Ivona Pavlovska

You know that feeling when a book makes you uncomfortable before you even understand WHY?

That was Moss and Mirrors.

Nicole M. King has created the kind of psychological suspense that gets under your skin slowly, quietly, and then refuses to let go.

Quinn was taken at thirteen and spent fifteen years trapped inside a dangerous cult. When she’s finally rescued, you want to believe this is the beginning of her freedom.

It isn’t.

Instead, Quinn finds herself in Cypress Hollow, surrounded by people who claim they understand what she’s been through. At first, it feels like safety. Then the little things start feeling wrong.

The house has rules.

The woman avoids eye contact.

And Sterling, the man who is supposed to be helping Quinn, gave me the creeps from the start.

What I loved most about this book was the psychological tension. Nicole doesn’t rely on constant action to keep you turning the pages. She lets the unease build. Little details start feeling significant. Conversations feel slightly off. You begin questioning what Quinn is being told, what she believes, and who she can actually trust.

And that made this book so addictive.

I also really connected with Quinn as a character. After fifteen years of having her reality controlled by someone else, it makes sense that she doesn’t always see the danger as clearly as the reader does. Watching her slowly try to understand her new world made the story feel even more unsettling.

The atmosphere was another huge win for me. Cypress Hollow, with its moss, swamp water and Southern Gothic feel, creates the perfect backdrop for a story about secrets, manipulation and things hiding beneath the surface.

And then THAT ending.

Nicole… I have questions.

Moss and Mirrors is dark, eerie, psychologically tense and exactly the kind of slow-burn suspense I love. If you enjoy unreliable situations, gaslighting, cults, manipulation and that constant feeling that something is seriously wrong, add this one to your TBR.

🚨 ONE STUPID PRANK. ONE PSYCHOTIC TRUCKER. ZERO CHANCE OF A PEACEFUL ROAD TRIP. 🚨

Joy Ride by C.K. Smith took a simple road trip and turned it into the kind of nightmare that makes you look twice at every truck passing you on the highway.

Three siblings. A road trip. A CB radio. A harmless game of Two Truths and a Lie.

Except the wrong person is listening.

And once that voice comes through the radio, the entire trip changes.

What I loved most about this book was how quickly it pulled me into the chaos. There is barely any time to settle in before the tension starts climbing, and once the chase begins, the story becomes one long, anxiety-inducing ride.

The sibling dynamic was another huge win for me. Their fractured relationship, the history between them, and the way they are forced to rely on each other when everything goes horribly wrong gave the story an emotional layer I wasn't expecting.

And Mac?

Absolutely terrifying.

There is something especially unsettling about being hunted by someone who seems to be enjoying the game just as much as you are desperate to survive it. Every time that truck appeared, I knew things were about to get worse.

This book is bloody, brutal, tense and completely unhinged in the best way.

I went in expecting a creepy road-trip horror.

I got a relentless chase, damaged family dynamics, a seriously disturbing villain and enough twists and danger to keep me turning pages.

And that ending? 👀

Let's say C.K. Smith knows how to leave you needing to know what happens next.

If you love fast-paced horror, psychological thrillers, deadly road trips and stories where one terrible decision snowballs into absolute chaos, add this one to your TBR.

Maybe don't play games with strangers over a CB radio. 😅

Joy Ride definitely lived up to its name.

Except there was absolutely no joy involved.

A teenage overdose. A missing girl. A drug network hiding in plain sight.

The River Runs Black by Tessa Wegert pulled me straight into the dark side of New York’s Thousand Islands.

At the heart of the investigation is Tim Wellington, a New York State Police Investigator determined to uncover what is really happening in his community. I enjoyed following Tim as the case became increasingly complicated and personal.

Valerie Ott was another standout for me. Her relationship with her teenage daughter, Bobby, added an emotional layer to the story, especially as Bobby became connected to the growing danger. Their storyline gave the investigation higher personal stakes and made me more invested in what happened next.

I also enjoyed seeing Shana Merchant and Jeremy Solomon contribute to the wider investigation. With multiple characters bringing different perspectives to the case, there was always another piece of the puzzle to consider.

The mystery itself kept me turning the pages. A teenager dies from an overdose, but the drugs responsible don't match those seized in a major bust. Then another girl disappears.

Nothing is as straightforward as it first appears.

Wegert does a great job building an unsettling atmosphere. The beautiful Thousand Islands setting contrasts sharply with the darkness underneath, while the Halloween backdrop adds an eerie edge.

My main reason for giving this four stars was the pacing. Some sections felt slower than I wanted, especially when the story balanced multiple threads. I occasionally wanted the investigation to move faster.

Still, the twists kept me guessing, and the final stretch delivered some surprises I didn't see coming.

Overall, The River Runs Black is an atmospheric and engaging crime thriller with a compelling investigation, interesting characters and plenty of secrets beneath the surface.

Dark, atmospheric and full of twists.

If you enjoy police procedurals, missing-person investigations and mysteries where everyone seems to have something to hide, this is worth adding to your TBR.