Book Review: Antihero

Title: Antihero

Author: Gregg Hurwitz

Publisher: St Martin's Press

Publication Date: February 10, 2026

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I'll be honest—those early pages with the drugged-up thugs nearly lost me. But once Hurwitz gets Evan Smoak into his real mission, the story found its footing and evolved into something more meaningful than just another action-packed mission.

This isn't your typical Orphan X rampage. When Anca, the assault victim Evan wants to help, looks him dead in the eye and tells him he has no right to kill for her—that he's not a hero but an antihero—it's like watching someone pull the rug out from under everything we thought we knew about the Nowhere Man. She makes him promise not to kill her attackers, and watching Evan wrestle with that promise? Pure gold. This is moral complexity rather than black and white thinking and fundamentally challenges everything the Nowhere Man represents.

This moral tension becomes the novel's greatest strength. Evan's character development feels genuine as he grapples with concepts beyond his usual black-and-white worldview. Hurwitz skillfully shows us a man learning that "there is no weakness in emotion" and that his rigid code must evolve. 

What got me most was seeing this unstoppable killing machine completely fall apart during a simple dinner date with Mia. The guy who can handle any life-or-death situation can't manage small talk over pasta. That scene alone is worth the price of admission because it shows just how broken Evan really is beneath all that deadly competence.

The author's exploration of vulnerability versus vengeance gives real depth to what could have been just another thriller. When Evan realizes his code "weighed more now" and creates a new commandment—"If you feel more, you have to feel more"—it represents genuine character growth that feels earned rather than forced.

Hurwitz succeeds in crafting a story that questions the very nature of heroism and justice. This isn't just about whether Evan will complete his mission, but whether he can evolve beyond the limiting confines of his own moral certainties. The result is a thriller that entertains while genuinely challenging both its protagonist and readers to consider the complex shades of gray between justice and vengeance.

A big thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Book Review: Other People's Houses

Title: Other People's Houses

Author: Clare Mackintosh

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark

Publication Date: September 16, 2025

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I dove into this latest DC Morgan thriller expecting a solid crime read, but Mackintosh completely blindsided me with how cleverly she wove together multiple criminal cases, both current and cold. The story immediately draws you into The Hill, an exclusive Cheshire neighborhood where break-ins are escalating, while across the border in Wales, DC Ffion Morgan is investigating the suspicious death of an estate agent found in a lake.

The plot's complexity never feels overwhelming, instead building layers of intrigue that kept me constantly second-guessing my theories about who was behind the crimes. The author demonstrates remarkable plotting prowess, managing to keep the true culprits hidden until the final reveal.

Character development remains one of Mackintosh's strongest suits, particularly with DC Ffion Morgan. In this installment, we see meaningful growth in Ffion's character, especially regarding her commitment to both her personal relationships and professional responsibilities. Her evolution feels authentic and adds emotional depth to the procedural elements.

The investigation methodology and the way the separate cases eventually collide feels both organic and satisfying. Mackintosh expertly builds tension while exploring themes of secrets, privilege, and the lengths people will go to protect their carefully constructed lives behind closed doors. By the final chapters, I was completely absorbed, racing to see how all the threads would come together.

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

Book Review: Nash Falls

Title: Nash Falls

Author: David Baldacci

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Publication Date: November 11, 2025

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

What happens when your comfortable corporate life explodes overnight? This is Walter Nash's nightmare scenario—one minute he's climbing the ladder at an investment firm, the next he's being strong-armed by the FBI into becoming their inside-man spy to bring down a criminal enterprise at his place of work.

But here's where things got messy—and not always in a good way. The story morphs from corporate espionage thriller into a personal vendetta tale, and while I enjoyed the ride, it felt like two different books fighting for control. The mysterious Victoria Steers, supposedly this criminal mastermind, barely shows up on the page. For someone driving Nash's entire motivation, she's frustratingly ghostlike.

The revenge angle worked for me emotionally, even if some of Nash's transformations stretched credibility. Watching a buttoned-up executive embrace his darker instincts? That's compelling stuff, even when it goes a bit over the top.

My biggest frustration? That cliffhanger ending. After investing hours in Nash's journey, being left hanging for a sequel felt like a cheap move from an author who usually delivers complete stories with satisfying endings. Still, sometimes a book doesn't need to be perfect to be a fine read.

A big thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Book Review: The Midnight Knock

Title: The Midnight Knock

Author: John Fram

Publisher: Atria Books

Publication Date: October 21, 2025

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I thought I was picking up a simple mystery, but "The Midnight Knock" dragged me into something far more ambitious and unsettling. This isn't your typical whodunit—it's a fever dream that feels like Pulp Fiction got lost in the desert with Groundhog Day with a smattering of Alien thrown in for good measure. The premise is deceptively simple: guests at an isolated motel must identify a killer by midnight or face something ancient and hungry lurking in the desert darkness. But nothing about the execution is simple.

Fram does something I've never seen before, l
iterally repeating the title page throughout the book. It should have annoyed me, but instead it added to the disorienting quality of the story. These aren't people you'd want to have dinner with—they're killers, fugitives, and criminals all hiding at a remote Texas motel. But somehow, their desperation became infectious. It's this kind of experimental storytelling that sets "The Midnight Knock" apart from typical locked-room mysteries.

The beauty of this book is that I had absolutely no idea what was happening, and I loved every confusing minute of it. Just when I thought I had a handle on the mystery, Fram would pull the rug out from under me. The supernatural horror creeps in so gradually that by the time you realize you're not reading a straight mystery anymore, you're already trapped.

The ending gets a bit wobbly, but Fram manages to bring everything together in a way that feels both surprising and inevitable. The climax delivers on the promise of the setup, even if the path there occasionally feels uneven.

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