Reading That Next

Lying in Wait // Liz Nugent
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It’s not often that a book exceeds my expectations. I picked this up because I was in a serious reading slump after the last book I finished (review to follow) and wanted something I could blaze through in a day to get me back into the rhythm. I did end up finishing it in just over a day (those last 50 pages at 2am are tough to turn away from) but wowowow there was so much more depth here than I anticipated!

The blurb honestly doesn’t do it justice - it had me thinking this would be a one dimensional crime thriller with a little bit of drama from two women dealing with a death from different perspectives. NOPE.

This is not a spoiler: the murder happens in the first 5 pages, and from then on the layers of WTF slowly start to reveal themselves. I’ve rarely seen this style of writing executed successfully without some overdone, far-fetched twists attempting to keep the reader engaged, but Liz Nugent does it beautifully here. It’s the perfect blend of a slow burn Tana French novel with a pinch of Zoje Stage (Baby Teeth) or Jason Rejulak (Hidden Pitcures) darkness.

I can’t wait to read more from this author - Unraveling Oliver is going on my TBR immediately and I’m so grateful this book got me out of my funk, we are SO BACK!

An airport bookstore hates to see me coming ✈️

For some people it’s an airport beer/glass of wine, for me it’s an airport book - money isn’t real and the normal rules don’t apply 🤭

Tell Me An Ending // Jo Harkin
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If you know me, you’ll know I have an extreme aversion to inconveniencing others (oldest siblings sound off in the comments 📢), so the fact that I was willing to keep my reading light on for an entire evening flight to read this book should tell you all you need to know.

I’m not usually a big sci-fi person, but I think the review on the cover is a little misleading and this is really more of a psychological thriller. Very strong character development and lots of contemplating “what would I do if I were in this situation?” There were two or three times I started a new chapter and couldn’t quite keep straight which storyline belonged to which character (there are 5 POVs) but there were expertly placed, subtle reminders that quickly helped me get back on track.

If you liked The Measure by Nikki Erlick you should absolutely read this, and vice versa!

The one little plot hole I can’t get over (not a spoiler): there are two instances where Mei hangs up on her mother “for the first time ever/in her life”… can’t find the author on Instagram but I need answers!