Tag: Suspense

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

I have had this book on my TBR for years. Like years. Every Halloween season, I tell myself that I am going to pick this one up. It’s on all the ‘most scary’ book lists and I have heard such great things about Sarah Waters. Not to mention this book features all the creepy things that I love best in the gothic—a family fallen from grace, a crumbling old mansion, a haunted house. I mean all the things that make the gothic what it is can be found in this book or at least promise to be!

Well this year was finally they year for me to read this one. My sister and I picked this book to read for the month of October, every October we pick a couple of creepy books that we have had on our TBR and do a buddy read for the month and this was our pick. At over 450 pages, I decided to also download the Audible version too, I mean Simon Vance narrates and he always does a great job.

My sister has read other books by Waters and absolutely loves them so I had high hoped for this one and I was fully ready to be scared to death and up all night reading this one. So imagine my shock when I was literally bored to tears. This is my first and only DNF of the year and I couldn’t be more shocked. I went into this one fully ready to devour it!

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Special Feature: The Attic on Queen Street (Tadd Street #7) by Karen White

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature: The Attic on Queen Street (Tadd Street #7) by Karen White

If this cover doesn’t speak to mystery fans then I don’t know what does. This lovely Victorian house promises to be full of mystery not to mention a bit of the paranormal. This book strikes me as the kind perfect for people who aren’t ready for Halloween to be over! I mean, I am fully ready for all the holiday reading but I am still feeling the lingering draw to Halloween reads so this book really appeals to me in that regard.

Not to mention Karen White is an outstanding writer! She has written a number of stand alone historical fiction novels plus collaborated on a few books with other authors not to mention her long standing Tadd Street series. An author who can write consistently over multiple genres and series has my vote! I adore all her books and the Tadd Street series is no different!

I have skipped around in this series before and haven’t had any issues keeping up with the characters and subplots. The author does a great job orientating new readers within the story and the characters. I am sad to see that this will be the last in the series but I am excited to see how the series wraps up and what White comes out with next. If you are looking for a fun mystery to tide you over as you transition from Halloween to Christmas, this is your book! It’s out now so don’t miss it!

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Special Feature: The Unheard by Nicci French

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature: The Unheard by Nicci French

Author Nicci French is actually a nom de plume for a husband and wife writing team that have written a number of wonderful mystery novels as well as a successful series, The Freida Klein series, of which I have read a few of. While the series is great, I really enjoy their standalone mystery novels the best.

With that in mind, when this book came up for review, my calendar was already full for reviews but I couldn’t resist featuring this one since the French writing duo have written some pretty solid and interesting books and quality mysteries are always on my radar any time of year. I am planning on reading this one a little later this year and but in the mean time I am bringing you all a little bit about this book today!

One thing that caught my eye about this one (besides the quality writing team) was the child angle. I have a small child (he is 5) and it’s always fascinating to me how he sees the world and how he justifies it in his mind. I loved that this novel uses that in the mystery to create a sense of an unreliable narrator and the child’s perception as the catalyst for a larger and darker story. I am eager to see how that plays out in this novel. So if you are looking for a well written and experienced author, the Nicci French team is great and if you love mysteries be sure to check this one out!

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Special Feature: A Darker Reality (Elena Standish #3) by Anne Perry

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature: A Darker Reality (Elena Standish #3) by Anne Perry

There can be little denying that Anne Perry is a prolific storyteller and mystery writer. She has written a number of beloved mystery series and Elena Standish is just the latest series of hers which has quickly gained in popularity. I had purposely not read this series out of order. I have the first book queued up in my TBR list for October so I can devour the series in order!

I can’t believe the third book is already coming out and the cover is gorgeous not to mention the story sounds captivating. The main character’s grandfather is at the heart of a murder investigation and Elena Standish herself works for the British Intelligence as a spy. Now doesn’t that sounds like a winning combo? I cannot wait to dive into this series, I love lady spy novels and this book under Perry’s practiced hand cannot be a disappointment of that I am sure!

Today I am sharing all the details with you guys and I hope you all enjoy this latest novel as well as the series. If you are a fan of Perry then you will no doubt find lots to love in this one and I cannot wait to discuss it all with you guys! If you have read any of the Elena Standish books please let me know what you thought of the series thus far! I cannot wait to see how it develops—insert bad photograph pun intended here!

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Special Feature and Excerpt: My Sweet Girl by Amanda Jayatissa

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Special Feature and Excerpt: My Sweet Girl by Amanda Jayatissa

This book caught my eye for so many reasons! Not only is it by a POC but it sounds freaking amazing from the summary! The dark sultry cover drew me in and made me just want to curl up in front of a fire and devour this debut novel! It sounds like the perfect fall read and guess what I am doing with this one…..I am taking it with me on our road trip vacation to read! After reading this lovely excerpt, I couldn’t be more excited if I tried!

This book has been getting a ton of advanced praise from early readers, and normally I would shy away from some of the hype for a new debut release like this, but then I read the excerpt and I was hooked. It sounds like it’s going to be a great thriller, ripe for the reading! The writing is bold and fresh, I am so excited to check this one out. I mean that cover! The girl on the cover literally has the most engaging, sinister gaze and I just want to read this book because of that!

If you are a thriller fan and are looking for something a little darker and new, then I think this novel will be a wonderful fit. Be sure to check out the excerpt below and all the details of this striking debut novel. And be watching for my review a little later this fall. I cannot wait to check this one out and devour it! What about you?

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