Sampled! The Sanatorium, written by Sarah Pearse, is a snowstorm murder mystery with an ending about as chaotic as the ending to Pretty Little Liars. I abandoned the sample at twelve pages. Find out why! Podcast episode available now. Link in bio. Below is a link to a fabulous full spoiler review.
jenryland.com/spoilers-and-plot-summary-for-the-sanatorium/
Sampled! The Push, by Ashley Audrain, is a book about a mom who thinks her kid is a psycho. Filled with all the usual tropes and reminiscent of books already written and written better. Podcast episode available now. Link in bio.
All the spoilers! Reviews of People Like Her and The Last Thing He Told Me with a rambling side helping of the state of the thriller novel today and which Book of the Month thrillers I actually liked. I ended up hating them both. Why can't authors think of the most basic of things?
Domestic thriller meets the classic sci-fi clone trope, at least as far as the sample goes.
A political novel that pits an African-American man against a small Southern town as he attempts to complete his job as a political consultant by selling the town's public land.
A humorous story of gay Uncle Patrick (GUP) as he navigates parenting for the first time after his niece and nephew experience an unimaginable loss.
The Ivies, written by Alexa Donne, is a murder mystery about a group of mean girls going through the hyper-competitive admissions process at the Ivy League Schools. Mean girls abound!
Super Fake Love Song, written by David Yoon, is an obnoxious novel about an obnoxious kid who lies his way into a girl's heart. Every girl's dream come true.
Run Me To Earth, written by Paul Yoon, is an absolutely gorgeous novel detailing the devastation of war through the eyes of three kids in 1960s Laos. They may teach this book in schools one day.
Marketed as The Handmaid's Tale in space, The First Sister, written by Linden Lewis, is a debut novel that throws in all the best tropes: spaceships, interplanetary wars, and spies!
A dark and creepy novel about a dark and creepy school. It might be a cult, it might be science fiction, it might have some magic thrown in there. Either way, it's weird.
A beautiful, multigenerational tale of an immigrant family trying to keep it all together through trauma and culture shock.
Sampled: Ariadne by Jennifer Saint, a retelling of a classic Greek legend marketed to fans of Madeline Miller.
A sample of Imposter Syndrome, written by Kathy Wang, a novel that's half satire, half social statement, and entirely about a Russian spy stealing customer data from the world's leading tech company.
A sample of How Lucky, written by Will Leitch, a novel that's part mystery and part comedy featuring a disabled man who solves a kidnapping from his front porch.
A sample of The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave a thriller/mystery featuring a stepmother/daughter duo on the hunt for their missing husband and father.
A review of the first few chapters of People Like Her, a debut thriller written by husband and wife writing team, Ellery Lloyd. Remember, always try before you buy and support your local library first!