How can I describe The Betrayal, the new “psych thriller” from Cole Baxter?
Sometimes you go into a book expecting one thing and it is actually different. So, you might be disappointed in what you didn’t get. But if you see it as something else, it is pretty good.
That probably doesn’t clear things up too much.
I put psych thriller in quotes above because that is how the publisher describes it. However, I did not get much “psych” from it. I did get lots of slow-burn thriller.
Erin is on the run. We find out why fairly early on, but it really isn’t a surprise – the hints are there. She establishes a new life in a new place, thinking that she has done everything she can to protect herself.
But has she?
There is a bit of psych here and there in the book, especially as events start to happen on the island and she decides to solve the “mystery” herself.
However, there are long descriptions of her life as a pet groomer, which verge on tedious at times. Although, I suppose if you are interested in becoming a groomer, there are some good tips here.
I had a little bit of a problem with Erin’s reactions and that could have been character-driven or just in the writing. For example, her ex-husband who is out of prison (not a spoiler, it’s in the blurb) starts to re-enter her life.
She is meant to be terrified of that. It’s partly why she ran. But she goes on tv (not exactly “hiding”) and makes other questionable moves that seem to indicate a lack of sense, putting herself out in the public eye.
For one example, she receives a package from her ex, and she rolls her eyes at the card like it’s no big deal, even though it is clearly controlling. Not a page later, however, she is cowering in terror. And then she is smiling at the card again.
It is just uneven and that’s where the “psych” part falls short.
But the thriller part is strong, as it winds through the rest of the plot. You probably won’t guess the big twist and reveal. They’re unique and took me by surprise mainly because a lot of authors would not “go there.” But Cole Baxter did.
So, to return to my first paragraph, The Betrayal is not exactly a psych thriller in the classic sense, but if you approach the book from a domestic thriller point of view, you will find a decent plot with some good twists.
Also from Cole Baxter: The Perfect Suitor
AUTHOR BIO
Cole Baxter loves writing psychological suspense thrillers. It’s all about that last reveal that he loves shocking readers with.
He grew up in New York, where there, crime was all around. He decided to turn that into something positive with his fiction.
His stories will have you reading through the night—they are very addictive!
