This suspenseful thriller is definitely binge-worthy. I love a book that pulls me in from the beginning and this one definitely accomplished that.

Those Empty Eyes is the story of an infamous 17 year old girl who is accused of killing her entire family. The author did a fantastic job portraying the characters and creating an incredibly layered story.

This was my first Charlie Donlea novel but definitely not my last! A special thank you to @netgalley and @kensingtonbooks for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

THOSE EMPTY EYES by Charlie Donlea is a complex and gripping thriller featuring the notorious sole survivor of the murder of her family and her ten-year search for their killer. I have read several of Mr. Donlea’s books and he never fails to keep me turning the pages in anticipation of the inevitable unexpected twists to come.

Alex Quinlan not only survived the horrific murder of her parents and brother but is accused of the crime and dubbed “Empty Eyes” by the insatiable media. When the state’s case falls apart, Alex with the help of her attorney sues the state for defamation and while she wins the case, the media still has doubts of her innocence.

Ten years later and Alex is now Alex Armstrong and working as an investigator for her attorney’s law firm. When she is sent to investigate the disappearance of a college student, Alex discovers unexpected connections to the murder of her family and soon realizes that those she is closest to may not be who they seem.

This is one of those books that you think is finished with the revelation of the killer, but it is not. A twist filled plot and another in the last pages of the book, make this a book that will be discussed long after “The End” whether you liked it or not. Alex is a character that you immediately feel sympathy for with her treatment after the murder of her family, but as the story continues, she grows into a strong and intelligent protagonist who refuses to forget the past but seeks answers from it. This thriller has intriguing characters that are fully fleshed and believable, multiple mysteries and shocking twists that never end.

I highly recommend this intriguing thriller!

The story starts off with a bang and immediately got my interest. Then I found myself a little confused, it seemed to veer off into completely different stories that didn't seem to fit together. Yet the author manages to tie the stories together beautifully leaving a well written and intriguing mystery with a nice twist at the end that I did not see coming, I love when that happens! I would recommend this book to all mystery lovers and I need to check out more books by Charlie Donlea.

10 years ago, 17 years old Alex Quinlan wakes up to gun shots in her home after an intruder killed her parents and her little brother. Accused of the killings by the local law enforcements, the shell shocked teenager is named Empty Eyes by the Media, convinced of her guilt.

Today, Alex is 27, free, and completely reimagined herself after fighting to clean her name and she now works as a legal investigator. Haunted by her past and her obsessions to find who killed her family, Alex continues to help others who also deserves justice. When one of her cases uncovers a suspicious link to her own family's case, Alex is on the hunt again but this time, the intruder will not want to leave any loose ends..

I love Charlie Donlea's writing. All the different stories that eventually leads to one conclusion is exactly what I love in a thriller and he did a fantastic job yet again!

Told in three different storylines gives a mytilayered dimension to this novel. I loved the storylines and the creativity of the writing. There is so much to uncover and put together in this book it does take some effort to piece the storylines together, but when it clicks it turns out to be an amazing narrative

I hope I do justice to Charlie Donlea with my review...

Those Empty Eyes is fantastic and breaks every point scale we have put forward.

I can not give this book 5 stars because to be quite honest, it would be an insult. Those Empty Eyes, will exceed all your expectations and leave your jaw on the floor.

I should have known just looking at the cover how much I would love this book. I mean, look at it, it's stunning.

And don't even get me started on the twist. My insides still feel the gut punch and my chest is tight from my shock.

I can go on and on but I don't want to spoil it for you, all you need to know is you truly will be missing out if you do not pick this one up.


Teaser :

Alex Armstrong has changed everything about herself—her name, her appearance, her backstory. She’s no longer the terrified teenager a rapt audience saw on television, emerging in handcuffs from the quiet suburban home the night her family was massacred. That girl, Alexandra Quinlan, nicknamed Empty Eyes by the media, was accused of the killings, fought to clear her name, and later took the stand during her highly publicized defamation lawsuit that captured the attention of the nation.

It’s been ten years since, and Alex hasn’t stopped searching for answers about the night her family was killed, even as she continues to hide her real identity from true crime fanatics and grasping reporters still desperate to locate her. As a legal investigator, she works tirelessly to secure justice for others, too. People like Matthew Claymore, who’s under suspicion in the disappearance of his girlfriend, a student journalist named Laura McAllister.

Laura was about to break a major story about rape and cover-ups on her college campus. Alex believes Matthew is innocent, and unearths stunning revelations about the university’s faculty, fraternity members, and powerful parents willing to do anything to protect their children.

Most shocking of all—as Alex digs into Laura’s disappearance, she realizes there are unexpected connections to the murder of her own family. For as different as the crimes may seem, they each hinge on one sinister truth: no one is quite who they seem to be . . .

Alex Armstrong was accused of killing her parents and brother when she was just a teenager. She was found innocent and later sued those who accused her and won a substantial amount of money. She was dubbed Empty Eyes and that name followed her throughout the trial and beyond. Since that time she has changed everything about herself, even her name. Now ten years later she is still searching for answers to what happened that night so many years ago. She is now working as an investigator for a law company and has been placed on a rape case at a local college campus. Alex believes the young man is innocent and hopes to find clues to help clear his name. She soon learns that something sinister is going on at the campus and hopes.to break the mystery wide open. Can Alex clear the young mans name? Will she ever figure out what happened to her family? Dive in and you will immediately be drawn into the plot.

The first part of this book started off strong for me .. then went down hill.
The beginning was very shocking and graphic and I definitely think there should be violence and murder trigger warnings for this book.
I was intrigued by the story and was rooting for Alex during her trial.
The second part started to lose me and by part three I was entirely uninterested in the story.

There was a lot of repetitiveness and the story seemed a little messy and all over the place. I found myself not really caring about what actually happened towards the end.

Charlie Donlea writes crime suspense so well! Those Empty Eyes is about Alex Armstrong who was accused of killing his family years ago. Taking the stand, she worked hard to clear her name and since then, she has made a promise to herself that she will find who massacred her family. As a legal investigator, she does the same for others hoping to clear their names. When an investigation seems linked to the murder of her parents, Alex realizes things aren’t as they seem.

Fast-paced, exciting, multi-layered with a searing look at the legal system!

Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donlea is my first book by him, and I truly enjoyed it. The mystery is top notch and kept me guessing throughout. Each thread was pulled together seamlessly. The likable characters also had me rooting for them, especially Alex. I really can't wait to read more by Donlea.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest thriller by Charlie Donlea - 4 stars!

Alex is the only survivor of an attack on her family, where she was accused of the crime and vilified in the press.. After a much-publicized trial against the city, she changed her name and her look and moved to London. Ten years later, she's back in the US, working as an investigator for a law firm. Her latest client is the boyfriend of a missing college journalist, who was about to break a story about rapes and their coverups on campus. During her investigation, Alex discovers some weird connections to her own family.

Charlie Donlea knows how to write thrillers and keep you guessing, and this book is no exception. It did seem to be a bit convoluted and over the top at times, but still kept me intrigued. You won't be able to put it down when all the different plot points come together. I definitely never saw that ending coming!

WoW!!!!! Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donlea was a book that just took my breath away and was brilliant from the start to the very end, especially as it was a great page turner with superb twists and turns throughout! I loved it, and I could not put this book down. This was a book that will keep you up all night

I can not recommend Those Empty eyes enough. Just superb book!

Biggest thank you to Kensington Books for my advanced copy to read.

From its gripping and captivating opening, Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donlea is an engrossing mystery thriller novel. The narrative moves back and forth over time, starting in 2013, with a home invasion and subsequent court trial. An array of characters and seemingly unconnected events unfold, leading to a surprising climax, a decade later in 2023. Each of the seemingly miscellaneous strands of the story – a campus party, holiday camp for children and Supreme Court nominee – are interwoven into an unexpectedly riveting tale. With its gory opening and a disturbing subtheme, a content warning is necessary; however, it’s not overtly gothic but a nuanced crime mystery thriller. An absorbing read with a five stars gem rating. With thanks to Kensington Books and the author for an uncorrected proof copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.

This is another great twisty read by Donlea. The book opens with the murder of a family; the parents obviously the targets, but their teenage son is in the wrong place at the wrong time. And unfortunately for the killer, another family member escapes. (Though given the killer was using a shotgun, it's not exactly surprising they were warned!)After the shocking opening sequence – written incidentally from the point of view of the killer – we’re introduced to 18 yr old Alex who survived her family’s slaughter but – because she was found holding the shotgun – originally a suspect in their murder and spent time in juvenile detention. She’s successfully sued law enforcement for her treatment after the murders but struggling to move on. The crime remains unsolved and many still think she was involved.

She’s taken in by the lawyer who represented her in her lawsuit and seemingly has a natural instinct for investigation so changes her name and starts working for him.

I found it a smidge weird that there was no reference to the motive for the murders in the early part of the novel and it's only when Alex stumbles on some information from her parents' business that she starts to wonder. Given the profile of the murders I would have expected a little more focus (from true crime buffs as well as the police, Alex and her lawyer) as time passed.

Donlea jumps forward in time a bit here - a few years initially, and then a decade. It probably meant I had more questions than I normally would have - wondering why Alex hadn't been discovered during that time given her proximity to the one person who would have known her whereabouts (ie. her lawyer). And when she does cross paths with someone from her past, despite some changes, they recognise her quite easily.

And there were a few coincidences here that help Alex make some leaps in deduction and draw links between present cases to her own past.

We do eventually find out 'why' her parents were targeted but it almost felt a little unfair as if they were very harshly judged... though perhaps the killer knew they were less concerned about the work they'd become involved in ... and we get no insight into them or their lives so I would have like a little more about them perhaps.

There's also an interesting twist at the end but for me it led to a few more questions.

All of that said, I enjoyed this and easily read it in a sitting and NEEDED to know why young Alex's life was upended. 

3.5 stars

Years ago, Something Bad Happened to Alex' family: they were all murdered by an armed intruder. Alex was initially charged but it clearly wasn't her - of course, that doesn't stop the public from believing the initial report that it was her. In the present, she's convinced that the killer is still out there and has killed others... and away we go into a well-written thriller. The final twist eluded me, which was a pleasant surprise.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley

One of Donlea’s best thrillers! Those Empty Eyes kept me guessing and with an ending that totally caught me off guard. As someone who reads a lot of thrillers, it’s hard to find those that truly wow, but this one sure did!

It's nearing the 10 year anniversary of the murder of Alex's parents and brother when she finds a significant similarity between their murder and the murder of an individual who Alex was investigating on behalf of the law firm she works for.
On the night of her family's murders, Alex was dubbed Empty Eyes due to her blank expression when she was led out of her home in handcuffs, accused of executing her family with a rifle. Alex was eventually able to clear her name and was successful in a lawsuit against the sheriff's department and the prosecutors office for wrongful accusations. In doing so, Alex becomes close to her lawyer and eventually finds herself as an investigators for his office. When Alex's family was murdered, photographs were found around their bodies and now a recently murdered client of the law form where Alex works is found in a similar manner with photographs. What is the significance of the photographs found around her parents murdered bodies to the current murders? Is vigilante justice at work here? How much danger will Alex find herself in before finding out the truth?


Empty Eyes pulled me in from the beginning! The story of Alex is heartbreaking, from the loss of her family to running from the watchful, accusatory eyes of the press to her desire to find who murdered her family to watching her be a successful investigator, you'll be rooting for her throughout! The story continues to build on itself following a current timeline with a mix of a story from a youth camp from years ago and it all ties together with a twist that you won't see coming!

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The start pulled me in right away! I felt for Alex and wanted to see how it would pan out. Later on I felt like it was a totally different story and not sure where this was all going to come together. The last part had me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen and the ending did make me gasp.

Thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for a arc in exchange for my honest review.

Publish date: Out Now

I LIVE for a well done prologue and/or epilogue. Knowing this about myself, I still thought at 2am that I could just read the prologue and take myself to bed. Ha! That was as easy as eating just one potato chip. The next thing I knew, it was 3:30 and my eyes were forcing sleep. I obliged but quickly got back to it after a few hours sleep and finished before nightfall.

Fast-paced, mysterious, and full of suspense, 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙀𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙮 𝙀𝙮𝙚𝙨 will easily be one of my top reads for April, if not the year. There are a few different story lines which are expertly woven to provide an ending I never saw coming! I love the main character, Alex. She provides a perfect example of how to rise above a tragedy instead of letting it define you. If you love thrillers that cross multiple sub-genres, this one definitely needs to go on your list!

I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

Donlea is my go-to thriller writer now that I've read his gripping latest. There are twists and turns, serial killers, a life ruined by a mistaken arrest, and a complex protagonist that you can't help but root for. And that shocking ending ... wow! Perfect for thriller lovers who adore stay-up-all-night reads.