First off, thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for the sampler in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, now time for the reviews -

*The Bachelorette Party - 3 ⭐️ - The prologue was exciting and I wish the story would have just continued with those characters instead of changing to other people. I’m unsure how I feel about the main character because she seems so negative but I am curious what she will find out on Isle Blind about the murders. I feel like the characters are typical - Group of girls who are faking they like each other. One is rich and popular, one is an outsider, one is a suck up, etc. etc. I’m not sure I’ll read this one when it is released.

* Marguerite at the Lake - 1 ⭐️- I’m not a major fan of it and even put it down for a few days because I was bored. That’s saying a lot because it’s a sample and I could’ve just toughed it out to finish the few page sample. The writing felt awkward and there was too much emphasis on the flowers and gardening. I love gardening but if I wanted to read a book on plants, I’d buy one on plants. Also, the dialogue writing where several conversations were just bits and pieces of what the character was hearing.. We get it. They were far away and she couldn’t quite hear them. I don’t need that constantly throughout the chapter.

*Parents Weekend - 4 ⭐️ - I’ll read this when it comes out for sure. I liked how we will get different perspectives of what is going on through the different families. I also enjoyed the immediate suspense that someone was missing. There was no annoying build up, just immediate mystery. The only reason I didn’t do 5 ⭐️ is because I’m worried all the characters may muddle the book and make it confusing but I’m hoping not.

*So Happy Together - 5 ⭐️ - The main character is a little bit psycho and I love it. She is the reason I want to read this book.. immediately. She reminds me of Joe Goldberg from “You” and I wanted to know what she was plotting and what she was going to do next. Yes, 5 ⭐️.

*Party of Liars - 3 ⭐️ - I’ll read this one but I don’t think I’ll jump to read it immediately. I liked the suspense of the haunted house and not knowing what Dani had done four months prior. I also enjoyed the different perspectives of the characters but hope it doesn’t become too overwhelming. This book feels like I’ve read it before though.. New mom starts seeing and hearing things in her house, nobody believes her and calls her crazy.. etc. I hope it doesn’t turn out that way.

*Forget Me Not - 2 ⭐️ - From what I read, it feels like a typical story of a self loathing character who is in a bad position at work, is impulsive, drinks too much and goes home where she will delve into the mystery of her sisters death. I’m pretty sure I read this same book last week but it had a different name. Unfortunately, I probably won’t read this one even though I am a fan of the author.

Such an awesome idea to sneak peak all these stories. Some authors I knew and some I didn't but it was really fun to see what stories captivated me the most.

The Minotaur Sampler, Volume 15 is a thrilling sneak peek into some of the most highly anticipated thrillers coming out in Spring/Summer 2025.

From Alex Finlay's Parent's Weekend, where five families’ lives unravel after their kids go missing during a Parents Weekend, to Kelsey Cox’s Party of Liars, where a sweet sixteen party turns deadly, every story's sample hooked me. As a fellow University of Georgia alum, I’m a huge fan of Stacy Willingham, and I’m particularly excited for Forget Me Not. Her writing is always top-notch and I can’t wait to read the full story!

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for the sampler.

I have read each of these first few chapters and am so excited for them to come out. I was selected to
Review Parents weekend so I am excited to dive into that one and finish reading it.

Each book has great build up in the first few chapters leaving me wanting to continue reading more.

Thank you for giving me a preview of these books!

I've never given feedback for a sampler before! Suffice to say that all of that it took me a bit to get through just given that there were six books in this. But I truly enjoyed them all! What a fun idea and way to get readers to pick up multiple at once.

This sampler is the perfect intro to monster romance! It gives you a taste of several different books, so whether you're new to the genre or just want to explore more, you'll find something to love. Each story brings its own unique twist, making it an exciting way to dive into this fun subgenre.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read these amazing thrillers. All of them are between four and five stars, and by amazing authors. The suspense in them is real and the twists are amazing! I learned some new authors with this set and now want to go see if they have other books I can read!

I am VERY excited for Stacy Willingham’s Forget Me Not. It will be a great addition to her collection, the 4th title. I am already drawn in from the short teaser that I red!

The absolute perfection of the selection for the books in this sampler is obvious!

Every single one is worthy of a 4-5 star rating, kept me on my toes and the edge of my seat and had me guessing which way the twists and turns would take me!

Thrillers are an immediate add to my TBR. I will read them all. I love that this gives you chance to sample a few up and coming thrillers to see how you vibe with the writing style and subject. Based on the summary and sample chapters I my listed based on which ones I am most excited for to least (read only a little less) excited for below. I can't wait to read these.

The Bachelorette Party - A thriller set on a island with a bachelorette party involved - sign me up!
Parent's Weekend - Admittedly there was a lot going on in the sample chapters and a lot of characters. I can't wait to see how it all comes together.
Party of Liars - The drama of a sweet sixteen with interwoven family issues.
Forget Me Not - Rehashing old crimes? Nothing good will come of it! Wonder what secrets will be revealed.
So Happy Together - I am not quite sure where this story is going and I love it.
Marguerite by the Lake - Driving this down my list is honestly the gardening. While not my area of interest a death with suspicious circumstances definitely is.

ok can we talk about the absolutely perfect selection in this volume?! Some of the most highly anticipated reads by the most anticipated authors all in one sampler?! COME ON NOW! This is the perfect collection for getting you started on a new book and "breaking the ice" which is always the hardest part for me when picking up a new book. This not only helped me get over the "starting a new book" hump but also has me intrigued enough to pick up every single copy within this volume. This needs to be more common with publishers!

Can't wait for volume 16 and beyond!

Wow- there are some big names in this collection of samplers: Alex Finlay, Stacy Willingham, Camilla Sten... These ones look fantastic. I've been lucky before with choosing novels from the samplers - it's a great way to spread the word about new books. Some of these I want RIGHT NOW.

•I’ve already Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay and it was a fantastic thriller that I highly recommend.
•I really enjoyed the excerpt of Marguerite by the Lake by Mary Dixie Carter and joyfully accepted the widget for this wonderful book!
•So Happy Together by Olivia Worley isn’t one I’ll be requesting. Not a trope I’m interested in but it’s well written.
•The excerpt for The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten was suspenseful and I’m looking forward to reading the rest!!
•I really enjoyed the excerpt of Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox and am thankful for the widget!!
•Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham was the best excerpt of all and I really hope the book is listed on Netgalley. I’ve loved every book I’ve read by this author.
Thank you to the publisher/authors for the opportunity to read these complimentary excerpts . Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I've never been a huge thriller reader, but I have wanted to read more and this sampler was great in helping me to get a taste of what they're like and different author's styles! I'm definitely intrigued by some of them and will be looking to read them. These are just some of my quick thoughts on the samples here, they could be off since it's hard to judge a book in 5 or so chapters

Parents Weekend - the concept is so intriguing, I might check it out! The only thing is that there are a lot of characters and POVs - it might be a bit much to keep track of all of them

Marguerite by the Lake - I'm not that interested in the author's writing style to be honest and it seems like it'll move very slowly

So Happy Together - I'm not sure yet if I'll read this. The FMC who's POV it's in might be a little too much for me since she's clearly insane

The Bachelorette Party - I was pretty hooked on what happened to the Four! It seems like it's definitely a great read

Party of Liars - seems like a really interesting premise, but it's told in 5 different POVs, so I'll have to see how that dynamic works out

Forget Me Not - honestly this didn't grab me at all, I think it was the writing style

Book sampler of six stories releasing this year. I’m familiar with 3 authors in the book sampler. I requested the sampler for a preview of Stacy Willingham and Alex Finlay’s books. I’ve already read Mary Dixie Carter’s new release. I’m thrilled to discover new authors so that leaves me with 3 possible books to request. Reading samples of writers work is key in determining if you match your reading style with a writers voice. I’m not sure how to rate a sampler since I’ll only be reading 2 of the 6 books.

Parents weekend by Alex Finlay. Five chapters to preview. Decision made. Not interested. Can already tell trying to keep track of all the characters will be difficult for me.

Marguerite by the Lake by Mary Dixie Carter. Already read. Gave it 5 stars.

So Happy Together by Olivia Worley. The few chapters I read determined it’s not as compelling as I hoped.

The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten. The writing voice doesn’t line up with my reading style. It’s not pulling me in.

Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox. I appreciate the time and effort to produce a good book. Unfortunately, for me this book didn’t check off all the necessary boxes.

Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham. Five preview chapters for what is going to be a fantastic read. It’s a yes from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am grateful for this sample and now I know what books to focus on. My favorites of the sample were Parents Weekend, Marguerite by the Lake and The Bachelorette Party. I am very excited to review these!!

Release: March 25, 2025
Publisher: St Martin Press

#theminotaursamplervolume15

Am I intrigued?
Parents weekend by Alex Finlay - yes
Marguerite by the Lake by Mary Dixie Carter - no
So happy together by Olivia Worley - yes
The Bachelorette party by Camilla Sten - yes
Party of liars by Kelsey Cox - yes
Forget me not by Stacy Willingham - yes

The Minotaur Sampler, Volume 15 is a thrilling collection of excerpts from upcoming crime, mystery, and psychological suspense novels. Each selection offers a glimpse into a high-stakes story, whether it’s a bachelorette party gone wrong, five families who are thrown into chaos when their children vanish during Parents Weekend, a renowned garden designer’s mysterious death that raises questions, a woman who is determined to rekindle things with her ex; no matter the cost, a Sweet 16 celebration that takes a tragic and deadly turn or a woman who returns to the location where her older sister disappeared years ago, ready to face the past and uncover the truth.
With a mix of fast-paced action, eerie atmospheres, and unreliable narrators, this sampler is a perfect way to discover new authors and decide which books to add to your must-read list.
This sampler was a solid introduction to several upcoming thrillers, offering a taste of different styles and storytelling approaches. Some excerpts pulled me in right away with strong openings and intriguing premises, while others took a little longer to build momentum. I appreciated the mix of established authors and fresh voices, which kept things interesting.
One standout for me was "forget me not" which had an immediate hook and a strong narrative voice. The pacing in some of the other selections varied—some felt gripping right away, while others leaned more into slow-burn tension. Either way, it was a great way to discover new books and decide which ones I want to pick up in full.
Overall, Minotaur Sampler Volume 15 delivered what I was hoping for: a quick but engaging preview of thrillers worth keeping an eye on.

This sampler is AMAZING! I loved all the books, the bad thing is that my TBR is longer now. All 6 of them got me hooked, the plot, the writing are on point. I took this sampler mostly for Alex Finlay and Stacy Willingham but was impressed by Kelsey Cox

Perfect for mystery and thriller lovers, this sampler gave me the opportunity to discover some new novels in these two genres that are coming out soon. I especially loved Parents Weekend and Forget Me Not and look forward to reading them!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

WE LOVE A SAMPLER. Is anyone reading this? If you are, hello, here are my thoughts, in order of how much I want to read each of these books based on its sample chapters:

SO HAPPY TOGETHER by Olivia Worley was one of my first declines here on NetGalley, and I’m still salty about it. I wanted this preview to be bad or boring so I could let it go. Alas, it was not bad or boring. It was great, and I’m hooked.

PARENTS WEEKEND, Alex Finlay: I’m not really a thriller person (as you may have gathered from the above, I downloaded this sampler mostly out of spite), but this one hooked me too. My issue with thrillers tends to be one of two things: either I’m not into the writing (no shade, but it is not always a priority in this genre), or the twists are obvious from page 1. From these sample chapters, I can see that 1) the writing is very competent and 2) there are way too many characters for me to even begin to guess anything based on the first 5-6 chapters. Verdict: PARENTS WEEKEND passes both of my very scientific tests. At least for now. Sold.

FORGET ME NOT, Stacy Willingham: I’ve haven’t read any of Stacy Willingham’s books, but I’ve heard of her and was curious. Her writing struck me right away as much more lyrical than I’m used to in thrillers. As you may have gathered, I’m more than a little judgmental about the genre as a whole, but this sample surprised and humbled me. For that alone, I will absolutely read this one.

THE BACHELORETTE PARTY by Camilla Sten reminded me that there’s a third reason I don’t often choose thrillers: they scare me. The opening scene is straight out of a slasher film, and I almost jumped out of my skin (but I am, once again and unfortunately, hooked).

PARTY OF LIARS, Kelsey Cox: This one is buzzy and I’m expecting to see it in book subscription boxes when it releases. I was already familiar with this book’s premise, so I didn’t necessarily need to sample it to gauge my interest. Instead, I flipped through with an eye toward its writing style. Like many thrillers (and even a lot of contemporary fiction these days), this one seems to end each chapter with a hook or some kind of twist to keep you turning pages. I find that style to come across as manufactured and tend to prefer more organic storytelling, so I will probably skip this one.

MARGUERITE BY THE LAKE by Mary Dixie Carter did not grab me, and honestly, I’m relieved. For a minute there I thought I was about to become a thriller superfan.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for offering this sampler!