tension Archives - The Quick and the Read

Book Review: ‘Only If You’re Lucky’ by Stacy Willingham

I’ve loved Stacy Willingham’s previous books – all tightly plotted and packed with tension against the backdrop of the sizzling heat of the American South. Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of ‘Only If You’re Lucky’ in return for an honest review – opinions, as always, are my own.

This story centres on a group of four friends who meet at university in South Carolina. The main character, Margot, is fleeing from a tragic event in her personal life when she meets the charismatic and captivating Lucy. An invitation to share a student house follows and Margot, Lucy, Sloane and Nicole find themselves living together and next to a boys’ fraternity house. Before long, Margot’s past starts to surface in ways she never expected – and impacts on her current life and relationships. When events take a dark turn, Margot and her friends need to decide who to trust. But can they even trust each other?

Book Review: ‘Murder in the Family’ by Cara Hunter

I love Cara Hunter’s police procedurals (featuring DI Adam Fawley) so I was thrilled to get my hands on ‘Murder in the Family’, Hunter’s first standalone novel.

Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy – opinions are entirely my own.

Book Review: ‘The Retreat’ by Sarah Pearse

I liked Pearse’s first book – ‘The Sanatorium’ – because of the claustrophobic atmosphere and the edge-of-your-seat tension levels. I had high hopes for this book, ‘The Retreat’, as this marks the return of detective Elin Warner in a different but equally remote setting.

Book Review: ‘Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six’ by Lisa Unger

Thanks to NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Three couples rent an isolated luxury cabin for the weekend. It seems like the perfect opportunity to relax and escape the everyday stresses of high-powered jobs, parenthood and modern life. However, they didn’t bank on quite how remote the cabin is…especially with a violent storm on the way. Sinister elements from the past of the cabin – and its current residents – soon begin to surface. And there is no escape.

Book Review: ‘All the Dangerous Things’ by Stacy Willingham

Thanks to NetGalley for my review copy of ‘All the Dangerous Things’ in exchange for an honest review. I liked Willingham’s first book (‘A Flicker in the Dark’) so was very intrigued to see what would follow…

This book is told from the point of view of Isabelle Drake, a mother trying to make sense of her young son’s disappearance from his bedroom a year before. As she tells her story at true crime conventions, she attracts the attention of many people who all have their own theories about what happened to the toddler – including podcaster Waylon Spencer who convinces Isabelle to collaborate on his show. As Isabelle’s past is raked over, some unexpected and disturbing truths come to light.

Book Review: ‘The Close’ by Jane Casey

Long-standing fans of the DS Maeve Kerrigan series can rejoice – the latest instalment (the tenth) is here and it is a good one!

In this book, DS Kerrigan goes undercover with DI Josh Derwent – they move into Jellicoe Close posing as a couple to investigate some shady goings-on around the death of a vulnerable adult. As they get to know their new neighbours, they start to realise that danger lurks in this most perfect-seeming suburban street. Nothing is as it seems, and peril gets increasingly close to Maeve and Josh’s new domestic set-up.

Book Review: ‘The Sanctuary’ by Emma Haughton

I absolutely loved Emma Haughton’s first fiction book for adults, ‘The Dark’, set in a research centre in Antarctica. This was the perfect claustrophobic locked-room mystery with the inhospitable surroundings meaning escape was impossible.

I gulped that book down in one – so I was thrilled that NetGalley granted me access to Haughton’s next book, ‘The Sanctuary’.

In this book, Zoey wakes in an unfamiliar environment – she doesn’t remember much about the night before, a night out in New York, aside from a few troubling flashbacks. Now she’s in the desert in The Sanctuary, a high-end establishment helping people to kick their various addictions and face their problems. Zoey doesn’t want to be there…but how can she escape when the centre is miles from anywhere and surrounded by the threats of the endless, empty desert? Instead, she begins to get to know the other residents and participate in some often-unorthodox treatments. But is the desert really more of a threat than the perils lurking within The Sanctuary’s walls?

Book Review: ‘The Cruise’ by Catherine Cooper

Having read Cooper’s previous books – ‘The Chalet’ and ‘The Chateau’ – I knew what to expect. Glamorous settings, a small cast of seriously dodgy people and a twisty mystery that I wouldn’t be able to predict!

I wasn’t wrong!

Book Review: ‘Run Time’ by Catherine Ryan Howard

I absolutely loved the idea of this book! A thriller that takes place on the remote set of a horror film – what a great idea. I’d read one of Catherine Ryan Howard’s previous books (’56 Days’) set during Covid lockdown so I knew that I was in safe hands…if anyone can pull off some bogglingly high concept ideas then she can!

Book Review: ‘The Echo Man’ by Sam Holland

Wow, this is a page turner!

The story begins with a house fire in which Jess Ambrose’s husband is killed – an arson attack which the police blame on Jess, causing her to go on the run from hospital. Disgraced detective Nate Griffin believes that Jess is innocent and tries to help her. Together, Jess and Griffin spot a horrific link between some gruesome and brutal murders. It seems that someone is copying famous serial killer murders from the past…and they aren’t about to stop their reign of terror.