They Call Her Regrets

 

What if the scariest thing isn’t a monster—but your own regret?

They Call Her Regret by Channelle Desamours is a creepy, smartly layered YA mystery. The audiobook pulls you straight into the uneasy world of high school senior Simone, a sharp, feisty narrator who’s holding far more inside than she lets on.

Simone keeps parts of herself hidden from everyone—her dad, her best friend Kira, even from herself at times. When tragedy strikes, Simone is forced to make a deal that could lead to more tragedy & regret. 

What makes this story work so well is how real the characters feel. The teenage characters sound like actual teenagers—messy, funny, defensive, & vulnerable. That authenticity isn’t an accident. The author teaches high school science & clearly understands how teens talk & think. The dialogue never feels forced or try-hard. 

The atmosphere is where this one really shines. It’s more creeping dread than jump-scare gore. There’s an unsettling undercurrent running through the entire book—an “is this really happening?” kind of chill. Readers who want something scary but not bloody will be right at home here. It’s eerie without tipping into slasher territory.

There are also mysteries layered throughout-some obvious, others simmering in the background. A touch of romance slips in, but never hijacks the story. It adds texture without overwhelming the central tension.

The narration by Kristolyn Lloyd is excellent. She really captures Simone’s mix of confidence & anxiety, and her pacing keeps the tension constant. The eerie moments are scary without being overdone.

This book explores guilt, identity, friendship, & the ripple effects of the choices we make. It asks what regret can do to a person—and whether facing the truth is more terrifying than avoiding it.

I genuinely enjoyed this one. If you’re looking for a book that delivers chills without buckets of blood, this is an easy recommendation. Just don’t be surprised if every doll suddenly looks suspicious.

Thanks Macmillan Audio for the gifted early listen. Out 2/17 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

QOTD: Do you prefer your scary reads creepy and atmospheric or full-on slasher?

#yathriller #yafiction

#creepyreads #macaudio2025 

#bookstagram

About the Author 

Channelle Desamours is a high school science teacher from Atlanta, Georgia who loves writing tales about magical Black girls. When she’s not napping to recover from her five a.m. writing sessions, she can be found building tiny homes on The Sims 4 or tending to her house plants. Needy Little Things is her debut novel.

Dead Man Blues

 

Your ex-wife married your best friend. Now he needs your help solving a murder or two. 

Dead Man Blues by S.D. House is about Dave Hendricks, a former mayor who's basically living in the wreckage of his own life. After his marriage ended, he drunkenly crashed into the courthouse which tanked his political career. His marriage ended because his wife and his best friend, Victor, fell in love. That torched his friendship with Victor, the county sheriff. Oh, and Victor's now married to Dave's ex-wife. Because of course he is.

Now Dave's living on a houseboat with Shorty—his dog and honestly the only good thing he got out of the divorce— mourning the loss of his friendship with Victor and trying to figure out how he became this guy. Then the son of the richest and most powerful man in the county gets murdered. And Victor, despite everything, needs Dave's help because he's the only one stubborn and smart enough to untangle it. What you get is this tense, messy partnership between two men who can barely look at each other but can't walk away either. Another body drops. The town's old secrets start surfacing. And honestly? It's gripping.

Here's the thing: Dave makes this book. He's sharp, charming, deeply flawed and he knows it. S.D. House nails that specific kind of self-awareness that comes from sitting in the mess you made and having no choice but to deal with it. The post-WWII setting adds this gritty Southern small town attraction, and the supporting cast keeps things grounded.

The mystery moves fast without feeling rushed. You're tracking clues, but you stay for Dave and the emotional weight he's carrying.

If you love atmospheric and historical crime fiction with actual heart and a protagonist you want to root for despite his mistakes (or maybe because of them), this one's worth your time. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Out now. 

QOTD: What's a "small town secret" trope you never get tired of? The corrupt official? Hidden family drama? Or that one old crime everyone's decided never happened?

#deadmanblues #crimefiction #historicalcrime #southernnoir #mysteryreads

About the Author

S. D. House is the New York Times bestselling author of seven novels, including his most recent, Lark Ascending, which was a Booklist Editors’ Choice and is the winner of the 2023 Southern Book Prize and the 2023 Nautilus Book Award. In 2022 he was the recipient of the Duggins Prize, the largest award for an LGBTQ writer in the nation. In 2023 he was inducted as the Poet Laureate of Kentucky for 2023-2025 and became a Grammy finalist. His writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Time, Garden & Gun, The New York Times, Oxford American, Ecotone, Tri-Quarterly, and many more of the country’s leading publications. House teaches at Berea College and at the Naslund-Mann Graduate School of Creative Writing.

Murder Bimbo

 

If you’re looking for a narrator you can actually trust, keep scrolling because Murder Bimbo is designed to lie to your face. 

Rebecca Novack’s debut is a sharp, audacious pivot from the standard thriller. Told entirely through a series of emails, it’s a story that feels like it’s slipping through your fingers the moment you think you’ve figured it all out. 

A sex worker using the alias "Murder Bimbo" emails a true-crime podcaster, claiming she was recruited by government agents to assassinate a controversial politician. But as the "paper trail" shifts to personal emails and memoirs, the cracks widen. It becomes a brilliant psychological autopsy of how "the truth" is often just a story edited for effect. 

Narrator Jennifer Pickens is phenomenal. She brings a cool, intellectual confidence in a voice that’s impossible to fully trust. And that’s the point. Her performance heightens the novel’s tension. It keeps you questioning, even as you suspect you’re being played.

If you love moral ambiguity, epistolary formats, and protagonists who refuse to be "likable," put this on your tbr list. It’s a great choice for fans of Gone Girl, smart unreliable narrators, and political conspiracies.

Murder Bimbo is out tomorrow. Many thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio for the complimentary early listen! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

QOTD: Are you a fan of the "unreliable narrator" trope, or do you prefer to know exactly who you’re rooting for from page one?

#newrelease #audiobooklover  #thrillerbooks #bookreview

#bookstagram

About the Author 

Rebecca Novack grew up in the Rocky Mountains. She has a master’s in theological studies from Harvard Divinity school.

When I Kill You

 

How far would you go to prove a killer is hiding in plain sight and what happens when, fourteen years later, that same shadow starts following you?

B.A. Paris is back with When I Kill You, a tightly wound psychological thriller that plays with time, identity, and the unsettling idea that danger never really lets go. It just changes shape.

Fourteen years ago, Elle becomes consumed with the disappearance and murder of a college student. Convinced she knows who’s responsible, she fixates on Brett Parker. She watches him and tracks his movements. She crosses the line from concern to obsession with deadly consequences. These past chapters are the strongest in the book. They’re fast-paced and urgent. They become increasingly unsettling as Elle refuses to stop. 

In the present day, Elle is now Nell, living under a new name and trying to keep her past buried. But someone is watching her. Nell’s chapters move more slowly, relying on psychological tension and a creeping sense that something isn’t right. As she learns more about her boyfriend’s past relationships, her paranoia ramps up, and it becomes harder to separate real danger from old fear.

Paris explores obsession, identity, and the cost of living in fear. The ending wraps up a bit faster than I expected. It ties all the threads cleanly together with a satisfying conclusion.

On audio, Georgia Maguire does excellent work bringing both timelines to life, capturing Elle’s intensity and Nell’s brittle anxiety with equal skill.

An entertaining popcorn thriller perfect for fans of psychological suspense. Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the gifted early listen. Out Feb. 17. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

QOTD: Do you prefer psychological thrillers that move fast or slow burns that really mess with your head?

#psychologicalthriller

#thrilleraudiobook

#audiobooklover

#macaudio2025 

#popcornthriller

About the Author

B.A. Paris is the New York Times bestselling author of Behind Closed Doors, The Breakdown, Bring Me Back, The Dilemma, The Therapist, The Prisoner, and The Guest. Having lived in France for many years, she and her husband now live in the UK, where she writes from a cottage in the Hampshire countryside.

Rose Dhu

 

Rich people, dark secrets, and a disappearance that’ll keep you guessing. 

In high-society Savannah, money doesn’t just talk. It hides bodies. If you think your family has drama, wait until you meet the suspects in Mark Murphy’s latest page-turner.

Rose Dhu kicks off with a pulse-pounding premise. Dr. Janie O’Connor, a beloved & highly successful surgeon, vanishes into thin air. Enter Detective Frank Winger & his partner, Pepper Stephens. They’re seasoned pros, but this case is a tangled web.

The suspect list is as long as a Savannah moss drape. 

Phillip Carruthers is Janie’s fiancé, a man so wealthy & powerful he practically owns the city. Diane was Janie’s sister & the last person to see her alive. She also happens to be the first person to make Frank’s heart beat again since his wife’s murder, adding a layer of high-stakes tension to the badge. Phillip’s "fixer" is a brutal man who’s gone missing at the exact same time as Janie. 

What makes Rose Dhu such a standout is how Murphy weaves the corruption of power throughout the investigation. Power, control, grief, & moral compromise run through the story, especially in how money and status warp accountability & truth.

Beyond the procedural grit, the novel explores a poignant journey of grief & rediscovery. Frank is a man haunted by his military service & the brutal murder of his wife.  His professional world collides with his personal one when he meets Diane. Their connection adds a layer of high-stakes tension to every lead, forcing the reader to question if love can truly bloom in the shadow of a missing person case.

The pace is remarkably steady. Murphy doesn't rely on cheap gimmicks, but instead builds a solid police procedural that respects the reader's intelligence. I found myself second-guessing my theories as the investigation took several sharp, unexpected turns. The ending that was incredibly satisfying. Out now! A huge thank you to PR by the Book for the gifted ebook. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am so excited to dive deeper into these twists with the the author himself!

• 📅 IG Live with Mark Murphy
• 🗓️ Friday, Feb. 6
• ⏰ 3:30 pm EST

QOTD: What are you reading this week?

#policeprocedural

#crimefiction #thrillerreads

#mysterybooks #bookreview

About the Author

Mark Murphy is a native of Savannah, GA. He’s worked as a fast-food worker, marine biologist, orderly, ordained minister, and gastroenterologist, his current “day job.” When he’s not healing the sick, he writes anything he can including newspaper columns, short stories, magazine articles, and textbook chapters. Rose Dhu is his third novel.

January Reading Wrap Up

 

January was a surprisingly strong reading month, especially on audio.

A lot of solid four-star reads, a few true standouts, and only one that didn’t quite click. Audiobooks did most of the heavy lifting.

QOTD: what was your best January read? Or what you’re hoping to pick up in February.

Superfan

 

What happens when fandom stops being a refuge and starts becoming a trap?

Superfan by Jenny Tinghui Zhang is a sharp, emotionally charged audiobook about loneliness, obsession, and the need to feel seen.

College freshman Minnie is struggling to adjust to campus life. She’s lonely and adrift. She finally finds connection in an online forum devoted to the boy band HOURglass, especially band member, Halo. After Minnie is assaulted by the roommate of her on-again, off-again boyfriend, she retreats even further into the fandom, clinging to the sense of belonging it offers.

The story unfolds through dual points of view, alternating between Minnie and Eason, Halo’s real name. As Minnie’s attachment deepens, Eason is buckling under the pressures of fame including the relentless schedules and increasingly aggressive fan base. He’s also guarding a dark secret that could cost him everything if it’s exposed. When scandal threatens the band, Minnie becomes convinced she’s the only one who can save him, setting the stage for tragedy.

Minnie’s loneliness is palpable, and her character growth is very moving. I was rooting for her even when her choices were frustrating, especially as she’s manipulated by an older student she has a crush on. The audiobook is beautifully narrated by Katherine Chin and Eric Yang, whose performances are both heartbreaking and hopeful.

This is a compelling coming-of-age story examining identity, power, and the dangerous line between connection and obsession—especially for women navigating life online.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the commentary early listen. Out Feb. 3. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

QOTD: Have you ever loved something (a book, a band, a fandom) that made you feel less alone?

#bookstagram

#audiobooklove

#comingofagestory

#macaudio2025

#newreleases

About the Author

Jenny Tinghui Zhang is the author of the novels Superfan and Four Treasures of the Sky, named an Idaho Book of the Year and short- and longlisted for the Chautauqua Prize, the Dublin Literary Award, the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, and the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award. Her work has appeared in The Cut, Foreign Policy, The New York Times, Texas Highways, and elsewhere. She is a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree and has received support from Yaddo, Kundiman, VONA/Voices, Tin House, and the University of Wyoming, where she completed her MFA.