Final Girls by Riley Sager
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I liked this one a lot! The prose is smooth and sly, which you don’t always find in thrillers, and the characters are remarkably well drawn, particularly Quincy and Sam. Being a jaded reader, I was able to anticipate some of the twists and revelations, but Riley Sager’s novel won me over regardless. Now I see why so many people raved about it! Highly recommended for anyone looking for a well written, character-driven thriller.
Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A fun, fast-paced horror novel, HORROSTOR is a particularly special treat for anyone who has ever shopped at an Ikea (or worked in big-box retail, for that matter). The sharp wit that Grady Hendrix brought to later novels like MY BEST FRIEND’S EXORCISM and WE SOLD OUR SOULS is on full display here as well, with everything from retail jobs to corporate jargon in his crosshairs. He’s no slouch when it comes to the horror elements, either. Grotesque, creepy, and disturbingly physical, this isn’t your run of the mill haunting. If you’re shopping for a brisk, entertaining horror novel, HORRORSTOR has what you’re looking for. Just Orsk!
Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sarah Langan’s new novel is a riveting and brilliantly realized character-driven thriller. Full of tension and tightly controlled prose, GOOD NEIGHBORS is also achingly suspenseful, aided by brief forward flashes in the form of after-the-fact articles and interviews that build a steady sense of dread as the story careens toward its shocking climax. It reminded me in some ways of Jack Ketchum’s classic THE GIRL NEXT DOOR, that frustration and worry that comes with reading about characters who ought to know better making the wrong choices over and over. Of course, that’s partially the point of Langan’s novel, how easy it is for people to make the wrong choices while convinced they’re making the right ones, and how easily they can be led to believe something they’re already predisposed to believe. It’s really well done and never falters in its realistic and immersive depictions of the residents of Maple Street. GOOD NEIGHBORS more than fulfills the promise of Langan’s earlier novels and leaves me eager to see what comes next. Sarah Langan is on my list of must-read authors!
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