Tag: Missing Women

Book Reviews, Find Your Next Read

Dark is When the Devil Comes by Daisy Pearce: A chilling, slow-burn horror that burrows under your skin

Mandy Webster

I knew exactly what I was getting into when I picked up Dark Is When the Devil Comes by Daisy Pearce—or at least I thought I did. After how deeply Something in the Walls unsettled me (to the point that I had to stop reading it before bed), I expected dread. I expected unease. What I didn’t expect was just how suffocating this story would feel once it took hold.

Get your copy of Dark is When the Devil Comes from my independent online bookstore today!

Set in the English countryside, the novel follows Hazel, who returns to her hometown of Idless after a traumatic divorce, intending to quietly rebuild her life. But when she fails to reconnect with her sister Cathy as planned, concern quickly turns into something darker. The town whispers. The woods loom. And the sense that something has gone very, very wrong settles in almost immediately.

Continue reading “Dark is When the Devil Comes by Daisy Pearce: A chilling, slow-burn horror that burrows under your skin” →
Book Reviews, Find Your Next Read

One Small Mistake by Dandy Smith: A dark, addictive tale of ambition, manipulation, and the lies we tell ourselves

Mandy Webster

How far would you go to make your dreams come true? That’s the haunting question at the heart of One Small Mistake by Dandy Smith, a psychological thriller that pulls no punches in its exploration of obsession, abuse, and the dangerous allure of ambition. Set to release November 25, 2025, this gripping novel follows Elodie Fray, an aspiring author who quits her job to chase her dream of literary success—and ends up caught in a web of manipulation spun by a man who knows exactly how to pick his prey.

Get your copy of One Small Mistake from my independent online bookstore today!

At first glance, Elodie’s story might sound like a familiar tale of envy and rivalry—she’s the overlooked sister, forever in the shadow of Ada, who seems to have it all. But Smith skillfully turns the narrative inside out, showing how ambition and vulnerability can intersect in terrifying ways. As Elodie’s world begins to unravel, it becomes clear that she isn’t the architect of her own downfall—she’s the victim of a master manipulator.

Continue reading “One Small Mistake by Dandy Smith: A dark, addictive tale of ambition, manipulation, and the lies we tell ourselves” →
Book Reviews, Find Your Next Read

The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers: A story of sisterhood, loss, and a twist that left me stunned

Mandy Webster

In The Missing Half, two women connected by tragedy team up to uncover the truth about their missing sisters—and what they find is far darker than either expected. Ashley Flowers, best known as the host of the Crime Junkie podcast, delivers another haunting mystery in The Missing Half, a New York Times bestseller that blends emotional depth with a compelling, small-town suspense plot.

Get your copy of The Missing Half from my independent online bookstore today!

The story follows Nicole “Nic” Monroe, a twenty-four-year-old still reeling from the disappearance of her older sister, Kasey, seven years earlier. When Jenna Connor, whose own sister vanished under eerily similar circumstances, reaches out, the two women form an uneasy bond rooted in shared grief—and a mutual determination to find answers.

Continue reading “The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers: A story of sisterhood, loss, and a twist that left me stunned” →
Book Reviews, Find Your Next Read

When a mother disappears, everyone’s a suspect: She Didn’t See It Coming by Shari Lapena

Mandy Webster

What if your spouse vanished in the middle of an ordinary day, leaving behind their car, keys, phone—and no trace of where they went? That’s the unsettling setup of She Didn’t See It Coming by Shari Lapena, a novel that blends true crime grit with domestic suspense.

Get your copy of She Didn’t See It Coming from my independent online bookstore today!

Lapena’s latest reads differently than her earlier thrillers. This one feels more like a police procedural with a true crime edge, pulling readers into the investigation from both the detectives’ perspective and the world of amateur sleuths. I was especially intrigued by the way she wove in the true crime ecosystem—neighbors rushing to post their theories in Facebook groups, family members consuming crime podcasts for clues. Bryden’s sister, Lizzie, is a true crime addict who inserts herself into the search, raising an uncomfortable question: do amateur sleuths actually help an investigation, or do they only spread speculation that leads investigators off track?

Continue reading “When a mother disappears, everyone’s a suspect: She Didn’t See It Coming by Shari Lapena” →
Book Reviews, Find Your Next Read

The Trap you won’t see coming: Catherine Ryan Howard’s masterclass in modern crime fiction

Mandy Webster

Catherine Ryan Howard’s The Trap is a masterfully crafted psychological thriller that deserves far more attention than its underwhelming cover might suggest. Inspired by the real-life disappearances of women in 1990s Ireland, the novel is as unsettling as it is propulsive, offering a chilling and suspenseful exploration of grief, obsession, and the desperate human need for answers.

Get your copy of The Trap from my independent online bookstore today!

The story unfolds through three distinct perspectives: Lucy, a woman determined to catch her sister’s killer after her mysterious disappearance; Angela, a civilian working with the Irish police whose side investigation threatens both the case and her career; and a nameless predator whose terrifying narration will keep your heart pounding. These shifting points of view give the book its pace and emotional heft, and Howard moves between them with expert precision.

Continue reading “The Trap you won’t see coming: Catherine Ryan Howard’s masterclass in modern crime fiction” →