There’s something about the tried-and-true police procedural that always keeps me coming back for more—and finding an author who can write a police procedural in as fresh, modern a way as can Caz Frear is a genuine treat. SWEET LITTLE LIES follows a female policewoman in London whose personal life collides with her work in a dark and dangerous way. Cat Kinsella is called to the scene of a crime: the body of a young woman has been found not far from the pub that her estranged father still runs. Things become stranger still when Cat receives a mysterious call linking this murder to the disappearance of a young woman in Ireland years prior—a young woman whom Cat and her family saw just days before she went missing. Cat had long suspected that her father knew more about the young woman’s disappearance than he admitted… and her latest work assignment will now give her a new opportunity to investigate her own past. SWEET LITTLE LIES is an astonishingly assured debut; Cat Kinsella is a fantastic protagonist, and readers will love the complexity and precision of plotting Caz Frear puts forth in this mystery. With her first suspense novel, Frear has established herself as an author to watch - I have no doubt we’ll be hearing of Frear’s work for years to come. Highly recommended for readers looking for a slow-burning, layered mystery that puts a fresh spin on classic police procedurals, and injects a male-dominated genre with a fiercely feminist protagonist.
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Book Review: LIES by T.M. Logan
I’ve heard raves of LIES by T.M. Logan from friends across the pond and early readers here in the US alike, but my reading experience with this buzzy psychological thriller was unfortunately less than stellar. Though undeniably binge-worthy and easy to devour, LIES was quite significantly spoiled for this reader thanks to an entirely out-of-left-field finale - a conclusion so dramatic and over-the-top I couldn’t help but feel I’d been duped. There’s no fair play here - readers are never given the chance to piece together the story’s conclusion, with the author favoring pure shock value over logical plotting. If you’re a reader who considers that fair play important, you’ll want to avoid LIES—you will very likely be frustrated by its bizarre and melodramatic finale. If, however, you’re just in it for the entertainment value - and there’s absolutely no shame in that, I might add - LIES may deliver just enough of that shock value to make it worth your while. However, I would recommend adding this one to your library list rather than purchasing a copy - it may work for you in the end, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable sending you out to spend your hard-earned money on it.
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Book Review: TEAR ME APART by J.T. Ellison
I fell head-over-heels for bestselling author J.T. Ellison’s 2017 standalone thriller LIE TO ME last summer—so you can imagine my excitement when a copy of her newest release, TEAR ME APART, landed on my doorstep. There’s something about Ellison’s writing that just seems to work for me; though my exposure to her writing has been relatively limited compared to the extensive bibliography she has under her belt, I’m now two-for-two on loving her binge-worthy brand of psychological suspense. Though totally distinct stories, LIE TO ME and TEAR ME APART both feature a deep-dive into the personal lives of individuals working in unique professions: in LIE TO ME, the protagonists were authors, and in TEAR ME APART, the story’s central character is a professional skier and Olympic hopeful. Ellison has a knack for using these unique backdrops as springboards for truly gripping suspense stories—the page-turning fun of her writing is rivaled by the fascinating worlds in which these stories take place. TEAR ME APART is a more-than-satisfying follow-up to 2017’s LIE TO ME, and an excellent choice for readers looking to sneak in another “summer read” before the season ends. I’d expect nothing less from Ellison than a book this fun to devour, and she delivers and then some in TEAR ME APART.
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Book Review: THE OTHER WOMAN by Sandie Jones
Summer is winding down, but there’s still time to sneak in a beach trip before autumn arrives—and when you do, Sandie Jones’ debut THE OTHER WOMAN belongs in your beach bag. Fast-paced and binge-worthy, THE OTHER WOMAN is a strong example of what I like to call “popcorn reading”: a suspense novel with serious entertainment value that begs to be devoured in one sitting. THE OTHER WOMAN will appeal most to fans of domestic suspense novels like B.A. Paris’ BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, but Jones’ debut contributes a fresh angle to the genre that makes it a worthy addition to your TBR in its own right. The story’s titular “other woman” isn’t a mistress… it’s a mother-in-law named Pammie, and she’s bad news in the best way. What begins as a fairly standard psychological suspense setup (woman meets nearly-too-good-to-be-true man, and a romantic relationship ensues) quickly becomes deliciously dramatic and sinister; Pammie has no intention of letting her son marry our story’s protagonist, and the lengths she’s willing to go to will equal parts shock and entertain. Remember that romantic comedy Monster in Law? THE OTHER WOMAN is like that, but with a dark, vengeful twist. If you’re in the market for a lighter suspense read with a genuinely jaw-dropping finale, Sandie Jones’ debut belongs on your TBR.
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Book Review: THE DARKNESS by Ragnar Jonasson
Ragnar Jonasson, you have simply outdone yourself. Just when I thought I couldn’t love Ragnar’s books more, he goes and writes THE DARKNESS - and man, is it excellent. Already known around the world for his modern classic Dark Iceland series, Ragnar proves with THE DARKNESS that his winning brand of crime fiction can work just as well - if not better - in a new series as it did in his Ari Thor books. THE DARKNESS has all the brooding atmosphere of the Dark Iceland books with a creativity and breath-of-fresh-air protagonist all its own. Readers will travel eagerly from the streets of Reykjavik to the desolate wilds of Iceland alongside Hulda, a detective whose retirement is on the horizon—and who is determined to make the most of her time left on the force. There’s an addictiveness to THE DARKNESS that elevates this read—Jonasson beautifully balances slow-burning plotting with binge-worthy tension, and the result is just plain gripping. There’s so much that works so well in this book, and I have a feeling Jonasson’s new series will become my favorite of his work… that is, until we see what this talented writer comes up with next.
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