REVIEW: One of the Family by Jess Ryder

One of the Family by Jess Ryder

Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic thriller

Read: 12th October 2025

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Amazon

Published: 30th October 2025

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

My daughter’s boyfriend feels like one of the family. I couldn’t be happier to have him living with us. But now my daughter’s disappeared…

I never wanted to have an empty nest. So when my daughter, Liv, asks if she and her new boyfriend, Jensen, can move in, I’m thrilled.

Jensen is so helpful. He tells me how he loves being part of a close-knit family. He’s felt so alone since his parents died. And for me, his presence goes a little way towards replacing the son I lost.

Still, I can’t help but notice that Liv and Jensen are starting to argue. My daughter seems unhappy. Perhaps they just need some time alone together?

But when my husband and I return from our weekend away, Liv is missing. The relationship with Jensen appears to be over but he doesn’t want to leave. And then I discover exactly what he will do to stay in our family…

An utterly gripping psychological thriller that will have you turning pages late into the night. If you love Lisa Jewell and Freida McFadden you will be hooked on One of the Family.

MY THOUGHTS:

Rachel is beginning to feel the stirrings of an empty nester. Her eldest daughter Liv has been away at university in Newcastle for the past three years and her youngest Meg is on the cusp of going away to uni as well. Now she is facing a quiet life with just her and husband Dom. But things haven't quite been rosy there either. Maybe now they'll have the chance to reconnect again.

But first things first. The three of them are making the trip north from London to Newcastle for Liv's graduation. And it is there that they meet their daughter's boyfriend Jensen. Of course the graduation has thrown up a new conundrum - Liv and Jensen are moving back to London and need to find a place to rent. Rachel, who doesn't want either of her children to leave the nest just yet, comes up with the idea of offering them their loft conversion which had previously been Liv's room anyway. All they had to do was shift Dom's desk out of the spare room on that floor and that would give the young couple a sitting room of sorts to themselves. Problem solved! Or so she thought.

Rachel could see no problem with the solution she had offered. But Dom did as did Meg. They didn't know Jensen. Even Liv isn't sure it was the right thing to do, having already lived under the shadow of her mother's helicopter parenting. But it would give them a chance to save up for a deposit on their own place. Unfortunately, to do so meant one had to gain some employment in order to save for said deposit and that's something Jensen is showing no signs of doing. Liv has made some applications but apart from that, the couple seem to treat their time under her parent's roof as some kind of holiday - free rent, free food, free WiFi, utilities. Why would they want to leave? Except Liv does. But Jensen has his feet firmly settled under the table, feeling completely at home and like one of the family.

And then we have Meg. She wants to have her mother's attention for once, who seems to be overly involved in Liv and Jensen, and she doesn't like it. She is the target of some bullying which makes for uncomfortable reading and makes me feel glad that I was a teenager long before the age of social media and the internet. She also doesn't like Jensen so her solution is to remain locked up in her room away from everyone.

Dom? One could almost be forgiven for forgetting that Rachel even has a husband, he features so little. He voices his opinion every so often but he spends more time leaving early and working late before heading off to Dubai for work. And he shares none of Rachel's concerns and shows barely any support. Why is he even there, I had to wonder?

Things come to a head; Rachel and Dom cannot find an even ground and even Liv and Jensen are arguing. So Rachel books a weekend away for her a Dom to "reconnect" (albeit without running it by him first), ships Meg off to her sister's giving Liv and Jensen some time alone together to "sort things out". Unable to go five minutes without checking in with both girls, Dom understandably gets annoyed. After all, they are supposed to be spending time together. They end up having a wonderfully relaxing weekend away and return home refreshed and energised.

But when Rachel and Dom return home, there is no sign of Liv. Jensen said she left after an arguement and hasn't returned since. But what really happened? When Rachel steals a look at the room the couple occupy, she finds a scene of destruction - as if their arguement had become physical. But Jensen assures her it's just a lack of tidiness on his part. Rachel isn't sure what to believe. Dom wants him gone. What's the point of him being there now that Liv has gone? Meg finds him creepy and won't stay in the house if he's there and moves in with her aunt. But Rachel wants answers and won't stop until she gets them.

There is a lot going on here that will leave you irritated and pulling your hair out as well as questioning motives and what's truth and what isn't. Someone is lying, but who? And why? Someone has secrets, but who? And what? And someone is out for revenge, but who? And why?

Rachel annoyed the hell out of me. She was blind to everyone else's needs but her own. It was all about what she wanted and that was she didn't want either of her girls to move out of home which is why she offered the loft to Liv and Jensen. I said you can be forgiven for forgetting that she was married because she seemed to go ahead and make every decision herself without first consulting her husband. Not that she needed his permission but he lived in that house too and he had every right to an opinion as well. But Rachel just stormed ahead like everything was her responsibility. Dom barely featured. Even Liv felt smothered by her helicopter parenting. Only Meg longed for her attention and yet never seemed to get it.

This is a real pageturner that might have you guessing but then again, it may not. It may seem predictable but don't believe everything. I pieced most of it together before the end but there was still a little surprise before the end that wasn't so much a surprise whilst still being one - if that makes any sense.

An enjoyable read that was twisty and compelling that I devoured in a few hours.

I would like to thank #JessRyder, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #OneOfTheFamily in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Jess Ryder is the author of five psychological thrillers - 'The Ex Wife', 'Lie to Me', 'The Good Sister', 'The Dream House', The Girl You Gave Away' and her latest, published November 2 2020 - 'The Night Away'. All titles are published by Bookouture. She also writes as Jan Page. With many years' experience as a scriptwriter, she loves watching television crime drama. Jess is a passionate reader and particularly enjoys thrillers.

Jess lives with her partner in London, UK and has four grown-up children.

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REVIEW: My Husband Next Door by K.L. Slater

My Husband Next Door by K.L. Slater

Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic thriller

Read: 18th October 2025

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Published: 28th October 2025

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

The perfect way for us to live. The perfect way for him to hide…

My husband Matt and I are an ordinary married couple in every way but one. At the end of each day, we return to our own homes and our own spaces. Some people think this arrangement is odd, but for us it’s perfect.

But beyond the fairy lights I string at my window, darkness is pressing in. Two local women have gone missing, and I don’t want to be alone. With Matt away for work, I find comfort in chatting to my new neighbour Brenda, who drops in regularly with casseroles and groceries.

Sipping our coffees, looking out of my kitchen window, I soon notice how observant Brenda is. So when she tells me that perhaps my husband isn’t simply working late, something cold takes root. I think of Matt’s recent vague tone, the way he brushes off my questions. Brenda thinks I should pop by when Matt’s not at home. Just to check everything’s as it should be.

I should be able to trust the man I married. But when I do go through my husband’s things, I discover that our perfect living arrangement is hiding a shocking secret…

A completely compelling and twisty page-turner from number 1 bestselling author K.L. Slater. Fans of Lisa Jewell and Freida McFadden will be hooked by My Husband Next Door.

MY THOUGHTS:

Kim's back with another deliciously devious thriller to whet our appetites of twisted mayhem. With so much happening, there's enough red herrings to sidetrack readers from what's really going on. But once again, it wasn't enough to fool me and though I'm not on top form of late (with RL issues) I still managed to see through her cleverly crafted plot.

Sylvie and Matt are happily married yet living apart. A weird concept that I just can't get my head around but it works for them. She lives in the house she purchased after the death of her first husband with her daughter Jess whilst Matt lives two doors down in the house he inherited from his grandfather.

Sylvie regularly hosts a book club meet in which various neighbours and her heavily pregnant daughter Jess take part. It's at the last meet that friend and neighbour Penny drops the bombshell that she and hubby Brian are retiring and moving to Portgual, renting out their house which sits opposite. And in moves Brenda.

Then it all happens at once. Jess goes into labour, has the baby afterwhich both Jess and Sylvie fall ill with separate conditions and are hospitalised. Brenda, a retired nurse, swoops in to help. Soon she has the place running like a well-oiled machine. She cares for the still weak Jess, helps with feeding baby Scarlet and has reorganised Sylvie's kitchen for smoother sailing. Sylvie is thankful for Brenda's quick thinking and for being there when she was unable but now she thinks it's time she took back the reigns. But Brenda doesn't seem to want to relinquish her place in Sylvie's house or her life. In fact, she simply doesn't want to leave!

Despite not living at the house, Matt feels increasingly uncomfortable with Brenda constantly hovering, letting herself in at the crack of dawn and turning up unannounced with bags of groceries whilst continuing her labelling spree. He tries encouraging Sylvie to speak up to let Brenda know that she is no longer needed but Sylvie feels indebted to her and fears offending the kindly woman. Besides, Matt is spending a lot of time away for work and Sylvie finds herself seeking out the comfort of her new neighbour.

But Brenda also has an agenda. She is sure Matt is up to no good and will stop at nothing to protect her new friend from his misdeeds. Even if it means exposing him herself. She knows he has secrets that he is keeping from Sylvie. After all, why else is he happy to continue living in two separate houses? Married couples ought to live together, not separately. And Brenda means to expose him.

Added to the domestic drama, there is the lingering mystery of a missing young woman from the area which adds to the tension. And then another young woman goes missing and someone believes they know the truth!

We welcome back DI Helena Price and DS Brewster, giving the books a sense of connection without being a series as such. Plus it's refreshing not to be bogged down in the procedural whilst still keeping a finger in the investigation.

Unfolding through the various narratives of Sylvie, Brenda and the police, this is an addictive fast paced tale that will draw you in despite the frustrating characters. There are twists, red herrings and plenty of tension as the reader is cleverly guided to a satisfactory conclusion.

I would like to thank #KLSlater, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #MyHusbandNextDoor in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

After years of trying to get published and never getting further than the slush pile, Kim went back to university at the age of 40 where she gained  a first-class honours degree in English & Creative Writing and an MA in Creative Writing with distinction.

Kim's first adult psychological thriller for Bookouture, ‘Safe with Me’,  actually started life as a dissertation on her English & Creative Writing degree in 2010. She says "the creepy voice of Anna came to me strong and insistent . . . she wanted to be written, she wouldn’t go away. I’m so glad I listened!"

Kim first became published writing Young Adult fiction for Macmillan Children’s Books under the name Kim Slater. Her award-winning YA debut, SMART, started life as a short story for her MA in Creative Writing in 2012.

Kim is now a full-time writer. She has a daughter and two stepsons and live with her husband Mac in Nottingham and Yorkshire.

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REVIEW: What Have You Done? by Nicole Trope

What Have You Done? by Nicole Trope

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 5th October 2025

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Amazon

Published: 17th October 2025

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

“What have you done, Juliet?”

The neighbours look on in shock as two stretchers are wheeled past gated homes on a quiet suburban street. Handcuffs are clipped on a young woman with fear in her face.

The Cordells were the perfect family. But now, in a beautiful home where happy photos line the walls and flowers adorn the dinner table, it looks like a daughter has killed her loving parents.

Everyone tuts and shakes their heads, saying there was always something strange about Juliet.

And one person watching from the sidelines has triumph in their eyes. Someone who knew this would happen all along.

As what really went on in the Cordell’s once-peaceful home starts to unravel, one thing becomes clear:

This perfect family had a big secret. And not everything is as it seems…

An absolutely unputdownable psychological thriller that will have you shocked at the twists and turns! Anyone who loves Lisa Jewell, Claire Douglas or Freida McFadden will be addicted.

MY THOUGHTS:

A perfect family...a terrible secret...

"What have you done?"

The words echo throughout the quiet suburban street as 21 year old Juliet is lead from the home she shares with her parents in handcuffs. Neighbours shake their heads in disbelief while others allude to knowing that she wasn't "quiet right" after her time away in "that place" - as if just mentioning it will somehow taint them by association. But all of them, whilst divided in their opinions, have their phones out capturing every moment of Juliet's parade from the house to the police car, each posturing that "they just won't believe this"!

Juliet is returned to the psychiatric facility, St Augustines, she was discharged from just three months before after attempting to take her own life. It was believed that she would recover in the loving arms of her family but the woman who returns is a shell of the one who left just months before. Her accusations of abuse fall on deaf ears as do her claims that "Adam promised to come back for me. He promised".

Juliet had studied ballet after falling in love with it during her first class as a child. She went on to become the female lead accompanied by her then boyfriend Benji as the male lead. But a tragic accident during rehearsal left her with an injury which would mean she would never dance again. Her life was over. Dancing was all she wanted to do and now that was cruelly taken from her. Juliet could see no way out and tried to end it all one night. Thus resulting in her stay at St Augustines.

It was during her therapy with psychiatrist Dr Choudry at the facility that Juliet recalled flashbacks of memories of her as a child. Memories of abuse; some vivid, some distant. But the memories are very real and Juliet's world is rock even more by the flashbacks and sudden realisation. She is discharged to the care of her parents albeit reluctantly as she no longer trusts them. She stays in her room and barely eats. She stops her medication, hating the feeling it gives her. She has no idea how to get through the rest of her life.

And then one morning, she meets Adam. Handsome, funny, charming Adam. And he listens to her. Really listens to her. They meet every morning at the coffee shop and walk in the nearby park, Adam sympathising with Juliet's situation. He is her lifeline; the one true constant in her life, though she keeps him secret from her family. She can no longer imagine a life without him. And then, he offers to help her.

But then everything unravels and Juliet finds herself back at St Augustines, her world fallen apart. No one listens to her claims. No one believes her about Adam. But he was real...wasn't he? Suddenly, Juliet isn't so sure anymore. He seemed so real; it all seemed so real. Her memories, the past and what happened. But now they are telling her that she did it all?

"What have you done?"

They keep asking her, probing her - trying to get the truth out of her. But she's told them the truth and they didn't listen. They didn't believe her. Why didn't they? It's not true...is it?

This is the kind of tale that will have you questioning everything. It is dizzying and emotional and incredibly frustrating. So many times I wanted to slap Juliet in the first half of the book that unfolds through her narrative. We get to live Juliet's life alongside her and see the world through her eyes and we believe it along with her. But then I began to doubt her and the reality of the situation. And I wanted to bang her head as I felt mine was being banged against a brick wall.

You will question everything you read. Is anything Juliet tells us real? Or is a figment of her imagination? Is she manipulating us or is she being manipulated? Do her parents really love her or is that just a lie? Or is everything she remembers just one big lie? She needs love, care and support so thank goodness for Adam, her one constant. But is he as he appears? No one knows who he is except Juliet so is he even real? Just as well she has Lacy, her nurse, back in St Augustines who lovingly cares for Juliet.

One thing is clear as you turn the final page of this claustrophobic thriller; that Nicole Trope is the master manipulator here, leading us down various pathways into the dark recesses as we desperately try to work out what's real and what isn't. She may have hoodwinked me for a good part of the story but I was a wake up to her methods and unravelled the tangled web she had woven for us so expertly.

My only complaint is there was one aspect that wasn't clarified in the end regarding the apparent "text and calls" between Adam and Juliet. I cannot say more without spoilers. But I drop a star for the slow and frustrating start that made me want to put it down so many times with Juliet's constant whining and claims that no one believed her. While we didn't know what to believe ourselves, the repetitive whining nature had me pulling my hair and made Juliet hard to like and sympathise with her. But I'm glad I stuck it out because Trope came back at us with full force in the second half that would have knocked this for a 5 star read alternatively.

Truly a thriller that messes with your head in a way that I thought only Alice Feeney and John Marrs could do.

I would like to thank #NicoleTrope, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #WhatHaveYouDone in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Nicole Trope went to university to study Law but realised the error of her ways when she did very badly on her first law essay because-as her professor pointed out- ‘It’s not meant to be a story.’ She studied teaching instead and used her holidays to work on her writing career and complete a Masters’ degree in Children’s Literature. After the birth of her first child she stayed home full time to write and raise children, renovate houses and build a business with her husband.

The idea for her first published novel, The Boy under the Table, was so scary that it took a year for her to find the courage to write the emotional story.

She is now published by Bookouture and is an Amazon top 100 bestseller in the USA, UK, AUS and CAN.

She lives in Sydney with her husband and three children.

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REVIEW: My Husband's Wife by Carla Kovach

My Husband's Wife by Carla Kovach

Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic thriller

Read: 10th September 2025

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Amazon

Published: 8th September

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

Five years ago I buried my husband. Today I saw him with his new wife.

‘Thank you for agreeing to be our wedding planner. Theo is on his way,’ Madison says as we meet to plan her dream wedding. The moment her fiancé enters the room, a newborn baby in his arms, my whole world shifts and I grab hold of my desk to stop myself from falling.

Theo shakes my hand as he introduces himself, but I already know who he is. He’s my husband. The man I thought had died five years ago.

‘Lovely to meet you, Eva,’ he says, carefully avoiding my frozen stare. I’d recognise his smooth voice anywhere.

I want to scream, ask him why he’s doing this to me. But I know just how good a liar my husband is. And he knows my darkest secret. I can’t risk him destroying everything I’ve worked so hard for.

At the end of the meeting, I watch the happy little family walk away, and I don’t miss Theo’s eyes staring at me just a second too long. He knows I’m onto him. But only I know what I’m going to do next…

Readers who loved The Housemaid, The Perfect Marriage and Gone Girl will love the jaw-dropping twist in this absolutely gripping psychological thriller.

MY THOUGHTS:

Five years ago I buried my husband...today I saw him with his new wife...

Well, that tagline drew me in instantly. While not entirely realistic, it was wholly entertaining and kept me glued to each page swiping them to uncover the truth of what was really happening. It was a little slow on the starting point but once it got going, I couldn't put it down until I discovered the truth.

Eva and her young son Caiden are packing up their life in Malvern (I think is around Worcestershire) and moving to picturesque coastal Devon and a place that held many happy memories before her husband Hugo died five years ago. Now Eva is married to Zach and realising it is a time for a fresh start, they have purchased a gorgeous home with stunning views over the ocean in Combe Martin where Zach has been busily decorating and getting the house ready for their imminent arrival. Eva and Caiden say a tearful goodbye to Hugo and their memories of him before they set off for their new start.

Caiden settles into school and meets Aaron and the two become inseparable. Eva befriends his mother Nicole but it isn't long before she starts questioning just how well she really knows her new friend when a few slips are made and nuances alluded to which give her pause to think. But she hasn't got time to second guess herself - she has a new job as a wedding planner at the Sea Horse Hotel to look forward to. A job she truly loves and thrives in.

Then in her first week in her new job of meeting new couples planning their big day, in walks Madison and her fiance Theo with baby Emily. Eva is shocked and speechless. Theo is the image of Hugo. But it can't be. Hugo's dead. Suddenly, a job she knows so well leaves her forgetting what to do. Eva muddles her way through the rest of the appointment before Madison and Theo leave with their daughter. And her name - Emily. It can't be. Can it? But he moves like Hugo, speaks like Hugo, acts like Hugo and the name Emily is special to them both. He's Hugo...isn't he? But he can't be. Hugo's dead. How can this be?

A couple of weeks later, Eva learns that Madison and Theo have cancelled their wedding with them and have taken an early cancellation at another hotel. So Eva makes it her mission to find out all she can about Theo. Her first move is to have her hair cut at Madison's salon to see if she can wrangle any information out of her about Theo. Her suspicions are only confirmed when Madison confides that they are moving to Loch Ness after the wedding - a place that Hugo always wanted to move to. Between Combe Martin and Loch Ness, both places that were special to them says it all - doesn't it? Theo has to be Hugo, doesn't he? But his death five years ago. DNA doesn't lie, does it? 

But the more Eva digs, the deeper the hole she is making herself. She cannot confide in anyone. Her mum will only think she is having another breakdown and seeing things that aren't there. Zach has enough worry and Hugo is a topic they rarely touch on. She doesn't know Nicole well enough to talk with her about it. The only person she can count on is herself...and even then she is beginning to doubt her sanity and trusting what she thinks she knows or sees. Maybe she has imagined it all along...

This is one twisty tale and I dare you to unravel the threads that link it all together. I pieced some of it together while others left me bewildered until revealed. It will leave you guessing and second guessing everything and what's true and what isn't. And the locale of coastal Devon was as atmospheric as the windswept cliffs of Cornwall - neighbouring counties and all.

As the reader, you really will question what's real and what's not. Kovach does a stellar job of gaslighting us throughout, making it all the more brilliant. This is not a thriller that you can unravel easily but it is one that you can properly binge on until that final twist that will leave you still questioning our character's sanity. Normally I don't like books to end with a quesiton mark (I like them all tied up neatly) but the ending here was perfectly sublime. Totally satisfactory as well as a touch insane.

My only complaint is the prologue. I have no idea who the couple were in it - Eva and Hugo or Madison and Theo? It wasn't made obvious in the reveal so I kind of felt it was a tad pointless. But that aside - this book is uputdownable, addictive and totally bingeworthy until the very last page. Kovach is really making her mark as a domestic/psychological thriller author away from her Gina Harte series. A solid 4.5 stars.

I would like to thank #CarlaKovach, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #MyHusbandsWife in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Carla Kovach was born in Birmingham, UK and now resides in Redditch, Worcestershire. She started writing more seriously ten years ago after having flirted with musical theatre and occasional writing in her youth.

Since then she has written & produced several stage plays, has four self-published books, has acted in several independent films and is currently in the final stages of production of her feature horror film, Penny for the Guy.

She now writes full time as well as co-owning a film, photography & video production company located in the heart of Redditch town centre. 

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REVIEW: Left at the Altar by A.J. Campbell

Left at the Altar by A.J. Campbell

Genre: Domestic thriller, Psychological thriller

Read: 31st August 2025

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Amazon

Published: 13th August 2025

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

As I walk down the aisle, I can’t help beaming. It’s the perfect day. For the first time in years, I feel safe, secure. Until I reach the altar, and there’s no sign of my fiancé. That can’t be. He’s my world. And I desperately need this fresh start, to keep my son safe…

When Hannah’s fiancé doesn’t turn up to their wedding, everyone is convinced he just had cold feet. But Hannah is sure it’s more than that…

Today was meant to be the day she finally leaves all her dark secrets behind. But spotting a man she hoped never to see again in the crowd at the church, her stomach drops. And his smirk as their eyes meet all but confirms that he’s behind Johnny’s disappearance.

She might have been hiding things from Johnny, but Hannah truly loved him. She’s determined to find him. But this reminder of the past puts her son in terrible danger.

Is Hannah willing to reveal everything to save her husband-to-be and son? And just how far will she have to go?

This unputdownable psychological thriller packed with heart-racing twists is perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, Jeneva Rose, and Gone Girl.

MY THOUGHTS:

The happiest day of her life...but is her past about to turn it into a nightmare...?

What could possibly be worse than being stood up at the altar? Well, almost at the altar. With no clue, no reason, no idea or warning as to why it happened? I'm sure there are worse things but in that moment in time on what is supposed to a woman's happiest day in which she is to shine - this is her day, her moment - to be left at the altar is devastating.

Hannah is on her way to the church with her soon-to-be father-in-law Alan beside her in the luxurious Rolls Royce who is to stand in for her dear departed father and will be giving her away. She is both excited and anxious for what lay ahead, knowing that in an hour she'll be Mrs Johnny Caxton. When she hears the tinkle of a ringtone, she thinks at first it is hers but Alan retrieves his from his pocket to answer the call. His face pales. Something is wrong. He tells the driver to circle the block again and turns to face Hannah. Johnny isn't coming.

Hannah's world comes crashing down. Her soulmate; her best friend - Johnny. He was so excited to be marrying her. He couldn't wait for them to be man and wife. And now he's backed out? Told his brother Tom that he feels trapped and can't go through with it? Hannah is at first in denial and then she is angry. How could he do this to her? How could he do this to her son, Lucas? The boy he treated like his own son. He said he couldn't wait to be her husband and Lucas' dad. So how could he do this to them?

Wanting answers, Hannah refuses to accept the whispers and half-truths and heads to Johnny's flat the following day. She finds it in the same way that she left it the day before the wedding. Even down to the half drunk coffee and plate of crumbs on the kitchen bench, knowing Johnny's penchant for tidiness he would have cleared that away had he been home. Plus his wedding suit was still hanging ready for the big day. So where was he? What happened to him?

And then there was a face from Hannah's past on the arm of her sister India. How did they know each other and what was he doing here? Does he have something to do with Johnny's disappearance? Added to all that is going on, Hannah must also contend with her sister Carrie's wedding to Johnny's brother Tom the following week. A celebration she certainly doesn't feel like partaking in. But she must grin and bear it, for her sister's sake.

So many secrets and layers of deception are woven into this fast paced tale of family drama filled with tension and suspense at every turn. Amidst the twists and red herrings, I correctly guessed the villain and what had happened. The clues are there - you just have to recognise them. Keep your eyes peeled for everything. It's there in plain sight. 

This is my first foray into A.J. Campbell (though I do have another title or two of hers on my shelf to read) and it was a fast paced read that I devoured in one sitting in a matter of hours. Very quick read with short snappy chapters that I just love that keeps the pace moving and the thrills keep coming as we race to the end. Will you guess the final twist? I suspected but wasn't completely sure.

An entertaining read for sure and did not disappoint. I will be sure to check out more from her in future.

I would like to thank #AJCampbell, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #LefAtTheAltar in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

AJ Campbell is an Amazon USA top 40 bestselling author of ten psychological suspense novels and promises stories full of twists, turns and torment.

AJ draws inspiration for her stories from seemingly unbelievable situations in which ordinary people find themselves. She creates compelling characters that resonate with her readers. AJ lives in the UK on the Essex / Hertfordshire border with her husband, sons, and cocker spaniel, Max. She is a dog lover, Netflix junkie, and a wine and Asian food enthusiast. And, either reading, watching TV, or writing, AJ enjoys nothing more than getting stuck into a twisty story!

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REVIEW: The Liar I Married by D.K. Hood

The Liar I Married by D.K. Hood

Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic thriller

Read: 26th August 2025

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Amazon

Published: 22nd August 2025

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

I trusted him with my life. I shouldn’t have…

Opening my eyes, I see a nurse standing over my bed. She wipes away my tears as she tells me I was in a car crash and it was my fault. Confused, I only remember snapshots of my life, but I’m not convinced the crash was an accident.

My marriage had been perfect, until my husband, John, met Rebecca. He said they were just friends and that I was imagining things when I saw them cosied up like they were on a date. Now, as I lie in my recovery bed, fragments of that night come back to me—John late home from work, an empty wine glass, Rebecca climbing out of John’s car, a blazing row on the doorstep…

I beg John to tell me what happened, but he insists I don’t try to recall any details, that it’ll harm my recovery. He reminds me that I’m lucky to even be alive.

But when someone leaves a note, my blood runs cold: Don’t trust anyone. Were my instincts right? Did someone try to kill me? As I look into my husband’s lying eyes, all I can think is, will I make it out of this marriage alive…?

This absolutely nail-biting and addictive psychological thriller is perfect for readers of The Housemaid, The Girl on the Train and The Perfect Marriage. Prepare to be hooked!

MY THOUGHTS:

I trusted him with my life...I shouldn't have...

This is my first foray into D.K. Hood, having never read her series. But as this is a standalone thriller I decided to check it out. It's an unsettling thriller with twists and a sense of claustrophobic mistrust throughout. Like the protangonist, you won't know who to trust.

Jessie wakes from a twelve month coma in a room she recognises but can't place and a nurse caring for her that she's never met. She's hooked up to all sorts of machines beeping and bleeping that it disorients her and she's suddenly afraid of what this all means. Her nurse Dolly tells her she was a car accident and thus a coma for the past twelve months. She has no recollection of what happened or leading up to the accident. She gets flashes of flashbacks...but nothing much to piece together.

Jessie remembers her husband John, who works long hours as a stockbroker in the hope of making partner, and that they have twin girls Emily and Olivia. Over the years, John has had a roving eye and Jessie found it difficult to trust him where beautiful women were concerned. When John takes on a new lawyer, the stunningly beautiful Rebecca Lawson, Jessie's mind whirls with possibilities and mistrust. The way he looked at her and the socials filled with photos of the pair of them at work functions and seemingly enjoying themselves a little too much. It doesn't help when her brother Michael tells her he's seen John lunching a little too intimately with Rebecca. He's strayed before - what's to stop him doing it again?

When John visits her, she tries to ask him about what happened and the girls but he is vague, citing that the doctors have advised against sharing anything she doesn't remember and to let her remember in her own time. But she longs to see her girls. Even just a photo of them.

Then Jessie receives a note passed to her from a trusted housekeeper saying simply "Don't trust anyone." Who could have written it? What does it mean? Are they lying to her? Was the accident really her fault? What is it no one is telling her? And why has none of her family been to visit her? Why does she not have a phone or computer or even a television? What doe the flashbacks mean? And why is she so tired all the time? If she could just get to the office, she knows she will discover the truth and be able to call her lawyer.

I loved Alex. I think he was my favourite character of all. The rest were either OK or unlikeable - but I won't say who as it will spoil the story.

This book raises so many questions as you race through it and it messes with your head. It is an uncomfortable read in parts as you try to decipher what's real and what isn't. There are so many secrets and so much deceit as you try to unpick the tangled web in Jessie's mind. You really won't be able to see the wolf for the sheep in this one.

It was a quick read that was gripping from start to finish. I can't say it was entertaining because I found it very unsettling and uncomfortable. But it is a good read but I was glad to finish because of how unsettling I found it. The line between what's real and what wasn't was well and truly blurred that made for uncomfortable reading at times but also makes it a good read!

Similar to "Before I Go To Sleep" by S.J. Watson, this is a thriller you won't forget in a hurry.

I would like to thank #DKHood, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheLiarIMarried in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

D.K Hood is THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, USA TODAY, and AMAZON Bestselling Author of the Detective Kane and Alton Series, with over one million copies sold.

Her spine chilling, fast paced serial killer thrillers revolve around Sheriff Jenna Alton and her ex- special forces Deputy, Dave Kane. As the main characters fight crime, their secret pasts are never far away. Set in and around the fictional backwoods town of Black Rock Falls, Montana, known locally as Serial Killer Central, D.K 's imagery takes the reader into the scenes with her. Given the title "Queen of Suspense" by her reviewers, D.K 's writing style offers her readers a movie style, sizzling fast thrill ride.

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REVIEW: She Didn't See It Coming by Shari Lapena

She Didn't See It Coming by Shari Lapena

Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic thriller

Read: 23rd August 2025

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 17th July 2025

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

She didn’t see it coming . . . And neither will you.

Bryden and Sam have it all - thriving careers, a smart apartment in a luxury condo, supportive friends and a cherished daughter. The perfect life for the perfect couple.

Then Sam receives a call at his office. Bryden – working from home that day - has failed to collect their daughter from daycare.

Arriving home with their little girl, he finds his wife’s car in the underground garage. Upstairs in their apartment her laptop is open on the table, her phone nearby, her keys in their usual place in the hall.

Except Bryden is nowhere to be seen. It’s as if she just walked out.

How can she have disappeared from her own home? And did she even leave the building at all?

With every minute that passes – and as questions swirl around their community – Bryden and Sam’s past seems a little less perfect, their luxury condo less safe, their friends, neighbours and relatives no longer quite so reliable . . .

MY THOUGHTS:

She didn't see it coming...but will you...?

Bryden and Sam have the perfect life. Happily married with a gorgeous three year old daughter Clara and a stunning condo in an exclusive complex. Both are successful in their well-paid jobs, have supportive friends and family, they are saving for a house and trying for a baby sibling for Clara. The perfect life for the perfect couple.

But neither of them saw what was coming...least of all Bryden.

One afternoon, Sam receives a call at the office alerting him to the fact that Bryden has failed to collect Clara from daycare. Bryden was working at home that day and left explicit instructions that no one call as she had plenty to do and needed the peace to do it in. She often thought she got more work done at home than in the office and fortunately her employers were fine with that. Sam tries and fails to reach Bryden, racing to pick up Clara himself. He arrives home with their little girl, calling out for Bryden. Her car was still in the garage downstairs, her laptop is open and in sleep mode, her mobile phone is on the table and her keys are in their usual place. All signs point to Bryden having just stepped out, soon to return.

But Bryden doesn't return. She has seemingly vanished without a trace.

Police are called and as the minutes stretch into hours then days, questions swirl within the community, their friends, family and even online. Suddenly holes are being picked in their carefully curated lives that is seemingly not so perfect after all. And nobody - not their friends, not their neighbours and not their family - appears quite so reliable.

No one is safe from the police's persistent probing as they peck at everyone's life and their alibis in their efforts to unravel the mystery of the missing woman and the truth behind what really happened to her.

There are a lot of characters to contend with but that's to keep us guessing which of them are responsible. Too few leave few surprises as it could only be one of however few there may be. Too many and we get bogged down and can't keep track of who's who. But this had the right amount, I think, to keep us on our toes.

The family: Bryden, Sam, Clara, Lizzie (the sister), Donna and Jim (the parents)

The friends: Paige, Angela (also a neighbour)

The neighbours: Angela, Tracey and Hank

The community: Derek, Alice, Kayly, Michael

The police: Jayne and Det Kilgour (and a few others in the beginning) but these two were the investigating officers

Police procedurals have a danger of being too bogged down in procedure that can have a snore-effect if it's too droning or too confusing with too many aspects. But this had the right balance of procedural and everything else that was going on to keep the pace moving quickly whilst giving us the chance to figure it out ourselves.

It was clear from the beginning who were the psychopaths of the story - but did that make them guilty? Almost everyone had a secret - but, did that make them guilty? And some were completely unlikeable - but again, did that make them guilty.

She didn't see it coming...but did you...?

In a word...yes! I wasn't as surprised as Bryden was. I had my own suspicions, for various reasons, and I kept changing my mind as to who I thought was responsible. I had three on my list - one of which was quickly eliminated (as much as I would have liked them to be the guilty party). The other two remained on my list throughout the duration until something clicked and made me look at them more closely. But with everything Shari throws at you, I could be forgiven for being indecisive about one or the other. BOTH looked equally guilty in my eyes and I wouldn't have been surprised if it had been my other suspect either.

Bryden disappears very early on in the story. I think she has just the one maybe two chapters, as well as the prologue, before she disappears and we're plunged headlong into a missing person's case that throws up all sorts of theories and red herrings. Shari's style is binge-worthy and utterly addictive from start to finish complete with cunning and tension-filled suspense on every page. Short snappy chapters filled with so much family drama alongside buried secrets, manipulative lies and dastardly deception that are paramount in any domestic thriller completing the tangled web that this thrilling tale is.

Whatever Shari has next, I'll be there with bells on!

I would like to thank #ShariLapena, #Netgalley and #RandomHouseUK for an ARC of #SheDidntSeeItComing in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Shari Lapena is the #1 internationally bestselling author of six suspense novels including The Couple Next Door, A Stranger in the House, An Unwanted Guest, Someone We Know, The End of Her, and Not a Happy Family. Everyone Here is Lying is coming in July 2023.

A former lawyer and English teacher, Shari now writes full time from a farm in Ontario, where she lives with her husband.

Her first thriller, The Couple Next Door, was a runaway global bestseller, selling  4 million copies worldwide. It was WHSmith’s “Book of the Year” in 2016 and the #1 Adult Fiction Title in the UK for 2017. All of Shari’s novels have been New York Times, UK Sunday Times, and Globe and Mail bestsellers. Three of her books have been Richard & Judy Book Club Picks. Her books have sold into forty territories around the world and have been optioned for film and TV.

She doesn’t want you to be able to put her books down.

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REVIEW: Sophie Was Here by Kathryn Croft

Sophie Was Here by Kathryn Croft

Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic thriller

Read: 16th August 2025

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 3rd July 2025

★★★★ 4.5 stars 

DESCRIPTION:

The perfect family. The perfect new home. Until I found out about the missing girl…

When I make my way down to the cellar of my boyfriend Charlie’s family home, a chill slides down my spine. I didn’t expect to see the message, scratched into the walls:

Sophie Was Here

Sophie was Charlie’s ex-girlfriend. She went missing ten years ago when she was only seventeen. Charlie and his family were on holiday when she vanished, and this tragedy has scarred them all in different ways.

But I can’t stop digging. I no longer feel safe in the place I live. And then I discover another hidden message:

Please help me

I know that something terrible happened to Sophie. I must find out what it was. But in an isolated house, with a family I can’t trust, will I be the next victim?

A gripping and totally addictive read from Amazon number 1 bestselling author Kathryn Croft. Fans of Lisa Jewell and The Housemaid will be completely hooked on Sophie Was Here.

MY THOUGHTS:

The perfect family...the perfect new home...until I found out about the missing girl...

I have to say the cover was slightly misleading in that it insinuated a little girl had gone missing, and before reading the synopsis for the book that is just what I assumed. But this tale was a mystery of a whole other ball game. I've read similar tropes, all with similar outcomes, but all just as thrilling all the same.

Emmie and her partner Charlie have ditched the London life for one of an easier pace in the Surrey countryside. His parents have just gifted them the house that Charlie and his siblings grew up in - a sprawling farmhouse in the sleepy village of Peaslake. Emmie has recently lost her mum and been made redundant in a job she loved. There was no better time than now for a fresh start together.

But no sooner had they walked into the damp-filled musty house that has been locked up for over a decade than Charlie's parents and siblings have thrust themselves upon the couple, a chance to welcome Emmie into their family. But not before Emmie found herself in the basement and saw the words etched there...

Please help me. 

But when she went back to look at them, they were gone. But how? Only she and Charlie have been in the house. But then Charlie said she had only imagined them and soon she began to wonder had she just conjured them up after all? Until the day she finds herself locked in the basement when the door slams shut and she can't get out. With all her knocking and calling for help, she sees there at the very bottom of the door carved into the wood...

Sophie was here.

So who was Sophie? And what exactly happened to her?

Emmie starts off by asking questions in the village about Sophie - who was she, what she was like, who her friends her - until it becomes clear someone doesn't want her asking questions. And she has to wonder, why not? What do they have to hide? All evidence points her in a direction she doesn't want to go in but what choice does she have? Sophie was here sixteen years ago and then she wasn't. So what happened to her? And why does nobody want to talk about her?

This was a fast paced thrilling read that had me hooked from the very first page. There are so many clues peppered throughout that lead us down paths that may or may not lead us anywhere, but the ride getting there is half the fun! I thoroughly enjoyed this wholly tension-filled read that was there throughout. The story unfolds mostly through Emmie's narrative but peppered throughout we also have Sophie's third person narrative from sixteen years before. And little by little, the pieces slowly fall into place.

I guess in parts it was a bit of a slow burn mystery but the pace was steady throughout that I didn't notice I was enjoying it so much. An addictive read that had both tension and atmosphere. Well worth the read.

I would like to thank #KathrynCroft, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #SophieWasHere in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Kathryn is the bestselling author of ten psychological thrillers and to date she has sold over one million copies of her books. Her third book, The Girl With No Past spent over four weeks at number one in the Amazon UK chart, and she has also appeared on the Wall Street Journal's bestsellers list.

Kathryn writes full time and is now hard at work on her next book.

After twelve years living in London, she now lives in Guildford, Surrey, the place she grew up, with her husband, two children and two crazy cats.

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