Tag: suspense

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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.

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#BookReview: Sunburned by Katherine Wood

Sun Drenched Suspense. From South Florida to a luxury island near St Maarten (itself, I can personally testify, an extravagance that needs to be experienced), this is one of those books that will transport you to its location quite well… but is it a Hotel California situation? 😉

Featuring a female IT specialist as our lead – not an overly common occurrence, even with literal decades of focus in specifically trying to recruit exactly this demographic into both college Computer Science programs and professional level jobs (even long before anyone had ever heard the acronym “DEI”) – this is a book that blends different forms of exotic with all-too-common petty jealousies and rivalries into a mashup that looks fresh and yet is also as old as time – well older, if you’re a computer geek and know well “when time began”. 😉

The overall story here is well done, but in a dual timeline model that many will enjoy but some will not. This one isn’t going to move the needle either direction for most readers as far as the dual timeline concept goes, but it *is* executed solidly here, with clear jumps and with the earlier timeline having clear and direct impact on the current timeline.

Overall a well done tale that fans of Woods’ previous book (as Woods), Ladykiller – one of my BookAnon.com Top 24 Books of 2024 – will enjoy, and fans new to this form of Woods’ writing will get a solid view of how she now approaches stories and storytelling. I was excited to see where Woods would go coming out of Ladykiller, and I’m excited to see where she will go next after this book as well.

Very much recommended.

This review of Sunburned by Katherine Wood was originally written on July 13, 2025.

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#BookReview: Don’t Open Your Eyes by Liv Constantine

I Thought I Was The Only One. It is no secret that my book reviews are in part confessionals, that is my entire schtick as a reviewer and literally the basis of my brand name. So here’s one I don’t talk about often, but which those who have known me since I was a kid are aware of – it actually caused a bit of drama a couple of times back then: The dream sequences that happen in this book? The ones that our lead character feels are so vivid and real, that they really could be glimpses into the future?

I’ve lived with those same types of dreams off and on for over forty years now. And no, it isn’t deja vu. It is pretty well exactly as Constantine describes here – so real and visceral that you *know* you’ve lived those very events before.

Except unlike our lead character – or in some ways perhaps exactly like her – I learned early on, from a couple of blunders that caused the drama I referenced above, to not (obviously) act on the dreams, but instead to prepare myself for the outcomes they warned me of so that I could at least be prepared if or when they happened.

So for me in particular, that part of this book was *phenomenal*. It was easily relatable to one of those aspects of my life that I virtually *never* talk about anymore, because as our lead character in the book learns, people – even those closest to you – rapidly begin to think you’re crazy when you so openly talk about it. (Which is one reason I’m not going into any real details about my own experiences, and indeed I can actively state that these types of dreams don’t happen nearly as often anymore as they did when I was younger. My overall life is also *dramatically* different than it was, and I suspect this plays a role.)

But that aspect is only roughly half this tale, the setup. And while a phenomenal setup, it *is* a rather slow one. It takes time for those less accustomed to these types of dreams to wrap your head around what is going on with this character, and Constantine gives you that kind of time. She needs to, because the later stages, where the action picks up and indeed becomes rather breathtaking, *need* you to understand that part of this character and believe it as much as she does.

Thus, when the action picks up, the dreams become less a part of the active story and more a part of what is informing the action sequences as they play out. At this point, it becomes a far more typical thriller, one of the exact type Constantine is known for and excels at, and it shows brilliantly here.

Overall truly a great thriller that shows a side of life that most likely aren’t as familiar with, and does so in a way that rings true to at least my own experiences with similar experiences in real life.

Very much recommended.

This review of Don’t Open Your Eyes by Liv Constantine was originally written on June 30, 2025. (With apologies for the tardiness on this Advance Review Copy. Some major life events happened just before the release of this book that unfortunately delayed me reading it.)

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#BookReview: Jill Is Not Happy by Kaira Rouda

Orwellian. 1984 was originally published in 1949 – 76 yrs and 2 days before the publication of this book – and its final line in particular is echoed in this book. (Not revealing it here so as to avoid spoilers, though yes, *some* people – me, I am “some people” – will remember it exactly.)

Here, we get a very similar effect in the end, if not a retelling of the overall story of someone rebelling against a thing they are tied to in so many ways before being abused back into loving the thing they originally rebelled against. Obviously without the political commentary, as (as another reviewer noted), Rouda is clearly making a name for herself in the trainwreck popcorn thriller market. Why insert any overt politics and piss off whatever segment of potential readers, after all? 🙂

Thus, fans of Rouda will love this new entry. Those new to Rouda’s writing will find a pretty spot on example of it here, at least in my reading of her last few books (though not all of them, yet). And yes, her style doesn’t leave anyone looking particularly great or give the reader really anyone to “root for” 100%. Nobody is a truly “good” character, but all of the characters work reasonably well for their role in the story being told. And the story being told will have you on the edge of your seat much of the time, with little time for any “potty break” sections.

If you’re looking for a darkly entertaining thriller with minimal blood or sex or even really cursing… you’ve found exactly that. If you’re looking for something that is not pretty well exactly that… this ain’t what you’re looking for. It really is as simple as that, as is the case with pretty well every Rouda book. (Some may have more sex than others, some may have more cursing than others, but largely if you’re ok with reading about people doing horrible things to each other, up to and including murder both onscreen and off… you’re going to be ok here.)

Overall a darkly fun book that will be perfect summer reading for some, and that may be either too dark or even not dark enough for others.

Very much recommended.

This review of Jill Is Not Happy by Kaira Rouda was originally written on June 17, 2025.

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#BookReview: The Backwater by Vikki Wakefield

Some Things Are Just Universal. In all honesty, reading this book as a former trailer park kid in the southeastern US (I grew up in exurban Atlanta, on the border between Atlanta and Appalachia), I couldn’t ever really tell that it was set in Australia other than occasionally weird terms like paracetamol for Tylenol, and I’m now assuming that what this text calls a “tilly” is what we would call in the Southern US a “john boat”.

But seriously, with this tale of a now young woman still on the run and the life that she has created hiding out along the backwaters after being accused of a devastating crime and the local corrupt cops seeking her… yeah, this is one that reads pretty damn universally, at least to those of certain backgrounds.

Wakefield does an excellent job with both characterization and pacing here, constantly dangling the secrets to get the reader to stay invested until finally the explosive playoff that by that point reads like some of Christopher Swann’s finest works – which is high praise indeed, given that his books are quite awesome. (Also that he, too, lives in the Atlanta area and several of his books are set there among Atlanta’s poorer underbelly as well.)

For those looking for a fairly action packed, cat and mouse kind of game that very much bleeds into the psychological, this really is quite a remarkable book. For those looking to be exposed to a side of life that they are fortunate enough to have never been anywhere near, again, this is a very well done tale showing some of the worse realities of life near the very bottom of the socioeconomic scale – particularly when you refuse government “assistance”. And for those who have lived that life and too close to it for comfort… this is one of those rare indeed tales where *our* voices get to be heard in particularly strong and emotional ways.

Truly a complex tale that works at every level.

Very much recommended.

This review of The Backwater by Vikki Wakefield was originally written on May 19, 2025.

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#BookReview: Saltwater by Katy Hays

Beautiful Setting. Atrocious People. Maybe Someone Will See The Light. This is one of those tales where there aren’t really too many “good” people – even the people you ostensibly want to root for are doing some very *bad* things! But the imagery of the beautiful Italian islands is absolutely stunning and well done… and even make it a point to play into the endgame, which is always appreciated.

While the book *does* start rather slow, stick with it. It is no Great Gatsby where the first x amount of it is an utter snooze fest that is more apt to put you to sleep rather than keep you up all night… but it *does* get to the “keep you up all night” level. Eventually. And then it keeps you there until damn near the last word of the tale.

Overall a fun book of its type, one with enough to keep you invested and take you to somewhere not where you are. (Unless you happen to be on said Italian islands. Then… maybe read something else if you want to be transported somewhere else? :D) Actually a rather good beach/ cruise read due to the setting at minimum.

Very much recommended.

This review of Saltwater by Katy Hays was originally written on March 25, 2025.

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#BookReview: Gothictown by Emily Carpenter

Did Carpenter Steal My Life? (No, She Didn’t.) Hmmm… a book set in the real-life Bartow County (if in a fictional town within it) along the real-life Etowah River and some real-life roads (and some fictional ones). Featuring a veteran of a war named Major. Where an old Confederate area mine plays a major role. With (fictional) long-time area families being a key component of the story.

And I, a reader who is a native of the real Bartow County, whose great-grandfather was a WWI POW named Major, who went to high school not far off one of the roads in question (which runs through the northern section of Bartow County in real life, fwiw), who knows exactly where the real-life Cooper’s Furnace and several area mines (including several similar to the fictional one in the book, which aren’t on many current maps) are located, who can readily identify where the scars of the real-life war criminal terrorist bastard William Tecumseh Sherman’s troops left scars on the land that are still visible *to this day*, who went to both high school and college near the sites of famous actions during the Atlanta Campaign, whose families (including all relevant branches) have been in the area for over 200 years as I type this (though to be clear, my dad and his siblings were the first to call Bartow their home county), who knows well how well-connected families *continue* to control the real-life Bartow County via its (one of few remaining *nationally*, per my understanding) Sole Commissioner government system…

Yeah… the parallels between my real life and the fictional world Carpenter created here allow me a rare (not *quite* unique, as there *are* at least a few hundred others who have similar life experience and knowledge) view into this particular tale. 🙂

But to be 100% explicitly clear, while Carpenter and I have interacted via social media off and on for a few years now, and while several of my grandparents and older were from her own area of Georgia in the Roswell area she admits in the Author’s Note she actually based much of the tale on, we’ve never actually met and she had no possible way to know *all* of that about me. Thus, it is 100% coincidental that the story bears so much resemblance to so much that I can readily identify. 🙂

With all of *that* noted… this truly was a tremendous book. The motivations of pretty well everyone are pretty clear and believable (if a bit twisted, in the case of the antagonists of the tale). The parallels to The Lottery are blatant (as that tale is referenced in-story), but actually work well here with the story as presented. As things begin to go towards the psychological/ horror, it is done in a very believable manner, with open questioning of reality. The emotions are raw and visceral, no matter whether it be the hope of a new move, the horror of… the horrible things that happen (to avoid spoilers 😉 ), the disgust of some other things that happen… it all completely works.

And yes, I could absolutely see some parallel reality where the real-life Cassville – the County Seat of what was then called Cass County during the Civil War – actually plays out very similarly to how Juliana plays out here. The tale really is that close to being true to life, at least life as I experienced it as a former trailer park trash kid growing up alongside Bartow’s elite.

Finally, as Billie’s diner is a big part of this tale, I wanted to end the review in a unique manner for me, since this is a rather unique book for me. I’m going to leave you with a few recommendations for places to eat and things to do in and around Cartersville, should you ever find yourself on I-75 in Georgia north of Atlanta. (Unlike Carpenter noting that her Bartow County was *two* hours outside of Atlanta, in real life it is closer to 45 min from downtown Atlanta without traffic, and with traffic… who knows how long. During a snow storm one year, it literally took my dad over 12 hrs to get from his work on the perimeter of Atlanta (on I-285, basically) to his home in Cartersville.)

Places To Eat:
4-Way Diner. Historic diner near downtown Cartersville, still retains its “black only” entrance from the days of Jim Crow (now for historic purposes only, to be clear).

Jefferson’s. Restaurant in downtown Cartersville, inside the same building that houses the world’s oldest outdoor Coca-Cola sign on its railroad-track facing side. Likely the closest thing Cartersville currently has to a real-life Billie’s, as described in the text.

Moore’s Gourmet Market. Small eatery near Roselawn (below) and the Bartow County Library, just outside of downtown Cartersville.

Restaurants Along Felton Rd. There are a lot of places here, none of which have any historic significance – but the road name does. The road is named for Rebecca Latimer Felton, who owned a plantation in this part of the County before and after the Civil War. She was the first female US Senator – and the last formerly slave owning one.

Things to See:
Roselawn: Sam Jones’ mansion just outside of downtown Cartersville, one of few antebellum houses still existing in town. Across the street is a historic marker noting the former home of Lottie Moon, prominent Baptist missionary to China of the same era Sam Jones was preaching in and the person the Southern Baptist Convention’s Christmas fundraising effort is named for.

Old County Courthouse/ Sam Jones Memorial Methodist Church: Side by side, these buildings represent much of Cartersville’s history. I’ve personally seen KKK rallies at the Courthouse (and went the other way), and a cousin got married at Sam Jones, which was named after a preacher who was essentially the Billy Graham of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.

World’s Oldest Outdoor Coca-Cola Sign. Along the train tracks at downtown Cartersville.

Etowah Indian Mounds: Mounds made by a pre-Columbus native tribe. The site is now across from a cemetery where several of my family members are buried and from Cartersville’s main recreation park, Dellinger Park.

Atco Village: Early 20th century mill village, its mill has now largely been destroyed, but the elements of the town are largely still intact to varying degrees. The mill was actually one of two that locked its doors on my dad when it shut down nearly 25 yrs ago, but the old Methodist Church still stands at the entrance to the village, along with its old post office (next to the railroad tracks) and the Baptist church (where my family attended for decades) still stands at the dead end of the street that you enter the village on. Many of the houses still retain their original looks, despite improvements over the century.

Cooper’s Furnace: I mentioned this site above. Just outside of Cartersville and just below the Allatoona Dam on the Etowah River, as you leave US 41 to drive over to this site, if you look into the river you’ll see the stone pillars that once held railroad tracks destroyed by Sherman’s troops as he moved through the region.

New Echota: Technically in Gordon County just north of Bartow, this is the site of the Capital of the Cherokee Nation at the time of the Trail of Tears. There is a relatively small State Park here with several buildings that were moved to this site to show what life was like at the time.

And enough with the tourism board stuff – I’m not Juliana’s Initiative by any stretch of the imagination, just a man proud of his hometown and constantly in awe of just how much history he grew up around, largely unknowingly.

Even as a Bartow County native – maybe *especially* as a Bartow County native – this book is absolutely…

Very much recommended.

This review of Gothictown by Emily Carpenter was originally written on March 21, 2025.

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#BookReview: His Truth Her Truth by Noelle Holten

Slow Front Builds To Frenetic End. This is one of those stories that starts out with a bang in its prologue before going back in time and achieving the pace of… well, probably a tired slug racing an exhausted turtle. In other words, it is rather S L O W in the beginning.

But hang around, because as things start picking up they also begin spiraling, and soon enough your heart is beating faster as your brain is getting a good workout trying to read at the pace of the plot.

There’s a lot going on in these pages, and a lot that a lot of people won’t like – particularly so much domestic abuse, among other issues. But there is also a lot to like overall here, and Holten does a solid job of telling exactly the story she seemingly wants to tell at exactly the pace she seemingly wants to tell it at.

Ultimately, this is one that will have you gripping the final pages, desperate to see exactly how it ends… and that is pretty much what most people want of our thrillers, right?

Very much recommended.

This review of His Truth Her Truth by Noelle Holten was originally written on March 1, 2025.

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#BlogTour: The Younger Woman by Cate Ray

For this blog tour, we’re looking at . For this blog tour, we’re looking at The Younger Woman by Cate Ray.

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

Editing Miscues Mar Otherwise Solid Suspense Story. The story told in this book really is quite solid. It may not work for *everyone*, but I found it enjoyable and it seemed to fit well enough with the characters as portrayed that nothing was so far “out there” as to be too distracting. There are several twists and turns and while I realized the link possibly before the author meant me to – or possibly much later than Ray meant me to, due to the aforementioned editing miscues – it wasn’t anything that harmed my enjoyment of the tale. More of a “I know something you don’t know” to hold over the main character until she finally realizes it herself.

But the editing miscues. Ugh. Not enough to deduct a star over, because it isn’t really an “objective-ish” issue, but it absolutely marred my enjoyment of reading this book. Specifically, the way the timeline bounced around with little warning and with even less differentiation. Nothing about the way the text was formatted or the way these jumps into the past were written gave any indication beyond the “x time earlier” at the beginning of the chapter, and while that can (and has) worked in other books… for some reason it just *didn’t* here, and I’m not overly sure why. It could absolutely be a “me” thing though, so read this book and see for yourself – and write your own review so I can have a more complete picture of whether or not this *is* a “me” thing. 🙂

Ultimately a solid story that shows promise for this author’s continued career, but I do hope the editing issues can be resolved (or shown at least to be just a “me” problem).

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 Younger Woman by Cate Ray”

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#BookReview: The Cruise by Christina Delay

Down Down Deep, Indeed. For those unaware, this book was previously titled Down Down Deep, and that may actually be a superior title to its more generic one it currently has (The Cruise).

Here we get a psychological, almost supernatural, thriller that becomes all too human indeed. The tension ratchets up as weird things start happening on this sailing of this cruise ship, and there are quite a few even horror elements to be had here.

There are twists a plenty, so much so that it sometimes feels like you’re on Velocicoaster – they’re coming so hard and so fast, and yet you’re enjoying every freaking second of it. And, like Velocicoaster, as fun and intense as this read is… it is also fairly shortish, at just around 250 pages. Meaning it is yet again great for those with limited amounts of reading time.

Definitely one of the more inventive books within its space I’ve encountered, so much so that when I saw that this is actually in a series of sorts and that the other book is currently, as I write this review on November 14, 2024, just $0.99… yeah, I picked it up immediately just on the strength of this book. (Fwiw, that book – The Best Friends – is also a reprint/ retitle, formerly called Truth Truth Lie.)

One warning: There is a fair amount of pretty brutal action in this book at times, and it *does* deal in certain assaults that some may find more troubling than others. So be aware of that going in… and read it anyway. Yes, it really is that good.

Very much recommended.

This review of The Cruise by Christina Delay was originally written on November 14, 2024.