Dead Eleven by Jimmy Juliano

Available now

CW: child death, grief

Picture this: You’re overcome with grief over the death of your child. You find a name mysteriously written on the floor of your child’s room. When you discover the name is actually that of a real island, you travel there and find something really, really strange. Time has stopped. People dress like it’s 1994. The cars are all pre-1994, there’s very little tech, cell phones aren’t allowed, the O.J. car chases is everywhere, and people seem very, very odd.

And then you go missing.

That’s Dead Eleven.

This is a weird, twisty tale with so many twists and turns that I really don’t want to spoil anything. This will be a quick, and hopefully, spoiler-free review!

It’s a strange, quirky novel that explores the complexities of grief, family dynamics, and how teenagers will always mess up a decades long cover-up. The characters were well written and interesting, even if a few felt like horror novel stereotypes. While a dark power taking over a small island isn’t exactly breaking new ground, I really liked the originality of how the residents tried to battle it and keep it contained. The mystery of Clifford Island was strong enough to keep my interested in the story and while the plot moved along pretty quickly, there were a few sections that felt repetitive and the ending seemed a bit rushed. Overall though, I really enjoyed it and found it to be a solid debut novel.

If you’d like to add this dark and compelling novel to your shelf, you can click on the cover above or here for ordering information.

This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon Associate links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins

I have officially put Rachel Hawkins on my auto-buy list because this author knows how to deliver! Reckless Girls is filled with all the things I love. There’s beautiful rich people doing beautiful rich people things while a non-rich person looks on in awe. It’s filled with characters who seem fine on the surface but you can tell that they are hiding a deep, dark secret that will blow up everyone’s world if anyone discovers it. And as these characters are seeming to just live their lives, you can tell that something big is brewing and when it’s finally time for the big reveal, hold your butts!

From the Publisher:

ONE ISLAND
Beautiful, wild, and strange—Meroe Island is a desolate spot in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with a mysterious history of shipwrecks, cannibalism, and even rumors of murder. It’s the perfect destination for the most adventurous traveler to escape everything... except the truth.
SIX VISITORS
Six stunning twentysomethings are about to embark on a blissful, free-spirited journey—one filled with sun-drenched days and intoxicating nights. But as it becomes clear that the group is even more cut off from civilization than they initially thought, it starts to feel like the island itself is closing in, sending them on a dangerous spiral of discovery.
COUNTLESS SECRETS
When one person goes missing and another turns up dead, the remaining friends wonder what dark currents lie beneath this impenetrable paradise—and who else will be swept under its secluded chaos. With its island gothic sensibility, sexy suspense, and spine-tingling reimagining of an Agatha Christie classic, Reckless Girls will wreck you.

Hawkins really drives home the sense of freedom and adventure her characters have. Lux, our main character, has had a rough life but finally feels like she can begin to relax and enjoy life with her wealthy boyfriend Nico. Her growing up in a different social class from Nico, as well as the other four characters, is very apparent in their interactions and how the other four really take to the lazy, lounging life of the island. Add to that dynamic, the dark and mysterious history of the island they sail to really amps up the tension and drama. The entire novel feels like a ticking time bomb where you can feel the pressure building amongst the characters, even in the most mundane of activities, and when it finally blows, it’s truly explosive!

If you’re interested in dark, slow-burn thrillers, you will love Reckless Girls!

If you would like to add this amazing novel to your collection, you can find ordering information here:

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own. This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon Associate links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases.

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Available now

CW: child death, sexual violence

It is well known that I am an avid lover and collector of books. If I see one that’s interesting, I add it to my shelves. I was once able to justify a new, and unneeded, ereader to my husband simply by showing how much space could be saved by owning digital titles instead of physical. To no one’s surprise, I never stopped buying physical books and have countless that I have never, and may never get to. 

This very rarely bothers me. It’s only when listening to a bookish podcast and becoming increasingly interested in a book being recommended and then noticing that it’s on my bookshelf do I feel the slightest guilt. Well, maybe more like frustration that I’ve had a spectacular book on my shelf and I haven’t made the time to read it. The Guest List by Lucy Foley is my latest, “Why Did I Wait So Long To Read You?” title. 

The Guest List is an atmospheric and dark thriller set on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. The island’s only inhabitants are a couple who have turned a large home-possibly a mansion-into a resort that appeals to the type of client who wants an exclusive and secluded vacation destination. Jules is a highly successful magazine owner and creator who has amassed her own wealth and elite group of friends. Her wedding to an incredibly handsome and successful survivalist reality star demands the type of affair that her magazine would feature. The highest quality food and drink, along with every expensive and luxurious detail must be shuttled by boat to the island, including the guests. 

As the wedding draws closer, secrets, both long hidden and newly made, are brought to light amongst the wedding party and the families of the bride and groom. But the wedding will bring more than joy and happiness; it will also bring a dead body. 

Reader friends, if you slept on this one like I did, please do yourself a favor and pick it up immediately. A remote island off of Ireland, a mysterious resort with its own cemetery, and loads of rich people with their rich people problems-it’s all my catnip! Every character in this book needs some serious therapy. Everyone has a troubled past and has made mistakes that are slowly destroying their relationship with themselves and those around them. Everyone is hiding a major secret and has something to lose. Many of the characters are completely insufferable and treat the wedding planner Aoife and her helpers as no more significant than the furniture. 

Told through multiple POVs, the characters reveal themselves to be as unpredictable and dangerous as the storm threatening the island. 

The Guest List is a dark and compelling thriller that kept me enthralled from the very first page. Highly recommend reading this during a thunderstorm-it was a fabulous coincidence that I was able to indulge in and absolutely loved it. 

If you would like to add this thrilling and creepy novel to your shelf, and actually read it, you can find ordering information here:

This post contains affiliate links, including Amazon Associate links, and I earn from qualifying purchases.