Genre: Mystery

Thriller Mini Reviews: More Than You’ll Ever Know & I’m the Girl

Posted January 23, 2023 in Books, Reviews / 1 Comment

I honestly can’t remember how More Than You’ll Ever Know ended up on my radar- probably a Goodreads email or round up post. However, I do remember the striking cover and vaguely knowing that it was a thriller/mystery. When my library hold came in, I didn’t rush to read it, and almost let it slip through the cracks. I’m so glad I didn’t, because it ended up being one of my favorite reads of 2022! Told in a dual POV with alternating timelines, More Than You’ll Ever Know centers around Cassie, an aspiring true crime writer, and Lore, an infamous […]

As Good as Dead (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder #3) by Holly Jackson | Review

Posted February 7, 2022 in Books, Reviews / 0 Comments

Whoa. Whoawhoawhoawhoawhoa. Just when I think Holly Jackson can’t build upon her previous mysteries BAM she gets me with a twist so unexpected that I’m left reeling. I have a lot of whiplash from this book, the third and (likely) final installment in the Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series, and it went in a direction I was NOT expecting. I’ll admit, I considered DNF-ing this one initially, because the beginning is super slow. Pip is obviously dealing with PTSD (as she was after the first book, however it’s amped up a LOT after what she went through in the […]

Mini Reviews: The Silver Blonde and Killing November

Posted January 17, 2022 in Books, Reviews / 0 Comments

I’ve really been enjoying historical fiction the past few years, so when I heard about The Silver Blonde I was excited to add another title to my TBR! I was also curious as I hadn’t read anything set in post WWII Los Angeles and was intrigued to see how the entertainment industry was impacted by the war, especially in the context of a mystery. This story had a lot of interesting elements going on- a mystery, an exploration of the film industry in the aftermath of WWII, the German immigrant experience in America after the war, the journey of women […]

Mini Reviews | One Great Lie & The Moon and More

Posted October 4, 2021 in Books, Reviews / 0 Comments

There’s something about the way Deb Caletti writes that completely transports me. I am taken from my time and place and I am truly IN the protagonist’s mind. So with One Great Lie, I embarked on a dark summer adventure in Venice with protagonist Charlotte as she navigated the cruel, often heartbreaking truths of being a woman in society, both in the past and in the present. Caletti’s YA novels often seem to tackle current social issues, and One Great Lie is no exception. Charlotte wins an incredible, once in a lifetime opportunity to participate in a summer workshop abroad […]

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley | Review

Posted August 2, 2021 in Books, Reviews / 0 Comments

I’ve procrastinated on writing this review because there is just so much to unpack with this novel. At almost 500 pages, I didn’t expect this contemporary/mystery book to lean so far into the realm of a thriller, but it’s one of the most well-written mysteries I’ve read in a long time (and probably the best one I’ve read so far in 2021). The story follows 18 year old protagonist Daunis, who is a half-Native, unenrolled tribal member and the outcome of a scandal between her Native father and her white, upper class mother. Daunis often struggles with her biracial identity, […]

Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia (Harlem Renaissance Mystery #1) | Review

Posted July 26, 2021 in Books, Reviews / 1 Comment

I love a good historical fiction novel, so when I saw this 1920s story that was ALSO a mystery I knew I had to read it! Darker than I originally anticipated, Dead Dead Girls is a thriller set against a vibrant backdrop of 1920s Harlem. I was instantly sucked into the story by it’s action packed first chapter, which features a young Louise (our protagonist) being kidnapped and then managing to attack and escape along with several other girls the man had kidnapped. While it was a bit of a jarring intro to the book, it sets the stage for […]

Good Girl, Bad Blood (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder #2) by Holly Jackson | Review

Posted April 26, 2021 in Books, Reviews / 0 Comments

I absolutely adored A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. It was a YA thriller that fully leaned into the popularity of the true crime genre but didn’t sacrifice character building or writing quality for the sake of a shocking plot. The pacing was phenomenal, the mystery was brilliant, and I was honestly a little wary when I found out it was going to be a whole series because why mess with perfection? However, I can safely say that Good Girl, Bad Blood surprised me in a wonderful way and that Holly Jackson’s writing seems to be just improving with time. […]

Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano | Review

Posted March 15, 2021 in Books, Reviews / 0 Comments

I am new to the “cozy mystery” genre, and to be completely honest didn’t even realize this was a cozy mystery when I started it (at least I think it is- based on what I’ve ready about cozy mysteries I’d say this one fits the bill, albeit on the darker side!) However, if all cozy mysteries are this funny, irreverent, and quick then I will definitely be reading more! Finlay Donovan is Killing It reminded me a lot of a darker Hallmark-type movie, following the life of a down on her luck single mother who is a struggling author who […]

YA Mini Reviews: The Inheritance Game and Majesty

Posted January 25, 2021 in Books, Reviews / 4 Comments

The Inheritance Games was one of my most anticipated books of 2020, so I was excited to be able to squeeze it in as my last book of the year! The description was giving me major The Westing Game vibes, one of my favorite middle grade novels, so I was excited to dive into the story. As expected, it was a very twisty plot with Barnes’ signature plot twists, puzzles and opportunities for readers to be kept on their toes. The whole wish-fulfillment premise was really fun (who doesn’t like to daydream what they’d do if they unexpected came into […]

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson | Review

Posted April 13, 2020 in Books, Reviews / 7 Comments

There’s nothing like reading a book that completely pulls you out of a reading slump, and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson did the trick for me while in a anxiety induced quarantine reading slump that lasted throughout most of March. I enjoy the thriller genre but rarely find them to be 5 star reads for me, however this story managed to satisfy and surprise me, and even though I “guessed” some of the mystery (which can be a little disappointing) there were still several twists I did not see coming! Following protagonist Pippa, a high school […]