Heart of Glass - Jennifer Hillier

 

Heart of Glass by Jennifer Hillier 

Author: Jennifer Hillier
Genre: Mystery | Thriller | Psychological Thriller | Suspense
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: August 25, 2026
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
Rating: ⭐ 4–4.25/5

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Synopsis

Twenty-five years ago, best friends Barb, Nicolette and Lorelei spent an evening at Wonderland, Seaside's local amusement park.

Only two of them came home.

Lorelei's body was discovered days later, and Samuel Figg eventually confessed to her murder. He would become known as the Carnival Killer, and for decades, everyone believed the mystery of Lorelei's death had been solved.

Now, twenty-five years later, Samuel has recanted his confession.

Barb never left Seaside and works as a reporter for the local newspaper while secretly writing celebrity gossip online. Nicolette, meanwhile, reinvented herself as Cole Lennox, moved to Toronto and became a reality television star.

With Wonderland preparing for its grand reopening, Samuel's revelation brings the past crashing back into their lives. Then the body of another young woman washes ashore.

As questions surrounding Lorelei's murder resurface, Barb and Nicolette are forced to confront what really happened that night, and the secrets they've carried ever since.

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My Thoughts

Jennifer Hillier is one of those authors I always look forward to reading, and Heart of Glass was no exception.

Also, if you've previously read Wonderland, there's a little extra fun in returning to Seaside and its amusement park. This absolutely works as a standalone, so you don't need to have read it first, but already being familiar with the setting added another layer to the experience for me.

The story moves between past and present, gradually revealing what happened twenty-five years ago when three teenage best friends: Barb, Nicolette and Lorelei went to Wonderland together...

And only two came back.

Lorelei's murder was supposedly solved when Samuel Figg confessed. He eventually became known as the Carnival Killer, and for twenty-five years, everyone had every reason to believe Lorelei was simply another one of his victims.

Except now Samuel is saying he didn't kill her.

Meanwhile, another woman's body washes ashore just as Wonderland is preparing for its grand reopening.

I mean...

The timing?

Boombastic. Super fantastic. ^^

Nothing suspicious happening here whatsoever. 

From there, everything begins unraveling as questions about the original investigation resurface and it becomes increasingly obvious that there may have been considerably more happening twenty-five years ago than anyone realized.

I really enjoyed the movement between the two timelines. Rather than immediately giving us everything that happened on the night Lorelei disappeared, the past is revealed gradually alongside the present-day investigation. That allowed the mystery to keep changing as new pieces of information came to light.

And, for the record, I did NOT figure out the culprits ridiculously early.

A WIN!

I had suspicions, naturally, because I cannot read a thriller without accusing approximately half the cast of murder at some point. But it took me considerably longer to put the important pieces together, and I appreciated that.

I also enjoyed seeing how differently Barb and Nicolette's lives developed after Lorelei's death.

Barb remained in Seaside and became a reporter, while Nicolette left everything behind and completely reinvented herself, eventually becoming a reality-TV personality. The contrast between who they were as teenagers and the women they became added another interesting dimension to the story, particularly as their carefully constructed present-day lives started colliding with the past.

My main issue was the pacing.

There were sections that felt slightly slow or repetitive, particularly when compared with the parts where new revelations were coming quickly. I don't think the book needed drastic changes, but tightening things up a little would have helped maintain the suspense more consistently.

Thankfully, it never reached the point where I lost interest. I still wanted answers, and the mystery kept me invested until everything finally came together.

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Final Thoughts

Heart of Glass was another engaging thriller from Jennifer Hillier, combining a decades-old murder with present-day secrets, complicated friendships, a serial killer who may have confessed to a crime he didn't commit, and a new death that brings everything bubbling back to the surface.

Returning to Seaside was an added bonus as someone who has already read Wonderland, although this story stands perfectly well on its own.

While some sections were a little slower and I think the story could have been slightly shorter, the mystery kept me guessing for much longer than expected and I enjoyed watching the connections between past and present gradually emerge.

A solid, twisty return to Seaside.

⭐ 4–4.25/5

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ARC Disclaimer

I received an advance reader copy of Heart of Glass through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this copy did not influence my opinion of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All opinions are my own.

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires - Grady Hendrix

 

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix 

Author: Grady Hendrix
Narrator: Full Cast
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Horror | Supernatural Thriller | Vampires
Publication Date: April 7, 2020
Audiobook Length: 13h 49m
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Synopsis

Patricia Campbell lives with her family in a quiet Charleston neighborhood where her days revolve around her husband, children, household responsibilities, and the book club she shares with a group of local women who have a particular fondness for true crime and thrillers.

Then James Harris moves into the neighborhood.

Charming and mysterious, James quickly becomes part of their community, but a series of increasingly disturbing events leaves Patricia suspicious of their new neighbor. When local children begin disappearing, her true-crime instincts kick in and she decides to investigate.

But what Patricia discovers suggests that the danger lurking in their seemingly peaceful neighborhood might be far worse than any serial killer she's ever read about.

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My Thoughts

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires was absolutely hilarious, disturbing, chaotic, and somehow ridiculously fun at the same time.

Patricia's life is initially incredibly ordinary. Not much happens in her quiet Charleston neighborhood, and one of the few exciting parts of her routine is meeting with the other neighborhood mothers for their book club. They're united by their love of true crime and thrillers, although naturally there's also plenty of discussion about husbands, children, neighborhood happenings, and gossip. What is a book club without a little gossip?

Everything is relatively normal and boring until James Harris arrives, and suddenly things start getting increasingly weird. After several bizarre incidents, Patricia becomes suspicious of their charming new resident. And because this woman spends her free time reading about serial killers and true crime, obviously she's going to investigate.

Tbh, I would expect nothing less from a book club member.

From there, the story becomes this wonderfully chaotic mixture of rumors, paranoia, obsession, neighborhood gossip, missing children, disturbing discoveries, and eventually some very vampiric problems.

One of my favorite parts was the uncertainty surrounding Patricia's suspicions. Is something genuinely wrong? Is everyone ignoring obvious warning signs? Has Patricia consumed entirely too much true crime and created an elaborate scenario in her head? Is James a serial killer? Something worse?

WHAT IS HAPPENING?!

I also loved the contrast between the ordinary suburban setting and the increasingly horrifying things happening beneath the surface. One moment we're dealing with husbands, children, book-club meetings, and neighborhood drama, and the next we've entered firmly into what the actual hell is going on in Charleston? territory.

It was funny and absurd at times, but it could also become genuinely uncomfortable and horrifying. Somehow those different tones worked together incredibly well for me rather than fighting against each other.

---

Audiobook Thoughts

Despite being almost fourteen hours long, this audiobook completely had me. The full cast narration brought so much personality to Patricia and the other characters, and the performance made the increasingly chaotic situation incredibly entertaining to listen to.

I barely moved from my seat.

Food break? Fine.

Bathroom break? Apparently necessary.

Anything else? Absolutely not. Patricia has a vampire problem and I NEED ANSWERS!!!

The length never really bothered me because I was far too invested in finding out what was actually happening.

---

Final Thoughts

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires gave me suburban drama, true-crime-obsessed book-club ladies, gossip, paranoia, missing children, horror, vampires and an increasingly unhinged investigation.

It was funny, creepy, absurd, uncomfortable and genuinely horrifying in places, and somehow all of those things worked together perfectly for me.

I freaking loved it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Even Gods Can Die - Micah Castle

Even Gods Can Die by Micah Castle

Author: Micah Castle
Format: eARC
Genre: Mystery | Crime Thriller
Publication Date: August 7, 2026
Length: 120 pages
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Synopsis

Rookie detective Dana Cauldwell is assigned a cold case involving a series of so-called mercy killings. Someone known only as the Doctor has been ending the lives of seriously ill people, leaving Dana to reopen old wounds and question grieving families as she searches for the person responsible.

For Dana, the law initially makes the situation simple: regardless of intention, killing is still killing.

But while the investigation progresses, her mother's health begins to deteriorate. Suddenly, the questions surrounding the Doctor's victims are no longer confined to police files and strangers. As illness becomes painfully personal, Dana is forced to reconsider where the boundaries between murder, compassion, morality, and choice really lie.

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My Thoughts

This book took me a while to review. Not because Even Gods Can Die is particularly long (it's only around 120 pages) but because it left me thinking about it long after I'd finished.

When Dana begins investigating the mercy killings, her position is fairly straightforward. Whatever the Doctor's intentions might have been, people died, and therefore a crime was committed. But while she's examining these cases, she's also watching her mother's health deteriorate. As those two parts of her life begin to collide, questions that once seemed very black and white become considerably more complicated.

For such a short book, this tackles a lot. It asks uncomfortable questions about suffering, compassion, morality, autonomy, death, and how easy it can be to hold very firm opinions about an experience when you're looking at it entirely from the outside.

This was also a difficult read for me on a personal level. Serious illness and end-of-life choices aren't entirely hypothetical subjects in my own life, so I found it particularly easy to understand the shift in Dana's perspective. There is a significant difference between discussing these questions theoretically and confronting what prolonged suffering can actually mean for someone you love or for yourself.

That made some of the later parts especially difficult to read, but it also made the story considerably more impactful for me.

And then there's the ending.

Without spoiling anything, I think it could be quite divisive. A reader's reaction will probably depend heavily on their own beliefs and experiences, and I can easily imagine people coming away from it with completely different feelings.

For me, it worked.

Not because every decision was comfortable or because the book provided an easy answer. It didn't, and I appreciated that. This is an inherently messy subject where morality, legality, compassion, autonomy, grief, and love can collide without leaving anyone with a perfect choice.

What impressed me most was how much Micah Castle managed to explore in approximately 120 pages without making the story feel rushed. There isn't an enormous amount of space here, yet the central moral dilemma has enough weight to linger after the mystery itself is over.

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Final Thoughts

Even Gods Can Die is a small book dealing with a very big question.

It's uncomfortable, morally complicated, and likely to provoke very different reactions depending on the reader. For me, its exploration of serious illness, suffering, compassion, and the limits of black-and-white morality hit particularly close to home.

More than anything, it made me think, and I was still thinking about it well after I'd turned the final page.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

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ARC Disclaimer

I received an advance reader copy of Even Gods Can Die directly from the author in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this copy did not influence my opinion of the book.

Thank you to Micah Castle for the opportunity to read and review Even Gods Can Die. All opinions are my own.

 

The Crying Killer - Jess Lourey

The Crying Killer by Jess Lourey

Author: Jess Lourey
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Format: eBook / ARC
Genre: Thriller | Mystery | Crime | Suspense
Publication Date: August 18, 2026
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Synopsis

Eight years ago, Tuesday Hendrickson survived an attack that killed her sister. The murderer was believed to be Arsen Bauer, their former friend and her sister's on-and-off boyfriend, who became known as the Crying Killer. Police shot and killed him while he fled the scene, and the case was considered closed.

Tuesday was never completely convinced they killed the right man. Now a private investigator living under a new name and fiercely protecting her daughter, she begins seeing someone who looks disturbingly like Arsen. When new bodies appear bearing the Crying Killer's signature, Tuesday must determine whether the man she's feared for eight years has really returned, or whether her past is finally catching up with her in a different way.

---

My Thoughts

This book kept me on my toes the entire time. We get murder, stalking, dangerous situations, secrets, paranoia (or maybe not?) and that constant “Am I losing my mind right now?” feeling that had me questioning things right alongside Tuesday.

What made the original murders even more disturbing was Tuesday's connection to Arsen. He wasn't a random killer who entered their lives; he had been their friend and her sister's on-and-off boyfriend. When police supposedly killed him while fleeing the scene, everyone else accepted that the nightmare was finally over. Tuesday never really did.

And honestly, I could understand why. The man who was shot was wearing Arsen's clothes, but his face had been completely destroyed, making identification difficult. Tuesday has spent eight years believing there was a possibility Arsen survived, and when she starts seeing him again just as bodies bearing the Crying Killer's signature begin appearing, that old fear comes rushing back.

The suspense worked really well for me because I genuinely wasn't sure how much of Tuesday's fear I could trust. Was she actually seeing Arsen across the street? Was someone stalking her? Was her trauma making her see connections that weren't there? Or was everyone around her making a huge mistake by refusing to believe her? At some point, I was basically questioning my own sanity alongside her. :D

I also loved how the mystery kept shifting. Every time I thought I had a decent idea of what was happening, another detail or twist made me reconsider my theory. Things became especially interesting toward the end, and some of those reveals genuinely surprised me.

It was also incredibly bingeable. This is exactly the kind of thriller that makes me say “one more chapter” until I suddenly realize it's 3 a.m... or 7 a.m. Apparently sleep becomes optional when I need answers. 

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Final Thoughts

The Crying Killer was suspenseful, twisty and extremely difficult for me to put down. Tuesday's uncertainty created that perfect “is this actually happening or are we imagining it?” feeling, while the mystery kept giving me reasons to question my theories.

I genuinely don't have any major complaints. It kept me guessing, gave me a few surprises I didn't see coming, and had me completely invested in finding out what really happened eight years ago.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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ARC Disclaimer

I received an advance reader copy of The Crying Killer in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this copy did not influence my opinion of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All opinions are my own.

 

Plant Lady - Minyoung Kang

Plant Lady by Minyoung Kang

Author: Minyoung Kang
Translator: Shanna Tan
Narrator: Jennifer J. Kim
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Psychological Horror | Thriller | Translated Fiction
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Synopsis

Moving on from a traumatic experience, Yoohee opens her own plant shop in the hopes of starting fresh.

By day, her shop is a peaceful sanctuary filled with thriving plants. Yoohee welcomes customers, shares gardening advice and carefully tends to every leaf and flower, although anyone foolish enough to mistreat one of her beloved plants may quickly discover just how protective she can be.

But after dark, Yoohee's gardening takes a considerably more sinister turn.

As the consequences of her past threaten to catch up with her and a determined police inspector begins asking questions, the peaceful life Yoohee has cultivated may prove much more difficult to protect than her plants.

---

My Thoughts

Apparently all I need to root for a serial killer is a beautiful plant shop and a list of terrible men.

Who knew?

Plant Lady is a fairly short book, the audiobook is only a few hours long, and that usually makes me slightly nervous. Shorter stories can sometimes move so quickly that the characters or plot don't have enough room to develop properly.

Not here.

I don't know whether it was Minyoung Kang's writing, Jennifer J. Kim's narration, or the combination of both, but everything flowed incredibly smoothly.

I usually listen to audiobooks at around 1.75–2x speed, and even at that pace, the story never felt rushed. Instead, it was an incredibly easy and strangely pleasant listening experience.

Considering, you know...

Murder.

Cough.

---

Our Lovely Plant Lady

I absolutely loved Yoohee.

By day, she's tending to her beautiful plant shop and garden, sharing gardening advice on social media, welcoming customers and ensuring her plants are healthy and thriving.

By night?

Oh well....

Let's just say she has some rather unusual extracurricular activities.

Yoohee is a fascinating morally gray character, and much of her story revolves around misogyny, abuse and the ways institutions repeatedly fail the women who need their protection.

Yoohee has very strong feelings about abusive men.

And when the people who are supposed to do something about them fail?

Well...

Yoohee is rather resourceful.

Am I supposed to be cheering for this woman?

Probably not nearly as enthusiastically as I was.

But here we are.

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Dark, Unsettling... and Strangely Cozy?

One of my favorite things about Plant Lady was the contrast at the center of Yoohee's character.

There's something almost cozy about her everyday existence. She's surrounded by greenery, cares deeply for her plants, talks about gardening and runs this beautiful little shop.

Then you remember exactly what kind of story you're reading.

That contrast between something nurturing and something deeply disturbing worked incredibly well. The book manages to be dark and unsettling without losing the strangely peaceful quality surrounding Yoohee and her plants.

And her garden?

Absolutely flourishing.

I'm sure that's entirely unrelated to anything else happening in this story.

Cough again...

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The Investigation

Of course, Yoohee can't simply go about her... gardening... forever without attracting some unwanted attention.

Enter the detective.

This man drove me slightly insane.

He knew something wasn't right, but he couldn't find the evidence he needed and yet he JUST. KEPT. PUSHING.

Sir.

Go home.

Find a hobby.

Take up gardening!

Actually...

Maybe don't do that.

At some point, I started wondering whether he might mysteriously contribute to the continued health of Yoohee's garden himself.

Alas...

Still, his persistence creates an interesting tension because you're essentially watching an investigator do his job while simultaneously thinking:

Could you perhaps... not?

That's what happens when a book successfully convinces you to root for its morally questionable protagonist.

---

Audiobook Thoughts

Jennifer J. Kim's narration was excellent.

Her performance perfectly complemented the book's quiet, unsettling atmosphere. There was something wonderfully controlled about the listening experience that suited Yoohee and the story incredibly well.

Combined with the short runtime and smooth pacing, this became one of those audiobooks that was incredibly easy to devour in a single sitting.

The translation by Shanna Tan also read very naturally in English, while maintaining the story's distinctive atmosphere and tone.

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Final Thoughts

Plant Lady was dark, strangely cozy, morally messy, occasionally funny and incredibly easy to devour.

I loved Yoohee far more than I probably should have, the plant-shop setting provided such an unusual contrast to the darker elements of the story, and I was especially impressed by how complete the book felt despite its relatively short length.

Jennifer J. Kim's narration only made the experience better, and I finished the audiobook wishing I could spend a little longer in Yoohee's world.

Would I trust her?

Absolutely not.

Would I shop at her plant store?

...probably.

I'd just be extremely respectful to the plants.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Support your local plant lady!

 

Brimstone Hollow - Archer Sullivan

 

Brimstone Hollow

Author: Archer Sullivan
Series: Annie Gore #2
Genre: Mystery | Thriller | Suspense
Format: eBook (ARC)
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Synopsis

Private investigator Annie Gore is back in Appalachia for another case, this time involving one of the region's last infamous snake-handling preachers.

Katie May has been estranged from her father for twenty years, but when she learns that he died from a snake bite and was buried remarkably quickly, she begins to wonder whether his death was really as straightforward as everyone claims.

She hires Annie to find out.

Annie isn't entirely convinced there's anything suspicious to uncover, but something about Katie and her complicated relationship with her father, feels uncomfortably familiar.

Her investigation takes her deep into an insular Eastern Kentucky community where religion, family, and long-held secrets are closely intertwined. And the more questions Annie asks, the clearer it becomes that someone would very much like her to stop.

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My Thoughts

After absolutely loving The Witch's Orchard, I went into Brimstone Hollow with pretty high expectations.

Thankfully, it didn't disappoint.

Do I perhaps love the first book just a tiny bit more?

Maybe.

But we're keeping that between us. Shhhh. 😂

This time, Annie is investigating the suspicious death of an infamous Appalachian preacher known for practicing snake handling. What initially appears to be a tragic but relatively straightforward snake bite soon becomes considerably more complicated.

And, naturally, Annie asking questions in a small community where everyone knows everyone isn't exactly going to go unnoticed.

One of my favorite things about this series continues to be the Appalachian setting. Archer Sullivan makes these communities feel authentic and lived-in rather than simply using the mountains as a creepy backdrop. The landscape, local culture, relationships, and history all feel intertwined with the mysteries Annie investigates.

The snake-handling church also gave this installment its own identity rather than simply recreating the mystery from the first book.

That said...

I missed my witchy vibes!

I completely understand why this story needed its own atmosphere and subject matter, and I'm glad Sullivan didn't simply repeat what worked before. But the folklore, witches, and unsettling crows were some of my favorite elements of The Witch's Orchard, so I couldn't help missing that particular eeriness just a little.

The investigation itself kept me interested and delivered plenty of twists, but the final 20–25% was where the book really came alive for me.

Naturally, I had theories. I'm physically incapable of reading a mystery without developing seventeen of them. 😂

Even so, the story still managed to give me one of those satisfying little "OH!" moments when everything came together. I always appreciate a thriller that lets me theorize without making the final answer completely obvious.

I also found myself much more personally worried about Annie this time around.

Some of what happens during this investigation feels genuinely dangerous and increasingly personal, and because I'd already become attached to her in the first book, the stakes hit differently. I wasn't simply interested in whether she'd solve the case, I wanted Annie herself to make it through everything being thrown at her.

Her own past continues to add another dimension to the series as well. Annie understands these communities because she comes from them, but returning to places reminiscent of her childhood also means confronting memories she'd rather leave buried.

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Final Thoughts

Brimstone Hollow is a strong second installment in the Annie Gore series and another atmospheric Appalachian mystery from Archer Sullivan.

The unusual case surrounding a snake-handling preacher immediately intrigued me, the investigation delivered some satisfying surprises, and I loved being back with Annie.

While I personally missed some of the witchy folklore and eerie atmosphere that made The Witch's Orchard such a standout for me, I appreciate that Brimstone Hollow establishes its own identity rather than simply trying to recreate the first book.

Book one might still have my heart by the tiniest margin...

But I'm absolutely sticking around for Annie's next case.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

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ARC Disclaimer

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Witch’s Orchard - Archer Sullivan

 

The Witch’s Orchard

Author: Archer Sullivan
Series: Annie Gore #1
Genre: Mystery | Thriller | Appalachian Mystery
Format: Audiobook
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Synopsis

Former Air Force Special Investigator Annie Gore left Appalachia after high school, hoping to escape a difficult childhood. Now working as a private investigator, she finds herself heading back into the mountains for a case that has remained unsolved for ten years.

Three young girls disappeared from a tiny North Carolina mountain town.

Only one ever came home.

A decade later, the brother of one of the missing girls wants answers, and he believes Annie may be the right person to find them. She's an outsider, but she's also someone who understands mountain towns and the people who live in them.

As Annie begins digging into the cold case, she encounters a community filled with secrets, conflicting stories, and unsettling local folklore involving witches and screaming crows.

Someone knows what happened ten years ago.

And Annie's investigation is beginning to disturb secrets that were meant to stay buried.

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My Thoughts

I actually had to double-check that The Witch's Orchard was Archer Sullivan's debut because the writing felt remarkably confident and polished.

And after rereading it? I'm officially upgrading my original rating to 5 stars.

One of my favorite aspects of this book is undoubtedly the Appalachian setting. The mountains, isolated community, local folklore, and screaming crows create an eerie atmosphere without requiring the story to become outright horror.

The folklore surrounding the witch was particularly fascinating.

Almost everyone Annie spoke to seemed to have a slightly different version of the story. Details shifted depending on who was telling it, and I loved how those different interpretations seemed to reflect people's own fears, beliefs and perhaps even their guilt.

It created this wonderful uncertainty around what was folklore, what was superstition and what might contain pieces of the truth.

Then there's Annie Gore herself.

She's exactly the kind of protagonist I want leading a mystery series. Her background gives her an interesting position within the community: she's investigating as an outsider, yet she understands Appalachian towns and their people because she grew up in a similar environment herself.

That connection also makes the investigation more personal. Returning to the mountains means confronting pieces of her own painful childhood, and I enjoyed watching those elements of Annie's past emerge alongside the central mystery.

The cold case itself was very well plotted. Three girls disappeared ten years earlier, only one returned, and an entire community has spent the intervening years carrying different versions of what happened.

And somehow, I didn't figure out the culprit until the answer was practically staring me in the face.

That's always a win for me.

There were a couple of developments that felt slightly too convenient—particularly one involving the factory, but they ultimately didn't take much away from my enjoyment, especially on reread.

---

Audiobook

I also have to give Emily Pike Stewart credit for the narration.

Her performance complemented the Appalachian atmosphere beautifully and helped bring both Annie and the setting to life. There was even a moment where the narration managed to make me tear up, which doesn't happen to me very often.

Considering I enjoyed the story even more when revisiting it, the audiobook experience absolutely deserves some credit for that 5-star upgrade.

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Final Thoughts

The Witch's Orchard is an atmospheric and impressively confident debut filled with Appalachian folklore, small-town secrets, a decade-old disappearance and a private investigator I immediately wanted to follow into another case.

The mystery kept me guessing, the folklore gave the story a wonderfully unsettling quality, and Annie Gore proved to be a fantastic lead.

My original reaction was essentially:

Book 2 pretty, pretty please?

Well...

Apparently someone listened. 😂

On to Brimstone Hollow!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The One Who Walked Away - Karen Rose

 

The One Who Walked Away

Author: Karen Rose
Series: Romantic Suspense #34
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Romantic Suspense | Mystery | Thriller
Format: eBook (ARC)
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5 stars rounded up)

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Synopsis

Three years ago, bounty hunter Elle Randolph survived a car accident that killed her husband and two other people. Although she was cleared of any wrongdoing, the guilt never really left her, and she has spent the years since throwing herself into work and solving other people's problems.

But when Elle arrives in Mendocino County and suddenly becomes a person of interest in a murder investigation, running from her past is no longer an option.

Detective Ronan Clarke has spent fifteen years balancing his career with raising his daughter as a single father. When Elle enters his investigation surrounded by secrets and suspicious circumstances, he's determined to figure out exactly how she is involved.

The more Ronan uncovers, however, the more convinced he becomes that Elle isn't the killer; and the harder it becomes to ignore the attraction growing between them.

---

My Thoughts

First things first: if you know Karen Rose, you probably know that her Romantic Suspense series has been running for a very long time. The One Who Walked Away may technically be book #34, but don't let that number scare you! This story begins a new arc and works as a standalone, so you don't need to read thirty-three books before picking this one up.

And I'm glad I did, because I really enjoyed it.

One of the biggest strengths for me was the balance between the romance and suspense. Neither side felt like an afterthought. There was enough investigation and danger to keep the mystery reader in me interested, while Elle and Ronan's developing relationship gave me the romantic element I wanted.

I liked both main characters a lot.

Elle is still carrying an enormous amount of guilt surrounding the accident that killed her husband and two others, despite being cleared of wrongdoing. You can see how deeply that experience continues to affect her and how she channels those feelings into her work as a bounty hunter. There were times when I wished she had a little more confidence in herself, especially because she'd already survived so much.

Then there's Ronan.

Single dad? Check.

Dedicated detective? Check.

Trying very hard to remain professional around Elle and occasionally not doing quite as good a job as he'd probably like? Also check. 😂

I really enjoyed him, both as a romantic lead and as an investigator. I also appreciated how the investigation surrounding Elle was handled. The characters didn't simply decide she must be guilty because the circumstances looked suspicious. The case was approached thoughtfully, with evidence actually mattering.

I did figure out the culprit fairly early, but surprisingly, that didn't bother me very much. I was still invested in watching the investigation unfold and seeing how all the pieces eventually came together.

Compared with some of the darker thrillers I normally gravitate toward, this one also felt relatively chill. Murder and violence are obviously part of the story, but it never became excessively graphic or brutal. At the time I read it, that was exactly the kind of suspense I was in the mood for.

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Final Thoughts

Romance, murder, investigation, a little stalking and two main characters I genuinely enjoyed?

Yes, please.

The One Who Walked Away delivered a satisfying combination of romantic suspense and character-driven mystery. Although I predicted part of the mystery fairly early, the strong character dynamics and well-balanced romance kept me invested until the end.

And if the intimidating #34 on Goodreads has you wondering whether you can start here: yes! This begins a new arc, making it an accessible entry point for readers who haven't worked their way through Karen Rose's extensive backlist.

⭐ 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5

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ARC Disclaimer

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Enigma Challenge - S C Godfrey / Sierra Godfrey

 

The Enigma Challenge

Author: S.C. Godfrey / Sierra Godfrey
Publisher: Viking
Genre: Mystery Thriller | Romantic Suspense | Adventure
Format: eBook (ARC)
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Synopsis

Zoe Wilder is an academic with a particular talent for ciphers and puzzles. While attending a cryptology conference in Madrid, her curiosity leads her straight into the Enigma Challenge, a secretive competition with extraordinarily high stakes.

What begins with one seemingly simple cipher quickly becomes a six-day race across Europe.

Enter Dane Seaver, a mysterious hacker and fellow player who convinces Zoe that their best chance of surviving (and winning) is to work together. Dane has something Zoe desperately needs: experience. He's already won the Challenge twice.

Unfortunately, he also has secrets.

With five puzzles to solve, millions of dollars at stake, ruthless competitors on their trail, and an attraction neither of them planned for, Zoe and Dane have very little time to figure out whom they can trust.

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My Thoughts

Well, this was right up my alley.

Give me puzzles, ciphers, escape-room vibes, dangerous challenges, European travel, twists, romance and a healthy dose of chaos, and apparently I'm a very happy reader.

As someone who loves puzzles, escape rooms, detective games and basically anything that gives me a mystery to solve, the Enigma Challenge itself was easily one of my favorite aspects of the book. I especially enjoyed the focus on ciphers. Puzzle-based thrillers aren't necessarily unusual, but I don't often encounter stories that make cryptology such an important part of the adventure, and that helped this one stand out for me.

The competition also keeps the story moving at an incredibly fast pace. Zoe and Dane have only six days to solve five puzzles, which means they're constantly racing from one clue and location to the next while trying not to get themselves killed in the process.

And I loved that the race took us across Europe.

Madrid, Barcelona, France and beyond; the changing locations gave the story an adventurous quality that perfectly complemented the competition. There was always somewhere new to go, another clue to decipher, or another problem waiting for them when they arrived.

Then we have Zoe and Dane.

The banter? There.

The chemistry? Definitely there.

I really enjoyed their dynamic, and the romance was much more substantial than I initially expected. Personally, I'd consider this romantic suspense, or even a romantic adventure thriller, rather than a straightforward mystery/thriller with a small romantic subplot. Their developing relationship is an important part of the experience.

Dane did, however, test me a little.

Let's just say he wasn't entirely forthcoming about everything, and by the end I was ready for a proper groveling tour. Sir, I had expectations! Unfortunately for me, there was also a rather urgent life-or-death situation happening, so apparently my groveling requirements weren't everyone's top priority.

The final portion of the book became especially intense. The twists, danger and revelations kept piling up, and I flew through those chapters wanting to know how everything would end.

The general concept of contestants solving puzzles while being chased through increasingly dangerous situations isn't completely new, and I was occasionally reminded of escape-room style movies and games. But that never bothered me. The emphasis on ciphers, European setting, characters, romance and overall execution gave The Enigma Challenge its own identity.

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Final Thoughts

I ate this one up.

The Enigma Challenge combined so many things I personally love: puzzles, ciphers, suspense, travel, romance, danger, twists, and absolute chaos. It was fast-paced, entertaining, and genuinely fun from beginning to end.

If you enjoy escape rooms, puzzle-based thrillers, international adventures, and romances forged while everyone is potentially trying to kill you, this one is absolutely worth checking out.

And after that ending, I have only one important question:

ARE WE GETTING A SEQUEL???

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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ARC Disclaimer

Thank you to Sierra Godfrey, Viking, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Clean Slate - Brianna Labuskes

Clean Slate (Olive Hunt #1)

Author: Brianna Labuskes
Genre: Psychological Thriller | Crime | Mystery
Format: eBook (ARC)
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (3.75 stars, rounded up)

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Synopsis

Olive Hunt has spent nearly a decade cleaning up crime scenes.

After years of erasing the aftermath of tragedy, very little surprises her anymore.

But when she notices an unusual connection between two apparent suicides, Olive becomes convinced that someone is staging murders to look like self-inflicted deaths. As more bodies appear and mysterious roses begin arriving at her doorstep, it becomes clear that a serial killer is leaving clues meant specifically for her.

The deeper Olive digs, the more personal the investigation becomes.

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My Thoughts

I have to admit... there was something especially fun about reading a thriller featuring a crime scene cleaner while I was also playing Crime Scene Cleaner. The timing couldn't have been better!

The concept immediately stood out to me because it's not something you see very often in psychological thrillers. Watching Olive clean crime scenes added a fresh perspective to the investigation, and although those scenes were detailed, they never felt overly graphic. Instead, they gave the story its own unique identity.

The novel started off incredibly strong.

The mystery surrounding the staged suicides immediately hooked me, and I was eager to discover how everything connected. As the story progressed, however, I felt the pacing became a little uneven. Some chapters were impossible to put down, while others slowed the momentum enough that my attention occasionally drifted.

I also found parts of the mystery somewhat predictable. That didn't ruin my enjoyment, but it meant the story never completely surprised me in the way I'd hoped.

One aspect I would have loved to see explored even further was Olive herself. The psychological effects of her past added an interesting layer to her character, and I found those moments just as compelling as the investigation itself. I finished the book wanting to learn even more about her history.

The final chapters definitely reignited my interest. The ending leaves readers with plenty of questions, and I'm already curious to see where Olive's story goes in the next installment.

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Final Thoughts

Clean Slate offers a refreshing take on the serial killer thriller by placing a crime scene cleaner at the center of the investigation.

Although the pacing wasn't always consistent and some developments felt a little predictable, the unique premise, engaging mystery, and intriguing main character kept me invested throughout. I'm especially interested to see how Olive's story continues in future books.

If you enjoy psychological thrillers with unconventional protagonists and serial killer investigations, this is definitely worth checking out.

⭐ 3.75 stars (rounded up to 4)

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ARC Disclaimer

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

 

One of the Family - Mark Edwards

One of the Family

Author: Mark Edwards
Genre: Psychological Thriller | Mystery | Suspense
Format: eBook (ARC)
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Synopsis

Patrick is looking forward to spending a relaxing holiday in the Scottish Highlands with his girlfriend Holly and her family.

Instead, he finds himself trapped in a house full of secrets.

Holly's father, Charles, is preparing to marry Jasmine, a woman almost the same age as his children and the spitting image of their late mother. Unsurprisingly, not everyone is thrilled about the engagement.

As old resentments resurface and tensions within the family continue to rise, Patrick soon realizes that everyone seems to be hiding something. But the secrets don't stop at the front door. The small Scottish village surrounding the estate appears just as suspicious, with its residents guarding truths of their own.

The longer Patrick stays, the more dangerous the situation becomes.

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My Thoughts

I absolutely devoured this book.

From the very first chapters, Mark Edwards creates an atmosphere filled with suspicion, tension, and unease. The isolated Scottish setting perfectly complements the story, making it feel as though there is no escape from the increasingly dysfunctional family Patrick has unknowingly walked into.

What begins as an awkward family holiday quickly evolves into something far darker.

One of the things I enjoyed most was the constant sense that everyone had something to hide. It wasn't just Holly's family keeping secrets, the villagers themselves seemed equally suspicious, creating an unsettling environment where I found myself questioning almost every character.

The mystery unfolds in layers, with each revelation raising even more questions than answers. Just when I thought I understood what was happening, another twist completely changed my perspective. The psychological tension never let up, and I genuinely couldn't wait to see how everything would fit together.

The premise surrounding Charles' much younger fiancée is already intriguing enough on its own, but trust me when I say the story becomes far stranger as it progresses. I certainly wasn't prepared for some of the revelations waiting near the end.

Although I wouldn't say I had a particular favourite character, that didn't matter in the slightest. The plot was so compelling that I happily followed every twist, betrayal, and shocking discovery without ever needing to truly "like" anyone.

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Final Thoughts

One of the Family is exactly the kind of psychological thriller I love.

It's packed with family secrets, simmering tension, clever twists, and an atmosphere that kept me constantly second-guessing everyone. Between the isolated Scottish setting, the dysfunctional family dynamics, and the increasingly bizarre revelations, I found it almost impossible to put down.

If you're looking for a thriller where nobody can be trusted and every answer only leads to more questions, I highly recommend adding this one to your reading list.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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ARC Disclaimer

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are my own.