Book Review: Anatomy of an Alibi

Title: Anatomy of an Alibi

Author: Ashley Elston

Publisher: Viking Penguin

Publication Date: January 20, 2026

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This is Ashley Elston at her absolute best—a tense, layered, and utterly consuming thriller that plays with perception, trust, and the lies we tell to protect ourselves and those we love. The story unfolds in clever, time-jumping fragments that built toward an explosive conclusion.

Elston weaves the alternating perspectives of Aubrey and Camille with precision, drawing readers deep into a dangerous game where truth and deception blur. The shifting timeline adds to the tension, revealing just enough at a time to keep you guessing who’s really in control—and who’s in danger. Each twist hits harder than the last: first the nature of their connection, then the truth behind a long-ago killing, and fina
lly, the reveal of who’s behind the present-day murder. It’s fast, tense, and deeply satisfying.

What I loved most was the psychology running under the surface—the way Elston digs into why we lie and who we protect. Lines like “It’s not just the anatomy of an alibi... it’s the psychology of it” stay with you because they hint that sometimes the biggest cover-ups aren’t about crimes at all—they’re about love and survival.

The pacing is pitch-perfect, the dual timeline is seamless, and the interplay between past and present builds a rich emotional and narrative tension. By the time I reached the final twist, I realized this wasn’t just a story about murder—it was about guilt, loyalty, and the fragile boundaries of morality.

A big thank you to Viking Pengiun and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Book Review: Imposter

Title: Imposter

Author: L.J. Ross

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

Publication Date: February 3, 2026

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I was pretty sure I'd cracked this one early on. There's something particularly humbling about confidently pointing at a suspect in your mind, only to have the author pull the rug out completely. LJ Ross got me good with this moody Irish thriller, and I loved being wrong.

Dr. Alexander Gregory is running from his past—a profiling case gone sideways that left him holding the bag. Now he's keeping his head down at a mental security hospital, building walls between himself and the rest of humanity. But when a small town murder drags him back into investigation mode, those walls start crumbling. What really got under my skin was watching Gregory battle his own demons through increasingly vivid nightmares, all while wrestling with this crushing sense that he's a fraud. The book doesn't just tell us he feels like an imposter—it lets us feel it with him.

The pacing starts off deliberately, perhaps a bit dry, but this measured approach serves the story well, allowing readers to sink into the Irish setting and get inside Gregory's analytical mind. Ross expertly builds tension, and the momentum picks up considerably as the investigation deepens. The revelation of not one but two imposters in the story adds layers of complexity. 

This is psychological suspense that trusts its readers to think while keeping us entertained. Sometimes the best mysteries are the ones that make you feel a little foolish for not seeing what was right there all along. Ross has created a character with tremendous potential for future installments, and I'm already eager to see where Gregory's journey takes him next. 

A big thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Book Review: Two Kinds of Stranger

Title: Two Kinds of Stranger

Author: Steve Cavanagh

Publisher: Atria Books

Publication Date: March 24, 2026

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

What kind of lawyer breaks the law to help their client? Eddie Flynn, that's who. And here he faces his toughest case yet.

Social media influencer Elly Parker, already reeling from her husband's affair with her best friend, helps a stranger with a yellow suitcase, and that single moment of kindness destroys her life. But the real story here isn't about Elly—it's about watching Eddie's law partner Kate Brooks stand at a crossroads, staring at an ethical line she's never crossed before. Cross it and save her client. Stay put and watch an innocent woman burn.

Eddie Flynn has always been a con man playing lawyer. Kate's the opposite—until now. Cavanagh splits them up here, giving Eddie two cases simultaneously. But one is too close to home, too personal for him to handle it objectively, forcing Kate to carry the weight. And here's the thing: she realizes Eddie might be right about all of it. "The system was unfair, unjust, and it took a con man to balance those scales of justice."

The stranger is genuinely terrifying—always three moves ahead, always in control. Every time you think Eddie and Kate have him, you don't. The tension never breaks.

I've read every Eddie Flynn book, and this one is the most personal for Eddie and the most costly. It's not just about winning the case. It's about what winning costs. "Stepping across the line wouldn't be the end. It would be the beginning."

A big thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Book Review: Unknown Caller

Title: Unknown Caller

Author: Gilliam McAllister

Publisher: William Morrow

Publication Date: May 5, 2026

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This isn't your typical kidnapping thriller. When Simone receives that devastating phone call and learns her daughter Lucy has been taken, the kidnappers don't want money—they want her to do "the unthinkable." This moral complexity becomes the novel's driving force, pushing Simone into increasingly impossible situations where every choice seems wrong, yet she must choose anyway.

What struck me most was McAllister's nuanced examination of how mothers and fathers love differently. The author doesn't shy away from the controversial assertion that "women love their children more than men," but then complicates it beautifully with the observation that "maybe we love her differently" and that children need both kinds of love—"different—but together, they are potent." This isn't about one parent loving more than the other, but about the unique ways maternal and paternal love manifest.

The author succeeds in crafting a thriller that forces readers to confront an uncomfortable question: How far would you go to save your child? And perhaps more unsettling—would you go further than your spouse? The result is a heart-pounding journey through the Texas desert that entertains while genuinely challenging readers to examine their own moral boundaries and the complex nature of parental love.

The twists that come in the final act genuinely surprised me, and the finale feels genuinely satisfying, bringing together all the moral threads McAllister has been weaving throughout. While the premise may stretch believability at times, the emotional truth at the story's core more than compensates for any logical leaps. This is a thriller that will stay with you long after you've turned the final page.

A big thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.