The Running Bibliophile

When I Kill You  by B.A. Paris  opens with Nell Masters feeling as though she's being watched, possible by someone connected to her past. She tries to convince herself it's al in her head, brushing it off as paranoia. But, is her past truly coming back to haunt her? B.A. Paris is one of my favorite authors from across the pond, so when I saw she had a new novel coming out, I knew I had to request an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) from NetGalley. When I received the approval, I was overjoyed. A big thank you goes out to both NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a free digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. Going into  When I Kill You , I knew absolutely nothing about the synopsis before requesting it and diving in. At first, I did struggle a bit to get into the story. Part of that was because the writing didn't feel as strong as I've come to expect from the author; it came across as a bit juvenile. That said, the further I read, the more the wri...

The Stranger Upstairs  by Lisa M. Matlin opens with Sarah Slade, a social influencer, starting her life over with her husband by purchasing a house to renovate and planning to document the entire process for Sarah’s followers. The house carries a dark past, and when unexplained events begin happening, Sarah quickly realizes that something is very wrong and is desperate to uncover the truth behind the house.   Thank you, NetGalley, for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin.  The synopsis was intriguing, and when I received word that my request to read and review this book, I was thrilled.  I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review. Although I didn’t necessarily find Sarah Slade or her husband particularly likable as characters, I was still invested in their story and found myself hoping that things would ultimately work out for Sarah.  The novel is filled with twists, revelations, and unsettling ...

No One Needs To Know by Lindsay Cameron is a psychological thriller about wealthy families on the Upper East Side of New York City and the extreme lengths they’ll go to secure their children’s education and future.  These families are also members of an anonymous social platform called UrbanMyth, where they share secrets and ask for advice without revealing their identities. But when UrbanMyth is hacked and their identities are exposed, everything spirals out of control. Soon after, one of them goes missing. Who is involved, and what are they trying to hide? Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, for the advanced readers copy of No One Needs To Know . I received this novel in exchange for my honest review, and I was excited to be approved to read it. This is a true slow-burn thriller. Lindsay Cameron weaves an intriguing story that steadily builds suspense and kept me on the edge of my seat. There are multiple mysteries unfolding throughout the nov...

Dreaming of a life in music, Kate gives up her life as a librarian to go back to school at a prestigious college. Needing to rent a place to live, Kate answers an ad and moves in with Amy. At first, Kate is glad to have the support of her landlord, but when Kate's life starts to spiral out of control, Amy becomes a bit smothering in The Tenant by Angela Lester . I'd like to thank NetGalley and Inkubator Books for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Tenant by Angela Lester. The synopsis of the book and the cover intrigued me, and I was thrilled to receive a digital copy for free in exchange for my honest review. The Tenant by Angela Lester is one of those novels that would make a great movie. The storyline felt vaguely familiar, but not in a bad way. I genuinely did not predict the twists or the direction the story would ultimately take. The ending, in particular, caught me off guard and left a lasting impression. Although I enjoyed this book quite a bit, there were points...

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 lea...

Wolfhunter River (Stillhouse Lake, #3) by Rachel Caine opens with Gwen Proctor, also known as Gina Royal, reluctantly traveling to the remote and mysterious town of Wolfhunter after receiving a phone call from a woman named Marlene Crockett. Gwen is immediately wary, fearing that helping Marlene and her daughter could be some kind of trap. Despite her concerns, Gwen will go to extraordinary lengths to protect her family while uncovering the dark secrets lurking within this seemingly quiet town. What can I say about Wolfhunter River other than … WOW! This latest installment of the Stillhouse Lake series completely captivated me. I found myself staying up well past my bedtime multiple nights in a row, unable to put the book down. The story is fast-paced, action-packed, and relentlessly gripping, with page-turning suspense that kept me on edge from start to finish. There were no slow moments, and I have to admit, this might be my favorite book in the series yet. The characte...

A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena is a gripping psychological thriller that explores how quickly a seemingly perfect life can unravel. Tom and Karen Krupp appear to have it all: a beautiful home in upstate New York, stable careers, and a loving marriage. But everything changes one evening when Tom returns home to find the front door unlocked, dinner started, and Karen missing.  Alarmed, he calls friends and family before finally dialing 911. Moments later, the police arrive with shocking news: Karen has been found in a serious car accident in a dangerous part of town and rushed to the hospital.  Even more unsettling, she has no memory of what happened during the hours leading up to the crash.  When Karen returns home, strange things begin to happen. Objects are moved, details don’t quite add up, and an uneasy feeling begins to grow. Soon, Karen finds herself at the center of a murder investigation, and suspicion starts to fall on both her and Tom.  Is Kar...

It seems as though The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins was the undeniable smash hit of 2015. Everywhere I turned, someone was recommending it, and it consistently appeared on must-read lists, especially for fans of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Much of The Girl on the Train unfolds aboard a commuter train heading into London, where we’re introduced to one of the main characters, Rachel. She’s unemployed, struggling with alcoholism, and hiding the truth about her job status from her flatmate. During her daily train rides, Rachel passes by her old townhouse ... the home she once shared with her ex-husband, who now lives there with his new wife and their baby. A few doors down lives a seemingly perfect married couple, relatively new to the neighborhood. Rachel becomes fixated on them, creating imagined stories about their happy life. But when the wife Megan suddenly goes missing, Rachel believes she holds key pieces of the puzzle though the police dismiss her due to her unreliable s...