Meet BTB Reviewer Teresa Brock

Background: If I'm on the rails, you should worry. I go through life with the best attitude loving every minute of it and trying to get as many books into my brain as possible. I truly love finding new authors and being a conduit of sorts to get their book babies into as many hands as possible.

Go-To Author: AI Finn, Kristin Hannah, Scott Turrow , Erik Larson, Dennis LeHane, Andrews & Wilson, Brad Thor, Jack Carr and Danielle Trussini.

Author People Should Discover: Michele Packard, Andrew Bridgeman, ME Proctor and Joshua Moehling.

Book You Would Recommend From 2024: Love You Till Tuesday by ME Proctor.

Most-Anticipated Book Of 2025: Nowhere by Allison Gunn: a horror author in a very male dominated genre - I am all about that. Robert Dugoni’s Hold Strong , Nemesis by Gregg Hurwitz and Family Ties by Michele Packard.

Favorite Local/Indie Bookstore: Butcher Cabin Books in Louisville, Kentucky and A Likely Story in Midway, Kentucky. Both of these are in The Bluegrass State, locally owned and work with local authors and other businesses to support reading.

Favorite Charities: The Wounded Warrior Project.

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Scar the Sky by J. Todd Scott (9/9/25)View Teresa’s Latest Reviews (book pub. dates)

The Survivor by Andrew Reid (3/24/26)
Dark Sisters by Kristi DeMeester (12/9/25)
Remain by Nicholas Sparks & M. Night Shyamalan (10/24/25)
War on the Porch by Travis Davis (10/16/25)
The Gallery Assistant by Kate Belli (10/14/25)
Photograph by Brian Freeman (10/07/25)
The Hitchhikers by Chevy Stevens (10/7/25)
The Whisper Place by Mindy Mejia (9/16/25)
Scar the Sky by J. Todd Scott (9/9/25)
In Deadly Company by L. S. Stratton (9/2/25)
Breathe In, Bleed Out by Brian McAuley (9/2/25)
Spider to the Fly by J. H. Markert (9/2/25)
8114 by Joshua Hull (8/26/25)
Leverage by Amran Gowani (8/19/25)
The Witch's Orchard by Archer Sullivan (8/12/25)
The Art of a Lie by Laura Shepherd Robinson (8/5/25)
A Noble Sin by Andrew Bridgeman (8/5/25)
The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen (8/5/25)
The Ever End by Audrey Wilson (8/5/25)
Departure 37 by Scott Carson (8/5/25)
Fade In by Kyle Mills (7/29/25)
The Confessions by Paul Bradley Carr (7/22/25)
Blood and Treasure by Ryan Pote (7/22/25)
The Red Letter by Daniel G. Miller (7/22/25)
Welcome to Cottonmouth by Jay S. Bell (7/8/25)
Remote: The Five by Eric Rickstad (7/8/25)
The White Crow by Michael Robotham (7/1/25)
Edge of Honor by Brad Thor (7/1/25)
Proof by Jon Cowan (6/24/25)
Gone Dark by Ryan Steck (6/17/25)
Of Flesh and Blood By Hunter Burke & N.L. Lavin (6/10/25)
Sister Butcher Sister by KD Aldyn (6/10/25)
King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby (6/10/25)
Blood Feud by Martin Rooney (6/3/25)
The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark (6/3/25)
Be Mine by Lizzy Barber (5/27/25)
Tell Them You Lied by Laura Leffler (5/27/25)
Lay Your Armor Down by Micahel Farris Smith (5/27/25)
The Safari by Jaclyn Goldis (5/20/25)
The Palace of Sinners and Saints by Ammar Merchant (5/20/25)
Spontaneous Remission By Joel Shulkin (5/13/25)
Fog and Fury by Rachel Howzell Hall (5/13/25)
Marguerite by the Lake by Mary Dixie Carter (5/8/25)
No Man's Ghost by Jason Powell (5/6/25)
See How They Fall by Rachel Paris (04/29/25)
Bop City Swing by ME Proctor and Russell Thayer (4/22/25)
Vatican Daughter by Jonie Marie Iraci (4/15/25)
Streets of Nashville by Michael Amos Cody (4/15/25)
Remote: The Six by Eric Rickstad (4/8/25)
The Impossible Thing by Belinda Bauer (4/8/25)
Dark Rising by Andrews & Wilson (4/8/25)
Heartwood by Amity Gaige (4/1/25)
Flames of Deception by Travis Davis (3/25/25)
Gothictown by Emily Carpenter (3/25/25)
Nowhere by Allison Gunn by (03/25/25)
Where the Bones Lie by Nick Kolakowski (3/22/25)
The Buffalo Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones (03/18/25)
The Extraterrestrial Zoo by Samantha van Leer (3/4/25)
The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica (3/4/25)
The Memory Ward by Jon Bassoff (3/4/25)
Real Bad, Real Soon by Eric Beetner (2/25/25)
Nemesis by Gregg Hurwitz (2/11/25)
Not Our Daughter by Chad Zunker (2/11/25)
Dark Vector by Ward Larsen (2/4/25)
A Long Time Gone by Joshua Moehling (2/4/25)
The Department by Jacqueline Faber (2/4/25)
The Enigma Girl by Henry Porter (1/28/25)
At Dark I Become Loathsome by Eric LaRocca (1/28/25)
Penitence by Kristin Koval (1/28/25)
Johnny Careless by Kevin Wade (1/25/25)
The Spear and the Sentinel By J. L. Hancock (1/18/25)
Tell Me What You Did by Carter Wilson (1/8/25)
The Dragon the Eagle and the Jaguar by Rodger Carlyle (01/14/25)
Assume Nothing by Joshua Corin (12/10/24)
The Good Bride by Jen Marie Wiggins (12/10/24)
Nobody's Hero by M.W. Craven (12/03/24)
Baker by Michele Packard (12/01/24)
The Egyptian Enigma by David Darling (11/26/24)
Out in the Cold by Steve Urszenyi (11/12/24)
Burn This Night by Alex Kenna (11/12/24)
The Lake of Lost Girls By Katherine Greene (11/5/24)
In Too Deep by Lee Child & Andrew Child (10/22/24)
Good Looking Ugly by Rob D. Smith (10/22/24)
Origin Story by A.M. Adair (10/22/24)
The Slate by Matthew Fitzsimmons (10/8/24)
Hometown Vendetta By Traci Hunter Abramson (10/1/24)
Somewhere by Matthew Reed Williams (10/10/24)
The President's Lawyer by Lawrence Robbins (10/8/24)
Not Yours to Keep by Zelly Ruskin (10/8/24)
Fortunate Son by Andrew Bridgeman (09/24/24)
Heroic Measures by Joel Shulkin (09/17/24)
The Bachelorette Party by Sandra Block (9/3/24)
Love You Till Tuesday by M. E. Proctor (08/12/24)
The Chamber by Will Dean (8/6/24)
The Rule of Three by Sam Ripley (8/6/24)
Homecoming Queen by Chad Boudreaux (8/6/24)
Stone Creek by Kate Brandes (8/6/24)
May the Wolf Die By Elizabeth Heider (7/2/24)
Tempest North by Rodger Carlyle (7/16/24)
Show Game by Steve Anderson (7/2/24)
The Midnight Rambler by Don Carr (6/20/24)
Three Burials by Anders Lustgarten (6/18/24)
Dreams in Incarceration by Cillian Dunne (6/18/24)
The Vixen Amber Halloway By Carol LaHines (6/11/24)
The King Street Affair by Jon Sealy (6/6/24)
Moneymaker by Josh Boldt (6/5/24)
A Better World by Sarah Langan (4/9/24)
Relentless by Michael Maloof (11/17/23)
The Hollywood Con Queen by Scott C. Johnson (6/6/23)

The Survivor By Andrew Reid

Told in alternating points of view, the story moves between Ben Cross—an anxious, seemingly unremarkable young man harboring lethal secrets from his past—and NYPD Transit Detective Kelly Hendricks, who is just as determined and dangerous in her pursuit of justice.

The Survivor by Andrew Reid is a white-knuckle thriller that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. Set almost entirely on a hijacked New York City subway train, the novel creates an atmosphere of claustrophobic tension that feels both cinematic and immediate. With each new car, the stakes rise, the body count climbs, and Ben Cross is pushed to his limits—not just physically, but emotionally. Reid’s ability to balance breathless action with psychological depth keeps the reader on edge, questioning not just who’s behind the terror, but how far one man will go to survive.

No matter how much time passes, the past doesn’t stay buried—it waits. And when it rises, it does so piece by piece like the delicate clicks of tumblers turning in a lock. A flash of memory here, a whispered lie there—each revelation falling into place with precision. Until, finally, with a deep metallic clunk, the last secret is exposed, and everything once hidden swings wide open.

This is a lean all the way in and hold the hell on kind of book.  

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Dark Sisters By Kristi DeMeester

Dark Sisters by Kristi DeMeester completely consumed me from the first page. I went into this blind never having read anything by this author, but knew from the blurb it was for me. I found myself compulsively turning pages, unable to break away from its eerie pull. DeMeester’s mastery of atmosphere is undeniable — each scene pulses with tension, thick with dread, vivid locations and quiet fury. It’s not just that I couldn’t stop reading; it was that I didn’t want to.

The story unfolds through three distinct points of view across different timelines, covering multiple generations of women, each one deepening the emotional impact and adding layers to the mystery. The shifting narratives created a rhythm and keeping me fully immersed in each character’s world, and DeMeester handles the transitions with such precision that it never once pulled me out of the story. If anything, it made me more invested — eager to see how each thread would eventually weave together – and when it did – holy smokes.

And at the heart of it all are the women. Fierce, wounded, searching — each of the female protagonists had me in their corner from the beginning. Whether they were trapped in the grips of a suffocating cult or navigating who they are and what their purpose is, I rooted for them with everything I had. Their pain was palpable, but so was their strength, and watching them fight for autonomy, understanding, and connection was harrowing. Dark Sisters is dark gothic horror, yes — but it’s also a haunting story for women who refuse to disappear.

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Remain By Nicholas Sparks & M. Night Shymalan

I picked this book up solely on the fact that Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan collaborated on this project. I didn’t even read the blurb – my instincts chose this one for me.   I love Nicholas Spark’s books and M. Night Shyamalan’s work on the big screen, so this had to be a win.  I was right.  Let’s make this a little better – there is going to be a movie based on this book with M. Night Shyamalan directing the movie and writing the screenplay so watch for in October 2026. That being said, go into this blind and just love it. 

Remain is a rare beast—a mash up of genres for all the right reasons. Nicholas Sparks brings the tender, soul-deep romance, while M. Night Shyamalan layers in an eerie, slow-creeping dread. Tate Donovan isn’t just another wounded hero looking for a fresh start; he and his late sister Sylvia share an otherworldly connection that defies reason. When Wren walks into his life—magnetic, mysterious, and possibly not of this world—the line between healing and haunting blurs into something unforgettable. It’s part romance, part supernatural thriller, all wrapped in Cape Cod’s windswept, salt-bitten atmosphere.

And then come the twists. The kind that rearranges everything you thought you knew about the characters, the powers at play, and even the nature of love itself. Sparks makes you ache for these people, and Shyamalan makes you question every page—right up until the ending hits like a full-blown tilt, flipping the board and leaving your heart in freefall. It’s haunting and beautiful, impossible to put down.

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War On The Porch By Travis Davis

War on the Porch by Travis Davis is a fictional account inspired by real events and a soldier that overcame odds and turned his loss into inspiration.  This novel channels the voice of a WWI soldier so authentically that it reads like a personal remembrance—harrowing, reflective, and hauntingly intimate. Blinded in combat and forever changed, Patrick King recounts the events that stole his sight during the Second Battle of the Marne in July 1918—truths he never revealed, not even to his wife. What unfolds is a confessional, decades in the making, marked by silence, trauma, and the ache of memory finally set free.

Travis Davis writes with more than skill—he writes with heart. Drawing from his own military experience, he brings authenticity, compassion, and deep emotional truth to every page. His stories aren’t just about war—they’re about what it means to carry a promise, to love without limits, and to find connection even in silence. Every word reflects the time, care, and research he pours into his craft. Davis doesn’t just tell a story; he invites readers to feel it—to understand what it means to serve, to listen, and to truly be heard.

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The Gallery Assistant By Kate Belli

This book doesn’t just tell a story—it places you in New York in the raw, fractured aftermath of 9/11. The author captures the city's ache with the sensitivity of a portraitist—layering mood and memory like oil glazes on canvas. Through the lens of the art world, we see how creation, destruction and criminal activity layer together to make a page turner that is completely immersive.   It’s a thriller that doesn’t just chase danger, but emotion, beauty, and truth in a world forever altered.

This is a tightly-wound mystery that plunges you into a web of deceit and trail of money, when an emerging painter is found dead.  Chloe Harlow thought the art community was close and protected, but after a night of black out drinking and she finds one of the gallery’s top artists is dead she is left with hazy memories that are blurred with conflicting accounts of what happened that night.  Chloe never imagined she would be a “Nancy Drew” in her own story.  Especially when she is being questioned by the police and protected by her employers.

Kate Belli delivers everything mystery readers crave: layered, unreliable characters that feel strikingly real, razor-sharp pacing, high stakes, and just the right amount of red herrings and misdirection. Set against a vividly immersive art world backdrop, the story blends suspense, emotional depth, and gallery-life intrigue in a way that truly sets it apart.

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Photograph By Brian Freeman

Brian Freeman’s standalones never miss, and Photograph proves it yet again. One old snapshot—just a little girl in the rain—turns into a live wire of secrets, lies, and danger. Shannon Wells a PI who runs her business out of a high-top table at a tiki bar in Daytona called  Beachside, charges into the case with grit sharpened by her own bruised past, her trauma and tangled family history pushing her to dig deeper when anyone else would’ve walked away. She’s strong, she’s flawed, and she’s relentless—exactly the kind of protagonist you want leading you through a maze where every clue cuts a little deeper.

And oh, the way he weaves this web. The layers and connections between characters that span twenty-six years, looping and tangling in ways you’ll never predict. Every time you think you’ve got it pinned down, another revelation flips the board. It’s proof of just how much history, heartbreak, and even the keys to the future a single photograph can hold. Lean in, because this isn’t just a mystery— it’s a relentless, twist-loaded chase through the shadows of the past, and it will not let you go.

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The Hitchhikers By Chevy Stevens

The Hitchhikers transported me straight back to 1976 in the most vivid, immersive way. From the setting of the Olympics to the prices at thrift shops and grocery stores, every detail felt authentic and alive. Rotary phones, hitchhiking culture, hippies passing joints on the roadside—Chevy Stevens captured it all. I was hooked from the very first page.

The story follows Tom and Alice, a couple on a road trip, who cross paths with Ocean and Blue, two strangers camping under the same summer sky. What begins as an act of kindness soon turns into something far more dangerous. Tom and Alice couldn’t have known that their friendly gesture would thrust them into the lives of two young people fleeing a violent, chaotic past—leaving behind a trail of unpredictable chaos and death.

Told through dual points of view—Alice and Jenny (a.k.a. Ocean) —the novel explores the inner lives of two strong women, each shaped by their own trauma and survival. Their voices are raw, compelling, and heartbreakingly real. I loved the way their backstories were slowly revealed, adding tension and emotional depth as the story unfolded. It reminded me that life is like a chess game: every move is a reaction, and the past always has a way of catching up.

What stood out most to me was the unshakable suspense. Stevens expertly weaves a psychological thriller that is not only chilling, but deeply human. The realism is partly what makes it so haunting—the fear and vulnerability of hitchhiking in the '70s, inspired by real-life dangers, feels both distant and disturbingly familiar.

If you're a fan of character-driven thrillers with immersive settings and emotional weight, this one delivers!

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The Whisper Place By Mindy Mejia

The Whisper Place is Book 3 in the Iowa Mystery Series following Jonah Kendrick and Max Summerlin and their not so traditional private investigation firm, Celina Investigations.   First of all, let me say the first two books are fabulous and the more you read, the more invested you are in Jonah and Max and their quirky but fun relationship as friends and co-workers, but if you don’t have time to read those, it is safe to jump in here.  The author will give you just the right amount of information to catch up and not be repetitive for the series readers. 

With Max Summerlin’s law enforcement past and Jonah Kendrick’s psychic gifts, they’re an unlikely pair—but exactly the team you’d want on your side when someone goes missing.  One day Charlie walks into their office and asks them to find his girlfriend.  This is where the questions start. (1) He does not know her last name and a lot of other basic information;  (2) He has stacks and stacks of cash and; (3) It is obvious he is holding some secrets of his own. 

This story tells us about Darcy (maybe Kate) who is running from something, but what or who is unknown.  The Whisper Place  is told in a linear timeline, through multiple POV’s with gut wrenching and heart-breaking flashbacks.  This book is part mystery and part psychological thriller.  Mindy Mejia doesn’t just tell a story—she drops you right into the heart of it. You feel every ounce of the trauma and terror the main character endures. The pacing? Flawless. Just when you think things are settling down, Mejia hits you with a twist that pulls you right back in. The red herrings? Constantly keep you guessing. I won’t be missing a single thing she writes.

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Scar The Sky By J. Todd Scott

One moment. One spark. One chance encounter—and Andi Ellis's entire world changed. Once a vibrant teacher who lit up every room and loved her work, her life took a drastic turn when she was struck by lightning during a field hockey game. She died… and was brought back. But the woman who returned was no longer the same. Unable to find understanding in her hometown, she sets out in search of others who have experienced what she has—other lightning strike survivors.

Enter Adan Rio and Linnea Wren—former FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit agents turned private detectives with a bond forged through past trauma and years of unshakable trust. Linnea possesses a near-supernatural ability to draw meaningful conclusions from the faintest of clues, while Rio brings emotional intelligence, physical strength, and social finesse to their partnership.

Years later, Andi and her young daughter Ruby are living in quiet seclusion in New Cornelia, Arizona, when Rio and Linnea are pulled into the search for a senator’s missing daughter. What begins as a separate investigation slowly unravels into something much larger and darker. Two paths, thousands of miles apart, collide—connected by a serial killer obsessed with Lichtenberg figures and the power of lightning.

J. Todd Scott is completely in his element here. This story is a masterful blend of suspense, horror, and science fiction, wrapped in themes of trauma, isolation, and survival. I love how he messes with my head just enough to make me wonder—have I met Rio and Linnea before? He subtly builds their backstories and trauma across the pages, grounding their characters in a deeply human way as the tension escalates.

The pacing is tight, the red herrings are devious, and just when I thought I had it all figured out—boom, the suspect slips away. This is not a story you skim. It’s one you live in, every single page pulling you deeper into its electric current.  In Scar the Sky, lightning rewires fate and unleashes a killer obsessed with scars, storms and anyone left in its wake.

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Leverage By Amran Gowani

Leverage is a whip-smart, punchy debut that drags the high-powered, low-morality world of hedge funds straight into the light—and doesn’t care who it offends along the way. Al Jafar, our quick-tongued antihero, is losing millions by the minute, his life is on the line and still somehow managing to make us laugh out loud with deadpan one-liners and spot-on pop culture jabs. Team America, superheroes, corporate buzzwords (and I think I remember Monty Python being referenced in ‘your general direction) —it’s all fair game, and Al’s sarcasm isn’t just sharp, it’s survival. In a world this toxic humor might be the only thing keeping him from going under.

The title isn't just a nod to financial jargon—it’s a razor-sharp metaphor for the pressures, power plays, and moral compromises that define the protagonist’s world. On the surface, it refers to the risky borrowing tactics hedge funds use to amplify profits (and losses), but for Al Jafar, it’s also the emotional and psychological weight used against him. His firm leverages his identity, his fear, and his desperation to protect itself, while Al scrambles to hold onto his career, his sanity, and his sense of self-worth. Gowani uses the concept to explore who gets power, who gets crushed by it, and what it really costs to survive in a system where everything—including people—is currency.

Gowani doesn’t flinch from the ugly stuff either. The racism? Constant. The bullying? Corporate and casual. The gaslighting and moral rot? Oh, it’s thriving. Everyone in this world has sold their soul, but Al is still clinging to a receipt—and watching him maneuver through the greed and hypocrisy is part thrill ride, part slow-burn tragedy. Leverage is biting, bold, and brutally honest.

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The Witch's Orchard By Archer Sullivan

The Witch’s Orchard is steeped in Appalachian folklore and small-town tradition in a way that feels both timeless and dead-on accurate. From whispered variations of the witch legend to small town life revolving around church activities and judging people by their last names, every detail rings true. The setting isn't just a backdrop—it's alive. You can almost taste the homemade desserts on the table, feel the tension of old family reputations, and, yes, crave the pepper chicken from the local Chinese restaurant (my personal favorite). The cultural nuance is rich and specific, making the story deeply immersive and undeniably atmospheric.

This is book one in the Annie Gore series, and I’m already counting down for the next. Annie is the kind of protagonist I love—tough, grounded, smart, and carrying just enough of a complicated past to keep things interesting. She’s not a superhero, but she’s resourceful and real, and her emotional depth adds a layer of authenticity to the investigation. Whether she’s facing small-town politics, buried secrets, or her own ghosts, Annie brings a quiet strength and compassion that’s easy to root for.

The pacing in The Witch’s Orchard is pitch perfect. The tension simmers early, then ramps up into a full-on race to the truth that never lets up. Each chapter propels the story forward with urgency but never sacrifices character or atmosphere. The mystery itself is one that needs to be uncovered in a town that needs answers and Annie Gore is determined to do so. If you like your mysteries with grit, folklore, and heart, this one delivers—and then some.

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The Art Of A Lie By Laura Shepherd Robinson

Step inside 1749 London and you’ll find yourself elbow-deep in sugar, scandal, and schemes. Laura Shepherd-Robinson’s The Art of a Lie doesn’t just recreate the past—it wraps you in it, from the grime of the streets to the tension in the gambling halls and the shady characters behind those doors. The level of historical detail is extraordinary, from the confectionery craft to the way characters speak and carry themselves. I was completely transported—lost among the pages in a world I did not want to leave.

Told in four parts from two sharply drawn points of view, we follow Hannah Cole, a recently widowed confectioner trying to survive in a man’s world, and William Devereux, a mysterious “entrepreneur” with his own secrets and connections to Hannah’s late husband. Their narratives twist around each other, full of guarded truths, a list of lies and secrets each character wants to keep guarded and unspoken tension, until the arrival of a third force—former author turned magistrate Henry Fielding (yes that Henry Fielding author of The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, 1979) —ratchets up the stakes. What begins as a slow unraveling of a possible inheritance turns into a dangerous game of deception and survival.

This is more than a cat-and-mouse thriller—it’s a masterclass in manipulation, where trust is fleeting and everyone is vulnerable to being molded to someone else's purpose. Hannah and William are both prisoners of their past, haunted by the lies they’ve told and the truths they fear. As alliances shift and the pressure builds, the question becomes not just who will win, but who will survive the lies intact.

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In Deadly Company By L. S. Stratton

In Deadly Company by L.S. Stratton is the kind of thriller that earns its place on your must-read list—not just for the mystery, but for the way it captures ambition, power, and the cost of staying silent. With its mix of corporate satire and psychological suspense, it delivers twists you won’t see coming, while also peeling back layers of what it means to survive in environments built to break you. Stratton’s background as a crime reporter shows in her razor-sharp details and her unflinching take on human behavior—this is storytelling with teeth.

What makes this book stand out is how it refuses to give you just one thing. It’s a murder mystery, yes, but also a character study and a social critique—cleverly told through dual (and very unique) timelines that make you question who to trust and what really happened that weekend. Nicole Underwood’s evolution from overburdened assistant to someone finally stepping into her own power is gripping and relatable. Her story reflects how easy it is to get lost in someone else’s shadow—and how powerful it is to step out of it.  The best part is that Nicole is a main character you will genuinely root for.

Stratton also has a knack for slipping humor into the tension. Lines like “a shark in the henhouse” and “the fairy godmother of bad decisions” cut through the darkness with bite and charm, reminding readers that survival sometimes comes with snark.  With perfectly timed twists, several ‘I did NOT see that coming!’ moments,  a dual timeline that keeps the tension high, and moments of unexpected humor that make the pages fly, this is the kind of book you’ll want to talk about the moment you finish.

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The Poisoned Pen

Breathe In, Bleed Out By Brian McAuley

Brian McAuley knows exactly how to deliver what horror and thriller fans crave in Breathe In, Bleed Out. This final girl slasher ticks all the right boxes, serving up inventive, fast-paced, and satisfyingly gory kills that never feel recycled. At the heart of the story is Hannah—a grieving woman struggling with vivid hallucinations and a borderline addiction after losing her fiancé. When her former college friends take her to a remote wellness retreat near Joshua Tree, the lines between healing and horror quickly blur. Is this a sanctuary, or a cult with something far more sinister lurking beneath the surface?

Set in a tech-free, isolated desert, the story turns isolation into pure dread—no help, no signal, and no one you can truly trust. Hannah’s trauma becomes a living nightmare, as her emotional unraveling and ghostly visions make her a classic unreliable narrator. Perfectly placed red herrings keep readers guessing, while the deaths—tied chillingly to hot springs, yoga studios, and spiritual rituals—stay true to slasher roots but feel fresh and brutal. Hannah’s Final Girl status is far from typical; she’s flawed, vulnerable, and deeply human. Her survival isn’t about perfection, but resilience in the face of grief, fear, and disbelief. Breathe In, Bleed Out is a tense, twisted ride that cuts deep and refuses to let go.

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Chapter 2 Books
Murder By The Book
Once Upon A Crime
The Book Dragon
The Poisoned Pen

Spider To The Fly By J. H. Markert

If J. H. Markert writes it, I will read it.  Period.  No questions asked. Every. Single. Time.  Add in a serial killer and I-64 in Kentucky – well – hot damn – excuse me while I read.  HA!

A chilling game of cat and mouse like nothing I’ve read before. Meet Ellie Isles—mother, survivor, and unwitting link to a serial killer known only as The Spider. Leaving a trail of bodies along the I-64 corridor between Lexington and Louisville, The Spider’s victims all share a gruesome detail: each one has died from multiple spider bites. But everything changes when the latest victim is identified. Staring back from the TV screen is a woman who could be Ellie’s twin. From that moment on, Ellie’s life spirals into obsession. She becomes consumed with the victims, their eerie similarities, and the invisible threads that connect them. What begins as a personal investigation evolves into a best-selling true crime book and an online community determined to expose the truth. But the closer Ellie gets to the web’s center, the more dangerous the game becomes.

Spiders and their webs have long symbolized the quiet, creeping danger of deceit—and in the hands of an author like JH Markert, that danger becomes hauntingly vivid.   Deceit, manipulation, betrayal and the devastating consequences are meticulously woven onto each page as the reader is taken through a journey to find the truth while living the consequences of decisions made decades earlier.  Innocence is destroyed and the world is changed in ways that you will never see coming.  The twists and turns are relentless, leaving you never really knowing what the truth is and how deep the secrets go. I can promise you this – (1) You will have questions (2) You will want more  and (3) You will agree this book needs to be made into a series ASAP.

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Murder By The Book
Once Upon A Crime
The Book Dragon
The Poisoned Pen

8114 By Joshua Hull

Paul Early is a podcaster, mostly because he really doesn’t know what else to do.  He starts with a story of a student that he went to school with, Adam Benny, who was missing.  Paul did not think about the repercussions of his actions from this podcast.  When his world starts to crumble around him, Paul is suddenly called back to his hometown where he finds that one of his best friends committed suicide in the house where he was raised.   

8114 South State Road 67 is more than a childhood home, it is a place of history and horror.  A place of secrets, infection, disease, rot and contagion.   It is a place that is calling Paul Early back because of his mistakes, and it is hungry.  This book is both immersive and graphic. The reader will begin to wonder if they can actually see and smell what is happening.  Hull perfectly mixes supernatural, horror and psychological thriller elements, peppered with some dark humor making this a must read for horror fans. Warning - read with the lights on.

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Murder By The Book
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A Noble Sin By Andrew Bridgeman

Welcome back, Emma Noble — took you long enough! (Just kidding… mostly.) Emma returns in full force, breaking arms and belting Dancing Queen when she spots a girl in trouble during a routine traffic stop on I-95. True to form, she’s relentless in following her moral compass. She never backs down from a fight and often charges straight into one — always in pursuit of the truth and to protect those around her. But this time, what she uncovers hits too close to home.

When Emma’s brought in for a polygraph, she’s quickly entangled in a string of murders — a coder, a software engineer, and a banker, all somehow connected. And when her father, Sam Noble, becomes a person of interest, Emma knows something doesn’t add up. She's granted (and sometimes takes) just enough space to do her own digging — with Uncle Gunny by her side. (Side note: Uncle Gunny is hilarious and easily my favorite character. If there's a spin-off in the works, count me in!)

I loved how the story is laid out in two parallel timelines, each from a different POV across nine days, before colliding in a powerful final act.

Bridgeman drops readers straight into the action — from Burger King wrappers to roadside oddities, from the stifling tension inside a cult compound to the chaos of a shootout. The pacing is spot-on, with perfectly timed reveals that let you piece the mystery together alongside Emma. The characters are raw, real, and unforgettable. By the end, you’ll feel like you know them.

All I can say is — I need the next chapter. ASAP.

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Murder By The Book
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The Locked Ward By Sarah Pekkanen

Sarah Pekkanen - this is a banger. Every book you have written or co-written just seems to get better! The Locked Ward is best going in blind, so avoid spoilers. Just know that there will be plenty of perfectly placed red herrings on this journey! Told between two alternating POV’s with two unreliable characters - Mandy, who owns a bar and recently lost her parents and Georgia, a wealthy socialite accused of murder - the reader follows these to women finding out how they and their families are connected. The novel delves into complex themes like family dynamics, politics, wealth and power, and the deep, often complicated bond between sisters, especially twins.

This book grabbed my attention right from the start. Sarah Pekkanen's portrayal of a mental hospital ward is unmatched. The eerie mix of unsettling tension and the complexities of misunderstood individuals make a challenging environment to maintain your sanity. I genuinely believe Sarah did her research while writing this novel; it felt like I was right there on the locked ward with Georgia from the very first page. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery. It’s a nail-biting, can't-put-it-down story that keeps you hooked until the very end. So, prepare for a thrilling ride!

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Purchase The Locked Ward
(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 White Crow By Michael Robotham

Let’s get the business out of the way—yes, The White Crow is Book 2, and yes, it absolutely works as a standalone. But let’s be honest: the moment you finish it, you’ll be hunting down When You Are Mine. Michael Robotham doesn’t just write thrillers—he crafts stories that grip you from the first page and never let go; with a linear timeline and multiple POV’s you will fly through this one! From the moment we meet Philomena McCarthy, a London cop caught between her badge and her family’s criminal past, you know you’re in for a taut, high-stakes ride.

Robotham has a gift for creating characters who feel like people you might actually meet—complex, contradictory, and achingly real. Phil is fierce but vulnerable.  She is part bad ass and part bleeding heart but always guided by her moral compass, even when the easiest choice would be to look the other way. Every character choice matters, every motive feels loaded, and trust is a dangerous game.

And Robatham’s London? It’s no cardboard cutout; it’s textured, moody, and fully immersive, from the underground tunnels and the fog-drenched streets to gangsters, politics and Bonfire Night. The setting hums with atmosphere, pulling you deeper into a suspense story that’s as smart as it is intense. He knows exactly when to hold back and when to hit the gas, building suspense in expertly measured sparks that ignite into a full-blown blaze by the end.  I cant say enough about this book. The White Crow proves once again that Robotham is in a league of his own. (PS – I need more Philomena!)

Follow Teresa on Twitter or Instagram or contact her via the site.

Purchase The White Crow
(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

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