The Running Bibliophile

While on their way home from Paris, France, Finn and Layla stop at a rest area. When Finn comes back to the car, Layla has disappeared without a trace. Fast forward ten years, Finn has fallen in love and is living with Layla's sister Ellen. With Finn's and Ellen's impending nuptials right around the corner, Finn receives a phone call that someone has seen Layla. On top of that, he's receiving sinister emails and items left at his house from Layla's and Ellen's childhood. Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris captured my attention from page one, and I had trouble putting it down. If I hadn't been so sleepy, I would have stayed up all night long to finish it. Even though clues were dropped throughout the book, I was totally shocked when I got to the end. Every guess I made was wrong, which doesn't happen to me often. Even the artwork on the cover is a bit of a clue, even though I didn't realize what it was until I finished. (I loved everything about the ...

Killman Creek (Stillhouse Lake, #2) by Rachel Caine raises the stakes even higher after the chilling events of the first book. After escaping from prison in Missouri, serial killer Melvin Royal is once again at large and playing a deadly cat-and-mouse game with his ex-wife, Gwen Proctor, and their children. With Lanny and Connor safely hidden under the protection of trusted friends, Gwen teams up with Sam Cade to hunt Melvin down and end his twisted game once and for all. The tension is relentless, and the sense of danger never lets up. Rachel Caine proves once again that sequels don’t have to suffer in quality, because Killman Creek is just as gripping as Stillhouse Lake , if not more so. The story picks up almost immediately where the first book left off, which makes reading the series in order highly recommended if you want the full emotional impact and context. The momentum carries straight through, pulling readers back into Gwen’s nightmare without missing a beat. One...

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...

Those Girls by Chevy Stevens is about the Campbell sisters (Jess, Courtney, and Dani), who are often left alone for weeks at a time in the rented house they share on a remote ranch in Western Canada. Struggling financially and falling behind on rent, the girls help the ranch owner with odd jobs to earn extra money.  When their abusive father suddenly returns home one night, chaos erupts, forcing the sisters to flee and go on the run. Their escape takes a terrifying turn when their pickup truck breaks down in a small town, and an encounter with dangerous strangers plunges them into a nightmare beyond anything they could have imagined. What follows is a harrowing journey of survival, resilience, and the unbreakable bond between sisters. Last week, I rushed to the library on my lunch break to pick up a book for one of the book clubs I belong to. While searching the shelves, I stumbled across Those Girls by Chevy Stevens. After reading the synopsis, I felt instantly intrigue...

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...

Joseph Finder delivers another gripping political thriller with The Switch , a novel that is action-packed from the very first page to the very last. Set against the backdrop of Boston, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C., The Switch follows two main characters, Michael Tanner and Will Abbott, with the story alternating between their perspectives in a way that builds tension and suspense throughout the book.  One of the things I loved most about The Switch is how it allows readers to experience both sides of the story instead of focusing on just one viewpoint. This dual perspective makes the plot feel more layered and realistic, and it keeps you constantly questioning motivations and outcomes. The characters are well developed, with complex relationships that feel believable and emotionally grounded. There were characters I immediately connected with, like Michael Tanner and his wife Sara, characters I truly disliked, such as Will Abbott, and characters I wasn’t sure about at f...

Disappearance at Devil’s Rock by Paul Tremblay centers on a chilling mystery involving a 14-year-old boy named Tommy Sanderson and his two friends, Josh and Luis. During a late-night sleepover, the boys sneak into Borderland State Park in Ames, Massachusetts, a setting that immediately feels ominous and full of potential danger. After exploring the woods, Tommy tells his friends he’ll meet them back at Josh’s house, but he never returns. His sudden disappearance sends shockwaves through his family and community, leaving his mother, Elizabeth Sanderson, devastated as police searches turn up no clues and unsettling, unexplained events begin to unfold around town. This book was chosen for a book club I belong to, and after reading the synopsis, I was super excited to read Disappearance at Devil's Rock , and I immediately went to the library to check out the book. Although it started with great promise, the book turned out to be a great disappointment. It is touted as being ...