In Deep Water

 

In Deep Water by Michael J. Tougias
6/22/26: 304 pages
St. Martin's Press 

In Deep Water: A True Story of Sharks, Survival, and Courage by Michael J. Tougias is a highly recommended true story of survival along with insight into the Coast Guard rescue operations.

On October, 8, 2022 three friends from New Orleans, Paul, Lu and Sonny, take Paul's new boat out on the Gulf of America to fish. They are looking mainly for for red snapper by oil rigs in the area. After successfully fishing for hours the men begin to head in when they notice the boat is taking on water and ended up sinking 15 miles from shore. The men manage to get life jackets on and find two coolers floating in the water they tie together to use as floats. Awaiting rescue, the men end up in the water for a brutal 28 hours, all while enduring jellyfish stings, other fish nibbling them, and sharks circling below.

Tougias presents an hour by hour account of their desperate and determined struggle for survival, while also following the Coast Guard’s all-out effort to find several missing men that day, before the three missing men were brought to their attention. This is truly a race against time and it is a miracle that the three survived for that long. Highlighting the actions of the Coast Guard's rescue operations that day, along with the crew of the Jayhawk helicopter who rescue them, only increases the tension while reading. Their survival and the rescue really is a race against time.

This is a well-written, factual account that would actually make a great real life survival movie. The harrowing ordeal the three men survived along with the Coast Guard rescue is a compelling story of survival. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.    

It Could Have Been Her

 

It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell
6/23/26; 384 pages
Atria Books 

It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell is a very highly recommended investigative domestic thriller which all starts with a lost dog and a missing woman. Jane Trevally from Jewell’s 2025 thriller, Don’t Let Him In, returns to unofficially investigate.

Jane Trevally, twice divorced and 55 years-old, is walking her four dogs on her deteriorating country estate she can't afford to repair when a small white terrier appears, alone and with no sign of an owner. She takes the dog to her vet to read the chip and then offers to return the dog named Hugo to his owners in London. When she arrives at the home in Hampstead, she immediately recognizes it as the home where she had a terrifying encounter twenty-five years earlier that she just managed to escape. Stuart Tucker, the man who answered the door, did seem dubious, however Hugo was happy to see him and he obviously wasn't the man she encountered years ago.

Then she learns that a girl, Rose White, disappeared from an Airbnb near her home, leaving everything behind, and she had Hugo with her there. Returning to talk to Stuart about this, he claims to not know Rose. Along with the help of her stepson, Dexter Lombardi, Jane decides to do some amateur sleuthing into the missing girl and the family living at the house called Thornwood in the Vale of Health, Hampstead, as she is positive something is wrong there. 

With excellent writing, an interesting plot, top-notch pacing, and plenty of suspense, It Could Have Been Her represents another excellent, twisty thriller from Jewell which held my complete attention throughout. The narrative is mainly told through Jane's current day point-of view, along with chapters from Stuart nine years ago, and some from a young Jessamine Black whose family owns the home. The chapters from the past put together tell a dark and dysfunctional story of the residents of the house, their trauma and buried secrets. Clearly something is very wrong at that house.

I loved the character of Jane who decides with great determination to investigate the missing girl and with that, the inhabitants of Thornwood. It combines the best of a cozy mystery with a thriller. I love that she is thinking about becoming a private investigator because she enjoys looking into mysteries and uncovering clues. She also has plenty of connections to help her in her inquiry. Jane also has plenty of buried trauma in her own life and the case brings some of her past up. I also like her stepson Dexter who is all in on joining her in being a PI. Hopefully we'll see this duo on another case. 

The character of Stuart also evolves during the novel. He starts out feeling a little creepy, but soon it becomes clear that he is at heart a good man in his own way. When he first moves in with Jessamine Black, her mother Annie, and her daughter Daisy, he doesn't realize what he's getting in to and quickly becomes manipulated by them and a servant to them. Daisy is a likable character who readers will mainly know as a teen in the novel. There is also a mainly missing brother who left home early to become a clown. 

It Could Have Been Her is an excellent selection for everyone who enjoy dark, twisty investigative thrillers. Thanks to Atria Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.    

Whisper Creek

 

Whisper Creek by Allison Brennan
6/23/26; 336 pages
St. Martin's Press 

Whisper Creek by Allison Brennan is a very highly recommended domestic thriller where a family is battling both the weather and human threats in Cooke County Texas.  This is an excellent, fast-paced, compelling family drama that encompasses elements of both a survival story and a thriller. 

After her husband John's death eleven months ago, Ellen McKenna is working as hard as she can to keep the family farm going with the help of her four children, Jake, Avery, Lyla, and Billy. Along with her grandmother-in-law, Penny's cooking, and long-time hired hand Mateo Delgado, they have kept things going. Now they have just had bad storms go through, the ground is already saturated, and a huge new storm system is heading for them. They have some repairs to make from the last storm, which Jake and Mateo are doing, and Avery and Lyla are helping with all the regular chores. Billy is obsessed with a missing pregnant barn cat, Cleo, and wants to find her before the next storm hits.

Making things more tense are the Robinson brothers, Mitchell and Clive, who own Verdacorp, an agribusiness corporation. They have been buying up farm land across the area and Mitchell, the main driving force, has been ruthlessly trying to get some of the McKenna land. Known to the readers, simultaneously there are some nefarious plans underway. Three people were hired to steal something from four different families, after being assured that the owners would be gone. Brock, his wife, Rena, and her brother Sam have just broken into a home, but the owner was there, gun fire was exchanged, and now Sam is injured. 

After Clive from Verdacorp stops by and later a neighbors injured dog is found hit by a shotgun, it sets into motion a whole series of events that finds the McKenna family scattered, off helping and checking up on neighbors before the next storm hits. The whole area is under a flood warning, the creeks are high, and they know the risks are real.

The writing is exceptional, the action is non-stop, and the tension and suspense is high throughout this atmospheric, outstanding rural/domestic thriller that held my complete attention throughout. If you have ever lived in a rural area, or perhaps anywhere, where the weather can present some dangerous challenges, you will understand the family's concerns over flooding. There is so much to worry about with the impending weather alone, so when the additional stress is added over the home invasions, and bad faith actors, the apprehension and dread is palpable. I was glued to the pages and could not read fast enough while engrossed in this un-put-downable novel. 

Every member of the McKenna family has some stressful, tension-packed event going on in this novel, so as the narrative moves from one event to another, all of it is urgent and dangerous in some way. You will be concerned over each family member as events in the narrative unfold. The focus on individual family members and some friends, allows character development for all of them. They  are all fully realized individuals that are forced to face some event that threatens them and their survival. The final denouement was a perfect way to wrap up this intense, immersive drama and I fully recommend this novel.

Whisper Creek is an exceptional, well-written domestic thriller/mystery/survival story. Everyone, read this novel. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.    

The Gardens

 

The Gardens by Emma Babbington
6/18/26; 336 pages
HQ/HarperCollins 

The Gardens by Emma Babbington is a highly recommended psychological thriller following bones found in a garden and a story that is told through two timelines, past and present. 

Thirty-four years ago, in 1992, Jess McIntyre's eighteen-year-old sister, Nina, disappeared, and was presumed dead. Now Jess, who lives in Australia, receives the news that bones have been found under the shed in the garden of her childhood London home and they are though the be Nina's. Jess and her fifteen-year-old son Ollie, return to London to give DNA samples to the police and finally clean-up and sell the home since her mother is now living with them after her father died. Jess can also provide the police information on what she remembers at that time when she was sixteen and Nina disappeared.

Alternating chapters go back in time and follow a cult, Chisledown, up to the time of Nina's disappearance. Chisledown is lead by Mary, who adopted the children she brought in and purported that they were a learning community, but, as expected in any cult in a novel, that was not the case. As time went on, Mary became more of a dictator, manipulating everything to suit her. An unnamed male narrator tells the readers the events of Chisledown. Eventually the two story lines have a connection.

This is a well-written thriller that starts out at an even pace, with new information disclosed later in the plot which allows the pace and subsequent tension to quickly pick up. Jess is recalling events from years ago, so her memories are that of a younger sister. She does remember a group of young squatters in the house next door and how they all became friends with Nina. This piecemeal memory leads to more information and connections that the police didn't make, or apparently try to unravel, thirty-four years earlier. 

Generally, I'm not a fan of novels that use cults as a device to move the plot forward. The connections to Chisledown and Nina's disappearance are not immediately apparent, so those chapters early on in the novel actually, for me, detracted from the present day concern over the identification of the bones and the reopening of Nina's case. I had no reason to care as I was there to read a psychological thriller and discover the identity of bones found on a property.

Jess is a believable, sympathetic character who has been placed into an extremely stressful situation. She has been living in Australia for years, is a widow, and is raising her son alone. Her mother moved down under a couple years earlier. Now she is revisiting her grief from years earlier, which opens up all the emotions again, and she wants closure and an answer to what happened to Nina. Ollie is written as a typical teen. The other supporting characters, including the neighbor and police, are all believable. 

As everything begins to be revealed and connected, the pace picks up, along with the suspense, tension, and sense of dread. With all the twists and new revelations toward the end of the novel, it does become a more compelling read. Some of the twists may be predicted ahead of time, but several will be a surprise.

The Gardens is a good choice for anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers and will appreciate a tie in to a cult in the plot. Thanks to HQ/HarperCollins for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.   

Against the Tide

 

Against the Tide by G. D. Wright
6/18/26; 416 pages
Avon Books 
DS Sue Willmott #3 

Against the Tide by G. D. Wright is a very highly recommended, heartbreaking, investigative thriller/domestic drama. This is the third book in the series featuring DS Sue Willmott but it can be read as a standalone novel.

DC Vinny Robson already has his hands full between work and his mother Mary's dementia so when an elderly couple are violently murdered in Beachbrook, it adds even more stress as the police investigate. The police are already busy with a series of home burglaries plaguing the town. Working along with DS Sue Wilmott and the team, everyone is now seeking clues concerning the murder victims and potential suspects. In this case Vinny acts as the Family Liaison Officer to Natalie, the  daughter of two murder victims and a therapist, while also seeking any information from their past that might point to the perpetrators. As Vinny's mom worsens she says something that shakes him to the core and has him looking into his own past while still investigating the murders.

The well-written, complicated, compelling, and emotionally charged narrative alternates between the points-of-view of Vinny, Sue, some chapters from Natalie, and excerpts from a dairy. Vinny doesn't discover the dairy until later in the plot but readers will know his mother wrote it, which make the plot even more complex and intense. The narrative is well-plotted and full of new discoveries, twists and devastating revelations. There is a whole lot going on in this plot and you will be glued to the pages, reading as fast as you can to see what happens or is revealed next, even as it all breaks your heart for those involved. 

Along with an excellent mystery and investigation, all the characters are portrayed as emotionally realistic, fully realized individuals with strengths and weaknesses. The characters come to life as realistic individuals, dealing with doubts and personal struggles, all presented along with plenty of emotionally charged situations. The facts and details of the investigation are dark and difficult, but the raw emotional turmoil of those experiencing the events in the novel is captured realistically. 

While reading you will be able to try and piece together clues and many of the twists at the end will shock and surprise many readers. I was able to predict parts of the final denouement and piece together many of the clues but that didn't lessened the impact of the ending. I haven't read the previous two novel by G.D. Ward, (After the Storm and Into the Fire) but based on the quality of the writing and impact of Against the Tide, they are going on my TBR list asap.

Against the Tide is an excellent choice for everyone who enjoys complex, detailed investigative thrillers/domestic dramas. Thanks to Avon Books for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.    

Hysteria

 

Hysteria by LJ Ross
6/2/26; 320 pages (re-release)
Poisoned Pen Press
Alexander Gregory Thriller #2 

Hysteria by LJ Ross is a highly recommended  investigative/psychological thriller and the second book in the series, following Impostor, featuring psychologist and profiler Dr. Alexander Gregory. 

It is Paris Fashion Week and one of the models in the city for the shows has been attacked at the Hôtel Violette. Camille Duquette has had her face slashed and she was also stabbed. Forensic psychologist and criminal profiler Dr. Alexander Gregory is in Paris when he receives a call from the French Police and Justice Department requesting his assistance in the case. Camille is recovering in the hospital, but now is selectively mute. She has been too traumatized to speak. Dr. Gregory ends up working with Camille as her psychologist. Then another model, Juliette Deschamps, who was there and found Camille, is found murdered in her home. Can Camille regain her voice and are the two events connected?

This is another well-written, excellent addition to the series and I'm looking forward to future books. The plot itself is interesting and delves into mental health issues while providing readers with an interesting investigation along with suspense and intrigue. The development of Dr. Gregory's character and his personal mental health continues to be explored while he is working on these current cases. He still suffers from nightmares and guards himself by keeping emotionally distant. The psychological insight he provides, his observational skills, and the insight he has into the behavior of people in general, all work together during the investigation. 

I loved the first book in this series, Impostor, and although this is a strong addition to the series, it wasn't quite as compelling. The setting in Paris and some of the the dialogue in French wasn't quite as appealing to me. Hysteria was originally published on 12/10/2019. There are seven books in the Alexander Gregory series which is being re-released by Poisoned Pen Press. This is a series that may be best to read in the order in which they are written as the first novel sets up what Dr. Gregory is struggling with personally and is an excellent introduction to his character in an exceptional novel. 

Hysteria is a wonderful choice for readers who have read Impostor and those who enjoy psychological thrillers. I'm looking forward to the next, third book in the series, Bedlam. Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.     

Midnight Ridge

 

Midnight Ridge by Rita Herron
6/12/26; 402 pages
Bookouture
Detective Ellie Reeves #12 

Midnight Ridge by Rita Herron is a very highly recommended investigative crime thriller. Detective Ellie Reeves, FBI Agent Derrick Fox and SAR Cord McCain all again return to search for a serial killer. Even though this is the twelfth book in the series, it can be read as a standalone novel. 

When a body is found at the bottom of Midnight Ridge, Detective Ellie Reeves, from the small town of Crooked Creek in the Appalachian Mountains, is the first one called by SAR (Search and Rescue) Ranger Cord McCain. Initially it is thought to be the third suicide of a young woman by the sheriff, but clues quickly point to something more nefarious. A witness heard another person at the top of the ridge with sixteen-year-old Minnie Benton before she was murdered. Now the question is where is Minnie's young daughter, Iris, and who is murdering young women and taking their children?

This completely addictive and jaw-dropping crime thriller is another well-written, entertaining addition to the series. The short chapters are action-packed, new information is quickly uncovered, and the investigation moves at a brisk pace.  All of this creates a lightning-fast pace that will hold your complete attention throughout the novel. Your heart will be pounding as you fly through the pages and the tension is palpable as the team tries to find the perpetrator before another young woman is murdered. 

The narrative follows multiple points-of-view, including the perpetrator, which helps to add tension, complexities, and suspense. There are numerous twists in the investigation while the clues are logically followed along the way. For those following the series, you will know all these characters and understand that Ellie and Cord are in a burgeoning relationship. The relationship is not a major part of the plot. 

Midnight Ridge is an excellent well-written investigative thriller that will hold your complete attention. Fans of the series will want to read this asap. Thanks to Bookouture for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.