3 audiobooks : These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant – A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham – The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf
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These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant
Narration : Bronson Pinchot, Stephanie Willis
Genre : Thriller
Stand alone
About the Book :
No electricity, no family, no connection to the outside world. For eight years, Cooper and his young daughter, Finch, have lived in isolation in a remote cabin in the northern Appalachian woods. And that’s exactly the way Cooper wants it, because he’s got a lot to hide.
The only people who know they exist are a mysterious local hermit named Scotland, and Cooper’s old friend, Jake, who visits each winter to bring them food and supplies. But this year, Jake doesn’t show up, setting off an irreversible chain of events that reveals just how precarious their situation really is. Suddenly, the boundaries of their safe haven have blurred—and when a stranger wanders into their woods, Finch’s growing obsession with her could put them all in danger.
My Thoughts :
This one I thought was a bit different. A thriller with a slow pace, flawed characters and a good plot. The story focusses more on the characters than on action and twists, which I appreciated, and I really felt the characters’ isolation through the narration. Yes, there was tension and suspense, but there were some heartfelt moments in there too, which balanced everything beautifully.
I’m not sure how I feel about the epilogue, but I enjoyed the setting and the atmosphere.
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A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
Narration : Karissa Vacker
Genre : Thriller
Stand alone
About the Book :
When Chloe Davis was twelve, six teenage girls went missing in her small Louisiana town. By the end of the summer, Chloe’s father had been arrested as a serial killer and promptly put in prison.
Now 20 years later, Chloe is a psychologist in private practice in Baton Rouge and getting ready for her wedding. She finally has a fragile grasp on the happiness she’s worked so hard to get. And then a local teenage girl goes missing, and then another, and that terrifying summer comes crashing back. Is she paranoid, and seeing parallels that aren’t really there, or for the second time in her life, is she about to unmask a killer?
My Thoughts :
A Flicker in the Dark was a lot of fun. It’s a bit of a whodunit, where with the main character, you question what really happened and who’s really guilty. I had a good time with this one for the most part, however I thought the resolution was a bit weak and the final reveals mostly predictable.
But Stacy Willingham certainly knows how to pull you in, and I will be keeping an eye out for her next release.
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The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf
Narration : Brittany Pressley
Genre : Thriller
Stand alone
About the Book :
True crime writer Wylie Lark doesn’t mind being snowed in at the isolated farmhouse where she’s retreated to write her new book. A cozy fire, complete silence. It would be perfect, if not for the fact that decades earlier, at this very house, two people were murdered in cold blood and a girl disappeared without a trace.
As the storm worsens, Wylie finds herself trapped inside the house, haunted by the secrets contained within its walls—haunted by secrets of her own. Then she discovers a small child in the snow just outside. After bringing the child inside for warmth and safety, she begins to search for answers. But soon it becomes clear that the farmhouse isn’t as isolated as she thought, and someone is willing to do anything to find them.
My Thoughts :
I’ve had Heather Gudenkauf’s books on my TBR lists for years, but this was my first time actually reading one of her books, and I quite enjoyed it.
While I was able to predict the twists, I didn’t think the book was too predictable. One of the things that was satisfying, in fact, was how all the aspects and clues came together in the end. I enjoyed the different points of view. I will say that the plot required me to suspend my disbelief a little, but overall it was a good time, and I would read more from the author.
