Antihero By Gregg Hurwitz

Evan Smoak is many things—Orphan X, government-trained assassin, and to those who find his untraceable number, the Nowhere Man. Stolen from a foster home and forged into a weapon by a covert program that erased names and replaced them with letters, Evan became the perfect operative—silent, precise, unstoppable and living back Jack John’s 10 Commandments. But he walked away, turning his lethal skills toward a new mission: saving the helpless when no one else will. To the outside world, he’s just a ghost, but to the desperate, he’s a last chance. Always hunted, always alone, Evan lives by a strict code—protect the innocent, punish the guilty—no matter the cost.

In Antihero, Evan is challenged on so many levels.  He is still the smart ass, calculated, OCD, vodka drinking, magnet shirt wearing guy we love, but his feelings are a constant tug-of-war between isolation and connection, duty and humanity. He is deeply disciplined and controlled on the surface, but underneath he wrestles with loneliness, guilt, and the heavy weight of what he was trained to do. Evan is a man caught between two worlds: the weapon he was made to be and the human being he wants to become and after losing Tommy and watching Joey grow up, the unknown softer side (yeah I said softer)  of Evan is winning, and I am so here for it.

This mission just hits differently.  It is raw, real and relevant and is happening every single day in the world that we live in.  When Luke Devine calls for some help, Evan is put on track to find and help a young woman, Anca Dumitrescu, and American Romanian who had a seizure on a subway train.  She was taken, assaulted and abandoned.  Evan and Joey head to New York to find her, help Devine calm the hell down, and uncover a dirty wretched world that will simply turn your stomach knowing that crimes against the unwilling happen every single day.  Evan must balance mercy with vengeance per the request of the young woman who was defiled and abused yet finds the light even in the worst situations and that light is what Evan needs.

If you haven’t started the Orphan X series, stop everything and dive in—you won’t regret it.  The Nowhere Man, pulls you straight into the action and refuses to let you go, leaving you desperate for the next mission. Antihero might just be my favorite installment yet. Gregg Hurwitz crafts Evan with meticulous precision—every detail matters, from the smudge of bird droppings on a window, to the way Evan scans a room, to the quiet complexity of how he navigates the women in his life. It’s that level of detail that makes this story tangible, authentic and one I need to see on the big screen. And yes—he even gets a brand-new commandment. I cannot wait to see where it takes him next.

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

Purchase Antihero
(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

In Her Defense By Phillippa Malicka

I have a particular weakness for debut psychological thrillers, especially when a new author comes out swinging, and In Her Defense absolutely earns that attention. This story unfolds around a very public libel case, where a powerful media figure stands accused of destroying a therapist’s reputation, and the courtroom becomes less about facts and more about perception. The narrative moves between the legal spectacle and the quieter moments that led everyone there, slowly revealing how memory, influence, and fear distort the truth. At the center is Augusta “Gus” Bird, a woman who appears peripheral at first, almost forgettable, until it becomes clear she may be the only person capable of untangling what actually happened. 

What impressed me most is how character driven this novel is. The internal lives of these people are as tense and volatile as the external plot, and the emotional stakes inside the courtroom feel just as dangerous as the verdict itself. The unreliable narration keeps you constantly recalibrating your loyalties, questioning motives, and wondering who is being manipulated and who is doing the manipulating. Malicka digs into mental health, vulnerability, therapy, queer identity, consent, boundaries, and toxic mentorship with a precision that feels unsettlingly believable. The exploration of cult-like influence and psychological control is especially effective, forcing you to sit with how fragile our sense of self can be, how easily it can be shaped, and who benefits when it is.

This is not a book that tells you who to root for. You are left circling every character, asking whether they are obsessed, fulfilling a need, protecting themselves, or simply lying to survive. The tension builds slowly but deliberately, rewarding patience rather than rushing to satisfy expectations. Slow burn thrillers aren't for the faint of heart, but stick with it because the ending is...chef's kiss.   Philippa Malicka is officially on my radar, and if this is what her debut looks like, I am very ready for what she does next.

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

Purchase In Her Defense
(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

Impostor By L. J. Ross

This was my first L.J. Ross book, and what an introduction. We meet Dr. Alexander Gregory, a forensic psychologist with a rare gift who can read the darkest corners of the human mind, a skill that makes him both brilliant and haunted. Gregory works with violent offenders, the kind of people most would rather forget, yet their thoughts and actions follow him long after the day is done. Beneath his calm professional exterior lies a man carrying secrets of his own, hidden deep for reasons we can only begin to guess.

The prologue sets the stage with a chilling tale of a mother with Munchausen Syndrome, seemingly killing her own children, though one survives. It is a disturbing and unforgettable opening that lingers as the story unfolds. Soon, Gregory is drawn into a small Irish community where a brutal murder has shattered the calm. His task is to unravel the mind of a killer hiding in plain sight. But as dreams bleed into reality and old wounds resurface, the truth becomes as elusive as the killer he is trying to profile.

Ross’s writing is taut and cinematic, almost claustrophobic in how it traps you inside this tight-knit community and keeps the list of suspects painfully close. Every page hums with tension, and just when you think you have found your footing, Ross tilts the ground beneath you. The ending lands with a sharp cliffhanger that leaves you desperate for the next installment. Impostor is dark, psychological, and utterly consuming.

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

Purchase Imposter
(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 Cormorant Hunt By Michael Idov

ARI FALK IS BACK!!! (and yes that is me yelling) I loved The Collaborators, so there was zero hesitation when I got the chance to read The Cormorant Hunt. This is not a standalone, and I strongly recommend starting with book one because the payoff here is worth the investment. Michael Idov drops us straight into a world rich with current geopolitical intrigue, where the stakes feel immediate and uncomfortably real. The settings are vivid and global, grounding the story in a reality that gives the tension real weight and urgency.

What Idov does best is keep the story moving with precision. The dialogue is sharp, the momentum never drags, and the characters operate where ethics are flexible and consequences are unavoidable, which is exactly where this series thrives. Ari Falk continues to be compelling, but it’s his dynamic with CIA officer Asha Tamaskar that truly elevates the book. Their connection is tense, intelligent, and layered, adding real substance to the suspense and giving the story its edge.

This is spy fiction without padding. No fluff, no wasted space, just tight storytelling and an attention to detail that brings humanity to the chaos of espionage. And just when you think you understand where it is all heading, the ending proves otherwise. Hold your breath, clear your schedule, and be prepared to want the next installment immediately. This series continues to deliver, and I am fully locked in. 

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

Purchase The Cormorant Hunt
(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

Detour By Jeff Rake & Rob Hart

I went into Detour completely blind because when Jeff Rake and Rob Hart team up, you just show up and buckle in. What I did not expect was the way this book grabbed my face, turned my head, and said “look closely,” only to twist everything in the final moments and leave my jaw on the floor. It feels like binge-watching your newest obsession right before a global shutdown, only to learn the next episode is delayed indefinitely. So here I am, sitting in the wreckage of my own brain, trying to piece together the shards of what I just read and wondering how I’m supposed to function until the next installment exists.

The setup already sounds like reality TV meets prestige sci-fi: three astronauts and three civilians get handpicked for a bold mission to Titan, Saturn’s famous moon, and the expectations are sky-high. Part of the goal is pure political theater.  Billionaire John Ward wants shiny “I care about the planet” points as a third-party presidential candidate, and part of it is a genuine Hail Mary for a dying Earth cooked crispy by climate change. The astronauts bring the skill, the civilians bring the chaos, and together they launch into a mission that is equal parts noble, messy, and deeply suspicious from the jump.

And then the book detonates. Explosions, betrayals, weirdness in deep space, and a return to Earth that feels like stepping into the uncanny valley with a badge and a pulse oximeter. The final twist is so bold, so unhinged, so absolutely “wait, WHAT?” that I had to sit there in silence like someone just unplugged me. Detour is fast, fun, stressful in the best way, and full of that serialized cliffhanger energy that demands a season two immediately. If you like your sci-fi thrillers with high stakes, political shade, and endings that leave dents in your soul, this book is going to break you — and you’ll thank it.

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

Purchase Detour
(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

Very Slowly All At Once By Lauren Schott

Mack and Hailey Evans have done everything right. A custom home in a coveted neighborhood. Prestigious careers—Hailey as a high-powered divorce attorney, Mack as a celebrated professor who quietly fancies himself the next Hemingway and two wonderful daughters. But beneath the polished surface, cracks (iykyk) are already spreading. Hailey is staring down a client who owes her firm a staggering sum. Mack is hiding both an investigation into inappropriate relationships with students and a family history he has never fully shared. Then the checks start arriving. Large ones. Unexplained ones. And with each deposit, the question sharpens—is this money solving their problems, or engineering something far more dangerous?

Told through alternating points of view between Mack, Hailey, and a chilling unknown narrator with a godlike vantage point, Lauren Schott builds tension with surgical precision. This is a story about erosion. Small compromises stack quietly. Boundaries blur. Then, all at once, everything gives way. The unknown narrator doles out just enough backstory to keep you guessing, pulling strings you didn’t even realize were there. The red herrings are perfectly placed, the moral ground constantly shifting, and the constant reminder that no one here is innocent. As their professional and personal lives collapse in tandem, Mack and Hailey find themselves unable to trust each other—or their own judgment.

What makes this novel hit so hard is how deeply relatable its descent feels. Financial pressure. Career anxiety. Aging parents. The quiet terror of realizing that “enough” never really feels like enough, always wanting more, chasing a dream and what boundaries are we willing to push to get those things.  Schott shows us how fragile stability really is, and how quickly security can curdle into chaos.  The result is an unhinged, slow burn, domestic thriller that tightens page by page, choice by choice. If this is her debut, sign me up immediately for whatever she writes next.

PS - I love how the title of the book Very Slowly All at Once is a nod to Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises since Mack had dreams of being the next Hemingway.

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

Purchase Caller Very Slowly All At Once
(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

All The Little Houses By May Cobb

All the Little Houses by May Cobb absolutely delivered and then some. I am genuinely thrilled I chose this as one of my most anticipated reads of 2026 because it earned that spot without breaking a sweat. Set in a small Texas town from the tail end of the school year straight through a sweltering summer, the tension rises with the temperature. Every day the dial turns higher. This story is juicy, sassy, and soaked in gossip, the kind that dares you to put the book down and then laughs when you cannot. Cobb leans fully into the mess and makes no apologies for it, creating an unhinged thrill ride that feels bold, scandalous, nostalgic, and completely addictive.

The novel unfolds in three parts with multiple points of view, each one sharp and delicious in its own way. Nellie, Charleigh, Jane, and Jackson guide the chaos, and every chapter feels like another secret slipping loose. These characters are authentic, catty, and wildly self interested, though never in the same way or for the same reason. Whether they are dripping in wealth or scraping by in a hand me down dress, the backstabbing is ruthless and the motivations are layered. Cliques, infidelity, swindling, manipulation, secret pasts, overprotective parents, and betrayals pile up fast, turning this into a dark, gossipy thriller that thrives on social tension and quiet cruelty.

And then there is the ending. A full on cliffhanger ending that will leave you staring at the final page and immediately demanding more. This book practically begs to be adapted for television, with its sharp dialogue, volatile relationships, and escalating drama. All the Little Houses is the kind of story you inhale in one sitting, equal parts wicked fun and psychological suspense, and proof that May Cobb knows exactly how to keep readers hooked and hungry for whatever comes next.

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

Purchase All The Little Houses
(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 Bourne Revenge By Brian Freeman

I have not dipped into the Bourne universe in a long while, so when this landed in my hands, I opened it with equal parts nostalgia and curiosity. It did not take long for me to slide right back into the chaos. Bourne is fresh off a mission and trying to pretend he is on vacation. His handler keeps telling him to relax and enjoy himself which is a hilarious suggestion for a man who cannot turn his brain off for five seconds. When a gorgeous importer crosses his path and an operative Treadstone has been chasing appears on the horizon you know this getaway is about to combust.

What pulled me in is how human Bourne feels in this round. He is not a stone-faced weapon. He is a man carrying the weight of every face he has ever put in the ground and he cannot shake it. His memory slips at the worst times yet his instincts remain sharp which creates this constant tension between what he knows and what he fears he might have forgotten. The details are razor clean too. When Fang threads the suppressor onto the barrel of a QSZ 92 pistol you can see it. You can hear it. It is that vivid. There is just enough drama and just enough heat to give the story a little James Bond shimmer without drowning out the grit.

The story brings modern espionage roaring in with AI databases, shadow warfare and Chinese intelligence networks all spinning around Bourne's fractured past. It adds a new dimension to a character who has survived decades of reinvention and still finds new ways to surprise us. The mix of espionage, memory loss, betrayal and identity crisis is sharp and addictive. This is the kind of book that reminded me of why Bourne became a legend in the first place. If you have been away from the series like I was this is your sign to jump back in. It is sleek, tense, emotional and impossible to walk away from.

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

Purchase The Bourne Revenge
(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

Such Sheltered Lives By Alyssa Sheinmel

Such Sheltered Lives drops three wealthy strangers onto an isolated wellness retreat and then slowly peels back every layer they work so hard to hide. Amelia Blue Harris is the daughter of a rock legend and she is losing her fight with an eating disorder. Lord Edward of Essex arrives wrapped in the brittle confidence of a British aristocrat who is drowning in addiction. Florence Bloom is a pop star whose life has turned into a string of scandals she can no longer outrun. On the surface these guests have more money than I could ever imagine, yet their lives are filled with grief and trauma and choices that haunt them. Watching them land at Rushs Recovery with their secrets packed tighter than their suitcases is an instant pull.

The multiple points of view work beautifully because they let you slip into each character’s history and fear and motivation for getting out of this place as soon as possible. Their desperation is quiet at first, but it grows and you begin to understand why this retreat is not the safe bubble it pretends to be. There is also a separate thread that follows a body discovered on the island, and this entire community becomes a character of its own. The facility, the staff, the routines that look polished from afar all start to reveal something darker behind them. You feel the tension of a place that sells peace but survives on secrets.

Addiction, privilege, mental health, and generational trauma are explored with care and nuance, and the story moves with a confidence that makes the slow burn feel intentional. Then the last third of the book hits and everything tightens. The pace snaps forward and you realize you have been lulled into a false sense of calm right before the floor drops out. It is absorbing, unsettling, and surprisingly emotional, and despite the idea of a wealthy wellness retreat and days without responsibility - I was ready to get out of there too.

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

Purchase Such Sheltered Lives
(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

Robber Barons By Rodger Carlyle

I have read every book Rodger Carlyle has written and have had the chance to meet and interview him, so I can tell you firsthand that his passion for storytelling runs deep. You can feel it in the pages, in the care he takes with research and historical accuracy, and in the vivid sense of time and place that he brings to life. Whether he is writing about the Gritt family or another era entirely, his love for history and the people who shaped it shines through.

Set in 1865, as the United States takes possession of Alaska, this story unfolds against a backdrop of unchecked greed and corruption. The Gritt brothers stand in stark contrast to the ruthless industrialists who descend on the territory to strip it of its riches, crushing small traders and exploiting Native communities. One brother runs steamboats on the Yukon while the other trades along Alaska’s southern coast, and both refuse to yield to men who would destroy everything for profit. The attention to real locations, historical context, and even the inclusion of a tribute to a true Alaskan, Old Joe, give the book an authenticity that pulls you completely into the frontier world.

What elevates this story even more are the people who fight beside the brothers; those you root for and trust. Danielle Post, a young attorney with grit and grace, and Belle Medev, an Alaskan native whose quiet strength and faith ground the story, bring balance and hope to a brutal time. The novel captures the heart of what made America’s expansion both inspiring and devastating. It reads like Ken Follett’s sweeping historical drama laced with the rugged soul of Louis L’Amour. From Alaska to Washington and beyond, this is a journey through courage, greed, and the enduring power of integrity.

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

Purchase Robber Barons
(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

Dead In The Water By John Marrs

Dead in the Water by John Marrs drags you straight into the deep end of memory, obsession, and fear. When Damon nearly drowns after a reckless dare, his life flashes before his eyes, but when he comes back after the near-death experience, he brings with him an image of a person he does not recognize. A dead boy. An image that haunts him, that he can't shake and a truth he can’t remember. That missing moment becomes his obsession, pushing him to risk everything to relive death and uncover the secret buried in his past. The whole premise screams movie adaptation.  It is haunting, cinematic, and impossible to look away from.

John Marrs delivers exactly what readers want in a psychological thriller and then some. He hits hard with multiple points of view, short, punchy chapters, and a relentless pace that keeps you flipping pages long past midnight. The tension is razor-sharp, the writing electric, and the added touch of the paranormal is pure perfection. Marrs is a master of the unexpected.  Just when you think you’ve figured it out, he hits you with a twist that changes everything.

This story is gloriously unhinged, connecting characters across a lifetime in ways you’ll never see coming. It’s dark, it’s daring, and it digs deep into what our memories hide to keep us safe. Dead in the Water is not just a thriller—it’s a full-blown experience that proves why John Marrs remains one of the boldest voices in modern suspense.

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

Purchase Dead In The Water
(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 Method By Matthew Quirk

The Method centers on Anna and Natalie, two professional actors whose lives are built on slipping into other identities. When Natalie disappears, Anna doesn’t feel like she is getting help from the police and she takes it upon herself to figure out what happened, because all signs pointed to something amiss. Anna must take on the biggest, and possibly implausible roll of her life, by walking straight into the world of the people responsible. What follows is Anna wildly overestimating her ability to play hero, convinced she can infiltrate the bad guy’s lair, find Natalie, and get them both out on sheer nerve and learned skills alone. Spoiler: it’s a terrible plan. The villains here are truly dangerous, the things they’re involved in are unsettling, and Anna has no idea who she can trust.

Anna is not your typical thriller heroine; she’s scrappy, stubborn, and fully aware that what she’s doing is unhinged, which somehow makes her even more compelling. This book reads just like a binge worth television series allowing you to only breathe at the end of a chapter. Matthew Quirk’s writing is clean, direct, and unapologetically cinematic, populated with espionage archetypes that shouldn’t work but absolutely do. If you love fast-paced thrillers, bold and ballsy female leads, lean into this one and enjoy the ride.

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

Purchase The Method
(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

Inside Man By John McMahon

Inside Man reminded me why this series has become one of my absolute favorites. John McMahon delivers a narrative that is both tightly constructed and richly layered, but it is the PAR unit that truly defines the experience. If Sheldon Cooper and Dr. Spencer Reid somehow produced a child, the result would be FBI Agent Gardner Camden, a neurodivergent analytical prodigy whose mind catalogs every tree along the interstate and every stray serial number with equal intensity. He is brilliant in a way that feels both extraordinary and deeply human, and he occupies an essential place in the intricate puzzle of personalities that make up the PAR team. His ongoing attempts to interpret Cassie speak provide some of the book’s most satisfying and surprisingly tender moments, illustrating how intelligence and social intuition often collide and then, slowly, find a rhythm.

McMahon brings together multiple story lines that could easily feel unwieldy but instead unfold with admirable clarity and momentum. The investigation into a militia’s growing weapons stockpile and the disturbing pattern of missing women create a dual-track tension that builds steadily until the connections snap into focus. The pacing is deliberate without ever losing its urgency, and the escalating suspense feels earned because every detail, no matter how small, is placed with intention. By the conclusion, every thread has been addressed, every question has been given its due, yet the door remains open just wide enough to make the anticipation for the next installment almost immediate.

I feel like the second book in a series can make or break it. This book will stand out for the character depth it adds to the PAR team. Each of them has always been compelling, but this installment allows them to exist with more nuance and emotional complexity. Gardner’s evolving relationship with his daughter Camilla and the difficult dynamics with his mother reveal sides of him that extend well beyond the role of gifted investigator. Likewise, the rest of the team is presented with a fullness that makes their humor, loyalty, and occasional operational disruption resonate on a more personal level. The result is a cast of characters that stands apart in the crime fiction landscape.

Inside Man delivers a rare blend of sharp suspense and unforgettable characters, proving this series has only begun to reveal its full force. The PAR unit is the kind of team you follow anywhere, and the next case feels impossible to wait for – and yes – I am a card carrying member of The Head Cases Fan Club.

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

Purchase Inside Man
(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

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.

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

Purchase Dark Sisters
(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

Silent Bones By Val McDermid

Silent Bones by Val McDermid is Book 8 in the Karen Pirie series, and even though I arrived embarrassingly late to the party, it worked perfectly as a stand alone. After a brief adjustment to the language and little Scottish nuances, I felt completely transported. I was in the middle of Scotland, ready to pull on a pair of wellies and follow Karen Pirie or any other member of the straight into the muck. The discovery of Sam Nimmo under a road after years of vanishing flips every theory about his past on its head. At the same time the Historic Case Unit is handed new evidence on the so called accidental death of Tom Jamieson, a hotel manager whose fall down the famous Scotsman Steps suddenly looks a lot more deliberate.

What makes this book such a rush is the way McDermid turns what seem like separate cold cases into a single maze of past crimes, corruption, and the kind of dark secrets that only very powerful people can hide. The character work is sharp, the atmosphere is thick, and the plotting is so intricate that watching the pieces lock together is its own thrill. When the investigation edges toward a secret group with influence, privilege, and more than a few ugly connections, the story gains real moral weight. By the time the twist lands, you are picking your jaw up off the floor and wondering why you have not been reading Val McDermid all along.

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

Purchase Silent Bones
(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

Dead Ringer By Chris Hauty

If you have ever loved a larger than life conspiracy theory book, Dead Ringer by Chris Hauty is absolutely for you. It pulls you in from the first chapter and never lets go. The story takes real historical events and threads of truth about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and spins them into a high-octane pursuit for answers that stretches across the country, where danger hides behind every clue and every revelation propels you deeper into the chase.

I love the way this story weaves through true historical facts, real people, and plausible motives that connect key figures across decades and continents. The layers of history, politics, and religion are perfectly stacked, creating a relentless hunt that feels like running side by side with Joe Mingus, a fallen Secret Service agent, and Joseph Verdugo, a brilliant Jesuit professor with secrets of his own. Let’s not forget the assassin on a divine mission, the financier pulling the strings, and the political leader being molded to serve unseen powers. I cannot even begin to tell you how many rabbit holes I went down while reading this book — and that made the experience even more addictive.

And those letters underneath each chapter number? Did I try to decode them myself? Yes. Did I fail? Also yes. Will I keep trying? Again yes. That is the magic of Hauty’s storytelling — it does not just hand you the truth, it dares you to chase it. Every chapter hums with tension, every reveal cracks open a deeper mystery, and by the end you are left questioning how much of it might actually be real.

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

Purchase Dead Ringer
(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

Executive Power By Andrews & Wilson

From the first page this story throws you into the fire and never gives you a chance to look away. Kyle Ryan is the quiet genius of the family, a runner with a sharp mind who sees the world in numbers and probabilities. He is former Navy and now part of a small DIA team in Angola where a mission to intercept Chinese communications goes violently wrong. His team is attacked and wiped out in seconds and Kyle survives only by sheer instinct as he sprints through gunfire and dives through the embassy gates. It is a bold and breathless opener that sets the tone for everything that follows. Katie Ryan steps into the spotlight as well and she shines with power. She is brilliant, outgoing, analytical, and already a leader in the ONI. Watching the two youngest Ryans take center stage gives this book a new spark and a fresh angle that feels smart and long overdue.

From that moment forward the pace never lets up. The story becomes a relentless drive through kidnapping, torture, political hardball, covert intel work, and combat that is so realistic you can practically hear the radio chatter and feel the pressure of each decision. Kyle grows into his strength in a way that is incredibly satisfying. He finds his backbone and discovers that he is not the weak link but a force who never breaks under pressure. Katie is positioned for greatness and I am calling it now. She is presidential material. Their dynamic with the rest of the Ryan family adds emotional power to scenes that already feel cinematic. Jack Junior operates with trademark precision. Jack Senior stays in the background just enough to let his children rise. The balance is sharp, gutsy, and completely addictive.

This one hits every button I want in a modern thriller and somehow still gives me more. Andrews and Wilson deliver action that feels like live coverage and character moments that hit with real force. The realism of the procedures and the intensity of the setting make the entire book feel immersive. As this marks the final Ryan novel from this duo I am honestly going to miss their work. They are an automatic read for me. But what a way to exit. This book is fierce, bold, and easily one of the best books I have read this year. If you are a Ryanverse fan or just want a thriller that grabs you by the collar and does not let go, you absolutely need to read this.

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

Purchase Executive Power
(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

Best Offer Wins By Marisa Kashino

Marisa Kashino's Best Offer Wins is a darkly humorous debut that takes the soul-crushing chaos of the D.C. housing market and cranks it up into a wickedly fun, sometimes feral and compulsively readable ride.  At the center of it all is Margo Miyake, a thirty-something publicist whose life feels stalled until she sets her signs on the dream house she has to have.  But forget open houses and Zillow scrolling - Margo's obsession escalates fast and watching her spiral from stressed house-hunter to delightfully unhinged is equal parts shocking and delicious.  Kashino nails the balance of domestic suspense, mystery and perfectly timed humor pulling readers into a world where ambition, envy and desperation blue the line between relatable and downright terrifying.

What really seals the deal is Kashino’s voice—it’s sharp, fearless, and refreshingly unique. The author doesn't just give us a character in Margo - she gives us an unforgettable force of chaos who is off her rocker in the most entertaining way.  I found myself asking, what extremes would I go to if the house of my dreams was just out of reach.  (I wouldn't do what Margo did - maybe.) The tension ramps up, the plot escalates quickly and the humor makes the madness strangely palatable.  It's dark, twisty and impossible to put down.  Best Offer Wins is smart, sassy and downright addictive and Kashino proves she's an author to watch with this wildly entertaining debut.

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

Purchase Best Offer Wins
(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 Picasso Job By Avanti Centrae

The Picasso Job is book one in a brand new series from Avanti Centrae, and yet the players feel so familiar it’s as if they’ve stepped out of her previous worlds. I tried my darndest to connect them to the VanOps crew but no luck, though that same heartbeat of danger and intelligence is there. There’s a new player in the game now: Phoenix. And by the time you hit the last page, you’ll be ready to follow wherever this team goes next.

This is so much more than a cops and robbers thriller. A priceless Picasso painting has been stolen, and the notorious art thief Bijan Renoir Reza is locked away in Folsom State Prison. The feds think they’ve contained their problem, focused on Iran’s race toward nuclear capability, not a painting. But what if that masterpiece could bankroll the purchase of uranium? What if a single heist could fund catastrophe? When Reza gets wind of the plan, he knows he needs help and a way out. Enter Dakota Black, his cellmate so ordinary you can’t imagine how he ended up behind bars, and Winters, a man nursing a years-long vendetta. When the prison goes dark and chaos erupts, the three flee into a dangerous race for the Picasso, each driven by their own motives and an uneasy alliance that teeters between loyalty and betrayal.

FBI Agent Elizabeth Everett is the perfect counterbalance to their storm. Still reeling from the loss of her partner, she’s a sharp, determined agent with her own score to settle and nothing will stop her from finding Reza. Centrae threads the chase with her signature tension and moral complexity, weaving a story that asks not just who will survive, but what justice, freedom, and redemption truly cost. The Picasso Job is fast, clever, and cinematic . Firing on all cylinders, this is a fresh start to a series that promises even bigger things ahead.

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

Purchase The Picasso Job
(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

Trigger By Jennifer Stockdale

Trigger is not a book that tiptoes around its subject matter. It dives straight into the wreckage of memory, trauma, and the fragile trust we place in family. Jennifer Stockdale crafts a chilling and heartbreaking psychological thriller that asks what if the people who are supposed to protect you are also the ones rewriting your truth?

Told across two timelines, 1976 and 1982 - 1983, the story follows Dora Culligan, the youngest of five and the only girl in a wealthy, tightly controlled New England family. With four older brothers, Dora knows her place in the pecking order. Sometimes she is the tattletale, sometimes the baby who gets away with everything, and sometimes the one whose memories do not quite match what everyone else insists happened. But when one of her brothers, Tommy, dies by suicide, the family’s perfect façade fractures. Secrets start stacking up, each one heavier than the last, until the weight of them becomes suffocating. Years later, a song triggers a memory, and Dora begins to pull at the threads of a carefully constructed story, one her family has gone to great lengths to protect.

Trigger is raw and unnerving, exploring themes of suicide, family trauma, gaslighting, denial, lies, and the corrosive power of love twisted by control. Stockdale writes with precision and empathy, unspooling the tension slowly, allowing readers to feel Dora’s growing disorientation and dread. The alternating timelines build a steady rhythm of unease, and the sense of claustrophobia, emotional and physical, is relentless in the best possible way. This is a story about what we choose to remember, what we are forced to forget, and the haunting possibility that sometimes our minds are not the problem, our families are.

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

Purchase Trigger
(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

Meet The Review Team