Great thriller that keeps the reader on their toes. Loved the characters in this one. they were well thought out and planned.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

I’ve decided not to review this title. The book was very boring within the first few pages and I couldn’t focus on what I was reading so it instantly becomes a DNF for me.

This book had so much more potential and sadly I was not that invested in it. The premise and cover were super intriguing, but the characters felt flat. This was a slow burner and not in the Mystery sense you may expect, it was just dull. I could see some people liking this, but unfortunately I am not one of those people. I finished this one out of curiosity and was just disappointed that it could've been so much more.

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

"Book of Knives" is a gripping literary thriller that explores how one person's unraveling can have far-reaching consequences. With a blend of mystery and suspense, this novel keeps readers on edge as they delve into the secrets of Hidden Lake Camp and the unsettling events that unfold.

While Book of Knives had an intriguing premise, it left me feeling a bit puzzled by the end. The storyline unfolded at a slow pace, blending paranormal elements, yet when it all converged, it felt a bit confusing. There seemed to be a lot happening but simultaneously not much of substance, leaving Nora's decision to stay questionable and somewhat implausible. Additionally, the lack of connection to the characters made it hard to invest in their fates. The initial focus on the disappearing knives became overshadowed by other plotlines, diminishing its impact. Overall, I finished the book out of curiosity.

DNF. This might be one of (if not THE) worst books I have ever read! This is a painfully boring slow burn. I could not get into it at all. The characters were all extremely unlikeable and very unrealistic.

The writing style was awful. Some of the sentences were just plain weird and confusing and make NO SENSE. I don't know how this passed any sort of publishing. And why were some of the chapters so long?

All around, terrible.

I’m not quite sure what I read, but it was interesting enough to finish. It was a super slow burn with paranormal elements and once it all came together it kind of left me scratching my head. I think in some ways there were so many things going on here but yet at the same time nothing was going on so really Nora had no reason to stay (nor should she have), and I think the fact that she did caused the story to lose some credibility in my opinion. I also wasn’t connected to any of the characters so I did not care what happened to them, and the overall knife storyline became secondary to the rest so I lost interest in that also. Like I said, I was just interested enough to know what was going on but even then once I found out it was just ok.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the digital copy to review.

This book was ok. There were elements that I liked and wished they had been expanded on, especially the creepiness. My main issue was that this was a really slow burn. I wanted the pace to pick up.

I was hooked by the cover art! It took a while to become invested in the story. Once it got going the plot was well thought out and interesting. I struggled to connect with the characters though

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press & Netgalley for an eARC of Book of Knives by Lise Haines in exchange for an honest review.

The story follows MC Nora and her husband Paul at Hidden Lake Camp while helping out his elderly parents. Quickly, Nora starts realizing that things may be more complex than they appear - With what starts as knives going missing, talk of ghosts, and - oh - a dead body at the camp. No big deal.

The "summer camp" setting is refreshing and something I personally love. I feel that this book offered a unique plot line, and I enjoyed it. I look forward to seeing what else this author comes up with.

This was a slow paced, suspense building, twisty story. I enjoyed reading it.
Many thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

⭐⭐

𝙐𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡, 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙆𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣'𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣.

I was so excited to pick this book up after that captivating premise. Unfortunately, it got so many low ratings on Goodreads that I put it down for some time. I finally picked it up… and unfortunately, I didn't love it either.

This book was so slow and I struggled so much with the pacing and writing style. It felt so dull at times and I didn’t feel like I was reading this amazing book the premise gave.

None of these characters were enjoyable to read about, they were all unlikeable. I was not rooting for any of them.

Also, Nora’s inner monologue about her deceased husband was so weird and off.

I wanted to enjoy this book, but unfortunately, I struggled with it. I feel like there’s an audience out there that enjoys weird + quirky slow burns, but I was not one.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the gifted galley in exchange for my honest review, all thoughts are my own!

This book was… well, boring. The characters didn’t draw you in, the plot was blah, and it felt like the writer kept writing just for the sake of writing, and not with the actual plot in mind. Like everything was slow, and drawn out, but not in a twisty sort of way.

Nora travels with her husband Paul to Hidden Lake Camp, in order to help his elderly parents get settled and to fix up the camp enough to sell it. After they have dinner with his family for the first time, a knife from a prized collection vanishes. After the fifth knife vanishes Nora can hardly sleep and there is talk of ghosts, secrets rooms, and a murder at the camp.
Overall this book was intriguing but also slow-paced, which made it kinda hard to get into. The ending was good though, so it was worth the read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

Book Of Knives by Lise Haiines
There were 13 knives. One by one they began to disappear. This is a literary thriller. There is talk of ghosts, secret rooms, and murder.

Although I enjoyed this book, it seemed a little creepy. It didn’t really explain if there were ghosts or a human causing these incidents. Certainly kept you reading until the end.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for my review.

This is a really creepy thriller. I spent the whole time wondering if murderous ghosts or murderous people were to blame in this twisty thriller. I was internally screaming for the main character to get out of that creepy place. There are some nice unexpected reveals and a shocking but satisfying ending. I enjoyed this one.

I really struggled with this book. I felt the chapters were too long , the ending was poor and I had no connection with the characters.

The description of this book drew me in and didn’t disappoint! It kept me guessing up until the very end. It was the perfect amount of suspense and story line.

I really wanted to like this book. The cover and title caught my interest right away. However, it took me forever to get through this one. The chapters were long and drawn out with not much of anything happening. I do not mind a slow burn book but this one was painful. I loved the summer camp setting and the overall storyline was promising but the execution just wasn't good. Not a fan and it hurts me to say that. I had such high hopes.