Showing posts with label true crime. Show all posts
Showing posts with label true crime. Show all posts

Friday, January 31, 2025

Book Review: "Tell Me What You Did" by Carter Wilson

When you see that two of your friends said that this will be one of their favorite books of the year, you get it as soon as it is released. Now I can see what they mean!!

“See, that’s the thing about trauma. You never get to quit it. You never get to walk away from it and rediscover the innocence and joy you felt just before The Thing happened.”

Poe is the host of a popular true crime podcast, one in which people anonymously confess the crimes they’ve committed. She doesn’t guarantee that these “guests” won’t face arrest or prosecution, but the opportunity to unburden themselves to an unseen audience seems to outweigh any potential downsides.

Her most recent guest seems strangely familiar to her but she cannot seem to place him. Then he makes a shocking claim: he murdered Poe’s mother. Of course, Poe knows that can’t be true, because the man who murdered her mother is already dead. And because Poe killed him.

This man has information that only the real killer would know. Did Poe unknowingly kill an innocent man? And when the alleged murderer demands that Poe record his interview live—and she must confess to her own crime—she starts to wonder what is true and what is a lie.

I’ve said before that I think the whole podcast angle in thrillers has been played out, but it really worked here. This is a story of regret, revenge, fear, guilt, and courage under fire. Carter Wilson had me hooked from the first page and I completely devoured this book. I couldn’t wait to see how everything tied together.

Sunday, August 25, 2024

Book Review: "The Last Party" by A.R. Torre

Wow. Just wow. I had been waiting for this book because everyone that had gotten ARCs of it was raving about it. All I can say is, again, wow.

“Breadcrumbs. Lay enough of them down on the ground, and even the stupidest of animals will find their way.”

Perla, her husband Grant, and their 11-year-old daughter Sophie live a comfortable life in Pasadena. Grant works too hard, but he loves his wife and daughter. While at times he’s not sure that he fully understands Perla, they’ve both overcome difficulties in their lives and have a strong relationship.

But while she plays her roles at home and in the community quite well, Perla has become obsessed with a convicted murderer and a crime he committed 23 years ago. Leewood Folcrum murdered two young girls at his daughter’s birthday party, but has never explained why.

The case has recently been the subject of a true crime podcast, and Perla isn’t the only person interested in it. A doctoral student and researcher is writing a paper on the crime, and hopes to get insights from Folcrum himself.

There’s so much more to this book that you need to read for yourself. I couldn’t get enough of it, and while this was my first book by A.R. Torre, I’m hooked and need to dig into her backlist!

Wednesday, August 31, 2022

Book Review: "The Last Housewife" by Ashley Winstead

This book was utterly and completely insane…but so good!!

WTF did I just read? I had heard that the latest book by Ashley Winstead was wild and triggering, but I was utterly unprepared for this level of craziness. If you’re thinking of reading it, know that nearly every single trigger warning applies to this book. But I couldn't turn away!!

Shay has made a new life for herself. She’s married a rich man, achieved success as a writer, and plans to write a book. She plays the role to perfection—entertaining their friends and her husband’s business associates, lounges by the pool, etc.

She’s also obsessed with true crime podcasts, and one that she listens to regularly is hosted by an old childhood friend, Jamie. Shay is utterly shocked when one day Jamie discusses his suspicions about the suicide of Laurel, Shay’s best friend in college. Although they had lost touch, she is devastated by Laurel’s death, which brings up reminders of another suspicious death years before.

Shay decides to reach out to Jamie to help investigate what really happened to Laurel. But that will require reopening old wounds and facing the truth about the horrible secrets she’s tried to put behind her. And those secrets might pull her right back in…

It’s best to go in fairly blind here and just let it all unfold. I’d seriously read anything Winstead writes—her two previous books were among my favorites. Can’t wait to see what she does next!