Stay Awake by Megan Goldin

 This was one of my best rated books, 5 out of 5 stars!  

In this thriller, Goldin touches on themes of amnesia and interplays the manipulation of a murderer!

Liv Reese suffers from a strange case of amnesia (very reminiscent of a movie I really liked named Memento).  Every time she goes to sleep, she forgets everything that happened since the morning of her friend's murder!  She doesn't even remember that her friend (and her boyfriend) is dead!  What's more, she was blamed (and framed) for the murders and it remains unsolved.  That means, if she truly isn't the killer, then that person is out there, and could be after her, too.

There were twists and turns involved in this murder mystery.  Liv had some people rooting for her, but they ended up hurt (or killed), too.  It was getting pretty scary for her until she figured it out!  The question was, could she stay awake long enough to prove it?

Definitely would recommend!

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

 Thriller Genre, 384 pages, published in 2024; themes: haunted house, lies, memories.

Rating - 5/5; Enjoyment - 5/5; Writing - 5/5; Characters - 5/5; Plot - 5/5; Readability - 5/5; and Setting - 5/5.

What did you think of the book?  What will you take away from it?

The book was well written.  I liked how the two-story lines went together.  I really thought the house was haunted.

What was the aim of the book, and how well did the author fulfill it?

Probably to provide entertainment via a realistic fiction.  You are left to wonder whether the house truly is haunted until the very end.

Would you recommend this book to others?  Who is the target audience?

Yes, thrill seekers and ghost hunters which is currently relevant to me.

One-sentence book review

What haunts you may not be dead.

Thoughts and Notes

***Spoiler Alert***

Maggie grew up - not really - in a giant mansion known to be haunted but that's only because her father wrote a book saying it was.  Maggie doesn't believe it because she was 5 and doesn't remember any of it.

Her dad dies and she inherited this house - yes, the haunted house - she didn't even know her dad still owned it.  Well, she wants to flip it because that's what she does.  Since she knows it's not haunted then there's no issue. 

Well, she gets there, and strange stuff keeps happening.  She's losing her mind.  Until we find out the house does have secrets - secret passageways!

No One Can Know by Kate Alice Marshall

 Thriller genre published in 2024, about 325 pages.  Themes:  Betrayal, murder, etc.

Ratings - 5 out of 5 overall

Enjoyment - 4/5

Writing - 4/5

Characters - 5/5

Plot - 3/5

Readability 5/5

Setting - 5/5

What did you think of the book?  What will you take away from it?

Well planned and developed.  Take away - things are never what they seem.  Your story may not be the most accurate.

What was the aim of the book, and how well did the author fulfill it?

Provide various angels to the same story.  Isn't that how life works?  Elements of suspense, questions, doubts, etc.  Well done.

Would you recommend this book to others?  Who is the target audience?

Absolutely, thriller lovers with find it a good read.

One sentence book review

You will never know the whole truth unless you talk about it.

Thoughts and Notes

***SPOILER ALERT***

Emma doesn't talk about her past, but her husband forces the issue when he loses his job, and they need a place to live.

They move into her childhood home - where her parents were murdered - in order to survive.  Then the past comes back full swing.

All 3 sisters (yeah, did I mention Emma has 2 sisters?) were somehow involved in their parent's murder but they swore not to tell anyone anything they knew.

A guy named Gabe was Emma's friend - much older - no funny business apparently - and they though he did it too.

The parents were abusive, so all the girls seemed to want them dead but did one of them actually do it.

Well, the story kind of leads us to believe that the youngest sister did it - well 1/2 did it.

But who killed Emma's husband?