Find books you love and get the most out of your reading.
Did you read The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse and have ALL the questions about the ending? And what’s with that epilogue – who is following Elin around the Sanatorium? Come check out my spoilers and plot summary for The Sanatorium and then let’s discuss this baffling case of multiple murders in a Swiss alps resort and the equally baffling ending! Check out this Spoilers and Plot Summary for the Sanatorium!
My list of Spooky Mysteries Set on an Island discusses that islands CAN be a peaceful and secluded place to get away BUT they can also leave you trapped with a dangerous crowd! Did you love The Guest List by Lucy Foley or White Lotus on HBO? Check out my Spooky Island Fiction book list, which includes mysteries and thrillers plus a link to my post on YA mysteries set on islands! Updated with 7 new 2025 titles AND an island quiz!
[Read more…]Two newlyweds, one island honeymoon, and some very dark secrets! If you love thrillers set in isolated, creepy locations, you might want to give this one a try. Check out my review of Every Vow You Break!
Written and edited by Jen Ryland. Last updated on:
Did you love the Guest List by Lucy Foley? Then you should try this book that also features a wedding on a (possibly cursed) island. At this wedding, the body count seems higher than the guest count. Check out my review of Her Dark Lies!
Her Dark Lies by J. T. Ellison. To be published on March 9, 2021 by Mira Books. Thanks to the publisher for the advance review copy.
Synopsis: Jutting from sparkling turquoise waters off the Italian coast, Isle Isola is an idyllic setting for a wedding. In the majestic cliff-top villa owned by the wealthy Compton family, up-and-coming artist Claire Hunter will marry handsome, charming Jack Compton, surrounded by close family, intimate friends…and a host of dark secrets. From the moment Claire sets foot on the island, something seems amiss. Skeletal remains have just been found. There are other, newer disturbances, too. Menacing texts. A ruined wedding dress. And one troubling shadow hanging over Claire’s otherwise blissful relationship—the strange mystery surrounding Jack’s first wife.Then a raging storm descends, the power goes out—and the real terror begins…
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For me, the best part of Her Dark Lies was the setting. The island of Isle Isola is off the coast of Italy. Think Capri but smaller. And cursed.
Claire is an artist who is marrying Jack Compton, the scion of a rich tech family. The Comptons own the island, but at least two Compton wives have died there. (Did Claire know this before accepting the ring? I don’t think she did.)
In any case, the wedding weather is wet and stormy. The power goes out. The bodies pile up.
For me, some of the twists were nice and unexpected, but others were a little unbelievable. And I felt like there were a few loose ends that weren’t tied up.
If you loved The Guest List by Lucy Foley and One by One by Ruth Ware, you’ll love this. All the suspects are trapped on the island together, where they seem to be dying one by one.
This was more plot-driven than character driven, though Claire did have some layers to unpeel.
If you’re read the book, come discuss it on my secret spoiler discussion page for Her Dark Lies! I have a lot of questions and I bet you do too!
If you want to check out other review of J.T. Ellison books, here are my thoughts on It’s One of Us!
Looking for new TV shows like Only Murders in the Building? I present: The Best Hallmark Cozy Mystery Movies to Watch in 2026! Hallmark cozy mystery movies are perfect for family viewing and a great fit for lovers of lighthearted shows about amateur detectives. This post contains all you need to know about Hallmark Mystery Movies. What are the best Hallmark cozy mystery movies to watch?
Can’t get enough thrills and chills this winter? Me either. Check out these New Thrillers to Read and Stream in February 2021
