This was a decent thriller with a solid mystery at its core. The remote setting added some nice atmosphere, and while it wasn't quite as dark or twisty as I expected, it kept me engaged enough to want to see how things would play out. The pacing is definitely on the slower side, so patience is key in the early chapters, but it does come together as the story progresses. A bit predictable in the end, but still an entertaining, readable mystery overall.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Bluff in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Gist
The Bluff by Bonnie Traymore is the kind of thriller I hope for every time I pick up a suspense novel. This one delivered. No eye-rolling, no skimming, no groaning at unrealistic choices—just clean, sharp tension that kept me glued to the page. I was fully engaged the entire time, and the pacing never once dipped.


The Details
The story follows a woman who moves into a coastal home perched on a dramatic cliffside, only to find herself drawn into a web of secrets, suspicion, and psychological danger. Traymore wastes no time setting the mood. The atmosphere is thick with unease, and the setting plays a huge role in maintaining that edge-of-your-seat feeling. It’s not just spooky—it’s smart.



I appreciated the intelligence of the protagonist. She’s not perfect, but her decisions make sense. She reacts like a real person would—sometimes emotional, sometimes cautious, but never foolish just for the sake of plot. Her inner world adds a lot to the suspense, and watching her unravel the truth while holding her own makes for a compelling read.



What really sets this book apart is the pacing. Each chapter ends with just enough tension to pull you into the next. There's no filler. Every scene matters. The twists land when they need to, and nothing feels forced or overdone. Traymore gives you time to breathe, but not enough to relax. It’s the kind of suspense that quietly tightens as the story progresses.



The writing style is crisp and confident. Traymore doesn’t lean on clichés or cheap thrills. She trusts the reader to keep up—and rewards that trust with an ending that’s satisfying without being over-the-top. You get answers, but you also get a few haunting echoes of the story long after the book is closed.


The Verdict
If you’re looking for a fast, intelligent thriller with strong characters, sharp writing, and a plot that doesn’t lose steam, The Bluff is absolutely worth your time. This is one I’ll be recommending for a long while.



Final verdict: 5 stars. Gripping, moody, and refreshingly smart.

A well written whodunnit! A slow burner, which is fine, but it alls come together at the end. I could see this being a lifetime movie. Reminded me of Richard Osmans Thursday murder club series, a US version.

Great first read by Bonnie Traymore. I loved how strong a character Kate was especially dealing with her marriage to a narcissist. The plot was well planned and had some nice twists! Excited to read more of her novels!

Huh. I totally did not expect that. So surprising and tragic. The story takes a bit of a while to get there so please be real patient. It'll all come together before you know it.

This was a great whodunit in a small town packed with nosy neighbors (who all have something to hide). The story was told well, and I enjoyed the descriptive writing. The pace was just right, building suspense up until the very end. The twisted ending was done quite well, and I gasped at the last page. Definitely recommend this one!!

OMG! I loved this so much I read it in one sitting!

So much to commend this - classic first and third person narration; red herrings; misdirection; secrets, lies and betrayals; flashback to provide context or detail; the final scene to wrap things up to a conclusion .. and then ... the kicker!

Definitely reminds me of Lucy Foley, so those who enjoy Foley will love this one too!

Must check out more by this author.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

This was a who-done-it book with well developed characters and a great setting. It kept me hooked to the very end and I will definitely be looking for more from this author!

The Bluff is a great suspense novel. I found this book to be very well written and had excellent character development. This was a new author for me but I will be reading more of her work. I found this book to be intriguing and I kept changing my mind as to who the guilty party was. Overall, enjoyable read.

A solid thriller with a couple of twists albeit a little predictable and not quite as dark as I imagined.
The characters were well written but I couldn’t quite empathise with them although I drew closer to the main character after the reveal of what she had lived with.
A good story and a remote setting made for an interesting read.

It was a good book, predictable but well written. I may be getting to the point of being able to guess thrillers from reading them so much and authors can only have so many different twists before they all run together. However, I did enjoy it, and it was an easy pace. Could have been darker!

This was absolutely amazing! I was totally enthralled with this story from beginning to end, I could barely put it down, and when I finally read the last page, the house was dark, I was hungry, thirsty, needed to pee and my neck was stiff. But damn, it was worth it!

This was a decent thriller with a decent mystery. It wasn't as dark as I had anticipated and a bit predictable in the end. But it was good enough to keep me reading.

I finally finished in time with a few days left to read with the ARC through Net Galley. I liked this well enough. It was interesting but not as interesting as I expected it to be. I actually kind of thought it was going to be a paranormal read, so that disappointed me as well. It had a twist at the end but I already had figured it out, which is fine because I like to see if I can figure them out sometimes 🙃☺️🙂 but it didn’t keep me compelled to read it, so it was just okay. Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review The Bluff with my honest thoughts and opinions. I really appreciate it greatly.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Bonnie Traymore’s “The Bluff” is a masterful psychological thriller that expertly blends suspense, mystery, and personal drama against the backdrop of a perilous natural setting. 

The story begins with Kate adjusting to her new life, but the tranquility is short-lived as she becomes embroiled in the town’s underlying tensions and secrets. The eroding cliff is not just a physical threat but a metaphor for the precariousness of the lives and relationships of the characters. 

Kate is a well-crafted protagonist, whose journey from an unassuming newcomer to a determined investigator is both believable and compelling. Her interactions with the other residents, each with their own hidden agendas and secrets, add layers of complexity to the narrative. 

Traymore’s writing is sharp and evocative, capturing the essence of the small-town setting and the psychological depth of her characters. The plot is meticulously constructed, with each revelation adding to the mounting tension. 

“The Bluff” is a cleverly crafted thriller that will appeal to fans of psychological suspense. Bonnie Traymore has delivered a novel that is thrilling and thought-provoking, with a storyline that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a suspenseful and atmospheric read.

I enjoy this author's book, so I was excited to read this one. This was an enjoyable read that played out more like a suspense book instead of a thriller. This book was well written, and Traymore did a great job building characters that had depth. The scenes were very descriptive, and I enjoyed the setting of this book. I questioned a lot of the characters and kept changing my guess on who was guilty. The author thew in elements that were meant to keep us guessing. Though the characters had depth, it was hard for me to really connect with any of them. Overall, this was a good read. 3.5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a good little mystery. It will definitely keep you hooked till the end. Lots of surprises along the way!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book.

This was a fun read. A Manhattan transplant to a small resort town with a house overlooking Lake Michigan finds herself in a cat-and-mouse game. Her husband died a year ago, driving off a steep embankment, and now another man--her neighbor and public nemesis--is also found dead after an afternoon on his boat. While wondering if she might be next in the line of fire, she finds herself in the crosshairs of the local police, who quickly realize she might have something to gain by both men's deaths.

It's a fast read, and filled with lots of uncertainty about whom to trust. There are some pacing problems and repetitiveness, but if you're looking for a fun, fast read--especially if you're hanging out at a lake house for a getaway--this would be an ideal book to pass the time.

Kate, the FMC, has lost her husband, and is now trying to sort things out. She's trying to sell their home, but every effort gets blocked. There's a sudden murder, and everyone is pointing their fingers at Kate, because she makes the perfect suspect; the victim is a big-shot of the committee that keeps blocking her sale.

Personally, a lot of things felt flat. I didn't like Kate, at all. She was very manipulative, and doesn't care if she hurts someone. The plot twists could've been great, but they fell short, in my opinion. The mystery just didn't hold. I was hoping this book would hold high on my list, because I LOVE thrillers, but I did struggle to finish this one.

It's not awful, just not for me.