Betrayal was just the beginning…

Melanie Hale is a devoted mother to her two children, a diligent caregiver to her ailing mother-in-law and a trusted neighbor in their wealthy Louisiana community. Above all, she’s a loving partner to her wonderful husband, Collin.

Then there are the parts of herself that Mel keeps hidden. She’s exhausted, worried and unfulfilled. So much so that one night, after a writers’ group meeting, Mel begins an affair with a successful local author named Luke. Suddenly she’s transformed into a role she doesn’t recognize—a woman who deceives with unseemly ease. A woman who might be capable of just about anything.

When Mel finds Luke’s dead body in his lavish rented house, she realizes just how high the stakes have become. Not only does she have to keep her affair a secret in order to preserve her marriage, but she desperately needs to avoid being implicated in Luke’s death. But who would want to kill him? Who else in her life is keeping secrets? And most terrifying of all, how far will they—and she—go to keep those secrets hidden?

This is the first book I have read by this author.

The synopsis intrigued me especially since I have been reading nothing but psychological thrillers. The Prologue had me hooked, but then it felt like it was a slow burn for quite a few chapters. However, the author’s writing style captivated me. I felt that I could actually feel the fear and panic of the main character, Melanie. This technique had me turning the pages as fast as I could read them.

Even though I figured out the plot and who the killer was, and it being a bit slow, I would read more books by this author because it was an enjoyable and entertaining read.

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The Cold Creek Highway stretches close to five hundred miles through British Columbia’s rugged wilderness to the west coast. Isolated and vast, it has become a prime hunting ground for predators. For decades, young women traveling the road have gone missing. Motorists and hitchhikers, those passing through or living in one of the small towns scattered along the region, have fallen prey time and again. And no killer or abductor who has stalked the highway has ever been brought to justice.

Hailey McBride calls Cold Creek home. Her father taught her to respect nature, how to live and survive off the land, and to never travel the highway alone. Now he’s gone, leaving her a teenage orphan in the care of her aunt whose police officer husband uses his badge as a means to bully and control Hailey. Overwhelmed by grief and forbidden to work, socialize, or date, Hailey vanishes into the mountainous terrain, hoping everyone will believe she’s left town. Rumors spread that she was taken by the highway killer—who’s claimed another victim over the summer.

One year later, Beth Chevalier arrives in Cold Creek, where her sister Amber lived—and where she was murdered. Estranged from her parents and seeking closure, Beth takes a waitressing job at the local diner, just as Amber did, desperate to understand what happened to her and why. But Beth’s search for answers puts a target on her back—and threatens to reveal the truth behind Hailey’s disappearance

There is someone who is killing young girls on the Colf Creek Highway. The book has three subdivisions.

Hailey: A 17 year old who lost her mother at an early age and was super close to her dad, who was a wilderness guide. Then tragedy strikes again when her father is killed in a motor vehicle accident. Being a minor, she ends up living with her maternal aunt, her aunt’s husband Vaughn, and their son Cash. Vaughn is the Sherriff of the RCMP and is quite controlling. But even worse, Hailey finds something quite disturbing about him that she runs away into the woods, in hopes that her family thinks she was one of the victims of the serial killer.

Beth: A year ago, her sister was a victim of the highway killer and has not been able to move forward from it. She leaves the life she knows and travels to Cold Creek in hopes of finding answers about her sister.

Hailey and Beth: The 2 girls team up to unmask the killer.

The storyline kept my interest. The suspense and action were palpable.

Even though I enjoyed this read, there were 2 issues, at least for me, that took away from the story and the reason for my rating.

The settings in the first 2 parts were mainly in the woods and were quite in-depth about surviving there. Not being a camping person, I found myself skimming over a lot of it because it was so detailed that at times, it just took away from the story for me. The other issue was that it was obvious from the beginning as to who had involvement in the killings. And because of those 2 reasons, and the fact that I had a mindset of setting the bar so high because of her previous books, that I was just a bit disappointed.

Would I recommend it? Yes! Just because this wasn’t a read that I didn’t 100% enjoy, I’m sure many will. And now, I wait patiently for her next book. I just hope that I don’t have to wait as long as I did for this one.

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Two women. A dying wish. And a web of lies that will bring their world crashing down.

Nina and Marie were best friends—until Nina was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Before she died, Nina asked Marie to fulfill her final wishes.

But her mistake was in thinking Marie was someone she could trust.

What Nina didn’t know was that Marie always wanted her beautiful life, and that Marie has an agenda of her own. She’ll do anything to get what she wants.

Marie thinks she can keep her promise to her friend’s family on her own terms. But what she doesn’t know is that Nina was hiding explosive secrets of her own…

This is the first book that I read by this author but I surely will be checking out both past and future works by her.

There is nothing more than Marie wants and that is a child. And secondly would love, and covets, the life of her best friend, Nina, who has it all. A husband, Stuart, who loves her, 2 children, and the proverbial white picket fence. Until, the horrible news that Nina has only a few months to live.

Nina asks Marie to keep several requests and promises. Marie being the absolute loyal friend will do just that. To love and watch over her 2 children as much as she does, not to have her husband choose another woman that is unworthy, and if so, Marie must step into the role, and to keep the family home where her children have so many memories.

This book had my head spinning. Characters that have deadly secrets, betrayals, lies, hidden agendas, and forced alibis, all to protect the family. But one character has the biggest secret and the perfect setup that encompasses all the players in this story.

This story will definitely have you turning the pages trying to figure out who the master manipulator is.

Did Marie keep the promises she swore to? That you will have to find out on your own!!!!

A nail-biting and chilly read!!!!!

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People don’t just disappear without a trace…

Shelby Tebow is the first to go missing. Not long after, Meredith Dickey and her six-year-old daughter, Delilah, vanish just blocks away from where Shelby was last seen, striking fear into their once-peaceful community. Are these incidents connected? After an elusive search that yields more questions than answers, the case eventually goes cold.

Now, eleven years later, Delilah shockingly returns. Everyone wants to know what happened to her, but no one is prepared for what they’ll find…

In this smart and chilling thriller, master of suspense and New York Times bestselling author Mary Kubica takes domestic secrets to a whole new level, showing that some people will stop at nothing to keep the truth buried.

I have a very embarrassing confession to make. I have been reading for (covers mouth and mumbles) years and this is the first book I have read by Ms. Kubica. Sad for me that I now realize that I have been missing out on an author of exceptional writing.

This story grabbed me from the start and would not let go. I felt that I was there! The suspense sped throughout the book and I had to hold on. I did not even bother to try and figure out who the suspect was because I was turning the pages as fast as I could and devouring every word. The characters felt like I knew each and every one of them. The writing extraordinary!!!

A white knuckle read that was difficult to put down. Totally engrossing!! A captivating tale, that when I did turn the last page, I knew that this is a book that will stay with me for quite a while. A shocking ending!!

Ms. Kubica is now on my “authors to read” list. I definitely will be checking out her previous books!!!!!

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When Alice and Leo move into a newly renovated house in The Circle, a gated community of exclusive houses, it is everything they’ve dreamed of. But appearances can be deceptive…

As Alice is getting to know her neighbours, she discovers a devastating secret about her new home, and begins to feel a strong connection with Nina, the therapist who lived there before.

Alice becomes obsessed with trying to piece together what happened two years before. But no one wants to talk about it. Her neighbors are keeping secrets and things are not as perfect as they seem…

After reading Behind Closed Doors, I knew I had to get a copy of this book in my hands. Was it as good?

The Therapist was a read that checked off all the boxes that I love in a book.
√ Short chapters in which this reader would say “just one more chapter” and I found that I had read not one chapter but many.
√ Hooked right from the start.
√ Felt that I was part of the story and transported into it not knowing what was going on around me (ex: my husband talking to me, which I didn’t even hear him because I was so engrossed)
√ The mystery was so profound that I had no clue how this was going to end.
√Characters three dimensional, believeable and could have been any of them as the suspect.

Was this as good? HECK YES!!! This book was hard to put down!! A riveting and chilling read! Exceptional!! Captivating!!

And let’s talk about the ending. The ending!! I almost passed out because I didn’t realize how long I was holding my breath. A white knuckle read with an explosive finish!!

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When my husband found this perfect little cabin in the woods for our honeymoon, I couldn’t wait to get away. Just us in the middle of the forest, waking up every day in the trees, ending each night in the hot tub under the stars. But now I’m not sure that I know my husband at all…

I just wish we’d gone to the police when someone left a note on the doormat saying: She’s dead, you’re next. Ryan said I was overreacting, but I don’t understand why he won’t go to the cops now things are getting worse. Can I trust my husband?

I’ve known about the terrible thing that Ryan did for years and it’s been tearing me apart. Last night I told him I would always keep his secret. But is the man I married hiding something else from me?

Now someone has cut the phone lines and we’re trapped here. Ryan swears he has no idea what’s going on and just wants to keep us safe. I’m here alone in the middle of the dark forest with the man I thought I could trust. My heart is racing and there’s no one I can call…

My husband promised till death do us part. Am I about to find out what that means?

A heart-pounding, unbelievably twisty psychological thriller that will have you sleeping with the light on! Fans of Gone Girl, Behind Closed Doors and Date Night will be utterly gripped.

I found this author from a Facebook group I am a member of and have read a couple of her books and each one has been captivating. I hope to read all of her books, they are that good!

Ryan surprises his wife with an overdue honeymoon in a secluded cabin in the woods. Unbeknownst to them, this cabin has a history. Or was this known when it was booked? Around town, it’s called “the murder cabin” because 2 previous guests died under suspicious circumstances and the killer was never found.

Then the next day, after a hike and running into a homeless man, their romantic honeymoon turns into a nightmare.

Ryan and Grace are holding secrets from the other. Secrets that could become deadly.

I could not put this book down. Eerie twists and turns that will have the hairs on your neck standing up. A chilling, page turning read!

Check this author out. I guarantee you will be hooked.

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Addison’s about to get married, but she’s not looking forward to the big day. It’s not her fiancé; he’s a wonderful man. It’s because Addison doesn’t know who she really is. A few years ago, a kind driver found her bleeding next to a New Jersey highway and rescued her. While her physical wounds healed, Addison’s memory never returned. She doesn’t know her real name. Or how she ended up injured on the side of a road. Or why she can’t shake the notion that she may have done something very, very bad . . .

In a posh home in the Boston suburbs, Julian tries to figure out what happened to his loving, caring wife, Cassandra, who disappeared without a trace two years ago. She would never have left him and their seven-year-old daughter Valentina of her own free will—or would she?

As these two lives intersect, The Stranger in the Mirror hooks readers with riveting drama, told with Liv Constantine’s hallmark blend of glamour, tense psychological thrills, and jaw-dropping twists.

The sisterly dynamic duo has done it again!!!!

O!! M!! G!! I have read every book by this team and each book will have captivated and this book didn’t disappoint.

Let’s talk about the characters. I don’t think I have read a book where my emotions and feelings towards each character changed so drastically and so often. I would feel empathy and like them, then I would have my suspicions as to their real agenda, then be surprised that maybe I was wrong and care about them again, and then BANG!!! The truth is revealed!!!!

It was nonstop suspense that had my head reeling so much that I think I now have vertigo. I found myself holding my breath and the next minute having heart-pounding palpitations. The kind of book that you can’t wait to see how it all comes together, but on the other hand, don’t want it to end.

An explosive read that will have you on the edge of your seat wondering when the next shoe will fall.

I just hope they are on the final edits of their next book because I don’t have that much patience to wait to see what they have in store with their next book.

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From the outside, everyone might think Fern and Rose are as close as twin sisters can be: Rose is the responsible one and Fern is the quirky one. But the sisters are devoted to one another and Rose has always been Fern’s protector from the time they were small.

Fern needed protecting because their mother was a true sociopath who hid her true nature from the world, and only Rose could see it. Fern always saw the good in everyone. Years ago, Fern did something very, very bad. And Rose has never told a soul. When Fern decides to help her sister achieve her heart’s desire of having a baby, Rose realizes with growing horror that Fern might make choices that can only have a terrible outcome. What Rose doesn’t realize is that Fern is growing more and more aware of the secrets Rose, herself, is keeping. And that their mother might have the last word after all.

Twin sisters Rose and Fern have been inseparable since birth. Due to Fern’s disabilities and traumatic home life, Rose has always looked after Fern and became her caretaker. However, Fern doesn’t remember her home life as Rose did but maybe that is because Rose has always protected her. So who had the best recollection?

This was such a captivating read. Fluid throughout, which is why I just had to keep turning the pages. Even though, I figured it out, I still needed to find out more details and how it all ended.

I enthusiastically recommend this book especially if you enjoy psychological thrillers and family dynamics.

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