A Lesson in Cruelty by Harriet Tyce

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and Headline Audio | Wildfires in exchange for an honest review.

The plot of A Lesson in Cruelty is a little hard to summarise without spoilers but I shall do my best. This is really a book of three separate plots which then come together. The first part is about Anna, a woman who is being let out of prison only to find her cellmate dead on the day of her supposed release. The second is about Marie, a woman imprisoned on a remote Scottish island (that's about it really). Finally we have Lucy, a law student who desperately wants to sleep with her professor and gets the chance to when they go away to a conference together.

If these plots sound a bit disjointed then good, I have accurately represented the listening experience. Never has a book had so much going on and yet so little of it which actually matters in the end. The swaps in character did not feel particularly natural and I actually found it intrusive to the flow of the story. The three characters are distinct but when the plot starts coming together and the different threads start to collide, you start to realise how much faff there was. It is at this point that some events are chalked up to 'random coincidence', something I'd be more forgiving of if this wasn't already a bit of a mess in terms of how its crafted.

I also just need to talk about Edgar for a minute because he is in some ways the most outlandish character. He is a law professor and honestly cartoonish in the way he neglects his family and how he conducts 'research'. I'd like to point out here that I am actually a lecturer and even allowing for the liberties fiction can take, what he gets away with is absurd. It pokes a huge hole in an already-punctured plot.

The 'twist' at the end is painfully obvious as several reviewers have pointed out, but it's made even more obvious by the way the audiobook is narrated. The narrator does an ASMR voice for some passages where we're not supposed to know who exactly is narrating them, but then the same voice (admittedly dialled back) is used for that character so it becomes clear who it's going to turn out to be. Additionally, some lines near the end are a different volume to the surrounding ones. This was very distracting and just made the production seem a bit cheap, like they'd been dubbed in afterwards.

Overall, I sadly wasn't very impressed by this thriller. The plot is oversaturated and requires suspension of disbelief to buy that certain aspects would be allowed to happen. The characters are decent but there are so many of them and too many coincidences play out in terms of their relationships. Perhaps if the audiobook had been better then I would have enjoyed this more, but it wasn't my cup of tea

Overall Rating:

The Next Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Quercus Books in exchange for an honest review.

Look, I get that some books are a tough act to follow. Back when I originally read The Last Mrs. Parrish, I adored it. When I reread it before reading the sequel, I also loved it although I wasn't fully as gripped the second time. I was also of the opinion that there weren't many places for the story to go and unfortunately, that opinion was not challenged by reading the sequel.

The problem with The Next Mrs. Parrish is twofold. Firstly, in order to exist it must undo the ending of the first book and then heap more misery upon our main characters. This is not particularly fun to read about, nor was it something I wanted to see. Secondly, the first book was so good because it had a strong twist. There were other factors which also made it good but the twist was really the key, and you can't recreate that kind of magic twice. At least, it would be near impossible.

This book tells the continued story of Amber, Daphne and Jackson as they fight each other for custody of children most of them don't care about, abuse each other emotionally, sexually and physically, and generally go through bad stuff. Is it awful? No. But is it something I really wanted to read? Absolutely not.

This book is perhaps worth picking up if you are very curious but I honestly don't think it needs to exist. It doesn't add anything to the original (and in fact, it detracts from the ending quite substantially) but I can't say I hated it or that I regret reading it. I believe there is now a prequel and I think it needs to stop. It unfortunately feels a bit like a cash grab

Overall Rating:

Autumnal by Daniel Kraus

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Independent Publishers Group, Vault Comics in exchange for an honest review.

It's rare for me to dislike a graphic novel but trust me when I say Autumnal truly blew me away. Focused on a single woman and her daughter, the story begins when she inherits a house from her mother and returns to her childhood home. Upon returning though, it quickly becomes apparent that something weird is happening with the leaves, and an old rhyme from her childhood might have more than a kernel of truth to it.

The atmosphere of this graphic novel is astounding. The art, the characters, the general story all come together in a wonderful way. There are strong Stephen King vibes here in terms of story and tone, but it also manages to be much more unique than that and bring an atmosphere all its own. The characterisation is so strong and this really helped drive the horror. I was so completely absorbed by the story, I read it all in one sitting and I know I will be thinking about this for a long while.

If you want a new creepy graphic novel for the spooky season, you can't go wrong here. It's perfect for getting you in the mood for Halloween, but also more generally is just a solid tale of horror. I would love to read more stuff like this and I can't wait to see what the artists/authors do next.

Overall Rating:

The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Titan Books in exchange for an honest review.

Grady Hendrix is one of those authors I know is always going to give me a good time, and The Final Girl Support Group is no exception. From the first page this book sucked me in and I loved every second of it. 

This is the tale of Lynette, a 'final girl' of the horror genre fame. For those not in the know, a final girl is the sole survivor of a horror film, usually found in 80s and 90s slashers. She is usually pure, very resourceful and innocent, and often deeply traumatised by her experiences. In this world, famous horror movies are based on true events and our 6 members of the support group are the survivors. Scream, Friday the 13th, Halloween-they are all here under different names, and now we get to see what happened to the protagonists and who they grew up to be. The plot kicks off when Lynette suspects that someone is intent on murdering them all and goes on the run, determined that this time she will survive again.

There was so much about this book that surprised and delighted me. Firstly, the fact that each final girl comes from a recognisable franchise was completely unexpected and I adored it as a horror fan. I loved trying to guess what franchise each girl came from and putting together all the references and clues. Having said that, this book is so much more than a love letter to the genre. As always, Hendrix's characters are on point here. Lynette is ruthless and not a 'good' person, but you are 100% rooting for her as a reader. I think it does a brilliant job of recreating that familiar relationship between a victim and the public. Sure, you feel sorry for her but can you trust her? Is she telling the truth? Hendrix plays on these feelings to the book's advantage and it really is so clever in its execution.

It is truly incredible to have a book like this with a plot like it does and it be one of the most feminist horror books I have ever read. Rest assured, it is not overt and can be easily ignored if you wish. But to have such a strong cast of female characters, to truly poke and prod at the trope of the 'final girl' and how it is perceived by people, to have almost no sexual content or sexualisation of the female characters in the slasher genre: all this is so impressive to me. I think it has some fantastic things to say in the conversation of gender and horror, and these are woven effortlessly into the story so it never feels preachy or like that is the only point of the book.

There's not much more I can say to praise this book without giving things away but truly, it was everything I hoped for and more. If you're wondering what the difference between Final Girls by Riley Sager and this is, they are similar in basic premise and analysis of the trope but vastly different in content and execution. I enjoyed both thoroughly and reading The Final Girl Support Group, I didn't feel like it was being unoriginal or retreading old ground. This is definitely more of a horror than a thriller and it explores a wider cast of characters and situations.

Overall, if you enjoy horror (and in particular, slashers) please read this book. It breathes fresh life into the genre and I know this is a story I will be rereading a lot for many years to come. If you try one of Hendrix's books (and you absolutely should) this is the one I recommend the most.

Overall Rating:

Our Little Cruelties by Liz Nugent

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Penguin Books (UK) in exchange for an honest review.

Our Little Cruelties is the story of three brothers. In the present day, we know one of them is dead but we don't know which one. Most of the book focuses on flashbacks told from each of the brothers' POVs, building up the relationships between them and the various things they have gone through  in their lives. Luke is a famous popstar, Brian is the deadbeat son with money problems and Will is a filmmaker. Their mother was also a famous singer in her day which albeit was a long time ago. Between all this there is a lot of drama, both public and within the family.

I'm gonna be honest, I was pleasantly surprised by this thriller. I read a lot of thrillers and it's quite hard for one to stand out, but this managed to do it in a really interesting fashion. It is very much a domestic exploration of one family and the intricacies of their relationships to each other. You learn how they respond to each other and betray each other, and this deep character exploration is really what makes this stand out. It's the kind of book which can sound very basic on the surface but it's all about that excellent execution. There were some predictable story beats here but also a lot of unexpected stuff, and it was all woven together nicely.

I will say, I listened to the audiobook and I can't fully recommend it. While it was enjoyable, the similarities between the narrators' voices made it incredibly hard for me to tell when POV swapped, which in turn made the story much harder to follow. For this reason, I only really connected with Luke as a character because it was easiest for me to tell when he was narrating. I'm sure this is entirely down to how I listen to audiobooks though and I think with a physical/ebook version, it would be easy to tell them apart.

There's not much else for me to say except that this book is well worth checking out. It's a strong story with even stronger characters and its sure to hold your attention.

Overall Rating:

.5

Ruthless Women by Melanie Blake

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Head of Zeus in exchange for an honest review.

This was so close to being a fun, if totally ridiculous romp. Then there was a healthy dose of transphobia and no thank you.

Most of this book can be described as a bunch of women working on a soap opera, backstabbing each other and having a lot of graphic sex. It's very ridiculous but not in an offensive way. Almost every sexual encounter starts with the woman not wearing underwear and the man noticing and then they bang. I was fairly engaged in the story and I enjoyed it a lot for what it was.

Unfortunately this book was ruined for me by a scene where someone is revealed as trans, and then the other characters proceed to threaten to out them. Every character is morally grey so it's not entirely portrayed as a triumphant moment, but the narrative does suggest we are meant to be on the side of the people doing the blackmailing. The trans character is what I would consider to be the most villainous presence and so it left me feeling very unhappy that in 2021, someone could write this with zero consideration for all the 'trans people are evil' tropes the media has used for years. It was bitterly disappointing.

Without that, the book could have easily gotten a 3.5 star rating from me. I am giving it 2 stars in an attempt to be fair because it could have been worse but dear god, it's such a shame.

Overall Rating:

The Invitation by A.M. Castle

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher HQ Digital in exchange for an honest review.

What a lovely surprise this book was! I am a huge fan of Christie-style mysteries and I was expecting much more of a traditional thriller based on the cover of this book. To my delight, it is most definitely a murder mystery with a lot of elements of the old school genre.

The Invitation is the story of three female friends and their families. The wealthiest friend, Rachel, invites the others to her island for a reunion. It soon becomes clear that a lot of bad blood has built up over the years with the various dramas culminating in the murder of one of the group at dinner. There is no 'main character' of the book, with the narration instead rotating between the majority of characters throughout. Through this method you really get to experience the different dramas and secrets each of the characters are going through.

This book definitely has more of a humorous, light-hearted tone than a serious murder mystery. There's a lot going on in this and some dark stuff is mentioned, but usually it is lightened by the tone. I found some of the characters a bit lacking and I did tend to confuse a couple of them. Particularly with the main three women, I felt their backstories blended together to me so I was often confused as to who was partnered with who etc. Having said that, a lot of the characters were more unique than those in your typical murder mystery and I definitely appreciated that. There was an interesting cast and it added a lot of depth to the story.

Overall, this book is great if you're looking for a fun murder mystery with a sharp sense of humour. It doesn't have the most complex or intricately plotted murder around, but there's a lot to like here and Castle is a distinct and welcome voice in the genre. I am excited to see what is in store for them as an author.

Overall Rating:

.5

The Promise by Katerina Diamond

 

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Avon Books UK in exchange for an honest review.

I will start this review by saying I requested this ARC a long time ago before I realised police procedurals weren't really my thing, so take my opinion with a pinch of salt. Having said that, The Promise is a fairly decent addition to the genre which mostly suffers from having quite a lot going on.

The Promise is the story of DS Adrian Miles and his partner Imogen Grey, who get involved in a serial killer case where the murderer is finding women through a dating site to strangle to death. Parallel to this, we are told a story about a teenage boy named Connor who has recently moved to the UK and is being physically abused by his dad. There is also a set of chapters from an unknown female POV of a woman telling the story of how she met her abusive partner.

You might already be able to tell that this is a lot but sadly, it isn't enough to hide the solution of the serial killer mystery. I had it worked out by 50% of the way through and it became very linear from there as I waited for the characters to catch up with me. I am not familiar with this series and so I also found it difficult to work out if Adrian or Imogen was meant to be the protagonist. From the blurb I see it was meant to be both of them, but Imogen felt more like the main character and Adrian's parts felt a bit intrusive as a result. It added even more to a story which already had three POVs.

The strengths of this book were that I felt it handled the police procedural stuff well and I didn't feel as bored as I normally do with the genre. Connor's storyline provided a lot of the heart and depth to the book and, though it was predictable, I still think his sections added a lot and were probably my favourite of the bunch. The characters were solid and well-written throughout, and the detective team had some nice interactions. It was also paced pretty well. It maybe could have been a little shorter but it was clear, easy to follow and the plot kept moving.

Overall, The Promise is a decent example of its genre. It's not the most groundbreaking thriller but Diamond clearly has talent and I had a better time reading this than some procedurals. If you're a fan of the genre, you will almost certainly love this more than I did.

Overall Rating:

What I Know (Good Girl) by Miranda Smith

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Bookouture in exchange for an honest review.

So this book appears to have changed title after me requesting it, although it is still 'Good Girl' on Goodreads so I don't know which title to refer to it as. Either way, I was HYPED for this book and I am ecstatic to say it didn't disappoint! What I Know is the tale of Della, a woman who uncovered her brother as a psychopath when she was a teen. Now a teacher, she gains a new student called Zoey who she gets ominous feelings about. When another student is attacked, Della becomes convinced Zoey is responsible and sets out to prove it. This book is told with past and present day chapters, gradually uncovering what happened with her brother and what is happening with Zoey now.

I LOVED this book. Firstly, this is a perfect example of how a solid thriller can have no twists and not suffer at all. You keep reading not because you want to be surprised, but because it is inevitable that something bad happened with her brother and you want to find out what. And with the present day plotline, there is the constant uncertainty as to how guilty Zoey is. Speaking of which, a thriller book where the main character isn't instantly dismissed by her loved ones for her suspicions? YES PLEASE. No one truly doubts Della until about halfway through the book where things start to get murkier, and even then it is handled so well. I am sick of reading thrillers where the main character's husband/best friend/sister etc will just instantly think they're crazy. It was so refreshing to see characters express doubt and concern like actual humans would, with their focus being on helping Della rather than calling her insane or refusing to listen.

Della herself was a great main character. You doubt her a little as a reader but not in a way which makes you think she is unreliable and therefore you can't trust her. She is so fleshed out and her backstory is very compelling. I was so glad she had two friends who, in a thriller first, had actual personalities! (I kid) Marge and Pam were welcome additions to the story and served their plot functions well whilst actually being interesting.

The main thing I want to commend this author on is taking this kind of subject matter and handling it so well. This thriller essentially pits a trauma survivor against a damaged teenage girl and it could be so easy to make the protagonist unlikeable considering how she treats Zoey. Likewise, it could be easy to have some really unfortunate implications about believing victims. But Smith dodges these pitfalls expertly and I never felt like we were supposed to agree with everything Della was doing, nor were we supposed to think Zoey was a complete monster. It poses some really interesting philosophical questions and makes them part of the story but never in a way which detracts.

I cannot praise this book highly enough and I am very excited to read Miranda Smith's other work now. If you like the sound of the premise, then I urge you to give this a try. There are triggers warnings for sexual content/assault and also I suspect if you have been gaslighted in the past, this book might be hard for you to read. But if you want to be utterly sucked into a good thriller plot for a few hours, you can't go wrong with this.

Overall Rating:

.5

Pretty Guilty Women by Gina LaManna

I received an ARC of this book thanks to NetGalley and publisher Little, Brown Book Group UK in exchange for an honest review.

This book is trying really, really hard to be Big Little Lies. I almost wish it wasn't because this is actually a really great story and it feels a bit held back by the comparisons. Having said that, this is a really good book for people who enjoyed Big Little Lies and people who enjoy more contemporary-style thrillers in general.

Pretty Guilty Women is the story of four women who are attending a fancy resort for a wedding. Three of the women used to be friends in their college years, one of them is a wealthy older woman who befriends them at the resort. Each woman has a specific thing in her life she is struggling with. Emily has a dark past and is currently an alcoholic who hooks up with another wedding guest. Ginger is worried about her teenage daughter whilst Kate is terrified she will never have children. Lulu is on her fifth marriage but this time, it seems like her husband might leave her before she gets the chance. Just when all these women are at breaking point, a murder happens. And all four confess.

This is told very similarly to the aforementioned book, with each chapter starting and/or ending with a section taken from a police interview with one of the characters about the murder. I think this was the feature that bothered me the most. There is mystery about who is murdered but it also doesn't matter so much in terms of the majority of the story who that murdered person is. It's not like the narrative is woven with clues for you to decipher. I actually really liked the plot we got at the end of this book and I think it's a shame it wasn't more original and did more with that story throughout.

Being more positive, I would say most of the characters are engaging. Lulu was my favourite and I found all of the women's individual plotlines interesting. It was a little odd that the woman whose wedding it was had almost no presence or impact on the plot. It almost felt like she should have been the fourth woman as she was also friends with everyone else in college.

Overall, there isn't a lot going on in this book but I did really enjoy what there was. The writing is solid, the characters are interesting and I can see this being a brilliant holiday/beach read for a lot of people. I found it a bit lacking in general but I would love to see more by this author and I hope their next book plays to their strengths rather than mimicking another book.

Overall Rating:

.5