Death Row- 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ex-wives Club- 3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
False Note- 1/5 ⭐️
The Skydivers- 2.5/5 ⭐️⭐️💫
Good Neighbors-2.75/5 ⭐️⭐️🌟
Small Things-4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: 6/2/25

*Thank you @NetGalley, @AmazonPublishing, and @BrilliancePublishing for sending this ebook and audiobook for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆: A series of short story thrillers

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: I enjoyed these quick reads to break up some longer books I’m currently reading. There were 3 that I enjoyed more than the others and recommend! The other three were not my favorites. The narrators for all six stories were excellent!

Freida McFadden and Sally Hepworth are always a yes for me, so when I saw this collection with them and so many others, it was a must read! Don’t miss this amazing collection from this fantastic set of authors!

Thank you to NetGalley, all of the authors, and the publisher for this collection.

Alibis Collection - ARC Review

Alibis Collection Review
By: Freida McFadden, Sally Hepworth, David Lagercrantz, Chris Bohjalian, Chad Zunker, and Wanda M. Morris
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

This was my first time reading a multi-author short story collection, and I was pleasantly surprised by how each author brought their unique style and suspenseful twists to the table. Here’s a breakdown of my thoughts on each story:

🔪 Death Row by Freida McFadden 🔪
Talia is on death row for murdering her husband, but as the story unfolds through alternating timelines, things may not be as clear cut as they seem. True to Freida’s signature style, twists are thrown in that make you question everything. A solid psychological ride!

🧊 The Ex-Wives Club by Sally Hepworth 🧊 
This was one of my favorites! Celebrity chef Ian Curley has cycled through wives and children like ingredients in a recipe until he ends up dead in his restaurant freezer. Detective Charlene Li and her partner dig into the lives of those closest to him, gathering alibis. Each perspective adds to the tension, leading to a not so sinister ending.

🎭 False Note by David Lagercrantz 🎭
A haunting tale about a famous opera singer and his son. The father is manipulative and abusive, and the son is determined not to follow in his footsteps. When the son’s girlfriend leaves him for his father, things spiral fast. Dark and emotionally tense.

🪂 Skydivers by Chris Bohjalian 🪂
This one didn’t quite land for me. While it had an interesting premise, I found myself confused by the end and still wondering what exactly happened.

💍 Small Things by Wanda M. Morris 💍
Anything by Wanda is an automatic must-read for me. In this story, we meet a talented jewelry maker with an Etsy shop and a controlling husband. When he takes away her one safe space her shed, she finds a new way to express her creativity, and it’s anything but sweet a powerful, chilling read.

💭 Overall Thoughts 💭
This collection is perfect for thriller lovers looking for bite sized suspense. Each story packs a punch and offers something different, from psychological twists to domestic revenge. A few stood out more than others, but overall, I truly enjoyed the ride.

This was a great collection featuring stories from authors I admire. Each story offered something unique and exciting.

I really enjoy these collections that Amazon does. I enjoy having short reads by multiple authors. It let's me quickly find new authors with low risk. These are all on Kindle Unlimited so easy to read, return and get the next one. This was done around Christmas with a romance set and I liked that one too! Found a few new favorite authors! I may not enjoy every book but not too much time is invested in each one! I reviewed each book separately on Amazon.

A varied selection of titles, with some exceeding expectations and others falling short. An ideal palate cleanser between more substantial reads.

She does it again! Absolutely had my attention since the beginning with great character development. The ending? I audibly GASPED! Did not see that twist coming and I absolutely LOVED it. Must read “Death Row” by Freida Mcfadden

My average rating for this collection was 3 stars.
My favourites were #6 (4.25 stars) and #2 (4 stars). My least favourites were #1 and #3 (both 2 stars).
I appreciated the variety of approaches to the single theme, but I dislike loose threads that are never fleshed out.
I'm aware that a short story by its nature is limited, but some of these stories did manage to do a satisfying job.

I really enjoy when publishers put these collections together! This includes 6 short thrillers by authors I recognize but had not read before. This is a great introduction to these well known authors.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you to the authors, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free ebook ARC of this series in exchange for my review.

This is a great group of 6 short stories by well known authors. If you are curious about any of these authors, this would be a great collection to try out. And if you're a fan of any of the authors, give this collection a try too! I have to say, I think I enjoy Sally Hepworth and Frieda McFadden better in the short story format than in regular length books!

4 stars - I encourage everyone to give this collection a read!

While I don’t expect these Amazon Originals to be life-changing, I do think they can be a nice way to discover new authors (while keeping in mind it’s probably not their best work). Personally, I hadn’t read anything by any of these writers before, and as someone who’s recently gotten into mystery/thriller books, I hoped this collection might introduce me to some new (to me) authors to explore further. However, this collection was… just ok? The writing lacked any distinctive style, and none of the plots were especially engaging

Below are one-line reviews and ratings for each of the 6 short stories in this collection:

Death Row
by Freida McFadden
- It’s not me, it’s you (this is not in reference to the story, just how I feel about the book). 1.5 stars.

The Ex-Wives Club
by Sally Hepworth
- It’s a book… 2.5 stars.

False Note
by David Lagercrantz
- At least he drinks Coke Zero. 1.5 stars.

The Skydivers
by Chris Bohjalian
- Afghanistan, Tinder, Syria, “I f*cking hate milking”, Afghanistan, “Presumption, Arrogance”(yup, this is true even with the twist, Afghanistan. 1 star.

Good Neighbors
by Chad Zunker
- Like a bad episode of Scooby-Doo - minus the dog, plus adulterers. 1.25 stars.

Small Things
by Wanda M. Morris
- Brought to you by… Herby Curby? 1.5 stars.

While I still believe these short story collections are a great way to discover what you do (and don’t) enjoy, this particular collection didn’t work for me. Overall, I think a better name for this collection would be “Authors Who Shouldn’t Write Women.”

1.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for the copy for review. Opinions are my own.

The "Alibis" collection features six award-winning authors: Freida McFadden, Sally Hepworth, David Lagercrantz, Chris Bohjalian, Chad Zunker, and Wanda M. Morris. This psychological suspense anthology weaves together truth and lies, exploring themes of guilt, innocence, and condemnation. Each author brings their unique style
- *Freida McFadden's "Death Row"*: A woman on death row for murdering her husband sees him again in the prison visiting room, showcasing McFadden's signature twists
- *Sally Hepworth's "The Ex-Wives Club"*: A story likely filled with Hepworth's signature blend of relationships and drama
- *David Lagercrantz's "False Note"*: A suspenseful tale with intricate plotting
- *Chris Bohjalian's "The Skydivers"*: A story that might explore themes of identity and suspense
- *Chad Zunker's "Good Neighbors"*: A tale of intrigue and complex relationships
- *Wanda M. Morris's "Small Things"*: A story that might highlight Morris's ability to craft compelling narratives

This collection offers a gripping read for fans of psychological suspense and thriller genres

I love these Amazon novella collections so much!! These collections are a fantastic way to try out some new authors you may not have read before, for very cheap. These short stories are absolutely a perfect representation of these author’s writing styles.

This collection of six short thrillers was such a fun and gripping read, it felt like I was binging a TV mini-series, one twisty episode at a time. Each story brought its own suspenseful hook, but together they formed a cohesive and thrilling ride. I really enjoyed the variety in tone and style across the different authors while still feeling connected by the theme. I hope this kind of collaboration becomes a trend, it’s a perfect format for readers who love thrillers but want variety and quick, satisfying stories. I’d definitely pick up more collections like this!

This is an interesting collection of stories, very entertaining!
Thanks to NetGalley, the authors, and Amazon Original Stories for the ARC.

#Alibiscollection #NetGalley

I read all of the Alibis collection short stories & and njoyed them. They all involved murder & there were stories by David Lagercrantz, Sally Hepworth, Freida McFadden, Chad Zuckerberg, Wanda M. Morris and Chris Bohjanian. Bohjanian’s was the goriest & Lagercrantz’s had the most unresolved ending. Overall, a solid group of short stories.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for copies of these stories.

I loved all 6 stories. I rated each one a 4 or a 5. They were well written for short stories and I enjoyed all the different ways that the authors made their stories with their own touches to the alibis theme.

This is a very fun collection of short stories. I liked some of them better than others but as a unit these were well worth the read. Four of them are relatively short, under 50 pages. I actually thought those were better than the slightly longer ones. The two longer stories were written by Freida McFadden and Sally Hepworth. Though those were the authors I was familiar with those were the stories I found most underwhelming.

If you like thrillers then this collection of short stories is well worth the read.

What an awesome collection of short stories from some great thriller authors. Not sure which one was my favorite as they all were great! I think maybe the last one, Freida’s, or Sally Hepworth’s!

Alibis Collection which is made of six books and they can easily be read in one sitting.
This collection of six stories is about getting away with lies, truth, and deception.
Most of the stories are about women seeking revenge and plotting against their husbands.
Rating averaged 4.3

Book #1: Death Row by Freida McFadden ~ My Rating 5 Stars
Book #2; The Ex-Wives Club by Sally Hepworh ~ My Rating 4 Stars
Book #3 False Note by David Lagercrantz - My Rating 3 Stars
Book #4 The Skydivers by Chris Bohjalian~ My Rating 3 Stars
Book #5 Good Neighbors by Chad Zunker - My Rating 4 Stars
Book #6 Small Things by Wanda M. Morris ~ My Rating 4.3 Stars
Pub Date June 2, 2025
Details:

Title: Death Row by Author: Freida McFadden
Story starts with Talia Kemper who is in prison on death row for murdering her husband Noel. Although her husband is dead she keeps sees him when their lives were good apparently in dream but recently saw him during a visit with her lawyer. Her sightings have always been in her dreams but this was different.
I just love Frieda’s stories. She is always a surprise to me.
Yes! This was Great!!

Title: The Ex-Wives by Author: Sally Hepworth
Handsome, wealthy, celebrity chef Ian Curley -owner of “Curley’s” –Melbourne’s most prestigious restaurant is found dead in his walk-in freezer.
The prime suspects are his three ex-wives who are members of the “Ex-Wives Club” – and meet up every Friday evening in their favorite corner booth of his restaurant.
It’s a tradition for Anita, Mary-Jane, and Rosie to drink, dine, and commiserate. The ladies enjoy their get together and all believe Ian is a much better host than husband.
The ladies are ten years apart. Anita is fifty and considers herself the matriarch, Mary-Jane is forty, and Rosie is thirty; Ian is fifty-five.
Ian is about to divorce Rosie and is seeing Emma Davies who is twenty-five and can also be added to the suspect list, as well as Ian’s son, Max and his daughter, Daisy.

I love mysteries and find it fun to try to figure them out ~ thought I knew whodunit ~ “NOT”!
Okay I love the story even more when I am wrong!
Aww Sally Hepworth|is one of my favorite authors - she is an amazing story teller.

Title: False Note by Author David Lagercrants Translator: Elizabeth DeNoma
David Lagercrants is a new author for me.
This short story is about a father and son’s relationship.
Father is a beloved opera singer in Stockholm, charismatic and unpredictable.
William is raised in the shadow of his famous controlling father who has a dark side.
William wants to escape his control and believe he has when he falls in love with Ebba who is also a university student,


Title: The Skydivers Author: Chris Bohjalian
Chris Bohijalian is one of my favorite authors.
This short story is about the inheritance of the family farm given to sons Peter and Leo.
Aspiring musician Pete is a musician and has ideas about the farm. Leo is an aerospace engineer doesn’t agree and wants to sell.
The brothers do agree on sprinkling their father’s ashes— via a skydive over the farm fields.
Only an expert in skydiving is watch and aware that something doesn’t seem right.


Title: Good Neighbors Author: Chas Zuker
Kara Reed and Mindy McGregor are best friends and neighbors they live in Rollingwood in a tony neighborhood outside of downtown Austin., TX.
Mindy tells Kara that she suspects her husband Bill is having an affair. Mindy has two young children from her first marriage but her husband died and Bill a (big-shot attorney) was her Knight in Shinny armor. But now Bill doesn’t seem to be interested in being a stepdad.
Kara tells her will be on the lookout as they live across the street from one another.

The one evening when Mindy and the children are attending a birthday party, Bill gets a visitor.
However, not what Kara expected.
The next part is action packed with the whole neighborhood getting involved.
This story turned out to be better than I expected.
Chad Zuker is a new author for me- I look forward to reading of his next story perhaps one a bit ‘longer’!!!!


Title: Small Things Author: Wanda M. Morris
Hannah and her husband Rusty appear to live a good life. No one knows the emotional abuse Hannah experiences behind closed doors.
Hannah finds designing jewelry an escape. She has a “She Shed’ behind her house where she makes her crafts and actually runs a successful Etsy business that Rusty knows nothing about.
She enjoys her craft and fears Rusty is going to take it away from her.
But she has a plan.
Wanda Morris is a new author to me I definitely am looking forward to another story she writes!


Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for granted me the
Alibis Collection which is made of six books and they can easily be read in one sitting.
.
This collection of six stories is about getting away with lies, truth, and deception.
Most of the stories are about women seeking revenge and plotting against their husbands.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Original Stories for granted me the Alibis Collection- stories were all short but are good!