Category: Mystery

Made You Look by Tanya Grant

On By TracyIn Check Content Warning/Triggers, Contemporary, First Person Narrative, Mystery, New To Me Author, Standalone Title, Thiller / Suspense, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Made You LookMade You Look by Tanya Grant

Tracy’s Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Series: Standalone

Release Date: November 18, 2025

The story follows a group of social media influencers—Sydney, Caitlyn, Lucy, Jeff, Nash, and Brent— who are trapped by a snowstorm at a resort in the isolated, snowy Catskills of New York and cut off from the outside world. As the magnitude of their situation kicks in, a killer emerges, turning their retreat into a fight for survival. The characters, though distinct on paper, often felt shallow and interchangeable, with most of their decisions lacking believability. The story shifts between multiple points of view, but Lucy is the only character that I felt offers occasional depth through her cancer survival experience.

The novel blends influencer drama with classic locked-room mystery elements. I was all set to enjoy a nail-biting, edge of my seat thriller and ultimately ended up a bit disappointed. While the premise is promising and the setting atmospheric, the pacing falters and suspense dissipates midway through the book as the story began focusing more on interpersonal drama than danger. Plot twists vary in effectiveness, and the ending resolves the mystery without major surprises. In addition, the writing features first person narrative from a multi-character POV, which is hard to follow at times and makes the story feel repetitive. I think this book may appeal to younger readers who are fans of influencer culture, but for me it fell short as a gripping thriller.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

Come Through Your Door by Carlene O’Connor

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Contemporary, Mystery, Part of a SeriesLeave a comment

Come Through Your Door (County Kerry Mystery, #4)

Barbara’s rating: 3.7 out of 5 Stars
Series: County Kerry Mystery #4
Publication Date: 10/28/25
Period: Contemporary – southwest Ireland
Number of Pages: 384

This is a chilling, spine-tingling mystery from first page to last. It’s almost like a closed-room mystery with the most likely suspect locked within a mental hospital – but there are plenty of other suspects as well. There are plenty of red herrings to make it interesting and a cast of characters who will surely grab your attention. The mystery is excellent, and the writing is well-paced. It did, however, drive me nuts when it constantly switched timelines. That is a personal thing and no dig at the story. I would be zipping through a chapter, ready to get to the exciting next part, and the next chapter would begin with, “One Year Earlier”. It was sort of like reading two books within one.

One warning – it is better for you if you don’t begin this book when you are home alone at night. You’ll jump at every creak and constantly check behind you to see if someone is watching.

Dimpna Wilde, a local veterinarian, is bereft at the loss of her father, but has little time to deal with that grief when her employee and friend, Niamh, appears in the middle of the road. Niamh is bloodied, soaked, and disoriented – and she claims there is a dead woman in her bed.

The story switches back and forth between events that happened a year earlier and what is occurring at present. How are they connected? Will Cormac be able to put all of the clues together and solve the crime from a year ago, as well as the current murders?

This is a book I can definitely recommend, but if you are looking for a Cozy Mystery, this isn’t it. It’s creepy, chilling, and spine-tingling, but you won’t be able to put it down

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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