Thrillers

Olivia and Charlotte were thick as thieves when they were young, with Olivia leading the charge and “CharBar” following along. Tragically, Olivia falls from a ferris wheel, and while she is still in a coma, Charlotte’s family leaves town, and the girls lose contact. Eighteen years later, Charlotte’s mother invites Charlotte to join Olivia’s family on Big Island, a place that Eric, Olivia’s dad, wants to own in its entirety. Recently suspended due to a workplace harassment issue, Char says yes, though she can already feel her anxiety starting to spiral. Once there, nothing seems right—Olivia’s mother, Laelynn, is frosty, her twin sisters are odd and a bit threatening, and someone has poisoned their dog. On a hike, Charlotte comes across her former boss Vivek, the one responsible for her suspension, and accuses him of stalking her. When Laelynn leaves for a business trip, the action really picks up with one striking horror after another. Miller piles it on in the last third of the book, swinging readers’ suspicions from one character to the next at a dizzying pace. Love watching folks lose it? This one’s for you!—Dodie Ownes

A cabin off the beaten path in Expanse, Colorado, where people only use first names and no one asks questions. An incoming snowstorm. A clash of memories from a time before, when they all lived happily as a family. A wounded family intent on revenge. Wilson doesn’t take his foot off the pedal for a single moment in this thought-provoking and thrilling tale of desperate people who are on the run and lonely. Annie has done everything to protect her daughter, Coral, including homeschooling and having security cameras, no phone, and a safe room. But none of that matters when the bad people on the hunt are outside her door. Alternating timelines allow readers to build their story one clue at a time, and set up the characters’ mindset when Annie and Coral’s bubble of anonymity and protection is broken. Parental abuse, brainwashing, survivalism, and mental illness are treated seriously in the plot without weighing the tale or action down. The author’s playlist, a map, and illustrations provide excellent bonus content. When They Find Me is both a locked-cabin mystery and a psychological thriller that deeply examines the role of violence and cruelty that results in dizzying acts of revenge—with finesse.—Dodie Ownes