Book Review: Murder at the PTA (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #1) by Lee Hollis

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Murder at the PTA (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #1) by Lee Hollis is the first installment in the Maya and Sandra Mystery series, a cozy mystery series centered on private investigators. The story follows Sandra Wallage , the wife of a U.S. senator and the newly elected president of Portland High School’s PTA, who becomes the latest target of a vicious gossip website called Dirty Laundry . After a heated PTA meeting, Sandra crosses paths with Maya Kendrick , a private investigator who has uncovered the identity of the person behind the gossip site. When the two women attempt to confront the culprit, they instead discover a dead body. Was it really a suicide, or did someone have a motive for murder? I’m a longtime fan of books by Lee Hollis , which is actually the pen name for sibling writing duo Rick Copp and Holly Simason . They’ve written several cozy mystery series, and what I appreciate most about their books is that they aren’t overly kitschy, unlike some other cozy mysteries I’ve ...

Book Review: The End of Her by Shari Lapena

The End of Her by Shari Lapena Book Cover & Review
The End of Her
by Shari Lapena
is a gripping psychological thriller that follows Stephanie and Patrick, a married couple struggling to survive the exhausting reality of life with their colicky newborn twin daughters. Already overwhelmed by sleepless nights, stress, and the emotional strain of new parenthood, their fragile sense of stability is shattered when a woman from Patrick’s past unexpectedly reappears. Erica arrives with a devastating accusation: she claims Patrick murdered his first wife and their unborn child. Patrick insists he is innocent and believes Erica is attempting to blackmail them, but her presence triggers a chain of events that threatens to unravel their marriage, their family, and everything they thought they knew about each other.

If there is ever a novel that truly feels comparable to Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, then The End of Her is one of the closest matches. Both books explore the dark complexities of marriage, deception, and hidden truths, and both leave a lasting emotional impact. When I finished The End of Her, I felt genuinely angry at the ending. This time, I didn’t throw the book across the room the way I did after reading Gone Girl, but I was just as outraged. I won’t reveal any details about the conclusion so I don’t spoil the experience for anyone who hasn’t read it yet, but it is definitely one that provokes strong feelings.The End of Her by Shari Lapena Book Cover

Despite my frustration with the ending, there is no denying that this novel is exceptionally well written. Shari Lapena’s pacing is tight, the tension builds steadily, and the suspense never fully lets up. I found myself constantly questioning what was really happening and where the story might go next, because there were so many possible directions the plot could have taken. While I appreciated the unpredictability, I was ultimately disappointed by how the story wrapped up and found myself hating the ending. By the final pages, I realized that almost every character had become unlikable in some way, even those I initially sympathized with. I kept hoping for something redeeming, something that would make the emotional journey feel more satisfying, but that moment never quite arrived.

The End of Her isn’t my least favorite Shari Lapena novel, but it isn’t my favorite either. If you’re new to her work, I’d recommend starting with An Unwanted Guest or A Stranger in the House before picking up this one. Overall, I gave The End of Her three out of five stars. If you enjoyed this book or are drawn to intense psychological thrillers with morally complex characters and shocking twists, I’d also recommend Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

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