Review: The Last Session

The Last Session by Julia Bartz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria for the pre-release copy of The Last Session. Below is my honest review.

This one was a wild ride! After The Writing Retreat, I had high expectations of Julia Bartz's second novel, and she delivered.

It did everything well - world building? Check. Really deep and developed characters? Check. Top notch plot twists? Check. Awesome locale? Check. Perfect build of foreboding atmosphere? Check.

Highly recommend this one to fans of culty stuff, mysteries, and working through personal traumas through the written word.

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Review: The Other People

The Other People by C.B. Everett
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Thanks to Atria and Netgalley for the pre-release copy of The Other People. Below is my honest review.

I very much enjoyed this locked room weird-as-heck mystery, as it definitely takes inspiration from Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None - and anyone who follows my reviews know I'm a huge Christie fan.

The characters were decently fleshed out, and the setting was sufficiently intriguing.

But - and that's a huge but - I was worried as the book went along that it would end up stealing bits and pieces from the ending of a movie I loved when it came out back in 2003, Identity. Unfortunately, it wasn't just bits and pieces that ended up in the climax and denouement, but an extremely similar story - to the point that I'm left wondering if there's even the slightest chance it wasn't pulled straight from that movie.


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Review to come upon release.

I really enjoyed this one up until the reveal. The whole time I was hoping it would not be a ripoff of the 2003 movie Identity, but alas, it was. Can’t believe that snuck past editors to get published…. Pretty sure Michael Cooney wouldn’t be happy the movie he wrote’s twist ending was taken.

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Review: Serial Killer Support Group

Serial Killer Support Group by Saratoga Schaefer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the pre-release copy of Serial Killer Support Group. Below is my honest review.

What a rollercoaster ride this one was. Cyra is grieving the murder of her sister and feeling the guilt of the huge argument they had right before Mira died. So she hounds the police until a friend with access tells her about a dark web link that leads to an in-person NYC support group... for serial killers. Next step? She fakes her way into the group, posing as a serial killer, to investigate and find Mira's killer on her own.

Of course, things don't work out just the way she expects, and soon she finds herself caught in one of her fellow group member's web of deceit.

This one was a twisty rollercoaster of murdery entertainment. Was the end results a little predictable? Yeah, but I read a lot of mysteries and was raised on trying to figure out Christie twists. If you don't read a ton of mysteries (especially ones with huge twists like Christie), then you might be fooled in the best ways possible.

Highly recommend.

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Review: She Waits for You Beyond the Dark

She Waits for You Beyond the Dark by Kristen Simmons
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Teen for the pre-release copy of She Waits for You Beyond the Dark. Below is my honest review.

This is the direct sequel to Find Him Where You Left Him Dead, and you *need* to read that one before picking this one up. It picks up almost immediately after the events of that book, so this one will spoil it drastically and continues the story.

I requested this one not realizing it was a sequel, and once I added it to my Goodreads shelf, I saw it was marked as #2, so I bought and read book #1 to be ready. And I loved BOTH of them.

This one finds our little group up one and down one, basically a wash. But that doesn't stop Meido from creeping its way back into their lives and sucking them into a new game, one that holds the fate of the friend group AND the entire living world by a thread.

The fictional take on Japanese mythology and lore and horror is absolutely wild fun, and I highly recommend this duology for fans of YA horror with a cultural take.

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Review: Installment Immortality

Installment Immortality by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor for the early copy of Installment Immortality. Below is my honest review.

The second Incryptid novel from Mary's POV and the first to be released with new publisher Tor, Installment Immortality continues the excellent urban fantasy hijinks we've all come to know and love from the Price family universe. This one brings Mary's (after)life full circle and ties up a loose end or two with some minor players in the Covenant. I have a feeling there are some more big battles coming in the long run.

Highly recommended, but please remember this is well into the series, and you'll do yourself a disservice to jump right in without context. So read them all, as soon as possible.

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Review: Cold Iron Task

Cold Iron Task by James J. Butcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the pre-release copy of Cold Iron Task. Below is my honest review.

If you haven't read the famous Jim Butcher's son James' urban fantasy series, you should pick it up. This is book three in the Unorthodox Chronicles, and it's worth the read. He definitely inherited a bit of his dad's talent in regards to creativity and worldbuilding. I can see a lot of Jim's earlier books in James', and can see an upwards trajectory for his skill.

This installment shows us a new side of Grimsby's relationships - mutual trust, respect, and Grimsby truly feeling like he has friends. Mayflower's going through the wringer, and this time Grimsby gets to be true support for Mayflower, Rayne, and even Wudge.

I really enjoyed the way this one shakes out, and the amount of growth Grimsby has shown.

Definitely recommend this series for Urban Fantasy fans.

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Review: Cold as Hell

Cold as Hell by Kelley Armstrong
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the pre-release copy of Cold as Hell. Below is my honest review.

I absolutely love this series. So much that I don't even know if I have words to express just how much I love it. The setting, the characters, the atmosphere, the mysteries... Armstrong is a master class author.

Highly recommend picking up this series (though be warned, this one is a few books into a followup series to the first series, Rockton, and as such, certain aspects of character/setting history are spoiled for those who haven't read the rest).

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