The Running Bibliophile

The Hunter by Jennifer Herrera opens with NYPD Detective Leigh O’Donnell returning to her hometown of Copper Falls, Ohio, to investigate three suspicious drownings that may not be accidents. Leigh hopes that solving this unsettling case will help repair her reputation and put her career with the New York City Police Department back on track in New York City. I’d like to thank NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Hunter . I was both thrilled and honored to be selected to review this suspense novel prior to its publication. Receiving early access to highly anticipated mystery and thriller releases is always exciting, and this one definitely stood out. At first, I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about The Hunter because the pacing started off slower than I expected. However, after the first few chapters, the story began to gain momentum, and once it did, I found myself completely invested. The tension steadily builds as secret...

The Breakdown by B.A. Paris opens with teacher Cass deciding to drive home after celebrating the end of the school year with her colleagues, rather than spending the night at a friend’s house. Before leaving, she calls her husband, Matthew, to let him know she’ll be home after all. Concerned for her safety, Matthew asks her not to take the shortcut home through the woods. In a moment of impulsive decision-making, Cass ignores his request and takes the shortcut anyway. Along the isolated road, she encounters a car pulled over on the shoulder with a woman sitting inside. Cass drives past without stopping, a choice that will soon haunt her. The following morning, Matthew informs Cass that a woman was found murdered in her car on Blackwater Lane, the very road she had driven through. While relieved she didn’t stop and potentially put herself in danger, Cass is immediately consumed by guilt. She feels responsible for ignoring her husband’s warning, and things only get worse; she beg...