Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Good Samaritan by John Marrs

22 reviews

gnarlykaitlyn's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Violence, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Suicide, and Gaslighting

bbethcasas's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I did not like this book at all. I knew it within the first few pages. The main character, Laura, is a horrible person and has ZERO redeeming qualities. At no point in the story does she do a single selfless thing. She works at a mental health hotline where people who feel tempted to harm themselves can call and talk to someone who will be nonjudgmental and understanding. Laura instead encourages and guilts many people into following through with their plans. Nothing good about her. Of course there are so many twists and surprises, but overall, it just left a bad taste in my mouth. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Murder, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Violence

klpage's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Listened via Audible. 

This was very dark to the point of did I want to continue due to the main topic of the book… 

However, the story itself was narrated amazingly by the two narrators. Especially Laura, she made her feel so realistic and just how like a sociopath would potentially sound like? 

Can’t knock John Marrs, he’s the king of thrillers. 

Just please check TW as there is a lot of talk about suicide and death.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Mental illness, Death, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Suicide

meg_pethxx's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Did really enjoy this book, and deffo would’ve read quicker if life didn’t get in the way! 
Amazing plot twists, was kinda giving Freida vibes! Deffo gonna give some of his other books a go!
Couldn’t have guessed what was going on, although had a slight feeling she was a lot more crazy than we thought. 
Extremely dark, but kinda loved it, very much intriguing!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Grief, Death, Child abuse, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, and Adult/minor relationship

tspice24's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Suicide

jjj_27's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

keriseabby's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

 Though it is a different book from my usual reading preferences, I was pleasantly surprised by this book, which marked my first experience with this author. It reveals an entire genre of literature that I have been missing out on. The story revolves around Laura, a woman who works as a suicide helpline operator, but instead of providing assistance, she manipulates and convinces callers that suicide is the only solution. The novel is a thriller, evoking feelings of anger, frustration, and intense emotion. The plotline is captivating and engrossing, making it a perfect pick for those who enjoy the genre. I read it in a short span of time and cannot wait to explore more of John Marrs's work, as this book was exceptional. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, Gaslighting, Grief, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide, Death, Self harm, Violence, Child abuse, Mental illness, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts

eveling_99's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Grief, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Grief, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Chronic illness, Bullying, and Eating disorder

tealightfultomes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

It took me a few chapters to get into this one, but I'm so glad I stuck with it. Initially it creeped me out massively, as I share a name with the main character and used to volunteer on a helpline, but once I got over that mental block I could barely put this down. Side note: I can tell an actual volunteer has contributed as it was very accurate when it came to describing how these helplines work behind the scenes, apart from the part where a volunteer agreed to turn the cameras off in the face to face room. I couldn't help but shout "no, what are you doing?!" at that part. That being said, I know some vols really do see the absolute best in everyone, so it's plausible that someone as manipulative as Laura could persuade her to do it. 

Laura is absolutely, hands down one of the most repulsive characters I've ever read about. Even with her past, I struggled to feel any empathy for her, but I couldn't wait to see how things turned out. It's also the first time in a while that a book has made the bottom drop out of my stomach - this one did it a few times. Highly recommend but please don't read it if suicide is a trigger, it was rough going at times. I'll definitely be looking at this author's other work, amazing story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, and Gaslighting

skissih's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Grief, Death, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Murder, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Alcohol, Addiction, and Animal cruelty