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Shelda (363 KP) rated After You’re Gone in Books
Dec 18, 2018
Suspense Thriller
Gigi missed dancing with her. Tara wanted to borrow that designer dress. Dimitri wanted to know when he’d see her again.
And she knew none of this because Nori was receiving all her messages.
Nori’s new phone number once belonged to a woman with a life much more exciting than her own. Almost immediately, she finds herself obsessed with the glamorous way in which Talia lived. But when Nori begins receiving her more urgent messages regarding missed prescriptions and late rent, it becomes clear that Talia abandoned her life without warning a soul. Driven by curiosity she can’t shake, Nori finds herself using Talia’s text messages like a map as she goes out in search for clues of where she may have gone. But as Nori becomes increasingly immersed in Talia’s job, friends, and romances, she finds their once separate lives too intertwined to untangle.
And Nori begins to see Talia may not have left of her own volition, she realizes her own life may now be in danger.
And she knew none of this because Nori was receiving all her messages.
Nori’s new phone number once belonged to a woman with a life much more exciting than her own. Almost immediately, she finds herself obsessed with the glamorous way in which Talia lived. But when Nori begins receiving her more urgent messages regarding missed prescriptions and late rent, it becomes clear that Talia abandoned her life without warning a soul. Driven by curiosity she can’t shake, Nori finds herself using Talia’s text messages like a map as she goes out in search for clues of where she may have gone. But as Nori becomes increasingly immersed in Talia’s job, friends, and romances, she finds their once separate lives too intertwined to untangle.
And Nori begins to see Talia may not have left of her own volition, she realizes her own life may now be in danger.
Awix (3310 KP) rated North by Northwest (1959) in Movies
Sep 30, 2020 (Updated Oct 1, 2020)
Super-slick espionage thriller from Hitchcock's late-50s imperial phase is one of the greatest pieces of escapist cinema ever made. Hapless ad executive Cary Grant finds himself mistaken for a secret agent and pursued across America by the bad guys and the cops, and forced to become a non-existent adventurer. Sparkling dialogue and effortless suspense is intercut with iconic set-pieces (the crop duster attack, the chase across the faces of Mount Rushmore).
Hitchcock makes it all look bafflingly easy, assisted by a very smart script and some charismatic performers (Grant is perhaps a touch too old - he was 55 at the time - but makes up for it with sheer star power). Maybe the plot doesn't completely hang together and the title has no relation to the story, but who cares? A deservedly enduring film, perhaps in more ways than one: add a touch more grit and some globetrotting to this recipe and you'd have something that looks very much like the formula for a Bond movie. Superb entertainment.
Hitchcock makes it all look bafflingly easy, assisted by a very smart script and some charismatic performers (Grant is perhaps a touch too old - he was 55 at the time - but makes up for it with sheer star power). Maybe the plot doesn't completely hang together and the title has no relation to the story, but who cares? A deservedly enduring film, perhaps in more ways than one: add a touch more grit and some globetrotting to this recipe and you'd have something that looks very much like the formula for a Bond movie. Superb entertainment.
ClareR (5879 KP) rated First Born in Books
Jan 22, 2023
I loved this gripping thriller - it had me guessing up to the last page.
Molly and Katie are twins. Katie is the adventurer, and has moved to New York to go to university.
Molly lives an extremely structured life, and finds it hard to deviate from her routine. However, when Molly gets a call telling her that Katie has died suddenly, she must fight her fears, fly to New York and stay in a hostel (all very difficult things for her to do).
There are so many twists and turns in this novel, that I didn’t know what was coming and couldn’t even begin to guess. I couldn’t decide if I even liked the main character Molly or not - she’s not a likeable person, which is probably why her sister moved to another continent. But I like not liking a character - and there was so much to dislike! Molly is manipulative and she’s determined to find the person that she believes killed her twin.
The suspense in this was set to maximum - it’s well worth a read!
Molly and Katie are twins. Katie is the adventurer, and has moved to New York to go to university.
Molly lives an extremely structured life, and finds it hard to deviate from her routine. However, when Molly gets a call telling her that Katie has died suddenly, she must fight her fears, fly to New York and stay in a hostel (all very difficult things for her to do).
There are so many twists and turns in this novel, that I didn’t know what was coming and couldn’t even begin to guess. I couldn’t decide if I even liked the main character Molly or not - she’s not a likeable person, which is probably why her sister moved to another continent. But I like not liking a character - and there was so much to dislike! Molly is manipulative and she’s determined to find the person that she believes killed her twin.
The suspense in this was set to maximum - it’s well worth a read!
Merissa (12911 KP) rated Duty, Honor, Love (Toronto's Elite Book 1) in Books
Apr 15, 2023
Cameron and his partner, Jaden, are working on a case with missing children and it quickly moves on to something a lot worse and it's been going on for longer than anyone had realised. Cameron has tried to hide his attraction to Jaden for a long time but as she is a powerful telepathic, he hasn't always been successful. Paul is Jaden's friend who has supported her throughout her life. Cameron meets him in a dreamworld and the book takes on a whole new twist.
This is incredibly rich in detail and thoroughly thought out. The pacing is superb and you will be kept guessing to the end who the 'bad guy' is. If you want a mix of Thriller, Suspense, Ménage, Romance, MM, then this is definitely the book for you. I loved this book and hope to read more about Toronto's Elite very soon.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Aug 5, 2015
This is incredibly rich in detail and thoroughly thought out. The pacing is superb and you will be kept guessing to the end who the 'bad guy' is. If you want a mix of Thriller, Suspense, Ménage, Romance, MM, then this is definitely the book for you. I loved this book and hope to read more about Toronto's Elite very soon.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Aug 5, 2015
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Patient in Books
Apr 28, 2022
From the description, I was expecting an exciting and fast-paced thriller but this is not what I experienced; it was more a slow-burn domestic suspense/mystery/love affair that although wasn't what I anticipated, it kept me engaged most of the time.
I found the characters weren't particularly likeable and whilst this doesn't usually bother me that much, they did start to grate on my nerves which affected how I felt about them and the story as it developed.
The story itself was an interesting mystery but nothing overly exciting or different. The writing was a little over descriptive at times but it plodded on ok.
Overall, not the most exciting book I have ever read but not the worst either but, once again, there are many more positive reviews out there so give it a go if you enjoy romance books with a bit of mystery thrown in.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
I found the characters weren't particularly likeable and whilst this doesn't usually bother me that much, they did start to grate on my nerves which affected how I felt about them and the story as it developed.
The story itself was an interesting mystery but nothing overly exciting or different. The writing was a little over descriptive at times but it plodded on ok.
Overall, not the most exciting book I have ever read but not the worst either but, once again, there are many more positive reviews out there so give it a go if you enjoy romance books with a bit of mystery thrown in.
Thank you to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Split (2016) in Movies
Jul 12, 2019
M. Night Shyamalan once again has audiences very excited for absolutely no reason. The trailer portrays an interesting psychological thriller of a man (James McAvoy) subjected to many different forms of consciousness, as the plot tells he is one of the first to openly portray over twenty different personalities.
He even takes on different physical characteristics down to a metabolic level as he switches from persona to persona. This combined with the character of a doctor (Betty Buckley) who is thrilled to perhaps have discovered the missing link to understanding the unused portion of the human mind, sounds like it makes for a great sci-fi thriller.
Unfortunately rather quickly the plot devolves after the disturbed man’s abduction of three teenage girls turns over the top hokey and stereotypical. Nothing can be said that will make up for the impending disappointment of viewers as yet again Mr. Shyamalan has an idea that sounds quite intriguing, yet falls completely flat and leaves viewers feeling as if they are the brunt of the joke.
As the psychotic killer develops into a character audiences could really be scared of, a turn for the worst happens when he is transformed by his own mind into an animal. Reaching beyond anything physically possible in a much staged way, he becomes a superhuman creature who rampages until he is caught.
Even with skilled acting at his disposal Shyamalan has managed to make another very poor quality film. At each step of the way, the suspense almost grabs you but is completely predictable. It’s too bad but this one earns
He even takes on different physical characteristics down to a metabolic level as he switches from persona to persona. This combined with the character of a doctor (Betty Buckley) who is thrilled to perhaps have discovered the missing link to understanding the unused portion of the human mind, sounds like it makes for a great sci-fi thriller.
Unfortunately rather quickly the plot devolves after the disturbed man’s abduction of three teenage girls turns over the top hokey and stereotypical. Nothing can be said that will make up for the impending disappointment of viewers as yet again Mr. Shyamalan has an idea that sounds quite intriguing, yet falls completely flat and leaves viewers feeling as if they are the brunt of the joke.
As the psychotic killer develops into a character audiences could really be scared of, a turn for the worst happens when he is transformed by his own mind into an animal. Reaching beyond anything physically possible in a much staged way, he becomes a superhuman creature who rampages until he is caught.
Even with skilled acting at his disposal Shyamalan has managed to make another very poor quality film. At each step of the way, the suspense almost grabs you but is completely predictable. It’s too bad but this one earns
Christine A. (965 KP) rated Deadlock (FBI Thriller #24) in Books
Jul 28, 2020
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review. The opinions are entirely my own, and any quotes are taken from the ARC and may be different in the final published copy.
Fans of Deadlock Catherine Coulter's FBI Thriller series will recognize Savich, Sherlock, and the rest of the recurring characters in the 24th book of the series, Deadlock. Joining them is a familiar foe from the 20th book of the series, Insidious. I am late to the game and started reading the series with book #23, Labyrinth. This book works as a stand-alone novel, but reading Insidious would help you understand the backstory more.
Husband and wife team, Savich and Sherlock, are used to their hectic schedules working as FBI agents. However, they are the focus of a cunning psychopath who is bent on revenge. While trying to find out who is responsible for who attacked them, Savich needs to work on a case in which he was in the right place at the right time, preventing a Congressman's wife, Rebecca, from being kidnapped. He is torn between keeping his family safe and keeping Rebecca safe.
Coulter presents a suspenseful thriller that keeps you guessing until the end. Much of what occurs is unsurprising, but it is those little nuggets of suspense that leaves you wanting more.
I am glad I found Savich and Sherlock and welcome them as old friends.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 7/27/20.
Fans of Deadlock Catherine Coulter's FBI Thriller series will recognize Savich, Sherlock, and the rest of the recurring characters in the 24th book of the series, Deadlock. Joining them is a familiar foe from the 20th book of the series, Insidious. I am late to the game and started reading the series with book #23, Labyrinth. This book works as a stand-alone novel, but reading Insidious would help you understand the backstory more.
Husband and wife team, Savich and Sherlock, are used to their hectic schedules working as FBI agents. However, they are the focus of a cunning psychopath who is bent on revenge. While trying to find out who is responsible for who attacked them, Savich needs to work on a case in which he was in the right place at the right time, preventing a Congressman's wife, Rebecca, from being kidnapped. He is torn between keeping his family safe and keeping Rebecca safe.
Coulter presents a suspenseful thriller that keeps you guessing until the end. Much of what occurs is unsurprising, but it is those little nuggets of suspense that leaves you wanting more.
I am glad I found Savich and Sherlock and welcome them as old friends.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 7/27/20.
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated Breach of Trust (Atlanta Justice, #3) in Books
Feb 27, 2019
One of my favorite legal suspense authors is Rachel Dylan. Her writing style is genuine and unique and her characters always come to life for me as I read her books. I had the pleasure of reading books 1 and 2 in this amazing series, and now, I've had the delight to read book 3. It was so refreshing going back to Atlanta and feeling like the story was written just for me.
I loved getting to see Mia and Noah's story unfold. Their pain, their struggles, the twists and turns of the plot, all jumped off the pages and captured me completely. Noah's character was absolutely my favorite, and I fell in love with him so hard in this story! Mia's character was incredibly luck to have him protecting her!
Ms. Dylan's talent for intricately weaving a legal thriller into an unforgettable read is amazing. She does a fantabulous job at research, and blending it with her awesome messages of hope, love, forgiveness and mercy.
This is the third book in her ATLANTA JUSTICE series. I highly recommend it be read in the series, and not as a stand alone. The full effect of this author's talent and her amazing characters that become family is best felt reading the books in the entire series. Ms. Dylan has once again created a phenomenally amazing, heart-pounding story of edge-of-your-seat suspense. Definitely giving this one a high 4 star rating and two thumbs up.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
I loved getting to see Mia and Noah's story unfold. Their pain, their struggles, the twists and turns of the plot, all jumped off the pages and captured me completely. Noah's character was absolutely my favorite, and I fell in love with him so hard in this story! Mia's character was incredibly luck to have him protecting her!
Ms. Dylan's talent for intricately weaving a legal thriller into an unforgettable read is amazing. She does a fantabulous job at research, and blending it with her awesome messages of hope, love, forgiveness and mercy.
This is the third book in her ATLANTA JUSTICE series. I highly recommend it be read in the series, and not as a stand alone. The full effect of this author's talent and her amazing characters that become family is best felt reading the books in the entire series. Ms. Dylan has once again created a phenomenally amazing, heart-pounding story of edge-of-your-seat suspense. Definitely giving this one a high 4 star rating and two thumbs up.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Kristin (149 KP) rated Learn To Love Me in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Disclaimer: I was given an e-copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This is an exciting mystery/crime thriller/suspense/sort-of-romance all wrapped together with a tight little bow. Emily is a journalist trying to break into the exciting world of news instead of just writing a column. She gets her wish, but only after a girl she interviewed for her column goes missing. While trying to cope with the tragedy, her marriage is starting to falter, she's not so sure her husband is still the man she fell in love with, and to beat it all, she's getting harassing phone calls at work and home. When the detective assigned to her case turns out to be an old flame, things get really interesting, and Emily's whole life seems to spiral out of control.
This story has everything: journalists, cops, quarreling spouses, old boyfriends, haunted pasts, kidnapping, etc. etc. Once I started reading, I only put it down because my husband yelled at me to go to bed. I kept trying to guess who the bad guy was throughout the story, and I just couldn't settle on one person for too long. The author definitely keeps you guessing until the reveal at the end, and then the explanation is just as crazy as those we hear on the news. I can say, I totally didn't see the Epilogue coming, but it's just fantastic!!
I would definitely recommend this to fans of mysteries, suspense thrillers, crime thrillers, and anybody who just wants to read an awesome story that'll keep you guessing. =)
5 stars (wish I could give more)
This is an exciting mystery/crime thriller/suspense/sort-of-romance all wrapped together with a tight little bow. Emily is a journalist trying to break into the exciting world of news instead of just writing a column. She gets her wish, but only after a girl she interviewed for her column goes missing. While trying to cope with the tragedy, her marriage is starting to falter, she's not so sure her husband is still the man she fell in love with, and to beat it all, she's getting harassing phone calls at work and home. When the detective assigned to her case turns out to be an old flame, things get really interesting, and Emily's whole life seems to spiral out of control.
This story has everything: journalists, cops, quarreling spouses, old boyfriends, haunted pasts, kidnapping, etc. etc. Once I started reading, I only put it down because my husband yelled at me to go to bed. I kept trying to guess who the bad guy was throughout the story, and I just couldn't settle on one person for too long. The author definitely keeps you guessing until the reveal at the end, and then the explanation is just as crazy as those we hear on the news. I can say, I totally didn't see the Epilogue coming, but it's just fantastic!!
I would definitely recommend this to fans of mysteries, suspense thrillers, crime thrillers, and anybody who just wants to read an awesome story that'll keep you guessing. =)
5 stars (wish I could give more)
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Fractured in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Also read my review here: http://bookbum.weebly.com/book-reviews/fractured-by-catherine-mckenzie
AVAILABLE NOW IN THE UK!
<b><i>They say that if a butterfly flaps its wings in the Amazonian rainforest, it can change the weather half a world away. Chaos theory...
All I know is today is that you can think that what you’ve done is only the flap of a butterfly wing, when it’s really a thunderclap.
And both can result in a hurricane.</b></i>
Julie’s life has gotten hard, she’s become a famous author and managed to bag herself a crazed stalker, so she decides to move her family across the country in hope of a new, stalkerless, beginning. And when she meet neighbour John, they hit it off immediately, the future seems brighter. But before long, things start to go wrong again. Who knew moving into a beautiful picturesque new neighbourhood could be so deadly?
I was really worried about reading this because Netgalley classed it as women's fiction and I have serious beef with that genre… but also, I was expecting a suspense thriller, not some family-lovey-dovey bullshit, but after seeing the rave reviews on Goodreads I had a little more hope that this would be bearable for me. And boy was it bearable, more than that in fact, it was exciting and thrilling to read!
As Stephen King says <i><b>“Good books don't give up all their secrets at once.”</i></b> and this book certainly didn’t! I thought it was excellent at keeping you on your toes, feeding you chunks of mystery and suspense a little at a time.
<b>Minor spoilers in this paragraph.</b> I really liked the main characters in this book… separately. Julie was a good mum and loving wife who was dealing with all her issues in a non-annoying way and John was a good dad, and, for the most part, a good husband. But put the two of them together and they got annoying. How could a grown man and woman not realise the friendship they had managed to create out of one conversation the day Julie moved in was inappropriate for so long? Julie especially, as her relationship with Daniel seemed close to perfect! The childishness of their situation had me really irritated and uncomfortable throughout the novel. I never used to have a problem with these kind of relationships in books until me and Matt had been together for a while, not that I <i>ever</i> condoned cheating on a partner before I got into a relationship, just the thought of being cheated on by your other half sets off all kinds of emotions and feelings inside of me that I can’t even begin to describe. <spoiler>So when they kissed each other outside Julie’s house, my stomach dropped, I felt instantly panicky and sick and contemplated putting the novel down as unfinished. I hate, <b>hate</b> reading about affairs.</spoiler>
My favourite character was Daniel though, what a lovely, gentle and understanding man… if not a little naive. Though I didn’t like Hanna, but she had every right to be angry and suspicious with John.
It’s pretty clear from a few chapters in who our criminal is, but McKenzie does well to keep what specifically the “accident” is and who our victim is secret until just the right moment. When we found out what happened and who it happened to I was shocked! It’s been a long time since a book has surprised me in the same way. What a crazy end to this rollercoaster ride of a book!
Overall, this is a fantastic suspense novel, with just the right amount of “women’s fiction” merged with thriller. I seriously recommend this for all thriller/suspense readers out there, I’m sure this won’t disappoint!
<i>(I don’t mean to create any kind of drama with this comment but this whole novel is <i>so American!</i> Wanting to sue someone over small things? Having “block parties” and neighbourhood newsletters and stuff with an immature queen bee in charge of it all? This shit would never go down in the UK.)</i>
I’d like to thank Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this in an exchange for an honest review.
AVAILABLE NOW IN THE UK!
<b><i>They say that if a butterfly flaps its wings in the Amazonian rainforest, it can change the weather half a world away. Chaos theory...
All I know is today is that you can think that what you’ve done is only the flap of a butterfly wing, when it’s really a thunderclap.
And both can result in a hurricane.</b></i>
Julie’s life has gotten hard, she’s become a famous author and managed to bag herself a crazed stalker, so she decides to move her family across the country in hope of a new, stalkerless, beginning. And when she meet neighbour John, they hit it off immediately, the future seems brighter. But before long, things start to go wrong again. Who knew moving into a beautiful picturesque new neighbourhood could be so deadly?
I was really worried about reading this because Netgalley classed it as women's fiction and I have serious beef with that genre… but also, I was expecting a suspense thriller, not some family-lovey-dovey bullshit, but after seeing the rave reviews on Goodreads I had a little more hope that this would be bearable for me. And boy was it bearable, more than that in fact, it was exciting and thrilling to read!
As Stephen King says <i><b>“Good books don't give up all their secrets at once.”</i></b> and this book certainly didn’t! I thought it was excellent at keeping you on your toes, feeding you chunks of mystery and suspense a little at a time.
<b>Minor spoilers in this paragraph.</b> I really liked the main characters in this book… separately. Julie was a good mum and loving wife who was dealing with all her issues in a non-annoying way and John was a good dad, and, for the most part, a good husband. But put the two of them together and they got annoying. How could a grown man and woman not realise the friendship they had managed to create out of one conversation the day Julie moved in was inappropriate for so long? Julie especially, as her relationship with Daniel seemed close to perfect! The childishness of their situation had me really irritated and uncomfortable throughout the novel. I never used to have a problem with these kind of relationships in books until me and Matt had been together for a while, not that I <i>ever</i> condoned cheating on a partner before I got into a relationship, just the thought of being cheated on by your other half sets off all kinds of emotions and feelings inside of me that I can’t even begin to describe. <spoiler>So when they kissed each other outside Julie’s house, my stomach dropped, I felt instantly panicky and sick and contemplated putting the novel down as unfinished. I hate, <b>hate</b> reading about affairs.</spoiler>
My favourite character was Daniel though, what a lovely, gentle and understanding man… if not a little naive. Though I didn’t like Hanna, but she had every right to be angry and suspicious with John.
It’s pretty clear from a few chapters in who our criminal is, but McKenzie does well to keep what specifically the “accident” is and who our victim is secret until just the right moment. When we found out what happened and who it happened to I was shocked! It’s been a long time since a book has surprised me in the same way. What a crazy end to this rollercoaster ride of a book!
Overall, this is a fantastic suspense novel, with just the right amount of “women’s fiction” merged with thriller. I seriously recommend this for all thriller/suspense readers out there, I’m sure this won’t disappoint!
<i>(I don’t mean to create any kind of drama with this comment but this whole novel is <i>so American!</i> Wanting to sue someone over small things? Having “block parties” and neighbourhood newsletters and stuff with an immature queen bee in charge of it all? This shit would never go down in the UK.)</i>
I’d like to thank Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this in an exchange for an honest review.