Tag: Thriller

Five Survive by Holly Jackson

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

‘Five Survive’ has been one of my most anticipated reads, so when I spotted that I could grab a copy in the Waterstones post-Christmas sale, I could not turn it down. I mean, it has sprayed edges, so what more persuading did I need?

This book brings together a teenage road trip with a thriller. As a group of friends get stranded off the beaten track on their way to their break, they discover that maybe it was not as much of accident as they orginally thought. In fact, was this ‘breakdown’ all a set-up – but by who and, more importantly, why?

This is a fantastic read: absolutely thrilling, and you are on the edge of your seat at points as the drama intensifies. Told hour by hour in ‘real time’, you live through every event the characters do, feeling their panic and fear intensify as the time passes. And you are desperate to find out, as they are, exactly why it is happening.

For me, this really reminded me of a modern ‘Lord of the Flies’. How the relationships break down and change with no ‘adults’, and various people attempting to take different roles. Especially because, as more and more is revealed about the characters, the more the relationships and roles change and develop.

I was absolutely hooked. Holly Jackson has created a thriller that moves her writing on well from the ‘Good Girl’ crime fiction trilogy – and I am keen to see where else her writing takes us in the future.

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

The Book Taster has given us such a treat as the November book pick in the form of ‘The Paris Apartment’ by Lucy Foley. This has been on my wishlist for quite some time, so the fact that ‘The Book Taster’ granted that wish, and that I get to read this book with so many of my fantastic book buddies, makes it even more of a joy.

So, when it is a thriller, it can be so hard to write a post because I absolutely refuse to risk giving spoilers. So, please excuse me if this is not a particularly long or detailed post. However, I can tell you that I really enjoyed this book. The start is sufficiently creepy, which makes it an instant page-turner. You just have to know what happens next and if Jess can find her brother Ben.

Then we are led all through the mystery, from the eyes of many different characters, with twists and turns galore. Until a conclusion that I was not expecting – but one that was very well done.

I enjoyed this book a lot, but I am not sure it is my favourite of Lucy Foley’s books. It was just a little longer than I think it needed to be in the middle – but that could be more the fault of how tired I have been when reading it, rather than the fault of the book. I mean, I was still keen to pick it up when I had the chance to read it and find out where the story was going, so it is not a huge criticism – and I will definitely be recommending it to those who enjoy a thrilling read with a strong female lead.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

This is a book that I have seen around for quite some time – and as ‘The Maidens’ has also appeared to have taken the bookstagram world by storm too, I really wanted to give the books of Alex Michaelides a go.

And ‘The Silent Patient’ is a book that I think deserves the hype. It was a really fascinating and engaging thriller – told, I thought, in quite a unique style. Now, this is a really difficult book to try and write a blog post about, as I really do not want to give anything away, as this is a book that you need to read if you are a fan of a good thriller.

The tale is told from the point of view of Theo, the therapist who is determined to work out why Alicia carried out such an act of violence against her husband. And why, since that moment, she has not spoken a word or appeared to communicate in any way other than through one painting that she did after the violent and deadly attack on her husband. Theo sets out to find the truth and see if he can be the man who can get Alicia to speak – some would even say that he appears to be obsessed.

I know it is a cliche, but as a psychological thriller this is a real page-turner. I could not put this book down as I needed to know the outcome as we were drip fed snippets of information from Theo’s investigations and Alicia’s personal diary, which seems a surprise.

It has definitely got me keen to read ‘The Maidens’, as Alex Michaelides has proved that he has the skills to weave a chilling, thrilling read with quite the twist – or twists – throughout.

The Survivors by Jane Harper

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

When I spotted ‘The Survivors’ on the bookstagram grid, I was not sure how I had missed it – as I really enjoy Jane Harper’s books. So, when I spotted it in my favourite charity bookshop, I knew I had to pick it up, especially as I am still in a bit of a thriller mood with my reading. And another title that has multiple meanings which I think is great: survivors means so much in so many different ways in this book.

I was not disappointed by this novel at all. Jane Harper is the queen of creating an atmosphere, and she did it again with ‘The Survivors’. Although, this time, it was not about the Australian outback but about a coastal community, so this almost felt like a darker threat in some ways – this was not about the heat and the remoteness, but about the stormy nature of the sea and how that is reflected in the community after the murder of a young lady shakes the tight-knit community. And this also raises questions about the disappearence of a young girl over a decade before.

What keeps you reading is what always keeps you reading: the skeletons in the closets of all the characters you meet as the story unfolds. As you think that you have worked it all out, there is something else that leaves you suspicious of the people you are meeting.

Yet again, this book did not disappoint. I had a little bit of an idea who was probably to blame by the end, but only an inkling, and only just before the reveal. If you are a fan of a slow-burn, atmospheric thriller, then you need to read this – or any of Jane Harper’s books, really.

That Night by Gillian McAllister

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

As my desire to read crime and thriller fiction continues through the summer months, I picked up my second book by Gillian McAllister for this year – ‘That Night’.

I have to say that I think Gillian McAllister is the queen of the plot twist – and ‘That Night’ was full of them. But, as before, this is not just a crime novel; it is, again, an interesting study of human nature and character.

This book is focused around one set of siblings who have always been very close: they work together and they even live in the same row of isolated cottages together. The question is: how close are they? Are they close enough to cover up a murder?

Again, it is so hard to review such a book as I do not want to spoil any of it for anyone. However, I will tell you that it is a page-turner from the moment you start reading, and there are at least two gasp-out-loud twists – one I even had to re-read to check that was really where the story was now going.

Gillian McAllister writes an incredibly intelligent thriller, and is definitely becoming one of my go-to authors for this genre – I am glad that I still have a few in her back catalogue to read, because they definitely satisfy that thriller reader side of me.

How To Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

My third book of the summer is one that has been on the shelf since the January sales. ‘How To Kill Your Family’ by Bella Mackie has been everywhere (including my book shelf), so I appreciate I am very late to the party, which is why it had to be on my summer possibility pile.

However, now I have read it, I have had to take some time to process what I think about it. I cannot decide if I liked it or not, or if it was a book that was just a slow burn for me – and the more I read it the more I became invested in it. I almost felt like I needed to immediately speak to others who may have read it and find out if they enjoyed it or not, and try and get my thoughts organised.

I liked the idea of the book, but I do not think I liked Grace – I should have felt empathy for her, but I just found her a bit irritating, not as far-removed from the ‘distant’ family she was attempting to ‘deal’ with. But then, as I finished it, I wondered if in fact that was what I was supposed to think of Grace as the reader – because, no spoilers – the conclusion was clever. In fact, I thought the final quarter of the book was excellent and the twist (if that is what you can call it) was brilliant. In fact, once I approached the final quarter, I could not put the book down and I thought, well, actually perhaps I do like this book.

I understand that this is not a very helpful blog post – and I cannot give any spoilers – but I think this might just be the kind of book which will be a little bit marmite, and needs a bit of a debrief once it has been read. So, the big question is: have you read ‘How To Kill Your Family’? And what did you think? Because I still do not think I totally know what I think about it…

The Holiday by T.M.Logan

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

It seems very fitting that the first book I finish in my summer break is called ‘The Holiday’. I was not sure what I would think of this book, as sometimes a thriller that has had hype surrounding it can potentially be a let-down; however, ‘The Holiday’ definitely is not.

I found this book to be a thrilling page-turner. A slow burn, but not a slow-paced story (which I realise may sound like a contradiction), this idyllic-sounding holiday with friends soon becomes anything but. There are secrets, the weight of guilt and strange behaviours galore, as these supposedly best friends spend a summer in France.

I refuse to reveal any spoilers, but the ‘twist’, if that is what you can really call it at the end, had me; I fell right into its trap until the very final moment. There are so many great issues covered within the book too, especially the dangers of social media for the young. And it may leave you wondering how far you would be willing to go to protect those that are the most important to you.

This is a well-written and well-crafted crime thriller novel. I enjoyed the fact that we are mainly seeing the story from one perspective, but every now and then we are thrown into another, which may completely alter how you are seeing the story. It would make a perfect holiday read, although possibly not if you are off on a friends holiday to a villa in France…

So, if you want a thrilling read for this holiday season, pick up ‘The Holiday’ and see where it takes you.

Stranded by Sarah Goodwin

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

For some reason I am in a bit of a thriller-reads mood. So, I decided on ‘Stranded’ by Sarah Goodwin, which I managed to pick up at ‘The Tasting Notes Live’ in the Spring. Now, I know I say it every time, but it is difficult to write about some of these books without spoilers, so my post may be short but sweet.

‘Stranded’ reminded me ‘Lord of the Flies’: that great social experiment of what happens when you strand a group of people together on an island. Brought into the 21st century, a group of eight people are ‘stranded’ on an island, all in the name of reality TV. Something that will be a challenge of a lifetime, and the opportunity for them to build their own little community working together. Of course, nothing quite goes to plan and nobody seems to be quite as you expected.

This is a well-crafted, psychological thriller. And the characters are definitely brought to life on the page; I am not sure I would want to meet many of them in the real world. It is quite a study of people, their behaviour in extreme situations, and the importance of a clear structure to the society we live in.

A page-turner, and a thrilling and chilling read, it was certainly a book I enjoyed in my thriller mood. In fact, it made me pick up another thriller immediately – so I think that must be a sign of a good read that it has kept me wanting to read the same genre.

Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

Believe the hype – end of post!

No, in all serious, this book is worth the hype. I picked it up as a result of attending ‘The Tasting Notes Live’ event, and I do not regret it one bit. In fact, I even read past my bedtime as I could not leave it not knowing how the book ended. As with all thriller books, it is so hard to review, as I refuse to spoil it for others. However, I will try and help you understand exactly why you should pick this book up.

This book made me audibly gasp at least three times (page 159 was the loudest – and that moment still sticks with me), had me trying to play detective alongside Jen, and it got my heart racing at points as the tension grew.

It may seem strange that this novel so easily uses time travel (not a spoiler) as a realistic concept to help Jen find the answers that she is looking for – but it works. You do not feel like you are reading any kind of fantasy or unrealistic story; you are drawn into Jen’s adventures as she unpicks the story of her and her family, which she thought she always knew.

You will be hooked from the moment you start reading; you think the most shocking thing that can happen is in those first few pages, but how wrong you will be. Gillian McAllister is a very talented writer.

This book has secured all her other books a place on my tbr pile, and I absolutely can not wait to read more from her, as I know so many bookworms who love her work.

Anatomy of a Scandal – Readalong and Watchalong

by Bookworm&TheatreMouse

Tandem Collective UK not only kindly allowed me to read ‘Reputation‘ by Sarah Vaughan, but also gifted me a copy of ‘Anatomy of a Scandal’, which has also been adapted into a Netflix Limited Series.

So, let us start with the book – this is really a book for our time as the reputation of a leading politician is on the line as he is caught out for an affair with a junior aide. However, things become far worse for Mr Whitehouse, as he is to stand trial for the rape of the same woman.

This is not an easy read – and would carry some trigger warnings – yet it sensitively tackles the issue of consent and what really constitutes consent. But it also raises all those issues surrounding the ‘old boys club’ mentality of the corridors of power, and how gender and social equality is still not as it should be in those very same corridors. This is a novel of twists and turns which has you turning every page keen to see what may be revealed next – some of the secrets may seem to be clear, but I do think that the conclusion leaves some additional questions for the reader; is it really all tied up at the end?

As I read this, I did consider that it would make a great television courtroom thriller. I could even see some of the characters portrayed by certain actors. So, I was excited to start watching the series when it was released on Netflix. As TV adaptations go, it is pretty accurate to the story (maybe a couple of liberties) and the characterisation, overall, is excellent, just how I saw it as I read the book.

It is definitely a bingeable series with the same important messages that are carried through the book (carrying the same trigger warnings). In fact, as we watched, Mr Bookwormandtheatremouse muttered the words ‘and this is who we have running the country’, which is a key reason that I think that this is a novel for our time, as it reflects so many of the concerns we have with those who are in power.

Sarah Vaughan’s careful observation of the world around us and the issues that are constantly being raised in our society is bringing some brilliant books to the public. Books that will leave you reflecting on the world we are in, and possibly even reflecting on your own moral ideals. She has definitely become an author that I will always be keen to read more from – especially as she continues to create some fantastically strong female leads.