Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris (2018)

 B.A. Paris is a master of the psychological thriller and Bring Me Back is no exception. I haven’t been so invested in a book in a long time. I read it in one sitting. 

Twelve years earlier, Finn and his girlfriend Layla Gray were on holiday in France when Layla disappeared and was never found. The reader learns in the first chapter that Finn told police the truth about the event but not all of it. The story unfolds from there.

Twelve years later finds Finn is engaged to Layla’s sister Ellen, drawn together but their shared grief.  Finn wants to believe he and Ellen will be happy together even though a sixth sense tells him not to trust her.

As wedding plans are being made, Finn receives a phone call from the detective on Layla’s missing person’s case that a witness claims to have seen Layla near the house in which they had lived.  Items on meaning to both Layla and Ellen begin showing up in odd places.  And Finn starts receiving anonymous emails from someone who appears to know Layla. Could Layla still be alive?  If so, where has she been all this time and what does she want?

Divided into three parts and written in the first person, mostly by Finn – Now and Before, Layla and Finn, and Finn.

If you are interested in reading more of B.A. Paris’ books, ask one of the reference librarians where to find them.

3.51 stars in Goodreads, 3.9 on Amazon

Last Girl Ghosted by Lisa Unger (2021)

 

Think twice before you swipe (from the book cover).

During the early stages of the COVID pandemic, Wren Greenwood meets the prefect man on an Internet dating app. But just when things are heating up between the two of them Adam disappears - all his online profiles deleted and his phone disconnected.  Was Wren ghosted? She is determined to find out exactly what happened and why. As Wren follows up on the things she knows about Adam, she discovers he is not what he seemed and that she is not the first woman to fall for the man she knows as “Adam”. Four other women have come before her and these four are now all missing. These women have one thing in common with Wren; they are all victims of trauma.

The story is told mainly from Wren's perspective over two timelines; present day and the traumatic childhood she has put behind her. The memories will not stay in the past however and Wren is forced to deal with them as she searches for “Adam. There is also a chapter on each of the missing girls. Readers will find themselves rooting for all the characters, even when they’re not acting in their own best interest.

The last quarter of the book makes a hard left turn and although my analytical mind had a hard time accepting it, it was nice to read something that didn’t end as expected. Be forewarned, this is a dark and disturbing story and you will be sucked into Wren’s world.

3.68 stars on Goodreads, 4.2 on Amazon

Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell (2020)

 

This book follows three people bound together by the actions of two very bad individuals. Owen Pick, a geography teacher, is the odd neighbor who lives across the street from Cate Fours. Cate , a physiotherapist, has recently moved onto the block with her husband Roan, a child psychologist, and their two children. Saffyre Maddox is a 17-year old girl who was a former patient of Roan and is now his shadow.

Saffyre is reported missing during a string of assaults on women in the community. The last person to see her alive is Owen Pick and he is suspected in her disappearance and quite possibly the assaults.

Owen isn’t exactly who he appears to be. Cate suspects him but, at the same time, feels something is amiss with her husband. The book is full of twists and turns with many of the characters investigating each other to learn the real truth about Saffyre's disappearance. Needless to say, it isn’t what you think but then it never is when it comes to Lisa Jewell novels.

3.80 stars on Goodreads, 4.3 on Amazon

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena (2016)

How can one night out at the next-door neighbor’s dinner party turn so bad? Anne and Marco decide to leave their baby Cora at home alone while they’re at the party. She is in bed, the baby monitor I turned on, and they go home and check on her frequently. Yet at the end of the night they return home to find that Cora has been kidnapped.

The scene is too neat, and the stories just aren’t adding up. Is Marco responsible in an attempt to free up his life? Did Anna have something to do with the disappearance of her daughter? Or is there a mad man on the loose? All of these seem possible scenarios until the ransom note arrives. Soon after both Anne and Marco begin to realize their marriage and life is not what they thought it was.

Who did take that sweet baby, and will she be returned safely? Pick up the book and find out. You won’t regret it. This was the second book I read by Shari Lapena and it was truly a page turner.

3.79 stars on Goodreads, 4.3 on Amazon

Best Day Ever by Kaira Rouda (2017)

 

This book is about Paul Strom and his wife Mia who appear to have the perfect marriage. Paul has planned a romantic weekend with his wife at their summer home before the season starts. He continually refers to the getaway as the Best Day Ever. On the drive-up Mia gets very irritated by Paul. I was annoyed with him as well. The character seems to be a real jerk, and he gets even more egotistical as the couple gets closer to their destination. By the time they arrived at the summer house I believed Mia was having an affair with a neighbor.

It is as the evening comes to an end that the reader begins to see why Paul believes his is the Best Day Ever, at least for him. Or is it?

I found this book to be simply wonderful, bringing something new to the usual thriller plotline. I gave it a big fat 5-star review on GoodReads.

3.71 stars on Goodreads, 4.1 on Amazon

The New Husband by D.J. Palmer (2020)

 Nina Garrity finds herself in a position where her husband Glen disappears, presumably drowned while fishing on his boat. However, there is no body, nothing to indicate whether he is dead or alive. Nina would like to say she cares at this point but it’s hard because she has learned he has been lying to her. Nina, both broke and broken, must move on with her two children. Just when she is at her lowest point, a new man comes into her life.

Simon couldn’t be more perfect. He seems to know so much about Nina although they just recently met. A short time after meeting this perfect man Nina and the kids move into a new home with Simon. The problem is the youngest child is not adjusting well to the new situation. Not only is Simon a teacher at her school, daughter Maggie is also disappointed that her mother wants to believe the worst of her dad.

Maggie begins receiving messages on social media that she believes are from her dad as Simon becomes weirder. Finally, Nina starts to notice things aren’t adding up. Will she get the bigger picture before it is too late?

3.80 stars on Goodreads, 4.3 on Amazon

The Perfect Wife by JP Delaney (2005)

 

Named One of The Best Books of The Year by The New York Public Library

A Cosmopolitan New Must-Read

Abbie awakens to learn she had been in a terrible accident five years before and was only revived now because of a huge technological breakthrough. She has no memory of who she is or was before being injured. The man at her side claims to be her husband, the founder of one of Silicon Valley’s most innovative start-ups. He tells Abbie that she is a gifted artist, an avid surfer, a loving mother to their young son, and the perfect wife. He also tells her she is a miracle of science.

As Abbie’s memory starts to return, she finds herself questioning her husband’s version of events. What really happened to Abbie five years ago? I was totally unprepared for the ending.

3.68 stars Goodreads, 4.2 Amazon