I've been reading, but I haven't been keeping very good track of what I've read. Life took an unexpected detour a couple of months back and, while things are definitely not back to normal, the dust is finally starting to settle.
The Lodge by Miranda Rijks
This domestic thriller is set at a game reserve in South Africa. Anna accompanies her fiancé, Joel, who is interviewing for a position as veterinarian. She can't imagine relocating to such a remote location, but it's his dream job and he's promised her luxurious accommodations and the trip of a lifetime. She's worried about animals and their open sided tent and making her way on dark paths at after dark. The place has real dangers...then she finds herself face to face with her toxic (and supposedly deaad) ex who is staying at the lodge with his new girlfriend. I absolutely loved this one.
Prom Mom by Laura Lippman
This one pulled me in quickly. Amber Glass gave birth alone in a hotel room on the night of her prom. The baby didn't survive. She has no memory of what happened before she was found there on the bathroom floor, but years have passed and she's built a new life for herself. Now she's back in her hometown, opening a gallery that features the work of outsider artists. She didn't mean to cross paths with her prom date and reopen old wounds, but once she sees Joe, she can't keep herself from seeing him again and finding out what he's done with his own life. I was immediately pulled into this one, caught up in the characters and their lives.
The Guest Room by Tasha Sylva
Tess, a young woman who rents out her murdered sister's room, can't stop herself from digging through her unwitting tenants' belongings to learn every last detail about them. When her latest roommate's journal reveals his obsession with an unnamed woman, she convinces herself that he must be responsible for the unsolved murder. The book has some interesting twists and turns, but I found Tess extremely unlikeable.
Country Roads by Colin Leonard is a slowly paced horror novel that gets better towards the end. People are dying on rural Irish roads late at night, gruesome deaths at the base of a twisted old tree. As much as I love this type of old fashioned folk horror, nothing about this book really stood out to me.
Disclosure -- The publishers provided me with advance review copies. This post contains affiliate links.
