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Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Promise in Books

Feb 28, 2019 (Updated Mar 1, 2019)  
The Promise
The Promise
Teresa Driscoll | 2019 | Thriller
8
7.5 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
More of a slow building suspense novel then a psychological thriller.
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

I was intrigued as soon as I read the opening of The Promise by Teresa Driscoll. The story has a few twists and turns but, based on the book's description and opening, I expected it to be much darker than it is. However, although I enjoyed the novel, I would not consider it to be dark. It is more of a slow building suspense novel then a psychological thriller.

Three girls, Beth, Sally, and Carol, were best friends at a boarding school and as close as sisters. Something happens and they make a promise to never tell the secret of what happened.

Years later, all of them have been affected by the secret in different ways. Beth and Sally are still close friends but Carol has become estranged. When they find out the boarding school is to be sold and demolished, fearing their secret will be revealed, Beth and Sally attempt to find Carol..

Driscoll wanted to establish a intense connection between the girls but did not want to make them sisters. The setting helps you to understand why the girls would keep the secret.

I have added Teresa Driscoll's I Am Watching You to my want to read list.

Published on Philomathinphila.com, Smashbomb, Goodreads, Twitter, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble on 2/28/19.
  
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Awix (3310 KP) Mar 1, 2019

What exactly is a 'physiological thriller'? Is it like a psychological thriller but with more exercise...? Sorry.

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Christine A. (965 KP) Mar 1, 2019

Haha. Oops. That might have changed my rating. Gotta love spell check. I'll fix it. A huge thanks for letting me know but mostly thank you for reading the review.

I Know Who You Are
I Know Who You Are
10
8.8 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Aimee Sinclair: the actress everyone thinks they know but can’t remember where from. But I know exactly who you are. I know what you’ve done. And I am watching you.
When Aimee comes home and discovers her husband is missing, she doesn’t seem to know what to do or how to act. The police think she’s hiding something and they’re right, she is – but perhaps not what they thought. Aimee has a secret she’s never shared, and yet, she suspects that someone knows. As she struggles to keep her career and sanity intact, her past comes back to haunt her in ways more dangerous than she could have ever imagined.

This is an absolutely brilliant psychological thriller.
This is an interesting story set in two different time periods. The novel begins in 2017 with Aimee as an aspiring actress.
The character of Aimee is very well written, and the book flows well between the past and present.
I really enjoyed the pacing, writing and the characters. I liked that the different timelines were very easily distinguishable,.
This novel had me completely gripped from start to finish.
The ending is superb, this will keep you guessing until the end.
Tense, dark at times, quietly disturbing, massively twisty and extremely clever, this is a very good psychological Thriller.
Highly Recommended.!

Many thanks to Netgalley/Alice Feeney/HQ for a digital copy of this title.
  
Broken Things
Broken Things
Lauren Oliver | 2019 | Mystery, Young Adult (YA)
6
7.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Mysterious?
This book was good in the sense that the writing was gorgeous and it flowed well. Also there was some diversity, including an omni character and a lesbian. And that cover!!! oof, that was gorgeous. So, there were your pros. The bad stuff??? I picked up this book thinking it'd have a thriller, kind of psychological, a bit creepy, myterious, the usual. Because of that I loved the flashbacks. I did not, however, like the present tense. I signed up for something gorgeous, not a Scooby Doo mystery. It was slightly predictable as well, I figured out the mystery about halfway through. This book was a decent read, but I don't think I'll pick it up again.
  
Flatliners (2017)
Flatliners (2017)
2017 | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Kinda interesting
Honestly, I think this would have been a better psychological movie than a horror/thriller movie like they tried to make it be. I thought the premise was interesting and it was well casted. However, I didnt like that I felt like there was information that I didnt have. Maybe that comes from not watching the original. But I felt like there was a lot of stuff that was left unsaid or unexplained. Like for example, in the beginning, courtney tells the group what she saw and what it felt like, but we didnt see that with the others and their experiences were different. Why were they all different? What affected the outcome?
  
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Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Diary of a Madman (1963) in Movies

Mar 31, 2020 (Updated Mar 31, 2020)  
Diary of a Madman (1963)
Diary of a Madman (1963)
1963 | Classics, Horror
8
7.0 (4 Ratings)
Movie Rating
The Evil Within: Evil Spirit Inside
Diary of a Madman - is a good psychological thriller that started Vincent Price.

The Plot: When Judge Simon Cordier (Vincent Price) goes to see Louis Girot (Harvey Stephens), a prisoner he sentenced to death, the criminal insists he is not guilty and that he is inhabited by an evil spirit. Cordier dismisses Girot's claims, but he becomes unnerved when Girot lights himself on fire to supposedly end the demonic possession. After the visit, Cordier, beset by insomnia, begins to have odd visions and starts to wonder if Girot might have been telling the truth after all.

Its psychologically twisted, horrorfying, terrorfying and overall a good movie.
  
Fatal Attraction (1987)
Fatal Attraction (1987)
1987 | Drama, Mystery
Not Going to Be Ignored
Fatal Attraction- is a excellent movie both Micheal Douglas and Glenn Close are excellent in it.

The plot: For Dan Gallagher (Michael Douglas), life is good. He is on the rise at his New York law firm, is happily married to his wife, Beth (Anne Archer), and has a loving daughter. But, after a casual fling with a sultry book editor named Alex (Glenn Close), everything changes. Jilted by Dan, Alex becomes unstable, her behavior escalating from aggressive pursuit to obsessive stalking. Dan realizes that his main problem is not hiding his affair, but rather saving himself and his family.

A excellent psychological thriller. A must see.
  
Black Swan (2010)
Black Swan (2010)
2010 | Horror, Thriller
Twisted Swan
Black Swan- is a excellent psychological horror thriller. Darren Aronofsky does a excellent job playing the views minds. Natalie Portman does a excellent job.

The plot: Nina (Natalie Portman) is a ballerina whose passion for the dance rules every facet of her life. When the company's artistic director decides to replace his prima ballerina for their opening production of "Swan Lake," Nina is his first choice. She has competition in newcomer Lily (Mila Kunis) however. While Nina is perfect for the role of the White Swan, Lily personifies the Black Swan. As rivalry between the two dancers transforms into a twisted friendship, Nina's dark side begins to emerge.

Its a excellent film and a must watch.
  
The Nightingale (2018)
The Nightingale (2018)
2018 | Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Aisling francosi (0 more)
Seeking Revenge
The Nightingale- is a excellent psychological revenge thriller. the intentisity is off the roofs. It is so suspenseful, thrilling and dramatic. Not sure why more people havent heard about this film. Cause its excellent. Plus the burtality and violence is also really good.

The plot: Clare, a young Irish convict, chases a British officer through the rugged Tasmanian wilderness and is bent on revenge for a terrible act of violence the man committed against her family. On the way, she enlists the services of Aboriginal tracker Billy, who is marked by trauma from his own violence-filled past.

If you havent seen this movie, i highly recordmend watching it.
  
Stairs  (2019)
Stairs (2019)
2019 | Action, Drama, Thriller
9
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Toby Osmond (3 more)
Story
Tom Paton
Alana Wallace
Don't Go Down
This movie is everything you would hope for in a Tom Paton flick and a hell of a lot more. A high concept psychological horror/thriller like you wouldnt believe that plays in the sci-fi genre realm. So yeah its a mind melding genre bending smorgasboard.
With Samantha Schnitzler and Bently Kalu (Ben Garrett) doing arguably a fair chunk of the heavy lifting, I am always happy to see these guys share the screen. Bently just seems to have this protective nature when his characters interact with Sam's, Schnitzler is always on point as a total Bad Ass and this time gets to play with her more emotional side.
This movie is more than an actioner, its more than a thriller... Stairs lives in many genres while silently making its own. I have said it before and I will say it one more time, the team behind this movie just took one hell of a step in their already solid game to that next level. Lets just hope it doesnt send them back to the start (see what I did there).
  
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Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Fear in Books

Mar 25, 2018  
The Fear
The Fear
C.L. Taylor | 2018 | Contemporary, Thriller
9
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Excellent psychological thriller
Excellent from start to finish!

A topical and relevant storyline told in a very sensitive but authentic way. There are sections that I found difficult to read due to the subject matter but they were all necessary and although I don't have any experience in this area (thank goodness), it came across as being an accurate reflection on just how easy it can be for some despicable people to seek out, manipulate and take advantage of the most vulnerable children in our society.

There are characters that you'll love and characters that you'll love to hate but all believable; my personal favourite was Wendy which might seem a little strange given how she is introduced to us but give her time, she will definitely grow on you! The setting felt right for the story and I was pleased that it didn't take place in a city; it helped to add an even more sinister feel as it felt more "normal" somehow.

There are twists and turns that had me on edge and I went through all manner of emotions during the course of this book ... sadness, disgust, anger, frustration, anticipation ... that I didn't want to stop reading.

Overall, a disturbing and chilling read but thrilling and gripping and although the subject matter is distasteful and difficult to stomach at times, this book certainly isn't and I highly recommend it to any psychological thriller fans.

My thanks go to the publisher, Avon Books UK, via NetGalley, for my copy in return for an honest review.