Thank you Netgalley and Mirror House Press for the chance to read an ARC of Breakneck Bay by Faith Gardner. This was a fast paced thriller which was inspired by real events, and perfect reading for the hot days of July! The plot and characters grabbed me right from the beginning, and I loved that it was set in the 1980's with flashback scenes from the 70's. It definitely brought back some nostalgic moments when I was a teenager, and wanted to go to every water park where the rides were cool, but dangerous, and no one worried about injuries (these days I would think twice about going!) My only issue is I wasn't a huge fan of the ending, and I wanted more of the park and the rides.

This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it! Mystery, suspense, and amusement parks, what's not to love! I am a fan of multiple POVs, and I think it adds to the story getting the killer's perspective too.

Thanks you NetGalley!

Breakneck Bay by Faith Gardner is a fast-paced, gripping summer thriller that pulled me in from the very first page and refused to let go. The setting—a run-down amusement park with a shadowy history—is both atmospheric and chilling, and it serves as the perfect backdrop for a story filled with secrets, suspicion, and a slow unraveling of trust.

The story kicks off with the disappearance of a teenage employee and a gruesome crime scene that sets the tone for the rest of the book. From that moment on, I was completely hooked. I found myself theorizing after every chapter, pestering my husband and even my kids with “what ifs” and “can you believe this just happened?” That, for me, is the hallmark of a great thriller—it makes you need to talk about it.

Kit, the protagonist, is a newlywed grappling with the horrifying possibility that her husband Mitch, the park’s manager, may be hiding something far darker than she ever imagined. As the plot unfolds, the tension ramps up, with secrets, past trauma, and unexpected revelations coming to light. Faith Gardner does an excellent job of weaving past and present together in a way that keeps you guessing until the very end.

While I wouldn’t say the book reinvented the thriller genre, it absolutely delivered what I was hoping for: suspense, a few gasp-worthy moments, and enough twists to keep me flipping pages late into the night. The pacing was tight, the characters well-developed, and the writing sharp.

Why four stars instead of five? There were a few moments that felt slightly predictable, and I would have liked just a bit more depth in the resolution—but those are minor complaints for a book that otherwise delivered a thoroughly entertaining, edge-of-your-seat read.

If you’re looking for a beach read that’ll keep you up late and make you second-guess your vacation plans near any sketchy amusement park, Breakneck Bay is the perfect pick.

This is the second book I have read by this author and I enjoyed every second of it.

I feel like there were no loose ends and I truly enjoyed the way the story unfolded. I think the addition of the chapters told by the killer and the articles that were mixed in really helped the story along and kept me engaged with the story.

Definitely a great summer thriller and one that I will recommend.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC of this title!
I really enjoyed this quick psychological thriller. It was very easy to read in one sitting. Kit is married to a man named Mitch who works summers in a water park called Breakneck Bay. Kit decides to take a job working at this park and before long some eery things start happening. She has no idea what is in store for her. A but predictable but it kept me entertained. 3.5 stars ⭐️

First, thank you Netgalley and Mirror House Press for this ARC!

Breakneck Bay is a story like a rollercoaster, so you better buckle yourself up since you're in for a very bumpy ride! It is also a perfect, nostalgic read for a hot day like, throwing you right into what happend this one summer at the infamous Breakneck Bay waterpark.

This story was was full of twists, with everything happening at a fast pace, not letting you out of it's grip until you turned the last page - even when it is disturbing at times, especially those chapters written in the killer's POV.

I am going to give this one 4.25 stars because while I did really enjoy it, it also was a bit dark and creepy at times, and while I do enjoy that, it also left me feeling a little uneasy. Still, it was a great summer book and you all should give it a chance and read it when you can!

This was an entertaining read! I love books with multiple POVs and I feel like it really added to the story.
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to Mirror House Press for the ARC!

4.25 stars!

Fast paced, disturbing, and tense. It was a perfect summer thriller.

I loved the setting, and the wide cast of characters, and it was a great throwback to the 80s without having too much needless nostalgia bait. It was incredibly hard to put this down, and incredibly easy to latch on to Kit, our main character, as well as some of the others.

Around the halfway mark, some things did begin to feel repetitive, namely the way Kit was back and forth with certain suspicions. But it was nothing that kept up or lingered too long to completely bother me. The pace was kept well enough that things moved on rather quickly from there. I can't say the ultimate reveals were too shocking, but still built up to well enough and written so well that they floored me anyway.

This is the third novel of Faith Gardner's that I've read, and I don't think she's capable of writing a bad mystery/thriller. She's quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, and I'll add anything of hers to my TBR without hesitation.

At the notorious Breakneck Bay waterpark, a teenage employee goes missing, leaving behind a gruesome crime scene and a flood of suspicion. Kit, newly married to park manager Mitch Blue, is forced to confront disturbing secrets from his past and the chilling possibility that she's married to a killer. As the investigation deepens, Kit discovers that the most dangerous thing at Breakneck Bay might not be the rides but the truth lurking beneath the surface.

I’ll admit it, I can be a bit of a thriller snob. I don’t usually go for the mindless, popcorn-style reads, so I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this one. But Breakneck Bay surprised me in the best way. It delivered a fast-paced, entertaining ride that kept me turning pages late into the night.

The Gen-Xer in me absolutely loved the nostalgic throwback to my teenage years, especially the pure campy crappiness of this waterpark setting. I could practically smell the fruity Hawaiian Tropic lotion (because let’s be honest, we didn’t use sunscreen back then) and the overwhelming sting of chlorine. The whole vibe screamed "we're not liable" 80s chaos, and I was here for it.

Even if I had a feeling where things were going, the short, punchy chapters kept me engaged and made it easy to stay hooked. Gardner’s writing is addictive, and while I was hoping for a bigger, more jaw-dropping twist, I still found the whodunnit aspect fun to follow. There were a few viable suspects and enough tension to keep me guessing.

It’s a quick, punchy read that sits a notch above your average popcorn thriller. I’d call it a breezy, slightly campy thriller with bite. 3.75 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mirror House Press for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was an incredibly entertaining story to read. I loved having the killers POV throughout. It was disturbing at times but, that is also what kept me turning the page. I don’t particularly love the end which is why this is a 4 star read for me but, I did love getting there! Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC!

This book was not what I was expecting. When the synopsis mentioned blood soaked crime scene at the water park, I thought it would be more along the lines of Aquaslasher. To have a water park as the setting and none of the kills take place at the water park kinda felt like a letdown. It’s such a cool premise to not utilize!

The overall story was gripping and captivating yet also predictable. There was pretty good foreshadowing leading up the the big reveal so any twists and turns kinda felt redundant. If you paid attention, the truth is pretty easy to find.

The ending bothered me, it felt like putting a bandaid over a severed limb. I understand the symbolism of breaking the cycle but it felt cheap to me.

Overall, this is a fast paced thriller that covers with heavy themes such as: murder, rape, and abuse. If you can stomach it and want a quick thriller to help achieve your reading goals, this could be it!

Thank you NetGalley and Mirror House Press for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley and Mirror House Press for the ARC to review!

4 stars – Fast-paced, emotionally charged, and hard to put down

Breakneck Bay is exactly what I want in a thriller: short chapters, high stakes, and characters you’re not quite sure you can trust. From the first few pages, I was pulled into the chaos and heartbreak that kick off the story—and it only ramps up from there.

The setting adds a moody, atmospheric layer that works so well with the tension, and the twists hit at just the right moments. I also appreciated that the emotional weight of the plot wasn’t ignored—there’s a strong undercurrent of grief, guilt, and resilience running through it.

A couple plot points stretched believability a bit, but honestly, I was too hooked to care much. It’s the kind of book you can devour in a weekend and immediately want to talk about with a friend.

Would recommend to anyone who likes thrillers with emotional depth and a killer pace.

I love the setting of amusement parks in my books. This book is set in a waterpark in the 80s, If you are familiar with Action Park in New Jersey, Breakneck Bay is very similar. There are very low safety standards and some crazy rides. The story is a murder mystery but I enjoyed the nostalgia and setting more than the whodunnit. This was a perfect summer read, fast paced and a lot of fun. Recommended!

I really enjoyed Breakneck Bay! The setting, a slightly creepy water park in the 1980s, was super atmospheric and gave the story a great nostalgic feel. Absolutely perfect for summer! This would be an incredible beach read.

Now to the plot. Kit’s new job and marriage get tangled up with the mystery of a missing teenager, which kept me hooked from start to finish.
The suspense was just right. It wasn't too over-the-top but definitely gripping. I especially liked how the story balanced the mystery with the small details that made the water park come alive and bring me back to waterparks as a kid. (I'm thinking Action Park here, ha!)

If you’re looking for a thriller that’s fun, tense, and perfect for summer reading, Breakneck Bay is a great choice.

This was definitely fun. I love Faith Garder but this one fell a little flat for me. I enjoyed the setting and the characters- although I could have used more character depth especially with Mitch and his shady friend. The theme park setting was definitely fun.

I enjoy multiple points of view and varying timelines in a story the book presents a POV from a character named Hawk. It's clear throughout the story the author intends for you to guess the identity. I wish there was more mystery there, more story, etc. I had the ending figured out halfway through the book. I also wish FG had played up the setting. I kept forgetting this was supposed to be set in the 80s. So much opportunity there for descriptive narrative.

My other qualm with this book is some of the ideas presented were quite far fetched. Some of the actions of the FMC had me going - that would never happen. I chalked it up to the story being set in the 80s. Who throws away a box that someone shady hands you and says - get rid of this, especially when the FMC knows he's shady: That blew my mind. Also, I couldn't take how the medical portions are written. I've worked in neuro for years and what FG wrote doesn't happen. People don't come back from a life saving crani and breathe on their own. That character would never have come back with no ventilator even if his brain stem was intact. Very unrealistic, makes me wonder if she had a medical consult. I'd be willing! 😂

The ending could have been better. I figured out who dunnit halfway through and thought- no way- that can't be the ending there has to be more twists. There weren't. There was a possibility when I leaned there is a free epilogue written in a different POV. That even ended weird. I thought I was getting the twist finally..

Overall this was super fun if you take it for what it is. It's a popcorn thriller that if you can look past the inconsistencies, it's entertaining. Major props to the author for using a cool, atmospheric setting that brings back memories for so many of us!

Thank you @netgalley and @expressoreads for a copy of this title. All my reviews are unbiased.

This was a top-tier thriller! One of the best I have had the pleasure of reading this year! I LOVED the setting, the twisty duel POV and the characters were perfect. It had me on the edge of my seating guessing right up until the end. This was a fantastic read start to finish!! I could not put it down or stop turning the pages. 5+ stars for me!!

Thank you @faith.gardner #mirrorhousepress for the gifted copy of this book!

Breakneck Bay by Faith Gardner was such a blast — in the most messed up, thriller-y way possible.

Faith is one of those reliably twisty thriller authors for me, and once again she delivers a wild ride from point A to point WHAT JUST HAPPENED. I’m a total sucker for books set in amusement parks (give me all the creepy carnival lights and rickety roller coasters), and Breakneck Bay did not disappoint. This park is a total disaster — poorly run, constant accidents, and one lawsuit away from going under. And then, of course… someone turns up dead. That’s when things really go off the rails.

Faith filled this one with shady, questionable characters you can’t trust for a second, and I ate it up. The setting was perfection — it gave me big small-town, slightly grimy, 1980s amusement park energy. I could totally picture the lazy owner in his cluttered office, safety violations everywhere, and teenagers running rides they absolutely shouldn’t be.

If I’m being honest? I would’ve happily taken even more theme park shenanigans. The nostalgic, eerie vibe was my favorite part of the whole book. The suspense kept me guessing, and poor Kit… girl just could not catch a break. (Pro tip: take the money and RUN, babe. 😂)

If you’re into small-town murder mysteries, shady characters, and creepy nostalgic settings, definitely add this one to your TBR.

This was a lot of fun! I loved the short chapters and the summer time feel. It was a perfect quick thriller to read during the summer. I do wish that there were a few more twists to the story than there were, but it was still a really fun thriller that kept me wanting to keep reading!

✨Reviews✨
📚Breakneck Bay- Faith Gardner📚
📖 3.5/5

Thanks NetGalley and Mirror House Press for the ARC copy of the upcoming thriller Breakneck Bay.

This one was fast, easy to read and had a lot of things I love in a thriller. However, it didn’t have the depth and darkness that makes a thriller a slam dunk for me. I found the second POV a little confusing at first but as the book went on it became clear we were supposed to be guessing who it was.

Though I binged this book in a couple sittings, and it had some great suspense as the story went on I felt the ending fell flat. I would have loved a bit more about the Canine Killer, maybe an investigation or justice? I don’t know what I needed but I needed a bit more.

Although this one wasn’t a top read so far this year it did have some key elements that made it enjoyable.

🌊Missing Girl
🌊Possible Serial Killer
🌊Mysterious Caller leaving creepy messages
🌊Atmospheric small town
🌊Dangerous Waterpark
🌊Lots of suspects

Publish date: July 24th 2025

The true crime girlies will love this. Small town, janky amusement park, a missing employee, and possibly a serial killer? The vibes were immaculate. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.