Book Slayers

Betty (00:01.87) Blood, secrets and a ghostwriter who knows too much.

This week on Book Slayers, we survived a splatter punk nightmare where the pages are dripping with gore and tension so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Then we dove into the Ghostwriter by A.R.

Tauri where obsession, deception and deadly secrets blur the lines between fiction and reality.

Okay readers, let's slay some books.

Stacey Assu (00:24.779) Welcome back, book slayers.

We have had quite the week.

I convinced Betty to read her very first Splatterpunk book and she will tell you what she thinks about dipping her toe into the genre for the very first time.

Betty (00:42.806) We both read The Ghost Rider by A.R.

Taurie and we'll be telling you our thoughts and stabby ratings.

Stacey Assu (00:48.923) We will also be telling you which books we low key hated this week and which ones we loved.

Now we have episodes dropping weekly.

So we'll be giving you the low down on what to expect next week.

And if you survive this episode and enjoy our chaos, hit follow so you don't miss any future slayings.

Hey, you want to read the next part or do want me to?

Cause it says me.

Betty (01:11.566) Yeah, I was gonna do it.

If you want the most unhinged talk, the things not fit for normies, move over to Patreon for our in-depth thriller talk, bonus content, and added access to your favourite book slayers.

Cool, let's jump straight in with that splatter punk book.

I have trouble saying this word as well, by the way, splatter punk is quite the, I keep going to say words that I really don't want to put after splatter.

But Stacey, have you not done that yet?

I was practicing it early and I was like, it's gonna happen.

It didn't.

So why don't you, as you introduce me to this very niche, very weird, very...

Stacey Assu (01:38.907) Hehehehehe Betty (01:54.388) Explain what it is.

Stacey Assu (01:56.207) Okay, so obviously we do a lot of dark fiction in our podcast, but we've been concentrating mostly on thrillers.

And I thought it was time that Betty tipped her toe right into a sub genre of horror.

So basically it's more about the extreme graphic violence, the gore and the taboo subjects, rather than the supernatural feel that we get from horror.

what if horror didn't look away?

Betty (02:24.013) you Stacey Assu (02:25.391) Instead of implying violence or horror off the page, Splatterpunk literally shows you every disturbing detail.

And I thought it was time that he stepped in.

And what did you think?

Betty (02:37.676) So, well, we read Blood for the Trees by Y.M.

Miller.

I've got to say that first chapter, I had to read it twice because I was so thrown by how disturbingly...

I can't even find the words.

Just how much it explains all the gore and stuff in detail.

It really threw me.

I didn't know who the characters were until a certain point through the chapter and I realized that I wasn't paying attention to the actual story that was happening.

So the first chapter is basically a car crash.

Someone is, someone's dead and someone's not.

And it was just absolutely horrific.

If you're not used to reading that sort of stuff.

Stacey Assu (03:01.68) Yep.

Betty (03:20.788) It was, it was, I mean, I loved it for the shock factor.

I actually couldn't believe what I was reading.

It was a lot, but you said this isn't a bad one.

So I'm.

Stacey Assu (03:31.207) No, no, this one was just, was, I tried to pick something slightly vanilla for your first go through because I have read, I'm not even joking, okay?

So this one's straddled, it's splatter punk, but it's mixed with other genres to kind of give you more of like the grief side of things.

And gave you like the folky almost like spiritual of what was going on in the woods with the woman in the woods.

But I didn't want to really, cause I read a book, okay.

Betty (03:56.931) Mm-hmm.

Stacey Assu (04:01.071) God, I can't remember the name of it now, but this guy literally, there's something going on on the TV and everybody is like going nuts with it.

And this guy goes to check on his parents and his parents are like eating each other and like the mom tries to have sex with him.

Like she's basically feral.

Yeah.

And it was several pages of him trying to get away from his mother who was not only trying to straddle him, but was trying to bite him at the same time.

Okay.

And so I was like, I'm not going to make you read something like that because I was, and I'm a seasoned.

Okay, I've read probably around 20 Splatterpunks in the last couple years and I'm like, no, you need to be eased in very gentle.

Cause I don't want to scare you.

Betty (04:38.508) Yes, this didn't feel gentle.

I think though, as the book went on, you did get a bit more of the story and I quite liked the kind of witchy side of it.

It was sort of going back in time.

I enjoyed that part of it.

I'm using that word really loosely enjoyed, if I'm honest.

It wasn't for me.

I don't think Splatterpunk is my vibe at all.

I was...

Stacey Assu (05:02.855) It is so niche.

Betty (05:04.364) I was waiting for it to end to be honest.

It was part of it where I was kind of, I thought if this story was written differently, which is obviously it's Splatterpunk, it's not gonna be different.

But if it was written in a different way, I think I would have liked the story a bit more.

It's, yeah, it's a no from me.

It was too much.

Stacey Assu (05:16.687) Yeah, you liked the plot.

You just didn't like the execution of the information that you got.

Now, I actually thought the story was really well done.

I thought the narration was really incredible.

I loved the folky vibes I was getting from the book.

The writing was really good because I have read in this genre.

I understand that sometimes they're not brilliantly written, but this one really was.

I just felt like it took for something was only 150 pages.

It took too long to get going.

Betty (05:27.553) Yeah.

Stacey Assu (05:44.113) Like did you not feel that?

It felt like it was really slow at first.

Betty (05:48.527) Yeah, I think the first half of the book was a bit slow.

But then you'd have these scatterings of all the gore and the detailed like what's happening.

I wrote some phrases down just as I was thinking of them.

When I was reading I was like, I'm gonna write that down.

One was the scent of her own exposed meat filling her nostrils metallic and rancid.

Oh, oh, there's so many things wrong with that sentence.

Betty (06:19.15) But this is the thing, some of it was making me laugh.

I was pulling that face a lot where you kind of pull your head back and it's kind of like disgusted like, ugh, I was doing that a lot.

And I could feel myself doing it and that was making me laugh.

yeah, a lot.

Stacey Assu (06:20.379) Lover Stacey Assu (06:29.68) Yeah.

Stacey Assu (06:40.231) So this is what I'm hearing from you.

We're not going to be dipping our toe into Splatterpunk on any kind of regular basis.

Betty (06:47.606) No, do you know what?

I can't really decide on what I really feel, if it was like the gory stuff or if it was the story or if it was like you said it was a bit slow, like I can't quite make my mind up.

I just knew that for this one particularly.

I wasn't overly interested, like couldn't really be bothered to read it.

I was trying to finish it last night.

I was, you know, when you're reading a book and you're just getting through it, that's how I felt.

So yeah, I don't think I'm be rushing for another Splatterpunk.

Stacey Assu (07:15.515) Yeah.

Yeah.

Stacey Assu (07:20.485) No, but then again, you have to understand what the book I picked for you, it's not true splatter punk in the sense of how the stories usually go because they're usually pretty, like there's a lot more, there's a horror story embedded with the graphicness.

Do you know what I mean?

Whereas this one was kind of like, it was a tragic tale of a woman who accidentally, you know, reincarnates her freaking kid and causes all this panamonium.

But it had a lot of the elements.

Betty (07:35.552) Yeah.

Betty (07:44.751) Yeah, I quite liked that.

I liked all the witchy side of it.

I liked that she like powers and like she didn't know like I was quite into that side of it.

just, yeah, I just didn't care enough.

So I don't, I think if you've, are they all really short by the way?

Cause that one was really short.

It's like a hundred fifty pages.

Stacey Assu (08:01.377) Most of them, most of them tend to be under 200 pages.

It's just a thing because there's only so much your brain can handle before it wants to shut up, especially some of the more graphic ones.

Like I read one where it was like this creature was eaten the inside of this guy's stomach and it was explaining the noise it was making as it was chewing and the blood dripping down.

It's yeah, like it's, it's really quite graphic and you either like it or you don't.

Betty (08:21.998) no.

Stacey Assu (08:29.477) And I just, wanted to see what parts you actually would like.

And I think it might even be how graphic it is.

Might be a bit much for you.

Betty (08:37.642) Maybe I Know because I'm still but but then but then there is the you know, like the shock factor where it's saying different Like I enjoyed that feeling.

I just don't know if I want to read it all the time Like there was another one.

What was it?

Gabriel at the end his headless body body lurch upright blood spurting from his neck stub his neck stub Stacey Assu (08:37.873) Look at your face!

Stacey Assu (09:03.025) It's a picture, don't it?

Betty (09:05.902) I have picked out like some of for anyone listen I've picked out like the really less graphic things just the bits that make you go There is so much worse stuff in it.

This is quite tame what I'm saying So, what did you rate that?

Stacey Assu (09:17.519) I know.

Yes.

Stacey Assu (09:23.515) Well, as far as splatter punks go, I actually thought it was pretty much on the good side.

So I did give it four.

I gave it four stab ears.

What about you?

Betty (09:33.321) Mm-hmm.

Two.

It got a two.

Just because I wasn't into it, it just...

If I wasn't doing it for this, I probably wouldn't have finished it.

Stacey Assu (09:36.945) Which is Stacey Assu (09:43.931) Yeah, and that makes sense to me.

kind of, because I know what kind of thrillers you read, I know, I'm kind of getting a sense of who you are as a person.

I wanted to see your face after your red one.

Betty (09:45.72) See ya.

Betty (09:57.391) I did film a little bit, but it was a really wrong angle and you couldn't actually see it I can show you after but yeah, it was the first chapter I filmed and I was like, And actually some of it I'm not joking.

I was sat in bed reading and out loud I was saying ew ew like to myself.

I don't I don't speak to myself when I read books This was making me yeah I mean if you if you want to try it, I would definitely like give it a go as a genre, but Stacey Assu (10:09.232) Yeah.

Betty (10:26.638) Yeah, it just didn't, it didn't hit the nail for me on that one anyway.

Stacey Assu (10:29.945) Okay, so what maybe I'll do then is I will find for in a few months time, I'll find another book that I think might have more of a thriller vibe in the splatter punk genre to see if it moves faster, maybe if it's a pacing thing for you or whether or not it was just like the, God, that's so gross.

I just, I just.

Betty (10:41.569) Yeah.

Betty (10:47.49) Might be.

It could be, because my mind was wandering.

My mind was wandering as I was reading and I was like, I had to keep bringing myself back to it and that's when I know I'm not interested.

Yeah, maybe.

Yeah, I would try another one.

would.

Yeah, maybe.

Maybe it was a pacing thing.

Okay, because there's actually a book, it's funny, I just got sent it, it's a horror, but the cover literally has a wasp going in this woman's eye and I'm like, I don't know if I want this.

Yeah, your face right now is how I felt with my whole body and I'm like, God.

And it basically says on the front, Jaws, but with wasps.

Betty (11:23.823) Stacey Assu (11:25.325) Yeah, I don't know.

They've sent it to me now, so I guess I'm reading it.

But we should definitely, I will try and find something more thriller-paced, splatterpunk.

And we'll try again in a few months and see how it goes.

All right.

Betty (11:34.188) Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So I want to talk about the ghostwriter.

Stacey Assu (11:42.895) Me too!

Betty (11:44.662) What did you think?

Stacey Assu (11:46.769) You know what?

I really like psychological suspense thrillers.

I do.

It's one of the things that I really like.

Now what I love the most about it was like Helena's story was, she seemed like such a bitch.

And then as the story went on and you realize what really happened, my heart really broke for her.

Really broke for her.

But it just took really long to get that.

Betty (12:09.445) yeah, it was definitely an emotional breeze.

Very emotional.

Stacey Assu (12:16.315) Like I was like, you're really annoying.

Well, you're dying now and now you're being nice to two people because I won't fuck off.

Betty (12:16.845) Mm.

Stacey Assu (12:25.351) That was how I felt about it.

But I did like the fact that she was having this online beef with another author and she finds out he's a man.

Betty (12:34.34) Yes, I love that.

Stacey Assu (12:36.743) Favorite bloody part in the whole book was him showing up and just like, Hi!

She's like, Who the fuck are you?

Betty (12:42.326) Yeah, so for anyone who has a credit, the premise of the book is Helena is a really famous author, like does really well, but she's now dying of cancer.

She's only young and she wants to write her last book.

She becomes too poorly to kind of write it all herself.

So she needs a ghostwriter.

And the only person that she thinks could actually fill her shoes is kind of a rival author.

who they kind of send each other emails and give each other shit about their work and stuff which I found really funny and yeah the story kind of goes from there but it's basically that she wants to she wants to tell her story of a part of her life really yeah so and like Bonnie said it's she starts off like being quite a bitch But then when you sort of get to know her as a character and know what happens, you do really feel for her.

And I was quite surprised that it was such emotional.

At the end, I was nearly crying.

I wasn't expecting that from the book, do know what I mean?

Stacey Assu (13:46.437) GAH!

Do you know, was Mark at the end when he was talking, when he did like the epilogue, like, yeah.

And he was like, I know this is not the story you're used to.

Betty (13:54.161) Yeah.

But even- Yeah, but even her just writing them letters to them people at the end was like my god, it just I wasn't I wasn't prepared for it because that wasn't what you think the book is gonna Even though it's sort of a bit sad sort of through it anyway, because she is dying even though I think she's she's she's not upset that she's dying She's she's sort of okay with it.

She just wants to get this last This last memoir out Stacey Assu (14:11.299) Gnar.

Betty (14:28.568) But yeah, it was really good.

I really enjoyed it.

I, yeah, it was, it was a...

Stacey Assu (14:32.39) I did as well.

I...

Sorry, what I say?

Betty (14:36.756) I was going to say there's a lot of sort of mystery to it because you know that it's alluding to things so she had she had a husband and she has a daughter Bethany but they're not around at this point so you don't know where they are or what happens until the story starts sort of progressing then you get sort of drip-fed little bits so it's nice it's a good read in that way that it is that kind of I like a bit of a mystery I like trying to work out what's happening and not really knowing Stacey Assu (14:52.283) Yeah.

Stacey Assu (15:05.583) It was good.

really, I enjoyed it.

I like her books though.

I just, felt that it was the dual timeline thing was fine.

It's just, felt like it made the story feel longer than it was.

Like I was, I was, cause I did the audio back and I'm like, this shouldn't just be fucking finished by now.

And I'm like, no, I've got like two and a bit hours left.

It felt like it was, I don't know.

I was just, it was so slow in spots, which is why I didn't get five stabbies from me because I think it should have been five stabbies, but For me to think, hasn't this finished yet?

Like I can tell that it was, you that was just, I think it just needed to be a bit quicker.

I understand she was world building her story and her background.

I didn't really need that.

I kind of felt like we could have got there quicker.

You know what I mean?

Betty (15:39.277) Yeah.

Betty (15:53.327) Yeah, I mean maybe I didn't get that from it at all.

I also audio booked it.

I audio book on the go.

So maybe I don't know.

Yeah, I just I didn't get that.

I was quite I was quite happy with it.

I don't know what I gave it a five.

Stacey Assu (16:06.343) So what did you give it?

Stacey Assu (16:10.599) You are so stingy with those things too!

Betty (16:16.142) You know what though afterwards I had to just kind of sit and like have a moment and it never crossed my mind writing it I just really sat with the story and it really like Got got to me a bit And I didn't even think I'd write it today.

I did not write it until today And I personally didn't write any of them on good reason.

You didn't know what I thought but yeah Stacey Assu (16:29.413) Yeah, I'll take it.

Stacey Assu (16:36.337) I know I did look.

Betty (16:40.122) I was like, I'm not writing this splatter punk one, I want her to not know what I'm going to say.

But yeah, I just really enjoyed it.

I don't know that there was anything else that I needed from that book.

Stacey Assu (16:46.375) You're such a shit.

I love it.

Stacey Assu (16:53.563) No, I think it was just because I think for me, because I have read other books of hers that she has a better pace than the other ones.

And I think I was expecting that and I didn't get it.

You know what I mean?

But you're right.

Like that ending, think that's the other thing, right?

Normally with these kinds of books, you know, it's going to be like a bit of sweet conclusion.

And I don't think it ended that way for her.

And that was, that was quite tragic because don't know these books don't normally end like that.

So I think her ending was really good.

Betty (17:04.94) Yeah.

Yeah.

Betty (17:22.016) No.

Yeah, I definitely think I was reading it thinking this will be like a four star and I think it was the ending that just died.

Yep.

Stacey Assu (17:31.463) that gave it the five.

Yeah, I gave it 4.25.

So it was good.

It's definitely up there with some of the best I've read this year.

just the pacing for me just, it was a little sluggish and I felt like sometimes the backstory didn't need to be in there.

But I would have made for a short book too.

So I still enjoyed it.

Betty (17:51.574) Yeah.

Yeah, me too.

What else have you been reading?

Stacey Assu (17:56.231) So I actually went a little bit different for, because I was reading a lot of psychological thrillers.

So I actually went with a psychological horror and it was called, You Did Nothing Wrong by C.G.

Drews.

my God.

I didn't know what to expect when I started this book.

Anybody that knows me knows I go in blind.

I know the title.

I half the time don't even look at the author and I roughly know what genre I'm reading and that's pretty much it.

But this book is about this woman.

She's a kid.

She meets this guy.

He's like, Hey, I love you.

I want you to come home with me.

Like after they've been talking online for a while, after they've met in person, but they were talking online too.

She's in Australia and he moves her and her kid over into this house.

And this house is like insane.

Like the walls are talking.

The kids like getting bruises on it.

And it's saying this house is dangerous.

I don't want to be in here.

I want to get out.

Like, and this kid's like, it's obviously you could tell it's got like psychological issues.

The child does.

Betty (18:43.592) Stacey Assu (18:56.935) So watching the toxic relationship between the boy and the girl, because they're not very old either, like in their early 20s.

And they've just got married and she's pregnant.

And there was a fuck ton of triggers.

Like if you have trigger sensitivities, you need to read the one that came with this book because it was long.

Like the trigger list was long.

But you also, this is one thing I didn't enjoy.

I didn't know whether or not the house was really like that.

Betty (19:05.005) Yeah.

Stacey Assu (19:25.231) or whether he was doing something to her to make her see these things.

Because he wasn't who we thought he was either.

And the twist at the end, my fucking God, I don't wanna spoil it, because in case you do wanna read it.

But when we find out like how all this came about, I was like, my fucking God.

I was flawed.

And I literally, I stopped reading and I was just like.

Betty (19:51.159) god.

Stacey Assu (19:51.971) Yeah, for about, and I sat there for a couple minutes before I was like, okay, I can do this.

I can get through this because I did not see that coming.

It was fucking brilliant.

So you've got the unreliable narrator, a potentially haunted house because we never really do find out.

Like the floor opens up, grabs her leg.

She's screaming.

He comes running in.

She's obviously got what looks like bite marks up her leg from scratch wood, but there's no hole in the floor.

And we don't know if.

Yeah.

Betty (20:16.862) my god, this sounds like my kind of Yeah.

Stacey Assu (20:21.303) It was good.

you also, cause he's like, he's not who he says he is.

So you don't know if he's like, cause sometimes these things happen on your body when you imagine them.

Like that's like, that's hinted as well.

And I'm like, I need to know whether this is true or not.

You fuckers.

But the kid was really creepy.

Like I really, I quite enjoyed how creepy the kid was and she, like she comes across as like this caring, devoted mother, but you can see that she's not quite right either.

And I, yeah, I gave it four stab is just because I did not like that.

didn't end the way I wanted it to.

Betty (20:47.542) I like it.

Betty (20:51.838) I was going to ask you actually, did you, as you was reading it, could you predict where it was going to go?

No.

Stacey Assu (20:57.925) Not one eye fucking otter.

Whoever this CJ Drews is, I was in the dark the whole fucking time.

And even when it ended, I was like, where the fuck did that come from?

Betty (21:01.345) You Betty (21:09.929) my god, this is going straight on my...

I'm writing this down after this, because this is definitely...

But I just, I wanted to know if the house was really doing these things and it really left it open-ended.

And I'm like, there better be a book too.

Betty (21:21.454) Oh no, I hate that!

No, I hate that in a book.

I'm going to have take it off my list.

No, I like to know that this is the same as that we used to live here.

There's Marcus...

Stacey Assu (21:30.553) Ooh, I love that one though.

But I gave that one five stars.

That didn't bother me.

Betty (21:35.682) But you don't know, yeah, but my point is, if you don't know how it ends, that really annoys me.

Do you have like how you would imagine it?

I suppose I could talk to you after.

Stacey Assu (21:45.499) Well, for me, when I was, cause I was talking to Jace about this and she was like, it sounds to me as though it was the house.

Like he was covering everything up as he was going that it was the house that he knew.

And I'm like, yeah, but I'm like, there were still things that weren't, they didn't quite sit right for me that kind of had the psychological stuff going in the back of my head.

But I think that was the whole point where she was like straight away, that house was haunted.

She was like, no, there's no ifs, or buts.

Betty (22:08.429) Yeah.

Stacey Assu (22:13.191) She was like, you're picking it apart too much.

She was like, no, that house was fucked.

Betty (22:13.752) the world.

Stacey Assu (22:20.241) Look at your face!

Betty (22:20.365) Yeah.

Oh, I might.

I might.

Yeah, I might.

I might not.

I'll see if I've got time to get through too many books.

So I've been saying for ages, I've got myself for Christmas, the Steve Kavanaugh series.

So I did the first one.

Yeah, the Eddie Flynn.

Eddie Flynn, the character.

He is an ex criminal.

So he's quite like.

Stacey Assu (22:26.511) Okay.

But what did you read?

What did you do?

Betty (22:47.47) What is it?

You know they can do like tricks with their hands and like his like sleight of hand and all that like he used to be like, I think he was a lot more, I think he was into like gangs and mobs and I think his was like Italian mob.

But he's now a lawyer.

And basically he gets kidnapped by the Russian mob and they're like you're going to defend this guy Volchek I think his name is and He's like no and they're like well, we've got your daughter So you are and basically that they've kidnapped his daughter and he now has to represent him in a case It is basically impossible Because they have basically there was a hit that was put out that Volchek ordered But the guy, Benny, who actually did the hit, he's going to court to say that he's the one that told him to do it, so he's going to go down.

it is mental.

They like he's literally going around the court with like a bomb in his jacket.

Like it's very kind of intense.

There's like cool motorbike scenes where he's like having to get from one place to another really quickly because everything's on a time limit.

And yeah, it's only over like 48 hours, I think.

It's like scaling of buildings.

There's like it's quite like I when I was imagining it, it's imagine how I was like an action thriller type film.

Yeah, it was good I enjoyed it definitely worth a read kind of especially if you like you know like Lincoln lawyer you know he's just really smart and really quick and he's like do you know what I mean it's that kind of vibe so if you like Lincoln lawyer you'll probably like this for like the only thing that I it wasn't I didn't like I'm used to reading a certain type of thriller especially lately whereas this was written a bit different a bit a bit more of like a serious tone Betty (24:31.214) So I just had to get my head into that.

And then once I did, was totally fine.

wasn't, it was bad writing.

It's just my, what I'm used to.

But yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, it's cool.

Yeah.

So it was good.

And it was nice to do something a bit different because I don't, haven't done sort of a crime one for ages.

So yeah, it was really cool.

I'm trying to think what else I didn't like.

I think.

Stacey Assu (24:39.515) Yeah, he writes crime thrillers, right?

He's a crime thriller writer.

Yeah.

Stacey Assu (24:54.075) Whatcha give it?

Betty (25:01.326) I I four-star'd it.

A high four-star, just because, even though it was action, maybe on occasion a little bit flat and a little bit like, come on, let's get to that point and let's move it along a bit.

But not even in a really bad way, I just think compared to what I'm used to reading, that's all.

But it's still, would definitely, yeah, go on.

Stacey Assu (25:03.279) Nice.

Nice.

Stacey Assu (25:21.255) Yeah, crime fictions do that.

It's a pacing thing.

It's like dun dun dun and it's like aahhh, dun dun dun.

Yeah, I get what you're saying.

Betty (25:27.713) Yeah.

Betty (25:31.83) Yeah, yeah, I liked it.

It was a goodie.

Stacey Assu (25:35.975) Well, you've got more in that series, right?

So are you planning on picking up the next one?

Betty (25:41.579) Yes, but probably not anytime soon because we got we got shit to do.

We got plans.

No, we just got too much to do for this pod.

I will that do you know what?

I'll probably I'm to be going on holiday soon.

So I will probably take one of them with me and then take my Kindle.

And that's probably it.

I'll probably just it's easier to read on a sunbed with a Kindle than a than a book.

Yeah.

Have you got another one for me?

Stacey Assu (25:44.839) Who was that good?

Stacey Assu (26:00.134) smart.

Stacey Assu (26:06.311) That's true.

Stacey Assu (26:11.319) I do.

And I actually did go psychological thriller this time around.

I actually read a book called Papercut by Rachel Taft.

Now this book was really interesting because it's written by an adult, like this whole memoir book.

I can't remember what it's called now, but she's written a book and she's basically touring on it.

This is how she's making her money.

She has all these true crime people like interested in her and all these fangirls because she was in a cult when she was 16.

Betty (26:17.774) you Stacey Assu (26:41.371) She finds out that the cult leader is actually her father and all this shit happens.

Okay.

Like I'm just going to give you a little, little taste of what it's like.

So he gets women pregnant.

They give birth and then he kills the moms because he's setting them free.

Yeah.

So she's like horrified when she realizes this is what's actually happening, that she's related to all these fucking kids there and she kills them.

Betty (26:58.238) shit.

Betty (27:02.382) Stacey Assu (27:11.217) So this is about her story of her later life where it's like, everyone's like, well done for killing a cult leader, but she's not telling anybody where the bodies are buried of all these women.

So she's being hounded.

Now I really loved like, though, because it went from her point of view in the present to her point of view in the past.

And you realize that what she's the story she's telling everybody ain't So we unravel all that.

So what I just told you is what she's telling people.

Betty (27:23.523) Hmm.

Betty (27:36.589) Stacey Assu (27:40.145) there's things that we don't know yet.

And it was so fucking good.

But the only thing I didn't enjoy was it was, I found that sometimes it was got a little bit repetitive.

So it felt like they were rehashing information we already had and they didn't need it.

Like it would have made the story move a bit quicker, but seriously, okay.

The cult stuff was fantastic.

Dual timelines I'm okay with.

I love the fact that she's like talking about her book.

Betty (28:02.315) Nice.

Stacey Assu (28:09.029) So it's a book within a book.

She's completely fucking unreliable.

And it's got that true crime complex feel to it as well.

And then she finds out she has all these fucking siblings.

So she had secret siblings.

was the only child with this like crazy batshit mother.

And then she finds out she has all these siblings.

But when all this shit kicks off, right, they all disappear into foster care.

So she doesn't have any contact with any of them.

I gave it, I actually gave it five stabbies.

It was good.

It was really good.

Yeah.

Betty (28:23.415) Ha!

Betty (28:35.018) Did you?

I was going to say we do like a cult one.

enjoyed Mirror House Girls when we did it.

Stacey Assu (28:39.303) I do love my cults.

And this one was done in such a way that she, it's not like she joined it on purpose.

She was just, she didn't know that her mom even knew who her dad was.

And then all of a sudden he's there and she's like getting pulled into this world.

And then she witnesses something pretty horrific.

And I'm like, I was like, Ooh yeah, next, next, next.

And then would like low again.

And I'm like, ah, like I'll just come on.

Just, just get to where I want to be again.

You know, that's how it felt.

Like I got little.

Betty (28:50.51) Mmm.

Betty (29:04.194) Yes.

Stacey Assu (29:05.681) What does Mike call them?

He calls them bookish reprieves where you get a minute to breathe.

But I didn't want a moment to breathe.

I wanted all the information shut down my throat yesterday.

That was good.

I really enjoyed it.

Betty (29:12.494) Thank Betty (29:18.574) I leave you five starred it.

The cover, I did pick it up actually quickly this morning.

Cover looks really interesting.

I would pick that book up 100%.

It looks good.

Stacey Assu (29:21.103) I was good.

Stacey Assu (29:30.343) It's good.

It's worth it.

It's well worth it.

What else did you read?

Betty (29:34.049) Nice.

Love that.

So I did Watching You by Lisa Joule.

Stacey Assu (29:41.159) Mm-hmm.

Betty (29:41.231) Which was you know immediately from the name you're like someone's a stalker They're all fucking stalkers.

What do you mean someone?

They're all stalking each other.

They all live on this sort of one road She's following him his son's following her.

There's another one down the road and it's like, my god Everyone is crazy who lives on this street.

but yeah, I won't go into it too much It's a classic Lisa jewel.

You've got all the really good twists in there, you know, there's like obsession you've got your unreliable characters in there, like, you know what I mean?

You've got this small town, like close-knit community kind of feel and yeah, it's vibes.

It is good because like I said, because everyone seems to be stalking everyone.

You don't really know who the baddie's gonna be in it.

Do you know what mean?

Or the one that's really go fucking nuts.

And there's sort of some backstories like from, it's kind of dual timeline, but.

Stacey Assu (30:14.086) love that.

Betty (30:38.766) I wouldn't say like all the time, like it flicks back to bits of the past.

Where there's a story building in the past as well.

But yeah, if you're a Lisa Duell fan, you will definitely like this.

This is one that I don't see getting talked about at all.

I've only just recently found it.

I've put it on my Instagram.

A few people have commented.

that they've either gone ahead on their TBR or they've literally, you know, just sort of recently picked up as well.

So it's not a new one.

I'm not sure when it was, but yeah, it was a goodie and I gave that one a four as well.

Four stabby.

Stacey Assu (31:10.201) so the only book you didn't like this much, the only book you really didn't like was this flat punk.

That's, you know what?

And I didn't think you were going to rate it very high.

I thought maybe, maybe you'd give it a 2.5.

Betty (31:16.234) Splat punk.

Betty (31:21.27) Maybe a three.

I did start it off thinking maybe a three, but no, then it was just, yeah, not for me.

Not enough of the story held me, I don't think.

But yeah.

Stacey Assu (31:25.649) hilarious.

Stacey Assu (31:36.315) Yeah, that could be it.

Pacing was one thing.

Now we've obviously got books coming up on our TBR.

What two books are you hoping to get to for the next pod?

Betty (31:47.531) Right one that I really want to read and I know we're thriller but this kind of seems thrilling So i'm going with that vibe.

I've said it a couple of times dungeon crawler.

Carl.

I need to get it done It's giving me hunger games vibes.

I feel like i'm ready Yeah dystopian.

It sounds really cool.

I reckon I reckon this could be a five star read Yeah, so i'm going with that and also Stacey Assu (32:00.849) dystopian, Stacey Assu (32:09.893) I've heard that a lot, heard that a lot.

Betty (32:16.99) I'm gonna do freedom McFadden dear Debbie heard mixed reviews I'm gonna audiobook this heard mixed I'm gonna I'm gonna guess it's gonna be a three star so I think once you've done a lot of Frieders I think you've said this before you kind of but my friend's been listening to it and she said it's totally gone in a way that she didn't expect so it could be a four I'm gonna guess a three we'll see what about you?

have you?

Stacey Assu (32:21.329) I that one.

Stacey Assu (32:40.775) Okay.

I'm going to keep my mouth shut.

I've read it already.

Okay.

So I, yeah, I already did it.

So I picked Wyrmwood by T Kingfisher.

And again, I'm kind of feeling the horror thing going on just recently.

So this one's a historical horror.

And I, the only reason I really picked it was because it's got a reclusive scientist.

There's creepy crawlies and local legends.

So I can feel that there's going to be some really fucking gross shit.

coming.

And that's what I'm looking for.

I'm looking for some real gross shit.

And I'm expecting it to be about four stabbies because this author tends to be around there for me.

And the last book I picked was a novel crime by Deborah Levinson.

And this one I picked because it's got like, it's a crime fiction novel, but it's got like the dark comedy undertones.

I don't know if you've ever read Finlay Donovan.

So what I'm hoping for is some, oh, it's so fucking good.

We'll talk about that another time.

So Finlay Donovan vibes where, you know, Betty (33:33.294) Look.

Stacey Assu (33:40.103) These things happen to her and she kind of gets caught up.

So I'm looking for funny characters, some chaos.

This person, this says the tropes are like, I'm liable narrator, alter ego, kidnapping gone wrong and an unhinged protagonist.

So I'm fucking excited.

And I always rate Finlay Donovan's really high, like they're 4.55 stabbies.

So I'm going to guess it's going to be probably be around about 4.5.

I'm excited.

Yeah.

I'm excited.

Betty (33:54.466) That's it.

Betty (34:05.166) Nice.

I'm excited to hear about that one.

Wow.

Cool.

So, if you liked this episode, follow the podcast.

It's free, obviously, and you'll be the first to see it drop on a Tuesday.

And if you're feeling extra feral, leave us a five star review so more Thriller Girlies can find us.

Stacey Assu (34:10.214) Sorry, sorry.

Stacey Assu (34:25.639) Absolutely.

We hope that you have enjoyed this episode and that you'll be joining us in our new once a week format.

But until then, we hope you have the reading week that you deserve and we will catch you next week.

Take care, readers.

Betty (34:38.904) See you soon.

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Best Thriller Books + The Ghostwriter by A.R. Torre | Thriller Podcast Episode

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