Tag Archives: psychological

The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel – a Review

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The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel – a Review

 

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Description:
Alfred Smettle is not your average Hitchcock fan. He is the founder, owner, and manager of The Hitchcock Hotel, a sprawling Victorian house in the White Mountains dedicated to the Master of Suspense. There, Alfred offers his guests round-the-clock film screenings, movie props and memorabilia in every room, plus an aviary with fifty crows.

To celebrate the hotel’s first anniversary, he invites his former best friends from his college Film Club for a reunion. He hasn’t spoken to any of them in sixteen years, not after what happened.

But who better than them to appreciate Alfred’s creation? And to help him finish it.

After all, no Hitchcock set is complete without a body.

 

 

Review:

The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel is an exciting, intense suspense novel. We meet Alfred Smettle, who is the founder, and owner of The Hitchcock Hotel; a Victorian house in the White Mountains, which is also close to the college that he and his friends went to. Alfred is fanatic on anything by Alfred Hitchcock, making the hotel a masterpiece dedicated to his favorite director; with pictures, paraphernalia and special themed rooms. 16 years have passed since his college days, and Alfred decides to have a reunion at his hotel. He sends an invitation to 5 of his friends, who are now adults.

Zoe, who is a successful chef, has a problem with being sober.  She also dislikes Alfred, suspecting he did something bad in the past. TJ, works as a bodyguard, having added muscle over the years, he secretly is involved with one of the females.  Julius was always nasty to Alfred during their school days. Samira, is happily married with children, and runs a sex toy business.  Grace is happily married with a wealthy husband, as she also holds secrets from the past. Then there is Danny, an elderly assistant to Alfred, who helps him execute his plans, as well as spy on the visitors; but she too has her own secrets.

At first, I thought the first half was a bit slow, but that did change in the second half, which turned into and exciting thriller, with some twists and surprises.  On another note, I frankly did not like any of the characters, as each had their own issues, and not really likeable; but I guess we were not supposed to like them. Lol   At the college, they all spent a lot of time partying, drinking and not really dependable; as there were POV’s for each of the friends, learning more about their days at the college.

What follows, especially in the second half of the book, are a number of red herrings, with twists and turns, as all of them had their own bad secrets.  Alfred intended to give his old friends a taste of the past. The big surprise happens in the middle of the book, taking everyone by surprise. But the end was a shock, even though I sort of suspected who the culprit was.  The Hitchcock Hotel was entertaining and intense, with by the end of the night, one doesn’t survive and the other is the murderer.

 

 

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The Imposter (Psychological Thriller 2) by Adriane Leigh-review

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The Imposter (Psychological Thriller 2) by Adriane Leigh-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 27, 2024

Tragedy brought them together, only death will keep them apart.

After narrowly escaping a life sentence under the guise of a new persona, Shae Halston thinks she’s turned over a new leaf. But all is not as it seems. When she begins to impersonate a couples therapist and starts taking on new patients, Shae thinks she’s stumbled into just the kind of role she was born to play. Until a surprise in the form of a new client lands on her doorstep.

Shae’s past returns to haunt her when she realizes the new couple she’s counseling aren’t strangers at all. But do they remember her? Shae’s interest quickly blooms to obsession when the opportunity to exact revenge over a long-buried tragedy becomes too tempting to pass up. Soon, she’s inserted herself into their lives, determined to balance the scales of justice however she can.

Just when she thinks she’s orchestrated the perfect plan for retaliation, her deceptive facade begins to unravel…along with her sanity. Delusions poison reality as Shae’s infatuation with righting the wrongs of the past consume her until the compulsion to kill reaches a fever pitch. Life has taught her if you love someone you should never let them go. Will Shae finally be able to escape the secrets of her past or will love prove to be her final undoing?

•••••

REVIEW:THE IMPOSTER is the second instalment in Adriane Leigh’s contemporary, adult, dark, psychological thriller focusing on Mia Starr aka Shae Halston aka Kelly Fraser. THE IMPOSTER should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up after the events and cliff hanger of book one THE INFLUENCER.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from first person perspective (Shae/Kelly) THE IMPOSTER follows Shae Halston aka Dr. Kelly Fraser, a persona she assumed after attempting to kill the woman in question. Shae Halston is the former social media influencer known as Mia Starr but the unreality of Mia’s online presence was in complete opposition to the reality of Shae’s own life. As Shae succumbed to the demons that were controlling her life, Shae, now known as Dr. Kelly Fraser was about to come face to face with her past, a past she continues to blame for much of her spiral downward.

The world building focuses on the Shae aka Kelly’s new clients, a married couple whose relationships struggles begin to worsen with Kelly’s interference. A missing wife, a husband who suspects something is wrong, and a series of anonymous texts laying blame on Kelly Fraser, force the leading heroine to take action, setting off on a new adventure towards fulfilling her need to avenge the past.

THE IMPOSTER is a complex, dark and dramatic look at mental and emotional abuse and illness; murder and vengeance, secrets and lies, betrayal and mistrust. The premise is suspenseful and melodramatic; the characters are tragic and desperate. THE IMPOSTER ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Click HERE  for Sandy’s review of book one THE INFLUENCER

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Talking to Strangers by Fiona Barton – a Review

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Talking to Strangers by Fiona Barton – a Review

 

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Description:
When Karen Simmons is murdered on Valentine’s Day, Detective Elise King wonders if she was killed by a man she met online. Karen was all over the dating apps, leading some townspeople to blame her for her own death, while others band together to protest society’s violence against women. Into the divide comes Kiki Nunn, whose aggressive newsgathering once again antagonizes Elise.

A single mother of a young daughter, Kiki is struggling to make a living in the diminished news landscape. Getting a scoop in the Simmons murder would do a lot for her career, and she’s willing to go up against not just Elise but the killer himself to do it.

 

 

Review:

Talking to Strangers by Fiona Barton is the 2nd book in her Elise King series.  This is another one of Barton’s exciting suspense novels, with Detective Elise King, once again the lead. We also get to see two other POV’s, one from Kiki Nunn, a journalist who is investigating the recent murder, and one from Annie, who lost her son 13 years ago in the same woods that Karen Simmons was recently found murdered.  

Detective Elise King is assigned to the case, even though she still has her own issues getting over her treatment of cancer. Karen’s body was found in Ebbing Woods, propped up against a tree and suffocated. Elise wonders if someone from the dating community met her murderer from there, as Karen has a reputation of having interactions with various men. Was one of them a stalker?  Most of the town knew about Karen’s reputation, and believed she reaped what she sowed.

Kiki Nunn is a reporter, and had recently interviewed Karen on the pros and cons of online dating. After Karen’s murder, Kiki is determined to jump on the case, to get her on the top of her field. She is upset about the murder, and is willing do everything to help find who killed Karen; Kiki constantly calls Elise to give her some clues, which does drive Elise crazy; since it’s too dangerous for Kiki to be involved with trying to discover clues.

Though 13 years ago, Annie lost her son, but with the murder taking place in the same woods, she is determined to look further into what has happened.  Annie and her husband have problems, and she suspected him of having affairs; which led him to tell Annie that years ago, he did have an affair with Karen.  Annie now decides she needs to get more information about her son’s death, and find the truths.

I did think that for almost half the book, it was a bit slow, especially going back and forth with all three narrators; but the last half picked up a lot, and became very exciting. I really did like Elise, who really was a great detective, especially so focused on the finding the killer. Kiki was another good character, as she was brave, but she took too many chances that endangered her life.   Annie was very good, and will learn more information about her son’s death, that would change everything. From the start to finish, there was so much going on, with many suspects, which did cause the beginning to be slow.

Talking to Strangers was a very good exciting mystery thriller, that was challenging and kept our attention throughout.  Talking to Strangers was very well written by Fiona Barton.  If you like mystery thrillers, a great detective, I suggest you read Talking to Strangers.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q Sutanto – a Review

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You Will Never Be Me by Jesse Q Sutanto – a Review

 

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Description:
Influencer Meredith Lee didn’t teach Aspen Palmer how to blossom on social media just to be ditched as soon as Aspen became big. So can anyone really blame Mer for doing a little stalking? Nothing serious, more like Stalking Lite. Then, Mer gets lucky; she finds one of Aspen’s kids’ iPads and swipes it. Now, she has access to everything: the family calendar and Aspen’s social media accounts. Would anyone else be able to resist tweaking things a little here and there, showing up in Aspen’s place for meetings with potential sponsors? Mer’s only taking back what she deserves—what should have been hers. 
 
Meanwhile, Aspen doesn’t understand why her perfectly filtered life is falling apart. Sponsors are dropping her, fellow influencers are ghosting her, and even her own husband seems to find her repulsive. If she doesn’t find out who’s behind everything, she might just lose it all. What everyone seems to forget is that Aspen didn’t become one of TikTok’s biggest momfluencers by being naive. When Meredith suddenly goes missing, Aspen’s world is upended and mysterious threats begin to arrive—but she won’t let anything get in the way of her perfect life again.

 

 

Review:

You Will Never be Me by Jesse Q. Sutanto is standalone mystery thriller. We meet Meredith Lee, who is a successful Momfluencer, on both Instagram and Tik Tok. Meredith runs into an up-and-coming influencer, Aspen Palmer, and takes her under her wing, with both becoming BFF. Meredith taught Aspen to be an influencer, and how to increase her followers.  Eight years later, Aspen has surpassed Meredith’s online popularity with millions of followers and Meridith is losing more each day. The ladies have a nasty fight, especially after Aspen cuts her off, ignores her and blocked her calls; and now they are enemies.

Meredith’s bitterness rises and as she begins stalking Aspen, secretly sabotaging her life; she changes appointments of Aspen, finding information about what is upcoming and slowly Aspen sees things are falling apart. Her sponsors have dropped her, influencers are ignoring her, and she sees both Meredith and later Liv, kissing her husband. Who is doing this to her?

About half way through the book, there is a twist, as Meredith goes missing, and Aspen’s world is upended and she puts herself live to show her worry about Meredith, as well as getting everyone to help find her; pleading to those who kidnapped Meredith and return her best friend.  Followers go out of their way to help look for Meredith, and Aspen has reached out to millions.

Personally, I thought both Meredith and Aspen were not really likeable & mean, as they only cared about themselves.  I knew this was a mystery, so I expected a whodunnit and even murder.   Meredith’s sister was stuck taking care of Luca, and was desperate to find her.   Aspen’s family, especially her husband Ben, were not happy with all that was going on.  To say too much more, would be spoilers, and I do not want to ruin it for you. 

You Will Never Be Me is a wild, crazy adventure that as we reach closer to the end, there were a number of twists and surprises.  You Will Never Be Me was very well written by Jesse Q. Sutanto. Sutanto always writes different kinds of stories, with this book centering on friendships and obsession.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

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Till Death Do Us Part by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn – a Review

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Till Death Do Us Part by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn – a Review

 

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Description:
Ten years ago, June’s beloved husband drowned on their honeymoon, his body never found. Now, a decade later, June is finally ready to move on. She owns a natural wine bar in Brooklyn and is engaged to a patient, supportive man named Kyle. She’s excited to finally begin a new chapter in her life and start a family.

But out of the blue, she sees him—Josh, her first husband. Is this just a hallucination from the guilt June carries about finally moving on, or is it possible that her husband never died in the first place?

June tries to forget about this vision, chalking it up to grief and nerves, but soon enough, she stumbles across a website for a winery in Napa, and the owner in the photo is identical to her dead husband. With her upcoming wedding looming and a fiancé who’s already worried she hasn’t quite left her past behind, June secretly flies to Napa for answers. But she’s not prepared for all the secrets she’s about to unlock because everything she thought she knew about her first love is a lie.

 

 

Review:

Till Death Do Us Part by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn is a standalone suspenseful novel. The story revolves around two POV’s in different timelines; June in present time and Bev, around 20 years ago.  We meet June, in the present time, as she owns a wine bar in Brooklyn, and is engaged to a Kyle, who is always supportive of June. 10 years ago, June was married to Josh for a short time, as he drowned and his body was never found. One day at the wine bar, she notices someone who looks like her deceased husband; thinking she is having delusions, she searches the internet, which leads her to a family winery, Andrew and Sadie Smith, with Andrew looking exactly like her husband Josh.  June decides to pretend she is looking into the winery and goes to Napa to find the answers.

Bev, is married to David, who runs their winery, and has a son Josh, and a baby, Kieran.  Bev discovers her husband has cheated on her, and kicks him out, until she can learn more about who was the woman he was with.  During this timeline, Josh is a young adult, with a number of girlfriends, where he does get into trouble. We also know that Bev finds herself falling for her friend, Emilia, but isn’t sure she can get past David’s betrayal. Within Bev’s past pov, she knows that she wants something with Emilia, and after a bit, her sister Camille will come up with an idea to allow her to swap places, and be with the woman she loves.

Back into the present, June visits an older Bev, and when she explains thinking that Josh is still alive, she will get the shock of her life.  Josh was a twin, and Andrew is his brother, with both of them not getting along: as Andrew was sent to boarding school. Bev explains that Josh did drown, and the man she sees is Andrew, who is married to Sadie. June decides she wants more information about what happened to Josh all those years ago.  Kyle, June’s fiancée wants to help her, and flies to Napa to give her support. 

The last third of the book picked up a lot, with June determined to find the truths about Josh’s death.  When Kyle arrives, Andrew suspects Kyle of Josh’s death all those years ago, as he found a photo of Kyle, which led to Kyle to prove his innocence; since he really did not know Josh. There were a number of twists as we raced to the climax. I did like Kyle, who totally loved June, and in the end, they will move forward to embrace a new chapter in their lives.  The epilogue is a surprising twist that reveals how Josh died and who was sadly responsible.  I did think this was an unexpected revelation.

Till Death Do Us Part was a suspenseful journey, filled with emotions, family drama, mystery and lots of surprising twists along the way.  Till Death Do Us Part was very well written by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, though early on it was a bit slow.  If you enjoy suspense mysteries, I suggest you read Till Death Do Us Part.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

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The Wedding Party by LR Jones-a review

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The Wedding Party by LR Jones-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

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ABOUT THE BOOK:Release Date February 20,2024

For a bride-to-be and her fiancé, secrets and lies make this a killer celebration in this psychological suspense.

Carrie and Oliver. A couple completely in love and the hosts of a wedding to remember at Colorado’s legendary Stanley Hotel. This is Carrie’s fairy tale come true. Her fiancé, Oliver, is Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome; successful; and utterly devoted to her. Now family and friends have gathered to celebrate. It’s sure to be a wild night as the drinks flow freely and the fun begins.

But the morning after is murder.

FBI agent Andi Castle was just supposed to be a plus-one. This should have been a calming weekend getaway from what she does best: catch killers. Instead, Andi’s on the hunt again. The hotel is on lockdown. Secrets are being unearthed. And no one is above Andi’s suspicions. But which secrets are worth killing for? Andi’s forced to find the answers fast…before someone else dies.

••••

REVIEW:THE WEDDING PARTY by LR Jones (Lisa Renee Jones) is the second instalment in the author’s contemporary, adult, mystery-thriller, suspense series.

Told from several first person perspectives including Carrie Reynolds, and FBI profiler Andrea ‘Andi’ Castle, THE WEDDING PARTY follows in the aftermath of the murder of the intended groom. FBI profiler Andi Castle has been invited to a destination bachelor/bachelorette party by a friend but Andi doesn’t know the bride and groom, and discovers not everyone is happy with the unexpected guest list. A weekend to rest and relax ends with the groom-to-be’s murder, and Agent Andi Castle finds herself deep into an investigation with secrets and surprises she never saw coming. With everyone a suspect, attorneys begin to shut down the interviews, as Andi and her team dig deeper into the possibilities and back stories of everyone involved.

The world building follows several paths including the mindset of both Agent Andi Castle, and and the victim’s fiancee Carrie Reynolds. We are up close and personal as Andi struggles to remain open minded, while everyone else points the finger at the only potential suspect. As the story begins to unravel, Andi begins to focus on someone else.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters most of whom have their own story to tell. From the groomsmen to the bridesmaids, there is a history of secrets and possible betrayal leading to any number of scenarios for murderous revenge.

THE WEDDING PARTY is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, madness and murder. The premise is intriguing, dramatic and captivating but there was some redundancy and repetition; the characters are dynamic and desperate.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

L.R. Jones is a pseudonym for New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones, whose dark, edgy fiction includes the highly acclaimed novels The Poet, A Perfect Lie, and the Lilah Love series. Prior to publishing, Lisa owned a multistate staffing agency recognized by the Austin Business Journal. Lisa was listed as #7 in Entrepreneur magazine’s list of growing women-owned businesses. She lives in Colorado with her husband, a cat who always has something to say, and a golden retriever who’s afraid of her own bark. 

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The Influencer by Adriane Leigh -a review

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The Influencer by Adriane Leigh -a review

ebook only 99 USD Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 15, 2024

Shae Halston lives a life of luxury–at least that’s what her followers think.

After a devastating affair ends her marriage, the internet influencer and It Girl must confront her new normal without losing her grip on reality–or any of her devoted followers. In an act of furious desperation, Shae befriends her husband’s new lover, but the closer she gets to their new life the more her mental health unravels. Soon, manic delusions replace her sanity and before long compulsive thoughts of revenge obsess her until the lines between her online persona and reality blur.

When a tragic accident turns violent, the spotlight turns to Shae and the threat of losing everything looms again. Until an opportunity arises that could secure her freedom for good…even at the cost of another life.

•••••

REVIEW:THE INFLUENCER is the first instalment in Adriane Leigh’s contemporary, adult PULSE POUNDING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER dark, thriller series focusing on Shae Halston aka Mia Starr.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from first person perspective (Shae/Mia) and a chapter from Kelly THE INFLUENCER follows in the wake of the demise of Shae/ Mia’s marriage. The persona of Mia Starr is an internet influencer but as Shae Halton, her world is spiralling out of control. When her husband serves her with divorce papers, Shae is determined to continue the lifestyle she has forged on line, a life style that never existed beyond the virtual world. Desperate and psychotic, Shae goes in search of her former husband, befriending his new girlfriend, and sets into motion a plan to destroy their lives.

THE INFLUENCER is a story of mental illness and obsession; secret and lies, betrayal and vengeance, murder and mayhem. Shae Halton is a thirty-something woman who has lost touch with reality, and in doing so, is no longer the person anyone recognizes. The thought provoking premise is tragic, raw, haunting and twisted; the characters are desperate and delusional-Shae /Mia is an unlikeable anti-heroine, a woman whose concept of right and wrong no longer exists. THE INFLUENCER ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Cover Your Tracks by Daco S. Auffenorde – a Review

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Cover Your Tracks by Daco S. Auffenorde – Review

 

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Description:
Margo Fletcher, eight months pregnant, is traveling by train from Chicago to Spokane, her childhood home. While passing through an isolated portion of the Rockies in blizzard conditions, the train unexpectedly brakes. Up ahead, deadly snow from a massive avalanche plummets down the mountain. Despite the conductor’s order for the passengers to stay seated, former Army Ranger Nick Eliot insists that survival depends on moving to the back of the train. Only Margo believes him. They take refuge in the last train car, which Nick heroically uncouples in time to avoid the avalanche. The rest of the train is hurled down the mountainside and is soon lost forever in a blanket of snow. Margo and Nick, the sole survivors, are stranded in the snowstorm without food, water, or heat. Rescuers might not arrive for days.

When the weather turns violent again, the pair must flee the shelter of the passenger car and run for their lives into the wilderness. They must fend off the deadly cold as well as predatory wild animals foraging for food. Eventually, Nick leads Margo to shelter in a watchtower atop a mountain. There, we learn that both Margo and Nick have secrets that have brought them together and threaten to destroy them.

Cover Your Tracks is a chilling story of love and hate, the devastating power of nature, and the will to survive.

 

 

Review:

Cover Your Tracks by Daco S. Auffenorde is a psychological thriller that was a bit different.  Margo Fletcher, our heroine, is 8 months pregnant and on a train from her home in Chicago to Spokane to attend her niece’s wedding.  Margo notices many of those sitting around her, especially a young man who seems to be watching her, especially when she gets some pains.  Suddenly the train makes a sudden stop, shaking the passengers, who are wondering why they stopped.

Nick Eliot is a former soldier, who upon looking out the window, recognizes why the train has stopped.  He shouts to everyone to get up and move to the back of the train; since there is an oncoming avalanche. When the conductor tells everyone to stay at their seats, Nick convinces Margo that she needs to go with him to the back end, as they will not survive if they stay.   After some doubt, she sees the snow, and goes with Nick to the end, where Nick releases the last train car.  Shortly, the avalanche strikes and the entire train is buried down the mountain.

Margo and Nick are shocked at the magnitude of the disaster, which has no survivors.  Nick takes control, and makes sure that Margo follows him, as they try to find some where they can trek to for safety; since the last car is now not safe.  Being 8 months pregnant makes it difficult for Margo, but at times she gets mad at Nick as he pushes her into the snow-covered wilderness, and demands she do what he says, but he has led her to safety, with rescuers possibly weeks away due to the conditions.  Along the horrible conditions, they must fend off coyotes looking for food; and finally come across a watchtower atop the mountain, where they at least can make fire for warmth, with little food that Nick is able to hunt for.  

What follows is an exciting, wild adventure of survival that begins to change into a chilling dangerous tale of wills, secrets, obsession and precarious behavior.   Cover Your Tracks also back tracks in two POV’s to both Margo’s life, her pregnancy and her distant family; and Nick’s life as a teenager and in the army. I enjoyed this nail-biting story, but I also thought too much detail was done with going back to the past.  To say too much more would be spoilers, but you need to read this book to understand how some things unexpectantly tie in, as well as to find out if they survive. Cover Your Tracks was very well written by Daco S. Auffenorde.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy supplied for review

 

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