LIAR’S BEACH By Katie Cotugno

April 12, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

LIAR’S BEACH By Katie CotugnoLiar's Beach by Katie Cotugno
Published by Delacorte Press on 5/2/23
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 288
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Michael Linden—or just Linden to his preppy boarding school pals—doesn’t belong in wealthy, storied Martha’s Vineyard. But when his roommate Jasper invites him to spend the end of summer at his massive beachfront home, August House, Linden tries his best to fit in. Linden wouldn’t call it lying, exactly. Though it turns out August House is full of liars.

Then someone is found unconscious in Jasper’s pool, and everyone has something to hide—Jasper, his beautiful sister Eliza, their older brother Wells, and their friends. The accident is written off as just that—an accident—but Linden begins to wonder...

Enter: Holiday Proctor. Linden’s childhood friend, and the one person on the island who knows the truth about Linden. There’s nothing Holiday loves more than a good old-fashioned mystery and she’s convinced there's a potential killer on the Vineyard. The only question is…who?

Short and Sweet Review

Michael Linden isn’t wealthy, but he tries to keep up appearances for his boarding school friends. Linden is invited to Martha’s Vineyard by his roommate Jasper, which is where he meets, Wells and Eliza, Jasper’s siblings. After a party one night someone is found unconscious in the pool and it is written off as just an accident but Linden begins to wonder if there’s more to what happened than what’s being said. Holiday is one of Linden’s childhood friends and just happens to be staying at Martha’s Vineyard too and has a love for a good mystery. Together they’ll try to figure out if this was an accident or intentional.

Liar’s Beach was a good mystery it’s a new take on the novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles. The plot was engaging and we’re introduced to most of the characters in the first few chapters. After the person is found in the pool we see Holiday and Linden go around the island looking for clues and try to find leads but there wasn’t much for them to find so their theories were mainly speculation. I didn’t like Lindens character, he was too busy trying to fit in that he didn’t realize how awful he treated those around him. Linden was also more concerned about getting with Eliza to realize that she wasn’t exactly perfect. I would have preferred that Holiday was the narrator instead she just seemed more likable and wasn’t quick to jump the gun like Linden. The ending was okay I guessed who the culprit was mainly from the process of elimination but also there was a bit of a cliffhanger. I think it would be interesting to see these characters in another book and hopefully Linden has some more character development.

Overall this was a good beach mystery and it’s great for summer. There were a lot of good elements and some things that didn’t work but I would still recommend it and I’d be interested in seeing a sequel.

Filed Under: Reviews

THE ISLAND By Natasha Preston

March 7, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE ISLAND By Natasha PrestonThe Island by Natasha Preston
Published by Delacorte Press on 2/28/23
Genres: Horror & Ghost Stories, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 309
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Jagged Island: a private amusement park for the very rich—or the very influential. Liam, James, Will, Ava, Harper, and Paisley—social media influencers with millions of followers—have been invited for an exclusive weekend before the park opens. They’ll make posts and videos for their channels and report every second of their VIP treatment.

When the teens arrive, they're stunned: the resort is even better than they’d imagined. Their hotel rooms are unreal, the park’s themed rides are incredible, and the island is hauntingly beautiful. They’re given a jam-packed itinerary for the weekend.

But soon they'll discover that something's missing from their schedule: getting off the island alive.

Short and Sweet Review

Paisley and five other influencers are invited Jagged Island a private amusement park for the rich. For the weekend each of the influencers will post videos and pictures to their social media, so that the park can get some recognition before the park opens. The group thinks that the amusement rides are fun and their hotel rooms are amazing, the only problem is not everyone is going to leave the island alive.

The Island is a pretty straightforward book, it’s not something we haven’t seen before. I did like the setting of a fancy island amusement park and hotel. The aesthetic was creepy and threw some of the characters off. Each of the influencers invited have different interests and our main character Paisley is into true crime. When the characters find the first victim they’re all thrown off and start to panic. They all realize that they’re stuck on the island without a way home and one of them is a killer.

It was pretty interesting seeing all the characters run around the island and try to get away from the killer. It was also hard trying to figure out who the killer was especially when Paisley would flip back and forth between whether someone could do it or not. There was a bit of romance which was ridiculous because who has time for romance when someone is coming at you with a knife.

Overall, this was an okay book. The whole time I thought this was a three heart book for me but it was the ending that got me to take it a little lower. I think it would have great to experience more of the amusement park but I think the only thing that could’ve saved this book for me was something else happening in the end than what actually did.

Filed Under: Reviews

THAT WEEKEND By Kara Thomas

January 25, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THAT WEEKEND By Kara ThomasThat Weekend by Kara Thomas
Published by Delacorte Press on 6/29/21
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 324
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

THREE BEST FRIENDS, A LAKE HOUSE, A SECRET TRIP -- WHAT COULD GO WRONG?

It was supposed to be the perfect prom weekend getaway. But it's clear something terrible happened when Claire wakes up alone and bloodied on a hiking trail with no memory of the past forty-eight hours.

Now everyone wants answers--most of all, Claire. She remembers Friday night, but after that . . . nothing. And now Kat and Jesse--her best friends--are missing.

What happened on the mountain? And where are Kat and Jesse? Claire knows the answers are buried somewhere in her memory. But as she's learning, everyone has secrets--even her best friends. And she's pretty sure she's not going to like what she remembers.

Short and Sweet Review

Instead of going to prom, Claire and her two friends Jesse and Kat decide to go on a camping trip. When Claire wakes up she doesn’t remember the past two days and she doesn’t know where Jesse and Kat are. Everyone wants answers but Claire wants them the most and its hard with her memory loss, but the more she digs the more she realizes that her friends were hiding something.

The plot of the book is interesting but I just didn’t like the book as much as I thought I would. Claire wakes up with no memory of the past two days and now her friends are missing. Claire was obviously frustrated because she didn’t have any answers but she made dumb decisions like telling people things about the investigation and then wondered why she was being dragged on the news. I also didn’t like the time jumps we go from two days before the camping trip to the present then six months later and then we switch POVs and it goes to the past and then the present. I feel like the time jumping made the story seem like it was all over the place. I get Kat and Jesse’s reason for going camping in the first place and honestly Claire kind of sucked as a person because in the end she made it all about her.

I think my main issue with this book was Claire, I couldn’t connect with her at all and she was very self absorbed. This book was a definite miss for me.

Filed Under: Reviews

BURN OUR BODIES DOWN By Rory Power

January 13, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

BURN OUR BODIES DOWN By Rory PowerBurn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power
Published by Delacorte Press on 7/7/20
Genres: Horror & Ghost Stories, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 347
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Ever since Margot was born, it's been just her and her mother, struggling to get along. But that's not enough for Margot. She wants family. She wants a past. And she may have just found the answer: A photograph, pointing her to a town called Phalene. Only, when Margot gets there, it's not what she bargained for.

As soon as they see her face, everyone in town knows who Margot belongs to. It's unmistakable--she's a Nielsen. And when a mysterious girl who could be Margot's twin is pulled from a fire, Margot realizes that her mother left Phalene for a reason. But was it to hide her past? Or was it to protect Margot from what's still there?

The only thing Margot knows for sure is there's poison in their family tree, and their roots are dug so deeply into Phalene that now that she's there, she might never escape.

Short and Sweet Review

Ever since she was born it was always just Margot and her mom, and Margot wants a family or at least to know about her mothers family which she has kept hidden. Knowing that her mom won’t supply her with the answers she wants, Margot does some digging of her own and finds a picture that leads her to a small town called Phalene. Everyone knows that small towns are a little weird and this one is no exception. When Margot arrives in Phalene everyone knows she’s a Nielsen. There’s a lot of excitement on Margots first day like a fire on her grandma’s land which ends with a girl dying who looks like she can be Margots twin. Margot wanted answers but they may be more than she bargained for.

This book was full of suspense which made it a page turner. Margot and her mom don’t get along all the time and whenever they have conversations Margot really has to make sure she says the right things, otherwise her mom will blow up. Margot knows that asking about family will get her mom to shut down so when she finds a lead she packs a bag and makes her way to Phalene. When Margot gets there she finds out her grandma is like her mom and isn’t one to give away answers about her life. This is what gets the ball rolling because why does this family have so many secrets that they’re hiding? Anyway there’s a mysterious dead girl and some weird stuff happening to another teen girl who lives close to the Nielsen farm. I loved watching Margot try to find the answers on her own because her mom and grandma weren’t going to give her the truth. The conversations between Margot and her grandma and mom are hard, mainly because its like they’re gaslighting her and she has to remember that she’s not crazy. The ending was insane and everything made sense and the puzzle pieces clicked together. This was an interesting book and the mystery surrounding this family will have you turning pages until the very end.

Filed Under: Reviews

FIVE SURVIVE By Holly Jackson

December 16, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

FIVE SURVIVE By Holly JacksonFive Survive by Holly Jackson
Published by Delacorte Press on 11/29/22
Genres: Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 380
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Eight hours. Six friends. Five survive.

Red Kenny is on a road trip for spring break with five friends: Her best friend - the older brother - his perfect girlfriend - a secret crush - a classmate - and a killer.

When their RV breaks down in the middle of nowhere with no cell service, they soon realize this is no accident. They have been trapped by someone out there in the dark, someone who clearly wants one of them dead.

With eight hours until dawn, the six friends must escape, or figure out which of them is the target. But is there a liar among them? Buried secrets will be forced to light and tensions inside the RV will reach deadly levels. Not all of them will survive the night. . . .

Short and Sweet Review

It’s spring break, Red and five others are heading down to the beach for some fun. But when their RV breaks down in the middle of nowhere and there’s no cell service, the group realizes that this was no accident, they were targeted. The group is given until dawn to give up a secret that the person who is keeping them hostage is looking for.

This book was so good and fast paced that it was hard to put down. Red, her best friend Maddy, Maddy’s brother Oliver and his girlfriend Reyna, and two friends from school Arthur and Simon are ready for spring break but the RV breaking down was never part of the plan. When they think that its a simple fix they realize that somebody planned this and now they’re really trapped in the RV. The person is looking for a secret and it seems like a simple request but this group will tear each other apart and the circumstances bring out the worst in some people. Red has been through a lot, she’s lost her mom, her dad is distant, and now she doesn’t know whether she’ll make it out of the RV. Things really start going when the group is trying to find a way to get out of the RV but the shooter makes it clear that none of them will make it out of the RV alive without the secret being revealed. Oliver was the worst character he was insufferable and he made it very clear that he only cared about his own safety. I didn’t mind any of the other characters but I was interested in learning what kind of things they were hiding. The end was great and we see that what was revealed is a lot more complicated than surface level.

Holly Jackson did a great job at writing a book that creates suspense and will keep you on the edge of your seat. She also did a great job writing the characters and making you question whether they can be trusted or not. Definitely get your hands on this book!

Filed Under: Reviews

AS GOOD AS DEAD By Holly Jackson

December 6, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

AS GOOD AS DEAD By Holly JacksonAs Good as Dead by Holly Jackson
Series: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder #3
Published by Delacorte Press on 9/28/21
Genres: Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 458
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Pip is about to head to college, but she is still haunted by the way her last investigation ended. She’s used to online death threats in the wake of her viral true-crime podcast, but she can’t help noticing an anonymous person who keeps asking her: Who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears?

Soon the threats escalate and Pip realizes that someone is following her in real life. When she starts to find connections between her stalker and a local serial killer caught six years ago, she wonders if maybe the wrong man is behind bars.

Police refuse to act, so Pip has only one choice: find the suspect herself—or be the next victim. As the deadly game plays out, Pip discovers that everything in her small town is coming full circle . . .and if she doesn’t find the answers, this time she will be the one who disappears. . .

Short and Sweet Review

Pip is about to head to college but she’s still uneasy about how her last investigation ended. Having her own podcast, Pip is used to seeing threats but she’s paying attention to the one asking, “who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears.” Its apparent to Pip that she has a stalker and of course she’s going to investigate but she has to act fast because someone is out to get her.

In this book we see Pip kind of unraveling she still thinks about her last investigation and Stanley’s death kind of haunts her. So when she starts seeing the signs that someone is stalking her, the dead birds, the chalk drawings, and the strange emails, Pip wonders if she’s losing her mind. She sees a similarity in the way she’s being threatened and how a serial caught six years ago would operate but now Pip is trying to figure out if the wrong man is behind bars and if the actually serial killer is out and if she’ll be the next victim. This book has two parts, in the first part we see Pip dealing with her stalker and starting a new investigation, in the second part we see Pip try to get away with murder. I’ve read the first two books in this series and seeing as this is the last one, I have become very invested in Pip and her safety. Everything Pip has learned about true crime and murder becomes handy in this book because she has a murder to cover up. I love the characters and in this book everything comes around full circle we see characters from the first two books, and we see how everything fits together like a puzzle piece in this last book. I will say Pip had some amazing friends and an even better boyfriend. The bond between her and Ravi its amazing, he’s able to get her to think logically and he’s so caring and is willing to do anything to make sure she’s okay.

The plot in this book is amazing. I learned a lot from this book but I still don’t think I’d be able to get away with murder. Pip is an amazing character and she fights for what she believes in even if it puts her in harms way. I will definitely miss following Pip around on her investigations and reading from her podcast. This series has become one of my favorites and holds a special place in my heart!


Filed Under: Reviews

GOOD GIRL, BAD BLOOD By Holly Jackson

September 26, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

GOOD GIRL, BAD BLOOD By Holly JacksonGood Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson
Series: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder #2
Published by Delacorte Press on 3/2/21
Genres: Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 388
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Pip is not a detective anymore.

With the help of Ravi Singh, she released a true-crime podcast about the murder case they solved together last year. The podcast has gone viral, yet Pip insists her investigating days are behind her.

But she will have to break that promise when someone she knows goes missing. Jamie Reynolds has disappeared, on the very same night the town hosted a memorial for the sixth-year anniversary of the deaths of Andie Bell and Sal Singh.

The police won't do anything about it. And if they won't look for Jamie then Pip will, uncovering more of her town's dark secrets along the way... and this time everyone is listening. But will she find him before it's too late?

Short and Sweet Review

After solving her last case Pip has decided to do away with all the mystery and detective work. When Jamie Reynolds goes missing his brother asks Pip to investigate. Even though Pip is hesitant she takes on the case to help out the Reynolds family. The more Pip investigates she learns some of the towns dark secrets along with Jamies.

Pip is back! I love Pip and she starts off this book trying to avoid getting caught up in another mystery because of all of the danger she was put in when she was solving the Andie Bell case. We follow Pip as she follows clues and tries to piece together the clues to figure out where Jamie went. We see Ravi and I love him, he’s so supportive of Pip and is willing to help her out but also keep her centered. Connor was somewhat helpful but I think he shouldn’t have been as involved as he was, whenever Pip had someone to interview he just made them uncomfortable. Connor had good intentions but I think his worrying made it hard for him to take a step back and let Pip do her thing. Pip is still in a lot of danger, the culprit was creepy and willing to do things that put the other characters in danger. There was one scene involving a catfish that definitely sent chills down my spine and made me want to make sure I had all of my doors locked. I did appreciate seeing all of Pip’s case notes and the pictures and interviews she did, it just adds something special.

I loved this book! The culprit was a piece of work and needs a lot of help I was kind of sad about something that happened at the end, it was kind of bittersweet. I’m excited to see what the last book has in store!

Filed Under: Reviews

NOTHING MORE TO TELL By Karen M. McManus

September 13, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

NOTHING MORE TO TELL By Karen M. McManusNothing More to Tell by Karen M. McManus
Published by Delacorte Press on 8/30/22
Genres: Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Young Adult
Pages: 363
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Four years ago, Brynn left Saint Ambrose School following the shocking murder of her favorite teacher—a story that made headlines after the teacher’s body was found by three Saint Ambrose students in the woods behind their school. The case was never solved. Now that Brynn is moving home and starting her dream internship at a true-crime show, she’s determined to find out what really happened.

The kids who found Mr. Larkin are her way in, and her ex–best friend, Tripp Talbot, was one of them. Without his account of events, the other two kids might have gone down for Mr. Larkin’s murder—but instead, thanks to Tripp, they're now at the top of the Saint Ambrose social pyramid. Tripp’s friends have never forgotten what Tripp did for them that day, and neither has he. Just like he hasn’t forgotten that everything he told the police was a lie.

Digging into the past is bound to shake up the present, and when Brynn begins to investigate what happened in the woods that day, she uncovers secrets that might change everything—about Saint Ambrose, about Mr. Larkin, and about her ex-best friend, Tripp Talbot.

Four years ago someone got away with murder. More terrifying is that they might be closer than anyone thinks.

Short and Sweet Review

Brynn used to go to Saint Ambrose and now after four years away she’s back home and going back to the school where her favorite teacher was murdered. Brynn loves journalism so when she gets an internship at a true crime show she knows the perfect story to investigate, the death of Mr. Larkin. Brynn wants to talk to the three kids who found him, Tripp and his two friends who know more than they’re saying.

The book follows Brynn and Tripp and alternates between their POVs. Brynn wants to find out what happened to Mr. Larkin and she gets the perfect opportunity when she’s paired up with Tripp to make a memorial for Mr. Larkin. Tripp really wants to forget about that day in the woods but Brynn is determined to find out what happened but trying to do it inconspicuously because she hasn’t told any of her classmates about her internship. Brynn is good at following leads and putting things together. I will say that Brynn was more interesting than Tripp, she was following the leads and he was with her just following her around and trying to avoid anything that had to do with Mr. Larkin.

I usually love Karen M. McManus books but this one was bland, it was forgettable. The mystery was interesting but I feel like Brynn and Tripp were boring and didn’t pull it off. Some of the things felt predictable, but the ending was interesting and I liked seeing how that all came together. I also liked seeing the other books mentioned. Overall this was an okay book an interesting mystery, a little predictable but definitely not one of my favorites.

Filed Under: Reviews

YOU’LL BE THE DEATH OF ME By Karen M. McManus

June 23, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

YOU’LL BE THE DEATH OF ME By Karen M. McManusYou'll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus
Published by Delacorte Press on 11/30/21
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery & Detective, Young Adult
Pages: 336
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Ivy, Mateo, and Cal used to be close. Now all they have in common is Carlton High and the beginning of a very bad day. Type A Ivy lost a student council election to the class clown, and now she has to face the school, humiliated. Heartthrob Mateo is burned out from working two jobs since his family’s business failed. And outsider Cal just got stood up . . . again.

So when the three unexpectedly run into each other, they decide to avoid their problems by ditching. Just the three of them, like old times. Except they’ve barely left the parking lot before they run out of things to say. . .

. . . until they spot another Carlton High student skipping school—and follow him to the scene of his own murder. In one chance move, their day turns from dull to deadly. And it’s about to get worse. It turns out Ivy, Mateo, and Cal still have some things in common...like a connection to the dead kid. And they’re all hiding something.

Could it be that their chance reconnection wasn’t by chance after all?

Short and Sweet Review

Mateo, Cal, and Ivy used to be close but over time they’ve grown apart, all they have in common now is the fact that they go to the same high school. Ivy just lost the student election, Mateo is burned out from working two jobs, and Cal just got stood up. So when fate brings the three of them together in the school parking lot they decide to ditch and try to have an adventure, unfortunately their fun day ends when they find a classmate murdered and they have to find who did it because the number one suspect is Ivy.

Ivy, Mateo, and Cal have all grown apart since the days they used to hang out. Ivy is an over achiever trying to reach the top, Mateo and his cousin have been working multiple jobs to help his mom make ends meet, and Cal is kind of a loner. The relationship between these three is interesting, they have a lot of history but now that they’re hanging out again there’s some awkwardness. Each of them also have some secrets that they’ve been keeping and when those come out it’s either make or break for this trio. I liked that the mystery took place in one day and the trio as I like to call them were pretty good at piecing things together. We just follow the trio around town as they piece things together and find suspects and clues. It was nice seeing the trio work through their issues and reminiscing on the past.

Karen M. McManus is great at writing mysteries and this one was another one of her books that I enjoyed. The book kind of left off on a point where I think there could be a sequel and I would love that! This book is great if your in the mood for a fast paced mystery!

Filed Under: Reviews

PLACES WE’VE NEVER BEEN By Kasie West

June 15, 2022 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

PLACES WE’VE NEVER BEEN By Kasie WestPlaces We've Never Been by Kasie West
Published by Delacorte Press on 5/31/22
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 336
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Norah hasn’t seen her childhood best friend, Skyler, in years. When he first moved away, they'd talk all the time, but lately their relationship has been reduced to liking each other’s Instagram posts. That’s why Norah can’t wait for the joint RV road trip their families have planned for the summer.

But when Skyler finally arrives, he seems...like he’d rather be anywhere else. Hurt and confused, Norah reacts in kind. Suddenly, her oldest friendship is on the rocks.

An unexpected summer spent driving across the country leads both Norah and Skyler down new roads and to new discoveries. Before long, they are, once again, seeing each other in a different light. Can their friendship-turned-rivalry turn into something more?

Short and Sweet Review

Norah and Skyler were childhood best friends but after Skyler moved away their communication dwindled. Now that their families are going on a joint RV trip for the summer Norah can’t wait to see Skyler, but when Skyler arrives he seems like he wants to be anywhere else then on an RV for three weeks.

Spending three weeks on the road gives Norah and Skyler a lot of time to work through their issues. It was interesting to see the dynamic between the two because they have a lot of history and inside jokes. When we get a look into their past we see that they’re always there for each other and now there’s some tension mainly on Skyler’s part which makes Norah frustrated. Norah is interesting, she tries to put on a front to be perfect but everyone that knows her well sees right through it. I love that she’s interested in gaming and uses her art to come up with ideas for video games. On the road trip on of the stops is at a college where Norah has an interview. I did like reading about all the RV stops and some of the side plots one of them being Norah trying to find out what her mom was keeping from her. I did think the romance was cute once Norah and Skyler worked through everything that’s happened since they haven’t seen each other.

This was a cute and fast read, its perfect for a summer read!


Filed Under: Reviews