#Psychological suspense

[desdasiwrites]

– Catherine Steadman, The Family Game

[vanekamilespr]

New Release: Whispers In The Dark 2 by S. Cassadera

Blurb/Synopsis As the anonymous messages continue, D’Shae uncovers shocking truths about Kenah. With her life hanging by a thread, she must navigate a perilous game of cat and mouse, all while feeling abandoned by her best friend. The killer’s cryptic messages and clues reveal a stalker tracking her every move. When things don’t add up, Kenah apologizes and joins her in unraveling the mystery,…

[dibator]

Mark Leslie Celebrates 20 Years of "One Hand Screaming" with a Special Expanded Edition and Craft Beer Collaboration

Published by Stark Publishing and is available in all formats worldwide Acclaimed horror author Mark Leslie is thrilled to announce the release of a special 20th-anniversary edition of his debut collection, One Hand Screaming, from Stark Publishing. This expanded edition features the original 23 stories and poems alongside 26 new pieces, including 14 never-before-published works. Readers can…

[c2e1-book]

Dive into the Twists and Turns of "Mind Games" – Free Audiobook!

Ready for a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat? "Mind Games: A Novel" takes you into a world of deception, manipulation, and mind-bending twists. As the characters play dangerous mental games, you'll find yourself questioning what is real and what’s not. If you love stories filled with suspense, intrigue, and unexpected revelations, this audiobook is a must-listen.

And the best part? You can experience "Mind Games" for free on Audible! Click the link below to begin unraveling the mystery:

🎧 Get Mind Games for $0.00 here.

Prepare to have your mind twisted—start listening now!

[ginaraemitchell]

Book Review | Jack and I by Laury A. Egan | Highly Recommended! #PsychologicalSuspense #Thriller #MultiplePersonalityDisorder #DisassociativeIdentity #5Star #GrippingTale

Book Review | Jack and I by @LauryA.Egan @Laury.Egan | #PsychologicalSuspense #Thriller #MultiplePersonalityDisorder #DisassociativeIdentity #5Star #GrippingTale #BookReview #FosterCareAbuse #DID #Bookstagram #BookX #RecommendedReading After reviewing Laury A. Egan's previous book, I was pleased to be invited to review her newest release, Jack and I. While the story is sometimes a complex and heart-wrenching tale, it underscores the presence of good people willing to protect the innocent and the urgent need for reforms in the foster care system. There are themes of physical, sexual, and mental child abuse, rape, grooming, and sexual content. While I would typically avoid a book with these themes, I am so glad I agreed to read Jack and I. Change can never be made, nor situations like Jack's prevented, if we bury our heads in the sand. My heart goes out to young Jack, and I wish him all the best in the future.

Book Review | Jack and I by Laury A. Egan | #PsychologicalSuspense #Thriller #MultiplePersonalityDisorder #DisassociativeIdentity #5Star #GrippingTale #BookReview #FosterCareAbuse #DID #Bookstagram #BookX #RecommendedReading After reviewing Laury A. Egan’s previous book, I was pleased to be invited to review her newest release, Jack and I. While the story is sometimes a complex and…

[psychologicalthriller16]

The Teacher: A Lesson in Twisted Perception and Hidden Truths

Have you ever judged a book by its cover? We all have. Freida McFadden's "The Teacher" takes that concept, throws it into a high school blender, and hits " puree." This psychological thriller isn't your average whodunit; it's a slow burn that will have you questioning everything you think you know, right up until the shocking climax.

We meet Eve, a seemingly ordinary math teacher with a picture-perfect life. But looks can be deceiving. Caseham High, where Eve works, is still reeling from a scandal the previous year – a messy student-teacher affair with a girl named Addie at the center. Everyone seems to have an opinion on Addie: a manipulative liar who thrives on chaos. Eve, however, sees something different.

The story unfolds through the alternating perspectives of Eve and Addie, creating a fascinating dance of truth and deception. We see the school through Eve's jaded eyes, a place where passion has died and the spark of learning has dimmed. Addie, on the other hand, is a whirlwind of secrets and barely contained emotions. As their paths collide, the past and present begin to blur, forcing us to re-evaluate everything we thought we knew about the scandal.

McFadden masterfully weaves a web of doubt. Is Eve a beacon of truth in a school drowning in hypocrisy? Or is she simply another player with her own hidden agenda? Is Addie a cunning villain or a victim caught in a web of circumstance? The beauty (and frustration!) of this novel lies in the unreliable narrators. We're constantly second-guessing ourselves, unsure of who to trust.

But "The Teacher" is more than just a guessing game. It's a poignant exploration of human connection, the power of perception, and the scars left by trauma. Eve wrestles with the mundanity of her marriage, yearning for a spark that seems to have vanished. Addie, burdened by a past she desperately wants to outrun, lashes out in a desperate attempt to control the narrative. These are characters we can empathize with, even when their actions are questionable.

McFadden's prose is sharp and evocative. She paints a vivid picture of the high school halls, capturing the claustrophobic tension and simmering emotions that lurk beneath the surface. The story itself is a slow burn, but the suspense never lets up. With every turn of the page, you'll find yourself more invested, desperate to untangle the truth.

If you're looking for a psychological thriller that will stay with you long after you finish the last page, "The Teacher" is a must-read. It's a story that will make you question your own perceptions and remind you that sometimes, the most shocking truths are the ones we refuse to see

The #MeToo Twist That Makes You Rethink Everything

Freida McFadden isn't afraid to tackle tough subjects, and "The Teacher" is no exception. The novel throws a #MeToo curveball that adds another layer of complexity to the narrative. Without giving away spoilers, let's just say that the lines between victim and villain become hopelessly blurred. This isn't a clear-cut case of good versus evil. It's a messy situation where everyone is playing a part, and the truth is far from black and white.

This twist is more than just a plot device; it forces us to confront our own biases. Have we been too quick to judge Addie? Have we overlooked the possibility that there's more to the story than the school gossip? McFadden masterfully compels us to re-evaluate the situation through a more nuanced lens.

A Story That Stays With You

But "The Teacher" isn't just about the suspense and the shocking reveals. It's a story that stays with you long after you finish the last page. Eve and Addie are complex characters who stay with you. You can't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Eve, trapped in a loveless marriage and yearning for something more. Addie, with her hidden pain and desperate need for control, is both infuriating and pitiable.

McFadden doesn't shy away from exploring the emotional fallout of the scandal. We see how it's affected Eve's relationship with her husband, Nate. We witness the lasting damage it's inflicted on Addie. It's a sobering reminder of the ripple effects of trauma and the importance of communication and understanding.

Ultimately, "The Teacher" is a story about the human condition. It's about the masks we wear, the secrets we keep, and the lengths we'll go to protect ourselves. It's a story that will make you think, feel, and question everything you thought you knew. So, grab a copy, settle in, and prepare to be surprised. You won't be disappointed

[therealimintobooks]

#BlogTour ~ Blindspot by Maggie Smith @partnersincr1me

Blindspot by Maggie Smith April 29 – May 24, 2024 Virtual Book Tour Synopsis: From the author of the award-winning Truth and Other Lies comes a gripping suspense novel about an ambitious prosecutor on the hunt for her sadistic stalker . . . only to be framed for murder when he turns up dead. Rachel Matthews is used to stress—from the cutthroat world of the district attorney’s office to her…

[fictionfromafar]

The Guests By Agnes Ravatn

The Guests

By Agnes Ravatn

Translated by Rosie Hedger

Orenda Books

Publication Date: 18 January 2024

A new novel by Agnes Ravatn is always an event to celebrate, even in a cold and windy January. I remember coming across her English language debut, The Bird Tribunal some years back and discovered it was such a memorably atmospheric and beautifully written novel which really was a standout. While Nordic Noir can often be unfairly categorised between the police procedural and the more violent thriller, authors such as Ravatn show there is so much more to the subgenre. Undoubtedly both Nordic and Noir, her books could simplistically be described as psychological suspense novels, although even than definition does not really capture the quality of her work.

The Guests is Ravatn's third novel translated by Rosie Hedger and like her debut and The Seven Doors, it is a standalone novel which focuses on married mother of two Karin and her husband Kai. The couple have taken the opportunity of a week's holiday together in the fjords. As the story develops, the reasons behind this opportunity become clear as do the conflicts within Karin's own mind towards this trip.

Karin, our narrator, is quite a self absorbed individual and to be honest a bit of an inverted snob. While she completed a law degree, her career since has not taken the direction that she wanted it to do making her frequently envious of others. While she reveals that she holds particular values for example in the raising of her children, whom it must be said don't often appear in her thoughts, her reluctance for them to spend time online (for example) is not matched by her own actions. Staying in the holiday home of a rich associate on a remote peninsula, there is little to occupy Karen's thoughts other than make comparisons between the life that she normally leads, and to the owners of the luxurious abode.

Karin does rise from her own introspection for a while and takes a walk along the shoreside from their temporary home. Those other residents of the peninsula have lives far removed from that of her own. When a chance encounter leads to a short exchange with a neighbour whom she believes she would never see again, Karin makes a comment which will later land her in trouble - or at least make her have to save face (God forbid).

Before long Karin and a reluctant Kai find themselves performing a role to others, but can they do it convincingly and how would this actions eventually play out?

The Guests is a smooth, clear and absorbing read. Indeed while reading it, I did wonder if my compulsion to keep reading suggested a similarity to Karin and her obsessive thoughts. I found the story has a lot to say about human perceptions as our narrator encounters challenges to her preconceptions and contradictions to her opinions yet it is never clearly apparent if these could ever change her viewpoints. Like a case study of people from different backgrounds, Kai and some of the area's other residents also gradually reveal there are secrets, knowledge and acquaintances which had not been anticipated. There is a large degree of humour to the novel, at the expense of the characters and also an undercurrent of high stakes being raised as the story develops. It is one that I found very absorbing and comes highly recommended.

Many thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inclusion on the blog tour and Orenda Books for an advance copy of The Guests. Please check out the other reviews of this book on the blog tour as shown below.

It started with a lie… Married couple Karin and Kai are looking for a pleasant escape from their busy lives, and reluctantly accept an offer to stay in a luxurious holiday home in the Norwegian fjords. Instead of finding a relaxing retreat, however, their trip becomes a reminder of everything lacking in their own lives, and in a less-than-friendly meeting with their new neighbours, Karin tells a little white lie… Against the backdrop of the glistening water and within the claustrophobic walls of the ultra-modern house, Karin’s insecurities blossom, and her lie grows ever bigger, entangling her and her husband in a nightmare spiral of deceits with absolutely no means of escape…

ABOUT AGNES RAVATN

Agnes Ravatn is a Norwegian author and columnist. She made her literary début with the novel Week 53 in 2007. Since then she has written a number of critically acclaimed and award-winning essay collections, including Standing, Popular Reading and Operation Self-discipline, in which she recounts her experience with social-media addiction. Her debut thriller, The Bird Tribunal, won the cultural radio P2’s listener’s prize in addition to The Youth’s Critic’s Prize, and was made into a successful play in Oslo in 2015. The English translation, published by Orenda Books in 2016, was a WHSmith Fresh Talent Pick, winner of a PEN Translation Award, a BBC Radio Four ‘Book at Bedtime’ and shortlisted for the Dublin Literary Award and the 2017 Petrona Award for Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year. Critically acclaimed The Seven Doors was published in 2020. Agnes lives with her family in the Norwegian countryside.

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BOOK REVIEW: FEAR DREAMS (Detective Kerri Blasco Book 1) by J. A. Schneider

Liddy Barron is recovering from a nasty hit-and-run accident in which she suffered a compound fracture and a head injury that leaves her with gaps in her memory and recurrent nightmares. One of the main lapses she endures is the recollection of the accident itself and why she ran so heedlessly out into traffic that night. Her husband, Paul, is a neuroscientist who is working at the University…

[nicole1066]

A Dark Dividing by Sarah Rayne

This hypnotic novel tells the story of a house, Mortmain House, located in the Welsh Marches, and the people whose lives intersect with its sad history. Mortmain, means “dead hand,” because the house was protected from taxation for its so-called charitable purposes. The house served as a workhouse and orphanage before it fell into disrepair. When Melissa Anderson gives birth to conjoined twins…

[bound4escape]

Book Review & Giveaway: Deadly Tides by Mary Keliikoa

Genre: Police Procedural, Psychological SuspensePublished by: Level Best BooksPublication Date: October 2023Number of Pages: 299ISBN: 9781685122799 (ISBN10: 1685122795)Series: Misty Pines Mystery, #2Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads A missing surf legend. Waterlogged clues. Can he trust his gut instincts to end the wave of murder? Sheriff Jax Turner is learning to…

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New Release: Whispers In The Dark by S. Cassadera

Blurb/Synopsis How far will a man go for love? In this psychological thriller, love can drive a person to act out of character, especially when someone they care about needs protection. D’Shae becomes the target of an escalating obsession, leading to unforeseen consequences. He goes beyond the call of duty to safeguard her. Nurse D’Shae thrives in the high-pressure environment of Kimoral…

[c2e1-book]

Immerse Yourself in Mystery with "All the Colors of the Dark" – Free Audiobook!

Looking for a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end? "All the Colors of the Dark" takes you on a dark, twisted journey through a world of secrets, suspense, and unexpected revelations. With complex characters and an eerie atmosphere, this audiobook will captivate your imagination and leave you craving more.

If you enjoy stories filled with psychological depth, spine-chilling twists, and a sense of lurking danger, this is the perfect listen for you.

Best of all, you can experience "All the Colors of the Dark" for free on Audible! Click the link below to begin your suspenseful adventure:

🎧 Listen to All the Colors of the Dark for $0.00 here.

Don’t miss this thrilling, dark tale—start listening today!

[ginaraemitchell]

The Psychologist's Shadow: A simmering, slow-burn suspense by Laury A. Egan | Author Essay on  Erotomania ~ Excerpt | #Thriller @iReadBookTours @EganLaury

The Psychologist's Shadow: A simmering, slow-burn suspense by Laury A. Egan | Author Essay on  Erotomania ~ Excerpt | #Thriller @iReadBookTours @EganLaury The Psychologist's Shadow is a simmering literary suspense and a portrait of a compassionate, introspective therapist who finds herself in a dangerous struggle. As tension accumulates, the reader gains insights during sessions and through the stalker's journal entries, which serve as discordant counterpoints. Who is the shadow lover? An acquaintance, a shopkeeper, an old boyfriend, or a client?

The Psychologist’s Shadow: A simmering, slow-burn suspense by Laury A. Egan | Author Essay on  Erotomania ~ Excerpt | #Thriller @iReadBookTours @EganLaury A book blog tour from iRead Book Tours. Thank you to the author, publisher, & Lauren at iRead for providing me with the information for this tour. Book Details “…a ‘I-read-it-in-two-days’ book. Egan creates a gifted analyst and gripping case…

[seyisandra009]

Tales of Five Lies: A Spellbinding Mystery and Gripping Thriller

"Tales of Five Lies" is a gripping novella that takes you on a suspenseful journey filled with secrets, deception, and a relentless pursuit of the truth.

1479, in Eisleben, Germany, a wealthy merchant, saw a ten-year-old boy in a frozen field on a foggy night. That event changed his life. 543 years later, Christine White, a beautiful, rich but naïve stay-at-home parent in Huntsville, Alabama, witnesses a brutal crime. That night, her life changed forever. 543 years apart. The same connection. Christine is fighting a battle to save her life from…

[therealimintobooks]

#bookreviewtour ~ Sunny's Secrets by Robin Jay @TheKEYmovies @pumpupyourbook

Devastated by the loss of her husband and keenly aware of the fragile nature of life, Sunny, a nurse, is approached by a mysterious Indian doctor with a secretive spiritual method for transferring Life Force Energy between two people. She accepts his intriguing offer to join his elite and clandestine team.   Title: Sunny’s Secrets Author: Robin Jay Publication Date: July 6, 2023 Pages:…