Book Review: Hostage by Clare Mackintosh @claremackint0sh @sbkslandmark @Sourcebooks #Hostage #HostageBook #booksof2021 #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #booksonthebookshelf #5starreads

PUBLISHER: Sourcebooks Landmark

PUBLICATION DATE: June 22nd, 2021

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Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for the eARC of this title via NetGalley and also for sending me a physical ARC of this novel to read and share my review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK: 

You can save hundreds of lives. Or the one that matters most.

A claustrophobic thriller set over twenty hours on one airplane flight, with the heart-stopping tension of The Last Flight and the wrenching emotional intensity of Room, Hostage takes us on board the inaugural nonstop flight from London to Sydney.

Mina is trying to focus on her job as a flight attendant, not the problems of her five-year-old daughter back home, or the fissures in her marriage. But the plane has barely taken off when Mina receives a chilling note from an anonymous passenger, someone intent on ensuring the plane never reaches its destination. Someone who needs Mina’s assistance and who knows exactly how to make her comply.

It’s twenty hours to landing. A lot can happen in twenty hours.

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MY REVIEW:

I am a huge fan of books by Clare Mackintosh so of course as soon as I found out about her latest novel, Hostage, I just had to get my hands on a copy of this book!

I was hooked from the first page. Of course, after reading the synopsis for this novel you just know that it is the perfect recipe for an edge of your seat, thrilling and chilling read. And of course I was not disappointed. I enjoyed reading about Mina and her life – both as a flight attendant, as well as a mother and wife. Mina finds herself on a plane where everyone ends up being hostages. This novel sucks you in from the very first page and has you hooked until the very ending. You will find yourself flipping through the pages to see what will happen next and once you start reading you will not be able to put this book down.

I enjoyed reading about all the passengers on the plane, as some chapters were written from the POV of some of the passengers on the plane. It gives some back story to who some of the passengers are, why they are on the flight, some details about their personality as well as their life, and adds to the suspense of the novel. A well-written novel that I highly recommend. You will love this book!

Well done Clare. I look forward to seeing what you come out with next!

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MY RATING: 5/5 stars

Book Review: Falling by T.J. Newman @SimonSchusterCA @T_J_Newman #Falling #FallingBook #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #booksof2021 #booksonthebookshelf #5starreads

PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster Canada

PUBLICATION DATE: July 6th, 2021

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Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for the eARC of this novel via NetGalley.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

You just boarded a flight to New York.

There are one hundred and forty-three other passengers onboard.

What you don’t know is that thirty minutes before the flight your pilot’s family was kidnapped.

For his family to live, everyone on your plane must die.

The only way the family will survive is if the pilot follows his orders and crashes the plane.

Enjoy the flight.

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MY REVIEW:

Wow! I mean just reading the synopsis for this novel alone tells you that this book is going to be one hell of a ride! (or flight!) And of course I was definitely not disappointed! If you haven’t read this book yet then you must go…right now! Buy this book! You will not be disappointed.. you can thank me later! 

I was hooked on this novel from the very first page. I mean, imagine yourself in this situation. You are on a flight and your pilot’s family has been kidnapped and everyone on the plane must die in order for the pilot’s family to live. The novel is fast-paced, full of twists and turns, and what the heck will happen next moments. Once I started this book I could not put it down! I was hooked! Many pages had me gasping, as I sat on the edge of my seat and flipped through the pages to see what craziness was going to happen next.

A novel that I highly recommend you read now. I loved this book and I am looking forward to more titles by this author! Well done T.J. I’m keeping my eyes out for any of your future novels!

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MY RATING: 5/5 stars

 

 

 

Book Review: The Therapist by B.A. Paris @StMartinsPress @baparisauthor #TheTherapist #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #netgalley #booksonthebookshelf

PUBLISHER: St. Martin’s Press

PUBLICATION DATE: July 13th, 2021

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Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the eARC of this book via NetGalley and the physical ARC of this book to read and enjoy.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

When Alice and Leo move into a newly renovated house in The Circle, a gated community of exclusive houses, it is everything they’ve dreamed of. But appearances can be deceptive…

As Alice is getting to know her neighbours, she discovers a devastating secret about her new home, and begins to feel a strong connection with Nina, the therapist who lived there before.

Alice becomes obsessed with trying to piece together what happened two years before. But no one wants to talk about it. Her neighbors are keeping secrets and things are not as perfect as they seem… 

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MY REVIEW:

I am no stranger to books by B.A. Paris and she is one of my go to authors, so of course I was thrilled to find out about her latest novel The Therapist. 

I loved reading about Alice and her experiences of living in the tight-knit community in The Circle. A close group of friends/neighbours where Alice finds herself the newbie – the newest member of The Circle community. It is clear there are secrets and things that everyone else in The Circle is aware of that Alice herself is not privy to, and this adds to all of the suspense of the novel as Alice tries to catch up on what those secrets are and tries to uncover all the truths that everyone else seems to determined to keep locked up and hidden.

A whirlwind of secrets, lies and betrayals are slowly revealed and I was hooked from the first page. I couldn’t read the pages fast enough and flew through this novel.

A fabulous read that you must add to your TBR now if you haven’t read this book yet! You will not be disappointed! I’m looking forward to the next novel by B.A. Paris.

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MY RATING: 5/5 stars

Book Review: Kill All Your Darlings by David Bell @getredpr @BerkleyPub @DavidBellNovels #KillAllYourDarlings #summerreads #thrillerbooks #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #booksof2021 #booksonthebookshelf

PUBLISHER: Berkley

PUBLICATION DATE: July 6th, 2021

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Happy Publication Day to Kill All Your Darlings by David Bell!

Thank you to Berkley and Get Red PR for my copy of this book.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

After years of struggling to write after the deaths of his wife and son, English professor Connor Nye publishes his first novel, a thriller about the murder of a young woman.

There’s just one problem: Connor didn’t write the book. His missing student did. And then she appears on his doorstep, alive and well, threatening to expose him.

Connor’s problems escalate when the police insist details in the novel implicate him in an unsolved murder from two years ago. Soon Connor discovers the crime is part of a disturbing scandal on campus and faces an impossible dilemma–admit he didn’t write the book and lose his job or keep up the lie and risk everything. As the murders pile up, Connor must clear his name by unraveling the horrifying secrets buried in his student’s manuscript.

This is a suspenseful, provocative novel about the sexual harassment that still runs rampant in academia–and the lengths those in power will go to cover it up.

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MY REVIEW:

I am a huge fan of David Bell’s novels so of course I was thrilled to hear about his latest book, Kill All Your Darlings!  If you haven’t read this book I highly recommend it!

The novel is told in varying timelines and different POV’s. Parts are told in the present, when Dr. Connor Nye comes home to find a woman from his past sitting in his living room – her name is Madeline O’Brien. What could she want from Connor and why is she sitting in his home? Parts are told from Madeline’s POV from 2 years ago – she was a student and Dr. Nye was one of her professors. She suddenly disappeared without a trace. What happened? Did she leave on her own? Did something terrible happen to her? Parts are told from Connor’s POV from 2 years ago.

I enjoyed getting pieces of the puzzle bits at a time as we slowly get the idea of the fuller picture of what truly happened. I enjoyed reading this novel from the different POVs and from the different timelines, and it worked well in the novel to grab your attention and make you draw your own ideas of what is going on and what happened 2 years ago. There were many shocking revelations and twists that I did not see coming!

A definite must read that you must go read right now! I’m looking forward to the next David Bell novel!

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MY RATING: 4/5 stars

Book Review: The Hunted by Roz Nay @SimonSchusterCA @roznay1 #TheHunted #TheHuntedBook #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblog #bookblogger #booksof2021 #booksonthebookshelf

PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster Canada

PUBLICATION DATE: July 6th, 2021

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Happy Publication Day to THE HUNTED by Roz Nay!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for the physical ARC copy of this book as well as the eARC copy via NetGalley.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

The Beach meets The Woman in Cabin 10 in this twisty new thriller about two couples who meet backpacking through Africa, but what begins as friendship quickly turns to obsession, with deadly consequences—from bestselling author Roz Nay.

Stevie Erickson is looking for a fresh start. The sudden loss of her grandmother has sent her life into a tailspin, dredging up old losses and putting a strain on her relationship with her boyfriend, Jacob. So when Jacob is offered a job as a diver for GoEco, a dive operation for ecotourists on Rafiki, a beautiful, secluded island off the coast of Tanzania, he thinks it’s just the adventure they need and Stevie reluctantly agrees to go with him.

Their trip gets off to a rough start with a nighttime scare at their first hostel. Already fragile, Stevie can’t shake the feeling that she’s being watched. Things improve when they meet seasoned backpackers Leo and Tamsin, a drop-dead gorgeous couple who instantly take a shine to Stevie and Jacob.

But on Rafiki Island, their new friendship is put to the test, as is Stevie and Jacob’s own relationship. And when innocent flirting goes too far, past truths surface, exposing a killer in their midst—a killer whose sights are set on Stevie.

A high dive into the dangers of obsession, this sinister and seductive thriller will leave you breathless. 

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MY REVIEW:

Addictive, pulse-pounding, thrilling, and chilling – four fantastic words that describe this novel! So many OMG moments that had me gasping and flipping through the pages to see what was going to happen next.

Stevie has recently lost her grandmother and decides to go with her boyfriend Jacob on a recent job on Rafiki island. She thinks it would be a welcome distraction to her recent heartache and loss of her beloved grandma. However, what should be a joyful and carefree journey turns out to be eerie, creepy and chilling. Strange things are happening, Stevie often gets the feeling that she is being watched and followed, and scary, weird, unexplainable things begin happen on their journey as they make their way to Rafiki.

When they meet the beautiful couple Leo and Tamsin while on their journey, this is a welcome relief. They begin to make friends and have some companionship while on their journey to Rafiki. But strange, eerie things continue happening and it makes you question what the heck is going on. Is everyone who they appear to be? Does someone have something to hide? Is someone following them and watching them?

What unfolds will rock you to your core. You will be hooked as you read chapter after chilling chapter to uncover just what is going on. I loved the suspense and the mystery surrounding the whole novel and trying to figure out who was behind everything and trying to figure out why they were doing these things, what they wanted, and why they targeted who they did.

A fabulous book that I highly recommend!

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MY RATING: 4/5 stars