Breadcrumbs and Blindsides

The first novel in the Roy Grace series and centers around Michael Harrison, who goes missing on his stag night, just days before his wedding. The only clue is that he was last seen buried alive in a prank gone wrong. A fast-moving mystery thriller with loads and loads of twists and turns. Masterfully written by James. A must read. 5/5

"They Thought I Was Dead", provides the story of Sandy, the missing wife of Detective Superintendent Roy Grace (of the Roy Grace Detective series). This is a loose standing story narrated from Sandy's perspective. Essentially Sandy concludes that she has to disappear without a trace to escape certain consequences of her actions. The novel takes the shape of a fast moving macabre "adventure" of bad choices depicting Sandy's life over a 10-year period taking many twists and turns. It's a gripping and often very sad read, but it is also action packed and entertaining. Very well written indeed. 4.5/5

"Murder in White" is a locked room murder mystery / whodunnit that set in a secluded hostel amidst the imposing Tatra Mountains of Poland. A blizzard of epic proportions cuts off the hostel from the outside world, trapping a group of nine strangers inside. Just as tensions begin to mount among the snowbound guests, a mysterious stranger arrives, seeking refuge from the storm. Shortly after this new arrival, a dead body is found on the top floor of the hostel, and it becomes clear that a murderer is among them. With no way to call for help, the remaining guests must unravel the secrets of their fellow travelers to identify the killer before another victim strikes. Jedliński balanced the psychological impact of the forced proximity of a murderer on the minds of the other guests and the over-the-top and irrational actions which follow from situations very well. A bit slow-moving and somewhat disjointed novel but a decent whodunnit. 3.5/5

A High School English teacher intervenes in a potentially disastrous suicide bombing by an ex-pupil and thus prevents a mass murder. However once he appeared in news coverage, he's targeted by a blackmailer who threatens to expose a "secret" that could destroy his life. The novel follows said teacher as he races to uncover the identity of the blackmailer and protect his reputation. A very fast-paced novel with a number of twists and turns which keeps the reader at the edge of his / her seat until the very end. 4/5

April Masterson, a middle-class PTA mom with a popular YouTube baking channel, is suddenly receiving messages from an unknown number. She quickly realises that the sender is out to ruin her life. As the messages increase, so too does the interference into her life, with things soon spiraling out of control. Classic McFadden. Very well written with loads of twists and turns. 4/5

On the surface, Erika Cass has a picture-perfect life. That said, she knows that her sixteen year old son, Liam,is a psychopath. When Liam's girlfriend disappears and all evidence points to him as the perpetrator, Erica is forced to accept his true nature, this despite Liam's protestations of innocence. An interesting twist on the psychological thriller / whodunnit genre. Unfortunately McFadden has a bit of a tell when it comes to certain family units she creates. This in turn tends to give away the reveal. This despite the novel remains totally engaging. 3.5/5

Nina, a close to retirement university professor is at a crossroads in her life. Her relationship with her daughter is strained, her work feels meaningless, and her childhood home is about to be demolished. When their tenant disappears, Nina becomes consumed by guilt and the need to solve the mystery. A psychological thriller which delves into family secrets, personal crisis, and the consequences of hidden desires. Set against the bleak Norwegian winter.  Claustrophobic and insightful, with one of the most pragmatic unfolds ever captured on paper. 4/5

After failed infertility treatments and a fallen-through adoption, Abby and Sam are on the verge of giving up on a child. Abby's young assistant, Monica out of the blue offers to be their surrogate. As the pregnancy progresses, Monica's behavior changes to becoming secretive and controlling, and Abby starts to suspect that Monica is not who she seems. A somewhat predictable psychological thriller filled with well-known tropes. That said, the novel is fast-paced and action packed. 3/5

"Bubble", is the final novel in the "Game" Trilogy. As HP starts to get closer to discovering the identity of the Game Master he also learns of a potential attack on the Royal Wedding; an attack for which he is being set up as patsy. Though much more demur and less unique compared to the previous two novels, enough twists and turns ensure that the story concludes in a satisfying page-turner. 3.5/5

The second book in the "Game" trilogy picks up the story with HP getting into trouble in Dubai and being deported back to Sweden where HP under a false name joins an IT company to investigate the events which played out in Dubai. His situation takes a turn when he attracts the attention of the powerful CEO. De La Motte avoids the pitfalls of focussing on the "Game" of the first novel by creating a side-story which folds into the main "Game". A cohesively written page-turner with loads of twists and turns and a decent unfold. 4/5

"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