Jen Schaecher

I really enjoyed You Shouldn't Have Answered by C.K. Smith for its great blend of horror and thriller elements. The present-tense narrative keeps the tension high, broken only by a few quick flashbacks. There is solid character development for the three main siblings - Theo, Jace, and Ashley - before the Halloween party begins, and I appreciated that the setup didn't drag, getting to the main event much faster than many other books. While the climax felt a little abrupt and the ultimate conclusion became obvious well before the final pages, the ending itself was still satisfying. Even with a predictable finale and a few small plot holes, nothing detracted from my overall enjoyment or stalled the story's momentum.

Thank you to InsideStory and Tayler Vaughn for an advanced copy of this book.

Tayler Vaughn’s Insatiable Depravity hits the ground running with a dark, engaging narrative that alternates between Jenny's perspective and the killer's point of view. Getting a direct look inside the killer's head adds a deeply unsettling layer to the plot that grabbed my attention right away. Vaughn has a real talent for painting vivid mental pictures, and the sharp writing makes it easy to visualize every scene as the tension builds.

Because the chapters are short, the pacing feels relentless, driving the story forward without any drag. The plot holds its own throughout, but the ending is where the book truly shines. That final twist caught me off guard and wrapped up the suspense in the best possible way. This book touches on some dark themes so I suggest checking trigger warnings before diving in.