Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston (★★★★☆)
Audiobook • Spotify • Thriller • 2026
Short synopsis: When a troubled woman impersonates a wealthy socialite for one night so they can each uncover the dangerous secrets surrounding the socialite’s husband, the plan spirals into chaos after he’s found murdered and only one of them has an alibi.
I had such a good time with this thriller! Aubrey and Camille were fantastic main characters, and I loved their strange partnership. Thrillers don’t always give you characters you genuinely want to root for, but I was fully invested in both of them. The story had lots of great twists, and I never felt completely sure who to trust or whether I was dealing with an unreliable narrator. (The author played with the “unreliable narrator” trope in such an interesting way!) The novel dealt with some heavy themes, including domestic abuse, grief, and corruption, in the midst of trying to find out who murdered Camille’s husband, and it did it all without slowing down the story. The ending was a standout for me, tying back to the core of the story in such a unique, fascinating way. I loved it!
This Story May Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum (★★★★☆)
Print • Owned (Book of the Month) • Thriller • 2026
Short synopsis: When a beloved podcast host discovers his co-host and her husband missing alongside a cryptic memoir draft, he must unravel their hidden secrets while evading suspicion himself before their real-life survival story turns deadly.
I had such a weird reading experience with this book because I genuinely couldn’t decide if it was genius or completely ridiculous. (I’m leaning towards genius.) I found myself staring into space after finishing it, trying to process what I’d read. The writing really stood out to me, especially how distinct Joy’s memoir excerpts felt from the rest of the book. The excerpts were noticeably less polished and a little more pedestrian, which was likely an intentional contrast that worked really well for me. I also loved Benny and Joy as main characters; Benny, in particular, was lovable and easy to root for, while Joy balanced him out perfectly. Joy’s severe narcolepsy added another layer that made the story feel unique, and I thought the author did a great job exploring how deeply a condition like that can shape someone’s life. While the podcast angle is starting to feel a bit overdone in thrillers, this one managed to feel fresh enough to stand out, and the ending totally caught me off guard! Overall, it felt like something new for the genre, and I think this is a book I can safely recommend to thriller lovers.
The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore (★★☆☆☆ 1/2)
Print • Owned (from a friend) • Contemporary Romance • 2023
Short synopsis: After inheriting the beloved Pumpkin Spice Café in the cozy small town of Dream Harbor, optimistic city girl Jeanie clashes with grumpy local farmer Logan—only to find unexpected sparks brewing between them.
This book felt like it was written by AI. There was just something… disingenuous about it? None of the characters felt real, and neither did the town of Dream Harbor. (Please tell me how a cafe and a bakery can be sustainable in a small town.) It all felt a little too cutesy and unrealistic. And maybe that was the point? Maybe Laurie Gilmore just wanted to create a town that would never exist in the real world, and that’s okay. It just didn’t work for me. I wanted more realness from the characters, and I really wanted to feel the spark between Jeanie and Logan, but the whole book left me feeling deflated. Somehow, I have more books in this series on my bookshelf (gifted to me), so I’ll probably try to read another one to see if the writing improves. But this book has a 3.36 rating on Goodreads, and I can definitely understand why.
What are you reading?
Ogmh, I just read Anatomy of an Alibi! I felt the sane way- well written with unexpected twists. I’m going to havevto find her other books.
I’ll avoid the Pumpkin Spuce one ( really, how can you afford to run a coffee shop in a small town? It’s like when the amateur sleuth keeps abandoning her business to go look for clues – not realistic! Or bankruptcy imminent. )
I might try the podcast thriller- not my usual cup of tea, but you make it sound really interesting!
I try to not get bogged down in the details like how does a business in a small town WORK… but this one had me scratching my head!
I’m glad you also enjoyed Anatomy of an Alibi – so good!
Ooh! That first one sounds really good. The second one sounds good too, and I’ve heard of it before but can’t remember where- Currently Reading maybe? Anyway- maybe Pumpkin Spice really WAS written by AI. There’s no way to actually know for sure nowadays. Sigh.
Two very good thrillers, and I read them close together so I’m surprised that I didn’t get all of the plots all mixed together in my head! Ha.
I’ve heard that 2nd book is really great on audio! Which doesn’t matter for me since I don’t listen to audiobooks, but might help someone else!
I am reading a non-fiction book for book club about women and fabric art. It’s kind of dense so I am only reading one chapter/day. I also started a book called ‘Mothers and Sons’. It’s about an estranged relationship between a son and his mother. It’s too early to say how I feel about it though!
A book about women and fabric art sounds very dense. I’d probably need to listen to that and treat it like a podcast.
I think This Story Might Save Your Life would be excellent on audio!
Whelp I DNF’d the fabric art book. It was so academic and BORING!
Oh, these first two books sound really good. I just finished The Road to Tender Hearts. I loved it. On my list is a search for my next book. I’ve not heard of any of these books. Bummer about the book that didn’t feel genuine, esp since you have others in the series on your shelf.
Yay, I am so glad you loved The Road to Tender Hearts! It was such a sweet, heartwarming story with some dark humor I wasn’t expecting.
Ooooh I loved “This Story”! It went in some directions I wasn’t expecting! The Ellison is definitely on my list and I’m glad it was a hit for you.
I hope you enjoy the Ellison book – it was such a wild ride!
Okay, how small is the town? We have about 12,000 people and have:
– a coffee shop with mediocre coffee and seriously substandard baked goods, but everyone else seems to love
– a coffee shop that is attached to a beauty salon (it’s called Beauty and the Bean) that also serves pretty good light lunches
– a coffee shop that is attached to a tanning salon (the best coffee, imo) that also serves hotdogs and hard ice cream (the only place in town to get hard ice cream)
– a standalone bakery that mostly has bread and sweet treats like donuts and bars
– a well-regarded bakery that’s housed within our regional chain grocery store (not really indie, so you can not count it)
(we also have a Dunkin, but it’s by the overpass/highway, so I don’t really count it)
The town next to me has just under 7000 people and has
– TWO coffee shops (I’ve never been to one, so I can’t speak to the quality)
– Another tanning/coffee shop combo
– A cake place (they really only do fancy cakes for events)
– A “bakery” that mostly has sweet rolls and donuts
-A farm market that sells DIVINE pies
I don’t have access to the financial details of these businesses, but they all seem to be doing well. Don’t underestimate the desire for people in a small town to have small treats!
Oh, I totally think that people in a small town want to enjoy their treats! I am just astounded that so many very niche businesses can stay afloat in this economy, haha.
I am glad you loved Anatomy of an Alibi! I struggled with it, and it made me think I need to start reading thrillers with my eyes instead of my ears LOL.
I have seen people reading the Pumpkin Spice and adjacent books and I appreciate your honest review because it seems like it would be hella cheesy like that (and not for me at this time). And someone whose book taste I don’t really sync with recommended it to me recently.
And I hear you on the small town and business sustainability. The small summer town we visit has 1800 people and we really want it to have a sustainable bakery and cafe but so many have opened and closed over the years. We make sure to visit the cafe whenever we are there cause we want it to survive!
The Pumpkin Spice books are VERY cheesy. They are super easy to read, but I wanted more heft to them. There wasn’t enough to keep me invested, and the characters were SO BLAND.
I see SO many small shops and restaurants close around here, which is why I’m startled that a small town like the one in this book could sustain SO many different shops that only do ONE thing. Like the coffee shop ONLY sells coffee, nothing else. Like what???
Ugh, yeah, totally not the books for me then! i don’t like movies like that either 😂
Yeah, I don’t think that actually works unless rent is HELLA low (maybe it would be in a small town?) and they have super low overhead and don’t employ anyone.