Category Archives: Psychological Thriller

May 23, 2022 · 12:01 am

Review: What They Don’t Know by Susan Furlong

Title:What They Don’t Know by Susan Furlong
Publisher: Seventh Street Books
Genre: Contemporary, Psychological Thriller, Suspense
Length: 274 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

A picture-perfect suburban life fractures . . . and a darker reality bubbles beneath the surface.

Mona Ellison’s life is as perfect as the porcelain dolls lined up on her shelves. She has a successful husband, a loving son, a beautiful home, and a supportive group of girlfriends ever ready for their weekly wine night.

But when Mona’s son gets entangled with the wrong crowd and runs away from home, her blissful suburban world begins to unravel. She tells her friends that boys will be boys, that he’ll be back as soon as his money runs dry . . . but deep down she knows there’s something else going on.

Then the police show up at Mona’s door. A young girl has turned up dead in their quiet town, and her missing son is the prime suspect.

Determined to reunite with her son and prove his innocence, Mona follows an increasingly cryptic trail of clues on social media, uncovering a sinister side of suburbia and unveiling lies and betrayal from those she trusted most. And as Mona spirals further from her once cozy reality, a devastating revelation shatters everything she thought she knew. Now the only thing she’s sure of is that she can’t trust anyone . . . not even herself.

With unrelenting psychological suspense and a wicked twist, What They Don’t Know marries small-town thriller and domestic mystery—suburban paranoia at its best.

Review:

What They Don’t Know by Susan Furlong is a diabolically clever psychological thriller.

With their son, Gus, absent from the house, Mona Ellison and her husband Ben are selling the home they have lived in for years. After she and her friends, Tara, Alice and Selma’s final book club, Mona becomes a bit untethered with moving day approaching. Ben is out of town for business and she becomes rattled after the police drop by asking questions about Mia Jones, a teenager recently murdered nearby.  Why do the detectives want to talk to Ben? And why does Mona get the feeling that Gus might somehow be involved?

Mona is taking a cocktail of drugs that are not doing her mental state any favors. She becomes increasingly paranoid and suspicious as she tries to locate Gus. Instead of preparing for the move, Mona becomes obsessed with locating Gus and attempting to find the connection between him and Mia. Highly agitated, she is comforted by the dolls in her collection. With her friends becoming more ad more worried about her, Mona is frightened and unnerved but she slowly begins to unearth the truth about her family.

What They Don’t Know is a suspense-laden thriller that quite riveting. Mona is a brilliantly developed character whose narration might not be reliable. The secondary characters are well-drawn with interesting backstories. The storyline is tautly written and easily draws the reader into the unfolding story. With cunning twists and shocking turns, Susan Furlong brings this intriguing psychological thriller to a chilling conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Psychological Thriller, Rated B+, Review, Seventh Street Books, Susan Furlong, Suspense, What They Dont Know

April 19, 2022 · 12:01 am

Review: Watch Out for Her by Samantha M. Bailey

Title: Watch Out for Her by Samantha M. Bailey
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genre: Contemporary, Psychological Thriller
Length: 330 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

A tense psychological thriller about a mother who must keep watch at all times if she wants to keep her family safe—from USA TODAY and #1 national bestselling author Samantha M. Bailey.

Wherever you go…
she’ll be watching.

Sarah Goldman, mother to six-year-old Jacob, is relieved to move across the country. She has a lot she wants to leave behind, especially Holly Monroe, the pretty twenty-two-year-old babysitter she and her husband, Daniel, hired to take care of their young son last summer. It started out as a perfect arrangement—Sarah had a childminder her son adored, and Holly found the mother figure she’d always wanted. But Sarah’s never been one to trust very easily, so she kept a close eye on Holly, maybe too close at times. What she saw raised some questions, not only about who Holly really was but what she was hiding. The more Sarah watched, the more she learned—until one day, she saw something she couldn’t unsee, something so shocking that all she could do was flee.

Sarah has put it all behind her and is starting over in a different city with her husband and son. They’ve settled into a friendly suburb where the neighbors, a tight clique of good citizens, are always on the lookout for danger. But when Sarah finds hidden cameras in her new home, she has to wonder: has her past caught up to her, and worse yet, who’s watching her now?

A spine-tingling, page-turning novel from USA TODAY and #1 national bestselling author Samantha M. Bailey, Watch Out for Her is psychological suspense at its very best—a chilling look at trust, voyeurism, and obsession in the modern age, and how far we will go to watch out for those we love. (

Review:

Watch Out for Her by Samantha M. Bailey is a taut psychological thriller.

Sarah Goldman, husband Daniel and six-year-old son Jacob are starting over in Vancouver after a tense situation with their former nanny, twenty-two-year-old Holly Monroe.  Sarah is a photographer who decides to be a stay-at-home mom after giving birth to Jacob. Daniel works long hours and spends a lot of time with his golfing buddies from the exclusive country club. Sarah is somewhat high-strung and a worrier but she is ready to have a little time to herself. Daniel suggests hiring Holly to watch Jacob so Sarah can resume taking phots and run errands. Everything is working out well until Holly temporarily moves in with the family and everyone’s secrets are in danger of being revealed.

Sarah is in her early forties but she and Holly quickly become friends. She trusts their new babysitter and she works hard to not hover. But once Sarah becomes suspicious of her new nanny and when she makes a shocking discovery, she cannot get away from her fast enough. Now in a new city, Sarah is trying hard to put the past behind her, but strange occurrences make her fearful that Holly is somehow involved.

Holly is having a difficult time living up to her father’s expectations. Her relationship with her stepmother is strained but she is very close to her stepsister, Alexis. Holly goes to extreme lengths to help her father’s business but after a huge fight, she is forced to leave home. Luckily, Sarah lets her stay with them but once Holly finds out stunning information about Daniel, it is only a matter of time before everything falls apart.

Watch Out for is a suspenseful psychological thriller that is fast-paced. The storyline is quite riveting as the present unfold from Sarah’s perspective while Holly narrates past events. Sarah has a few secrets of her own that she would rather her husband not know about.  Holly is great with Jacob and she makes an instant connection with Sarah. But she turns out to be a little difficult to deal with once she moves in with them. Despite their new beginning, Sarah and Daniel’ past continues to haunts them.   With cunning twists and turns, Samantha M. Bailey brings this engrossing thriller to a dramatic conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Psychological Thriller, Rated B+, Review, Samantha M Bailey, Simon & Schuster Inc, Watch Out for Her

February 3, 2022 · 12:01 am

Review: A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

Title: A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genre: Contemporary, Psychological Thriller
Length: 356 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

When Chloe Davis was twelve, six teenage girls went missing in her small Louisiana town. By the end of the summer, her own father had confessed to the crimes and was put away for life, leaving Chloe and the rest of her family to grapple with the truth and try to move forward while dealing with the aftermath.

Now twenty years later, Chloe is a psychologist in Baton Rouge and getting ready for her wedding. While she finally has a fragile grasp on the happiness she’s worked so hard to achieve, she sometimes feels as out of control of her own life as the troubled teens who are her patients. So when a local teenage girl goes missing, and then another, that terrifying summer comes crashing back. Is she paranoid, seeing parallels from her past that aren’t actually there, or for the second time in her life, is Chloe about to unmask a killer?

From debut author Stacy Willingham comes a masterfully done, lyrical thriller, certain to be the launch of an amazing career. A Flicker in the Dark is eerily compelling to the very last page.

Review:

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham is an enthralling psychological thriller.

Twenty years after her father pleaded guilty to murdering six teenage girls, thirty-two-year-old Chloe Davis is a self-medicating psychologist. She is engaged to marry pharmaceutical salesman Daniel Briggs and she remains close to her brother, Cooper. Chloe is dragging her feet finalizing plans for her upcoming wedding when she is contacted by a reporter writing an anniversary piece about her father. The memories of her father’s crimes have been simmering under the surface and when a teenager girl goes missing, Chloe is overwhelmed by anxiety.  She becomes suspicious of people around her and her apprehension grows after she hears about another missing teen. Is there a copycat murdering teenage girls? Is the killer someone Chloe knows?

Chloe is incredibly distracted and uneasy as her life begins to spiral out of control. Daniel is gone a lot more than usual and she is not sleeping well. After she learns of the first missing teenager, Chloe makes a spontaneous decision that could come back to haunt her. She continues self-medicating and she is making some pretty wild assumptions without much evidence to back up her theories. As doubts begin to assail her, Chloe is determined to find out the truth about a loved one and she puts herself in increasingly dangerous situations.

A Flicker in the Dark is a fast-paced and engrossing psychological thriller. Chloe is a sympathetic character who questions how well she and her fiancé really know each other. Daniel is very solicitous but he is gone when Chloe needs him most. Cooper loves his sister but even he thinks is making mistakes she might regret.   The storyline is captivating and fully holds the reader’s attention. With clever red herrings and misdirects, Stacy Willingham brings this finely crafted debut to an edge of the seat conclusion.

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Filed under A Flicker in the Dark, Contemporary, Minotaur Books, Psychological Thriller, Rated B+, Stacy Willingham

September 28, 2021 · 12:02 am

Review: Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian

Title: Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian
Publisher: Park Row Books
Genre: Contemporary, Psychological Thriller
Length: 400 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

You should never trust a psychopath. But what if you had no choice?

It would be easy to underestimate Chloe Sevre… She’s a freshman honor student, a legging-wearing hot girl next door, who also happens to be a psychopath. She spends her time on yogalates, frat parties and plotting to kill Will Bachman, a childhood friend who grievously wronged her.

Chloe is one of seven students at her DC-based college who are part of an unusual clinical study of psychopaths—students like herself who lack empathy and can’t comprehend emotions like fear or guilt. The study, led by a renowned psychologist, requires them to wear smart watches that track their moods and movements.

When one of the students in the study is found murdered in the psychology building, a dangerous game of cat and mouse begins, and Chloe goes from hunter to prey. As she races to identify the killer and put her own plan for revenge into action, she’ll be forced to decide if she can trust any of her fellow psychopaths—and everybody knows you should never trust a psychopath.

Review:

Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian is a mesmerizing psychological thriller with a truly unique storyline.

Chloe Sevre is a college freshman who is participating in a special program for psychopath. She also has a murderous agenda that nothing will stop her from carrying out. She is pretty and charming so Chloe finds it very easy to set her plan in motion. She is very intelligent but she is also occasionally impulsive. Reining in her darkest urges is not easy but she continues to stick to her schedule despite a few minor inconveniences like murder (not committed by her). Chloe has unexpectedly stumbled across other students who are in the same study.  But with trust issues running rampant between them, can they count on each other to stick to their investigation into who wants them dead?

Chloe has been plotting her murderous revenge for several years and she is not going to allow anything or anyone to get in her way. She has stalked, err studied, her target and she is armed with enough information to begin right away. Chloe befriends other students who are useful to her and she impatiently bides her time while carrying out her plans. After teaming up with the other psychopaths, she is somewhat indignant when they suspect of her being involved in the other murders. In between her plot to exact revenge and hunt for the other killer, Chloe is a typical college student who parties with her friends, attends classes and maintain her GPA.

Never Saw Me Coming is an entertaining thriller with surprisingly likable characters. The university setting is the perfect setting for Chloe to stalk her victim.  She is not as infallible as she believes and her reaction to this realization is absolutely priceless. The other students from the psychological study are well-developed and it is quite fun watching their interactions with each other. With unanticipated twists and cunning turns, Vera Kurian brings this ingenuous thriller to an edge of the seat conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Never Saw Me Coming, Park Row Books, Psychological Thriller, Rated B+, Review, Vera Kurian

September 6, 2021 · 12:02 am

Review: How to Kill Your Best Friend by Lexie Elliott

Title: How to Kill Your Best Friend by Lexie Elliott
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary, Psychological Thriller
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

If you suspected your best friend, the person you were closest to in the whole world, was a murderer, what would you do? Would you confront her? Would you help keep her secret? Or would you begin to feel afraid? Most importantly, why don’t you feel safe now that she’s dead? From the author of The French Girl comes a novel full of secrets, suspense, and deadly twists.

Georgie, Lissa, and Bronwyn have been inseparable since dominating their college swim team; swimming has always been an escape from their own problems, but now their shared passion has turned deadly. How can it be true that Lissa, the strongest swimmer they know, drowned? Granted, there is something strange about Kanu Cove, where Lissa was last seen, swimming off the coast of the fabulous island resort she owned with her husband.

Lissa’s closest friends gather at the resort to honor her life, but Georgie and Bron can’t seem to stop looking over their shoulders. Danger lurks beneath the surface of the crystal-clear water, and even their luxurious private villas can’t help them feel safe. As the weather turns ominous, trapping the funeral guests together on the island, nobody knows who they can trust. Lissa’s death was only the beginning….

Review:

How to Kill Your Best Friend by Lexie Elliott is an engrossing psychological thriller.

Georgie Ayers, Bronwyn “Bron” Miller, Duncan and Adam are uni mates are mourning the tragic loss of their friend, Lissa Kateb. They are staying at the island resort owned by Lissa and her husband, Jem. The tropical setting is isolated and it soon feels claustrophobic as they attempt to understand the circumstances of their friend’s death. They are all excellent swimmers and Lissa was the strongest swimmer among them.

Georgie is particularly troubled since Lissa did not like swimming at night yet she chose to do so the evening she drowned. She is feeling guilty because she decided not to join Lissa and their friends on the fateful trip. During the current stay, there is a sinister undercurrent that becomes much more overt as their departure draws near. With a shocking murder and a strong storm approaching, will Georgie, Bron, Duncan and Adam unearth the truth about Lissa’s death and the threatening events that have been occurring?

Now in her thirties, Georgie is the only member of their group who moved from Britain to the US. She is still close to her friends but the distance has been a great way to leave behind some of her bad habits. Lissa and Georgie are extremely close since they bonded over shared experiences during their respective childhoods. After her arrival on the island, Georgie begins receiving long delayed emails from Lissa that prove to be troubling yet beneficial in trying to understand her frame of mine. While Georgie tries to figure out exactly what was going on with Lissa, she is grateful for Adam’s comforting presence.

Bron is a married stay at home mum to two young children. She was an accountant before motherhood and she is still struggling to come to terms with giving up her career. Bron is the first among the group to receive a worrisome warning but she keeps quiet about it until much later during their trip. Bron is also very worried that a secret from her past could come to light and ruin the life she has made for herself.

How to Kill Your Best Friend is a clever psychological thriller that is evenly paced. The chapters alternate between Georgie and Bron’s perspectives which helps provide insight to the unfolding events. The setting is idyllic which makes the ominous occurrences and stunning discoveries much more frightening. Secrets simmer in the background as the tension builds to a fever pitch. With unexpected plot twists, Lexie Elliott brings this mesmerizing domestic thriller to a jaw-dropping conclusion.

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Filed under Berkley, Contemporary, How to Kill Your Best Friend, Lexie Elliott, Psychological Thriller, Rated B+, Review

June 24, 2021 · 12:01 am

Review: Hairpin Bridge by Taylor Adams

Title: Hairpin Bridge by Taylor Adams
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense, Psychological Thriller
Length: 320 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

From the author of the “full-throttle thriller” (A. J. Finn) No Exit—a riveting new psychological page-turner featuring a fierce and unforgettable heroine.

Three months ago, Lena Nguyen’s estranged twin sister, Cambry, drove to a remote bridge seventy miles outside of Missoula, Montana, and jumped two hundred feet to her death. At least, that is the official police version.

But Lena isn’t buying it.

Now she’s come to that very bridge, driving her dead twin’s car and armed with a cassette recorder, determined to find out what really happened by interviewing the highway patrolman who allegedly discovered her sister’s body.

Corporal Raymond Raycevic has agreed to meet Lena at the scene. He is sympathetic, forthright, and professional. But his story still seems a bit off. For one thing, he stopped Cambry for speeding just an hour before she supposedly leaped to her death. Then there are the sixteen attempted 911 calls from her cell phone, made in what was unfortunately a dead zone.

But perhaps most troubling of all, the state trooper is referred to by name in Cambry’s final enigmatic text to her sister: Please Forgive Me. Lena will do anything to uncover the truth. But as her twin’s final hours come into focus, Lena’s search turns into a harrowing tooth-and-nail fight for her own survival—one that will test everything she thought she knew about her sister and herself…

Review:

Hairpin Bridge by Taylor Adams is a suspense-laden psychological thriller.

Twenty-four-year-old Lena Nguyen has not been in touch with her twin sister Cambry for several months. And yet, she knows Cambry would not have killed herself. Lena travels to Montana to meet with state trooper Corporal Raymond Raycevic to discover exactly happened at the bridge where Cambry died. Lena is hoping to find answers to the questions that have haunted her for months. But is she fully prepared for what Raycevic might tell her?

Lena and Cambry might be twins, but they are complete opposites. Lena is a rule follower who attended college and keeps to herself. Cambry has been in and out of trouble for years and her relationship with her family is tumultuous.  Cambry abruptly left town several months ago with her boyfriend and communication with Lena has been scarce. Lena has pieced together some of Cambry’s journey and fills in the rest with conjecture about her sister’s activities. Lena has spent the months since her sister’s death devising a plan for her confrontation with Raycevic. Will she finally learn the truth about the events leading up to  Cambry’s death?

Raycevic is ready to provide Lena pat answers to her questions what happened the night before he discovered Cambry’s body. Although he has researched Lena, he is surprised when she is skeptical of the explanation he gives her about his interactions with Cambry. But unbeknownst to Lena, Raycevik has secrets that he will go to any lengths to prevent from being unearthed.

Hairpin Bridge is an incredibly fast-paced and riveting psychological thriller. Lena’s need for answers is understandable but has she made a foolish mistake in confronting Raycevic? As their meeting begins to spiral out of control, will she be able to outwit Raymond? With jaw-dropping plot twists, Taylor Adams brings this edge-of-the-seat psychological thriller to an action-packed conclusion.

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Filed under Contemporary, Hairpin Bridge, Psychological Thriller, Rated B+, Review, Suspense, Taylor Adams, William Morrow