Beach Reads
August is a great month to be at the shore. Summer has completely set in, and even the locals are starting to relax and enjoy everything the island has to offer. Hopefully you have time to enjoy the beach and the bay as the water is now the perfect temperature to cool off in during these hot summer days. If the heat is too much for you, try reading one of these psychological thrillers that will chill you to the bone!
“The Last Time I Lied” by Riley Sager
What if you had to face a tragedy from your past so that you could prevent it from happening all over again? Emma Davis has a promising career on the New York art scene. She has turned the events of her past into masterpieces that are dark and tragic. Francesca Harris-White, who owns a summer camp for kids, is intrigued by Emma’s paintings and asks her to come to Camp Nightingale and be a painting counselor. Unfortunately, Camp Nightingale is the same camp Emma went to 15 years ago – the same place where she watched her three roommates sneak out of their cabin, only to be never seen again. Emma returns to face her past and find some sort of closure. But from the moment she arrives, it is obvious things aren’t right at Camp Nightingale. When three more girls go missing, Emma must work fast to uncover long-buried secrets before history repeats itself.
“The Perfect Mother” by Aimee Molloy
Having a new baby is wonderful. It can also be tough and, of course, exhausting. When you have a group of friends in the same situation as you, it can be a tremendous help to get through each day. In “The Perfect Mother,” this group calls itself the May Mothers. These women all gave birth in the same month and they get together twice a week to talk about their lives now that they have little ones. The moms plan a night out at a local bar. Winnie is hesitant to go out and leave her newborn son. She’s single and would have to leave him with a babysitter. But the other women talk her into it and, after all, what could happen after a couple of drinks and just a few hours away? Unfortunately, too much. Winnie comes home to find that her son has been taken out of his crib. Now her private life is out there for everyone to see and the media won’t leave her alone. When the police completely botch the investigation, it takes the other mothers in the group to help Winnie find her son. Told over just 13 days, “The Perfect Mother” will hit home with every woman in more ways than one.
“Lying in Wait” by Liz Nugent
Lydia Fitzsimons seems to have a perfect life. She is married to a successful judge, has a wonderful son and lives in an amazing home in Dublin. But that home has a secret. And when Lydia’s son, Laurence, discovers it, there is no turning back with this crazy story of love, loss, betrayal and murder, all leading up to an incredibly shocking ending. Late one night, Lydia and her husband, Andrew, rendezvous with a 22-year-old prostitute, Annie Doyle, on a deserted beach. When Annie threatens to blackmail the couple, they kill her and bury her in their garden. The search for Annie begins and it is the couple’s son who notices his father’s behavior is off and becomes suspicious. The story unfolds over a course of five years, with the biggest mystery being why Annie ever met up with the couple. “Lying in Wait” is a story with many complicated characters, and you will find yourself questioning throughout who the real victim is.
“Girls’ Night Out” by Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke
Ashley, Natalie and Lauren used to be the best of friends. But deceitfulness and deep wounds have kept them estranged. The three decide to take a girls’ trip to Mexico so that they can reunite and repair their friendships. Unfortunately, even after so much time apart, the girls continue to be dishonest with each other about the past and the secrets they have kept hidden. Ashley disappears one night when the girls are out. Natalie and Lauren are left trying to remember what happened that night and how Ashley could have gone missing. Did she leave on her own? Did someone take her? Is it possible that Natalie or Lauren hurt her? Time isn’t on their side as the girls work hard to figure out what happened, while hoping neither of them is to blame for Ashley’s disappearance.
“Bring Me Back” by B.A. Paris
The first book I read from author B.A. Paris was “Behind Closed Doors.” To this day, I still recommend it to anyone looking for a good read. It shook me to the core and was one I find myself still thinking about. I didn’t think another book could possibly measure up, but I was wrong. With “Bring Me Back,” Paris has left me once again double-checking the locks at night. “Bring Me Back” begins with Finn and Layla, a young couple on vacation. While driving on the highway, Finn stops at a service station to use the bathroom. When he comes back to the car, Layla is gone. Ten years later, Finn is now engaged to Layla’s sister, Ellen. Sharing the loss of Layla brought them together in their grief and they fell in love. At least, that is what Finn thinks. For some reason, he doesn’t quite trust Ellen, yet he can’t pinpoint why. Just before the wedding, Finn gets a phone call from someone from his past who has seen Layla. Then items of Layla’s start showing up in their house along with secret messages. Is it Layla? And if so, why?
“Last Seen Alive” by Claire Douglas
There is nothing that Libby Hall needs more than a vacation. After suffering a miscarriage and saving a child from a school fire, seeing a note about a house swap seems as if it was just meant to be. The Heywoods are a couple in need of their own vacation. It’s a win-win. Libby and her husband Jamie have hit the jackpot, trading their two-bedroom apartment for the Heywoods’ seaside estate. But their happiness is short-lived when they find hidden surveillance equipment, a neighbor who watches them and a makeshift operating room in the basement. When Jamie gets sick, Libby desperately wants to go home. But when she discovers even more secrets, she knows it’s too late. Libby begins to think even Jamie is hiding something from her, but that is her own paranoia weighing in because of the secrets she has kept buried. She begins to feel this is all a set-up. Who is out to get her, and why?
