2026 ARC Reviews
Spoiler-free early reviews of the most anticipated upcoming releases.
59 days
The House Swap
Keri Beevis
Desperate for a quiet escape, I arranged a home swap with Tom—a man I thought I knew—and fled to his secluded villa in Crete alongside my best friend, Keira. It was supposed to be a sanctuary of winter sun and silent, empty beaches. At last, room to breathe.
Then Keira vanishes without a word.
Suddenly, paradise feels like a trap. The neighbors watch me with unearned familiarity. The handyman lingers in the shadows. Doors I secured swing open, and objects subtly shift when I’m not looking. I try to blame exhaustion and stress, but the mounting dread is impossible to ignore.
Isolated and questioning my own sanity, one terrifying truth remains: I am a long way from home, and I need to escape before the trap snaps shut.
The House Swap throws you straight into the deep end, told almost entirely from Poppy’s perspective in the present day. The story moves at a fast pace, broken up into medium-sized chapters. The setting adds a heavy layer of tension. Poppy is staying in a gigantic villa in Greece, and that sheer size and isolation really amplifies her paranoia. I spent a large amount of the book trying to decide if she was losing her mind or if there was a calculated conspiracy against her. I could not figure out the truth until the final pieces fell into place.
The twist is a good one. It caught me off guard and shifted the narrative in a way that made all the previous anxiety feel justified. My only real gripe is the final stretch. After such a suspenseful ride, the ending felt a little too abrupt. The fates of certain characters were just settled in a few rushed lines, rather than giving them a proper wrap-up or even leaving things intentionally ambiguous. Still, the psychological manipulation and that striking Greek setting kept me hooked.
If you like isolated foreign settings, intense paranoia, and surprising twists, then you will enjoy this book.
73 days
Xavier Bradshaw: Ghostwriter
W.M. Lessman
Two decades after a string of brutal, unsolved murders haunted Livingston, Alberta, the nightmare has returned. A city councilor is discovered crucified in a local church, and a young woman’s body is left abandoned by the river. Investigative reporter Xavier Bradshaw and his new partner, Jessi, plunge into these macabre echoes of the past—only to find the evidence pointing squarely at Xavier himself.
With the local police eager to close the case and lock him away, Xavier races to uncover the truth. His prime suspect? His own mentor, a renowned horror author whose obsession with the killings borders on the sinister. Time is running out, and if Xavier doesn't unmask the true killer soon, his final byline might be his own obituary.
W.M. Lessman brings a refreshing dynamic to the investigative protagonist with his character Xavier Bradshaw. As an ex-cop turned reporter, Xavier operates with the sharp mind of a detective but without the red tape of law enforcement. He isn't much of a rogue wildcard yet, but staying grounded makes him a solid anchor for the story, and I am curious to see if his personality develops in that direction as the series continues. The supporting cast adds a lot of value too, particularly Stephanie and Bobby, who are great side characters and really help Xavier and Jessi bond with each other.
The story has a slower pace, but it never drags or gets boring. Momentum stays alive thanks to the short chapters, and the author’s wonderful writing. There is a sizable cast to keep track of, but the background provided for each major player is distinct and thorough enough that I never felt lost or confused about who was who.
This leans much more into traditional suspense and mystery territory rather than a high-octane thriller. It builds to a genuinely good twist. The ending, however, wrapped up quickly, leaving the fates of some characters rather vague.
If you like character-driven mysteries, ex-cop protagonists, and methodical pacing, then you will enjoy this book.
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What is an ARC?
An ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) is a pre-publication version of a book provided by publishers so reviewers can share early feedback. Our spoiler-free reviews help you decide which upcoming titles to add to your pre-order list!
Advance copies reviewed on SpoilThePlot are securely sourced through industry partners, including NetGalley and Inside Story.