Kate returns to her childhood home when her mother breaks her hip. Her former best friend dies the next day but Kate has been haunted for a decade by the death of their friendship after a murder in the woods on graduation night. She becomes convinced that Emma was also murdered but does it link to the events of 10 years ago…?
Best Friends Forever is a psychological thriller and murder mystery set in America. Most of the book is written in the present day from Kate’s first person perspective but these are interspersed with chapters showing the night of the graduation party in the third person.
Kate ran away from her friends and family after the death on graduation night. She believes her best friend to be responsible for the murder and feels guilty about hiding the truth to protect everyone involved. Now she is forced to confront the past when she returns home to care for her mother. Her sister has been mute since that night but she hopes that their reunion can heal both their pain.
I think I suspected most of the characters of some nefarious dealings, lying and even murder. The tension builds over the course of the book as Kate deals with her recollections of the past and concerns abouts events in the present. There were lots of twists and I did guess most of them but this didn’t spoil my enjoyment as I worked through the clues alongside Kate.
Best Friends Forever has interesting and intriguing mysteries to explore in the past and present.
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Book: Best Friends Forever
Author: Shannon Hollinger
Pub Day: January 12th 2023
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About the Book:
I emerge from the trees, drenched in sweat, my voice lost as I take in the scene in front of me. The blood. The body. Emma’s eyes meet mine for a second. “It was an accident,” she whispers.
Emma and I were childhood best friends. We did everything together. Until that terrible night in the woods.
I couldn’t tell anyone what I’d seen. We never discussed it, but our bond was too strong; I could never betray my best friend. Even if she had killed someone.
But I also couldn’t stay in town and watch her live a normal life, knowing what she’d done. So I left.
Now, ten years later, I’m back. The guilt and the fear have stayed with me. And I have realized I need to reveal the truth if I’m ever going to move on.
But I never get the chance. Because the day I turn up, Emma is found dead, and the way she died means I start to doubt everything I thought I knew about that night all those years ago.
As my grief turns to anger at all those lost years of friendship, I realise with horror that Emma might not have been the only killer. Someone else is out there. Someone who was close to us both, someone who knew the smallest details of what had happened back then. Who from our small town could have murdered not once, but twice? And who’s next…?
An utterly gripping and compelling psychological thriller with twists and turns to die for. If you love Karin Slaughter, Paula Hawkins and Freida McFadden, you’ll love Best Friends Forever.
Author Bio
With degrees in Crime Scene Technology & Physical Anthropology, Florida author Shannon Hollinger hasn’t just seen the dark side of humanity – she’s been elbow deep inside of it! She finds writing to be a much cleaner way to spend her time than the autopsy suite. Most days it smells better, too.
Her debut novel, the psychological thriller Best Friends Forever, is the first of a five-book deal with publisher Bookouture.
Her short fiction has appeared in Suspense Magazine, Mystery Weekly, and The Saturday Evening Post, among a number of other magazines and anthologies, and her story Lady Killer was a finalist for the 2021 Al Blanchard Award sponsored by the New England Crime Bake.
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TRIGGER WARNING: sexual exploitation and grooming
Hannah and Rob are looking forward to their daughter Belle’s return from France. But Belle arrives a day late and with a fiance in tow. Hannah is horrified to recognise Jack as a man from her past but the truth will rip her family apart…
The Engagement is a psychological thriller set in the UK in the present day as well as the past. The majority of the book is written from Hannah’s first person perspective as we see her panic and revulsion at Jack’s appearance and the way he has groomed her daughter. There are a few chapters which show Belle’s viewpoint as she rebels against her parents. The epilogue gives another perspective which has a huge twist.
Molly in the past is a troubled teen and is working as a prostitute. She has plans to escape with one of the other girls but there is a great deal of danger. I found the connection between the two timelines to be quite predictable but this didn’t spoil my enjoyment at all.
It was all too easy to understand and relate to Hannah’s desperate attempts to make her daughter see sense. Every parent will appreciate the terror and repugnance that Hannah experiences as her worst fears become reality.The panic and tension are maintained well throughout the book and Jack is thoroughly despicable. I wanted to scream and shout at Belle for being so blind and trusting. The ending is certainly dramatic!
The Engagement is a tense and intense novel with a plotline that will terrify parents.
Book Description:
You thought you had escaped him. Until he proposed to your daughter.
‘There’s someone I want you to meet,’ Belle says, as a man draws up to her side. He’s tall with dark hair and stubble on his square jaw. He’s not exactly smiling, but the corner of his mouth curls upwards as he slides his hand around my daughter’s waist.
I grab my husband’s arm to steady myself, as the room spins around me.
I stare into the man’s eyes – jet black. Nothing and everything hidden behind them.
Fear prickles my skin as I remember what he did.
How I only just escaped.
All the lies I’ve had to tell since.
‘I want you to meet Jack,’ Belle says, brimming with excitement. ‘He’s my fiancé.’ She rests her head on his shoulder. ‘Isn’t it exciting? We’re engaged!’
Fear hammers in my chest. I have to stop this.
My daughter’s life is in danger, and it’s all because of me…
A totally gripping psychological thriller from an Amazon No1. bestseller that will take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions and have you gasping at the twists. Fans of The Housemaid, Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train will be flipping pages all night long!
Author Bio:
Samantha Hayes grew up in a creative family where her love of writing began as a child. Samantha has written eight thrillers in total, including the bestselling Until You’re Mine. The Independent said “fantastically written and very tense” while Good Housekeeping said “Her believable psychological thrillers are completely gripping.” Samantha’s books are published in 22 languages at the last count.
When not writing, Samantha loves to cook, go to the gym, see friends and drink nice wine. She is also studying for a degree in psychotherapy. She has three grown-up children and lives in Warwickshire.
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Heavily pregnant Andrea moves to a new neighbourhood with her husband and son. She quickly befriends her neighbour Gabby but both women are keeping secrets…
The Stay At Home Mother is a psychological thriller and domestic drama set in Australia.
The book is written from the alternating perspectives of Gabby and Andrea. Both women are flawed and vulnerable and there are clues that deeper secrets are being withheld from us as well as each other.
Neither woman is particularly happy. They are both stay at home mothers but at very different stages. Andrea has a toddler and is almost ready to give birth again. Gabby has a sullen teenager. I think all mums will be able to identify with them as they sacrifice their own selves for the sake of harmony in their families as well as their children’s happiness.
There is a great tension which builds over the course of the book. I enjoyed the sinister hints which creates an anticipation as I tried to work out Gabby and Andrea’s secrets. The different viewpoints allows us to see that both women are keeping secrets from the other. The ending had a great twist that made me re-evaluate one of the characters and all their interactions.
The Stay At Home Mother has two wonderfully imperfect lead characters and an engaging plot.
The Stay-at-Home Mother: A completely addictive psychological thriller packed with jaw-dropping twists
Her chest tightens, her heart speeding up. The kitchen is chaos. She steps on something hard, and looks down. Toy dinosaurs are scattered everywhere. But her son is nowhere – her baby boy is gone.
The police arrive. She can’t look at her husband. Instead, she studies the network of lines on her shaking hands.
Then her phone beeps with a voice message. ‘Listen to it on speaker,’ says the detective.
A woman’s voice fills the air.
‘I’m assuming this is the Andrea Gately listed as a contact on the Missing Children of the World website. I’m calling to let you know that I’ve given your details to the police. Why are you using a picture of my son on a missing children’s website? Why are you using it and where did you get it?’
An absolutely unputdownable psychological thriller that will leave you gasping with shock and staying up way past your bedtime. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Liane Moriarty and Adele Parks.
About the author
Nicole Trope went to university to study Law but realised the error of her ways when she did very badly on her first law essay because-as her professor pointed out- ‘It’s not meant to be a story.’ She studied teaching instead and used her holidays to work on her writing career and complete a Masters’ degree in Children’s Literature.
The idea for her first published novel, The Boy under the Table, was so scary that it took a year for her to find the courage to write the emotional story. She went on to publish a further five novels in Australia before joining Bookouture in 2019. She is a USA Today and Amazon bestseller in the USA, UK, AUS and CAN.
Nicole lives in Sydney with her husband and three children.
Author social media
Facebook: @NicoleTrope
Twitter: @nicoletrope
Eve is an audio book narrator whose life fell apart last year when her dad died, her husband left her and the author Philippa Roberts disappeared. Now a manuscipt has been found hidden at Philippa’s house and Eve is asked to return to her career and narrate the book. As she reads, she believes that Philippa has hidden a message within the text giving clues to her disappearance…
The Narrator is a psychological thriller set in the UK.
Philippa disappears on the night of a prestigious awards ceremony. Her friend Eve is concerned for her safety but the police investigation has run cold. A manuscript of the 10th book in the series is discovered hidden and Eve is convinced that the obvious mistakes in the text are clues which will lead to finding Philippa. The mystery is sustained well over the course of the book.
Meanwhile, Eve’s personal life is in disarray. She has been forced to move in with her mum and abandon her career following her father’s suicide and her husband’s infidelity. I was spitting with rage at Eve’s unreasonable and sneaky husband Hugo. His behaviour constantly undermines her and I was eager for her to get the better of him.
The book is written from Eve’s first person perspective as well as that of the third person view of the author being held captive and an obsessed superfan. All of the viewpoints are intensely personal and create tension and concern about their situations.
The Narrator is an entertaining novel with an intriguing mystery, believable characters and a big twist.
Book Description:
What if the chance of a perfect life… put your daughter in grave danger?
Being a single mother is tough, but I’d do anything for my little girl Scarlet. I’d given up on my career as a voice actor when the call came, but suddenly I was the new narrator for a secret book from bestselling author Philippa Roberts, who has been missing for eight months. It was a lifeline for me and my daughter.
I hated that it meant leaving Scarlet with my ex in his perfect new home with his perfect new girlfriend. But I knew it was the right thing to do.
But as I start reading Philippa’s new novel, I start to wonder if it’s no coincidence that I’ve been chosen to narrate it. There’s something hidden in the pages of this book, I’m sure of it. Some clue to Philippa’s disappearance. And I don’t feel safe. I think I’m being watched. My room has been searched.
And then my ex’s girlfriend calls in tears and everything starts to click together. If I don’t find answers fast, I’ll lose more than my second chance. I’ll lose my daughter.
A completely gripping thriller that will hook you in from the first page and leave you gasping out loud. Fans of Our House, The Woman in the Window and The Wife Between Us won’t be able to put The Narrator down!
Author Bio:
For many years, Kim sent her work out to literary agents but never made it off the slush pile. At the age of 40 she went back to Nottingham Trent University and now has an MA in Creative Writing.
Before graduating, she received five offers of representation from London literary agents which was, as Kim says, ‘a fairytale … at the end of a very long road!’
Kim is a full-time writer and lives in Nottingham with her husband, Mac.
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A murder seems awfully familiar to detective Jason Smith. And then another, and another. Someone is using past crimes to wage war on the Yorkshire police…
The Librarian is the 20th book in the Jason Smith series. The murders in this book are all based on those in previous books and there are some spoilers about motives and identities.
The details of the deaths are grisly but brief as the plot speeds along. There are a number of murders in quick succession and the focus of the investigation is on who could have a vendetta against the police.
Spaced throughout the book are Smith’s meetings with retired librarian Emily who is gifted with an incredible memory. I enjoyed the minutiae of detail about her tarantulas and Smith’s reaction to them. The author creates really authentic characters and their behaviour and dialogue seems realistic so they come to life.
A combination of police work and Emily’s recollections helps Smith to proceed with his investigation. It becomes clear who the killer is and then the hunt is on to find them before they kill again. There are some great twists at the end!
The Librarian is a fast paced and dramatic police thriller.
THE LIBRARIAN (Detective Jason Smith book 20)
From bestselling author: Stewart Giles comes another brilliant addition to the Detective Jason Smith series
The Librarian (Detective Jason Smith #20) by Stewart Giles
Detective Jason Smith has outwitted more murderers than he cares to admit. His insight into the criminal mind is unrivaled and he’s made a career out of outsmarting the depraved and insane killers that have plagued the city of York.
But it appears someone has been doing some research on Smith’s track record. Somebody knows more than they ought to, and when people are murdered in circumstances, far too familiar to be coincidence, Smith runs out of ideas.
The answers to his questions come from an unexpected source. An octogenarian former Librarian who claims to remember everything that has ever happened in her waking life, will prove to be an unusual ally in Smith’s quest to bring down the most disturbing killer he’s ever come across.
What readers are saying about The Librarian:
Every chapter is like navigating a terrifying, haunted circus hall of mirrors maze. Hair-raising suspense explodes leading to a dynamite chilling conclusion.. – Lena
What a twisted minded read. I was all over the place reading every chapter.
Superb once again from Stewart Giles the master of writing at his best, simply the best. 5 stars.. – Booklover Bev
This is an entertaining, engaging read. A murder, mystery in itself with multiple murders and a serial killer. I thoroughly enjoyed it, so much so that I am now going to reread the previous books in the series.. – Carol
BOOKS BY STEWART GILES
DS JASON SMITH SERIES
Book 0.5 – Phobia
1 – Smith
2 – Boomerang
3 – Ladybird
4 – Occam’s Razor
5 – Harlequin
6 – Selene
7 – Horsemen
8 – Unworthy
9 – Venom
11 – Demons
14 – Australia
18 – Scarecrow
19 – The Bluesman
DI O’REILLY MYSTERIES
1 – Blood on the Island
2 – Lies on the Island
8 – Secrets on the Island
DC HARRIET TAYLOR SERIES
1-The Beekeeper
2-The Perfect Murder
3-The Backpacker
Trotterdown a box set of DC Harriet Taylor books 1-3
DS JASON SMITH &DC HARRIET TAYLOR SERIES
1 – The Enigma
2 – Dropzone
3 – The Raven Girl
Trilogy: The DS Smith & Harriet Taylor box set
THE MIRANDA TRILOGY (psychological thrillers)
Miranda
Mistress
Medusa
STANDALONE NOVELS
Horror – The Divide
Thriller – The Ghostwriter
Thriller – The Guests
Stewart Giles – Author Bio
After reading English at 3 Universities and graduating from none of them, I set off travelling around the world with my wife, Ann, finally settling in South Africa, where we still live.
In 2014 Ann dropped a rather large speaker on my head and I came up with the idea for a detective series. DS Jason Smith was born. Smith, the first in the series was finished a few months later.
3 years and 8 DS Smith books later, Joffe Books wondered if I would be interested in working with them. As a self-published author, I agreed. However, we decided on a new series – the DC Harriet Taylor: Cornwall series.
The Beekeeper was published and soon hit the number one spot in Australia. The second in the series, The Perfect Murder did just as well.
I continued to self-publish the Smith series and Unworthy hit the shelves in 2018 with amazing results. I therefore made the decision to self-publish The Backpacker which is book 3 in the Detective Harriet Taylor series which was published in July 2018.
After The Backpacker I had an idea for a totally new start to a series – a collaboration between the Smith and Harriet thrillers and The Enigma was born. It brought together the broody, enigmatic Jason Smith and the more level-headed Harriet Taylor.
The Miranda trilogy is something totally different. A psychological thriller trilogy. It is a real departure from anything else I’ve written before.
The Detective Jason Smith series continues to grow. I also have another series featuring an Irish detective who relocated to Guernsey, the Detective Liam O’Reilly series. There are also 3 stand alone novels.
Twitter: @stewartgiles
Heavily pregnant Andrea moves to a new neighbourhood with her husband and son. She quickly befriends her neighbour Gabby but both women are keeping secrets…
