Scan barcode
bella_p's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
bobinsbooknook's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Perfect for fans of criminal minds. My first read my Helen fields and I absolutely loved the fast pace nature and intriguing plot of this book.
The writing style felt very immersive and love how we start to see the psychological toll it takes on are main protagonist and how she interacts with the different characters! With so many possible suspects in the case it did keep me guessing throughout which made for a very the intriguing read.
Though I did predict part of the ending very early on (33%) - there was still lots that caught me off guard but still thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
Will absolutely be looking to get my hands on more work by Helen fields!
Will absolutely be looking to get my hands on more work by Helen fields!
h4ppyp1ne4pple's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Not my usual style of book I’m drawn to, but I was hooked on the plot line. Starting to read this whilst 13 weeks pregnant maybe wasn’t the best idea but nonetheless I got hooked and can reassure myself I don’t work in an institute.
I enjoyed:
The fast pace, the sense of pressure and wanting to find out the answer.
I didn’t enjoy / found far fetched:
- the Boy was so obviously suspicious
- The supposedly amazingly skilled psychologist didn’t pick up on that
- the supposedly amazing skilled psychologist didn’t pick up on Rubio’s facade and then claimed it was clearly all a facade
- why didn’t she read the files of all the serial killers in depth beforehand??? She shouldn’t have been in any doubt about the women Rubio claimed East had killed as she should have point blank known who those women were and know they weren’t pregnant
- did she really mistake a baby for a cat mewing? Really?
- why didn’t anyone from her or the police check the blueprints of the building and find that secret passageway?
- how did that guy just turn up at the end to save the day when he was usually stationed at the car park?
- surely it would have been a better cover for someone to have gone in as a ‘nurse’ to conduct investigative work properly to replace the ill one, not raising suspicion but then able to search the building and converse with staff and patients?!
- this author seems to really think mental institutions for murderers are never valid and are only a ploy by a legal team… I feel this must be disrespectful to actual mental institutions and there must actually be a place for patients who are very unwell. By this author’s portrayal, everyone in them are fakers and liars.
- the fact that she only sees in black and white… then that’s never mentioned again throughout the rest of the book? There’s never a riot light in red she has missed???
- her whole back story. I just didn’t care really ….. I did like the mix up about the psychologist who misdiagnosed her, but the writer didn’t seem to overlap her complex emotions between her dad’s death / his abuse of her by sending her away.
- the melodrama of the end where EVERYTHING POSSIBLE could go wrong… really? Flood? Fire? Lockdown? Fire alarm? Storm? The only manager in on it uncontactable? That lost me a little. But I did enjoy the drama.
- why would Wi-Fi not be considered an essential service in the storm? Surely there’d be more than one satellite phone?
- I didn’t buy her whole ‘odd’ thing. The author wanted us to see she was quirky… but we were told it a lot and I never saw it really
- she couldn’t defend herself the whole way through the lockdown but could roll Rubio over her back into the furnace? Really?
- the baby must have been left alone for hours and hours at a time… she so easily could have been saved if they just checked the blueprints and the background of the video enough, and tried to match the hands in the video to the people in the institution!
I enjoyed:
The fast pace, the sense of pressure and wanting to find out the answer.
I didn’t enjoy / found far fetched:
- the Boy was so obviously suspicious
- The supposedly amazingly skilled psychologist didn’t pick up on that
- the supposedly amazing skilled psychologist didn’t pick up on Rubio’s facade and then claimed it was clearly all a facade
- why didn’t she read the files of all the serial killers in depth beforehand??? She shouldn’t have been in any doubt about the women Rubio claimed East had killed as she should have point blank known who those women were and know they weren’t pregnant
- did she really mistake a baby for a cat mewing? Really?
- why didn’t anyone from her or the police check the blueprints of the building and find that secret passageway?
- how did that guy just turn up at the end to save the day when he was usually stationed at the car park?
- surely it would have been a better cover for someone to have gone in as a ‘nurse’ to conduct investigative work properly to replace the ill one, not raising suspicion but then able to search the building and converse with staff and patients?!
- this author seems to really think mental institutions for murderers are never valid and are only a ploy by a legal team… I feel this must be disrespectful to actual mental institutions and there must actually be a place for patients who are very unwell. By this author’s portrayal, everyone in them are fakers and liars.
- the fact that she only sees in black and white… then that’s never mentioned again throughout the rest of the book? There’s never a riot light in red she has missed???
- her whole back story. I just didn’t care really ….. I did like the mix up about the psychologist who misdiagnosed her, but the writer didn’t seem to overlap her complex emotions between her dad’s death / his abuse of her by sending her away.
- the melodrama of the end where EVERYTHING POSSIBLE could go wrong… really? Flood? Fire? Lockdown? Fire alarm? Storm? The only manager in on it uncontactable? That lost me a little. But I did enjoy the drama.
- why would Wi-Fi not be considered an essential service in the storm? Surely there’d be more than one satellite phone?
- I didn’t buy her whole ‘odd’ thing. The author wanted us to see she was quirky… but we were told it a lot and I never saw it really
- she couldn’t defend herself the whole way through the lockdown but could roll Rubio over her back into the furnace? Really?
- the baby must have been left alone for hours and hours at a time… she so easily could have been saved if they just checked the blueprints and the background of the video enough, and tried to match the hands in the video to the people in the institution!
lxurx64's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
galaxy_creeper's review
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Abortion
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Rape, and Sexual assault
klilja's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
stephisbooked's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I love an isolted thriller and this one takes the cake. This started quick, then slowed down but once it got moving aConnie was such a good investigator and I enjoyed how much empathy she had for the victims. I tried so hard to figure out who was behind the murder but did not figure it out - it was a good suprise! This is tehnically a sequel but you don’t need to read the first for context - I do need to go read the first in this series now!
hollyamber's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Plotline: A 'whodunnit?' based in a high security psychiatric hospital that houses serial killers. Can Connie, an undercover profiler, identify the killer of a pregnant nurse whose baby was taken from her during the murder?
Whilst I think this would make a great movie, I found the story a bit difficult to follow at times as there were a lot of characters to keep track of! There was more description than I like, but the tension was built well overall, and I liked the setting of the story. It took me ages to finish this though - a bit heavy and slow for me!
Whilst I think this would make a great movie, I found the story a bit difficult to follow at times as there were a lot of characters to keep track of! There was more description than I like, but the tension was built well overall, and I liked the setting of the story. It took me ages to finish this though - a bit heavy and slow for me!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
tillymorton's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25