Month: September 2025

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I’m not a big reader of historical fiction, but I really enjoyed this book, partly because of the unexpected turn it took halfway through. The story follows Bessie, who, to survive, turns to prostitution. Set in the 1870s, Bessie wants to live independently, but that was an impossible task for women at the time. So she lives in a brothel with a madam who takes care of her. As her wealth increases, she travels the country to visit other brothels and make connections.

When she meets a charming man, she falls for him. However, he isn’t who she thought he was. Then the plot shifts abruptly (and in a great way) and we see a very different side of Bessie. I really enjoyed this book. Bessie was fun and a great character. Even though she made some terrible decisions, I was rooting for her the entire time. This was a great one!

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

As I was reading this, I kept thinking this is what students should read instead of A Separate Peace. The story takes place in 1951-52 at Bellerton College for Women. Six teens, “The Belles,” form a tight-knit group. As freshmen, they push the boundaries of the school’s rules. But, as told in the chapters set in 2002, we learn that not all of them were successful in staying true to themselves.

Deena is the outcast who has ingratiated herself into the group. The girls often play tricks on the housemother and regularly break curfew. But as some of their precious things go missing, no one can believe that anyone within their group would do such a thing as steal. Deena, especially, has to be careful so her lack of wealth isn’t discovered by these girls. This book was really great, and even though some of the characters are obnoxious, they were also a lot of fun.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this book.

Set in small-town Texas, Annie’s family are PIs, and when one of her friends goes missing, is later found dead, they get involved. One man is arrested, but his family swears he didn’t do it, so they hire the family to find the real killer.

Annie is a good main character, and the supporting cast is a lot of fun; however, this book was just not particularly interesting. The plot revolved a lot around who was dating whom, who went to college and came back, and various other personal details. Most of these details are completely irrelevant to the plot and feel like filler.

I wanted to enjoy this more and read the rest of the series, but I have no desire to re-enter this world. Bummer.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

What an outstanding thriller! That said, it’s tough to give a lot of info without spoilers because so much of the story reveal is critical to understanding who is involved.

The two storylines that the readers follow are of the woman in the shed. She’s unnamed, but we quickly learn she was kidnapped and has been held hostage for five years. The other storyline revolves around Emily, who owns a restaurant and meets a new man.

In between are some interstitial chapters that provide more insight into the woman in the shed’s kidnapper. These chapters are both horrifying and enlightening, and they will stick with me. The woman’s story and Emily’s story are related, but it takes some time for this to happen. This book was excellent and I definitely recommend it.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book

When two people go missing in an exclusive resort, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation is brought in to liaise with the local sheriff’s department. Frances Cash, from the CBI, and Sheriff James Colcord work together to solve the disappearance.

The resort is actually a Jurassic-Park type, but with woolly mammoths, Irish Elk, and giant ground sloths brought back from extinction. The evidence shows the animals didn’t attack, and it must be people; the list of resort enemies is at the forefront of the investigation.

Where this book goes was a complete surprise to me. Cash and Colcord made a fun investigative duo who work together well, despite the mess that continues to grow at the resort. I had no idea what to expect with this book, but I really enjoyed it.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

Iðunn has been waking up exhausted, despite sleeping through the night. She goes to doctors, tries holistic help, sleep medications, and realizes she’s been sleepwalking. She also wakes up with mysterious bruises and scratches.

To stop this from happening, she bolts herself into her room, but somehow she’s still able to get out. As she follows her GPS, she realizes she’s going to the same location each night.

She’s trying to live a normal life by dating a man, even though the death of her sister still weighs heavily on her. As her exhaustion takes an increasing toll on her, Iðunn realizes what horrors are happening every night. This book was excellent, short, and I read it in one sitting.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

Matthew Hill normally investigates missing children as part of his job as a PI; however, his own daughter goes missing, and he’s at a loss for how to find her.

When Amelie and her mother, Sally, go shopping, Sally takes a phone call and Amelie is taken. Matthew’s partner, Melanie, is tasked with finding Amelie. The primary suspect is a woman who has been sending Matthew letters, blaming him for her son’s death.

Outside of her, there are no other suspects. Melanie has to rely on eyewitnesses to come forward, CCTV, and luck. Each chapter is told from a different character’s perspective, but when we reach Olivia’s chapter, the story really begins to unfold. I thought this book was really good. I read I Am Watching You a while ago and enjoyed that one, as well. Looking forward to more from this author.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I love Rachel Harrison’s books. They are such a fresh take on a horror subgenre. Cackle tackles witches. Black Sheep (my favorite) is about cults. And So Thirsty is her take on vampires. In Play Nice, we have a haunted house, of sorts.

When their estranged mother dies, Leda, Daphne, and Clio struggle with how to process their loss. Clio, our narrator, decides she’s going to revitalize their childhood home, which is allegedly haunted, and sell it for a profit. Of course, being a horror book, we know there’s no allegedly here. The house is most definitely haunted.

Through the process, Clio is reading the book her mother wrote about the house and her experience living in it with her daughters. Some parts, Clio finds, are fictionalized, but others jog her memory from when she lived there as a child. Her sisters think Clio is losing her mind.

Although I’ve read many more horrifying books about haunted houses, this one was a great dive into memory, psychological terror, and loss.