The start to the year was a busy one for us, but I did manage to squeeze in some reading. There were a handful of really good January book releases that need to make their way onto your reading list!
Tell Me What You Did
Wow. Tell Me What You Did was wildly suspenseful. I actually gave this one five stars — and you know how rare that is! I loved the timeline jumps between the live podcast transcripts to the events leading up to Halloween night.
Tell Me What You Did is a popular podcast, where Poe interviews criminals and allows them to confess their crimes on her show. Evening’s going well, when a guest comes on her show and claims to be the man who killed her mother. It couldn’t be… because Poe has a secret, too. One that this horrible man threatens to reveal.
I think I audibly murmured, “ahhh” when the big reveal happened in chapter 95. I didn’t see it coming, and loved every second of this explosive ending!
I feel like true crime stories can get old – because the bad guy always comes over the show host, when they get too close to solving it – but this was fun because the crime was years and years ago, and hits very close to home for the host.
Tell Me What You Did was a favorite January new release for me!! It was eerie and suspenseful, and I couldn’t get enough!
Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC for review!
Beautiful Ugly
“I hope you die in your sleep” 😯 I mean, come on! This was so good. When I finished listening, I ran to my husband and said “that was SO good”
I am a big fan of Alice Feeney, and Beautiful Ugly did not disappoint. I listen to this on audio and found it to be incredibly suspenseful and atmospheric… Especially the wave and telephone sounds – which, in most novels I would’ve found to be incredibly cheesy and distracting. Bonus points for Feeney!
This twisty story is about a husband who is mourning his missing wife. After riding the high of becoming a best selling author, he’s hit with writers block. His agent sends him to a remote Scottish island to a cabin to write. This takes remote to a new level. As in: no car, so phones (not just cell service. There’s literally not even a landline for this guy), no internet, and no way off. His cottage is quite literally perched on the edge of a cliff. His only companion is his dog. Nothing is what it seems – and you’ll be ignoring your family so you can listen just like me 😂😉
Beautiful Ugly is a must read!
Thanks to #NetGalley for the audio ARC for review.
The Business Trip
The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia was a fun and fast-paced thriller about 2 women, seemingly unconnected both going missing. They’re from two very different backgrounds, which made them fun “dueling MCs”.
I had so many theories – who knew who and who were working together, etc., and was pleasantly surprised by being wrong! Lots of twists and turns, which kept me turning pages.
I will say there were a lot of characters we got to hear from. It was almost as if everyone we were introduced to go their own point of view chapters. It was a lot to keep track of, but it made it exciting. I listened on audio, and found that really compelling!
The Business Trip was a solid 4 star read!
Thanks to #NetGalley for the audio arc for review!
A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage
A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage was such a fun read. I don’t think it was quite a “thriller” — but it had some action and lots of secrets, while also keeping very light.
Hayes and Fox met overseas and bonded over their mutual love of murdering horrible men. Fast forward, and now they’re married with a young child. They decided to put their love of murder on the shelf, to protect their family and to be better parents. Not surprisingly, Hayes is unhappy and feeling unfulfilled. She sets out to make a mom friend, and wouldn’t you know it, she befriends a COP. Enter: lots of secrets and lies 🫢
I loved the dual perspective between Hayes and Fox, and the little breadcrumbs Mackay left for the reader.
A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage was a quick, fun read. 4 stars 👏🏻
Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC for review!
The Lost House
I have a lot of feelings about this one, and unfortunately, they’re not good. The Lost House by Melissa Larsen was SLOW. And not even in a “slow burn, let’s savor every bit of this story” way. It was just slow. Literally nothing happened the entire time, other than Agnes being extremely unlikable. She had a tragic backstory, and a limp from some mysterious injury – but I found as a reader, I didn’t care. It just made her more annoying.
Agnes meets up with podcaster Nora in Iceland, in the hometown of her ancestors… where her father and grandfather were run out after being accused of the gruesome murder of her grandmother and infant Aunt. This is a very famous cold case, and she grew up not believing her grandfather could have been guilty… but now that she’s in Iceland, following clues and talking to locals, she’s starting to think everything she knew about her family was wrong. Then, when another Icelandic girl goes missing, the podcast takes a turn.
But again. Nothing happened. It was like 300+ pages of Agnes limping in the snow. This had so much atmospheric potential… but just fell flat. I would have loved to read this from Nora’s perspective instead. She was kind and interesting… and just not Agnes.
When the “climax” happened, even that wasn’t shocking. And I wouldn’t call anything I read “a twist”.
The Lost House fell flat for me.
Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC for review.
You can see what else I’ve been reading here, and follow me on GoodReads for more book picks. Shop these January book releases below:
xo -j
