Death Unmasked (A Novel Of Reincarnation & Retribution) by Rick Sulik

BOOK INFORMATION
Genre: Psychological Thriller

Mass Market Paperback: 264 pages

• Publisher: Christopher Matthews Publishing (November 16, 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1938985834
• ISBN-13: 978-1938985836

Synopsis: A reincarnated evil is stalking the women of Houston. With each murder, the madman quotes an excerpt from the Oscar Wilde poem, “The Ballad of Reading Gaol.” A huge smokestack belching smoke, a ragged flea market double-breasted wool coat, and an old antique picture frame, bring the distant past back to haunt Houston Homicide Detective, Sean Jamison. With those catalysts, Jamison knows who he was in a past life and that he lost the only woman he could ever love. Searching for his reincarnated mate becomes Jamison’s raison d’être as he and fellow detectives scour Houston for a brutal serial killer. The memory of timeless love drives Jamison’s dogged search for a serial killer, determined to finish what he started decades earlier.

Each clue brings Jamison closer to unmasking his old nemesis. Tenacious police work, lessons learned in the past, and intuition may be the only weapons he has in preventing history from repeating itself.

Review: The first 20% or so of this book, which really sets up the rest, had me thinking I might have to give up on finishing it. I just couldn't get into that part of it at all.

The remaining 80%, however, was amazing. It was so much more than just a murder mystery. It delves into the idea of reincarnation, and the ability to recognize those who have been important to you in your past lives. It was one of the more unique stories I've read so far this year. There were a lot of "main characters," which meant we didn't get to know most of them all that well, which was disappointing.

The ending, and the way the author wrapped everything up in the last several chapters was well-done. He wrapped up both the murder mystery and the reincarnation story without leaving any loose ends.

Rating: Four stars

About the Author: Rick Sulik was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio. After completing high school in Boardman, Ohio, he enlisted and served four years in the United States Air Force Military Police. After receiving an Honorable Discharge, he worked three and a half years with the Houston, Texas Police Department, twenty-two years with the Pasadena, Texas Police Department, and ten years as a courthouse bailiff with the Gonzales County, Texas Sheriff s Department, before retiring in 2013.

BOOK TOUR AND GIVEAWAY: Visions (Same Face Different Place #2) by Helen J. Christmas @rararesources @SFDPBeginnings

BOOK INFORMATION

GENRE: Psychological thriller

• Series: Same Face Different Place
• Paperback: 484 pages
• Publisher: Chichester Publishing (October 5, 2015)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0992989965
• ISBN-13: 978-0992989965
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SYNOPSIS: Visions is a psychological thriller set in rural England. The year is 1985. It’s been 12 years since Eleanor escaped London, discarding the fragments of her tragic past to discover a new life. She is hiding in a remote country village, a place where she truly believes she is safe.

Her neighbor, James Barton-Wells is desperate to save his historic country house from ruin but this has attracted the attention of a wealthy property developer from London whose seemingly altruistic offer to ‘bankroll the restoration’ masks a sinister game plan. Suspicious of his motives, Eleanor consults her friend, Charles Bailey. But Charlie has his own story, fearful that Perry Hampton is the man who undoubtedly destroyed his own life.

The characters are drawn together in a battle to save Westbourne House, oblivious to the menace that surrounds them. Threats, stalking and deception lie at the root of the Hamptons evil. Yet it is not until Eleanor comes face to face with them, she recognizes a deadly enemy from the past.

Can Eleanor unravel the clues that conceal an evil crime committed in the 70s? This book will draw you into a world of suspense with shocking psychological twists you will never see coming…

Purchase on Amazon - http://apn.to/prod/B00EPDN41U

REVIEW: This is the second book in the series, and takes place over a decade after the first. This story is slower paced than the first, allowing for deeper character development and slow-building suspense and drama.

Eleanor and her son Eli have built a decent life for themselves in the English countryside. While Eleanor stays on guard, she hopes they have put all the danger of the past behind them. Unfortunately, her friend James Barton-Wells has financial problems and becomes involved with someone who can change all of that in an instant.

While the ending is not a cliffhanger, it does leave the door open for the next installment of the series. I for one will be anxiously waiting for it to be available.

RATING: Four stars



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Helen J. Christmas lives on the south coast with her husband. With a love of writing since childhood, she started her decade-spanning thriller series 'Same Face Different Place' in 2011 and published her debut novel, 'Beginnings’ in 2012. Visions was the second book of the series and published in 2013; a suspense novel which explores British culture and social history in the 80s as well as the most evil traits people are capable of. The 16th Century cottage in which Helen lives with her husband (restored in 1991) provided endless inspiration for Visions, along with some very special places in Sussex that she loves. Writing is something she fits around her family and social life. Helen is a self-employed web designer and works from home with her husband, Peter. They enjoy the company of a faithful border collie and a beautiful white cat, though Helen confesses to having dreamed up many of her storylines, whilst walking Barney around the nearby beach and park.

Social Media Links –

Website: http://www.samefacedifferentplace.com

Blog: https://samefacedifferentplace.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/author.helenchristmas/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SFDPBeginnings

Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5838032.Helen_J_Christmas

Pinterest Book 2: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/helenxmas/same-face-different-place-visions-book-2-by-helen-/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helenchristmas7/

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BOOK TOUR: The Promise by Sally Jenkins @rararesources

Book Information

Genre: Psychological Thriller

• File Size: 438 KB
• Print Length: 218 pages
• Publisher: The Book Guild Ltd (January 28, 2018)
• Publication Date: January 28, 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1912083981
• ISBN-13: 978-1912083985
• ASIN: B078RK6Q8S

Synopsis: A man has been stabbed. A woman is bloodstained. The nightmares from her teenage years have begun again for Olivia Field – just as she is preparing to marry.

Ex-convict Tina is terminally ill. Before she dies, the care of her younger, psychologically unwell brother, Wayne must be ensured. So Tina calls in a promise made to her thirty years ago in a prison cell. A promise that was written down and placed with crucial evidence illustrating a miscarriage of justice in a murder case.

Tina believes Olivia is perfectly placed to provide the care Wayne needs, but to do so, Olivia must be forced to cancel her own wedding and wreck the lives of those close to her. Tina’s terrible blackmail demands put Olivia’s entire future and, ultimately, her freedom under threat.

The Promise is a fast-paced psychological thriller told from several third-person viewpoints. The novel explores the lengths to which people are prepared to go in order to protect those they love and the impossibility of ever fully escaping our past actions.

Review: This book is definitely action-packed. Sometimes there is so much going on you wonder how it will all wrap up by the end of the book. And, to be honest, I found that at least one major point was NOT wrapped up by the end.

The main premise of the book is how far someone would go to force someone to honor a promise made for them years ago. Tina needs to provide for her brother Wayne before cancer takes her life, She decides that Olivia should marry him and provide for him, and she is willing to go to extreme lengths to make sure it happens.

The story is very well written and paced, and the characters are well-defined. We get a look into their pasts, their motivations, and their emotions as the story plays out.

Highly recommended to anyone who enjoys this genre.

Rating: Four stars

About the author

Sally Jenkins lives in the West Midlands. She is a member of a Speakers’ Club, a volunteer library reading group coordinator, and a church bell ringer. Sally's first psychological thriller, Bedsit Three won the Ian Govan Award.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SallyJenkinsAuthor/

Twitter: @sallyjenkinsuk

Website/blog: https://sally-jenkins.com/

RELEASE DAY REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY: The Social Affair by Britney King

Title: The Social Affair

Author: Britney King

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Release Date: January 18, 2018 

In the tradition of Gone Girl and Behind Closed Doors comes a gripping, twisted, furiously clever read that demands your attention, and keeps you guessing until the very end. For fans of the anti-heroine and stories told in unorthodox ways, The Social Affair delivers us the perfect dark and provocative villain. The only question—who is it? A timeless, perfect couple waltzes into the small coffee shop where Izzy Lewis works. Instantly enamored, she does what she always does in situations like these: she searches them out on social media. Just like that—with the tap of a screen— she’s given a front row seat to the Dunns’ picturesque life. This time, she’s certain she’s found what she’s been searching for. This time, she'll go to whatever lengths it takes to ensure she gets it right—even if this means doing the unthinkable. Intense and original, The Social Affair is a disturbing psychological thriller that explores what can happen when privacy is traded for convenience.

Review: This book is full of dysfunctional characters. Izzy Lewis is obsessed with social media, where she stalks people she admires. She buys clothes they wear, tries fashion trends they suggest, etc.

Grant and Josie Dunn look like the perfect couple from the outside, but in private things are not so wonderful. They are members of a "church" which is more cult--there are some seriously messed rules the members have to agree to follow, and members are "mentored" (more like monitored) by other members.

When Izzy meets the Dunns and begins to stalk them, she is drawn in by Josie's social media posts about their happy life and happy family.  The farther she delves into their life, the darker the novel becomes.

The ending was a TOTAL surprise to me. It left me with a few unanswered questions, but nothing that distracted from my enjoyment of the story. 

If you enjoy a good psychological thriller, be sure to add this to your reading list for this year!!

Rating: Four stars

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Britney King lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, children, two dogs, one ridiculous cat, and a partridge in a pear tree.

When she's not wrangling the things mentioned above, she writes psychological, domestic and romantic thrillers set in suburbia.

Currently, she's writing three series and several standalone novels.

The Bedrock Series features an unlikely heroine who should have known better. Turns out, she didn’t. Thus she finds herself tangled in a messy, dangerous, forbidden love story and face-to-face with a madman hell-bent on revenge. The series has been compared to Fatal Attraction, Single White Female, and Basic Instinct.

The Water Series follows the shady love story of an unconventional married couple—he’s an assassin—she kills for fun. It has been compared to a crazier book version of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Also, Dexter.

Around The Bend is a heart-pounding standalone, which traces the journey of a well-to-do suburban housewife, and her life as it unravels, thanks to the secrets she keeps. If she were the only one with things she wanted to keep hidden, then maybe it wouldn’t have turned out so bad. But she wasn’t.

The With You Series at its core is a deep love story about unlikely friends who travel the world; trying to find themselves, together and apart. Packed with drama and adventure along with a heavy dose of suspense, it has been compared to The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Love, Rosie.

The Social Affair is an intense standalone about a timeless couple who find themselves with a secret admirer they hadn’t bargained for. For fans of the anti-heroine and stories told in unorthodox ways, the novel explores what can happen when privacy is traded for convenience. It is reminiscent of films such as One Hour Photo and Play Misty For Me. 

Without a doubt, connecting with readers is the best part of this gig. You can find Britney online here: 

Web• http://BritneyKing.com

Instagram • https://instagram.com/britneyking_ 

Facebook • https://www.facebook.com/BritneyKingAuthor

Twitter• http://twitter.com/BritneyKing_

Goodreads • http://bit.ly/BritneyKingGoodreads

To get more-- grab two books for free, by subscribing to her mailing list at britneyking.com or just copy and paste bit.ly/britneykingweb into your browser. 

Happy reading.

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FALL READING CHALLENGE: Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris #frc2016 #booksparks

This thrilling debut novel takes you inside the picture-perfect marriage – successful husband, doting wife…but dark secrets lurk just behind the iron gate of their perfect home.

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS BY B. A. PARIS

Course Title: ‘Til Deceit Do Us Part

Department: Psychological Thrillers

Course Date: September 20

Description: Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace.

He has looks and wealth, she has charm and elegance. You might not want to like them, but you do. Though, you’d like to get to know Grace better.

But it’s difficult because you realize Jack and Grace are never apart.

Some might call this true love. Others might ask why Grace never answers the phone. Or how she can never meet for coffee, even though she doesn’t work. How she can cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim. And why there are bars on one of the bedroom windows.

Sometimes, the perfect marriage is the perfect lie.

Review: I absolutely LOVED this book! Almost from the first page, I suspected something was "off" in the relationship between Grace and Jack, but I never would have expected to learn the things I did about them. By the time I was a third of the way in, I knew that I was never going to like Jack at all, and was hoping there would be a positive end to the story somehow.

The plot of this story is very fast-paced and will keep you engaged from beginning to end. The story alternates between the past and the present, but the time switches are very clearly marked, and the story is easy to follow.

Grace and her sister Millie, who has Down's Syndrome, are very likable characters, and you will find yourself rooting for them throughout the book. Jack is originally likable, but as you get to know who/what he really is, it is difficult to find anything about him to like at all.

This is the most edge of your seat page turner I've read this year. If you enjoy suspenseful psychological thrillers, you should definitely pick up this book!!

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**

Rating: Five stars

About the author

B. A. Paris is from a Franco/Irish background. She was brought up in England and worked in London for three years before moving to Paris, where worked in corporate banking and as a trader in an international bank. After the birth of her first daughter, she became a stay-at-home mother and went on to have another three daughters. She spent four years in the Netherlands, where her fifth daughter was born. Returning to France, she decided to re-train as an English teacher and worked for some years in an international school and then at the Université de Marne la Vallée, teaching English to Architecture students. In 2009 she set up a language school with her husband and now teaches Business English in Paris.

SUMMER READING CHALLENGE: All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker #src2016 #bestsummerever

BOOK INFORMATION

Genre: Mystery/suspense, psychological thriller

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press (July 12, 2016)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1250097916
• ISBN-13: 978-1250097910

Synopsis: In the small, affluent town of Fairview, Connecticut everything seems picture perfect.

Until one night when young Jenny Kramer is attacked at a local party. In the hours immediately after, she is given a controversial drug to medically erase her memory of the violent assault. But, in the weeks and months that follow, as she heals from her physical wounds, and with no factual recall of the attack, Jenny struggles with her raging emotional memory. Her father, Tom, becomes obsessed with his inability to find her attacker and seek justice while her mother, Charlotte, prefers to pretend this horrific event did not touch her perfect country club world.

As they seek help for their daughter, the fault lines within their marriage and their close-knit community emerge from the shadows where they have been hidden for years, and the relentless quest to find the monster who invaded their town - or perhaps lives among them - drive this psychological thriller to a shocking and unexpected conclusion. 

Review: TRIGGER WARNING - RAPE
Additional warning to anyone particularly sensitive to graphic scenes of brutal sexual violence.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm going to start this review by stating that I HATED the narrator through nearly all of the book---but I also think that the author intended us to feel deep emotions toward him. He is a psychiatrist who is having sessions with all three members of the Kramer family, and who uses those sessions to advance his own agenda, basically putting his needs ahead of those of his patient.

The good thing about this book is that it lends itself to a lot of "what would you do?" questions as you read. There are so many social/moral issues throughout the story, and they are covered in an amazing way. I can see this as a fabulous read for a book club, leading to a very spirited discussion afterwards.

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**

Rating: Four stars

About the author

Wendy Walker is a practicing divorce attorney in Fairfield County, Connecticut who began writing while at home raising her three sons. She published two novels with St. Martin’s Press and edited multiple compilations for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series before writing her debut psychological thriller, All is Not Forgotten.

SUMMER READING CHALLENGE: Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica

BOOK INFORMATION

Genre: Psychological thriller

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: MIRA (May 17, 2016)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778319059
• ISBN-13: 978-0778319054

Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl, Mary Kubica returns with an electrifying and addictive tale of deceit and obsession 

In downtown Chicago, a young woman named Esther Vaughan disappears from her apartment without a trace. A haunting letter addressed to My Dearest is found among her possessions, leaving her friend and roommate Quinn Collins to wonder where Esther is and whether or not she's the person Quinn thought she knew. 

Meanwhile, in a small Michigan harbor town an hour outside Chicago, a mysterious woman appears in the quiet coffee shop where eighteen-year-old Alex Gallo works as a dishwasher. He is immediately drawn to her charm and beauty, but what starts as an innocent crush quickly spirals into something far more dark and sinister than he ever expected.  

As Quinn searches for answers about Esther, and Alex is drawn further under Pearl's spell, master of suspense Mary Kubica takes readers on a taut and twisted thrill ride that builds to a stunning conclusion and shows that no matter how fast and far we run, the past always catches up with us in the end.

Review: This is the third book by this author, and each one seems to be even better than the last. She has an amazing knack for psychological thrillers which has me waiting breathlessly for each new release.

This one will keep you guessing from beginning to end (and you'll be wrong time after time, trust me!), and you won't want to stop reading until you find out just what is going on. The story is told alternately by Quinn, a girl whose roommate has gone missing, and Alex, an 18-year-old boy who at first seems to have no connection to the rest of the story. Eventually their stories converge, however, and lead to two very climactic scenes.

As with the other two books, I would LOVE to see this one made into a movie.

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**

Rating: Four stars

About the author

Mary Kubica is the bestselling author of THE GOOD GIRL (2014) and PRETTY BABY (2015). She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in History and American Literature. Mary lives outside of Chicago with her husband and two children and enjoys photography, gardening and caring for the animals at a local shelter.

The Memory Box by Eva Lesko Natiello

Book Information

Genre: Psychological Thriller

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Fine Line Publishing (June 25, 2014)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0692239006
• ISBN-13: 978-0692239001

Synopsis: What would you do if you searched your own past and uncovered something shocking? 

In this gripping domestic thriller, a group of privileged suburban moms amuse themselves by Googling everyone in town, digging up dirt to fuel thorny gossip. Caroline Thompson, devoted mother of two, sticks to the moral high ground and attempts to avoid these women. She’s relieved to hear her name appears only three times, citing her philanthropy. Despite being grateful that she has nothing to hide, a delayed pang of insecurity prods Caroline to Google her maiden name—which none of the others know. 

The hits cascade like a tsunami. Caroline’s terrified by what she reads. An obituary for her sister, JD? That’s absurd. With every click, the revelations grow more alarming. They can’t be right. She’d know. Caroline is hurled into a state of paranoia—upending her blissful family life—desperate to prove these allegations false before someone discovers they’re true. 

The disturbing underpinnings of The Memory Box expose a story of deceit, misconceptions, and an obsession for control. With its twists, taut pacing, and psychological tenor, Natiello's page-turning suspense cautions: Be careful what you search for. 

Review: This book has more twists and turns than a roller coaster. The main character, Caroline, Googles herself after hearing from the gossipy moms at her girls' school that there are only three hits for her name, and no "dirt" to be found. But when she Googles her maiden name, she starts finding things about herself and her family that she doesn't remember and knows can't be true.

I went through a wide range of emotions concerning Caroline. At first she was a very likable character whom I worried about, then felt sad for, and as the story progressed I was disgusted with her and then terrified of her. 

The ending of this book is one you will definitely not see coming, and it will leave you with chills. If you enjoyed Gone Girl, or The Girl On The Train, then you will love The Memory Box!

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**

Rating: Four stars

About the author

Eva Lesko Natiello is an award-winning author and graduate of The State University of New York at Albany with a degree in psychology. Her professional experience includes cosmetics industry Public Relations and Communications executive.
Ms. Natiello is a native of Yonkers, New York and currently lives and writes in suburban NJ, which provides the setting for the fictional town in her debut novel, THE MEMORY BOX, a psychological suspense. It is a recipient of the Houston Writers Guild 2014 Manuscript award. She is particularly fascinated by misconceptions, especially when normalcy appears to be prevalent. This theme carries over to her second novel, currently in progress. When not writing suspense novels, she enjoys writing humorous musings about life’s ironies, which can be found on her blog: writing from the intersection of oops, yikes and awe at evanatiello.com. Her short story, The Wordsmith, was a finalist in The Writer Magazine 2012 Best Short Story.
According to Ms. Natiello, “The sign of a good day is when the creative process in some form—be it writing, painting, or singing—has pried its way into the mundane.” She lives with her husband and their two children. 

14 Days To Die by A. B. Whelan

Synopsis: To what extent would you go to avenge your husband's infidelity?

Stay-at-home mom Sarah Johnson has the perfect family—a handsome, hardworking husband and two healthy and beautiful children. At least, that’s what she’s been telling herself for years. After the tragedies in her youth, Sarah deemed living a lie easier than dwelling on the past and facing her everyday failures. To avoid any kind of confrontation at home she doesn’t read her husband’s emails or spy on him like most jealous wives do. She wouldn’t jeopardize her comfortable but dull life for anything. 

But Sarah’s world is about to crumble around her when she receives a phone call from a man with a heavy foreign accent telling her that her perfect husband has put a price on her head. She is offered two weeks to come up with a counteroffer or die. Why would her model husband Mike want her dead? Hasn’t she been the perfect wife? Or has her karma finally caught up with her—making her pay for her former transgressions? The final countdown begins and now Sarah has to race against time to find out what went wrong in her marriage and find a way out of this nightmare. 

So the game of life or death begins. Secrets are unveiled. Emotions are unleashed. Actions are taken. 

Will there be a winner in this dangerous game when no one can escape the twist of fate?

Review: Psychological suspense/thriller hardly does this novel justice. You may think you know what's going on, but it's not something you can figure out completely. So brilliantly written!!!

I spent most of this book feeling sorry for Sarah. She thought her life was perfect, at least until the day she gets a phone call from someone who claims to be a hitman hired by her husband. He gives her 14 days to come up with more money than Mike is offering him, or else she dies.

The book is split into the next 14 days, and is occasionally interrupted with bits and pieces of police interviews which let the reader know that something horrible has happened, but not exactly what that is. Along the way, we learn, along with Sarah, the secrets Mike has been hiding from her, and feel her panic as the days slip away from her. 

The ending was the biggest twist of the entire story, and yet was totally believable. I also enjoyed the relationship between Sarah and her neighbor Bruce--with everything that was going on, she deserved to find some happiness.

If you love suspense and/or thrillers, definitely give this book a read.

**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**

Rating: Four stars

About the author

A. B. WHELAN writes young-adult science-fiction and fantasy. She is the author of the Fields of Elysium series. She lives in sunny California with her husband and two children.
14 Days to Die is her first thriller.


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