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THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides {Review}

The Silent Patient
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Quick Thoughts: Brilliant! Psychotherapist Theo Faber is treating a new patient named Alicia, a woman who killed her husband, then never spoke another word. For six years, no one has been able to get through to Alicia, but Theo is determined. Oh my, what secrets she hides in her vault! I loved how this story was constructed, alternating between Theo’s POV and Alicia’s diary entries. There’s so much going on beneath the surface. Has a fantastic twisty ending that I did not see coming. THE SILENT PATIENT is an impressive debut novel — can’t wait for more from Alex Michaelides! Borrowed from the library. ♥

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THE SHADOW GUEST by Hillary Waugh {Review}

The Shadow Guest
The Shadow Guest by Hillary Waugh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

THE SHADOW GUEST is a fantastic mystery/suspense novel from the vintage Gothic fiction genre. An American couple, Howard and Angela, move to a cottage on the coast of England after her breakdown.

Howard is hesitant to be so secluded with their medical issues, but some strange force compels Angela to stay at Heather Cottage. Even with unexplained happenings at night – frightening noises, shadowy figures, and bizarre dreams – Angela refuses to leave. Is there something supernatural afoot? Or does someone want them gone?

I enjoyed this creepy book very much. The author created the perfect atmosphere of sinister suspense. Best of all I had absolutely no clue what the ending would bring. So twisted! ♥ My copy of THE SHADOW GUEST was published by Dell in July 1972.

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THE MISSING YEARS by Lexie Elliott {Review}


Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: April 23, 2019
Source: Review copy from the publisher
Rating: ★★★

An eerie, old Scottish manor in the middle of nowhere that’s now hers.

Ailsa Calder has inherited half of a house. The other half belongs to a man who disappeared without a trace twenty-seven years ago—her father.

Leaving London behind to settle the inheritance from her mother’s estate, Ailsa returns to her childhood home, nestled amongst the craggy peaks of the Scottish Highlands, joined by the half-sister who’s almost a stranger to her.

Ailsa can’t escape the claustrophobic feeling that the house itself is watching her—as if her past hungers to consume her. She also can’t ignore how the neighbourhood animals refuse to set one foot within the gates of the garden.

When the first nighttime intruder shows up, Ailsa fears that the manor’s careless rugged beauty could cost her everything.

Ailsa Calder has just inherited half of her childhood home, an estate known as the Manse in Scotland. The other half is owned by her father who has been missing for over 25 years. Legally she can’t do anything with the property until her father is found, except live there, which is what she decides to do.

THE MISSING YEARS is a quiet suspense novel. Ailsa’s return to the Manse isn’t celebrated by all she comes in contact with, and odd occurrences keep happening in and around the house. The heart of the book is the mystery of her father’s disappearance, the toll it’s taken on her over the years, and what answers the eerie old manor home can give her.

I enjoyed the setting most of all, the house full of secrets and memories, standing among “the craggy peaks of the Scottish Highlands.” Sounds amazing and gothic! On the flip side, I was hoping for a faster pace and more twists. Though the build up was slow, the ending was wild.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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THE LOST HISTORY OF DREAMS by Kris Waldherr {Review}

The Lost History of Dreams
The Lost History of Dreams by Kris Waldherr
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Any novel described as “in the gothic tradition of Wuthering Heights” is a must-read for me. So many elements of THE LOST HISTORY OF DREAMS grabbed me from the beginning. Set in Victorian England, this is a book within a book, that tells of two tragic love stories and the mystery surrounding a glass chapel hidden in the eerie woods.

Robert Highstead, a widowed post-mortem photographer, is called upon to photograph his deceased cousin, the poet Hugh de Bonne. The glass chapel holds the remains of Hugh’s long-dead wife Ada, and in order for their niece Isabelle to receive her inheritance, she must unlock the chapel and allow Hugh to be laid to rest beside Ada. However, when Robert arrives, Isabelle refuses to do so, unless Robert listens to the story of Aunt Ada’s life over the course of five nights.

I enjoyed the beginning of this book very much, but the middle part was a struggle to get through. The pacing was slow, and there was a lot there that wasn’t moving the story forward. I was still very curious about the mystery of why Isabelle refused to unlock the chapel, and what Ada’s life story would reveal. The writing was beautiful and atmospheric, and it was easy for me to slip into the time and place. In true gothic tradition, THE LOST HISTORY OF DREAMS is a haunting tale of ghosts, grief, and buried family secrets on the moors.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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THE STRANGER DIARIES by Elly Griffiths {Review}


Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Release Date: March 5, 2019
Source: Review copy from NetGalley
Rating: ★★★★½

Death lies between the lines when the events of a dark story start coming true in this haunting modern Gothic mystery, perfect for fans of Magpie Murders and The Lake House.

Clare Cassidy is no stranger to murder. A high school English teacher specializing in the Gothic writer R. M. Holland, she teaches a course on it every year. But when one of Clare’s colleagues and closest friends is found dead, with a line from R. M. Holland’s most famous story, “The Stranger,” left by her body, Clare is horrified to see her life collide with the storylines of her favorite literature.

To make matters worse, the police suspect the killer is someone Clare knows. Unsure whom to trust, she turns to her closest confidant, her diary, the only outlet she has for her darkest suspicions and fears about the case. Then one day she notices something odd. Writing that isn’t hers, left on the page of an old diary:

Hallo Clare. You don’t know me.

Clare becomes more certain than ever: “The Stranger” has come to terrifying life. But can the ending be rewritten in time?

THE STRANGER DIARIES was creepy good fun! Clare is a high school English teacher, as well as a scholar of 19th century Gothic novelist R.M. Holland, who once lived in the building where she teaches. When one of her colleagues is murdered, mysterious events begin to mirror those in Holland’s famous short story, “The Stranger.” Is there a flesh and blood killer on the loose, or is there a connection with the restless spirit rumored to haunt the school?

I enjoyed this book very much. All of the characters were unique and realistic. I liked the alternating POVs between Clare, her daughter Georgie, and DS Kaur. There was a 4th voice too — the “Stranger” from Holland’s story. It was a mystery within a mystery. The old haunted school by the sea was the perfect Gothic setting. Loved it!

Elly Griffiths is a new favorite author, and I’m looking forward to checking out her other books!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.