Book Review!! Cross My Heart, I Hope You Die by Mallory Arnold

Cross My Heart, I Hope You Die by Mallory Arnold
Genre: Adult Fiction (Mystery/Horror/Thriller)
Expected Publication: July 14, 2026
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

One isolated cabin. One cheating boyfriend. One plan to get even.

When Nora, Ruby, and Cham discover that they've each been dating the same man, what starts as outrage quickly spirals into a plot for revenge. Together they hatch a plan to lure their boyfriend to a romantic getaway in a secluded cabin at the top of a snow-covered mountain.

Only what was meant to be harmless payback soon takes a chilling turn when their not-so-adoring boyfriend is found dead in the cabin. 

Stranded and snowed in, the women begin to look at each other with increasing suspicion. And as tensions rise, hidden motives come to light. To survive, each woman must confront her own demons as they fight to uncover if one of them is the killer, or if something else lurks in the freezing wilderness, waiting to pick them off one by one. 

Cross My Heart, I Hope You Die by Mallory Arnold pulled me in, in the beginning. I enjoyed getting the back story of each of the women with Jason. They each stood on their own as characters and had their charm. The setting was perfect once they got to the cabin. But, once they got to the cabin is also when things started to really change for me. It became harder to tell Ruby and Nora apart for whatever reason. A death happened way too soon. I wanted to hear more from that person. And, as things started happening, it was so much of the unlikely that it became a little too much to be realistic anymore. I was pleased with how the story wrapped up. Unfortunately, it seemed like there was a possible cliff hanger. I really hope it stays a stand alone. I say that, because I feel like adding any more to this story would take it way over the top.. not in a good way. I do think it'd make a fun movie, and I did enjoy this author's writing style. I'm curious about her other book. I'll have to check it out. This novel will be released on July 14, 2026

The ARC of Cross My Heart, I Hope You Die by Mallory Arnold was kindly provided to me by the publisher through NetGalley. for review. The opinions are my own.

Mallory Arnold is an editor and writer who resides in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband and three cats. She's part of the Women's Fiction Writer's Association and enjoys writing drama, thrillers, and horror.

To learn more about Mallory Arnold and her books, visit her  on Goodreads & Instagram.

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Book Review! Here Lie All the Boys Who Broke My Heart by Emma Simmerman

Here Lie All the Boys Who Broke My Heart by Emma Simmerman
Genre: Young Adult Fiction (Mystery/Thriller)
Date Published: February 3, 2026
Publisher: Avon 

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder meets Tell Me Lies in this binge-worthy debut murder mystery about a college student whose senior year takes a deadly turn when her exes start turning up dead…

Every time a guy breaks my heart, I write him a eulogy in my journal. It’s kind of my thing—closure through creative mourning. They don't actually die... or, at least, they didn't.

Now? These guys aren’t just dead to me, they’re dead to everyone. And I’m the prime suspect.

With my senior year at Pembroke College—and my entire future—on the line, I’ve got no choice but to play detective. Unfortunately, that means teaming up with my long-standing frenemy, Asher, who is insufferable and somehow always there when I need him the least. We bicker, we banter, we occasionally almost hook up, but with the body count rising and my name all over the suspect board, there’s no time to get distracted.

Between college parties, messy exes, suspicious deaths, and a murder investigation I never asked to be a part of—one thing’s for this is not how I thought my last year would go.

Here’s to hoping I can find out who the real killer is... before someone ends up writing my eulogy.

Here Lie All the Boys Who Broke My Heart by Emma Simmerman is a stand alone book that had that I Know What You Did Last Summer / Scream feel to it. Basically, all her exes in her journal of obituaries keep getting murdered. It was a fun mystery. Who did it? The answer wasn't as obvious as some stories out there, which I enjoyed. I wasn't too keen on many of the main characters though. Asher was as the blurb said... insufferable. I have no idea how someone could fall for him. You eventually got his sob story, but it wasn't good enough for me to excuse his brand of mean. And Sloane? She has no sense. On top of that, she clearly has a drinking problem. Every single one of her friends enables her and then get mad at her when she acts like a drunk. Even sober, she makes bad decisions. I liked the premise a lot, because I love these kinds of horror/mysteries. They're just plain fun! And this one was fun too, despite my frustration towards Sloane. I hope this debut author writes more.

The ARC if  Here Lie All the Boys Who Broke My Heart by Emma Simmerman was kindly provided to me by the publisher through NetGalley for review. The opinions are my own.

Emma Simmerman is a debut author with an advertising degree from Kent State University. She is a Youngstown, Ohio, native who now resides in Cleveland with her husband Nick, and her two cats Kitty and Cleo. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, crocheting, and drinking overpriced cocktails with her friends.

To learn more about Emma Simmerman and her books, visit her on Goodreads.

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Book Review! Extinction by Douglas Preston

Extinction by Douglas Preston
Genre: Adult Fiction (Thriller / Mystery / Science Fiction)
Date Published: April 2, 2024
Publisher: Forge Books

With Extinction, #1 New York Times bestselling author Douglas Preston has written a page-turning thriller in the Michael Crichton mode that explores the possible and unintended dangers of the very real efforts to resurrect the woolly mammoth and other long-extinct animals.

Erebus Resort, occupying a magnificent, hundred-thousand acre valley deep in the Colorado Rockies, offers guests the experience of viewing woolly mammoths, Irish Elk, and giant ground sloths in their native habitat, brought back from extinction through the magic of genetic manipulation. When a billionaire's son and his new wife are kidnapped and murdered in the Erebus back country by what is assumed to be a gang of eco-terrorists, Colorado Bureau of Investigation Agent Frances Cash partners with county sheriff James Colcord to track down the perpetrators.

As killings mount and the valley is evacuated, Cash and Colcord must confront an ancient, intelligent, and malevolent presence at Erebus, bent not on resurrection―but extinction.

Extinction of the first book I’ve read by Douglas Preston, and it didn’t disappoint. I wouldn’t really compare it to Jurassic Park too much, but if you loved Jurassic Park you’ll like this one.  This is more of a mystery. Who’s the bad guy/bad guys? In Jurassic Park, the enemy was always clear, because they weren’t the main point of the story. In Extinction, the story starts with mysterious killings, and it builds from there. I loved the imagery of the mammoths and other prehistoric mammals. It was written beautifully. 

This story was very well told. Especially since it was told from multiple perspectives which can sometimes get messy. This one was put together nicely. It did drag in areas, but when it was going, it really went. There were brutal bits, but they were mainly left to the imagination rather than a full description. Sometimes less is more, and while I’m not one to get queasy, I feel like if you do, this style wouldn’t be as hard on you. It was interesting! You can tell the author did some research here, and that makes it all the better. 

Even though it never ends well, fictionally speaking, I’ve gotta say I’d line up to see these creatures. Dinos. Mammals. It’d be worth the risk to see them. Sign me up!

The ARC of Extinction by Douglas Preston was kindly provided to me by the publisher through NetGalley for review. The opinions are my own.

Olivia lay in the dark, Mark breathing softly next to her. The night was still, without the breath of breeze, the silence profound. It had dropped below freezing, but their sleeping bags were super warm, and she was used to camping in alpine weather. Her dad had taken her and her brothers camping in the Wasatches and Manti-La Sal in all seasons, sometimes on cross-country ski trips in the dead of winter in ten-foot-deep snow and nights to twenty below. God, she missed him. Mark was a little like that, unintimidated by wilderness conditions, totally cool with anything nature might throw at him. The first thing she did with any new boyfriend was go camping. So many of them, despite their big talk, failed the test — all it took was a little rain or snow, a swarm of mosquitoes, or a rattler, and they were in a panic. Or they just didn’t have a wilderness sense — like casually leaving trash or pissing too close to a stream or not knowing how to set up a tent. She shifted her body, not feeling the slightest bit tired. The sun set so early in the fall, it was still probably only eight o’clock. She wished she could fall asleep like Mark, who could drop off anywhere, anytime, in five minutes. It was a dark, moonless night. The mammoths would be sleeping in their hollow below them. She listened, wondering if mammoths snored. But she could hear nothing. Her mind wandered, and she thought of her Olympic medal, sitting in its sock in the back of her underwear drawer in Salt Lake. All those years of work, struggle, risks, crashes, injuries, surgery, rehab, recovery, more work, more struggle — and finally Pyeongchang. All that work had been squeezed up and stamped in a piece of bronze sitting in the back of her drawer. Mark had been upset that she wouldn’t frame it and hang it with a picture of her receiving it on the stand. Why would she? She hated even looking at it. It would be different for her child. Son or daughter, it didn’t matter. He or she wouldn’t make the mistakes she’d made. Olivia had been through it all and knew now how the system worked and what had to be done, and she could guide her child to something a whole lot better than bronze. She suddenly was hyperalert, tense. She heard a sound. A strange plucking sound. Mark was instantly awake too. And then it started, the loud tearing sound of the tent fly, like it was being cut. “What the f***?” Mark sat up like a shot. She pulled a headlamp out of the tent pocket and switched it on. She shined it through the mosquito netting of the inner tent to reveal a long, ragged cut in the outer fly. “What was that?” said Mark. “A branch?” “There’s no wind,” Olivia said. “You think it’s a bear?” he said. “They said the bears had been removed.” “Yeah, but one could have wandered back in over the mountains.” Olivia wondered. Maybe it was an animal, smelling the humans inside and reaching out to scratch the fly just to see what it was. They listened, but the silence was total. “I’m going out,” said Mark. “No, wait.” “I’m not waiting. If it’s a cat or bear, we’d better drive it away. We can’t wait for it to come in here.” He took the headlamp from her, put it on, and pulled his buck knife from its sheath, before slipping out of the bag. He was wearing Capilene full-body long johns. He went to the tent door and unzipped it. He paused. No sound. Then he stuck his head outside the door. “See anything?” “Nothing.” She was filled with uncertainty. It could be a mountain lion in wait. Maybe it ran off when they turned on the headlamp. But Mark was right: they couldn’t just cower in the tent. They had to do something. Calling out for the guide would only put him in a place of danger, and besides, asking for help from the guide ran against her wilderness ethic. She felt around and grasped her own knife and put on her own headlamp but didn’t turn it on yet. “Okay, I’m going out,” he said, and slipped out into the dark. She could see the glow of his light indistinctly through the tent fabric as he swept the area. She tensed, gripping her own knife. The glow quietly moved about for a long thirty seconds. She heard him suddenly grunt—a weird sort of snort — and there was the sound of spilling liquid, and the glow vanished. “Mark?” Olivia cried. “Mark!” No sound. She sprang to the tent flap and looked out, turning on her headlamp and sweeping the area with the light. There was his knife, on the ground. Nearby lay his headlamp in the grass, still lit. “Mark!” she screamed. “Mark! Hey, we need help here!” she cried, leaping out of the tent, gripping the knife. She stopped where he had dropped his knife and headlamp and stared at the ground in horror — just as she felt something strike the back of her neck and slide in, crunching the bone and going through it, as hot as fire and cold as ice at the same time. 

Douglas Preston has published thirty-six books of both nonfiction and fiction, of which twenty-nine have been New York Times bestsellers. He is the co-author, with Lincoln Child, of the Pendergast series of thrillers. He writes about archaeology and anthropology for the New Yorker Magazine, and he worked as an editor at the American Museum of Natural History in New York and taught nonfiction writing at Princeton University. He currently serves as President of the Authors Guild, the nation’s oldest and largest association of authors and journalists.

To learn more about Douglas Preston and his books, visit his website. You can also find him on Goodreads, Facebook, and YouTube.

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Book Review: Creeper by A.M. Shine

Creeper by A.M. Shine 
Genre: Adult Fiction (Thriller/Mystery)
Date Published: September 15, 2022
Publisher: Head of Zeus

Superstitions only survive if people believe in them...

Renowned academic Dr Sparling seeks help with his project on a remote Irish village. Historical researchers Ben and Chloe are thrilled to be chosen—until they arrive...

The village is isolated and forgotten. There is no record of its history, its stories. There is no friendliness from the locals, only wary looks and whispers. The villagers lock down their homes at sundown. A nameless fear stalks the streets...

Nobody will talk—nobody except one little girl. Her story strikes dread into the hearts of the newcomers. Three times you see him. Each night he comes closer...

That night, Ben and Chloe see a sinister figure watching them. He is the Creeper. He is the nameless fear in the night. Stories keep him alive. And nothing will keep him away...

The Creeper is a masterful tale of horror and suspense, by one of Ireland's most talented emerging authors.

Creeper by A.M. Shine is only the second book by this author that I’ve read, and I think I’ll read more. I actually thought this was going to be a sort of sequel to The Watchers. It wasn’t, and I’m okay with that. This was very much its own creepy story. The Irish setting was perfect and really set the stage. I’m not sure if this is based on Irish lore or if it came straight from the author’s mind, but I’m here for it! I just really wish we could have learned more about the Creeper. What is he? Where’d he come from? What’s his story? 

Check out other books by this author!

A. M. Shine is an author of Literary Horror from the west of Ireland. It was there that at a young age he discovered a passion for classic horror stories, and where he received his Masters in history, before ultimately sharpening his quill to pursue a life devoted to all things literary and macabre. His writing is inspired by the trinity of horror, history, and superstition, and he has tormented, toyed with, and tortured more characters than he will ever confess to.

To learn more about A. M. Shine and his books, visit his website. You can also find him on Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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Book Review: The Island by Natasha Preston

The Island by Natasha Preston
Genre: Young Adult Fiction (Horror Mystery)
Date Published: February 28, 2023
Publisher: Delacorte Press

Hot on the heels of the New York Times bestsellers The Twin and The Lake, another pulse-pounding read from the undisputed queen of YA thrillers!

They said goodbye to their friends and family for the weekend. They weren’t counting on forever.

Jagged Island: a private amusement park for the very rich—or the very influential. Liam, James, Will, Ava, Harper, and Paisley—social media influencers with millions of followers—have been invited for an exclusive weekend before the park opens. They’ll make posts and videos for their channels and report every second of their VIP treatment.

When the teens arrive, they're stunned: the resort is even better than they’d imagined. Their hotel rooms are unreal, the park’s themed rides are incredible, and the island is hauntingly beautiful. They’re given a jam-packed itinerary for the weekend.

But soon they'll discover that something's missing from their schedule: getting off the island alive.

The Island by Natasha Preston was like a book version of a 90s horror movie. You’ve got the tropical island with s bunch of teenagers who get killed off one by one. It felt so much like Scream or I Know What You Did Last Summer. Probably more like I Knew What You Did Last Summer 2, since that took place on an island as well. I always liked those movies. Still do. So, naturally, I liked this book too. What I hate about those movies are the cliffhangers. Especially when there is no known sequel in the works. It needed a real ending.

THREE WEEKS LATER
 From the mainland, Jagged Island looked tiny, but as the boat speeds toward the rocky cliffs, I see that it’s much larger than I thought.
It must be, to fit a whole amusement park, hotel, and restaurants on it.
Large hills and hoops of wooden roller coasters jut out of the ground and stretch high into the sky.
Sharp black rock that looks as if someone has carved vertical shards from the surface frames the island.
The amusement park sits high off the water. Waves crash against the cliff face and white foam races back into the sea.
Trees are sparse on the island but the few there are full of bushy green leaves. From here, the park is dark, wooden, and void of color.
Even with the blue ocean and clear, sunny skies, the island appears more gloomy than glamorous. I kind of like it. The Magic Kingdom isn’t my thing.
Our boat jumps over choppy water as we hurtle toward the jetty. I grip the side of the boat…e

#1 New York Times Bestselling Author of The Cellar and The Cabin. Romance and YA Thriller writer, boy mum, Tom Hardy enthusiast. Always buried in a book and a glass of wine.

To learn more about Natasha Preston and her books, visit her website. You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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Book Review: The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Final Gambit (The Inheritance Games #3) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Genre: Young Adult Fiction (Mystery/Romance)
Date Published: September 7, 2021
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Avery’s fortune, life, and loves are on the line in the game that everyone will be talking about.

To inherit billions, all Avery Kylie Grambs has to do is survive a few more weeks living in Hawthorne House. The paparazzi are dogging her every step. Financial pressures are building. Danger is a fact of life. And the only thing getting Avery through it all is the Hawthorne brothers. Her life is intertwined with theirs. She knows their secrets and they know her.

But as the clock ticks down to the moment when Avery will become the richest teenager on the planet, trouble arrives in the form of a visitor who needs her help—and whose presence in Hawthorne House could change everything. It soon becomes clear that there is one last puzzle to solve, and Avery and the Hawthorne brothers are drawn into a dangerous game against an unknown and powerful player.

The Final Gambit by Jennifer is the last book in the Inheritance Games Trilogy. Although, I heard there’s going to be another book? Hmm.

Ok. So, I really enjoyed this whole trilogy. My main complaint will be the romance aspect. I love Grayson, and I love Jameson. I think the pressure was getting to them or something, because these boys weren’t themselves. Jameson was insecure about Avery and Grayson… a lot of people complained about how changed Grayson was this time around. To me? His behavior made perfect sense. This guy feels very deeply, so I get it. If we didn’t see him start to crack, I feel like that wouldn’t feel real.  I’m not saying who she ends up with. I will say, I’m still Team Grayson.

The riddles and games were addictive. I don’t know how the author weaved so many puzzles, family ties, mysteries, and secrets all together and made it make sense. She must be some kind of genius, but it worked. It was a crazy spiderweb of happenings! 

Jennifer Lynn Barnes (who mostly goes by Jen) is the author of more than a dozen critically acclaimed young adult novels. She has advanced degrees in psychology, psychiatry, and cognitive science, including graduate degrees from Cambridge University, where she was a Fulbright Scholar, and Yale University, where she received her Ph.D. in 2012. Jen wrote her first published novel when she was nineteen-years-old and sold her first five books while still in college. In additional to writing YA novels, Jen has also written original pilot scripts for television networks like USA and MTV, and she is one of the world's leading experts on the psychology of fandom and the cognitive science of fiction and the imagination more broadly. Jen is an Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma, where she holds a dual appointment in Psychology and Professional Writing.

To learn more about Jennifer Lynn Barnes and her books, visit her website. You can also find her on Goodreads, Tumblr, and Twitter.

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