RaveBooklistThe story is told through each woman’s varying perspective and at different points in time, giving readers only glimpses of the truth, but at a pace that keeps them wondering what will happen next. Wrobel has honed her writing style even more sharply since her strong debut novel Darling Rose Gold (2020), and is again delivering her readers a \'ripped from the headlines\' story. This Might Hurt contains moments and characters recognizable to those familiar with the NXVIM cult and its downfall, although the twists and turns are all Wrobel’s own, and will leave readers guessing until the very end.
Stephanie Wrobel
PositiveBooklistWrobel’s debut explores a fresh premise in a story that does not shy away from dark and disturbing scenes. Patty and Rose Gold are complicated, well-developed characters whose motivations are subtle and difficult to foresee. This dynamic results in a story that leaves readers guessing to the end and should be a draw for fans of psychological thrillers.
Maxine Mei Chung
PositiveBooklistDebut author Chung is a psychotherapist, and her approach to Alexa’s mental health issues is an interesting one. Though extremely dark and disturbing, this psychological thriller, told in the voice of multiple unreliable narrators, is filled with surprises until the end, and is a fresh take on the suspense genre.
Catherine Steadman
PositiveBooklistUncovering who Mr. Nobody is and how his past is linked to Emma’s creates the slow burn of a suspense thriller, speeding up as the truth is revealed, and building in intensity to a wildly fast-paced ending. British actress Steadman’s second novel contains the same strong writing style and surprising twists that attracted fans to her impressive debut.
Layne Fargo
PositiveBooklistTemper is a twisted tale of what happens when violence, ambition, and the taste for blood take center stage ... the story ominously intensifies ... Temper...builds a sense of danger and suspense that will keep readers guessing, literally until the last page. Fargo’s first novel features complicated female characters and will be well received by fans of Gillian Flynn and Tana French.
Jessica Barry
PositiveBooklistWritten in a fast-paced style, each chapter offers new twists as motives are brought to light and secrets that Allison struggled to hide are revealed. Barry’s debut novel will keep readers guessing to the end, and fans of Lisa Jackson and Lisa Scottoline will enjoy this thriller written with a focus on family relationships.
Emma Rous
PositiveBooklistThe narration builds slowly and deliberately...This tale pulls its readers in from the very beginning, with many secrets and surprises; it is as delicious and spellbinding as a soap opera, complete with the dramatic moments and outrageous twists. A promising first novel from Rous, The Au Pair is an absolutely absorbing and scandalous page-turner.
Lisa Gabriele
PositiveBooklist\"Last night Rebekah tried to murder me again.\' So begins Gabriele’s haunting reimagining of Daphne Du Maurier’s original thriller, Rebecca (1938). In this version, an orphaned young woman begins a passionate affair with Max Winter, a widowed, wealthy New York politician. After a whirlwind romance, Max proposes marriage and invites her to move to his Long Island mansion, Asherley. She agrees and is thrust from a life of servitude into a world of wealth, glamour, and loneliness, as Max is often away, leaving her to roam the halls of Asherley and obsess over his first wife, the beautiful, tragic Rebekah ... This retelling, updated with Instagram stalking and magazine photo shoots, retains the allure and gothic tone of the original, while remaining a page-turner for newcomers to the story.
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