I’m still hooked on good ol’ thrillers this month. I don’t know what it is exactly, but I’ve been reading as many thrillers as I can get my hands on these days. I think it’s partly due to the fact that everyday is pretty much the same, and I need that feeling of something exciting or thrilling to break up the monotony. Plus, I tend to devour these books really quickly and move on to the next one. There’s nothing like that feeling of cracking open a fresh new book (plus that new book smell – am I right? You know you do it, too). So, rather anticlimactically…my July reading list is primarily a list of summer thrillers. 

I’ve been doing a lot of reading outside, well when it’s not too hot. I love reading by my portable pool (before you laugh, it’s been a game-changer during COVID) and on our patio. I recently painted a couple of wooden benches and made a little reading nook. A glass of Pellegrino and the perfect book bag have me feeling like I’m reading at a sidewalk cafe instead of my backyard. This dress has been such a nice addition to my summer wardrobe too. It’s light and comfy, keeping me cool but also looking and feeling styled up. It’s also under $30!

Outfit details: Ruffle Sleeve Dress | Sandals (not pictured) | Rattan Tote (similar here) 

If you’re new here, all of my reading list posts can be found under the Lifestyle menu above. Just click Books. Or simply go here. And please tell me what you’re reading! Leave me a comment or chat with me on Instagram. I love a great book recommendation!

July Reading List

The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter

It’s been 28 years since Charlotte and Samantha’s small town life was torn apart in a single night of unimaginable horror, leaving their mother  – the solid rock foundation of the family – dead. Their father, a defense attorney with a reputation for taking cases others won’t touch, is not only devastated but is possibly indirectly part of the reason for the crime. When an act of violence surfaces in their small town again, Charlie, now a lawyer herself, is taken back to memories of that terrible night so long ago. The real truth behind the crime that dismantled her family is coming close to resurfacing. I really enjoyed all the twists and turns of this one. The author leaves the details of the truth almost to the very end, which kept me hanging on. The small town and its characters are very well developed, making them seem quite real. I have to warn you that there are some triggering things in this book, and it might be difficult for some to get through. 

I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll

On an ordinary train ride on an ordinary day, Ella sees two men flirting with two teenage girls. At first she chalks it up to a harmless encounter until she hears the men reveal that they’ve just gotten out of prison. As a mother, Ella feels the need to step in, but just as she’s ready to call for help something stops her. The next day the news is reporting that one of those teenage girls has gone missing. An entire year passes and there’s still no news about the girl’s disappearance. Ella has dealt with incredible guilt over what she saw and overheard on the train. And if she isn’t distraught enough, a series of mysterious postcards begin appearing in her mailbox with an ominous note – I am watching you. Ella hires a P.I. to look into the threatening mail and it’s soon discovered that the girl’s best friend from the train as well as her own family have secrets of their own. Someone knows where the girl is. No one is talking but someone is watching. I really enjoyed this one, especially as there are red herrings galore. You’ll find yourself questioning just about every character. I did find some of the actions taken by Ella (or not taken) to be a little questionable as far as common sense goes, but overall it’s a great summer thriller. 

The French Girl by Lexie Elliott

Kate and a group of friends, all college students, take a week-long holiday in the French countryside, renting a beautiful farmhouse with an even more beautiful neighbor. Severine is the French girl next door. Her striking beauty and aloof demeanor make her a mystery that can draw you in. But all is not ideal in this idyllic setting. On the last night of their vacation the group of friends finds themselves involved in an altercation that years later, no one wants to remember. But forgetting Severine is no easy task. The girl hasn’t been seen since. A decade passes and just when everyone thinks the case has gone cold, Severine’s body is discovered mere feet from the farmhouse. Each of the friends is questioned, and Kate realizes that some friendships can be deadly. I love a good cold case mystery and this one didn’t disappoint. There are some really eerie parts with details to remind you just how much a memory can haunt you.

The Breakdown by B.A. Paris

Fresh from handling her mother’s decline due to dementia, Cass is now struggling with her own ability to remember things. She forgets her purse at home, can’t remember where she parked her car, and forgets the alarm code for their home. On top of all this, Cass has a strange encounter with a woman along a dark and particularly dangerous stretch of road. Cass sees her pulled over and sitting in her car in the middle of a rain storm. When Cass pulls over to help, the woman doesn’t acknowledge her. Cass assumes she has already called for help, and she can’t blame her for not being willing to leave her vehicle. The next day, that same woman is reported murdered – a grisly attack in the very vehicle Cass saw her parked in only hours before. Did the killer see Cass as well? And if so, is the killer the one who has been calling her daily only to remain silent on the other end of the line? And if she can’t remember simple tasks, is she really remembering the woman she saw anyway? This is the second novel I’ve read by B.A. Paris and both have been what I would call a pool or plane read. Entertaining? Yes. Earth shattering? No. But if you want a quick page-turner thriller to get you by, this is the book for you. My biggest issues with this one are that I figured out the bad guy almost immediately and the actions of the main character are painfully frustrating and make no sense at times. I’ve heard that Behind Closed Doors is really good, so maybe I’ll give that one a try. See my review of Bring Me Back, also by B.A. Paris, in this post.

Transcription by Kate Atkinson

In 1940, war with Germany on English soil seemed far away, until it suddenly wasn’t. Juliet, an aspiring young eighteen-year old, is drawn into the world of MI5. She types transcriptions of conversations overheard between undercover British agents and fascist sympathizers. Soon she is tasked with undercover work herself, meeting the enemy face-to-face under an alias. When the war ends, Juliet tries to put her work as a spy behind her but ten years later she’s crossing paths with figures from her past. Ah, a book that’s not a thriller! This is a fantastic mystery and a good work of historical fiction. Set in the early days of WWII and then again a decade later, it has all the espionage and betrayal you want in a story like this. I jotted down this quote that I thought was as perfect then as it is today: “Do not equate nationalism with patriotism. Nationalism is the first step on the road to fascism.” I love Kate Atkinson’s books, and this is another good one.

I am just realizing how many books on this list have a ten year span built into their plots. How funny. I do love when a story goes back and forth between the past and the present, filling in little details along the way. Do you?

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Happy reading!

xo – Erin

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