Home » Posts tagged "psychological suspense" (Page 2)

Book Review: A Breath After Drowning by Alice Blanchard

A Breath After Drowning by Alice Blanchard

Titan Books, 2018

ISBN-13: 978-1785656408

Available: Paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook, audio CD

 

Alice Blanchard drags the readers into the darkness with A Breath After Drowning. This psychological thriller dives down into the characters’ psychology, their trauma, and the deep pits that therapy and grief can dig, in a story that is as close to perfect as it can be in the thriller genre.

Our protagonist is child psychologist Katie Wolfe, whose sister was brutally murdered. Henry Blackwood sits on death row for the murder, yet his family remains in town. The opening chapters, which involve the suicide of a tortured teen, will rip a wound in the reader’s mind that is never given a chance to heal. Almost immediately afterwards, Katie is given another case, a teen whose troubles might lead Katie into waters too deep and black for her to survive. Every character seems to be tied somehow to Katie’s past: either the murder, or her turbulent upbringing. How she teams up with the retired detective who still lives with the case is worth the price of the book itself.

To reveal more would give away one of the many serpentine plot twists that deepen as the story unfolds. Blanchard chisels characters that darken with each layer.

Reminiscent of Gillian Flynn, Paula Hawkins, with the rawness of Stephen King’s suspense novels, this one’s highly recommended for anyone craving a thriller that will leave a scar. Blanchard is definitely an author to follow.

 

Reviewed by Dave Simms

Posted on October 3, 2018 by , Reply

Book Review: The Marsh King’s Daughter by Karen Dionne

The Marsh King’s Daughter by Karen Dionne

G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2017

ISBN-13: 978-0735213005

Available: Hardcover, paperback, audiobook, audio CD, Kindle edition

 

This breakout novel has been hailed by some critics as THE must-have thriller of 2017, as well as the year’s perfect “Daughter” book.

Karen Dionne, author of high concept science thrillers Freezing Point and Boiling Point, decided to change tracks in favor of something much more organic and disturbing in The Marsh King’s Daughter. The book succeeds on all levels because of what it sets out to do– simply tell a story without all the bells and whistles. Dionne’s writing has a songstress’ voice and rhythm, yet doesn’t overwhelm with the love of language. It embraces the feel of the setting and story, pulling the reader deep into the marsh’s realm, only relenting when the final page is turned.

The story is deceptively simple. Helena loves her easygoing life. Great husband, great kids, great job all without much stress or fuss. In the unique world of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, life is decidedly different. The land feels cut off from the country readers know as America, but also feels like home. Then she hears the news of an escaped prisoner, and realizes that the life she has built for herself and her family is about to shatter. The escapee is her father, a man she knows she must track and send back to prison, to have any chance to hold onto the life she knows.

Helena’s father  abducted her mother when she was a teenager. He raped her and kept her hostage in the marshes for many years. Until Helena was a teenager herself, she knew nothing of life outside of their cabin in the middle of the marsh. Her father taught her the ways of a hunter, tracker, and survivalist, and even though she escaped him years ago, she hasn’t forgotten them. Helena knows that the police will never find him– but she can, and will. She plans to find him before the life she has made is overtaken by her nightmare past.

The novel blazes past, as good thrillers do, but there is something special about The Marsh King’s Daughter: the story has a magic that must be experienced. Easily the hottest thriller of the year, this book is recommended for anyone who loves great storytelling and a voice that will suck them in. Fans of David Morrell’s early work, John Connelly, and Elizabeth Massie will want to be sure to check this out.

 

Reviewed by Dave Simms

Posted on January 7, 2018 by , Reply

Book Review: Hannahwhere by John McIlveen

Hannahwhere by John McIlveen
Crossroad Press, 2015
ISBN-13: 978-1941408629
Availability: Paperback, Ebook

 

Hannahwhere is a rare treasure for a first novel. John McIlveen began his writing career in the horror genre, but his work has always danced on the edges of the magical. Although popular authors such as Stephen King and Neil Gaiman have experimented successfully with an array of genres and genre hybrids, a relative newcomer with a genre-blending book faces more of a challenge in drawing readers’ attention. John McIlveen has written a book deserving of that attention. The characters maneuver through the pages in fluid fashion, growing into people so believable that it is nearly impossible to contain them. The story and style will take your breath away, fracture your imagination, and carve open your heart.

Set in modern Boston, Hannawhere centers on young Hannah, who is found behind a dumpster, physically healthy but catatonic, two years after she and her twin witnessed a brutal murder in Nebraska. She has obviously been the victim of terrible trauma, and is trapped in an alternative fantasy world that is strange and claustrophobic, yet still inviting,  Hannah’s social worker, Debbie Gillan, enters and tries to save Hannah and find her twin, changing their lives and everything they thought they knew about reality. To say more about the plot would destroy the magic within the covers.

This creep down the rabbit hole will leave many in wonder, often with a tear in their eye. McIlveen has shown that boundaries are for those who refuse to knock the walls down… No such boundaries exist in Hannahwhere. Highly recommended.

Contains: mild horror involving children

Reviewed by David Simms

Posted on January 5, 2016 by , Reply
First « 12