Peeking Between the Pages

These Fleeting Shadows is a YA novel with a dark, gothic feel and lots of creepiness and I really enjoyed it! I know the novel is aimed at young readers but as an adult I found a lot of scenes that actually gave me goose bumples (as I like to call them). This novel was such a nice break for me. Between the story and the just the overall creepy feel it kept my attention from beginning to end.

Helen Vaughan left her ancestral home with her mother when she was still young. Needless to say she is shocked when her grandfather dies and she finds out that she’s the one to inherit everything. The only hitch is that she has to remain on the grounds of Harrow for an entire year or she’ll get nothing. This is no small thing as Harrow has always haunted Helen’s dreams and it isn’t long into her stay that her dreams seem to be reverting to reality which is terrifying to her. Helen needs to learn more about Harrow and her place in it before it’s too late. Or is it already?

I listened to the audiobook which was fantastic for this novel. It is narrated by Megan Trout and she does an awesome job of telling this story. You know you have a great narrator when it plays out like a movie in your head and you just can’t stop listening. She is a new to me narrator but I surely wouldn’t hesitate to listen to her again.

This novel was a nice break for me and one I thoroughly enjoyed. I love horror and anything darkly creepy. These Fleeting Shadows fit the bill perfectly! I recommend this one for anyone who likes a little scary in their listening or reading!

Review copy provided by the publisher. All opinions are solely my own.

The Last to Vanish is the latest from Megan Miranda and this one is a slow burning suspense but when it kicks in with the twists and turns make sure to hold on! I’ve read and enjoyed a few of her novels and her latest one was no different.

Abigail Lovett began managing The Passage Inn about ten years ago and she loves it. The upscale resort sounds amazing nestled in a North Carolina mountain town called Cutter’s Pass. While it is known for rafting, hiking, and a gorgeous waterfall; it is also known for several unsolved disappearances of guests. And then yet another – journalist Landon West disappears. When Landon’s brother Trey shows up Abby agrees to help him in finding out what happened to his brother. As Abby begins to learn more about the people in her town and those she thought she knew she realizes that everyone has secrets, some that are very dark.

I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by Alex Allwine. I haven’t listened to her before but I quite enjoyed the tone of her voice and found her really easy to listen to. She suited this novel and had me engaged in listening early on and I wouldn’t hesitate to grab a book that she narrates again.

The Last to Vanish is for anyone who likes a good thriller. I really enjoyed it and again was quite surprised by some of the twists this one took and that doesn’t happen to me often.

Review copy provided by the publisher. All opinions are solely my own.

All Good People Here is the debut novel from Ashley Flowers who is the host of the very popular true crime podcast Crime Junkie. I’ve long been a fan as it was one of the first podcasts I listened to and that was years ago now. Ashley has taken her experience with true crime and put it all into this debut and it is fantastic!

Margot Davies, a journalist, was only six years old when her friend January Jacobs disappeared and her murder case has remained unsolved since. Fast forward twenty years and Margot has returned home to care for her sick uncle. Soon another girl goes missing and it’s so familiar to January’s case that Margot is convinced the two cases are linked. She puts her investigative skills into action and begins to interview people trying to learn as much as she can so she can solve January’s murder and find the missing girl. However she quickly feels as though the police and even the people in the town aren’t as interested as she is in finding out what the truth really is. The more Margot uncovers the more twists this story takes and she realizes that there may be a real danger in learning what really happened all those years ago.

I listened to the audiobook of course and it was great! It doesn’t hurt when you find a book you can’t wait to listen to is also narrated by a few of your favourites which included Brittany Presley, Karissa Vacker, and Ashley Flowers herself. All of these women have amazing voices for telling stories and they bring all of the emotion and suspense of the story to the listener and in turn the listener is hooked! I know I most definitely was!

I highly recommend All Good People Here to anyone who loves a good true crime story. I loved it and I really hope Ashley will continue to put her talents into more novels for us ‘crime junkies’! All Good People Here releases today – be sure to grab yourself a copy!

Review copy provided by the publisher. All opinions are solely my own.

I’m a fan of Fiona Barton and have read everything she’s written. Needless to say when a new book of hers comes out I’m excited to dive right in. Local Gone Missing was yet another of hers that was a wonderful escape into other people’s lives.

Ebbing is one of those small seaside towns where the locals and weekenders mix but grudgingly and this is quite apparent when a festival comes to town. Elise King is a detective and a darn good one but she’s been sidelined by breast cancer and currently recovering. However that doesn’t seem to stop her from investigating a man’s disappearance from town as well as two teenagers being drugged at the festival.

The story focuses a lot on Charlie, the older fellow who has gone missing. As we learn more details about him more people are brought into the story who have interacted with him. One is Dee, a housecleaner, who seems to have her thumb on everyone and their business without them ever knowing it. They give her keys to their homes and talk like she’s not even there but she is and she’s listening. Charlie seems to have led an interesting life and he’s just a sweet old guy. Who would want to hurt him ? Why all this craziness in this little town?

I listened to the audio which was narrated by a few narrators and it’s just great. Gabrielle Glaister, Jayne Entwistle, and Nicholas Guy Smith are our narrators and they do a wonderful job of making a person feel like they are right there living in this small seaside town getting to know everyone and wondering just who is causing all the trouble. The only one I’ve listened to before is Nicholas Guy Smith but I thought they all did a great job with portraying the characters and the story.

Another good book from Fiona Barton. This one may have had a few too many characters making it a tad hard to follow at times but that didn’t take a way from the good storyline. This little town hides a lot of secrets and some of the twists and turns the book took definitely kept this listener hooked!

Review copy provided by the publisher. All opinions are solely my own.

I’m not a huge fan of sci-fi but I am a fan of Blake Crouch having read Recursion and Dark Matter and enjoying them. His latest Upgrade is my favourite so far. What a trip this one was! Crouch tackles genetic alteration in this one and it is a subject that fascinates me!

Into the future we see that messing about with DNA and genes and the such has really thrown things into turmoil. In this future a Gene Protection Agency has been formed and Logan is an agent for them. During a raid on a gene lab Logan is attacked by a boobytrap. All seems well and he recovers but soon begins to notice some changes in himself. He finds himself stronger mentally and physically and he realizes that his DNA has been affected. He also learns he was targeted for this upgrade and that he is just the first. This sets Logan on a dangerous path that leaves him questioning himself and his beliefs.

It really is a fascinating topic. With the advances that we have and all that we don’t even know about you have to wonder just how far gene modification can take us. Can it make people stronger and faster? Smarter? And with all these ‘upgrades’ doesn’t it also stand to reason that many people will also be more dangerous. This is what I like about Blake Crouch and reading his novels. They always leave me questioning things and sparking conversations.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed it. For this type of novel I find audio the way to go. Upgrade was fast paced and listening to it adds so much to the overall effect of the book. It is narrated by Henry Levya who I haven’t listened to before. I enjoyed the tone of his voice though and thought he was well enough suited to this novel.

I recommend Upgrade to those who enjoy sci-fi but even to those who it may not be their preferred genre. You never know you might actually like it. It is fast paced and exciting and well worth a listen or read. I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next novel from Blake Crouch!

Review copy provided by the publisher. All opinions are solely my own.

I am a huge fan of Jennifer McMahon and snap up her novels as soon as I possibly can when they come out. Even better is listening to her books on audio. There is nothing better than a creepy and dark atmosphere for me to be sucked into hours of listening and The Children on the Hill delivered in a huge way in that regard. Once again McMahon comes up with a storyline that grabs you from the beginning and shocks you in the end.

The book is about Vi and Eric who, in 1978, live with their grandmother who is a brilliant psychiatrist. The children live a good life being homeschooled and having fun but then one day Gran brings home another girl named Iris. Iris seems in a bad way especially at first but she eventually warms to the two kids. A weird thing though is that Gran asks Vi to keep an eye on her and report back. Why? As the two girls become closer Vi begins to doubt her Gran’s story about Iris. Memory is an interesting thing and Vi is troubled by why Iris can’t remember anything and decides to do a little investigating of her own.

Fast forward to 2019 and we meet Lizzy Shelley who podcasts about the monsters among us. She heads to Vermont to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. Lizzy is driven to hunt down the monster. Why? Because Lizzy’s own sister is a monster. Will these two stories intersect somehow? Welcome to the great mind of Jennifer McMahon. I loved where this story ultimately led.

I listened to the audiobook and loved it. The narrator was Erin Moon who I haven’t listened to before but enjoyed. I wouldn’t hesitate to try another audio narrated by her. At pretty much eleven hours this audio held me in its grip from beginning to end. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

For fans of psychological thrillers you must give Jennifer McMahon a read or listen if you haven’t before. She’s’ amazing! As for The Children on the Hill – it’s one of her best! Highly recommended!

Review copy provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.