reading_under_covers's Reviews (1.61k)

This one definitely reads like a short story: overall short, with concise chapters, little character development, and not a very strong story arc.

However, I did enjoy the read and it was a lighter take on serial killers, which I was a fan of!  

My thoughts and feelings on this book are m e s s y.

I was constantly alternating between “wow, I love this” and “is it over yet??”

The premise is astounding, but the execution is drawn out (we could have easily had 100 pages less). I keep wanting to compare this to King, but maybe it’s just the pretentious way this book came off that makes me feel that way 🥲

Loved how this book was laid out - the intercutting of scripts in each act really made the character of the Reaper come alive! This one is full of gore and that good old slasher film feel. Definitely looking forward to some lighter reads after this one 😅

On New Year’s Eve, famous singer Rhys Lloyd has a house full of guests, but by midnight, the host will be found dead. In a small town where everyone knows each other (and a majority wanted Rhys dead), Ffion Morgan finds herself co-leading the investigation to find out just who murdered him.

THE LAST PARTY by Clare Mackintosh is my second read by this author (my first being HOSTAGE), and this one was vastly different.

I’ll start by saying that there are a lot of Welsh words and sayings thrown around in this story, which added some confusion and slowed down my comprehension a bit (especially when words were said, but then not explained?), but THAT ASIDE, this book played host to a large array of characters that Clare fleshed out beautifully. Everyone seemed to have a motive and their own hidden secrets that kept me constantly second-guessing who I thought the killer could be.

The setting was also so well-described that I felt like I landed on The Shore myself!

If you love a story with a large cast of characters, and alternating timelines, pick this one up!

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: November 08, 2022

Of all of Christie’s short story collections I’ve read so far, I think this one might be my least favorite. There were definitely some standout shorts in here that I really enjoyed, but plenty that were misses.

I sometimes find crime fiction hard to rate because of the amount of detail that goes into them. 

This one is on the longer side and has sooo many plot points and characters - it became too much for me to really enjoy it. 

The serial killers in this one were hella spooky, though, and made up for the lackluster attributes our main character, Investigator Henley, possessed.

An overall quick read with lots of *gasp* gore and intrigue. Has a lot of the same vibes as classic coming-of-age horror films and novels. 

The best kind of spooky vibes!

Recent widow of  three children, Kelsey O’Henry has a lot on her plate. On top of the possibility of losing her bar and restaurant, her mother’s alcoholism continues to take a toll on her, and she may be developing feelings for her best friend?!

TRICKED IN OCTOBER by Starla DeKruyf is the second book in the Pineridge series (can be read as a standalone!) and is my first read by this author. 

It will come as no surprise that I was drawn to this book by that cute-as-heck cover! BUT that’s about where my love for this book ends… this one is flaunted as a ‘best-friends-to-lovers’ romance, but I felt no sense of friendship AT ALL. It felt more like, ‘I sat next to this guy in 4th grade once, and now we sometimes run into each other in our small town…and then we banged.’

There were also several instances of MCs losing loved ones in freak accidents, which just felt like an exceptionally bizarre way to create a plot point. Speaking of main characters, our leading lady, Kelsey, was both annoying and a teenager??? I honestly get so irritated when characters who are meant to be in their late twenties/early thirties are as emotionally mature as a high-schooler. 

I don’t know, y’all. This one felt messy and under-developed, and just completely missed the mark for me… THAT COVER THOUGH! 

Thanks to NetGalley and City Owl Press for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. This one is out now!

How does Ruth Ware manage to hit those atmospheric vibes every 👏🏻 single 👏🏻 time?!