1. A STRANGER IN THE HOUSE by Shari Lapena
This is hands down the best book I’ve read in a couple of months. I actually finished it in one day (on the plane on the way to Banff!) because I couldn’t put it down! The premise is: Karen and Tom Krupp are happily married and still in the blissful newlywed stage, until one day when Tom gets home from work to find his house unlocked with Karen nowhere to be found. Her purse, ID and cell phone are still at home and his gut immediately tells him something is wrong. The police soon arrive at his door to inform him that his wife has been in a car accident in the worst part of town and has been taken to a local hospital. Karen survives, but has no memory of the entire night – however, when a murder is reported not far from Karen’s accident, the police begin to question whether or not she was involved. Karen realizes that she quickly needs to recover her memory and prove that she’s innocent – especially when she suspects someone has been in her house, moving her things around. For me, I really enjoyed reading about the relationships in this book, plus it has a few spine tingling plot twists… and I NEVER suspected the ending! I would rate this book five out of five stars.
2. NOT A SOUND by Heather Gudenkauf
This next one was actually discovered by my mom and she passed the book on to me – it’s another five star book! This book took me a little longer to get through because it’s a little heavier – there’s a lot going on and the characters are very dynamic and well-developed, so I took my time reading it and cherished every minute. After Amelia Winn loses her hearing in a tragic accident, she spirals into depression, ultimately losing her job, her husband and stepdaughter. Now, two years later and with the help of her hearing dog, Stitch, she is finally getting back on her feet. That is, until she stumbles upon the dead body of a former coworker while she is kayaking, and she is plunged into a disturbing murder investigation that threatens to take over her life. Amelia proves to be a very compelling heroine – I love how strong, quirky and independent she is (even if she does make some bad decisions in the book!) and I absolutely LOVED her dog, Stitch! There’s also a bit of romance in this book, too, and I always love when authors can deliver the romantic component while also delivering a true psychological thriller. It turns out that the author also has hearing loss, which inspired her to write the novel with a deaf heroine – this article on the author is really interesting and explains a little more!
3. LOCAL GIRL MISSING by Claire Douglas
This book was recommended by a reader (thank you to whoever suggested it!) and I really enjoyed it. I usually love to read at night, but I did have trouble reading this one at night because it made me so anxious and paranoid that someone was going to break in – haha! Francesca (Frankie) and Sophie were best friends for most of their lives, until Sophie disappears one night, and only her tennis shoe is found on the pier. Frankie has moved away and tried to move on with her life, until Sophie’s brother Daniel calls her to inform her that human remains have washed up on shore and that he needs her to come back home to help find closure. Frankie ends up renting an apartment for the week as she and Daniel start bringing up the past and asking questions around her hometown. A lot of really creepy things start happening – and Frankie begins to think she’s being haunted by Sophie’s ghost. There are a lot of plot twists along the way that I wasn’t expecting. Although it wasn’t quite as believable or as fast-paced as the other two, I would still recommend it. The plot twist at the end is definitely worth it!
4. THE LYING GAME by Ruth Ware
Words can’t describe how excited I was to read this new book by Ruth Ware, since she has authored some of my very favorite thrillers to date. However, this one was a letdown for me! I actually have incredibly mixed feelings about it… I really wanted to like it, but I just couldn’t. And although this book is penned as a “thriller,” I don’t really think that’s a good description for it – it didn’t have me on my toes at all. The book is a really slow-reading story of four best friends who attended boarding school together and were once inseparable. Now in their thirties, the discovery of human remains threatens to reveal a deep, dark secret that the girls have kept for 17 years. The plot ambles along toward the reveal of the mystery at the novel’s core, introducing us to a cast of uninteresting nobodies in a small, dreary coastal town that gave me the creeps (but not in a good, spine-tingling way). The “dark secret” that Ware alludes to throughout the book turns out to be incredibly underwhelming, particularly as it’s built up to be something utterly shocking. In the end, this book just didn’t work for me. I would steer clear of this one, but definitely check out her other two novels (which I loved!) The Woman in Cabin 10 and In a Dark, Dark Wood.
If you’ve read a really good book lately, let us all know in the comments please! 🙂
SHOP THE POST:
JavaScript is currently disabled in this browser. Reactivate it to view this content.
So sad to hear The Lying Game was disappointing because it was definitely on my list! A Stranger in the House sounds awesome!!
Rosy Outlook
I would highly recommend Never Let you Go by Chevy Stevens! My favorite book I read last month!
A Stranger in the House is on my to be read list! It sounds like a really interesting book.
I love your book reviews! <3
I just finished Shari Lapena's The Couple Next Door and The Night Sister by Jennifer McMahon. Both kept me in suspense and could not put them down. I rate them both 4.5 out of 5 stars!
I love your book posts Cait! I'm sorry to hear The Lying Game was a let down for you, I do love a good Ruth Ware novel!
I hope you're having a great Wednesday!
Michael
https://www.mileinmyglasses.com
You do excellent book reviews — thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing – I always love your book reviews!
omg I'm reading The Girl In Cabin 10 right now and I can't out it down! Going to New Zealand in a few weeks and I will for sure need a good book – I think I'll get The Lying Game!
Love these book posts
http://www.luellapearl.com
Caitlin
First of all, LOVE your hair in a bun! Also, Local Girl Missing sounds so good. Thanks for sharing!
Kim
http://trendkeeper.me – Sweater weather!
I love Ruth Ware, but I have to agree. The Lying Game was not good! I just finished A Stranger in the House and it was EXCELLENT. You should read the author's other book, "The Couple Next Door". Equally as twisty and riveting.
Love your book reviews! I wasn't sure about A Stranger in the House now I must read!
I'm reading Pretty Girls right now by Karin Slaughter…a lot of articles recommended it as a thriller!
I can't wait to read A Stranger in the House! I am reading The Marriage Pact right now and am really into it. It's very interesting and makes you think. Things seem like they are about to get more creepy – I am curious how it ends!
I always enjoy reading your reviews since you're into thrillers! I'm trying so hard to get into a few…i always chicken out of them! This is a complete 180 from thrillers but I just got done reading The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman. It's a romance novel set in the WWII era and LOVED it. I've been recommending it to EVERYONE! Like i said, it may not be your forte since it's definitely not a suspense novel, but worth expanding your interest to!
Cannot wait to start reading again after I have finished my master thesis in about two weeks! Thanks for the recommendations 🙂
♡Kristina
TheKontemporary
Two of your books were already on my wish list and now I can't wait to read them even more! I also just added another of your suggestions–Local Girl Missing. I am about 100 pages in the book "Behind Closed Doors" by B.A. Paris. I can't remember if you have read this one yet but I can't put it down! It's a thriller of course–my fave genre–I wish I had the time to finish it in one day! Even though I haven't finished it, I would definitely recommend it so far!
Love this post! x
http://www.evdaily.blogspot.com
gorgeous! love this post!
http://www.thelittleeblondie.com
Loved A Stranger in the House! Love your book reviews as well!!! I need some new recommendations!! The Lying Game is on my list to read, but now Im having second thoughts!!
The Almost Sisters was one of my favorite books this summer! Today Means Amen was my favorite book of poetry this summer, but two of my favorite poets had books come out recently that I still need to read!
I always love your book reviews! I always immediately add them to my reading list on Goodreads 🙂
Jordan: Teacup of Style
Instagram @teacupofstyle
I will definitely have to read a couple of these, thank you for sharing!!
xo, Jordan
jordan-rebeccablog.blogspot.com
I just finished 'The Woman in Cabin 10' and as a Ruth Ware fan, I was totally going to read her next book! I've heard from not only you, but numerous others that the lying game isn't the best.. I think I might pass on that! Thank you for your other suggestions.. I'm definitely going to be purchasing a couple of them! Love these book review posts, so fun!
-Emma
Thank you so much for sharing this! I've been looking for some new reads so this is perfect for me 🙂
Anika xo | anikamay.co.uk
All of them look amazing,
thanks for the recomendations,
Emma
http://www.emmalovesfashion.com
Your book reviews are some of my favorite posts! I just ordered The Lying Game from BOTM so I'm bummed to heat it's not really a thriller. I'm going to check out some of your other recommendations.
Check out Shari's other book, The Couple Next Door. So good. And also, Behind Closed Doors. Both are thrillers and I couldn't put hem down.
Always love your book reviews! I was on a thriller kick for the longest time but I read a few in a row that were complete busts so I went for something a little different. I highly recommend any book by Colleen Hoover, especially Ugly Love and November 9. I think you'll love them. They are easy reads and while they're not suspenseful, I still wasn't able to put them down. Definitely my favorite author at the moment. Hope you check them out and in the meantime maybe I'll get back into thrillers and check out some of your recommendations 🙂
You would LOVE The Marriage Lie if you like thrillers! I started an Instagram book club on my bookstagram account and it was voted as the pick for July. I read it in a day! Definitely unputdownable!! I blogged about it and the others I read in July if you want to check it out. I didn't have as much luck in August. You would LOVE The Light We Lost if you like romance! Soooo good and the ending will stay with you for days! >>>LaLa Life Blog
I love all your book reviews! 😍
I was also totally underwhelmed by The Lying Game. I just finished The Perfect Stranger by Megan Miranda. I loved it. I couldn't figure it out which I loved (usually I do). I just started The Widow but you may have read that already.
Final Girls!
We have similar taste in books and I think you would enjoy The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman. It has that years-old, "deep dark secret" element of The Lying Game but the payoff/twist is definitely worth it!
Thanks for sharing these honest book reviews with us. I am an avid reader – and always looking for new recommendations. On book I highly recommend is "A Gentlemen in Moscow" by Amor Towles. This is not a thriller – but it is an awesome novel. I could hardly put it down – and as fast as I could read it, I at the same time didn't want the story to end. Happy reading!!!
I always enjoy your book reviews, especially the fact that you talk about both books you did and did not enjoy.
https://shoppingbrake.com/
I could not wait to read The Lying Game and was disappointed as well. It did not have the same impact as the author's other two novels. The same level of "thrill" was not there.
The Lying Game was a let down for me too. For some reason I just never love Ruth Ware's writing style… however I keep picking up her books in hopes of liking one. You should give the author Karin Slaughter a try! Her thrillers are AMAZING!
I'm definitely adding A Stranger In The House to my GoodReads shelves! Thanks for the recs 🙂
http://dangerouslyme.com/
I'm glad I haven't picked up The Lying Game yet, since you don't think it's good! I just finished The Woman in Cabin 10 and while it gave me so much anxiety, i really enjoyed it!
xoxo, SS
Southern and Style
Love book reviews and I was eyeing the Lying Game so I think I'll read that next ! xx
http://www.raeinrose.com
These looks so good. I am going to add them to my reading list.
http://www.easys-tyle.com/
I'm definitely going to purchase Stranger In The House now! It seems like a book I'll love!
Great recommendations!
Cloe X http://clxelouise.blogspot.com
Thanks for your reading recommendations! I will definitely be adding "A Stranger in the House" to my reading list!
Allegra xx
http://www.allegraghiloni.com
Thanks so much for your reading recommendations! I will definitely be adding 'A Stranger in the House' to my reading list!
Allegra Ghiloni Fashion Stylist
http://www.allegraghiloni.com
If you have the time for an emotional roller coaster of a book and haven't read it already, definitely check out The Nightingale! I read it almost a year ago and I still can't stop thinking about it
Love these posts, thanks for sharing! I have loved all of your recommendations and keep adding them all to my list!
Just finished The Secret Life of Violet Grant and it was great! If you haven't read it you should check it out. Thanks for sharing!