#psychologicalthrillers – Rosepoint Publishing

Killing Me Softly: A Novel by Sandie Jones #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

Killing Me Softly by Sandie Jones

Book Blurb:

What do you do when love turns deadly?

THE PERFECT COUPLE

Charlie and Freya used to be the picture-perfect couple. Happy and in love, Freya enjoyed a rewarding job heading up a charity’s fundraising efforts, and Charlie was fast becoming one-to-watch on the London culinary scene—if you couldn’t be them, you wanted to be with them.

A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY

They had it all . . . until one night a devastating accident tears their lives apart, and they’re awoken by police at their door, asking whether they are aware that their car had been involved in a hit and run.

A BITTER FEUD

Torn apart by accusations and guilt, the trust that Freya and Charlie once shared is shattered as they turn on each other, looking for someone to blame for the fallout. Told from both Freya and Charlie’s perspectives, a cat and mouse game ensues, both of them desperate to have someone to point the finger at. But is it more important to be right, or to win? Can Freya stay one step ahead of the man who knows her best? Or will Charlie’s stoic conviction to get what he wants be the death of her?

Sandie Jones’s next addictive novel is a wickedly twisty tale of obsession, and the deadly consequences of loving someone too much.

My Review:

Can you say, “unreliable narrator?”

Many threaded, POV flips back and forth between Charlie and Freya, neither of which are truly engaging characters and I flat didn’t like Freya. Actually, I found few characters in which I could engage and I’m still scratching my head over Nina.

A fragile marriage between two damaged individuals treading water. With what happens following a row at Charlie’s boss’s house, any life jackets holding them up begin to take on water. Neither is particularly trusting of the other and with good reason. Charlie has his secrets and Freya a chilling history.

I struggled with a good portion of the book, slow pace and chaotic. Flipping between POVs kept me trying to catch up and I’m no longer interested in going back to find the linking thread. The characters are toxic and the drama is over the top. It’s confusing and the big reveal is just overkill and eye-rolling. “It’s what?” “She’s what?” No. Just–no.

I know this author has a fan base and I appreciate that they may find this one of interest. My first experience, however, and I’m not sure I’ll be looking for another with this author very soon.

I received an invitation to read the Uncorrected Digital Galley from Angelica at Minotaur Books. Many thanks to her and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Three Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Domestic Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers
Publisher: Minotaur Books
ISBN: 978-1250910080
ASIN: B0F5PDVKLN
Print Length: 320
Publication Date: March 31, 2026
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Welcome to my Amazon Author Page which I’m guessing you’ve stumbled upon in the search for your next thrilling read, and I hope you find something here that whets your appetite. My debut novel, The Other Woman, is a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick and a New York Times Bestseller. But I’ve got five other titles to choose from; each of them offering something a little different from the other – though with one thing in common; they’ll all have you questioning who you should trust and who’s taking you for a ride! From husbands to sisters, and work colleagues to mother-in-laws – you could be forgiven for thinking that they’re all perfectly ordinary people…..until something extra-ordinary happens!

My next novel, I Would Die For You, is a dual timeline suspense novel alternating between the present day in California and 1986 in London, back when I was a 16 year old, obsessed with Duran Duran. I truly believed Simon Le Bon was going to see me in the front row of a concert and instantly fall in love. Sadly it didn’t happen for me, but it does for Nicole, when the lead singer of Secret Oktober spots her and they embark on a clandestine affair. But where there’s cloak and daggers, there’ll invariably be blood – but whose will it be?

Pre-order now for delivery on publication day and click the ‘follow’ button for special deals. Catch me on Instagram @sandiejones_author and Facebook @realsandiejones for updates, recommendations and author chat.

Have a merry Tuesday!

We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog

A Chilling Psychological Thriller Where Secrets Lead to Deadly Consequences

A North Falls Thriller Book 1

Best Books of the Year 2025

Book Blurb:

An instant #1 New York Times bestseller!

The first thrilling mystery in the new North Falls series from Karin Slaughter, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Pretty Girls and the Will Trent Series.

Welcome to North Falls—a small town where everyone knows everyone. Or so they think.

Until the night of the fireworks. When two teenage girls vanish, and the town ignites.

For Officer Emmy Clifton, it’s personal. She turned away when her best friend’s daughter needed help—and now she must bring her home.

But as Emmy combs through the puzzle the girls left behind, she realizes she never really knew them. Nobody did.

Every teenage girl has secrets. But who would kill for them? And what else is the town hiding?

My Review:

Well, okay. More than read the blurb, I really should research my own reviews to see how much I enjoyed (or didn’t) the last book I read by this author, Pretty Girls.

I’ve no doubt Ms. Slaughter has a way with words; she can get downright poetic at times. Unfortunately, this is a book regarding two teens who go missing during fourth of July celebrations. Since I’m not a big fan of plots regarding missing kids and torture, I accept it’s a book I should not have requested nor attempted to read.

We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter — We Are All Guilty Here–UK cover

Ms. Slaughter has some heavy fingers when it comes to her writing style and length of narratives. This is Book 1 of a new series and introduces Officer Emmy Clifton who has a number of personal issues she’s grappling with. Her issues shut down a teen in trouble looking for a responsible, trustworthy adult. That’s a big mistake and leads to the entire plot while also setting up the development of a new protagonist.

The novel also introduces a number of support characters, some we get to know ad nauseum while others we can’t muster up any kind of engagement. I’m not sure I’m supposed to like the FBI gal—she being family and all—but I found Jude most interesting. Of course, there are the whispers of a romance dancing in and out of scenes.

The hook at the beginning provided initial engagement, but then came the long tedious investigation, often punctuated with interpersonal relationship drama. I thought too long in the tooth on the personal side, too short on the police procedural side, and it sagged for me quite a while before the last twist that may or may not come as a surprise. Well, not one surprise, perhaps a couple.

In the meantime, the graphic descriptions the girls suffered was too much, the chapters too long, the plot undergoes a distracting timeline change, the pacing slows, and it tends to repetition.

This is not a book for me, nor could I recommend.

Many thanks to our local library for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Three Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Police Procedurals, Psychological Thrillers, Suspense Thrillers
Publisher: William Morrow
ISBN: 978-0063336803
ASIN: B0DN6K594T
Print Length: 448 pages
Publication Date: August 12, 2025
Source: Local Library

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Karin Slaughter is the author of more than twenty instant NEW YORK TIMES bestselling novels, including the Edgar–nominated COP TOWN and standalone novels THE GOOD DAUGHTER, PRETTY GIRLS, and GIRL, FORGOTTEN. She is published in 120 countries with more than 40 million copies sold across the globe. PIECES OF HER is a #1 Netflix original series starring Toni Collette. The Will Trent Series is on ABC (and streaming on Hulu in the U.S, and Disney+ internationally). THE GOOD DAUGHTER and FALSE WITNESS are in development for film/tv. Slaughter is the founder of the Save the Libraries project—a nonprofit organization established to support libraries and library programming. A native of Georgia, she lives in Atlanta.

http://www.karinslaughter.com

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/AuthorKarinSlaughter/

Instagram http://www.instagram.com/karinslaughterauthor/

Twitter @SlaughterKarin

https://linktr.ee/karinslaughter

Have a merry Tuesday!

Rosepoint Publishing #BookHaul – Fresh from the Publishers – #ReviewRequests

Rosepoint Publishing Book Haul

I love it when I get publisher’s requests to read their digital galley’s and ARCs, and usually download, read, and review the books, particularly if they fit my favorite genres.

This past week, however, I got three within a day or two of each other and was so excited by the invitations, I thought I’d have to let my readers in on each of these exciting new books, now available through NetGalley, to be released next year.

After reading the blurb of the first one, I promptly downloaded it for the CE as it appeared to be something he’d love. Keep an eye out for his thoughts and mine for the remaining two to follow soon.

Worse Than a Lie by Ben Crump (will be a CE review)

Release Date: February 17, 2026

Genre: Political Thrillers, Science Fiction Crime & Mystery

Publisher: Bantam – Dan Denning, Senior Marketing Manager, Ballantine Bantam Dell, Penguin Random House, NY

Hollis Montrose, a Black ex-police officer, is the latest victim of a brutal attack but survives. When the Chicago police department spins the narrative in its favor, it’s up to attorney Beau Lee Cooper to keep Hollis from a wrongful prison sentence.

♥♥♥♥♥

June Baby by Shannon Garvey

Release Date: May 19, 2026

Genre: Women’s Friendship Fiction, Coming of Age Fiction, Mothers & Children Fiction

Publisher: Random House Marketing – Madison Dettlinger

Having been shipped off as a teenager to Block Island after the loss of her mother by her father, Ruth now at twenty-seven is faced with a new revelation of the women who raised her. “Both a heartfelt coming-of-age story and a tender exploration of love and grief…”

♥♥♥♥♥

Killing Me Softly by Sandie Jones

Release Date: March 31, 2026

Genre: Domestic Thrillers, Murder Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers

Publisher: Minotaur Books – Angelica Pietrakowski – St Martin’s Press

“What do you do when love turns deadly?”

Charlie and Freya are supposed to be the picture-perfect couple but a tragedy of monumental proportions will change that. Can they survive this “wickedly twisty tale of obsession…”?

♥♥♥♥♥

These are all new authors for me, so I’m excited to discover their writing styles and talents and should be no problem to have them read and reviewed within the next couple months, the first by the end of December.

Of course, these are all currently listed in Goodreads. I hope you see one here that piques your interest!

Thank you so much to each of the above publishers for the opportunity to read their promotions. As always, our reviews will be our own honest opinions.

Child reading a book with hot cocoa nearby — Thanks to Freepik.com for the graphic

She’s Not Sorry by Mary Kubica #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday

Book Blurb:

Everyone has secrets, but not everyone has remorse…

A terrible accident.

Meghan Michaels is trying to find balance between being a single mom and working full time as an ICU nurse, when a patient named Caitlin arrives in her ward with a traumatic brain injury. They say she jumped from a bridge and plunged over twenty feet to the train tracks below.

A shocking revelation.

When a witness comes forward with new details about Caitlin’s fall, it calls everything they know into question. Was a crime committed? Did someone actually push Caitlin, and if so, who… and why?

No one is safe.

Meghan lets herself get close to Caitlin until she’s deeply entangled in the mystery surrounding her. Only when it’s too late, does she realize that she and her daughter could be the next victims…

My Review:

My first experience with this author and my head is still swimming. I thought I was confused, but maybe it was the author.

I’ve gotten into complex, multi-layered storylines before, but this one took that idea and ran too far with it.

First, it was a slow start. Prologue hooked interest, then let the interest wane in a long, detailed narrative about—everything. Meghan is an ICU nurse in Chicago. We don’t live too far from Chicago and take a shuttle to the VA hospital occasionally for my veteran hubby. My son works in Chicago and I’m becoming familiar with a few streets but would rather not hear about them more than once or twice. I’m not a fan.

Then the twists start happening and suddenly it seems like too much is happening and holes open that don’t get closed even in denouement. I never really became invested in the MC, then disliked her daughter, and then the more I knew of Caitlin—ur—Nat, intensely disliked her as well.

The plot seemed to be crammed with twists but most resulted in confusion, contradiction, made no sense. The plot line was stutter-step. One of the threads was pretty obvious early on and later a couple others just became a bit absurd, leaving me shaking my head.

I’m not sure if this book was a good example of the author’s writing style and may try another. But I’ll have to think about it for awhile.

Did you read this book? Did your assessment fall on the love it side or the meh side?

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Three Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Psychological Thrillers, Crime Thrillers
Publisher: Harlequin Audio
ASIN: B0C4C9Q2KT
Listening Length: 10 hrs 32 mins
Narrator: Andi Arndt
Publication Date: April 2, 2024
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)
Title Links: Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: Mary Kubica is a New York Times bestselling author of suspense thrillers including The Good Girl, The Other Mrs., and Local Woman Missing. Her books have been translated into over thirty languages and have sold over two million copies worldwide. She’s been described as “a helluva storyteller” (Kirkus) and “a writer of vice-like control” (Chicago Tribune), and her novels have been praised as “hypnotic” (People) and “thrilling and illuminating” (L.A. Times). She lives outside of Chicago with her husband and children.

Visit Mary at http://www.marykubica.com/

Happy Holidays--Have a great Sunday!

Party of Liars: A Novel by Kelsey Cox #AudiobookReview #crimethrillers

Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Book Blurb:

Featuring multicast narration, a lavish, Texas-sized Sweet Sixteen turns deadly in this twisty, pulse-pounding new novel—serving up a fresh take on a classic locked-room whodunnit. Let the festivities begin…

Today is Sophie Matthews’s sixteenth birthday party, an exclusive black-tie bash in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, where secrets are as deep-rooted as the sprawling live oaks. Sophie’s dad has spared no expense, and his renovated cliffside mansion—once thought haunted and shuttered for years from outsiders—is now hosting the event of the season. Then, just before the candles on the three-tiered red velvet cake are blown out, a body falls from the balcony onto the starlit dance floor below.

It’s a killer guest list . . .

DANI: Sophie’s new stepmother who’s been plagued by self-doubt ever since the birth of her own baby girl

ÓRLAITH: the superstitious Irish nanny who senses a looming danger in this cavernous house

MIKAYLA: the birthday girl’s best friend who is not nearly as meek as the popular kids assume

KIM: the cunning ex-wife who has a grudge she can’t let go of

Everyone is invited in. Not everyone will get out alive.

My Review:

I confess. I downloaded this book because one of my favorite narrators worked the audiobook, Saskia Maarleveld. And yes, come time, I recognized her voice. Unfortunately, there were a lot of other voices as well, and the constant switching back and forth had my head spinning.

So, honestly? I found this book to be a bit of a slog. I can’t say bored. Well, maybe I can. Between all the characters, most unlikable, I had a difficult time engaging in any of them, although the new mother, Dani, had my sympathy once or twice.

Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox — Party of Liars – UK cover

This is supposed to be a thriller, then not just character and voice switch, but time switches (before, during, after) slow the pace and was difficult to navigate. We are talking Dani, a new mom and step-mom to birthday girl, Sophie, turning sixteen and her dad, Ethan’s, reason for an all out, way over the top adult chance to show off their renovated mansion, wealth, and position to just about everyone but birthday girl’s friends. Well wait, there’s Mikayla, but Mikayla is just…messed up!

All the dialogue is relegated to background noise and becomes too easy to shut off as the listener waits for a change to someone else. Not really a thriller, although I must admit I listened to Órlaith. Ethan is just icky. Off with him!

I didn’t think it had all that many twists and turns but did enjoy that last little zinger delivered at the end. HA! Hadn’t given thought to that angle, but yeah. That worked for me.

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Three Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Crime Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers, Suspense Thrillers
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
ASIN: B0DFRCW5M2
Listening Length: 10 hrs 57 mins
Narrator: Dan Bittner, Kate Handford, Pearl Hewitt, Saskia Maarleveld, Suzy Jackson
Publication Date: July 1, 2025
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)

Title Links:

Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: Kelsey Cox (she/her) received her MFA in fiction from Purdue University and works from home in the Texas Hill Country. You can often find her writing at Mammen Family Public Library, chasing around her two young daughters, or watching British mysteries with her mom and aunts. On nights when bedtime goes as planned, she enjoys curling up on the sofa, glass of wine in hand, and a book with complicated characters and a killer twist in her lap. Party of Liars is her debut novel.

Happy Autumn

The Intruder by Freida McFadden #AudiobookReview #PsychologicalThrillers

#2 this week

Book Blurb:

There’s someone at your front door—should you let them in? Find out in a riveting new thriller from global sensation and #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Housemaid, Freida McFadden!

Who knows what the storm will blow in…

Casey’s cabin in the wilderness is not built for a hurricane. Her roof shakes, the lights flicker, and the tree outside her front door sways ominously in the wind. But she’s a lot more worried about the girl she discovers lurking outside her kitchen window.

She’s young. She’s alone. And she’s covered in blood.

The girl won’t explain where she came from, or loosen her grip on the knife in her right hand. And when Casey makes a disturbing discovery in the middle of the night, things take a turn for the worse.

The girl has a dark secret. One she’ll kill to keep. And if Casey gets too close to the truth, she may not live to see the morning.

In this taut, deadly tale of survival and desperation, #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden explores how far one girl will go to save herself.

My Review:

I love books with a creepy factor. This one checks that box, though maybe not entirely for the reason you are thinking.

I’m beginning to worry about McFadden’s mind though, she appears to excel in the sick and twisted. At the beginning of the book, it can be assumed Casey is a normally intelligent person, but then she lets a young girl into her cabin in the woods during a massive storm who’s cover in blood. (Yeah, I know, don’t get me started.)

You only think that the girl has a secret. That’s because you are still sifting through the first two-thirds of the book. You have to wonder why a young woman with a decent education and a formerly appropriate job is out of work and in the woods. The back and forth gets you closer to the truth.

The girl with all the blood? Yeah, we’ll get to it. Interesting character development here, but can you allow yourself to lend sympathy with either character? Maybe not. The men, peripheral, support characters give you just enough background to think, “run, Forest, run.”

You might have caught on to the author’s tricks, her twists. The novels are well plotted and paced, engaging and entertaining. Might be compelled to just keep reading. But what you absolutely know you can count on is that one last zinger (really, you expected that?), the one you may not have seen coming. Good for you. This one caught me by surprise.

Again. (Kudos to the narrators for keeping the suspense going.)

Yeah, I’m beginning to catch on, having read two recently, The Housemaid’s Secret and The Boyfriend in August this year. There’s just something about watching a train wreck…

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Psychological Thrillers, Domestic Thrillers
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
ASIN: B0F94KB253
Listening Length: 8 hrs 19 mins
Narrator: Joe Hempel, Patricia Santomasso, Tina Wolstencroft
Publication Date: October 7, 2025
Source: Local Library (Audiobook Selections)

Title Links:

Amazon-US
Amazon-UK
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

The Author: #1 New York Times, Amazon Charts, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Sunday Times, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author Freida McFadden is a physician who has penned multiple bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. Freida’s work has been selected as one of Amazon Editors’ best books of the year, she is the winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for best paperback, and she is a Goodreads Choice Award winner. Her novels have been translated into 40 languages.

Freida lives with her family and cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

To hear Freida talk about herself more in the third person, check out her website freidamcfadden.

Halloween

Crime Writer by Vinnie Hansen #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog #NetGalley

Book Blurb:

In the peaceful California coast city of Playa Maria, CRIME WRITER ZOEY KOZINSKI joins a local police officer for a ride-along in hopes of breaking through her writer’s block. But during a routine traffic stop, the cop is shot, the victim of a brutal homicide.

Zoey realizes she is the only witness and the number one target on the killer’s hit list. PTSD kicks in, sending her into a tailspin. It doesn’t help that she lives on an illegal cannabis farm and that her estranged mother has just arrived. Even the police officer’s widow points a finger at the writer, claiming she was a distraction, and the police department knew it.

Lurking on the fringes is a man who stopped briefly at the crime. Good Samaritan or sinister suspect? For her safety, Zoey needs to find out.

My Review:

I’m fence-sitting on this one. I liked it okay, but didn’t really feel compelled to sit down and finish it up.

It’s one of those that gives you the who as it hooks. That doesn’t mean it’s all over. No. Zoe is up to her eyeballs in the thick of it, having witnessed the killing of the police officer who allowed a ride-along for Zoe, who is experiencing writer’s block.

Unfortunately, not only does she witness the killing, but she is, in turn witnessed. Not the best thing if she wanted to remain hidden and anonymous. Of course, her notes for her book appear to implicate her in the murder of the officer (something his widow latches onto—her being a deadly distraction)…and I always hate that obvious assumption. We know there are so many ways these days to prove it wasn’t her.

Zoe might have had some additional development, although she is not one-dimensional and she has an interesting friend in Harvey. I love the location, beautifully depicted in description as well as the town’s inhabitants. Once she realizes she has been exposed, things get dicey and ramps up the suspense considerably.

You can’t say it isn’t entertaining. I love those small California coastal town settings; they create such a vibe, but you’d better know the town better than the perp if you’re to survive! If you enjoy suspense thrillers, you may very well give this one a try.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

Rosepoint Rating: Three point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Murder, Psychological Thrillers, Murder Thrillers
Publisher: Level Best Books
ASIN: B0FMGNWM2D
Print Length: 307 pages
Publication Date: September 9, 2025
Source: NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

The Author: Vinnie Hansen fled the South Dakota prairie for the California coast the day after high school graduation.

A reading addict since childhood, Vinnie is now the author of the Carol Sabala mysteries. The seventh installment in the series, Black Beans & Venom, was a finalist for the Claymore Award. She’s also written two stand-alone novels titled Lostart Street and One Gun as well as over 60 published short stories. Her flash fiction, “Bad Connection,” won the 2015 Golden Donut Award from the Writers’ Police Academy.

Vinnie is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and the Short Mystery Fiction Society.

Still sane after 27 years of teaching high school English, Vinnie has retired and lives in Santa Cruz, California, with her husband and the requisite cat.

Happy Autumn

Silent Creek by Tony Wirt #BookReview #DomesticThrillers #NetGalley

Book Blurb:

The bestselling author of Just Stay Away and Pike Island returns with the pulse-pounding story of a prodigal son sorting friend from enemy in a small town trembling with secrets.

Jim McCann was a high school basketball star destined for the NBA. Then an injury shattered his knee and his dreams. Disillusioned, he cut ties with his stifling hometown.

Years later, he returns for his father’s funeral. Finding that his mother has dementia, he reluctantly takes over the family propane business. But there’s a silver lining: reconnecting with Kyle, his childhood best friend, and meeting Kelli, the only one who understands his struggle to fill his own big shoes.

There’s a dark cloud too. Colton Reid, a troubled former classmate, still holds an old basketball grudge. And after Kyle convinces Jim to fire him, the disturbing incidents begin. Nothing too serious at first—until the stalking hits Jim where he lives, unleashing a cascade of grave revelations.

Now there’s no denying things have gone too far. As the stakes spike, Jim learns what he’ll do to protect himself, his loved ones, and the home that won’t let him go.

His Review:

James McCann left Silent Creek just after high school. He decided he would never return to that town. However, upon his father’s death he is the only one who can care for his mother, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease. He is met by his childhood friend Kyle, who was running his father’s business for years. Kyle is kept on but James is taking over the reins of the firm.

A ne’er-do-well named Colton keeps screwing up his job and is fired. Silent Creek is a small town and there are very few jobs available in the area. Colton has a burning hatred/jealousy for the McCann family and for James in particular. Things begin to happen that are much more than mere accidents. The suspect is Colton, who is thought to be seeking revenge for the loss of his job, family, and future in Silent Creek.

This story is well written and includes a surprise ending I did not expect. The characters are well developed and the action moves along believably. Read and enjoy this story. 4.5 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

Rosepoint Publishing: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Domestic Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
ISBN-13: ‎978-1662530111
ASIN: B0DFZ3Z58H
Print Length: 255 pages
Publication Date: October 7, 2025
Source: Publisher and NetGalley

Title Link(s):

Amazon-US | Amazon-UK | Barnes & Noble

The Author: Tony [Wirt] was born in Lake Mills, IA, and got his first taste of publication in first grade, when his essay on Airplane II: The Sequel appeared in the Lake Mills Elementary School’s Creative Courier.

He’s a graduate of the University of Iowa and spent nine years doing media relations in the Hawkeye Athletic Department. He’s also been a sportswriter, movie ticket taker and Dairy Queen ice cream slinger who can still do the little curly thing on top of a soft serve cone.

He currently lives in Rochester, MN, with his wife and two daughters.

Have a good week!