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Home Read. Review. Repeat. Genres Thriller Noir

Category Archive

Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Noir”

Review: THE BRIGHT LANDS by John Fram

Janelle August 7, 2020 Advance Copy, Book Reviews, Book Spotlight, Finished Copy, From Publisher, Hanover Square Press, Horror, Mystery, Noir, Paranormal, Supernatural, Suspense, Thriller Leave a Comment

Thank you to Hanover Square Press for my free copy.  If you haven’t read my interview with John Fram on Tor Nightfire, click here – he’s the cat’s pajamas! Description:  The town of Bentley holds two things dear: its football, …

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Review: TANGERINE by Christine Mangan

Janelle March 25, 2018 Advance Copy, Book Reviews, Ecco Press, Finished Copy, From Publisher, Mystery, Noir, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Thriller Leave a Comment

Thank you so much to Ecco Press for providing my free copy – all opinions are my own.  “Tangier and Lucy were the same, I thought. Both unsolvable riddles that refused to leave me in peace. And I had tired …

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EPIC Book Mail: THE SANDMAN by Lars Kepler

Janelle March 7, 2018 Alfred Knopf, Book Mail, Finished Copy, From Publisher, Mystery, Noir, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Thriller Leave a Comment

BIG thank you to Abby from Alfred Knopf for sending me this free copy! OMG I have never been so excited to read a book in my entire life! I suggest you order yourself a copy today! SYNOPSIS:  “Sensational … …

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Review: SUNBURN by Laura Lippman

Janelle February 21, 2018 Advance Copy, Book Reviews, Finished Copy, From Publisher, Mystery, Noir, Psychological Thriller, Thriller, William Morrow 1 Comment

Thank you so much to William Morrow for providing my free copy – all opinions are my own. “Sometimes, he used to wake up in the middle of the night and find her looking at him. The light from that …

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Quote of the Week

Instagram

✨ FEATURED AUTHOR ✨ If you’ve been followin ✨ FEATURED AUTHOR ✨ If you’ve been following me for awhile then you know my deep love for all things X-Files. If you know me personally (ahem @wherethereadergrows) then you know my love for Californication. I have been a fan of #DavidDuchovny since 1993 and yes, I am aware this dates me. Here’s the thing, I took years to finally read @davidduchovny’s books. I own signed copies of HOLY COW, BUCKING F*CKING DENT, and MISS SUBWAYS, but finally decided to read them last year. I’m not going to lie, I was scared they wouldn’t be any good. Nothing is worse than being a fan of someone and then learning they are a terrible writer. But guess what?!!...I LOVE EVERY ONE OF THEM. I love them so much, I’ve read each book several times and even more with BUCKING F*CKING DENT. Now we all know I’m a fast reader, but full disclosure, they are quite short. When I finished reading them, I finally Googled the man (it’s not my style to stalk celebrities) and found Mr. Duchovny went to Princeton and Yale (English literature), so the jokes on me, HA! @davidduchovny is an intelligent writer. He is also my brand of humor: SUPER DRY. The dialogue made me fall in love with his characters and the descriptions of time and place are written brilliantly. I also recommend the #audiobooks, because #DavidDuchovny narrates them perfectly. It’s always a plus when authors narrate their own books, don’t you agree? Needless to say, I am brimming with excitement for his upcoming novel, TRULY LIKE LIGHTNING. I’ve already seen rave reviews - make sure you add this one to your list! Pub: February 2nd @fsgbooks. Who’s an author that surprised you?!
✨ CATSTAGRAM ✨ Welp, tomorrow’s Monday. Wha ✨ CATSTAGRAM ✨ Welp, tomorrow’s Monday. What are you most excited about this week? I’m excited to read FINLAY DONOVAN IS KILLING IT and TAKE YOUR TURN, TEDDY. Also, I love to catch the @bookriot #allthebooks podcast with @franzencomesalive on Tuesday morning. And to answer your question, yes I’m boring 😹 Special thanks to @murdochbooks and @belinda_alexandra_author for gifting me this gorgeous book, THE DIVINE FELINE. The cover is so eye catching! ✨
✨ATYPICAL THRILLER ✨ (special thanks to @mobiu ✨ATYPICAL THRILLER ✨ (special thanks to @mobius_books for the free copy) MAGPIE LANE by Lucy Atkins is a slow-building mystery full of suspense and intrigue! Atmospheric is an understatement, as Atkins weaves a superb mystery around the Law family, their nanny, and an eccentric old house. Nick Law is the newest hire at Oxford University. He remarried after his previous wife died four years ago. His eight-year-old daughter, Felicity, has not spoken since the death of her mother. His current wife, Mariah, is pregnant and was happy to see her husband found Dee, the new nanny from Scotland. Nick met Dee by chance and she’s been invaluable to them. Suddenly, Felicity goes missing and the police are forced to investigate, which uncover secrets and a sinister past. MAGPIE LINE is brilliantly written. It took me almost half the book before I knew how I felt about it, but guess what?...it’s worth every page. I should’ve known better because I devoured Atkins’ previous novel, THE NIGHT VISITOR. The story starts off with a police interview with Dee, and the story itself is told solely from Dee’s perspective as she recounts what happened with Felicity. The characterization is remarkable as I could hear their voice and picture the setting as if I was there. I enjoyed learning about Dee the most and specifically loved the style in which the story was told. As I was reading through the months leading up to the disappearance, I obsessively had to know how it ended. MAGPIE LANE is an intelligent and cleverly written mystery with no shortage of family dysfunction, first-rate dialogue, tension, secrets, and general creepiness. ✨ What are you reading this weekend? ✨
✨ REVIEW ✨ (thank you so much @atriabooks for ✨ REVIEW ✨ (thank you so much @atriabooks for the free copy) Happy #Caturday all! Abby decided to be extra cute in the photo. #catsrule THE BABYSITTER by Liza Rodman and Jennifer Jordan is a #truecrime book I couldn’t wait to get my hands on. It also happens to be @spookishmommy’s #bookishtruecrime pick for April (y’all, Ashley has good taste). I pretty much read this book in one sitting. The book tells the story of Liza Rodman and her time with a serial killer named Tony Costa, otherwise known as The Cape Cod Cannibal. In the 1960s, Liza was seven years old and her sister, Louisa was five, and in the care of their mother (if you can call it that), they spent their summers in Provincetown. Their mother, Betty, worked at the Royal Coachman motel during the day and spent her nights at clubs and bars. She liked to go out drinking and would leave her daughters with any person willing to watch them. Costa was a handyman, and unfortunately, he was tasked to watch over the girls. THE BABYSITTER is part memoir and part true crime which is why it reads so easy. My heart goes out to these girls as it’s incredibly sad their mother wasn’t there for them. The book is not only well-written, but it’s also a compelling story. Liza recalls several details of her time with Costa and it’s obvious that the facts around the case were meticulously researched. Highly recommend this book to true crime readers everywhere! ✨ What’s is the most recent true crime book you’d recommend? ✨
✨ HEY BOOK FRIENDS ✨ Today is a great day. To ✨ HEY BOOK FRIENDS ✨ Today is a great day. Today gives me hope. Breathe in, breathe out. Let’s work hard and be kind to each other. Now, back to books! Julia Armfield’s SALT SLOW was gifted to me from @flatiron_books in 2019 and it still remains one of my favorite short story collections. The stories are beautifully written, unsettling, and visceral. Every one of these stories is remarkable. ✨ Do you read short stories? Have you read it yet? ✨
✨ HARDCOVER RELEASE ✨ Can you believe how bea ✨ HARDCOVER RELEASE ✨ Can you believe how beautiful this hardcover is?! It’s a stunner! IN DARKNESS, SHADOW BREATHES by @catcavendish is a horror story that I cannot wait to devour! Check out the synopsis below 👀👇🏻 “You’re next… Carol and Nessa are strangers but not for much longer. In a luxury apartment and in the walls of a modern hospital, the evil that was done continues to thrive. They are in the hands of an entity that knows no boundaries and crosses dimensions - bending and twisting time itself - and where danger waits in every shadow. The battle is on for their bodies and souls and the line between reality and nightmare is hard to define. Through it all, the words of Lydia Warren Carmody haunt them. But who was she? And why have Carol and Nessa been chosen? The answer lies deep in the darkness…” ✨ What are you reading this week?! ✨ Thank you @flametreepress for this gorgeous copy.
✨ PAPERBACK RELEASE ✨ How fitting that on #Tr ✨ PAPERBACK RELEASE ✨ How fitting that on #TrueCrimeTuesday we get to celebrate the #paperback release of @frumpenberg’s THE THIRD RAINBOW GIRL. It’s a meticulously researched #truecrime book with heart. Have any of you read this? I highly recommend it! 👀 the description below in the comments 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 What’s the last true crime book you love?! Special thanks to the author and @hachettebooks for this free copy.
#BuddyReadstoDieFor has got it going on for Februa #BuddyReadstoDieFor has got it going on for February! We chose Holly Jackson’s A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER! We thought it was just about time to read it because, GUESS WHAT?!...The sequel, GOOD GIRL, BAD BLOOD comes out March 2nd! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 So, what do you think? Are YOU in?! 👀at the synopsis below and let us know in the comments 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 “Everyone in Fairview knows the story. Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town. But she can't shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer? Now a senior herself, Pip decides to reexamine the closed case for her final project, at first just to cast doubt on the original investigation. But soon she discovers a trail of dark secrets that might actually prove Sal innocent . . . and the line between past and present begins to blur. Someone in Fairview doesn't want Pip digging around for answers, and now her own life might be in danger.” . . #agoodgirlsguidetomurder #hollyjackson @hojay92 #delacortepress #fiction #YA #bookclub #bookclubofinstagram #bookstagram #wherethereadergrows #jessicamap #bookworm #amreading #badassbookbabes #coolgirlsread #bookclubfavorites #shereadswithcats
✨ HARDCOVER SPINES ✨ Gah, do I love hardcover ✨ HARDCOVER SPINES ✨ Gah, do I love hardcovers! They are just so damn beautiful. Have you read any of these amazing books? Special thanks to @flametreepress for sending me a copy of @catcavendish ‘s IN DARKNESS, SHADOWS BREATHE ✨
✨ INDIE HORROR ✨ Here’s a lovely stack of h ✨ INDIE HORROR ✨ Here’s a lovely stack of horror books. If you haven’t read any indie horror authors, you’re missing out. Some of the best books I’ve read are in this pile 💀 What are you reading this fine evening?! Many thanks to @mattkurtzwrites for THE ROTTING WITHIN and @hollyraegarcia for THE EASTON FALLS MASSACRE ✨
✨ ALMOST NEW RELEASES ✨ (thank you to the tagg ✨ ALMOST NEW RELEASES ✨ (thank you to the tagged publishers for the free books) Check out this amazing stack! So far, I’ve read EVERY LAST FEAR and DARK HORSES - both OUTSTANDING ✨ Which book would you pick up next?! I think I’m going with WE BEGIN AT THE END (thank you kindly @henryholtbooks) because @jordys.book.club gave it FIVE STARS and Jordy knows what’s up! . . #bookstagram #newrelease #bookaholic #bookishfriendsunite #darklybookish #booksbooksbooks #booklover #bookaddict #bookaesthetic #bookstagram #booknerd #riotgrams #bookworm #library #fiction #bookblogger #bookshelf #bookshelves #instalike #instabooks #bookrecommendations #shereadswithcats
✨ BOOKSTAGRAM ✨ I’ve always been a voraciou ✨ BOOKSTAGRAM ✨ I’ve always been a voracious reader. I started out reading horror, thrillers, mystery, true crime, and nonfiction. Then I had a thing for historical fiction, but the kind that are “just the facts, ma’am”. Oh and always loved classics! Then I read fantasy and science fiction (so fun!). But when one of my favorite people (ahem @jj.janson22 👀) gifted me a BOTM membership and that opened up a whole new world! Yeah, that’s right, #Bookstagram 🤘🏻 Immediately I started to devour literary fiction and never looked back! Yes, I have read lit fiction before I started my account, but it wasn’t nearly as much. Especially because I started to follow @belletrist and @reesesbookclub. Now, it’s one of my favorite genres to read 💁🏼‍♀️ What genre did you discover after you found this #bookish community?!
✨ FIVE EXPLOSIVE STARS ✨ I don’t even know ✨ FIVE EXPLOSIVE STARS ✨ I don’t even know where to start because Kenzie Jennings legit blew my mind with RED STATION. I cannot believe how exciting this Splatter Western series is! This is the seventh book in the lineup and one of the best books I’ve read. I am all about this series right now, but you can pick and choose because each book is a standalone. Trust me, I have my favorites! MAGPIE COFFIN, THE NIGHT SILVER RED RUN, RED STATION, and THE THIRTEEN KOYOTE for starters! Okay, let me catch my breath. Here we go...a small group of weary travelers riding a stagecoach stop at a station house, hungry, tired, and looking for a meal and a place to sleep. Right off the bat we read great dialogue between intriguing characters - the writing is superb. BAM, invested! Once they hit the station and spend a little time around their hosts, the Adler family, they realize something is awry. The Adler family isn’t exactly what they had in mind. Like every story I’ve read here, and rightfully so, we are immersed into old-timey dialogue, the Great Plains, and all the blistering heat the old west has to offer. However, unlike the other books, there are no monsters or supernatural elements to the story. It’s a slasher story my horror-loving friends! Blood and gore as far as the eye can see! The story is still a tribute to the splatter western sub-genre, but without all of the usual suspects (tropes, storylines, etc.) And yes, I love when my horror to contain monsters, ghosts, and goblins, but this book is a refreshing way to mix things up. Hands down my favorite character is the lady in red, Clyde Northway. She’s everything I love in a badass, sharp, take-no-prisoners type female protagonist. Her character development is crazy good! In fact, Jennings does a brilliant job writing tangible, three-dimensional characters and the depth of this story is no joke. It’s a cinematic adventure! I AM OBSESSED. I will admit the last couple of installments were not my favorite, but RED STATION totally makes up for it. Well done, Kenzie Jennings! Thank you to the @night_worms and @deaths_head_press for the free copy.
✨ FIVE STARS ✨ (special thanks to the author a ✨ FIVE STARS ✨ (special thanks to the author and @aaknopf for the free signed copy) BETTY by Tiffany McDaniel is a deeply personal story surrounding the Carpenter family living in the fictional rural town of Breathed, Ohio. Set in the 1950s, we read a fictional history of McDaniel’s very real family and learn their darkest secrets, as narrated by the author’s mother, Betty. It’s an emotional journey, starting from the time Betty’s Cherokee father Landon and white mother, Alka met, and spans all through Betty’s life. This story left me flabbergasted. When I finished, I had no words. It took me a few months to try and write a review because it’s just too good, too beautiful, and too devastating. The prose is exquisitely written and the story is intimate, bewitching, and cruel. I read several interviews with McDaniel because once I finished, I had to know everything. She performed several interviews with the women in her family, over years of writing this book. She interviewed her mother, grandmother, and aunts in order to tell a version of truth in their harrowing stories. Also, she gained insight into the novel’s setting within the depths of the beautiful foothills of the Appalachian landscape. This story is wonderfully written and absolutely brutal. Betty’s voice and her father Landon’s character are meaningful and impressive to read. McDaniel touches on her Cherokee heritage and what her family endured in a predominantly White Christian rural town. Landon is a lovely character and a wonderful father, who passed down generations of family stories and watched out for his daughters. I admired Betty’s resilience so much and I related to the way she looks to writing and nature as an escape from the harsh realities of the world. BETTY is a book I think everyone needs to read, as you will encounter trauma, violence, beauty, and brilliance. But remember the word trauma though. It’s the trigger warning I think covers all the basis. What’s the last book that destroyed you?
✨ SPOTLIGHT ✨ Thank you so much to the author ✨ SPOTLIGHT ✨ Thank you so much to the author and and @putnambooks for this pretty, pretty book. Has anyone read this?! I’m so intrigued! Take a 👀 at the synopsis below 👇🏻 “Jo's job is blackmailing the most lecherous men in Los Angeles--handsy Hollywood producers, adulterous actors, corrupt cops. Sure, she likes the money she's making, which comes in handy for the debt she is paying off, but it's also a chance to take back power for the women of the city. Eager to prove herself to her coworker Lou and their enigmatic boss, known only as the Lady Upstairs, Jo takes on bigger and riskier jobs. When one of her targets is murdered, both the Lady Upstairs and the LAPD have Jo in their sights. Desperate to escape the consequences of her failed job, she decides to take on just one more sting--bringing down a rising political star. It's her biggest con yet--and she will do it behind the Lady's back, freeing both herself and Lou. But Jo soon learns that Lou and the Lady have secrets of their own, and that no woman is safe when there is a life-changing payout on the line.”
✨ BOOK STACK ✨ I might be late to the party, ✨ BOOK STACK ✨ I might be late to the party, but I’m always down for a good time! This stack is dedicated to @danish_mustardreads. Dana suffered a near fatal event called SCAD (Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection), but luckily she was able to receive the medical care she needs to recover #redheartstackfordana 🫀 I haven’t read BONES: INSIDE AND OUT or THE GUEST BOOK, but I recommend every other book in this stack! I’m certainly anxious to read BONES ☠️ What’s the last book you purchased?! 📚
✨ FIVE STARS ✨ A while back I read @chandler. ✨ FIVE STARS ✨ A while back I read @chandler.morrison’s UNTIL THE SUN, then shortly after DEAD INSIDE, and then finally his newest release, ALONG THE PATH FOR TORMENT. All of these books are BRILLIANT, but be forewarned, they are not for the faint of heart. Hands-down, my favorite of the three is ALONG THE PATH OF TORMENT - it’s was one of my top books of 2020. ✨ Also, check out my tee! I have two actually: UNTIL THE SUN is carefully hanging in my closet. I love that it says @deaths_head_press on the front ✨ P.S. I got the idea for this photo from the lovely @natashaniezgoda - It’s harder than it looks 😂
✨ BOOKSHELF SUNDAY ✨ So how am I doing so far ✨ BOOKSHELF SUNDAY ✨ So how am I doing so far, posting on time? 🤣 By the end of this month I’ll definitely get my act together 👏🏻👏🏻 Can I get your feedback on something? Do you prefer the following...(please choose 3): A. Bookshelf or library photos B. Multiple book cover flat lay C. Cat photo & book D. Typewriter pic E. Book stacks F. Book reviews G. Me holding a book H. Book in the air I. Book on the bed Thank YOU for your time 💋
Happy #Caturday my friends! What are you reading Happy #Caturday my friends! What are you reading this weekend?! Also, what’s the weather where you are?...answer in emojis 💋 Here’s a #bookrecommendation for you! THE ANCESTOR by @danielletrussoni is EXCELLENT. Take a peek at the synopsis 👀 “After a DNA test reveals that Alberta “Bert” Monte is the sole heir of a wealthy noble family in the Italian Alps, she leaves New York to visit the family estate: Montebianco Castle, a centuries-old compound isolated in the mountains. What appeared to be a fairy tale inheritance, however, soon turns into a nightmare as Bert begins to uncover the dark legacy of her family: the truth about the abandoned village at the base of the castle; the whispers of stolen children; and the rumors of a legendary monster in the mountains. As Bert unravels the truth, she learns that her true inheritance lies not in a noble title or ancestral treasures, but in her very genes, and now she must choose between preserving a secret centuries in the keeping or abandoning it forever.”
✨ Happy 2021 ✨ A few things I want to do bett ✨ Happy 2021 ✨ A few things I want to do better, bookish edition... Post at the same time everyday, and much much earlier 🤦🏼‍♀️ Write reviews in real time. Like right after I finish each book ✍🏻 Write up feedback for DNFs. I don’t have time to write about bad books and I hardly finish them 🤷🏼‍♀️ Monthly wrap-ups (I’m laughing hysterically right now because I’m way too lazy) ✌🏻 I would like to have more of a cohesive insta-feed aesthetic 💁🏼‍♀️ Post more #truecrime because it’s one of my FAVORITE genres. Literally started reading #truecrime in elementary school 🧍🏼‍♀️🔎 Give bookshelf tours and features of my special editions 👩🏼‍🏫 ✨ What are your 2021 goals? ✨ . . #bookishtruecrime #crimejunkie #ssdgm #murderino #truecrimebooks #nonfiction #bookish #bookstagram #currentlyreading #bookishaesthetic #bookishfriendsunite #bookshelf #coolgirlsread #shelfie #books #badassbookbabes #instalike #bookaholic #bookaddict #truecrimetuesday #shereadswithcats
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