Another incredible thriller for the month of October!
Thank you Bookouture for having me on the tour and for the gifted copy
THE SON-IN-LAW – Ellie Monago (Released October 13th, 2025)
Book Description:
“Mom, meet my fiancé.” I look at the man standing next to my daughter and my heart starts pounding. I know him. He is the only person who knows all my secrets.
I play nervously with the white tablecloth in the restaurant my daughter Lise picked out. I want to make a good first impression on her fiancé. I watch as the door opens and a man in a crisp white shirt enters holding my daughter’s hand. The moment I see his face my blood runs cold. Why has he found me?
Lise slips out to take a call, leaving me alone with the man who could tear my family apart. Gavin smiles as he says the words that I hoped he never would: “You know why I’m here and what it will take to make me leave.”
My world starts to spin as my past and present collide. He’s been lying to my daughter about who he really is. But I will do anything to keep her safe.
Because only I know what my future son-in-law is capable of, how far he will go to get what he wants. But he underestimates how far I will go to protect my daughter. Which one of us will make it out alive?
The Son-in-Law is a completely addictive psychological thriller, perfect for fans of The Housemaid, The Perfect Marriage and B.A. Paris
About the Author:
Ellie Monago is a novelist and practicing therapist. She’s also a wife and mother, and when you add it all up, she doesn’t wind up with much time for hobbies. But she’s an avid tennis fan, a passionate reader of both fiction and nonfiction—especially memoir (nothing’s as juicy as the truth!)—and she relishes a good craft cocktail.
If you would like to reach out to Ellie, she can be contacted at elliemonago@gmail.com – Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Ellie Monago here
My Thoughts: 4/5 stars
This book was so much fun. I will remain skeptical when I see books being described as “unputdownable” and “addictive” because it almost always ends up being a mild let down. Well, THE SON-IN-LAW definitely lived up to those claims. This was my first book by Ellie Monago and it will not be my last (so please, give me recommendations). I’ll never tire of thrillers with some great family drama – the more over-the-top the better.
When Diana gets an invitation from her estranged daughter, Lisa, to have dinner and meet her new fiance, she jumps at the chance. Anxiously waiting in the restaurant she gets the shock of her life – Lise walks in with Gavin Axelrod. Why is this a massive problem? Well, he happens to be one of Lise’s former high school teachers. Diana’s world is spinning and she can’t understand how this could have happened.
You’re right there with Diana as she desperately tries to find out if Lise and Gavin crossed paths after she graduated and he came back into her life or if he had been controlling her from the moment they met. All the drama, all the secrets, all the manipulation, and add in a very rocky and delicate relationship between Diana and Lise to complicate it further. Will Lise be able to see through it all and listen to her mother or is there something at play? This was a quick read – I’d say more psychological than a straight thriller and I didn’t mind that at all! Highly recommend and now I need to go back through the author’s backlist for more exciting stories.
Jessicamap Reviews 