The Kidnapping Kind
Finley Walker’s picture-perfect life shatters the moment her infant son is stolen from his crib. As Detectives Sadie Lawson and Rhett Callahan investigate, the nightmare doubles: a second baby vanishes, this time from Camille Jefferson, a secretive newcomer whose husband has also disappeared without a trace. With no clear link between the families, the detectives must unravel a tangled web of lies and buried truths to find the children before time runs out.
- Finley - Craig’s wife, social worker
- Craig - Finley’s husband
- Silas - Finley and Craig’s son, 3 months old
- Sadie Lawson - Police detective
- Rhett Callahan - Police detective
- Camille (Mila/M.H.) - Finley’s sister, Craig’s mistress, Jonah's mother
- Jonah - Camille’s son, 3 months old
- Brent Jefferson - Elderly man whose identity Camille stole
- Trevor - Finley’s father
- Quinn - Finley’s stepmother
- Donya - Trevor’s housekeeper
- Sylvia Sanders - Finley’s birth mother
- Finley wakes up to discover Silas was kidnapped overnight.
- Her-Before: She is pregnant and engaged to the baby’s father, with the wedding in three months.
- Now: Finley tells Sadie she suspects Craig is having an affair.
- Finley-Before: While pregnant, Finley works at the hospital and treats a new patient who goes by the name M.H.
- M.H. is 23 weeks pregnant and claims her husband is abusive.
- Now: Camille wakes to find Jonah missing and calls 911, saying Brent had already left for work before she discovered Jonah was gone.
- No one can reach Brent, and he never shows up for work at Craig's trucking company.
- Quinn started dating Trevor when Finley was very young.
- Trevor and Sylvia divorced when Finley was little and he hasn't heard from her since.
- Sadie learns Sylvia had another child. When Finley was two, Sylvia drove under the influence and crashed into a river. Her infant drowned, but Finley was unharmed.
- Finley-Before: Finley finds an article about the car accident, revealing Sylvia was charged with a crime. Trevor had told Finley that Sylvia died in the accident, and Finley never knew she had a sibling.
- Finley confronts Trevor, who says Sylvia reached out after getting out of prison asking to see Finley, but he refused.
- Her-Before: She believes her husband is having an affair with the nanny.
- She has an affair with the gardener and becomes pregnant with his baby.
- Finley-Before: M.H. tells Finley her name is Mila.
- Now: Rhett finds doorbell camera footage showing Craig leaving Camille’s house at the same time she was calling 911.
- During an interview, Craig admits to Sadie that he was having an affair with Camille.
- Her-Before: Her is Sylvia. Sylvia has a second baby and names her Camille.
- Quinn is the nanny who is having an affair with Sylvia’s husband, Trevor.
- Now: While pregnant, Finley hired a PI to track down Sylvia, whom she then contacts. She also has the PI investigate who Craig is sleeping with.
- Finley learns from her PI that the woman Craig is seeing is named Camille. She drives to the address and finds Mila there with Quinn, revealing Mila is Camille.
- Quinn-Before: Quinn slips something into Sylvia's wine.
- Sylvia drinks the wine, feels dizzy, and goes for a drive to try to wake up.
- Quinn follows Sylvia, and after the crash, she puts Finley into Sylvia's car and takes Camille with her so the police will believe Camille drowned in the river.
- Quinn pays Donya to give Camille to her sister to be raised as her niece.
- After Sylvia goes to jail for manslaughter, Quinn tells Trevor the truth that Camille is not his baby.
- Camille-Before: Camille was raised by Donya's sister, Margaret, who tells her the truth about her real family on her deathbed. Camille then comes to town looking for Finley, the sister who had the life she was denied.
- Camille manufactured a meeting with Craig, and soon after, the affair began.
- Camille intentionally gets pregnant to further destroy Finley’s life.
- Camille confronts Quinn, tells her she knows the truth, and blackmails her into paying her into an account under the name Brent Jefferson, a man whose identity Camille stole.
- Camille tells Craig to add Brent Jefferson to the payroll so she can siphon money from Finley’s father.
- Donya tells Finley that Camille is her half-sister and explains how Quinn framed Sylvia for Camille’s death, and Finley records the conversation.
- Craig is arrested for fraud, identity theft, embezzlement, and the kidnapping of Jonah and Silas.
- Camille gets arrested for identity theft and embezzlement.
- Now: Finley emails the recorded conversation with Donya to Sadie and Rhett, along with all payroll documents tied to Brent Jefferson.
- Finley-Before: The night Craig sneaks out to see Camille, Finley takes Silas to Sylvia and then goes to Camille’s house to gather proof of the affair for her divorce.
- While there, Finley decides to kidnap Jonah and frame Craig for both babies’ disappearance.
- Now: Finley meets Sylvia at a beach cottage where Jonah and Silas have been kept safe.
This was an enjoyable psychological thriller with a good writing style and medium-sized chapters that kept the pace moving. The story is told through multiple POVs and alternates between past and present timelines. While the frequent switching between perspectives took a moment to get into, it ultimately wove together a good story.
The plot features some solid twists that fit the genre well and that will catch most people off-guard. The book could have benefited from one more round of polish to catch several grammatical errors, but it didn't prevent me from finding this book an engaging read.
Even though this isn't listed as a formal series, it was nice to see Sadie and Rhett again, who we met in The Murdering Kind. There were some plot points left up in the air regarding Rhett, so I am hoping that means another book featuring this duo will be coming soon!
- Finley - Alive - Reunited with her mother and relieved to be free of her cheating husband
- Sylvia - Alive - Happily reunited with her daughter
- Craig - Alive - Under arrest for kidnapping Jonah and Silas
- Camille - Alive - Under arrest for identity theft, embezzlement
- Quinn - Alive - Likely to be arrested for framing Sylvia for murder
- Brent - Dead - Found dead under mysterious circumstances
- Donya - Alive - May be arrested for keeping Quinn’s actions against Sylvia secret
- Kidnapping
- Infidelity
- Mention of domestic abuse
- Blackmail
Publisher: Independently Published
ASIN: B0GLJ2KM7L
Publication Date: February 4, 2026
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
We’re Watching You
Blaise joins a mysterious reality show called Down The Isle, seeking a fresh start: three couples, a secluded island, and the promise of romance. But after pairing up with the charming Eric, the dream quickly turns into a nightmare. When a fellow contestant vanishes and the production crew turns suspicious, Blaise realizes this is no ordinary game. With trust crumbling, she must uncover the island's dark truth—before she becomes the next to disappear.
- Blaise - Eric’s wife, 32
- Eric - Blaise’s husband
- Cal - Producer of Down The Isle
- Olivia and James - Another couple on the island
- Jenna and Phil - Another couple on the island
- After one night alone on the island, Blaise meets Eric at the altar.
- After the wedding, Blaise and Eric meet the other couples.
- The following days are filled with individual interviews, leaving little time for the couples to be together.
- Jenna tries to tell Blaise she has discovered something but is interrupted by Cal.
- Jenna goes missing.
- Phil reports Jenna missing, and Cal claims she was unwell and left the island in a hurry.
- Phil goes missing.
- Blaise discovers hidden cameras throughout the island.
- Blaise and Eric wake to a note saying the crew was called away urgently.
- Blaise and Eric discover they are alone on the island with Olivia and James.
- Blaise and Eric go out into a tropical storm to look for Phil but get separated.
- Blaise finds a concrete building. Inside she finds Cal sitting at a computer.
- In another room is a surveillance center, showing camera feeds from all over the island, including in their bungalows.
- People are paying in cryptocurrency to watch the live feeds and deaths of those on the island.
- Blaise discovers a file showing Phil being beaten to death with a metal pipe.
- Another file shows Jenna discovering hidden cameras, being bound and gagged, and then drowned.
- Blaise exits the building and finds Eric.
- Eric admits to Blaise that he isn’t a true participant—he helped design the deadly game.
- Eric takes Blaise to the beach to drown her, Cal is there waiting.
- As Eric begins to drown Blaise, James and Olivia arrive.
- Olivia drowns Cal and James holds Eric underwater until a current sweeps him away.
- James, Olivia, and Blaise locate a command center in the concrete building, gather evidence, and call for help.
- They inform the coast guard that the others were lost at sea during the storm.
- They plan to withhold the full truth until the evidence is secured and someone trustworthy is found.
- They spend four weeks organizing and cataloguing the evidence, currently deemed inconclusive and unverifiable by authorities and journalists.
- Blaise discovers mentions of “Down the Isle Season 2” on the dark web.
- An accompanying photo shows three new couples, with a figure at the blurred edge that Blaise believes is Eric.
The premise of this book is solid, and I do enjoy AJ Carter’s writing style. Unfortunately, the pacing of the story was just too slow.
The entire story is told from Blaise’s POV and in this case it resulted in a lot of repetitive thoughts. We spend so much time circling the same internal anxieties that it really drags down the pacing throughout the whole book. The ending felt a bit disjointed to me; it was rushed and left a few plot holes.
- Phil - Dead - Beaten to death
- Jenna - Dead - Drowned
- Blaise - Alive - Processing the trauma and seeking justice for Phil and Jenna
- Olivia - Alive - Pursuing justice
- James - Alive - Pursuing justice
- Cal - Dead - Drowned by Olivia
- Eric - Alive - Running season 2 of Down The Isle
- Murder
- Voyeurism
Publisher: Independently published
ISBN: 9798269108506
Publication Date: October 9, 2025
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
The Yacht Party
Some friendships fade, others turn fatal. To escape her suffocating debt and stagnant life, Bridget joins an old friend’s superyacht reunion, but the luxury vacation quickly becomes a nightmare as guests are picked off one by one. Trapped by a storm and a killer, she must face the dark secrets of their shared past before the ocean becomes her grave.
- Bridget - Protegonist
- Adesina (Ade) - Bridget’s university friend, rock star
- Sasha - Tom’s wife
- Tom - Sasha’s husband
- Jake - Bridget’s ex-boyfriend
- Clara - Bridget’s former flatmate
- Ryan - Friend from university
- Dawn - One of the university friend-group
- Mick - Drummer in Ade’s band
- Part I: Bridget
- Bridget receives a letter from Ade containing a plane ticket to Mauritius for a trip on his yacht.
- Ade has invited their university friend group to catch up.
- Dawn couldn’t make the trip.
- While anchored, Clara falls off the boat and hits her head but Bridget rescues her.
- Sasha goes missing and when she isn’t found she’s assumed to have gone overboard.
- Tom says someone knocked on the door and he heard her talking before she left the room and went missing.
- Ade says he didn’t send Ryan an invitation but when he was told Ryan was at the airport he let him come anyway.
- When Ade was just getting famous, Ryan interviewed him, and afterward some men harassed Ryan. Ade walked away instead of helping because he cared more about harm to his career than about Ryan.
- Bridget drinks the vodka she brought on board and instantly feels that something is wrong.
- Part II: Jake
- Jake never stopped loving Bridget.
- At a party after graduation Jake saw Ade and Bridget hooking up and was furious.
- As revenge he told Ade that he couldn’t record any songs Jake wrote unless he was allowed to share vocals.
- The record label wouldn’t go for it so Jake quit the band.
- One night he got drunk at a bar and caused someone life-changing injuries, leading to a twelve-month prison sentence.
- Jake finds Ryan stabbed to death in the beach club.
- Jake goes to check on Bridget and finds her body.
- Ade admits to Tom that he slept with Sasha shortly after her and Tom started dating.
- Ade apologizes to Clara because at university he really liked her but he felt he was better than her so he only saw her in secret. At the end of term Clara told Ade she was pregnant but a few months later she sent him a letter that she lost the baby.
- Ade says he named the baby girl they were going to have Tanis and that’s why his yacht is named Tanis.
- Jake goes back to his room and is hit in the chest by a crossbow.
- Part III: Clara
- Ade confronts Tom about hearing Sasha say that she wanted to leave Tom to be with Ade.
- Ade and Tom get in a physical fight and Ade strangles Tom.
- Ade tells Clara he invited everyone there in order to see her.
- Ade tells Clara he loves her and wants them to be together.
- Clara says he never apologized for the worst thing he did; the night they were together she told him ‘no’ when he started to take her clothes off.
- Ade says she is remembering the night wrong and that is simply not how it happened.
- Clara says the rape ruined her life and she despises him.
- Clara admits she is the one who sent Ryan an invitation.
- Dawn refused to room with ade any longer at university because Clara told Dawn what he did to her.
- Clara didn’t fall off the yacht at the beginning of the trip; she was trying to kill herself.
- When that didn’t work she planned to get revenge on Ade by murdering the others and framing him.
- Clara takes a knife and swipes her chest and arms so Ade will be convicted of her death as well.
- Ade realizes there is nothing he can do to convince anyone he’s not responsible, so he pushes Clara over the railing onto a lower deck.
- Epilogue: Bridget
- Bridget wakes up and finds Ade is the only one alive, insisting he didn’t do it, but she’s not sure she believes him.
Benedict Brown’s prose is sharp, and I enjoy his writing style, but The Yacht Party struggled to find its stride due to uneven pacing. The story struggled with its pacing because the narrative was heavily weighed down by excessive backstory. The author clearly used these deep dives into the past to build well-developed characters, but it didn't quite land; instead of feeling like I knew the characters better, the constant focus on their history just made the present-day plot feel stagnant.
I did, however, enjoy the twist, which was clever and not easily predictable - a refreshing high point in the mystery. Sadly, the momentum gained from that final chapter was lost in the epilogue which felt very anticlimactic after the tension of the reveal. #TheYachtParty #NetGalley
- Ade - Alive - Framed for the murders of his friends
- Mick - Dead - Drug overdose
- Sasha - Dead - Pushed overboard by Clara
- Bridget - Alive - Finds inspiration for writing a story from the events on the yacht
- Ryan - Dead - Stabbed by Clara
- Jake - Dead - Shot with a crossbow by Clara
- Tom - Dead - Strangled by Ade
- Clara - Dead - Pushed over the yacht railing onto a lower deck by Ade
- Drug use
- Alcoholism
- Infertility
- Infidelity
- Rape
- Murder
Publisher: Storm Publishing
ISBN: 9781837002634
Publication Date: February 3, 2026
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
The Forgotten Patient
Dr. Elias Thorne runs the Blackwood Institute for the Criminally Insane—until he wakes up in Cell 404. Stripped of his clothes and status, he is now "Patient 619," and his own staff treats him with pity rather than respect. When he finds commitment papers signed by his own hand years ago, Elias must face a terrifying reality: is he the victim of a dark conspiracy, or has his life as a doctor been a delusion all along?
- Dr. Elias Thorne - Director of Blackwood institute
- Clara - Elias’s wife, deceased
- Marcus - Orderly at Blackwood Institute
- Dr. Aris Vance - New director of Blackwood Institute
- Keys (Real name Dave) - Patient at Blackwood institute
- Aris tells Elias he has been locked up for three years, ever since he started a fire at his house that killed Clara.
- Elias remembers Aris encouraging him to sign a voluntary commitment form for the weekend so he could rest after Clara’s death.
- Keys tells Elias he used to be the janitor at Blackwood until he saw documents he was not meant to see about Tabula Rasa - a memory erasure program that Aris is conducting.
- Elias remembers arguing with Aris over Tabula Rasa before waking up in cell 404.
- Elias breaks out of his cell, goes to his former office, takes cash and blank ID’s meant for the erased patients from a safe, and discovers files detailing Aris’s corrupt activities.
If you have 20 minutes and need a quick thrill, pick this up. The Forgotten Patient is the definition of short and sweet. Black’s writing style is solid and pulls you in immediately. It’s incredibly fast-paced, and manages to deliver a surprisingly good twist given the length. This psychological thriller is perfect for a coffee break read or a palate cleanser between long novels!
- Kidnapping
- Torture
Publisher: Independently published
ISBN: 9798244668100
Publication Date: January 19, 2026
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
Will You Be Mine
At thirty-nine, Holland turns to a Valentine’s-specific dating app to escape the misery of being single. What starts as a hopeful search for connection quickly spirals into a nightmare when her dates begin to end in death rather than romance. Instead of finding love, she finds herself trapped in a horror story where survival is the only match that matters.
- Holland - Protagonist
- Sutton - Holland’s dating app match
- Charlie - One of Holland’s date
- Avery - Girl holland meets at a Will You Be Mine event
- Jude - One of Holland’s dates
- Holland gets a message from Sutton on the dating app Will You Be Mine?
- They message back and forth for two weeks before making plans to meet.
- Sutton and Holland plan to see a movie, but Sutton never shows.
- Holland sees an article reporting that Sutton was killed the previous night.
- A few nights later Holland goes on a date with Charlie, who says he’s not interested in a second date.
- Holland meets Avery at a Will You Be Mine event and they go on a few dates before Avery ghosts Holland.
- Holland goes on a date with Jude and invites him back to her place.
- Holland wakes in the night to see a shadowy figure tearing Jude apart and eating him.
- Two police officers arrive, and the monster tears apart the first one to enter Holland’s bedroom.
- The second officer enters, sees his dead partner, and arrests Holland.
- The officer tells Holland that Avery is dead too.
Will You Be Mine by M.A. Green was a major miss for me. The author's actual writing style is solid, but the story itself was slow and failed to capture my interest. It struggled to build any real momentum, making it hard to stay engaged even for a short book.
The biggest problem is that the synopsis essentially reveals the entire plot before you even start. There was nothing new, exciting, or surprising to find in the actual 86 pages that wasn't already laid out in the description, which made the reading experience feel redundant.
- Gore
- Blood
- Graphic violence
Publisher: Independently Published
ASIN: B0G3MQ6BR7
Publication Date: January 30, 2026
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
Love Potion No. 1
Logan uses a forbidden potion to manipulate desire, but the plan backfires when Reece overdoses. As devotion rots into dangerous obsession, their world of luxury dissolves into a raw battle for survival.
- Logan - Employee at Delta Corp
- Reece - Intern at Delta Corp
- Logan and Reece go out to celebrate Logan landing a big account at work.
- Logan slips something into Reece’s drink.
- They go to Logan’s home and sleep together.
- Logan tells Reece that last night was a one time thing and she leaves.
- Logan goes to work and finds a letter from Reece saying she knows he’s scared to take the next step and she’s willing to wait.
- Logan dozes off in his bed and wakes to find Reece there.
- Logan goes to the police but they say there is nothing they can do.
- Reece reveals she never drank the spiked drink and had always been in love with Logan.
- Reece leaves her underwear on Logan’s desk with a note saying ‘Dinner at your place 8pm.’
- Reece poisons Logan’s dinner and he dies.
Love Potion No. 1 by C.S. Jean features a pleasant writing style, but the story itself failed to pull me in. At only 55 pages, there wasn't enough time or depth given to the characters to make me care about them or their relationship, which made the stakes feel non-existent.
The book is labeled as suspense rather than a thriller, which might be why it did not quite work for me personally. It lacks the urgency or tension I typically enjoy, leaving the experience feeling a bit hollow. While it is a quick read, it just was not the right fit for my tastes.
- Sexual violence
Publisher: Independently Published
ASIN: B0GB639WQZ
Publication Date: January 30, 2026
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
Sweet Insanity
Dr. Lindsey Hart has spent twenty years navigating the thin line between sanity and madness in a high-security psychiatric ward, but she crosses it herself when she discovers K-29 on the dark web. Believing the untraceable compound is a miracle cure for psychosis, she secretly micro-doses her patients—until one turns violent. With her experiment spiraling out of control, the drug's shadowy suppliers blackmail her into continuing, trapping Lindsey in a deadly vice between her own crumbling ethics and a terrifying cover-up.
- Dr. Lindsey Hart - Consultant psychiatrist on Ward E
- Hayley - Nurse on Ward E
- Gary - Ward E patient, former surgeon
- Algernon - Ward E patient, violent schizophrenic
- Lindsey accesses the dark web and learns about K-29, an experimental drug said to stabilize neural patterns.
- She orders a sample of K-29 and receives a package containing a dozen lollipops.
- Lindsey gives a lollipop to Algernon, who develops a fixation on Hayley.
- The next day Lindsey gives a lollipop to Algernon and one to Gary as well.
- Algernon’s fixation on Hayley intensifies. Gary becomes fixated on a single spot, standing there throughout the day.
- Algernon attacks Gary for getting between him and Hayley, sending Gary to intensive care.
- Lindsey decides to stop using the K-29.
- Three weeks later, Gary remains in a coma, Algernon is no longer fixated on Hayley, and Lindsey has destroyed the remaining lollipops.
- Lindsey receives a phone call demanding an update and asking why she has not ordered more K-29.
- The caller reveals they know she never graduated university, having trialled illicit substances on a friend and purchased fake certifications, and threatens to expose her to the hospital board and the press if she does not continue administering K-29.
- Lindsey sends in her letter of resignation, takes her passport and flees.
- A few weeks later, Lindsey logs into the Ward E servers and discovers a younger woman who resembles her is using her credentials.
- She receives a message stating that the experiment is ongoing under the new ‘Dr. Hart.’
- Lindsey decides to return to Ward E to try and stop the experiment.
- Lindsey enters Ward E and confronts the new ‘Dr. Hart,’ who claims to know who Lindsey really is, forcing Lindsey to leave knowing there is nothing she can do.
- Epilogue: ‘Lindsey’ is not the real Lindsey. She found Lindsey Hart in a burning car by the roadside, took her hospital ID, and assumed her identity.
- She believed that curing her patients would make her feel she had earned the Doctor title she stole, which is why she used K-29 in the first place.
- She leaves behind a letter, a USB drive containing the falsified documents, and the lollipops, then disappears to become someone else once again.
Sweet Insanity by Danielle Fear is a quick read that dives deep into the mind of a morally grey protagonist. The medical setting is atmospheric, though the heavy use of technical language might make it a bit difficult for some readers to follow every detail.
The story builds tension well, but the finale feels a bit overwhelming and vague. I actually had to sit and think a minute to understand what the author was trying to convey in certain parts. Overall, it is still a very enjoyable read for fans of medical thrillers who don't mind a bit of ambiguity.
- Blackmail
- Unethical medical practices
Publisher: Independently Published
ASIN: B0G6G6KH32
Publication Date: January 20, 2026
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
Bitter Sweet
Need revenge? Call Jo. She’s an expert in everything from tainted chocolates to hiding evidence. But her newest assignment breaks every rule when she discovers she’s hunting a past client. Now that her target knows her game, Jo has to think fast before she becomes the victim.
- Josephine (Jo) - Runs a revenge website where she’s know as ‘Bittersweet’
- Drew - Renee’s husband
- Renee - Drew’s wife, Jo’s former client
- Drew approaches Jo, claiming his wife tried to kill him for his money so she could be with her boyfriend, and asks Jo to kill her.
- Drew tells Jo his wife’s name is Renee, and Jo recognizes her as a former client who used her to frame an abusive ex and send him to prison.
- Jo intercepts Renee in her building elevator and forces her back up to her penthouse.
- Before Jo can kill Renee, Renee insists Jo has it all wrong.
- Renee tells Jo she doesn’t have a boyfriend—Drew does—but she was willing to overlook it because she loves him.
- Renee shows Jo the prenup stating that if Drew dies she gets nothing, giving her no motive to kill him.
- Angry that Drew lied, Jo switches sides and agrees to help Renee get revenge.
- Jo returns to Drew, tells him the job is done, and has him sign paperwork.
- Jo injects Drew with a syringe, and when he wakes up Renee reveals that what he signed was an amendment to their prenup giving her all his money if he dies.
- Jo plans to kill Drew and pin the murder on one of his many business associates who want him dead.
Bitter Sweet by Erica Damon is a really good thriller for anyone looking for an anti-romantic Valentine’s Day read. The premise is engaging, pulling you in right from the first page with a dark atmosphere that sets the tone perfectly. It’s a very quick read that manages to pack a lot of action into few pages.
My only real critique is how the ending was handled. The main character practically gives away the twist several pages before it actually happens, which took away the surprise of the ending. Even with that slip-up, it’s still a solid addition to the genre and a fun way to spend an hour.
- Murder
ASIN: B0G3CR6R5T
Publication Date: January 30, 2026
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
Black Widow
Ari’s wedding should be the happiest day of her life, but the ghosts of her past are uninvited guests.
Three lovers. Three tragic endings. One nickname whispered like a curse: Black Widow.
With her sister and childhood best friend by her side, Ari is desperate to believe this marriage will finally break the deadly cycle. But in a town swallowed by shadows, she must navigate a life where trust is a weapon, love is a liability, and the line between devotion and danger is razor-thin.
- Liam - Ari's husband
- Ari - Liam's wife
- Brad - Ari’s best friend
- Gianna - Ari’s older sister
- Jordan - Ari’s first love
- Marcus - Ari’s college sweetheart
- Krilas - Ari’s first fiancé
- Carl - Detective
- Ari and Liam are getting married.
- Ari sees someone in the tree line just outside the ceremony site. She’s felt like someone has been following her for a while.
- Twelve years earlier: Ari is in high school and dating her first love Jordan when he is killed in a car accident.
- Present: Ari thinks she sees someone moving in the shadows outside the reception tent.
- Nine years earlier: Ari and Marcus have been dating for two years when he goes missing and is never found.
- Eventually police find Marcus’s journal, which grows dark near the end and reads as though he may have taken his own life.
- Present: Ari and Liam are on their Caribbean honeymoon when Ari sees the man who has been following her.
- Ari approaches the man and asks why he’s following her. He says his name is Carl, an off-duty detective, and claims Ari killed her last three lovers and that Liam is not safe.
- Carl has been following Ari since Marcus disappeared.
- Six years earlier: Ari and Krilas go on a camping trip to celebrate their engagement.
- Krilas is missing when Ari wakes the next morning. Police later find his body at the bottom of a drop-off near their campsite.
- Present: Ari and Liam go scuba diving.
- Liam’s oxygen tank empties too quickly and he dies.
- The investigation shows Liam’s tank had a slow leak and it’s ruled an accident.
- Ari buries Liam under the suspicion of Carl, Liam’s parents, and the town.
- Eight years ago: Ari grows suspicious of Brad and snoops, finding keepsakes from Jordan’s death and Marcus’s disappearance.
- She realizes that Brad was killing the men in her life because he loved her more than they did, and she likes it.
- Epilogue: Brad tampered with Jordan’s brakes, planted ‘Marcus’s’ journal so Ari would stop wondering what happened to him, pushed Krilas off the drop-off, and tampered with Liam’s air tank.
- Brad will continue to kill anyone who tries to take Ari away from him.
Holy cow! For a book that is only 58 pages, Black Widow was incredibly exciting. The author did an amazing job of keeping the suspense and mystery high the entire time. I really loved the format of multiple timelines because it added layers you don't usually get in a novella. I felt like I had the twist figured out right away, but that final chapter had me shocked. It is impressive how much tension was packed into such a quick read. This book is perfect for anyone who loves an incredibly well-written, suspenseful short story.
- Suicide
- Murder
Publisher: Bookouture
ASIN: B0G67KKYZQ
Publication Date: January 30, 2026
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
Blood and Wine
Newlyweds Sofia and Kyze buy an Italian vineyard for a fresh start, only for Kyze to vanish days before Valentine’s Day. As Sofia explores the estate, she uncovers a hidden cellar and a local legend of a deadly curse. On this land, the past is bleeding into the present—and Sofia is the next target.
- Kyze - Sofia’s husband
- Sofia - Kyze’s wife
- Bonita and Evan - Newlyweds
- Kyze and Sofia purchase a vineyard named ‘Vigna della Notte.’
- Sofia and Kyze visit a shop in town, where a shopkeeper tells them the vineyard is cursed; every year a man enters the vineyard with a woman and disappears.
- A few days before Valentine’s Day, Sofia wakes to find Kyze missing.
- She goes to the cellar and finds Kyze’s broken watch and red smears she cannot tell are blood, wine, or both.
- Sofia discovers a hidden staircase in the basement.
- At the bottom is a room filled with photographs of different couples; each set includes a picture from moving day, a picture in the vineyard, and a final picture of only the woman. There is one set per year, going back decades.
- Sofia notices that all the women look strangely like her.
- Sofia returns to the basement and finds Kyze alive.
- He says he hid to uncover the truth about Sofia because he believes she began poisoning him after they arrived at the vineyard, and he shows her a video he recorded of her slipping something into his wine.
- Kyze believes Sofia is the same woman who has been returning to the vineyard for decades.
- Kyze says he is leaving, but Sofia tells him she finally remembers doing this before and that she will not let him leave.
- Sofia admits she feeds her lovers to the vineyard to keep herself alive, and she has been doing so for a century.
- Sofia gives Kyze the choice to be fed to the vineyard or to become ageless like her and live as long as it does, but he refuses to join her.
- Sofia completes the ritual, sacrificing Kyze to the vineyard, and uses his death to make a wine she calls Goodnight Kiss 2025.
- The next February, Sofia welcomes Bonita and Evan to the vineyard for a private tasting.
- Sofia drugs their wine, makes Evan disappear, and ensures Bonita does not remember anything.
- Evan and Bonita become another set of portraits on the wall.
As an installment in the Love You To Death series, Blood and Wine offers a darker, sharper alternative to the usual sugary holiday romance. I really loved the author's descriptive writing style; the narrative is full of mystery and intrigue, managing to build tension quickly. It grabs your attention immediately, making it perfect for a single-sitting read. I loved the twist—it was unexpected and took the story in a direction I didn't see coming. This book is perfect for thriller fans who want a quick, dark read to celebrate Valentine's Day.
- Death
Publisher: Bookouture
ASIN: B0G9VYGS41
Publication Date: January 30, 2026
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.