I've often found that when it comes to reading a set of stories by well known writers in a collection like this, the results can be disappointing. But this one does actually live up to expectations!

Each of the stories offers a different flavour to the reader's palate. My favourite was probably Liv Constantine's story, Everywhere You Look, which packed quite a strong emotional impact before ending on a somewhat redemptive note.

But from the twisted mystery of Loreth Anne White's The Ghost Writer to the gritty, raw desperation of Rachel Howzell Hall's Scorpions, to the sinister vibe of Andrea Bartz's The Other Side Of the Road, there is much for the thriller reader to enjoy here. Recommended.

Usually I love these Amazon collections. Despite the incredible line up of authors, this one just fell short for me. The stories just felt dull and not to the same calibre as past collections.

First and foremost, I’d like to send my gratitude to Loreth Anne White for gifting me a copy of The Ghost Writer. I was beyond thrilled to receive this! The Ghost Writer is part of a short story collection, Never Tell.

You know she must be excellent at what she does by writing a delicious and creepy story when the story is short!

Grace Logan has been offered the deal of a lifetime. To ghostwrite a memoir for Claudia Blackwell. Blackwell was suspected of a grisly triple murder years ago. Is she really a murderer? Frail and weak now, Claudia seeks Grace’s help. She must go to Claudia’s gothic mansion that is secluded on an island.

With a juicy twist at the end and just the right length, I think The Ghost Writer makes for a perfect short story! I still have to finish the rest of the book and look forward to it.
Part of Amazon Original Stories with other authors, Liv Constantine, Rachel Howzell Hall, Caroline Kepnes, Andrea Bartz, Ivy Pochoda and Loreth Anne White - Never Tell

Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Original Stories and Loreth Anne White for the opportunity!
Release date March 19, 2024
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have a completely full TBR list but when I saw the authors in this one I couldn't resist. I love these little themed series that Amazon is releasing with some amazing authors. This is the first time I've read thriller short stories and I really enjoyed the experience. The theme for this one seemed to be "stalker". I love to see how each author expresses their creativity within the given theme.

Everywhere you Look by Liv Constantine: 5 stars. So many twists packed into such a short story. It was also very heartwarming and shows the power of the love of a father.

The Ghost Writer by Loreth Anne White: 5 stars. White is one of my favorite authors. She packs a punch in this short story. The atmospheric setting was superb. She somehow manages to add a jaw dropping twist at the end even with this being a short story.

The Other Side of the Road by Andrea Bartz: 4 stars. The ending left me with a bunch of unanswered questions, which is often times why I avoid short stories. The twist was very shocking and I still did enjoy this one.

Scorpions by Rachel Howzell Hall: 4 stars. My first by Howzell and not the last. Her sense of humor really shone through. This was laugh out loud funny at times. My husband wanted to know what I was reading because I hardly laugh out loud while reading.

Jackrabbit Skin by Ivy Pochoda: 3 stars. This one wasn't as enjoyable or memorable as the prior 4, but still a nice little thriller read.

The Bad Friend by Caroline Kepnes: 3 stars. I might have just been tired when I read this, but when I got done I wasn't sure what I had just read. The tense of this book made it confusing. I might have missed who the "you" was, but the entire time even at the end I had no idea. It read of more of a romance to me, but maybe was supposed to be more domestic thriller?


Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Original Stories for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a great combination of wonderful women writers. Each had their own special touch to them. A few authors I had before and knew I would love them. Not all were 5* reads but each were enjoyable.

Would love to see more books put out like this in short stories

Thanks to the authors, the publisher and Netgalley for an early release of this.

3.5 stars

This was an interesting compilation of stories that center around the theme of secrets... and the ways in which each author interpreted this brief made for an intriguing read.

Here’s a breakdown of star ratings for each individual story:

Everywhere You Look by Liv Constantine: 3 stars
An interesting premise, but the execution fell a little flat for me.

The Ghost Writer by Loreth Anne White: 3.5 stars
I sort of called the ending on this one, but it was still a fun ride.

The Other Side of the Road by Andrea Bartz: 4 stars
This one was probably my favorite story of the bunch.

Scorpions by Rachel Howzell Hall: 3.5 stars
I wanted a little more out of the ending, plus a glass of water. (IYKYK)

Jackrabbit Skin by Ivy Pochoda: 4 stars
A great iteration of a fish-out-of-water story with some sinister undertones.

The Bad Friend by Caroline Kepnes: 3.25 stars
I was left a little underwhelmed by this story, probably because my expectations were too high.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Everywhere You Look by Liv Constantine
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars
A woman is trying to figure out how her life got the way it is. Through her findings she finds many secrets and wants to find out why she was lied to. I enjoyed this novella! It was an easy and quick read. I did not see the twist at the end coming, it was great!

The Ghost Writer by Loreth Anne White
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars
An author with a murderous backstory hires a ghost writer to help her life story.I loved this novella and the characters! It was twisty and fun! It had an ending that I did not see coming! I want a full book on this one with all the twists and turns it had in it!

The Other Side of the Road by Andrea Bartz
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars
A couple has moved from the city to the suburbs to start a new life in their dream home! They get more than they can bargain for with a nosy neighbor and the previous home owner thought she had a stalker.I have not read anything by this author and I am glad I did.I loved the characters and loved the representation.

Scorpions by Rachel Howzell Hall
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars
Frankie’s life is not where she thought it would be. When her employer passes away, he leaves her to go on a treasure hunt to find his money that he left in hiding for years. She follows the clues to see if she can find his hidden riches. This short story was okay. There were a few twists and turns that made this story fun but it wasn’t my favorite.

Jackrabbit Skin by Ivy Pochoda
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars
Swan went through a break up and moved out to the desert. Here she is treated like an outsider and finds out this town is hiding more than one secret. This one was okay! I liked the subplot on the tattoos and the meaning/story behind them. The twist/secrets came together too. Overall, it was okay!

The Bad Friend by Caroline Kepnes
Rating: ⭐️⭐️/5 stars
So many secrets between two friends Ellen and Tanya. Is there friendship real or not? This book was hard to follow and read. I found the dialogue to be tricky too. It was hard to tell at times who was talking. Overall I give it 2 stars.


Thank you for this arc in exchange for an honest review! I enjoyed these short stories! They were fun and full of secrets. Overall rating for them 4 stars.

What drew me in is this collection is STACKED with phenomenal authors! However, I rarely read novellas and some of these stories reminded me why. Check out my thoughts. ⬇️

Everywhere You Look - Liv Constantine
Too many details and too much story crammed into few pages. There wasn’t enough time to feel the twists and experience the suspense due to the length. Therefore the story was just average. It easy coulda been extended into a real novel.

The Ghost Writer - Loreth Anne White
Loreth Anne White is great at setting the scene and immediately getting you invested in the story. The unforeseen ending & an eerie atmosphere make for an enjoyable short read.

The Other Side of the Road - Andrea Bartz
Many aspects of this story turned me off. Overall, I didn’t see the ending coming and didn’t enjoy how it ended. I can’t really say more without spoilers. TW: There were homophobic slurs in the story.

Bad Friend - Caroline Kepnes
This is my first Caroline Kepnes read, but I’ve watched You. Are all of her novels written like you’re in the head of the main character? This was like a bad spin-off of You, but with a narcissist FMC who’s obsessed with what she can’t have. Massive time lapses… odd storyline… multiple awkward parts involving ketchup. It wasn’t for me. 😬

Scorpions & Jackrabbit Skin - I’ll be honest. I couldn’t get into these stories at all and ended up skimming them. 🤷‍♀️ 🥱

Overall, this collection is an okay read, and these short stories work perfect when you’re looking for a pallet cleanser or a quick read that doesn’t require much dedication. As for me, I think I’ll stick to the full length books from these authors. 🙂

Thank you to NetGalley & Amazon Original Stories for the opportunity to read these digital ARCs in exchange for my honest opinions.

The first story was my favorite and it was twisty and spooky! I enjoyed the collection and these writers are at the top of their game! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Never Tell, a collection of short stories by some of my favorite authors. Every story has an unexpected twist at the end, and I can honestly say that I couldn't predict any of them. Although a couple of the stories fell somewhat flat, there are two riveting standouts that make the collection well worth reading.

In Andrea Bartz's The Other Side of the Road, a couple moves into their dream home upstate and immediately meet some interesting neighbors. As they prepare to have their first child, some shocking revelations come to light.

The Ghost Writer by Loreth Anne White introduces us to a woman who was accused of murder decades earlier. She hires a ghost writer to finally share her version of what happened that tragic night. As mysterious events unfold and the setting becomes more ominous, the truth is ultimately revealed in a twist that will leave your jaw on the floor. This novella was my favorite by far.

This novel appears to be for short stories. I didn’t realise that this will come in one book. However, these are short psychological thrillers based on different scenarios by psychological thriller writers. I was particularly interested in the authors, who wrote the last Mrs Parrish

I received an advanced copy of these short stories. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
•Everywhere You Look by Liv Constantine (4⭐️): A great story by a favorite author that I highly recommend. Well written and kept me engaged from start to finish.
•The Ghost Writer by Loreth Ann White (5⭐️): An intriguing plot set in a spooky, isolated mansion involving two writers, murders and a memoir. The ending was shocking and fantastic. Looking forward to reading more by Loreth Anne White.
•The Other Side Of The Road by Andrea Bartz (5⭐️): A quick read that grabbed me from the first sentence. A combination of love and horror. What a wild ride! I actually laughed out loud at the ending. Great little story!
•Scorpions by Rachel Howzell Hall (2⭐️): A rambling, chaotic, weird story that ended without resolution…would have been a DNF if not a short story in a collection.
•Jackrabbit Skin by Ivy Pochoda (3⭐️): A good read that makes you really think about the truth…liked the ending. Difficult to say more without spoilers.
•The Bad Friend by Caroline Kepnes (1⭐️): This story fell flat for me…stilted dialogue, unlikable, superficial characters and no discernible, clear plot.
Overall rating would be 4⭐️