Tag: suspense

An Advanced Listening Copy Review of You’ll Never Know I’m Here by Kiersten Modglin

You’ll Never Know I’m Here
Author: Kiersten Modglin

Narrator: Stacy Gonzalez
Published: Available now as a book or e-book: New on audiobook on February 27, 2024
Audiobook: 5 hours 49 minutes

Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: February 13-16, 2024
Jessica’s Rating: 3.5 stars

Audiobook Description:

They tell the world what mysteries to read.
Soon, they’ll be caught up in one of their own.

When six book influencers take a weekend getaway to connect with their fellow creators, it’s meant to be a chance to relax, collaborate, and discuss all of the books they love.

But from the start, something’s clearly amiss. From the host’s mysterious absence and an unexpected guest to an odd occurrence in town and the strange and worrisome behavior of the neighbors, what starts out as an innocent and lively vacation quickly becomes a weekend filled with terror. And when one of the group members believes they see something horrifying at the house next door, their carefully laid plans begin to unravel.

Drawn into a mystery that runs far deeper and is more sinister than they could’ve imagined—and surrounded by those who refute their story—the group struggles to unearth the truth about the house and the couple next door before it’s too late.

As new questions and shocking revelations surface, the group must decide if they can trust each other—not only with their safety in the house, but with their lives entirely.

Readers’ worst nightmares come to life in this terrifying new thriller that tests the limits of friendship, explores the power of social media influence, digs into the depths of trust, and examines the desperate and dangerous lengths of obsession from million-copy bestselling author, Kiersten Modglin.

Jessica’s Review:

Anyone who reads thrillers and who might be termed as an ‘influencer’ will want to read this book! The premise definitely intrigued me. And our group of ‘influencers’ are thriller readers!  YES!  The book has been out for a couple of months but will be new to audio next week.

We have our MC Lena and she and some of her fellow ‘book influencer’ friends decide to finally meet up for a weekend getaway.  The rented home is in a small town away from just about everything, giving the reader a “We are in the middle of nowhere!” eerie feeling. And then things don’t go as they thought they would.  One in our friend group sees something unpleasant happen in another house…. or did they????

It’s a bit of paranoia and who knows what is going to happen? Who can be trusted?  This is another book that shows how social media is so mainstream: Everyone has to be an influencer and/or share everything that goes on in their life. No one has secrets anymore!

For me the characters came off as YA when they are in their 20s.  There was just drama and an immaturity to them. I do read YA, it is one of my ‘go to’ genres, but I prepare myself for what may be in that type of book when I go to read it.  And this one had it and that was a bit of a turnoff for me.  I was invested in what was going to happen and KMod’s books are shorter, so I was in it through the ending!  I also enjoyed Stacy Gonzalez’s narration. 

I have seen other reviews that other readers did not like the twist ending. I actually did: I ‘got’ what KMod was trying to say and I liked it!  I gave it an extra half star for that ending.  You really can’t say much without giving anything away, and I’m not going to!

Many thanks for the publisher for granting me a copy to listen to and review!

Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK

ALC Review: Her Silent Bones by Pamela Fagan Hutchins

Her Silent Bones
Series: Detective Delaney Pace book one
Author: Pamela Fagan Hutchins

Narrator: Stephanie Cannon
To Be Published: January 16, 2024
Audiobook: 10 hours 13 minutes

Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: December 14-22, 2023
Jessica’s Rating: 3.5 stars

Audiobook Description:

Fifteen years ago I watched my father’s murder.

Now, having never truly recovered from losing her father all those years ago, Detective Delaney Pace is devastated when her brother and sister-in-law are killed in a car crash. Packing up her life she heads back to the rugged cowboy town of Kearney, Wyoming. Her niece Kateena is just eleven years old and Delaney will do anything to keep her safe…

Now there’s another killer on the loose, and he’s already taken his first victim.

New to the local police force, when a body is found on a secluded mountain trail Delaney is called to the scene. Surrounded by imposing pine trees, a young woman lies still in the moonlight. Gazing into her dark, unblinking eyes Delaney’s heart pounds wildly in her chest as she recognises the victim. It’s her beloved sister-in-law: Kateena’s mother, Lila. But she died weeks before. Didn’t she?

There’s evil lurking in this town and I’ll stop at nothing to hunt down the truth and deliver justice. With Kateena traumatised all over again, when Delaney links Lila’s murder back to the place where her own father was killed she realizes she must face her own dark past to catch the man responsible. But little does she know that the killer has already made their next deadly move. Back at home, Kateena should be in bed sleeping soundly, but her room is empty. Kateena is missing…

Can Delaney uncover the truth behind the killings and save Kateena before it’s too late?

Jessica’s Review:

This is another thriller where the description grabbed my attention and I wanted to listen to it. Her Silent Bones is the first in a three-book series with all three books coming out January 16, 2024. So if you love this first book you will not have to wait for the next two to be released! Great job on that to the publisher Bookouture!

It is a fast read/listen and if you become attached to Delaney you will be fully invested and ready for the next book!

The beginning and the end were very fast moving for me, but the middle of the book just slowed for me and I almost lost interest in continuing the book, but I was just curious enough that I had to see what was going to happen next. I am glad I finished it, but I don’t think I will continue the series. The last portion of the book was building up for the second in the series. I am sure we will see readers/listeners continue this series. They will want to see what happens next with Delaney and others!

Many thanks to the publisher Bookouture for granting me an advanced copy to listen to and review!

Pre-order Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK

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ALC Review: Do Not Open by Kiersten Modglin

Do Not Open
Author: Kiersten Modglin

Narrator: Mara Wilson
To Be Released on Audio: December 26, 2023
Audiobook: 5 hours 4 minutes

Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To:  December 11-13, 2023
Jessica’s Rating: 5 stars

Book Description:

On the day author Mari Montgomery receives the email, she has little left to live for.

The message—simple yet utterly life-changing—offers a glimmer of hope to her dismal existence. It’s the opportunity of a lifetime, and if she takes it, it could change everything.

Mari’s immediate sense of unease is eclipsed only by her curiosity—elicited from the supposed fan on the other end of the email. Unsatisfied despite doing her due diligence, and with no way to discern the legitimacy of the sender, Mari takes a leap of faith and replies.

What harm could come from one innocent message?

Soon, as she comes face to face with her ‘number one fan,’ it’s all too clear things are not what they first appeared. Now trapped by a villain far more sinister than she could’ve crafted herself, the fate awaiting her is inspired by the darkest depths of the monsters in her own novels.

In order to escape and survive, Mari must use the strength of the heroines she’s spent years writing about. But this villain has spent years inside her worlds, too.

How will she defeat an evil who has learned from the best?

For fans of Misery, YOU, and Behind Closed Doors, million-copy bestselling author Kiersten Modglin brings us a haunting tale of obsession and survival in the form of a writer’s worst nightmare come to life.

Jessica’s Review:

I can round up my thoughts of Do Not Open saying this: It’s like Misery but on crack! It has a gender reversal and is set up for our time now with social media complications. I have only ever seen the movie once many years ago and had to watch it again after finishing Do Not Open.  Modglin may take the basics of King’s Misery, but definitely makes the story her own!

I guess this is every writer’s nightmare: Meeting your ‘number one fan’ according to said fan and end up fighting for your life. This novel may be troubling for some as the ‘#1 fan’ is a man and our author MC is a woman, and yes, we do have violence done against her. 

This story takes off from the very beginning and just keeps going!  There are issues dealing with grief, alcoholism, obsession, and survival.  Mari made some decisions I just didn’t agree with. I didn’t know where Modglin was going to end this story, and it did go in an unexpected direction for me!  When the big twist happened, I was confused and had to listen to the previous track again.  But OMG!  This unexpected direction deals with some serious emotions. This is the second audiobook I have listened to that was written by Modglin, but she is definitely on my radar now!

The audiobook is narrated my Mara Wilson.  Yes, that Mara Wilson! The little girl who starred as Matilda is all grown up now. She did a good job with her narration.

Do Not Open has been out since October 30th in paperback and will be out in audio on December 26th. I was fortunate to receive an alc from the publisher Dreamscape Media. It is a shorter audio book, just over 5 hours, but intense the entire time! 

Many thanks Dreamscape Media for the advanced listening copy! It was a pleasure to listen to this one! Just keep bringing on the thrills!

Purchase Links (As it is already out in physical/Kindle format. The audio will be out December 26, 2023):
Amazon US
Amazon UK

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