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mrspudd2020's Reviews (147)
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
⭐⭐⭐️⭐⭐/5
Its giving, The Bad Seed 1956. Its giving I felt like I was going crazy. Its giving mental health should be a normal part of conversation. Its giving if you or family/friend need help don't be silent, speak up! The Push completely gripped me from page one. It's chilling, emotional, and so beautifully written. This dives deep into the scary depths of motherhood, trauma, & the heaviness of generational pain in a way that feels so real it hurts. I was thinking about it long after I finished. It’s also such a powerful reminder of how important it is to talk openly about mental health—especially when it comes to new mothers. This book doesn't shy away from the hard stuff, and I really respect that. Highly recommend!
Its giving, The Bad Seed 1956. Its giving I felt like I was going crazy. Its giving mental health should be a normal part of conversation. Its giving if you or family/friend need help don't be silent, speak up! The Push completely gripped me from page one. It's chilling, emotional, and so beautifully written. This dives deep into the scary depths of motherhood, trauma, & the heaviness of generational pain in a way that feels so real it hurts. I was thinking about it long after I finished. It’s also such a powerful reminder of how important it is to talk openly about mental health—especially when it comes to new mothers. This book doesn't shy away from the hard stuff, and I really respect that. Highly recommend!
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding totally pulled me in — pun fully intended. This book is the kind of twisty, character-driven thriller that had me saying “just one more chapter” until it was suddenly 2 a.m. The plot is full of suspense, and the two main women kept me guessing about their motives the whole way through. I loved how Harding explored the messy gray areas of trust and survival — it felt real and uncomfortably relatable at times.
That said, I did spot a couple of the twists coming, but honestly, I was having too much fun to care. If you like your thrillers with a side of emotional depth and a sprinkle of “oh no she didn’t!” moments, definitely give this one a read. Just maybe start it earlier in the evening than I did!
The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding totally pulled me in — pun fully intended. This book is the kind of twisty, character-driven thriller that had me saying “just one more chapter” until it was suddenly 2 a.m. The plot is full of suspense, and the two main women kept me guessing about their motives the whole way through. I loved how Harding explored the messy gray areas of trust and survival — it felt real and uncomfortably relatable at times.
That said, I did spot a couple of the twists coming, but honestly, I was having too much fun to care. If you like your thrillers with a side of emotional depth and a sprinkle of “oh no she didn’t!” moments, definitely give this one a read. Just maybe start it earlier in the evening than I did!
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
*The Guilt Trip* by Sandie Jones. Five friends head to Portugal for a wedding, but only four will return. This trip brings sun, sand, and lies as secrets kept for years threaten to be revealed. Who is telling the truth? Who is lying? And who is really your friend?
*The Guilt Trip* by Sandie Jones. Five friends head to Portugal for a wedding, but only four will return. This trip brings sun, sand, and lies as secrets kept for years threaten to be revealed. Who is telling the truth? Who is lying? And who is really your friend?
dark
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I immediately had to download this book after seeing somebody I follow on BookTok say they could barely get through it. I read a lot of stuff, including splatter punk, but this gave me a shiver down my spine just from the way things were described and told. I do believe Amy Cross will be a new author I add to my auto-buy list. Beryl comes to a family as a governess to help, but the help this family needs can not be given by one single woman, nor anyone for that matter.
I immediately had to download this book after seeing somebody I follow on BookTok say they could barely get through it. I read a lot of stuff, including splatter punk, but this gave me a shiver down my spine just from the way things were described and told. I do believe Amy Cross will be a new author I add to my auto-buy list. Beryl comes to a family as a governess to help, but the help this family needs can not be given by one single woman, nor anyone for that matter.
mysterious
slow-paced
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Not my favorite but still ok. The D.B. Cooper angle at the start totally hooked me, and of course, Pendergast is still effortlessly cool and mysterious as ever. But after a really good stsrt, things got pretty weird, pretty fast.
The middle dragged a bit, and the ending felt rushed, like they realized they had 20 pages left to explain everything. Still, there were some fun moments and decent tension here and there.
Not my favorite but still ok. The D.B. Cooper angle at the start totally hooked me, and of course, Pendergast is still effortlessly cool and mysterious as ever. But after a really good stsrt, things got pretty weird, pretty fast.
The middle dragged a bit, and the ending felt rushed, like they realized they had 20 pages left to explain everything. Still, there were some fun moments and decent tension here and there.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Murder Road by Simone St. James. Newlyweds April and Carter, on their honeymoon, take a wrong turn and pick up an injured hitchhiker. Rushing her to the nearest hospital, she sadly passes away. With blood on their hands, the couple are questioned by the local police. They seem to have already been pronounced guilty, but why?
When the police aren't investigating, April and Eddie take matters into their own hands, only to find more questions than answers.
When they are told they are free to leave, they can't. Something or someone is keeping them there. The book was creepy and full of twists. I thought it was very atmospheric and well-written.
Murder Road by Simone St. James. Newlyweds April and Carter, on their honeymoon, take a wrong turn and pick up an injured hitchhiker. Rushing her to the nearest hospital, she sadly passes away. With blood on their hands, the couple are questioned by the local police. They seem to have already been pronounced guilty, but why?
When the police aren't investigating, April and Eddie take matters into their own hands, only to find more questions than answers.
When they are told they are free to leave, they can't. Something or someone is keeping them there. The book was creepy and full of twists. I thought it was very atmospheric and well-written.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Did I wait months for this book from the library? Yes, was it worth it? Absolutely! *Beautiful Ugly* by Alison Feeney may be my new favorite book of hers. A struggling writer waits by the phone for his publisher to call, to tell him whether his book made it or not. While waiting, he calls and anxiously waits for his wife to come home, who is late as usual. When his wife's car comes to a screeching halt and she tells him that there's someone lying in the road, he begs her to please stay in her car, don't get out. Being a journalist, she isn't going to leave someone who needs help. Afterward, she goes missing, and the writer is not who he once was. A year later, his publisher, who is like family to him, wants to help him out and sends him to a remote Scottish island where there's a writing cabin. To help him relax, maybe to help him get back in the groove of writing. She's doing what's best for him. The island is small and has very few people on it, and those few people who are on it seem to be very strange. When the writer sees his missing wife not once, not twice, but three times, he thinks he's losing his mind, but is he? Or are there secrets on the island—secrets about his wife? Secrets about others? Secrets worth killing over? The one thing that killed me about this book is that if you've ever watched the movie *Hot Fuzz*, the way they always did that shtick of saying something that sounds threatening but isn't—there was a lot of that in this book.
"You need to leave."
"What?!"
"So I can lock up the church!" 🤣
I couldn't help but think of that every time they used walkie-talkies in the movie, and the one shopkeeper saying, "Get a look at his arse." I will say I loved the ending, but it was also a little confusing to me, and I loved it any
Did I wait months for this book from the library? Yes, was it worth it? Absolutely! *Beautiful Ugly* by Alison Feeney may be my new favorite book of hers. A struggling writer waits by the phone for his publisher to call, to tell him whether his book made it or not. While waiting, he calls and anxiously waits for his wife to come home, who is late as usual. When his wife's car comes to a screeching halt and she tells him that there's someone lying in the road, he begs her to please stay in her car, don't get out. Being a journalist, she isn't going to leave someone who needs help. Afterward, she goes missing, and the writer is not who he once was. A year later, his publisher, who is like family to him, wants to help him out and sends him to a remote Scottish island where there's a writing cabin. To help him relax, maybe to help him get back in the groove of writing. She's doing what's best for him. The island is small and has very few people on it, and those few people who are on it seem to be very strange. When the writer sees his missing wife not once, not twice, but three times, he thinks he's losing his mind, but is he? Or are there secrets on the island—secrets about his wife? Secrets about others? Secrets worth killing over? The one thing that killed me about this book is that if you've ever watched the movie *Hot Fuzz*, the way they always did that shtick of saying something that sounds threatening but isn't—there was a lot of that in this book.
"You need to leave."
"What?!"
"So I can lock up the church!" 🤣
I couldn't help but think of that every time they used walkie-talkies in the movie, and the one shopkeeper saying, "Get a look at his arse." I will say I loved the ending, but it was also a little confusing to me, and I loved it any
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I've yet to read a John Marrs book that disappointed me. In this not so far away, future driverless cars dominate the roads. These cars do everything for you. They are so high tech and advanced that they can make life saving decisions in nanoseconds. Or can they? Eight people have been trapped inside their smart cars by a hacker. Their names and faces are broadcast worldwide. And it's up to the viewers to choose who lives and who dies. But why were these eight chosen? Was it just bad luck, or is it more? What will people say to survive? What dark secrets are the really hiding?
I've yet to read a John Marrs book that disappointed me. In this not so far away, future driverless cars dominate the roads. These cars do everything for you. They are so high tech and advanced that they can make life saving decisions in nanoseconds. Or can they? Eight people have been trapped inside their smart cars by a hacker. Their names and faces are broadcast worldwide. And it's up to the viewers to choose who lives and who dies. But why were these eight chosen? Was it just bad luck, or is it more? What will people say to survive? What dark secrets are the really hiding?
dark
fast-paced
A serial killer father brings his son into his sick hobby. The son is fascinated by it and obsessed with his father. Extreme horror read at your own risk.
informative
medium-paced