Never Coming Home By Hannah Mary McKinnon

Never Coming Home by Hannah Mary McKinnon

Published MIRA ISBN 9780778386100

Trade paperback, $16.99, 368 pages

Most psychological thrillers are written from the point of view of the protagonist. Hannah Mary McKinnon's latest novel, Never Coming Home, takes its point of the view from the antagonist.

Lucas Forester met and married his wife Michelle in the space of a few months. Michelle comes from a wealthy family, and Lucas has a murky past. His only relative is his father who lives in a nursing home in England, where Lucas is from.

Lucas dotes on Michelle, treating her like a queen, so he is devastated when she disappears while he is on trip back to England. Police find video of her being abducted and thrown into a van by a masked man. The van is later found burned, but there is no trace of Michelle.

Detective Anjali has made it her mission to find Michelle, but has not turned up any clues. Michelle's mother Nora is very ill, dying of cancer, and her brother Travis has a serious drug and alcohol problem. 

We know that Lucas is the one responsible for Michelle's kidnapping. He hired a hitman on the Dark Web to kill her so that he can inherit her money, which will enable him to take care of his father's medical bills.

Lucas is calculating and cunning. He carefully plotted his entire plan, making certain to leave no traces of his involvement. He is playing the long game, willing to wait as long as it takes (years even) to get Michelle's money and make sure no one suspects his involvement.

It's all going to plan until he begins to receive photos of Michelle. Is she still alive? Did the hitman change his mind and is now extorting more money from Lucas? Lucas has no way to get in touch with the hitman.

His perfect plan is unraveling, and now his past is coming back to haunt him.

If you liked Caroline Kepnes novel (and Netflix series You),  Never Coming Home is a great read for you. There are a few twists in the story, including a big one that I didn't see coming. McKinnon has created an intriguing, complicated character in Lucas, and Never Coming Home is a terrific novel for thriller readers who like to puzzle out the story.

Thanks to Harlequin Books for putting me on their Summer 2022 Mystery/Thriller Blog Tour.

On A Quiet Street by Seraphina Nova Glass

On A Quiet Street by Seraphina Nova Glass

Published by Grayson House ISBN 9781525899751

Trade paperback, $16.99, 320 pages

Sometimes you read a book that takes a while to catch your interest, sometimes a book grabs you right away and doesn’t let go. Seraphina Nova Glass’ new novel, On A Quiet Street, took a hold of me on page one and never let up.

The story follows three women who live in a quiet, wealthy enclave called Brighton Hills on the Oregon coast. Paige is mourning the hit and run death of her 22 year-old son Caleb, who was killed near their home. His mother has made it her mission to discover which one of her neighbors killed her son and left him for dead. She is a regular visitor to the police department, and has narrowed her list of suspects. Her husband Grant has moved out, but he still loves his wife dearly.

Cora is married to  Finn, mom to two teens, and spends much of her time doing various charitable works. She doesn’t trust her husband, believing that Finn is once again cheating on her. Finn tells Cora that she is crazy to think he is not loyal to her, and he is tired of the accusations.

Paige offers to use her newfound sleuthing skills to help Cora get the evidence she needs to prove that Finn is a liar and cheat. Fed up, Cora takes Paige up on her offer.

Georgia is married to Lucas, a well-respected judge in the community. She spends all her time caring for their baby Avery, and is rarely seen outside of the home. Cora has tried several times to befriend Georgia, only to be rebuffed. Lucas has told people that Georgia has mental health issues and is agoraphobic, but Cora thinks there is something more.

As the lives of these three women are about to collide, will they find the answers to their problems?  I raced through On A Quiet Street, and couldn’t put this book down. Seraphina Nova Glass ratchets up the suspense in this well-crafted novel, and although as she ties up the loose ends a bit too tidy, overall this is a psychological suspense novel I would recommend. If you were a Desperate Housewives fan back a few years ago, this one is for you. 

Thanks to Harlequin for putting me on their Summer Mystery/Thriller Blog Tour.