DNF at 20%. Was bored out of my mind waiting for something to happen :( the boring pottery stuff killed me !

The Trespassers is a suspense novel with a twist; Rayna Kirkpatrick can sense other people, particularly their heartbeats. When her abusive father dies on the evening of his birthday party, she initially blames herself for blocking him out all evening. If she'd paid attention, perhaps he would still be alive.

When another death occurs shortly after Rayna falls under suspicion, and other deaths come to light of people connected with her.

Personally I found it a bit easier to predict who the villain was than in most of Stephanie Black's novels where I'm caught by surprise at the end. I would have liked to see certain characters face consequences for their horrible actions, but then death is a pretty severe consequence, so there's that.

I have always enjoyed Stephanie Black's books. This one was a bit different with the main character's ability, but the story was still very engaging and entertaining. The author did a great job at bringing all of the characters to life, and letting the reader have a front seat view to their lives. I find it so much easier to immerse myself in a story when the author can do that.
Another winner. I highly recommend this one.

This was one of my favorite reads this year!

It was absolutely fantastic!

I absolutely loved this book and read it in a single night! I didn't register time passing as I just kept reading. 😄

I loved the whole plot of this book and the whole idea behind it.

Reyna is a character you immediately sympathize with and route for!

Damon is a character with so many layers and a complicated past.

I also am in love with this cover and the spine! 😍. It's just beautiful and fits with the mystery of the book!

I highly recommend this book! And I need to know what happens next!

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Favorite Quote:

❤️ "She wanted to come home to Willet Beach. Start over. Maybe . . . finally . . . find peace."

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TW / CW: Death of a loved one (multiple instances), multiple mentions of miscarriages (all done very tactfully), multiple mentions of death (under suspicious circumstances).

Many thanks to the author and publisher for a copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was creative and had a great mystery. The story kept me on the edge of my seat and I loved how I had no idea who was behind things until the end. I also loved how relatable the characters were even with their special abilities. I hope that we see more books with these characters. I enjoyed this suspense and would recommend it.

I received a complimentary book from publishers, publicists, and or authors.  A review was not required and all opinions and ideas expressed are my own.

Oh boy! I needed this book! I will patiently wait for book 2...not. But it is definitely a stand alone - but gives the best enticement for more! I loved the premise and the storyline was absolutely believable and enjoyable! 5 STARS for this book!

I’ve been a Stephanie Black fan for a few years now. So I was overjoyed when I received an advance copy of her newest release.

The Trespassers is about Rayna, who has the ability to sense other people near her, even when she can’t see or hear them. Things get dicey for Rayna when her father suddenly dies, and she wonders how she wouldn’t have seen that coming.

As per usual Black is able to weave multiple murders together to create a mystery that kept me guessing up until the end. I’m excited to see where the series goes from here!

Thank you to the author @stephanieblackauthor for the advance copy of this book. A positive review was not required.

Trespassers in the beginning of a new suspense series authored by Stephanie Black. I have read a number of books by this author and haven't really enjoyed them. This book is different. I absolutely loved it! It had me loving it from the first page and kept me guessing throughout the book. I can’t wait for the next book in this series!

I just reviewed The Trespassers by Stephanie Black. #TheTrespassers #NetGalley

As always Stephanie keeps you guessing. For me I had a few ideas who the main villain would be and I wasn't wrong but Stephanie led me on a merry chase. I loved the paranormal aspect of this thrilling novel. My heart tended to beat in tune to the action on each page, similar to the heart beats Rayna and Damon could track.if there is one thing I would have liked it would be a touch more romance, maybe a kiss, but I know this is a Wholesome Suspense novel so I'll go with it. But dang if my romantic meter wasn't firing off the charts. Maybe a kiss scene from Stephanie would be more than we mere humans can handle.

✨Book Review✨

"A Trespasser," he said. " didn't choose the term, but it's what people like us got labeled.
Trespassing in territory that should be off-limits to our minds."

Wow! Another great suspense novel by Stephanie Black! If you are a fan of her Natalie Marsh series then you will definitely want to check out The Trespassers. Not only does it have mystery and suspense but also a paranormal element.

Rayna Kirkpatrick has a paranormal ability to sense others heartbeats. But it is a talent she keeps under wraps. That is until her father dies and a Google search brings her ability to the attention of a secret government agency. Damon Hale, a trespasser himself, must intervene before anyone else is harmed by her power.

What I loved:
- Paranormal abilities! I loved their power and I can’t wait to find out more about what they can do with it.
- Damon and Rayna were very relatable. They have both been through really hard life events and came out the other side stronger.
- The suspense and mystery! I love the twist and turns this book took. Stephanie Black has an amazing way of making you second guess everything you think you’ve figured out. She’s an amazing suspense author!
- I loved the small town beach setting. It was the perfect backdrop to this story.

I loved this book! I cannot say enough good things about it. If you are a fan of clean suspense and mystery then you need to check out The Trespassers!

I was immediately hooked by this paranormal thriller.

Rayna has some pretty cool (and slightly creepy) abilities and although she's had some very tough experiences in her past, she is such a sweet and fairly calm soul. The twists and turns and situations she finds herself in would make anyone (especially me) stress out and go crazy, but not her.

I loved her relationship with her sister, Annemarie, and the very slight romantic, yet not-quite-trusting connection with Damon, who is a fantastic character, by the way. In my opinion, a great mystery is one that leaves me guessing who the villain is and there wasn't a clear cut suspect in this story. I wasn't sure who to trust and didn't know what would happen next, especially as people started dropping like flies.

This fast-paced, nail-biter book had me on the edge of my seat and I loved how it was chilling, without being too much. It was the perfect concoction that had me frantically turning pages.

Content: death (non-graphic)/peril/threats; extremely mild romance

*I received a complimentary copy through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*

The Trespassers by Stephanie Black is one of those books that will keep you up past your bedtime trying to guess who done it!

Rayna is the main character of this book. She's got a secret. She can sense other people, but she is afraid she can also kill them. And when people all around her start dying of unknown causes, she's so unsure what to think. I loved the way Rayna wasn't quite sure if she had killed someone or not. It causes some confusion for her, the reader, her sister and so many other characters, including the police.

Damon has been sent by the government to study Rayna. His goal is to figure out if she's dangerous. Damon also was unsure if Rayna was dangerous. He pulls her out of the situation. And that creates even more problems for the two of them. Eventually, he determines that he must put some trust in her and in himself so they will figure out what's going on.

I didn't see the ending of this one coming. I loved every suspenseful minute of it!

I was sent a copy of The Trespassers as a gift from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I was excited when Stephanie Black announced she was starting a new series with a paranormal element. I had no idea what to expect but knew I'd be reading it since she's been one of my favorite mystery/suspense authors for years, but this book blew me away!!

Rayna wants a quiet life in a small town, making and selling her distinctive pottery pieces, keeping her paranormal ability to herself, but her internet search about that ability alerts a secret government agency to her whereabouts and they start an investigation about her father's death. Damon Hale, who has the same paranormal ability as Rayna, is the investigator assigned to determine if she's dangerous.

There were so many things pointing to Rayna being guilty of several deaths I was worried her family would start believing she had killed those people. Even Damon questioned if Rayna could be guilty, because the evidence against her didn't fit the person he was getting to know.

Kudos to the author for another amazing, gripping story. I didn't want to put this book down! I needed to know who the guilty party was and their motive(s). There were so many suspects I couldn't determine who the killer or killers might be! I changed my mind several times then finally gave up trying to figure it out. Let's just say I was shocked! I certainly hope this is the beginning of a series because I'm ready for the next book!

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Stephanie Black is one of my favorite mystery suspense authors. She walks the line between tension and intrigue so well, writing mysteries that make me think, with just the right amount of toe-curling suspense. Her new book is a little different from her previous books, blending a suspenseful murder mystery with paranormal elements.

Rayna Kirkpatrick has always known she is different from everyone else. Her parents have urged her to keep her special powers a secret, but in a weak moment, she uses the internet to try and find out more information about them. That action attracts the attention of a government agency who monitors people with her abilities—those who are called Trespassers. Damon Hale is sent to Rayna’s hometown to observe her and see if she’ll cooperate with them or become an enemy that needs to be terminated. As Damon inserts himself into Rayna’s life, people around her begin to die in suspicious ways. Could Rayna be the killer? Or will she be the next victim?

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started reading, but I was quickly immersed in Rayna’s world and the people she knows and loves. She’s been faced with a lot of trials in her life, including a broken marriage, and has come home to start fresh. Damon seems like a new friend she can trust, but she soon finds out he isn’t who he claims to be. The interactions between Damon and Rayna are emotional and at times, tense and confrontational. Rayna is torn between her responsibilities and her special abilities and readers will identify with her struggles to find where she belongs and how she deals with her past. Damon has a hard path in trying to do his duty and protect the people that need him—though deciding who he should be protecting exactly becomes more challenging with every page.

The murder mystery is difficult to solve with several viable red herrings. Readers will not want to set this one down for any reason and will be racing to the end to see who the murderer is. The Trespassers is one of Stephanie Black’s best books and I hope it’s the start of a new series. Be careful not to start this book before bed because it will be tempting to stay up all night and read just one more chapter.

First, I have to say that I think the cover on this book is super cool. I love how it represents this book so perfectly. Yeah, very cool cover.

The story is pretty cool too. All mystery and a bit of suspense. The plot thickens with every turn of the page while I suspect everyone at some point or another. There is a big cast of characters but I never felt overwhelmed or lost in keeping track of them all. That's a huge credit to the author.

Rayna has a crazy supernatural, paranormal type of ability. I can't even imagine how that would be but it was fun to be immersed in a world that was nothing like my own for a bit. It all felt so real, so plausible. It was good stuff.

I'm hoping this has set us up for a whole new series by this author. Rayna's story definitely isn't over so it better continue on! Also, as a note, there is no romance in this book. Just in case that is a make or break for you. 😉

Content: peril, mild violence, death. Mention of miscarriages, divorce, abuse.

- I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

"The Trespassers" isn't exactly what I expected, but I still enjoyed it a lot.

The story takes place in a normal world, with the exception that Rayna Kirkpatrick possesses some paranormal abilities which she thinks is unique to her. Taunted by her father for her whole life, she never revealed her power to anyone outside her family nor did she attempt to learn more about it, until one day, when she caves in and does an online search. This attracts the governments' attention, who sends Damon Hale, a guy with the same supernatural abilities, to investigate her. As a series of unexplained deaths happen simultaneously, Rayna is suspected of being a serial-killer, and Damon doesn't know what to think of her anymore.

I'm not a fan of paranormal novels, so I really appreciated the fact that this book is basically anchored in real life, save for the Trespassers' special abilities, but it's nothing too important—indeed, we don't even know if many Trespassers exist, it seems to be very confidential. The suspense was pretty intense, but not in a scary way, so I'd nearly call this book a "cosy mystery" taking place in a small Californian, seaside village.
The author was great at mixing trails, I jumped from suspecting one person to the next, without trusting anyone—at one point, I nearly thought everyone in the village was a culprit!

The secondary characters were well developed, with the two protagonists, Rayna and Damon, are a little bit flat, we don't know that much about them, they rarely have strong emotions, everything with them seems controlled, they don't have much uniqueness about them—save their paranormal abilities.

The book's officially summary mentions Damon's "growing attraction" to Rayna, but in truth, there is nothing really romantic between the protagonists—which is actually pretty refreshing, to have them just be tentative friends. There's only a hint at a pretend romance towards the very last pages of the book, which makes me think the Trespassers might become a series, and I'm here for it!

*I received an eARC on Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion*

“Unfortunately, your remarkable abilities can also be used as deadly weapons.”

The Trespassers by Stephanie Black is a fast paced, character driven wild ride. The plot is unique and Trespassers are fascinating and quite scary in what they can actually do. I loved every nail biting page. My list of suspects changed frequently because everyone’s motives were sketchy. A seriously brilliant book with Black’s writing at its very best. Such a creative plot with strong characters, some I loved to hate.

Thank you to the publisher for the Netgalley approval. I can’t wait to see more from the Trespassers.

Wow! What an exciting beginning to a new series! This book had me guessing, second guessing, and guessing again as Stephanie Black weaves a suspenseful, hard to put down, paranormal mystery. It reminded me of an Agatha Christie novel where you’re on the edge of your seat not knowing who the real murderer is and everyone is suspicious. Throw in the paranormal angle and it makes for one spellbinding read!

Rayna Kirkpatrick has a dangerous, unique ability she’s kept hidden. Feeling alone and wanting more information, she does what anyone would do, searches the internet. Not the best move if you’re wanting to keep a secret. Her searches send up red flags, and unbeknownst to her, she’s now being followed by a highly secretive government group who seeks to monitor and investigate individuals with paranormal powers known as Trespassers and eliminate them if necessary.

When Rayna’s father dies, it’s ruled as natural causes, but there are too many questions surrounding his death. When another person associated with Rayna dies, it’s time to intervene. But, is Rayna to blame for the deaths, or is there someone else behind the murders?

Damon Hale is a government agent and also a Trespasser. He’s been sent to Rayna’s small California town to investigate her and the murders. As he gets to know the artistic, charming, kind young woman, he finds himself questioning whether she’s responsible. When another person is almost murdered, the two team up to try to uncover who’s responsible.

I loved this book! The atmosphere is fantastic and I enjoyed the ambiance of Willet Beach. Rayna’s such a sympathetic character and she’s set up perfectly as a suspect. The changing dynamic between her and Damon was so good! I loved how they go from antagonistic to a hint of romance. There’s always this palpable attraction between them just below the surface.

The ending will have you reeling as all the clues finally come together. There’re a lot of twists and just when you think you know whodunit, there’s another twist. I loved the intense soup scene. IYKYK All these lead to an exciting nail-biting conclusion.

I really hope this series will continue! I can’t wait to know more about the Trespassers and see what’s in store for Rayna and Damon! I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and voluntarily provided.

"Any gift can be used for good or evil,"

Okay, suspense fans this book is one of the suspense IT books of the year! I almost missed out on this book this year due to other commitments and am so glad I gave in. I know this author's work well (I've read everything she's written) and knew what to expect and even with knowing all of that-I WAS STILL BLOWN AWAY by how amazing and unique this book was!

Wow, Wow, WOW!!

I loved the paranormal suspense added to this new series (please bless it's going to be a new series!) I was locked into this book from page 1. It was all I could do to get through my day once I had started it because I needed to know how it ended. I was sure I knew who the suspect was all along, but then some new plot twist would turn up and leave me guessing again. There was so many twists and turns that the pages kept turning and I stayed up late into the night finishing this one...I will also report that while there was a high level of suspense, I was still able to sleep after finishing it!

There isn't a lot of romance in this-mostly an insinuation that the main characters are developing feelings for each other but it was enough sprinkled in to keep the romance lover in me content while the suspense lover in me thriving.

I am REALLY hoping this will be a series and we will get to see more of Rayna and Damon-not to mention more Trespassers!

Highly, HIGHLY recommend if you love a good suspense read!!!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Content: mention of past miscarriages, abusive relationships (emotional and physical), paranormal abilities, death/murder/who-done-it, small beach town mystery and hints of romance.

Stephanie Black’s new book The Trespassers, is not one you wanna miss. It’s a little different than her normal stuff. Yes it’s a suspense thriller, and yes there is a mystery in it but there is a paranormal aspect to it. Which is very well done in my opinion.

Rayna Kirkpatrick has not had an easy life. She doesn’t have the best relationships with her father, she’s a divorcee and she has the ability to sense other people’s minds. I loved reading about Rayna, she had a lot thrown at her but she does her best to keep a good attitude and turn things around. She is definitely still coming into her own, and Damon is helping her understand her abilities. I don’t even know where to begin with Rayna and Damon’s relationship. 😂 What I do know is I love it and I want more of it.

Damon Hale has been working with the government tracking other Trespassers. He’s feeling a little insecure about his job since he hit a few bumps in the road, but he is hoping to have a better outcome bringing Rayna in. Damon is such a solid guy, I honestly had a hard time being mad about how he went about doing his job aka bringing Rayna in.

The murder mystery in this was insane. Stephanie Black’s big reveal at the end of her books never ceases to amazes me. I’m always so impressed with how everything turns out in the end.

The Trespassers is a fast paced book, one I didn’t want to put down. I’m anxious waiting and hoping for a book two in the series.

These thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks Covenant Communication and Netgalley for the ARC.