Review: Dead Silent - Book #2 Poppy Sinclair - Sharon Jones - February 2014 There's something about curling up with a thriller on a cold evening that just hits differently, and Dead Silent gave me exactly that cozy-yet-creepy vibe I was craving. Sharon Jones's second Poppy Sinclair adventure takes us to the frost-covered streets of Cambridge, where snow angels take on a decidedly sinister meaning. The opening image alone , a body arranged with blood-smeared angel wings on a chapel floor is the kind of haunting visual that lingers long after you've turned the page. Jones knows how to set a scene, I'll give her that. Here's the thing though: despite the college setting and genuinely gruesome secret society murders, this read distinctly YA to me. Our protagonist Poppy is only sixteen, and it shows. Not in a bad way necessarily, but there's a certain teenage earnestness to her investigation and relationships that felt more Riverdale than True Detective. The stakes...

Review: See Jane Run - Hannah Jayne - January 2014 I'll be honest when I picked up See Jane Run, I was practically buzzing with excitement. Hannah Jayne has become one of those authors whose books I snatch up the moment I spot them, and this premise? Absolutely brilliant. A mysterious postcard, a hidden birth certificate, parents who might not be who they claim , it's the kind of setup that should have had me racing through pages late into the night with my reading lamp on full blast. The story follows Riley, who receives an unsettling postcard with just four words: "I know who you are." Things spiral from there when she discovers a birth certificate for Jane Elizabeth O'Leary tucked inside her baby book. Suddenly, Riley's overprotective parents seem less endearing and more suspicious. Were they keeping her safe all these years, or were they hiding something far more sinister? I loved watching Riley transform from a sheltered teenager into someone determined...

Review: What We Did To Survive - Megan Lally - March 2026 There's something about returning to an author whose debut completely swept you off your feet, isn't there? That hopeful anticipation mixed with just a touch of nervousness that maybe lightning won't strike twice. After falling hard for Megan Lally's first novel, I eagerly cracked open What We Did to Survive, her latest thriller and while I genuinely enjoyed the ride, I have to admit it didn't quite capture the same magic. This is my third Megan Lally book now, and I'm beginning to recognize her signature style: sun-soaked settings that turn sinister, the claustrophobia of being trapped with people who aren't what they seem. Here, we follow Hannah on what should be an idyllic spring break in Mexico with her best friend Emmy's family. Senior year stress? Gone. Pristine beaches? Check. Awkward proximity to Emmy's gorgeous older brother Jackson, Hannah's long-time crush? Well, that's c...

Review: Don't Look Behind You - Book #1 Don't Look - Emily Kazmierski - May 2021  Hello, my lovely bookish friends! Grab your favorite cuppa and settle in, because today I'm chatting about a thriller that had me reading late into the night with all the lights on. Emily Kazmierski's Don't Look Behind You dropped me right into Megan's world , a girl trying to build a normal life with her Aunty Karen in a quiet smalltown, living under a new name. But here's the twist that got my heart racing: Megan is the one who got away from the Mayday Killer , and he's not finished with her yet. Talk about unfinished business that'll keep you up at night! The Mayday Killer is methodically working his way closer to Megan's new haven, leaving a trail of victims connected to her past. The Mirror Museum scene particularly gave me chills, there's something deeply unsettling about a killer who targets places meaningful to your family. As I read curled up on my...

Review: Between Friends - Natalie Banks - August 2025 There’s something about small-town thrillers that always gets under my skin—in the best way. Maybe it’s the way secrets seem to cling to the corners of familiar places, or how friendships from our youth can hold both comfort and danger. Between Friends by Natalie Banks was one of those reads that pulled me in with its haunting nostalgia and didn’t let go until the final, jaw-dropping twist. Madison Andrews returns to her hometown after a decade away, and from the moment she steps back into her childhood home, you can feel the tension simmering. Her mother has died , her memories are fractured, and her former best friend Imogen is still there—smiling like nothing ever happened. But something did. Something big. And it’s wrapped around the disappearance of Olivia, the third member of their once untouchable trio. I loved how this book captured the complexities of girlhood—the fierce loyalty, the envy, the secrets whispered in sleepov...

Review: The Four - Ellie Keel - August 2024 There's something deeply unsettling about returning to the world of boarding schools through fiction when you've lived that reality yourself. As I cracked open The Four by Ellie Keel, memories of my own three years at Hadlow from 1997-1999 came flooding back. I had won a scholarship too, just like the protagonists Rose, Sami, Lloyd, and Marta, and that shared experience made every page feel intensely personal. This YA academic thriller had been sitting on my physical bookshelf for months, practically calling to me. My friend Liv Royal had recommended it, and I'm grateful she did. The story follows four scholarship students whose dreams materialize when they're accepted into an exclusive boarding school, but their bond is forged through something far darker than academic achievement. What struck me most powerfully was how Ellie Keel captures the unique dynamics of scholarship students in elite institutions. Having lived that...

Review: The Summer We Forgot - Caroline George - March 2022 Starting a new job this week has completely thrown my reading routine off balance. Between the longer days, shorter breaks, and the mental exhaustion that comes with learning everything from scratch, I've barely had time to crack open a book. Yet somehow, I managed to squeeze in three reads this past week, and The Summer We Forgot by Caroline George was one of them – a testament to how gripping this YA thriller turned out to be. The premise immediately hooked me: a group of teenagers who attended summer camp two years ago have absolutely no memory of what happened there, especially regarding their teacher who mysteriously vanished. It's like someone took an eraser to that entire summer in their minds. Some kids remember fragments – fleeting images, half-formed feelings – but the rest is a complete void they've learned to live with. That is, until their teacher's body surfaces, clearly murdered, and suddenly t...

Review: The Thing About Scorpions - Book #1 The Scorpions - Tiffany Nicole Smith - November 2013 You know how it is with Kindle scrolling – one minute you're browsing new releases, the next you've somehow time-traveled back to 2013 and stumbled upon a forgotten gem. That's exactly what happened when I discovered The Thing About Scorpions by Tiffany Nicole Smith, and honestly? Best accidental find in ages. This indie YA thriller centers on half-sisters Autumn and Cicely, Irish twins born just eleven months apart, but they couldn't be more different. The story opens with them as children, part of a friend group that holds elaborate funerals for dead animals Autumn finds – quirky kid behavior that gradually reveals something much darker lurking beneath. As the sisters grow older, Autumn's true nature emerges. She thrives on being the center of attention, delights in others' pain, and manipulates their friends with calculated threats and mind games. When their fr...

The Revenge Game Jax Calder (The Revenge Club, #1) Publication date: April 11th 2025 Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance Rule #1 of Revenge Club: Don’t fall for your target Andrew I’ve come a long way since being the gawky, geeky, gay kid who was constantly picked on growing up. Having just sold my tech start-up for so much money it broke my phone calculator, I’m now at a loose end wondering what to do next in my life. Then I run into Justin. Justin, the golden boy from high school. Justin, the popular jock who turned my life into a living hell for four years. And do you want to know the kicker? He doesn’t even recognize me. Even worse, it looks like karma hasn’t done its thing because Justin definitely hasn’t been punished for his previous sins. Maybe my next mission in life is to give karma a helping hand… Justin My life looks perfect from the outside – good job, good friends, no worries. Only I know it is all based on a lie. I’ve never been honest w...