It was a good book, predictable but well written. I may be getting to the point of being able to guess thrillers from reading them so much and authors can only have so many different twists before they all run together. However, I did enjoy it, and it was an easy pace. Could have been darker!

This was absolutely amazing! I was totally enthralled with this story from beginning to end, I could barely put it down, and when I finally read the last page, the house was dark, I was hungry, thirsty, needed to pee and my neck was stiff. But damn, it was worth it!

This was a decent thriller with a decent mystery. It wasn't as dark as I had anticipated and a bit predictable in the end. But it was good enough to keep me reading.

I finally finished in time with a few days left to read with the ARC through Net Galley. I liked this well enough. It was interesting but not as interesting as I expected it to be. I actually kind of thought it was going to be a paranormal read, so that disappointed me as well. It had a twist at the end but I already had figured it out, which is fine because I like to see if I can figure them out sometimes 🙃☺️🙂 but it didn’t keep me compelled to read it, so it was just okay. Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review The Bluff with my honest thoughts and opinions. I really appreciate it greatly.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Bonnie Traymore’s “The Bluff” is a masterful psychological thriller that expertly blends suspense, mystery, and personal drama against the backdrop of a perilous natural setting. 

The story begins with Kate adjusting to her new life, but the tranquility is short-lived as she becomes embroiled in the town’s underlying tensions and secrets. The eroding cliff is not just a physical threat but a metaphor for the precariousness of the lives and relationships of the characters. 

Kate is a well-crafted protagonist, whose journey from an unassuming newcomer to a determined investigator is both believable and compelling. Her interactions with the other residents, each with their own hidden agendas and secrets, add layers of complexity to the narrative. 

Traymore’s writing is sharp and evocative, capturing the essence of the small-town setting and the psychological depth of her characters. The plot is meticulously constructed, with each revelation adding to the mounting tension. 

“The Bluff” is a cleverly crafted thriller that will appeal to fans of psychological suspense. Bonnie Traymore has delivered a novel that is thrilling and thought-provoking, with a storyline that keeps readers hooked from start to finish. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a suspenseful and atmospheric read.

I enjoy this author's book, so I was excited to read this one. This was an enjoyable read that played out more like a suspense book instead of a thriller. This book was well written, and Traymore did a great job building characters that had depth. The scenes were very descriptive, and I enjoyed the setting of this book. I questioned a lot of the characters and kept changing my guess on who was guilty. The author thew in elements that were meant to keep us guessing. Though the characters had depth, it was hard for me to really connect with any of them. Overall, this was a good read. 3.5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a good little mystery. It will definitely keep you hooked till the end. Lots of surprises along the way!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book.

This was a fun read. A Manhattan transplant to a small resort town with a house overlooking Lake Michigan finds herself in a cat-and-mouse game. Her husband died a year ago, driving off a steep embankment, and now another man--her neighbor and public nemesis--is also found dead after an afternoon on his boat. While wondering if she might be next in the line of fire, she finds herself in the crosshairs of the local police, who quickly realize she might have something to gain by both men's deaths.

It's a fast read, and filled with lots of uncertainty about whom to trust. There are some pacing problems and repetitiveness, but if you're looking for a fun, fast read--especially if you're hanging out at a lake house for a getaway--this would be an ideal book to pass the time.

Kate, the FMC, has lost her husband, and is now trying to sort things out. She's trying to sell their home, but every effort gets blocked. There's a sudden murder, and everyone is pointing their fingers at Kate, because she makes the perfect suspect; the victim is a big-shot of the committee that keeps blocking her sale.

Personally, a lot of things felt flat. I didn't like Kate, at all. She was very manipulative, and doesn't care if she hurts someone. The plot twists could've been great, but they fell short, in my opinion. The mystery just didn't hold. I was hoping this book would hold high on my list, because I LOVE thrillers, but I did struggle to finish this one.

It's not awful, just not for me.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!!

This book was written very well, kept my interest. I’ll be sure to check out more from this author!

I really enjoyed this book! It had a slow build that kept me intrigued from start to finish, and I found the characters to be multifaceted with well-developed backstories. I’m excited to recommend it to my friends!

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Book Review: The Bluff by Bonnie Traymore

I recently finished The Bluff, and I can confidently say it’s a gripping thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The author, Bonnie Traymore, masterfully crafts a narrative that intertwines personal loss with suspense, drawing me into the haunting world of Crest Lake.

The story revolves around Kate, a woman grappling with the death of her husband, Ryan, and the isolation that comes with it. Traymore does an excellent job of capturing Kate's inner turmoil as she navigates her grief while facing the daunting reality of a crumbling home and community tensions. I felt her desperation to move on, yet the memories of her past—especially those tied to Ryan—are ever-present and beautifully depicted.

The setting of Crest Lake, particularly the bluff overlooking Lake Michigan, adds an atmospheric layer to the story. I could practically feel the weight of the impending disaster as the bluff erodes, paralleling Kate’s crumbling sense of security. When a contentious committee meeting turns deadly with the murder of Kate’s adversary, the stakes are raised significantly. I found myself racing through the pages, eager to uncover the truth behind the murder while questioning Kate’s own secrets.

What I appreciated most was how Traymore built the tension little by little, keeping me guessing at every turn. The characters are well-developed, each with their own motives and

I was totally engrossed in this story from the start! The blend of personal loss and the suspense surrounding the crumbling property was so well done. The protagonist’s struggle with her grief over Ryan’s death and the pressing issues with her home created a tense and gripping narrative.

I loved how the murder of the shoreline committee member added a whole new layer of intrigue. The way secrets start to unravel, combined with the uncertainty of the property situation, kept me on edge. The atmosphere was rich with suspense, and the protagonist’s desperation to resolve everything while dealing with her own buried secrets made for a captivating read.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC copy of this book. At first I was pretty drawn in to the story and as it built, I was definitely very invested in the whodunnit of it all.

But the story in the second half, starts to slow and there are too many red herrings that when the reveal finally takes place, it kind of leaves you scratching your head?

And there’s another reveal in the epilogue that I also couldn’t get my head around.

Overall enjoyed the story, very suspenseful and looking forward to checking out more from Bonnie Traymore

A decent mystery that could have benefitted from more details about the characters and their motivations. The characters were interesting and the protagonist was easy to root for. The author included a bit of psychology and what makes some people tick, but didn’t expand enough to make it truly interesting in terms of the characters. The plot had an old murder and a new murder. The ending didn’t make a lot of sense to me. I felt like the author could have done much more with it. The flow of the book moved well, but like I said, it felt like there were some gaps that needed to be filled. Overall, not a bad mystery, but one that did need a little work.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions expressed are
my own.

I had the opportunity to read this book and it took me on a ride.
I hadn't read anything previously by this author.
The plot is interesting, although lacking some detail for me and the mystery and intrigue got me hooked.
I enjoyed it !

Kate moved from the bustling city of Manhattan to the tranquil town of Crest Lake six years ago, seeking a quieter life and a fresh start. She had her share of worries—finding a job, adjusting to a slower pace, and navigating her relationship with Ryan Breslow, a charming photographer. Yet, she never anticipated the ground beneath her would become a literal and figurative threat.

A year ago, Ryan's tragic death in a car accident left Kate reeling. Still grappling with her grief and the desire to escape the painful memories, Kate aims to sell her house and leave Crest Lake behind. However, her plans are thwarted as the house edges dangerously close to a crumbling bluff that has affected the entire lakefront community.

Tensions escalate as the town debates how to address the erosion problem. The situation takes a darker turn when a contentious vote on the issue is marred by the murder of Kate's adversary on the shoreline committee. With her property now practically unsellable and the community in turmoil, Kate finds herself entangled in a complex web of secrets and suspicions.

As Kate navigates the escalating crisis, she must unravel the mystery behind the murder and confront the truth about her own life and relationships, all while grappling with the ever-present threat of the crumbling bluff.

The Bluff is a well-paced, compelling Psychological thriller with believable motivations and actions from the characters. It happens that the two homicides in the plot occur in same connected manner and leave evidence and accusations seems unexpected.


Thanks to Netgalley and Publisher ‏ : ‎ Pathways Publishing for an advance copy for my honest review.
NOVEL NERD BLOG: https://smithareading.blogspot.com/

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial

I really appreciate the opportunity to read this prior to publication. However, The Bluff fell flat from start to finish. The characters were uninteresting and had very little depth. The story was surface level and felt rushed. There was a lack of detail that could have carried this book much farther than what it was.
The Bluff has an interesting concept but in the end this story just was not for me.

The description for The Bluff immediately hooked me! This gripping story takes you on a journey of loss, betrayal, and mystery. Kate is a widow trapped in a small town after the suspicious death of her husband in a car crash a year prior. The house that she lives in is precariously perched on a bluff looking out onto a large lake. The ground beneath the house, much like Kate’s life, is slowly crumbling.

The tension escalates as the lakefront community grapples with a literal crumbling shoreline and unmarketable real estate - bringing out the worst in its residents. Kate desperately wishes to leave Crest Lake, so she joins a committee to plan a course of action for the real estate crisis. Secrets are revealed, contentions escalate, and desperation takes over. Soon a member of the shoreline community is found dead by homicide.
Is the death related to the suspicious death of Kate’s husband one year ago? If so, is Kate somehow involved? Are extra marital affairs at play? Will Kate make it out of Crest Lake with her sanity intact?

The bluff is a suspenseful psychological thriller set against a dramatic and unforgiving environment, echoing the melodrama and tension of the residents of Crest Lake. I highly recommend this book to lovers are psychological thrillers, red-herring mysteries, and suspenseful who-dunnit books.

This was a suspenseful story. There were so many secrets. I really enjoyed this and wasn’t expecting the ending! I will read more of this author’s work.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.