The Compound

Secrets and Suspense

By: Robin Mahle

ISBN: 9781835269060

Publisher: Joffe Books

Publication Date: 12/10/2024

Format: e-book

My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)

DEC 2024 MUST-READ BOOKS

The terrifying echo of my mother’s screams carry in the air. My baby sister has already been silenced.

Flames lick my back. Screams echo from those trapped inside. I’m running for my life. Down the stairs, taking the steps two at a time in my desperate escape.

As my foot finds the final step, I slip. The slick sensation underfoot is unmistakable — blood. My brother’s blood.

From upstairs, the man’s voice resonates through the house. “You think you can get away with what you’ve done?” His threat hangs in the air like a promise as I make my escape, leaving everyone else to die.

Now, twenty years later, I’m back in the small town in Iowa where I grew up. Where this all happened.

It’s the worst mistake I’ll ever make.

AN EXHILARATING BLEND OF BREATHTAKING SUSPENSE AND NAIL-BITING TENSION WITH A SHOCKING FINAL TWIST.

Perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, Steena Holmes, John Marrs, Anya Mora and T.M. Logan.

Buy the Book

#TheCompound

My Review

From the author of her bestselling popular cop procedurals and crime thrillers, Robin Mahle (favorite author) is back following The Man in My Attic and The Chef (part of the Secrets & Suspense Standalone series) with THE COMPOUND.

The past collides with the present in this spine-chilling, terrifying thriller with a jaw-dropping twist and an unstoppable heroine! A film set meets a sinister cult where nothing is as it appears, keeping you on the edge of your seat with every turn of the page.

About...

Kylie, the lead production assistant on her first big-budget movie, is faced with a daunting challenge. The film is set in the small Iowa town she once escaped, a town that holds her tragic past—the past she thought she had left behind.

Now, returning to the scene of the horrific crime. A dangerous cult from twenty years earlier where her family was murdered in front of her eyes. A fire had shut down the compound and its controlling leader.

At thirteen, Kylie barely escaped a dangerous cult, a cult that everyone believed had claimed her life. She was taken in by her aunt in California, where she was raised under a new identity and name. A name that even her boyfriend and colleagues do not associate with her past.

Soon, sinister things begin occurring, and people start turning up dead. Whom can she trust? She must try to protect others from harm and tell Jesse (the cameraman) and her partner the truth.

Is someone back from her past, from New Hope, the dangerous cult with the controlling leader, Lucas? But he is dead. Who is watching out for her?

Is a follower or someone from the past back for revenge or to control her? Have they found out her true identity and are back to make sure she dies this time around, or is it a more sinister evil plan? Was this a setup to get her back here? Who is controlling the narrative?

She escaped once; however, someone from the past is back, and unfortunately, her colleagues are caught up in the crossfires.

Her worst nightmares are coming true. Yet, Kylie is a tough survivor, determined to find out the identity of the serial killer before they find her, where no one is as they appear. The sins of her family have come back to haunt her in ways she cannot imagine, but she is not giving up. She is resilient. She never dreamed of the events that would unfold.

My thoughts...

From the Iowa cornfields to the farmlands, the film set, the strong characters, the past cult, and the multi-layered story from past to present, Robin Mahle captivates you in this haunting, edge-of-your-seat, atmospheric, and creepy thriller that will send shivers down your spine!

Sometimes, our darkest secrets are the hardest ones to leave behind. Twist follows the twist, and nothing is as it seems.

Set against a ticking clock, this haunting and atmospheric thriller pits a ruthless cult from the past against once a daughter, now a woman who will do anything to keep herself safe and those she loves.

A dark, chilling, atmospheric thriller infused with mysterious and flawed characters. The past and present collide in this taut and unpredictable psychological thriller. (combining crime, detective, cop procedural, small rural town, and coming of age).

I have been a huge fan of the author since her Detective Rebecca Ellis series and anxiously await the next in the series. Whether a series or standalone, Mahle masterfully juggles twisty plots, multiple timelines, characters, and storylines for a highly entertaining read. You will enjoy the detectives and FBI agent, the strong main character, and the wicked twist at the end. I also enjoyed how she used the film business as part of the story, which was intriguing. I loved Kylie, Dale, and Jesse.

If you enjoy books about cults and how easily people can manipulate and brainwash others into joining a cult, and sometimes, the victims don’t even realize it. Whether it’s a story about brainwashing, religious movements, or how innocent children can be caught up in their family's decisions or lifestyles, you will enjoy it.

For fans of the movie Waco, its siege, a 51-day standoff between Branch Davidians and federal agents that ended in 1993 when the religious group’s compound near Waco, Texas, was destroyed in a fire. Nearly 80 people were killed.

Recs...

For fans of the author and those who enjoy cult stories, JP Pomare (In the Clearing), Emma Cline (The Girls), Laura McHugh (What's Done in Darkness), Ashley Winstead (The Last Housewife), Heather Gudenkauf (The Overnight Guest-Iowa), Willow Rose (Find My Girl), and Freida McFadden.

Get this one on your holiday thriller list!.

Thanks to Joffe Books and Netgalley for an advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks

Pub Date: Dec 10, 2024

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