Tag Archives: Psychological Thriller

Little Secrets, by Jennifer Hillier

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Book summary below provided by the publisher:

I went into this knowing little about it, which I think is the best way to go into most thrillers. There are twists along the way, and many of the characters are unlikable. The beginning, when Marin’s son goes missing, was very climactic. But shortly after the abduction scene, the remainder of the story mostly focuses on love affairs rather than the kidnapping and it lost much of its suspense for me at that point.

All that to say, go into this knowing the foundation is laid for a child abduction mystery…but then quickly detours and centers around adult love affairs. Though it heavily focuses on Marin’s marriage, it is still a thriller because of the plot twists, tension between characters, and the anticipation that leads up to the ending.

It is definitely a quick and easy read. It didn’t take me long to finish, and I liked it. But it isn’t at the top of my list and is not one that I had to think hard about, nothing mind-blowing, or something I thought long about after. I can’t say that I was completely shocked by the big twist at the end of the story. It was a good book, but not the whole package. I found her other novels more enjoyable, but think readers will still find this one exciting.

Jennifer Hillier is a best selling author and is widely known for writing psychological thrillers. Visit her website.

Read Publisher Weekly’s review for Little Secrets.

Follow Jennifer Hillier on Twitter or Instagram.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. Opinions are my own.

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Darling Rose Gold, by Stephanie Wrobel

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“They don’t know the depths of this mother’s love.”

Does forgiveness come with limitations or should it be unconditional? Should mitigating factors be considered when speculating harmful behavior? The story starts out with Rose picking up her mom, Patty, from prison. Patty, imprisoned for aggravated child abuse of Rose, has caused a strain on their relationship and Rose’s future to be thwarted. But, is Patty the only one to blame? Where do they go from here now that she is out from prison? And, is Rose willing to look past the years of abuse her from mother…?

I really loved this one! I found both narrators so hard to trust, and as lies began to unfold the thrill of what was to come had me rapidly turning the pages. Nearly every chapter revealed a new lie or added a new element to one of the characters that seemed to put a twist on things.

The relationship between Rose and Patty is emotionally draining at times. Both characters are messy, and their story is not one that I would describe as a happy one. Rose’s life in particular unveils the superficial mask that society often has, and we see her frequently hurt by others around her. Patty’s background comes in bits and pieces, but also demonstrates a past reflecting a lifetime of pain.

I am not an expert on Munchausens syndrome, so I can’t attest to the validity of this illness as it is presented in one of the characters. If you work in the medical field, you might find fault within this presentation and might take this into consideration.

Darling Rose Gold is author Stephanie Wrobel’s debut novel. Visit Stephanie Wrobel’s website to learn more.

Publisher’s Weekly review of Darling Rose Gold calls Patty the “Mother From Hell”.

Go to this Popsugar page to read this first chapter of Darling Rose Gold for free!

Read BookTrib’s review of Darling Rose Gold.

Darling Rose Gold is also published under the title The Recovery of Rose Gold depending on your location.

Stephanie Wrobel, photo from Penguin Random House website.

Follow Stephanie Wrobel on Twitter.

Darling Rose Gold was selected as a March 2020 Library Reads book. To learn more, click here.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. Opinions are my own.

|Purchase on Amazon| Goodreads Review|

Follow Me, by Kathleen Barber

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Audrey posts her move from New York to DC on her social media account for her millions of followers to view, like, and comment on. After her move, she notices someone is commenting very specific things on her posts that only someone following her would know. She starts hearing things outside her apartment. Things escalate. Who is following her?
Wait, doesn’t she want followers…?

Chapters alternate between Audrey, Cat, and Him. Audrey has the most chapters in the novel, and was certainly a naive and self-centered main character. Her best friend, Cat, is an attorney in DC and is socially opposite of Audrey. “Him” is the stalker.

Suspense throughout the story involves “Him”. Trying to unearth the identity of the stalker “Him” is the guiding light behind the tension of the novel.

There is a good twist in the end, but the questions and purpose buried beneath the conclusion spotlighted the main objective. It’s in the conclusion that the true essence of the novel is encapsulated, which made me really like it. Measuring accountability regarding social media is a subject of speculation that drives the novel home.

Visit author Kathleen Barber’s website.

Read Publisher’s Weekly review for Follow Me.

Kathleen Barber’s novel, Truth Be Told (formerly titled Are You Sleeping), is an Apple TV crime drama starring starring Octavia Spencer, Lizzy Caplan and Aaron Paul.

Follow Kathleen Barber on Twitter.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of Follow Me. Opinions are my own.

|Purchase on Amazon | Goodreads Review|

When I Was You, by Minka Kent

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Synopsis provided by the publisher:

This is a light thriller divided into 3 parts. The first part, which is Part 1 for Brienne, moved slower than the rest of the novel. This first part last from 1%-41% (on a Kindle) and caused the beginning to drag. It’s her repeating constantly how she is scared and how she wants to confront the person who took her identity but never really acts upon it…..other than that she only talks about how she thinks her roommate is cute. So, that made it repetitive and uneventful. Also, there were several obvious clues dropped during that time that gave away the twist.

I liked the story okay, but I really had to suspend belief for the majority of it. There was quite a lot that was hard to believe. It is an easy read and okay if you are looking for something lighter and don’t mind suspending belief.

There is no sex, but there is some cursing. 

Minka Kent is a best selling author for psychological thrillers. Visit author Minka Kent’s website to learn more about her books.

Her book, The Thinnest Air, made the best thriller book list for the year 2018. Read more here.

Follow Minka Kent on Facebook.

|Purchase on Amazon | Goodreads Review|