Close My Eyes-Books On Tour (Review)-Psychological Thriller-Available Now

This was an interesting psychological thriller. It didn’t exactly have me on the edge of my seat, but it did keep me engaged and interested.

Usually, if something isn’t extremely compelling, I feel sort of “so-so” about it. But I enjoyed reading where the author was going throughout this entire story.

I’ll be honest and say that I guessed a major plot point fairly early on, but that was strictly through being the cynical person that I am.

I think maybe that is what made it unique for me. I had a strong feeling that I had figured it out, but I wanted to see how the author got there – and if I was right or not.

I wasn’t right about all of it.

I thought that Gemma was the strongest character in the book. She felt the most realistic to me. The author did a great job of illustrating both her distress and desperation.

Beth was a little less fleshed-out, which at first bothered me, as I thought she was the center of the story. That being said, I did think that Beth’s journey was well-done. Sometimes issues like those Beth was dealing with seem overdone and “too much.”

That wasn’t the case here. She was as bewildered as I think I would have been if I had begun experiencing what she did. Her reactions seemed natural.

I also found it interesting that the author threw in some red herrings. I can’t quite tell if they were intentional or not, though. There were a few that I expected more out of, as in they had more to do with the pivotal events.

In that regard, I was left wanting with a few of the mentions and involvements. I guess in simpler terms, I wasn’t sure what was important and what wasn’t.

But in thinking about it, maybe that was exactly what the author intended.

If this review seems a bit convoluted, I apologize. Upon reflection, I believe it’s indicative of how well the author wove the plot that I was never quite sure what was vital and what was a side-mention.

And that’s what kept me interested right up until the very end.

I will conclude with the wish that the bad guy had received a much worse punishment. There was a lot of build up and then it kind of went by the wayside. I wanted more for that person because they definitely deserved worse.

But still, would certainly recommend this one.

Author Bio:

Throughout Beverley’s many years spent working in advertising and PR, she had always wanted to write fiction. In 2015 a creative writing course inspired her debut novel, Seeking Eden, which was published in 2017. The sequel, Eden Interrupted, soon followed. Beverley’s third novel – her first with Bookouture – fulfils a long-time goal to publish a psychological thriller.

Born in Yorkshire, and raised in Kent, Beverley currently lives in West Sussex with her partner and their adorable terrier. When not writing, you’ll find her reading, walking the dog or listening to rock music.

The Passenger-Blog Tour (Review)-Psychological Thriller-Available Now

I’m going to be honest (no point of lying on my own blog, right?)

This book started slowly, and I wasn’t quite sure that it was going to be an engaging read. However, I’m glad I stuck with it because the author actually built the suspense gradually before picking up at the halfway point and eventually finishing with several revelations that rocked the entire plot.

Told from multiple points of view, it is mainly Amanda’s story. At first, she seemed like a pathetic milquetoast of a person with unachievable dreams. That ended up being extremely untrue, but you’ll have to read it to see just how opposite she was.

The prologue starts with a memorable event, but (again) it’s a long way into the book before the significance of it becomes clear.

Having a lot of the action take place on a train was a bold choice, as it could have felt static and dull. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case. Atmospheric and claustrophobic (especially to anyone who has ever commuted via train), the closed location lent itself to the suspense of how events would unfold.

I certainly do not want to give anything away, but the crosses, double-crosses and double backs were very well done and had me quickly turning pages, especially in the last third of the book.

I definitely got a better sense of Amanda – I wish there had been a bit more of Louise. I would have loved to have seen her get a real piece of the action once everything started happening at once. That would have been a nice twist.

But no matter – give this one a try and stick with it. The author had me questioning what was going to happen right up until the very last page (I was waiting for another shoe to drop).

P.S. This is also a fairly quick read, as I finished it one setting. I’d suggest picking it up to read on your commute…just beware of charming strangers.

Facebook: danielhurstbooks 
Instagram: danielhurstbooks/

About Daniel Hurst:

Daniel Hurst writes psychological thrillers and loves to tell tales about unusual things happening to normal people. He has written all his life, making the progression from handing scribbled stories to his parents as a boy to writing full-length novels in his thirties. He lives in the North West of England and when he isn’t writing, he is usually watching a game of football in a pub where his wife can’t find him.

Visit his website at https://www.danielhurstbooks.com/ 

The Silent Friend-Blog Tour (Review)-Psych Thriller-Available Now

This book was absolutely nothing that I expected it to be. In spite of that, it turned out to be one of the best books I’ve read so far this year.

Right from the beginning, the author drew me in with switching time frames. It created intrigue as it was unclear as to what the “before” and “after” actually were.

When I first started reading, I thought it was going to be a typical “friends hide secrets” from each other. I think that’s what the author was going for? It definitely made the major event come as much more of a surprise.

And it was quite a gut-wrencher as well.

Regardless of the author’s intention at the outset, this was ultimately an amazing look at the aftermath of a tragedy that has become all too commonplace in today’s world.

(Seriously, I don’t want to give away more than the blurb does – and for once a blurb keeps important details hidden (thankfully)).

But the harrowing event is described in such agonizing detail, I began to wonder if the author had actually experienced it or talked to survivors of real-life events. It was that gut-wrenching and frankly, difficult to read. But extremely well-done.

One thing I wasn’t too keen on, because I didn’t see the purpose at first, was how awful Laura’s mother was. I mean, in the pantheon of bad moms of main characters, this one is a doozy. But as the story progressed, I realized how vital that was to the plot and the main conceit of the story.

I also thought the author did a great job of keeping another important piece of information hidden in plain sight. Again, not to give anything away, but…names matter. In fact, there were a lot of little details that seemed innocuous but became important.

Again, the attention and thought given to this plot was apparent.

I was a little incredulous that Sandy and Sam did not see what was right in front of them especially later in the book when history begins to repeat. But I think (again) the author chose this viewpoint to illustrate how easy it is to get wrapped up in one’s own sorrows and worries.

Sometimes we can’t see what’s plainly right in front of this.

All in all, this was an extremely well-written book that also teaches some real-life lessons. In a world where hate and radicalization can be prevalent and easily consume people, forgiveness can be a powerful weapon.

Pick this one up – you won’t be sorry.

Twitter: dianefjeffrey 
Facebook: dianejeffreyauthor 
Instagram: dianefjeffrey/

About Diane Jeffrey:

Diane Jeffrey is a USA Today bestselling author. She grew up in North Devon and Northern Ireland. She now lives in Lyon, France, with her husband and their three children, Labrador and cat.

Diane is the author of four psychological thrillers, all of which were Kindle bestsellers in the UK, the USA, Canada and Australia. THE GUILTY MOTHER, Diane’s third book, was a USA Today bestseller and spent several weeks in the top 100 Kindle books in the UK.

Her latest psychological thriller, THE SILENT FRIEND, is set in Belfast and Lyon. It was published in ebook in November 2020 with the paperback and audiobook to follow in 2021. She is currently working on her fifth psychological thriller.

Diane is an English teacher. When she’s not working or writing, she likes swimming, running and reading. She loves chocolate, beer and holidays. Above all, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

The Lake House-Books On Tour (Review)-Psychological Thriller-Available Now

I have recently read and enjoyed two of this author’s books (She Lies Alone and Two Widows), so I was looking forward to this one. While I did like this story, I will be honest in saying I thought it could have been better. The atmosphere was perfect, but the relating of the plot was spotty.

First the good. It doesn’t get much better than a secluded house by a lake, where old friends gather to catch up. Throw in dark woods, no cell service, and miles from civilization and you have the perfect creep-inducing atmosphere.

There were times where I felt claustrophobic while reading. I think that was because the author did a good job of relating Megan’s feelings about the whole situation. There are several reasons that she feels off about this reunion. Some are obvious and others are only revealed late in the book.

That was also done well. There were twists right up to the very end (and I mean quite literally the last lines) of the book. I like when an author can produce that very last gasp of surprise.

The aforementioned atmosphere was also effective. While the women in the book were a bit younger than me, I could relate to the milestone birthdays and feeling of recapturing what they thought were good times. Turns out, not so much.

What worked for me is that because I am of a certain age, the whole setting reminded me of the Friday the 13th movies, which were pivotal in building my list of “scary locations” for books and movies. This obviously fit right in.

While the author did have me guessing at who was really behind everything (there were a couple of good red herrings) I thought the reasoning for the real perpetrator was flimsy and not fully developed.

If there had been more flashbacks or a few more hints, I think it would have played better. As mentioned, the red herrings were almost more plausible than the actual reasoning.

There was also quite a bit of repetitiveness, especially when it came to “placing blame” for who was responsible for the predicament the ladies were in. After finishing the book, I now know why that was important, but during the reading, it was a bit tedious.

The same goes for Megan’s thoughts about her family. I get now that it was to build her background and up to those last pages, but over the course of the book, it was just sort of “oh, she said that again.”

Lastly, I thought the owner of the Lake House and everything surrounding him, was an easy out that played along current political lines. It seemed clumsy, and more to appease a point of view than really have impact on the plot.

That being said, I did think the story was good and the creepy camp/location was enough to make a note to myself to always check out vacation places thoroughly. I would still recommend this book for those reasons.

Author Bio:

Laura Wolfe writes fast-paced and twisty mystery and suspense novels. Her new and upcoming releases include TWO WIDOWS (Bookouture, August 2020), SHE LIES ALONE (Bookouture, November 2020), and THE LAKE HOUSE (Bookouture, March 2021.) Her equestrian-themed YA mystery books have been shortlisted for multiple indie book awards. Laura is a lover of animals and nature. When she is not writing, she can be found hanging out with her highly-energetic kids, growing vegetables in her garden, or spoiling her rescue dog. She enjoys living in Ann Arbor, Michigan

The Wedding-Books On Tour (Review)-Psychological Thriller-Available Now

I’ve been on a good run with psych thrillers lately. This latest from Ruth Heald has all of the hallmarks of a perfect one.

Ambiguous Prologue: check. The reader immediately knows that there is a bride whose wedding day was disrupted. But how, and by whom?

Differing Perspectives: check. We largely get Lauren’s point of view on the events of the story. But we periodically get Adam’s, and those are primarily flashbacks. (More on that in a minute).

Multiple Suspects: check. There are enough characters whose actions are questionable to make the real culprit hard to detect. Is it one person? Two? Is everything connected, or are there separate things going on?

Thriller Ending: check and check. This book had one of the best endings I’ve read in a while. A real page-turner with more than a couple “What the heck/oh no way!” moments. Including one I did not see coming at all (but should have).

The author did a great job of laying out the plot so that I was right along side of Lauren, never knowing exactly who to trust. I didn’t have a lot in common with her character-wise, but her attitude and demeanor were perfect for feeling sympathy towards her and the situation.

This also added to the sense of dread as events start occurring that make her question everyone around her.

I also thought the flashbacks were well-done. Ostensibly, they relate a pivotal trip in Adam and Lauren’s past. But is there more than meets the eye? Yes and no. I had to check the date on an event because I was sure that the trip was during it, but once again, the author outwitted me.

I also thought that the chapters with Adam’s point of view in the present added to the suspense. Is he a heel? Does he love Lauren? When is he telling the truth, if ever? I liked being off-balance when it came to him.

How’s that for a few non-spoilers?

And those aforementioned multiple suspects? Once again, the author did such a good job with plotting that at one point I suspected a character who had given me absolutely no reason to suspect them – only that I was trying to outguess the author.

There were a couple of loose ends, especially with Adam’s relationships, where people kind of just disappeared. To be honest, the ending was so good that I didn’t even realize that there was no ending for those characters. And it didn’t bother me at all.

As I mentioned at the beginning, this is about as perfect a psych thriller that you can find. I read it in one sitting because it drew me in and kept my attention the entire way through.

You definitely do NOT want to miss out on this one.

TWITTER: @RJ_Heald

Author Bio:

Ruth Heald is a psychological thriller writer from a suburban Buckinghamshire town. She studied Economics at Oxford and then worked in an eclectic mix of sectors from nuclear decommissioning to management consulting.

Seeking a more creative environment, she found a role at the BBC and worked there for nine years before leaving to write full time. Ruth is fascinated by psychology and finding out what drives people to violence, destruction and revenge. She’s married with one daughter and her novels explore our greatest fears in otherwise ordinary, domestic lives.

The Pretty One-Books On Tour (Review)-Psychological Thriller-Available Now

This book went in completely different directions than I thought it was going to go. Frankly, even though I enjoyed the whole thing, it left me a little confused.

From the very beginning, I could tell that there was going to be an emphasis on the psychological aspect between Bay and Nell. A situation like theirs is the stuff that psych thrillers are made from.

Add in that they are both teenagers and it multiplies the interest (in my opinion).

As I read further, I could tell that Bay would be the lynchpin in all of it, but I became less certain about who the other part of the equation would be. Would it still be Nell? Anna, the stepmother? Iris, the younger stepsister? Or Dom, the dad who walked out on Bay?

I don’t want to give anything away, but let’s just say that nobody is really left untouched in this story.

That being said, there is also more to it than just blended family drama. The author relays a searing account of the modeling industry (which, from what I know is pretty accurate). These were extremely interesting passages.

Less successful were the sections about Anna’s marriage and a past love. I felt like these were thrown in as justification for Anna to not see the bigger picture of what was going on with Bay. But they didn’t all work for me.

There were also parts that seemed to drag for a long time. I know that the author was building the tension and that was mostly successful. But there were times that I wish the action would have kicked in a little bit sooner.

The last third of the book really went fast though. Everything came to a head and each character’s motivations became clear. I did think that the extent of a few things were staggering and would have liked a few more hints to them early on.

But the flashback to when Bay and Nell were younger were well-done and laid enough groundwork for the bigger revelations to be plausible.

It all did seem to wrap up rather quickly – almost as if the author decided it just needed to be finished. The prologue served as a “here’s what happened,” when I would have liked a little bit more of that to be action.

But no matter, it was still an enjoyable book. It certainly kept me guessing as to the extent of the psychological games, and I definitely didn’t guess the ultimate reveal. Jealousy can be a real bitch, that’s for sure.

I’d recommend this one – stick with it, because it’s a good look at how easy it is for people to be irreparably broken.

FACEBOOK: clare.boyd.14
TWITTER: @ClareBoydClark
INSTAGRAM: claresboyd

Author Bio:

Clare lives with her husband and their two daughters in Surrey, where her little green shed at the bottom of the garden provides a haven for her writing life. Before becoming a writer, she enjoyed a career in television, as a researcher in documentaries and then as a script editor in drama at the BBC and Channel Four, where her love of storytelling took hold.

Her Perfect Life-Books On Tour (Review)-Psychological Thriller-Available Now

Truth: for a majority of story, I had no idea where the plot was going. It took me in several different directions before ending at one heckuva spot.

Yeah, it was a pretty crazy ride.

Whenever there is a character who is perfect in all of the other character’s eyes, I am automatically suspicious about them. Are they really what they seem? Are they hiding something? Who is the person behind the public persona?

That was 100% true of how I felt about Gracie. But, also, how I grew to feel about Juliet. Let’s just say that there was an awful lot going on at almost any given time, and there always seemed to be an undercurrent that I was trying to catch.

I thought that the first part of the book was a little slow. I know that it was meant to introduce and solidify Gracie’s character, but when Juliet became such a big part of the story, it seemed a little sudden. I wish that there had been a little bit more on Juliet before she took more center stage. But that’s minor.

The author did a really good job of alternating perspectives between Gracie and Juliet so that the story was always being fully told. We got insights into both women’s frame of mind and motivations. Well…for the most part.

There were two things that stood out to me as possible themes. One was pretty obvious: “appearances are deceiving.” Are any of the characters who they portray to the others, or are they all hiding something?

The other one was more subtle, but I found it many places. It’s not so much a theme as a clever parallel. Simply put, Gracie’s tips and suggestions for cooking and housekeeping could also be applied to life.

For example, one such tip came in reference to baking: “So remember, to guarantee success don’t ever cut corners. And above all get your timings spot on.”

That could not have been more applicable to Gracie and Juliet’s situations as well.

There was one question in the book that I felt was never fully answered, but it may be that I just missed it. I don’t think I did, but it seemed to get lost in light of late revelations in the book.

It was a very good read, and the last third went really wonky in the best way. Stick with it, because the payoff is definitely worth it.

Twitter:  @Sam_Osman_Books
Facebook: SamHepburnAuthor

Author Bio:

Sam Hepburn read modern languages at Cambridge University and, after a brief spell in advertising, joined the BBC as a General Trainee. She worked as a documentary maker for twenty years and was one of the commissioners for the launch of BBC Four. Since then, she has written several books, including psychological thrillers Gone Before and Her Perfect Life, and novels for young adults and children. She won the 2017 CWA Margery Allingham Short Story award and has been nominated for several other prestigious prizes, including the CILIP Carnegie Medal for her YA thrillers.

Sam has worked and travelled widely in Africa and the Middle East, and is a trustee of the Kenyan’s children’s charity, I Afrika. She now lives in London with her husband and children.

His Hidden Wife-Books On Tour (Review)-Psychological Thriller-Available Now

I have to give kudos to the author on this one. I didn’t know what was going on or whose perspective to trust up until the very last page of the book – and even then, there was one more surprise.

Well done!

I thought that this was a well-plotted story that (for the most part) revealed information at just the right points in the story.

Maya was an interesting character. As a young adult, she could be considered an unreliable perspective. She also has no memories of the formative childhood event that is the center of the story.

What made her intriguing was that it was difficult to tell whether her lack of memories was due to the traumatic event or if there was something else in play. But was her indecision also the result of her age, or her of the lack of memories and the base that they would have formed.

I read her sections with particular interest because of that conundrum.

I also found Teresa to be a puzzle. There were times that I wasn’t sure of her actual role in Stephen’s life, which made me question her motives.

I did think that her personal story was a bit weak. It seemed as if it was only in place to give her a backstory. That being said, there were a few moments where I thought she might have had more to do with Maya’s past than was being revealed, so that actually turned into a nice red herring.

There were some portions that were slow and a lot of introspective musings that went a bit long, but I suppose they were necessary to lay the groundwork for the action that really took off in the last third of the book.

I do wish there had been a few more hints dropped early on about the resolution. That sounds like an awkward sentence, but I don’t want to reveal any plot points.

Let’s just say that some of the revelations were abrupt and I think a little more groundwork would have made them more intriguing. Still vague, but there it is.

Regardless, as I mentioned at the outset, this did keep me guessing and wondering up to the very end, so I would certainly recommend it.

Author Bio:

Wendy Clarke was a teacher until the small primary school where she worked closed down. Now she is a writer of psychological suspense but is also well known for her short stories and serials which regularly appear in national women’s magazines.

Wendy has two children and three step-children and lives with her husband, cat and step-dog in Sussex. When not writing, she is usually indulging in her passion for dancing, singing or watching any programme that involves food!

The Secret Within-Books On Tour (Review)-Psych Thriller-Available Now

How to describe this one?

A lot of tension, a slow build up that creates distrust in the characters (for multiple reasons), a pivot to some crazy stuff, resulting in an ending that didn’t quite live up to the build.

I guess that’s it in a nutshell.

But that doesn’t do it justice.

I found Julia to be an unreliable character. I wasn’t sure if she was genuinely good or if she had ulterior motives. There were times when I thought she was putting on an act so she could “go along to get along” in her new job.

But I couldn’t tell if that act was because she was nervous due to her past experience or if she was the sinister one.

I’m not telling you which perspective is correct, if any.

It was clear, however, that Nathan had massive ulterior motives for many different things. He came across as somewhat of a caricature to me – successful plastic surgeon who everyone loves but who hides a darker side.

It reminded me of the television show “Nip/Tuck” quite a bit. If you’ve seen the show, you’ll understand. In fact, I pictured Julian McMahon as I read Nathan’s sections.

I did think the “men bad” was a bit heavy at times. The drunk ex-husband who shows up unannounced and unwanted more than a few times, the “good ol’ boy” network at the hospital. We get it – it’s tough for a woman in a man’s profession.

But is it really? I mean, Julia is pretty accomplished. Does there have to be that sense of she’s not good enough? Or she had ulterior motives at her previous job? It does get tiresome.

All in all, the build is what saves the book. The reader knows (because Julia tells us) that bad stuff happened in the past. But the past doesn’t always stay in the past.

So, you know that something is going to happen. The wait for that shoe to drop is delicious. I just wish it finished a little bit stronger. I would still recommend it though.

Author Bio:

Lucy has been writing psychological suspense novels since 2008, when her first bestseller – His Other Lover – was published. Since then her work has been translated into numerous languages.

Her gripping books jump in at the deep end… the extraordinary things that can happen to ordinary couples, families and friends with devastating conclusions.

The Newlyweds-Books On Tour (Review)-Psych Thriller-Available Now

Might as well tell the truth here – the second I read the last page, I put my Kindle down and said, “Holy crap…wtf was that?”

And I mean that in the best possible way.

Seriously, what started out as a seemingly straightforward “who is telling the truth” psych thriller ended in a cacophony of revelations and…yes…wtf moments.

From the very beginning, Vivien was an unreliable narrator. Not that she was flaky, in fact, quite the opposite. She was extremely well-put-together. Almost too much so. It seemed to me that she was hiding something.

The same could be said about Ashton. Again, very put together, well-respected neurosurgeon, pillar of the community…you just know that it’s all too good to be true. Somebody has to be not what they seem…but who?

The further into the book I went, I still had the feeling that something wasn’t quite right. I thought that maybe it had to do with the façade that she was upholding regarding her marriage.

Turns out I was only part right about that.

At almost exactly half-way through the book there was a revelation that turned pretty much everything on its ear. The first part of the book was clarified and from then on, it became a roller coaster of those aforementioned “WTF moments.”

I liked how the book was divided in this manner. It pretty much tore the rug out from underneath me. In retrospect, the first half was setting the scene of psychopathy (but on whose part?) and the second half was the application of that.

I will say that there were a couple of things that didn’t ring true to me in the first half of the book. Even after finishing, with all of the secrets being unraveled, I’m still not sure they entirely worked. But I did gain a better understanding of why those were what they were.

Purposely vague there…sorrynotsorry.

I’m not going to give away spoilers (anyone who has read my reviews knows how I hate them). But I will say that when you think you have a character figured out, you don’t.

When you think you know someone’s motivations, you don’t.

When you think you have the bigger picture, you don’t.

And if you assume this is a run-of-the-mill psych thriller, you’re wrong.

There are surprises right up until quite literally the very last page. Definitely one of the most unique and intriguing books I’ve read in a while, and I highly recommend it. And while you’re at it, check out The Wife’s House – also a pretty good psych thriller.

Author Bio:

Arianne Richmonde is the USA TODAY bestselling author of the psychological thriller, THE WIFE’S HOUSE (released by Bookouture Aug 24, 2020) and suspense and romance. Her Pearl series has sold more than half a million copies worldwide. Her stories are always character-driven and full of unexpected twists and turns.

When not writing about the passions and fragilities of human nature, she loves to spend time with her husband and their animals, including a femme fatale Husky with one blue eye and one golden eye. Arianne’s a chocaholic and sometimes sneaks off to sunny, exotic locations, all in the name of research.

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