Day: April 28, 2022

I will always grab a psych thriller written by Emily Shiner. I find her writing to be simple but engaging. The Caretaker is a perfect example.

It feels like this one is a little more elementary than her others. There are passages that are vague, and detail is sketchy or missing entirely.

That being said, the overall plot is a good one that built satisfying tension. Even though the reader knows (for the most part) what is going on, there are still a few surprises left.

I liked the setup of the old house needing rehab and TLC. That’s always a good setting for conflict…and secrets.

The gaslighting was in strong effect in this story as well. It is another effective plot trope that works well in this story.

Less effective was the whole pre-marriage/affair thread. I get that it is there to show that there is distrust between Amy and Tim. And it does provide a wedge to use against them by the villain. But there is another aspect that doesn’t work as well.

In fact, to me, this plot point served to be more melodramatic than anything else. And it took the characters in places that I didn’t feel were realistic or natural.

Back to the gaslighting for a second – I did like how the villain got to the couple. There were some very effective spooky moments, and it was easy to see how that could affect how people looked at other events with a crooked eye.

And I also liked how the author wrapped up the story. Often there is a hopeful note, where the hero and heroine have overcome (either separate or apart) and things go on.

This is not that ending. By the last pages, it is apparent just how much of a toll the events took on a main character – but I’m not saying which one.

All in all, it is a decent book. Some of the writing was lazy and elementary, but the overall plot was good for a psych thriller. I’ll continue to read books from Emily Shiner.      

Author Bio 

Emily Shiner always dreamed of becoming an author but first served her time as a banker and a teacher. Now she gets to live out her dream of writing novels and sharing her stories with people around the world. She lives in the Appalachian Mountains and loves hiking with her husband, daughter, and their two dogs.

Emily writes psychological thrillers. Check out The Secret Wife and The Promise, also from Inkubator Books