Search This Blog







2025 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

2025 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama (1)
- Alaska (2)
- Arizona (2)
- Arkansas (1)
- California (8)
- Colorado (3)
- Connecticut (1)
- Delaware (1)
- Florida (2)
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho (1)
- Illinois (1)
- Indiana (1)
- Iowa (3)
- Kansas (1)
- Kentucky (1)
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (4)
- Maryland (1)
- Massachusetts (1)
- Michigan (2)
- Minnesota (2)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri (1)
- Montana (1)
- Nebraska (1)
- Nevada (1)
- New Hampshire (1)
- New Jersey (1)
- New Mexico (1)
- New York (8)
- North Carolina (4)
- North Dakota (1)
- Ohio (1)
- Oklahoma (2)
- Oregon (3)
- Pennsylvania (2)
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina (1)
- South Dakota (1)
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (1)
- Utah (1)
- Vermont (3)
- Virginia (2)
- Washington (3)
- West Virginia (1)
- Wisconsin (1)
- Wyoming (1)
- Washington, D.C.* (1)
International:
- Australia (4)
- Canada (3)
- England (14)
- France (2)
- Greece (1)
- Italy (1)
- Japan (1)
- Norway (1)
- Puerto Rico (1)
- Scotland (2)
- Vietnam (1)


2025 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge



2025 Build Your Library Reading Challenge









Thursday, March 11, 2021
It's Compelling, That's Why!
8:46 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Ever since the tragic death of her toddler, Ellie has been spiraling. She's drinking too much, making reckless decisions, and acting out against her billionaire father. One night, after too many cocktails, she literally stumbles into a handsome, successful real estate developer named Martin Cresswell-Smith. His interest and gentle kindness are exactly what Ellie needs. After a whirlwind courtship, the two are married and headed to Martin's native Australia, where they're heading up a multi-million dollar venture to build a luxury resort at Jarrawarra Bay, New South Wales.
Ellie's excited for this much-needed fresh start, but it's not long before her fairy tale life Down Under starts to dissolve. Not everything about Martin and his building project is what it seems. When the developer is brutally murdered, suspicion naturally turns to his unstable wife. Did Ellie kill her new husband? If so, why?
Everyone in Jarrawarra Bay thinks Ellie murdered Martin. Detective Senior Constable Lozza Bianchi isn't so sure. She saw evidence of Ellie's fear of Martin firsthand. Didn't she? Can the widow be believed or is Ellie Cresswell-Smith manipulating everyone around her, including the police? Lozza's already on thin ice with the department, but she will not stop digging until she knows what really happened to Martin. The truth is far more sinister than even she imagined...
I'm always down for a compelling psychological thriller and In the Deep by Loreth Anne White sounded like just the ticket. Was it? There's no doubt that this is an engrossing novel. It kept me on an uneven keel throughout, making me wonder who was telling the truth, who was hiding something, and who I could trust. While I saw some of the plot twists coming, a couple caught me by surprise. I like a mystery/thriller that keeps me guessing—and this one did. Ish. However, In the Deep is dark, violent, and disturbing. It gave me more than one nightmare. Not gonna lie, I kept asking myself, "Why am I reading this?" It's compelling, that's why! Bad dreams be darned, I wanted to find out what really happened between Ellie and Martin. Still, the characters are an unlikable bunch who pretty much get exactly what they deserve. Lozza is the only one I cared about, so I was disappointed that she didn't get more page time. On the whole, then, I give this book props for being an unputdownable page-turner. It loses points (at least for me) for being full of unlikable characters and for being too dark and depressing. If this book is any indication, White's style is just too much for me. I'll be giving her books a wide berth in future.
(Readalikes: I've seen White compared to Robert Dugoni, but I've only read one book by each of them so I'm not sure how apt the comparison is. You?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language, violence, blood/gore, sex, and disturbing subject matter
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Subscribe to:
Posts
(Atom)


Reading
Gluten for Punishment by Nancy J. Parra

Listening
The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows


Followin' with Bloglovin'

-
Vacationland by Meg Mitchell Moore6 hours ago
-
Top Ten Tuesday – Book Travel9 hours ago
-
Top Ten Tuesday ~ Video Games!14 hours ago
-
Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham15 hours ago
-
-
20 Easy Lunch Ideas for Adults19 hours ago
-
Top Ten Tuesday-Bookish confessions20 hours ago
-
-
Arsenic and Old Lies by Benedict Brown21 hours ago
-
-
Top Ten Tuesday21 hours ago
-
Ten Memorable Places I’ve Visited21 hours ago
-
-
Top Ten Tuesday: Things I Love About Museums23 hours ago
-
-
-
-
Teacakes & Tangos Blog Tour2 days ago
-
Sunday Salon: August 24, 20252 days ago
-
-
-
Queen Demon4 days ago
-
YA Christmas Romance Books6 days ago
-
-
A couple of cosy crime yarns1 week ago
-
Weekly Update for August 10, 20252 weeks ago
-
-
-
No Roundup this month3 months ago
-
Sunday Post #5684 months ago
-
February 2025 Reading Wrap Up5 months ago
-
One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery6 months ago
-
-
-
-
I'm Still Reading - This Was My October9 months ago
-
Review: The Duke and I1 year ago
-
Girl Plus Books: On Hiatus1 year ago
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?1 year ago
-
6/25/23 Extra Ezra2 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?2 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
-

Grab my Button!


Blog Archive
- ▼ 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ► 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)


2025 Goodreads Reading Challenge
2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction
2023 - Middle Grade Fiction
2022 - Middle Grade Fiction
2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction
