Thriller Thursday is here again. This week I listened to the true thrillers I am highlighting. I find listening to a thriller grabs me and I get more invested in the story. Scroll down for my thoughts.

Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donlea, Vivienne Leheny (Narrator)

Published March 28th 2023 by Kensington Books, Recorded Books

4 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Alexandra Quinlan was the only survivor when her parents and brother were killed in their home. She was arrested and charged with their murder. The local reporter on the scene called her Empty Eyes as she stared blankly while being taken from their home. She was acquitted and sued the police. She got a nice settlement, then disappeared. She changed her name to Alex Armstrong and tried to stay out of the limelight. She never gave up on finding out the truth about her family’s murder. It is ten years later and she is working as a legal investigator. She is trying to find evidence to prove that Matthew Claymore, is not responsible for the disappearance of his girlfriend, a student journalist named Laura McAllister. Laura was about to break a major story about rape and cover-ups on her college campus. As Alex investigates what Laura is working on, she begins to find connections to the murder of her parents.

The book opens with a bang, the horrendous murder of three people and one barely escaping with her life. Alex is sitting by her parent’s bodies with the weapon in her lap when the police arrive. Jacqueline Jordan and Garrett Lancaster defend her as well as working the suit against the police. That is the firm that Alex now works for. Then, Charlie Donlea adds more to the story. We have the disappearance of a college student who is working on the story of rape, drugging co-eds and coverups, as well as a summer camp where there is a pedophile on staff. How does all this fit together had my brain going around in circles. When I thought I had something sorted, there was new evidence that had me starting over. This is a twisty story with a smart, courageous, strong, protagonist. Although I enjoyed this story, there were a few too many twists and things that were unbelievable to give it 5 stars. The narration was performed by Vivienne Leheny. As expected, she does a great job with the voices, expression and mood in this story. If you enjoy a twisty thriller that needs you to suspend belief and just go with the flow, then you will enjoy Those Empty Eyes.

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell, Narrated by:  Kristin Atherton, Ayesha Antoine, Louise Brealey, Alix Dunmore, Elliot Fitzpatrick, Emilia Fox, Thomas Judd, Kate Macdonald, Dominic Thorburn), Nicola Walker (Narrator), Jenny Walser (Narrator)

Published August 8th 2023 by Atria Books, Simon & Schuster Audio

5 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lisa Jewell is an auto-read author for me, so I was thrilled to finally jump into None of This is True. Alix Summers is a popular podcaster, out celebrating her 45th birthday. She meets another woman, Josie Fair. Josie, who is also celebrating her 45th birthday. They are, birthday twins. A few days later they bump into each other again outside Alix’s daughter’s school. Josie tells Alex that she thinks she would make a good subject for Alix’s podcast as she is about to undergo changes in her life. As they meet to work on the podcast, Alix realizes that Josie has some deep, dark secrets. Should she continue to work with her? How will she keep their lives separate?

This book is creepy, twisty and had me wanting to keep the lights on. There was something about Josie that had my hair standing on end. As we learn about Josie’s life, her children and her husband Walter, I began to realize that she might be an unreliable narrator. The story is told from various POVs, although mostly through Alix and Josie, as well as including some of the podcasts. This was a popcorn book for me. I just sat back and let it unfold. I didn’t try to guess what was going on, because I kept changing my mind about who was telling the truth. I think it is important to just go into this one not knowing more about the plot. I found it interesting how Josie pulled Alix into her story and life so easily. The audiobook was narrated by a full cast and it was brilliant. It gave it the feel of playing out in front of me with the voices being individualized and the podcasts adding another dimension. I highly recommend this psychological thriller to those who enjoy them and to fans of Lisa Jewell. Another winner in my books.