michelles_book_nook's reviews
252 reviews

challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

⚠️ CW: violence, murder and cannibalism ⚠️ If you're looking for a dark and thrilling crime fic then this one is for you! Dangling from a hook in a meat packing plant isn't how DS Washington Poe wants to spend his weekend. He's been punched and kicked and threatened, and when a contract killer arrives it seems things are about to go from bad to worse. He goes by the name of the Pale Man and he and his straight razor have been feared all over London for twenty years. But Poe knows two things the Pale Man doesn't. Although it might seem like a hopeless situation, Poe has planned to be here all along. More importantly, a nerdy, computer whizz-kid called Tilly Bradshaw is watching his back. And now things are about to get interesting. This short read was a good introduction to these characters for me as this is my first time reading from this author and these beloved characters. It really gripped me throughout but I don't think this read allowed me to get to grips with the characters like a full length book would so I hope to read more from these characters in the future so I can get to love them as much as everyone else. As I always say, I think short stories are so hard to get right but this one was written really well. Overall, I definitely recommend giving this one a read.

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The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell

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challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

⚠️ CW: murder, child abuse, domestic abuse, gaslighting, rape, blackmail, grooming and suicide ⚠️ Wow Lisa Jewell certainly didn't disappoint with this sequel to The Family Upstairs and I absolutely adored it! On an early June morning in London a bag of human bones is discovered on the foreshore of the Thames leading to DCI Samuel Owusu being called to the scene as he quickly sends off the bag for forensic examination. The bones are those of a young woman, killed by a blow to the head many years ago. Also inside the bag is a trail of clues, in particular the seeds of a rare tree which lead DCI Owusu back to a mansion in Chelsea where, nearly thirty years previously, three people lay dead in a kitchen and a baby waited upstairs for someone to pick her up. The clues point toward a brother and sister in Chicago searching for the only person who can make sense of their pasts and with four deaths, an unsolved mystery and a family whose secrets can't stay buried forever the story is far from over. This book was so intricate and complex from start to finish and had me absolutely hooked. The breadcrumb trail of information throughout as you slowly piece together various pov's, character developments and pieces from the first book truly grip you and take you on such an incredible rollercoaster ride of twists, turns and shocking revelations. Overall, I cannot recommend this book highly enough!

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The Ski Trip by Sarah Clarke

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

⚠️ CW: death, murder, violence, sexual assault, stalking, infertility, kidnapping and mentions of addiction ⚠️ This was an incredibly thrilling rollercoaster filled with twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end! When four friends embark on a boys skiing holiday in the Alps, they anticipate a weekend of fun, drinking, and some healthy competition on the slopes but their trip is cut short when one of them falls to his death. Tom’s widow, Zoe, travels to France with her friend, Ivy, to collect his body. While Zoe is consumed by grief, Ivy starts to question everything. The slope Tom fell from wasn’t even dangerous and tensions between the group were at breaking point in the days before his death, but if Ivy’s suspicions are correct it means that Tom was killed by one of his closest friends. And they are still in the chalet. This book had me absolutely hooked and I couldn't put it down! It's one of those reads where just when you think you've connected all of the dots, new information or evidence is dropped that makes you question everything and everyone. It is such a deeply complex storyline and I loved the intricacies of the plot and the characters connections. Overall, I loved this book and can't wait to read more by this author.

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A Welcome Reunion: A Short Story by Lucinda Berry

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challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

⚠️ CW: violence, murder, child abuse, mental health and mentions of self harm and rape ⚠️ If you loved The Perfect Child but wanted more from the cliff hanger ending then you need to read this book. Janie is the last person Hannah and Christopher Bauer want to see again but Janie’s moved back to Clarksville and she’s no longer the frail child that Hannah and Christopher adopted over 11 years ago who destroyed their lives. Now Janie is out of juvenile detention and publicly promoting her new tell-all memoir. At just 18, Janie has a violent and tragic story to share brimming with grisly details. However, Janie has now taken a new name and claims to have reformed her sociopathic ways and she’s ready to make amends. But when the Bauers refuse to meet with her, she takes matters into her own hands. After Piper, the social worker, formerly assigned to the case makes disturbing revelations about Janie’s calculated behavior, the Bauers brace for Janie’s next move, determined to protect their family at all costs. This short read was a great follow on from The Perfect Child and I loved the gripping tale of what happened next with Janie and the Bauer's. It's one of those that is really hard to review without giving spoilers but I loved the terrifying return of Janie. Overall, I highly recommend this one!

Content Warnings

I'm Not Done with You Yet by Jesse Q. Sutanto

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challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

⚠️ CW: gaslighting, racism, toxic friendship and murder ⚠️ If you're looking for a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat then you need to read this one! Jane is unhappy and struggling writer trapped in an underwhelming marriage with husband Ted, scraping by to pay for a mortgage for a house and a life that she’s never really wanted. There’s only ever been one person she cared about, one person who truly understood her, Thalia, Jane’s best and only friend nearly a decade ago during their time together at Oxford. But then the night of the formal which should have bound them together for good, drove them apart. Until now, because after years of searching Thalia is everywhere as she tops the New York Times bestseller list. And now Jane has found Thalia after all these years, she won’t let her go. This book had me absolutely hooked and I just couldn't put it down! It was so incredibly gripping and twisty, and it left me obsessed until the very end. From the characters, to the plot, to the ending. Everything was perfect. Overall, I adored this read and cannot recommend it highly enough.

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You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron

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adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

⚠️ CW: murder ⚠️ Charity Curtis has the summer job of her dreams, playing the 'final girl' at Camp Mirror Lake. Guests pay to be scared in this full-contact terror game as Charity and her summer crew recreate scenes from a classic slasher film, Curse of Camp Mirror Lake. The more realistic the fear, the better for business. But the last weekend of the season, Charity's co-workers begin disappearing. And when one ends up dead, Charity's role as the final girl suddenly becomes all too real. If Charity and her girlfriend Bezi hope to survive the night they'll need to figure out what this killer is after. This book was such a great fast paced and thrilling slasher to help get me in the mood for Halloween! It was mysterious and darkly heart pounding in the best ways and the twists were perfect. However I would have loved for it to be a bit longer, but if you're looking for a quick read to get you in the spooky mood then this is definitely a great choice. Overall, I highly recommend this book and can't wait to hopefully read more of this genre by Kalynn Bayron in the future.

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Blood on the Shore by Simon McCleave

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challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

⚠️ CW: murder, child abuse, sexual assault, rape and stalking ⚠️ If you're looking for a dark and incredibly gripping, heart pounding read then this one is for you. The beautiful Isle of Anglesey has been rocked by the brutal murders of three female students from a local college and DI Laura Hart has been called in to track down the murderer, who the papers have dubbed the Anglesey Ripper, before he strikes again. She quickly identifies a suspect but just as she is about to pounce, he slips through her fingers. Laura and the Beaumaris CID must pursue the serial killer across the island in an increasingly dangerous game of cat and mouse, but he's always one step ahead of them. And soon, the hunters will become the hunted. Simon McCleave has once again written an edge of your seat read that had me absolutely hooked and I could not put down! This book is so fast paced and intricately detailed, and weaves such a thrillingly clever storyline that really makes you feel like the clock is ticking. Also it was so great to see the character progression in Laura, her family and the rest of the CID team and it makes me even more excited for the next book. Overall, I loved this one and highly recommend it!

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The Maid by Nita Prose

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challenging mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

⚠️ CW: grief, murder, cancer, bullying, ableism and domestic abuse ⚠️ If you're looking for an intricately detailed murder mystery that is so much more than it seems then you need to read this book. It begins like any other day for Molly Gray as she silently dusts and cleans her way through the luxury rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel. But when she enters suite 401 and discovers an infamous guest dead in his bed, a very messy mystery begins to unfold. And Molly is at the heart of it all because if anyone can uncover the secrets beneath the surface and the fingerprints amongst the filth then it’s the maid. This book had me absolutely hooked from beginning to end and was filled with so many clever twists and turns. I loved Molly so much, especially her relationship with her Gran, but also I found it so infuriating how the majority of people treated her due to her being on the Autistic spectrum even though unfortunately this ignorance made it feel all the more realistic. And the ending was just so perfect! Overall, I really enjoyed this one and I highly recommend it.

Content Warnings

Black Lake Manor by Guy Morpuss

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

⚠️ CW: murder, cannibalism, gun violence and animal death ⚠️ If you're looking for a mind boggling murder mystery with a techy sci-fi twist then you need to read this book. Part time constable Ella Manning never thought she'd have to investigate her ex-fiance's murder, but that's exactly what happens when tech entrepreneur Lincoln Shan is found dead in his study the morning after a controversial product launch. Trapped inside Lincoln's mansion above the remote town of Black Lake, it's up to Ella to catch the killer. But Black Lake is no ordinary place and its strange history will make this the most baffling murder case of her career, because some of the town's inhabitants have the power to rewind time and someone is using it to protect a murderer. And just as Ella is sure she has identified the culprit, the last six hours are undone. With no memory of what she discovered before, her investigation begins again with very different results. But which conclusion was true? The race is on to find the killer before they strike again, and time is not on her side. This book had me absolutely baffled until the very end but I was so hooked that I would have happily read it in one sitting. Just when you think you know what is going on something else happens and makes you question everything you thought you knew about all of the characters. This story has a few different timelines ranging from 1804 to the books present day in 2045 that all have their own stories but they equally help feed you small breadcrumbs of information that help you piece together the puzzle of this murder mystery and it is done so well. Overall, I really enjoyed this one and I highly recommend it.

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Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

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challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

⚠️ CW: parental death, medical trauma, racism, xenophobia, suicide, domestic abuse, sexual assault, drug use, homophobia, gun violence, mentions of sexism and abortion ⚠️ If you're looking for a story about the complex relationships we encounter throughout our lives then this one is for you. Sam and Sadie first meet in a hospital in 1987 where playing together brings them joy, escapism, fierce competition and a very special friendship. Then, all too soon, that time is over and they must return to their normal lives. But when the pair spot each other 8 years later in a crowded train station the spark is immediately reignited, and together they get to work on what they love - creating virtual game worlds. Their collaborations make them global superstars but along with success, money and fame comes betrayal and tragedy. This book was definitely a rollercoaster with a lot going on but unfortunately it didn't quite live up to the hype for me. It touched on a lot of really poignant topics throughout the lives of Sam and Sadie and while I think those topics were written about really well, for me everything was slightly overshadowed by the fact I just couldn't seem to get over not liking Sam or Sadie's characters very much. It's hard to explain why without giving spoilers so if you've read this one and want to know why then you'll have to dm me 🙈 Also, I found it quite slow and it took me a long time to get into the story. Despite everything though, it is a really good story about friendships, love and life in general. And if you're into gaming then it has some great references that only gamers will truly appreciate. Overall, I recommend this one for people that like these kinds of reads but personally I think it's definitely one of those books that you either love or hate.

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michelles_book_nook's reviews 252 reviews

michelles_book_nook's reviews
252 reviews