thoughts on books

Category: Mystery

  • The last time we drowned by Saratoga Schaefer

    🚨 If you love influencer drama + locked-room chaos + stormy, slightly unhinged thrillers… this is your next binge.

    The Last Time We Drowned by Saratoga Schaefer is giving luxury yacht meets social media meltdown—and I was completely along for the ride.

    Charlie, a low-key bookish influencer (honestly relatable), gets the opportunity of a lifetime: an invite aboard the Empress, a lavish yacht owned by a billionaire and staffed with a curated group of influencers. Each one sells the fantasy of elite, 1% living—but Charlie is stepping into a role that belonged to someone else… someone who mysteriously disappeared.

    With her best friend gone and her life feeling stuck, Charlie takes the chance. But between the glossy posts, curated personas, and the creeping feeling that something is very off, it quickly becomes clear this trip isn’t what it seems.

    ✨ Think:
    • influencer culture meets psychological thriller
    • a confined, high-tension setting
    • secrets, shifting dynamics, and major storm energy

    This book is pure popcorn thriller goodness. Yes, some twists are a little predictable—but honestly? That didn’t take away from the fun at all. It’s fast, addictive, and once things start spiraling (hello, hurricane season on a yacht with no real captain?!), I could not put it down.

    The characters lean a bit archetypal, but they totally work for the vibe. And if you’ve read Schaefer before, you’ll catch those subtle horror undertones creeping in 👀

    📚 Bottom line:
    If you’re in the mood for a wild, twisty, slightly chaotic thriller that you can devour in a couple sittings—add this to your list.

    And the best part? We’re getting more from Saratoga Schaefer soon… and I am READY.

    Thanks, NetGalley and Cosmo reads for the ARC. Book to be published June 2, 2026.

  • The dating game by ally zetterberg

    Dexter, but make it Monaco—with a neurodiverse, board-game mastermind who’s done playing nice. ♟️💋

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

    The Dating Game by Ally Zetterberg is a dark dating rom-dramedy that delivers equal parts chaos, catharsis, and clever revenge.

    Meet Tilda: 30, wildly successful board game designer, independently wealthy, and just a little… unconventional. After losing her mother far too soon, she decides to approach life the only way she knows how—like a game. First: friendship. Then: love. Finally: the “endgame” of a perfect, happy life. Simple, right?

    Except Tilda isn’t your typical heroine. Think Eleanor Oliphant vibes with a sharper edge—and a whole lot more feminine rage. There are plenty of mediocre men in this story, and let’s just say… they tend to get exactly what’s coming to them. 👀

    Set against the glamorous backdrop of Monaco, this book is packed with action, dark humor, and morally grey choices that somehow still have you rooting hard for Tilda. Yes, it’s a bit predictable at times—but honestly? That didn’t take away from how satisfying it was to watch everything unfold.

    It’s an easy, fast-paced read—a total popcorn thriller with bite.

    Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

  • The insomniacs by Allison Winn Scotch

    🌙📖 THIS BOOK KEPT ME UP ALL NIGHT… and I regret NOTHING 😱✨

    WOW. I am still reeling from the ending of The Insomniacs by Allison Winn Scotch 🤯💭

    This story pulls you in FAST with some seriously rich character development. We follow four strangers who can’t sleep and meet in a Sudoku chat room (yes, you read that right 🧩💻), and somehow… it works SO well.

    ✨ Meet the crew:
    ⚾ Zeke Rodriguez — an All-Star pitcher for the New York Mets
    👩‍⚕️ Sybil — former med student turned stay-at-home mom in her 40s (she’s my fave)
    🍬 Julian — a candy shop owner and devoted father
    ☕ Betty — the overnight diner worker who sees it all

    They form a late-night bond, calling themselves The Insomniacs 🌃 — but here’s the thing… everyone is hiding something 👀

    And trust me, you do NOT want spoilers for this one 🤐

    I was so hooked I literally blew off work just to finish it 😅📚 It felt like the pages reached out and pulled me in — I couldn’t stop until I knew the truth.

    🔥 What I loved:
    ✨ Unique pacing that doesn’t follow your typical mystery formula
    ✨ Twists, red herrings, and constant “wait… WHAT?” moments
    ✨ Themes of identity, secrecy, and even some cult-like undertones using Christian language ⛪
    ✨ A subtle, budding romance 💕 that adds just the right touch

    Honestly, this book felt like a breath of fresh air in the mystery genre 🌬️📖

    If you love stories where nothing is as it seems and the ending leaves you stunned… this one is for you 💥

    🙏 Huge thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC!
    📅 Publishes April 14, 2026 — add it to your TBR NOW!! 📚✨

  • Marion by Leah Rowan

    you thought you knew Psycho… think again. 🔪✨

    Marion by Leah Rowan takes the bones of the classic Psycho and flips the narrative into something far more empowering—and honestly, way more satisfying.

    Instead of watching another brilliant woman fall victim to violence, this retelling asks: what if she fought back?

    Marion is still smart, still captivating—but this time, when Norman comes for her, she refuses to be the ending. And that’s just the beginning. Beyond that iconic setup, this story takes on a life of its own with twists, layered characters, and a much more modern lens on power and survival.

    I especially loved that Marion isn’t the only strong woman here. Hannah, the detective unraveling the mystery, is navigating a male-dominated field while piecing together a seriously twisty case. And Lauren’s mother? Absolute standout—fierce, loyal, and unforgettable.

    The final 20% completely explodes with twists. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

    ✨ If you’ve ever wanted to see a story where women reclaim control instead of losing it—this one delivers.

    🎧 Audiobook thoughts:
    I’ll pick up anything narrated by Natalie Naudus, and she did not disappoint—even in a smaller role, her performance adds so much depth. The primary narrator perfectly captures Marion’s vulnerability and fear, making this an immersive and easy listen. Both narrators absolutely nailed it.

    📖 Pub date: June 2, 2026
    Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

  • hot girl murder club by Ashley winstead

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    Feminist revenge fiction. This book is about two stories, one is a series of revenge killings of women who supported and abetted the most terrible men, and then men who got away with terrible crimes against women. The other is of the detective Grey, whose sister went missing as a bottle girl years ago. In our current storyline, Grey is investigating and all evidence points to Scout the pop star. But is she being framed?

    This is a classic Ashley Winstead tale, tons of characters across multiple timelines, and enough plot elements to keep you guessing. Everyone who dies has a backstory. The murderer is not who you think. I love the way she does the plot elements, you can figure things out just a minute before the main characters do.

    Without spoiling the specific story, you will love this book if you are angry and ready to see the billionaire pdfs get what is coming to them. The women in this novel are righteous and smart.

    Needless to say this is the story I’ve been craving lately. Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC. Book to be published July 14, 2026

  • deadly does it by abbi waxman

    Abbi Waxman does it again! If you enjoy Catherine Mack or Benjamin Stevenson, and you like a bantery hilarious book that also just so happen to have a mystery involved, you need to read this series. While I think this edition would work as a stand alone, I highly recommend you add the first in the series, [book:One Death at a Time|216522751], which was one of my favorite mysteries last year.

    Mason and Julia are back and this time helping Mason’s sponsor Alexa. Alexa’s past has come back to haunt her, and she is getting typewritten anonymous threatening letters and someone is going after her sponsees. Mason has agreed to help and has enlisted Julia’s help.

    I really love the relationship between Gen Z Mason and her much older employer Julia, who was a golden age movie actor and unjustly accused and convicted of murdering her husband. She became a lawyer in prison so now she acts as the law in the duo and Mason acts as the amateur private investigator. The references to AA are perfect and exactly like they are in real life, some people who got sober during covid are zoom babies and now there are AA meetings literally every single hour of the day on zoom. It is one of the great things that came out of the pandemic.

    I am 14 years sober in AA and the authenticity of Mason, Julia and Alexa’s program is a huge reason why I love this series so much. But someone outside of recovery will still love the dialogue, the fast pace, and the blend of plot twists with deeper observations of human nature. I have already pre-ordered and I will re-read as a treat for myself when it is published.

    Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley for the ARC. Book to be published July 21, 2026

  • brimstone hollow by archer sullivan

    An exciting thriller about a snake handling preacher who died of an apparent snake bite. A small town appalachia setting with many layers; homophobia in the church and the domino effect of that culture, the generational drug problem, the way that everyone in town has a silver F150. Except for the people who have a black F150.

    Annie Gore is back as a private investigator- she works alongside the police but is a detective for hire and has a classic Datsun that she really babies named “honey.” She is hired by a woman whose biological father died and was buried really quickly of a snake bite with no autopsy. She had a dream or vision about him and she doesn’t think it is a coincidence, so she sends Annie to Brimstone Hollow to see if there is anything fishy. There is.

    What I really enjoyed about this story was that there were aspects of the small town that intersected as you would expect, but the characters always had more than they seemed. It was not all pure stereotypes about people in Kentucky, they were complex characters in the area, some by choice and others by circumstance. I loved the fast pacing and how the setting was complicated and nuanced. The characters were engaging and the ending… WOW! I was hooked. I was a fan of the first and now glad I read this as well!

    Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur books for the ARC. Book to be published August 11, 2026

  • her first lie by lucinda berry

    If you ever doubted if you were a good mom, well, do I have a book for you! Lucinda Berry fans rejoice, this is Berry at her absolute best!

    Our story starts out with Becky giving birth in her college dorm- she just thinks she is having the worst constipation of her life- nope, it is a baby. Then she keeps the baby secret for 2 years. She names her Janie and, as one would expect, she has some trouble managing life as a college student and secret mom. Also, she was relentlessly abused growing up in every possible manner, so she has no examples of good parenting to live by.

    There are some interstitials from a detective trying to determine who are the bodies he is finding buried in shallow graves around a long-time notorious foster care home that was investigated multiple times for physical and sexual abuse allegations. Fun times!

    When all is lost, Becky finds her grandmother Lillian who will solve all her problems. But what will she give up in return?

    Wow, this one is crazy. Lots of drama. I read that the author has a background in childhood trauma, so I know these situations exist and this explains why she writes them so realistically. The book has great pacing and is really easy to follow, even with the time jumps and multiple POV. I was really riveted and read it in one sitting! Despite her faults, I was rooting for Becky and Orion and hoping they could overcome their circumstances. Don’t judge people!

    Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC. Book to be published April 21, 2026

  • The fall of iris henley by Jennifer graham

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    A Young Adult suspense with several mysteries. The small town in Texas a few months ago was ravaged by an apparent murder suicide. Iris’s boyfriend Rocky and his “side piece” her ex-best friend and recovering addict and former cheerleader Lynnette. Rocky was the quarterback and was found dead of an apparent self inflicted gunshot wound. Then someone posts on “secret” a social networking app, that Iris was guilty of their murder.

    I was definitely very drawn in to the murder mystery, but the main storyline here is who is cyber bullying Iris. Someone is anonymously posting secrets online and accusing her of murder. Oddly the school seems to be on board with bullying her, she gets benched from the cheer team. I found the motivations of people to be really strange, she should have been really upset about her boyfriend being dead and why is he able to also pull these side pieces? Jeez he is a bad person. I feel like these are all ways teenagers don’t really act. And this bullying storyline is kind of unrealistic. I did like the book and I thought the pacing was good, but it was a bit lacking in a couple of ways for me. I liked it, but you may love it.

    Three adjectives to describe the main character? Popular. Controlling. Cold.

    My favorite character? Iris’s sister who is mean and jealous but plays the trombone, which is cool. Not a lot of heartwarming funny or fun characters in this one tbh

    Audiobook review- a fun mystery with lots of twists and reveals. I appreciated the performance. My only critique is that for a book based in Texas SOMEONE should have had a little twang in their accent. These characters sound like they are from Omaha.

    Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ALC. Book to be published February 24, 2026.

  • The girls before by Kate Alice marshall

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    Audrey is a teacher on a search and rescue mission. She lost her best friend who went missing years ago, and there is a local girl Megan who went missing very recently. In the woods, there is a witchy story about a witch who helps young women in difficult circumstances or she takes them. There is also a local neighbor who is a creepy old dude. There is also a very powerful family with a politician and generational wealth.

    Typically audio is my go-to format for suspense books- they really keep my interest and have great acting. In this case, I sort of struggled. I usually love Marshall’s writing but this one I found hard to follow on audio. There are alternating viewpoint chapters that are at different time periods- not only that but the trapped woman is known as “Stranger” and doesn’t have a name. Marshall’s a masterful storyteller but I think this one will work better with eyeball rather than ears. I really loved the spooky atmospheric setting and the earlier chapters of Audrey which were captivating!

    Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the ALC. book to be published February 23, 2026