The Missing Half

 

Authors: Ashley Flowers

Publisher: Penguin Random House / Bantam

Publication date: May 6, 2025

Nic’s life went off the rails the night her sister Kasey disappeared. Kasey’s car was found abandoned along the side of the road miles from home. Shortly before Kasey went missing,  Jenna’s sister also disappeared. Her car was also left at the side of the road. The police think the cases might be related, but their investigations went nowhere. Seven years after the disappearances, Jenna convinces Nic to team up to try to find out what happened to their sisters and who was responsible. 

Nic’s struggle to move on from Kasey’s disappearance is heartbreaking, but understandable. Her life seems frozen in place in the same job she had in high school, still drinking too much, and making poor decisions. 

Dang! This one really blew my mind. I was not prepared for the ending. 🤯 it’s best to go into this one with as little knowledge as possible so you don’t see the twists and turns coming. The plot is tight and well executed and the pace is steady. There were numerous red herrings that kept me guessing. This is a fantastic thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for the e-arc. The Missing Half publishes May 6. 

QOTD: let’s play predictive text: the missing half______

The missing half will not be found. 😬Sounds ominous. 

#themissinghalf #ashleyflowers #alexkiester #netgalley #bantam #crimefiction #mysterybooks #thrillerbooks #bibliofile #reader #readinglife #alwaysreading #booksbooksbooks #bookish #publishingsoon #bookrecomendation #bookworm #booklover #bookstagram

About the Author

Ashley Flowers is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of All Good People Here and the #1 female podcaster in the United States, best known as the host of Crime Junkie. She founded Audiochuck, an award-winning media company with over 2.5 billion downloads, and Season of Justice, a nonprofit dedicated to funding DNA testing for cold cases.  Flowers lives in Indiana with her family. 

The Paradise Problem

 

Author: Christina Lauren

Publisher: Gallery Books

Year: 2024

Happy Monday! I stepped out of my usual #crimefiction zone to read The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren. 

Anna and Liam get married while undergrads to get inexpensive college housing. It’s a marriage of convenience. They barely interact and after college they go their separate ways. A few years later, Liam turns up on Anna’s doorstep with a new proposition. Keep up the sham marriage and meet his incredibly dysfunctional family so he can get a huge inheritance. What could go wrong? 

This is an opposites attract romcom set on an idyllic tropical island. Anna is a free spirited artist. Liam is a reserved corporate type academic. As the week long festivities for Liam’s sister’s over the top lavish wedding heat up, so does the attraction between Ann and Liam. I liked both characters. They are smart and funny. When they can’t deny their attraction to each other any longer, the romance gets very spicy.

For the most part this is an easy breezy read, but there are some serious threads in the story. Anna lives paycheck to paycheck, always worried about her dad’s health and his medical bills. Liam’s dad is an absolute monster constantly emotionally and mentally abusing his family. This added some weight to the characters and the storyline overall. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was a nice break from the usually murder and mayhem I usually read. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

QOTD: What are you reading this week? 

I’m reading The Last Love Note by Emma Grey. It’s my book club’s pick for this month. 

#theparadiseproblem #christinalauren #gallerybooks #librarybook #lovemylibrary #romance #romancebook #romcom #romancefiction #bookrec #alwaysreading #bibliofile #readerlife #reader 

About the Authors

Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of longtime writing partners and best friends Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. The duo have written twenty New York Times best sellers. 

The Lodge

 

Author: Kayla Olson 

Narrators: Andi Arndt, Graham Halstead, Gilli Messer

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Year: 2024

Thank you Simon & Schuster Audio for the gifted audiobook! 

Alix lands her dream job of ghostwriting the autobiography for one of the lead singers of a very popular boy band. The band broke up years ago when the band’s other front man, Jett, walked away and seemingly disappeared. Alix is offered the use of a penthouse at a Vermont ski lodge while she writes the book. While there, she meets handsome ski instructor Taylor. The sparks fly between the two immediately and the action on the slopes heats up. 

This was a really cute read. The main characters were sweet and the setting was idyllic. Author Kayla Olsen kept the pace steady throughout as the attraction between Alix and Taylor builds. Things get steamy, but there’s no door-wide-open extra spicy scenes. The boy band drama-rama provides the needed edgy monkey wrench thrown into the romance before the happily ever after. The audiobook’s narrators do great job bringing the characters to life. This is a quick, fun read that’s perfect to snuggle up with on a cold winter’s day. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

QOTD: have you ever been skiing? 

I haven’t been skiing since my kids were young. Now I’d much rather stay home and read than be out in the snow. 

#thelodge #kaylaolson #simonaudio #audiobook #audiobookreview #audiobookrec #romcom #romancebook #romance #bookstagram #audiobookstagram #audiobooks #vermont #skiresort #booksbooksbooks #reader #bibliophile 

About the Author

Kayla Olson is the author of two books for young adults and The Reunion. Whether writing at her desk or curled up with a good book, she can most often be found with a fresh cup of coffee and at least one cat.

Book Mail- Where the Bones Lie

 

Author: Nick Kolakowski

Publisher: Datura Books 

Publication date: March 11, 2025

I got awesome book mail yesterday and have to show it off for Thriller Thursday. Many thanks to author Nick Kolakowski and Datura Books for this gifted copy! 

Synopsis: For Dash Fuller, Hollywood’s underbelly is home. He’s spent years making the film industry’s worst secrets disappear, and it’s left him a cynical burnout with a taste for bourbon and self-loathing.

But when a young woman comes to him with a peculiar quest, Dash sees a chance at redemption. Madeline Ironwood is the daughter of Ken Ironwood, a notorious smuggler and murderer who disappeared 20 years ago. Ken’s skeleton has just been discovered in a barrel at the bottom of a dried-up lake, and Madeline wants to know who killed him. 

Dash agrees to help, and as this desperate daughter and jaded cynic claw their way through a world of sun-bleached secrets, crooked cops, and Hollywood thugs, they soon uncover a conspiracy involving some of LA’s most powerful people. 

This one sounds right up my alley and I can’t wait to dive. It publishes on March 11, so keep an eye out for my review before then. 

Let’s play predictive text: the bones lie____

The bones lie on a piece of land where they have no place to hide. 💀

#wheretheboneslie #nickkolakowski #daturabooks #bookmail #thrillerthursday #crimefiction #mysteryfiction #mysterybooks #thrillerbooks #bookstagram #alwaysreading #reader #booksbooksbooks #bibliophile #bookworm #newbook

Some Die Nameless

 

Author: Wallace Stroby 

Publisher: Mulholland Books

Year: 2018

Wallace Stroby is a “Mr Reliable” author for me. His books are always action packed, entertaining, high octane thrillers. I can always count on really enjoying his books anytime I pick one up. I first discovered his work a few years ago when I read Cold Shot to the Heart. It was the first in his series featuring professional thief  Carissa Stone. She’s a bad@ss girlboss master thief who meticulously plans out her heists and keeps cool when things go wrong. It’s a great series. 

His book Some Die Nameless had been sitting on my kindle for a while before I remembered I hadn’t read it. So I immediately remedied that. In this one, a former mercenary and an embattled journalist team up against a corrupt defense contractor. Stroby brings his signature fast paced plot, tons of action, and likable main characters to the pages. It’s pure entertainment as the duo face danger at every turn. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you’re ever looking for just a fun breakneck thriller, pick up any of his books. You won’t be disappointed. 

QOTD: what’s one book you want to read this month? 

I’m looking forward to Nemesis by Gregg Hurwitz. It’s next book in his Orphan X series and comes out next week. 

#somedienameless #wallacestroby #mulhollandbooks #backlistbook #crimefiction #thrillerfiction #mysteryfiction #suspensefiction #alwaysreading #bibliofile #bookworm #bookrecomendations #bookish #bookstagram #kindle #bookworm #reader #backlistbooks #backlistbook2018

About the Author

A life long resident of the New Jersey Shore, Wallace Stroby is an award-winning journalist and the author of the novels Heaven’s a Lie, The Devil’s Share, Shoot the Woman First, Kings of Midnight, Cold Shot to the Heart, and The Barbed-Wire Kiss, which was a finalist for the 2004 Barry Award for Best First Novel. 

The Three Lives of Cate Kay

 

Author: Kate Fagan

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Year: 2024

Thank you Simon & Schuster Audio for the gifted audiobook! 

The Three Lives of Cate Kay is a story about friendship, love, and forgiveness. A best selling author finally decides to reveal her identity after years of hiding. She has her reasons and those reasons circle back to her childhood best friend, guilt, and shame. 

The story unfolds as Cate’s autobiography. Unlike a traditional autobiography, Cate adds chapters from friends and associates to add context to her story. It’s an interesting way to add context to story and readers get more than Cate’s point of view. 

I’m a sucker for a book within a book, so this was a big attraction for me. I thought the characters were complex and interesting. I’m glad the audiobook used a cast of very talented narrators. That really helped me keep track of who was who. I really had to pay attention while listening because of the many characters and intricate layered plot. The main character alone has four name changes, so readers must stay on their toes. This is a big sprawling story with all the feels told in a unique and satisfying way. I can definitely see one this being turned into a series. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

About the Author

Kate Fagan is an Emmy Award–winning journalist and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of What Made Maddy Run. She is also the author of three additional nonfiction titles, a former professional basketball player, and spent seven years as a journalist at ESPN. Kate currently lives in Charleston with her wife and their dog.

The Ghostwriter

 

Title: The Ghostwriter

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark 

Publication date: June 3, 2025

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the e-arc! Put this one on your tbr now because you’re definitely going to want to read it! 

Synopsis: The Taylor family shatters in a single night in June 1975 when two teenage siblings are found dead in their own home. The only surviving sibling, Vincent, never shakes the whispers and accusations that he was the one who killed them. Decades later, the legend only grows as his career as a horror writer skyrockets. 

 Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont has spent her entire professional life hiding the fact that she is the only child of Vincent Taylor. Now on the brink of financial ruin, she's offered a job to ghostwrite her father's last book. What she doesn't know, though, is that this project is another one of his lies. Because it's not another horror novel he wants her to write. 
 After fifty years of silence, Vincent Taylor is finally ready to talk about what really happened that night in 1975.

This one has it all- unreliable characters, a writer trying to rebuild her career, family drama, secrets galore, and two 50 year-old unsolved murders that devastated one family. As Olivia tries to untangle her father’s jumbled memories, she’s plunged into the mystery of the fateful night her uncle and aunt were killed when then were teens.  Author Julie Clark does a fantastic job peeling back the layers of this complex plot. The narrative features multiple POVs and Clark seamlessly combines the past and the present to give readers a story filled with plenty of twists and turns. The main characters are complex. Vincent was the brooding middle child. His older brother was popular and liked by everyone. His younger sister was spirited and artistic. Just about everyone suspected Vincent of murdering his siblings. Olivia reluctantly reunites with her father out of desperation. She had a rocky relationship with him growing up. Her father became consumed with his career, drowned his emotions in a bottle, and usually neglected her. When Olivia talks to her aunt’s and uncle’s friends from that time period she realizes their memories differ from the picture her father has painted. Is his dementia distorting his memories or is he hiding something? 

This is a taut and gripping mystery that pulled me in from start to finish. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Don’t miss this one publishing June 3.

QOTD: what are you reading this weekend? 
I’m reading the e-arc of The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers. 

#theghostwriter #julieclark #sourcebookslandmark #netgalley #bookreview #crimefiction #mysteryfiction #thrillerfiction #coldcases #bibliofile #alwaysreading #bookstagram  

About the Author

Julie Clark is the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Flight. It has earned starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and Library Journal. It’s been named an Indie Next Pick, a Library ReadsPick, and a Best Book of 2020 by Amazon Editors and Apple Books. She lives in Los Angeles with her two sons and a golden doodle with poor impulse control.