WHAT A RIDE! 5⭐️

This felt like 3 separate stories wrapped into one seamlessly tied up package!

We start with the murder of the Quinlan family - all but the teenage daughter - on a random night. The only likely suspect, Alexandra is wrongfully accused and turns around to sue the state for ruining her life. As life moves on for Alex, post court case, she can’t help shaking the moniker the media plastered her with - Empty Eyes.
Follow Alex as she becomes embroiled in much more than she bargained for while she attempts to solve her families cold case.

I’ve read one other book by Donlea before and it was also a 5 star read for me. The master of twists and turns you truly don’t see coming.

Thank you @netgalley and @charliedonlea for the e-arc.

Charlie Donlea is an incredible writer. This was one of those books that I didn't want to end, but desperately needed it too so that I could find out who was behind all the madness and destruction. Empty Eyes is about a girl who is the lone survivor of a home invasion that took out her parents and younger brother. She devotes her life to figuring out who had the motive to do something so horrific. The story takes many turns, tumbles, and loops around to get back to it all coming together and I loved every minute of it. Do yourself a favor and pick up this Donlea book asap. You will not be sorry.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Those Empty Eyes was a solid thriller, though I didn’t stand out to me. I like the overall plot idea but it did was some major flaws and plot holes that icked me I bit. I liked the main character and felt connected to her.
I can recommend reading the authors other books since i realized after some googling that there are some Easter eggs and crossovers.

This book captured my attention right away as I found the plot super intriguing. I got a little confused by all the different characters and a couple different story lines midway through, but they were tied together nicely by the end. Overall I really liked this book and will recommend it.

This one! Yowza. Love all her books but this one kept me on the edge the whole time I was reading. Great twist too which is always fun. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!

The book is suspenseful and it will keep you guessing till the end. The characters were mysterious with a hidden demeanour. Quinlan Family was murdered, only Alex survived, she couldn’t fathom what happened on that terrible night, the questions scared her. She escaped and returned after some years with changed identity and determined to find the killer but will she be able to find the killer? I absolutely loved this book. The twists and turns kept me on the edge. The ending was shocking.

Thanks to the Publisher

Charlie Donlea is always a great author for me to read when I'm needing a solid palate cleanser. I know I'm going to get a well written thriller with plenty of interwoven story lines and plenty of suspense. Her Empty Eyes was no exception!

It's been 10 years since Alex Armstrong's family was murdered and she was convicted by the public as a murderer. She's spent the last 10 years avoiding the media and rebuilding some semblance of a normal life. Now as legal investigator she's stumbled upon a case that has connections to her family's murder, and she's determined to get to the bottom of what really happened all those years ago.

With plenty of twists and turns, this had me hooked from the start. I felt for Alex throughout the whole story and my rage at the 'Press' just increased with every page I read. Told from a few different perspectives, Donlea as usual has woven in multiple story lines into one page turning story. I would love to see Alex as a returning character in Donlea's books and completely recommend for anyone needing a solid mystery to immerse yourself into.


Those Empty Eyes is out now. Thank you to Kensington Press for my advanced copies in exchange for my review. If you liked this review, please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting Instagran @speakingof.books.

3.5 ⭐️

This is a tricky one to rate. Overall I really enjoyed the story and was really invested in Alexandra’s quest to find out who killed her family. However, there were too many subplots going on, it was hard to keep track at times. I do like how everything came together and was surprised by the last little twist at the end. I just wanted more from some of the subplots and found others somewhat unnecessary.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I've never read any books by Donlea, but I look forward to more in the future. This was a quick read, and I enjoyed the multiple layers to the storyline. Characters were well-developed and realistic. There was a connection to recent events, but the book didn't become too political, and things were handled in a tactful manner, which I appreciated. I enjoyed the ending twist.

Possible trigger warnings: Me too movement, sexual abuse

Another great read by Charlie Donlea! He is very quickly becoming my new favorite thriller writer and I can’t wait to read them all! This book was EXCELLENT and had me on my toes the entire time!

I love this author. She is a goddess with words, but this is just not the book for me. I just did not like the cop stuff at the beginning and then I just could not connect with Alex. I felt pity for her.
Also the timeline just kind of jumps around. the chapter titles help a ton but I am just not smart enough to keep it all straight in my brain.
Anyway, even though I didn't get it I still read it because it was compelling and well written.

This was my first book by Charlie Donlea after many friends recommended his work to me. I was definitely impressed. The story was fast-paced, following Alexandra Quinlan from a traumatic opening through her journey for justice and understanding. I found the characters all fairly well-rounded, even the ones with minimal time on the page. Donlea makes every page count as far as content, plot progression, and character development goes. While I enjoyed reading this, it falls just short of a full five stars due to some predictability. There was not a true mind-blowing moment for me, but the writing was exceptional for this genre. I will be reading more by this author in the future.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this ARC!

I'm a huge fan of Charlie Donlea and this book Those Empty Eyes is yet another great one. This is not just a thriller but also a psychological picture of someone who supposedly has "empty eyes." Are the eyes truly the window to the soul? Alex, the main character, is trying to figure out who killed her family but at the same time move on. While she is putting the pieces together, the rest of the world is judging her harshly. It's not only a great thriller but a wonderful character analysis. A great read.

4.5 Stars
Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donlea is a riveting police procedural and legal thriller.
Told in two timelines, and from the POVs of various characters, it begins with the shocking bloody murders of a family—father, mother, and teen son—and the ensuing imprisonment of the lone survivor, daughter Alexandra. Ten years later, Alex is out of prison and, under a new identity, is a private investigator working for her guardian Garett’s law firm. A client is a suspect when his girlfriend goes missing; she was about to expose a fraternity’s use of drugs to spike the drinks of women at their parties. Meanwhile, a political scandal is around the corner, involving a Supreme Court nominee whose son is in the fraternity.
There are multiple storylines, but Donlea juggles them expertly, weaving them together, resulting in a satisfying resolution for the reader.
This is the first novel by Charlie Donlea that I have read, and it will definitely not be the last by this talented writer. I recommend this compelling psychological thriller to readers who enjoy complex plotting, intelligent prose, and engaging characters.

Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this. Wow!! After Alex’s parents and brother are killed, and she is arrested for the crime, lawyers help her prove she is innocent. She is let free and starts a defamation lawsuit. Ten years later, she still cannot stop searching for answers on who really killed her family. She is an investigator now, and while investigating a possible rape at a college, she finds strange connections to her family. This one left me with my jaw dropped!

totally called itttt!! I had a good time, I usually can't stand detective murder books but that was actually fun and kept you guessing. I wish the MC didn't put on magenta and orange lipstick tho that's a deal breaker

[review posted on goodreads and maybe later on Instagram and tiktok]

I could not get the book to download on kindle, and to use the computer to read it. Sorry, it must be my new Kindle Fire.

This was a very suspensful read, it get's more interesting as secrets are discovered and you find out danger is lurking closer than you think.

A carefully crafted and twisty thriller that deserves to be read without spoilers. Alex is the only survivor of a horrible attack on her family and she became the subject of intense public and legal scrutiny- so much so that she changed everything she could and left the US for 10 years, Now, though, she's back and she's working as an investigator for a law firm but she's more focused, really, on finding the real killer. She discovers that much of what even she believed was not true, And there are surprises afoot. She's a terrific character. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, Very good read,

The premise of Those Empty Eyes immediately grabbed my attention, but the book itself didn't hold up. And, honestly, I'm kind of confused.

The summary of the book doesn't even start unfolding until the first 35%. Yep, that's a whole third of the book that's repetitive background and a subplot. By the time you get closer to the halfway point of the story, there are many other perspectives and plots involved. Alexandra's story, which was by far the most compelling (and the center of the premise), is nearly pushed to the side.

While I immensely enjoyed parts of this book, it was unevenly structured and not at all what was advertised. I ultimately skipped to the end to see what happened and didn't regret missing the last 30% of the book.