Tag Psychological Thriller

The Escape Room by L.D. Smithson @LeonaDeakin1 @RandomTTOurs @TransworldBooks #mystery #thriller #psychologicalthriller #bookreivew

yvonnembee 8 Comments

I am delighted to share my review today of The Escape Room by L.D. Smithson. This is a brilliant locked-room mystery thriller that I absolutely adored. This author writes under another name and those books are also amazing 🙂 I didn’t know who the author was until I started to write up this post and I then discovered who it was!

My huge thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for my spot on the Blog Tour and for arranging my copy of the book from Transworld Books Publishers.

Everything is a clue.
Eight strangers arrive at a remote sea fort off the coast of England. They are here to take part in The Fortress, a mysterious reality TV show in which contestants have to solve a series of complex puzzles. But this is no game, and the consequences of failure are more deadly than anyone anticipated.

No one leaves.
The show’s sinister purpose becomes clear when the first person is evicted from the competition. Instead of being sent home to their family, they are left to die inside a locked room.

The only way out is to win.
Under scrutiny from the watching public, the contestants soon turn one another. What are they willing to do for wealth and fame? How far will they go to survive? And who is behind it all? The only thing they know for certain is that if they want to escape, they need to win…

Are you ready to play?

MY REVIEW

This amazing book has you wondering who’s and what’s from start to finish. It is a locked room mystery and it was just brilliant.

Eight people are part of a game show, the set is off the coast and the idea is to solve puzzles to win and leave. There can be only one winner and the show is being televised. the contestants have been carefully selected and come with their own sense of identity. It doesn’t take long before tensions start to build and sides are formed.

I adored everything about this book, from the twist at the beginning and the ones that followed. When you think you have things sorted then another one comes along. It starts to make you wonder if up is up and down is down. The author has successfully brought out the best and the worst in his characters and within a locked room environment their true traits start to emerge.

From entering the venue and discovering what the puzzles entail, the truth of the game emerges. While I thought I started to understand it, well the author tweaked the rules and things started to change. From what I originally thought this book would be, to what it finally turned out to be was poles apart.

I am not a fan of reality TV and have not watched any of the shows apart from The Crystal Maze, which I adored, and that is about it. I have briefly glanced at some of the others but they have not held my interest. The game the author has created for his characters is something else though. If it was an actual reality televised show with real people, would I watch it… definitely not!!! Read the book and you will find out why.

This is a book that had me on tenterhooks all the way through. The characters are interesting and the end section of the book is just as twisted as the game section of the book.

If you are a fan of locked room, psychologically twisted mystery thrillers then this is a book you should be looking at reading. I adored it and would definitely recommend it.

About the Author…

L. D. Smithson was born in Staffordshire and now lives in Ilkley. She is an occupational psychologist and a crime writer who has published under another name.

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Anna O by Matthew Blake @HarperCollinsUK #psychologicalthriller #crime #mystery #NetGalley #bookreview

yvonnembee 6 Comments

I am delighted to share my review of Anna O by Matthew Blake. This is a debut by the author and it was a brilliant psychological thriller.

My huge thanks to Harper Collins UK for granting my request to read this title via NetGalley.

THE WORLD WILL KNOW HER NAME

What if your nightmares weren’t really nightmares at all?

We spend an average of thirty-three years of our lives asleep. But what really happens, and what are we capable of, when we are sleeping?

Anna Ogilvy was a budding twenty-five-year-old writer with a bright future. Then, one night, she stabbed two people to death with no apparent motive—and she hasn’t woken up since. Dubbed “Sleeping Beauty” by the tabloids, Anna suffers from a rare psychosomatic disorder known to neurologists as “resignation syndrome.”

Dr. Benedict Prince is a forensic psychologist and an expert in the field of sleep-related homicides. His methods represent the last possible hope of solving the infamous “Anna O” case by waking Anna up so she can stand trial. But the doctor must be careful treating such a high-profile suspect—he’s got career secrets and a complicated personal life of his own.

As Anna shows the first signs of stirring, Benedict knows he must determine what really happened and whether Anna should be held responsible for her crimes.

Only Anna knows the truth about that night, but only Benedict knows how to discover it. And they’re both in danger from what they will discover.

MY REVIEW

This is a fabulously twisted and atmospheric psychological thriller. Anne O, the ‘O’ is for Ogilvy, her surname and ‘Oh my goodness’ and ‘Oh, I didn’t expect that!’.

Anna O is asleep, she has been for four years continuously and the trial is on hold until she wakes. The trial is for the murder she committed, or maybe committed. Nobody seems to know what happened until she wakes and the case can finally close.

This is a book that is slower-paced as such and very deep, looking into several people and their interactions with each other. It is one where I was never sure where the story was going, well I thought I did, but then other things began to emerge and throw me.

Anna is moved to a sleep clinic where she comes under the care of Dr Benedict PRince, he is a lecturer and a forensic psychologist and he is tasked with trying to find a way of waking Anna up. He sort of has a connection to this case as it was his ex-wife who originally attended the scene, she is in the police and was first on the scene.

The story emerges and there are sections from a notebook Anna has kept. This gives you an insight into what was going on in her life before the murders and her falling asleep. Around that there is the main story of Ben, how he is trying to wake her, some psychological profiles, mentions of different diagnoses and all-in-all quite a lot of information relevant to the story. I really enjoyed this and for me, it really added to the story as it sort of added credence to the character of Ben.

Anna O was a real person, a search on the internet will give you information about her ( I should mention that this case was not something that the author has referred to, just something I have come across).

I have, however, seen an article from the author who based this book on real-life events, one is of people committing murder while sleepwalking the other is his study of resignation syndrome, which is where people fall asleep for years with no medical reason. Putting these two concepts together and then researching to create such an enigmatic story makes for addictive reading.

By the end of the book I found myself completely turned around, and so very far from where I thought this would go. I for one completely enjoyed this and it is one for those who like twisted thriller with a strong psychological premise, some great research and one that makes you think. There were a couple of times when I paused to think about what had just happened, to process the next twist or to just wallow in the eureka moment only to have another eureka moment later on!

Addictive, brilliant and one I would definitely recommend.

About the Author…

After discovering that the average person spends thirty-three years of their life asleep, Matthew Blake felt the pull of a story. He began extensive research into sleep-related crimes and into the mystery illness known as resignation syndrome, research that sparked a thrilling question: if someone commits murder while sleepwalking, are they innocent or guilty? And so his novel Anna O was born.

Before writing fiction, Matthew worked as a researcher and speechwriter at the Palace of Westminster. He studied English at Durham University and Merton College, Oxford and now lives in London.

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Dark in Different Ways by J.D. Patterson @_JD_Patterson @SpellBoundBks @Tr4cyF3nt0n #thriller #psychological #bookreview

yvonnembee

I am delighted to share my review today of Dark in Different Ways by J.D. Patterson. This is a fabulous thriller that is set mainly in Australia and the first for me to read anything by this author.

My huge thanks to Tracy at Compulsive Readers for my spot on the Blog Tour and for arranging my copy of the book from the publisher – SpellBound Books.

There are dark secrets beneath the Australian sun…His troubled past behind him, Thom is happy living in Sydney with his lover, Craig and dreams of being a journalist.

When the death of a teenager causes a riot, Thom thinks he’s found his perfect story. But when he starts asking questions, he attracts the attention of Rob Morton, a corrupt detective with something to hide. Before long, he’s ensnared in a twisted game of cat-and-mouse with the psychopathic Morton, who will go to appalling lengths to stop him.

In mortal danger – and with his new life unravelling – Thom finds he can trust no-one. Not even himself. In a high-stakes world where he doesn’t belong, what can he do to survive?

Tense and atmospheric, Dark in Different Ways is a haunting odyssey through the murkier side of Sydney.

MY REVIEW

Thom moved to Australia to study journalism there. It was a way of escaping his past and giving himself some distance from the ideologies that initially got him into trouble in the UK. Now in Sydney, he is living with Craig and is doing well for himself. He comes across a story about the death of a teen involved in a riot. Thinking this could be something, Thom decides to follow it up and finds himself in a whole lot of trouble in a country that he is only just starting to understand.

This was such a good book and one that soon became one that I could not put down. A fabulous thriller that has a great psychological edge to it as there are so many mind games that the author has brought into this story. While it is the story of Thom and what he thinks is right, it is also about his naivety and, what some may call, his recklessness.

It is when he becomes the focus of Detective Rob Morton’s eye that things start to become more twisted, devious and dangerous. It makes for an addictive and adrenalin-fuelled read.

Thom is one of those characters who feels like he is doing the right thing when he decides to delve into the story of a dead teenager, but he doesn’t realise that there are so many things he just doesn’t understand. He thinks he is an adult but his 20-odd years haven’t really equipped him for what he finds himself in the middle of.

The author has done such a good job of giving Thom security with his partner Craig and in some ways, this makes him naive as Craig is a lot older and more worldly wise. It is a bit of an eye-opener when Thom starts to doubt what he knows and suddenly he finds himself, not the truthful wannabe-journalist, but someone who does not understand or see the bigger picture.

When he does start to learn what is going on, he realises the danger he is actually in.

This is a dark and brilliant psychological thriller that twists and weaves through Sydney. It is a brilliant book to introduce me to this author and I will be looking forward to reading a lot more. It is one I would definitely recommend.

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

The Murmurs by Michael J Malone @michaeljmalone1 @OrendaBooks @RandomTTours #crime #suspense #bookreview

yvonnembee 2 Comments

I am delighted to share my review today for The Murmurs by Michael J. Malone. This is the story of a woman who has lost part of her memory and is trying to understand her past and why she senses certain things. This is the first book in the series and I am really looking forward to what the author has for Annie in the future.

My huge thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for my spot on the Blog Tour and for arranging my e-copy of this fantastic book from the publisher Orenda Books.

A young woman starts experiencing terrifying premonitions of people dying, as it becomes clear that a family curse known only as The Murmurs has begun, and a long-forgotten crime is about to be unearthed…

On the first morning of her new job at Heartfield House, a care home for the elderly, Annie Jackson wakens from a terrifying dream. And when she arrives at the home, she knows that the first old man she meets is going to die.

How she knows this is a terrifying mystery, but it is the start of horrifying premonitions … a rekindling of the curse that has trickled through generations of women in her family – a wicked gift known only as ‘the murmurs’…

With its reappearance comes an old, forgotten fear that is about to grip Annie Jackson.

And this time, it will never let go…

A compulsive gothic thriller and a spellbinding supernatural mystery about secrets and small communities, about faith, courage and self-preservation, The Murmurs is a startling and compulsive read from one of Scotland’s finest authors.

MY REVIEW

When Annie Jackson is asked about her past, she is unable to answer as she only knows what she has been told. This is since the accident in which her mother died and Annie was found washed up on the shores of a Loch. Her brother is a valuable part of her life and is able to answer most of her questions. The ones he can’t answer though are the ones that come from her ability to know when someone is due to die. She calls it the murmurs. Her family and her ancestors called it the family curse!


Having a brother and other people to give Annie guidance and help is great, but there is a time when she is going to have to confront her past head-on. The thing is, well is she strong enough?

From the very start, I knew I was going to adore this book. It was so annoying that I had such a busy week at work and I could not sit and read it cover to cover as I am sure I would have done given the chance.

The story is that of the family and is told from their individual perspectives and of others who are involved in the story. It is a brilliant format for this type of story as you really get inside the heads of the characters, but that doesn’t mean that you are any closer to understanding how things are going to occur or what is coming.

Given that Annie has this ability to see the future of some, there is a controversial twist. Her mother was a devout Christian woman and there are references to events in the past when ancestors were driven out of the small community they lived in. Having this back and forth between characters and timelines is great as the author is able to leave little nuggets of information that gradually build up over the course of the story.

The author has brought a sense of dread and suspicion to the forefront of his story. Annie is not quite sure who to trust and this works so well for her character. Being reliant on others for information is one thing, but are they telling the truth?

This was also quite an emotional story and one that had me hoping that things would turn out well for Annie just because I thought she deserved to have good things. Her character is one that I really liked, at times full of confidence and at others doubting herself and those around her. Not understanding some of her memories but knowing they are important somehow was great and added another layer of suspense.

This for me was a superb gothic horror-style story but set in the present day. It was atmospheric and there are some wonderfully creepy moments. The characters have a good array of backgrounds and add doubt and suspicion.

If you are a fan of suspense-filled gothic horror stories then you really do need to look at this one. When I say horror I don’t mean the old blood, guts and chainsaw type but the psychological sort and it has been done brilliantly. Great story and characters and one I would definitely recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael Malone is a prize-winning poet and author who was born and brought up in the
heart of Burns’ country. He has published over 200 poems in literary magazines
throughout the UK, including New Writing Scotland, Poetry Scotland and Markings. Blood
Tears, his bestselling debut novel won the Pitlochry Prize from the Scottish Association
of Writers. His dark psychological thriller, A Suitable Lie, was a number-one bestseller, and
is currently in production for the screen, and five powerful standalone thrillers followed
suit. A former Regional Sales Manager (Faber & Faber) he has also worked as an IFA and a
bookseller. Michael lives in Ayr, where he also works as a hypnotherapist.

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Dark Mode by Ashley Kalagian Blunt @AKalagianBlunt @RandomTTours @ultimopress #thriller #suspense #psychologicalthriller #bookreview

yvonnembee 4 Comments

I am delighted to share my review today for Dark Mode by Ashley Kalagian Blunt. This is indeed a dark story and one that had me hooked. The story explores the dark side of the internet and it is so addictive.

My huge thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for my spot on the Blog Tour and for arranging my e-copy of this fabulous book from the publisher Ultimo Press.

Once you’re online, there’s nowhere to hide

Is it paranoia – or is someone watching?

For years, Reagan Carsen has kept her life offline. No socials. No internet presence. No photos. Safe.

Until the day she stumbles on a shocking murder in a Sydney laneway. The victim looks just like her.

Coincidence?

As more murders shake the city and she’s increasingly drawn out from hiding, Reagan is forced to confront her greatest fear.

She’s been found.

A riveting psychological thriller drawn from true events, Dark Mode delves into the terrifying reality of the dark web, and the price we pay for surrendering our privacy one click at a time.

MY REVIEW

The main character Reagan Carsen has good reason for keeping off the internet, not wanting to leave digital footprints in any way, shape or form. In this day and age, it is a hugely invasive part of our lives. We all use it, we are all reliant on it and it is becoming more and more difficult to avoid detection.

For Reagan though, as we discover, she has good reason for avoiding the web. She is running a business and the footfall is getting less and less as people are simply not aware that she is there. It takes her new boyfriend to help her set up online, he himself is not a fan but does have the internet for his own social media. She notices the benefits as her sales increase and her best friend Min is delighted that she has finally joined the technological age.

I did mention that Reagan has a past, it comes crashing at her feet when she discovers a body. There is something familiar about the body. It looks like her!

I have to say that this book was an amazing one, the author doesn’t hang around in getting the scenes laid out. From the opening pages, this is a fabulous well paced book. There is tension on every page as the author uses some wonderful atmospherics to show how on edge Reagan has become. Her story emerges in dribs and drabs and this suits her character a lot.

Having mentions of the dark web in the synopsis always tends me to stop and take notice. It is something I don’t know much about but it also terrifies me. I can imagine the fear that Reaan felt as she discovers what is starting to happen.

This is a book that made me feel on edge, it shows how a person’s ignorance of technology can be used against them in a startling and shocking way. This story has a strong psychological aspect to it and I have to say the author has done this so well.

There is a brilliant note from the author at the end about some of the books she has used for reference. One of these is on its way as I wrote this review!

If you are a fan of tense, stalker and psychological stories then this is one you really should pick up. It does have mentions of the dark but nothing that becomes over technical thank goodness. I adored this one a lot and I would definitely recommend it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ashley Kalagian Blunt is the author of How to Be Australian and
My Name Is Revenge. Her writing appears in the Sydney Morning
Herald, Overland, Griffith Review, Sydney Review of Books,
Australian Book Review, Kill Your Darlings and more. Ashley teaches
creative writing and co-hosts James and Ashley Stay at Home, a
podcast about writing, creativity and health. Originally from Canada,
she has lived and worked in South Korea, Peru and Mexico.

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So Pretty by Ronnie Turner @Ronnie_Turner #SoPretty @RandomTTours @OrendaBooks #thriller #psychological #mystery #bookreview

yvonnembee 4 Comments

I am delighted to share my review today for So Pretty by Ronnie Turner. I read this book before Christmas and adored its eerie atmosphere. This book also became one of my Top Reads of 2022! Also, I really have to mention the cover of this book 😱 it is insanely appropriate!

My huge thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for my spot on the Blog Tour and for arranging my e-copy of this amazing book from Orenda Books.

The arrival of a young man in a small town sparks, hoping to leave his past behind him, but everything changes when he takes a job in a peculiar old shop, and meets a lonely single mother… A hypnotic gothic thriller and a mesmerising study of identity and obsession.

When Teddy Colne arrives in the small town of Rye, he believes he will be able to settle down and leave his past behind him. Little does he know that fear blisters through the streets like a fever. The locals tell him to stay away from an establishment known only as Berry & Vincent, that those who rub too closely to its proprietor risk a bad end.

Despite their warnings, Teddy is desperate to understand why Rye has come to fear this one man and to see what really hides behind the doors of his shop.

Ada moved to Rye with her young son to escape a damaged childhood and years of never fitting in, but she’s lonely and ostracised by the community. Ada is ripe for affection and friendship, and everyone knows it.

As old secrets bleed out into this town, so too will a mystery about a family who vanished fifty years earlier, and a community living on a knife edge.

Teddy looks for answers, thinking he is safe, but some truths are better left undisturbed, and his past will find him here, just as it has always found him before. And before long, it will find Ada too.

MY REVIEW

Oh My Goodness!!! What an amazing book this was. The author started with one thing then it gradually morphed into something so much darker than I ever expected, all in a very, very good way I must add.

This story is about two people and the chapters alternate between the two of them. Ada is a single mother and lives in Rye, never quite fitting into this small and clique-ridden village. She is always polite but always on the edge of things.

Teddy arrives and gets a job in an old curiosity/ knick-knack/ random things and objects shop. The owner is a bizarre man, to say the least, he doesn’t speak, he hasn’t interviewed Teddy and seems to lurk in the shadows.

It is natural that these two lonely people should meet and become friends. But there are warnings for Teddy about the shop and of things that may have happened in the past. Ada is aware that something has happened, she doesn’t know the full story though.

This is a remarkable book to read, it is a story that feels frantic at times with the emotions of the characters tumbling across the pages. Then there are quieter, more considered and slower breathing spaces where the author describes this sinister shop and the curios within its doors and behind the windows.

The shop is one of those weird and wonderful places full of things you would expect to see in one of those old museums that is hidden on a back street somewhere. In fact, this place sort of reminded me of a curious and wonderfully bizarre museum I visited on holiday in Ilfracombe in Devon. A place where there are drawers of insects, jars of animal parts and yes even shrunken heads! For me, this book brought memories of some of the objects I had seen, but then the author so brilliantly added a dark and atmospheric air to her story. This at times felt incredibly creepy, sinister and macabre.

The way emotions of the characters and also the way she has made the shop a character in its own right are fabulous. There is a wonderful, almost lyrical way to her writing at times and this almost lulls the reader into a false sense of security.

The storyline itself,m well that is something that I didn’t expect, well I say that, but I did have a feeling where things may go but definitely not to the extent they did.

This is a brilliant book and it is one that I adored from the first pages to the very last. A tense, mysterious thriller that had me hooked. An amazing book and one that I would absolutely recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ronnie Turner grew up in Cornwall, the youngest in a large family. At an early age,
she discovered a love of literature and dreamed of being a published author.
Ronnie now lives in the South West with her family and three dogs. In her spare
time, she reviews books on her blog and enjoys long walks on the coast. Ronnie is
a Waterstones Senior Bookseller and a barista, and her youth belies her
exceptional, highly unusual talent.

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Lost by Leona Deakin #psychologicalthriller #thriller #crime #bookreview

yvonnembee

I am delighted to share my review today for Lost by Leona Deakin. This is the 2nd book in the Dr Bloom series and if you are a fan of intriguing crime and psychological thriller then this is a series that you will want to have a look at.

HOW CAN YOU SOLVE A CRIME IF YOU CAN’T REMEMBER THE CLUES?

There is an explosion at a military ball. The casualties are rushed to hospital in eight ambulances, but only seven vehicles arrive. Captain Harry Peterson is missing.

His girlfriend calls upon her old friend Dr Augusta Bloom, who rushes to support the investigation. But no one can work out what connects the bomb and the disappearance.

When Harry is eventually discovered three days later, they hope he holds the answers to their questions. But he can’t remember a single thing.

MY REVIEW

This is the 2nd book in this author’s Dr Bloom, series, I have read the 1st one and the 4th one. Nothing new for me to read out of order.

After a rough start in the first book, Marcus Jameson decides to come back to help Augusta Bloom. She is asked to investigate the disappearance of the boyfriend of one of her old friends. The friend Kerena is concerned about her boyfriend after a bomb exploded at a military ball. Captain Harry Peterson was at the ball and caught up in the explosion, Kerena had seen him just after but went to help someone more seriously wounded. It is when she tries to visit him that she discovers that he is missing, not at the hospital where the other injured were taken. Randomly he turns up at a different hospital, looking far worse than he did when she had last seen him.

What follows is such an intriguing and devious thriller that takes Augusta and Marcus around the country and also steps back into the clutches of a certain psychopath.

If you have read the first book then you will realise some of the back stories of the main characters. If not you will start to get an idea of what has happened but you would also be missing out on an amazing twisted and devious plot.

With the disappearance of a military man, you would imagine the military to be all over it. The thing is there is an interest but not one that has an urgency to it. This is something for Augusta and Marcus to try and work their way through. There are also some strange messages and it does have a cat-and-mouse feel to the plot, but one that doesn’t make sense to the characters until much later in the story.

The story isn’t straight forward and the authors stretches out the storyline to include others. This gives a dangerous predicament and one that has implications for Harry.

This is a brilliantly plotted story and it is one that I couldn’t see what was coming. I do love it when an author does this and twists things like this. By the end of the story, there are a lot more surprises that were unexpected but felt very right for this style of this book. Nothing is as it seems and there are some wonderful revelations.

This is another fabulous book in this series and I will be reading the 3rd one soon. This is great for fans who love a crime thriller plot with a strong psychological feel to it. It is one I would definitely recommend. 

Many thanks fo reaing my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx

The Imposter by Leona Deakin @LeonaDeakin1 @RandomTTours #crime #mystery #psychologicalthriller #bookreview

yvonnembee 1 Comment

I am delighted to share my review today for The Imposter by Leona Deakin. This is the 4th book in the series and if you are a fan of riveting psychological thrillers then this should be on your TBR list.

My huge thanks to Anne at Random Things Tours for my spot on the Blog Tour and for arranging my e-copy from the publisher.

Dr Bloom is faced with her most challenging case yet as she races to catch a highly unpredictable
murderer in London. He doesn’t just want your identity. He wants your life…


No one sees him coming.


A stock-market trader is pushed from a high-rise balcony and falls to his death on the street below. The only clue the police can find is a box of matches.

No one survives for long.


The decomposing body of a member of the Saudi Royal Family is discovered in a car. Evidence suggests the killer took the man’s life, then stole his identity, wore his clothes and lived in his hotel room – before vanishing into thin air like smoke.

Nothing but matchsticks are left behind.


Dr Bloom realizes the only thing linking these murders is a trail of burnt matches and broken lives. Time is running out – and if she isn’t careful, she might be the next to burn …

MY REVIEW

This is a series that I do think you need to have at least read the first book, as I have, to understand the relationship between three of the characters. The three are Dr Augusta Bloom, Marcus Jamieson and Seraphine. These three have a special link, it is one that I really enjoyed reading in the first book, and I can see the author has developed this even more. There are mentions of previous cases that I assume are part of the two books I have not read. I do think this book works without reading the previous ones.

A murder has occurred, and Bloom is called in for her expertise in psychology and profiling. Bloom looks at scenes in a slightly different way and she is able to spot some similarities between this and another murder. Once she finds a link in one, she looks for further clues, unfortunately, it is not as easy as that and there is something that doesn’t quite match up. This throws the case into confusion, and some think that Bloom has alternative reasons for being on the case. She works with Marcus and together they try and get their heads around what is going on. Then we have Seraphine, nothing is straightforward if she is involved, but what role she actually plays and how she schemes are something that she specialises in.

This is a brilliant book for lovers of psychological thrillers and crime stories. Having the viewpoint of a psychologist trying to help connect the clues is great. It gives one side to any analysis the other side is that of the psychopath. You just have to know who the psychopath is, or in this case, which of the psychopaths are involved in what crime?

This is a riveting cat-and-mouse story with many different twists and also more than one storyline. This could make it confusing to follow, but the author has kept control and leads the reader through the clues, the links and to the conclusion.

I really enjoy the tense and suspense-fuelled feel of this book. Even though I missed a couple of the books I immediately remembered the main three characters and how much I enjoyed the first story.
The author delves into some really interesting psychological conditions, and what an interesting this concept made to the story.

This is a well-paced book, it does feel fast-paced but not massively so. There are times when the author stops to give her cast a chance to stop and think. It is during these moments that I discovered more about the case and also where the leads were potentially taking the team.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and I am annoyed with myself for missing books 2 and 3, but I am glad I have read the 4th. This is a tense and chilling story, it is one that had me hooked from the first few pages. Ideal for those who adore thrillers, crimes, procedural style and psychological stories. It is one I would definitely recommend.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Leona Deakin draws inspiration for her writing from her own experiences having started her career as a psychologist with the West Yorkshire Police and her successful work in psychology since. Leona was part of a team responsible for designing methods of selection for recruiting and promoting officers from PC to Chief Superintendent. Her role was to create realistic policing scenarios – from personnel issues to large scale incidents (plane crash, terrorist bomb etc) – that could be used to test leadership skills. To do this she spent a great deal of time interviewing and observing officers at various ranks and reviewing cases. This gave Leona an insight into the police culture that helps her to write authentic character interactions in her novels.
Leona is now an occupational psychologist and lives with her family in Leeds. She has written four novels in the acclaimed Dr Augusta Bloom series: Gone, Lost, Hunt and The Imposter.

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The Flock by J. Todd Scott #mystery #thriller #crime #psychologicalthriller #bookreview

yvonnembee

I am delighted to share my review today for The Flock by J. Todd Scott, this was a book I chose from the Prime Reading selection that you get with your Amazon Prime Membership at the beginning of each month. As I had recently watched the Amazon Prime program WACO, I decided it would be good to then read this book as it is based on a cult.

From J. Todd Scott comes a chillingly engrossing thriller about a cult survivor who must confront the horrors of her past to ensure the safety of the future.

Ten years after a fiery raid kills her family, former cult member Sybilla “Billie” Laure has a completely new identity. She’s settled in rural Colorado with her daughter, hoping for a quieter life. But the world has other plans.

With wildfires raging and birds dropping from the sky, Billie wonders if her cult leader father’s apocalyptic predictions are finally coming true. When an intruder murders her husband and kidnaps her daughter, Billie has no choice but to confront the secrets of her past. But Billie’s journey has other perils, too—namely, a police chief hot on her trail, determined to expose the dangers of the defunct doomsday cult.

To save her daughter, Billie will have to go back to where it all began—to the ruined compound in New Mexico where the real threat is the truth.

MY REVIEW

This is a book that I really enjoyed once I got into it, initially a little slow but this was due to me not really connecting with the characters. There are a few characters and it took a while for me to get my head around who they were and what they did or are doing. There are some who have different names in this book as well.

The story is one that has its origins in a cult. Sybilla and her daughter have escaped from the cult that they have known all their lives. Sybilla is seen as a chosen one and her standing within the group increases with the birth of her daughter. When she realises that the cult is not the place to raise a child she looks to leave. She eventually makes this departure and becomes a face known by many as she is photographed walking away from the burning compound with her daughter in her arms.

The story of what happened is gradually realised in small amounts throughout the book, this doe makes for an intriguing read as details are given. It has been a decade since that night and Sybilla has made a new life, she is married but not one for mixing. Then she comes home to find her husband has been murdered and her daughter has been taken. She knows that there is a new branch of the cult and that they will be responsible. Now she needs to find them and her daughter.

This is an intriguing book as the cult deals with end-of-the-world scenarios, and one of the signs is wildfires. As we have been witnessing wildfires around the world it is plausible that people will see this as the end of days especially given the pandemic, floods, climate change and other global events.

While Sybilla is looking for her daughter, there is also the matter of the murder. The local police chief, Elise, is trying to keep on the case, well I should say cases as this isn’t the only death. There is the danger that the FBI or CBI (Colorado Bureau of Investigations) could take over.

This is one that was a slow-burner to start, not so much in the action side of it, just in the way it took me quite a while to get into it. Once I got the basics then I seemed to fare a lot better and this then meant the pacing got quicker. I could then focus more on the story from the emotional side of a mother trying to find her daughter and how time is of the essence. There was a reason for the kidnapping and this is based on the date of Ascension according to the cult followers.

The author has done a really good job of showing how a cult can pray on the vulnerable, those who have gone through divorce or bereavement and are alone, those who feel displaced and misunderstood and then manipulate and basically brainwash.

This is a story that I enjoyed because I am aware of what happened in the Waco Siege of 1993, it is easy to imagine some of the scenes that are discussed. There is a lot of information about Waco and it does make for grim reading at times, as does this book. I think it is the sense that vulnerable people are being exploited, manipulated, used and brainwashed by controlling leaders that really angers me. But, I can see how easy it could be achieved.

The story does make you stop and think especially with the things that we are all witnessing on a global scale. This is a mix of a police procedural, crime thriller and psychological thriller that I would happily recommend to readers who prefer a grittier and hard-hitting subject in their reading.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J. Todd Scott was born in rural Kentucky and attended college and law school in Virginia, where he set aside an early ambition to write to pursue a career as a federal agent. His assignments have taken him all over the U.S and the world, but a gun and badge never replaced his passion for stories and writing.

When he’s not hunting down very bad men, he’s hard at work on his next book.

His debut novel, THE FAR EMPTY, was published 2016 by Penguin Random House – G.P. Putnam’s Sons. The sequel, HIGH WHITE SUN came out in 2018. And THIS SIDE OF NIGHT, the third book in the Chris Cherry / Big Bend Series, was released in 2019.

His stand-alone Appalachian crime novel, LOST RIVER, came out in 2020.

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share woudl be amazing 🙂 xx

The App by Stuart James @StuartJames73 @ZooloosBT#psychologicalthriller #crime #thriller #mystery #bookreview

yvonnembee 5 Comments

I am delighted to share my review today for The App by Stuart James. This is a brilliant psychological thriller and one that really made me think about the internet and the way we use apps on our phones.

My huge thanks to Zoe at Zooloo Books Tours for my spot on the Blog Tour and for arranging my e-copy of the book.

The App…

Once you’re in, they’ll never let you leave.

Whatever happens, don’t download The App.

* It will come in the form of a link. Maybe in your DM’s on a social media account, the junk folder of your emails or a WhatsApp message from a friend.

  • You’ll be enticed by the chance of winning one hundred thousand pounds on offer every Friday, wired straight into the winner’s bank account.
  • It’s not a joke.
  • This part is genuine.
  • Someone can and will win the money.
  • But at what cost?

Marty Benson gets the link sent to him by a friend. So what is the harm in looking?
He clicks it, downloads the app and enters a few basic details.
A message prompts him to wait while he’s loaded onto the system.
An hour later, another message.

• Do not delete the app.
• Do not tell anyone outside of your family about the app.
• Send the link to one person who is close to you.

  • Do not throw your phone away.
  • Always narrate while streaming.
    • If you break any of the rules, we’ll kill a member of your family. Then we’ll kill you.

Marty is sent a picture of his wife, who is shopping with her mother in Oxford Street.
As Marty struggles to breathe, he clicks the links and watches the most recent streams, realising what happens within the
app.

Every Friday morning, a person is randomly picked from social media.

They now have a bounty on their head—a death warrant. But they don’t know it.

Their profile appears on the app’s main page; all their details are displayed.

Every app member must play the game at least once a month or face the consequences.

Kill the person randomly selected from social media.

Win one hundred thousand pounds.

As Marty watches the terror unfold and everyone streaming the hunt within the app, he realises he has to do something.

But how do you stop a murder, when everyone could be the killer?

MY REVIEW

So most of us own a mobile, and most of us download apps. So what if you were sent a download to an app from a trusted friend that could potentially bag you a nice sum of money? Sounds good, and yes we all know that you “don’t get ‘owt for nowt” but all that is required is your name. Great, simple, but then after that, you get a message to say you are not allowed to delete the app, talk about the app or go to the police about the app otherwise a family member will be killed. As proof that they are not joking a photo of one of your family members is sent to you, it is recent, and when you look through the links you realise that this is not a joke. You will be expected to kill someone chosen randomly once a month or a member of your family dies.

I love the psychological taunt of this, the synopsis is brilliant at setting the sense of suspense, tension and dread as the realisation sets in for what is going to happen in this book. A simple app that will make you turn to murder. It sounds unbelievable but when the owner of the app seems to know everything about you and your family then things become serious. We are all aware of people being coaxed into doing things via social media, from the harmless little challenges to the awful and heartbreaking suicides. So, when a story like this comes up I always think to myself, this would never happen in real life. But would it? This is where a story like this works so well and the author has done an amazing job of creating an addictive and dangerous story that is much more than a simple game of cat and mouse.

This is a fabulous story and one that got under my skin, it does have a weird effect as you read it, it makes you think about what you use your phone for, how intrusive social media can be and how easy it is for hackers to get into accounts and manipulate data for their own ends.

A tense and action-filled thriller that starts off at a nice pace but then suddenly screams into a super fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat race against time to save the people that the main characters of the story care about the most. This really had me hooked to the point where I jumped feet and scared the poor dogs to bits when my own phone rang!!!

If you like a story with thrills, action, suspense, mystery and a few bodies, then this is going to be one for you. I adored it and would definitely recommend it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I have always loved scary stories, especially ones that shocked me, left me terrified, looking under my bed or in the wardrobe before going to sleep.
There was just a fantastic buzz whenever I watched or read something that took my breathe away.
I remember going to my nan’s house in Ireland as a youngster with my mother and sister, on the West Coast, staying in a cottage, surrounded by miles of fields and my family sitting around the table in the kitchen at night telling ghost stories. Going out and exploring derelict farmhouses in the middle of nowhere. I remember clearly the field at the end of the road was supposed to be haunted by headless nuns. My cousins often remind me of the great times we had, frightening each other and running for our lives whenever we’d see something that didn’t look right.
This is why I love nothing more than to tell a story.
I’m so grateful when people not only read my thrillers but also take the time to get in touch and leave a review. To me, that is the greatest feeling, hearing from people that have enjoyed my work. I know then that I’m doing something right.
I’m 49, married and have two beautiful children. Currently, I’m a full-time plumber but would love nothing more than to make a living from my writing. I hope I write stories and people continue to enjoy them for years to come. That would be completely amazing and a dream come true.

Follow him on –Twitter – Website – Instagram – Facebook – TikTok

Buy Links – HERE

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Many thanks for reading my post, a like or a share would be amazing 🙂 xx