2024 has been a bit of an underwhelming year for me with thrillers so far - lots of ‘meh’ books that leave me wondering if I’ll ever LOVE a new thriller book again because so many stories have been done already. I’m so happy to report that i’ve FINALLY found something twisty, original, and most of all, memorable!

this is a unique thriller, following a family who are targeted by reddit-esque conspiracy theorists. the story unfolds with lots of surprises and for me the WHYS of the family being targeted were very interesting to follow. it’s definitely a bit of a wacky story, and it really borders on horror instead of thriller, but it was so much fun and it’s hard to find such an original and compelling story in this genre these days!

The story centers around a family: Meg, Justin and Lily. Their lives are shattered when a car crash claims the life of Justin, Meg’s husband and Lily’s father. Trying to get back to their normal routine, Meg, co-owner of their bookstore Secret Garden, returns to work. This is where she begins to face a wave of mysterious and worrying events, including vandalism and cryptic messages from a woman named Claire Cassadine. Lily also tries to find her footing, and begins to hang out with a boy named Carl. As they play music together, Carl introduces Lily to unsettling rumors about her mother and the book she wrote. This leads Lily into a deep dive to find out why her mom’s book has caused such an uproar and why it’s led some to believe it’s the work of the devil.

Wolves are out there! Waiting for doomsday on 12.12.22, led by the Bronze Lord. They have a mantra: “They are watching. They are armed. They will triumph.” But are these people real, or are they the figment of a delusional old ex-rock star’s imagination?

Meg (Magnolia) Russo is about to test this theory in the hardest way possible. While driving her 18-year-old daughter, Lily, a young music prodigy, to Ithaca College with her devoted husband, Justin, by her side, their car is approached by another vehicle filled with skinheads taking photos of Lily. Meg snaps and realizes she is about to lose control of the car. Something is terribly wrong. Why are they going off the road? What’s happening? And BAM! The airbags deploy too late.

The accident takes Justin’s life, leaving a traumatized mother and daughter struggling to move on. Meg suffers from back pain, and Lily takes a gap year, spending most of her time sleeping and smoking pot with her new friend, Carl.

Meg decides to reopen her bookstore, which she previously ran with her late husband. On opening day, a strange woman makes a scene, dropping books in the young adult section as if looking for something. She makes a declaration in front of other customers, showing her fingers: one gone, three left, implying Meg's dead husband. The three left behind are her father, daughter, and herself. Could her husband’s death be related to something more sinister?

Bizarre and terrifying events start happening: vandalism at the store, police harassment of Lily, threatening messages, and deepfake videos released on an anonymous site. Meg begins to think her estranged ex-rock star father, Nathan, might have been telling the truth all along. He had warned her about people targeting him for a song he wrote called “Pearly Gates,” which allegedly contains satanic messages hidden in the lyrics. Nathan, who lives in seclusion near the Catskills, communicates only via letters and landline, leading a drug-induced, delirious life filled with conspiracy theories about wolves watching and waiting to attack.

Meg learns there’s more to this story. A book she wrote at 15, called “Prophecy,” is targeted by these lunatics who call her Sybil, Satan’s daughter who can predict the future. They believe the plague mentioned in her book is Covid, and doomsday will come on the symbolic date the book refers to. Lily becomes their next target when a video of her singing her grandfather’s famous song goes viral.

As a secret ritual, the watchers cut off one of their fingers, lurking around and gathering information. They could be anyone: a neighbor, a friend, someone you’ve known for years.

As the threat escalates and the doomsday these fanatics believe in approaches, Meg is determined to protect what’s left of her family. She’s already lost her husband and is ready to fight to protect her daughter, even at the risk of her own life. But what if the threat is already too close to stop?

Overall: OMG! The tension is incredibly thick throughout the book—I could cut it with a knife. It took my breath away in several chapters. The building pressure made my ears whistle. I was so close to giving it five stars, but there are still a few unanswered questions that rubbed me the wrong way. There should have been more concrete proof of why people are so adamant about targeting this family, rather than relying on coincidental occasions. The brainwashed fanaticism is terrifying, adding a horror element to the story, but some parts were too far-fetched for me to fully grasp.

Despite that, I read it in one sitting, with a stomach ache from the tension and stress. It’s an unputdownable book that will make you clench your fists, pop your eyes out, and tap your feet in agitation. It’s a well-written thriller that truly disturbed me! If you’re looking for something that will make your heart race and give you real chills, this is your book!

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me with this high-tension, brilliant thriller’s digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.