She Dies in the End

 

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Thank you to Kathleen Carter Communications and Amazon Publishing for the gifted ARC, and to Brilliance Publishing and NetGalley for the gifted early listen.

In She Dies in the End by Elle Marr, Penny Lin matches donated bodies with the labs that need them, and she treats the dead with respect. When her ex turns a body into a party spectacle, her furious rant goes viral. Then he turns up dead in her morgue, and Penny is suspect number one. A truly original premise, steady tension, and lots of twists. Mirai's audio narration is fantastic. I started out reading the ARC and switched to the audiobook for the majority of the book.

If you love mysteries with a premise you've never seen before, add this one to your list.

Out October 20. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

About the Author

Elle Marr is the author of seven thrillers centering AAPI characters. Her debut THE MISSING SISTER was published in April 2020, and her latest release, THE LIE SHE WEARS was published on November 18, 2025. Her work has been featured in PopSugar, Woman’s World Magazine, Goodreads, Audible, and TV affiliates for CBS, ABC, FOX, and NBC. Follow Elle on Instagram and visit her website for more news about her books.

The French Illusion

 

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Many thanks for the free book, Penguin Random House Audio! John Grisham wrote a spy thriller, and I'm here for it. 

The French Illusion is a high stakes game of cat and mouse that plays out on an international stage.

American honeymooners Chelsea and Paul are kidnapped in Paris, the ransom is paid, but only the wife comes home. And this is not the first time it's happened. 

A young CIA analyst comes up with a daring plan to find Paul and apprehended the kidnappers. She recruits a young lawyer from the Justice Department to pose as bait for the kidnappers. It's a daring plan that could have deadly consequences. 

This is a fast, tense, revenge story with a counterterrorism twist underneath. The ending a felt a little rushed to me and wrapped up a little too tidy. But ultimately was satisfying. 

Michael Beck's narration is fantastic. He's a perfect fit for mix of political intrigue and action. He also does a great job juggling accents and numerous characters. 

This is a great choice for a reader looking for the tension filled espionage mixed with adrenaline filled action. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Grab a copy at Bookshop.org and help an indie bookstore while you're at it.

If you liked this review, you might be interested in my review of Gisham's The Widow.

About the Author

John Grisham is the author of more than fifty consecutive #1 bestsellers, which have been translated into nearly fifty languages. His recent books include Framed, Camino Ghosts and The Exchange: After the Firm.

Grisham is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction.

When he’s not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries, two national organizations dedicated to exonerating those who have been wrongfully convicted. Much of his fiction explores deep-seated problems in our criminal justice system.

Follow John on Instagram and visit his website for more news and information about his books.

Look What the Cat Dragged In

 

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Pub Day Review 🐈‍⬛

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted early listen!

Some pet owners joke they have the cat from hell. Penny's new houseguest actually is one. 😈🐈‍⬛

Penny is heartbroken when her cat Popcorn runs away. Popcorn wasn't just a pet. She was the inspiration for Penny's book series. So when her boyfriend asks her to cat-sit for one of his very wealthy clients, she reluctantly says yes. Godfrey takes to Penny right away, but strange things start happening, and Penny realizes this is no ordinary cat. Godfrey is a demon. Literally.

Look What the Cat Dragged In by Jason Rekulak looks like a cozy, but there's plenty of blood and gore for horror fans. It's a perfect spooky season read. The audiobook is a romp, and Stephanie Németh-Parker's narration is a big part of why. She voices every character beautifully and really brings out Penny's emotions.

Pick this one up if you want campy horror and don't mind some blood with your cat hair. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Grab a copy at Bookshop,org and hekp an indie bookstore while you're at it.

If you enjoyed this review, you might be interested in my review of Dive Bar at the End of the Road.

About the Author

Jason Rekulak lives in Philadelphia with his wife and family. His novels include Hidden Pictures (winner of a Goodreads Choice Award), The Last One at the Wedding (winner of the ITW Award for Best Standalone Thriller), and The Impossible Fortress (an Edgar Award finalist). Follow Jason on Instagram and visit his website for more news and information about his books.

Last, Now, Next

 

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LAST: The Three Graces of Pearl Street by Elizabeth Wellington Rollins
Three generations of women, and I was invested in every one of them. Fair warning: the ending made me ugly cry. Not a single dignified tear, a full ugly cry. Keep tissues close.

NOW: Off the Reservation by Stephen Graham Jones
The multi-cast narration is a treat. Having a different voice for each character keeps me locked in, and the story has me hooked on where it's going. I'm on the road today, so this one is riding shotgun.

NEXT: The Last to Drown by Noelle W. Ihli
Nothing complicated about this pick. I'm a Noelle Ihli fan, and that's all the reason I need.

Grab a copy of any of these from my affiliate store at Bookshop.org and help an indie bookstore while you're at it.

If you liked this post, check my previous last, now, next post.

The Amateur

 

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A golf novel, but make it a 1970s family drama. ⛳📚

The Amateur by Chris Bohjalian starts with a practice shot gone horribly wrong and follows a teenage golf star as her life comes apart. Mira is a mess, and I rooted for her anyway (while also wanting to send her to her room).

🎧 Melora Hardin's narration is the way to go.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Grab a copy of The Amateur from Bookshop.org and help an indie bookstore while you're at it.

If you enjoyed this review, you might be interested in my review of The Sins of Summer Daughters by Lo Patrick. 

About the Author

Chris Bohjalian is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-six books, including his most recent The Amateur, as well as The Jackal’s Mistress, The Lioness, Hour of the Witch, Midwives, and The Flight Attendant, which was made into an Emmy-winning HBO Max limited series starring Kaley Cuoco. His other books include The Red Lotus, The Guest Room; Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands; The Sandcastle Girls; Skeletons at the Feast; and The Double Bind. His novels Secrets of Eden, Midwives, and Past the Bleachers were made into movies, and his work has been translated into more than thirty- five languages. Follow Chris on Instagram and visit his website for more news and information about his books.

Dive Bar at the End of the Road

 

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Check out my full review of Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong on Instagram!

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook!

This is a perfect read for a dark and stormy night. 

A car crash on an empty road. A dive bar where nobody is who they seem. And something deadly waiting in the woods.

Kelley Armstrong's Dive Bar at the End of the Road is fast, tense, and gory supernatural horror. I couldn't stop listening. Narrators Helen Laser, Shane Ghostkeeper, and Sean Patrick Hopkins brought their A-games.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Dive Bar at the End of the Road is out now.

Grab a copy at Bookshop.org and help an indie bookstore while you're at it.

If you enjoyed this review, you might be interested in my review of Trad Wife by Sarah Langan.

About the Author

Kelley Armstrong is the author of over 50 novels in mystery, fantasy and horror. She believes experience is the best teacher, though she’s been told this shouldn’t apply to writing her murder scenes. Follow Kelley on Instagram and visit her website for more news and information about her books.

Sleepers in the Snow

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Thank you Pegasus Books and Megan Beatie Communications for the gifted copy!

I just finished this creepy book about a haunted electrical pylon, and I'm talking to the author next week. 

Author Joanne Harris captures both the beauty and the loneliness of the moors, and that pylon becomes more unsettling with every chapter. The deeper he digs into the previous owners, the stranger things get.

Grab a copy of Sleepers in the Snow at Bookshop.org and help out an indie bookstore while you're at it!

if you enjoyed this review, you might be interested in my review of They Say a Girl Died Here. It's a creepy atmospheric psychological thriller.

About the Author

Joanne Harris is an Anglo-French author, whose books include twenty novels, three cookbooks, and many short stories. Her work is extremely diverse, covering aspects of magic realism, suspense, historical fiction, mythology, and fantasy. In 2000, her 1999 novel Chocolat was adapted to the screen, starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp. She is an honorary Fellow of St. Catharine's College, Cambridge, and in 2022 was awarded an OBE by Queen Elizabeth II. Follow Joanne on Instagram and visit her website for more news and information about ther books.