#psychologicalthrillers – Rosepoint Publishing

The Girl on the Train: A Novel by Paula Hawkins #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday #psychologicalthriller

Best Books of the Year 2015

Book Blurb:

The #1 New York Times bestseller, USA Today Book of the Year and now a major motion picture starring Emily Blunt.

Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and night. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple having breakfast on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. Jess and Jason, she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel goes to the police. But is she really as unreliable as they say? Soon she is deeply entangled not only in the investigation but in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

My Review:

Sorry, not sorry, that I did not find Rachel sympathetic.

This is a novel I sucked into because it was a book of the year. Not the first time I’ve wondered if I read the same book alluded to in the raves. It wasn’t until I actually started this review that I discovered it also became a successful movie starring Emily Blunt. Well…Emily Blunt. Now I’ll have to go and look for the flick, but it won’t be involved in my review of the novel.

The Girl on the Train - US cover — The Girl on the Train – US cover

There are actually three main characters but Rachel Watson has the predominant POV. Also included in short chapter bursts are Anna and Morgan. They all share the storytelling, but it’s Rachel who is the most dominant and unreliable narrator. Excuse me, but did they all have to be so nasty? There’s no one here to invest in.

It’s Megan who goes missing. It’s Anna who is the sweetie who stole Rachel’s hubby (the rat) and became pregnant just to spite Rachel. Anna obviously knew Rachel couldn’t conceive, thank heaven, as with the amount of booze Rachel consumed, the poor thing would come out in the shape of a bottle.

Never mind all that. Rachel manages the money to continue to commute to the city every morning where she was fired for drinking and being totally obnoxious on the job. One morning on the way in though, she believes she witnesses what has to be a crime and she attempts to report it.

HA! No one takes her seriously. Would you? So she decides to find out what happened herself. Does this sound familiar at all?

The Girl on the Train - UK cover — The Girl on the Train – UK cover

The narrative manages a timeline shift as well as POV shifts, some stretching disbelief, some little more than a repeat, but therein lies a heavy philosophical study in the mind of three disparate women. There are twists galore, because…who do you trust to tell this tale?

The denouement, when it comes, may not be one of the answers you’d thought of, but is rather a let down anyway and my summation: meh.

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, Women’s Fiction, Literary Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Narrators: Clare Corbett, Louise Brealey, India Fisher
Release Date: January 13, 2015

Title Links:

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

The Author: PAULA HAWKINS worked as a journalist for fifteen years before writing her first novel. Born and brought up in Zimbabwe, Paula moved to London in 1989. Her first thriller, The Girl on the Train, has sold more than 23 million copies worldwide. Published in over fifty languages, it has been a Number 1 bestseller around the world and was a box office hit film starring Emily Blunt.

Paula’s thrillers, Into the Water and A Slow Fire Burning, were also instant Number 1 bestsellers.

Audiobooks with headphones — Graphic books and coffee courtesy Freepik.com

Too Old for This by Samantha Downing #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday #crimethrillers

Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Book Blurb:

Lottie Jones thought her crimes were behind her.

Decades earlier, she changed her identity and tucked herself away in a small town. Her most exciting nights are the weekly bingo games at the local church and gossiping with her friends.

When investigative journalist Plum Dixon shows up on her doorstep asking questions about Lottie’s past and specifically her involvement with numerous unsolved cases, well, Lottie just can’t have that.

But getting away with murder is hard enough when you’re young. And when Lottie receives another annoying knock on the door, she realizes this crime might just be the death of her…

My Review:

The first time the hammer came down, I was shocked out of my wits. She did what? I reread it. No, I was right. OMG!

Here I was, innocently enjoying a new surge in the books with senior main characters. It never dawned on me that what looked like on the surface as a sweet old lady, might instead harbor a serial killer. Well, of course, there is that book cover…

This is definitely not your average serial killer.

Lottie is living the dream. Self-sustaining, she is independent, capable, and wicked smart. She’d have to be to get away with her horrific background all these years, never having been caught.

So when a journalist arrives that wants to interview her, get her story, something has to give. If I had false teeth, I’d have dropped them. This is definitely a hook that will get you listening beyond preparing dinner.

Lottie is never going to win any contest for being an agreeable senior, easy to manipulate. That fiendish sense of propriety, humor and wit, there is very little that gets past her. And there is no way anything about her past could come out. That would just destroy the sweet and comfortable set up with her senior lady friends, circle of church acquaintances, and compelling and relaxed atmosphere she has created for herself in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

How does a writer give you a reprehensible character and make her charismatic enough to actually root for her? Do you? Maybe not. But watching her maneuver the sticky situations that ensue while listening to her new aches and pains attributable to her physical age or complaining about forgetting something important can be, admittedly, hilarious.

Where did she come up with her moral code, the justification? The book is addictive. The septuagenarian can hold her own with any street smart teen, meet them with their language, and best them in clever strategizing.

I think reading this book could be fun, but for even more fun, I’d recommend the audiobook narrated beautifully by Elizabeth Wiley. She hits all the nuances, the inflections, and manifests the dark humor. It’s compelling, engaging, entertaining. Suspend a little disbelief and enjoy the twists; the intellect is delicious.

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: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Crime Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers, Suspense
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Narrator: Elizabeth Wiley
Release Date: August 12, 2025

Title Links:

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

The Author: When the last child graduated from college I retired to the Oregon coast to become a sunny day gardener and a rainy-day writer. It rains a lot on the Oregon coast and I have written 23 murder mysteries, some cozies, some adventuresome in nature.

I have also written a 5 book scifi series I have published under the name Glenn Specht – Darkout – and additionally published the first two volumes of historic letters that will continue to grow- Fenner/Curtis Letters 1836-1852 Vol. I. Vol. II 1853-1856, plus several books of short stories including a non-fiction, anecdotal book on Dementia.

Be assured, when the sun is out I am in the garden weeding, planting, watering and shaking my fist at the deer. When the rain comes I write and have several books in the works.

Woman cooking dinner while listening to an audiobook. — AI generated by Gemini.Google.com

Forget You Saw Her: A Thriller by Noelle W Ihli #AudiobookReview #ThrowbackThursday

Book Blurb:

Seventeen years ago, Sabina made the most difficult decision of her life: giving her newborn daughter, Andrea, up for adoption. She’s lived with the guilt ever since, clinging to the hope that Andrea was safe, happy, and loved.

Then the letter from the police arrives.

Andrea Beaumont is a missing person.

Desperate for answers, Sabina dives headlong into a frantic search for the daughter she never knew. But the deeper she digs, the more certain she becomes that Andrea isn’t coming home.

And yet…as Sabina follows the disturbing trail of evidence, she swears she can feel her daughter reaching through her dreams, warning her—and guiding her toward the truth.

But someone else is watching—and keeping close tabs on Sabina’s search. And they’ll do whatever it takes to make sure the truth stays buried.

Inspired by true events, Forget You Saw Her is a standalone prequel to the blockbuster international bestseller Ask for Andrea, sure to keep readers gasping for air long into the night.

My Review:

Seems like I’ve been bumping into a number of books lately with the same common theme of adoption. It doesn’t sound like being female and adopted is a fun childhood and many of these books would have you kissing the feet of your own parents—if you have both.

I see by the posted reviews that this was a highly successful book, based on a true experience. Perhaps that makes it even more tragic, as this book contains a number of trigger warnings, not the least of which is abuse. With readers disclosing the level of emotion the narrative wrought, it was expected to be very poignant. And to some extent, it was.

Confession here—I have not read Ask for Andrea and, therefore, had no expectation other than the description in the blurb. You’d think then that the long, possible redundancy regarding some of the characters as they are fully fleshed would be familiar enough by those who had to become tedious. It was for me and slowed the pace to the point where there were small portions I might have tuned out.

Once again, noted it contained some elements of paranormal piqued my interest and, indeed, they were a point of re-engagement for me.

Somehow, I always look for the rainbow, good triumphs over evil, everything will turn out okay. In this novel, it is heart-breakingly unattainable. I never really attained a solid connection, still, a tragic event is emotional. The storyline is told through multiple POVs and is well plotted. The writing style is beautiful.

Not what the reader might expect. I didn’t get my happy ever after, maybe that’s my problem. You may very well find this a delicious, can’t put it down thriller. Go for it.

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 point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Psychological Thrillers, Suspense thrillers, Domestic Thrillers
Publisher: Simon Maverick
Narrators: Andi Arndt, Carlotta Brentan, Brittany Pressley
Release Date: November 4, 2025

Title Links:

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

The Author: USA Today bestselling author Noelle W. Ihli lives in Idaho with her husband, two sons, and three cats. When she’s not plotting her next thriller, she’s scaring herself with true-crime documentaries or going for a trail ride (with her trusty pepper spray).

Keep Them Close by David Ellis #AudiobookReview #DomesticThriller #TuesdayBookBlog

Book Blurb:

Two siblings. One murder. So many lies.

Siblings Allison and Luke have been through a lot together. They’ve always stood by each other. They’d do anything for each other.

Or so it seems.

When Allison’s husband, Finley, is murdered, the investigation threatens to expose the siblings’ darkest secrets. An illicit affair. A decades-old accident. A stunning deception. How do these events explain Finley’s death? How far will Allison and Luke go to keep their secrets buried? And can the siblings even trust one another anymore?

As the investigation winds tighter and past and present collide, the most shocking betrayal might lie a little too close to home…

My Review:

I usually love legal thrillers written by an attorney who knows the law, the ins and outs, and the manipulation of it. This is one of those, although the law can sometimes be a rather tedious subject also. That might be my problem here, as I have a notoriously short attention span and when it comes to thrillers, I want action, in court or out.

As much as I was impressed by Allison, sharp, intelligent, and quick witted, she also annoyed the socks off me sometimes. I often viewed her as entitled and there were a few times when she exhibited that arrogance to prove her point.

Several plot points going on in this domestic thriller. Turns out, between the two partners, she is the successful and, shall we say, more powerful person in this marriage. Given her husband is unfaithful and a waste at any of his get-rich schemes, perhaps it’s not wholly shocking that he should be the one who becomes the victim.

When Allison becomes the target of road rage, it appears to kick off a random list of unexpected twists. Allison has a great support team who adds an authenticity depth to the narrative and I enjoyed them. The plot turns complex with split POVs and timelines.

I felt the pacing waxed and waned a bit for me, the twists pushed boundaries of disbelief, but the ending may supply the gotcha you thought avoided. The ending neatly provides acknowledgment but left me angry with Allison.

Domestic history plays a heavy part in the denouement as well as sibling rivalry and tension. Allison plays her cards close, she knows the law, she can handle more than one case—that of her brother—and still handle a couple other nagging issues. Will one of those nagging issues spell the end of her storied career or end her relationship with her brother Luke?

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 point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Domestic Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Narrators: Robin McAlpine, Sean Patrick Hopkins, Kelli Tager
Release Date: June 30, 2026

Title Links:

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

The Author: David Ellis is a lawyer and the Edgar Allan Poe Award winner for Best First Novel for Line of Vision. Ellis attended Northwestern Law School and began his legal career in private practice in Chicago in 1993. He served as the House Prosecutor who tried and convicted Illinois Governor Blagojevich in the Impeachment Trial before the Illinois Senate. He was elected to the Illinois Appellate Court in 2014 and took office December 1, 2014. Ellis currently lives outside Chicago with his wife and three children.

Find David at David Ellis.com.

#TuesdayBookBlog

The Divorce by Freida McFadden #AudiobookReview #DomesticThriller

Amazon Charts #4 this week

Book Blurb:

What is a happily ever after really worth?

Naomi was living the quintessential love story. Boy meets girl. They fall in love, get married, buy a dream house, start a family . . . Then—he kicks her out, hires the city’s best divorce lawyers, drains their accounts, and takes up with a 20-something. It’s a brutal end to the story. Naomi should accept defeat: move into a dingy apartment, get back into the workforce, and piece together the shattered remains of her life. Except, why should she?

Instead, Naomi fixates on her husband’s new girlfriend. What begins as cynical curiosity soon twists into obsession—and then into something far darker. As Naomi uncovers secrets she never imagined, she realizes her own life may be in danger.

But if it keeps her perfect family intact, isn’t it worth it?

My Review:

Okay, pop quiz! Where have I read this plot before?

Pretty much everywhere, and, I think, including another McFadden book, change the names and dates.

And, indeed, this one starts out as the very familiar MC being locked out of her own house. Only this one actually buys a really stupid plan by her husband to get her out of the house and into a nasty NY rat-infested tenement. You’d feel sorry for her if she just weren’t so dumb.

When she finally figures out that she has been truly locked out—from her gorgeous mansion, from her bank account or credit cards, she begins to plot revenge.

Nice she could stumble onto the sweet young thing that caught his attention. Not so nice that she found a truly caring and sympathetic attorney to handle her side. The little boy? Her son? EEK! Maybe that’s where the thriller part comes in, but no, she wouldn’t hurt him.

Would she?

Sometimes the outrageous twists can add up to fun, but when they snowball over each other becoming more preposterous, can you still continue?

The swing from sympathy for Naomi wanes pretty quickly when we get deeper into the support characters. The problem here is that none of the characters elicit a lot of engagement. No one seems to make a sound decision and it all leads to explosive repercussions.

The plot goes from disbelief to insanity. It appears she has hit the final straw when she can justify violent actions and loses that final thread of reality.

So, is it entertaining or fast-paced? As soon as you think you’ve solved one mystery, there’s another signature McFadden zinger…may not make sense…but definitely heads everything in another direction. Throw in some of that barbed, snarky dialogue, short chapters that keep you starting another, the slow descent to madness, and it’s a quick distraction from the heavy stuff.

The epilogue? No. Again, just no.

Is there a genre called psychotic?

Okay, I must admit to having enjoyed Dear Debbie, my last McFadden book, but as I mentioned then, her books are hit or miss for me. Guess which one this was.

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: Domestic Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Narrator: January LaVoy, Edoardo Ballerini, Marin Ireland
Release Date: May 26, 2026

Title Links:

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

The Author: #1 New York Times, Amazon Charts, USA Today, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, 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 is the winner of the International Thriller Writer Award for Best Paperback Original, the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Thriller, and was honored as one of TIME 100’s most influential people in the world for 2026. Her novels have been translated into more than 45 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 dot com.

Impossible to Pause

Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden #AudiobookReview #DomesticThrillers

in Domestic Thrillers

Book Blurb:

Sometimes, enough is enough . . .

Debbie Mullen is losing it. For years, she has compiled all of her best advice into her column, Dear Debbie, where the wives of New England come for sympathy and neighborly advice. Through her work, Debbie has heard from countless women who are ignored, belittled, or even abused by their husbands. And Debbie does her best to guide them in the right direction. Or at least, she did.

These days, Debbie’s life seems to be spiraling out of control. She just lost her job. Something strange is happening with her teenage daughters. And her husband is keeping secrets, according to the tracking app she installed on his phone. Now, Debbie’s done being the bigger person.

She’s done being reasonable and practical. It’s time to take her own advice.

And now it’s time for payback against all the people in her life who deserve it the most.

My Review:

Sometimes, you just deserve something fun. I’ve read a number of McFadden books in the last few years. Admittedly some better than others. This one had my head swimming.

No way can my head swing that far out without needing a straight jacket. This protagonist is off her rocker. I stopped questioning what I was hearing and just listened for the pure joy of it. The narrators did a great job and I’m sure they enhanced the book somewhat but this plot was really going to keep my drop-jawed attention regardless.

Debbie can really think up some weird stuff. You’ve got to keep reading or listening just to see if she’s going to get away with it. But then it gets worse. She is seething with all the emotional baggage she’s been holding in and once the match is lit, she is ready to dispense with the rage and impotence. She will find a way to mete out some karma.

Oh, that delicious dark humor! It’s a great balance for the more serious scenes in the foreground. She is dealing with thieving neighbors and teenagers, one of whom has a despicable boyfriend, a husband doing mysterious things (an affair?), a lecherous boss who fired her over a questionable advice column she wrote, and a friend at the gym who is bizarrely interested in all things Debbie’s family.

And did I mention she is extraordinarily good at designing apps, one of which she’s installed on her family’s cell phones. There is just a heap of those little things careening out of Debbie’s psyche, including the one that happened while she was at MIT. That one was hard to overcome. Or did she?

It’s a bit insane. If you’ve read McFadden books before, you know the hit and miss, the characters that carve out a persona so real, you want to help, and the ones who don’t elicit more than a casual glance. This plot is fast. It’s almost criminally over the top—yeah—just enjoy that part. It’s engaging, entertaining, and a wild ride. The only part that let me down just a bit was the ending—the epilogue. Was that overkill? You be the judge.

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: Four point Five Stars

Book Details:

Genre: Domestic Thrillers, Psychological Thrillers
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Narrators: Julia Whelan, January LaVoy, Scott Brick
Release Date: January 27, 2026

Title Links:

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

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

Have a great day!

Two Audiobooks Mini-Reviews – Her Last Breath – The Last Word by Taylor Adams – #CrimeThrillers #Suspense

Here’s your chance at a Twofer! I offer a short review of two gripping audiobooks on one page; short, sweet, and spooky. You like spooky? Good! You’ll get it with either of these audiobooks, same author (Taylor Adams) made more fun with the narrators. (Links on individual covers are to Amazon.)

Oh, and if you like a little twist at the end that you didn’t see coming, have I got a book for you!

Her Last Breath: A Novel

Publisher: William Morrow
Narrator: Sophie Amoss

My Thoughts

Hang on to your hats because this one will have you caving (yes, caving!) with Tess and her BFF Allie. Allie is a successful travel influencer, having literally done some amazing globe-trotting jaunts to capture her followers.

Tess is claustrophobic and a debt-ridden legal assistant. Hassled by a stranger prior to entering the cave—unfortunately the type you descend into the depths rather than walk through an enclosed space—they realize the guy has followed them.

It isn’t long before the cave diminishes into a body-squeezing tube of blackness. GEES! If you’ve ever had a problem with tight spaces, this vividly descriptive, fast-moving plot will have your heart pounding and sweating bullets.

The deeper Tess goes, however, she realizes maybe the stranger isn’t the whole problem. Where is Allie? Tess leans heavily on bits and pieces of survival strategy she learned largely from Allie and her explorations. But who is Allie really and what is this whole adventure about anyway? Can Tess find her way out of the cave?

Well, as they say, “you’ll let out the breath you realize you were holding.” Maybe. But you’ll love it. So, something new and different. This gets intense! Lower your lights, the volume, and wrap that blankee around yourself. It gets cold in those caves!

Suspense fans? Thriller fans? It doesn’t get much more thrillerish than this. Released this year, it’s in your library. No excuses. Totally recommended.

The Last Word: A Novel

Best of #BookTok
Publisher: William Morrow
Narrator: Carlotta Brentan, Jim Meskimen

Well, this one will give us reviewers a few thoughts to ponder! A new tweak right out of the hook, an author who really, really, didn’t like the review Emma wrote. What else has she got to do? She’s house sitting in a house remotely located on the coast. (AH, cue the wind…)

Her neighbor recommended this book and Emma discovers it’s a solid DNF, but plods on through and actually leaves a one-star caustic review. (Yeah, no. I could have told her that.) Surprisingly, the author writes back and asks her to take it back off Amazon. She won’t do it.

Then he gets nasty. She digs in her heels.

Then he becomes threatening. She realizes it might have been an oops, but too late now.

So Emma didn’t take this house sitting job out there by herself, thank heaven. She has Laika, her dog. Loved the dog. Emma is busy trying to heal a broken heart, walking on the beach (highly overrated in the winter), drinking, and chatting with her neighbor via a whiteboard. Clever! And maybe someone should know about the crazy author who is stalking her? You might be able to predict the storm that has the rain and wind banging the doors and windows of this place, right? EEK!

Yes, I see it–Adams is a master at writing suspense, thrillers, builds in the tension, sprinkles it with a little humor, adds a spritz or two of disbelief, and develops some wildly wacky characters. He has a strong and compelling writing style, unique plots with race car pace.

I had a good time reading the reviews for this book. I’m aware this is not a debut novel. It’s funny to read, however, the reviewers who reviewed this one mentioning a one-star review they’d left before that were now nervous, or not, regarding Adams sudden appearance at their door.

Now THAT’S funny! Obviously, those previous reviews gave him the plot for this one. This standalone was interesting—somewhat scattered—somewhat over-the-top, with perhaps one too many twists? Obviously, I’d say the author has grown in his style, dialed back some previous overdoing, and found a happy compromise with his twists. If I were going to recommend a Taylor Adams book, though, it’d be the one above, and heartily at that.

The Author: Taylor Adams is the author of several acclaimed thrillers including NO EXIT and THE LAST WORD. His newest novel, HER LAST BREATH, released February 2026 to starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, BookPage, and Library Journal. His works have been featured as Book of the Month Main Selections and Amazon Editor’s Picks. NO EXIT has been published in 32 languages and was adapted as a Hulu Original film directed by Damien Power (Killing Ground), produced by PGA-winner Scott Frank (Logan), and starring Havana Rose Liu (Bottoms), Danny Ramirez (Top Gun: Maverick), and Dennis Haysbert (Breakthrough).

His novels have been praised by critics at The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post, and by bestselling authors including Joe Hill, Riley Sager, A.J. Finn, Michael Koryta, and Karen Dionne. “Taylor Adams is a master of suspense,” said Michael Koryta. “I’m already impatient to see what he does next.” Publishers Weekly wrote in their starred review: “Adams is a writer to watch.”

Adams lives in Washington State with his family.

Website
http://tayloradamsauthor.com/

Twitter
tadamsauthor

Many thanks to my local library for providing me with the opportunity to listen to these audiobooks. Any opinion expressed here is my own.

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!