Book Slayers

Have you ever trusted the wrong character and slit yourself into thinking, "Oh, this one seems nice," or 0:07 been personally attacked by a plot twist at 2:00 a.m.?

You are absolutely in the 0:13 right place.

Today, we're talking what we've read, what we're about to read 0:19 that's going to destroy us, and the thriller that has officially taken over our personalities for the month.

the 0:26 podcast where we'll willingly read the books that raise our blood pressure make us distrust literally everybody 0:34 and somehow convinces us that moving to a remote cabin is always a good idea.

If 0:40 there is one thing we've learned from this month of reading, it's trust no one, question everything, and never 0:46 accept a ride from a stranger in chapter 2 because they are always suspicious.

0:51 Okay, readers, let's slay some books.

1:05 Hello book slayers.

You dark fiction lovers.

Welcome back to the podcast 1:11 where we willly lose sleep so you don't have to.

We are Book Slayers with Betty 1:16 and Bonnie.

Hey guys.

Now, this is your corner of the internet where thrillers, mysteries, 1:22 and horror stories get deep, emotionally dissected, and sometimes aggressively screamed at.

Welcome to the chaos.

Oh my 1:30 god, I've had a really good reading thriller couple of weeks.

It's been really good.

1:36 Yeah, mine has also I mean, do you know what?

I've got some good and bad in here, so I'm quite excited.

I feel like 1:43 I quite like most books, but just before I get into this guys, if you're still 1:48 listening on the adulteress's channel, you need to start moving over to Betty and Bonnie Book Slayers.

You need to 1:54 move over to Book Slayers because we're going to stop posting here.

So, do it 2:00 now while you're thinking about it.

Go and give a follow on wherever you listen, Spotify, Apple, wherever.

Give 2:05 us a follow because we're going to stop posting content here.

We've got our own channel.

People are moving over.

You 2:11 need to join them guys.

Yep.

Exit stage.

Exactly.

So yeah, I've got some I've got some 2:17 goodies and baddies.

Really?

I have got honest I've got one that 2:23 really really really pissed me off.

I was not happy reading this book.

And I'm 2:30 not that person.

Like I can get on with most books.

Felt really bad that I was like, "Oh, 2:36 this must be like a newish one from this author.

Maybe it's like a new." And then I felt bad cuz I was like, I don't like 2:41 trash someone's.

It's not their first book.

They've done quite a few.

Now, this is obviously just my opinion.

This 2:49 book is Five Liars.

Who is it by?

Can't remember.

DL Der.

The book is Five 2:54 Liars.

There's a couple.

They're going away with some friends.

They're having like a joint bachelorette bachelor 3:02 party.

They've hired this like lush villa somewhere.

They all get there and 3:08 apparently it's supposed to be really tense and like shit's going down and I was just the writing was just not there 3:13 for me really.

It's really Yeah.

I was I found it really hard at first.

You're 3:18 like, "Oh, okay.

Give it some time." And it was sort of trying to build some suspense.

I just didn't feel it.

And 3:24 like, you know, it was setting things up like they was in a taxi being driven to this place and I don't know, there was a dog and it's like the dog of death and 3:31 the taxi man's like telling them about this dog and it's like, okay.

Then their 3:36 luggage gets stolen that there's no real reason why the luggage gets stolen that they left outside the house while they 3:42 went in.

Um, so there's basically a couple who you know what this is how 3:47 unmemorable this book is now to me.

I can't even remember their names.

I think it's Darren, Britt.

Darren and Brit are 3:53 the main couple.

No, they're not.

I'm totally messing this.

This is how much quote her on that.

4:00 Anyway, there's a couple.

There's the guy's best friend and then there's the girl's best friend and then there's a 4:05 girl who just works for the main girl who is called Brit.

It was like even the set in the scene stuff.

They go in and 4:11 it's like the whole house is white, everything's white.

Cool.

Anything else that I can No, there was nothing.

I feel 4:19 so bad being like this, but it's just it really didn't land with me at all.

But I did go and check it on Good Reads and it 4:25 I think it's about a three and a half and all the books is about six.

It's between like 3.3 and 3.8 nine.

So this 4:33 this may be a me thing.

But yeah, it just didn't land.

And like some of the stuff is supposed to be like 4:40 I don't know.

It's like who done it out the five of them?

They were all five, but like someone's supposed to like die 4:46 and stuff.

And it's I just didn't care.

I didn't care who was going to die.

I didn't care who 4:52 survived.

Like they get there and then basically there's this big hurricane.

They're trapped in the house.

They're supposed to have cooks come in.

No one 4:59 comes in, but there's a load of food left.

It's like, okay, we've got food.

Um I imagine it's at least two or three 5:05 stories this filler.

It's in somewhere like I don't know.

It's not Puerto Rico, but it's it's somewhere somewhere that 5:11 sounds fancy.

Like the weather's nice.

It just happened to go when there's a hurricane.

Um, so they all get there and there's little 5:17 like snippets of like, oh, I need a word with you, but it the writing is kind of and it feels tense.

It's like, but it 5:23 doesn't feel tense.

You're just telling me that it's tense.

Like, I'm not feeling it.

I'm not feeling any build.

And then there was like stupid bits in 5:29 it where like it just didn't make sense what she'd written.

So at one one thing at the end there's like two 5:36 dead bodies that you know are downstairs and like two others have like gone oh 5:43 there was six was there six of them no two people went over the banister and died and it was like oh and basically 5:49 was as if there was all together and it's like how can you be upstairs and they're downstairs and like it just didn't make sense.

There was also a part 5:56 where one of the girls goes upstairs and then she doesn't come down for a while and they go up and then there's blood 6:01 all over the floor and she'd been upstairs with oh Darren's the best man actually.

He was the last one with her.

They're like it's you.

You're doing this 6:08 stuff.

She's now locked in her bedroom but from the outside he's saying he hasn't done it.

So like [ __ ] got to go 6:13 out in the hurricane and go up a ladder to go over the balcony which probably would have been locked as well by the way.

Same as the door in 6:20 there.

You think?

Yeah.

So one goes up.

Darren's holding the ladder at the bottom.

I can't 6:25 remember the main guy's name.

He goes up.

So, you would think naturally like he would hold the ladder for him as he's 6:31 trying to come up the ladder.

Well, that doesn't happen.

And this extra character that comes in at the end, it's like, 6:38 "Oh, yeah, I was there and I just wiggled the ladder and I made him fall off." And it's like, "But how?" Because the other guy was there, so how did you 6:44 do that?

Like, none of it made sense.

But I was a bit more what I will say 6:50 what was good about it is there was like a dual timeline.

So it was going back to like when some of these girls was kids 6:56 but you don't know which girl is which character.

So there's three girls in the main house and there's a couple of kids 7:03 when they're younger.

They live with like foster parents.

They keep them in the basement.

They're [ __ ] horrible.

They send them to school without lunch 7:10 money and like you know like just what what you think is a horror story of like foster parents.

But that was the book 7:16 for me going back to this bit because it was like oh there is a link somewhere and I'm trying to work that out rather than caring about the main of the story.

7:23 But actually when it got to the end and it was all about sort of the twist and like how it all linked up I was like do 7:30 you know what this could have been a great book.

I just don't think the writing wasn't there.

They was worried 7:36 about things.

So when they first got there it was like oh panicked because the storm's coming, panicked about the 7:42 food.

There was a locked door like off the kitchen somewhere.

And I was like, "It's locked." But it's it's it's a 7:48 rental, but people don't live here, so that must be scary.

It's like, "That would be [ __ ] normal.

That's your 7:53 supply cupboard.

Why are we scared about a cupboard?" I didn't get it.

Like, it 7:58 was like she was trying to I don't know if it's a he or she, actually.

It's like the author was trying to like marry up 8:03 and make this story out of something that just wasn't really there.

It was bizarre.

Like, some of it was just I 8:10 don't get this.

And there was part of me that was like, I just want to see how it finishes.

But to be honest, should have 8:17 just DNFed it.

Yes.

Yeah.

Should have just DNFed it.

Apart from that, I can see I can see 8:24 that the author actually had like some really good planning as in how they wanted the story to go.

And I do think 8:30 the twist stuff would have been good.

I just think the execution was not there.

That's a real shame.

8:39 It was a shame.

So, my Stabby rating, 8:45 it's a two cuz it wasn't a DNF and I didn't enjoy it.

It was two stabies out of five stabies.

8:51 Two out of five.

Not great start.

Do you know what I think is funny though?

You gave the husband's secret 8:59 too as well and I quite enjoyed that.

Not that I'm going to read this one cuz you're making it sound terrible.

9:05 No, I wouldn't read it.

you knowing the twist.

But yeah, The Husband's Secret.

I gave 9:11 that a I wish I didn't give it a two to be honest.

I think it deserved at least a three.

9:17 But that one was just so ridiculous that I was like, how can it how can like I 9:22 just couldn't get on board with all the [ __ ] that was happening?

But actually, it's one of the most memorable books 9:28 that I've read.

So, I would honestly tell anyone to read that book.

I try and encourage people to read it.

I haven't got anyone else to read it apart from 9:34 me.

Don't go telling me you only gave it two [ __ ] stabbies.

Like come on.

If I had known that you'd only given it two, 9:40 I would have been like, "No, thank you." But I would I did push it hard to though, didn't I?

Yeah, you did really really hard.

9:47 Yeah, I think I definitely I undervalued that book and what Yeah, I think you did as well cuz I gave 9:52 it four.

Like I understand where you're coming from, but the book was heavy into the psychological aspect of it and 9:59 apparently some of these things really happen.

Like obviously not the intersect thingy with the pregnancy, but you'd be 10:06 surprised if I was reading these horrible news stories, right, of what parents have done to their kids.

10:12 Yeah, it's quite it's quite insane.

Tell me you've got a better book than what I've You are going to be You're going to roll 10:19 your [ __ ] eyes.

Are you ready?

I finished Butter by 10:24 I know.

Why?

because you told me that you and 10:30 your book club were like, "Fuck no." Well, I understand the reason why you guys didn't like it.

Do you guys 10:36 predominantly read thrillers, right?

Like you like your fastpac kind of 10:41 We do as a general oversight, but we do read some other books.

10:47 Okay.

Because because butter is actually considered a 10:55 slow burn psychological fiction, meaning that the whole point of the book is the 11:01 things that the chick in the prison does to make the journalist jump through 11:06 these hoops.

It's got this whole vibe of like the Hannibal Lecter and Clarice Stling, like that vibe of like the 11:14 mentor and the mentee.

And I went in thinking that it was going to be horrible.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't 11:21 one of the best books I ever read.

Not by a long shot because I'm not a massive fan of the slow buildup.

But for anybody 11:28 that's never read this book or even heard of it, this this person is in prison right now.

And and a real person 11:35 like this book is based on a real crime.

Okay, loosely based, mind you, because 11:40 some of some of the stuff is a lot different, but this book in was inspired by a real crime.

So the murderer, she's 11:46 in prison and she basically uses her cooking skills to lure men into thinking 11:52 that she's like this wonderful house person and then she kills them with her food.

Like that's why she's in jail.

Now 12:00 this journalist literally wants her story because she won't talk to anybody and she's asking about her food choices 12:07 and that's how in the end she manages to get the interviews in prison.

chick in the prison is literally making her do 12:13 things based on like, oh, you have to bake a cake for Valentine's Day.

You 12:18 have to.

And then I will think about giving you the story.

So, she's making this this journalist jump through all 12:24 these [ __ ] hoops.

And for me, like I had this whole single white female vibe, 12:29 too.

Like Ra, that's the journalist.

She was basically mirroring the kind of things that Kaji was doing to build 12:38 confidence in herself because the whole point of the book was challenging things like fat phobia because Japanese people 12:44 like to be very skinny.

Challenging the idea of gender roles and breaking down misogyny.

And I think that's one of the 12:51 reasons why you guys probably didn't like it because it's really it's slow moving and a lot of the things are like 12:58 like there was a lot of cooking stuff in there.

And if you if you like to read thrillers, like, who the [ __ ] cares that 13:03 this chick's like talking about how something tastes over [ __ ] three pages?

Like, I understood it.

Okay, I 13:09 understood where you were coming from.

But like, I don't know.

Like, the Kajji was just like this emotional vampire and 13:15 she was basically feeding off of all the things that she was making RA do from 13:20 prison.

Like, she was using her.

And I found the psychological [ __ ] fascinating.

Absolutely [ __ ] 13:27 fascinating.

And I did give it 3.75 savies out of five.

13:32 It was slow.

It was weird, but it was nowhere near as bad as you made it out to be.

It really wasn't.

13:41 Didn't finish.

I got to I'm not joking.

I read half of that.

And I was like, after everyone else DNFed it, I was 13:46 like, I've paid for this book.

I'm going to keep reading it.

And after a while, there was too many books I wanted to read.

And I kept thinking, 13:52 I don't know, maybe there was like six chapters, cuz they're really long chapters in this book, right?

I was like 13:57 an hour every week I can I can do an hour cuz it's not that it's like totally 14:03 boring or that it was just it didn't really feel like too much was going on 14:08 sometimes.

Yeah.

Really slow.

The beginning slow and 14:14 Yes.

It's still on my bookshelf.

I haven't like I haven't burned it or anything.

14:19 Toilet paper.

One of my highlights of that book and probably the main thing that I remember is like she's like when 14:26 she talks to her like from the prison, this lady telling the journalist, she's like, "So, what you have to do is you 14:31 have to have sex and then you get up in the night and you have to go into this certain place and have these noodles 14:37 with butter on it." They talk She talks about noodles and butter all the time.

It's like really 14:45 But that's just like my standout thing.

Yeah.

Noodles and butter.

Yeah.

Because what she was trying to do 14:51 was she was trying to get Ra to understand that she doesn't have to wait 14:56 around to get the things that she wants and she could use a man to have sex with.

And then the enjoyment from the 15:02 sex was enhanced by the eating experience.

And because in Japan butter is seen as like the devil because it 15:08 makes you fat, right?

Japanese women are very skinny.

They're very conscious of what they look like.

And Ra was already 15:14 pushing the boundaries of eating what she wanted.

She didn't care that she was 15:19 a little bit overweight.

Like it was mentioned a lot though.

Like someone was like, "Oh, are you sure you should be eating that?" Like, so for me, it was 15:26 more of a a look at the culture of should you really be eating that?

And 15:32 she's pushing the boundaries out of I'm going to [ __ ] do what I want.

And this chicken prison, even though she's a 15:38 murderer, was giving her the confidence to just go, "Fuck it.

I'm going to eat that third bowl of [ __ ] rice." You 15:44 know what I mean?

And I kind of found it very like I found it a little empowering.

But yeah, as far as books 15:51 go, it was very literary based.

There was a lot of things that probably could have done without.

You know what?

It 15:58 would have improved it a lot.

Shorter chapters and more punchiness going through it because the writing was 16:04 there.

I'm going to tell you right now, the writing was there.

I just don't think it was executed the way I needed it to be executed cuz then it would have 16:11 been a five.

at the towards the end of the book, do you actually get to hear what she did, the murders, and do you 16:18 actually Yeah.

See, I've I've not reached that part.

I think someone goes away somewhere.

I don't know if it's her 16:23 friend rather than the main journalist girl.

It's about the middle of the book.

I can't really I can't 100% remember it 16:29 all, but yeah, I would have liked to get to actually hear what what happened, but didn't make it.

It's funny because I 16:36 thought maybe the true crime mirrored what happened.

But the true crime chick literally lured these men in with the 16:43 food, married them, and then made it look like suicides to get all their money.

That's how she did it in real 16:50 life.

Cuz I had to I had to go rabbit hole a little bit cuz I'm like, who the [ __ ] was this chick?

But yeah, she used to And she still runs a blog right now 16:57 with like cooking stuff.

I I I did I had a look.

What?

Is she out of jail then?

17:02 No, she's not out of jail.

She gets to do it from prison.

Yeah, she gets She writes a cooking blog.

I want to add a 17:07 look.

It was fascinatingly creepy.

Any good recipes?

Should we Is there anything we should be making?

17:14 It's not anything I would cook, but yeah, it was it was it's fascinating.

I think that the author did a a decent 17:20 enough job for what they were going for, cuz they weren't going for a thriller.

This this 17:26 book was never intended to be a fast-paced thriller.

She wanted a psychologically 17:31 damaging fiction book and she nailed that.

It's just I don't think it was marketed right.

I really don't because 17:38 everybody in my my uh thriller fiction group thought it was a thriller.

So, 17:44 somebody didn't do their [ __ ] job properly.

Moving on.

I'm going to 17:50 Right.

I was going to go worst like worst to best.

I've started off with my worst one.

This isn't my worst one.

This 17:57 is all on me.

So, I listened to The Hunting Party.

Lucy Foley.

18:03 I knew you were going to say that.

I knew it.

You rated it four.

I don't know why because I went back and 18:10 Yeah.

So, I was listening to it.

Um, it's basically like a group of friends have hired somewhere in like Scotland.

18:17 They're going there.

So, you've got like the parties different perspective from the people in the party.

Plus, you've 18:23 got some perspectives of I think there's two or three people that work there.

I don't know if you get all their perspective.

I can't remember.

I don't 18:28 mind Lucy Foley.

I like the Midnight Feast.

I for Stabi's that one.

But this 18:35 one, I was audio booking it, but I was dipping in and out.

I think I was into 18:40 it with the main characters and then when it come to the people that lived there, I don't know why, and this is why I'm saying I think this is on me.

So, I 18:46 think I would have actually liked this.

I haven't rated this book because I think I need to go back and read it, but 18:52 not not yet.

Like, I'll be out one day.

the book will be in a charity shop cuz that's where I like to buy my books and 18:58 I'll be like cool it's there I'm going to buy it now and I'm going to read it cuz I I again I don't remember loads of 19:03 it.

I know that there's a lot sort of internally with the characters.

They're all linked like a lot of them are old 19:08 school friends.

One of them is kind of newer to the group and you kind of feel that a lot through the book that she's not sort of part of everything.

You 19:15 might have been the planner.

Someone planned it.

Um it all gets very twisted between themselves.

They're like 19:21 drinking, doing drugs.

There's a lot of all that.

I feel like I would have liked it more if I was into it, but I feel 19:29 like this is a me problem, not the book problem.

Okay.

I felt this could have been a three to four star for me.

19:35 Okay.

The setting sounded good.

Like Scottish Highlands, blah blah blah, like all beautiful scenic.

I think I read 19:41 something that Lucy Foley said, I'm sure it was her that was like she almost 19:47 thinks of the setting as a character and I think you notice that with her books, like she does like to build the setting and I kind of felt that.

So yeah, this 19:53 is kind of a really quick review from me because I don't think I can honestly review it properly because I don't think 19:59 I paid attention.

I don't even know who done it in the end.

That's how much I didn't pay attention to listen to it.

So my recommendation is don't audio book 20:06 it, read it.

I think maybe with the audio book because you have so many multiple points of view, maybe it got a 20:12 little bit lost sometimes.

I've said it before.

Sometimes I'm doing my shopping and then I'm like, "Butter, bread, [ __ ] 20:19 I can't.

I don't know what's happened in this book." And it's not as easy to skip back on an audio book.

20:24 Yeah, you're not wrong.

I find that audio books get really messy when there's multiple points of view.

It's 20:29 not my favorite thing either.

But I really think it would have been I'm going to put it out there.

I reckon 20:34 it would have been a four star for me if I'd properly paid attention.

Think I own that book.

20:40 Well, you can't give it to me.

You're in Canada.

Well, yeah, I know.

It's fine.

It will be in a Do you know what?

I reckon I've actually seen it in 20:47 a charity shop before, but I'd already had a couple and I didn't get it.

Maybe I should go back.

I wonder if it that would be interesting if it's still there 20:53 cuz they don't actually be a sign.

That would be a sign that I should get it.

I'm I actually do need to pop up 20:59 town in that area.

So, I might go and have a look tomorrow.

Yeah, it should.

And they didn't have like There's one 21:05 there's one bookshop at the bottom of town that has like whole like wall of books, but obviously like different 21:11 genres.

This one was quite small, but I found like a good couple of books in there and all in really good condition.

21:17 Really good condition.

So, yeah, I might go back and see if it's there or just keep an eye out for it.

Wouldn't want to read it straight away cuz I've just done 21:23 it, but like in the future I might be like, "Oh, remember I thought I probably would have liked it." So, yeah, I'm not 21:28 even going to rate it.

Fair enough.

Yeah, I I remember because I went and had a look at my good readads for my the 21:34 Lucy because I knew I'd read one and I'm like, did I 3.5 star?

Like did I did did 21:40 I actually review it review it?

I don't think there was I mean unless it does I don't know good readads very 21:45 well.

I just saw that you had fourst starred it and I saw someone else I knew fourst starred it and I remember being 21:50 quite engrossed in like the main bit of the story but I was getting lost in other bits and then was like yeah I think I actually I need to start 21:58 typing what I actually give it in the review thing if I don't review it because I'm fairly certain it's actually 22:03 a 3.5 and I wish good readads would start doing that.

just saw your star rating.

22:09 Sometimes I see a review, so maybe you didn't do a full review on Goodreads.

Maybe you just starred it.

Yeah, I think it was a 3.5.

So, I went 22:15 back and looked it and I'm like, I do remember this.

I'm pretty sure it was 3.5 because when you said yesterday that that's one of the books you'd read, I'm 22:21 like, yeah, I'm pretty sure it's 3.5.

And I think that's just who she is for me.

A 3.5.

That's Ruth Wear as well.

22:27 She's around 3.5.

I think her other books have been like a three.

I'm not to me it's like 22:34 not quite a sort of Freda, but do you know what I mean?

Like I'll read it, but yeah, not going to be a five star probably.

22:41 You just don't expect too much and then you won't be disappointed.

Challenge us to a five star.

See if we 22:47 can get there.

But yeah, not not for me.

What do you got?

So the next one I did this month was 22:54 Dollface by Lindy Ryan.

Now I post a picture of this.

I know.

Okay.

The cover is absolutely 23:02 stunning and that's what drew me in in the first place.

And somebody had written the caption, Barbie meets Scream.

Like this ' 90s nostalgia, like 23:09 modern slasher.

And I was like, okay, I don't need to know anything else.

This is this is coming with me.

So, basically 23:16 what it's about is this horror writer Jill, like her husband works for the army, so they move around a lot and they 23:21 end up moving to the suburbs.

So like New Jersey in the suburbs and she literally has someone turn up on her 23:27 doorstep with like this welcome basket and cuz her she has a kid and the kids in school.

She literally gets forced 23:33 into joining the PTA like it's not something she'd normally do.

And the chick just was like you're doing this.

23:39 Come with me.

Like this is happening.

And she's like okay fine.

She like maybe I can have some friends here.

Cuz she's 23:45 a little bit of a weirdo.

She's a horror writer.

So she's weird.

And then what happens is somebody starts like 23:51 attacking each of the PTA moms and she's like because she's a horror writer.

She's trying to work out who's doing it, 23:58 why they're doing it, is she next.

Like you know what I mean?

So she's got like a murder board and her husband thinks it's just like But you know what was 24:04 really refreshing?

This book never once said that the husband was gaslighting her or being horrible.

Like he was a 24:11 good decent like person.

Like and I love that because a lot of these horror like horrors thrillers that I read, the 24:17 husband's always a bit of a [ __ ] Probably should a see you next Tuesday.

And I really 24:24 found this refreshing.

Now, I loved it because it basically had like the final girl thing going on because Jill was 24:31 like basically the last one standing even though she really wasn't, but she's the one that figured everything out.

And 24:36 it had the best trap door reveal ever.

I don't know if you've ever heard of this.

It's basically where you know where the 24:43 book's progressing.

It ends the way you expect it and all of a sudden there's a [ __ ] twist that changes the whole [ __ ] story.

24:49 So what you thought you knew and what what did happen cuz that's how you've been being led.

There's something else 24:54 over here and you go, "What the fuck?" And I was like, "Oh my god, I did not see that [ __ ] coming." Didn't see it 25:00 coming at all.

And I love the mean girl vibes in there because the PTA moms were like me me like what this chick's like 25:06 doing um beauty stuff.

She invites all her friends over to try and sell them these products.

And her friend's like, "Uh, I'm going to get a real spa day.

25:12 Like, I'm not coming." And I'm like, "What a [ __ ] Why couldn't you just go hang out with your friends and support her?" I'm like, "You're a [ __ ] knob." 25:18 And then she gets hurt and that was that was tasty.

I quite enjoyed that.

Like, I 25:23 enjoyed that.

But I really enjoyed Jill as a character.

She was um cuz she was a little bit scatterrainy and her mind was 25:29 going to these like weird places, but really she was on the right she was on the right track.

She just wasn't 25:34 completely on the right track.

The energy of the book was great.

The vibes were great.

It was a little bit on the 25:40 slower side, which is probably my only like petty complaint about it is it was it had some like lolly moments.

I loved 25:48 it.

like the obsession because she got really [ __ ] obsessed with like trying to work out who who this was and why it was happening and she was like like 25:54 metaphocused on it showing like the suburban perfection like these women that have all their hair and makeup done 25:59 to go and do the school run and I'm like I'm like messy bun and I'm lucky if I don't have a stain on my like hoodie 26:06 like that's how I go to the school.

So I'm like yeah yeah.

So but I really 26:12 [ __ ] enjoyed it.

I was gripped.

Like I I gave it 4.5 stabies.

Like it was I really I really thought it was great.

26:18 Really really great.

I love that.

That definitely sounds like my kind of book.

It was so good.

And there was like a 26:25 little bit of humor laced in there like some of the stuff she was getting up to.

It wasn't like laugh out loud funny but 26:30 there was there was some definite like more comedy tones in there.

I really liked it.

I thought it I would definitely try Lindy Ryan again.

I was 26:37 Yeah, I had a really [ __ ] good month.

You didn't sound like you had a great month.

That's my two not great ones, but 26:45 I just finished yesterday.

Then she was gone.

Lisa Jewel.

This has been on my bookshelf since like 26:51 May last year.

I went back and looked up cuz I was like, I've had this book for ages.

How have I not got to it?

And it was May.

So, I can't believe it's took 26:57 me that long.

But it's about a um a woman, her daughter basically goes 27:05 missing and then it's been like 10 years.

They do like a reconstruction 27:11 and she happens to be in the sort of area where her daughter went missing.

She meets a guy in a shop.

They share a 27:16 bit of cake.

It's a little bit like weird cuz she hasn't been with anyone for 10 years cuz she's just been so upset about her daughter Ellie going 27:23 missing.

And it's just how she kind of gets in this relationship with this guy.

She kind like, "Yay, good for you." 27:29 Like, you know, we've you've got to going to say you got to move on, but do you know what I mean?

It's like she 27:35 stays single.

her ex-husband kind of moved on.

He got with someone.

He's with 27:40 a girl called Bobby, funny enough.

Um, was it you with him?

Yeah.

And it's like how their 27:46 relationship kind of develops.

And then she meets his daughter and the daughter 27:52 is like doppelganger spit an image of her daughter.

I remember this book well.

It is like 28:00 first of all if you're a parent I found some of it hard cuz I think you naturally when you read a book you start 28:05 going to like how you would feel and it is really like heartbreaking and horrible to think you know her daughter 28:10 was about 15 she was about to do her GCSE she was doing so well at school she 28:15 had a tutor to help with maths cuz this boy that she liked was better at maths than her and she wanted to impress the boy even though she's like amazing at 28:21 everything.

So yeah, she was like really excited to do all this stuff and like you know had this whole future ahead of 28:27 her and then she walks out one day to go to the library and she just never comes home.

Police do not find anything.

28:34 There's nothing.

So for 10 years she's kind of sat in limbo.

She has two other children.

She has a boy and a girl, 28:40 Hannah and Jake.

And you see a little bit of like how it affects how it's affected their 28:46 relationship that she lost that because the mom obvious obviously sort of goes into herself.

she kind of stops being a 28:52 mom because she's so depressed and is just constantly thinking about Ellie.

So, it kind of shows that sort of 28:58 emotional side and how like it affected her other kids like not just they lost their sister but they lost their mom as 29:03 well.

Yeah.

All the stuff when she meets the guy and the kids, what was her name?

29:09 Can't remember.

The daughter, the guy's daughter who looks so much like her daughter is like freaking people comment 29:15 on it and she's like, "Yeah, I know.

I can see it too." And it's almost like stop saying that to her like but yeah 29:23 and how the story develops was there.

I don't want to ruin it because this was a good four.

This was a high four star 29:28 high four.

Yeah.

I remember reading it and I couldn't [ __ ] believe the ending and I 29:35 literally went I got no one to talk to.

I got no one to talk to.

Yeah.

You need someone to talk to.

29:41 It is like Yeah.

And like how it ends and stuff like I don't want I don't This 29:47 is one that I don't want to spoil.

I know I've kind of spoiled the other one, but I feel like no one's going to read that with my crappy two star rating, but 29:53 this one is a really good Lisa Jewel.

Like, you should read it.

It was a really good read.

I couldn't put it 29:58 down.

I was like up late like reading this book.

It was and I was thinking 30:04 about it.

Do you know what I mean?

You know, when you're thinking about it's not even just where it's going to go.

It's just I think it kind of it kind of 30:10 gets you in in in your heart a little bit.

Just sort of tragic.

It was tragic.

so sad.

It was 30:19 like the ending.

It was sad with like a slight silver lining, I guess, which you 30:26 would never say bearing in mind that she lost her daughter.

But yeah, it was a lot.

And it was again like dual 30:33 perspective, like different people's kind of points of view.

Some new ones coming at the end, which was good to see 30:39 as well.

Yeah, it was.

Yeah.

Four star.

He was kind of charming stranger too.

30:45 Hey, with the cake.

And didn't you find him really like the charming stranger thing going on when he was when he first 30:50 meets her, too?

Oh, 100%.

Yeah.

Like he's like the perfect guy.

And then he's also like a 30:56 single dad raising this this young girl.

Her name keeps coming to the tip of my tongue.

Poppy.

Her name's Poppy.

She is 31:05 like super clever.

Like super clever.

And like the way she speaks like she the 31:10 way she talks to adults and stuff, but he homeschools her.

Yeah.

So she's only ever been around him as an adult.

So she's like she stands up 31:17 one time makes a toast and like you know everyone's like in awe.

Like she's 9 years old.

She talks to adults like 31:24 about news and like worldly thing.

Like she's just really creepy.

Yeah.

But it's 31:30 creepy.

She has but she's but she hasn't had like loads of interactions with like kids.

So she's kind of It's almost a bit 31:37 sad that she's missed out on a bit of a childhood as well.

Yeah.

It was it was a heartbreaking 31:42 book.

And it's funny because Lisa Jaw actually has another book coming out in June called It Could Have Been Her and 31:48 I'm I've got it.

I already have it and I'm so [ __ ] I'm so [ __ ] pumped because after I 31:54 saw that you were reading the book that you just finished, I'm like she is brilliant.

So I'm in for a [ __ ] good 31:59 read.

Love Lisa Joel.

I liked her other book that she did, None of This Is True.

That was so good.

32:06 So good.

So good.

If you haven't read it, go and read it.

It was like we read that for book club.

It was one of like 32:13 our first like five in like the first and it was just it was a great one to 32:18 talk about.

So yeah, definitely read that.

Yeah, she's a good author.

Do you want to hear what I read next?

Go on.

I 32:26 did How to Get Away with Murder by Rebecca Phillips.

Now this book, I 32:31 wasn't sure about it when I first I got sent a widget of it from NetGalley.

They were like, "Here, try this book.

It's in 32:37 your wheelhouse." So, I'm like, I don't know.

But I grabbed it cuz I'm like, we're doing Thrillers.

This makes sense.

So, it's basically about this detective, 32:43 her name's Sam, and she's on leave from work because she had a mental breakdown while she was working and she's been 32:49 getting therapy and whatnot.

And they're trying to convince her to come back to work, and she's not ready.

But she comes across a crime scene where this girl had 32:56 been murdered.

She's 14 years old called Charlotte.

And that's what inspires her to come back to work cuz she wants to 33:02 work this case specifically.

But the the girl is found with a book in her backpack called How to Get Away with 33:08 Murder: A Guide on How to be a Serial Killer and Get Away with It Nonfiction.

33:13 Okay.

And I was like, "All my dudes, all my [ __ ] dudes." I'm like, "Okay." Because this book, literally a book 33:19 within a book, I love those.

So, every point of view moved from like Sam to 33:24 excerpts from this book on these crimes that he's committed and what he did and how he got away with it.

And then he's 33:30 talking about statistics about how many people get caught with fingerprints, how many people get caught because of blood, 33:36 DNA, all kinds of stuff like that and how many murders don't actually get solved.

And it's actually if anyone's 33:42 like, oh my god, I probably shouldn't say this, but according to this book, and I Googled it and it's true, if you 33:47 want to commit a murder, as long as you murder somebody you don't [ __ ] know, the chances of getting caught are really [ __ ] slim.

33:54 you get arrested.

And if you get arrested and you don't [ __ ] say nothing, they can't keep you.

They keep 34:00 you held there so that you'll say something.

Now, if you just keep your [ __ ] mouth shut, they have to let you 34:06 go.

And I'm like, it's true.

And I had a question for you.

Let's say this is this 34:13 was a real book, okay?

Let's say this book truly exists.

Some serial killer out there, had killed like 50 people, 34:19 gotten away with it all, and written a how-to guide.

Now, would you read it?

Would you read this book if you could buy it?

34:25 Yes.

Yeah.

I said the same thing.

I'm like, I want to know.

Okay.

I want to see the 34:32 how a serial killer's mind works.

Ones that don't get cocky enough to and he 34:38 there was even a section in this book where he's talking about look if you really want to kill someone, you know, this is what you do.

Okay.

And I was 34:44 like and I'm like I can't Google that now because I already my googling look 34:49 really bad this month.

Okay.

like how to kill men and get away with it, how to get away with murder.

And then like all 34:55 the other things I was googling, I'm like, "Oh my god, this looks really [ __ ] bad." But this book was so so 35:01 good.

It's basically police procedural, but it's not so procedural because of the way they do it with the book within 35:07 a book.

The format was slightly different, and I really [ __ ] loved that.

The this the guy that wrote the 35:13 book is like a narcissist mastermind.

And then you've got like everyone feels a little un unreliable with the 35:19 narration because you don't know if you can trust the person who wrote the book for it to be the truth or whether or not 35:24 he's fabricated this stuff.

Like you don't know.

And then because she's got like these mental health issues and she 35:30 probably shouldn't be working.

You can't really trust her.

And it was so good.

And because the girl obviously didn't 35:36 kill herself and did she already have the book?

Did someone plan it on her?

Is 35:42 it a copycat killer?

And I just spent my whole time going, there's so many [ __ ] threads and that the author did 35:48 a beautiful job of weaving this stuff together and the ending just made complete [ __ ] sense.

Except I never 35:55 quite understood why.

And this is my petty grievance with this book.

The I 36:00 quite understand why.

Like I'm not going to spoil who did it, but I never quite worked out the reason why the person 36:06 killed her.

Like they kind of hint that they knew the girl knew something about 36:12 them, but they don't say what.

And that really [ __ ] pissed me off cuz I wanted to know.

No, I don't I don't like books that don't like closed circle jobs.

36:20 If that like I I personally my mind went to a specific place, but they never 36:25 actually tell you if that's what really happened.

And that really [ __ ] bothered me.

Now obviously the ending I 36:31 didn't see coming.

I didn't see the person that did it like I they didn't even factor in.

It was a solid book.

36:38 Like it was a solid solid book.

I gave that one 4.5 stabies as well is what I mean.

I had a brilliant mom.

Love that.

That book sounds [ __ ] 36:45 brilliant.

Even though they're not totally filling you in at the end, I 36:50 would still pick that book up.

It was good.

Sounds really good.

This is how much I 36:56 like this book.

Dead in the water.

John Mars.

Come on.

You've read it.

You 37:02 know you've read it.

If not, you know you want to read it.

John Mars has done this bloody brilliantly.

Cannot I'm 37:09 terrible with names today.

What is happening with my permenopausal brain?

What's going on?

That's what that's what 37:15 I'm blaming it on today.

Do you know what?

Maybe I'm just going to leave it there.

But what I will say, I fivestarred this book and read The Good 37:23 Samaritan first.

Don't jump into this one.

Please read that first.

Maybe we'll 37:28 come back to this another day maybe cuz I want pe I want more people to have read it before I speak speak about this 37:33 and like ruin stuff.

But it was great.

You've read this as well, haven't weren't you?

I did.

It was one of my top reads of the 37:40 year so far already.

I five starred it, but I had read The Good Samaritan.

And that really helps to have read that book 37:46 first.

You don't have to.

It's not going to change the story for you, but it's going to enhance your story experience 37:52 if you have read The Good Samaritan.

Jack, you bet he's completely right here.

Yes.

Of Good Samaritan.

Luckily, 37:59 that was my first read of this year and I five starred that and I'd already I'd 38:06 heard some I'd heard some stuff, so I kind of knew something was going to happen along these lines.

But yeah, 38:12 definitely read The Good Samaritan and then read that.

Maybe we'll put some links on socials.

Tell us what you think 38:17 because I thought it was brilliant.

I couldn't have I couldn't have asked for 38:22 more out of this book.

It was John Mars.

Well done, mate.

That was bloody 38:28 brilliant.

I enjoyed it.

I couldn't put it down.

There was so much going on.

38:33 If I could stand up right now, he would have got a standing ovation, but I'm kind of trapped.

So, it was it was brilliant.

But I love John Mard.

I I 38:40 have a very good experience with his work.

You know what to expect, too.

Like, he was talking the other day and 38:45 he was like, "I write books where I build you up with all the information 38:50 like and I build you slowly before I slam you in." And he's like, "And if you don't like that, don't read my books." 38:55 And I was like, "That I like that." Okay.

But I never find his books too 39:01 slow.

No, I don't either.

I think both of them are definitely his top books for me.

So, if you're going to 39:07 read any John Mars, start with The Good Samarium and then do Dead in the Water.

Thank you.

39:12 I'll just tell you what book I read.

Like the last one that I did, I did When I Kill You by Ba Paris.

39:18 You've definitely got a theme going on, right?

That's what I mean.

I was like, "Yeah, and this is supposed to be the 39:25 month of like romance, right?

February was supposed to be the month of romance, and I was reading thrillers, but who the 39:30 [ __ ] cares?" But I It's literally one of those books where the stalker becomes the stalk.

And the ending was like 39:37 [ __ ] mindblowing.

Like, I didn't see it coming again.

It was another trap door.

The trap door, dual timeline, 39:43 multiple points of view, hidden path.

Like, yes.

Okay, my I do have a petty 39:49 grievance.

It did get a little repetitive spots, but I did the audio book and it was easy enough to swish past, but it was so [ __ ] unhinged and 39:57 there was so much going on.

It was a cluster [ __ ] There you go, Brian.

I can't wait to read that book.

40:03 I can't wait either.

It's really Every time I look at the cover, I'm like, don't open it.

Don't open it yet.

We're 40:08 not ready.

We're not ready.

So, obviously in the next month, you're going to be reading that one.

What else 40:14 are you going to read?

Okay.

I have a ton.

Like I just started this one.

It's called I'm not the only 40:22 murderer in my retirement home and it's so [ __ ] It's funny.

It's like a mystery.

Everyone's in the retirement 40:28 home and everybody is like killing people and doing [ __ ] I'm already I'm like this is hilarious.

40:34 It's so [ __ ] funny.

I did make a list of what I got coming up.

Okay, so I got a Sociopath's Guide to a Successful 40:40 Marriage by MK Oliver.

Now Burning by Katrona Ward.

That's a little bit more 40:46 horror than thriller.

Read Between the Lines by Jesse Q.

Santanto, The Caretaker by Margus Cluer, The 40:52 Anniversary by Alex Finlay, and Dark is When the Devil Comes by Daisy Pierce.

That's a list there.

40:59 None of these have been released yet.

None of them have been released yet.

These are all arcs.

I need to 41:04 concentrate on that.

So, mine are all released cuz I'm not a book reviewer and no one sends me free [ __ ] So, I keep saying this.

I want to 41:12 start the Steve Kavanaaugh series, Eddie series.

The first one, I think, is 41:18 called The Defense.

I must read that book this month.

If I don't, you have permission to tell me off because I I 41:24 need to read one.

I've got a couple on audio that these, if you're in the UK, I've actually downloaded these as um 41:31 Kinder Unlimited books, but they're actually both audio books.

So, I'm going to do both of these.

I'm really excited about this one.

It's The Good Lie by 41:37 Arri.

I never know how you say the name.

I remember reading a book by this author and being like, I loved it.

I can't 41:44 remember what the bloody book was.

This is literally my catchphrase today.

I can't remember.

41:49 I'm gonna make you a t-shirt and it's going to say it's Betty and then a speech going to say I can't remember.

41:55 You know the book though where it's the female lead and she's a psycho and at the end like she's basically recreating 42:02 her birthday party when she was younger.

Yeah, I know which one that is.

This the 42:07 last party.

Party.

Oh my god, it's so good.

So, I'm really excited to do 42:13 that one.

The Good Lie.

Unspeakable Things by Jess Lowry, I think is how you say, or Lori.

42:19 Yeah, I've just seen this one come up and I've just downloaded it on my Kindle.

The Dead Husband's Club, Michelle Powers.

42:25 I'm intrigued.

I like it.

It sounds like me.

It sounds a bit like Desperate Housewives kind of vibes.

I like all 42:32 that [ __ ] I'm excited.

So, they're my four that I must read.

one of my like I 42:38 really want to get to but I don't think I will.

I might have said this before.

Dungeon Crawler Carl.

Oh my god.

I really want to try this 42:44 series too.

Supposedly it's [ __ ] hilarious.

We tried to flog this at book club the 42:51 other day, me and Rosie.

We went to Wag Mas on Wednesday and I'm not joking.

Everyone read it and was like, "Are you 42:57 two all right?" And it was like, "Stop looking at the picture.

Like, read what it's about.

It looks really good." And they're like, "No, that got vetoed 43:04 really quickly." And that's a real shame.

I know.

Well, hopefully we can go back and be like, "That was great." It kind 43:09 of gives me a bit like Hunger Games vibes.

I might be totally, but that's what it 43:15 And one of the one of the guys in book club is like loves all that [ __ ] Loves sci-fi.

And I don't know why he Sorry, 43:22 wasn't on board with that.

My last one is just Dear Debbie.

However, this Yeah.

Yeah.

That that's on mine as well.

43:29 I just got the audio back now.

I so I did put it on my want to read on good readads and one of my 43:36 friends just literally read don't bother babe like okay yeah but if that you know what this is 43:41 this is what someone told me they were like if you're a freedom Mcbaden fan it starts to wear off after so many books 43:47 doesn't matter which ones you read the thrill wears off there's definitely some standout freas 43:54 but I will give it a go but I probably won't get to it this month I would I will do my damnest though to try and get 44:00 through those books We can do it.

And that is a wrap on today's thriller reading roundup.

This 44:07 was honestly such a strong reading period for me.

Not so much for Betty, but I'm really excited to see what the 44:13 rest of the month brings because if there's one thing thriller readers know, it's that the next favorite book could 44:19 always be just one book away.

We hope that you have enjoyed this episode.

44:25 Don't forget to give us a subscribe on our podcast channels.

You know where they all are.

I'll stick it in the 44:31 caption.

We hope that you have the reading week that you deserve, readers, and we will be back next time to slay 44:37 more books with you.

Catch you soon, guys.

Take care, guys.

Book Slayers

Thriller Trust Issues: Book Reviews: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

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