The one that misguided us: The Ex Between Us by Nicola Marsh #BookReview #BookClub

Today I bring you my review for a book I read with my girls in our book club. We all expected thriller and were left little disappointed. Still, it was a good reading experience. After all, the joy of book clubs is in the discussions and other talks that come out inspired by the happenings from the books.

About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

he best of friends keep the deadliest secrets…

Jo is my best friend. From high school to adulthood, we’ve gone through everything together. Even when I made a foolish mistake and betrayed her in the worst way, she forgave me. She’s godmother to my son and our lives are intertwined. We want the best for each other, always.

I hope she approves of my new boyfriend Noah. How could she not? Noah is kind, attentive and loves me for who I am. But when I introduce them over dinner one evening, Jo doesn’t look happy. She’s always been protective of me and as Noah clutches my hand, I force her reaction to the back of my mind.

But later Jo tells me that someone is threatening her and she fears for her life. And all too soon, the threats land at my door too. At first it’s small things: my precious roses destroyed, my mail sabotaged. But when I receive a note saying, “I want your life,” I’m terrified.

Someone wants to cause me harm. They’re prepared to take everything I love. But are they closer to me than I could have ever imagined?

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Review:

This was October pick in our book club and the five of us were looking forward to read it.
In the end, only three of us managed to finish it, which speaks on it’s own.

By the synopsis, we expected a thriller when in reality we got women’s fiction going all out of it’s way to kookoo land by the end, with thriller aspects at the very epiloque.
Just like my friend Ani stated, if nothing, it read like villain original story or however you call that genre.

The book was written in first person following two friends’ perspectives: Abi‘s and Jo‘s.

This novel had interesting but also awful set of characters, where all the people were toxic to each other and for some reason kept staying together.
They reminded me why my policy is “no friends are better than fake friends”.🙃
The only somewhat normal character was Abi’s son Rob, but the author managed to ruin him too with some of his comments (also, he was gone for most part of the story).

Abi was my least favourite of them all. She was spoiled to death and didn’t even realized her actions and Jo I liked until the very end when the author decided to kill all of her potential and ruin her completely.

I wish Nicola Marsh didn’t decide to jump on that “thrillers are popular” train and wrote coming of age end for Jo.

As for the writing, it was good and it was very similar to Jane Fallon’s.
My friend Amanda and I agree: it felt like we were reading Fallon’s work.

Overall, it was a good book to pass time and I am glad I read it along with my friends because that way I enjoyed it more then I would if I was reading it on my own.

book review rating 2,75 hearts

So… this was tense: Lock Every Door by Riley Sager (Book Review) #Thriller #Halloween #blogtober

Lock Every Door book cover

Today I bring you my review for the book that I read along with my frineds in our reading club. Lock Every Door was our September pick. I really enjoyed it and am glad to tell you all about it.

This novel was published back in 2019, on July 2nd. It has 381 pages.

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About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

No visitors. No nights spent away from the apartment. No disturbing the other residents, all of whom are rich or famous or both. These are the only rules for Jules Larsen’s new job as an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan’s most high-profile and mysterious buildings. Recently heartbroken and just plain broke, Jules is taken in by the splendor of her surroundings and accepts the terms, ready to leave her past life behind.

As she gets to know the residents and staff of the Bartholomew, Jules finds herself drawn to fellow apartment sitter Ingrid, who comfortingly, disturbingly reminds her of the sister she lost eight years ago. When Ingrid confides that the Bartholomew is not what it seems and the dark history hidden beneath its gleaming facade is starting to frighten her, Jules brushes it off as a harmless ghost story—until the next day, when Ingrid disappears.

Searching for the truth about Ingrid’s disappearance, Jules digs deeper into the Bartholomew’s dark past and into the secrets kept within its walls. Her discovery that Ingrid is not the first apartment sitter to go missing at the Bartholomew pits Jules against the clock as she races to unmask a killer, expose the building’s hidden past, and escape the Bartholomew before her temporary status becomes permanent.

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Review:

Lock Every Door was September pick in the reading club I am a part of. I was so excited because this novel was on my radar ever since it came out. Out of four of us, I think I liked it the best.

Written in first person, the novel is tense and capturing. Jules is a reliable narrator (which was so nice for a change) but what makes this book so good is that you can’t trust absolutely no one but her.

This novel was really something. Now I get why all the hype.
The mysterious atmosphere where you feel like you are trapped along with main character but can’t figure out what is happening and can’t get out was the cherry on top in my reading experience.

I also want to mention how this book touches some important topics like poverty and what goes along with it, and I believe no reader can stay calm or cold to it. Some parts were heartbreaking.
I do believe stories similar to this one happen in real life and often poor people who have no one to look for them are ones who pay the price.

I remember my friend Amanda and me were afraid that this story would be too similar to Turn of the Key, and now I laugh when I think about it, because those two stories can’t be more different. The only thing they have in common is that they are both very good novels.

The end was good. I like how this whole mystery solved out and what was the story behind the curtain, even though some of my friends who I read this with were disappointed.
However, I will admit that I wasn’t satisfied with the very end. In other words, I think justice could have been served better.

four hearts

Amazing thriller I’d like to see on a big screen: The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware #Thriller #Halloween #Blogtober

Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware book cover

Today I decided to post my review for a book I buddy read with my friend Amanda recently. I wanted to read The Turn of the Key ever since it came out and I am so glad I shared this experience with my lovely friend. We both ended up loving it, me little bit more then her.

Turn of the Key was published on August 6th 2019 by Scout Press and it has 337 pages.

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About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

When she stumbles across the ad, she’s looking for something else completely. But it seems like too good an opportunity to miss—a live-in nannying post, with a staggeringly generous salary. And when Rowan Caine arrives at Heatherbrae House, she is smitten—by the luxurious “smart” home fitted out with all modern conveniences, by the beautiful Scottish Highlands, and by this picture-perfect family.

What she doesn’t know is that she’s stepping into a nightmare—one that will end with a child dead and herself in prison awaiting trial for murder.

Writing to her lawyer from prison, she struggles to explain the unravelling events that led to her incarceration. It wasn’t just the constant surveillance from the cameras installed around the house, or the malfunctioning technology that woke the household with booming music, or turned the lights off at the worst possible time. It wasn’t just the girls, who turned out to be a far cry from the immaculately behaved model children she met at her interview. It wasn’t even the way she was left alone for weeks at a time, with no adults around apart from the enigmatic handyman, Jack Grant.

It was everything.

She knows she’s made mistakes. She admits that she lied to obtain the post, and that her behavior toward the children wasn’t always ideal. She’s not innocent, by any means. But, she maintains, she’s not guilty—at least not of murder. Which means someone else is.

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Review:

The Turn of the Key was on my tbr ever since it came out. It seems to me that this novel is the most popular out of Ruth Ware’s work (at least in the bookish community) and now, after I read it, I can see why.

This book as a whole was picture perfect to me. The plot was chilly and thrilling, the writing style was unusual and hypnotizing, characters were interesting and the end was everything.

The story is written in second person, following Rowan‘s letters to a lawyer that she wants to represent her in the core.
I don’t usually read books written in second person. Not because I don’t like them, but because I find them to be rare.
I enjoyed this way of writing and as the author did such a brilliant job to pull me in into her words, I often forgot that I read the letter.

This book was so tense and interesting, with some characters I couldn’t help but suspect and some, and I am little ashamed to admit this, to judge.

There were some plot twist and big revelations, as they often happened in the thrillers. Few of them really surprised me.

The end and the mysterious atmosphere that smelled of unknown were my favourite part of this book.
Ruth Ware did amazing job with this idea that she got, and now I hope someone will recognize it and decide to make a movie based on this novel, because I am sure this story would work even better on the screen.

5 stars from me and one big recommendation to all of you!

5 hearts rating

The one I had a hard time reviewing: The Falling Girls by Hayley Krischer (Book Review) @PRHGlobal #partner #thriller #Halloween #Blogtober

The Falling Girls by Haylay Krischer book cover US edition

GIFTED / Today I want to talk about a book I finished a month ago, and that was hard for me to review bc while I was typing my words out I got sick. That was my lesson learned not to write while taking a bus ride. The Falling Girls was otherwise a good, entertaining book.
It was published on October 5th last year (2021) by Razorbill and today is exactly 1 year since it first hit the shelves. It has 320 pages.
I want to thank the team from Penguin Random House Global for sending me an e-galley of this novel (in an exchange for an honest review).

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About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

Shade and Jadis are everything to each other. They share clothes, toothbrushes, and even matching stick-and-poke tattoos. So when Shade unexpectedly joins the cheerleading team, Jadis can hardly recognize who her best friend is becoming.

Shade loves the idea of falling into a group of girls; she loves the discipline it takes to push her body to the limits alongside these athletes . Most of all, Shade finds herself drawn to The Three Chloes–the insufferable trio that rules the squad–including the enigmatic cheer captain whose dark side is as compelling as it is alarming.

Jadis won’t give Shade up so easily, though, and the pull between her old best friend and her new teammates takes a toll on Shade as she tries to forge her own path. So when one of the cheerleaders dies under mysterious circumstances, Shade is determined to get to the bottom of her death. Because she knows Jadis–and if her friend is responsible, doesn’t that mean she is, too?

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Review:

I went into The Falling Girls without having real expectations. I knew it was a contemporary book with a dark tone, and that part was 100% right.
I know this is also generated as a mystery and although it has a mystery inside, I would rather call it a teen drama.
In fact, the whole story reminded me of a lifetime movie.
Did I love it? Absolutely!

I am an adult who read this novel that is aimed towards teenagers.
I am aware that some things I take differently then the appropriate age rang, and maybe my reasons for liking the story are completely different then they would be 15 years ago.

My favourite thing about this book is the exploration of female friendships that can be very unhealthy and how those friendships in teen years define future.
I appreciate how the author pictured possessive one on one relationship between friends and how even if it is usually comfortable to bond on such a strong level, it can also be destructive.

The other thing I appreciate is how Hayley Krischer showed us/told us that neglected kids often look for a substitute for absent parents in their friends and how they can become possessive.

The book was written in a simple, entertaining way that was easy to read.

The story was little predictable and the motive behind the crime was a bit stupid, but the author acknowledged it through character conversations, which pleasantly surprised me.

I want to say that I come from a country where cheerleading isn’t a part of the culture and all I know about it is what I learned from the movies.
This book made me think how hard and competitive that sport can be and how it’ it’s not appreciated enough.

I enjoyed my time with The Falleng Girls and would recommend it.

rating 3,5 hearts

Movie Monday: Orphan: First Kill #MovieMonday #Orphan #Horror

Today I want to talk about the movie Orphan: First Kill. I was really looking forward to see it and now when I watched it I can, with no regrets, say that it is the worst movie I’ve seen in years.

Orphan: First Kill movie cover

As a dedicated lover of horror movies, I was more than happy when I’ve heard that one of my favourites, Orphan, will get another movie, set in time prior then the original story.

I took the very first chance I got to go to the cinema with my friend and let me tell you, our expectations were high, but the feeling we had after we finished the watching can be described with only one word: disappointment.

However, the execution can be described with many words: lazy writing, plot holes, stupid characters, lack of motives, lack of explanations, cash cow, money and time waste.

The actors weren’t bad, but they couldn’t save the movie that was doomed from the start.

Overall, the movie was so bad it made me want to talk about it so everyone who isn’t sure if they would give it a chance would know that it would take my advice to save some money and skip it.

I was so let down by the movie that I am sure everyone in the movie theater felt the same, and now I wish we picked another movie instead of this one, but it is what it is.

I still am a great fan of the original Orphan and I recommend it with all my heart, but when it comes to Orphan: First Kill I do not recommend it at all.

Compelling thriller to read in one sitting: Ask No Questions by Claire Allan #Thriller #BookLovers #BookBloggers @AvonBooksUK

Ask No Questions by Claire Allan book cover UK edition 2021

GIFTED / Today I want to talk about a book I read in 5 days when I was extremly busy, and I honestly think that, if I had more free time, I would finish it in a day. It was just that compelling and it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

Ask No Questions was published on January 21st 2021 and it has 336 pages. I want to thank Ellie Pilcher from Avon for sending me an invitation to read and review this book via Netgalley.

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About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

The new crime thriller from the bestselling author of Her Name Was Rose

Twenty-five years ago, on Halloween night, eight-year-old Kelly Doherty went missing while out trick or treating with friends.
Her body was found three days later, floating face down, on the banks of the Creggan Reservoir by two of her young classmates.
It was a crime that rocked Derry to the core. Journalist Ingrid Devlin is investigating – but someone doesn’t want her to know the truth. As she digs further, Ingrid starts to realise that the Doherty family are not as they seem. But will she expose what really happened that night before it’s too late?

A twisty psychological thriller from bestselling author Claire Allan.

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Review:

I just finished this novel, and I still need to comprehend everything that’s been going on in the story, but I couldn’t resist and I had to write my review right away, while the story is still fresh in my mind.

Last year I read (and enjoyed) Allan’s novel The Liar’s Daughter. What I liked the most in that book was the small town atmosphere the author created.

This time, it was the characters.
I applause the writer for creating so interesting and believable characters that made me feel like I do know them, do see them and pay attention to everyone.
Often in books, especially in thrillers/crimes, there are often characters that just show themselves few times and we don’t pay attention to them, but in this story everyone was under spotlight for at least some time.
It was similar like watching a tv show, where you do get to see characters and remember them, connect with them on a different level.

As for the story itself, it had a good plot.
It was hard for me to predict where the story would go, and who’d be the bad guy, as I really didn’t have anyone to suspect more than others.

The writing style is good. The book is written in first person following Ingrid’s POV (who is a reporter, investing the story) and in third person following twins that are side characters of the story.

As a readers who’s English is not the first language, I thought that the book is written in Scottish English, but I guess the author is Irish.
Anyway, there were words that were new to me and I was so happy to expanse my vocabulary thanks to this book.

The end was pretty satisfying and I think I would read this book in only 2 days if I had more time to read, bc I finished it in only three sittings (keep in mind that I am a slow reader).

If you’re looking for a quick thriller to read, look no further!

rating 4,5 hearts

Bunch of Psychos in one place: Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian #Thriller #BookReview #College @parkrowbooks

Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian book cover US edition

GIFTED / Another day, another book review. I guess that is what happens when you don’t blog for months: after the break, you have lots to say (or in my case, to review). Never Saw Me Coming was another book I read with girls from my reading club, and if I remember correctly (It was months ago, so it is kind of blurry at this point) we all liked it, and we all had similar thoughts about the ending.

Never Saw Me Coming will be published tomorrow, September 7th 2021 and it has 400 pages. I got a free copy via Netgalley in an exchange for an honest review. I want to say thank you to Park Row Publishing, Harlequin.

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About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

Meet Chloe Sevre. She’s a freshman honor student, a leggings-wearing hot girl next door, who also happens to be a psychopath. Her hobbies include yogalates, frat parties, and plotting to kill Will Bachman, a childhood friend who grievously wronged her.

Chloe is one of seven students at her DC-based college who are part of an unusual clinical study for psychopaths—students like herself who lack empathy and can’t comprehend emotions like fear or guilt. The study, led by a renowned psychologist, requires them to wear smart watches that track their moods and movements.

When one of the students in the study is found murdered in the psychology building, a dangerous game of cat and mouse begins, and Chloe goes from hunter to prey. As she races to identify the killer and put her own plan into action, she’ll be forced to decide if she can trust any of her fellow psychopaths—and everybody knows you should never trust a psychopath.

Never Saw Me Coming is a compulsive, voice-driven thriller by an exciting new voice in fiction, that will keep you pinned to the page and rooting for a would-be killer.

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Review:

It’s been weeks since me and my reading buddies finished this book, so my review won’t be in depth as I first planned it to be.

Never Saw Me Coming stood out to me with it’s cast of characters.
It is rare to read about main character who happens to be a psychopath, but it is extremely difficult to find a book with many psychopaths represented, all in one story, all together hanging around, making jokes and just simply being themselves.

I was already familiar with basics when it comes to this state of mind (diagnosis or whatever is the right word for it) and I think the author did a good job when it comes to representation.
I also want to stress out that I do appreciate the idea/point she was making by telling this story.

My favourite character was Cloe and I wish the whole book was written from her perspective, following her narration in first person.
Some parts written in third person following different characters were entertaining, but some were boring.

At some points I was really invested in the story. My favourite part was the revenge plot, and I’ll be perfectly honest with you, as the big thing was happening my heart was racing 100/h.

I am sorry to say that with all the preparing for the grand finale and revelation about the killer, I ended up disappointed and to say it simple, the end was underwhelming.

Overall, this was very entertaining novel set in college and I would recommend it as a quick read, but I wasn’t satisfied with the way it wrapped up.

rating 3,5 hearts

Review I should have written a lifetime ago: Just Like the Other Girls by Claire Douglas #Books #Thriller @MichaelJBooks

Just Like the Other Girls by Claire Douglas book cover UK edition

GIFTED / Today I decided to post my review for a book that came out some time ago. I was lucky enough to receive a Netgalley widget for this book, but as some of you already know, I was in a bad place and too occupied with motherhood to keep up with my blog.

I enjoyed reading Just Like the Other Girls, as it was a buddy read with my friend Amanda from Chocolate Pages, who came to the rescue when it comes to clearing that Netgalley shelf of mine.

The novel came out on August 6th 2020 and it has 394 pages. Thank you to Penguin UK – Michael Joseph for providing me a copy.

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About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

CARER/COMPANION WANTED FOR ELDERLY LADY
* YOUNG FEMALE PREFERRED * COMPETITIVE SALARY *
* ROOM AND BOARD INCLUDED *

Una Richardson’s heart is broken after the death of her mother. Seeking a place to heal, she responds to an advertisement and steps into the rich, comforting world of Elspeth McKenzie.

But Elspeth’s home is not as safe as it seems.

Kathryn, her cold and bitter daughter, resents Una’s presence. But more disturbing is the realization that two girls had lived here before. Two girls who ended up dead.

Why won’t the McKenzies talk about them? What other secrets are locked inside this house? As the walls close in around her, Una starts to fear that she will end up just like the other girls . . .

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Review:

Just Like the Other Girls was a wild ride I took with my friend Amanda (in other words, we buddy read it), and guys, it was a thrilling enjoyment.

If you keep up with my reading, you would know that reading club and buddy reads with my friends are my number one priority for months now, and let me tell you, I can’t recall when was the latast time we read such a good, discussion caller of a novel.

The writing pulled me in immediately, with action and mystery that urged me to read one more page, and all the characters that were suspicious.
This is one of the books where everyone can be a bad guy and you don’t know their motives at all, and as a result, you don’t even know how many bad guys are there at all.
Is it all the work of a one person, or do two/more work together?? That is a mystery!

Because of all of the above, we finished the book in 5 days instead of 8 that was originally planned.

I also want to applause the author for her courage to take turn that was brave and definitely unique, and so unpredictable.
If you read the book, you know what I’m talking about, if you didn’t, I don’t want to spoil you.
But because of that “thing” that happened, that lead to “part 2” I was sure I was reading a 5stars worth book.

However, after I finished the book, and mystery was solved (in a satisfying way) I looked back at italic parts of the book and I felt played out. Fooled.
It was like the author made up some parts of it just to lead us the wrong way, and they don’t make sense.
I was so angry I even wanted to give it 3,5 stars.
Actually, I still am angry and I still am debating whether to give it 4 or 3,5 stars.
This whole situation reminded me that Douglas did the very same thing in her previous novel When She Vanished, and I felt the same.

I decided that I will read another book by her some other time and if italics make me mad again, I will just give up on her work.
Her books are good, but I just don’t like being mislead if it’s not done in an intelligent way.

However, I do recommend this book because it is really good.

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The one with… stupid main character (sorry, not sorry): Survive the Night by Riley Sager @PRHGlobal #partner #horror #thriller #bookreview

Survive the Night by Riley Sager book cover US edition 2021

GIFTED / Hi guys! Today I am talking about a book that I read along with my girls in our book club. These days I am mostly focused on buddy reads, as I feel like I get more from the book when I discuss it with others. My favourite buddy in crime is Amanda from ChocolatePages, we read many books together this year, and I hope we’ll continue with it. Survive the Night was the August pick in the book club we are both members of.

This book was published on 29th June 2021 and it has 324 pages. I want to say thank you to Penguin Random House Global for sending me an e-galley of this novel (in an exchange for an honest review).

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About the book:

FROM GOODREADS /

It’s November 1991. George H. W. Bush is in the White House, Nirvana’s in the tape deck, and movie-obsessed college student Charlie Jordan is in a car with a man who might be a serial killer.

Josh Baxter, the man behind the wheel, is a virtual stranger to Charlie. They met at the campus ride board, each looking to share the long drive home to Ohio. Both have good reasons for wanting to get away. For Charlie, it’s guilt and grief over the murder of her best friend, who became the third victim of the man known as the Campus Killer. For Josh, it’s to help care for his sick father. Or so he says. Like the Hitchcock heroine she’s named after, Charlie has her doubts. There’s something suspicious about Josh, from the holes in his story about his father to how he doesn’t seem to want Charlie to see inside the car’s trunk. As they travel an empty highway in the dead of night, an increasingly worried Charlie begins to think she’s sharing a car with the Campus Killer. Is Josh truly dangerous? Or is Charlie’s suspicion merely a figment of her movie-fueled imagination?

What follows is a game of cat-and-mouse played out on night-shrouded roads and in neon-lit parking lots, during an age when the only call for help can be made on a pay phone and in a place where there’s nowhere to run. In order to win, Charlie must do one thing–survive the night.

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Review:

So… this was a shitshow full of mad people. And I don’t mean it in a good way.

Let me start this review on a positive note.
As Riley Sager is a best selling author, I expected to like his writing style, and although I wasn’t a fan of all the things he has written in this particular novel, I do admit that his words are easy to follow and the book reads easy and fast.
To give you and example how fast it reads, I will just say that it was our August pick for our book club and instead of planned 7, it took us only 4 days to finish.

The premise was promising, but with all the negative reviews appearing I didn’t have too high expectations.
However, I did expect to be fascinated with Josh’s character (because of one BookTube review) but that didn’t happen.
Also, in one of my Goodreads friend’s review I read that Charlie is one of the stupidest characters ever written, and after I finished Survive the Night, I 100% understand why my friend feels that way. I also agree with her, to some point.
It is hard to root for someone who acts so against their well being.
If I am being honest, one part of me even wanted for her not to survive the night.

As for the big relevation I wasn’t surprised at all, as the author gave us only few characters in the whole story, there weren’t much choices to chose our suspect from.

Last thing I want to mention is how I am not happy with the way mental illness was handled.
We never got the answer what Charlie’s diagnosis were, the author almost approached it as some kind of superpower, at some parts it felt like it was used just to mess with our mind and one chapter closer to the end reminded me of the way mental illness was handled in the history, when ppl in mental hospitals were put under electricity hamlets to be cured.
That chapter left bad taste in my mouth.

In the end I will just say that I am still eager to read Riley’s book called Lock Every Door, and this one I will just pretend it wasn’t written by him.

2 hearts

Creepy but realistic: The Assistant by S. K. Tremayne (Book Review) #TheAssistant #Thriller #BookLovers

The Assistant by S .K. Tremayne book cover

GIFTED / Today I want to talk about a novel that really creeped me out, because it made me think how realistic the events that happened in this book actually are, and how our future and present day is not so far from the same doom.
The Assistant was published on December 2nd 2019 by HarperCollins and I want to thank the pr team of that house for sending me an invitation to read this book.

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About the book:

FROM NETGALLEY /

She’s in your house. She controls your life. Now she’s going to destroy it.

A terrifying and timely new psychological thriller, from the No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The Ice Twins.

She watches you constantly.
Newly divorced Jo is delighted to move into her best friend’s spare room almost rent-free. The high-tech luxury Camden flat is managed by a meticulous Home Assistant, called Electra, that takes care of the heating, the lights – and sometimes Jo even turns to her for company.

She knows all your secrets.
Until, late one night, Electra says one sentence that rips Jo’s fragile world in two: ‘I know what you did.’ And Jo is horrified. Because in her past she did do something terrible. Something unforgivable.

Now she wants to destroy you.
Only two other people in the whole world know Jo’s secret. And they would never tell anyone. Would they? As a fierce winter brings London to a standstill, Jo begins to understand that the Assistant on the shelf doesn’t just want to control Jo; it wants to destroy her.

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Review:

Going into this book I had no idea what I signed up for. You see, I recklessly thought that the assistant in this story is a live, breathing person, when instead it was a smart device, similar to Alexa from Amazon.
Even though the story is set in present, at times it felt like the events took place in the future, but I would ascribe that to my “less technology” style of life.

I was so happy when I got an invitation to read this book because I previously read The Fire Child by S. K. Tremayne and really liked it.
I hoped the same will happen with his newest piece of work, and I am happy to say that it did.

The story follows a woman named Jo who lives in her best friend’s house in London almost rent-free. Her friend is very wealthy and she has set of home devices that work as assistant to maintain the house, and keep company to people who live in the house.
As her friend is often out of the house, travelling and sleeping in her boyfrined’s place, Jo is usually alone and after some time the assistent start to talk to her about personal things no one should know.

The book starts slowly and to be honest, the first 10% was pretty boring and dull. Jo was alone and the only character in those chapters and, as I was reading, I started to yearn for other persons, in hope they’ll pick up the story.

As the story progressed it became more and more intriguing. The close to the end I was, the more thrilled I became.

The writing style was amazing and it is easy to read, with many quotes worth remembering.
The story is written in first person, from Jo’s perspective, but it also has several chapters that follow other characters’ perspectives, and those are written in third person.

In the end I loved how the story unfold and it really made me think about the rise of technology in our world and where it all can lead us as species.
What our life will be and will we use it to make our lives easier as we all long for, or will it turn us against each other, bring the worst of us?

The end was satisfying and, even though the first person I suspected turned out to be the villain, I like the reasons and revelations behind the one’s motive.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and would recommend it to thriller lovers, but also to people who like to read books set in future ( even though this one is set in our time, it felt futuristic in some sense).

four hearts