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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5 ⭐️ I’m impressed! Kindle Unlimited’s thriller game is on point
I listened to the audiobook, borrowed via KU read/listen. The narrator did a good job.
The rating is my personal opinion and doesn't mean the book was bad; it means the book wasn't for me. I was going to DNF the book at chapter 17 and actually skipped to the ending but one things was bugging me so I went back and I was hoping for a resolution with the issue with Forbes the land developer.
The issues I had with the book are as follows:
1. The pacing was slow, I was bored and by chapter 17 I was DONE and didn't care if they all died.
2. There were issues with the audiobook recording. Numerous times throughout the audiobook the sound quality sounded tinny and tunnel like. (like they spliced in bad quality re-recorded sections)
3. The ending felt unfinished.
4. I despise the no communication/miscommunication trope.
5. I wasn't a big fan of any of the main characters -
Olivia (Sarah) - head stuck in the sand, person you scream at for being stupid in a horror movie
Cole - he had his own issues to deal with but seemed to be a bit smarter than the rest
Gage - I could die at anytime with my medical issue but lets draw out a serial killer and bring my kid while I do it and not tell anyone including the person I used as bait.
6. The issue with the land developer was not resolved to my satisfaction and I ended up with more questions than answers after the confrontation.
The rating is my personal opinion and doesn't mean the book was bad; it means the book wasn't for me. I was going to DNF the book at chapter 17 and actually skipped to the ending but one things was bugging me so I went back and I was hoping for a resolution with the issue with Forbes the land developer.
The issues I had with the book are as follows:
1. The pacing was slow, I was bored and by chapter 17 I was DONE and didn't care if they all died.
2. There were issues with the audiobook recording. Numerous times throughout the audiobook the sound quality sounded tinny and tunnel like. (like they spliced in bad quality re-recorded sections)
3. The ending felt unfinished.
4. I despise the no communication/miscommunication trope.
5. I wasn't a big fan of any of the main characters -
Olivia (Sarah) - head stuck in the sand, person you scream at for being stupid in a horror movie
Cole - he had his own issues to deal with but seemed to be a bit smarter than the rest
Gage - I could die at anytime with my medical issue but lets draw out a serial killer and bring my kid while I do it and not tell anyone including the person I used as bait.
6. The issue with the land developer was not resolved to my satisfaction and I ended up with more questions than answers after the confrontation.
"Cozy Up on a Dark Night" kind of read
I almost put this down around 20% and I'm so glad I didn't. This was one of my Kindle First grabs so as with all of those we take them with a grain of salt. And with the slow start that this had I was planning on leaving it behind me by the 1/5 mark so I could at least say I got through a chunk of it. But by that point it was picking up and I wanted to keep going.
While parts of it, such as the killer's identity and why Gage actually brought Tori up there, I saw coming. Maybe it's because I'm a seasoned reader and watcher of crime fiction or maybe it's the author didn't hide it well enough. I'm not sure. But either way I was still happy though not shocked I was correct in my assumptions. That being said, while it was easy to guess the plot twists, there was still a good deal of suspense and I was unable to put this down until I knew if the killer was out there or not.
I'd call this one of those dark, stormy night reads where insomnia kicks in and you don't want to sleep for a while so you build a cozy fire, spike your hot chocolate and get ready for some spooks.
I almost put this down around 20% and I'm so glad I didn't. This was one of my Kindle First grabs so as with all of those we take them with a grain of salt. And with the slow start that this had I was planning on leaving it behind me by the 1/5 mark so I could at least say I got through a chunk of it. But by that point it was picking up and I wanted to keep going.
While parts of it, such as the killer's identity and why Gage actually brought Tori up there, I saw coming. Maybe it's because I'm a seasoned reader and watcher of crime fiction or maybe it's the author didn't hide it well enough. I'm not sure. But either way I was still happy though not shocked I was correct in my assumptions. That being said, while it was easy to guess the plot twists, there was still a good deal of suspense and I was unable to put this down until I knew if the killer was out there or not.
I'd call this one of those dark, stormy night reads where insomnia kicks in and you don't want to sleep for a while so you build a cozy fire, spike your hot chocolate and get ready for some spooks.
This was good. The audible narration was also good. Unfortunately, I knew about some things because I have read the second book 1st. That said, his was a very read. Good story, great characters, and a great writing style. I will definitely be reading more by this author
Another one of her marvels. Absolutely freaking dark psycho thriller. A bit dissatisfied with the climax. But excellent narration! A must read for psycho thriller lovers.
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence
This was a pretty good thriller set in Canada about a woman who survived a kidnapping by a serial rapist/torturer/murderer who loved to play with his victims and then release them for the ultimate hunt. She was the one who got away and he was captured and died in prison but she has taken on a new identity to try putting all that behind her. It is obvious from the beginning that they got the wrong guy since the book begins with several alternating points of view, including the killer himself. The other main players are the cop who captured the killer long ago but never believed they had the right guy, his daughter, a troubled 12-year old struggling after the death of her mom, the woman herself, now living under a new identity and managing a ranch for an old man who is now dying, and his estranged son who comes back when Olivia calls him to come home so he has the chance to make peace with his dad before the end.
There was a lot going on but the author makes it very easy to follow what's going on and I found her main characters to be likable and people you could feel empathy for, even the grumpy old man. In fact, I really liked him by the end.
The story was a little bit predictable (yes I figured out what was going on with the killer before it was revealed), but it was fast paced and a pretty easy read. I liked Olivia and Cole together but without revealing any spoilers, I liked how he gave her room to figure out her own timeline and even put the brakes on when he knew she was not in a good state of mind.
The ending and how she survives (survival is a big theme in this story) is satisfying One thing I'm not entirely sure of is what will happen to the ranch. It was implied that Cole would help fight to keep it from the developers but I'm not sure if it was really fully resolved.
I found this to be a very quick read despite the fact that it's 400 pages long -- it didn't feel that long to me. I believe there is a second book that involves some of these characters but I don't think the cases are connected. Still, I liked the characters and setting enough that I will add it to my neverending list.
There was a lot going on but the author makes it very easy to follow what's going on and I found her main characters to be likable and people you could feel empathy for, even the grumpy old man. In fact, I really liked him by the end.
The story was a little bit predictable (yes I figured out what was going on with the killer before it was revealed), but it was fast paced and a pretty easy read. I liked Olivia and Cole together but without revealing any spoilers, I liked how he gave her room to figure out her own timeline and even put the brakes on when he knew she was not in a good state of mind.
The ending and how she survives (survival is a big theme in this story) is satisfying
Spoiler
because it's about how SHE survives and not based on some Knight in shining armor coming in and saving the day.I found this to be a very quick read despite the fact that it's 400 pages long -- it didn't feel that long to me. I believe there is a second book that involves some of these characters but I don't think the cases are connected. Still, I liked the characters and setting enough that I will add it to my neverending list.
3.75 stars. The beginning of this was a bit rough due to the intensity of the horrors the MC went through and I debated finishing or not but I kept going and it did turn out to be a good book, just know going in its very dark and doesn't shy from details. There were fewer twists in this than I pictured but I think it was supposed to be more suspense than thriller which worked. This had more depth to it than I expected about forgiveness and surviving.
This was a surprisingly good read as it a kindle special that I bought with low expectation but wanted to start trying authors I was unfamiliar with. Totally taut suspense all the way through with lots of false leads that had you really thinking about who could be the killer. This is supposedly a romantic suspense but the romance took a decidedly minor role in the plot which suited the story. The romance was a little unbelievable for me but the human connections and emotions in the book were competently dealt with. Liked that it was still a very dark tale with damaged individuals who had an inner core of resilience that helped them survive.