If you’ve been around Crime by the Book for a little bit, you probably already know how much I love J.T. Ellison’s psychological suspense novels. Ellison’s thrillers always feature highly entertaining plots, compelling characters, and the kind of just-one-more-page pacing that will genuinely keep you up reading all night. I discovered J.T. Ellison’s work in the early days of CBTB, and I haven’t looked back since! In 2023, J.T. Ellison will return with her newest story of psychological suspense—and I am so honored to be able to reveal the cover for it right here on Crime by the Book! IT’S ONE OF US will be published in February 2023, but this beauty looks like it’s worth adding to your TBR pile right now. IT’S ONE OF US delves into the lies that we tell to keep our relationships together…lies that can also tear relationships apart. In today’s blog post, you can get a glimpse of the book’s stunning cover, plus read a mini Q&A with author J.T. Ellison that will give you a sneak peek into what’s sure to be one of 2023’s must-read suspense books. Bonus: since we do have a little bit of a wait until IT’S ONE OF US is published, I’ve also compiled a little rundown of my top recommendations for J.T. Ellison thrillers you should read while we wait for the publication of IT’S ONE OF US—you can find that list at the very bottom of this blog post! Huge thanks to J.T. Ellison and her publisher for allowing me to share this cover reveal on CBTB today—it’s an honor to be able to do so, and I can’t wait to read IT’S ONE OF US.
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Book Review: HOSTAGE by Clare Mackintosh
After a brief hiatus from crime fiction, author Clare Mackintosh returns to the genre this week with HOSTAGE, a psychological thriller that takes a claustrophobic “locked room”-style premise and sets it aboard a long-haul flight from London to Sydney. A relatively ordinary day at work takes an extraordinary turn for flight attendant Mina when she receives a threatening note from a passenger with a terrifying ultimatum: follow the anonymous passenger’s instructions and help ensure the plane never reaches its destination, or Mina’s young daughter will pay the price. It’s an immediately arresting and horrifying dilemma. Will Mina save the lives of the innocent passengers aboard her plane, or save the life of her beloved young daughter? Clare Mackintosh weaves a gripping story brimming with unreliable characters, shifting points of view, and a terrifying dilemma at its core. A jaw-dropping final reveal in the book’s Epilogue ties this book together with true Mackintosh flair. Clare Mackintosh has become a staple of my personal suspense library over the years, and while HOSTAGE may not be my absolute favorite Mackintosh release (that title still belongs to her debut, I Let You Go!), it nevertheless proves itself a worthy addition to any suspense reader’s collection. It’s a thrill to have Clare Mackintosh back writing crime fiction, and HOSTAGE delivers major entertainment value and edge-of-your-seat suspense.
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Book Review: INVISIBLE GIRL by Lisa Jewell
Queen of the just-one-more-page thriller Lisa Jewell is back with what is undoubtedly my favorite book of hers yet: INVISIBLE GIRL, available this week in the US. INVISIBLE GIRL is a perfect encapsulation of the delicious blend of dark intrigue and entertainment value that I’ve fallen in love with in Jewell’s writing. It’s a story of chance encounters, intersecting lives, and sinister secrets, all of which plays out against the seemingly innocuous backdrop of a high-end neighborhood in London. There is no one sole protagonist in Jewell’s latest novel, but rather a cast of characters whose intersecting fates provide the sinister drama central to this engrossing, unputdownable psychological thriller. Behind closed doors, everyone has something to hide, and none of Jewell’s characters are spared having their darkest secrets laid bare in INVISIBLE GIRL. Readers looking for a fresh take on domestic suspense will find Jewell’s INVISIBLE GIRL an irresistible blend of juicy drama and razor-sharp thriller writing. INVISIBLE GIRL is one of the best psychological suspense novels I’ve read this year, and a must-read for any suspense aficionado’s fall reading list.
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Book Review: WHEN I WAS YOU by Amber Garza
There’s a fine line between devotion and obsession—a fact that Amber Garza brings to life in her sinister, deliciously page-turning new psychological thriller WHEN I WAS YOU. Kelly Medina has never felt so alone. With her son off at college and her husband busy with a job that takes him out of town every week, Kelly finds herself adrift, searching for purpose and direction in this new stage of life. Everything changes when Kelly meets a young woman who - against all odds - shares her exact same name. Kelly #1 becomes fascinated by Kelly #2, a young, single mother raising a beautiful baby boy. But as their unlikely friendship blossoms and intensifies, Kelly #1 becomes a bit too interested in Kelly #2, setting both women on a deadly collision course. Amber Garza weaves an utterly unputdownable story of friendship, motherhood, and obsession in WHEN I WAS YOU. Grab this book for a pacey, twisty, just-one-more-page read that will satisfy all your “popcorn thriller” cravings. Summer may be winding down, but there’s still time for one more thrilling beach read, and WHEN I WAS YOU will make for a perfect selection.
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Book Review: HIS & HERS by Alice Feeney
Leave it to Alice Feeney to write Summer 2020’s twistiest psychological thriller yet. Feeney, author of CBTB-favorites Sometimes I Lie and I Know Who You Are, is back this year with her next (and arguably best) suspense novel, HIS & HERS. In what has become her trademark, Feeney’s newest release begins with a simple premise—in this case, a journalist reporting on a murder case that has sparked a media frenzy and a detective investigating that same case—and morphs and twists into one of the most intricate, cleverly-constructed psychological suspense novels I’ve had the pleasure of reading so far this year. In Feeney’s expert hands, nothing is as it initially seems—and that has never been more true than it is in her newest release. HIS & HERS is a psychologically-astute, genuinely-shocking thriller: a book that explores themes of family secrets, toxic teenage relationships, and the insidious ways loyalty and love can be used to justify horrific acts. Pick this book up for its instantly-intriguing plot, stay for its never-saw-that-coming final revelation—and all the many twists this journey will take on the way to its ultimate destination. HIS & HERS is a Summer 2020 must-read.
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