin Random House Canada
Published: March 2019
Publisher: Berkley
Recommended Age: 14+
Genres & Themes: Adult, Psychological Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Family Dynamics

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REVIEW:

If you’re a sucker for psychological thrillers, you need to read this TODAY. Before your interest wanes. Well even if it does, the first page alone is going to rekindle it because this is FAST and ADDICTIVE.

The Silent Patient – Alex Michaelides

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Received: Raincoast Books
Published: February 2019
Publisher: Celadon Books
Recommended Age: 15+
Genres & Themes: Adult, Thriller, Mystery, Psychoanalysis

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REVIEW:

Thanks to this book, Thriller has officially become one of my top three favourite genres, behind Fantasy and Romance. There’s something deeply satisfying about reading a story that gives you opportunities to make up your own mind about what happened but at the same time takes you on an unforgettable and twisted roller-coaster that unsettles the hell out of you. You also wonder how far the author will go and feel respect for them when they push limits and steer clear of predictable paths. I won’t lie, I am a tiny bit terrified of Alex Michaelides right now. I’m sure he’s (probably) a decent human being but it doesn’t change the fact that he has a mind that can conjure nightmares in me or any other reader. He reminds you that the world is a safe place—it was built to sustain communities—but anyone can be triggered and disrupt your safe haven in a second.

Run Away – Harlan Coben

Run Away by Harlan Coben

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Received: Hachette Book Group Canada
Published: March 19th, 2019
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Recommended Age: 14+
Genres & Themes: Adult, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Family, Crime

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REVIEW:

This was my first Harlan Coben book and I am IMPRESSED. I could not put it down. It’s not rare I finish a book in a single day, especially during an exam period because I would way rather read than study but the action of going through 371 pages in one day is still worth mentioning here because I was not one bit exhausted at the end. Not every almost 400-page book can be read so fast but I was completely engrossed in this one and closed it wanting to read 5 more from the author the same day.

Necessary People – Anna Pitoniak

Necessary People by Anna Pitoniak

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Hachette Book Group Canada
Published: May 21st, 2019
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Recommended Age: 14+
Genres & Themes: Adult, Thriller, Mystery, Ambition

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REVIEW:

I love, absolutely LOVE, reading about ambitious women. In the context of this book, we’re talking about women who put their careers before anything else—romances, friends and even family members. Because not everyone can do it. Putting something above anything else requires sacrifice. Strength. Knowing what you want from and in life and going for it and not stopping until you reach your goal.

Jar of Hearts – Jennifer Hillier

Jar of Hearts by Jennifer Hillier

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Raincoast Books
Published: June 12th, 2018
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Recommended Age: 16+
Pacing: Normal
Genres & Themes: Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Crime, Death

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BLURB:

To the authorities, Calvin is a serial killer. But to Geo, he’s something else entirely. Back in high school, Calvin was Geo’s first love. Turbulent and often volatile, their relationship bordered on obsession from the moment they met right up until the night Angela was killed. For fourteen years, Geo knew what happened to Angela and told no one. For fourteen years, she carried the secret of Angela’s death until Geo was arrested and sent to prison. While everyone thinks they finally know the truth, there are dark secrets buried deep. And what happened that fateful night is more complex and more chilling than anyone really knows. Now the obsessive past catches up with the deadly present when new bodies begin to turn up, killed in the exact same manner as Angela Wong.

An Unwanted Guest – Shari Lapena

An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Publisher
Published: August 7th, 2018
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Recommended Age: 14+
Pacing: Fast
Genres & Themes: Adult, Mystery, Thriller

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BLURB:

It’s winter in the Catskills and the weather outside is frightful, but Mitchell’s Inn is so delightful! The cozy lodge nestled deep in the woods is perfect for a relaxing–maybe even romantic–weekend away. The Inn boasts spacious old rooms with huge wood-burning fireplaces, a well-stocked wine cellar, and opportunities for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or just curling up with a book and someone you love. 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. The power’s down but they’ve got candles, blankets, and wood–a genuine rustic experience! Soon, though, a body turns up–surely an accident. When a second body appears, they start to panic. Then they find a third body.

Aftermath – Kelley Armstrong

Aftermath by Kelley Armstrong

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Received: Publisher
Published: May 22nd, 2018
Publisher: Crown BFYR
Recommended Age: 12+
Pacing: Fast
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, High School, Friendship, Shooting

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BLURB:

Three years after losing her brother Luka in a school shooting, Skye Gilchrist is moving home. But there’s no sympathy for Skye and her family because Luka wasn’t a victim; he was a shooter. Jesse Mandal knows all too well that the scars of the past don’t heal easily. The shooting cost Jesse his brother and his best friend–Skye. Ripped apart by tragedy, Jesse and Skye can’t resist reopening the mysteries of their past. But old wounds hide darker secrets. And the closer Skye and Jesse get to the truth of what happened that day, the closer they get to a new killer.