This is all I’ve ever wanted from a book with my only compliant being that it had to end!
Outsmarting a devilish board game has never been hard for DiThis is all I’ve ever wanted from a book with my only compliant being that it had to end!
Outsmarting a devilish board game has never been hard for Dia as it gave her a chance to escape a life just as ordinary as the antiques she sells so when an internship from the estate of the developer pops up she finds herself spiraling through a labyrinth of deceit and Deadly with a group who are just as eager to solve the mystery but maybe not for the same reasons.
Where to begin?
The storytelling in this is so beautifully crafted as we slowly unravel the secrets behind the skeletons locked away in the closet of infamous genius creator Louisiana we also just play the lost game Valkyrie. Both of these mysteries circle each other and gain speed the closer we get to the end shattering once they meet in a way that was so satisfying and scratches that itch I look for when it comes to books like this.
There’s so much I want to share about the plot and how beautifully paced it is to set up suspense and red herrings but any details could give it away for the next reader and we can’t have that now can we?
The characters were amazing in this sort of Breakfast Club like way where they all come from different walks of life and part of figuring out the game is understanding those you are playing with, or against in some cases. Dia was perfect as this strong yet uncertain narrator who holds her own even when she feels like she’s falling behind but she’s crafty in a way that as a player she is rewarded for simply paying attention and I couldn’t get enough. I loved the deceit and skillfully crafted dance all of the interns partake in as they try to win the game and outsmart the thief who took it as well as each other as there can only be one winner.
I’ve read a few other books where they have this sort of setup but truly I cannot express just how well done and creepy this was in a way that I would love to play but understand I would absolutely lose.
**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review** ...more
A book that almost feels like it would have been whispered about deep in the hills of my families home in West Virginia giving me a solid read for HalA book that almost feels like it would have been whispered about deep in the hills of my families home in West Virginia giving me a solid read for Halloween night.
A generational gift finds Dovie working with the police to uncover the dead and with hikers going missing she finds that the bones aren’t the only thing being dug up in this mountain town where secrets run deep and monsters howl when death approaches.
As mentioned above this book immediately made me feel like I was back in the small town my grandparents grew up in where God is good and the strange are whispered about and maybe there’s a cryptid in the woods warning us of tragedy to come. Sinking into this world happened so quick and we were immediately off to the races on this mystery wrapped up in a bit of magic…if you believe in that stuff anyway.
Our characters were great and Dovie was so funny in ways that actually made me laugh out loud she was tough and had a smart mouth that I enjoyed every second of. Her relationships with her family and others who understand her gift were a fun contrast between the professional and the more folklore like understanding of the talent and I enjoyed that too. I think where this book benefits is where it goes the line between the supernatural and reality in that you can almost argue both ways which side is real and which isn’t and I couldn’t stop reading to see if we would ultimately solve the question.
This is a great and quick read that I very much love and that cover is so stunning I can’t wait for everyone to read it!
**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review** ...more
I’ve never wanted a magic power so badly as I did this one.
When planning your own death you need to be perfect and for Piers she has no choice but toI’ve never wanted a magic power so badly as I did this one.
When planning your own death you need to be perfect and for Piers she has no choice but to plan down to the tiniest of detail otherwise her abusive husband will fulfill his promise to end her life , but upon reconnecting with her great Aunt she finds that some of her more peculiar quirks are her greatest assets to stay ahead of the monsters.
This is such a unique book and I loved every single second of it!
Trigger warning we deal with heavy themes including domestic violence, rape and murder and I understand very well how hard some of those can be to read least of all experience so please be mindful of the warnings before proceeding with your read.
I can’t talk this book up enough it very much reads like Gone Girl with a “good for her” attitude as we move through the human aspects of the story. This was paired perfectly with the witch element as we learn more about this unique group of women who have talents I can’t help but envy as there is a lot of things in this world that leave a bad taste in my mouth and to use that to your advantage would be the sweetest of victories.
Our characters were fantastic and I loved the little pieces we got of everyone which felt like we spent so much more time with them all than we actually did and made you care for or despise them in equal value so each strong hit in the plot really left it’s mark.
I have nothing but good things to say about this book and I look forward to adding more from this author to my shelves.
**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review** ...more
I can’t remember the last time I finished a book this quickly and man is it going to be the perfect read for spooky season.
‘This Cursed House’ bringsI can’t remember the last time I finished a book this quickly and man is it going to be the perfect read for spooky season.
‘This Cursed House’ brings us down to New Orleans offering opportunities to Jemma as she accepts a job offer with a reclusive family at their estate but it’s not without its fair share of secrets and as she gets closer to the family, and the skeletons in the closet, she finds more than she’s bargained for and may not make it out alive.
There are so many layers to this and I am very eager to speak with other readers who can better discuss the struggles of race and identity as it relates to those in this book. I am not qualified to do that as a white woman however this is ghost story and to leave out one of the main reasons they became ghosts in the first place would do a disservice to the story itself.
Running from the past was a strong plot point to not only motivate our main character but also those around her as she had to work inward in order to uncover the tragic history of those around her and following her on that journey is one I loved and there were times when I absolutely agreed in letting those who can be so hateful suffer but finding strength in spite of those who wish to see you fail is what makes us stand apart.
Our characters here are so well done and Jemma stands out as someone to root for from the second we meet her. Her relationships, both good and bad, ground her in a way that makes you want to stand at her side and face off what is to come. There is a lot of hate and cruelty amongst some of the other characters we meet and this sort of self loathing that becomes an antagonist all its own.
This is such a great book and perfect for any season but it’s definitely going to work wonders when it comes out in October!
*special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review!*...more
When tragedy strikes where can one turn if not an island job where you give tours to a mansion known famously for the curse * 3.5 but rounding down *
When tragedy strikes where can one turn if not an island job where you give tours to a mansion known famously for the curse that befell the owners? ‘Death at Morning House’ is Marlowe’s chance to start over but thrown into a group of other guides she finds herself in the middle of grief over the recently deceased she has trouble finding her footing even more so as a whispered lost treasure lurks beneath the floorboards.
A story with split timelines are some of my favorites especially when it comes to unraveling a whodunit like mystery however there are times when you find yourself more intrigued by one mystery vs the other and this book sadly fell into that category. As much as I enjoyed Marlowe and the idea of giving an island tour of a stricken old mansion I wanted to live in the past with the family who owned the house to begin with.
The entire dynamic of these six perfect children losing their seventh sibling and the constructs of their upbringing along with what ultimately shatters that perfect image had such a strong hold on me and I wanted an entire book with just those characters and plot. When we moved to the present, while a decent mystery, it is still one I have read before with a cast of characters I too have seen so there was nothing really new there to keep my attention.
I wish these had been separate stories but still paired together they work well and there is a sense of completion there when you reach the final page but man do I wish we spent more time in the fractures of the past.
**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review** ...more
I teetered between a soft three or a two but alas the lesser won out.
“Four Found Dead” takes place in my backyard a small rundown mall and a closing I teetered between a soft three or a two but alas the lesser won out.
“Four Found Dead” takes place in my backyard a small rundown mall and a closing movie theater in Sandusky, OH where the final shift is met with chaos and bloodshed.
I think my biggest issue with this book falls mostly work the characters themselves. Pacing wise this book is on from the start with little reprieve which works in its favor being a novel focused around surviving the night with a killer lurking in the shadows. Where this falls apart, however, is we have no real time to sink in and get to know these characters before they’re being killed off making their deaths not hit as hard as they should for the plot to move forward.
The one character we get the most background on is Jo who I liked though I think perhaps if there were alternate point of views per chapter it might have made this work better because that would help tease the who will or who won’t make it out instead of a single narrator who has the best odds of being the final girl simply because she’s telling us this story.
The mystery is also rather weak following the same issues I mention above, the motive could have been absolutely anything. Truly if you take out 3 pages you can make the entire reasoning behind the murders something completely different and the entire 98% of the story isn’t affected and maybe that works for some people but for me it waters down the foreshadowing or clues in mysteries that I like looking for as we go.
An interesting idea that may have needed a bit more time baking to truly be great but hopefully the next reader finds it enjoyable.
*special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review** ...more
“Nine Liars” takes us to London 1995 where a group of friends spend their final moments of university **3.5 stars**
Can we finally be done with David?
“Nine Liars” takes us to London 1995 where a group of friends spend their final moments of university together before life pulls them apart but what starts as a night of fun ends in murder and when Stevie visits her boyfriend across the pond she is pulled into the twisted mess of secrets and scandal to try and solve it all before red eye takes her home.
The weakest part of this series has always been Stevie and David’s “romance” and this book just highlighted just how terrible he is and how he weighs her down every step of the way and honestly if it wasn’t for those moments I would have liked this book a lot more. Box in the woods shined because it gave us more time with Janelle and Nate and I was excited to have a I back but again all of those friendships were sidelined for one of the worst characters I’ve ever had to suffer through and this book was more than enough nails in his coffin.
The case itself was cool and I wish more time (again thanks for nothing David) was spent on the parallels between our core group and that of The Nine as both were dealing with the complicated emotions of growing up and starting their lives outside of school and how that can affect each person and ultimately the whole.
I think the nods to history and the Tudor’s was fascinating and helped pull off some fun gotcha moments with this feeling a bit like ‘If We Were Villains’ showing the lengths people will go to cover for their friends and the frustration and admiration that a strong bond like that can have over time.
A fun read with a satisfying payoff reveal for the case itself, it will be interesting to see what comes next and just how far this series will go since we’ve moved into stand alone vs multi book stories.
**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review** ...more
An okay read with a dash of true crime that takes a swing at America’s infamous serial killer.
“The Perfect Place to Die” takes a girl from Utah to ChAn okay read with a dash of true crime that takes a swing at America’s infamous serial killer.
“The Perfect Place to Die” takes a girl from Utah to Chicago in the late 1890s as she searches for her little sister not long after her letters stop and soon finds herself standing at the doorstep of The Castle a place girls go to disappear and if she’s not careful she might end up a missing person herself.
This book started strong with this mystery of what happened to Ruby but soon is spoiled by the notoriety of its villain. It’s hard being a fan of true crime and knowing so many of these stories to be surprised at any attempts at a twist and this book sadly fell into that trap of if you know you know which ultimately ruins the ending. That being said I thought Zuretta was a good character who understood that she was in over her head and used what she could to gain the knowledge needed to survive Chicago itself.
I thought the attempts at paranormal was good especially since we have a cover like that and while it didn’t lean into anything like that it was a nice sprinkle of horror since the only real bits of that we get are headers at the start of each chapter. I wish there was more given to the actual people in this book but again I understand that this was a story of fiction built around the truth.
Not a bad book but one that benefits from a reader who is less aware of the source material as those of us who know too much about the things that go bump in the night will crave the monster instead of a story featuring the man.
**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review** ...more
An interesting read that balances true crime and the effects social media can have in catching a killer.
“14 Ways to Die” follows Jessica as she takesAn interesting read that balances true crime and the effects social media can have in catching a killer.
“14 Ways to Die” follows Jessica as she takes part in a new YouTube channel that follows kids through their day to day with the hopes of attracting enough viewers, but Jessica’s motivations have less to do with fame and more with catching the monster who killed her mother and added 13 more victims along the way.
This book sets up a good almost urban legend like mystery when it comes to the Magpie Man serial killer and it was really fun to get these little glimpses of what Jessica was able to uncover as she put this plan into motion to draw him out. You could tell there was a lot of research done to understand the psychology of a killer and using something like social media to play on those characteristics most monsters have was brilliant especially when the backlash of trolling and misdirection came about which could break any real progress.
The story itself is strong and manages to have a few red herrings that don’t take away from the impact of the reveal and while there’s a couple moments that seem too fantastical for the overall mood of the story it’s still a solid read. My biggest critique is the way the book is broken down chapter by chapter, usually when the length of each is small I tend to enjoy it more because I feel like I’m moving faster through the book but in this case a chapter could be a page and it felt more choppy than I would have liked when the rest of the narrative was running smoothly.
There’s a few moments in this book that are very powerful and show what can happen when you focus your efforts on finding justice but it never shies away from the grief of loss and the double edged sword social media can wield on the process making this a pretty solid read for any true crime fan.
**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review** ...more
If you’re a fan of Buzzfeed Unsolved and The Haunting of Bly Manor then buckle up because you’re in for a wild ride!
There’s something bad happening inIf you’re a fan of Buzzfeed Unsolved and The Haunting of Bly Manor then buckle up because you’re in for a wild ride!
There’s something bad happening in Snakebite and the arrival of Ghosthunters don’t make things easier especially when the two have a personal connection to the town and a teenage daughter Logan digging into the past as she forms an unlikely alliance with local Ashley to find out what happened to the missing boy and solve the case before the bodies start adding up.
I enjoyed every second of this book!
The atmosphere is perfect as we enter a small town with questionable values as their distaste for Logan and her fathers are evident from day 1 and it only goes downhill from there. Trigger warning there is homophobia and mention of slurs facing our trio as they try to do their job and it may be hard to read for some. I think it’s a difficult conversation to have especially in today’s climate if you’re calling a place like this home as the risk of going from the golden boy to the outcast for simply loving your truth is the most heartbreaking thing imaginable but to see those moments where these two men were happy as a family make up for that.
Each characters was perfect and I loved everything about Logan as she carried herself with the kind of attitude I wish I had while also wanting the most basic thing which was to be loved and I wanted to hug her the entire time! Ashley too is one who from the first page is going through it and while dealing with the fact that her boyfriend is missing, she has to deal with the new feeling that grips her when around Logan and what that could mean for her future.
The concept behind the Dark was very cool and I liked the little insights into its mind as it lingered in the shadows over the course of the book and I felt that the explanation was pretty sound as well as the reveal behind it all which is always a good thing!
I can’t recommend this book enough my only regret is that I finished it so soon!
**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review!*...more
I really wish I was able to enjoy this but unfortunately I just couldn’t.
“Don’t Tell a Soul” brings us to Louthe where Bram is escaping the missteps I really wish I was able to enjoy this but unfortunately I just couldn’t.
“Don’t Tell a Soul” brings us to Louthe where Bram is escaping the missteps of her past while also looking for answers surrounding her fathers death and when she’s reunited with her uncle she quickly learns that small towns carry nothing but secrets and ghost stories.
I really wanted to like this book it has everything on the surface that I enjoy but I think it suffered in the overall execution.
Bram is an unlikely lead having struggled with different issues that I don’t wish to spoil but they all allow her to become an unreliable narrator leading you to question is it ghosts or something worse and that I love but here she felt very flat so it was less about her sanity and more about keeping my attention.
I think the set up is fine but I feel like if you look too close you can start poking holes into the plot and though the author tries to explain it away it just keeps digging long after you finish which isn’t what you want following a reveal but maybe I’m just being picky.
The mystery itself is okay I think the author did a nice job of trying to draw parallels between each “Dead Girl” to follow the rule of three like method but it’s very predictable which kind of ruins the fun there.
Not a bad book and definitely one that carries the atmosphere of a cold winter night in the woods but that’s about all I’ll remember.
**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review** ...more
