Guilt is Midnight Blue by Josalyn McAllister – Guest Post: Top Seven Most ‘Thrill’-ing Reads of My Life (so far) + Giveaway

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Guilt is Midnight Blue by Josalyn McAllister
A Hazel Dean Mystery Book 1
Eburnean Books • May 6, 2021

Hazel Dean can see other’s emotions in color.

She mostly uses it to help people find the perfect book in her shop, Books and Chocolate. But, when one of her customers is murdered, the police point to an old feud. Only Hazel can tell that the accused is innocent. She must navigate around her district attorney husband, and her surrogate uncle, the police captain, to find out what really happened.

Hazel drives, hikes and snoops all over her small Appalachian town in an attempt to bring peace to the victim’s family and prevent her community from being torn apart by old grudges.

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Top Seven Most ‘Thrill’-ing Reads of My Life (so far)

I’m excited to be here with Brooke Blogs today! She has a lot of amazing books and authors on here and I’m honored to be one of them.

Twisty plotlines have long been my absolute favorite books to read, regardless of genre. I’ve found that it doesn’t really ruin a book for me if I figure out the ending before I get to it, but there’s nothing quite like that feeling of epiphany when the author reveals a simple fact and everything suddenly shifts. It’s such a rush to read a twist that you didn’t see coming.

The Monster at the End of this Book: I’m sure I’m not the only one who remembers this as their first twist plotline. I remember with poignant nostalgia the relief I felt upon reading this book for the first time and discovering that lovable, furry, old Grover was indeed the monster at the end of the book. Sorry, that’s the only spoiler I promise.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte: My mom was not a reader, and I was a precocious one, so she often didn’t know what to do with me. For fear of handing me something that might be inappropriate for my age, she stuck to the classics and I read Jane Eyre for the first time when I was nine years old. Unfortunately, I can never get that first reading back and while a lot of it went over my head, I will always remember the cold horror that enveloped me when I found out… the twist.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie: I got a little bit older and began to full on devour Agatha Christie. I will never forget the agony I experienced over And Then There Were None. How on Earth was she going to wrap it up to anyone’s satisfaction. Was there a solution at all? When the killer was finally revealed I got goosebumps all up and down my arms. Then immediately became a Christie evangelist, a proselytism I haven’t been able to shake to this day.

Inferno by Dan Brown: The twist in this book had an extra punch because of Brown’s masterful use of pacing. I can’t really say more without giving anything away, but this is a book you will read in one sitting. When I got to the end, I felt like I had been untethered, like I was floating and weightless. It will leave you pondering for days afterwards. Some people think the end is a gimmick of the “and then they woke up” variety, but I think it was brilliant.

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton: I read this one for book club, thinking that it was chick lit, which I suppose it is. Maybe that’s why I didn’t see the twist coming. Not from a mile away. It was so wholly unexpected that I felt a little stung and flushed when I read it, as though I had been slapped. A lesser known Kate Morton book, The Secret Keeper remains my favorite of hers.


Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn: Yes, unreliable narrators existed before Gillian Flynn started writing, but come on. Gone Girl is a masterpiece. If you only ever read one thriller in your entire life, this should be the one you pick up. Seriously.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides: I listened to this book in audio format. I was standing in my kitchen preparing dinner when the twist was revealed. I had to sit down. Things were burning on the stove. It didn’t matter. The Silent Patient wins for the elegance of it. Once it was revealed it was so obvious, but I never would have figured it out myself.

Do you remember a particular reading experience when a twist left you reeling? I’d love to hear about it!


About the Author

Josalyn McAllister is a cozy fiction author whose most recent works include Love Over Easy and Guilt is Midnight Blue. Josalyn started writing character descriptions at the tender age of seven, inspired by the works of LM Montgomery. In her teenage years she moved on to Newsies fan fiction. Inspired by National Novel Writing Month, she wrote her first novel about a child she mentored in college. She has never stopped writing. Josalyn taught middle school history before deciding she would rather spend time with her own children than other peoples. A restless soul, she has moved all over the country and collected an eclectic array of hobbies. Her writing has a relatable quality that will charm and entertain you.

Author Links
Website: http://www.josalynmcallister.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/josalyn.mcallister.5
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20244955.Josalyn_McAllister
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/josalynmcallister/

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