Her Many Faces by Nicci Cloke

Title: Her Many Faces

Author: Nicci Cloke

Publisher: William Morrow

Release Date: July 15, 2025

For readers of Girl A and Notes on an Execution comes a whip-smart and suspenseful story of a woman on trial for murder, as told through the eyes of the most important men in her own life.

Daughter, client, lover. Monster. Victim.

You were a sweet girl.

You were the prettiest girl I’d ever seen.

You were a bomb going off in my life.

You were a challenge.

You were the story of a lifetime.

When four wealthy and influential members are poisoned at London’s most exclusive private club, a young waitress is arrested. As her personal life and upbringing are picked over, her obsession with online conspiracy theories is exposed.

After the murder accusation, five men begin to question how well they really knew her. To each of them—her father, a reporter, her former lover, her friend, and her lawyer—she is someone entirely different. But which is the true face of Katherine Cole? And is she a killer?

The truth about who Katherine is, and what exactly she has done, lies somewhere between these five male perspectives. The searing laser of the male gaze has never been more dangerous, as Katherine’s trial grips the nation and theories and perceptions about her spiral out of control.

What follows is a chilling kaleidoscope of a thriller, both a smart courtroom drama and a frightening examination of how one woman can be so ruthlessly deconstructed by the men who know her best—and just what happens when she decides to speak out at last.

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What a unique book this was!

At only twenty-two, Katherine Cole is on trial for allegedly poisoning four wealthy and influential men at London’s most exclusive private club, where she worked as a waitress.

Katherine’s story unfolds through short, alternating chapters narrated by her father (who calls her Kit-Kat), her high school friend (K.C.), her ex-lover (Wildcat), her lawyer (Katherine), and a reporter (Killer Kate) covering the case. Each offers their perspective on her through their interactions, with some convinced of her guilt from the outset and others believing in her innocence.

Who is the real Katherine, and is she guilty or not?

This courtroom drama takes a refreshingly unexpected approach. Details that seem insignificant prove crucial in the end. I found the ending deeply satisfying.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by William Morrow via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

You Belong Here by Megan Miranda

Title: You Belong Here

Author: Megan Miranda

Publisher: S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books

Release Date: July 29, 2025 

A decades-old secret that drove a mother from her hometown now threatens her college-bound daughter in this twisty new thriller.

Beckett Bowery never thought she’d return to Wyatt Valley, a picturesque college town in the Virginia mountains steeped in tradition. Her roots there were strong: Beckett’s parents taught at the college, and she never even imagined studying anywhere else—until a tragedy her senior year ended with two local men dead, and her roommate on the run, never to be seen again…

For the last two decades, Beckett has done her best to keep her distance. Then her daughter, Delilah, secretly applies to Wyatt College and earns a full scholarship, and Beckett can only hope that her lingering fears are unfounded. But deep down she knows that Wyatt Valley has a long memory, and that the past isn’t the only dangerous thing in town…

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Secrets don't stay secrets sometimes!

Beckett Bowery vowed never to return to Wyatt Valley, haunted by painful memories. When she attended Wyatt College, two local men died in a fire, and her then-roommate, Adalyn Vale, became the prime suspect, accused of murder. After Adalyn vanished the night of the fire, suspicion turned to Beckett. The town believed she was involved, and the police shared their suspicions, but without proof, no charges were filed. Instead, Wyatt College sent Beckett a letter stating she was no longer welcome, forcing her to finish her education abroad.

Twenty years later, Beckett’s daughter, Delilah, has been accepted to Wyatt College with a full scholarship. With no other option, Beckett reluctantly agrees and drives her daughter to campus, worried that the town still remembers her name and that Delilah might suffer for it.

A week after dropping her off, Delilah calls in the middle of the night but doesn’t speak. Sensing something is wrong, Beckett drives through the early morning to find her daughter, hoping she’s unharmed.

You Belong Here is an atmospheric thriller brimming with suspense and twists. It was easy to step into Beckett’s shoes and feel her anguish as she tries to find and protect her daughter from an unknown threat.

Though not my favorite of Megan Miranda’s books, I’m eager to read whatever she delivers next.

Cliffhanger: No

3.5-4.0/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blind Date with a Werewolf by Patricia Briggs

 

Title: Blind Date with a Werewolf

Series: Alpha and Omega

Author: Patricia Briggs

Publisher: Ace

Release Date: October 21, 2025

The werewolf Asil is gifted five blind dates by some anonymous “friends” in this enthralling novel in stories, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mercy Thompson series.

Includes two original stories, as well as three previously published stories.

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Fantastic!

As a HUGE fan of Patricia Briggs, Blind Date with a Werewolf felt like a special dessert!

You could read this book without knowing all the players, but why would you when this series—or universe—is so unique?

I love Mercy and Anna, the two main characters of the Mercyverse. Both are so distinct and unforgettable. Patricia Briggs has a knack for creating compelling characters, and this is where Asil comes into play.

Asil, better known as the Moor, is an ancient werewolf who is smart, gorgeous, and highly lethal. To the human eye, Asil appears young, but looks can be deceiving. If humans only knew that Asil’s wolf is always a moment away from a murderous rampage, they’d run for their lives.

During the Christmas season, Asil receives an email from an unknown sender signed “Your Concerned Friends.” They’ve arranged five blind dates for him. Though tempted to decline, Asil’s curiosity gets the better of him, and he decides to go along with it.

To say the least, none of the dates were what you’d call normal, but all were captivating. I loved all five short stories and wouldn’t mind seeing some of these characters appear in either series. More Asil and Ruby are always welcome!

Cliffhanger: No

5/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Ace via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Night Watcher by Daphne Woolsoncroft

Title: Night Watcher

Author: Daphne Woolsoncroft

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Release Date: July 8, 2025 

Nola Strate, a late night call-in radio host in Portland, Oregon, listens to stories of hauntings and cryptic sightings for a living. But one foggy, wet evening, when a caller describes an eerie scene that triggers memories of Nola’s escape from a serial killer years before, she becomes fearfully aware that he’s back to finish what he started.

Nola Strate is being watched, again.

After an encounter with a notorious serial killer in the Pacific Northwest as a child, Nola has grown up and tried her best to forget her traumatizing night with The Hiding Man. She installed security cameras outside her Oregon home, never spoke of her experience, and now hosts Night Watch, a popular radio call-in show her semi‑famous father used to run. When coincidences lead Nola to believe that she is being stalked, and a caller on Night Watch has a live incident with an intruder in the caller’s home—the description of whom is chillingly familiar—Nola is convinced that The Hiding Man has resurfaced and is coming for her.

With a mysterious next‑door neighbor lurking in the shadows, more people getting hurt, the police not taking her concerns seriously, and evidence pointing towards her own father, Nola decides to become, like her listeners, a Night Watcher herself, and uncover the monster behind The Hiding Man’s mask.

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Nola Strate is the late-night call-in radio host of the popular show Night Watch. Her father used to host the show, and when he semi-retired, she became his successor.

During her latest broadcast, a woman calls in, claiming a ghost is stalking her. At first, Nola assumes it’s a prank call, but when the woman describes the ghost, starts screaming, and the line goes dead, Nola panics. The incident transports her back to her childhood, when a serial killer known as The Hiding Man murdered her babysitter while Nola was in the house. She knows her life is in danger—he always said he’d be watching, and now he’s coming for her.

What a debut! Daphne Woolsoncroft delivers a gripping suspense novel. It had me turning pages quickly, desperate to identify the killer. With so many well-placed red herrings, I was clueless until nearly the end.

I will be on the lookout for her next book.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Grand Central Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Nine Lives by Peter Swanson

Title: Nine Lives 

Author: Peter Swanson

Publisher: William Morrow

Release Date: March 15, 2022

If you're on the list, someone wants you dead.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Eight Perfect Murders comes the heart-pounding story of nine strangers who receive a cryptic list with their names on it--and then begin to die in highly unusual circumstances.

Nine strangers receive a list with their names on it in the mail. Nothing else, just a list of names on a single sheet of paper. None of the nine people know or have ever met the others on the list. They dismiss it as junk mail, a fluke--until very, very bad things begin happening to people on the list.

First, a well-liked old man is drowned on a beach in the small town of Kennewick, Maine. Then, a father is shot in the back while running through his quiet neighborhood in suburban Massachusetts. A frightening pattern is emerging, but what do these nine people have in common? Their professions range from oncology nurse to aspiring actor, and they're located all over the country. So why are they all on the list, and who sent it?

FBI agent Jessica Winslow, who is on the list herself, is determined to find out. Could there be some dark secret that binds them all together? Or is this the work of a murderous madman? As the mysterious sender stalks these nine strangers, they find themselves constantly looking over their shoulders, wondering who will be crossed off next...

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Nine perfect strangers receive a mysterious note listing their names. At first, most dismiss it, but when one person on the list appears to have drowned in Kennewick, Maine, Detective Sam Hamilton senses something is wrong. The next day, a second person on the list is shot. The FBI gets involved quickly—because Jessica Winslow, an FBI agent, is also on the list.

It becomes clear that whoever is behind the list wants them all dead, but why? They seem to have nothing in common—or do they?

I appreciate this homage to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. Peter Swanson provides a subtle clue about the murderer’s identity, yet one of the twists caught me completely off guard. I wouldn’t say this was my favorite of Peter Swanson’s books, but the plot kept me engaged.

Cliffhanger: No

3.5/5 Fangs

A Talent for Murder by Peter SwansonHenry Kimball/Lily Kintner #3

Title:  Talent for Murder

Series: Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner #3

Author: Peter Swanson

Publisher: William Morrow

Release Date: June 11, 2024

A newlywed librarian begins to suspect the man she married might be a murderer—in this spectacularly twisty and deviously clever novel by Peter Swanson, New York Times bestselling author of The Kind Worth Killing and Eight Perfect Murders.

Martha Ratliff conceded long ago that she’d likely spend her life alone. She was fine with it, happy with her solo existence, stimulated by her job as an archival librarian, constantly surrounded by thought-provoking ideas and the books she loved. But then she met Alan, a charming and sweet-natured divorcee with a job that took him on the road for half the year. When he asked her to marry him, she said yes, even though he still felt a little bit like a stranger.

A year in and the marriage was good, except for that strange blood streak on the back of one of his shirts he’d worn to a conference in Denver. Her curiosity turning to suspicion, Martha investigates the cities Alan visited over the past year and uncovers a disturbing pattern—five unsolved cases of murdered women.

Is she married to a serial killer? Or could it merely be a coincidence? Unsure what to think, Martha contacts an old friend from graduate school for advice. Lily Kintner once helped Martha out of a jam with an abusive boyfriend and may have some insight. Intrigued, Lily offers to meet Alan to find out what kind of man he really is . . . but what Lily uncovers is more perplexing and wicked than they ever could have expected.

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Who are you going to call?

Martha Ratliff is in a bind. She enjoys her job as a librarian, and a year ago, she married Alan. Martha believed her marriage was strong until she noticed a disturbing pattern. Alan travels half the year to various conventions, selling shirts and pins to teachers. When Martha finds blood on one of his shirts, she begins questioning his trips and the unsolved assaults and murders of women in the cities he’s recently visited.

Is it a coincidence, or is she married to a serial killer?

Distraught, Martha reaches out to her grad school friend, Lily Kintner. She recalls how Lily helped her escape an abusive relationship during their school days and hopes Lily can help make sense of her discoveries.

Intrigued, Lily agrees to investigate Alan further. What she uncovers is deeply disturbing, to say the least, making it essential to enlist Henry Kimball’s help.

I devoured A Talent for Murder. My only complaint is that it’s too short, and Peter Swanson hasn’t written another book featuring this duo.

I need MORE!

Cliffhanger: No

4.5/5 Fangs

The Kind Worth Saving by Peter SwansonHenry Kimball/Lily Kintner #2

 

Title: The Kind Worth Saving

Series: Henry Kimball/Lily Kintner #2

Author: Peter Swanson

Publisher: William Morrow

Release Date: March 7, 2023

In this spectacularly devious novel by New York Times bestselling author Peter Swanson—featuring the smart and complex Lily Kintner from his acclaimed novel, The Kind Worth Killing—a private eye starts to follow a possibly adulterous husband, but little does he know that the twisted trail will lead back to the woman who hired him.

There was always something slightly dangerous about Joan. So, when she turns up at private investigator Henry Kimball’s office asking him to investigate her husband, he can’t help feeling ill at ease. Just the sight of her stirs up a chilling memory: he knew Joan in his previous life as a high school English teacher, when he was at the center of a tragedy.

Now Joan needs his help in proving that her husband is cheating. But what should be a simple case of infidelity becomes much more complicated when Kimball finds two bodies in an uninhabited suburban home with a “for sale” sign out front. Suddenly it feels like the past is repeating itself, and Henry must go back to one of the worst days of his life to uncover the truth.

Is it possible that Joan knows something about that day, something she’s hidden all these years? Could there still be a killer out there, someone who believes they have gotten away with murder? Henry is determined to find out, but as he steps closer to the truth, a murderer is getting closer to him, and in this hair-raising game of cat and mouse only one of them will survive.

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I have no idea how I missed reading this book when it came out. I finally corrected that mistake!

Henry Kimball, no longer a detective, has embarked on a new career as a private investigator.

Joan Whalen, a woman he knew as a teenager, hires him to follow her husband, Richard, to determine if he’s cheating. Henry remembers Joan from his brief time as a teacher, a job cut short by a tragic event.

The case takes a darker turn when Henry discovers two bodies in a house for sale. He keeps returning to the possibility that Joan is involved, despite her having an alibi. A nagging feeling persists that she’s somehow responsible. This is where Lily Kintner comes into play.

To understand why I adore Lily, you need to read the first book, The Kind Worth Killing. My Dexter Lily is a fantastic character that everyone should know.

I can only say that I love The Kind Worth Saving and would read anything featuring Lily and Henry again!

Cliffhanger: No

5/5 Fangs