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.

 

 

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.

 

 

 

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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Book cover: "The House Guests" by Amber Brown.

The House Guests by Amber and Danielle Brown

Reviewed by Ephantus  Gold

“The House Guests: A Novel” by Amber and Danielle Brown was a book that did not ease me in gently but grabbed me by the collar right from the first page. It began with Iris as she remembered the most haunting thing in her life, being forced to watch her own mother take her life in front of her. The gun had been bought from a pawn shop with money her mother had stolen from the most unlikely person where she worked. That opening was shocking and honestly disturbing and it set the tone for what turned out to be a raw and unsettling journey.  Purchase Here.

Iris had already been scarred by years of neglect and abuse from her mother, and those wounds never healed. She kept having nightmares, she could not sleep without chemicals in her system, and the chaos in her head never seemed to stop. Even with all that, she still tried to hide her desperation from her boyfriend Eli, holding on quietly to the hope that he would not leave her. When I found them, they were on their way to a lonely lake, Eli’s idea of the cure for her constant torment, and maybe a way out of the heavy block of stone she had been buried under for over a year.

At the lake, Iris came across something that rattled me as much as it did her. A strange man was bent over the dirt, digging frantically like he wanted to hide something or someone. The image burned into her, and when Eli’s friends later joined her, she tried to tell them but none of them believed her. They mocked her, saying it was her bad eyesight, and when she mistook a doll for a severed arm, she was ridiculed even more. Eli himself did not defend her when he joined them but only grew colder, turning his attention toward another woman. The doubt took over, and I kept asking myself the same thing Iris did – Was she truly losing her mind, or was she the only one who saw the truth nobody else dared to face? That scene pushed the story into deeper dread and put doubts in me about who to trust.

The structure of the story felt like a slow spiral where every step down brought more uncertainty, moving from strange sightings, like when one of the friends claimed to see a skull, to Iris’ sleepless nights, trapped in her own fear. That layering of dread made the book heavy and claustrophobic. The prose itself worked like a trap, sharp and unsettling, even in quiet moments. All of it carried menace. So when betrayal came, it hit harder, especially because Eli never stood by her.

The characters were painfully real in how frustrating they were. Iris clung to Eli and his love, but he mocked her fragility and eventually discarded her like she was nothing. In the worst turn, he even handed her over to a friend, like she was a thing to be passed to the highest bidder. That made him more terrifying than any ghostly shadow or imagined figure in the story. Her friends were no better, brushing off her fears, mocking her mistakes, leaving her completely alone.

Trust, betrayal, and gaslighting ran through every page. I kept asking if Iris was imagining everything or if she was the only one who refused to be silenced. “The House Guests: A Novel” kept that question alive, not only about Iris but about the people around her. That was what made it devastating, and yet I could not look away.

Book cover: "The Murder at World's End".

The Murder at the World’s End by Ross Montgomery

Reviewed by Ephantus Gold

“The Murder at World’s End” by Ross Montgomery is a thrilling mystery that will leave the reader staring into the middle distance, replaying the clues in their mind, not with frustration but with a sense of awe at the author’s craftsmanship. It follows Stephen Pike, a young man overwhelmed with immense joy after arriving at his new job at Tithe Hall, where the Viscount of World’s End, Lord Stockingham, resides. This is his only chance at redemption following a successful rehabilitation after serving time, due to a situation in which he claims to have made an “unpardonable error of judgment.” At Tithe Hall, he learns that his job includes a special instruction from the Viscount’s cousin to Mr Stokes, the head butler at Tithe Hall for twenty years, that as a footman, he should be brought on with utmost discretion.  Purchase Here.

Pike comes in at a crucial historical moment, according to the Viscount, when all signs point to an inevitable apocalypse. He claims to have credible information regarding a comet that will pass very close to Earth, leaving behind fatal, poisonous cyanogen gases that will kill every living creature therein. Over the next few hours, the staff ensures every room is airtight, in a desperate bid to survive the annihilation. Pike’s duty, however, also involves “babysitting” a woman whom people speak about in the way dragons are described in fairy tales. However, his encounter with her leaves him speechless by the sheer knowledge and intelligence she exhibits, especially when she reveals her findings about the comet, and right after, she tells him why she hates Stockingham. The next day sets in motion an event that catapults the story into a relentlessly tense dive. The viscount is dead right in his sealed study, and suddenly all eyes are on the one person with a criminal record. His possible alibi? The woman he stayed with through the night – the same woman who had threatened to kill the Viscount.

This tale sets in motion an odd pairing of protagonists who are forced to look beyond their age difference (which is actually quite large) in a bold endeavor to investigate a crime in which they are key suspects. They bring to life an unlikely alliance between a disgraced young man and a sharp-tongued woman who has been written off by her society. Their story is built on a foundation of rich interconnected themes that elevate it from a simple mystery to a complex social and psychological thriller, one that explores the corruption of the upper class and the illusion of authority, holding a mirror to society’s twisted perception of persons that are too intelligent to be controlled or too flawed to be granted a second chance. Here, one gets the sense that the mere weight of human greed is way more dangerous than a “comet’s gases.” As I read, I found myself forced to weigh every character’s motive, not as a detached observer but as if I were in the room with each of them. The stakes remain perfectly pitched all through the read, and every new chapter exhibits tension that tightens like a vise around a circle of trust that is forced to shrink with every revelation.

“The Murder at World’s End” by Ross Montgomery stands out for its ability to hold the revelation of the culprit until the final, breathtaking pages. I, however, believe that its true genius lies not in the delay but in the flawless execution of its narrative architecture and character-driven misdirection. If you need a book that is a master class in suspense, and one in which the end of the world is the backdrop of an even more gripping crime scene, then this book is your perfect next read.

 

Book cover: "The Day I Lost You".

The Day I Lost You by Ruth Mancini

Reviewed by Ephantus Gold

“The Day I Lost You,” by Ruth Mancini opens in Lauren’s house in Mantilla de Mar, Spain, where she is being accused by the police of abducting a two-years five-months English boy who bears a similar name like her son. She informs them that the child in question is her biological son, and that she has all the necessary documents to prove it. Immediately after the police leave, Lauren’s decides she is not safe, which leads her to pack and leave with the help of her newly found friend, Gabe, who she has long suspected to have feelings for her that run deeper than friendship. They move to a remote, rustic cabin in the Pyrenees mountains that belonged to Gabe’s grandparents. While hiding, she makes contact with Anna, her best friend, who connects her with a criminal defense lawyer who advises her that the only way she can avoid a protracted extradition battle and potential months in a Spanish prison, with Sam going to foster care, is for her to return to the UK voluntarily. But what she doesn’t know is that the truth of what happened in the hospital where Sam was born will be even more shocking than anyone has dared to imagine and turning herself in will only force it into the light, destroying every version of her story.  Purchase Here.

This story is constructed from a series of tragic twists that force the reader to closely evaluate the previous chapters as well as any hidden motives in what the characters say. These twists mirror the reality and sometimes messy nature of life, where villains turn out to be the same people who portray themselves as saviors and safe havens. In this story, the twists create a persistent state of unease, giving a sense of a destabilization that can occur any time. This is sure to offer the reader a richer, more demanding and more memorable reading experience.

The characters in this novel are hewn from their respective traumas. Each one of them has had devastating events in life that become the raw material that shape their moves and decisions. The beauty of this is in how these trauma-defined edges clash and grate against each other and how this friction becomes the very engine of the plot. Another thing that makes this story unforgettable is the choice to incorporate a young child as the central character in the story. It is a brilliant choice that weaponizes emotions and beautifully transforms the novel into a gripping emotional ordeal.

“The Day I Lost You,” carries unsettling truths that will leave the reader actively haunted after the final choice is made, as well as forced into a deeply personal reckoning with the very definition of true love. It will also leave them with a sense of the catastrophes that can arise when we keep telling ourselves potentially dangerous lies, especially where survival is involved. This is one of the books out there with deeply flawed characters, which means that readers looking to follow a clear, morally righteous hero may find it easily frustrating. However, those who enjoy being their own detective, sifting through conflicting testimonies and timelines will love every bit of the plot.

 

Woman peeking through keyhole-shaped bookcase.

History Lessons by Zoe B. Wallbrook

Reviewed by Ephantus Gold

Set on a leafy university campus instead of a battlefield, Zoe B. Wallbrook’s “History Lessons” takes the familiar framework of a murder mystery and spins it into something sharper, funnier, and more socially aware. At the center is Daphne, a newly hired professor at Harrison University, who is juggling all the messiness of academia including department politics, tenure pressure, and the weird rituals of faculty meetings, when a colleague ends up dead. Suddenly, she’s not just navigating office rivalries and grading stacks of papers, she’s trying to solve a crime that cuts into the very culture of the institution she’s just joined.

What immediately grabs you is Daphne herself. She’s funny, a bit nerdily intelligent, fearless in  ways that she doesn’t necessarily recognize herself, and no less important, she’s one of just a few Black faculty people on campus. The fact that she is Black tints everything that she does from the way she navigates meetings to students judging her and colleagues assuming they can discount her. The novel doesn’t pound you with that, but it informs the ways that she puts together puzzles in solving that mystery. Her narrative voice is that which continually draws you in, no matter if she’s unraveling puzzles or satirizing academic mumbo-jumbo with a good one-sentence sketch. Wallbrook’s writing is fast-paced and fun to read. The chapters seemed to flip by when I read the story, often with a cliffhanger twist or a joke that made me just want to read one more time before I went to sleep. The dialogue seemed just right: professors bantering, students with their own issues, even cops getting caught up in the campus bubble. I adored that the story seemed like a campus satire at times, a cozy mystery at times, and a thriller novel at others. What readers will enjoy is that Wallbrook takes the tiny tensions of academic living and makes them dramatic and tense moments. While the novel isn’t flawless in my eyes, there are many threads going on all at once- mystery, love story, departmental intrigue, historic references. But sometimes it feels just a little overfull. The love subplot in particular doesn’t receive the same depth level of the other parts of the novel, and several of the secondary characters might have received just a little room to breathe themselves. But even with these complaints, however, not once did the novel ever run out of steam.

My big takeaway from “History Lessons” is that it’s not just a crime-solving story, but of who gets to tell history and whose voices get omitted. Wallbrook manages to do that while still writing a page-turner with humor and warmth. If you like campus novels, twisty cozy-style mysteries, or just smart, character-led novels, do look out for this one. It’s a very strong debut novel, and it feels like Daphne is a character with wonderful potential for being the center of a whole series.

 

 

Silhouette warrior on orange background, book cover.

Shadow Shinjuku Volume 1 by Ryu Takeshi

Reviewed by Lily Amanda

“Shadow Shinjuku” is an adventure-filled crime thriller that is set in Japan and follows the life of a young man, Sato-san. It is the first volume of the Shadow Shinjuku series. As a young homeless child, Sato-san lived one day at a time, begging for money on the streets of Tokyo. One day, his fortune changes when he meets Kobayashi-san, an infamous leader of a crime organization, who takes him in but demands one thing from him, loyalty. Sato-san is gradually drawn into a world of crime, drugs, and death as he falls deeper into Tokyo’s underworld. Purchase Here.

Sato-san grapples to honor his allegiance to Kobayashi-san as he begins questioning the effects of his actions as a member of the organization. He further seeks to protect those he cares for from the same people he is working for. The concept of right versus wrong is explored as well as loyalty versus freedom in this fascinating tome. Sato-san soon learns he has to begin making choices and soon.

Ryu Takeshi is a great writer. I admired how he breathes realistic life into the life of his characters. This makes the story plausible and very enjoyable. Buoyed with twists and turns, this book keeps you on edge to the end. The vivid descriptions used display Japan’s sites and sound extremely well. In the beginning, I felt the book was slow-paced but understood this feature as it helped me meld with the characters.

Written in the first-person narrative, Author Takeshi displays the thoughts and emotions of Sato-san, as he questions his life decisions, iniquities, and his desire to make amends. His concern for Kiki, a young woman whose father was murdered, was heartwarming. Peppered with Japanese terms and a few fantasy elements, “Shadow Shinjuku” lingers on in the reader’s mind long after the reading is done.

This book qualifies for pure escapist entertainment. Packed with mystery, action, and thrill, the novel will undoubtedly take readers on an emotive and captivating journey. Due to the presence of mature language and a few violent scenes, I would recommend this intriguing tome to a mature audience.

“Shadow Shinjuku” volume 1 by Rye Takeshi is a must-have for fans of crime thrillers. I enjoyed reading this story and look forward to reading the next series.