reading_under_covers's Reviews (1.61k)

One October night, Rowan and Axel are pulled away from their daughter’s debut in her school’s production of Beetlejuice with a call that a dead body has been found. That dead body turns out to be their daughter’s best friend. While out investigating this call, they come home to discover their own daughter, Chloe, hasn’t returned home from school and is missing. They must dig deep, even if it means their own daughter is behind everything.

WHEN I’M DEAD by Hannah Morrissey is the third book in the BLACK HARBOR series and I’m here to tell you that you don’t need to read the others to have a full understanding of this one!

And I’m also here to tell you that this one was easily my favorite of the three! This book made my theater nerd heart happy and the mystery and alternating POVs had me flipping pages.

Despite my enjoyment for most of the characters, Rowan and Axel are awful parents and the fact that they didn’t really even notice that got on my nerves a lot - it also seemed like they didn’t care all that much that their teenage daughter was just gone?? 

Overall, a great book to read during spooky season if crime fiction is your jam!

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Minotaur Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: October 31

My first Shari Lapena read and I’m hoping the rest are better!

This one was ridiculous and laughable at times and I felt I truly couldn’t root for any of the characters, which was a bummer.

The method of two page chapters alternating between a present timeline and a random moment between the main character and his father in the past just did not work for me.

Also, it turns out I’m not into reading books about broody men with daddy issues.

Also, also, math-wise I think the main character is 18?!?! If even?!?! But I kept picturing a twenty to thirty something, so maybe something else was also lost in translation via the author.

Definitely a fun heist novel and I can’t wait for the sequel!

I do wish we got to know more about the characters, but if this becomes even more of a series, I’m sure that will all come with time.

Such a bingeable read.

Like Tiffany Jackson’s other work, we get an intense story full of racism in a very backwards small town, but also make it a Carrie retelling. And add a bunch of gore 😱 

I loved the way the podcast element was brought in as well as news articles! Definitely amped up the tension!

A creepy crawly book perfect for spooktober!!

Due to some of the elements used in this book, I almost feel like it could have been fleshed out more.

Madeline Martin has turned her life around after experiencing a traumatic life event ten years ago. As Christmas approaches and her bookstore continues to thrive, Madeline is unprepared when a local woman goes missing and a true crime podcaster shows up at her door asking her about the past. 

CHRISTMAS PRESENTS by Lisa Unger was such a fun novella (and also had me wishing for Christmas a little??? It’s October, I’m sorry!!)

This book draws you in right away, though the opening chapter doesn’t get hinted at again for quite a ways into the book, which threw me for a loop at first, and has all of that small town, nosy neighbors energy.

The investigative side of things was intriguing and the addition of a true crime podcast element was both fun and a bit unnecessary, BUT really amped up the story from its introduction!

Overall, a super fun murdery novella that will be perfect to pick up this holiday season!

Thanks to NetGalley, Penzler Publishers, and Mysterious Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: October 24

33 pages in and, honestly the transition to the library and the “machine” was when I decided this would probably be a no for me and not worth reading another 530 pages 😅

I absolutely understand the hype behind this book. 

It has so much nostalgia and the characters were so easy to fall in love with.

It was a bit of a slow read, spanning nearly thirty years, but it has a lot of heart 🥹