“Reading is a discount ticket to everywhere.”
Shadow Reaper – Lynette Noni
In a world where children are stripped of their magic to power protective obelisks against a lethal black mist, seventeen-year-old Viri stands out as the youngest, most skilled hunter dedicated to capturing soul-draining Shadow Reapers. Driven by a fierce desire to avenge her parents’ murder and save a group of kidnapped children from a blood sacrifice, Viri breaks her former childhood friend turned Reaper, Reeve Ashton, out of prison to track down the notorious Reaper Priest. Teamed up with a secret faction of non-lethal Reapers, Viri embarks on a dangerous journey across a treacherous forest to reach a mythical Guardian’s tower before the Priest can strike. Stunned by the shocking discovery that the Reaper Priest is actually her thought-dead brother—and that an even darker Shadow Lord pulls the strings—this fast-paced fantasy delivers a mind-bending ending that easily earns a solid 4 stars.
The Caretaker – Marcus Kliewer
Faced with impending eviction and desperate to support her younger sister, Macy Mullins accepts an unnervingly lucrative weekend housesitting job for a grieving widow, only to discover she has inherited a terrifying set of supernatural protocols left behind by the home’s former owner. The job requires enforcing strict, life-or-death rules during the witching hour—including managing darkened rooms within exact time limits, capturing deadly entities disguised as harmless animals, and avoiding visual contact with shapeshifting “Visitors” who possess pale blue eyes. As Macy inevitably fails several intricate rules, severe real-world punishments begin to manifest, pushing her to the absolute brink of sanity as the malevolent forces exploit her deepest emotional vulnerabilities. Culminating in a terrifying showdown where a Visitor assumes the guise of her late father, this relentless, rule-based horror story builds to an explosive climax that easily earns a solid 4-star rating.
The Collective – Alison Gaylin
Devastated by the tragic loss of her teenage daughter in a hit-and-run and consumed by rage that the wealthy, connected killer walked free, grieving mother Camille Gardner is drawn into “The Collective,” a secret online group of grieving mothers dedicated to exacting vigilante justice. What initially feels like a comforting support network of women sharing their trauma soon reveals its dark, ruthlessly calculated reality as members actively engineer cold-blooded revenge plots against unpunished criminals. As Camille becomes increasingly entangled in the group’s lethal operations, she begins to realize that leaving this shadowy network is nearly impossible and that the ultimate price of vengeance may cost her what little she has left. Blending white-knuckle suspense with a deep exploration of maternal grief and digital vigilantism, this gripping psychological thriller delivers an unforgettable, edge-of-your-seat ride.
Daybreak – Autumn Woods
Picking up in the painful aftermath of a leaked exposé, Ophelia is left heartbroken and ostracized at university when her secret article detailing her boyfriend’s mob-tied father goes public, sending the criminal patriarch on the run and framing her as the ultimate betrayer. Meanwhile, twenty-three-year-old Alex is abruptly thrust into the roles of company CEO and sole guardian to his six younger sisters, forced into complete radio silence by his lawyers while trying to protect his family and locate his missing father. Back on campus, Ophelia struggles to survive campus-wide hatred alongside a terrifying new stalker who threatens to expose her past, all while Alex realizes he cannot bear a life without her and fights to win her back. Though the heavy mix of long-distance strain, family trauma, and dark threats doesn’t quite capture the 5-star magic of the previous book, this emotional sequel still balances its dark suspense with moments of hope to earn a solid 3.5 stars.
Worse than Murder – Michael Wood
Devastated by the tragic outcome of her last case and carrying the crushing weight of her sister’s hatred, former DCI Matilda flees Sheffield to go off the grid in a quiet town, seeking peace through long walks, swimming, and isolation. Her attempt to escape policing is short-lived when a local officer asks her to investigate the unsolved thirty-year-old disappearance of her twin sisters, a tragic cold case that hits a breakthrough when Matilda discovers a submerged car containing the girls’ skeletal remains. Diving headfirst into the investigation, Matilda uncovers a dark web of family secrets involving missing fathers, suspicious step-uncles, and powerful locals determined to keep the truth buried at any cost. Delivering an exceptional blend of heavy emotional stakes, a deeply personal cold-case mystery, and a promising setup for her return to Sheffield, this brilliant follow-up earns another effortless 5 stars.
Last one left alive – Michael Wood
Newly promoted to a desk role dominated by budgets and department politics, Detective Matilda’s routine is shattered when she receives taunting emails from an untraceable killer claiming credit for seemingly natural deaths and suicides. While her team officially hunts for a missing nineteen-year-old whose father harbors suspicious secrets, Matilda works off the books to decode the killer’s terrifying messages as the body count stealthily climbs. The investigation hits a fever pitch alongside side-drama involving an ex-husband’s murder tell-all book, leading to total chaos when the killer threatens to strike at the heart of the police team itself. Culminating in a frantic, heart-stopping race against time and a devastating misstep, this relentless page-turner delivers a phenomenal 5-star ride complete with an agonizing cliffhanger.
Has anyone seen Charlotte Salter? – Nicci French
When Charlotte Salter vanishes on the night of her husband’s 50th birthday party and the nearby family friend who hosted them is found dead shortly after, the local police lazily write it off as a murder-suicide, leaving the case cold for decades. Thirty years later, Charlotte’s surviving children reunite to clear out their childhood home while two local men launch an investigative podcast aiming to expose the original cover-up and clear their late father’s name. The cold case turns deadly when a woman hired to clear the house discovers Charlotte’s long-lost diary, leading to a fatal arson attack that leaves Charlotte’s daughter injured and falsely framed as the prime suspect. Enter DI Maud O’Connor, a sharp London detective forced to battle a deeply sexist, incompetent police force to unravel thirty years of hidden secrets, though the novel’s excessively slow pacing and bloated page count drag this cold-case thriller down to a 3.5-star rating.
Hot girl murder club – Ashley Winstead
Seeking Hollywood stardom, aspiring actress Scout and her best friend Isabel land a major break that leads them to an exclusive Christmas party, only for the night to end in tragedy when Scout’s younger sister, Georgia, is brutally murdered in the host’s pool house. After a vigilante attempt to extract a confession from the prime suspect ends in his suicide, the story jumps ten years into the future where Scout is now a mid-tier celebrity whose past comes roaring back when bodies begin turning up alongside her own song lyrics. With LAPD closing in and her DNA discovered at a fresh crime scene, Scout, Isabel, and Isabel’s partner Brooks team up to uncover who is setting her up in the present day. Ultimately unravelling a web of frame-jobs, long-buried secrets, and a twelve-year-old missing person’s case, this multi-layered Hollywood mystery manages to secure a solid 3-star rating.
To cage a wild bird – Brooke Fast
In the divided society of Dividium, former bounty hunter Raven steps up to survive the impoverished Lower Sector, only to be cast into the terrifying prison realm of Endlock after her younger brother is arrested for defying the Council. Expecting a bleak wasteland, she instead discovers a massive compound where elite tourists vacation while inmates are forced into deadly, televised daily hunts across electrified sectors with moving forcefields. Tasked by an underground rebel group with smuggling out her brother alongside a high-value target, Raven must navigate lethal games where the only sanctuary is reaching a central Blood Tree before time runs out. Further complicated by bloodthirsty former targets out for revenge, this heart-pounding, high-stakes opener leaves readers desperately craving the next installment after a phenomenal 5-star ride.
The Quiet Kill – Robert Bryndza
Trading his quiet seaside patch for a fast-paced London detective role in the 1980s, twenty-five-year-old Jamie Day dives into his new job a day early when a bin bag full of dismembered body parts is discovered at a local station. As a green detective navigating a gritty era of landline-phoned department faxes and heavily intoxicated medical examiners, Jamie uses his sharp instincts to quickly identify the victim, all while trying to settle into an unexpectedly grand rental mansion just weeks before Christmas. The investigation takes a dark turn into the dangerous, heavily policed underground gay scene of the ’80s after a second body is discovered frozen inside a house used for filming secret adult parties. Though this series starter lacked some of the breathless, high-octane thrills found in Robert Bryndza’s famous Erika Foster debut The Girl in the Ice, its rich period atmosphere and complex whodunit elements safely lock in a solid 3.5 stars.
Holmes is missing – James Patterson & Brian Sitts
Private investigators Marple and Poe are thrust into a frantic race against time when six newborn babies are brazenly abducted from a high-security hospital ward, a crime that clearly involved deactivated cameras and counterfeit security wristbands. Despite fierce pushback from the local police, the wealthy families immediately hire the PI team, prompting the group to pull a struggling, distracted Holmes out of his early retirement for one final, massive case. While Marple and Poe contend with a shocking second wave of abductions involving a hijacked school bus, Holmes finds himself cornered by an obsessed fanboy who presents a chilling, separate mystery involving a string of annual “accidental” maternal deaths. As the cross-border kidnappings expand all the way to London and a massive web of dark secrets begins to unravel, this high-stakes sequel delivers enough jaw-dropping bombshells to secure a fantastic 4-star rating.
Of Ash and Iron – Eliza Raine
Discovering she was used her entire life by her weak royal parents to store blackmail material via her rare memory magic, Maddy finally reclaims her independence and settles into the Bear Wing with her powerful, summonable spirit companion, Thyrvie. However, her new peace is instantly shattered when her best friend Sarra goes missing and returns on the brink of death, corrupted by a sinister dark magic that can only be cured by a rare feather from dangerous territory. To save her friend, Maddy risks everything by volunteering for the perilous Oskerella, only to be hit with a devastating betrayal that lands her captured and hauled off to the frozen, unforgiving realm of the Ice Giants. Balancing breathless survival stakes, shocking betrayals, and the unbearable, high-chemistry tension of her forbidden bond with Kain, this phenomenal sequel answers every burning question to deliver a spectacular 4.5-star read.
Of frost and feather – Eliza Raine
As Maddy pushes through her grueling Valkyrie training at Yggdrasil, she faces a dangerous step up in stakes as she uncovers the truth behind her mysterious medical condition. Her progress is constantly threatened by a rival clan determined to eliminate her, as well as a freezing reunion with her family that reveals her beloved sister Freydis now harbors a bitter, cold hatred for her. The tension reaches a breaking point during a high-stakes swimming exhibition when her bullies play dirty and attempt to drown her, only for Maddy to be rescued by the sudden, dramatic manifestation of her guardian spirit. This incredible event reveals that Maddy’s emotions summon a rare, universally visible Val-tivar named Thyrvi, flipping the academy dynamics on their head.
Of blades and wings – Eliza Raine
Hidden away in the Ice Court due to her fragile health and fainting spells, Maddy grows up as a forgotten, magicless secret princess until she is unexpectedly chosen by Odin to become a Valkyrie instead of her favored sister. Thrust into the brutal training grounds of Yggdrasil with nothing but a sparkling party dress, she quickly becomes the ultimate laughingstock and a target for ruthless bullies who want to see her fail. Her only hope for survival comes from a terrifying, wingless fire Fae Valkyrie who offers her protection, though his motives are purely selfish as he uses her presence to finally locate a secret vault that has eluded him for two decades. While this quick read wasn’t the absolute best fantasy I’ve picked up, the gritty training arcs and Norse mythology elements were enough to earn it a solid 3.5 stars and keep me on board for book two.
The Agathas – Kathleen Glasgow & Liz Lawson
After a staged runaway attempt left former popular girl Alice Ogilvie under house arrest and completely isolated by her boyfriend-stealing best friend, she is forced into a reluctant tutoring arrangement with Iris Adams, an invisible outsider from the “Zoners” clique. The two polar opposites are suddenly thrown together when that same ex-best friend, Brooke Donovan, vanishes into thin air after a dramatic party fight and is later discovered dead at the bottom of a ravine. Frustrated by a lazy police department that rushes to arrest an innocent suspect without properly fitting the puzzle pieces together, Alice and Iris combine their social intelligence and eavesdropping skills to launch their own investigation. Digging into the dark secrets of Castle Cove requires crossing a few legal lines, but their brilliant amateur sleuthing ultimately exposes the real killer and secures this addictive mystery a solid 4 stars.
ZA #2 Ruthless Fae – Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti
Following the brutal hazing and emotional trauma of their first term at Zodiac Academy, changeling Fae princesses Tory and Darcy initially consider fleeing back to the mortal world but are completely broke. To fund their escape, they attempt to rob their tormentors, leading Tory to successfully steal Darius’s magical gold and spitefully torch his entire bedroom in the process. Realizing they refuse to let the arrogant Celestial Heirs win, the twins decide to stay on campus and secretly orchestrate a series of hilarious, vengeful pranks to sabotage the Heirs’ prized Pitball game. Though a slow-paced middle section slows down the momentum, the explosive introduction of a dangerous threat on campus delivers a fast-paced, high-stakes ending that safely locks in a 4-star rating.
The secrets we hide – Karin Slaughter
Small-town sheriff Emmy is shattered when a routine call leads her to the horrific crime scene of her friend Allison, a retired cop who was frantically packing to flee town before being brutally murdered alongside her daughter. The chaotic double-homicide leaves Emmy’s sister injured and the local police force dealing with a crime scene where the pieces just don’t add up. Channeling her late mother’s love for puzzle-hunting, Emmy decodes a cryptic voicemail left by Allison to uncover the hidden files the retired officer was desperately working on. Digging into the secrets Allison died to protect unleashes a massive hornets’ nest of dirty cops, wrongful deaths, and dangerous cover-ups, making this addictive thriller an easy 5-star read.
Caller Unknown – Gillian McAllister
While visiting Texas for a long-awaited mother-daughter camping trip, English restaurateur Simone is plunged into a living nightmare when her daughter Lucy vanishes from their Airbnb overnight. Discovering a burner phone left behind by the kidnappers, she is forced onto a high-stakes, frantic goose chase across the Mexican border to smuggle a mysterious package, all while keeping the authorities entirely in the dark. Though her maternal desperation drives her to survive the dangerous cross-border ordeal and successfully rescue Lucy, the chaotic aftermath leaves both mother and daughter on the run as wanted fugitives with zero evidence to clear their names. While this author normally delivers total bangers, this particular thriller felt too far-fetched, landing it a disappointed 2.5 stars.
Crown me Yours – Liv Zander
Now crowned Queen after the devastating events of the first book, Elara faces the impossible task of deciphering her late king’s final clue to break the kingdom’s curse before the rot claims her brother. Her desperate quest leads her to a high-stakes game of wits with Death himself, outsmarting him to force a marriage pact that sets a dangerous assassination plan into motion. However, as she cozies up to the literal grim reaper, she discovers a surprisingly passionate lover and a deeply guarded soul who is merely existing rather than living. Ultimately, this beautifully poignant and deeply romantic conclusion explores the profound connection between love and grief, earning another enthusiastic 5 stars.
Crown me Dead – Liv Zander
To save her rotting, bedridden family from a kingdom-wide plague, a resilient gravedigger named Elara accepts a dark bargain to become the caretaker of a cursed king. She is tasked with a seemingly impossible mission: make the tyrannical, foul-tempered Monarch fall in love with her so she can sacrifice her life to feed the sentient crown that sustains him. However, her first encounter with King Kael is a literal living nightmare, as he exists as a decaying, pus-dripping corpse who is kept perpetually alive and suffering by the artifact on his head. Despite an incredibly gory and stomach-churning introduction, this flawlessly written dark romance kept me absolutely spellbound and earned a well-deserved 5 stars.
Psycho Fae – Jasmine Mas
Betrayed and dragged to the Fae realm, Sadie and her Alphas are stripped of their shifting powers and forced into the deadly Fae Games. As Sadie takes a brutal physical beating in the arena, her mates vow a strict “hands-off” pact to keep their focus, driving her to look elsewhere to finally lose her virginity. While the ruthless survival tournament and shocking royal secrets were highly entertaining, the extreme level of spice ultimately ruined the plot for me. I’m giving this sequel 3 stars and officially dropping the series.
Psycho Shifters – Jasmine Mas
After enduring years of brutal abuse under the assumption that her unique white hair and red eyes meant she was a powerless “Null Shifter,” twenty-year-old Sadie risks everything to test her blood and escape her captor. Instead of a weak result, her blood turns the enchanted lake blood-red, marking her as the first female Alpha in ages and landing her in a military camp run by three suspicious, incredibly powerful male Alphas. Mistaken for a spy because she can’t initially shift, Sadie endures brutal combat training until a deadly portal breach forces her to finally unleash her true form: a legendary saber-toothed tiger. Balancing high-stakes military tension with intense, page-melting spice, this uniquely gripping shifter romance earned a solid 4 stars.
The Final Girls Support Group – Grady Hendrix
Years after surviving their respective horrors, a low-profile support group for “Final Girls” is thrown into absolute chaos when one of their own is brutally murdered. While the other survivors think paranoid Lynette has finally lost her mind, a sudden, deadly shootout forces her onto the run to protect the remaining women. Desperate to uncover the truth, Lynette orchestrates a frantic, high-stakes investigation that leads her to suspect everyone around them—including their own therapist. With breathtaking writing that kept me completely hooked, the jaw-dropping final plot twist completely blindsided me and earned this thriller a flawless 5 stars.
Shot in the Dark – Mary Dublin & Anne Kendsley
Curious fairy Sylvia breaks the strict rules of her isolationist community to explore a nearby human mansion, completely fascinated by a world she was always taught to fear. Her rebellion backfires when she is captured by a group of hunters who, contrary to fairy bedtime stories, aren’t bloodthirsty monsters at all. Instead, she forms an unlikely bond with her captors and uses her unique ability to sense magical anomalies to help them track a deadly werewolf. While the premise had potential, this fantasy missed the mark for me, earning 3 stars and making it the end of the road for this series.
Daggermouth – H.M. Wolfe
Living in the impoverished, rebel-heavy Boundary, elite assassin Shadera “Shade” Kael takes on a dangerous contract to assassinate Greyson Serel—the ruthless executioner and son of the president who murdered her parents. Shade successfully infiltrates the city’s heart, but an unmasked hesitation right before the fatal blow forces her and Greyson into a mandatory, politically charged marriage to avoid execution. As the forced allies spend time together, Shade is shocked to discover that her sworn enemy—and the elite world he inhabits—isn’t as purely evil as she always believed. Packed with brutal torture, endless tension, and jaw-dropping final twists, this captivating fantasy earned a solid 5 stars and left me desperate for the sequel.
Zodiac Academy; The Awakening – Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti
Aging out of foster care and desperate for cash, twins Tory and Darcy Vega are shocked when a mysterious stranger reveals they are actually long-lost Fae princesses of Solaria. Thrust into the chaotic and magical world of Zodiac Academy, they must learn to harness their latent powers while navigating an entirely unfamiliar realm. However, survival won’t be easy as four ruthless, powerful heirs paint targets on their backs, determined to bully them into giving up their rightful inheritance. Packed with intense bullying, high-stakes danger, and a looming Nymph threat, this chaotic fantasy earned a well-deserved 4.5 stars.
The Verdant Cage – Jess Lourey
Faced with a forced marriage that will strip away her affinity for medicine, Rose’s life is permanently upended when her twin brother, Jonas, is accused of attacking their mother and sentenced to a deadly exile over the community’s vine-covered wall. Forced to live with her betrothed’s family, she vows to make them pay while desperately trying to uncover the dark truth hidden in the forbidden Record Keepers’ vault. Navigating the strict curfews and heavy surveillance of Noah’s Valley, Rose joins forces with a group of rebellious peers to learn how to fight and resist the increasingly gruesome rules imposed by their power-hungry leader. This high-stakes fantasy earns a solid 4.5 stars, delivering a mind-blowing ally reveal and a gripping, wide-open ending that will leave readers demanding a sequel.
Blood Bound – Ellis Hunter
In a high-stakes fantasy world where warring realms must battle to the death for a life-giving magical source, Princess Astrid prepares for a centuries-old duel against a surprise opponent. While the intricate world-building delivers a rich tapestry of dragons, familiars, and magical blood bonds, the story’s sluggish pacing and near-absent romance ultimately hold it back. Furthermore, the constant perspective shifts between chapters needlessly inflate the book’s length. It is a solid fantasy concept that earns a lukewarm three-star rating.