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Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advanced copy of this title.
The premise of Such Perfect Lives sounded different from the usual thriller setup, and that’s what drew me in. I liked the idea of Ellie and Josh uncovering a secret that the entire community seems to know about but chooses to ignore because of the Spencers’ influence. I enjoy AJ Carter’s writing style, but the story itself didn’t quite work for me.
The book alternates between Ellie and Josh’s POVs in the present, and while I found it easy to read, I felt like the story took a while to get going. I also never felt particularly invested in either character because there wasn’t much character development. They felt like familiar thriller characters who are struggling financially and willing to make increasingly bad choices because they desperately need the money, without much else to make me connect with them. I was hoping for more depth, more action, and stronger twists, and I saw the ending coming, which made the payoff less satisfying.
If you like slow-burn thrillers, alternating POVs, and secrets hiding behind a wealthy community’s perfect facade, then you may enjoy this book.
#NetGalley #SuchPerfectLives

Thank you to NetGalley and Elowyn Publishing Co for an advanced copy of this title.
I really enjoyed the dark and eerie atmosphere of this story, especially with it taking place during the Christmas season. I found myself feeling for Asher as he dealt with his grief, and being mostly in his POV made it easy for me to get caught up in everything he was experiencing.
I liked the way the Advent format worked with the story, with everything unfolding through December as Asher receives a new note each day. The chapters are short and the pacing stayed consistent for me, so the book flowed really well.
What really made this one stand out for me was how unpredictable it became. I thought I had a pretty good idea of where things were going, but the twist completely surprised me. I also liked how the story kept me questioning what was real and what Asher could actually believe as things progressed. This was a quick read for me, but it still managed to pack in plenty of tension and kept me invested throughout.
If you like dark psychological thrillers, eerie mysteries, and unexpected twists, then you will enjoy this book.
#NetGalley #EvesStillDead

Thank you to A.J. Wooding for an advanced copy of this title.
I love when a thriller jumps right in, and this book gets to the carnage so fast. Once everything starts unraveling, it doesn’t let up. Being stranded on a cruise ship with no hope of rescue made for the perfect setting for chaos and madness. The story is told from several characters’ POVs, all in the present, with short chapters - but that doesn’t matter because once you start reading, you won’t want to put it down.
The main twist wasn’t anything unique, but I thought it was executed well. More importantly, there was so much else happening that it never felt like the book was built around that one reveal. For me, it almost felt like a bonus side plot within a much bigger story, and I was perfectly happy with that. I also found the characters’ reactions and behavior believable, which made everything easier to buy into rather than feeling like people were making ridiculous decisions just to move the plot along.
And then there’s that ending! I did not see it going the way it did, and I loved where Wooding took it. There is so much left swirling around in my head after finishing this, and I’m already praying there will be a sequel because I am not ready to leave this story behind yet.
If you like chaotic thrillers, stranded-at-sea settings, and unexpected endings, then you will love this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy of this title.
The premise of childhood witnesses being targeted thirty years after sending their Sunday school teacher to prison is a great setup, but the execution struggled to hold my attention. Told entirely from Faith’s point of view in the present day with just a few brief flashbacks, the story involves a surprisingly cluttered cast. Keeping track of everyone was a chore, especially trying to remember which parents belonged to which member of the original six kids. That confusion made an already slow pace drag even more.
As a protagonist, Faith felt flat and lacked the distinct personality needed to make me root for her. With pretty much everyone in the book lying or hiding something, none of the characters ended up being particularly likable or sympathetic.
The mystery itself relies on a ton of red herrings, but they didn't pay off in a satisfying way. When the answers finally came, the explanations felt weak and hastily brushed aside rather than clever. Between the sluggish build-up and a main twist that was easy to guess way before the end, the final reveal just fell flat. It was an okay read, but ultimately too predictable to leave much of an impression.
If you like childhood secrets resurfacing, single POV mysteries, and lots of red herrings, then you may enjoy this book.
#NetGalley #WillIBeNext

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advanced copy of this title.
The setup for this mystery showed promise, but the execution struggled to sustain genuine suspense. Most distracting was the narrator’s habit of addressing her deceased friend directly in the second person. Framing lines around what "you loved" or what "you always said" makes sense conceptually to highlight grief, but having it woven into nearly every scene of the first half of the book quickly became repetitive.
That sense of repetition extended to the pacing and plot progression. Very little actually happens across long stretches to move the core investigation forward. Instead of an escalating sense of danger, the story spins its wheels. The protagonist constantly flip-flops on potential suspects - clearing someone in her mind only to turn around and suspect them again soon after with little justification, creating whiplash rather than genuine tension. Compounding the lag, the side story involving Ben felt like boring filler for the vast majority of the book; by the time a faint connection to the main plot finally surfaced, it felt far too thin to justify the detour. By the time the finale arrived, the resolution felt sloppy and rushed, leaving behind frustrating loose ends and dropped subplots that were never adequately tied up.
If you like grief-driven mysteries and slow-burn suspense, then you may enjoy this book.
#NetGalley #GoneSilent

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy of this title.
A missing child thriller lives or dies by its momentum, and Samantha Hayes definitely keeps the urgency dialed high from the jump. The story alternates between Kim and Molly's perspectives, mostly staying grounded in the present timeline. While there are only about four flashback chapters throughout the book, they felt unnecessary - none of the details shared in the past were essential, and every bit of that information could have easily been revealed naturally in the present without pausing the forward drive of the story.
The pacing also gets bogged down by casting the net a bit too wide. The sheer volume of secondary characters and possible theories starts to clutter the central mystery rather than deepen it. Certain subplots felt more like filler than tension builders, particularly the sudden reappearance of Molly’s estranged father, Bryan.
As for the resolution, I definitely didn't see the ending coming, but it walked a fine line. The final reveal was almost too twisty for its own good, requiring you to suspend quite a bit of disbelief regarding how normal people would actually behave in that situation. Still, if you can roll with the slightly far-fetched logic of the climax, it wraps up the central mystery in an entertaining way.
If you like dual-perspective suspense, missing person mysteries, and twisty domestic drama, then you will enjoy this book.
#NetGalley #MollyIsMissing

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow Paperbacks for an advanced copy of this title.
Darby Kane is great at setting up messy drama right out of the gate, and the start of this story pulled me in quickly. The setup wastes no time dropping you into the chaos, telling the story through dual perspectives by starting with Jerek's point of view before switching to Sabrina's. It kicks off with enough energy that I expected to breeze straight through it.
Things slowed down around the halfway mark, though. The characters kept talking in circles instead of actually moving the plot forward. On top of that, a few of the events started feeling a little too far-fetched to take seriously. Then, the end turned into a huge info-dump trying to spell out how every tiny piece fit together. It’s still an easy, entertaining option if you just want a quick, dark suspense, but the second half definitely fizzled out compared to how strong it started.
If you like morally gray characters, bite-sized revenge plots, and domestic suspense, then you may enjoy this book.
#NetGalley #HeHadItComing

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advanced copy of this title.
This book is a quick, effortless read, but good writing cannot compensate for a subpar plot. The story alternates between a few different POVs in the present day with occasional glimpses into the past, yet the pacing frequently hits speed bumps due to unnecessarily long chapters that over-explain and over-detail things the characters are doing in place of anything of meaning actually happening. Part of the struggle stems from an overly stripped-down cast: beyond Colby, Cassidy, Sienna, and Liam from their past, there is virtually no one else involved. With so few players on the board, the narrative lacks depth, leaving the conflict entirely dependent on every single character lacking basic common sense and refusing to communicate like actual human beings.
Having such an isolated, unlikable group makes staying invested an uphill battle. Colby is exhausting to follow because he acts like a complete doormat, making it difficult to sympathize with him or care about his fate. Cassidy and Sienna offer little relief, coming across as thoroughly unlikable rather than compelling or morally complex. By the time the central twist arrived, the familiar setup made it completely expected rather than shocking.
If you like small-cast domestic thrillers, multiple POVs driven by miscommunication, and fast-paced, easy reads, then you may enjoy this book.
#NetGalley #YouMadeMeDoThis

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advanced copy of this title.
A.R. Torre consistently delivers sharp, high-stakes suspense, and While They Were Watching is no exception. The short chapters keep the narrative moving at a fast pace, and the overall vibe stays tense given the urgency of four missing children. There is a large cast of characters, but everyone feels distinct, making them easy to track as the story unfolds. While the characters feel relatable, my emotional investment stayed tied directly to the safety of the kidnapped kids. Instead of relying on an endless trail of red herrings, the plot builds a steady, pervasive sense of mystery right up until the central secret comes to light. The main twist lands with a satisfying punch, accompanied by a seemingly separate subplot that is equal parts shocking and deeply entertaining in how seamlessly it ties back into the main storyline. The overall structure and clever execution keep the narrative grounded throughout. If you like fast-paced mysteries, multi-POV suspense, and unexpected side plots, then you will enjoy this book.
#NetGalley #WhileTheyWereWatching

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced copy of this title.
Someone Else’s Daughter is told through Ellie's perspective as the story bounces between past and present. The setup hooks you early on with a promising premise, but once the initial intrigue settles the pacing hits a wall and struggles to regain traction. The central mystery gets buried under repetitive flashbacks that fail to move the plot forward, making the midsection feel like a chore to navigate. Instead of building tension, the timeline jumps feel like stalling tactics rather than deliberate narrative choices.
Subplots that should have enriched the character development ended up feeling disconnected from the primary arc. Digressions into Ellie's shoplifting habit and stories about her dog added extra noise without offering any substance or payoff to the core tension. While the eventual twist was solid enough to briefly spark interest, the execution fell flat due to an abrupt conclusion that wrapped up the who and the why far too quickly.
If you like dual-timeline structures and slow-burn mysteries then you may enjoy this book.
#NetGalley #SomeoneElsesDaughter