Before She Was Found by Heather Gudenkauf, 354 Pages

This book was so addicting, I couldn't put it down. It hits on so many different topics including betrayal, friendship and the unconditional love a parent has for their child. What really made me love this book was how realistic it all is in today's society and the twist at the end really shocked me. I've been recommending this book to everyone I can since I read it and I'm looking forward to reading more by Gudenkauf.

Cora, Jordyn and Violet are supposed to be having a typical sleepover at Cora's house, but plans quickly change when they decide to venture out in the middle of the night to the old rail yard, all because of a local urban legend they've been reading about at school. When Cora is found on the verge of death and the other two are missing, their small town is flipped upside down. Everyone around them quickly becomes a suspect and it's hard to determine who could have done something like this to a child.

Little Darlings by Melanie Golding, 304 pages

This. Book. Is. So. Creepy!!  I finished this in one night, because I couldn't put it down. Not only is this book entirely creepy, it also hits on every parent's worst nightmares. I can't get over how scary this book is, and have already been recommending it to everyone I know. Little Darlings is set to be published in April 2019.

Lauren just gave birth to twin boys, and is exhausted. But, when she hears a woman in the next room over, seemingly singing to her twins, she's excited to find someone who can relate to her current status. The next morning, she asks the nurse about the woman from the other room, and is met with a puzzled look, the room has been empty since Lauren arrived. The next night, Lauren hears the same noises, and lets herself into the room. She finds a strange woman singing to herself, and when she meets her eyes, she instantly knows something is not right. The woman begins talking about exchanging the twins, which results in Lauren locking herself in the hospital bathroom, taking refuge with her twins. When the police arrive, the hospital is searched and no one is found, resulting in Lauren being placed on a psychiatric hold. She knows what she saw, but no one will listen to her. Everyone around her keeps talking about how tired she is. A few weeks later, Lauren is home with the boys, and the paranoia hasn't wavered. Leaving the house to get some fresh air, Lauren's worst nightmares come true, and the boys are kidnapped. Thankfully, they're found shortly after, and everyone is elated except Lauren, who knows that the twins look like her boys, but they are anything but.

Call Me Evie by J.P. Pomare, 368 Pages

Call Me Evie is a psychological suspense novel set to be released in March of 2019. Although I thought the book was a little slow, I enjoyed it and there was a twist in the end that I didn't see coming.

Seventeen-year-old Kate has been kept in a remote location for the last two weeks by a man she refers to as Bill. Bill is holding her there against her will and referring to her as Evie, claiming that he's doing so to keep her safe. Kate/Evie has no recollection of the accident that Bill claims she caused, and he tells her she will be reprimanded extremely for said accident if she tries to return to her normal life. As Kate/Evie attempts to piece together the night in question, she realizes that Bill's story isn't adding up and starts to think she is in grave danger.

An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, 384 Pages

First and foremost, I’d like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. I was and still am so pumped about it!!
I had really high expectations for this. Hendricks and Pekkanen’s novel, The Wife Between Us, is still one of the best books I’ve read this year. It is so, so good. This follow up didn’t disappoint at all. It was creepy, twisty, and just fantastic. I loved it so much, and couldn’t put it down. I’ve already put in the request for the library I work for to order it when it comes out. (It’s supposed to be released in January 2019.)

Jess Farris happens to end up at a psychology study that is conducted by local psychologist, Dr. Shields. Jess feels herself opening up to Shields, drawn to her. The original study progresses to meeting in person and completing tasks assigned to Jess. Paranoia begins to set in as Jess realizes that Dr. Shield’s intentions may have been way more sinister than what she originally thought.

Are You Sleeping by Kathleen Barber, 326 Pages

I'd been eyeing this book since it hit the shelves, and I'm mad at myself that I waited this long to finally read it! It pulled me in from the first chapter, and I never felt like there were any dull moments where the book just dragged on, (which I've had happen a lot lately). 

It's been ten years since Josie Buhrman ran away from her old life. Her father was brutally murdered, her twin sister became a source of constant stress and heartache, and her mother ran away and joined a cult. Josie changed her last name, her appearance, and relocated states away, after backpacking around different countries in attempt to forget about her horrific past. She's settled in to her new life in New York with her boyfriend, Caleb, whom she's lied to about everything, even her true last name. But everything begins to unravel around her when a true crime podcast focusing on her father's murder becomes the latest fad, thrusting her family's history back into the spotlight. She is forced to return to her hometown after her mother's death, and comes face-to-face with the lies and history that she's tried so hard to forget.

The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter 511 Pages

**I want to start by saying that this is a very dark, disturbing novel. Parts were EXTREMELY difficult to read, so this is definitely not for the faint-hearted.**

All of that aside, I devoured this book. Karin Slaughter quickly jumped to the top of my “Favorite Authors” list after reading The Good Daughter. I laughed out loud, cringed, cried (even full-on ugly cried at one point), and felt like my heart was breaking while reading this one. This book completely sucked me in, in the best way. The prologue alone had my heart pounding so hard that I contemplated not continuing the novel.  

Teenage sisters Charlie and Sam experience a life-changing tragedy in their home that scars them literally and figuratively for the rest of their lives. Flash forward almost 30 years later, and another horrific event, once again, rattles their small town. This forces Sam to return to the town she swore she’d never come back to, and Charlie finds herself right in the middle of the drama, in the ultimate wrong-place-wrong-time scenario. Secrets quickly come to the surface, and the girls are forced to face the present situation, and their past, head-on.

I seriously cannot praise this book enough. Like I said, it’s extremely disturbing in some parts, but it was a fantastic read.  

A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay 286 Pages

This one really messed with my head. It was disturbing and so creepy. I couldn't get myself to put this book down, and stayed up until 3 AM to finish it, then found myself unable to sleep because I was so creeped out. Very rarely do I find a book that genuinely scares me, and this one had a couple of moments that left the hair standing up on the back of my neck. I'm still completely undecided on what actually happened at the end of this book, which just adds to the mind-games that Tremblay plays. My one complaint about it was the blog-like entries. I felt like they dragged on and were a little unnecessary. (She says, via a blog entry.) Another great read for anyone who likes horror/thriller novels. 

Final Girls by Riley Sager 350 Pages

Final Girls had a slow start, but I'm glad that I stuck with it because it paid off in the end. This novel is very reminiscent of a slasher movie, and really gives you that "things definitely aren't as they seem" feeling, which sticks with you until the end. I spent a lot of time trying to decide if I loved or hated the main character, Quincy. (Final opinion is still unknown.) I felt the ending was a little overstimulating, but one that I did not see coming. There are plenty of unexpected twists in there to keep you entertained. It was a fast-paced, addicting read that I would definitely recommend to horror/thriller fans.  

I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll 287 Pages

I Am Watching You is the first novel I’ve read by Teresa Driscoll, and it did not disappoint. I was hooked from page one, and found myself reading a chapter here and there, every chance I could. The way that Driscoll switched between characters for every chapter had me on the edge of my seat the entire book, and the way she would end each chapter had me reading as fast as I could so I could get to that particular character's next chapter. And to top it all off... you will never see this ending coming. 

Harmony by Carolyn Parkhurst, 278 pages

In the mood for a bit of psychological thriller?  Interested in a book about the autism spectrum?  Like a good family story?  This book has all that and more.

The story unfolds from the perspective of three characters: Alexandra (mom), Tilly (on the spectrum) and Iris (Tilly's sister).  Alexandra and Josh, parents to Tilly and Iris, are looking for help with raising Tilly the best way possible.  They think the find the answer in Scott Bean, who has a blog about how to have a harmonious family with a child on the autism spectrum.  Scott Bean has the idea of starting Camp Harmony, a camp where families will spend a week, learning how to better interact with each other.

Alexandra, Josh and the girls leave their life and head to Camp Harmony to help start the camp with two other families, along with Scott.  Unfortunately, things end up being not so harmonious at the camp . . .

Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin 348 pages

What happened to Tessa when she was sixteen was truly the stuff of nightmares. Now 20 years later the wrong man may be executed for the crime. So Tessa has to go back in time, has to find a way to remember details she has spent a lifetime trying to forget.  

If you like Psychological thrillers you will love this book. Beautifully written, fast paced, with lots of twists and turns, Black-Eyed Susans is a read in one sitting book that you don’t want to end even though it’s also sad and disturbing, and makes you want to scream at Tessa to just do what needs to be done even though you’re pretty sure that if it happened to you, you would probably do the same.

It’s not all dark though. It’s also a story of hope and life and courage and the good that comes from facing what you fear most. 

The Absence of Mercy by John Burley 328 Pages

Dr. Ben Stevenson medical examiner for the small Midwestern town of Wintersville is called in when the body of a teenager is found  murdered. Ironically enough Stevenson had moved his wife and two sons from the dangers of big city living in Pittsburgh to the relative safety of a small town where everybody knows everybody else. Or so he thought. When another teen is attacked, Dr. Stevenson’s investigation will eventually uncover long buried truths and secrets that will alter all their lives forever. A great debut novel. A book that hangs around long after the last page is read.