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This was a quick read/listen that kept my interest with intriguing characters and satisfying twists. The narrator of the audio did a great job keeping me engaged. From the synopsis:
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A crime writer. A cold case. Will she survive to tell the story?
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Since the sudden and tragic death of her partner, bestselling crime author Serena Winters hasn’t written a word. With deadlines looming, she packs up her grief and escapes from New York City to a secluded clifftop house in small-town California, hoping the change of scenery will cure her writer’s block.
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But as news of her arrival spreads, Serena finds herself facing strange accusations that she’s here to cash in on the house’s history. When she uncovers the chilling story of a young family who mysteriously vanished from the very same house thirty years earlier, she can’t help asking more questions…
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Someone in the local community doesn’t want the past dug up, though. Someone willing to push Serena to the limits of her sanity to keep the truth buried. Caught in a spiraling campaign of intimidation, and harboring a dark secret of her own, Serena soon finds herself in the kind of danger she usually only writes about…

Struggling with writer’s block, Serena retreats to a small town and rents a mysterious clifftop house. But her curiosity about the home’s dark history quickly stirs up tension with the locals, some of whom seemingly have something to hide. As the threats against her grow, so does the sense that she’s in real danger.

While the middle of the book dragged a little for me, it picked up toward the end. The twists and reveals came fast, and that ending? Absolutely jaw-dropping. It was sad, emotional, and unexpected—an enjoyable book overall. I listened to the audio version and loved it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio for the free copy!

I have a good one to share today, Dead of Night by Lisa Gray. Told with multiple storylines there were twists that surprised me, including the one at the end.Serena is a writer whose life has changed and she is struggling to write her next book. She decides on a change of scenery and rents a house on a cliff on the other side of the country. When she arrives she discovers tha the house has a questionable past, a family that lived there vanished. The story of the disappearance provides inspiration for her book. As she tries to learn more she discovers that questions are dangerous. Will she find answers before it is too late? The story was engaging and I enjoyed switching between the past and present. I listened to the audiobook of this thriller and I did not want to stop listening! The narrator did a good job bringing the characters and story to life. I recommend this book to readers that enjoy thrillers.

Talk about a page turner. This one kept me up at night reading past my bedtime. I highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for an ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

Mystery writer Serena Winters has writer's block since the sudden death of her partner. She rents a house in a small town in California to try and write. Serena gets caught up in the mysterious past of prior owners of her rental.

I enjoyed Brenda Scott Wlazlo's narration.

This was not for me. Boring. Too many extraneous characters and complicated plot. When the twist was revealed, I was totally uninterested.

Title: Dead of Night
Author: Lisa Gray
Genre: Thriller
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3 out of 5)
Release Date: May 15th, 2025
Review posted to: NetGalley | Goodreads | IG

Quick Summary: Looking for a place to grieve and revive her creative spark, crime writer Serena Winters rents a remote house in Seaton Park, California. But what she discovers may be the plot of her next novel—and far more sinister than she imagined.

My Thoughts: Six months after the sudden loss of her partner, Serena is drowning in grief and creative block. A change of scene seems like the perfect remedy—until she finds herself drawn into the unsolved mystery of a family who vanished from the very home she’s rented. The house holds secrets, and someone is determined to stop her from uncovering them.

I found the pacing engaging, with a good balance between atmospheric build-up and plot twists. The dual timeline—featuring Ruby's story in 1984- adds depth, though at times you wondered how it was connected. The present-day stalking thread ramps up the tension, but a few narrative choices left me questioning their relevance to the core mystery.

This story would appeal to readers who enjoy psychological thrillers with a slow-burn unraveling, layered with emotional recovery and creative rediscovery. Serena’s journey, both personal and investigative, is compelling, even if a few subplots felt underdeveloped.

Triggers: Gaslighting - Stalking - Infidelity

Final Verdict: An atmospheric, introspective thriller with a strong premise and a writer protagonist I rooted for. While some narrative threads felt unresolved, the story kept me listening for hours at a time. I’d be curious to see if this is the beginning of a series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

the setup…
It’s been six months since bestselling mystery writer Serena Winters’ partner died in a freak accident and has yet to write a single word towards her next novel. Thinking a change of scenery might help, she rents a cliffside home in Seaton Park, located on the California coast. Serena learns upon arrival that the house has an interesting history. The last residents, Bob & Danni Dupree with their ten year old daughter Charlotte, inexplicably vanished overnight thirty years ago and haven’t been seen or heard from since. Serena is inspired by the story and begins looking into it, only to stir up some unwanted resistance that turns sinister.

the heart of the story…
Serena’s writer’s block is unleashed the more she explores the story but she’s also invited some unwelcome attention by person unknown. Email threats and weird stuff happening in the house that spooks her and slowly ramps up to dangerous. Meanwhile, there’s another point of view from someone named Ruby, presenting a dual timeline from 1984. It took a while for the connection to be revealed, which heightened the intrigue.

the narration…
Brenda Scott Wlazol has a warm tone that was well suited for this story. She managed the primary characters nicely and delivered a strong performance.

the bottom line…
There’s a whiff of romance, lots of secrecy and intrigue and a house I probably would have moved out of on day one. I enjoyed how those secrets and Ruby’s connection were slowly revealed, giving me time to assemble clues and develop theories. I got a lot right but it was a little twisty, making me miss some big marks. And that ending…yikes! Well done.

The first book I read by Lisa Gray, The Final Act, took me by complete surprise, and I loved it. Now that I know the caliber of storyteller Gray is, I went into Dead of Night expecting a good story, and I was not disappointed.

Dead of Night takes place over a few different timelines, but it does it seamlessly and never leaves you confused. The majority of the story follows Serena, who is a writer with writer’s block following the death of her partner. They take a trip and stay at a remote house in California, hoping to spark her creative mind and get out of her writer’s block.

Serena quickly finds out that the house she is staying at is more remote than she initially thought, and it also comes with a dark past. 30 years earlier, there was a family of 3 that just vanished. The case was never solved, and no one knows what happened to the family.

Serena is inspired by the story and is finally getting some writing done. She starts to uncover some secrets that are meant to remain covered, and the last starts to haunt her.

There were a lot of twists, some expected and some not. I did enjoy The Final Act more, but Dead of Night is still a book I highly recommend. From start to finish, I was engaged, and I just had to find out what happened in that house 30 years ago.

Dead of Night is a chilling atmospheric psychological thriller with a mysteriously unnerving vibe. It had multiple engaging timelines that all came together in a surprising ending. It was a quick read and the narration by Brenda Scott Wlazlo amped up the suspense perfectly!

While grieving the death of her partner, author Serena Winters has hit a wall while trying to write her newest book. Thinking that a change of scenery may help, she heads to a remote cliff side home in California hoping for inspiration which she does find when learning of the mysterious disappearance of the previous residents. As she begins asking questions about the disappearance, it seems someone wants to put a stop to her inquiries.

The suspense comes at you from several different angles and had me unable to put this one down!!

"The Dead of Night" is a gripping and intense thriller that promises to leave readers shocked and captivated. Employing a multiple point of view and a non-linear narrative, it adds an impressive layer of depth to the story. The interwoven plots create a rich tapestry that keeps you engaged as the narrative unfolds. Overall, it’s an intriguing tale that I thoroughly enjoyed. Highly recommended for anyone looking for an enthralling read!

4.5

This was fast-paced, gripping, and had plenty of chilling wtf moments, all the things you need for a great psychological thriller.

If you’re in a reading slump I would highly recommend this one. It’s on the shorter side, the audiobook was roughly 8 hours, and I felt like I flew through it.

Gray is a new author for me, but after Dead of Night, I will be checking out the rest of her collection.

What set this book apart from other thrillers is that this story covers 3 different timelines, and the author seamlessly wove all three together with an ending I did not anticipate.

Tropes
⚡️Psychological Thriller
⏰Triple timelines
🕵🏻‍♀️Disappearance mystery
☀️California/costal setting

This was my first Lisa Gray book and it absolutely hooked me—I started it in the morning and couldn’t stop until the final twist. The suspense was perfectly paced, the setting chilling, and the plot kept me guessing at every turn.
And I have to mention the narration—Brenda Scott Wlazlo brought the story to life with such depth and emotion. Her performance made the tension even more intense and pulled me completely into Serena’s world.
📚 If you love twisty thrillers with atmosphere, secrets, and an unforgettable lead, this one needs to be on your radar.
🔁 One-sitting read. I’m officially a Lisa Gray (and Brenda Scott Wlazlo!) fan.

Will add Instagram post tomorrow.

I’ve been seeing this authors books all over lately so when I got the opportunity to listen to an early copy I jumped at the chance. I’m so glad I did because this was exactly the type of thriller I enjoy, it was smart, it was engaging and it surprised me more than once! The multiple timelines were easy to follow and connected in ways I didn’t predict and most of my theories were incorrect. The audio version was so entertaining with a narrator that kept my attention and a plot line that had me guessing. Such a fun thriller, I can’t wait to read more from the author!

I hadn't read or listened to any Lisa Grey books before this one but that is a situation I will be resolving shortly.

After listening to this book, I was hooked; the story is amazing and kept me on the edge of my seat. Normally, I'm not a fan of multiple time periods in a thriller, but it worked really well for this one.

With the story, we get a thrilling tale of grief and mysteries decades in the making, with an ending that is nothing short of breathtaking.

If you're looking for a good thriller that will take you on a wild ride, this is the one for you.

This is a 4.5 star read for me, used 5 for review purposes.

Thank you to Thriller Book Lovers The Pulse and NetGalley for providing a copy of this audiobook, I have voluntarily listened to it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I binged this book. The opening pages were laced with mystery, and once I got into Serena Winters' POV, I was hooked. As an author, I could understand her struggle to get her next book going and her need for inspiration. I loved how in the process of seeking a change of scenery, she tumbled into the mystery of missing family. The POVs from the other characters, including a missing wife and a young girl, rounded out the plotting well. This story has that addictive popcorn thriller vibe that readers are seeking nowadays.

Now this is a cool thriller!!! I loved the excitement and fast pace! It’s my first read by Lisa Gray & won’t be my last! Running to add all of her many books to my TBR shelf!

This book had me hooked from the first page and didn’t let go! The creepy, isolated beach house setting, the shifting points of view, and the constant suspense kept me turning pages (and hitting replay on the audiobook). 😱 Every time I thought I had it figured out, a twist would hit, leaving me shocked and desperate for more.

The audiobook made the experience even better. The narrator delivered an immersive performance that brought Serena’s fear and confusion to life. Listening felt like stepping into her shoes and walking that haunted shoreline yourself.

Dead of Night isn’t just a thriller; it’s a psychological ride with characters you’ll love to question and a story that keeps you guessing until the very end. If you enjoy twisty, atmospheric thrillers that get under your skin, this one’s a MUST. And trust me, the ending will leave you speechless!

Add it to your TBR if you haven’t already! 📖💥

Thank you SO MUCH to @thrillerbookloversthepulse , Thomas & Mercer and @netgalley for this #gifted e-ARC & ALC!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #BrillancePublishing for the book #DeadOfNight by #LisaGray. I absolutely loved this chilling book with secrets, deceit and murder. Serena is a famous author who hasn’t written a word since her partner died. She decided to rent out a house in California for a change of scenery. There are people talking about that houses history and three people that went missing many years ago. Serena decides she wants to try and find out what happened to these missing people and ends up finding trouble from someone that doesn’t want the past revealed. Can she get to the bottom before she is a victim?

A crime writer heads to a secluded getaway house so she can write her new novel in peace. While there, she discovers that a family went missing from the same house she is currently staying in and while pursuing the case for research, begins to get death threats telling her to leave the past alone. This book gave me chills. The more Serena got closer to the truth, the quicker the threats became. I loved the cat and mouse game and how it all came together at the end. Brilliant on audio too!