The Compound by Aisling Rawle

 Survivor/reality show thriller falls flat.

In the near future, a group of 20 contestants is taken to a remote desert compound where they will compete to be the last person remaining there for a reality television show. To win, the young adults must outlast each other in a series of group and personal challenges. They have to do tasks or manipulative performances to get basic necessities such as water along with special luxury items. The relationships of the contestants is fraught as they jockey to avoid banishment. It's survival versus spectacle in the worst way. 

The main character is Lily, who is about the dumbest in the compound. I should have DNF but I kept going hoping that things would speed up but this was very slow moving and quite boring. The premise was good but the execution missed the mark and never brought the thrills. The rest of the characters were so over the top ridiculous at times and the emotional attachments so superficial but perhaps that's down to their ages as most were barely out of their teens. This was like bad YA as I didn't identify with or like any of the female or male competitors. The pacing was off and the things that went on in the compound between the contenders seemed overly cruel at times as well as exploitative. Once the majority of the players were eliminated, the way that the remaining participants carried on trying to win just left me shaking my head in disgust. It was astounding (and not in a good way) what these young people were willing to do and say to be the last one in the compound. Materialistic and immature, left to their own devices, they became quite unpleasant. The conclusion left no doubt that this was a book I should have left unread. 

I listened to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. It was OK. I finally had to just stop and finish as I read much faster than the narrator. I wanted it to be over.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Tags and genre - young adult feel, reality show, romance, manipulation, sex, survivor thriller 

We Are All Guilty Here (North Falls #1) by Karin Slaughter

 Tense, exciting, and suspenseful southern gothic crime thriller. 

Two teenaged girls vanished during the North Falls Independence Day fireworks celebration. The small town in Georgia erupted and things eventually settled down when two men were convicted and put in prison. Twelve years later, another young girl disappears under similar circumstances just when the jailed man is released. Surely he’s not doing it again so that means that perhaps they put away the wrong man for the crimes. Deputy Sheriff Emmy Clifton is haunted by her missteps during the original investigation and now must work with a retired FBI consultant to unpack more than a decade of buried secrets and lies to solve the abduction and bring the latest missing girl home. 

This was so good, I couldn’t bear to step away from it. Other than annoying repetition of some statistics here and there, the writing was excellent and the fast pace kept me glued to the pages. The characters were also quite interesting and well-developed with depth and vulnerablitilies. The small town atmosphere where everyone knows each other and where there is a lot of history with the families, past crimes, and unresolved guilt makes it all a bit haunting. The evil in the bad guys is palpable. The innocence of the victims tainted by their desire to grow up too soon is heart wrenching. The blaming. Oh and did I mention the twists and surprises? It really is a well plotted story and I understand this is the first in a new series. I definitely will look for the next installment. 

There was a time when I swore I’d never read another one of this author’s books. I think many readers know why and which book. But, this one reminds me of why I liked the previous titles by Karin Slaughter. Fingers crossed she doesn’t cross my line again! 

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator, Kathleen Early, did an excellent job of voicing all the characters and giving this novel the appropriate dramatic flair. The pacing was good and I enjoyed the immersive experience of this production. 

Don’t miss out on this new series.

This is the first in a new series.

Tags and genre - this book was a lot of things: crime thriller, southern gothic, secrets and lies, murder, rape, kidnapping, abduction, family drama, pedophilia 

The Hitchhikers by Chevy Stevens

 A suspenseful thriller that kept me on edge.

Don’t pick up strangers or help people if you’re on a road trip as no good deed goes unpunished. 

3.5 stars rounded up.

The year is 1976 when Alice Bell and her husband, Tom, take off in their new Winnebago for a road trip east across Canada. They are in recovery after a trauma and want to regain closeness and intimacy in their marriage. They’re nice people. And they are certainly not prepared for the terrible events that transpire when they meet a young hitching couple, Blue and Ocean, in an RV park and campground. He’s 21 and she’s 18 and pregnant. They don’t look dangerous, but looks can be deceiving and Alice and Tom find this out when Alice discovers that the couple, whose names are really Simon and Jenny, are murderers on the run. The killers take Alice and Tom hostage and force Alice to drive as Simon continues his brutal actions at every stop on this terrible journey. 

This was a real nail biter and I was sickened by the brutality and violence and despised the two young adults who were terrorizing Alice and Tom as well as others they encounter on this trip. The psychological drama exacerbates as the story is told in dual perspectives of Alice and Jenny as they both are trying to survive. The line between victim and villain blurs at times in a Stockholm Syndrome way as it becomes clear that Simon will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Definitely dark and tense as Alice and Tom are held captive facing increasingly dangerous situations. It was even more compelling set in this time before cell phones and the internet which made escape and getting help even more difficult especially along the isolated stretches of highway and small towns along the way. It was very frustrating at times for this reader who wanted Alice and Tom to get away even though every attempt was thwarted, not to mention Tom being so severely injured and incapable. Alice was very strong and I rooted for her to overcome. I know I am meant to feel sorry for Jenny but I probably didn’t get to that level of emotional empathy for her despite her backstory.

And yeah, people talk about the ending. I thought it was somewhat contrived, yes, but not unexpected. I was glad it concluded on that note. There was just a lot of violence and cruelty in the book that bothered me quite a bit and I wished the worst for Simon.  This was definitely an emotional read. 

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The narrators, Lindsey Dorcas (Alice) and Moniqua Plante (Jenny) did a fabulous job of voicing the characters. Their dramatic flair, tone, believability and speaking styles definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the book. 

This is a standalone and not part of any series.

Tags and Genre - some triggers include rape, sexual assault, infant loss, lots of violence, murder, parental murder, cross country road trip, Canada, psychological, thriller 

Murder Most Haunted by Emma Mason

 Locked room cozy mystery with a humorous edge.

At her work leaving party, Detective Midge McGowan is gifted what she thinks is a truly terrible retirement present: a weekend getaway with Haunting Holiday Excursions. Along with a small group of eccentric strangers, Midge is taken to an old, purportedly haunted mansion. Of course the weather worsens and the party is snowed in. The owner of the tour has taken their phones and when someone is found murdered, they are unable to call for help. The guests are also teased by the appearance of a ghost whose sighting is meant to indicate that a death will occur. Sheltering in the house with no outside support, Midge comes into her own as she uses her long unused detective skills to uncover the killer. 

The characters in this group of misfits were well drawn and indeed interesting. Along with Midge, there’s a paranormal investigator who is recording interviews for his podcast, a doctor and his wife, a pop star just out of rehab, and the bus driver, as well as the owner of the tour. Another character is Bridie who is Midge’s wife. Midge is in her mid fifties and has a bad knee. She was never an actual case investigator but spent her career in the property room. None of them were very likable and Midge is a very odd duck, quite antisocial and probably neurodivergent. She has a tragedy in her past that has also probably affected her personality. There’s some wit and humor with the interactions. Definitely some extreme coincidence going on here with the plot. The pace is rather slow and the ultimate reveal kind of came out of nowhere which I don’t appreciate. 

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by he publishers. The production was a full cast recording with different voices for all the main characters. This really brought the book to life and provided an entertaining and immersive experience that definitely enhanced my overall enjoyment of the book. Definitely recommend. 

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre and tags: locked room mystery, murder, cozy, incidental LGBT

The Expat Affair by Kimberly Belle

 Slow burn mystery and psychological fiction.

Rayna Dumont, an American expat who fled to Amsterdam after a messy divorce, has a one-night stand with a Tinder date. When she wakes up the next morning, she finds Xander dead in the shower and hears that millions of dollars worth of diamonds were stolen from his safe. Soon Rayna finds herself stalked and followed as dangerous criminals think she knows more than she does. Her life becomes entangled with the Prins family who have huge generational wealth with their diamond house because Xander happens to have been their employee. The wife of Thomas Prins, Willow, befriends Rayna and soon the two of them are evading bad actors and trying to uncover the truth about the murder and the missing gems. 

Although the premise sounded promising, the story didn’t quite deliver the excitement, thrills, and suspense that I expected. I wasn’t really very attached to either of the two main characters who switch off point of view in the narrative. Both Rayna and Willow seemed suspect to me as both were unreliable, told lies, and kept secrets. Their decisions were questionable. Much of the action and events strained credulity and, after awhile, the whole convoluted mess of what happened with Xander and what was going on in the family and with the diamonds went on far too long. Perhaps if you’re really interested in the whole diamond industry you might find it more fascinating than I did.  I definitely appreciated the Amsterdam setting and enjoyed learning more about the city and the life of expats there. The conclusion was unsurprising.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC, both  provided by the publishers. There were two narrators, one of whom whose voice I much preferred over the other, but neither really were that great, especially when doing the accents — oh my. Jennifer Jill Anaya voices Willow and Marni Penning voices Rayna. There were other characters they did as well and there was not enough distinction for my satisfaction. The males fared the worst. Despite this annoyance, I like listening while reading as it enhances my appreciation for a book.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre and tags: mystery, psychological fiction, murder, diamond industry, family drama

Murder at the Royal Palace (Lady Eleanor Swift #23) by Verity Bright

 

Another hit in this long running historical cozy mystery series.

Come along with Lady Eleanor Swift and her new husband, Detective Chief Inspector Hugh Seldon, as they travel to Buckingham Palace to see him knighted. As their usual luck would have it, a royal guard, Dilly Dalrymple, collapses and is carted off to the hospital where he later dies. 

If you read the previous book, you’ll remember that Hugh is resigning his position with Scotland Yard, and he, Eleanor, and Clifford are going to establish their own detective agency. Well, they get their first case when Dalrymple’s brother, Sir Leonard, head of the royal police, asks them to find out if Dilly was murdered. And they’re off with the whole household joining them in London as members of the new agency. As they all unofficially snoop around the Tower of London to find answers, they uncover palace gossip, adultery, secrets, and a hint of a long lost treasure. 

As always, the descriptions and history that surround the mystery are well researched and quite interesting. Learning about the Beefeaters was fascinating as were the facts about the Tower and its Hill by the Thames. I enjoy the characters and their interactions which are often quite witty and droll. I’m glad that Hugh and Eleanor are finally married and that their new agency seems to be taking off. The next books in the series should be quite entertaining.

Bookouture Blog Tour October 1, 2025

Thank you for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. 

This is definitely a series that begs to be read in order from the beginning for full appreciation. 

Tags and Genre - cozy historical mystery, London, Tower of London, murder, detective agency

A Tour To Die For (The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco Mysteries, #2) by Michelle Chouinard

Entertaining cozy mystery thriller, the second in a series featuring San Francisco tour guide Capri Sanzio.

While Capri, a true crime podcaster and self proclaimed investigative journalist, is taking her guests on a city tour, one of them claims to see a woman attacked inside a building. Although the police don't find anyone there, the woman (Leeya Styles) who lived in the apartment and had a successful art studio in the garage there, is later found dead. Of course, Capri and her colleagues Heather and Ryan, decide to investigate. There's no shortage of suspects between Leeya's boyfriend, her sister, mother, the mother's fiance, and Leeya's ex bestie. In addition, there's a connection with Capri's former husband, Todd, who always seems to be in a financial quagmire. Capri manages to connect with the police and get lots of inside information via her new love interest, SF Homicide Inspector Dan Petito.

This was quite the complicated mystery as information about the San Francisco setting, its Gold Rush history, landmarks and all past true crime lore is almost a character. In addition, a unique piece of art provides some clues. So there's lots going on in the narrative and it will keep readers guessing. It's fast paced and hard to put down. Capri is a fun main character, especially given her age ("sidling up to fifty") and she's got a colorful family story and past. I did read the previous one in the series, but am struck again by how well this author writes. She has an incredible way of stringing words together and her dialogue is amazing. Lots of twists and red herrings but it all comes together.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. The narrator, Stephanie Nemeth-Parker, did well by giving clear and distinct voices to the characters and also because of the emotional tones she adds to her performance. With the huge list of characters in the book, this would definitely benefit from a larger cast, but she did an excellent job. The production enhanced my enjoyment of the book. 

This is the second in a series that should be read in order.

Genre and tags - cozy mystery thriller, murder, San Francisco history, Gold Rush, crime