Stay Awake by Megan Goldin

 

Last year I read Megan Goldin's The Night Swim, which was a great concept with strong characters. Her new book Stay Awake is a decent thriller, but not quite of the same caliber in terms of plotting and pacing. I wanted to like this more than I actually did for a number of reasons, but I do applaud her for putting a fresh spin on the "amnesiac who might have killed someone" trope. I had a hard time getting into this one initially and found some of the timeline confusing, especially all the repetition. I really started to wonder about halfway through if this was a book in search of an editor. But once the story picked up things fell into place and made sense, and it finished as a fast-paced thriller. Thanks to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

 

One warm summer night twenty-five years ago, Liza Gold and her friends celebrated their high school graduation with a party on the beach. It should have been the best night of their lives, only, one of them never came back out of the ocean. The tragedy haunted Liza Gold for years. Now, Liza is a recently divorced working mom struggling to connect with her standoffish teenager daughter Zoe when history repeats itself. Another young woman has drowned at Beach Week, and this time the victim is Zoe’s secret best friend.

Wow! This book was fantastic. Anyone who is not already a fan of Aggie Blum Thompson will be after reading this one. These are some messed up folks and the story is one that you can really sink your teeth into. How well do we really know our friends? Even those we've known "forever" may have a dark side that we never see. That's the main premise here, and it takes the main character Liza on a crazy journey that starts with events that happened to her in high school and that ultimately impact her own teenage daughter in ways she could never have imagined. This is a thrill ride that hooked me from the first page. Thompson's writing style is so engaging that you can't help but think about your own long-term friendships and wonder if there was ever something you may have even witnessed a friend doing, or that they told you about, that wasn't what you thought it was at all. Seriously, it will mess with your head, but read it anyway! Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan-Tor/Forge for providing an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. 

The Downstairs Neighbor by Helen Cooper

 

Synopsis: From her downstairs apartment in suburban London, Emma has often overheard the everyday life of the seemingly perfect family upstairs–Steph, Paul and teenage daughter Freya–but has never got to know them. Until one day, she hears something that seizes her attention: Freya has vanished and the police are questioning Steph and Paul about their life. Do either of you have any enemies? Anyone who might want to harm or threaten you?

Oh my lord! This was fabulous. Anyone who likes Lisa Jewell's style of British domestic slow-burn thriller will eat this one up. There are a slew of characters to keep track of, which can make it hard to put this down and pick right up again, but this twisty story is worth it. Just when you think you know what's going on, you don't! I loved it. For a debut novel, Helen Cooper knocked it out of the park. As soon as I finished it I found out that NetGalley had gifted me her new one, The Other Guest. I'll be reviewing that here closer to the pub date in July.

The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon

Jennifer McMahon has done it again. I've been a fan since Winter People and she hasn't let me down since. This is another twisty, dark drama reminiscent of last year's The Drowning Kind, with a hint of Stranger Things vibes. Troubled siblings, secret pasts, and perfectly creepy elements are McMahon's forte and I love it. I'll be over here not-so-patiently waiting for her next book. Much thanks to Gallery and to Netgalley for providing this ARC. Publication date: April 26, 2022.

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth

 

Sally Hepworth is a favorite of mine because I can always count on her books to be addicting. I couldn't put this one down and spent my whole weekend engrossed in it. It's one of those books that's hard to say much about without ruining it for others. That being said, I didn't love the ending, or rather the open-ended ending. Nevertheless, I loved the characters and the plot and I'm sure others will too. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for another fabulous read. Publication date: April 5, 2022.

The Perfect Father by Charlotte Duckworth

A little predictable, but overall a fun read that kept me interested. This was my first book by Charlotte Duckworth and I immediately checked out another of her books, Unfollow Me. Will be looking for more from her in the future.

What Lies Between Us by John Marrs

Shut the front door! I had to wait at least 24 hours after finishing this before words would even come to me to describe this book. “Devilishly wild ride on a crazy train to hell” sums it up nicely. Trust me, you will not be prepared for how it ends. I have to go into a quiet room now and think about who seems crazy enough to play Nina in the movie version.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this fabulous read.