Tag: Thriller

The Safe Room by Sarah A. Denzil

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What would you do if you were fifteen and being stalked by a creep? What if that creep was someone you knew… or thought you knew? This is exactly the premise of the newest psychological thriller, The Safe Room by Sarah A. Denzil.

I was surprised to be accepted for an advance reader copy of this book, because on paper this thriller was exactly what I needed to get me through this week, and I was not wrong. I devoured it in 2 days, which is quite impressive, as I wanted to make sure I finished the book before its release (it releases on the 10th of September 2026, in case you want to snag a copy). Thank you so much to Sarah A. Denzil and the team for accepting my request and sending me an ARC of The Safe Room.

If you enjoy thrillers that are fast-paced and make your heart flutter in your chest, The Safe Room is the read for you.

I thoroughly enjoyed every single aspect of this book. It enveloped me from the first page, held me in a choke hold until the last page, and then spit me out. It was honest, it was scary, and it caused me heart palpitations (no joke, my Apple Watch has sent me twice… TWICE… a notification asking me if I was working out while reading this book).

We follow the story of Amber in a dual POV, Now and Then. The narrative is polished to perfection. There is not a single word that stands weirdly on the page. Every single letter seemed to have intention in this story, and I, as a thriller reader and review writer, found it a lesson in how every book should be written.

Without giving away too much of the plot, Amber is dealing with a stalker who has haunted her life for over two decades. The tone of the book is set straight away, and I don’t think there was a lull in the pace at all. The characterisation, and I will give here an honourable mention to the piece of s*** Peter, because I wanted to throw my brand new e-reader at a wall so many times, specifically in the second act, is simply perfection, and whilst I have never been to Leeds, I feel like I’ve been there now. Not only is the characterisation fleshed out to perfection, but it is also twisted and intertwined with greatly layered motivations and flaws that shine in a psychological thriller setting.

I can continue to gush about the characters, and probably will on Instagram and X, but I want to also talk about the pace. This book felt snappy. It was like I blinked and was already reading another chapter, and another, and after my first sit-down with this book I was already 40% through it because I couldn’t put it down. I think the pace is greatly helped by the Then and Now POVs, which worked in tandem to give us nuggets into how we got to where we are in the story, while also cleverly planting a cliffhanger in the last sentence or paragraph of each, making me want to know what happens next in both. Whilst this is happening, not even once did I feel that this was a crutch; and that is the brilliance of Denzil’s writing.

All in all, this is a 100/10 psychological thriller. If you do pick up The Safe Room, my only advice to you is: close the door and make sure it’s locked, and do not read this book at night, especially alone in your house. You will start to doubt every single noise you hear and feel like someone is watching you…

The Safe Room by Sarah A. Denzil is out on the 10th of September 2026, and you can pre-order it now or get it when it releases. At the time of writing this review, it’s still 99p on Kindle (unfortunately I have not found it in the Kobo library, but I’m sure it will be made available there too).

What She Did by Lauren Dykovitz

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Thank you to Inkubator Books Team for sending me an advance readers copy. All views are my own

“What she did” is an easy and enjoyable read, with a decent ending — a lesson in understanding that “love thy neighbour” comes with boundaries, that people often cross out of desperation to avoid dealing with their own misery. If you are a fan of “Desperate Housewives” then this book is for you if you are willing to accept that this book has some flaws.

As if ripped from the Desperate Housewives universe, What She Did by Lauren Dykovitz portrays what happens when you take “love thy neighbour” to a whole different level.

The book shines in its strong structure and quick pace. Where this book fails is also derived, I believe from the quick pace. Striving to maintain pace over story development, more often than not, it leads into a repetition of the same events across the two POVs. It quickly became confusing, as the characters’ words and opinions on events started to blur together, making me wonder more than once whether I’d already read a given chapter. This is most noticeable in the second act, where the necessary setup for the third act made the repetition especially apparent.

One thing I’d have loved to see developed further is the characters’ motivation. A reveal that was saved for the third act could have worked better as a first-act motivator for the obsession’s development, delivering a stronger payoff later. Alternatively, cutting this reveal entirely from the third act could have made the epilogue more believable. As it stands, it reads more like a statement of fact the reader is simply expected to accept, rather than something the reader has a feeling might be the case from the get-go and getting the confirmation in the end.

I read this book in two days, and if I’d been poolside with a margarita, I might’ve knocked it out cover-to-cover in one. If you’re willing to accept its flaws the same way you’re willing to accept a character’s flaws, this is a great way to spend your weekend. It delivers exactly (nothing more, nothing less) what it sets out to do: a story between two neighbours whose worlds are more intertwined than you might think.

Whisper Island by Carissa Ann Lynch

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An Arc was sent to us by the publisher in exchange for an honest review of this book. Thank you to One More Chapter Publicity team for allowing us to read this and review it.

Rating: 4 out of 5.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Whisper-Island-absolutely-gripping-thriller-ebook/dp/B08KSNFGB5

What would you do if all your friends invite you to go for a trip on a secluded island? Would you give in to the peer pressure and accept to go? Why wouldn’t you since you can live there rent free, since one of your friends friend owns the place. After all you don’t know yet that soon one of your friends will end up dead…

Whisper Island by Carissa Ann Lynch was thoroughly enjoyable. The writing is snappy, the chapters are short, the viewpoints are plentiful and the premise is promising.

I admit it, I was some what sceptical when I started reading it. Something about the story didn’t add up and felt at times that this might be a book in a series, as there were references to characters pasts that wouldn’t be revealed until later on. After realising that it was a writing style choice, of hinting at something obivous in the characters pasts that would later on come in to play, I understood that I was overthinking it.

Carissa Ann Lynch is a master at tone and setting, placing the right words in the right place.

Whisper Island has a straightforward plot. Friends gather on an island to stay there rent-free for how long they want to, to work on their art. Then suddenly one of them ends up dead. Something about the plot felt very Agatha Christie-esque to me and I couldn’t help but make the connection to ‘And then there were none’.

Although it reads as a cozy mystery at times, Whisper Island tackles the theme of revenge and I think that it does so well enough to be enjoyable. Carissa Ann Lynch is in my mind a prolific author, having published over nine mystery novels, finished two series and contributed to two anthologies. Because of this, I was expecting a bit more. The story is fairly linear and we follow the POV of different characters—which added a layer of complexity to the story but left me craving for more.

I have enjoyed reading Whisper Island but I also think that it would have been a 5 star rating if we could have seen Mia’s past rather then be told about it as it would increased the tension and the stakes in the story. In conjunction with this same would be applicable to Riley’s background. It would have added a layer of ‘i-wonder-what-will-happen-next’ that I found the story was lacking towards the end.

The pacing is great, as it should be for a thriller. Characters were defined and fleshed out enough to know who was who from the start however would have loved the conflict in between the characters to be introduced earlier on so that when we get to the middle of the novel the reader can anticipate something wrong will happen rather than rely fully on the tone and setting.

Speaking of tone and setting, I think Carissa Ann Lynch is doing an amazing job of choosing her words carefully adding a layer of flair in her tonality and characters voice. She crafts setting with ease, in a few sentences, without going to much into unnecessary details and strikes a perfect balance between underwriting and overwriting.

Whisper Island is perfect for anyone looking for a quickly paced thriller that can be read in one sitting with a good premise, good tone and setting and a great twist at the end. I would recommend it to newer people to the genre that want to see what a mystery thriller is and how enjoyable it can be.

Whisper Island is coming out 5th of February 2021 from One More Chapter in the UK which with this new addition are setting themselves up as an engrossing, thrilling and definitely to watch out for Imprint in the thriller genre.

Dear Child by Romy Hausmann

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An Arc was sent to us by the publisher in exchange for an honest review of this book. Thank you to Quercus Books Publicity team for allowing us to read this and review it.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dear-Child-Romy-Hausmann/dp/1529401445/.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

What if you were a parent and your child would be missing for thirteen years? What would you do? Would you give up hope? Or would you try to convince everyone around you that your child is still alive?

What if you were a child and all you knew of a family are the two parents that live with you? Would you find it odd that it is always only your mother that is still there? Would you ask yourself if you didn’t know anything else if your parents are happy? Or would you cling the normality you’ve been brought up with?

What if you were kidnapped and would be forced to live your life in a cabin? Would you try to escape even though you are locked inside, and there are no windows? What about the two children that are with you? If you managed to escape would you take them with you? Or would you leave them behind?

Dear Child by Romy Hausmann tackles these questions head-on. The story is masterfully structured with fragments of the story given at the right time and the right place. Throughout reading the book, I realised more and more just how brilliant Hausmann pieced together everything for me, the reader. It was like seeing a puzzle being built in front of my eyes. Clinging to every word that she had set on paper, trying to see underneath it, to make sure there were no clues buried underneath. Although this is Hausmann’s debut on the English market, this is her second novel, her debut being Marta schläft (trans. Marta sleeps).

Romy Hausmann’s writing will wrap you and pull you in a story that would leave you brathless and wondering until the very end.

Originally published in Germany and topping the charts, Dear Child is the perfect psychological thriller for new readers to the genre that are looking to see what a good and well-written novel can do. Still, it also pleases the readers that love the genre because it hits all the right notes.

Translated by Jamie Bulloch, I believe that credit needs to be given where credit is due. Bulloch captures perfectly the tone set by Hausmann and conveys it in English perfectly. Although the dialogue, to native English speakers, might sound off (or would require some adjusting to) I would remind them that the tonality and the structure are linked to it being a foreign book and needs to read as such.

I think—having studied German and living there—that Bulloch does amazingly and manages to make this translation make sense without sacrificing the german flair in which people would normally talk. This is noticeable, in my opinion in the way Matthias interacts with Gerd. Gerd being in the position of police officer there is an undertone of respect (even though Matthias disagrees strongly with the actions undertaken by the Police in the case of his missing daughter) when speaking with him.

But I digress. Dear Child is an instant favourite, which many will enjoy. The book is out with Quercus Books in the UK. Under normal circumstances, I would say that this book would be perfect for a holiday by the pool with the sun shining down on you. Still, regardless of where you are, Romy Hausmann’s writing will wrap you and pull you in a story that will leave you breathless and wondering until the very end.

I hope that Quercus will in the near future in translate Romy Hausmann’s debut novel, Marta schläft as well because I’m definitely in desperate need of more of her writing.

The Dinner Party by R.J. Parker

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https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dinner-Party-addictive-psychological-thriller-ebook/dp/B07Q1KMDJH/

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

What would you do if you were at a party with your best friends and suddenly someone suggest you should play a game where you deepest, darkest secret could be revealed in front of the people you love the most? Would you join in? Why wouldn’t you since everyone else already agreed to do it. If you back down now, then you definitely have something to hide. And you wouldn’t want people to know that would you?

Let me tell you, The Dinner Party by R.J.Parker took me on a journey, my poor heart wasn’t ready for. There wasn’t even a warning to buckle my seat belt. No one told me what I was getting myself into. No one told me to take the day off and cancel all my plans because this book would devour my whole attention.

R.J. Parker is a master pacer, delivering a suspenseful story, without revealing too much, leaving readers wanting more.

Once I read the first chapter, I couldn’t stop. I didn’t want to stop. I had to know what the hell was going on and I think that an amazing thriller does exactly just that. The Dinner Party follows a fairly simple premise. A couple throws a party for their friends. Once everyone has arrived and had a drink or two one of them suggest a game. What can possible go wrong?

There were so many moments in this book where I was happy that I’m and introvert and that I don’t usually go to parties. The idea of being so naked, so exposed in front of people especially from the perspective of the characters in the story who have secrets hidden, made me feel anxious. R.J. Parker develops the story at a very quick pace but without giving anything away. The characters are so morally grey that when the next day they find out that one of their guests had been murdered you expect that any of them could’ve done it.

Throughout the book, which I luckily picked up on a Saturday morning and finished it on the same day, I found myself saying the publishers name without even realizing. Published by One More Chapter (a division of HarperCollins) the book delivers just that. A nail-biting thriller that hits home with every chapter leaving you wanting more. The Dinner Party in my opinion solidifies this publisher as one to watch out for. Especially if you enjoy this genre as much as I do.