“Even when you have nothing left in your life, hope is the one thing that can never be taken away.”
Jeneva Rose is a multi-million bestselling author of numerous mystery and thriller books. Originally from Wisconsin, she currently resides in Chicago with her husband Drew and stubborn English bulldog, Winston. Her books have been translated into over two dozen languages and optioned for adaptions on both the small and big screen. Since the release of her acclaimed debut novel The Perfect Marriage, Rose has become renowned for her fast-paced, intense dynamics and chilling revelations. If you’re a fan of her work or searching for your next great psychological thriller, check out the best Jeneva Rose books in order of release here at What We Reading!
The Perfect Marriage (2020)
Sarah Morgan is a successful and powerful defence attorney in Washington D.C. At thirty-three, she has been named partner at her firm, and everything in her life appears to be going exactly as she planned. The same, however, cannot be said of her husband, Adam. He is a struggling writer who has had little success in his career. With her wife always working, his relationship with Sarah has gone stale.
Out in the secluded woods, at the couple’s second home, Adam engages in a passionate affair with a girl named Kelly Summers. Then, one morning, everything changed. Adam is arrested after Kelly’s body is discovered stabbed. Sarah soon finds herself playing defender for her husband, a man accused of murdering the person he had been cheating on her with. But, is he truly guilty or not?
Dead Woman Crossing (Detective Kimberley King #1) (2020)
Haunted by the serial killer she never caught up with, Detective Kimberley King leaves her position in New York and relocates to the sleepy town of Dead Woman Crossing in Oklahoma. She hopes to bring her daughter, Jessica, closer to her family and away from the bad memories of the city. But, her new home isn’t the peaceful place she had hoped for. Within days of arriving, Kimberley is summoned to the scene of a bloody murder. The victim is her friend, Hannah, and the only witness is her one-year-old daughter.
Kimberley can’t escape the similarities between Hannah’s death and the murder of a young woman in 1905, the incident that gave the town its eerie name. Could this killer be a copycat? Joining up with Sheriff Sam Walker, Kimberly struggles to make headway in a town where trust and answers are hard to win. And, when she receives a threatening note, Kimberley realises that, as a single mother herself, she might be putting herself dangerously in the killer’s sights.
Last Day Alive (Detective Kimberley King #2) (2021)
The second entry in the Detective Kimberley King series, 2021’s Last Day Alive opens with ten-year-old Piper setting off into the Oklahoma evening for a sleepover with her friend from summer camp. Last seen on her pink bicycle heading towards the dark woods on Black Heart Lane, her grandparents soon raise the alarm when she doesn’t return home. Eventually, her body is found in a woodland clearing, lying on a bed of moss.
In Dead Woman Crossing, a town where residents still leave their doors unlocked, Kimberley King is terrified another little girl might be snatched. Desperate to find the monster who took the life of an innocent child, she hunts down every last lead relating to Piper’s disappearance. But when news breaks that another child has been kidnapped, it soon turns to a race against time to prevent this killer from claiming another life.
The Girl I Was (2021)
In her book The Girl I Was, Jeneva Rose asks whether you would want to go back in time to meet your past self. Alexis Spencer is adept at finding inspirational and motivational quotes to justify her failures and ignore all her problems. Her debts are spiralling, her boyfriend ends things, her friends are absent and she’s lost her job. In typical fashion though, she blames the world for her dilemma. Specifically, she blames her eighteen-year-old self for not trying harder and putting her life on a better track.
After going on a bender and blacking out, Alexis wakes up. Only the year is 2002 and she’s in her college town. She’s been given a chance to re-live her life and a second chance to do things over. That is until she encounters her teenage unruly self. Adapting to the early 2000s is the easy part. Dealing with ‘Lexi’ is another thing entirely. The first Jeneva Rose book to move away from the thriller world, this time travel chick-lit tale is perfect for any readers looking for a lighter read.
One Of Us Is Dead (2022)
Jeneva Rose’s 2022 book One of Us Is Dead introduces readers to the women of Buckhead, a place teeming with expensive cars, huge houses, and competitive friendships. Shannon was once the queen of the community. Until her politician husband dumped her for a younger woman. Crystal is the woman who has stepped into Shannon’s shoes, a young and innocent Texan who has no idea what she is up against.
Olivia has waited years to take Shannon’s crown as the unofficial queen of Buckhead. Finally, her time seems to have come. But, in order to take her place, she will need to make use of every backstabbing, manipulative and underhand trick in the book. Finally, Jenny owns Glow, the most exclusive salon in town. She knows everyone’s deepest secrets and desires. Who amongst these four women will be able to survive Buckhead – and who will wind up dead?
You Shouldn’t Have Come Here (2023)
Grace Evans is an overworked New Yorker looking for some rest and relaxation. When she arrives at an Airbnb in the middle of rural Wyoming, she’s surprised to find the owner is a handsome man named Calvin Wells. The pair soon start to fall for one another but, despite this, there are things about the ranch that make Grace uneasy. A lack of cell service, a missing woman and hostility from Calvin’s friends and family all make her think something isn’t right with this town.
As her departure day draws closer, Calvin’s infatuation with Grace starts to turn into obsession. Calvin begins to fear Grace is hiding something from him. One of the best 2023 thriller books, You Shouldn’t Have Come Here is told in dual perspectives and is a fateful reminder of the dangers of opening your house, and heart, to a stranger.
Check Out Our You Shouldn’t Have Come Here Book Review
It’s A Date (2023)
Peyton Sanders hopes it isn’t too late to say ‘I love you’ back to the guy who said it to her one evening. Tired of dating apps and dead-end relationships, she rushes back to tell him. Only, on her way, she is struck by a car. She wakes up with an amnesia and three men by her bed, each of them claiming to be her boyfriend.
Each of the men are completely different. From the tattooed chef carrying a box of chocolates, the rustic-looking contractor in a flannel to the tailored consultant with a smile to die for. Peyton’s friends come up with the idea of her dating all three, believing that identifying her soulmate should be as easy as one, two, or three. Following Peyton on her journey back to love, 2023’s It’s a Date is Jeneva Rose’s first contemporary romance story and is both a hilarious and heartwarming dating adventure.
Home Is Where The Bodies Are (2024)
Originally published in April 2024, Home Is Where the Bodies Are follows three estranged siblings as they return to their mother’s estate following her passing. The eldest, Beth, never left home, caring for her mother until the very end. Nicole, the middle child, has been kept at arm’s length due to her ongoing battle with drugs. Michael, the baby of the group, lives out of state and hasn’t been home since his father left them seven years ago.
Whilst rummaging through their old belongings, the siblings stumble upon a VHS tape. However, the nostalgia is soon cut short by what is on the tape. Their father, covered in blood. A dead body. A pact between their parents deciding to get rid of it before the tape cuts out. Beth, Nicole and Michael must decide whether to leave the past in the past or uncover the dark secrets their mother took to her grave with her.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
