Tag: suspense

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#BlogTour: The Perfect Hosts by Heather Gudenkauf

For this blog tour, we’re looking at a solid tale in its genre that has a bit of a chaotic and potentially controversial opening. For this blog tour, we’re looking at The Perfect Hosts by Heather Gudenkauf.

First, the review I posted to the book sites (BookBub.com / BookHype.com / Goodreads.com / PageBound.co / TheStoryGraph.com) and YouTube:

Don’t Let Your Opinions Of Over The Top Gender Reveals, Guns, or Multi-Perspective Stories Fool You – This Is A Solid Book. Seriously, this is one of those books where the *opening scene* has a lot of ick for a lot of people – me included, to an extent. Indeed, I delayed reading this book for a week in part because of the very inciting incident literally listed in the first sentence of the description as of publication day earlier this week as I write this review. (Yes, I’ve had it as an Advance Review Copy for months and yes, I’m officially running behind. Apologies.)

You see, while I have exactly *zero* problems with guns and enjoy a good Tannerite explosion from time to time (on video, never experienced one in person), the over the top gender reveal and thus making a pregnancy a central point of this story… that was the ick for me.

And I was wrong.

Yes, the opening scene is complex and more than a bit confusing and perhaps even accurately labeled as hard to follow.

But the story opens up from there and becomes much easier to understand, even as it revolves around small town and family secrets and decades long mysteries all coming to a head.

Gudenkauf creates here a truly layered story with many things going on at the same time, in the mold of some of the best soap operas – and yet with a fair degree more danger involved.

Overall truly a fun book once one gets beyond the chaotic opening scene, one that plays very well within genre norms without really pushing the boundaries too hard. In other words, a perfectly comfortable read for genre fans that works well enough for those looking to see whether they enjoy this genre.

Very much recommended.

After the jump, an excerpt from the book followed by the “publisher details” – book info, description, author bio, social links, and buy links.
Continue reading “#BlogTour: The Perfect Hosts by Heather Gudenkauf”

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#BookReview: Labyrinth by A.G. Riddle

Interesting – Yet Long – Provocative Look At Actual AI. This is one of those scifi tales that in 2025 feels like it could be a year or two from being reality, that indeed there are very likely companies working on exactly the kind of tech used in this tale – and indeed, there are and have been. I know for a fact that one of the Computer Science *part time* professors at Kennesaw State University was working on immersive computer simulated therapy as far back as 2000, when I started there as a 16yo kid. (Hi Dr. North! :D)

The tale told here is suspenseful yet reasonably realistic while still clearly being fiction. (We hope?) In its more suspense elements in the front half of the book, it works particularly well.

Where it starts going off the rails a touch – and becoming ever less realistic, while also maintaining a fairly stunning amount of realism in how things actually play out, to a degree – is more with the events of the second half. Indeed, there is one seemingly rather long section that seems like it could have been cut entirely and a few – rather than seemingly a few hundred – pages used to cover that part of the tale, similar to the 80 page “Galt’s Speech” in Atlas Shrugged, except more actually integral to the story here, which is where the “yet long” bit in the title of this review comes in to play. Even through this section though, there is a touch of an homage to The Odyssey, which is unclear if was the intent or not – but cool either way.

Overall, I’d say this is one of Riddle’s better works as a whole. You’ve got the near future scifi. You’ve got the almost domestic thriller level suspense in the front half in particular -which I’ve never really seen Riddle even attempt, and thus shows a fair amount of growth as a writer. You’ve got enough of a romance tale here that technically this satisfies all known RWA rules to be ruled a “romance novel”. You’ve got a few different homages to classic tales from Crichton (Disclosure in particular) to Homer. And yet you’ve also got an 800+ page book whose halves wouldn’t work quite as well – at least as written here – as separate books, and where another 200-300 pages to make a trilogy could be excessively long to boot, making this feel like the perfect way to present this particular story even if the one book feels (and is) long.

Very much recommended.

This review of Labyrinth by A.G. Riddle was originally written on November 2, 2025.

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#BookReview: Broken Bayou by Jennifer Moorhead

Excellent Debut. This is one of those books I randomly picked up as an Amazon First Read… and then only read it over a year after its initial publication when I was getting ready to read its sequel as an Advance Review Copy.

Y’all… I missed out. This book is truly quite excellent, with a solid plot revolving around a broken woman from a small town having to go back to said town to hide from new problems… and ultimately have a reckoning with past ones too.

As someone from a “small” (yet thriving and growing) Southern town who has indeed seen many more rural towns actively dying off largely similarly to how the town in this book is portrayed, this absolutely strikes as a fictional book that is uncomfortably all too real.

The mysteries of both the past and the present work remarkably well as our lead character tries to reconcile her memories with what she actually sees in front of her today, and along the way we get some very dusty rooms in more ways than one.

Oh, and the murders themselves? I’ve seen more chilling in books… but this is certainly one I’d never seen used in any other book, and is pretty damn chilling itself.

Very much recommended.

This review of Broken Bayou by Jennifer Moorhead was originally written on September 30, 2025.

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#BookReview: Deep Blue Lies by Gregg Dunnett

Perfect Blend Of Travel And Psychological Thriller. Quite simply, this book is amazing. It stumbles out of the gate perhaps a step or two first establishing Ava – and this could well have been a *me* problem here – but once we get to Greece (where the vast majority of the book takes place), it really opens up and becomes exactly what I said in the title here: a perfect blend of travel and psychological thriller.

The Greek island setting is used superbly and makes you wish you could be there… and the vivid descriptions make you think you are. (Which is awesome as fall turns to winter and we all long for our next summery vacation. :D) This is one of those books where the setting really does come into its own and really helps accentuate the story, and that is always awesome to see.

And the story itself… wow. There’s a lot going on here, and yet Dunnett manages to make this tale as much about self discovery as in solving the mystery of what the hell is going on on this island… and that is exactly what makes the book work as well as it does. The mystery/ suspense elements here are great on their own, but it really is the self discovery aspects that *really* make them pop, and when combined with the strong setting really set this book apart.

This book is perfect for readers new to Dunnett… and at least a worthy disctraction for his fans who are almost foaming at the mouth with excitement waiting for his next Detective Erica Sands thriller due to how the previous book – the last book Dunnett released before this one – left off. And yes, you should absolutely join us in reading that series too so that you can be as vocal as we are in demanding the next book there. Because I’m living proof that peer pressure on authors eventually gets you what you want… but that’s a whole other story. 😉

Very much recommended.

This review of Deep Blue Lies by Gregg Dunnett was originally written on September 29, 2025.

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#BookReview: The Whisper Place by Mindy Mejia

Solid Book Three Is So Different From Others In Series That It Can Serve As An Introduction. This book is very different than most third books in a series in that it is *so very different* from the first two that if two of the main characters didn’t also appear in the prior books, you would almost say these books weren’t in the same universe at all.

And yet, the book still absolutely works – and even works as a way of a more “real world” type introduction to these characters before you dive into the more paranormal-ish realism of the prior two books. Apparently several other Advance Review Copy readers didn’t realize this was Book 3 of the series – a series I’ve been reading since the beginning, though with on average 200 ish books read between reading installments of this series, even as I’ve read them all as Advance Review Copies myself – and they all claim that this book works well as a standalone, so there’s that perspective as well. 🙂

Overall, even with the toned down paranormal aspects here – and perhaps *because of* the toned-down paranormal aspects here, Mejia has crafted a particularly compelling missing person/ found family thriller that doesn’t bend your mind the way the prior two books do… but perhaps makes your pulse pound that much harder because of it. Particularly through one sequence late in the text, my own heart was racing enough that I actually glanced at my smart watch to make sure I was actually fine and didn’t need to call 911. Seriously.

In the end, truly a creative and compelling third book in the series that leaves open the possibility for more books without explicitly setting anything up, it will be interesting to see where Mejia chooses to go from here.

Very much recommended.

This review of The Whisper Place by Mindy Mejia was originally written on September 15, 2025.

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#BlogTour: A Killer Motive by Hannah Mary McKinnon

For this blog tour, we’re looking at a masterful thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. For this blog tour, we’re looking at A Killer Motive by Hannah Mary McKinnon.

First, the review I posted to the book sites (BookBub.com / BookHype.com / Goodreads.com / PageBound.co / TheStoryGraph.com) and YouTube:

Masterful Thriller That Will Keep You On The Edge Of Your Seat. McKinnon has become a true master of the kind of suspense/ thriller where you’re still on the edge of your seat and trying to figure out what comes next… when their suddenly is no more “next” to be had in the book.

Now, don’t get me wrong, she tells a complete story every time. She’s just also become a master of telling that story and then leaving *just* enough dangling *so* well that you want that story to continue, even though it has reached its final point for the story she was telling in this particular tale.

Arguably one “weakness” here – more something I’ve just never gotten into and don’t really understand the “appeal” of – is the podcast base of this tale. McKinnon uses it particularly well to tell her story, both in featuring actual podcasts within the tale and in using the relationships of the various personalities that create and work on and around podcasts to great effect.

For me though, the strength of this tale really is the relational. McKinnon creates here a woman with several crucial relationships… and one she isn’t aware of that is about to push her to her limits. Because the best relationship in this book isn’t the marriage or the friend or any of the other usual suspects.

It is the antagonist our leading lady finds out through this tale that she has. While our leading lady is no (Sherlock) Holmes or (Aloysious) Pendergast or (Charles) Xavier or even (Clarice) Starling, our antagonist here absolutely is one that fans of Moriarty or Diogenes or Lensherr or Lecter will absolutely love. Because yes, the antagonist McKinnon creates here *is* that good.

And yet… if our antagonist *is* that damn good and one way to measure someone is by the strength and ability of their enemies… doesn’t that mean that our leading lady actually *is* that damn good herself?

How about you read the book and write your own review on whatever platform you’re reading this review on and let us know. 🙂 Feel free to tag me in it, assuming that is possible on said platform.

Overall though, this book really is very well done, exactly as fans of McKinnon expect from her… and may even be her best yet.

Very much recommended.

After the jump, an excerpt from the book followed by the “publisher details” – book info, description, author bio, social links, and buy links.
Continue reading “#BlogTour: A Killer Motive by Hannah Mary McKinnon”

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#BookReview: Our Perfect Family by Nicola Marsh

Lots Of Moving Parts Combine For One Explosive Thriller. This is one of those books where you know from Page 1 that little is going to actually be as it seems… and yet Marsh is going to keep you guessing and keep the reveals coming all the way until almost literally the very last words of this just-shy-of-300 page tale.

This is one where pretty well every character has some dark secret they are trying to protect, which is where most of the tension throughout the text comes to bear. Everyone thinks they know everyone and everyone thinks this is a titular “perfect family”, except we know as readers that this is far from what is actually going on.

This does all happen in Australia, and apparently the narrators thus use Australian accents in their reading. I actually explicitly chose an Australian voice on my Text To Speech reader for this book because of the setting and Marsh herself being Australian, and it absolutely worked well for me.

There is also quite a bit of teen/ new adult drama to be had here, including one scene in particular that while some may find distasteful also is and has been far too common. Marsh actually plays the scene well both in what she chooses to actively show – and not – and in how she shows its impact throughout our “perfect” family, which drives a large portion of the narrative here.

Overall truly a fun, twisty family suspense/ thriller with oh so much going on on so many different levels, this really is a great end of summer/ start of the new school year read, and is thus fairly well positioned for its print release on the day after US Labor Day, when even Yankee schools start back. Southern US schools have generally been back for at least a few weeks already by this point, and indeed all of my nephew and nieces started school nearly a full month before the Kindle edition release of this book.)

Very much recommended.

This review of Our Perfect Family by Nicola Marsh was originally written on August 25, 2025.

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#BookReview: The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen

Solid Family/ Psychological Drama/ Suspense. This tale takes the concept of twins – always interesting to me given that my grandfather was a twin and two of my nieces are twins – and spins a solid psychological/ suspense family drama in and around them in ways that are unfortunately all too realistic in at least some circles in the Southern US.

This is a richly complex tale with a lot going on, even as it has only a few central character and only two primary viewpoints – that of both of the twins. One twin is written in a manner that reads a touch unusually, which can be a problem for some readers, but I thought that view written in that manner actually worked quite well for the story being presented here. The other twin uses a more standard writing style and should pose little difficulty for most readers.

Overall one of the more rare and inventive ways to tell this type of tale I’ve come across, both io the use of twins and in the overall setting involved – the titular locked ward. Pekkanen easily has a solid hit here – I’m not sure that I would quite call it a home run, particularly given the struggles some will have reading the one twin, but I would absolutely call this a solid stand up double. (A baseball analogy, in case it wasn’t clear from the “home run” bit. What can I say, I *am* a dude. :D)

Very much recommended.

This review of The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen was originally written on August 4, 2025.

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#BlogTour: Shadow On Her Grave by B.R. Spangler

For this blog tour, we’re looking at one of the most pulse pounding and harrowing mysteries of this series. For this blog tour, we’re looking at Shadow On Her Grave by B.R. Spangler.

First, the review I posted to the book sites (BookHype.com / Goodreads.com / PageBound.co / TheStoryGraph.com) and YouTube:

Pulse Pounding Harrowing Mystery. This is one of those books that feels like it could be a series finale even through the beginning of the epilogue. Spangler has already shown earlier in this series that he isn’t afraid to kill team members off, and that knowledge feeds the tension of oh so many scenes throughout this book. But there *is* a lot of prior series history baked into this book, in more than just the obvious ways, and so for that reason it is better for long time fans of this series rather than those potentially looking to jump in. (For those wanting to jump in, I recommend going back to either the *very* beginning, Book 1 – Where Lost Girls Go, or at minimum where I personally joined the series, with Book 4 – The Crying House. I’ve loved every book since, and I think many who find books due to my reviews will as well. :D) But for those of us who *have* been around this series for a while… wow. What a ride. Spangler has been known to have some creepy killers throughout this book, but with these he is beginning to cross into Thomas Harris (he of The Silence Of The Lambs fame and creator of Hannibal Lecter) territory, though some might argue that Spangler has been at least at that level for several books now, he just doesn’t insist on going *that* far with *every* book the way Harris does. 🙂 So whether you’re reading this for the coastal Carolina family vibes (and to be clear, those play nearly as much a role deep in this series as the mysteries of each book do) or whether you’re coming for the mystery and in particular because I just called out Harris, know that Spangler does a tremendous job of marrying both together, and indeed, as with Without Remorse by Tom Clancy, it is the familial bonds and the comfort there that makes the sheer utter depravity of our killer here balance so well in this book.

Again, long time fans, you’re gonna love this – and have probably already read it by the time I write this review for my spot in the publisher’s blog tour the Monday after the book released on Friday. For those just coming in, you’re going to be glad this book is already here… and you’re going to want the next one in your hand immediately too. Which means Spangler should probably get a jump on writing it. 😉

Very much recommended.

After the jump, the “publisher details” – book info, description, author bio, social links, and buy links.
Continue reading “#BlogTour: Shadow On Her Grave by B.R. Spangler”

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#BookReview: The Lake Escape by Jamie Day

Complex Web Of Secrets. You’re in your 30’s/ 40’s or so – old enough to have mid teen kids yourself – and you’ve been going to the same lake houses for literally decades at this point with the same neighbor families, so you’ve effectively grown up with these people. Considered them close friends. Perhaps even family. You know you know them.

But do you? Do they know you? Do you as a collective know all the secrets the lake – or even the houses you’ve come to all these years – may hold?

You have your secrets. They have theirs. The lake has its.

All is about to be revealed…

(Yeah, yeah. I don’t normally do a version of a description for a review, but seriously, *for this book*, I think the above is largely the best way to do the review. There are elements here that some will love and some will hate – there are a lot of characters and at least a few different narrators here, and the book takes over 350 pages to tell a somewhat simple (at a high level at least) tale. Breakneck action, this is not. But it *was* a *really* good tale of relatable friends and family… even when some of them are pretty open scumbags. The tale is rather dark, and there are no white knights to be had here. Just a group of people doing the best they can in rather interesting and stressful situations. So give this book a chance, read it, and write your own review and let us know what *you* thought about it.)

Very much recommended.

This review of The Lake Escape by Jamie Day was originally written on July 16, 2025.