Author: Karin Slaughter
Review by Mel on 2023-12-06
Kisscut is an unflinching and disturbing thriller that pulls no punches. Sara, Jeffrey, and Lena are still reeling from their last case when a shocking crime shakes their small town—13-year-old Jenny is caught attempting to murder a teenage boy outside a skating rink. As they investigate, they uncover a horrifying underground world of abuse and manipulation. Slaughter’s writing is graphic, intense, and at ti...
Author: Karin Slaughter
Review by Mel on 2023-12-06
Few authors hook readers as quickly as Karin Slaughter, and A Faint Cold Fear is no exception. Set several months after Kisscut, the story follows Jeffrey and Sara as they investigate a string of suspicious suicides on a college campus. Meanwhile, Lena—now working as campus security—seems intent on pushing everyone away as she deals with her own trauma. The mystery is compelling, and Slaughter’s signatur...
Author: Karin Slaughter
Review by Mel on 2023-12-06
Karin Slaughter delivers another intense thriller with Indelible, a gripping installment in the Grant County series. The novel opens with a shocking hostage situation at the police station, where Sara and Jeffrey find themselves at the mercy of masked gunmen. As the tension builds, the story alternates between the present crisis and flashbacks to a weekend from Sara and Jeffrey’s past—one that reveals dark secre...
Author: Katherena Vermette
Review by Mel on 2023-12-06
A raw and emotionally powerful novel, The Strangers by Katherena Vermette is a poignant exploration of generational trauma, identity, and survival. Told from multiple perspectives, the novel follows three generations of Métis women: Phoenix, a teenager in prison; her sister Cedar-Sage, who is in foster care; their mother Elsie, struggling with addiction; and their grandmother Margaret, who carries the weight of her...
Author: Sara Novic
Review by Mel on 2023-12-06
A thought-provoking novel that explores Deaf culture, identity, and language, True Biz by Sara Novic is both educational and emotionally impactful. The story follows February, the headmistress of a struggling school for Deaf students, and Charlie, a teenager who has grown up with a malfunctioning cochlear implant and no exposure to sign language. While Charlie finds her place at the school, February fights to keep i...
Author: Kirsten Miller
Review by Mel on 2023-12-05
A fierce and empowering feminist thriller, The Change by Kirsten Miller is a genre-blending novel full of mystery, supernatural elements, and revenge. In the coastal town of Mattauck, NY, three middle-aged women discover they have extraordinary powers. Nessa, a former nurse, can hear the voices of the dead. Jo, a fitness coach, has an uncontrollable inner strength. Harriet, a former executive, has a deep connection ...
Author: Falon Ballard
Review by Mel on 2023-12-05
A charming, modern rom-com with grumpy x sunshine vibes, Lease on Love by Falon Ballard is a fun and flirty read. Sadie’s life takes an unexpected turn when she’s fired from her finance job. After a drunken mix-up on a dating app, she ends up meeting Jack, a quiet, introverted man who offers her a room in his Brooklyn brownstone. Their arrangement is meant to be strictly platonic, but as they spend more time t...
Author: Kate Quinn
Review by Mel on 2023-12-05
Kate Quinn delivers another thrilling historical novel with The Huntress, a slow-burning but gripping tale of revenge, survival, and justice. The story follows Ian, a former war reporter turned Nazi hunter, and Nina, a fearless ex-member of the Night Witches, the Soviet Union’s all-female bomber regiment. Both are on the hunt for The Huntress, a deadly Nazi war criminal who vanished after the war. Meanwhil...