#THRILLER BOOK

[mediamatinees]

Adaptation Pass or Fail: How Do The Stepford Wives Films Compare To the Ira Levin Masterpiece

Content Warning: The Stepford Wives contains themes of abuse, including gaslighting and intimate partner violence as well as homicide. We’re also talking about a very dated and poor attempt at comedy, so just . . . keep that in mind. Viewer discretion is advised. Spoilers for The Stepford Wives (novel, 1975 movie adaptation, and 2004 movie adaptation) ahead! I mean it. If you’ve been under a…

[gardenbicycle]

I think if I try really hard I can finish editing my horror novel in time for Halloween!

Would any of my followers (17+) be interested in being a test reader?

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 4/5

Book Blurb: In this heart-pounding debut thriller for fans of Lisa Jewell and Celeste Ng, a first-generation Vietnamese American artist must confront nightmares past and present…  

Annie “Anh Le” Shaw grew up poor but seems to have it all now: a dream career, a stunning home, and a devoted husband and daughter. When Annie’s mother, a Vietnam War refugee, dies suddenly one night, Annie’s carefully curated life begins to unravel. Her obsessive-compulsive disorder, which she thought she’d vanquished years ago, comes roaring back—but this time, the disturbing fixations swirling around in Annie’s brain might actually be coming true. 

A prominent art patron disappears, and the investigation zeroes in on Annie. Spiraling with self-doubt, she distances herself from her family and friends, only to wake up in a hotel room—naked, next to a lifeless body. The police have more questions, but with her mind increasingly fractured, Annie doesn’t have answers. All she knows is this: She will do anything to protect her daughter—even if it means losing herself. 

With dizzying twists, You Know What You Did is both a harrowing thriller and a heartfelt exploration of the refugee experience, the legacies we leave for our children, and the unbreakable bonds between mothers and daughters. 

Review:

An artist finds herself slowly descending into madness as she begins to question what is true or not... and whether the monster is her own mind or someone out to get her as those close to her begin to die and it's all pointing to her as the murderer. Annie "Anh Le" Shaw looks like she has it all, a thriving art career, a devoted husband, and a beautiful home and daughter. Yet Annie's struggling, especially with a mother who she has a very difficult relationship with... that ends up worse when her mother dies suddenly. Annie's life begins to unravel and her OCD begins to flare up and things only get worse... from her art patron disappearing and to the man she had an affair with being poisoned... and someone leaving her threatening messages. Annie feels like she's losing her mind, she can't tell if she's the problem or if someone else is after her. Her memory is foggy at best and she can't seem to do anything right... yet something in her knows that she isn't the one doing this... right? If not her... then who? This was an interesting mystery because I loved the portrayal of Annie dealing with her own background and childhood versus that of the cultural differences in her husband and daughter. The portrayal of the refugee experience and the relationship between mother and daughter was really interesting and I enjoyed it. The mystery itself was pretty clear and I guessed who did it early on but enjoyed it overall. I liked how vulnerable Annie felt and how her struggles were realistic. It's an interesting thriller overall and I think it makes a good read!

*Thanks Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton | Dutton for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[wordsbyher]

(via Book Review: The Housemaid by Freida McFadden)

The writing of Freida is simple and it kept me engaged till the end. I read this book in one sitting because, in the beginning, I felt like everything was making sense but when the plot twist happened I was shocked and there and then I learned that people who act super sweet are actually psychopaths. Again, This book reminded me that we can’t judge anyone just by their looks but everyone has huge secrets.

Nina is the true character of this book and I absolutely loved her. Freida wrote her so smartly and Nina taught me how to play a real game and win. Another reminder from this book is that if you feel like you are playing the main character in your life, you are the pawn in your own game. The plot twist was mind-blowing, I did not see it coming. Also, this book sheds light on generational trauma, the person is not born like that but the world and people around are responsible for it. Also, the book gives the warning to never trust a person so easily there are a lot you might not know so stay back, know the person and then trust.

I highly recommend this book as it’s very fast-paced and fun. Also, you will get to experience a lot of emotions and the ending is very satisfying.

Rating: 4/5

[ashleyearley]

First Page of Heart of Skulls

Flicking the lighter, I brought the flame to the tip of my cigarette, watching the white paper burn. The paper darkened and flaked before falling to the gravel below. My mind was static, barely processing what my eyes followed. I tracked time by how many cigarettes I burned through, my eyes only blinking from the falling black flakes when a train raced past. I never heard the approach. The cars just suddenly appeared with the blare of a horn. 

Blindly watching the sunset over the tracks, I let the night air that bite through my hoodie. When the next train sped by, stifling my cigarette, I couldn’t help my shiver. I didn’t bother digging into my pocket for my lighter again. The trains had stolen four cigarettes from me already. 

Inhaling the smell of smoke and oil, I stood from the graffitied wall, ready to suck it up and get out of the cold. 

Though, my gut still twisted at the thought of going home. Being confined to chipped and dented walls made my organs gnarl like they were trying to kill me before I reached my front door. 

I walked across the gravel until my beat-up high tops hit pavement, the rubber scuffing along the road leading to my neighborhood. Keeping my head down, I only looked up when small, one-story homes popped up on either side of the street. Barred windows, locked doors with gates over them, leaf-covered yards—it was like the neighbors had banded together to create one massive shitfest.

My house was halfway down the street, six houses from the corner bus stop, and squished between two other trash-infested homes. I walked over uneven bricks to the front door, steeling myself as I yanked open the gate to the unlocked door behind it. 

The house was stale. The air was dry the moment the world was locked outside. Smoking was forbidden, a rule Mom had made, but heavy drinking was encouraged. The TV was always on, whether someone was watching, or it was on for background noise. Usually, there were at least eight empty beer bottles on the table beside the chair claimed by my pathetic excuse for a father. Old brown leather and stained, his ass was the only one allowed to slump in the crusty throne. 

Except he wasn’t sitting in it.

“Motherfuckers, where are yeh?” came a garbled voice from the back of the house. A cabinet banged shut. 

Copyright © 2023 by Ashley Earley

Heart of Skulls - coming October 3rd, 2023

[shotbyshe]

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

Score: 4/5

Full review here.

[sognareleggiesogna]

RECENSIONE: Il Miraggio di Camilla Läckberg

Cari Sognatori, Lily ha letto il terzo volume della serie thriller La trilogia del Mentalista, scritta da  Camilla Läckberg e pubblicata da  Marsilio Edizioni!!! SERIE: La Trilogia del Mentalista vol.3 GENERE Thriller Psicologico DATA D’USCITA: 7 Maggio 2024 EBOOK / CARTACEO Affiliati Amazon TRAMA A Stoccolma il Natale si avvicina e la città si riempie di luci, ma per qualcuno la festa si…

[spooknoevil]

Chapter 1: The Cat

My mind was still swirling in confusion from my sudden plunge into this new world when I finally came to a stop. Bizarre colors wrapped around me like a thick mist, vibrant and pulsating with an energy I had never experienced before. The air smelled of sweet nectar and something metallic, a curious blend that left me both alive with possibility and a little queasy.

I blinked a few times and tried to catch my breath, the thundering of my heart echoing in my ears. The ground beneath me was soft and springy, covered in an unusual green grass that sparkled as though dusted with glitter. Giant red roses loomed tall like sentinels, their petals bleeding a vivid crimson under the harsh daylight. They looked like they could gulp me whole, threatening yet oddly captivating.

"Welcome to Wonderland!" a smooth, playful voice echoed around me. It sent a shiver down my spine, twisting it into a knot of both fear and curiosity.

I turned in circles, squinting against the overwhelming brightness, the vivid colors seeming to mock my confusion. With each turn, the disorientation dissolved slightly, but then something else took its place—a disconcerting feeling of being watched. There was no one here, or at least none that I could see.

"Who's there?" I called out, trying to sound braver than I felt. "Show yourself!"

A flicker of movement caught my eye. Among the lush greenery, a figure began to materialize—half of a body emerging as if he had been painted on the backdrop and forgot to step off. He was not just a man or a cat; he was something else entirely. The creature stood tall, with the lithe build of a cat but the graceful demeanor of a human. His dark blue hair cascaded around his shoulders in disheveled waves, and his playful golden eyes glimmered mischievously, like two radiant suns peering into deepening skies.

"Alice, Alice," he purred, his voice laced with both familiarity and enigma. "I've been waiting for you."

"Wait, how do you know my name?" I fumbled, lost amidst my swirling emotions.

"I know much more than just your name, dear Alice." He stepped closer, his body flickering as though he was formed from shadows and remainder, making me question if he was ever really fully there. "Let's just say I have my ways." His smile was wide and disarming—a Cheshire cat grin that sparked curiosity and unease in equal measure.

"Who are you?" I narrowed my eyes. "I don't even know where I am."

"I'm Cheshire, but you can call me Cheshiee," he shrugged carelessly, his form floating forward, giving him an ethereal quality. "Be careful with that question, though. It's the first step down an ever-twisting road."

I frowned, still grappling with the weight of it all—a slip through a hole I had never known existed, into a world that felt dangerous and delightful. "What do you mean? What kind of road?"

"Wonderland, dear Alice, is not merely a place of whimsy and enchantment. It is a tapestry composed of threads darker than you can imagine." He gestured with a flick of his wrist, and the world around us seemed to blur momentarily, the vivid colors dimming to grim shades of reality. "It is filled with madness, tapestry of power struggles, bloodshed, and—" his eyes sparkled with malevolence, "—murder."

A shiver raced down my spine. The beauty surrounding me metamorphosed into something grotesque, countless scenarios creeping into my mind—phantoms of struggle and violence materializing in the air, haunting specters lurking behind every giant rose and shimmering leaf.

"No, that can't be true. This place... it's beautiful! I've only just arrived!"

"Ah, beauty is but a mask, Alice. A veil draped over the darkness lurking beneath." He stepped back, effectively vanishing for a heartbeat, before reappearing just to the right of where he had stood moments ago. "Dangerous games are afoot, and being naive will only serve to blind you."

I couldn't shake the dread pooling in my stomach. "What kind of games?"

Cheshire leaned in closer, his expression transforming from playful intrigue to serious concern. "You are a player now, Alice, whether you realize it or not. Wonderland chooses its players carefully. And whether you dance or resist, you are bound to its whims."

"Players?" I echoed, panic bubbling. "What do you mean by that?"

His lip curled into a knowing smirk, revealing far too much confidence for my liking. "I would love to unravel that mystery with you, but you must first choose to believe me. Fear usually keeps people like you from seeing the truth."

"I didn't ask to be here," I stammered, trying to piece together what had happened—every second leading up to this moment felt like a faint dream slipping through my fingers.

"And yet here you are," he replied, almost nonchalantly. "Embrace it, Alice. The choice now lies in how you wish to play."

"Why should I trust you?" My voice trembled with both indignation and fear. "You could be leading me into danger!"

"Quite so, but so is ignorance." He floated backward, a ghostly presence flickering in and out of shadows, leaving behind a sense of unmoored fascination. "Know this, Alice: There are far worse things in this world than me seeking you."

A rumble of discontent stirred in my chest, a gnawing realization that this world was detached from reason but twisted around its own rules. If Cheshire was telling the truth, then I had fallen into a realm riddled with peril.

"But where do I go from here?" I asked, longing for something resembling clarity in this chaos.

"Follow the path," he said, gesturing to a narrow trail winding through the garden of giant roses, leading deep into the vibrant chaos of Wonderland. "But remember, trust is a rare commodity. Sometimes dark closest to the heart shines brightest at a distance."

I could feel the weight of his words as they settled heavy in my mind. Hesitating for just a moment, I studied his feline features—there was wisdom and mischief intertwined in his golden gaze. A hesitant choice lay ahead as the swirling garden blinked under the darting sun.

And soon, the suffusion of colors and shapes drew me nearer, closer to secrets that lay behind the vibrant facade of this Wonderland world. With no other choice but to embark on this precarious adventure, I stepped toward the path that took me deeper into the unknown, heart thrumming with every tentative footfall.

"Keep your wits about you, Alice," Cheshire's voice trailed behind me, light yet ominous, mixing with the rustle of leaves as I disappeared into the intoxicating depths of wonder and terror. "I'll be watching."

Fear and curiosity hand in hand, I moved forward, the vibrant colors swirling around me like a kaleidoscope of both beauty and danger, whispering promises of both enchantment and death. And somewhere, lurking within those bright hues, I sensed the pulse of that deadly game had only just begun.

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[venusianchaos]

denial // cozen.

[rachel-sylvan-author]

"Guillotine" by Delilah S. Dawson

Thank you @stephisbooked for the rec! ❤️

[mediamatinees]

"You're Not Supposed To Die Tonight": the Odessey of the Black Final Girl

Experiencing horror as a Black person is a fascinating experience. There’s an unspoken list of rules that need to be followed if you expect to survive, and even then you need to always be vigilant. . .

Content Warning: You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight contains graphic violence and mutilation, descriptions of crime scenes, child neglect, cult activities and propaganda, and teenagers dealing with evil, shady adults. Reader discretion is advised. Spoilers for You’re Not Supposed to Die Tonight ahead! Particularly the ending, so if you want to read the book I highly suggest you do that first…

[efexbe]

black ice by becca fitzpatrick

[bigheartedbibliophile]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Summary: ☠👀😮

Read: Nov. 2024

SPOILERS

I received this book as a free ARC from @bookishfirst for giving my initial review of the first 20 pages or so. I had to read more, so I'm glad I got the chance to!

This book was SO good!

Dovie, the main character, can hear the bones of the dead in Lucifer’s Creek, Arkansas. Luckily for the cops, she has been willing to help them find the bones of the missing hitchhikers for the last three years. Typically, one or two hitchhikers go missing a year, but in the past three years alone, almost thirty have disappeared, only to be found later by Dovie. The hitchhikers are almost always with other hitchhikers, and only go missing after being alone for only a few minutes.

Lo, Dovie’s best friend, has been plagued with voices and shadows following him everywhere, so he leaves for a few weeks, hoping they will disappear. When they don’t, he returns to Dovie, begging for her help. All hell breaks loose when they find out he’s hearing and seeing the dead hitchhikers.

I loved how the author made it seem like one person was killing everyone, then it was someone else, then back to the first person, and so on. Just when I thought I knew what was happening, BAM! Evidence that it couldn’t be that person. I will certainly read anything else this author puts out!

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 4/5

Book Blurb: "A gripping story that is equal parts shocking, unnerving, and thrilling. Goldin takes the ‘true crime’ trope to new and unexpected territory.” —Karin Slaughter, New York Times and #1 international bestselling author of Girl, Forgotten Rachel Krall, the true crime podcaster star of Megan Goldin’s acclaimed The Night Swim, returns to search for a popular influencer who disappears after visiting a suspected serial killer. Terence Bailey is about to be released from prison for breaking and entering, though investigators have long suspected him in the murders of six women. As his release date approaches, Bailey gets a surprise visit from Maddison Logan, a hot, young influencer with a huge social media following. Hours later, Maddison disappears, and police suspect she’s been kidnapped—or worse. Is Maddison’s disappearance connected to her visit to Bailey? And why was she visiting him in the first place? When they hit a wall in the investigation, the FBI reluctantly asks for Rachel Krall’s help in finding the missing influencer. Maddison seems to only exist on social media; she has no family, no friends, and other than in her posts, most people have never seen her. Who is she, really? Using a fake Instagram account, Rachel goes undercover to BuzzCon, a popular influencer conference, where she discovers a world of fierce rivalry that may have turned lethal. When police find the body of a woman with a tattoo of a snake eating its tail—identical to a tattoo Rachel had seen on Bailey’s hand—the FBI must consider a chilling possibility: Bailey has an accomplice on the outside and a dangerous obsession with influencers, including Rachel Krall herself. Suddenly the target of a monster hiding in plain sight, Rachel is forced to confront the very real dangers that lurk in the dark corners of the internet.

Review:

When a true crime podcaster finds herself in the center of a case involving a popular missing influencer who is connected to a suspected serial killer... and the possibility that there is a larger case at hand and that the real killer could still be outside. Rachel Krall is a true crime podcaster who actually helped solve real cases, but then she is suddenly called in by the FBI to help with a case involving Terence Bailey, a man who was put in prison for breaking and entering though he was long suspected of murdering six women.... Terence is about to be let out of prison soon but he got a surprise visit from Maddison Logan, a hot young influencer with a huge following.... who disappears hours after visiting Terence. The FBI ask Rachel to come help because she somehow came up in the conversation between Maddison and Terence, and now Rachel is invested in finding out what exactly happened to Tessa and why she was brought into the conversation. Maddison might be a famous influencer, but there is no real information on her and who she really is outside of her curated social media. More questions begin to pile up as to why both Terence and Maddison have matching ouroboros tattoos and why said tattoo is also found on another victim that has just appeared despite the fact that Terrance is still in prison... which means there’s another killer on the outside. The real question is are Terence and the outside killer working together or is something else happening??? Rachel soon finds herself being the target of the killer, can she figure it out before its too late? This was a really fun mystery and it felt like an episode of Criminal Minds, with how we got the POVs between Rachel, The Killer, and Joe the FBI agent. I liked how the mystery played out and enjoyed that we got background info on the case in the format of Rachel’s podcast throughout the book. I’ve been a big fan of Megan Goldin’s books and this one did not disappoint!

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*