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Elizabeth is a college professor whose ordinary semester takes a terrifying turn when one of her students submits a story that feels disturbingly familiar. It tells the story of her best friend’s affair with a teacher twenty years ago—and the murder that followed. A murder Elizabeth committed. Someone knows what she did, and they’re revealing the truth chapter by chapter. Now Elizabeth has to figure out who’s behind the story before her darkest secret reaches its final page.
Started this late last night and immediately got sucked in. From the synopsis, I somehow assumed Elizabeth’s friend had been willingly involved with the professor, but then… why would Elizabeth murder him unless something much darker was happening? Something wasn’t adding up. Elizabeth didn’t exactly have the easiest childhood either, growing up with an alcoholic mother who has now apparently found God and completely changed her life.
And then there’s Elizabeth’s current love life—or lack thereof. She has a detective friend-with-benefits situation going on with a man who very clearly wants more than sex, while she refuses to go there. Personally? I probably would. Hey, I’m trying to empathize with our main character here. :))
Anyway, Elizabeth returns to the town where she grew up because she suspects Ivy, her childhood best friend, might be the one sending her pages from this mysterious novel. Except Ivy was involved in what happened too, so exposing Elizabeth would mean exposing herself. And apparently these two weren’t exactly amazing at keeping their gigantic murder secret. Ivy confessed to a priest, Elizabeth confessed to someone whose identity we don’t know yet, AND the local police chief remembers them from back then—especially Elizabeth, because he once caught her sitting in the parking lot of the motel where the murder happened. Mega smart move, Elizabeth.
But then we got a sex scene in a bar and suddenly this thriller became approximately 10x better. Is hooking up in a bar bathroom gross? Absolutely. But if you’re going to get fucked like that… honestly, I’m not sure the surroundings matter anymore.
And OF COURSE Noah, the mysterious hot bathroom guy, turns out to be the son of the professor who was abusing his students. But he seems nice??? Listen. When a hot man and good sex are involved, my judgment becomes temporarily unavailable.
I was pretty sure I had figured out the first twist—and I DID. So proud of myself. But this book just kept getting more fucked up, and at that point my biggest question became: WHO THE HELL IS HANNAH?!
And woooow. I absolutely demolished this book. Started it last night and finished it today. We officially have a successful popcorn thriller on our hands! I guessed two of the three big twists. I definitely thought Hannah was going to be someone else, though, so that reveal actually got me GOOD. The book kept playing with my head, making me suspicious of basically everyone, and honestly? The sex scenes were ridiculously good for a thriller.
And no, I don’t think it’s weird that I’m rating the sex scenes too considering I basically survive on thrillers and dark romance.
What genres do you guys read? And please recommend me something that might actually drag me out of my comfort-reading zone.
Book Addict, book blog, book blogger, book lover, Book Rec, book recommendations, book review, Book reviews, book thoughts, Books With Twists, crime thriller, Currently Reading, dark romance reader, mystery books, mystery thriller, Plot Twist, Popcorn Thriller, psychological thriller, Reader in the Mountains, Reading Journal, Someone Knows, suspense, suspense books, thriller, Thriller Addict, thriller books, thriller reader, twisty thriller, Vi Keeland -
You don’t even wanna know how many times I’ve DNF’ed this book.
I just wasn’t feeling it. But I’ve realized something about myself lately: I know I actually want to read a book when I find myself thinking about it while I’m not reading it. When I start wondering what happens next. When that little curiosity refuses to leave me alone.
So here we are. Attempt number… honestly, I’ve lost count.
And you might ask why I kept trying when lately I’ve become VERY proud of my ability to DNF without guilt. Well. TikTok.
I kept seeing videos of people reacting to this apparently insane twist, and unfortunately I am weak and extremely nosy. I needed to know what everyone was losing their minds over.
The story follows Detective Chelsey Calhoun after Ellie Black, a teenager who disappeared two years ago, suddenly walks out of the Washington woods alive. But Ellie isn’t exactly eager to explain what happened to her. She won’t say where she’s been, who took her, or why she seems determined to protect certain secrets.
And slowly, the case becomes much bigger than one missing girl.
Once I finally got into it, I understood why I kept coming back. This isn’t really a fast, nonstop thriller. It’s darker and more character-driven, and the story slowly pulls you deeper into what happened to Ellie and why Chelsey is so determined to uncover the truth.
And yes. There is a twist.
Did my jaw physically detach from my face and fall onto the floor? Maybe not 😂 But I genuinely didn’t see it coming, and suddenly so many little things clicked into place. It’s the kind of reveal that makes you mentally go back through the book and reconsider what you’ve been reading.
I’m actually really glad I gave this one another chance. Sometimes a book isn’t bad—you just meet it at the wrong time. And apparently The Return of Ellie Black and I needed several introductions before we finally became friends.
Moral of the story: sometimes DNF means not right now.
And sometimes TikTok peer pressure actually works.book blog, book blogger, book recommendations, book review, books worth reading, BookTok recommendations, Chelsey Calhoun, crime thriller, detective fiction, Ellie Black, Emiko Jean, Emiko Jean books, female detective, Goodreads books, kidnapping thriller, missing person mystery, mystery books, mystery thriller, plot twist books, psychological thriller, Reader in the Mountains, suspense books, The Return of Ellie Black, thriller book review, thriller books, thriller recommendations, twisty thrillers -
Wow, it’s September 1st. And apparently autumn decided to make an entrance because we woke up to the best possible surprise: a massive thunderstorm, pouring rain, dark skies, and that first little feeling that summer is finally slipping away. My iced coffee genuinely never tasted better. 🍂⛈️☕
And honestly? Bad Intentions was exactly the kind of thriller I wanted for the first day of September.
Josie Boots returns to her hometown of Burnville after seriously messing up her life, hoping to take care of her grandmother and somehow get herself back on track.
Except Burnville has a very long memory.
Twenty-five years ago, a horrific crime destroyed Josie’s family, and now a stranger is suddenly offering her answers about the secrets buried in her past. Then Josie witnesses a brutal crime right in front of her, and everything she thought she knew about her family starts falling apart.
Maybe being called the “bad seed” all those years ago meant more than she realized.
The story introduces its characters one by one, and almost immediately I had questions about everyone. Josie already seems completely exhausted by everything life has thrown at her, while also caring for her grandmother, who has cancer and refuses treatment. And yet, underneath all of that, she’s still fighting for some version of a normal life.
Then she meets a blue-haired girl who is new to town but somehow already knows things about Josie’s past. There’s also a mysterious man promising to reveal the secrets her grandmother has been hiding, eventually luring Josie toward a house connected to a woman who was once held captive there.
Like??? WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THIS TOWN?
It’s absolutely insane, but it’s also incredibly action-packed, and that is exactly what I want from this kind of thriller.
And then I finished it.
OH. MY. GOD.
I read this entire book in ONE DAY because there was simply no way I was going to sleep without finding out what the hell was happening in Burnville.
The deeper Josie digs into her family history, the stranger this little town becomes. There’s something almost old-fashioned about the power dynamics in Burnville, with women seemingly holding the town together—and controlling far more than Josie initially realizes. Add a seriously dysfunctional family reunion, decades of buried secrets, killers tangled into the town’s history, and people whose pasts refuse to stay buried, and I was completely hooked.
But one of the biggest surprises for me was the friendship at the heart of everything. I genuinely didn’t expect to care about it as much as I did, but I loved it.
This book was chaotic in the best possible way. Secrets on top of secrets, questionable people everywhere, a creepy little town with way too much history, and enough WTF moments to keep me glued to my Kindle.
Thunderstorm outside. Iced coffee beside me. First day of September. A thriller devoured in one sitting.
Autumn reading season has officially begun.
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Finally, at the end of summer—or, well, mid-August—I’m coming back to finish my beloved Legacy of Gods series by Rina Kent.
I was left with God of Ruin, which tells the love story between Landon, Brandon’s twin brother, and Mia, the twin sister of Maya and Niko Sokolov. And reading about their parents first made this book even more delicious. Give me family connections, generational trauma, questionable morals, and beautiful psychopaths and I’m seated.
Mia thinks she’s already gotten her revenge—until she catches the attention of Landon King, a brilliant, wealthy artist who decides to make her his newest target. What starts as a vicious battle of wills quickly turns into a twisted game where every move is calculated, every hit demands retaliation, and neither of them is willing to surrender. And somewhere between revenge, mind games, and undeniable attraction, the line between enemy and obsession starts to disappear.
I’m about 150 pages in, and honestly? I don’t really know if I’m into Landon and Mia’s dynamic yet. But it is written in true Rina Kent fashion: he hates her for no apparent reason, she hates him right back, he falls in love with her, she’s attracted to him, and BAM—suddenly we’re in the deep end. Insane how this exact dynamic somehow worked for six books, but it kept me reading, right? No complaints here.
I really love the gothic vibe Landon creates for Mia, especially the way he makes this creepy, haunted environment feel like a place where she can actually feel safe and secure. And the fact that they’re doing all of this in a haunted house that has exactly ONE modern room because apparently his art studio is the only place that matters? I love it.
Just imagine Mia running around in her panties and Doc Martens while Landon, looking like a Greek god who may or may not be a complete psychopath, is chasing her through a haunted house. And somehow this turns into kinky romance. Amazing. Absolutely ridiculous. Exactly what I came here for.
I’m starting to really like Landon—not only because of his artsy personality, but because this man FALLS FIRST. And when he falls, he falls HARD. I love that he was actually capable of loving someone this deeply, especially when his entire personality initially screams “emotionally unavailable menace.”
I’m also really curious about who took Mia’s voice, and now I’m even more curious about God of Fury. I’m so into the fact that Landon finally decided to become a better man with the help of his siblings because he didn’t want to lose Mia. I was craving this character development, and now that we’re getting closer to the man who stole her voice, I’m completely invested.
At this point, I had a feeling this book was going to be five stars.
And yes, I know myself. It was a five-star read for me, just like the rest of the series.
I absolutely loved Lan and Mia’s relationship and basically everything about them. The obsession, the chaos, the gothic atmosphere, the insanity—give me all of it.
Highly recommend, obviously 🖤
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I couldn’t stay away from a new-release dark romance for long. Apparently, I have no self-control. And honestly? I’m not even sorry.
There’s a serial killer stalking the city, carefully staging his murders like disturbing works of art. Our horror-obsessed film student, Reyna, becomes fascinated by the pattern and decides to recreate one of the killings for her film project—only to present it to Professor Maddox Shaw.
Who just happens to be the actual serial killer.
And because apparently that isn’t enough of a red flag, she starts sleeping with him.
Maddox is a famous artist, a professor, a serial killer, and somehow involved with a powerful secret society. When Reyna gets too close to their secrets, things go from forbidden professor romance to people are actively trying to kill me real fucking fast.
And Maddox? He’s perfectly happy to kill anyone who tries to take her from him.
Tell me that doesn’t give Dexter vibes. Except, you know… if Dexter were ridiculously fucking hot.
This book is LONG, but the descriptions are equally as elaborate. It’s incredibly immersive, the kind of story that pulls you deeper and deeper into its world until you forget you’re reading. And even though I’m only around 150 pages in, Maddox already has me completely hooked.
The way he falls for Reyna. The way he talks about her. The slow fucking burn of this romance when all you want is for it to finally SNAP.
It’s torture.
This is my first book by Avena Saint Graves, and apparently I decided to pop my cherry with Maddox Shaw. I’m not mad about it.
I do hate that Maddox is part of a secret society, that his parents were absolute idiots, and that he’s expected to marry someone from the Order in exchange for saving his brother from them. So technically, he’s more of a paid assassin than a serial killer who simply kills for the love of it—which is what I was expecting going into this. But honestly? The serial-killer vibes are still very much there.
And then I hit the halfway point and realized…
Oh. I fucking LOVE this book.
This is already becoming one of my favorites, and I’ve read the Holy Trinity of dark academia/dark romance: Gothikana, Nocticadia, and Enigma.
Maddox falling for Reyna is so fucking artistic that somehow I’m falling right along with him. I’ve gone to bed after 2 a.m. for two nights in a row because I keep devouring his words—and then lying there thinking about them like I’m slowly, accidentally falling in love too.
There is something about a man who falls first, knows exactly what he wants, and makes absolutely no secret of it.
I eat that shit up.
And when Maddox says his new favorite hobby is eating Reyna’s pussy?
I’m dead.
What a man. Truly a good sport.
The story itself is fascinating because there are SO many pieces still moving. Reyna is still searching for her father. Maddox hasn’t told her that he’s the killer. He hasn’t told her that he’s supposed to marry someone else. There’s the secret society, the Order, his brother, the murders, and whatever the hell is going to happen when all of these secrets finally collide.
The book is definitely on the longer side, but I never found myself bored. If anything, I became increasingly curious about how this entire insane situation is going to end.
Oh, how much I loved this dark romance.
I genuinely wish I could have attended Maddox’s class because… Professor Shaw, I am available. And those nighttime crime-scene rendezvous? Yeah. Reyna was one lucky girl.
Pink Ink is dark, obsessive, atmospheric, sexy, and completely addictive. It’s the kind of book that makes you say “just one more chapter” and suddenly it’s 2 a.m. and you’re lying in bed thinking about a fictional serial killer.
Highly recommend.
And not just for Halloween.
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A quiet New Hampshire lake. A murder from twenty-five years ago. A missing father. And a town full of people who seem to know more than they’re willing to say.
I loved this book. It’s the kind of thriller where you keep turning pages without realizing how much you’ve read because there is always something else happening. Secrets, lies, complicated relationships, family drama, debts, buried truths—and somehow, Edwin Hill manages to keep all of it moving.
Charlie Kilgore returns to his hometown determined to uncover what really happened the night his father allegedly murdered a man, nearly killed his mother, and disappeared. Charlie believes his father may still be alive, and he turns the mystery into a true-crime podcast in an attempt to finally piece everything together.
And I absolutely loved the podcast element. It gives the story this almost conspiratorial feeling, as Charlie starts pulling at one thread after another and realizes just how many people have something to hide.
One of my favorite parts of the story is Charlie’s relationship with Seton, the new Chief of Police. There’s already a complicated history between them—especially because Charlie’s father was allegedly responsible for killing Seton’s father that fateful night. Add in Charlie’s feelings for her, his brother’s mounting debts, his mother hiding the truth, a famous actress who has settled in town, and her connection to a powerful police chief… and suddenly this tiny lake town is overflowing with secrets.
And there are A LOT of secrets.
Honestly, so much happens in this book, and I was completely here for it. Mystery, action, tangled relationships, family secrets, lies, suspicious characters—I wanted to know everything. It’s the kind of thriller where you reach the end and think, wait, already? I’m not ready to leave this town yet.
But what made the atmosphere especially special for me was the lake setting. Charlie, Seton, and all these complicated little-town characters completely transported me there. I grew up spending my summers at the lake with my parents, so reading this felt strangely nostalgic. I could almost feel those summers again—and, honestly, I miss them. I miss that feeling, and I miss them.
The mystery stayed complicated right until the end, and I was genuinely invested in finding out how everything would unravel—and whether Charlie’s podcast would ultimately lead him to the truth.
I was also very relieved that some of the characters I had grown attached to made it through the chaos okay.
This was my first Edwin Hill book, but it definitely won’t be my last. I absolutely loved this one. It had everything I want from a thriller: atmosphere, secrets, messy relationships, twists, and that irresistible feeling that there’s still one more thing you need to uncover.
Edwin Hill, you’ve got yourself a new reader.
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August is still burning hot, my iced coffee is basically a personality trait at this point, and apparently I’ve decided the perfect summer escape is an abandoned mountain lodge where an entire family vanished without a trace. Very on brand. 🏔️🩸☕ I LOVE this vibe for my thrillers!!! Ah, so excited for this new release from Lisa Gardner.
You’ll Be Sorry follows newlyweds Raquel and Theo, who move to a remote New Hampshire town hoping for a fresh start after tragedy. Except their new home is the infamous Dixon Lodge, abandoned for thirty years after a family of six disappeared one August night, leaving behind nothing but bloody footprints.
And then a stray dog digs up a human skeleton on their property.
Now the old mystery is wide open again, the neighbors are suspicious as hell, everyone seems to have something to hide, and Raquel and Theo have secrets of their own.
A creepy mountain town, a gorgeous abandoned lodge, six missing people, and thirty years of buried secrets? Yeah. Cancel my plans. I need to know what the fuck happened here. 🔦🖤
The premise is SO good. We have action, mystery, ghost stories, and a foresty lodge in a small town full of curious and weird people. Such a summer vibe!
I really liked Amanda’s storyline and the fact that she’s trying to solve a crime her father couldn’t solve in his entire lifetime. I NEED that closure. I also think the new, suspicious couple was an interesting addition to the story. I mean, why the hell would you move into a house with such a tragic history? Usually, that kind of energy sticks around, cause we are all energy, right? You know what I mean… I wouldn’t move into a house like that. Everybody needs a good fresh start!
I think I actually enjoyed the detectives’ storyline the most, especially watching them slowly uncover what really happened. I also liked that the book didn’t rely entirely on the lying-and-secretive relationship between Theo and Raquel.
That said, the book was a little hard to follow at times because there are, like, 100 characters. Or maybe the fact that I’m reading at my desk at work instead of in the comfort of my own home means I can’t focus properly? Anywaaaaay… I read wherever the fuck I want.
I loved the forest, ghost stories, witches, Wiccans, and creepy small-town atmosphere, but this book was just way too long for me. It felt like one very long buildup that wouldn’t fucking hit already. Like a foreplay session that goes on forever, and by the time the punch finally comes, you’re already bored.
I did enjoy some of the twists, but there was simply too much happening for me to stay invested.
So this one is probably a 3-star read for me. ⭐⭐⭐
Great premise, fantastic atmosphere, and some twists I genuinely enjoyed—but way too long and ultimately not exciting enough for me.
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The first book in Karin Slaughter’s new North Falls series completely won me over. It was brilliantly crafted, gripping from the very first page, and so immersive that by the time I finished it, I’d already given it five stars without even stopping to think about a review. So when I found out the sequel featuring Emmy Clifton was coming out in the summer of 2026, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. The moment it landed on my Kindle, I knew exactly how I wanted to experience it: candles lit, sitting on the terrace with a homemade iced coffee in hand, ready for another unforgettable night in North Falls. Honestly, perfection.
The Secrets We Hide brings Sheriff Emmy Clifton back to the seemingly quiet town of North Falls after the brutal murder of Allison Vickery and the attempted murder of her teenage daughter. As Emmy and her sister Jude dig deeper into the investigation, they uncover a web of buried secrets, broken families, corruption, abuse, and lies that have been festering beneath the surface for years. In a town where everyone knows everyone, nobody truly knows the whole truth.
Karin Slaughter has officially become one of my favorite thriller authors. Her stories aren’t popcorn thrillers that rely on cheap twists or constant action—they’re layered, complex, and packed with emotionally charged storylines that slowly intertwine until everything clicks into place. Every revelation feels earned.
This book is dense in the best possible way. The mystery extends far beyond a single murder. What begins as one horrific crime unfolds into a deeply unsettling investigation involving domestic abuse, corrupt relationships, family trauma, long-buried secrets, and shocking connections that I never saw coming. I thought I had several of the twists figured out… I was wrong every single time, and I absolutely loved being proven wrong.
One of my favorite aspects of this series is Emmy and Jude. They’re intelligent, flawed, compassionate, and incredibly compelling together. Their relationship adds so much heart to a story that’s otherwise filled with darkness, making the emotional moments land just as powerfully as the shocking reveals.
This isn’t a thriller you’ll fly through in a single sitting because of nonstop action. It’s the kind of novel that asks you to pay attention, rewards you for doing so, and keeps building tension until you can’t stop thinking about it. Every chapter peels back another layer, making the mystery richer, darker, and more addictive.
And that ending… if Karin Slaughter was hinting at another North Falls book, then sign me up immediately.
A brilliantly constructed mystery with unforgettable characters, multiple intertwining storylines, and twists that genuinely surprised me. This is exactly how a thriller should be written.
Highly, highly recommended.
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Friday night is here, my coffee is probably far too strong for this hour, the candles are lit, and I’m settling in for one of those quiet nights spent reading, writing, and disappearing into fictional worlds until I realize it’s way past midnight.
And since spooky season is slowly creeping closer, I’ve been thinking about October on the blog. 🎃
For the past two years, I’ve made October a little darker around here.
The first year, I went completely insane and posted one thriller or dark romance review every single day from October 1st until Halloween. Thirty-one days. Thirty-one reviews. I still don’t know how I pulled that off.
Last year, I gave myself slightly more mercy and posted two spooky-season reviews a week throughout October.
But this year? I want to do something again. I just don’t know what yet.
I don’t think reading and reviewing 31 books before Halloween is particularly realistic—especially considering I haven’t even started my usual October reading yet. 😂 But I also don’t want spooky season to quietly pass us by because, excuse me, this little corner of the internet was practically made for dark books, murder mysteries, creepy houses, questionable men and stories that make you suspicious of every noise you hear after midnight.
So tonight, while I sit here with my coffee, candles and books, I’m handing October over to you.
What would you like to see from me this spooky season?
More thrillers? Dark romance? Horror? Murder mysteries? Paranormal books? A Halloween reading challenge? Friday-night spooky reads? Maybe a whole list of books we could read together throughout October?
And most importantly…
Is there a book you’ve been dying for me to read?
Drop it in the comments. Give me your darkest, creepiest, most what-the-hell-did-I-just-read recommendations.
Maybe this year, instead of me deciding what spooky season looks like around here…
we build it together. 🎃🖤
Now I’m going back to my coffee and my book. The candles are burning low, the night is still young, and I have absolutely no intention of going to sleep anytime soon.
Happy Friday night, friends. ☕🕯️📖
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Another warm August evening, another iced coffee sweating beside my Kindle, and somehow I’ve ended up in a seaside town where flowers hide bodies and serial killers flirt instead of running from each other.
Tourist Season follows Harper Starling, who will do anything to protect the strange little haven she calls home, and Nolan Rhodes, a man driven by revenge who arrives in Cape Carnage expecting to kill his next target—only to find someone just as dangerous as himself. With a true-crime investigator digging dangerously close to the truth, dark secrets, razor-sharp banter, and unexpected chemistry begin to bloom in the most delightfully twisted place imaginable. I already had a feeling this one was going to be chaotic in all the best ways. 🌊🔪🌺📖
The premise completely hooked me. Harper arrives in the bizarre little town of Cape Carnage—a place that lives off tourists from spring through autumn and somehow wears its name a little too well. She’s become the caretaker of an elderly man whose Alzheimer’s is slowly stealing his memories, a man who was once a notorious serial killer known for hunting other killers. One name still lingers over the town: La Plume, the elusive murderer everyone seems to fear.
Harper herself is hiding a devastating past. Years earlier, she survived a horrific car crash that killed a young man. Believing the driver responsible deserved justice after escaping punishment, she took matters into her own hands and disappeared, reinventing herself in Cape Carnage. But the past has finally caught up with her in the form of Nolan Rhodes—the dead driver’s brother. He arrives convinced Harper is the monster responsible for destroying his family, determined to hunt her down and make her pay. What he doesn’t expect is to discover that the woman standing in front of him isn’t the Harper he imagined… and that she’s every bit as lethal as he is.
Watching two serial killers circle each other, flirt, lie, and slowly fall in love while a murder investigation closes in is probably the wildest concept I’ve read in a while. It sounds absolutely ridiculous on paper, yet somehow Brynne Weaver makes it entertaining enough that you just keep turning the pages.
That said, I still have mixed feelings. Personally, I don’t think murder mysteries and dark romance always blend together perfectly. Sometimes I wanted to fully immerse myself in the mystery, while other times the romance took over, and I wasn’t always convinced the balance worked. The book definitely leans more into the crime, investigation, and action than the spice, which honestly surprised me.
I went into this because of the incredible Goodreads rating—even though I’ve stopped trusting ratings blindly over the years—and I was curious to see what everyone was raving about.
In the end… I had a good time. The chemistry between Harper and Nolan worked better than I expected, the humor landed, and the murder plot kept me engaged throughout. Would I recommend it? Maybe. I’m not desperately rushing to pick up the sequel, but I’m genuinely glad I met Harper and Nolan and experienced the wonderfully unhinged world of Cape Carnage. It’s weird, bloody, funny, and unlike anything else I’ve read this summer.
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