All Good People Here Follows the story of reporter Margot Davies and her endless quest to solve a cold case that has haunted her for more than 20 years. When Margot was 6, her friend and pageant princess January was brutally murdered. Margot was never able to get over the trauma of January’s death, and during Margot’s time as a reporter she came across another case that was eerily similar to January’s but was never able to tie the two together. Margot travels back to her hometown, the town where it started all those years ago to help her ailing uncle and while she is there ANOTHER murder happens that is ALL to familiar. Will Margot be able to crack this case?
Ashley Flowers is the co-host of the true crime podcast “Crime Junkies”, and this is her debut novel! I’m a huge Crime Junkie fan, I listen to it all the time! I love Ashley and Britt, so I was super pumped when I was approved for this arc, and I had really high expectations! Ashley is an incredible story teller, and this book is very well written.
This book is written in multiple points of view, going from Margot in present day to January’s mom Krissy. I like how Ashley tied the story together between the present and past. This story is a SLOW burn, and it points the finger at literally everyone, so trying to figure out who done it is pointless, which I LOVE. Throughout the book the reader is pointed very convincingly at almost everyone.
One of the things that took away from this book for me was the murdered pageant princess plot. It’s a story we are all too familiar with, and one we all wish we knew the answer to. I feel like that aspect didn’t add to this story, and I wonder if Ashley meant for the parallels to be so strong? To me, it was almost a tired re-telling of that infamous case. While we do find out who and what, the ending felt so rushed for me, and it left a lot of loose ends. One minute we are in a very tense scene with Margot, and the next, its over. It just fell flat for me in that sense.
Overall I enjoyed this book. It was very well written, and stellar for a debut novel. Thank you NetGalley & Random House for my copy of this thriller!
It’s the LAST day of my NetGalley series, and I CAN NOT wait to share this book with you! Today we’re going to talk about Gallows Hill by Darcy Coates. Gallows Hill is a gothic, paranormal, psychological ride, and I want on! I love a good coming home story, and this one sounds delicious!
DAY 5
Gallows Hill
Description
Darcy Coates brings you a brand-new horror novel that’ll take your breath away… Gallows Hill is: Perfect for fans of Jennifer McMahon and Simone St. James For lovers of ghost stories and anyone mesmerized by the twisted secrets of the past
The Hull family has owned the Gallows Hill Winery for generations, living and working on the beautiful grounds where they grow their famous grapes. Until the night Mr. and Mrs. Hull settle down for the evening…and are dead by morning.
When their daughter, Margot, inherits the family business, she wants nothing to do with it. The winery is valued for its unparalleled produce, but it’s built on a field where hundreds of convicts were once hanged, and the locals whisper morbid rumors. They say the ground is cursed.
It’s been more than a decade since Margot last saw her childhood home. But now that she’s alone in the sprawling, dilapidated building, she begins to believe the curse is more than real-and that she may be the next victim of the house that never rests…
All the vibes with this one! I love a good paranormal mystery. I haven’t read any books by this author yet, this will be my first, and I can’t wait to devour it!
Also By Darcy Coates: The Haunting of Leigh Harker From Below The Whispering Dead The Haunting of Ashburn House The Haunting of Blackwood House Craven Manor The House Next Door Voices in the Snow
I have 5 books on my NetGalley shelf, and I want to talk about ALL of them so I’m sharing one book from my shelf every day for 5 days. I can’t squeeze them all into one post, so here I am, making a NetGalley series!
I’ve been reviewing on NetGalley for a few years now, and I’ve met a lot of really great books there! They make it easy for us reviewers to support the authors we love- and share the books we love!
If you’re new to book reviewing, you should stop reading this and go get a NetGalley account- It’s easy, and free! Right now, I have 5 books on my shelf, and I’m excited about ALL OF THEM!
I only request books I REALLY feel like I would be interested in, so when I get approved, I’m always SO stoked, and when I get declined it’s a huge bummer. My toxic trait is buying all the books I get declined for….so that’s been working out for me!
DAY ONE
All Good People Here
Description
In the propulsive debut novel from the host of the #1 true crime podcast Crime Junkie, a journalist uncovers her hometown’s dark secrets when she becomes obsessed with the unsolved murder of her childhood neighbor—and the disappearance of another girl twenty years later.
You can’t ever know for sure what happens behind closed doors.
Everyone from Wakarusa, Indiana, remembers the infamous case of January Jacobs, who was discovered in a ditch hours after her family awoke to find her gone. Margot Davies was six at the time, the same age as January—and they were next-door neighbors. In the twenty years since, Margot has grown up, moved away, and become a big-city journalist. But she’s always been haunted by the feeling that it could’ve been her. And the worst part is, January’s killer has never been brought to justice.
When Margot returns home to help care for her uncle after he is diagnosed with early-onset dementia, she feels like she’s walked into a time capsule. Wakarusa is exactly how she remembers—genial, stifled, secretive. Then news breaks about five-year-old Natalie Clark from the next town over, who’s gone missing under circumstances eerily similar to January’s. With all the old feelings rushing back, Margot vows to find Natalie and to solve January’s murder once and for all.
But the police, Natalie’s family, the townspeople—they all seem to be hiding something. And the deeper Margot digs into Natalie’s disappearance, the more resistance she encounters, and the colder January’s case feels. Could January’s killer still be out there? Is it the same person who took Natalie? And what will it cost to finally discover what truly happened that night twenty years ago?
Twisty, chilling, and intense, All Good People Here is a searing tale that asks: What are your neighbors capable of when they think no one is watching?
I am a HUGE Crime Junkie fan, so when I heard that Ashley Flowers herself was writing a book, YOU GUYS, I HOPPED ON IT SO FAST! I’m starting this book today, and I can’t wait to share my review with you all when I’m finished!
All Good People Here comes out on August 16th so mark your calendars and set your alarms! If you’re into murder-mystery, small town-who done it, coming home stories, you won’t want to miss this book.
Happy PUB day to Sally Hepworth and The Younger Wife! Thank you Netgalley & MacMillan Audio for my audiobook ARC! This was a good listen, and I really enjoyed it!
The younger wife is a gripping tale of family drama and secrets. This book follows Stephen Aston, an esteemed heart surgeon at the top of his career, his two daughters Rachel and Tully, and his new fiancé Heather. The problem? Stephen is still married. The other problem? Stephens wife Pam has advanced dementia. When Stephen and his fiancé Heather announce their engagement over lunch, the very FIRST time the girls meet her, they are understandably shocked! As this story unfolds so does Stephen, he’s secrets, and who he really is.
This story is well written with relatable characters who we really get to know throughout the book. This was my first Sally Hepworth book, and I really enjoyed it. Throughout the book the reader is left questioning a lot about what’s really going on, and if what we think is happening is actually happening! This book is written in 3 POV- Rachel, Tully and Heather which made it interesting but I think it would have added a creepy layer if we were to also have seen it through Stephens eyes. I was left questioning a lot about him, his actions and motives. I mean a lot of times sociopaths don’t need motives BUT I wanted it!
This was a solid book for me, the only thing that I really felt took away from the story was the epilogue. It didn’t really go anywhere.
Overall I liked it and I will definitely pick up more books by this author! If you like family drama and juicy secrets, this is the one you will want to pick up!
Get your copy of The You her Wife by Sally Hepworth HERE
If you’re interested in all things Sally Hepworth Check out her WEBSITE
Twenty-five years ago, when Maggie Holt was five, her parents moved into Baneberry Hall, an infamous estate in Vermont. Only a few weeks later they fled in the dead of night, never to return. Maggie’s father wrote about their experience in the house, a tell-all ghost story that swept the nation. Now, after 25 years Maggie is back at Baneberry hall, putting the pieces together to figure out what really happened the night her family fled. I’m just going to say it. Hi, my name is Lindsay, and I’m a Riley Sager fan girl. Always have been always will be, and his books will always be a yes for me. With that said, Home Before dark was no exception, and it checked every creepy, twisty mystery box that I love when I read psychological thrillers, and I will absolutely recommend NOT reading this book before bed. Don’t make the same mistake I did guys! What I loved the most about this book was that I predicted every twist and turn….I predicted them all so incredibly wrong. If you think you know, no you don’t! P.S.-I love a strong female protagonist, and Maggie Holt did not disappoint! Thank you @riley.sager for another Gem. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/10 would definitely recommend. Go buy this book!
“I’ve always felt like, when someone sees me deep down, that’s it. There’s something ugly in there, or unlovable, and you’re the only person who’s ever made me feel like I’m okay.”
SWOON! Poppy and Alex forever!
People we meet on vacation is the first book I have read by Emily Henry, and all I have to say is YES to this slow burning atmospheric romance. Poppy and Alex have been best friends for ten years. He is stoic, reserved, and slightly neurotic, while she is the complete opposite. Bright, loud, and hilarious. Every summer they take the most epic of vacations together, all the while falling deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole that is their complicated love. I fell in love with the cast of characters in this book right away, and it had me laughing out loud before I finished the first chapter. I fell completely in love with Poppy, she is funny, charming, and the chemistry she shares with Alex is complete FIRE. This book is a slow burn, which I have to admit, I am not used to when it comes to romance. I am used to the fast paced, falling in love happily ever after romance books, and I can tell you right now, this is not that. Okay, I digress, there IS happily ever after, just not how I predicted it, which I LOVED. People we meet on vacation is written in a dual timeline, switching between each year’s epic summer vacation, to the current summer, which I thought gave the book and the characters evolving relationship a lot of depth. The reader really gets to know them, and the changing dynamics of their love story. We get taken on such amazing adventures with these two characters, Canada, Croatia, Nashville, Vail….honestly, the adventure and atmosphere of everywhere this book takes us one thousand percent makes up for the slow burn. While I was sitting there thinking, OKAY LET’S GET TO IT, Y’ALL LOVE EACHOTHER LET’S MAKE OUT NOW, I was also swooning over every new place we would be swept off to, wondering where the author would take us next.
I loved this book. It’s the perfect book to read in the dead of winter, curled up with a cozy blanket and hot tea. It’s the perfect vacation!
Pippa Fitz-Amobi is a BADASS! This is the strong, smart protagonist I have been craving and I👏AM👏HERE👏FOR👏IT! . Pippa is a true crime junkie with aspirations to be a first-rate journalist. When it comes time for her final year project, she chooses her small towns most notorious unsolved crime-the murder of Andie Bell. What starts innocently enough, her project soon turns into an unraveling of secrets and lies that leaves Pippa questioning everything she thought she knew about this case- and some of the people closest to her! With the help of the alleged killers brother, the two of them take on this project with fearless grit, and won’t stop until they have found the REAL killer.
This is a brilliant debut that takes us straight into the investigation alongside Pippa and Ravi, unraveling clue after clue.
I felt like I was investigating right along with the main characters, each clue and new person of interest leaving me with more questions. I love a twisty mystery, and wasn’t at all expecting this one! I was with them until the very end. Each character is so well developed, and I found myself falling in love with fearless Pippa and her unwavering determination for justice. Honestly, I could talk all day about the things I loved about this cast of characters! Holly Jackson knocked it our of the park with this debut novel, it’s a fantastic read for all ages whether you are 13, 30 or 100. Definitely my favorite read of 2020, and guys, there is a SEQUEL!😳 Good Girl, bad blood came out in April of this year, and-drumroll please- book 3 is set to come out next year! It just keeps getting better, and I can’t wait to get my hands on these books! Get them, read them, and let’s talk about them!
First of all I want to say THANK YOU to Simon & Schuster Scout Press & NetGalley for my advanced copy of The Drowning Kind by Jennifer Mc Mahon. Without the wonderful publishers and Netgalley I wouldn’t have the opportunity to review so many fantastic books. I love what I do, and I couldn’t do it without them!
So, let’s talk about this delicious morsel- Not only is this book beautiful, it is a modern day ghost story and that is something I can NOT miss! Jennifer McMahon is the author of one of my favorite books, The Winter People, and from the sound of it, this book is going to be just as good.
DESCRIPTION👇
Be careful what you wish for. When social worker Jax receives nine missed calls from her older sister, Lexie, she assumes that it’s just another one of her sister’s episodes. Manic and increasingly out of touch with reality, Lexie has pushed Jax away for over a year. But the next day, Lexie is dead: drowned in the pool at their grandmother’s estate. When Jax arrives at the house to go through her sister’s things, she learns that Lexie was researching the history of their family and the property. And as she dives deeper into the research herself, she discovers that the land holds a far darker past than she could have ever imagined.
In 1929, thirty-seven-year-old newlywed Ethel Monroe hopes desperately for a baby. In an effort to distract her, her husband whisks her away on a trip to Vermont, where a natural spring is showcased by the newest and most modern hotel in the Northeast. Once there, Ethel learns that the water is rumored to grant wishes, never suspecting that the spring takes in equal measure to what it gives.
Do you like ghost stories? Paranormal thrillers that will keep you up at night, guessing and checking every noise you hear? If that is your jam, Jennifer McMahon is your girl! I was never really into the paranormal stuff until I read The Winter People, and I was hooked. Not only does she write a kickass ghost story, but the mystery had me reeling! I love a good twisty book.
What is your favorite ghost story?
The Drowning Kind will be published on April 06, 2021, so keep an eye out for it!
My Bookstagram is something that brings me a lot of joy. The people I have met through my insta and blog have been so lovely, positive and supportive. I have made a lot of friends on this journey. I love being able to show support for emerging authors, and those that have been in the game awhile and may not need it, but have an amazing piece of work that deserves nothing less than a blast on social media! I love hearing from authors and it humbles me when an author reaches out to me with kind words and would like me to help promote their work. Honestly, you won’t find a more positive place on social media than Bookstagram, so if you’re feeling down, (hello 2020🙄) go check out all the wonderful bookstagrams on insta, I promise it will brighten your day!
Since we have been spending more (Ugh, all ) of our time at home, I have had plenty of time to look up all of the new and exciting goings-on in the literary universe…….And I am going to share a few of them with you!
There are a lot of books coming out that I am excited about, (By a LOT of great authors) and I hope, by the end of this list, you are excited about a few too!
The Silent Wife
“Atlanta, Georgia. Present day. A young woman is brutally attacked and left for dead. The police investigate but the trail goes cold. Until a chance assignment takes GBI investigator Will Trent to the state penitentiary, and to a prisoner who says he recognizes the MO. The attack looks identical to the one he was accused of eight years earlier. The prisoner’s always insisted that he was innocent, and now he’s sure he has proof. The killer is still out there.
As Will digs into both crimes it becomes clear that he must solve the original case in order to reach the truth. Yet nearly a decade has passed—time for memories to fade, witnesses to vanish, evidence to disappear. And now he needs medical examiner Sara Linton to help him hunt down a ruthless murderer. But when the past and present collide, everything Will values is at stake . . . “
The Silent Wife will be released on July 28, 2020
Home Before Dark
“What was it like? Living in that house.“
“Maggie Holt is used to such questions. Twenty-five years ago, she and her parents, Ewan and Jess, moved into Baneberry Hall, a rambling Victorian estate in the Vermont woods. They spent three weeks there before fleeing in the dead of night, an ordeal Ewan later recounted in a nonfiction book called House of Horrors. His tale of ghostly happenings and encounters with malevolent spirits became a worldwide phenomenon, rivaling The Amityville Horror in popularity—and skepticism.
Today, Maggie is a restorer of old homes and too young to remember any of the events mentioned in her father’s book. But she also doesn’t believe a word of it. Ghosts, after all, don’t exist. When Maggie inherits Baneberry Hall after her father’s death, she returns to renovate the place to prepare it for sale. But her homecoming is anything but warm. People from the past, chronicled in House of Horrors, lurk in the shadows. And locals aren’t thrilled that their small town has been made infamous thanks to Maggie’s father. Even more unnerving is Baneberry Hall itself—a place filled with relics from another era that hint at a history of dark deeds. As Maggie experiences strange occurrences straight out of her father’s book, she starts to believe that what he wrote was more fact than fiction.”
Home Before Dark will be released on June 20, 2020
The Waffle House On The Pier
Run away to Sea Salt Bay, where the sand is warm and soft, the sea is a perfect blue, and a candy-coloured waffle house is about to change Sadie’s life…
For as long as she can remember, Sadie’s grandparents have run the waffle house on the pier at Sea Salt Bay. With its pretty painted chairs, sweet smells, and the warm advice of her beloved grandparents, the waffle house is like a second home.
But when Sadie’s grandfather dies, leaving her grandmother without an anchor, Sadie must make a difficult decision. She quits her job and moves back home, determined to keep things going. The trouble is, she knows nothing about running a business, and learning at a million miles an hour with a shop full of hungry people isn’t easy. When she nearly burns the waffle house down, she has to admit she needs to get some help.
Her ex-boyfriend Declan promises to be there for her but Sadie worries that getting too close is a mistake – especially as he has a new girlfriend now. And anyway she’s just met newcomer Luke, with his gorgeous suntan and mellow voice…
Sadie’s family have always loved Declan and they’re not too sure about Luke, leaving Sadie unsure which way to turn. A terrible accident at sea forces her to look into her heart, but what if it’s already too late to tell the right man that she loves him?
If you love stolen kisses under the pier, walking along spray-capped shores eating ice cream, and books by Lucy Diamond, Jill Mansell and Jenny Colgan, you will fall in love with this romantic, heart-breaking read.
The Waffle House on the Pier will be released on June 25, 2020
The Guest List
A wedding celebration turns dark and deadly in this deliciously wicked and atmospheric thriller reminiscent of Agatha Christie from the author of The Hunting Party.
The bride ‧ The plus one ‧ The best man ‧ The wedding planner ‧ The bridesmaid ‧ The body
On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The groom: handsome and charming, a rising television star. The bride: smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher. It’s a wedding for a magazine, or for a celebrity: the designer dress, the remote location, the luxe party favors, the boutique whiskey. The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed.
But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human. As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. The groomsmen begin the drinking game from their school days. The bridesmaid not-so-accidentally ruins her dress. The bride’s oldest (male) friend gives an uncomfortably caring toast.
And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why?
The Guest List will be released on June 2nd, 2020
Invisible Girl
ONDON:On a fine avenue of grand houses, big cars and electronic gates, lies a neglected urban wasteland
It is nearly midnight, and very cold. Yet in this dark place of long grass and tall trees where cats hunt and foxes shriek, a girl is waiting…
When Saffyre Maddox was ten something terrible happened and she’s carried the pain of it around with her ever since. The man who she thought was going to heal her didn’t, and now she hides from him, invisible in the shadows, learning his secrets; secrets she could use to blow his safe, cosy world apart.
Owen Pick is invisible too. He’s thirty-three years old and he’s never had a girlfriend, he’s never even had a friend. Nobody sees him. Nobody cares about him.
But when Saffyre Maddox disappears from opposite his house on Valentine’s night, suddenly the whole world is looking at him. Accusing him. Holding him responsible.
Because he’s just the type, isn’t he? A bit creepy?
INVISIBLE GIRL: A story of secrets and injustices, and of how we look in the wrong places for the bad people while the real predators walk among us in plain sight.
Invisible girl will be released on August 6, 2020
One By One
Getting snowed in at a beautiful, rustic mountain chalet doesn’t sound like the worst problem in the world, especially when there’s a breathtaking vista, a cozy fire, and company to keep you warm. But what happens when that company is eight of your coworkers…and you can’t trust any of them?
When an off-site company retreat meant to promote mindfulness and collaboration goes utterly wrong when an avalanche hits, the corporate food chain becomes irrelevant and survival trumps togetherness. Come Monday morning, how many members short will the team be?
One By One will be released on September 8, 2020
Magic Lessons
Where does the story of the Owens bloodline begin? With Maria Owens, in the 1600s, when she’s abandoned in a snowy field in rural England as a baby. Under the care of Hannah Owens, Maria learns about the “Unnamed Arts.” Hannah recognizes that Maria has a gift and she teaches the girl all she knows. It is here that she learns her first important lesson: Always love someone who will love you back.
When Maria is abandoned by the man who has declared his love for her, she follows him to Salem, Massachusetts. Here she invokes the curse that will haunt her family. And it’s is here that she learns the rules of magic and the lesson that she will carry with her for the rest of her life. Love is the only thing that matters.
Magic Lessons is a celebration of life and love and a showcase of Alice Hoffman’s masterful storytelling.
Magic Lessons will be released on October 6, 2020
Mark your calendars and set your alarms so you don’t miss any of these awesome summer/fall releases. I hope you find a few that you are excited about, and if you do, let me know!
The Literary Wife 