There’s No Way I’d Die First by Lisa Springer
To start off the season, I decided to expand the genres I read and try a thriller. And what says “thriller” more than a killer clown at a Halloween party? Major horror enthusiast Noelle Layne is throwing the ultimate Halloween party, complete with creepy decorations, horror movies and a clown hired for entertainment. The only problem? His murderous grin and bloody axe suggest he has something else in mind. Noelle prides herself on being the type of person who would survive a horror movie, but suddenly she may have to prove it.
There’s No Way I’d Die First was definitely a fun, twisted read and its title perfectly captures the self-absorbed personalities of its characters. Honestly, some of them were so shallow and selfish that I found myself secretly hoping they wouldn’t make it to the end. The killer clown premise was entertaining, and the Halloween setting made it an easy book to get into, but I found the plot fairly predictable. There were moments when I wanted more suspense and a little more from the story itself. Still, not every book has to be a five-star, stay-up-until-3-a.m. read. Sometimes you just want something quick, chaotic and entertaining and this definitely delivered that.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
Everyone knows the story in Fairview. Popular senior, Andie Bell, murdered by her boyfriend, Salil Singh, who ends up taking his own life. Except that’s not what happened and Andie’s not who everyone thinks she is. Five years later, Pippa Fitz Amobi decides to reexamine the case for her final project, initially just hoping to cast some doubt on the original decision. But the deeper Pip digs, the more secrets she uncovers. Partnering up with Sal’s younger brother, Ravi, Pip sets out to prove Sal’s innocence and find out what actually happened that day.
This one was a real page-turner. I loved trying to piece the mystery together alongside Pip and Ravi. Every new discovery made me question what I knew. Ravi was also such a sweet and supportive character, which made the partnership even better. Between the twists, the secrets and the constant feeling that Pip was getting herself into more trouble than she could handle, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder had me hooked from beginning to end.
The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose
Sarah Morgan is a powerful woman; she’s a successful defense attorney in Washington, D.C., a named partner at her firm, and lives the exact life she envisioned for herself. However, her husband, Adam, is not any of those things. He’s a struggling writer, with a career that can’t get off the ground and blames his issues and struggles on his and Sarah’s relationship. He’s tired of not being seen and, quite frankly, can’t stand to see his wife be successful. Like any pitiful husband, Adam decides to have a passionate affair with Kelly Summers at Sarah’s lake house in the secluded woods. Adam’s world is turned upside down when Kelly is found with brutal stab wounds, dead in his bed. Sarah must now take on her hardest case yet, defending her own husband, accused of murdering his mistress.
There’s something about the unknown that really draws you in, the sense of not knowing the full story but just enough to be curious. A good plot twist is one that you don’t see coming, that only until all the cards are laid out and spread for everyone to see, then does it all come together. I felt this way reading The Perfect Marriage. This book was a rollercoaster; every time I thought I figured it out, new information was discovered and I was back to the drawing board, tying a red string to connect the culprit to the murder. The writing was crisp, the plot was intriguing and I couldn’t put the book down!
Three books, three very different mysteries and plenty of questionable decisions along the way. Whether I was trying to survive a Halloween party, solve a cold case or figure out who committed a murder, these books made for an entertaining beginning to the fall season. Grab a blanket, find a cozy corner, and pick your poison—or, in this case, your plot. Happy reading!