Tag: Psychological Thriller

This book had a great premise, but I can’t help feeling that there was something lacking.

Don’t get me wrong; I read it one sitting, so it definitely had me engrossed and curious to see what happened. I liked the set up of three women “getting away from it all” and heading to Tuscany, especially since they all seemed to be in disparate places in life.

Susanne was divorced and missing her teenage son who was off on holiday with her ex-husband. Evie, her new friend, had recently lost her mother, inherited her mother’s house, and was at loose ends. Dale, her long-time best friend, was just ready for a vacation.

When they get to the villa (owned by a friend of Susanne’s) they find that Harry (the friend’s godson) is already there. Is Harry too good to be true, as he doesn’t seem to mind the company of the older ladies, especially Susanne?

Or is something else going on?

The author does a good job of casting doubt on each of the character’s motivations. There’s just enough to question about each of them that I was never quite sure if anyone had ulterior motives or not.

There was also a great twist at the very end that got me. I didn’t see it coming and it was a great way to end the book.

All of that being said, there were a few things that could have been slightly better.

I thought that the character development could have been a little bit deeper. It seemed like each woman’s situation was more for the plot than for any development of the character. Even though each woman’s situation was unique, there didn’t seem to be much purpose for the situations.

Every time I thought each woman’s perspective would produce a new offshoot of interest, it didn’t. There seemed to be quite a few paths that were approached but never taken.

There was a definite “Talented Mr. Ripley” vibe to the whole thing as well. You’ll understand when you read it.

At one point in the book, the author also introduces a new point of view. It quickly becomes apparent why that person is contributing to the story, but the arrival was a bit jarring.

I also felt that Susanne’s decisions in the latter half the book were questionable. I get why the plot needed to go in that direction, but the choices didn’t seem honest and (again) were more to move the story than be true to the character.

Even though this was a little bit of a mixed bag, I would still recommend it because the author does a nice job of throwing enough questions out there that it made for interesting reading.

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.

This was a very slow burn psych thriller. The ominous feeling was set from the beginning. The prologue actually brought to mind “The Shining,” that kind of cat and mouse search that you just know will end badly.

Now extrapolate that through the whole book.

It’s a testament to the writing that I sometimes felt afraid to turn the pages because I didn’t want to see what was going to happen next – while at the same time not being able to stop because…well, I wanted to see what happened next.

The mood and setting were definitely gothic. A mysterious mansion, secrets, bouts of madness…all quite atmospheric. It allowed me to be sucked into the world of the characters. The author did a great job creating that.

I thought Martha was an interesting character. She obviously knew something, but her dementia made her unreliable. The other characters (and the reader) never knew exactly what she was talking about. That was by design, and it was effective.

I obviously felt for Tess. She let herself get swept up in a romance that was totally a sham. As things took a darker turn, I kept rooting for her to get the nerve to do what had to be done.

While the domestic situation was awful, there were more pressures for her too. I shared Tess’ feeling of being suffocated from everything closing in on her.

Why is Martha watching the house? Who is sending Tess mysterious notes? Do Daniel’s “friends” have ulterior motives? How are all of the characters connected…or are they?

I loved the fact that everything didn’t really reveal until the very end of the book. By the time Tess begins to unravel the truth, it literally felt like a pressure cooker ready to explode. And boy does it ever. The surprises in the last quarter of the book keep coming, right up until the very last pages.

This was like a roller coaster that takes a long time to get to the top before setting off on a wild ride of unexpected twists and loops. It will keep you turning pages with dread and anticipation right to the end.

Author Bio:

Liz Lawler grew up sharing pants, socks, occasionally a toothbrush, sleeping four to a bed. Born in Chatham and partly raised in Dublin, she is one of fourteen children. She spent over twenty years as a nurse and has since fitted in working as a flight attendant, a general manager of a five star hotel, and is now working with trains. She became an author in 2017 when her debut novel Don’t Wake Up was published by Twenty7.  

Here’s another book that I am left with mixed feelings over.

On the one hand, I liked the plot. I thought the writing was good. There were twists and some unexpected revelations. It definitely kept me guessing right up until the very end.

On the other hand, I didn’t find any of the characters particularly likeable. Therefore, I wasn’t sympathetic to anything that any of them were going through.

Except Mabel. She was an innocent in all of this. God help her that she had a bunch of nuts around her.

In a strange way, I think that not liking Amber (particularly) actually made the story interesting for me. Usually a reader will root for something good to happen to the main character. In my case, I was hoping that she would get what she deserved.

Misplaced frustration and anger on my part, and Amber was an easy target? Maybe. It’s easier to dislike a fictional character. But she was dishonest and seemed to think she was better than other people, even as she thought the same thing about her “friend” group.

It was obvious that she was hiding secrets, but still acted as if she was the victim. I suppose in a way she was, but she also wasn’t forthcoming. I’m repeating myself, but she just annoyed me.

I was a little sympathetic to Ruby. It seemed like she had a little bit of self-fulfilling prophecy about her; she was flighty, so people underestimated her. But then she second-guessed herself because of their beliefs that she started to believe. She was a mess as well, but I understood her better.

The male characters were practically non-entities. It’s hard to say exactly why without giving away plot points. Which makes it difficult, because they honestly didn’t seem like they were there for much other than plot points.

And I wasn’t a fan of how a few characters showed up late in the book in pivotal points where there was barely a mention of them earlier in the story.

I think that is my biggest pet peeve. I would have liked to have seen more character development of a particular couple (not giving anything away, but people who have read the book will know who I mean)

In re-reading this, it seems as if I didn’t like the book, which isn’t true. I did like it. As I mentioned, it did keep me guessing and there were at least two “oh, no way!” moments that I commend the author on – well-plotted. But my dislike of the characters, and rooting against them left me confused.

I’d still recommend the book, if only for the overall arc. The author writes on a tightrope; there were chapters where great pains were taken to give information without spilling secrets. Those are worth the reading alone.

Author Bio:
Jess Ryder is the author of five psychological thrillers – ‘The Ex Wife’, ‘Lie to Me’, ‘The Good Sister’, ‘The Dream House’, The Girl You Gave Away’ and her latest, published November 2 2020 – ‘The Night Away’. All titles are published by Bookouture. She also writes as Jan Page. With many years’ experience as a scriptwriter, she loves watching television crime drama. Jess is a passionate reader and particularly enjoys thrillers.

Jess lives with her partner in London, UK and has four grown-up children.

This was one of the slowest burn stories I have read in a very long time. It was an interesting juxtaposition, because at times it was very effective and at others it dragged the story down. It was almost like reading two different versions of the same story.

On the one hand, it was a fascinating look at the destruction of a family in the face of a terrible tragedy. Ava feels guilt for what she sees as her part in the disappearance of her daughter. No amount of time or events, including a newborn son, helps her get over the questions she has about the day everything changed.

The first half of the book belongs largely to her as she navigates trying to keep herself together. There are hints and clues along the way that not everything is as it seems, and by the time we get to the titular housewarming, it is obvious that there is a lot more to Abi’s disappearance.

The author is very methodical in plotting this first half out so that the facts of the day (or what Ava thinks are the facts) are clear in the reader’s mind. The claustrophobic feeling that people often experience after a tragedy is well-described and highly accurate. It’s important, because once the party happens, things get really topsy-turvy.

In the second half of the book, in spite of the new information that comes to light, there seemed to be a lot more passages of characters’ inner monologues. This is where I thought the plotting dragged a little bit. As Ava starts to put things together, I wanted there to be a bit more action.

For me, one of the things that kept it from completely flowing was that the action shifted back and forth between the day Abi disappeared and the present – but there were no signifiers like “Ava- Then” or “Matt-Now.” The shifts therefore took me some time to adjust and reset to which time period I was in.

By the time we get to the actual reveal, I had a suspicion as to what it would be. The author did a good job dropping a few red herrings that had me thinking other options (I like when an author guides that branching out of thinking). But kudos also, because just when I thought it was all wrapped up, there were second, third, and even fourth endings.

This was effective because even in the face of tragedy, things can always go even more sideways. And this story certainly did. I thought it got a little bit preachy at the end when Ava was realizing how much goes unnoticed in people’s lives, but in a way, it fit her overall realization of the truth.

I almost feel like this was more of psych twist on the reader than the characters. And that’s a good enough reason to pick this one up.

Author Bio:

Former BBC Producer, S.E. Lynes is the Amazon best selling author of ‘intelligent and haunting’, ‘beautifully written’ psychological thrillers, VALENTINA, MOTHER, THE PACT, THE PROPOSAL, THE WOMEN, THE LIES WE HIDE, CAN YOU SEE HER? and her latest novel, THE HOUSEWARMING, available for pre-order NOW.

After completing her MA, Lynes taught creative writing at Richmond Adult Community College for over ten years. She now combines writing, mentoring and lecturing.

She has also published three children’s books in Italy: IL LEOPARDO LAMPO, LA COCCODRILLA INGAMBA, and the bilingual LA SCIMMIA SPIRITOSA/THE FUNNY MONKEY, all available at Amazon.it

I had seen a lot of early rave reviews for this book, so I was excited to see it come up next on my reading list. As with anything that is hyped, there was a high bar to be matched.

I would have to say that for me, the bar was largely met.

Right from the start, Alex was too perfect. I mean, nobody has those many particulars in common with someone on a first date. It usually takes time to find out that many commonalities.

I liked how the author gave us this “warning shot” at the very beginning, because it allowed me to be suspicious of Alex throughout. And there were plenty of other signs along the way.

This was a good tactic plot-wise, because even when I thought that maybe Alex was right about certain things, he was already untrustworthy, so it became a circular game of who was right and who was overreacting. It kept me off-balance as much as Hannah was.

She was an interesting character. It was obvious that her past colored how she reacted to the events of the story. There’s a saying that people who help other people often have a hard time helping themselves.

Hannah is a social worker – and while she seems to have a good intuition when it comes to her job, she is clearly blind when it comes to her personal life. This is largely due to her past and what she has always dreamt of her life being, but I do believe there was a blind spot where she couldn’t see what Jas was telling her (and what was quite obvious).

I also found myself yelling at her (in my head) to wake up and get a clue because all of the red flags were flying high!

In a way that worked for the plot, because it made it more difficult to know if Alex was telling the truth at any given point, which in turn led to his character being even more questionable. Her constantly making excuses for him only cemented that feeling.

That being said, it does turn out that Alex was right about some things. The whole thing is honestly just a mind twist, and the author does a good job of keeping the reader guessing.

However, I did guess one of the biggest twists fairly early on and had a strong feeling about another one. This ended up being in direct conflict with reviewers who said they had no idea.

I think that’s partly the issue with seeing reviews of a book before reading it, at least for me. Even if there are no spoilers, they can still mess with the perception of the book. I was expecting to be totally in the dark the whole time – but I wasn’t.

The actuality rarely lives up to the hype. I felt the same way about the movie “Beauty and the Beast” (the original animated). Everybody raved about it, said it was amazing, one-of-a-kind, etc.

I’ll admit to waiting to see it until it had been out for a few months (that was the days where movies stayed in theaters longer than three weeks). And while I was enchanted by it, I was partly right. It was beautiful and extremely well-done, but not the “end all/be all” people made it out to be. But I digress…..

I feel the same way about this book. It did teach me a valuable lesson. I think that I will stop reading all other reviews prior to reading a book, as I have a feeling I would have liked it even more if I didn’t have an expectation going in.

Author Bio:

Sue Watson was a TV Producer at the BBC until she wrote her first book and was hooked.

Now a USA Today bestselling author, Sue has written sixteen novels, and many have been translated into several languages. Sue is now exploring the darker side of life with her latest thrillers OUR LITTLE LIES, THE WOMAN NEXT DOOR, THE EMPTY NEST, THE SISTER-IN-LAW and FIRST DATE out on October 16th.

Originally from Manchester, Sue now lives with her family in Worcestershire where much of her day is spent writing – okay, procrastinating, eating too much confectionery, and watching ‘My 600lb Life,’ on the sofa.

For more info visit Sue’s website; http://www.suewatsonbooks.com/

UPDATE: (After reading through this review, I’m adding this up here – you really should give this one a try. There were some good twists, and it was definitely a psychological thriller. What follows is my experience with the book, which may be completely different from what other readers experience).

I have to start by saying that I thought this book was going to go in a totally different direction from where it actually ended up.

When I first started reading, I thought that it would be about Phoebe, who may be Maya, finding her birth mother (Kay) after her mother (Roz) dies. Clear on that? It has great premise for all kinds of psychological mindgames.

And I did get that…somewhat.

I thought that Kay and Phoebe’s “reunion” was a little bit farfetched. The whole thing seemed off-kilter, as if neither one really believed the reality of the situation, but each was hoping that was true. I’m still not sure if that was by design to set up the rest of the plot. But it left me confused.

A tragedy occurs after Phoebe finds Kay, which sends Phoebe on a hunt to find out her true identity. Again, plenty of opportunity for some twists and turns as Phoebe realizes that there are more lies than truth in her past.

The problem for me is that the story ended up being something completely different. This is no fault of the author. I think I just had a difficult time switching gears when the author took the story in an alternate direction.

I did like the references (and remembrances) of Africa. I thought it was a good way to ground Phoebe when she began to question all of her other memories. At least she knew the ones of her growing up on the animal reserve were true, even as certain assumptions she had were shattered.

The plot seemed to meander – but it actually did trace Phoebe’s search, and searches are rarely straightforward. So, I suppose that it was clever writing. I just wanted more of a concrete search (again – no fault of the author, just of my own expectations).

Somewhere along the way, there’s a cult involved and a few more tragic incidents that illustrate how screwed up Phoebe’s life really has been. It seems as if the author was going for keeping the reader as off-balance as Phoebe was, and that was very successful

I think if I were to have read this from a different attitude or been able to switch quicker with where the author was going, I would have enjoyed it more. As it is, for the first time, I am considering re-reading a book with a different state-of-mind to see if that changes my perception. Check back for an update.

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.