We are halfway through January, which is unbelievable. The month is flying! We got hit with a massive snowstorm – I’m talking over a foot of snow. Needless to say, I’ve been cozied up inside, reading. When it comes down to what to read this January, I’ve got you covered!
What to read this January
Keep reading for book reviews on 4 new book releases for January 2024. Big thanks to #NetGalley and the Publishers for the advance reader copies of each of the below books.
The Heiress
The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins was released on the 9th, and was the first book I read in 2024 — and it was SO GOOD.
I am a huge fan of Hawkins – her characters have so much depth. Because of this, she’s able to throw a few mini-twists into her stories. I go into her stories, knowing there are going to be so many layers and I can guess all I want, but Hawkins will always shock me somehow. That was no different for The Heiress.
The story was told through the perspective of estranged heir to the McTavish fortune, Camden and his wife Jules, as well as mysterious letters written from Ruby (Camden’s adoptive mother and “Mrs McTavish” of the McTavish fortune and home) but who are the letters to? Hawkins gave nothing away on that, as far as I’m concerned. The cleanest plot twist I’ve read in a long time!! Throughout the story, there are also clippings from newspaper and magazine articles, which was a fun addition to reading.
I think Ruby’s letters were my favorite part. I loved how she wrote so conversationally, and so matter of factly detailed her life!
Ruby made headlines as “Mrs Killmore” when several of her husbands die under mysterious circumstances. But she’s no stranger to the press. When Ruby was a baby, she was lost in the woods on a picnic. She was found living with an ex-employee nearly a year later, and then returned back to the McTavish home. Go ahead. Digest that.
When estranged heir to the McTavish fortune, Camden, and his wife return to the family house, all hell breaks loose. This family is nuts, and clearly willing to do whatever it takes to get “their share” of the family fortune. Good thing he has Jules with him, so they can be a united front against the other members of the family, who have remained in the family home.
While this started very slowly, all the details were absolutely crucial so Rachel Hawkins could serve up this twisty ending on a silver dish!
You can purchase The Heiress here in print, on Kindle, and on audio.
The Night of the Storm
The Night of the Storm by Nishita Parekh released on the 16th, and is available here in print, Kindle, and audio!
I love a locked room thriller… and on the surface, The Night Of The Storm has it all: Jai and her son are trapped at her sister’s house. With her brother-in-law, who she’s maybe having an affair with. Add grandma, the in-laws, and Jai’s niece. Oh, and a Cat 4 Hurricane coming at them, so they can’t leave. Then the neighbor shows up – and he’s extra shady.
Unfortunately, this fell flat for me. Character development was iffy, and no one in the book was likable. Jia also went from a bumbling single mother who can’t drive in the dark to suddenly picking up on the slightest clues and solving a murder. Just seemed a little bit of a reach.
Without giving too much away, the ending was very predictable, and as the morning approached, it was all very cliche. THEN there was that last chapter. Well played, Nishita. It was enough to salvage the read, but there are better stories with the same plot line (Daisy Darker, The Hunting Party, One by One).
No One Can Know
No One Can Know by Kate Alice Marshall is out Tuesday, Jan 23, and needs to be at the top of your What To Read In January list!!
“No one can know.” If your sister said that to you, how far would you go to cover up the truth?
Turns out the Palmer sisters would go pretty far. Their parents are murdered, and middle daughter Emma was the number one suspect, but never convicted. Years later, she’s estranged from her sisters, when she and her newly unemployed husband have nowhere to live, and have to return to her childhood home. Yup, the home her parents were murdered in, in a small town that holds grudges.
The story bounces between THEN and NOW, and we get each of the sisters POV too. I liked the air of mystery and not knowing what version of the truth was the truth – that made it fun for the reader.
No One Can Know was a pretty predictable thriller, but a page turner nonetheless! The sister dynamic was fun, and the characters were all well-developed. I give this a solid 4. Last year, I read What Lies in the Woods by K.A.M. and I still think about that ending. Both definitely make the cut as far as what to read in January
You can preorder Kate Alice Marshall’s latest novel here.
Keep Your Friends Close
Keep Your Friends Close by Joanne Ryan is out January 25, and will be available on Kindle Unlimited!
Mia sees her ex-boyfriend on her street… but she knows it can’t be him. He’s dead, and dead people don’t walk around. Mia may have killed him, but her lifelong friend Carrie may have done something worse to cover it up. A secret this big has bound the two of them together, in a very unhealthy, co-dependent fashion, and it all threatens to fall apart when Mia starts dating someone new.
I went in completely blind, reading Keep Your Friends Close, but I liked the cover. Two chapters in, I thought I was reading a YA thriller. I think this was because the entire story was told in first person, from Mia’s perspective.
While it was fun to follow along, as she questioned if she was losing her mind and going mad, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the writing style, and felt it seemed a little immature. GRANTED, Mia had a lot of character flaws, and her inner monologue came off as unlikable. But it was a lot for a whole book. It was one of those stories where you’re supposed to root for Mia… but she’s really just unlikable😅
The story itself was fun… though extremely predictable. I mean, the last third of the book was certainly a page-turner! (Sips tea 🫖) I felt all signs pointed to the obvious conclusion… but that didn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the ending! Absolutely well-played. I’m a big fan of an abrupt ending and nothing ruins a thriller more than everything being tied up with a pretty bow. Keep Your Friends Close absolutely delivered in the endings department! Circling back, I think it’s because I didn’t like Mia that I enjoyed it so much 😂
Keep Your Friends Close is a very fluffy thriller, and would be a good summer read, poolside. A solid 3 from me!
Don’t know what to read this January? Shop these four twisty thrillers below:
Something I thought was funny: Last year, I did a January books to read blog post, and it also featured novels by Rachel Hawkins and Kate Alice Marshall! You can read that post here.
Again, big thanks to #NetGalley for the ARCs for review purpose.
xo -j
