To All the Men I've Killed Before

To All the Men I’ve Killed Before by Katy Brent

Reviewed by Ephantus Gold

“We’re here for revenge. And the revenge I have in mind isn’t going to be sweet. It will be brutal.”

This phrase in “To All the Men I’ve Killed Before” by Katy Brent, introduces the reader to a story heavily driven by the desire for retribution, by characters who do not forgive easily – in fact, who do not forgive at all. The phrase further primes the reader for a journey that will keep them on the edge, turning pages, while remaining conflicted about the character’s central morals.  Purchase Here.

Kitty Collins, a thirty-year-old serial killer who kills only the “worst men who absolutely deserve it,” and her twenty-year-old half-sister Antoinette, arrive in Los Angeles to find and kill Aidan Ward, a British therapist who beat Kitty’s friend Tor almost to death, before fleeing to LA. Tor barely survived and was left with a swollen face, a closed eye underneath a couple of bruises, and a lingering trauma that makes her unable to sleep. But as Kitty and Antoinette settle in and search online for Aidan, Antoinette comes across information regarding a serial killer right at the heart of Los Angeles who is brutally murdering women who are found sexualizing themselves, women who, according to Kitty, are only exercising agency over their own bodies. Antoinette wants Kitty to hunt down the Los Angeles serial killer as well, especially because the police have not so far acknowledged his presence, even as the number of those slain continues to rise.

The story also captures the interruption of the sisters’ evening meal at a restaurant in West Hollywood by an A-lister movie star who wants them to join him for a “little party” in his room that night. Kitty recognizes him, remembering that several women have previously sued him for sexual misconduct, although the cases were dropped for lack of evidence. After dismissing him, Antoinette hisses across the table that they should kill him, too. But Kitty doesn’t realize the weight of Antoinette’s words until the following day, when she finds her resting her feet on the dismembered naked torso of a man right there at the center of their room.

This story involves two protagonists whose discovery that they share a parent felt, to me as the reader, like a nuclear bomb of a plot point. This was made worse, especially by my discovery that one of them had committed an unforgivable act against the other’s family, raising the question in me of whether she was justified or merely monstrous.  Kitty – the main protagonist’s repetition that she had killed a lot of people, most especially primed me for a journey that initially felt wrong, but gradually emerged as more complicated than I thought, a journey that made me question what I thought about right and wrong. But what made the story deeply engaging was the half-sister’s involvement as Kitty’s “an assassin-admin assistant.” Her entrance pointed to a coordinated, systematic operation that was ideologically driven by individuals who saw themselves as avengers for women wronged by men.

Brent used humor that made the dark violence not just palatable, but engaging and almost enjoyable. For instance, she told of a jaw that hung out like a scream mask, a massacred movie star who looked like a sad, aging pirate – specifically like Captain Hook but in need of a midlife health check, and a lip-less, dead individual who the main protagonist thought was looking at her. This humor allowed me to break the tension, made the protagonists more relatable, and, at times, made me question my moral responses. “To All the Men I’ve Killed Before” by Katy Brent is a book I would recommend to readers who enjoy dark, morally complex thrillers served with a side of sarcasm and humor, as well as to readers who enjoy books about complex family dynamics. Kitty and Antoinette are exactly the kind of characters these readers will enjoy, even though they know they probably shouldn’t.

 

 

Looked Down Upon

Looked Down Upon: The Exiled Kin by Jordan Lopez

Reviewed by Lily Andrews

“Looked Down Upon: The Exiled Kin” by Jordan Lopez follows sixteen-year-old Lucas “Luke” Ramirez, who lives in an old, small cottage at the heart of Blackroot town, Tennessee, together with his thirty-seven-year-old mother, who is a nurse, and his seventy-two-year-old grandmother. He has autism, a condition that makes it extremely difficult for him to make friends or cope with change. His grandmother, on the other hand, is fighting liver cancer as well as COPD, an illness that affects her lungs, requiring her to rely on an oxygen tank for breathing. Luke grows up knowing that his father, a successful mechanic, died in a car accident when Luke was three. He was told his father wasn’t big on taking pictures, which is why there are no photos of him in their house.  Purchase Here.

Luke starts his sophomore year at Princeton County High School and almost immediately notices Natalie Brown, a new student. He keeps to himself, but with Brown, he feels different. They meet over lunch. But some bullies, led by Rob, interrupt their warm conversation, creating a scene by mocking Luke’s condition and leaving him deeply shattered. He imagines having beautiful times with Brown. But we know that underneath all that lies a chilling, recurrent nightmare that involves a masked haunter who lunges at him in his sleep, sometimes mocking his worth and reminding him that he doesn’t deserve to be loved.

Luke’s story explores, among other themes, identity and self-acceptance. This theme ideally forms the backbone of the story. Self-acceptance, especially, emerges as an often painful struggle, worsened by constant reminders that you are different; this often leads the victim to hide their authentic self, even as they believe they are broken or that a large part of them is out of sync with the world.

“Looked Down Upon:  The Exiled Kin” is a story where the hero spirals, cries, withdraws, and tries to fight back, showing us how deeply he is hurting. His struggles pull us right into his world, a world where systems meant to protect him often fail, and where survival seems like a daily battle for someone like him.  By writing Luke’s story, two-time published author and autistic self-advocate who was often misunderstood in his tender years by many of his peers and teachers, Jordan Lopez manages to show us that autism doesn’t place any limit on an individual’s purpose. His writing style keeps emotions close to the surface, so you don’t struggle to feel the story as it happens. The mystery of the masked haunter is one of his most compelling creations and a major source of psychological unease that keeps you guessing and turning pages as you wonder what that creepy figure is all about.

“Looked Down Upon: The Exiled Kin” is without a doubt a story that anyone who has ever felt like an outsider will resonate with. It is a book that offers insight into what it is like to raise or support an autistic child. It makes you understand autism easily, and on the other side, the impact of bullying and how it can shape a child’s self-worth. This makes it a great read for parents, teachers, and caregivers. Readers who love stories about courage and justice shouldn’t miss it either.

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My Inner Child Wants to Kill

My Inner Child Wants to Kill by Karsten Dusse

Reviewed by Ephantus Gold

I read My Inner Child Wants To Kill not too long ago, and it’s one of those books where the title makes you think it’s going to be wacky, but it actually ends up being a lot heavier than you expect. Björn is a lawyer who’s been trying to keep himself together with concentration because his wife basically told him he was slipping. And it helped him calm down a bit, but you can tell it didn’t fix whatever was beneath the surface. It just made the noise quieter.  Purchase Here.

The book starts with him deciding not to kill this gangster, Boris, even though he has every reason to. And the way it’s written, it doesn’t feel like some big moral moment. It feels like he’s just worn out. That kind of sets the tone for everything else. Most of the story comes out in therapy sessions, and the way he talks about these completely wild events, with a calm, almost flat tone, is weirdly funny and unsettling. Even a family trip goes off the rails in a way that made me stop and think, “Okay, this is not normal vacation chaos.”

The whole inner‑child thing becomes a lot more literal than I expected. It’s not just a metaphor he’s supposed to think about — it’s something he actually has to face, and once he does, you start to see how much of his adult behavior is tied to stuff he never dealt with as a kid. The book doesn’t sugarcoat any of that. It’s not the usual “heal your inner child, and everything magically improves” message. It’s more like: here’s the stuff you’ve been dragging around for years, and here’s what happens when you finally stop pretending it’s not there.

As it goes on, you see how much of him was shaped by old wounds and beliefs he didn’t even realize he had. And the book doesn’t pretend that self‑awareness automatically makes someone better. Sometimes it just makes you more aware of the chaos you already have. I actually liked that honesty, even though it’s not exactly comforting.

If you enjoy psychological stories or narratives that challenge the usual self-help tropes, this book stands out. Its dark humor and unsettling moments force you to confront just how chaotic inner struggles can be, which is at the heart of its message. It’ll leave you thinking long after you finish.

 

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You'll Be Sorry

You’ll Be Sorry by Lisa Gardner

Reviewed by Ephantus Gold

“You’ll Be Sorry” by Lisa Gardner starts by following Dog, a stray who never had a family until he meets Dave Dixon, his wife Janet, and their four kids. In their home, Dog finally finds love and quickly becomes part of the family. But one stormy night, everyone except Dog vanishes, leaving only bloody footprints behind. Thirty years later, a young couple from Boston buys the Dixons’ old house, surprising the locals who wonder why anyone would want to live where such a terrible crime happened. The new owners, Theo and Raquel, know the Dixons’ story and can’t understand why no one ever figured out what really happened.  Purchase Here.

One of the most memorable scenes is when a mysterious four-legged visitor shows up on their porch. “No collar – No tags.” They let him in, and soon he runs to a certain spot and digs something up. By now, readers know who this dog is and feel he has returned to deal with something that still haunts the place.

The story flows smoothly from one scene to the next.  The pacing feels right, so it’s easy to follow, and it still keeps the mystery going. I liked how Dog adds warmth to the story, even when he comes back years later. I often tried to guess what would happen, but the twists kept surprising me.

The story kept me interested with its clues, misdirection, rising tension, and flashbacks. The flashbacks made it feel as if something dark were still lurking beneath the surface. “You’ll Be Sorry” really shows how skilled the author is at turning crime and suspense into a gripping story. I enjoyed the steady plot, strong characters, and the exciting ending, and now I want to read more from this author.

Our Marriage is Murder

Our Marriage is Murder by Carol Goodman

Reviewed by Ephantus Gold

“Our Marriage Is Murder” by Carol Goodman is a gripping mystery that positions itself in a world where fiction and reality are blurred by a very thin line, one that, if crossed, carries devastating consequences. The book follows award-winning novelists Fred and Thea Morgan-Lane, who have been married for twenty years. They are flying to Italy for this year’s MurderCon, where they have been nominated for the prestigious Poirot Prize for Best Mystery Series. Morgan-Lane, the narrator, reveals that Fred sees her as a pushover, whereas she is the one who has always greased the wheels behind the scenes to get what they need from their publishing company. She also discloses that they are still together, not because they are in love, but because their brand as a writing couple has been quite profitable.  Purchase Here.

Morgan-Lane is exhausted and wants out, not just from the hollow shell of her marriage but from the series the two have written. She has spent months planning her exit, and has a termination clause that prevents Fred from continuing the series without her approval. But what she doesn’t know is that someone close to her has been planning a betrayal of their own. You sense early that she is headed towards a devastating twist, one that could end her life, in a world where any ally could be the enemy, and for that matter, an enemy who might ensure that the series is not hers at all to end.

Morgan-Lane is a charming character who wins the reader’s heart, especially after she finally resolves to reclaim her life from a marriage she claims she betrayed long ago, when she turned it into a business rather than prioritizing love. It’s undeniable that she has been running from herself all along. But it’s not her “victim-hood” that really makes her compelling; rather, it’s her complicity. She is self-aware, which makes her all the more compelling. Yet the most interesting part of her story is a game she invented with her husband that later serves as the mechanism for a real murder. The game was their private joke and a shared language. Here, you realize that the killer might then be someone who has been watching them long enough to know their secrets.

Morgan‑Lane’s story isn’t a quick happening. It feels more like watching two people drift apart because they stopped saying the things that mattered. You start noticing the little things that were not taken care of. After a while, their marriage comes across like something they’re doing as a routine rather than actually living. As the connection between her and Fred thins out, you can still feel her trying to hang on. It makes you wonder whether Fred is really the problem, or if she’s been avoiding the truth that’s been sitting right in front of her. The reader will soon start to feel her confusion and her hope, and you stay with her as she finally stops dodging what she’s known deep down all along.

Three Reasons for Revenge

Three Reasons for Revenge by Dervla McTiernan

Reviewed by Ephantus Gold

“Three Reasons for Revenge” by Dervla McTiernan begins at Melbourne West Police Station, where Detective Sergeant Judith Lee has received a complaint from a psychologist, one Robert Walker, who claims to have been sexually assaulted. On hearing his name, Lee freezes. The complaint is soon followed by a video of him assaulting a patient, which gets sent to his wife, Vanessa Walker, the host of ‘Let’s Talk, Australia.’ She fears that, although it looks like a deepfake to her, an online leak could end her career. As you read on, you learn that Robert resents her and her success, which makes her next move critical.  Purchase Here.

Lee finds her bike destroyed- its leather seat and tires slashed, brake lines and wire harness cut in multiple places. More talk follows about other women who might have fallen victim to Walker. But then, Walker gets murdered. With no one left to investigate or prosecute, Lee is left with only one deep conviction- that she might be missing something. The case is not finished; rather, it has been interrupted.

“Three Reasons for Revenge” by Dervla McTiernan begins at Melbourne West Police Station, where Detective Sergeant Judith Lee has received a complaint from a psychologist, one Robert Walker, who claims to have been sexually assaulted. On hearing his name, Lee freezes. The complaint is soon followed by a video of him assaulting a patient, which gets sent to his wife, Vanessa Walker, the host of ‘Let’s Talk, Australia.’ She fears that, although it looks like a deepfake to her, an online leak could end her career. As you read on, you learn that Robert resents her and her success, which makes her next move critical.

Lee finds her bike destroyed- its leather seat and tires slashed, brake lines and wire harness cut in multiple places. More talk follows about other women who might have fallen victim to Walker. But then, Walker gets murdered. With no one left to investigate or prosecute, Lee is left with only one deep conviction- that she might be missing something. The case is not finished; rather, it has been interrupted.

I loved how this story’s tension deepens, especially through a protagonist whose greatest strength was not only in solving but in doubting. I could feel her isolation right in my bones, especially when she was dealing with a complainant who wasn’t fully honest, yet remained desperate for quick action and justice. The author didn’t underline every betrayal or motive; instead, it was up to me to decode the characters’ silences, avoidance of eye contact, and heightened emotions when questioned. For me, this was unique, as were the retaliations, which felt like a minefield of words I couldn’t say.

“Three Reasons for Revenge” is a story that seems to understand what happens to disturbed individuals who seek help but end up getting taken advantage of. McTiernan doesn’t exploit their situation for shock value but to demonstrate how a predator operates. She also understands that employing twists and threatening constant action is the perfect way to build tension. One moment, she brings you a victim, and just as you start growing sympathy towards them, you see their other side. Her pace moves like a master chess player, and her characters breathe through contradictions, leaving the reader with the feeling of being alive beyond the pages. You will notice that she grants them weight instead of long back stories, a weight that makes the choices they make, as well as those they fail to make, land with a punch. This is a greatly rewarding story for fans who prefer deeply layered mysteries and character-driven tension over cheap thrills.

 

 

 

Devil's Tango

The Third Estate: Devil’s Tango by D.R. Berlin

Reviewed by Ephantus Gold

Early in The Third Estate: Devil’s Tango, there’s a blunt line — “Men like Manning die after they open the wrong door.” It tells you immediately what kind of world you’re walking into: dangerous, rigid, and unforgiving. The scene that follows is quiet but tense as two Guild members go over Manning’s funeral and what they suspect about his killer.  Vale, a Guild operative, thinks Manning agreed to investigate something he should have declined. Meanwhile, Shorty, his colleague, believes that this might have led to Manning’s death. Their conversation is quickly followed by the arrival of Lovac, a Guild assassin who not only has a legendary reputation but also a long-standing contract on his head. He is seeking information concerning why the Assassin’s Guild broke its most sacred rule – never to assassinate any of their members. But at the altar, Manning’s wife reveals something to him that drastically transforms his vague hunt for truth into a targeted, urgent mission.  Purchase Here.

The novel simultaneously focuses on Sophie Allard, a former fighter pilot reassigned to a medical school after disobeying a direct order during a rescue operation. She now works as a medical student at a Level I Trauma center. It is not business as usual the day when a seventy-year-old male, a John Doe 109, is brought into the ER with a gunshot to the abdomen, accompanied by a woman who is “dry-eyed and still.” As the team prepares to treat him, he opens his eyes, grabs the front of Sophie’s protective yellow gown, dragging her closer, and whispers something into her ear before falling back stiff on the bed. Sophie stands frozen, her mind racing, totally unaware that by listening to his dying words, she has just stepped into a deep web of conspiracy. She has also become a key to a secret that very powerful people will do anything to protect.

As a fan of mystery fiction, I appreciated how Berlin, a U.S. Army veteran and General Surgeon, drew me in with intrigue and tension by initially hiding the identity of the main character. On the first line, she asks if “he’ll have the nerve to show,” which made me wonder who “he” was and why he wouldn’t show.  She adds another layer of suspense by using the metaphor of a “ledger written in secrets and blood.” The metaphor sets the tone — turning the world into one where people feel like participants in a dangerous game or future entries in that ledger. Throughout the book, she revealed the characters through their actions, letting their behavior speak for them, which made them feel real and layered — like when Lovac tightened his jaw at the funeral, showing that behind the cold assassin was a man who could feel grief and whose quest for the truth. was deeply personal.  Also, through Sophie’s failure to pull away from her patient, instead choosing to lean in and listen, Berlin allowed me to see how compassionate she was, a quality that would throughout the plot drive her character arc.

This book’s characters were not one-dimensional; instead, they had conflicting loyalties, hidden motives, and emotional depth. Because of her approach, Berlin presented characters whose flaws made me hesitate, even as I kept rooting for them.  Her concise writing made me feel the weight of every word, as was the case in Vale’s case of “posture easy, eyes not,” a few words that told me everything about his character without much exposition.  The plot made it clear I was in for something breathless, unsettling, and utterly gripping — and it lived up to that promise.

 

A Neighbor's Guide to Murder

A Neigbor’s Guide to Murder by Louise Candlish

Reviewed by Ephantus Gold

In “In A Neighbor’s Guide to Murder”, Louise Candlish delivers a tense, quietly unnerving psychological thriller set inside the exclusive Colombia Mansions in London. The story is filtered through the sharp, suspicious gaze of Gwen Healy, an older resident who notices everything that happens in the building. When a new subletter—a young woman named Pixie—moves into her neighbor Alec’s flat, Gwen is immediately intrigued. Pixie comes across as warm and friendly, but something about her doesn’t sit quite right, and Gwen’s curiosity nudges her into striking up a friendship and asking a few discreet questions. It doesn’t take long before her attention shifts to Alec himself, the leaseholder who brought Pixie in under the government’s Lease a Room Scheme. Gwen eventually discovers that Alec secured Pixie as a tenant only after misleading another prospective lodger, telling them at the last minute that the room was needed for his niece instead.

Soon enough, Gwen notices something odd through Alec’s apartment door, which he leaves open when attending to a delivery. Pixie is right there, barely dressed, lifting her arms high over her head in a long stretch.  The sight makes Gwen’s blood run cold at the thought that the two might be involved, especially since Pixie is young enough to be his daughter. Gwen has always seen herself as a defender for underdogs and victims, someone who will step in if she suspects mistreatment, and this suspicion triggers that instinct in her. Before long, she learns again that Pixie’s agreement with Alec is nothing close to what she had imagined it would be. She also gathers that Pixie, like many others out there who don’t have parents with spare rooms, had no other options. At this point, Gwen decides to do the unthinkable: call Alec out directly. But when that doesn’t work, after he tries blackmailing her with secrets from her own past, she decides to become a sleuth determined to uncover just how far dark he may have become. But little does she know that by doing this, she will stop being a defender and slip into something worse.

This novel covers significant themes that resonate far beyond the walls of Columbia Mansions. Among them is mental health, which weaves through the chapters in a quiet way, showing how vulnerability leaves people exposed to those who purport to help them, and fraud, which appears not just as a financial crime but as a deeper betrayal of trust, a violation that leaves victims questioning their own judgment. The novel also explores a darker kind of manipulation; one directed at people who have nowhere else to go. Through Pixie, readers see how holding onto a dream can make a person view such exploitation as just another bump on the road, something that will clear soon, but instead accumulates into something far worse. And underneath it all lies the thread of secret spying, another violation that reflects real struggles happening in cities everywhere, where the vulnerable have no voice but tears, and are too often left to fend for themselves. Here, a question arises, one I could not shake long after finishing the book- is it still a dream if it demands everything you and gives nothing back?

As a thriller fan, I really loved how this book’s pacing kept the tension humming. Surprisingly, there’s room for dark humor in unexpected places, such as using a newly replaced knee to carry out a certain kind of justice. This book delivers what its title promises- the secrets we keep from our neighbors and the dangers lurking behind closed doors. It is a reminder that evil does not always announce itself and that the chains that bind us are not always made of metal. Readers who prefer thrillers that break their hearts a little before putting them back together will definitely want to pick up “A Neighbor’s Guide to Murder.”

 

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The Kings of Vegas

The Kings of Vegas by Karen Mack and Jennifer Kaufman

Reviewed by Ephantus Gold

In “The Kings of Vegas” by Karen Mack and Jennifer Kaufman, Josie King is summoned home after her father’s death for the family reading of the will. Her father, Roy King, is among the few men who came into town with nothing, before rising from a mere idea straight into the American Dream. Upon reaching her father’s ranch, where everyone else is gathering, Josie learns that her father requires any sibling who is not a Nevada resident to become one, and anyone living outside of Las Vegas to move back. Also, he needs them to work together for three years at his famous casino, the Jackpot. Anyone who contests the will gets nothing under the attached “in terrorem” clause.  Purchase Here.

The book brings the reader into the Jackpot, a setting that feels like a character in its own right. It is where the character’s emotions, predicament, and worries take a name. Most outstanding is Josie, whose instincts, trained from a young age, tell us that all is not well beneath the forced smiles of family reunion and the veneer of wealth and success that her father spent a lifetime building. The story involves a union crisis that threatens to tear the establishment apart, a lover who turns out to be next-door competition, and an FBI agent who plants early doubts in Josie about her brother, who runs the business. A lot is thrown at the reader, leaving them to wonder whom to trust and who is telling the truth as various factors arise, threatening an already cracked household.

The story incorporates vivid imagery like “Red-tailed hawks circling their prey screeching like a coven of witches,” as well as gambling language- “a hot hand,” “blowing on dice,” when not referring to the game itself, making the conversations feel like a bet and a high-stakes gamble. Each chapter drops either a new revelation or another rumor, and every one of them leaves a mark the Las Vegas sun can’t quite bleach out. As the story progresses, the tension tightens into a web of suspicion, with small doubts slipping in until everyone ends up caught in it. Instead of offering easy answers, it keeps handing you more uncertainty, until the truth starts to feel like just another lie waiting to surface.

And so, “The Kings of Vegas” by Karen Mack and Jennifer Kaufman will resonate with any reader who enjoys questioning every character’s motives and piecing together a puzzle whose pieces keep changing shape. It is a great slow-burn mystery with morally-complex characters and a family drama that refuses to tie itself up in a neat bow.

 

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A Twist in the River

A Twist in the River by Stig Abell

Reviewed by Ephantus Gold

A Twist in the River starts out feeling like a straightforward mystery, but it slowly becomes something more personal — almost like you’re watching someone get pulled back into a life they thought they’d stepped away from. Jake Jackson tries to keep his distance when Livia tells him about the missing woman’s belongings turning up. You can feel him trying to protect whatever peace he’s managed to build. He knows how cases like this can take over his mind, and he’s not eager to go down that road again.  Purchase Here.

But then Claire’s husband shows up, and the whole situation shifts. The man is exhausted, scared, and clearly out of options, and Jake can’t pretend he doesn’t hear the desperation in his voice. That moment pulls him back in, not because he wants the attention or the challenge, but because he can’t ignore someone who genuinely needs help.

The pacing is steady — not slow, not rushed — just steady enough to let the characters breathe. Jake feels like someone who’s been shaped by the things he’s seen, and Livia balances him out. She’s the one who keeps him from slipping too far into his old habits, especially once she tells him she’s pregnant. That news adds a different kind of pressure, the kind that makes every decision feel heavier.

What stood out to me is how Abell mixes the personal moments with the darker parts of the story. He doesn’t gloss over the reality of violence against women, and he doesn’t turn Jake into some larger‑than‑life hero. Jake cares, maybe more than he should, and that’s what makes him compelling. As people start praising him — both in town and online — there’s this uneasy feeling that the attention might not be harmless. You start to sense that something is building underneath all the admiration.

The suspense grows quietly, almost unnoticed. It’s the uncertainty around Jake that keeps you hooked, the sense that he’s walking into something he can’t fully see. It’s the kind of book you can read in a couple of sittings, but the ending hits with enough force that you keep thinking about it afterward. The final twist lands clean and sharp, leaving a little echo behind.

 

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