Katie Lattari’s DARK THINGS I ADORE is easily one of the most unusual suspense novels I’ve read this year—and I mean that as a compliment. DARK THINGS I ADORE is a book that manages to be both beautiful and horrific all at once; author Katie Lattari delivers a unique and beguiling blend of lush storytelling and disturbing content that kept me engaged from the book’s first page to its very last. While this book’s dark subject matter and slow-burning pacing won’t be for everyone, readers who gravitate towards dark tales with immersive world-building will relish DARK THINGS I ADORE. In this lush-yet-disturbing story, the author weaves an irresistible tale of past sins that have never truly been forgotten, and present-day vengeance for those past evils. Centering around an art student and her professor caught in a deadly cat-and-mouse game, DARK THINGS I ADORE explores the dark corners of artistic inspiration, drawing readers into a world where villains get their comeuppance and victims fight back. DARK THINGS I ADORE is both beautiful and sinister, an elegant story of revenge with very sharp teeth.
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Book Review: IF I DISAPPEAR by Eliza Jane Brazier
It’s been quite a while since I read a book quite like Eliza Jane Brazier’s IF I DISAPPEAR. This book is sure to be a polarizing one, and I’ve spent many days since I finished reading it trying to gather my thoughts into some sort of a coherent review. Did I love this book? No, to be honest, I can’t say I did. Were there elements I loved about it? Absolutely. IF I DISAPPEAR weaves a dark and hypnotic spell—this story is cleverly constructed and beautifully written, drawing readers into the dark heart of a family with terrible secrets. In IF I DISAPPEAR, readers follow a young woman who is obsessed with a true crime podcast and its host. When that podcast host goes missing, our protagonist believes she is uniquely prepared to solve the mystery, and sets off on an ill-advised mission to find her missing idol. I was riveted by this unsettling book for about 3/4 of it, until an out-of-left-field conclusion left me both unsatisfied and not insignificantly confused. I am, honestly, still of two minds about this book. There was so much I thoroughly enjoyed about it, and I also had significant frustrations with how the story ultimately tied together, so much so that it did impact my enjoyment of the book as a whole. I’m quite confident this book won’t be for everyone, but it’s sure to spark lots of discussion as it makes its way into readers’ hands this month.
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Book Review: LITTLE SECRETS by Jennifer Hillier
I’m not much of a crier—especially not when I’m reading crime fiction—so imagine my surprise when, as I turned the last few pages of Jennifer Hillier’s newest release, I found myself (no exaggeration!) wiping tears off my cheeks. That’s the beauty of this book. LITTLE SECRETS, Hillier’s outstanding new suspense novel, isn’t just a suspense novel—it’s also a heartfelt story that delves deep into the lives of its characters, thoughtfully crafting these fictional women and men so they begin to feel more real than not. LITTLE SECRETS is a story that begins with any parent’s worst nightmare: the disappearance of a child, kidnapped from under his mother’s nose on a busy day at a market. What follows is a twisty, heartbreaking story of grief, loss, and the ties that bind a family together—and the secrets that might tear them apart. Following a grieving mother on a desperate mission for revenge, LITTLE SECRETS delivers a fresh take on the domestic thriller, one that will captivate readers of Sandie Jones, B.A. Paris, and Paula Hawkins. Readers looking for an outstanding work of psychological suspense with a knockout ending will find LITTLE SECRETS right up their alley. This was my first book by Jennifer Hillier, and it absolutely won’t be my last.
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Mini Review & Author Interview: DARLING ROSE GOLD by Stephanie Wrobel
I had the pleasure of reading Stephanie Wrobel’s stunning debut novel DARLING ROSE GOLD this past fall, and boy oh boy did I love it. Today marks the US publication day for this exceptional new suspense read, and to celebrate, I’m so excited to give CBTB readers a two-for-one feature on what is sure to be one of my favorite books of 2020. In this blog post, you’ll find a mini review of DARLING ROSE GOLD, plus an interview with author Stephanie Wrobel herself! I had the pleasure of sitting down with Stephanie to talk all things DARLING ROSE GOLD when she was in New York in advance of her book’s publication, and I absolutely loved our conversation. We talked true crime, mental health, getting into the heads of your characters, and a whole lot more. For any reader looking for a deliciously dark suspense novel to dig into this spring, consider DARLING ROSE GOLD a must-read. Read on for details on DARLING ROSE GOLD, my mini review, and an interview with the author!
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Book Review: UNSPEAKABLE THINGS by Jess Lourey
Some books terrify with blood and gore, others with the realities of life’s darkest corners. Jess Lourey’s stunning suspense novel UNSPEAKABLE THINGS falls into the latter camp. Inspired by a true story from the author’s hometown, UNSPEAKABLE THINGS explores exactly what its title suggests: the unspeakable horrors of a small town with unthinkable secrets. Something is rotten in the town of Lilydale, Minnesota. Young boys are disappearing, and then they’re returning… changed. For protagonist Cassie, the world is a strange and dangerous place; threats both outside and inside her own home make her young life a treacherous one. Told through the eyes of a girl on the brink of becoming a teenager, struggling to understand the dangers lurking on the periphery of her life, UNSPEAKABLE THINGS is an exceptional piece of suspense fiction. This book is sure to provoke strong reactions on both sides of the fence, in large part owing to the challenging themes explored within its pages, but it was a home-run for me. Vivid, atmospheric, and genuinely unsettling, UNSPEAKABLE THINGS is a coming-of-age story as you’ve never read it before.
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