Breadcrumbs and Blindsides

"Game", is the first book in a trilogy. The protagonist, Henrik "HP" Pettersson, an unemployed 31 year old, with a taste for excitement and gambling, finds himself drawn into a mysterious game. The game starts with seemingly simple tasks, but quickly escalates into risky missions that transform HP's ordinary life. As HP progresses, he must decide whether the thrill and rewards are worth the increasingly dangerous situations he finds himself in. A fast-paced mystery thriller exploring an underworld which ostensibly ties into all aspects of human endeavour. The novel overflows with unique and unpredictable twists and turns making it a true modern adventure. 4/5

A science fiction thriller that follows Bridge, a young woman grappling with the recent death of her neuroscientist mother. The novel takes a turn when Bridge discovers evidence that suggests her mother might still be alive, but in an alternate reality. This discovery leads Bridge on a quest across alternate realities, where she encounters different versions of herself and her mother. As Bridge searches for Jo, she uncovers a dangerous secret about a mysterious creature called the Dreamworm; the enabler to traveling between realities. There are however others who are also hunting for the Dreamworm. The race to find the Dreamworm puts Bridge in mortal danger. Beukes has a talent for creating a science fiction environment / world which feels natural, familiar and very realistic. A page-turner with a plethora of twists and turns. A must for all science fiction fans. 4/5

"The Last Word" is the fourth novel in the Detective Harbinder series. The novel however focuses on the private detective duo of Natalka and Edwin. The daughters of a deceased romance novelist believe their mother was poisoned by her husband. Edwin, with his fondness for obituaries, discovers a connection between the writer's death and the obituary writer who also unexpectedly died, not long before. This connection leads them to a writer's retreat with a sinister atmosphere where a third writer dies. Like the Ruth series, one gets the impression that Griffiths is under extremely truncated delivery deadlines. The focus of both series has almost exclusively shifted to character development and the actual whodunnits are pretty run-of-the-mill and almost feels like an afterthought. These later novels, though competently written, just do not live up to Griffiths immense ability to author complicated and original whodunnits. 3/5

A psychological suspense novel that explores the loss by a mother of a young daughter, whose heart in turn provided the only way of survival for someone else's daughter of a similar age. Grief can be so powerful that a mother can start to belief that the heart carries the essence of her daughter. Though it is a slow burn, with a focus over developing the relevant psychological conditions, this novel never loses its 'edge'. Thoroughly engaging. 4/5

"The Inmate", is a psychological thriller, in which nurse Brooke Sullivan, moves back to a small town where she was almost murdered by her (consequently incarcerated) ex-boyfriend. As luck would have it, the only employment opportunity in said town was at the prison where said ex-boyfriend is incarcerated. Brooke also slowly start to become romantically involved with her old neighbour and then best friend. Through Brook's interaction with both men, she starts to doubt if she sent the right man to prison. A fast-paced and dark novella, which delves deep into the capacity of the human mind to create a coping-mechanism narrative. There are more than enough twists and turns and the reveal is well supported by breadcrumbs throughout the novella. 4/5

A medical student, Amy Brenner, is dreading her mandatory overnight shift on the hospital's locked psychiatric ward, especially as she has a dark secret connected to the ward. As the night progresses, her paranoia escalates as things in the ward are either very strange or she is going totally crazy. A fast-paced psychological thriller. Unfortunately, there are only a very limited number of potential reveals the setting of a locked psychiatric ward can lead to. This despite McFadden kept us pivoting between the two possibilities almost up to the very end. Very decent! 4/5

Alex Dahl is well-known for her slow burn psychological thrillers with detailed character development which slowly leads to a dreaded and futile climax . "Cabin Fever" is a prime example of her style. A psychologist, Kristina, is married to the incumbent president of Norway. She is concerned about an author patient or hers, Leah who has gone missing. As such Kristina fears Leah was murdered by her on-and-off abusive boyfriend and Kristina eventually decides to drive to Leah's cabin. Here she finds herself snowed in, in the midst of her being confronted with a number of horrors. Unfortunately the novel is just too slow and too predictable to justify the climatic "twists and turns". 3/5

A series of murders occur in Hamburg, where the victims are men with histories of violence towards women. Prosecutor Chastity Riley slowly descends into a moral grey area between justice and vengeance. Buchholz's signature dark, macabre, melancholic and witty style, shines through each word in this crime noir novella. 5/5

Liv is a single mother in Norway who is suddenly kidnapped. Anastasia is a fashion young model from Russia and she and Giorgio, an aristocrat and extremely wealthy Italian owner of a large model agency, falls instantly in love. Selma is an Oslo-based investigative journalist determined to expose the dark secrets behind the modeling industry. Three point of view stories which are bound to intertwine. A dark psychological thriller with some of the best placed breadcrumbs I've read in a while. Extremely well written and thoroughly engaging. 5/5

Did the comatose Caitlin jump or was she pushed. Meghan Michaels, an ICU nurse and single mom gets pulled into a web of strange events around Caitlin. A psychological thriller with loads of twists and turns, some more believable than others. Not really a page turner and every twist is more of a let down than what it builds up to. Way too unbelievable and long-winded. 3/5

Claire Matchett is heading out on a week long mountain getaway with her estranged husband, her lover, his wife, her best friend and the best friend's new boyfriend. Then the mini van breaks down close to the retreat and the group becomes lost in the woods. One by one death comes knocking. A decent psychological thriller with some cool twists and turns. The reveal is a bit of a McFadden recipe and if you read enough of her books pretty predictable. 3/5

When doctor Nora Davis was 11 years old, she sent her serial killer father to jail. Now 30 years later, a copycat murderer started killing her patients and everything points to her. As always McFadden provides us with a fast-paced psychological thriller with loads of twists and turns. The reveal is a bit disconnected and far-fetched, but overall the novel is enjoyable enough. 3.5/5

Intern MD, Jane McGill, has to deal with sleepless nights on call, battling wits with the sadistic yet charming Sexy Surgeon, and surviving her senior resident, Dr. Alyssa Morgan, who is hell-bent on making Jane pay tenfold for the deadly sin of incompetence. Somewhat funny and romantic but mainly a short manual on first-year internship terminology and practices. 3/5

Karin and Ingve, are offered a luxury coastal home for a week. Once there they lead on that they own the said home, which in turn leads to them learning more than they intended from one of the other home-owner couples. Karin's growing anxieties highlight how isolation magnifies internal anxieties and self-doubts within a relationship. Not strictly a crime thriller but a razor sharp psychological thriller which focuses on the minutiae. Very engaging and entertaining. 4/5

A very dark and atmospheric Nordic psychological noir set in Reykjavik, where a poor teenage male ballet dancer reaches a psychological break point after years of abuse by his alcoholic mother and a school bully. Very well written, especially as it is written from a first person antagonist perspective. 4/5

Tricia and Ethan are on the hunt for their dream home but get snowed in at a large manor house  that once belonged to Dr. Adrienne Hale, a respected psychiatrist who disappeared mysteriously some years earlier. Tricia discovers a hidden room in the house, with all Hale's consultation audio transcripts. This inspires Tricia to find what happened to Hale.  But, is that all which she will discover?  A fast paced atmospheric psychological thriller with loads of unexpected twists and turns.  The breadcrumbs are there but the reader really needs to keep up with his or her deductions .  Masterfully written. 5/5

A totally disfigured body leads detective Julia Gabrielsson on a hunt to discover its identity. As Julia's investigation progresses, a web of power struggles, secrets, and hidden agendas begins to unravel; while those at risk will stop at nothing to stay in control. A very dark crime and political thriller which delves deep into the grey areas of human nature. Fast paced and morbid at times, with a plethora of twists and turns. A worthy second act to the equally brilliant "MemoRandum". 5/5

Tess wakes up each day with no memory of the past seven years. Her only guide is a letter she wrote to herself during a possible moment of clarity. But something feels dangerously wrong, especially when she discovers notes she writes to herself on her thighs. McFadden gives us the psychological thriller version of "50 First Dates". Unpredictable, infuriating and impossible to put down. McFadden at her best. 5/5

Police officer, David Sarac, wakes up in hospital after a car crash with severe amnesia, brought on by a seizure he suffered. The only clue he remembers is a name... "Janus"; someone who seems to hold the answers about his actions. He becomes a target of various underworld and even police forces, who are determined to find Janus before he does. A fast-paced suspense thriller with more twists and turns than a Swedish country road. 4/5

An action-packed crime thriller, which explores the chaos which ensues when the criminal element slowly and thoroughly psychologically attacks the individuals who make up a city's police department. Fast paced and utterly enjoyable. 4/5

Charlotte Salter vanishes on the night of her husband 50th birthday party.  While he is utterly unconcerned, Charlotte's four children know that something is terribly wrong.  Shortly after the disappearance the body of a family friend is found, binding the children of two families in a 30 year uncertainty as to what happened to their respective parents.  However a podcast intended to be a cathartic process leads to unexpected answers.  The husband and wife team of Nicci French gifts us with a dark, emotional and oppressive novel, which stays a mystery till the very end.  4/5

Molly Gray, the fringe Asperger's protagonist from "The Maid" is back; this time as the Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. In turn, a prominent mystery author, with past links to Molly, is about to make a dramatic announcement but dies just prior to the same. A true cosy mystery with a fast pace and a somewhat unpredictable unfold. A lovely example of the often loathed genre. 4/5

Millie returns, (again) as a housemaid to a wealthy, attractive couple. She senses the wife of the house is in danger from her husband and tries to assist her and soon thereafter someone dies. A fast-paced murder mystery which is hard to put down. Unfortunately both the initial and second reveals are way too easy to predict and the first reveal becomes apparent in the first few chapters. The novel definitely lacks the originality and blindsides of the first novel but it remains a fun read. 3.5/5

Sebastian Trapp, a best-selling mystery author is given three months to live. His first wife and son disappeared years ago, and he has remained a suspect throughout. Sebastian invites Nicky Hunter, an aspiring biographer to his home to write his memoir. Nicky becomes embroiled in a web of family secrets and a mysterious death at the family home. The novel is largely a slow-burn homage to the works of Conan Doyle, but the very slow build-up does provide some extremely interesting twists and turns during the third act. 3.5/5

"Zero Days", is a fast-paced whodunnit, that follows Jack, a penetration (pen) expert who specializes in breaking into buildings and exposing corporate security vulnerabilities. Jack's world is shattered when her husband is murdered, and she becomes the prime suspect. Now a fugitive, Jack embarks on a desperate race to find the killer.  The novel carries the emotional aspects of the story expertly.  The breadcrumbs leading to the reveal are unfortunately too plentiful and lead to frustration towards Jack and her inability to timeously identify the killer.  The twists and turns are however fast-paced and very well-written which contributes immensely to the enjoyment of the novel. 4/5