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Keep It In The Family
Keep It In The Family
John Marrs | 2022 | Crime, Thriller
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I haven't read anything by John Marrs before but I will keep my eyes open in the future as this dark, family drama/thriller kept me engaged most of the time. I must provide a warning that this book deals with child abuse and murder and some scenes are upsetting as you can imagine so be aware.

Mia and Finn have put all their money into buying a derelict property to do up but during the renovation, a grisly discovery in the attic causes all manner of problems and long held, deep, dark secrets are revealed with devastating consequences.

With a cast of flawed characters and a dark and twisty plot, this was an engaging read and although it went a bit flat in the middle, it held my interest and I thank Amazon Publishing / Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Keep it in the Family.
  
Unhinged (2020)
Unhinged (2020)
2020 | Thriller
Unhinged is a great example of a decent enough thriller, with the caveat of not thinking about it too much.
Some of the plot elements are a stretch at best, completely illogical at worst, but if you're willing to ignore the fact that Rachel doesn't stop anyone to call the police immediately after being rammed off the road by a very angry Russell Crowe, then perhaps you'll find a tight thriller, with some tense action with a dark underbelly.
Crowe is genuinely quite terrifying, and his character isn't an unrealistic one. Situations such as this could happen (the movie thankfully just about stops short of beating one over the head with its message).
Unhinged is certainly flawed, but it's high octane action, memorable villain, and sudden dashes of brutality make it a compelling watch.
  
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Dean (6921 KP) rated You - Season 1 in TV

Dec 6, 2020  
You - Season 1
You - Season 1
2018 | Crime, Drama
Some quite dark humour (0 more)
Few slow episodes (0 more)
Overall interesting Thriller
Finally watched this after hearing about it quite a bit. An enjoyable thriller about a stalker who kinda inserts himself into the lives of women he takes an interest in.
Done with a similar narration style as @Dexter - Season 1 to the viewer. It was fun in some episodes, with a fair amount of humour to it. You shouldn't like the main character but you view things from his perspective, and he comes across as the nice guy. The ending was a bit of a disappointment for me and felt rushed compared to the rest of the series. Not exactly gripping, I got through about 30 episodes of Dexter by the time I did all 10 of this. Entertaining if not a classic.
  
The Handmaid's Tale  - Season 1
The Handmaid's Tale - Season 1
2017 | Drama
Brilliant Cast (2 more)
Fantastic Writing
Gripping and Intriguing
A Tale Worth Telling
Before this show came out I didn't know much about it, but after the first few episodes dropped and the buzz around the show began, I looked into it and decided to give it a go. I can certainly say that I'm glad I did.
This is a dark twisted tale, taking place in a near future dystopia. We follow a young woman called June, who's life is turned around when new laws are brought in that essentially brings America back to the dark ages. She is resilient though and she won't give up and won't stop fighting back, which is gripping to see play out.
If you are looking for an exciting thriller to make you think, check this out.
  
Sleep Tight (2011)
Sleep Tight (2011)
2011 | Drama, Horror, Thriller
Luis Tosar (Cesar) (0 more)
Someone is watching on over you.
This is a Spanish psychological thriller staring Luis Tosar who does a cracking job as one of the guys you never hope to come across. I caught this particular film on the Horror channel of all places and, I was pleasantly surprised by this tense and dark film which at times had me on the edge of my seat and just a little freaked out. If this film was meant to be a bit unsettling, it did it well.
  
DP
Dark Pursuit
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Darrell Brooks, the best selling "King of Suspense," is struggling to write his 100th book after an accident stole his ability to concentrate. But he's going to need all his mental powers when his estranged granddaughter finds a body in her apartment and suspects her boyfriend, a cop, put it there. I loved this Christian thriller. The characters were good, but the character development at the end was a little abrupt.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-review-dark-pursuit-by-brandilyn.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
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Dean (6921 KP) rated Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018) in Movies

Jun 29, 2018 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)  
Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018)
Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018)
2018 | Crime, Thriller
OK but not as good as the original
I was a little disappointed after seeing this after the highs of the first film. From the plot and trailers, No rules this time. I expected the action to be ramped up a huge amount, with a very dark tone. It starts well but a change in direction and pace in the last third let it down slightly. Still a decent action thriller, worth seeing if you enjoyed the first. It just doesn't reach the same level and noticeably misses Emily Blunt's character.
  
Force of Nature
Force of Nature
Jane Harper | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, Thriller
8
7.0 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Gripping and dry
What I love about Jane Harper's books is the biggest character is always the landscape the story takes place in. Force of nature is set in one of Australia's cold and dark national parks, rugged and unforgiving and so the atmosphere is set. Take office politics up a notch to a brutal level and add intriguing and constant suspense and you will find it difficult to not read just another chapter. If you like crime novels Harper's and human and most importantly believable. Won't get a better thriller/crime novel this year
  
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Awix (3310 KP) rated Game Night (2018) in Movies

Mar 5, 2018 (Updated Mar 22, 2019)  
Game Night (2018)
Game Night (2018)
2018 | Comedy, Mystery
Knowingly absurd black comedy thriller is powered along by engaging performances and some good gags. A group of affluent friends think they're participating in a kind of murder mystery role-playing game; in fact the situation is in deadly earnest.

The script goes into overdrive to sustain this fairly preposterous premise for 100 minutes - it just about manages it but the first half inevitably feels a bit less forced than the conclusion. Still very funny indeed in places; there's a bit of tonal uncertainty - the thriller element is quite dark, with some graphic violence - but not enough to make the film uncomfortable to watch. Bateman and McAdams are particularly good, but lots of good turns here, both comic and straight. I laughed a lot, which is pretty unusual when it comes to me and modern comedies.
  
The Family Upstairs
The Family Upstairs
Lisa Jewell | 2019 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
8
8.6 (9 Ratings)
Book Rating
A compelling, creepy and riveting read from start to finish.

When Libby hits her 25th birthday, she inherits a house in Chelsea with a very dark past. Gradually, you begin to learn of that past with the use of different time periods and different character viewpoints. I admit that at first this took a while to get my head around but it does fall into place and works extremely well.

The story is gripping and dark; the characters are well developed, interesting and authentically flawed; the writing is easy to read and set at a good pace and the mystery elements are perfectly formed.

I would most definitely recommend this to people who love a good psychological thriller and want to thank Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.