Beach Thriller ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Beach Thriller by Jamie Day

Book says:
Book in hand,
Toes in sand,
Murderous plan.

NetGalley About Summary

The ultimate summer suspense novel is perfect for beach-listen lovers everywhere!

Some people lose themselves in a novel. Others lose everything. This program features multicast narration.

Holly Sinclair, a struggling author, is dead broke. After being evicted from her New York apartment, she returns to her family’s dilapidated beach house in coastal New England with one urgent goal: write a book that sells. Fast.

Reinventing herself won’t be easy, but the old seaside town offers a few unexpected allies. Gail, a driven local Realtor, introduces her to a charming handyman who can help her get back on her feet. Serena, the town psychic, offers encouragement and an unsettling warning about danger ahead. And Jade, a teen runaway, is hiding out in Holly’s attic and desperately needs a safe place to land.

Holly takes Jade in, and soon the girl finds work with the powerful Carmichael family. Their dynasty has faded, but their connection to Holly’s past is darker than she wants to remember. Their secrets could put both women at risk.

Not everyone is glad to see Holly return. Someone in town is watching her every move. The Watcher knows something Holly doesn’t. The past may be a foggy echo, but it’s close enough to come rushing in with the tide.

Genre: Fiction
Goodreads included: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense
I'm adding Book Within A Book even though that's not a genre label. 

The How/Why: NetGalley recently added, attracted to the cover and title (Beach + Thriller = Yes Please! Plus narrator Jane Oppenheimer is one of my favs. 👍

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

🎉 Overall Storytelling? 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

🎣 Did it grab and keep my attention? 🎣🎣🎣🎣🎣

🗣️Would I recommend it to anyone? Yes ➕

🕮 Would I want a sequel? Maybe 🤷 It's not really necessary because things are tied up in the end, however if Jamie Day has a continuation up her sleeve, I'd be in line for it.  

📚 Would I want to read more books by this author? Yes ➕

💣💥 📢 Content Warnings? Google says: DɇaṪh, Sta⅃Ƙing, C0řȓuⱣti0n

🌶 Spice? No

🌪 Plot Twist? YES ☁☂☈🌪

👟 Pace? Great

💻 Tidbits ~ Triple POV in current day with Holly, Jade, and The Watcher. Flashbacks via the pages of a story Holly wrote almost two decades prior but never finished. 

Holly is in a writing slump so bad that her financial situation has lead to being evicted from her NY apartment. She is back in her small coastal home town after inheriting her mother's beach house which is in desperate need of repairs.  She is at the crossroads of Grief and Guilt over her sister's disappearance. Said to have died in an accident, Holly still can't push the thoughts out of her head that she may have been MŪrdɇrɇd. 
Noises in the attic turn out to be runaway Jade desperate for a safe place to stay.

Holly is not exactly welcomed back with open arms by some of the town's residents, especially The Watcher sta⅃Ƙing her where ever she goes. Some secrets are meant to stay buried but Holly has to keep pushing for answers. 

Jade gets a job at the Carmichael Estate [think Dynasty]. There are three rules she must obey. She can only be on the property during certain daytime hours. Stay away from the Tower. Don't steal anything. 
Holly is concerned because that's where her sister Anna was last seen alive. 
The plot thickens with a lot of secrets and mysteries that Jade just can't step away from. She's a curious teenager who can't seem to resist breaking rules! 

There are a lot of twists and turns as this thriller gets more thrilling as the story goes on. 
At about 70% I actually said "YIKES" out loud. YOL might be a thing going forward! You heard it here first. 

Minus 1 Star - While the mystery and suspense was there, the action scene towards the end was over-the-top compared to the rest of the novel, earning an eyeroll. 
Added 1 Star back in - The story was riveting and narration was excellent. A solid 5 Stars from me when I can't find a stopping point to go to bed, and I'm looking forward to finishing it in the morning before I start my day. 

Favorite Characters: This one is a tie between two quirky townspeople. 
Gail, the highly motivated stylish highfalutin realtor on her doorstep from Day 1.
Serena, Holly's old family friend the psychic. She is one of the few who gives Holly a warm welcome back. She also uses her powers as a warning of danger on the horizon.

🎧 Narrator: Emily Shaffer, Jane Oppenheimer, Jennifer Pickens, Megan Tusing
All great. They haven't released which narrator narrated which characters yet but whoever did The Watcher had the creepy vibe down! 

🎧12.21 hours 🕮 368 pages

Not yet published. Expected June 9, 2026

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the free ALC in exchange for my honest review.


21 and counting


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