Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Hidden Gems in Mysteries, Thrillers, and True Crime

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the wonderful The Broke and The Bookish!


This week's topic was hidden gems. I interpreted this as books that don't have as much love as I wish they did, and went with books in my favorite genres to read.

These are the first two books that always come to mind when I think of hidden gems. I love these books so much-they are brilliant thrillers full of unique literary mystery and nail-biting psychological suspense. They are so clever, and so different from other thrillers, and I've re read them so many times. 

With James having a second true crime book coming out, this seems the perfect time to remind people just how good his first true crime book is. It's an incredibly unique and comprehensive look at so many famous and lesser-known crimes. 

I would never have heard of this book if it hadn't been a giveaway at ALA one year, and I'm so glad it was available, because it's so good. It's another really unique read, the true story of the author's friendship in college with someone who later becomes a murderer. 

This is one of my favorite true crime series. There are multiple editions, and it collects what the editing panel considers the best articles and essays about crime from the given year. You're able to read such a great variety, and hit the highlights of that year in true crime writing.

This series is a joy for mystery lovers. Each book is centered around a different famous mystery author, and you get lots of background information on the author and their works while enjoying a fun mystery and strong lead character.

This is a really fun middle-grade mystery with a great female lead detective, and fun illustrations.

A quirky famous detective and his determined ward investigate mysterious crimes that no one else can solve.

To me, this is one of the most fascinating cases of mysterious unsolved death ever recorded, and this book posits a really interesting and well-researched theory.

This book posits a fascinating and captivating theory about one of the most famous psychological cases ever recorded, and suggests that those in charge may have perpetrated a truly tragic crime against a fellow human being.

Review: Camp So-And-So

This is a weird and wonderful book.

It ostentatiously tells the story of a group of girls who are mailed invitations to attend a summer camp, and who accept these invitations, ready to head off to what they assume will be a week full of smores, songs and sleeping under the stars.

But this story goes places they, and you,will never see coming.

The mysterious narrator had me guessing from the start, as did the unique structure of the book, set up as if it was being run as a play (though the chapters are in prose, not script). There's the group facing off against their rich archenemy camp across the lake, the group running from a murderously mad former camper, the group on a heroic quest, the group who seem to have found their soulmates, and the group just trying to survive as their cabin turns against them.

McCoy plays with popular narrative tropes from both movies and books, and gives readers a fabulous Cabin in the Woods-esque feel, where we know from the start that our expectations and understandings of human nature are being toyed with by a talented writer who has so much more going on than meets the eye.

ARC August #6: The Other Girl

Title: The Other Girl
Author: Erica Spindler
Publication Date: August 22, 2017
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Recommended If You Like: strong female sleuths, secrets from the past, twists and turns

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.

The Book:

Miranda Rader, a police officer in a small town, is called to a horrific crime scene. But when she gets there, she discovers a newspaper clipping from fifteen years ago, all about the crime in her past she's tried her hardest to forget. As Miranda attempts to discover how her past and the murder victim's present are connected, she will be forced to confront the truth about that terrible night so many years ago.

What I Liked:

This book was extremely suspenseful. I love a story concerning secrets from the past coming into the present, and Spindler integrated the past and present really well. The flashbacks added to the suspense, and were a really important part of the plot.

I really liked the character of Miranda-she was strong, smart, and determined.

I was also really surprised by all the plot twists. I never had the story figured out, which is always a lot of fun, especially with all the mysteries I read.

Anything I Didn't Like?

While I really liked the romance, I felt the writing of it was a little cliched.

So...?

This is a quick, gripping read that will keep you in suspense and have you turning pages.

Review: One of Us is Lying

The testimony to how much I enjoyed this book was that, even as a teacher with my school year starting up again, and my three year old students now back, I could not put this book down. I was exhausted, and my head was full of lesson plans, but this book had me hooked.

When a group of five students ends up in detention, only four of them walk out of it alive. As the media and their fellow students spread gossip and rumors, the four suspects must figure out who to trust, and who is lying.

McManus keeps the twists and turns coming, and the characters are really compelling. I found myself constantly surprised by this book, and having to know what happened next. And I definitely didn't see the ending coming.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what McManus writes next!

Blog Tour: Dead Girls Can't Lie

Author Bio

Carys Jones loves nothing more than to write and create stories which ignite the reader's imagination. Based in Shropshire, England, Carys lives with her husband, two guinea pigs and her adored canine companion Rollo.

Follow Carys

Twitter: @tiny_dancer85

Facebook: @CarysJonesWriter

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Website: www.carys-jones.com

Book Description

Best friends tell each other the truth – don't they?

When North Stone's best friend Kelly Orton is found hanging lifeless in a tree, North knows for certain it wasn't suicide. Kelly had everything to live for – a loving boyfriend, a happy life, and most importantly of all, Kelly would never leave North all by herself.

The girls have been friends since childhood, devoted to each other, soul sisters, or at least that's what North has always believed. But did Kelly feel the same way, or was she keeping secrets from her 'best friend' – deadly secrets...

When the police refuse to take North's suspicions seriously, she sets out to investigate for herself. But her search soon takes her to a glamorous world with a seedy underbelly, and before long North is out of her depth and getting ever closer to danger. Determined to find the truth, she soon wishes that dead girls could lie, because the truth is too painful to believe...

Buy links

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2ue2vFy

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2rJb1sl

iTunes: http://apple.co/2sYfdba

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2s2P3Ql

Carys’ previous novels, WrONG NUMBER and LAST WITNESS are out now: http://amzn.to/2qarsiV

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Favorite part of this book: The depiction of the power and bond of female friendships; the realistic portrayal of anxiety

Review: See What I Have Done

Title: See What I Have Done
Author: Sarah Schmidt
Publication Date: August 1, 2017
Genre: Historical Fiction/Suspense
Recommended If You Like: fictional takes on true crime, family drama, psychological insights into history

The Book:

Everyone thinks they know what really happened that fateful day in Fall River. Everyone has an opinion on Lizzie Borden's guilt or innocence.

Schmidt explores what could have happened from four points of view: Lizzie herself, Emma, her sister, Bridget, the family's maid, and Benjamin, a stranger brought into the outskirts of their world.

What I Liked:

There is so much to like about this book. Schmidt has a beautiful lyrical writing style that makes everything that's happening feel both real and surreal.

This book is also absolutely fascinating. Schmidt has clearly done her research, and can back her theories up. Even though I know a lot of facts about this case, Schmidt had me turning page after page, having to find out what happens, unable to put it down.

Anything I Didn't Like?

I did feel the addition of Benjamin was somewhat unnecessary. The people involved in this true story are already fascinating enough without needing to add in a fictional mysterious stranger.

So...?

I've always read and watched about unsolved mysteries, and the Borden case is one of those I've read about a lot. So I was extremely excited to read this book, and it did not disappoint. I would definitely recommend this book.

ARC August #4: Spellbook of the Lost and Found

Title: Spellbook of the Lost and Found
Author: Moira Fowley-Doyle
Publication Date: August 8, 2017
Genre: Fantasy/Magical Realism
Recommended If You Like: beautifully surreal reads, friendship, romance, magic

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.

The Book:

A spellbook appears. A town begins to lose things big and small. Diary pages begin to appear in bunches of flowers and on the side of the road. And through it all, various girls lose themselves and try to find themselves again, through friendships, romance, and ties to the past and future, all with the help of some magic.

What I Liked:

This book is so beautifully written. It's just got this gorgeously surreal tinge through it all, but Fowley-Doyle also manages to make it feel so real and immediate. I cared deeply about the characters and what was going to happen to them.

There are also some unexpected and amazing twists and turns, especially towards the end of the book.

Anything I Didn't Like?

For me personally, there really wasn't anything not to like about this book. The ending felt a little pat, but I actually liked that, which isn't typically the case for me. I can see how it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea, but I really enjoyed it, even though this is definitely not the typical genre I gravitate towards.

So...?

Definitely try this book. Not everyone seems to have liked it, but I found it very beautiful, and a quick read.