Thank you Macmillan Audio, Libro.fm, Simon Audio and Harper Audio for the ALCs and Minotaur Books, Scout Press and William Morrow Books, #partner for the physical copies in exchange for my honest reviews.
Not that I don’t read thrillers all year long, but they just seem to hit a little different in the summer. Fast-paced, dark, thrilling reads that get your adrenaline running, am I right? These were all 5 star reads & ones I’ll be adding to my recommendation list!! And I listened to all these & the audios were fantastic!!
PRETTY DEAD THINGS by Kelsey Cox
Published: July 7, 2026, Minotaur Books / Macmillan Audio
Summary:
Secrets emerge as a Texas beauty pageant turns deadly in this rich and addictive novel with a jaw-dropping twist from psychological suspense author Kelsey Cox.
2000: Isabelle Whitmore vanishes at Sherman Ranch in Anhalt, Texas, without a trace.
2025: The annual Lone Star Princess Pageant looms, bringing long-standing grudges to the surface. Ingrid fled Anhalt in the wake of her sister Isabelle’s disappearance and has now returned, just in time for a construction crew to start digging up Sherman Ranch; the pageant brings up past traumas that Melanie can’t forget; Cat, newly sober, starts to feel threatened in ways that bring back old demons; and Sarah Lynn, who comes from a long line of pageant winners, knows that losing is not an option.
When old resentments and new confrontations reach their boiling point, temperatures drop to deadly degrees as a record-setting storm brings down the state’s power grid. With everyone trapped under one roof, scores will be settled, and more than one person will end up dead.
Some secrets are better left buried.
My thoughts:
Another fun domestic drama from this author! I love locked-room thrillers & the way this played out, with the teenage beauty pageant as a backdrop & a big storm closing everything down, kept me guessing with an ending I did not see coming…it was wild!! I’m still thinking about it!! And the audio production, a full-cast, just enhanced an already amazing read!
****************************************************************************************************************
THE DEATH ROW CLUB by V.A. Vazquez
Published: July 14, 2026, Scout Press / Simon Audio
Summary:
SOME THINGS RUN IN THE BLOOD…
A darkly twisted and wonderfully original debut thriller for fans of Riley Sager and Jessica Knoll – at an annual weekend getaway for the adult children of serial killers, the participants begin to wonder if somebody’s continuing the family tradition when one of their number turns up dead.
Plenty of people have lousy parents, but Nicola Fischer’s father has just been convicted of murdering five young women, including her best friend. Fired from her job and hounded by reporters, Nicola passes the time by doomscrolling and drunk-dialling Greer Woods, the alluring host of the hit show To Catch a Killer, who cracked the case and turned Nicola’s life upside down before disappearing along with her so-called ‘best intentions’.
When an email from Greer finally shows up in Nicola’s inbox, there’s no apology or explanation, just a cryptic invitation. The Death Row Club is an annual weekend getaway for the adult children of serial killers – and Nicola is the newest reluctant member. Desperate to escape her small town, she accepts the offer with barely a second thought, forging tentative bonds with her fellow club members, most of whom seem intriguing, and only slightly unhinged.
But when an uninvited guest shows up at their remote wilderness retreat, everyone is put on high alert, and the next morning paranoia turns to outright fear. Because one of their own is dead, and the rest of them are left with only one question.
If the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, which of them is the bad seed?
My thoughts:
I’m still in awe that this is a debut! It takes the serial killer trope & turns it on its head…& I loved it! It was so original…so twisty & tackles themes of nature vs nuture, our moral compass & so much more. This isn’t the story you think it is!! And the audio, narrated by Meg Price & Stephanie Nemeth-Parker, was fantastic!! They nailed the pacing & infused just the right amount of tension & emotion into their voice as needed.
****************************************************************************************************************
THREE REASONS FOR REVENGE by Dervla McTiernan
Published: July 21, 2026, William Morrow Books / Harper Audio
Summary:
Someone’s been watching. Someone’s been waiting.
From the #1 internationally bestselling author of What Happened to Nina? comes a gripping high-stakes novel of suspense about three seemingly unconnected people, caught in a lethal web of deceit and unhealed wounds.
Alexis Turner walks into the police station to report an assault. By the end of the day, she is nowhere to be found.
Soon after she disappears, three identical packages arrive at three very different a respected psychologist’s home, a socialite’s mansion, and a struggling single father’s run-down apartment. Inside, each gift is perfectly tailored to its recipient – and each will tear apart the life of its intended victim.
Detective Sergeant Judith Lee is smart and experienced, but this is no ordinary case. Someone with intimate knowledge of their targets is orchestrating these attacks. Someone who knows exactly how to hurt each victim where they’re most vulnerable. And she’s convinced that somehow, it connects back to Alexis Turner.
As she races to uncover the connection between three seemingly unrelated people, Judith discovers she’s no longer just investigating the game – she’s being forced to play.
My thoughts:
Another must-read from this author!! This was such a layered story. There’s more than just the crime here, there’s secrets to be uncovered, connections to be made, & revenge to be had. It was so cleverly plotted & I was her for it all! The audiobook is narrated by Alison McGirr & she does a phenomenal job juggling all the characters, giving everyone distinct voices & personalities.
Have you read any of these books or do you plan to? What’s your go-to genre in the summer?
*Purchasing from the links above support independent bookstores and my blog!
