Thank you to the publisher @crookedlanebooks & @netgallery for my gifted eARC!


💭💭𝘔𝘺 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is full of domestic suspense! Right from the beginning I was drawn into the authors writing, the plot, and the many different layers that unfold throughout the story.

The book starts off with two girls that go missing, they are then found-but one girl is dead and the other girl has no recollection of the events that took place.

The book then explores the details of the events that occurred, and introduces us to a variety of different characters, all of which have experienced and are recovering from some sort of trauma themselves. They all have flaws, and none of the characters are particularly likable, but the good thing about this is that they are all relatable to real life scenarios and situations, which I did like.

The author does a good job at detailing how parents mistakes & actions can effect and influence their children, and those around them. She paints a picture of family dynamics & relationships, deception, and how not everything is always as it appears on the outside. The author also includes the topic of addiction, and how it takes a toll on families and relationships.

The pacing was steady, although slow at times, it still did a good job at keeping my attention. I enjoyed the twists, and loved seeing how everything laid out and came together at the end.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read with many different characters and layers to it. I will say that it is a bit drawn out, slow (but steady) paced, and there are many different characters to get to know-which can get confusing.

If you enjoy a slow burn, character driven thriller with some emotional depth and many layers to it-this one is for you!

Title: The Dangers of an Ordinary Night
Author: Lynne Reeves
Genre: Mystery/thriller
Rating: 3.2 out of 5

On a chilly fall evening at the prestigious Performing Arts High School of Boston, best friends Tali Carrington and June Danforth go missing after auditioning for a play. They're last seen in grainy, out-of-focus surveillance footage that shows them walking side-by-side. Two days later in a town south of Boston, Tali is found disoriented and traumatized by the ocean's edge, while June is pronounced dead at the scene.

Tali's mother, Nell, is so bent on protecting her daughter from further emotional harm that she enlists the help of Cynthia Rawlins, a renowned therapist for families. Meanwhile, Detective Fitz Jameson is assigned to the investigation and dives into the lives of high-performing students who may be harboring dark secrets.

As Nell, Cynthia, and Fitz confront their own contributions to the tragedies and scandals that beleaguer them, their lives turn out to be more deeply intertwined than they'd ever imagined. And they must decide what lengths they're willing to go to protect the people they love while also saving themselves.

This wasn’t a bad book. However, it felt so distanced from the characters---all the characters—that I really didn’t care about them one way or the other. I felt like everyone was lying and hiding things, and some of the sub-plots—like Cyn and Fitz—seemed completely unnecessary and didn’t add anything to the story for me. On the whole, this just didn’t work for me. It was mainly about the characters, as the writing was solid, but the characters made this almost a chore to read.

(Galley courtesy of Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review.)

The Dangers of an Ordinary Night couldn't deliver everything that I wanted! The character dynamics and entire conflict wasn't as engaging as I hoped and I really needed some redeemability for some of the characters. There are still some interesting aspects from the conclusion that hold surprise though.

This is a novel sent to me by Netgalley on Kindle for review. The mystery involves teenagers. The story is so slow that I had to quit reading several times. The characters are not that likeable and seem to be involved in so many different story lines that it is confusing.

3.5-4 stars

I thought this was a pretty interesting and suspenseful read, and I was quite surprised by the ending.

The story begins with friends Tali and June who have gone missing after auditioning for a school play. A few days later, Tali is found alive and traumatized, but June is pronounced dead at the scene. No one knows what happened to them, not even Tali remembers, but a therapist named Cynthia Rawlins and Detective Fitz Jameson are hoping to uncover the truth.

Cynthia was one of my favorite characters, and I thought the author did a wonderful job with the way she handled Cynthia’s demeanor and dialogue as a therapist. She was so patient and understanding and validated Tali’s mental and emotional state after everything she had been through.

Fitz was another fantastic character and not your typical detective. He felt a connection to the case after a tragedy that had occurred when he was younger, and I think that helped him relate more to the students when he conducted interviews. I also thought he was perfect for Cynthia, and though they aren’t the focus of the story, I did enjoy their somewhat romantic segue.

Overall, I thought it was a pretty good book, and I loved how dynamic all of the characters were. I was really surprised by the ending, but also a little disappointed and upset, mainly because the reader is led to feel bad for someone they really shouldn’t. There were so many people involved in what happened, but it really came down to one person responsible for June’s death and it’s the last person you’d think it would be. Regardless of how I felt about the ending, I definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a good, suspenseful read.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4319279430

What is it called when you’re reading a thriller and the author information dumps in the last 15% explaining the plot?

You know like the bad guy says “this is what I did and this is why I did it!”

It’s a cheap and easy way for the author to fill all of the plot holes that have been confusing you the entire other 85%.

Whatever that trope is, I don’t like it!! You really can get away with anything with a trope like this.

Hubby says it THE USUAL SUSPECTS trope and we’re going to go with that.

This is a classic thriller that’s red herring filled, more of a whodunit than a why-done-it that will feel reminiscent of a lot of other thrillers.

Basic.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and @netgalley for this advanced copy!

The Dangers of An Ordinary Night by Lynne Reeves is a riveting and suspenseful story that will rock the reader from one intense emotion to another with each layer of drama that builds in this sleepy little town where secrets are kept out of shame and something far more sinister should it become necessary. The characters are vivid, the motives are greedy & selfish and the real reasons behind all of it are harsh and frightening. They are tangible realities that can and do affect many..,many people, many
families,institutions and little towns everywhere. The Dangers of an Ordinary Night will terrify and unnerve you, break your heart and also make you hope for any person and family that has ever dealt with addiction and recovery. It will remind you of what families are and should be made of and it will make you question things from a broader point of view with a deeper appreciation of how so many of us and those we love may already be truly susceptible to "The Dangers of An Ordinary Night."
THANK YOU NETGALLEY and Author Lynne Reeves as well as Crooked Lane Books and Penguin Random House for the advanced readers digital copy. #thedangersofanordinarynight #netgalley
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The Dangers Of An Ordinary Night is a suspenseful read with a good twist.

The story is about two girls that go missing one night, when they're found, one of them is dead and the other has no memory of what happened. We meet the characters and unfold the events of the night gradually in the story.

There were a lot of aspects I liked about the book, it spoke about how parents and their marriage affect the kids, that everyone has a past they're dealing with and how it is important to seek emotional help when required.

The first half of the book was good, it started really well and then it got a bit slow in the middle, the last part was good though, I liked the end.

I'd recommend The Dangers Of An Ordinary Night to readers looking for a quick thriller read.

Thank you Netgalley, publisher Crooked Lane books and author Lynne Reeves for the ARC.

When High School students, Tali and Zoe, don’t make it home after a late night play audition, the whole town steps in to find them. Four days later they are discovered on a deserted beach, but one of them is no longer alive and the other doesn’t remember a thing. What happened that fateful night? Who would want to hurt these talented young girls on the brink of success? As the investigation heats up, there are more questions than answers until things finally become crystal clear.

This was a domestic suspense novel about two teenage girls that go missing one night after a play audition. Tali and June left together, but only Tali survives. What we find out right away is that there are lots of secrets, and it’s only a matter of time before the truth comes out. The detective assigned to the case is Fitz. He is a lovable character who has a past that he’d rather not talk about. The family therapist Cynthia (Cyn) that Tali sees has her own personal issues going on. And then there are Tali’s parents. Nell her mother is willing to do anything to protect her daughter and her father who has an addiction to gambling was home and didn’t realize that Tali never came home that night.

I liked the story telling a lot, the characters were well written but I didn’t feel particularly connected to any of them. I did like trying to figure out the truth and in the end the truth was a lot more complicated than I had imagined it being, so the ending had an unexpected twist. I felt like some stories didn’t get completely told, and there were some loose ends that fell flat.

Thanks Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the eARC in exchange for the honest review.

This was very much like many books I've read lately. While it was good, I feel like I will forget it in a day or two.

The Dangers of an Ordinary Night by Lynne Reeves is a slow-burn domestic mystery about a kidnapping and murder of two teenage girls from a performing arts high school in Boston. Two are kidnapped and found on a deserted beach two days later, only one survives. The book follows the girls, the parents, the detective investigating the case, and the psychiatrist. I really liked the writing style and the setting, but the characters didn’t capture me. The plot is a bit slow moving for much of the novel. We slowly learn about family secrets and relationships that may have caused the kidnapping. I really enjoyed the ending when the story picked up speed and revealed what happened.

Thank you Crooked Lane Books for providing this ARC.

This is kind of a side note, but when I watched a lot of tv I noticed the trend of making the dad a less intelligent and likely to do stupid things character. It seems that this is the trend in many suspense books now. And let me tell you, I did not like Zeke and knowing that Nell had been putting up with his gambling and lies for over a decade really annoyed me. I get the whole "he made a mistake" thing, but finding out how long and how often he had made them, well that just begs for psychological help. Too bad it took a kidnapping and death to get there!

Now that I have that out of my system, this was a really good suspenseful book. I'll admit I had fancies of the killer being a different person, but I knew the odds were super low. I almost thought we might get to the end of the book and not even find out who had actually done it! But, Ms. Reeves did a wonderful job of having this solid mystery surrounded by a whole lot of family drama, school drama, and other questionable events. The author even managed to sneak in some romance! This book definitely kept my attention!

A gripping tale of two best friends disappearing after auditioning for a school play one night. One of them is found alive, the other not.

The writing was really, really, good. Layered and full of clues. The plot, slow at times, kept me engaged and gripped all throughout the book.

I enjoyed this thriller immensily and couldn't put it down.

4.5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟 3/5 stars

The Dangers of an Ordinary Night is a character-driven suspense read for fans of Celeste Ng. It tells the story of two teens who disappear after auditioning for a play and the way this event impacts their families and those involved in the case. When only one teen is found alive two days later, her mother enlists the help of a therapist. Meanwhile, a detective is trying to get to the bottom of what happened to the other teen.

This was a slow burn story that was, at times, too slow for me. It started great and then slowed down in the middle. The ending was very good, but did not make up for the middle section. I can understand the comparisons to Celeste Ng and Megan Abbott in the synopsis, but, overall, this read just wasn’t for me.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The storyline held promise but, sadly, I couldn’t really connect to the characters! I felt disappointed that the plot became heavy and bogged down, the mystery surrounding the girls was a bit drawn out for me!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to Crooked Lane and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I got this book early as an advanced readers copy and WOW. I literally could not put this book down, I was entranced by the characters and the storyline! It wasn't like anything I've read before.The ending was literally a shocker. I highly, highly, recommend.

I am a huge fan of thrillers and expected to enjoy this, however, I didn't really 'click' with the characters as I thought I would, and found it a bit too slow paced.

The summary when I read sounded interesting to me that I was glad that Netgalley and Crooked Lane gave me an opportunity to read this novel. But unfortunately, this is not my cup of tea.

Plot:- Two girls Tali and June goes missing after auditioning for a play. They are both best friends. Few days later, the two girls were found--Tali is disorientated and seemed to be traumatized while June is pronounced dead. Nell, Tali's mother is bent down in protecting the well being of her daughter while her husband Zeke is suspected for the case and meanwhile, the school where Tali and June are attending is holding a secret.

Writing:- The plot as I said earlier was interesting, prompting me to want to read this book. The first few chapters were good but then soon, it got boring that I almost DNF the book. I am usually one of those people who don't DNF books as I would continue to read to finish the book. The pace was slow which was a negative thing about the book and I felt there was a bit too much talking and not much OMG moments. However, the ending was OK in my opinion--bit predictable but nonetheless it was OK.

Characters:- I am not sure what I can say about the characters but Nell might be probably one of the favorites.

Overall:- It's a slow burn I have to say and for those who like slow paced thriller books, then this might be the one for you. But I prefer fast paced thrillers so I will pass out.

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Publishers for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

The Dangers of an Ordinary Night by Lynne Reeves is a very highly recommended character driven domestic thriller.

Best friends Natalie (Tali) Carrington and June Danforth, both seventeen, are kidnapped after auditioning for a play at the Performing Arts High School of Boston. Two days later they are found south of Boston on Watties Beach. Tali is covered with cuts, bruises, and disoriented while June is dead from exposure. Tali's mother Nell blames her father, Zeke, who didn't notice that Tali never came home, but Zeke who has repeatedly let his family down with his gambling addiction has other issues that Nell should have noticed in this dysfunctional family. Therapist Cynthia (Cyn) Rawlins is there to help Tali and her family deal with the kidnapping and aftermath. Detective Fitz Jameson has personal insight into the case and suspects more is going on in the Carrington home and at the school.

The novel opens with June trying to escape someone and what leads to her death, so you know the person responsible seems to know June. When the two young women are found, the real mystery begins to be uncovered. There is a complexity and emotional depth underlying every character and all these people are experiencing and/or trying to recover from some trauma. The characters are all flawed. They may not all be especially likeable, but they all resemble real people and therefore are relatable in many ways. Cyn and Fitz are especially sympathetic characters. Nell also elicits an empathetic response, even if the choices she makes will not be understandable to all readers.

The writing is excellent, confident and layered. The plot is even paced while the clues and additional information work together to create a complex picture of a mystery and the complex individuals who are a part of the incident and the resolution. Each of the 27 chapters are given the titles from 27 plays, tying the plot into the theater, the Performing Arts High School, and the students. I found this to be a compelling domestic thriller which I enjoyed immensely from start to finish. 4.5 rounded up.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Edelweiss, Google Books, and Amazon.