Meet Madeline Pierce
Background: Hi! I’m Madeline and I love to read when I get the chance. In an ideal world, one day I would own a small bookstore in Italy. I also am a big fan of ceramics, traveling, music and tennis!
Go-To Author: Suzanne Collins is a go-to author for me. I fell in love with The Hunger Games when I was 14. Her capability to create a dystopian story so immersive and well thought out drew me in from the start.
Author People Should Discover: Amber Smith, who wrote The Way I Used to Be, is a fantastic author. She might already be well known in the YA universe, but the story and writing was amazing.
Books You Would Recommend From 2025: I would recommend Sunrise On The Reaping by Suzanne Collins. That book truly pulled the whole Hunger Games storyline together, connecting dots and leaving the reader feeling satisfied (as much as one can be satisfied with the tragedies of The Hunger Games).
Most-Anticipated Book Of 2026: I am looking forward to The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss. This thriller looks exciting, good for a late summer night.
Favorite Local/Indie Bookstore: The Learned Owl is a local bookstore that I enjoy to browse in my free time. They always have such a warm, welcoming feel that makes me happy.
Favorite Charities: I support the World Wildlife Fund, hoping to save endangered animals, including my favorite, the elephants.
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Return To Breakneck Island By Tom Ryan
Return to Breakneck Island stands out with its layered mystery and character-driven tension as Tom Ryan blends creative ambition and small-town intrigue in a way that delivers emotional depth and atmospheric suspense. With three people being pulled toward the same mysterious location, Ryan creates a compelling hook that invites curiosity long before the island’s secrets begin to surface.
The story follows Cass Jones, a writer searching for a new direction after the story of her life came to her a year prior. A chance encounter with Cookie, a woman claiming to hold a story worth chasing, pulls Cass toward Breakneck Island, even after Cookie's sudden death. Meanwhile, Dandy Feltzen discovers an unexpected family connection to Cookie and begins her own investigation into the woman’s past and her fixation on the island. Peter Barnett, still navigating the legacy of his inherited house, works to transform it into a museum, unknowingly placing himself on a collision course with the same mystery. Interwoven throughout the story are flashbacks to the MacLeary family, who vanished after a devastating storm decades earlier. These glimpses deepen the mystery and illuminate the island’s haunted past.
Ryan crafts a mystery that thrives on character entwinement, and slow-burning tension. The narrative’s interwoven perspectives create a unique path to discovery, while the island’s lore adds a satisfying undercurrent of danger. Readers who enjoy thoughtful, character-centered mysteries will find Return to Breakneck Island both atmospheric and immersive.
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Purchase Return To Breakneck Island
(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)
Barrington Books
Chapter 2 Books
Murder By The Book
Once Upon A Crime
The Book Dragon
The Poisoned Pen
The Chase By Felix Francis
Set in the cut-throat art world, The Chase lures in readers with valuable paintings, hidden motives, and shadowy figures while building suspense throughout.
Fabian Tulley’s day-to-day life running his art gallery is upended when a previously sold art piece is claimed to be a fake. He is threatened, his pieces are vandalized, and he is assaulted. His business and reputation are at risk as he faces dangerous obstacles and increasingly lethal situations as he tries to find out who is after him and the truth behind the attacks.
Felix Francis’ writing is immersive and descriptive. He creates an riveting story by pairing detailed descriptions of paintings with slow-building tension, leaving readers wondering who can be trusted and what will happen next. Mysterious and filled with twists, The Chase is an engrossing read perfect for those who like a classic crime novel with an unpredictable edge.
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Purchase The Chase
(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)
Barrington Books
Chapter 2 Books
Murder By The Book
Once Upon A Crime
The Book Dragon
The Poisoned Pen
Breakout By Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk & Nicola Yoon
Breakout is a YA thriller that immediately hooks readers with intertwining present and flashback chapters, driving a desire to learn more. Written by six authors, this book pulls together numerous character points of view, while giving the illusion you know what is about to happen - it is just an illusion.
In Breakout, five longtime friends accompany a new member of the group, Anthony Brooks, on a spring-break trip to his father’s resort on a private island after the death of their friend, Keisha. The sweet escape from grief quickly turns into a nightmare after a storm traps everyone on the island and bodies begin piling up. The book uncovers hidden relationships and lies, leaving readers unsure of who, if anyone, can be trusted.
Breakout captivates readers with its fast pace, layered mystery and constant sense of danger. It has a touch of romance, just the right amount of drama and suspense that keeps you intrigued until the end. Mysterious, gripping and full of surprise, this is the perfect spooky summer read.
Follow Madeline Instagram or contact her via the site.
Purchase Breakout
(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)
Barrington Books
Chapter 2 Books
Murder By The Book
Once Upon A Crime
The Book Dragon
The Poisoned Pen
