4/5 stars The Writing Retreat , by Julia Bartz (2023) This is one of those books where it’s best to go into it knowing only the very basics - like, what’s on the back cover - so I won’t say too much. But I really enjoyed this literary murder mystery / thriller / haunted house story! Rosa Vallo is a famous author known for her feminist horror novels. She lives a reclusive life in a large estate in the Catskills, but once a year she invites a small group of female writers to h

3/5 stars Things Don't Break on Their Own , by Sarah Easter Collins (2024) TW: Domestic & child abuse Friends Willa and Robyn meet in boarding school, not long after Willa's younger sister Laika disappears. Throughout the year at school, they slowly develop a strong friendship, which develops into a romantic relationship. But the relationship fizzles when Willa learns that her father may be responsible for Laika's death, and leaves school to return home. As time passes, Will

2/5 stars The Staircase in the Woods , by Chuck Wendig (2025) I cannot recommend this book because of all the needlessly disturbing content. Honestly, if there's a trigger, this book has it. TW: Blood & gore, Extreme violence, Sexual abuse, Pedophilia, Self-harm, Drug & alcohol abuse, Death of a child/parents, Torture, Rape, Incest, Addiction, Domestic abuse .... you can view them ALL here: Storygraph - Content Warnings . With that in mind, it's hard to review this book beca

3/5 stars Model Home , by Rivers Solomon (2024) TW: Racism, homophobia & transphobia, child sexual abuse, emotional abuse, parent death,...

3/5 stars How to Solve Your Own Murder  and   How to Seal Your Own Fate , by Kristen Perrin (2024 & 2025) How to Solve Your Own Murder ...

3/5 stars Strange Pictures , by Uketsu (2022) Translated by Jim Rion This is an unconventional little murder mystery that has the feel...

3/5 stars The Last Murder at the End of the World , by Stuart Turton (2024) "Solve the murder to save what's left of the world..." It's...

3/5 stars Magic for Liars , by Sarah Gailey (2019) Private investigator Ivy Gamble's meat-and-potatoes work is mostly following cheating...

3/5 stars The Antique Hunter's Death on the Red Sea , by C.L. Miller (2025) Not quite as fun the first book, An Antique Hunter's Guide to...

1/5 stars The Enigma of Room 622 , by Jo ël Dicker (2020) Translated by Robert Bononno If I were the translator I'd take a biiiiiiig...

3/5 stars The Only One Left , by Riley Sager (2023) Kit McDeere is a home health aide, currently living at home with her father after...

4/5 stars Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) , by Jesse Sutanto (2025) Another cozy murder mystery with your favorite old...

5/5 stars Those We Thought We Knew , by David Joy (2023) Trigger Warning: Racially motivated violence It's hard not to just copy-paste a...

4/5 stars I Have Some Questions For You , by Rebecca Makkai (2023) Bodie Kane is a film professor and true crime podcaster in...

3/5 stars The Traitor , by Ava Glass (2023) A few years ago I read Alias Emma by Glass, and really enjoyed. Good spy novel. The Traitor...

5/5 stars The Book of Doors , by Gareth Brown (2024) Fantastic book for book-lovers! Cassie works at a bookstore in New York City. She...

4/5 stars Sleeping Giants , by Rene Denfeld (2024) TW: Child abuse and death, sexual assault, institutionalization, foster care I saw...

2/5 stars Absolutely Truly , by Heather Vogel Frederick (2014) This is a fun YA novel set in the fictional little town of Pumpkin Falls,...

3/5 stars Rubbernecker , by Belinda Bauer (2013) Patrick Fort has Asperger's syndrome (I know it isn't referred to that way anymore, but...

3/5 stars The Secret Book of Flora Lea , by Patti Callahan Henry (2023) London, 1939 - During the Blitz, as German planes bombed the...