Book Review: Don’t Look for Me by Wendy Walker

Rating: 5 out of 5.

It’s a common theme in most thrillers for a child to go missing while the parent searches for that child. How often do we see the roles reversed? A parent goes missing, and the child must do all that they can to find their parent? Well, that’s the premise for Wendy Walker’s heart-pounding thriller, Don’t Look for Me. Told in alternating viewpoints, Walker weaves an intricate web of lies and mystery. If you are on the hunt for a thriller that you can’t put down, this may be the one for you!

The Plot:

            The story begins as Molly Clarke is feeling a rush of emotions about her life. Stranded in the middle of a storm, she catches a ride from someone she hopes will help get her home, but Molly Clarke was dead wrong. We switch to the perspective of her daughter, Nic, days later, as she tries to piece together where her mother went. The police rule her disappearance as a “walk away,” but Nic is full of questions. Did she run away from her family? Or did something darker happen to her? Nic gets a mysterious phone call from a woman claiming to have seen her mother the night that she went missing. With this small piece of information she is given, Nic heads back to the town where Molly disappeared and hopes to discover where her mother went. Soon clues begin to pour in, but something about the information isn’t quite right. Will Nic piece everything together in time to save her mother?

My Thoughts:

            I was hooked by this story from the opening sentence. Something about Wendy Walker’s writers pulled me into the story and kept me there until the end. I tried to put the book down and focus on my life, but I just couldn’t stop thinking about Molly and Nic. Needless to say, I finished the majority of this book in one sitting. One of my favorite parts of thrillers is when the author tells the story from multiple perspectives. I am so glad that this story was told that way. Not only do we get to see what Nic is going through while searching for her mother, but we also learn about Molly’s captivity. This book had so many twists and turns that I could not stop reading.

When the reveal of who Molly’s kidnapper truly was came to light, I was shocked. I truly was surprised by the bad guy in this story. Looking back now, it probably should’ve been obvious to me, but the shock factor made the reveal moment that much more exciting for me. I really loved how this story was different than many of the thrillers that I read. Most of the time we see the parents searching for a child, but I enjoyed how Walker put a twist on that and this time it was the child searching for the parent. Another aspect that added a lot to the plot was the fact that Molly wasn’t just stuck alone in captivity, but that there was a little girl there with her. Along with Molly I felt angry at the girl, but I also felt awful for her at the same time. Her character added a lot to the plot development. Overall, I found this to be a FIVE STAR thriller, and I will highly recommend it to my friends. This book will be released on September 15, 2020!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, Wendy Walker, and St. Martin’s Press for my copy of this story. 

Book Review: I Know Everything by Matthew Farrell

Rating: 5 out of 5.

One moment, everything in your life is going as planned, and the next moment your wife is dead, and your life has changed forever. Randall Brock’s life is changed forever after his wife’s car accident leads into a full-blown murder investigation. Not only is Randall now grieving the loss of his wife, but secrets begin to spill out, and soon nothing is as it seems. On top of his colossal grief, Randall is visited by a mysterious man that utters the words that sent chills down my spine “I know everything.”

Plot Rundown (From Goodreads)

Police investigator Susan Adler is ready to close the book on a deadly car accident, but after the medical examiner discovers evidence of foul play, she knows she has a murder on her hands. The victim was the wealthy wife of Randall Brock, a renowned psychologist who treats patients with disturbing, brutal fantasies. And just like that, Susan’s got a suspect.
Randall has a violent past but knows he didn’t kill his wife. In the midst of his crushing grief, Randall receives a visit from a stranger with information to share about his wife’s death. But there’s a catch: in exchange for the stranger’s information, Randall must reveal dark secrets he’s kept hidden for years. As this shady figure applies more pressure and Susan closes in, Randall begins to doubt himself, clinging desperately to the pieces of his sanity.
Revelations and suspicious coincidences send shock waves through the investigation, and circumstances spin out of control. Susan must race to put it all together before it’s too late—before the next murder strikes too close to home.

My thoughts:

            OH MY GOSH. That’s all I could say as I wrapped up reading this thriller. I Know Everything was the most gripping and consuming story I have read in a long time. I couldn’t seem to put it down once I got started (but with all of my college classes hanging over my head, unfortunately, I had to force myself to put it down). I spent the entire novel flip-flopping between loving certain characters and then hating them again. With some characters, I went back-and-forth like this throughout the whole book. 

            First of all, let’s talk about Randall. He’s the character that you feel bad for from the beginning of the story. Since the story is told in alternating points of view, readers get to hear Randall’s thoughts as the case progresses. As I was reading, I sympathized entirely with Randall. I wanted to jump through the page and slap Susan several times when she was questioning the man who was CLEARLY innocent. Of course, as more clues begin to bubble to the surface, Susan starts to question what is happening and begins to second guess herself. Then, when Susan was spending time with her kids, I found it hard to feel that anger towards her, so once again, I went back to loving her.

 Then we have Sam. Sam comes out of nowhere to confront Randall with his chilling words. Sam knows everything about Randall’s past, everything. Of course, as one would expect, he tells Randall that he can’t tell anyone about him, or there would be severe consequences (like revealing his deepest secrets and killing everyone he loves—you know, typical Tuesday afternoon activities). With Sam’s arrival and no one but Randall having seen him, I began to wonder how reliable our narrator truly was. I started searching for clues in everything that was happening, and I wanted to scream at Randall every time he kept a secret to appease Sam. With Sam and Susan both adding intense pressure onto Randall, his smooth edges begin to crack. I don’t want to give anything away, but the truths that Randall is forced to spill left me speechless.

            As I was reading this story, I kept questioning every character, even the ones that I THOUGHT I trusted. I Know Everything is a complete whirlwind ride. Imagine yourself being on a roller-coaster and every time you get to the top you think you’ve cracked the case and then the world drops underneath you as you go falling down until you reach your next turn and learn that everything you thought you knew was a lie—that’s this dang book. I couldn’t help but love every moment of the ride. Next time you are searching for a book that will completely take over your mind, pick up I Know Everything by Matthew Farrell. Be careful, though, because you might end up questioning everything you’ve ever known. 

Book Review: Dark August by Katie Tallo

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I’m always on the search for the next great book, so I was pleased when my request for the arc of Dark August by Katie Tallo was approved on NetGalley! I was immediately drawn to the story because it was about a girl searching for the truth about her family’s past. From the very beginning, the story sucked me in with Augusta’s passion for following the path that her mother had taken, along with her trusty canine sidekick, Levi. If you are looking for a murder mystery that will take you on a journey into the past, keep this book on your radar! It’s out, June 30, 2020!

The Plot:

When Augusta, Gus for short, finds out that her Grandmother has passed away, she immediately abandons her life with her skeeze-ball boyfriend, Lars, and heads straight to a place from her childhood. Since her Grandmother was her last living relative, Gus arrives to nothing but a house and an old dog named Levi. Knowing that she will have to sell the house, Gus decides to go through some of the old items that her Grandma was holding on to when she comes across an old trunk. This wasn’t an ordinary trunk, it was Gus’s trunk from her childhood. Upon opening it, she discovers cold case files that her mother had stuffed into it, hiding among Gus’s childhood belongings. Memories behind to bubble to the surface as Gus tries to piece together what her mother had been investigating and what truly led to her mother’s death. Gus sets out on the hunt to discover the truth, putting herself in the face of danger along the way.

My Thoughts:

First things first, when it comes to any story involving a dog, I’m always terrified to read it because I’m scared that something awful will happen to the dog! (I know, I’m one of those!) Despite my fears for sweet Levi throughout the story, I pushed on! The beginning 20-30% of the story was focused on character building and setting up the groundwork for the plot. I know that many people find this step to be tedious for most stories, but I thoroughly enjoyed the way that Tallo laid out the backstory. I’m a sucker for a book that dives into someone’s past, and this book was perfect for that. Gus is following the same path that her mother took, picking up on all of the clues that her mother left behind. I found this to be a very enjoyable aspect of the book because even though the mother, Shannon, was not alive in the story, I could feel her presence. As Gus unravels Shannon’s past, it felt like two stories in one. You have Gus’s present-day storyline and Shannon’s past storyline. Both storylines are woven together beautifully to create an electrifying page-turner that I just didn’t want to put down!

One thing that is important to note about this story is the number of different characters that are introduced. I read this book for a couple of weeks because I didn’t have as much time to dedicate to reading, so by the end of it, I had to question who some of the earlier characters were. I found it to be essential to keep track of all of the characters because each person in the story appeared to have a sense of importance in the story. Even if they weren’t directly involved in the mystery, there was an important aspect to them all. Something that I found to be unique and interesting about this story is the way that Katie Tallo set up the chapter titles. Each title was either the name of a person or a place and she centered that chapter around said person or place while still progressing with the storyline effortlessly.  

Dark August has been advertised as a book for lovers of All the Missing Girls and Sharp Objects, which just happen to be two of my all-time favorite books! I would have to agree with this claim, as I also thoroughly enjoyed this story. So if you are a fan of the “dark past” thriller, I would highly recommend you pick this one up on June 30, 2020! Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and Katie Tallo for my free advanced copy of Dark August!

Book Review: Hunted by Darcy Coates

Rating: 5 out of 5.

What would you do if your sister went on a hiking trip and never returned? Would you leave it up to the police to find her or would you take matters into your own hands? Chris is faced with this dilemma in Hunted by Darcy Coates, a thriller/horror novel that you won’t want to put down. What is happening to these hikers? Is it a monster or is it a human? All of these questions can be answered by taking a step into Ashlough Forest, but make sure you pack plenty of water, you might be here a while.

The Plot:

Eileen entered Ashlough Forest on a day of hiking fun. That day of fun quickly goes south when Eileen doesn’t return home. Around 5 days later her camera is found washed up in the river. The pictures reveal something of nightmares. The police force is pushing the case aside as if it is nothing so those close to Eileen must take matters into their own hands. With Eileen officially missing, her brother Chris, along with his friends Anna, Hailey, and Flint, set off on a journey into Ashlough Forest to find her, hopefully alive. As they venture farther into the forest they are quick to find out that they are not as safe as they originally believed. Lurking behind every corner, the monster of Ashlough Forest waits to collect its next victims.

My Thoughts:

I am now officially obsessed with Darcy Coates! Wow! I did not see that ending coming! This book had everything that I have ever wanted in a book—mystery, thrills, and horror. I love the horror aspect of this book, which is something that I haven’t typically read, even though I love the genre. I could watch horror movies all day long, so stepping into a book with some horror really caught my interest. I will point out, some of the scenes in this story are a bit gory, so fair warning if you are someone who doesn’t typically enjoy those things. Coates writes a story that is so rich with imagery that I felt like I was truly there. The scenes in the forest are so vivid that I could picture the atmosphere perfectly. This book would be great as a film adaptation because it paints the world so perfectly.

            At the beginning of the story the only character I was invested in was Eileen, and we only get one chapter with her. After that I struggled at first to feel attached to the characters, but slowly I started to like them more and more. Todd always gave me creeper vibes, and I kept expecting him to have a dark side. (Maybe he does, you will just have to read the book to find out!) Of course, I was rooting for Chris and his friends as they entered Ashlough Forest on the hunt for his sister. That being said, I kept myself guarded from getting too attached to characters considering the fact that they were entering into a dangerous, secluded forest where a monster was picking off hikers left and right. Carla was a character that I HATED in the beginning. I could not stand how this woman threw aside this case like it was no big deal thinking that it would eventually resolve itself. My blood was boiling, and I wanted to reach through the page and shake her around a bit. However, as the story progresses, she did finally redeem herself (took her long enough). In the end I had a completely different attitude towards Carla.

            I truly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good suspenseful horror novel. This book stuck with me so much that I was having dreams about it, and that’s when I know that it was a good book! Thank you so much to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my ARC!

Book Review: Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Close your eyes and imagine meeting your first love. Everything feels like it is all falling into place and anything in the world feels possible. Trust is a major part in any relationship, and Tate Jones trusts Sam Brandis with the biggest secret of her life. Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren is a swoon-worthy romance that has its obstacles. First-love, betrayal, Hollywood, and a complicated father-daughter relationship work together to create a whirl-wind romance that you won’t want to put down.

The Plot:

When Tate Jones first meets Sam Brandis on her two-week getaway with her grandmother in London, she falls for him instantly. Sam was Tate’s first love—and first loves can be hard to forget. During this two-week period, Tate shares her deepest secret with Sam, trusting that he would not spill the secret to the world and change her life forever.       Tate is the daughter of an extremely famous Hollywood actor, and she has been in hiding for years with her mother, living a completely normal life. Soon Tate discovers that she put her trust in the wrong person.

            Jumping fourteen years into the future we see Tate now as a star herself, about to take on the biggest role of her career. When she arrives on set the last thing she expects to find is the ex who broke her heart all of those years ago; however, fate has a way of hitting a person when they least expect it. Tate becomes forced to confront the man who betrayed her and must grapple with the decision of whether or not she should forgive him. How often does a once in a lifetime opportunity come around twice?

My Thoughts:

Finishing this book left me breathless. I am not one to typically pick up a romance novel, but this story blew me away. I didn’t know much of what to expect going into this story other than that it was a second chance at love. I went into this story fairly blind and I’m so glad I went into it like that. I loved the before chapters and I loved the present-day chapters, even though it felt like reading two different stories. The first half of the book appeared like a budding first-love YA romance. Just when everything is getting good, the world is ripped out from under you and you are thrust into a whole new world. At first, I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy the time jump, but I sure did.  

            I loved that this story was so much more than a romance novel. I’m a sucker for a Hollywood story, so the celebrity aspect of this book made me like it even more. When I realized that Tate was the daughter of a hot-shot celebrity, I knew right then and there that this would be a book that I would get excited about. The wounded father-daughter relationship throughout this story added so much depth. While reading this, I imagined that many Hollywood relationships are likely similar to Tate and Ian’s. Having this complicated family relationship made the book that much more engaging for me. As I said before, I’m not a huge reader of romance novels, so having that added father-daughter tension kept the plot moving for me.

            The romance in this story was really fun to read! In the beginning of Sam and Tate’s relationship, I felt very invested in it. I wanted to know what was going to cause them to go their separate ways. Was it because of their distance or something deeper? Then my heart was torn out as the two parted ways (read the book and I swear your heart will be torn out too!) I wasn’t sure how to feel about their second chance at love. I don’t want to give anything away, but I felt a strong urge to hate Sam, yet at the same time I couldn’t. This story was beautifully crafted and Christina Lauren did not disappoint. I would highly recommend this novel if you are looking for a fun romance that MAY make you want to pull your hair out—but I promise it will be worth it!

Book Review: Behind Every Lie by Christina McDonald

Rating: 4 out of 5.

What would you do if you were struck by lightning and couldn’t remember anything that happened on the night of your mother’s murder? In Christina McDonald’s Behind Every Lie, Eva is surrounded with uncertainty as the truth of what happened on that dreadful night slowly unravels. If you are looking for a thriller that leaves you unable to put it down, then Behind Every Lie might be the book for you.

The Plot

From the first page of the book, readers learn that something terrible has happened to Eva’s mother, Kat—she’s been murdered. On the night of her mother’s murder, Eva was struck by lightning, frying her memory of that night, leaving her with no recollection of the events that took place. After waking up in the hospital, Eva learns that she was found just down the street from her mother’s house, making her a suspect. How can Eva clear her name if she doesn’t remember what took place that night?

Told in alternating perspectives between Eva and Kat, the past slowly reveals the clues that begin to unravel the truth. Kat’s view takes us back in time, explaining how she went from living in London to America. Eva determined to find out the truth about her mother, races to London to uncover not only her mother’s past but her own. The clock is ticking for Eva, as she knows that whoever killed her mother may still be out there, and they might be looking for her. Behind Every Lie explores the complicated mother-daughter relationship, the danger in secrets, and how the past can come back to bite you even years later.

My Thoughts:

I would first off like to thank NetGalley and Gallery Pocket Books for my free advanced copy of Behind Every Lie. Second, if you are someone who is easily triggered by sexual abuse, I would like to advise you that this book does discuss this pretty heavily and could be triggering to some.

I am, first and foremost, always a fan of mysteries and thrillers, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book. Fast-paced and addicting, I couldn’t seem to put the book down. While some moments seemed somewhat repetitive (i.e., Eva constantly biting the skin off by her nails), I didn’t seem to mind those moments too much as the writing kept propelling me forward. There were a few moments where I had to suspend my disbelief. I can’t see a suspect in a murder investigation REALLY being allowed to leave the country for a few days without any issue to investigate something on her own—that seemed a bit far fetched. Regardless, I was so engrossed by the plot line that I easily was able to ignore my logic and continue.

I found the plot to be intriguing, and McDonald did a fantastic job of keeping me interested. Twists and turns kept throwing me off track, leaving me to wonder what in the world was going on. With the narrator being extremely unreliable at times, I wasn’t sure if the book would end up with a complete surprise ending. While I can’t say I was shocked by the ending, as I had part of figured out about 50% of the way through, I was surprised by at least one element of the reveal. As a seasoned mystery and thriller reader, I’m continually trying to pick up on those obvious clues. I enjoy being given those clues because they make me feel like a detective who can solve any case.

The differing perspectives added much more suspense to the story. Each section left off with a cliff hanger, which pushed me to keep reading because I couldn’t just turn the page to find out what happened. I had to read the other character’s perspective, and THEN I could find out where the last figure had left off. I found this to be an exciting aspect of this author’s writing. Many books in the thriller genre are written in multiple perspectives, but Christina McDonald crafted her perspectives in a manner that allowed a slow reveal of the truth. Connecting one of Eva’s later chapters with Kat’s earlier chapters, Behind Every Lie gave me that “ah-ha!” moment that I love.

As mysteries and thrillers go, this one is one of my favorites. I would highly recommend Behind Every Lie to anyone who enjoys an edge-of-your-seat thrill that sticks with you days after you’ve finished reading. Behind Every Lie will have you looking over your shoulder everywhere you go, leaving you with the feeling that someone could be watching you. If you decide to dive into this twist-filled world, make sure you’ve got your detective gear ready. Christina McDonald’s Behind Every Lie is a thriller you won’t want to miss!

Book Review: The Escape Room by Megan Goldin

Rating: 4 out of 5.

“If you rearrange those letters,” Jules explained, “it spells out Sara Hall. Dead but not forgotten. Sara Hall. It fits, right?”

The Escape Room by Megan Goldin

What would you do if you were trapped in an elevator with a group of unfavorable coworkers? That’s the premise for The Escape Room by Megan Goldin, claustrophobic thriller that will keep you guessing until the very last chapter. With a mandatory team-building activity, an escape room, thrown on the group at the last moment, each member is ready for it to be over before it had begun. As they step into the elevator, these four unsuspecting characters have no clue what is in store for them. Clues being thrown in every direction, Vincent, Sam, Sylvie, and Jules, must come to terms with the truth before it’s too late. A suspenseful tale told from the perspectives of the group in the elevator and Sara Hall, The Escape Room, will lead readers to the truth behind the death of Sara Hall.

The Plot:

Four ruthless Wall Street finance workers, Vincent, Sam, Jules, and Sylvie, are living their best deceptive lives. They don’t care what they have to do—or who they have to ruin—to make the big bucks, they want to get rich and they want to get rich as fast as they can. In this lucrative world of finance, nothing else matters but money. A mandatory team-building exercise is thrust upon them one night, making them put everything else on hold, but since it’s only supposed to last an hour, they jump on board—anything for Stanhope and Sons. The exercise is presented as an escape room, and as they board the elevator, they soon learn that they had entered the escape room without even realizing it.

As the clues begin to press forward, they are faced with several questions. What happened to the “dead but not forgotten” Sara Hall? What was the truth behind what happened to Lucy? Not only do they need to solve each riddle, but they have to survive being stuck in such a tight space with each other. As time passes by, the four become desperate to escape. Tensions are high as each member begins to turn on another, leading them to an even more dangerous game then what they had intended. Was this truly only a game or something much darker? Now they must bust out of there before it’s too late and they end up dead.

My Thoughts:

The Escape Room was a book that I couldn’t seem to put down. Despite the fact that a large chunk of the novel is spent discussing the shady business practice that goes on in the world of finance, I enjoyed the story. The hardest part for me was getting through all of the business scenes. I don’t know what it was about those scenes that seemed rather grueling to me, but I guess that must mean I wouldn’t make it in finance as a career. I made myself push through the parts I wasn’t interested in because I wanted to get down to the truth. During the first few chapters of the book, I could not wrap my head around who Sara Hall was and how she related to the group in the elevator. So many ideas buzzed through my head and I wrote them all down—you know, so I could see if my theories panned out in the end. In case you were wondering, one of my theories was correct, but it’s a spoiler, so you will have to read the book to find out what it was!

The characters were problematic in many ways, which made it extremely easy to hate some of them. I didn’t have an issue with EVERY character, I did like Sara Hall and Lucy, but the rest of the bunch were a group of greedy backstabbers that I couldn’t seem to sympathize with. Sylvie drove me nuts. She is the kind of character that I wanted just to throw down the elevator shaft that they were stuck in. I could not stand her attitude and her reaction to what happened to poor Lucy. My heart was aching for Lucy and her mother once the truth of what had happened to them came to light. Don’t get me started on the way that Vince treated Sara Hall after she tried to tell him what she found out about Lucy. The absolute manipulative nature of that man had my blood boiling.

Even though a vast majority of the characters were like nails on a chalkboard to read about, I enjoyed the plot. I went into this book not knowing anything about it, other than the title, and it was nothing like what I imagined it would be. As I said before, all of the corporate nonsense was difficult for me to stay interested in, but once the storyline started picking up, I couldn’t wait to get to Sara Hall’s next chapter. I wanted to know more about these awful people she worked with, and then I wanted revenge. The author dished out just the right amount of information at a time to satisfy my inquisitive mind, but still leave me guessing and wanting more. I love when a book can give you small details that propel you to the end, and this book delivered.

If you are looking for a thriller that will make you mad at the vile individuals involved, yet you still fall in love with the story, this is the one for you. Despite the intense feeling of claustrophobia that I felt while reading, The Escape Room was a thriller that I didn’t want to put down. Megan Goldin’s writing kept me entertained during my Thursday afternoon, and I would highly consider picking up another one of her books. If you decide to pick up The Escape Room by Megan Goldin, I hope the ending leaves you as satisfied as it left me.

Book Review: An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena

Rating: 4 out of 5.

With a massive snowstorm underway, the guests arriving in the Catskills at Michell’s Inn have no idea what is in store for them. Many of these unsuspecting guests don’t realize that this trip to the Catskill’s will be the last thing they ever do. Mysteriously guests are winding up dead, leaving the rest of the group in full panic. Shari Lapena crafts an edge-of-your-seat suspense novel that will have any Agatha Christie fan wanting to snag a copy. Chilling and gripping, An Unwanted Guest, will surely keep its readers up throughout the night.

The Plot:

Eleven guests journey into the Catskills, hopeful to have a peaceful and relaxing stay at the Mitchell’s Inn. Some guests have come for a quick getaway, some for a romantic weekend, and maybe some for murder. With it’s inviting spacious bedrooms, fireplaces, and fully-stocked wine cellar, it creates the perfect environment for pure bliss. As the guests arrive, a massive snowstorm rages outside, cutting off all of the electricity and stranding them at the hotel. Since the hotel is old-school, with no WiFi or television, the guests decide to settle in together in the lobby to keep each other company. Everyone enjoys their time getting to know one another—or so it seems.

Suddenly, a guest is discovered dead at the foot of the stairs, leaving the rest of the guests shocked and confused. Was this an accident? No one wants to believe that this was done on purpose until a second guest winds up dead. Now it’s a race against the clock to discover who could be committing such horrific acts, without the help of the police. There’s nothing left for the remaining guests to do but brave the storm and hope that they come out alive.

My Thoughts:

After reading Lapena’s The Couple Next Door a few years ago, I was quick to pick this one up once I saw the author. I had no prior knowledge of the plot when I dove into this novel, which added to the high-level of suspense I felt throughout this story. If I had to find the perfect way to describe this book, it would be like playing the board game Clue. Everyone is running around making accusations of who they think the murderer could be, even though no one has any solid proof to back up these guesses. The tensions are high among the guests at Mitchell’s Inn, which is to be expected, considering the guests are being targeted and killed off one-by-one.

The plot of An Unwanted Guest was well developed, dishing out just the right amount of clues as the story progressed. For a thriller to reach a five-star rating for me (which this one does), it has to give you subtle hints as you go along, but not so many signs that you have the ending figured out before you get halfway through. When you find yourself thinking about a story days after you have finished it, that’s a sign that the book has delivered a fantastic plot. Shari Lapena writes this novel from the perspectives of the eleven main characters. Trying to keep up with the different characters, in the beginning, was confusing, but after about 30 pages, the storylines blended seamlessly, and it wasn’t hard to follow. The way that Lapena keeps the story moving even as she switches to another character’s point of view showcases her brilliant writing style.

Throughout the novel, several red herrings appeared to throw the readers off track. While perusing back through the book, I realized in many of these cases, the actual murderer was the one throwing the others of their trail. Lapena writes these moments so that even the readers are thrown off and so they won’t zero in on the clues placed right in front of them. One of my favorite parts of reading a murder mystery is going back after I finish the book and searching for clues that were in front of me the whole time. This book did not disappoint my fun, as I found many traces that should have given me an “ah-ha!” moment while reading.

If you are looking for a novel that keeps you guessing from the very beginning, then An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena is the book for you. Lapena’s brilliant writing will have you cautiously looking over your shoulder at every noise you hear. This book gives you plenty of characters to love—and hate—and the back-story behind each character will keep the drama alive. Don’t get too attached to the characters, though, because you never know when your favorite will be the next guest to be found dead. So if you decide to pick up An Unwanted Guest, good luck on your journey into the Catskills and enjoy your stay at the Mitchell’s Inn.

Goal Setting!

Hey there! Thanks for stopping by my blog. I’ve been back and forth about finally starting a blog to do my Reviews on—instead of just Instagram and Goodreads—and I’ve finally decided to do it! If you’ve come here from my Instagram, you probably know me as itstori27reads! For a bit of fun background information on the name of my Instagram, I started a YouTube channel in 2011 for beauty and fashion and I called myself itstori27. I decided this last year to start a new YouTube—*Ehm* BookTube—Channel and used the name itstori27reads as a play on my Beauty channel! I decided to brand myself with that because that name seemed like a part of my identity.

Earlier this year, my beautiful MacBook Pro stopped working on me. Since that was my main editing computer, I haven’t been able to upload any YouTube videos. I decided that since I couldn’t focus on YouTube that it was time to embrace my writing and start this blog! Since I am an English major, this is also a great opportunity to get plenty of writing practice. I hope you enjoy this blog and check back for more!