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Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Girlfriend in Books
Oct 30, 2022
Jennifer appears to have it all, a wonderful husband, beautiful children and a gorgeous home ... the perfect life until, that is, it all comes crashing down when her husband dies suddenly and it all turns into a nightmare when his mistress, Sara, turns up on the doorstep with a baby son and declares he is her husband's child but that's not the worst of it, she also says the house is hers along with all the assets.
What would you do? Move out or give in to her demands and allow her and her son to move in?!? Like I said, a nightmare. Jennifer does what she thinks is best for her and her children and allows Sara to move in thus buying her time to figure out what the heck has happened and what she is going to do about it .
A twisty, fast paced, psychological thriller that I found intriguing and devoured it in quick time and thanks must go to Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Girlfriend.
What would you do? Move out or give in to her demands and allow her and her son to move in?!? Like I said, a nightmare. Jennifer does what she thinks is best for her and her children and allows Sara to move in thus buying her time to figure out what the heck has happened and what she is going to do about it .
A twisty, fast paced, psychological thriller that I found intriguing and devoured it in quick time and thanks must go to Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Girlfriend.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated What His Wife Knew in Books
Feb 20, 2022
Was it suicide or was it murder? That is the question and one that this book does a great job of unravelling.
Oscar is found dead by his brother at the bottom of Cloud Drop; a note is found which just says "sorry" and his wedding ring in his car - a slam bunk you might say but his wife, Beth, is having none of it and the more she delves, the more she realises her husband is not who she thought he was but neither are those around her.
This was proper good! The story was compelling with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing and although I guessed the main twist, it didn't ruin the story for me at all as it was great getting there. The main characters are excellent and well developed and the pace is good.
All in all, a great psychological/domestic thriller and one which I would recommend to lovers of this genre.
Thank you Penguin Random House UK and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
Oscar is found dead by his brother at the bottom of Cloud Drop; a note is found which just says "sorry" and his wedding ring in his car - a slam bunk you might say but his wife, Beth, is having none of it and the more she delves, the more she realises her husband is not who she thought he was but neither are those around her.
This was proper good! The story was compelling with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing and although I guessed the main twist, it didn't ruin the story for me at all as it was great getting there. The main characters are excellent and well developed and the pace is good.
All in all, a great psychological/domestic thriller and one which I would recommend to lovers of this genre.
Thank you Penguin Random House UK and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Fear The Silence in Books
Jul 9, 2023
I absolutely love Mr Bryndza's Kate Marshall series but this is his first standalone crime thriller and what an absolute triumph it is.
From the very first lines, I was absolutely hooked right to the very end. The author certainly knows how to grab you by the short and curlies and not let go!
With excellent characters, a great setting which added to the atmosphere, a riveting plot that pulled me in and all written at a perfect pace, this book had me on the edge of my seat ... I loved it.
I have no hesitation recommending this to lovers of psychological thrillers. In fact, I have no hesitation in recommending Robert Bryndza's work as everything I have read by him has been to notch and he is one of my go-to author's where I don't even need to read the blurb to pick it up and know I will enjoy the ride.
Many thanks to the author, Raven Street Publishing and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Fear The Silence.
From the very first lines, I was absolutely hooked right to the very end. The author certainly knows how to grab you by the short and curlies and not let go!
With excellent characters, a great setting which added to the atmosphere, a riveting plot that pulled me in and all written at a perfect pace, this book had me on the edge of my seat ... I loved it.
I have no hesitation recommending this to lovers of psychological thrillers. In fact, I have no hesitation in recommending Robert Bryndza's work as everything I have read by him has been to notch and he is one of my go-to author's where I don't even need to read the blurb to pick it up and know I will enjoy the ride.
Many thanks to the author, Raven Street Publishing and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Fear The Silence.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Alan Wake in Video Games
Oct 31, 2019 (Updated Oct 31, 2019)
Flash The Darkness Demons
Contains spoilers, click to show
Alan Wake- is one of those games that is highly underrated. It is a great game. It mixs horror with suspense with thrills with adventure and action.
The Plot: The story follows best-selling thriller novelist Alan Wake as he tries to uncover the mystery behind his wife's disappearance during a vacation in the small fictional town of Bright Falls, Washington, all while experiencing events from the plot in his latest novel, which he cannot remember writing, coming to life.
In its pacing and structure, Alan Wake is similar to a thriller television series, with episodes that contain plot twists and cliffhangers. The game itself consists of six episodes, and the storyline is continued by two special episodes, titled "The Signal" and "The Writer", that were made available as downloadable content (DLC) within the same year of the game's release. Together, they make the first season of a possibly longer story. Additionally, a six-episode live-action web series called Bright Falls acts as a prequel to the game, and a number of related books also expand upon the Alan Wake story.
Lets talk about the game: Alan Wake is described by Remedy as "the mind of a psychological thriller" and "the body of a cinematic action game" put together. In interviews, the game's creators hold that the game does not belong squarely in the survival horror video game genre.
The player controls the eponymous protagonist Alan Wake. In the game, a "darkness" is taking over humans, animals and objects. These enemies, dubbed the "Taken", are murderous shadows that attack Wake, wielding weapons of their own, ranging from.
The Taken are protected by a shield of darkness, initially rendering them impervious to attack; they can only be injured with a firearm after exposure to light, which burns the darkness away. This puts significant emphasis on flashlights in conjunction with conventional weapons, such as a revolver or shotgun. Flashlight beams act as a reticle.
The player is often encouraged to take advantage of environmental light sources and placing, and to use other light-based weapons and accessories, such as flare guns, hand-held flares and flashbangs.
So this game mixs survival with fantasy with reality with horror with suspense and so much more.
I would highly reecordmend playing this game.
The Plot: The story follows best-selling thriller novelist Alan Wake as he tries to uncover the mystery behind his wife's disappearance during a vacation in the small fictional town of Bright Falls, Washington, all while experiencing events from the plot in his latest novel, which he cannot remember writing, coming to life.
In its pacing and structure, Alan Wake is similar to a thriller television series, with episodes that contain plot twists and cliffhangers. The game itself consists of six episodes, and the storyline is continued by two special episodes, titled "The Signal" and "The Writer", that were made available as downloadable content (DLC) within the same year of the game's release. Together, they make the first season of a possibly longer story. Additionally, a six-episode live-action web series called Bright Falls acts as a prequel to the game, and a number of related books also expand upon the Alan Wake story.
Lets talk about the game: Alan Wake is described by Remedy as "the mind of a psychological thriller" and "the body of a cinematic action game" put together. In interviews, the game's creators hold that the game does not belong squarely in the survival horror video game genre.
The player controls the eponymous protagonist Alan Wake. In the game, a "darkness" is taking over humans, animals and objects. These enemies, dubbed the "Taken", are murderous shadows that attack Wake, wielding weapons of their own, ranging from.
The Taken are protected by a shield of darkness, initially rendering them impervious to attack; they can only be injured with a firearm after exposure to light, which burns the darkness away. This puts significant emphasis on flashlights in conjunction with conventional weapons, such as a revolver or shotgun. Flashlight beams act as a reticle.
The player is often encouraged to take advantage of environmental light sources and placing, and to use other light-based weapons and accessories, such as flare guns, hand-held flares and flashbangs.
So this game mixs survival with fantasy with reality with horror with suspense and so much more.
I would highly reecordmend playing this game.
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Picture of Innocence in Books
May 22, 2019
My name is Lydia. Im 12 years old. Im not an evil person, but I did something bad.
My name is Maddie. Id never hurt my son. But can I be sure if I dont remember?
With three children under ten, Maddie is struggling. On the outside, shes a happy young mother, running a charity as well as a household. But inside, shes exhausted. She knows shes lucky to have to have a support network around her. Not just her loving husband, but her family and friends too.
But is Maddie putting her trust in the right people? Because when tragedy strikes, she is certain someone has hurt her child and everyone is a suspect, including Maddie herself
The women in this book are about to discover that looks can be deceiving because anyone is capable of terrible things. Even the most innocent, even you.
This is the story of every mothers worst fear. But its not a story you know and nothing is what it seems.
Picture Of Innocence is a dark psychological thriller.
This novel had me utterly hooked!
The story follows the lives of two women: Maddie and Lydia, and the theme is nature versus nurture.
I really enjoyed the two stories of two women in two different periods of time and watching how those stories intertwined.
This is one devious thriller!
There are so many twists, turns and red herrings in this book; you will be guessing and open mouthed even down to the last page!
I wont give any spoilers, suffice to say that its shocking and dreadful and heartbreaking all at the same time.
I have to commend T. J. Stimson for a brilliant read!
Many Thanks to AVON Books, UK and NetGalley for a wonderful read
My name is Maddie. Id never hurt my son. But can I be sure if I dont remember?
With three children under ten, Maddie is struggling. On the outside, shes a happy young mother, running a charity as well as a household. But inside, shes exhausted. She knows shes lucky to have to have a support network around her. Not just her loving husband, but her family and friends too.
But is Maddie putting her trust in the right people? Because when tragedy strikes, she is certain someone has hurt her child and everyone is a suspect, including Maddie herself
The women in this book are about to discover that looks can be deceiving because anyone is capable of terrible things. Even the most innocent, even you.
This is the story of every mothers worst fear. But its not a story you know and nothing is what it seems.
Picture Of Innocence is a dark psychological thriller.
This novel had me utterly hooked!
The story follows the lives of two women: Maddie and Lydia, and the theme is nature versus nurture.
I really enjoyed the two stories of two women in two different periods of time and watching how those stories intertwined.
This is one devious thriller!
There are so many twists, turns and red herrings in this book; you will be guessing and open mouthed even down to the last page!
I wont give any spoilers, suffice to say that its shocking and dreadful and heartbreaking all at the same time.
I have to commend T. J. Stimson for a brilliant read!
Many Thanks to AVON Books, UK and NetGalley for a wonderful read
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Don't you dare in Books
Jun 5, 2019
‘Don’t You Dare’, by author, A.J. Waines was a riveting, taut and cleverly choreographed read from start to finish!
Although a mistake, and seemingly justified at the time, Rachel, accidentally kills the man her daughter Beth was having an affair with. From then on, both women are forced to cover their tracks to not only hide evidence from the police, but Beth’s fiancé, Peter, too. Beth’s marriage to Peter was supposed to be the answer to all their financial worries and further her acting career, but if this ever got out, well you can imagine, not only would the wedding be over because of her affair, but if caught for murder their lives would be inevitably ruined forever with prison awaiting.
Written from from both mother and daughter’s point of view in first person, this edgy psychological thriller had me hooked from the first page.
‘Don’t You Dare’ was one heck of a fast, tense read for me. Watching the mother desperately trying to sort out her mess, and keeping her daughter from going into a full on meltdown and revealing all, kept me on edge throughout. On top of that, each time I thought I knew all the answers the storyline branched out into another direction, and upped the stakes for both ladies even more.
The ending is superb! I loved how twist after twist the final scenes came to a satisfying end, whilst at the same time the story took on a different angle where an underlying threat would always shadow the two women. Yes, I’m being cryptic for a reason! This is indeed heart-stopping as the hype suggests! I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller, and A.J. Waines’ entertaining writing.
Thanks to A.J. Waines, Bloodhound books and Netgalley for my copy. This is my honest opinion of Don’t You Dare.
Although a mistake, and seemingly justified at the time, Rachel, accidentally kills the man her daughter Beth was having an affair with. From then on, both women are forced to cover their tracks to not only hide evidence from the police, but Beth’s fiancé, Peter, too. Beth’s marriage to Peter was supposed to be the answer to all their financial worries and further her acting career, but if this ever got out, well you can imagine, not only would the wedding be over because of her affair, but if caught for murder their lives would be inevitably ruined forever with prison awaiting.
Written from from both mother and daughter’s point of view in first person, this edgy psychological thriller had me hooked from the first page.
‘Don’t You Dare’ was one heck of a fast, tense read for me. Watching the mother desperately trying to sort out her mess, and keeping her daughter from going into a full on meltdown and revealing all, kept me on edge throughout. On top of that, each time I thought I knew all the answers the storyline branched out into another direction, and upped the stakes for both ladies even more.
The ending is superb! I loved how twist after twist the final scenes came to a satisfying end, whilst at the same time the story took on a different angle where an underlying threat would always shadow the two women. Yes, I’m being cryptic for a reason! This is indeed heart-stopping as the hype suggests! I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller, and A.J. Waines’ entertaining writing.
Thanks to A.J. Waines, Bloodhound books and Netgalley for my copy. This is my honest opinion of Don’t You Dare.
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Sometimes I Lie in Books
Mar 15, 2018
<b><i>Nothing happens by accident.</b></i>
After being in a bit of a reading slump for a week or so, this is exactly the kind of book I needed to read to get my life back in order. This book is fast-paced, twisty & turny and overall fun to read. Thank you, Feeney, for getting me out of my slump with this terrific mystery thriller!
This is most definitely, one of the <i>best</i> thrillers I’ve read in such a long time. The writing style is superb, the characters are so well developed and complex (in a good way!!) and the twists in the plot come out of nowhere (again, in a good way)!
I loved each and every character in this. No one is originally as they seem and as the plot builds and builds around them, each person grows more and more complex. We suspect all of them for different things, so sure we’re right, and then all of a sudden, a new revelation appears and we’re shocked back into not knowing what the hell is going on. That's what’s so great about this novel, you think you’ve got it, you think you know what will happen next, but don’t be so naive! Just you wait and see what Feeney pulls out of the bag next.
As for the plot, I thought this was wonderfully unique. Having the perspective of Amber in a coma, telling us her story, was an incredible way to keep us “in the know” without actually knowing anything!
This is a seriously dark, but superbly written and executed novel. Any psychological thriller lovers out there? Well, you <i>must</i> pick this up in 2017!
<i>Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
After being in a bit of a reading slump for a week or so, this is exactly the kind of book I needed to read to get my life back in order. This book is fast-paced, twisty & turny and overall fun to read. Thank you, Feeney, for getting me out of my slump with this terrific mystery thriller!
This is most definitely, one of the <i>best</i> thrillers I’ve read in such a long time. The writing style is superb, the characters are so well developed and complex (in a good way!!) and the twists in the plot come out of nowhere (again, in a good way)!
I loved each and every character in this. No one is originally as they seem and as the plot builds and builds around them, each person grows more and more complex. We suspect all of them for different things, so sure we’re right, and then all of a sudden, a new revelation appears and we’re shocked back into not knowing what the hell is going on. That's what’s so great about this novel, you think you’ve got it, you think you know what will happen next, but don’t be so naive! Just you wait and see what Feeney pulls out of the bag next.
As for the plot, I thought this was wonderfully unique. Having the perspective of Amber in a coma, telling us her story, was an incredible way to keep us “in the know” without actually knowing anything!
This is a seriously dark, but superbly written and executed novel. Any psychological thriller lovers out there? Well, you <i>must</i> pick this up in 2017!
<i>Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Blake Mistake in Books
Nov 8, 2019
Ben Blake has a talent that can occasionaly help in his job as an intelligence operative. When he forsees a terrorist attack he asks his friend, brother in law and former bad boy Jake Snell to help him prevent it. However Jake is starting to behave oddly, including having periods where he is not aware of what he has done. Could the suppressed memories of his traumatic upbringing be the cause? Meanwhile his wife (and Ben's sister) Emma is delving into Jake's family history. Maybe the secrets of the past are best left alone.
Camilleri aims high with this book - and delivers. It is a complex mix of whodunnit, psychological thriller, paranormal thriller and romance. The plot moves forward dragging the reader with it, the threads and lives of the characters spiralling around the central theme of Jake's past and how it is impacting on the present. There are a number of twists and turns, some as surprising to the reader as to the characters.
The characters themselves are well drawn, benefitting from having developed over previous books (which don't need to have been read to enjoy this). The way the relationships between them change and develop as suspicions arise and certain events occur is excellent, although sometimes frustrating as the reader sees the story from all their viewpoints so can see that sometimes there has just been a misunderstanding or that if something was said everything would be different.
The first third of the book is a little slow as the characters are described and the situation is set up but this allows the rest to move under it's own terrible momentum towards the climax.
Overall a book worth reading and it certainly holds the attention once it gets going.
Caution: Some sex scenes
Camilleri aims high with this book - and delivers. It is a complex mix of whodunnit, psychological thriller, paranormal thriller and romance. The plot moves forward dragging the reader with it, the threads and lives of the characters spiralling around the central theme of Jake's past and how it is impacting on the present. There are a number of twists and turns, some as surprising to the reader as to the characters.
The characters themselves are well drawn, benefitting from having developed over previous books (which don't need to have been read to enjoy this). The way the relationships between them change and develop as suspicions arise and certain events occur is excellent, although sometimes frustrating as the reader sees the story from all their viewpoints so can see that sometimes there has just been a misunderstanding or that if something was said everything would be different.
The first third of the book is a little slow as the characters are described and the situation is set up but this allows the rest to move under it's own terrible momentum towards the climax.
Overall a book worth reading and it certainly holds the attention once it gets going.
Caution: Some sex scenes
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The House: The Terrifying Thriller That's Keeping Readers Up All Night in Books
Sep 24, 2020
More reviews can be found at https://bbookinspector.wordpress.com
When I read the description of this book, it sounded so exciting and riveting, and I was prepared for this mystery and crime solving, but when I read this book, everything what was written in the blurb happened waaaaay slower and more confusing than I expected.
The main characters in this book are Syd and Jack, and this whole novel is told from their perspectives. Even though this novel is told from two people’s perspectives, they are describing lives of many other characters as well. All the characters chosen for this book are really diverse, complex, and incredibly disturbed, that’s what made this book so interesting, and gave a wide variety of characters to choose from. In this novel, I could not pick my favourite one, all of the characters have their charm and charisma. Personally, I would’ve loved, if author would’ve add Syd’s father’s thoughts in this book, I would’ve loved to pick his brains and understand why he did, what he did.
The narrative of this novel starts pretty slow, Jack’s main concentration was on the house, and he was the one who finds those ghostly things about the house. Meanwhile, Syd was telling the story of her life, comparing it with the teenage girl Elsie, whom she is trying to save from abusive father. Even though both characters are telling quite different stories, it all entangles later in the book, making perfect sense. This book is pretty intense psychological thriller, because there are a lot of mind games involved, and the detailed child abuse scenes, makes this book pretty disturbing. So, if you are sensitive to this topic, you might want to skip this one, as it might make you really upset and angry. I really loved topics which Simon Lelic discussed in this book, such as: child physical and psychological abuse; drug addiction; complicated but deep love; difficult child – parent relationships.
The writing style of this novel is not very easy to understand, there are a lot of jumps, but eventually it makes perfect sense and it is pleasant to read, with decent length chapters, which didn’t leave me bored. I am thankful, that author explained everything at the end of the book and didn’t leave a cliffhanger, that would’ve made me furious. So, to conclude, it is quite confusing book, but do not give up on it, it will make sense as you read it, and I hope you will not be disappointed. It is really intense psychological thriller, filled with plenty of twists and turns, which creates tension and incredibly well thought through mind games, and I do strongly recommend reading it.
Was given this book by publisher and NetGalley for honest review.
When I read the description of this book, it sounded so exciting and riveting, and I was prepared for this mystery and crime solving, but when I read this book, everything what was written in the blurb happened waaaaay slower and more confusing than I expected.
The main characters in this book are Syd and Jack, and this whole novel is told from their perspectives. Even though this novel is told from two people’s perspectives, they are describing lives of many other characters as well. All the characters chosen for this book are really diverse, complex, and incredibly disturbed, that’s what made this book so interesting, and gave a wide variety of characters to choose from. In this novel, I could not pick my favourite one, all of the characters have their charm and charisma. Personally, I would’ve loved, if author would’ve add Syd’s father’s thoughts in this book, I would’ve loved to pick his brains and understand why he did, what he did.
The narrative of this novel starts pretty slow, Jack’s main concentration was on the house, and he was the one who finds those ghostly things about the house. Meanwhile, Syd was telling the story of her life, comparing it with the teenage girl Elsie, whom she is trying to save from abusive father. Even though both characters are telling quite different stories, it all entangles later in the book, making perfect sense. This book is pretty intense psychological thriller, because there are a lot of mind games involved, and the detailed child abuse scenes, makes this book pretty disturbing. So, if you are sensitive to this topic, you might want to skip this one, as it might make you really upset and angry. I really loved topics which Simon Lelic discussed in this book, such as: child physical and psychological abuse; drug addiction; complicated but deep love; difficult child – parent relationships.
The writing style of this novel is not very easy to understand, there are a lot of jumps, but eventually it makes perfect sense and it is pleasant to read, with decent length chapters, which didn’t leave me bored. I am thankful, that author explained everything at the end of the book and didn’t leave a cliffhanger, that would’ve made me furious. So, to conclude, it is quite confusing book, but do not give up on it, it will make sense as you read it, and I hope you will not be disappointed. It is really intense psychological thriller, filled with plenty of twists and turns, which creates tension and incredibly well thought through mind games, and I do strongly recommend reading it.
Was given this book by publisher and NetGalley for honest review.
John Roope (4 KP) rated Velvet Buzzsaw (2019) in Movies
Feb 12, 2019
A mixed bag of a film, both engaging and tiresome
Dan Gilroys teams up again with jake Gyllenhaal but this time with far less success than 2014's nightcrawler. Velvet Buzzsaw follows a small group of the LA art world as the mysterious paintings of dease are released into the world. As seen in the trailer the paintings are able to move and even come out and grab you and here is where my issues with the film start.
In my opinion in horror it's best to have some kind of rules so you know what to be scared of. Even the slightest hint of ghosts or the supernatural will do at separating horror from something more psychological. Here it's unclear as to why these paintings have these properties as everything feels like the real world and for the first act the film it balances on this in between of something psychological and actual physically alive paintings. And for the most part these horror sections are terribly predictable as soon as we see a main character alone with one of the paintings it's pretty clear as to what's gonna happen.
Where the movie excels is in between these horror parts when we get more of Morf(played by gyllenhaal in scintillating form) trying to figure out what's going on while experiencing haunting visual and auditory hallucinations. This descent into paranoia and almost madness is far more engaging than the cheap thrills the film seems more eager to give us. More of these characters being entranced yet horrified by these pictures and subtle things going wrong would have made for a far creepier experience.
Overall what could have been a really interesting psychological thriller ended up being a slightly above par horror movie with good performances all round and a interesting premise and while the horror elements were my least favourite part they were very creative and any horror fan would be sure to get a kick out of it
In my opinion in horror it's best to have some kind of rules so you know what to be scared of. Even the slightest hint of ghosts or the supernatural will do at separating horror from something more psychological. Here it's unclear as to why these paintings have these properties as everything feels like the real world and for the first act the film it balances on this in between of something psychological and actual physically alive paintings. And for the most part these horror sections are terribly predictable as soon as we see a main character alone with one of the paintings it's pretty clear as to what's gonna happen.
Where the movie excels is in between these horror parts when we get more of Morf(played by gyllenhaal in scintillating form) trying to figure out what's going on while experiencing haunting visual and auditory hallucinations. This descent into paranoia and almost madness is far more engaging than the cheap thrills the film seems more eager to give us. More of these characters being entranced yet horrified by these pictures and subtle things going wrong would have made for a far creepier experience.
Overall what could have been a really interesting psychological thriller ended up being a slightly above par horror movie with good performances all round and a interesting premise and while the horror elements were my least favourite part they were very creative and any horror fan would be sure to get a kick out of it