Category Archives: Psychological Thriller

The Perfect Couple by Jane McLoughlin

I’m happy to host Jane McLoughlin and her debut adult novel, The Perfect Couple, here on Celtic Connexions.

Perfect Couple

Perfect Couple

The Perfect Couple Blurb

It was meant to be the perfect year abroad.

Rob assures me it will be an adventure for us: a year in England living in a gothic mansion. He has a new job and, as his wife, I’ll support him. It will be good for our marriage.

But as soon as we arrive at the house it starts.

The noises.

The voices.

Why can no one else hear anything?

The boy.

Why can no one else see him?

And now Rob is acting strangely. Distant. Dismissive. When I raise it he gets angry. He tells me it’s all in my head. But I can hear the bells in the woods. I can see the boy.

I make friends but I feel they know more than they tell me. Worst of all, they freeze when I tell them where I’m from. Who I am.

I feel myself unravelling. I’m not wrong. There is a secret here that everyone knows. Everyone except me.

This trip of a lifetime is turning into a perfect nightmare.

Book Links

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/208277755-the-perfect-couple-an-addictive-psychological-thriller-with-a-shocking-t
Buy Links – https://mybook.to/perfectcouple-zbt

My Review

Jacey and her husband (a University professor) relocated to the UK from America so he could teach in England for one year. The school owns the manor house they moved into, and visiting teachers make their home in it. Malin House is reputedly haunted.

Secrets and ties to Nana Ivy, who grew up in Cambridgeshire, and other strange things happen to Jacey. One recurring phenomenon is the vision of a little boy in summer clothes that only she can see. Who is he?

I enjoyed Jane McLoughlin’s writing style. I’m sure I’ll be looking for more of her books in the future.

About the Author

Perfect Couple

Jane McLoughlin was born and raised in the USA, but has spent most of her adult life in the UK. A former teacher, she has previously published novels for young people, which were nominated for various awards, including the Carnegie Award and the Branford Boase Prize. She has two grown up children, and lives in Brighton. The Perfect Couple is her debut novel for adults.

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JBMcLoughlin

Website: https://janemcloughlinwriter.com/

Her Mother’s Daughter by Brian O’Rourke

I’m pleased to be part of the book tour for Her Mother’s Daughter by Brian O’Rourke.
mother's daughter

 

 

 

mother's daughter
Blurb

Amanda writes dark fiction. Now one fan is bringing her work to life.

Amanda is enjoying her life – she’s a successful author who has finally managed to give up her day job.

But then an ex-colleague is murdered in an exact reenactment of a killing from one of Amanda’s books. Even worse, Amanda had publicly quarreled with the dead woman and now finds herself a person of interest to the police.

Then it happens a second time. Another person with whom Amanda had publicly fought is murdered. And again, the method used to kill is lifted straight from the pages of one of her books.

It’s clear that someone is out to get Amanda. But who? And why?

With the police seeing her as the prime suspect, Amanda is desperate to discover the person behind these grisly killings.

As she digs for the truth, Amanda is forced to look into her own family’s troubled past, where she uncovers a web of secrets and lies far more shocking than anything she has ever written…

Her Mother’s Daughter – the chilling psychological thriller from the best-selling author of The New Husband and The Only Son.

My Review

This book hooked me on page one and didn’t let go. Amanda, a crime novelist, has a painful past. Her mother has been running for years to avoid being captured and tried for murder. Now, people known to Amanda are being murdered and posed to match scenes in her crime novels. The murderer could be almost anyone. Her neighbour/best friend? Her fugitive mother? Her ex-boyfriend? The list of suspects is long, and the author kept me guessing right until he was ready to reveal who was behind these bizarre murders.

This is the first book I’ve read by Brian O’Rourke, and it certainly won’t be my last.

Book Links

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/202499063-her-mother-s-daughter

Buy Links – https://mybook.to/mothersdaughter-zbt

About the Author

mother's daughter
Brian R. O’Rourke has been writing stories since he was eight years old. A lifelong, avid reader, Brian believes that fiction has the power to change the world. He enjoys spending time with his family, exercising, playing the violin, and golfing.

This is his third psychological thriller with Inkubator Books.

You can follow Brian on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/brianr.orourke/

Vengeance is in her Heart by Cassius Cox #review

Today, I’m happy to be hosting Vengeance is in Her Heart by Cassius Cox.

Vengeance

Blurb

As a girl Catherine Hart loses the person she loved most, her father. In his absence she is subjected to abuse of the worst kind.

In her late teens she finds the strength to fight back, to be the girl her father trained her to be.

As a woman she escapes her dark thoughts by caring for others, until once again life reminds her how disgustingly unfair it can be when her best friend is subjected to a devastating brutal attack.

Catherine’s choice is justice or revenge.

With vengeance in her heart, she reigns down terror and violence upon those she deems guilty.

But in doing so, has she denied herself any chance of being loved again?

Being loved is all she wanted, it’s what we all want…isn’t it?

Vengeance

Book Links

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199548639-vengeance-is-in-her-heart

Buy Links: https://mybook.to/vengeanceheart-zbt

My Review

Catherine, aka Cat, vows revenge on the men who attacked her friend, Hayley. It’s either justice or revenge, and she doesn’t put much faith in the justice system.>
Her father died when she was young, and after that, she was subjected to abuse. Still, in her late teens, she picks herself up and vows to be what her father trained her to be.

Cat is complicated. She has baggage and lots of it. She’s seeing a therapist to work through her problems and depression. Still, she works in a care home and enjoys her job working with the elderly.

Even the secondary characters, Bill and Betty, are great! They play off each other well.

The book was well-written and fast-paced. I likely would have finished it in one sitting, but ‘life’ happens and interrupted my reading.

About the Author

Vengeance

Born in Dorking, Surrey England.

I love stories, whether it be in film, book, or music. If it moves me emotionally, then I am sold. As a child I used books or films to escape reality, in fact I probably still do. My happy place is the cinema.

My favourite genre is psychological thriller, I prefer a story that is emotionally driven, the darker the better. But I am happy to be recommended a good book in any genre. My favourite work of fiction is One Day by David Nicholls and my favourite non-fiction is Stephen King’s On Writing.

I’ve suffered with depression since I was in my early teens, I’d rather not have it as it’s a daily battle to keep going, but when it comes to my writing I would say it’s a strength.

I am a huge sports fan. I love boxing, MMA and football. These days I am coaching kids football rather than playing. I love watching live sport, you might see me at the Meadowbank stadium watching my local team Dorking Wanderers, or at The London Stadium watching West Ham or even at Wembley watching England.

Favourite holiday destinations are Woolacombe in Devon, Centre Parcs, Florida, Vegas and Thailand.

I enjoy going jogging or going to the gym, but I also like a drink and a takeaway so the two probably count each other out. I’m far from perfect. Who is?

You can follow Cassius at these links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CassiusCox1966

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/grahammarkcox

Website: https://cassiuscox.com/

The Day She Disappeared by Lisa Hall

I’m thrilled to share The Day She Disappeared by Lisa Hall with you today.

Lisa Hall

Lisa Hall

Blurb

A remote island. A missing girl. A woman with a troubled past.

Becky is back on the tiny island where she was born, the island she swore she’d never return to.

Apart from her former best friend Megan, everyone makes it clear she isn’t wanted. The islanders have long memories. They haven’t forgotten the scandal. What Becky did.

Becky decides to leave as soon as she can. But first she must discover what happened to Violet.

Violet disappeared exactly a year ago, the day of the summer festival. Everyone assumes she ran off to the mainland with her boyfriend. Only her sister believes something more sinister happened to her.

Becky starts to ask questions — and becomes convinced that Violet never left the island. Someone in this remote, suspicious community knows exactly what happened to her. Someone who’s determined to keep the truth hidden — whatever it takes.

As Becky pieces the clues together, she is forced to confront the dark secrets of her own past. But has she got it tragically wrong . . . yet again?

And then another teenage girl goes missing . . .

My Review

I loved the premise of this book, so I jumped at the chance to read it. It started at a slow burn but built as the book progressed. The main character, Rebecca (Becky) Gannon, is a former resident of Kirton Island who left after a major scandal when she was eighteen, swearing never to return. Things change when she receives a message from her friend Megan telling her that her mother is dying.Becky returns to her former home to clear up the estate and to put her investigative powers to the test as she searches for a girl who went missing from the island. She hopes to find the girl and use her story as a chapter in her next true crime novel.There were some things that niggled at me. Why did Becky not want the police involved when her house was vandalized? If it were my home, I’d want the police involved. I had the perpetrator 99% figured out at about the halfway mark. Not that it ruined the story. I thought there was a lot of ‘fluff’ in the book’s second half that could have been left out without detriment to the storyline.Still, it was an enjoyable read and I’ll be watching for more books written by this talented author.

Book Links

Goodreads –  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/196927395-the-day-she-disappeared

Buy Links –  https://mybook.to/disappeared-zbt

About Lisa Hall

Lisa Hall

Lisa Hall is the bestselling author of six psychological thrillers and the Hotel Hollywood time-slip murder mystery series. Her debut novel Between You and Me was a Kindle UK number one bestseller, sitting in the top spot for over four weeks. Lisa has a First Class Honours degree in English Literature and Creative Writing. She lives in Kent with her husband and their three children.

You can follow Lisa at these links:

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisahallauthor

Website: https://www.lisahallauthor.co.uk/

Not My Child by Jane E. James #review

not my child

not my child

Blurb

AN UNPUTDOWNABLE PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER WITH A BREATHTAKING TWIST.

All Tara longs for is her lost child to find her. But she should be careful what she wishes for . . .

Tara’s life is almost perfect. Her handsome husband Dino adores her. They have two beautiful children. Although money is tight, their marriage is happy.

But there’s something missing.

Tara can never forget the baby she was forced to give up for adoption all those years ago. The boy she called Ryan. She always wonders what happened to him.

Finally, a young man comes looking for Tara. He says he’s Ryan, her long-lost son.

His arrival will destroy everything in Tara’s carefully-constructed new life.

Because Tara has been keeping secrets from her husband and everyone around her. Secrets that Ryan’s appearance will force into the open — with horrifying consequences.

AN EXHILARATING BLEND OF DOMESTIC SUSPENSE AND NAIL-BITING TENSION WITH A SHATTERING FINAL TWIST.

Perfect for fans of Patricia MacDonald, Lisa Jewell, Shalini Boland, T.M. Logan and Clare Mackintosh.

My Review

I didn’t see that twist coming! This was a book I hated to put down, even though I had to. Otherwise, I would have finished it in one day. I loved the premise of the story, which had to be extremely hard to write. The author did an excellent job. This was the first book I’ve read by Jane E. James, but it certainly won’t be the last.

Book links

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195076727-not-my-child

Buy Links – https://mybook.to/notmychild-zbt

About the Author

not my child

Jane E. James is a bestselling author who likes to create chilling reads that appeal to fans of psychological suspense thrillers, mysteries, and dark fiction. Her novels are packed with plot twists and turns that keep the reader guessing. All of them are standalone novels.

Jane is an animal lover and lives with her cat, Hero, in a small country village near Stamford, Lincolnshire, in the UK, which is known for its quirky tea shops and cobbled streets. Rebecca, Carrie, The Woman in Black and Wuthering Heights are among some of Jane’s favourite reads.

You can follow Jane at these links:

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jane_e_james

Website: http://www.janeejames.com

not my child

 

Vanished by Theo Baxter

I love a good psychological thriller and Vanished by Theo Baxter is just that!

Theo Baxter

Blurb

Maggie knows someone wants to hurt her daughter. So why will no-one help?

Single mother Maggie Conner struggles to raise her young daughter, Isabel, in a household ruled by her own abusive father.

Terrified for Isabel’s safety, Maggie realises that neither her cold, distant mother nor anyone else in town seem willing to help them.

Then Isabel starts to disappear for long periods, returning with no idea of where she has been or why.

And when Maggie tries to get outside help, doctors and psychologists seem strangely reluctant to get involved in Isabel’s case. Is someone threatening them so they’ll stay away?

Desperate to save her daughter, Maggie searches for answers. But the more she digs, the more she is forced to confront the secrets buried deep in her own past.

As Maggie’s whole world begins to unravel, can she find the strength to face the terrifying truth?

My Review

I’ve never read anything by Theo Baxter before, but the blurb for Vanished intrigued me. I wasn’t disappointed. It was a cracking, good read! The twists and turns kept me turning the virtual pages.
The characters are great – even the ones you want to hate, like Maggie’s abusive father.
Now that I’ve discovered Theo Baxter, I’ll be catching up with his novels.

Book Links

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/196334627-vanished

Buy Links: https://mybook.to/vanished-zbt

About the Author

Theo BaxterTheo Baxter loves writing psychological suspense thrillers. It’s all about that last reveal that he loves shocking readers with.

He grew up in New York, where there was crime all around. He decided to turn that into something positive with his fiction.

His stories will have you reading through the night—they are very addictive!

You can find Theo online at:

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

 

The Nanny by Eleonor Samuel

Eleonor Samuel is a new author to me, but I’ll definitely be reading more of her books!

Blurb

The Nanny . . .

India McKenzie lost her mother far too young. And now she’s lost her best friend, too.

She needs to escape, so she takes a job with a wealthy family.

They live in an isolated old manor house in the Derbyshire countryside. There’s never anyone around.

The parents are not exactly warm. It’s all piano practice and scheduling playdates.

Seven-year-old Alicia can be difficult sometimes, but really she’s just a sweet little girl who’s lonely. She needs a friend — not just a nanny.

Everyone says the grown-up son is dangerous. But India can’t help being drawn to him . . .

And there’s something no one talks about. A secret that this family will do anything to keep.

India became a nanny to finally find a family to call her own. Now that she’s found them — will they destroy her?

. . . She’s part of their family now.

Book Links

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/171817078-the-nanny-an-absolutely-breathtaking-psychological-thriller-with-a-stunn

Buy Link – https://mybook.to/thenanny-zbt

My Review

India needs to start a new life away from University in Leeds and finds herself employed as a Nanny for John and Julia Maine’s young daughter, Alicia.

It sounds straightforward, but it isn’t. India has secrets. The Maines have a skeleton or two in their closet, too. And then there’s the oldest son, Alex, who stays in the house for at least now.

Rumours and innuendo abound, and India has to determine which ones to believe and which not. If she isn’t careful, she could be in danger.

This book sucked me in from the beginning. I love psychological thrillers with plenty of suspicious characters, and this book had no shortage of them.

Just when I thought I had it all figured out, another twist took me in a different direction, and it wasn’t until the end that all was revealed.

Author Bio

Eleonor Samuel

Eleonor was born in Ely, Cambridgeshire, and grew up in the fens, attending the King’s School Ely before moving to Nottingham to study medicine. Since graduating in 2011, Eleonor has worked as a children’s doctor in a number of hospitals and pursued her love of writing alongside her medical career. She married her husband Tim in Ely Cathedral in 2014, and they now live in rural Nottinghamshire with their two young children.

Eleonor’s Links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EleonorSamuel

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086500895050

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eleonor.samuel/

Eleonor Samuel

Eleonor Samuel

Behind Closed Doors by Carol Wyer #CoverReveal

I’m so excited to be able to share the fantastic cover for the latest psychological thriller, Behind Closed Doors, by Carol Wyer.

So without further ado, here it is!

Behind Closed Doors cover

Blurb

Two kidnappings, thirty years apart. Can Stacey face her own dark past in order to save her stepdaughter?

When Stacey’s ex-husband turns up on her doorstep begging her to help save his kidnapped thirteen-year-old daughter, Lyra, the terror is all too familiar. Stacey’s own violent kidnapping thirty years ago was never solved, and while a severe case of amnesia spares her from recalling the specific horrors, she remembers enough…

Stacey knows her father never paid the ransom—she has the missing pinkie finger to prove it. She knows she was only saved because of an anonymous tip-off to the police. And she knows her captor was never apprehended.

Lyra’s kidnappers have made it clear the police must not get involved. But Stacey can’t shake the eerie similarities between the two cases, and she’ll use whatever she can, from her journalistic powers to her shady contacts, to save Lyra from the same nightmare. Desperate to find any link between Lyra’s abduction and her own, Stacey forces herself to revisit her forgotten, traumatic past for clues.

But can she make sense of the terrible secrets she unearths in time to save Lyra? And if she does, is she ready to face her own tormentor?

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS – IS OUT DECEMBER 6TH 2022

BUY LINKS:

UKhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Behind-Closed-Doors-Carol-Wyer-ebook/dp/B09TZTZF9B/

USAhttps://www.amazon.com/Behind-Closed-Doors-Carol-Wyer-ebook/dp/B09TZTZF9B/

AUSTRALIA: https://www.amazon.com.au/Behind-Closed-Doors-Carol-Wyer-ebook/dp/B09TZTZF9B/

About Carol Wyer

Carol Wyer is a USA Today bestselling author and winner of the People’s Book Prize Award. Her crime novels have sold over one million copies and been translated into nine languages.

A move from humour to the ‘dark side’ in 2017, saw the introduction of popular DI Robyn Carter in Little Girl Lost and proved that Carol had found her true niche.

In 2021, An Eye For An Eye, the first in the DI Kate Young series, was chosen as a Kindle First Reads. It became the #1 bestselling book on Amazon UK, USA and Australia. Since then, two further books in the series have been published, with a fourth and fifth due out in 2023.

A standalone psychological thriller, Behind Closed Doors, will be released on December 6th, 2022, and is available to preorder now.

Carol has had articles published in national magazines ‘Woman’s Weekly’, featured in ‘Take A Break’, ‘Choice’, ‘Yours’ and ‘Woman’s Own’ magazines and written for the Huffington Post. She’s also been interviewed on numerous radio shows and on Sky and BBC Breakfast television.

She currently lives on a windy hill in rural Staffordshire with her husband, Mr. Grumpy . . . who is very, very grumpy.

To learn more, go to www.carolwyer.co.uk, subscribe to her YouTube channel, or follow her on Twitter @carolewyer

PRAISE FOR CAROL’S BOOKS:

‘I’m buzzing from this book. I LOVED it. I don’t think I have been this gripped by a book, ever. …Totally terrifying, this addictive read will keep you gasping, guessing and on the edge of your seat throughout …You won’t be disappointed!’ Booked Up Girl, 5 stars

‘OMG OMG OMG! Fantastic these just keep on getting better and better. Fabulous sorry kept me guessing …Can’t wait for the next one’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘Another breath-taking read from Carol Wyer. This book pulled me in from the beginning and didn’t let go!… A heart-pounding read and one you won’t be able to put down.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars

‘Wow this is another five-star read from Carol Wyer. I couldn’t put this down. It was a roller-coaster of a ride, I highly recommend!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars

‘Compelling… Remarkable… Utterly thrilling. I read this exceptional book in one sitting. I simply could not put it down. I was hanging onto the edge of my seat as this book reached a crescendo. I definitely cannot wait for the next book in the series.’ Robin Loves Reading5 stars

 

Happy National Book Lovers Day!

Today is National Book Lovers Day!

I happen to love books every day of the year. There’s nothing better than curling up with a good book, whether it’s an ebook or print.

Book
Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

How will you celebrate, participate?

There are many genres out there to choose from – crime, romance, erotica, YA, memoirs, creative non-fiction, non-fiction and the list goes on.

All these main genres have a multitude of sub-genres as well, so there is something out there for everyone’s taste in reading.

I write romance, primarily, although YESTERDAY TODAY ALWAYS has a psychological thriller element included. It’s probably my darkest work yet. I remember when I was having the computer read it back to me, my husband entered my ‘writing cave’, and the particular segment scared him. I guess I nailed the creepy, unnerving bit.

You can check out all my books on the novels page on my website. Perhaps, you’ll find a little something to your liking.

In what format do you prefer to read your book?

Are you a hardcover fan? Paperback (trade size or mass market)? E-book (kindle, kobo, nook, or other)? Or do you read from a combination of all of the above?

Leave a comment stating what your favourite genre and format is. I’d love to hear your thoughts and preferences.

DI Kate Young is back in A Cut for A Cut

DI Kate Young can’t trust anybody. Not even herself.

In the bleak countryside around Blithfield Reservoir, a serial murderer and rapist is leaving a trail of bloodshed. His savage calling card: the word ‘MINE’ carved into each of his victims.

DI Kate Young struggles to get the case moving—even when one of the team’s own investigators is found dead in a dumpster. But Kate is battling her own demons. Obsessed with exposing Superintendent John Dickson and convinced there’s a conspiracy running deep in the force, she no longer knows who to trust. Kate’s crusade has already cost her dearly. What will she lose next?

When her stepsister spills a long-buried secret, Kate realises she’s found the missing link—now she must prove it before the killer strikes again. With enemies closing in on all sides, she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to bring them down. But time is running out, and Kate’s past has pushed her to the very edge. Can she stop herself from falling?

DI Kate Young
Pre-Order Links: