When I Disappear

by Amanda McKinney

Pub Date: Jan 24 2025

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Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on Jul 02 2025

Amanda McKinney's When I Disappear is a twist-rich psychological thriller that hooks you from the first eerie letter. Sylvia Stone awakes one night to a note claiming the man convicted of her mother’s murder is innocent—followed by a chilling warning: “You’re next.” As the wrongly imprisoned carpenter is released, Sylvia vanishes, unveiling a tense mystery tangled with grief, secrets, and deception.
The novel slowly builds tension, with short, addictive chapters that escalate into a binge-read experience. While the middle sections pace more deliberately, the rapid-fire twists and emotional stakes deliver a gripping payoff .
A potent blend of family trauma, unreliable testimonies, and shocking twists, When I Disappear is ideal for fans of binge-worthy psychological mysteries.

 

First Lie Wins

by Ashley Elston

Pub Date: Feb 13 2025

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Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on Jul 02 2025

Ashley Elston makes a bold splash in adult fiction with First Lie Wins, an addictive psychological thriller packed with deception and heart-pounding twists. Protagonist Evie Porter, a skillful con artist living under a false identity, becomes embroiled in a suspenseful “cat-and-mouse” game when she infiltrates a Southern man’s life—only to find herself drawn in emotionally.
The sprawling web of lies can be a bit dizzying. If you enjoy psychological suspense with complex characters and keeps-you-up-late tension, First Lie Wins is a standout.

 

The Night She Died

by Deirdre Palmer

Pub Date: Dec 04 2023

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Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on Jul 02 2025

Deirdre Palmer’s The Night She Died is an emotionally charged family drama wrapped in mystery. Protagonist Layla is haunted by the night her best friend, Danni, died—and the secrets she’s kept since then. As Layla grows closer to Danni’s parents, the truth she’s buried begins to surface.
The novel unfolds through interwoven timelines, exploring grief, guilt, and forgiveness. A thoughtful, emotionally resonant tale that blends grief and secrets. Not a high-octane thriller, but a compelling drama that will appeal to fans of character-led narratives.

 

The Villa

by Jess Ryder

Pub Date: Jul 18 2024

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Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on Jul 02 2025

Jess Ryder’s The Villa is a compelling dual-timeline thriller set in a Spanish villa, where a bride’s murder at her hen do unfolds across past and present. The returning hens bring secrets, tension, and fractured friendships back into the spotlight, making for an atmospheric and page-turning story.
Ryder excels at crafting prickly character dynamics—jealousy, mistrust, and camaraderie clash in beautifully messy ways, keeping readers hooked through to a satisfying twist ending .
Perfect for summer reading, this fast-paced, psychological thriller grips from the start and doesn’t let go .

 

The Crying Cave Killings

by Wes Markin

Pub Date: Jul 23 2023

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Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on Jul 02 2025

Wes Markin delivers a gripping and tense police procedural in The Crying Cave Killings, the third instalment of his Yorkshire Murders series. DI Paul Riddick finds himself suspended after being found beside a murdered child—with eerie parallels to a case from his past. The narrative masterfully flips between present investigation and haunting backstory, creating a page-turner filled with moral ambiguity and rising suspense
The novel excels in character depth—Riddick is brooding and haunted, his instincts both a gift and a curse; DCI Emma Gardner is a compelling foil, determined to clear his name and keep the case on track. The Yorkshire setting, especially the atmospheric Mother Shipton’s Cave, adds vivid tension and a haunting sense of place
The Crying Cave Killings offers a dark, emotional ride with unexpected twists and a haunting conclusion that’ll linger. A must-read for fans of gritty, character-driven crime fiction.

 

Canticle Creek

by Adrian Hyland

Pub Date: Oct 05 2022

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Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on Jul 02 2025

Adrian Hyland's Canticle Creek is a tense and atmospheric rural crime thriller set in drought- stricken Victorian Australia. When a young man dies under suspicious circumstances—blamed for murder before his death—Northern Territory cop Jesse Redpath senses something’s off and travels south to uncover the truth
What elevates this mystery is the vivid sense of place: scorching heat, the threat of bushfire, and the often hostile small-town terrain feel almost like their own characters . Jesse is a strong, relatable heroine whose determination and investigative grit drive the story forward. Supporting characters like the teenage Possum and Jesse’s artist father add emotional depth and authenticity
With a well-crafted plot, sharp prose, and a climatic blaze that brings everything to a head, this is a compelling standalone thriller—and a promising new series starter

 

A Lonesome Blood-Red Sun

by David Putnam

Pub Date: Oct 17 2023

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Review by

Emily B, Reviewer

Last updated on Jul 02 2025

David Putnam’s A Lonesome Blood-Red Sun is a gritty, character-driven police thriller featuring homicide detective Dave Beckett—nicknamed “The Bone Dick” for his work on desert-cold-case bone discoveries. Drawing on Putnam’s real law-enforcement experience, the novel brings an authentic, harsh realism to the beat, blending procedural detail with emotional depth
The narrative is split between 1984, where we delve into Beckett’s unconventional methods and personal struggles, and 1988, when a bone discovery turns into a deeply personal case While some readers find the pacing slow early on, the story picks up momentum once the desert bone mystery kicks in, delivering satisfying twists and a compelling sense of place .
Beckett himself is a complex, rule-bending detective—both appealing and frustrating—which lends the story its moral complexity and emotional weight. Overall, this is a well-crafted procedural with layered characters and an atmospheric setting.