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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
Death Row
That was one wild ride! I always enjoy the journey McFadden takes readers on, and this novella was amazingly twisted. And as always, the twist at the end absolutely delivered.
The Ex-Wives Club:
How can a father/husband be so hateful? But karma has a way of turning the tables and Ian is about to face the consequences of his own actions.
False Note:
Karma is a b*tch, and this book proves it!
I absolutely loved how this story deals with the struggle we all face of trying so hard not to become our parents… only to catch ourselves acting just like them.
The Skydivers:
This one was just okay for me. It leaned more toward a military thriller than I expected, and nothing really stood out or hooked me. Not a bad read, just not quite my style.
Good Neighbors:
What a chaotic night this couple went through and all sparked by a friend’s decision to look into a potentially unfaithful husband. As the saying goes, “No good deed goes unpunished.”
Small Things:
Ugh… I cannot stand men like the MMC in this novella! But I do love it when they finally get their comeuppance.
*Thank you to Freida McFadden, Sally Hepworth, David Lagercrantz, Chris Bohjalian, Chad Zunker, and Wanda M. Morris, Amazon Original Stories and Netgalley for the digital copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.
That was one wild ride! I always enjoy the journey McFadden takes readers on, and this novella was amazingly twisted. And as always, the twist at the end absolutely delivered.
The Ex-Wives Club:
How can a father/husband be so hateful? But karma has a way of turning the tables and Ian is about to face the consequences of his own actions.
False Note:
Karma is a b*tch, and this book proves it!
I absolutely loved how this story deals with the struggle we all face of trying so hard not to become our parents… only to catch ourselves acting just like them.
The Skydivers:
This one was just okay for me. It leaned more toward a military thriller than I expected, and nothing really stood out or hooked me. Not a bad read, just not quite my style.
Good Neighbors:
What a chaotic night this couple went through and all sparked by a friend’s decision to look into a potentially unfaithful husband. As the saying goes, “No good deed goes unpunished.”
Small Things:
Ugh… I cannot stand men like the MMC in this novella! But I do love it when they finally get their comeuppance.
*Thank you to Freida McFadden, Sally Hepworth, David Lagercrantz, Chris Bohjalian, Chad Zunker, and Wanda M. Morris, Amazon Original Stories and Netgalley for the digital copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.
I love mysteries and thrillers as well as short story collections and was so excited to read this, but unfortunately I found that I didn’t really enjoy any of the shorts.
Hopefully other readers will like these more, but they weren’t for me.
Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and NetGalley for the DRC
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a fun and chilling collection of psychological thrillers—perfect for summer reading (or listening)!
This anthology includes six short stories by incredible thriller writers centered around the theme of an “alibi.” We all know a crime requires motive, means, and opportunity, but without an alibi, even the innocent can be condemned.
I was already familiar with Sally Hepworth and Wanda M. Morris, but it was great to sample stories from new-to-me authors and get a feel for their writing styles.
I listened to the whole collection—each story is about an hour long, making it perfect for dog walks, folding laundry, commuting, or lounging by the pool or beach.
Like most short story collections, I had a few favorites: Death Row and Small Things. But honestly, each one kept me guessing!
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was so excited to dive into Alibis because three of my favorite authors: Frieda McFadden, Sally Hepworth, and Chris Bohjalian were part of the lineup, and they did not disappoint! I was also pleasantly surprised by the other authors I hadn’t read before, each one brought something unique and thrilling to the collection and I think I’ll add their full length books to my TBR pile.
Instead of racing through the book (which I easily could have), I paced myself by reading one story a night. It became my little evening treat each story was quick, clever, and packed with suspense and the shorter lengths had me asleep on time. This is the perfect book for anyone in a reading slump. It’s fast-paced, addictive, and so much fun.
Some of the characters were deliciously wicked, just the kind of twisty personalities I love. I actually hope a few of them show up again in future books. If you’re looking for a quick, fun, binge-worthy mystery collection from some of the best authors in the genre, Alibis is a must-read.
Instead of racing through the book (which I easily could have), I paced myself by reading one story a night. It became my little evening treat each story was quick, clever, and packed with suspense and the shorter lengths had me asleep on time. This is the perfect book for anyone in a reading slump. It’s fast-paced, addictive, and so much fun.
Some of the characters were deliciously wicked, just the kind of twisty personalities I love. I actually hope a few of them show up again in future books. If you’re looking for a quick, fun, binge-worthy mystery collection from some of the best authors in the genre, Alibis is a must-read.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Not all alibis protect the innocent
Six short stories of psychological suspense explore the conflict between lies and truth and the role of alibis in identifying and prosecuting the guilty. The first tale is of a woman on death row, convicted of killing her husband despite her having a solid alibi at the time of his death...are her claims of innocence true, or is there more to the story than the reader realizes? The next (and my personal favorite) features the death of a celebrated chef, found dead in the freezer of his acclaimed restaurant. With three ex-wives (who get along with one another better than they do with him), two children who have reason to resent him, and employees who aren't necessarily his biggest fans (including his latest girlfriend), there are plenty of motives to do away with him...but each suspect has a solid alibi. Then there's the self-absorbed and abusive but charismatic opera singer who steals his son's girlfriend, a skydiver who ends up mauled to death by farm equipment when his jump goes awry, a woman who's keeping watch on her friend and neighbor's husband to see if he's really cheating on her only to witness his murder, and a woman trapped in an abusive marriage who is finally pushed to protect the only outlet she has...plenty of twisty tales with nasty people doing bad things and (usually) paying the price. Some alibis shield the person who committed the crime, and sometimes the doer is caught anyway (but not always). Turns out you never know everyone who has a motive to kill, and sometimes you don't really blame the person for committing the crime. Several of the authors of these six tales are well known to most readers, so if you are a fan of Frieda McFadden, Sally Hepworth, David Lagercrantz, Chris Bohjalian, Chad Zunker or Wanda M. Morris, if you enjoy the Best Mystery Short Stories collection put out each year by the Mysterious Press, or just like the reading short stories in the genre, you'll find at least some of these tales to your liking. Did I enjoy some more than the others? Yes, but overall I would rate the collection 4 ⭐️ out of 5. My thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for allowing me access to this quick but enjoyable read in exchange for my honest review.
Six short stories of psychological suspense explore the conflict between lies and truth and the role of alibis in identifying and prosecuting the guilty. The first tale is of a woman on death row, convicted of killing her husband despite her having a solid alibi at the time of his death...are her claims of innocence true, or is there more to the story than the reader realizes? The next (and my personal favorite) features the death of a celebrated chef, found dead in the freezer of his acclaimed restaurant. With three ex-wives (who get along with one another better than they do with him), two children who have reason to resent him, and employees who aren't necessarily his biggest fans (including his latest girlfriend), there are plenty of motives to do away with him...but each suspect has a solid alibi. Then there's the self-absorbed and abusive but charismatic opera singer who steals his son's girlfriend, a skydiver who ends up mauled to death by farm equipment when his jump goes awry, a woman who's keeping watch on her friend and neighbor's husband to see if he's really cheating on her only to witness his murder, and a woman trapped in an abusive marriage who is finally pushed to protect the only outlet she has...plenty of twisty tales with nasty people doing bad things and (usually) paying the price. Some alibis shield the person who committed the crime, and sometimes the doer is caught anyway (but not always). Turns out you never know everyone who has a motive to kill, and sometimes you don't really blame the person for committing the crime. Several of the authors of these six tales are well known to most readers, so if you are a fan of Frieda McFadden, Sally Hepworth, David Lagercrantz, Chris Bohjalian, Chad Zunker or Wanda M. Morris, if you enjoy the Best Mystery Short Stories collection put out each year by the Mysterious Press, or just like the reading short stories in the genre, you'll find at least some of these tales to your liking. Did I enjoy some more than the others? Yes, but overall I would rate the collection 4 ⭐️ out of 5. My thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for allowing me access to this quick but enjoyable read in exchange for my honest review.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Overall, I completely enjoyed the Alibis Collection. I was familiar with a few of the authors, but not all. It was a great introduction to each individual's style of writing. I enjoyed a few more than others-it was all time well spent!
Definitely recommend for fans of thriller novellas, who want a quick escape. While there's a lot of story packed into a handful of pages, they're easy to pick up on the fly when you have a few minutes, and stay in touch with what's going on.
If you're looking for new authors to try out in the genre, it's a good glimpse.
Recommend-yeah!
With thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the early digital Alibis Collection copy!
Definitely recommend for fans of thriller novellas, who want a quick escape. While there's a lot of story packed into a handful of pages, they're easy to pick up on the fly when you have a few minutes, and stay in touch with what's going on.
If you're looking for new authors to try out in the genre, it's a good glimpse.
Recommend-yeah!
With thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the early digital Alibis Collection copy!