TJ shows up on their 1st anniversary. TJ is the stepson she never knew she had from the relationship Carrie never knew her husband was in. Then girls in their small community start to go missing and the police target TJ.

Carrie is a very relatable character. She lives in glass paradise. Everyone knows everyone’s business as soon as it happens. I liked Carrie’s tone as she prepared for her neighbor to visit or call her about something that just happened at her door. The twist in the book will turn you upside down!

This is a fun, fast read which will suit people looking for escapism. I found. It a bit hard to believe the son cs,e out of the blue like that and that the situation was then so readily accepted between the couple. It’s a decent story but not terribly complicated, which will suit readers who like to dive in and read quickly.

This book was really good. I liked how the story was told in a storytelling format and it was very entertaining. The plot twist at the end definitely got me.

The Stepson by D.L. Fisher is the first book I have read from this author and I am so glad I found a new author to stalk! "only joking" So I will be reading more books by her. I just love the way she writes and this book was so addictive, from the very first few pages I was hooked and I enjoyed it.. The Stepson, was full of twist and turns throughout and I ended up binge reading it in one day as I could not put my kindle down, Plus it was a perfect day sitting in my garden in the shade reading it.

I highly recommend this book. I loved it.

Big Thank you to NetGalley and t0 Joffe Books, for my copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. This was my first D.L Fisher book and I loved it! The twist, the turns, the shock! I’ll definitely be reading more from this author.

Thank you to Joffe Books for my copy of this book. Unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

I probably should have dnfed, but I assumed it would be a quick read and truly never thought it would be a one star read for me.

But here’s the thing: the writing here is really, really bad. I promise I’m not trying to be unnecessarily mean, but it genuinely sounds like a middle schooler wrote this book. The expressions and phrases used…yikes. This was definitely my number one issue with the books, but also…

‼️Spoilers below‼️

I guessed every single plot twist. 🤷🏻‍♀️ It honestly was incredibly predictable, especially because the title itself gives things away! It’s supposed to be this last minute crazy revelation in the epilogue, but I kept waiting for THE STEPSON to somehow be important to the plot.

Also, this was a huge issue for me in another VERY popular thriller that I won’t name for spoilers’ sake, but along with the overly insane juvenile writing style, you also have poor plot writing by forcing your FMC to not reveal who she saw for a lot of this book, even though it’s written from her perspective, and we the readers are with her when she makes her grand realization. It’s holding something above the readers so you can have a plot twist later. The problem is, that’s NOT how people think! It boils down to lazy and poor writing.

I’ll stop there. I’m not trying to crucify the author or people who liked the book; CLEARLY this one just wasn’t for me.

But as always, I am very grateful for the gifted copy.

A Good Thriller
This book was a bit unsettling at some instances and will definitely grip the attention of many readers. Loved how the plot twist is revealed and the ending was quite satisfying. Readers who are trying to pick up thrillers for first time will love this book!

A wealthy community is thrown into a nightmare when a teenage girl is found floating in the pool.

Everyone is looking at each other wondering if this person or that person is the murderer.

The police think they have their man in a 19 year old who shows up at is long lost father’s house the day of the murder.

A lot going on in this story and it’s nothing that you think.
Even at the end you will be thrown for a loop by what you read.

A great story and a must read.

This was a hell of a twisty thriller!!! It's also really fast paced so it's easy to tear through it in one sitting.

That said, the plot transitions to the portrayals of the characters felt kind of... unnatural? I don't know how to explain it. I also felt it was kind of weird how they suspected TJ right away. I think it would definitely be beneficial to the story to have more fleshing out in each of the plot developments.

If you can turn your brain off, it's a fast and easy thriller with lots of juicy reveals and rapid developments! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC

everything is fine. perfect even. we have a woman with the perfect life. perfect clothes. perfect wealth. perfect husband. all good. until its not. and the not knocks on the door claiming to be a stepson. a stepson she never new existed. and then the perfect neighbourhood starts seeing cracked or being cracked open. and where does the blame lie...well in the newcomer of course. but is this a convenient blame? and who will be in danger next. and more to the point why?
it turns out this perfect community has been keeping alot more in its gates than out.

brilliant. this is a brilliant read. its quick and sharp and clever but somehow fun! i really enjoyed this one. D. I. Fisher is a new author to me and wow, where have i been. i will now being googling and goodreading to find more from them to add in to my TBR pile.

An unsettling and gripping drama. with plenty of suspense and twist, this page turner will keep you up at night turning the pages. A highly redabale thriller.

This book seemed kind of familiar until I realised that it was a re release under another name and things clicked. I had read the book previously. I still enjoyed reading it this time though and the twist at the end is still written really well. I do think that the blurb gives too much away though because I kept thinking back to the blurb and the twist at the end does fall flat because of the blurb, not the writing, but you are kind of expecting that to happen.

A quick, easy and twisty read that kept me guessing and not knowing what to believe. I really enjoyed it and I look forward to reading more by the author

This gripping psychological drama lives up to the weight of its title—and then some. With elements of suspense, domestic conflict, and emotional betrayal, the novel the stepson is an unsettling yet compulsively readable tale about secrets, trust, and the fragility of personal safety within the place we expect to feel most secure: home.
What makes this novel especially effective is the slow-burning dread. This is absolutely a must read book

I couldn't put it down! The Stepson was a quick, fun read. The writing was easy and read similarly to a Freida McFadden novel. When TJ, an unknown stepson, arrives at Carrie's door at the same time that several girls in the neighborhood go missing all eyes turn on him. Is TJ the killer? Read to find out! So many twists that i still can't decide how I feel about the ending! Because I am the librarian at a middle school I will not be purchasing this title for our library, as it is not age appropriate, but I will recommend to friends and family!

The Stepson is a gripping domestic thriller with plenty of twists and a fast pace that kept me hooked from the start. Carrie thinks she has the perfect life, until a stranger shows up at her door claiming to be her husband’s son. From there, things spiral fast, especially when local teenage girls begin to go missing and TJ becomes the prime suspect.

I really enjoyed the building tension and Carrie’s increasing doubt about everyone around her, including herself. The story blends drama, mystery, and just the right amount of suspense. Some parts felt a little over the top, but it made the ride even more entertaining.

A twisty, binge-worthy read that’s perfect for fans of psychological thrillers with a suburban edge.

Thank you to NetGalley, Joffe Books, and D.L. Fisher for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC!!

From the start, this book had an eerie pull—I thought I had the culprit figured out, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. The twists kept coming, and the final reveal left me speechless. Dark, gripping, and full of surprises. Highly recommend if you love a jaw-dropping ending!!

Wow!! This was a fun read even with the backdrop of murder the story evolves with a lot of black humor ala Desperate Housewives as Carrie's whole world is turned upside down by a ringing doorbell which turns out to be just one of many. As Carrie, 28, waits for her rich handsome husband to come home on their anniversary. At the door is not an expensive bouquet of flowers, but instead a young handsome stepson she had not known even existed. As the day wears on Carrie is more and more frustrated by Bennett's response as they navigate her surprise anniversary party surrounded by the close frenemies of their exclusive gated community that people are dying (literally) to be a part of. As the teen daughters of several residents go missing, her new stepson, TJ becomes the lead suspect. Add in a killer storm, nosy neighbors and a lying husband and you have the recipe for fun whodunit with a surprising twist ending you will not see coming.

First, thank you Netgalley and Joffe Books for the ARC!

I could never imagine to live with someone I do not know personally on some level.... like, I never even had a room mate before. But then I am also no very social person. Like, I mean, it is surely not the fault of books like this one. Even when things went downhill fast here, as well.

I really enjoyed this book, it was a quick and easy read, just the right pace for my liking. Sometimes maybe a little rushed, but that did not kill too much of the fun, really. 4 stars from me for this one!

Such a great read. had a suspicion who behind all of the tragic events in the estate, but boy, I was wrong. The ending completely blew me away and had my jaw to the ground. Highly recommend and can not wait to read more by this author.