Mindy's Book Journey

  Title:  Murder on the Upper East Side Author:  Gigi Waldorf Genre:  Mystery Thriller Published:  9/8/26 by Atria Books Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for the copy for review.    2016 Prescott Academy in New York City is the prep school for the children of the richest in the city. Hannah Miller and her sister are scholarship students that are trying to find their footing in this very different world. On top of this world is Madison DuPont and Elle Harrington. 10 years later the alumni meet at a charity gala where queen bee Madison ends up dead.  Now Hannah needs to find the murderer before the finger can be pointed at her. This is a mystery thriller about the richest elite in New York City. Glamorous parties have the gossip mill flowing. The characters are fascinating and insufferable in equal measures. I really enjoyed reading this duel timeline mystery where the secrets run deep. I would recommend this book to fans of Gossip Girl and my...

  Title: The House That Eats The Dead Author: Max Doty Genre: Horror Published: August 18, 2026 Thank you to Bantam Books and Netgalley for the copy for review.   A family seeks a fresh start in an older and larger home away from the San Francisco city center. They quickly realize that their new home has a hunger for everything dead.  What starts like the beginning of all sentient house book and movie becomes something very interesting. I love that the home in this book is definitely a character in this story. This family faces so many different moral quandaries around the maintenance of such a hungry house. Some of the situations they face in the story are expected, but this story keeps going way beyond what I could have imagined.  If you love sentient or haunted house stories I highly recommend this one. I don't recommend it as the scariest house, but as the best explored ideas that can be explored with the concept.   My Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars...

  Title: Pictures of You Author: Josh Malerman Genre: Thriller Published: September 8, 2026 by Del Rey Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for the copy for review.   Emily and Jack are out on the town in an idyllic coastal town when their beautiful vacation turns into a nightmare. They wake up separated and find they are within the web of an unhinged artist looking to create their masterpiece. Pictures of You is a Hitchcockian thriller from one of the biggest names in horror. The greatest strength of this story is the character development. Emily and Jack seem realistic, likeable, and like a very fun couple hang out with. I would love to go out on the town with these characters in an idyllic coastal town. I was instantly sucked in and cared very much what happened to them. On the other hand, the antagonist, is incredibly unforgettable and colorful unhinged woman that steals the show in this one. The setup was also great and incredibly tense. Becoming the unwilling muse for a ...

  Title: The Silent Appeal Series: The Appeal book 2 Author: Janice Hallett Genre: Mystery Thriller Published: 8/25/26 by Atria Books  Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the copy for review.   The Silent Appeal is a murder mystery centered around an acting troupe putting on a murder mystery play by Agatha Christie. It is an epistolary novel told completely in texts, emails, IMs, articles, and diary entries. It follows two law interns scouring through the evidence in the case trying to help with an appeal.  This is an entertaining mystery that will have you guessing. It is so satisfying to have all the evidence as the law interns get it. The format is a lot of fun, and helps the pages fly by. This is the kind of engagement that will have you staying up late to find out the truth. I highly recommend this series to fans of a good mystery. My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars   

  Title: Twelve Nails in the Coffin      Author: James Flynn Genre: Horror Short Story Collection Published: 6/19/26 by Velox Press Thank you to the author and Velox Press for a copy for review.   This collection of 12 horror short stories is full of creative ideas that will have you questioning the human condition. James Flynn writes stories that are disturbing and thought-provoking. They look into the darkest corners of our psyches. They are often mixed with a touch of science fiction. I have read several of James Flynn's collections before, and some of these stories were familiar and some were new to me. This collection is a really great representation of the work that you will find from this author. I highly recommend this collection to those that love their stories dark, psychological, speculative, and sometimes brutal.    My Rating: 4.5 out out of 5 stars   

  Title: Cold Snap Series: Frost Bite book 2 Author: Angela Sylvaine Genre: Horror Published: 3/17/26 by Dark Matter Ink Thank you to the author for a copy for review. In 1998 the fight against alien worms moves from North Dakota to Canada when the other half of the infested meteor is found. Add in a blizzard, a doomsday cult, a covert military op, and college spring break shenanigans and you got a wildly fun sequel full of mayhem. This series is full of 90s nostalgia that feels naturally introduced, action, and horror. It explores wonderful themes of grief, death, betrayal, friendship, found family, and young love without taking itself too seriously. It is definitely full of fun. I recommend this book highly to horror fans. My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars