Reading Tradition

• 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 •

Swipe for the publisher’s book synopsis 👉
Pub date: March 26, 2020
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This might be unpopular but this book was just okay. Judging from my Goodreads and my friends' reviews I'm definitely in the minority on this one. I'm not sure that Chris Whitaker's writing is for me. All the Colors of the Dark and We Begin at the End have both fallen short of the hype for me. I still can't pinpoint what it is that keeps me from loving these stories like so many of you do. There's something about them that are forgettable for me — perhaps it’s the pacing & length? I finished this book a few days ago but still had to peek at the book synopsis to recall what this book was about 🤦‍♀️ That's not totally uncommon for me with as quickly as I read, but if I can't remember the storyline a few days later... it's just not a 4-5 star read. I liked it, but didn’t love it.

My favorite part of this book: The fiesty, Duchess Day Radley, legendary outlaw.

📖 Read if you enjoy: slow-burn mysteries, character-driven stories, complex characters, family dramas

• 𝚊𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 •

Swipe for the publisher’s book synopsis 👉
Pub date: August 26, 2025
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I've really enjoyed several of Stacy Willingham's books so I had high hopes going into this one. This story follows Claire, an investigative journalist, who returns to her hometown to discover the truth about her sister's disappearance twenty years prior.

I found it entertaining enough, but also wasn't wow-ed. The back story was promising, but I expected more from the unveiling of secrets -- it felt more like the main character just happened to be in the right place at the right time for most of the unveiling which fell short for me considering her investigative journalist career.

It's not my favorite Willingham book, but I'll definitely still be back for her future novels! (My favorite is All the Dangerous Things, followed by A Flicker in the Dark, then this one, and lastly Only If You're Lucky, which I didn't actually care for).

Read if you enjoy: slow-burn suspense, true crime vibes, & family dramas.

💬 I need some new to me mystery/thriller authors to try. Who are some of your favorite authors?

I was surprised my unread pile was only four books! Maybe I’ll go back and get more 😂 When I have the chance to sit and read a physical book, I keep prioritizing non-fiction over my fiction pile.

Where should I start? Have you read any of these?

• 𝚊𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 •

Swipe for the publisher’s book synopsis 👉
Pub date: March 26, 2024
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Confession time: I totally judged this book by its original cover and almost missed out! 🙈 First of all, I thought it was a memoir at a glance and honestly didn't pay much attention to the rave reviews 🤪 Second, it was just uninteresting (and didn't fit the book now that I have actually read it) 😆 It ended up back on my radar recently and I'm so glad I paid closer attention because this was a bingeworthy read!

Short synopsis: A young couple heads to his family's cabin in Vermont for the weekend Simon, the boyfriend, comes home without Nina. This story is the aftermath of Nina being missing and how the families respond.

I really loved the perspectives from both sets of parents and the lengths they would go to for their children. This story also dives deep into how case details and rumors spread (and get manipulated!) through the media.

While I devoured this one, don't go in expecting a super twisty psychological thriller. It's more of a character-driven mystery. I couldn't put it down and really enjoyed it! I’ll eagerly pick up more of McTiernan’s work in the future!

👍 Perfect for book clubs! So much to discuss around parental protection and justice – how far is too far when it's your child?

🎧 The full-cast narration was fantastic and really elevated the multiple POVs in this thriller!

Read if you enjoy: true crime vibes, multiple POVs, family drama, missing person mysteries, amateur sleuths

💬 What's a book you initially passed on because of a cover that ended up being amazing?! Tell me in the comments! 👇