Guest Post ~ Samuel Wardwell on Retribution, Prison, and Adapting to Change

Release date: January 9th 2018
Publisher: MCP Books
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Marc Ransom is innocent, but after a major misunderstanding he's in prison and making...questionable company. His new cellmate isn't just a cat burglar; she's a woman, and she's ready to leave.

This is America's first co-ed prison. It's a high-tech joint where thugs rule, robot guards roam, and cameras see everything. And now, two complete opposites are trapped there together.

But life in prison isn't an option. Corrupt authorities want Marc gone. Gangs have marked the burglar, Linda, for death. Seeing no other way, the unlikely cellmates become a 'brain and brawn' duo by pairing his strength with her street smarts.

In forcing themselves to cooperate, they might just find freedom, redemption, and romance in the unlikeliest of places.

~GUEST POST~

Technological advancements and societal changes throughout history have always fascinated me. It is my belief that both have a dynamic effect on each other. 

A decade ago, I found myself locked up in a Georgia prison. I started to think about how our culture might handle the imprisonment of its citizens in the future. Because our society is moving to make everything equal, our prisons could soon be co-ed.

One of the major concerns I had during this unfortunate time in my life was being assaulted. I realized that this would become worse if a prison environment was co-educational. How would the authorities keep the men and women apart? It was while thinking about this that I started to develop the idea for the Retribution series.

With advancements in battery and GPS technologies, self-locating devices have become commonplace. In the Retribution series, the use of wrist and ankle bracelets make it possible to locate an inmate. They would create a magnetic field around the prisoner. The battery pack built into the ankle bracelet would allow me to solve the issue of inmate contact. The bracelets would stop the physical assaults that have plagued prisons throughout history. They would also prevent the members of the opposite sex from co-mingling. The wrist bracelet acts as both an I.D. and location device. The larger ankle bracelet would house a taser-like technology. With this, an electrical jolt capable of increasing its voltage would be possible. The longer the two people wearing the devices are in contact, the greater the shock the two would suffer. 

I then thought about what it might be like to live in such an environment. This is when I created the primary characters in Retribution, Linda and Marc.

The character of Marc is loosely based on myself. Many of the incidents that happen to Marc during his incarceration mirror incidents that actually happened to me while I was in prison. I also weave into the story how my arrest happened and why the legal system had completely let me down.

Linda is a different story. Linda is based on a good friend of mine from the past. She was a risk taker, and ended up getting involved in a horrible situation that led to her death. In the book, I dramatized her life; however, I kept her heritage, intellect, and acrobatic abilities as part of Linda’s character. In the story, Linda chooses to use her skills to become a very successful cat-burglar early in life.

The Retribution series is about how Linda and Marc end up meeting in Georgia’s first co-ed prison. The story follows two very different people who inadvertently save the other’s life. They develop a mutual trust and cautiously become friends. They are targets for assassination and marked for death. They choose to do the only thing that can save their lives: escape from one of the most high-tech prisons ever created.

I am an architect by training. An architect's job is to create and manage the work on buildings or structures. Computer technology has grown by leaps and bounds over the years. I believe there will soon be a need for an “architect” of sorts to manage and design complicated technology systems in various companies and organizations. In the Retribution series, this person would be a computer architect. In my story, Marc holds this coveted title.

Marc’s background and Linda’s amazing physical abilities allow them to create a plan to defeat the prison's technology. They figure out a way to trick the system into not realizing that two inmates are about to escape.

My inspiration for Retribution was to take what I already knew about the world we live in and mix it with what I believe the future has planned for us all.

Our society will learn how to the adapt to the changes and inventions that are flooding us almost every day. The challenge I tackle in the series is how our future will affect us and what we will have to do to adapt.

Marc is an idealist who believes that things happen for a reason. Because of her life’s circumstances, Linda has to be a realist by necessity just to survive. These two very different people find themselves in many incredible adventures. Retribution explores how even the most difficult circumstances can be overcome with teamwork, trust, and eventual love.

About the Author

Samuel Wardwell is an American author of crime-thriller novels. His books include themes of crime, redemption, and corruption within the legal system. Wardwell lived a privileged life; he grew up in northern New Jersey, and went to college in New York City. He worked for many years as an architect and historian, but struggled with addiction. Samuel became a functioning alcoholic and made decisions he'd later come to regret. Today, he lives in Roswell, Georgia. He has been sober for over ten years.

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Review: Keep Her Safe by K.A. Tucker

Release date: January 23rd 2018
Publisher: Atria Books
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Noah Marshall has known a privileged and comfortable life thanks to his mother, the highly decorated chief of the Austin Police Department. But all that changes the night she reveals a skeleton that's been rattling in her closet for years, and succumbs to the guilt of destroying an innocent family's life. Reeling with grief, Noah is forced to carry the burden of this shocking secret.

Gracie Richards wasn't born in a trailer park, but after fourteen years of learning how to survive in The Hollow, it's all she knows anymore. At least here people don't care that her dad was a corrupt Austin cop, murdered in a drug deal gone wrong. Here, she and her mother are just another family struggling to survive...until a man who clearly doesn't belong shows up on her doorstep.

Despite their differences, Noah and Gracie are searching for answers to the same questions, and together, they set out to uncover the truth about the Austin Police Department's dark and messy past. But the scandal that emerges is bigger than they bargained for, and goes far higher up than they ever imagined.

Complex, gritty, sexy, and thrilling, Keep Her Safe solidifies K.A. Tucker's reputation as one of today's most talented new voices in romantic suspense.

*Received a physical copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

I'm a lover of suspense and Tucker is one of my favorites in that genre. Keep Her Safe is my kind of read, a slow build yet thrilling story bound to keep you hooked until the last page.

This novel intrigues you right away. I immediately attached myself to Noah and the whole situation with his mom. He seemed like such a goody-goody who always did the right thing so I wanted to know what was up with his mother and what part she played in a long cover-up that was obviously destroying her mental state. 

As for Gracie, her gritty character doesn't really come off likable but I understood why she was like that. She had to be tough and wary of everyone who came around her. After all, she and her mother went through a lot, and in comparison to Noah, they didn't have a great life full of opportunities, especially with the horrible picture their hometown and police painted of Gracie's father.

The interactions between the two characters were always interesting. I liked that there wasn't anything instant, though, and that it took a while for both to open up. My hope for growth between them kept me reading, but the mystery surrounding Gracie's father also had my interest. Honestly, I knew a certain someone was involved, with how evasive he seemed throughout, but I wanted to understand why and also get clarity on what went down all those years ago.

Again, this is a great story with Tucker at her best. I don't want to give too much away, the only thing left for me to say is to give it a read if you're looking for a suspense that's not too fast or overwhelming. It's just right.

About the Author

K.A. Tucker writes captivating stories with an edge. 

She is the USA Today bestselling author of 16 books, including Ten Tiny Breaths and Burying Water, and her upcoming Adult Suspense novel, Keep Her Safe. Her books have been featured in national publications including USA Today, Globe & Mail, Suspense Magazine, and Publisher's Weekly. 

K.A. Tucker currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto with her husband and two beautiful girls.

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CAN'T WAIT TO READ: Bring Me Back by B.A. Paris

Release date: June 19th 2018
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

A young British couple are driving through France on holiday when they stop for gas. He runs in to pay, she stays in the car. When he returns her car door has been left open, but she's not inside. No one ever sees her again. 

Ten years later he's engaged to be married; he's happy, and his past is only a tiny part his life now. Until he comes home from work and finds his new wife-to-be is sitting on their sofa. She's turning something over in her fingers, holding it up to the light. Something that would have no worth to anyone else, something only he and she would know about because his wife is the sister of his missing first love.

As more and more questions are raised, their marriage becomes strained. Has his first love somehow come back to him after all this time? Or is the person who took her playing games with his mind?

About the Author

NYT best-selling author of Behind Closed Doors and The Breakdown. B.A Paris grew up in England but has spent most of her adult life in France. She has worked both in finance and as a teacher and has five daughters. 

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Review: Alone by Cyn Balog

Release date: November 7th 2017
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

You’re never really alone in this new suspenseful novel from the author of Unnatural Deeds, which Kirkus praised as “a PG-13 version of Gone Girl.”

When her mom inherits an old, crumbling mansion, Seda’s almost excited to spend the summer there. The grounds are beautiful and it’s fun to explore the sprawling house with its creepy rooms and secret passages. Except now her mom wants to renovate, rather than sell the estate—which means they're not going back to the city…or Seda's friends and school. 

As the days grow shorter, Seda is filled with dread. They’re about to be cut off from the outside world, and she’s not sure she can handle the solitude or the darkness it brings out in her.

Then a group of teens get stranded near the mansion during a blizzard. Seda has no choice but to offer them shelter, even though she knows danger lurks in the dilapidated mansion—and in herself. And as the snow continues to fall, what Seda fears most is about to become her reality…

*Publisher approved request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I had no idea I would end up liking this story and all its craziness as much as I did, with how slow the first few chapters were and me not really being pulled in by the main character. But once things started to pick up and the situation went awry, I became well-investigated and needed to know if my suspicions were accurate, especially about Seda. I knew she wasn't all the way there, but I did not see her remarks toward the end coming. 

Before I get into why this dark and twisted story ended up entertaining me, I have to address the fact that there were just too many siblings. I mean, I like kids but for a book of this nature, it was way too many for me. I couldn't keep up with who was who and by the time the mystery was underway, I'd forgotten all about them. As for the mother, she needed to have some senses knocked into her. She was just not realistic and wasn't as concerned about her children's best interest as she ought to be. Children shouldn't be uprooted and brought to a place like that, I don't even care if she would eventually sell the place. I just strongly feel that she should never have done such a thing. And I also can't believe she didn't figure out the severity of Seda's mental state. That very reason shows how detached she was.

Anyway, back to the overall plot. I had suspected the group of teens from the moment Seda spotted them before the blizzard, and when they just happened to get stranded nearby it became even more clear to me something was up. But I had no idea the mother was going to bring up doing such a game in celebration of her teen daughter's birthday, and when scary things started happening I began second-guessing myself. Was it all real? Or were they all messing with Seda? I had to wait until the very end. And boy was that an ending, especially when the truth was revealed and that book cover made sense at last. I honestly had no idea it would play out like that and I love how the story ended with me having questions. One thing, in particular, I'm curious to know is what will happen once the mother knows?

Overall, great writing and interesting concept. Although it started out slow, I was still intrigued by the story for the most part and it held my attention in the sense that I wanted to figure things out and understand Seda's character better. I recommend reading this if you're looking for a spooky psychological thriller with a twisted ending.

About the Author

Cyn Balog is a normal, everyday Jersey Girl who always believed magical things can happen to us when we least expect them. She is author of young adult paranormal novels FAIRY TALE (2009), SLEEPLESS(2010), STARSTRUCK (2011), TOUCHED (2012), and her most recent release: DEAD RIVER (2013). She lives outside Allentown, Pennsylvania with her husband and daughters.

She also writes under the pen name Nichola Reilly. Nichola Reilly is Cyn Balog's post-apocalyptic fantasy-writing alter-ego. The first book in her series, DROWNED, will be releasing from Harlequin TEEN sometime in 2014, followed by a sequel, BURIED, in 2015.

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Review: All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker

Release date: July 12th 2016
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

In the small, affluent town of Fairview, Connecticut everything seems picture perfect.

Until one night when young Jenny Kramer is attacked at a local party. In the hours immediately after, she is given a controversial drug to medically erase her memory of the violent assault. But, in the weeks and months that follow, as she heals from her physical wounds, and with no factual recall of the attack, Jenny struggles with her raging emotional memory. Her father, Tom, becomes obsessed with his inability to find her attacker and seek justice while her mother, Charlotte, prefers to pretend this horrific event did not touch her perfect country club world.

As they seek help for their daughter, the fault lines within their marriage and their close-knit community emerge from the shadows where they have been hidden for years, and the relentless quest to find the monster who invaded their town - or perhaps lives among them - drive this psychological thriller to a shocking and unexpected conclusion.

*Received a finished copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

All Is Not Forgotten is definitely not meant for the faint at heart, especially when details about gruesome events started to unravel. I barely made it through some parts and had to step away from the story at times to take a breather. That said, I did end up liking it because it kept me both intrigued and eager to learn how things would work out for each character. 

Many readers might find it disappointing that the story is narrated by someone other than Jenny, and even I was a bit bothered with that because I wanted to see things from her point of view; get inside her head, feel her emotions, and better connect with her. But if you can see past that, you'll delve deeper and discover how everything related. You may even say it came full circle. 

So the story went like this: 

After Jenny's attack, her MOTHER (because the father was pretty much ignored and overpowered in the decision-making) agreed to have doctors give Jenny a drug that'll block the memory of her assault. Mrs. Kramer believed it was best for Jenny to forget what had happened in order to go on living a normal life. But in all honesty, the mother was thinking about herself and wanted to put it all behind her. See Mrs. Kramer had issues of her own and she was used to sweeping things under the rug and dealing with them in other ways. I don't want to give those issues away, but throughout the story, we're told how unfair it was to judge the mother for her behavior and the way she treated her husband. That was hard for me, even as the story progressed and we learn more about her past. Her character was just too intolerable.  

Not saying the father didn't have issues of his own. The narrator explained a lot about both of Jenny's parents and I understood how certain factors in their upbringing contributed to who they were now as adults. Jenny's father never seemed to stand up for himself. I got mad at him for that, always letting his wife control things the way she did. But once details about his life were revealed, I totally got it from a psychological standpoint. And really, you just had to look at things in that way as you read, so you could understand these messed up characters. 

As for the narrator, he came into the picture after the parents sought out help for Jenny. And his conclusion was to help her remember the terrible night, because even though they'd used the drug to block the memory, the emotions were still there. Jenny knew something had happened to her and she still had a hard time coping, no matter how her mother pretended everything was fine. Besides, the police had no suspects and no leads. It was imperative that Jenny remembered, not only to deal with it properly but to find the monster before it happened again.

A lot transpired once Jenny started seeing the narrator. We uncovered more about his character and family. And another client's life entered the story. A soldier who was also given the drug. He and Jenny began spending time together, relating emotions and situations. And a good chunk of the story was spent on understanding this other person. At first, I was like, "why is he being mentioned?". Then we're told about all the things he'd dealt with and how a dreaded experience in the military had caused him to have PTSD. Hence, why he was given the drug. 

So much went on in the book and the more I read, the more I got pulled in, especially when something started to seem off about the narrator. When it became clear what that was, he certainly shouldn't have continued seeing Jenny, much less speaking to the police.  But he did. And with his involvement in Jenny's situation and what he'd stirred up for her mother and father, along with the soldier, it was almost mind-blowing. I couldn't believe the manipulation and how he was able to keep it all together. Then again, he had a dark secret that he'd kept for years. And by the end of the story, like me, you'll even hold him accountable for a lot that had happened.

Overall, this one was intriguing and made an impact on me in the sense that you never know what some people are going through, what they could be hiding. Sometimes sinister, sometimes gruesome. I wasn't expecting the story to be told in the way it was, based on the blurb, and I'm not too happy with the ending. Regardless, it's still worth the read.

About the Author
Wendy Walker is a practicing divorce attorney in Fairfield County, Connecticut who began writing while at home raising her three sons. She published two novels with St. Martin’s Press and edited multiple compilations for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series before writing her debut psychological thriller, All is Not Forgotten.

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CAN'T WAIT TO READ: The New Bad Thing by Michael Ebner

Release date: March 2017
Publisher: Pen and Paper
Pre-order: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Teagan can’t have what she wants most in life. Now everywhere she goes and everyone she knows are constant reminders of this. Desperate for a distraction, she needs to focus her energy elsewhere. Suddenly a foreign news story shocks her to the core. From that moment, she takes matters into her own hands and starts a special project. It could become a global game changer. But not everybody will be happy about these plans. If successful, governments and terrorists, will want her and this new thing terminated. 

Despite early success for the project, an internal problem comes to light, which consequently wipes out the entire scheme. She travels to Paris to deal with the so-called problem in person but wakes up in the middle of a real life terrorist siege. Or is it a planned attack on her life? 

Teagan will quickly be forced to make a choice that will threaten her and her family forever. It's the new bad thing.

About the Author

Michael Ebner's work has appeared in New York Magazine, SPIN, Inside Film, Wallpaper and Kirkus Reviews, among others. His debut novel All The Talk Is Dead was named one of Best Books of 2013 by Kirkus Reviews. Movie Game is his second novel.

Review: The Cabin by Natasha Preston

Release date: September 6th 2016
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

There may only be one killer, but no one is innocent in this new thriller from Natasha Preston, author of The Cellar and Awake.

When Mackenzie treks to a secluded cabin in the woods with six friends, she expects a fun weekend of partying, drinking, and hookups. But when they wake to find two of their own dead and covered in blood, it's clear there's a killer among them.

As the police try to unravel the case, Mackenzie launches her own investigation. Before long secrets start to emerge, revealing a sinister web of sins among the original seven friends. The killer is still free. Every one of them is a suspect. And Mackenzie starts to realize that no one is innocent…

*Publisher approved request via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What would you do if you went away with some friends and two of them ended up murdered? The doors are locked and there's no sign of forced entry. Would you maintain that trust in the friends that survived, or would you suspect them? 

I kept asking myself this for the most part of the story. I honestly wanted to give each character the benefit of the doubt and consider the fact that maybe someone else with a key came in while they were all wiped out from drinking and killed their friends. I even went as far as to suspect Blake's mother. She was a strange one. But the more I got to uncover about each "friend", the more I realize that none of them were innocent, as indicated in the blurb. They all had a reason, but the question was, which had it in them to actually commit murder.

The Cabin started out pretty interesting and I liked how it was a murder mystery involving friends; the fact that it tested friendships and how well you thought you knew someone. However, I did have some issues throughout. One of the major things that threw me was Blake's personality. I get that some people have different ways of dealing with grief and other hurtful things in their lives, but I found his behavior and the things he'd say a tad inappropriate in various scenes. Mackenzie got caught up in it at times too, and one scene in particular that turned me off was the way they were acting when another murder occurred. They were basically flirting with each other right after getting the terrible news and it just didn't seem... realistic. I mean, who thinks about sex or makes jokes after hearing about a murder? That didn't make any sense to me. And that happened a lot throughout the book, which is the main reason why the story fell short for me. When it comes to this genre, I like a more serious, dark, and suspenseful theme with a little bit of light outside of serious moments, but instead it seemed like this one was mostly straddling the edge of humor. 

The ending was also crazy and even though I'd suspected that friend was the killer, I never anticipated it would play out in such a way. Overall, interesting plot and nice writing. And I am curious as to what will happen in the next book because surely there will be a follow-up after that cliffhanger. 

About the Author

UK native Natasha Preston grew up in small villages and towns. She discovered her love of writing when she shared a story online—and hasn’t looked back since. She enjoys writing romance, thrillers, gritty YA, and the occasional serial killer.

www.natashapreston.com

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Guest Post: Author Morgan Dark on the origin of 'Zero'

Release date: June 28th 2016

Publisher: Rubiños

Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

A baffling robber.

A mystery hidden for years.

And an elite boarding school where no one is who they say they are.

Kyle Bradford is the envy of Drayton College, but everything takes a turn when a dangerous shadow, hidden in the darkness, starts to stalk him. From then on, his life falls apart. Unjustly accused of being the main suspect behind the robberies terrifying high society, he is forced to prove his innocence. And to do so, he has to find the real culprit: 
Zero, an infallible criminal who keeps his identity hidden under a silver mask. What Kyle does not know is that his enemy is keeping a secret. A secret he would sacrifice everything for.

A dizzying, heart-stopping thriller you won’t be able to put down.

~GUEST POST~

One of the most curious anecdotes I have about Zero has to do with the origin of the book. 

About a year ago, I was finishing another book, also YA, that had nothing to do with the Zero saga. An international publishing house had offered me a contract to publish it, and I was just putting the final touches on the manuscript.

One day, however, returning home from a trip, I opened the front door to find that thieves had broken into my apartment in New York. The house was a mess. Most of my valuables were gone, including my favorite ring that my parents gave me when I turned 18. 

I had to stay with a friend while the police went through the house and took stock of everything that had been taken. It was a hectic time… When it was all over, I started thinking, wondering who the thief might have been… 

I forgot about the book I’d been working on and started writing another one which had a mysterious masked thief as the main character. Not even my editor knew about it. When I finished the manuscript, I sent it off to him. He called me a few hours later to say he’d loved it and that he was set on getting it published at all cost.

And that’s how Zero was born.

The strange thing is that when the book had already gone to press, I got an anonymous black envelope quite similar to the one in Chapter 6 in the book. In it was the ring the thieves took from my house months earlier… in perfect condition. I still have no idea who broke into my apartment…

The young adult bestseller ZERO will go on sale in an exclusive ebook edition translated to English that will be available in more than 30 countries simultaneously.

About the Author

Morgan Dark is one of the most original teenage literature writers. Always enveloped in suspense, as of yet no one knows her true identity. She began writing ZERO after a hooded man robbed her in her New York apartment. Included amongst the stolen items was her favorite ring. After ZERO became one of the most awaited teenage books in 2015, her ring showed up in her house again… in black envelope with no sender. 

Visit Morgan at www.morgandark.com

Facebook.com/MorganDarkAuthor
@_MorganDark.

CAN'T WAIT TO READ: Into the Light by Aleatha Romig

Series: The Light #1
Release date: June 14th 2016
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Sara Adams awakes blind, unable to remember the most basic details of her life, but her darkness seems a blessing when she discovers the terrors of The Light.

Stella Montgomery investigates the news from the mean streets of Detroit, where she’s noticed a disturbing trend: young women are vanishing. When her best friend disappears, Stella digs for answers—despite warnings from her police detective boyfriend—following a twisted trail that leads her through the city’s most dangerous and forsaken precincts. There she uncovers something more sinister than she could have imagined: a shadowy organization known as The Light, led by the enigmatic Father Gabriel.

As Sara struggles to understand her place in the strange world she’s awakened to—an oppressive cult demanding unquestioning obedience—and her feelings for Jacob, the husband she can’t recall and whose harsh and tender attentions confuse and beguile her, Stella risks all to discover the truth. But enlightenment always comes with a price.…

About the Author
Aleatha Romig is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives in Indiana. She grew up in Mishawaka, graduated from Indiana University, and is currently living south of Indianapolis. Aleatha has raised three children with her high school sweetheart and husband of nearly thirty years. Before she became a full-time author, she worked days as a dental hygienist and spent her nights writing. Now, when she's not imagining mind-blowing twists and turns, she likes to spend her time a with her family and friends. Her other pastimes include reading and creating heroes/anti-heroes who haunt your dreams!

facebook.com/AleathaRomig | twitter.com/AleathaRomig

Review: The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas

Release date: April 19th 2016
Publisher: Delacorte
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

The Darkest Corners is a psychological thriller about the lies little girls tell, and the deadly truths those lies become.

There are ghosts around every corner in Fayette, Pennsylvania. Tessa left when she was nine and has been trying ever since not to think about it after what happened there that last summer. Memories of things so dark will burn themselves into your mind if you let them.

Callie never left. She moved to another house, so she doesn’t have to walk those same halls, but then Callie always was the stronger one. She can handle staring into the faces of her demons—and if she parties hard enough, maybe one day they’ll disappear for good.

Tessa and Callie have never talked about what they saw that night. After the trial, Callie drifted and Tessa moved, and childhood friends just have a way of losing touch.

But ever since she left, Tessa has had questions. Things have never quite added up. And now she has to go back to Fayette—to Wyatt Stokes, sitting on death row; to Lori Cawley, Callie’s dead cousin; and to the one other person who may be hiding the truth.

Only the closer Tessa gets to the truth, the closer she gets to a killer—and this time, it won’t be so easy to run away.

*Received a physical copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Well, this was quite a story. I honestly didn't know what to expect or had any initial thoughts as to how The Darkest Corners would play out, but I'm happy that I stuck with it from start to finish.

The story kicks off with Tessa being given some news about her father and she has to return to a place she has dreaded after being gone for ten years. Throughout the story, she recalls some childhood memories of her own dysfunctional family, as well as a period of torture for her and others in her hometown. Her thoughts also enable us to experience the effects of what she and Callie had endured as children, as well as establish the kind of person Tessa is at present. 

Now, a lot of people may not like Tessa's character. She's flawed, and there's nothing really sweet and cookie-cutter about her. She's rather honest in her mind but often conceals the facts from others. And she doesn't always have the most pleasant thoughts about her peers. But given that she grew up in a messy family and had gone through so much as a child, I think all those things contribute to her tough exterior and guarded mentality. And I liked that she started doing research and digging into things to find answers for her questions, as well as try and fix the mistake (even though she and friend were pressured and manipulated) she and Callie made as kids. 

There's a lot I could get into but what I liked most about the story was how dark, intriguing, mysterious and unpredictable it was. I tried so many times to guess the real killer but failed each time. There was just no way to figure it out. Kara gave no clue as to how things would end and I liked all the twists and reveals along the way. The truth about Tessa's family, especially about her sister was a surprise. Not to mention the truth about Tessa. I did not see that coming. I feel like there was a tiny hint about the mother, but I never suspected the situation with her was to that extent. So very interesting and very realistic because these things do happen. 

Characters came and went but the one recurring character I loved was Maggie, Callie's mom. She had a significant role in the story with the way she was always helping Tessa and she sort of stood in the place that Tessa's real mom should have been. At times Maggie seemed a bit overprotective, but after what happened to her niece, that was understandable and she only wanted to keep her daughter and Tessa safe. It's always a breath of fresh air to see moms portrayed in such a good way in books. Often times they're mostly like Tessa's mother, but Maggie is a sign that family doesn't have to be blood-related.

Another thing I liked about Darkest Corners is the fact that Tessa and Callie managed to restore the bond they had before with everything going on. Their friendship was damaged as children after what happened and both felt as if the other abandoned them in a way. But the fact that even after Callie and Tessa solved everything and still wanted to keep in touch brought a smile to my face. I feel like their past alone should strengthen their friendship and forever connect them. I was also happy that Callie's parents did that for her in the end because she truly needed it.  But speaking of the end, what a way to leave us with questions in the epilogue Kara. Readers are definitely going to be wondering about that character and how she ended up in that situation. I know I am definitely curious. 

Overall, an intriguing story with unpredictability you'll enjoy. The writing is quick and fluid; the setting is dark and suspenseful. And even though these characters aren't like the usual ones from sugary YA books, I still felt a connection to them, and the mystery of who the killer was and what was going on with Tessa's family had me locked in the story from start to finish. I recommend giving this one a read. Beware, though, it is creepy.

About the Author

Kara is the author of THE DARKEST CORNERS, coming from Penguin Random House/Delacorte Press in Spring 2016. She also wrote the Prep School Confidential series (St. Martin’s Press) and the pilot The Revengers for the CW under the pen name Kara Taylor. She’s represented by Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary & Media for books and United Talent Agency and Brillstein Entertainment Partners for film. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or on the couch with her rescue cat, Felix.

www.kara-thomas.com | www.thedarkestcornersbook.com

CAN'T WAIT TO READ: The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas

Release date: April 19th 2016
Publisher: Delacorte
Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis via Goodreads:

There are ghosts around every corner in Fayette, Pennsylvania. Tessa left when she was nine and has been trying ever since not to think about it after what happened that last summer. Memories of things so dark will burn themselves into your mind if you let them.

Callie never left. She moved to another house, so she doesn’t have to walk those same halls, but then Callie always was the stronger one. She can handle staring into the face of her demons–and if she parties hard enough, maybe one day they’ll disappear for good.

Tessa and Callie haven’t talked about what they saw that summer night since it happened. After the trial Callie drifted and Tessa moved and childhood friends just have a way of losing touch.

But ever since she left, Tessa’s had questions. Things have never quite added up. And now she has to go back to Fayette–to Wyatt Stokes sitting on death row; to Lori Cawley, Callie’s dead cousin; and to the only other person who may be hiding the truth.

Only the closer Tessa gets to the truth, the closer she gets to a killer–and this time, it won’t be as easy to run away.

About the Author

Kara is the author of THE DARKEST CORNERS, coming April 2016 from Random House/Delacorte. She is also the author of the Prep School Confidential series from St. Martin's Griffin under the pen name Kara Taylor. Kara has written for Warner Brothers Television and currently writes full-time on Long Island, where she lives with her husband and rescue cat.

instagram.com/karamoomoo