Thriller

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

| Jasmin De Anda

An addictive mystery…

The Silent Patient is a fascinating psychological mystery that keeps you wanting answers.

SYNOPSIS

Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.

Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.

Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him….

An Intriguing Read…

The story follows Theo, a psychotherapist who expresses his interest in not only understanding Alicia, but his goal to get her to speak. The story seemed straight forward, it’s one that poses you with the question without directly telling you what to think, the question of “Did Alicia really shoot her husband, and if she did, then why?” At first I thought it would be a simple investigation. Theo of course has his therapy sessions with Alicia, but when the patient won’t say a word, he changes course, trying to understand her by other means. Speaking to her friends and family, trying to uncover not only what happened that night, but what led to it. 

A Guarded Mystery..

The story is actually one where the reader seems to know more than the main character because it goes back and forth between Theo’s first person narrative, and Alicia’s own diary entries. As a reader, I was given information that Theo didn’t have but was trying to gain.

This isn’t a story that feeds you evidence so you can figure out what happened. The author gives the information he wants. I knew I didn’t stand a chance in solving the mystery because there was nothing to solve. What this story does is take you on this journey both before and after the murder, and teases the truth. It definitely succeeded in keeping me interested because I was desperate to know what happened, and shocked at every crumb the author gave me. I must say when I finished the book, I was not disappointed.

MORE DETAILS

Word Count (rounded)~ 85,000

Page Count: 308

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Psychological

My Rating…

My personal rating for this story is complicated. I want to give it five stars because I’m in awe of it. Psychological mysteries are one of my weaknesses along with sci fi thrillers, and romantic suspense so I am definitely biased. I also know stories like this are never the same once you know the answers. The question of whether I will read it again is one I’m not sure of. Maybe someday it will fade just enough to let me get even a little bit of that thrill again.

I’m still giving it five stars because the thought of reading it again is exciting, maybe like with movies I’ll notice things I hadn’t the first time. It feels great to finish a book again feeling excited to talk about it.

The next book I’m reading is “Death Takes a Holiday at Pemberley” by Kelly Miller, Pride and Prejudice fan fiction featuring Death.

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Dark Corners by Megan Goldin

| Jasmin De Anda

An intriguing mystery with a captivating investigation…

Dark Corners is a modern crime thriller following the skilled podcaster, Rachel Krall.

SYNOPSIS

Terence Bailey is about to be released from prison for breaking and entering, though investigators have long suspected him in the murders of six women. As his freedom approaches, Bailey gets a surprise visit from Maddison Logan, a hot, young influencer with a huge social media following. Hours later, Maddison disappears, and police suspect she’s been kidnapped—or worse. Is Maddison’s disappearance connected to her visit to Bailey? Why was she visiting him in the first place?

When they hit a wall in the investigation, the FBI reluctantly asks for Rachel’s help in finding the missing influencer. Maddison seems only to exist on social media; she has no family, no friends, and other than in her posts, most people have never seen her. Who is she, really? Using a fake Instagram account, Rachel Krall goes undercover to BuzzCon, a popular influencer conference, where she discovers a world of fierce rivalry that may have turned lethal.

When police find the body of a woman with a tattoo of a snake eating its tail, the FBI must consider a chilling possibility: Bailey has an accomplice on the outside and a dangerous obsession with influencers, including Rachel Krell herself. Suddenly a target of a monster hiding in plain sight, Rachel is forced to confront the very real dangers that lurk in the dark corners of the internet.

Rachel Krall, the true crime podcaster star of Megan Goldin’s acclaimed Night Swim returns to search for a popular social media influencer who disappeared after visiting a suspected serial killer.

The Sequel to a Thrilling Series…

First, something I didn’t know when I read this was that Dark Corners is actually book two of a series. I know from reading it myself that you don’t need to read book one first to be able to follow along. I was never confused, and honestly had no idea I was reading the second book of the series until I went to get the plot description for my YouTube video and saw the words “Rachel Krall 2” above the title. I got my copy from my book of the month subscription and my TBR list is so backed up that if I saw it was a sequel, I had long forgotten that. The lucky thing about investigative fiction is that although it’s the same main character, it’s a new mystery with new suspects and I can confidently say it doesn’t tie into book one.

Rachel Krall…

This book follows Rachel Krall, an investigative journalist turned true crime podcast star as she tries to find out what happened to the missing influencer, Madison Logan. Something I really enjoyed about this book is that it felt realistic. Someone in law enforcement might beg to differ, but the thing is I don’t care if a book ends up being true to police protocol as long as it is logical. Actually I would prefer a story that doesn’t tell people exactly what law enforcement uses to find criminal’s. I’ve never liked the idea of ending up with a guidebook on what a criminal should avoid, so if it’s made up protocol, even better. Anyway, I’m getting off topic. 

In the story Rachel Krall is by no means law enforcement. Yes, she was an investigative journalist, but unless you have some kind of background in law enforcement, it seems unlikely an FBI agent would call her for help. Which is what I thought this book handled really well. Because despite what the description says, the FBI does not ask her for help, not with the case at least. Rachel is there for one reason, her name was linked to the man in prison and the missing influencer who visited him. But once they feel she isn’t needed, they want her gone.

The thing I loved about the character Rachel was that she was never the annoying character I’m used to reading in crime books. The ones that say that stupid line I wish didn’t exist, “I can take care of myself”. I die a little inside every time a female character says that, especially when it’s followed by the immediate proof that they in fact cannot take care of themselves. When the FBI tries to send her home, she doesn’t immediately go into dangerous situations. Granted, any involvement in the case is putting herself in danger, she plays it smart. She doesn’t try to pretend she’s a detective, but uses her skills to learn more about the missing pieces by going undercover.

MORE DETAILS

Word Count (rounded)~ ?

Page Count: 352

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Psychological

Three Perspectives…

The book has something which I noticed is really common in crime thrillers lately, and that is to have chapters that follow the killer. From the beginning it’s made clear that the FBI believes Terrence Bailey is responsible for the death’s of the women, but they think he didn’t act alone and had an accomplice. Which is why a few of the chapter’s follow that accomplice and make it very clear that he’s a killer. It was told in a way that leaves the question of how this man is linked to Terrence and the missing influencer.

A Clear Story…

I’m a stickler for logic in a story. I need a clear explanation on how point A got to point B and was happy when by the end of the book, everything made absolute sense. I wasn’t left with questions or plot holes, and I never wished for more. The story doesn’t pretend that every strange occurrence is directly related to each other. There are clues introduced that end up being nothing more than a coincidence, while others end up being connected in ways I never expected. That’s what made this book wonderful to me, that it wasn’t clean, but it was not flawed.

My Rating…

Mystery is something I love, but I’ve always felt that once you know what happens, it’s never the same. I guess the same can be said about any genre, but with crime thrillers where the story is 100% about the mystery, it’s a little tough to reread which is why my rating for this book is three stars because I loved it, but I doubt I would reread it again. Now if it turned into a mini series, I would probably rewatch it once or twice.

The next book I’ll be reading is “A Wilderness of Stars” by Shea Earnshaw, a mystery story.

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Sign Here by Claudia Lux

| Jasmin De Anda

An intriguing mystery that fell a little flat for me…

Sign Here is a humorous and interesting read that may have been in need of just a little more information.

SYNOPSIS

Peyote Trip has a pretty good gig in the deals department on the fifth floor of Hell. Sure, none of the pens work, the coffee machine has been out of order for a century, and the only drink on offer is Jägermeister, but Pey has a plan—and all he needs is one last member of the Harrison family to sell their soul.

When the Harrisons retreat to the family lake house for the summer, with their daughter Mickey’s precocious new friend, Ruth, in tow, the opportunity Pey has waited a millennium for might finally be in his grasp. And with the help of his charismatic coworker Calamity, he sets a plan in motion.

But things aren’t always as they seem, on Earth or in Hell. And as old secrets and new dangers scrape away at the Harrisons’ shiny surface, revealing the darkness beneath, everyone must face the consequences of their choices.

A Humorous Story…

Hell as an office, how can that not be amusing? It’s easy to relate to the irritants that make it Hell. If you’re legal to drink, then you know that a bar that only serves Jägermeister is just horrible to think about. All the small things that make life in Hell intolerable definitely make this an amusing read. But the surprising thing is this story was less dark comedy and more mystery.

A Mystery That Fell Just a Little Flat for Me..

“Sign Here” when it comes down to it is a mystery. Peyote has a plan that requires just one more soul from the Harrison family, but what is that plan? As the story began to unravel, I was intrigued, new questions being asked with each chapter. Questions like why does he need this family? Who is Calamity really? But as my questions were answered, I only found myself asking more questions.

Two Stories that Never Connected…

“Sign Here” is really two stories in one book. One is the story of Peyote, the fifth floor employee in Hell looking to get a promotion. The other is the story of the Harrison family who is harboring a dark past we know nothing about. From the beginning it’s made clear that these two stories are meant to connect. After all, this is the family Peyote needs to complete his plan.

MORE DETAILS

Word Count (rounded)~ ?

Page Count: 432

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Psychological

This was the part of the story I found lacking. Peyote mentions throughout the story how he desperately needs one of the Harrison’s to sign over their soul. But what is he doing in order to achieve that goal? For someone who needs them, he never interacts with them and hardly ever even interferes. I felt the story could’ve benefited more if part of being required to make deals with humans was some manipulation. If Peyote had to push the family member’s into feeling they needed to sell their soul, it would have made it more meaningful.

In the end the employees of Hell aren’t doing much work, they’re just there to have the human sign on the dotted line, or click the button in this case. Sure they don’t mention the fine print, but it just never felt malevolant enough.

My Rating…

I rate books with a five star system from would never read it again to loved it and can’t wait to reread it. I don’t really believe in calling a book bad because each person’s interests are different and a book I hated could be loved by someone else and vice versa. Everyone has different deal breakers.

I gave this book two stars because I enjoyed some sections of the book, but as a whole I found the story lacking and don’t plan to reread it in the future. Maybe a show would add that extra information to make the story feel more complete.

The next book I’ll be reading is “When He Returned” which is an Indie Novel. I’m trying to read a lot of Indie author novel’s which is why I plan to read a new book every week.

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Recursion, Blake Crouch

| Jasmin De Anda

A fascinating theory on memory…

Recursion is a complex fiction novel that had me on the edge of my seat as I tried to keep up with the complicated and interesting scientific theories at the story’s center.

SYNOPSIS

What if someone could rewrite your entire life?

‘My son has been erased.’

Those are the last words the woman tells Barry Sutton, before she leaps from the Manhattan rooftop. Deeply unnerved, Barry begins to investigate her death, only to learn that this wasn’t an isolated case. All across the country, people are waking up to lives different than the ones they fell asleep to. Are they suffering from False Memory Syndrome, a mysterious, new disease that afflicts people with vivid memories of a life they never lived? Or is something far more sinister behind the fracturing of reality all around him?

Miles away, neuroscientist Helena Smith is developing a technology that allows us to preserve our most intense memories, and relive them. If she succeeds, anyone will be able to re-experience a first kiss, the birth of a child, the final moment with a dying parent.

Barry’s search for the truth leads him on an impossible, astonishing journey, as he discovers that Helena’s work has yielded a terrifying gift – the ability not just to preserve memories, but to remake them . . . at the risk of destroying what it means to be human.

Two Characters, Two Timelines…

The story begins with Barry Sutton, a detective who is arrives after hearing a call about a woman sitting on the ledge of the building in 2018; a woman who is suffering from a mysterious disease called False Memory Syndrome. Soon after the narrative switches to Helena Smith, who in 2007 is reaching the saddening end of her research due to lack of funding. As the story progresses, the reader is brought back and forth between the two characters stories as they face their own conflicts.

Crouch does a wonderful job of using the two separate timelines to explain the scientific theories without overwhelming the reader.

While the beginning of the story does not give much time to get to know the characters on a personal level, immediately jumping into the two characters, I felt that the more the story progressed, the more vivid the image of them became in my mind.

A Cinematic Experience…

For readers who enjoy books for the deep insight in the personal lives of a character, this book may seem disappointing in that area. Recursion, much like the previous Blake Crouch novel I read, tells the story in cinematic way. Each “scene” dives into the action of the characters, never taking a moment for the characters to relax. Each scene ends much like it would in a television series, open ended and often in a suspenseful way before jumping to the other character, then continuing right where it left off.

However, for readers who find such leisure moments in a story to be mundane, this book may be more exciting than most. In Recursion, there is never a dull moment. Crouch has created a story which continuously follows the two main characters through every theory, obstacle, and revelation they face. As the story comes closer to its end, much like a film, it becomes more intense and the stakes grow higher.

MORE DETAILS

Word Count (rounded)~ 98,000

Page Count: 336

Genres: Thriller, Sci-Fi, Suspense

Usually, when I find a story written like a movie/show, I find it difficult to finish. In the case of the stories I’ve read, as the author writes their story with the image of their own movie in mind, the story becomes “stages”.

They begin to lose detail, often focusing on the boring details such as where a person sits and what they grab. With Crouch, I never felt this was a problem. I was impressed by his ability to paint such a vivid and immersive experience.

While the science may be overwhelming to some, it is carefully explained.

A Complex Sci-Fi…

Although Science Fiction has always been my favorite genre of cinema, before Black Crouch, I had not had any experience with reading the genre.

Watching movies and shows such as Interstellar, Arrival, and Dark helped me easily grasp the theoretical science. Yet despite the similarities to the theories introduced in stories I viewed in the past, Blake Crouch managed to introduce me to something entirely new without diminishing the credibility of it all. The more I learned, the more I felt the story was well researched. Some may find the concept to be ridiculous or unrealistic, but that is why they are called “theories”, because they are not proven. Like most sci-fi stories, an open mind can make all the difference in whether you come to love or hate Recursion.

What I loved most…

As a lover of science fiction, my favorite parts were of course when the story delved into Helena’s research. While I found Barry’s segments interesting, Helena’s segments were the ones which kept me unwilling to put the book down. From the beginning when her research is introduced, to the moment her own story’s conflict becomes the center of the story, I was engrossed. Although I wish I was given more time to get to know her thoughts and emotions through the whole ordeal, I was still able to fall in love with her character.

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The Last Thing He Told me, Laura Dave

| Jasmin De Anda

A riveting and heartfelt mystery..

The Last Thing He Told Me is not a story that I would usually find myself picking up, but I’m glad I did.

SYNOPSIS

Before Owen Michaels disappears, he smuggles a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her. Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers—Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother.

As Hannah’s increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered, as the FBI arrests Owen’s boss, as a US marshal and federal agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen’s true identity—and why he really disappeared.

Hannah and Bailey set out to discover the truth. But as they start putting together the pieces of Owen’s past, they soon realize they’re also building a new future—one neither of them could have anticipated.

With its breakneck pacing, dizzying plot twists, and evocative family drama, The Last Thing He Told Me is a riveting mystery, certain to shock you with its final, heartbreaking turn.

Our Main Characters…

The story begins with Hannah Hall, a happily married woodturner whose primary goal is to earn the approval of her sixteen-year-old step daughter, Bailey, who continues to respond to Hannah’s efforts with eye rolls and passive aggressive responses. With very little information, Hannah decides Bailey may be the only one capable of finding the answer as to where Owen is.

While the story focuses on the perspective of Hannah through a first person narrative, Dave does a wonderful job at keeping the reader immersed as Hannah is forced to face a range of emotions as she searches for Owen. Yet the narrative managed to keep Bailey involved every step of the way as she goes from annoyed teenager to a vulnerable child who only wants to see her father again.

As Hannah and Bailey are forced to question everything they know about Owen, the reader is able to get to know Owen through the eyes of Hannah in a series of flashbacks, while remaining relevant to the story’s plot.

A Naturally Progressing Story…

While many stories lose themselves in the standard plot line of beginning, middle, and end; I found it refreshing that The Last Thing He Told Me jumped right into the story and simply continued on. As Hannah and Bailey search for answers, every decision they make and action they take felt realistic and kept me invested in their journey to the point where I became as desperate for answers as they were and could not put down the book.

What I loved most…

Although I deeply enjoyed the mystery of Owen’s disappearance, what I enjoyed most was the relationship between Hannah and Bailey as they bonded over their shared conflict. Despite the short time span of the story, the character development of these two girls never felt rushed. Hannah and Bailey’s relationship was truly the heart of the story, the mystery acting as the catalyst for their transition to family.

MORE DETAILS

Word Count (rounded)~ 96,000

Page Count: 320

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Domestic Fiction

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