Tag: thriller

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Dead by Morning (Ritual of the Night #1) by Kayla Krantz

Death wears a beautiful face in the spine-chilling thriller Dead by Morning, the first in the Ritual of the Night series written by author
Kayla Krantz. Here is the synopsis:

Obsession is deadly. No one learns that better than Luna Ketz, a pessimistic high school senior. She wishes more than anything to graduate but
things don’t always go as planned. Luna quickly finds herself trapped in a web of lies and murders, spun by the least suspected person in her
hometown. It’s not long before she realizes she’s being targeted by the person she despises most in the world. When Luna figures out who is
behind the killings, things make a turn for the bizarre when she is contacted by a friend she has not heard from in years. It is then Luna
realizes she is very much in danger, but although she can avoid the killer in reality, she cannot avoid him in her dreams.

There’s something about nightmare killers that is especially troubling. Like a Nightmare on Elm Street before it, Dead by Morning plays on the
fear that a lot of people have, and that is that our dreams will somehow follow us into our waking world. The book was well written and
progressed at a steady pace. The characters and the events of the book were quite shocking, and watching main character Luna struggle with what
might be the worst parents in the world, students and friends who have fallen under a killer’s charming facade, and a killer who’s obsession
begins to tear her world apart was both intriguing and heart-pounding to read.

Overall, Dead by Morning was a fantastic read and a great start to an amazing series that promises a wealth of world-building mystery. The
interactions between Luna and the killer throughout the book are chilling to read and I think both teenagers struggling through high school
and adults who enjoy a good mystery and horror story will enjoy this novel. Everyone should pick up a copy of Dead by Morning by Kayla Krantz
today!

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A Life of Death (A Life of Death #1) by Weston Kincade Book Review

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author and Booklover Catlady Publicity in return for a fair and honest review.
Many thanks!

It’s rare that a YA novel that deals with supernatural elements is outshone by the emotional core of it’s characters and story, and yet that is
the case in Weston Kincade’s A Life of Death, the first in the A Life of Death series. This book is very well written, and does a marvelous job
of exploring the themes of life, death, and family. Here is the description:

Alex Drummond is a troubled high school senior with a checkered past, a broken home, and a surprising ability. When he touches items that murder
victims held in their final moments, Alex relives the events in gruesome detail, seeing what they saw, thinking their thoughts, and even feeling
what they felt. But who will believe a troubled teen, especially when the murders are so close to home and might reveal skeletons hidden for
hundreds of years? Join Alex as he struggles to find his destiny, understand love, solve the mysterious murders within his small home town, and
speak for victims who can no longer speak for themselves.

The novel does a great job of implementing the supernatural elements in a very real and natural way. While the prospect of this protagonist being
able to connect with the dead is fascinating, what draws readers in more and what a lot of people will be able to identify with is Alex’s struggle
with his home life and the loss of a loved one. Elements of abuse, alcoholism and death are the core of this powerful story, while the emotional
struggle Alex goes through in every chapter of this story make this novel a heartbreaking read that is impossible to put down. The grounded
reality of the characters does a great job of mixing with the surreal nature of Alex’s newfound abilities, and by the end of the book you are left
wanting more from Alex Drummond and his life. This is a must read novel and I hope to see more from Weston Kincade and this series in the future.
Be sure to check out A Life of Death by Weston Kincade today!

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Alchemy: a story of perfect murder by Chris James Book Review

A thrilling tale of horror, suspense, and ancient mysteries brought to life. This is what author Chris James brings to his incredible historical
psychological thriller, Alchemy: a story of perfect murder. The trial of the century navigates the dark history of a brilliant young genius who’s
innocence becomes lost in a world of horrific science as he slowly turns into an unrecognizable monster. When a young artist finds he has cracked
the code for a formula to maintain immortality and to raise the dead, he soon learns his discovery has come with a price: the death of his love
and inspiration. His need to return her to the land of the living has him traversing the moral line as his mind becomes lost to drugs and his
determination to save her drives him to use the formula he’s discovered from the ancient tome: Alchemy. However, his only surviving muse learns
that things may not be what they seem, and she’ll have to learn for herself whether the young artist she cares for is innocent of the crimes
he’s accused of, or if she’s become infatuated with a monster.

Exploring the life of the people of Victorian Era London, the lines between science and ancient magic blur as the impossible becomes possible.
Readers will be delighted to explore the historical aspect of the story, looking into the beginning of hard science and the old beliefs in the
“magic” that comes from potions and concoctions. The reader will find themselves questioning the characters and their motives throughout the
tale, and by the last page you will not be able to catch your breath as the truth is revealed. With some incredibly original characters that are
amazing and engaging to read. This is a must read novel in the historical-thriller genre, so be sure to check it out now and follow Chris James as
this reviewer cannot wait to read more of this author’s work.

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The Wharf Butcher by Michael K. Foster Review

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author and Booklover Catlady Publicity in return for a fair and honest review.
Many thanks!

Have you ever wanted to find a book that perfectly embodied the spirit and format of such great shows as Broadchurch and Sherlock? Then look
no further than author Michael K. Foster’s incredible novel, The Wharf Butcher. An intense crime thriller that does an excellent job of analyzing
character growth and showcasing the deep emotional scars that make a monster in our society, this is a fantastic read!

A serial killer is stalking Tyneside. But there is a pattern to his killings, his choice of victims, his method of slaughter. David Carlisle, a
criminal profiler, is brought in to assist DCI Jack Mason with his task of identifying the killer and stopping him in his tracks. The Wharf
Butcher is a fast-paced thriller that shines a light on the dark forces at work within the corridors of power, in the board room and the police
force itself. The clock is ticking to catch the monster that has been unleashed. But first Carlisle must get inside the killer’s head…

Combining the intrigue of a whodunit with the disturbing nature of serial killers and the emotional core of a great television drama, the first
novel in the building series focused on two intriguing new investigators is a smash hit from the opening pages all the way to the shocking
conclusion. The depth for which the author explores each side of a murder investigation is phenomenal to read, and not only do we get glimpses
into the personal lives of the investigators and how their lives affect their work, but readers will love to get into the gritty dark side of
the mentality of this serial killer. Will the investigators be able to stop this killer before it’s too late? Be sure to pick up your copies of
The Wharf Butcher by Michael K. Foster today to find out!

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The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins Review:

Not since reading Gone Girl have I read such an addictive narrative surrounding a murder-mystery and a roster of characters that all hold possible
motives for being the killer. That’s what you’ll feel when you begin reading The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. The thriller showcases a
complicated story involving three women, each tied to one another in unexpected ways.

Rachel rides the same train every day. She passes the same stretch of homes day and night, and she always watches a young couple, whom she’s
fantasized about and created this perfect relationship in her head, one which mirrors the one she recently had before it collapsed before her
eyes. However, one day she witnesses something shocking for a brief minute while on the train, and what she sees propels her into a whirlwind
investigation that will have the police questioning her reliability. When this wields no results, she’ll immerse herself into the lives of
everyone involved, and she will discover not everything is what she thought it was as the mystery grows.

Getting to witness the story from multiple perspectives, from the view of the missing woman and a young housewife to Rachel herself, makes this
one of the most interesting reads in the thriller genre. Everyone is a suspect at one point or another, and the complicated history that Rachel
takes with her into the investigation makes it a tantalizing tale. This is a mystery that everyone will be clamoring to solve, so be sure to pick
up your copies of The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins today!

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Finders Keepers by Stephen King Review

A deranged fan breaks into the home of his once favorite author, hellbent on making the writer pay for refusing to publish more of his work and
for making his favorite character, Jimmy Gold, into a sellout. After he kills the writer and takes his money and unpublished notebooks, he hides
his treasure before being sent to prison for another horrific crime. Thirty-five years later, the criminal returns to society, ready to collect
his prize he’s spent his life waiting to claim. Yet he soon learns a teenage boy discovered his loot, and took it to help his family. With the
deranged killer hellbent on reclaiming his prize at any cost, only retired police detective Bill Hodges, along with his most trusted associates,
Jerome Robinson and Holly Gibney, can stop the murderer before the boy pays a terrible price. This is the plot for Stephen King’s Finders Keepers,
the sequel to the highly praised Mr. Mercedes.

This book is a phenomenal read and a great return to the life of Bill Hodges. The new characters of murderer Morris Bellamy and teenager Peter
Saubers is a welcome addition to the series, and the way the past and present collide is so fun to read. The way Mr. King explores the way
passionate readers interpret and absorb a writer’s work brings a new spin on the detective series, while the return of an old foe teases an
explosive and deadly concluding chapter in book three of the series, End of Watch. This is a great sequel that is not to be missed, so make sure
to pick up your copies today!

Interview Questions for David McCaffrey

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First off, congratulations on Hellbound. It’s a fantastic read and am happy I got the chance to review it.

1) Tell us a bit about what your inspiration for Hellbound was.Honestly, there were two inspirations. The first of them was the quantum theory of Schrödinger’s cat.
Having read the story you might identify with it; it demonstrated the
conflict between nature and behaviour and what we observe to be true on a
macroscopic level. The experiment consisted of him placing a cat in a
steel chamber with a small amount of hydrocyanic acid. If a single atom
of the substance decayed, it would trigger a relay mechanism which would
trip a hammer and in turn break the vial and kill the cat.
You
cannot know without popping the box whether the substance has decayed,
the vial broken and the cat subsequently killed. It therefore, according
to quantum law, exists in a superposition of states which means it is
both alive and dead simultaneously until you open the box and discover
which it is.
Hellbound
was a tale of deciding which scenarios the antagonist, Obadiah Stark,
could be existing in. Only at the end do you discover which of those it
actually is.
The
second inspiration was Kung Fu Panda! No kidding!! A tale of the most
unlikely evil overcoming the most despicable of evils. Hellbound is an R
rated version of Kung Fu Panda if you really squint!!
2) What kind of research went into the creation of this story?I
have a big thing about research. I will spend weeks gathering as much
material as I can and reading around a subject so that when I begin to
write about it, it feels, smells and sounds real. My writing coach,
Steve  Alten taught me that. Make it believable or else you cheat the
reader and will lose them. So I spend an awful amount of time reading
around the death penalty, executions and the morality that goes hand in
hand with such an emotive subject. It was important to the story that I
do not give my opinion, only the facts and allow the reader to decide
for themselves.

3) Was there a particular case or person that inspired Obadiah Stark’s character arc? Obadiah
Stark is like the love child of all the most evil serial killers in
history! Tapping back into the research element, I read around Ted
Bundy, Charles Manson, Richard Ramirez, John Wayne Gacy to name a few
and took characteristics form all of them and remoulded them into
something familiar but hopefully at the same time, new. Most
importantly, he needed to be sympathetic which I know sounds bizarre but
for the story to work the reader had to potentially be able to
sympathise with him despite all his crimes. Again, I don’t know if it
works for all the readers, but that was my aim. I saw him as Wentworth
Miller in my mind for an actor to play him!! I became quite fond of
Obadiah  actually!!!

4)
How much inspiration for the story’s setting did you take from your own
life? The descriptions of the various settings were so well written I felt like I was there.Thank
you! I love Ireland and wanted to set it somewhere different than
normal. Ireland has such history and is so beautiful, so it seemed
ideal. I have family from there and have visited many times so I drew on
those experiences and that knowledge and looked at a lot of maps to get
the locations correct! I tried to have the setting influence elements
of the story and lend them a sense of depth. I hope I succeeded…I
certainly enjoyed writing about the country and the various locations.

5) What author or book most inspired you to become an author?Steve
Alten, without a shadow of a doubt! I owe everything to him and
Hellbound wouldn’t exist if not for his patience, mentorship and
coaching. He took me on as a writing coach client and showed me how to
create a beat sheet, how to draft and edit chapters, how to develop
characters and how to weave a narrative. I thank him in every book and
will always do so. He is an amazing author from adventure thrillers
about giant, prehistoric sharks to political dramas concerning 9/11.
Absolute genius and genuine, humble man. I think more than anything I
wanted to make him proud as I had never really had that in my life where
someone was proud. So, yes, Steve Alten!!!

6)
Is the mystery thriller/horror genre something you are the most
passionate about, or would you consider working in various different
genres?I love
psychological thrillers, however I have so many extremely talented
author friends who write in genres I could never do; comedy, apocalyptic
fiction, love stories, fantasy. If I was to go outside my comfort zone
then I think I would write a love story (or try to!). Though I do have
gangland thriller in the works which I am writing with a friend who has
the most amazing story to tell and I have a infection outbreak thriller
all drafted and ready to go!!! I do think there are ore original tales
that can be told in the thinner genre. That’s what I am aiming for, to
create stories that are just a little different. In the words of Shane
Ward, ‘That’s My Goal’!

7) What do you enjoy developing more: your characters or your plot?I
think I would have to say both! I certainly enjoyed trying to develop a
good plat that can keep the reader guessing and taking them on an
exciting journey. that said, it is nothing without some good characters
to breath life into the scenarios and worlds you create, so to me they
are mutually exclusive. I loved developing the character of Obadiah
Stark for Hellbound. I wanted him to make readers anxious and resentful
towards him for his evil nature, but wanted him to be personable.
Personable evil was my mindset when creating Obadiah…an engaging
murderer!!

8) If you could talk to your character, Obadiah Stark, and ask him one question, what would it be and why?Ooo,
good question. Hmmm, I think I would have to ask him “What does it feel
like to feel?” the why would be because after his experience, I think
it would be interesting to know whether a remorseless person is capable
of feeling remorse.  Though I might ask him “Who would win in a
fight…Batman or Superman?” Everyone wants to know that!!
9) How important has social media been to the development of your author brand and readership?
Social
media has been vital in allowing me to reach new people who might like
to enter the world I have created. I have met so many fantastic authors
and bloggers who have become good friends; Louise Hunter, all the girls
at Crime Book Club, Tracy Fenton and all at The Book Club, Noelle
Holten, Shell Baker, Maxine Groves, Gordon McGhie, Sarah Hardy, Gigi
Gus, Jane Wignall,  Llainy Swanson, Emma Tasker, Jane Andrukiewicz,
Donna Marie McCarthy, Ryan Mark, Rob Enright, Tim Adler, Andy Males,
Bekki Pate, Paul Ferns, Leigh Russell, Karen Long, Paddy Magrane,
Charlotte Teece…I could go on forever!!! The bottom line is that every
single person I have mentioned and all of those didn;t have the space
for have helped me become a better author and helped share Hellbound to a
wider audience. Whether a review or a mention, I wouldn’t have any of
these opportunities without them, or people like your good self…none
of us writers would. I am only tiny in a huge literary world but it is
ridiculously exciting and I owe it all to the social media sites such as
Twitter and Facebook and the people I have met there that anyone knows
about Hellbound at all.
10) What are your plans for future writing projects? I
have the gangland thriller I mentioned in progress alongside a follow
up to Hellbound and In Extremis titled Nameless; not a direct sequel but
set in the same universe (a little like Marvel. All the films are
connected but not about the same characters). Both will be out in
October time. I also have the infection outbreak thriller I mentioned
all beat out and ready to start and some ideas for a few other
novellas…enough to keep me out of trouble!!!

Thank
you for your time David. I look forward to reading more of your work
and appreciate you taking the time to do this interview.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to chat to you Anthony.  It was a pleasure!

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11/22/63 by Stephen King Review:

The master of horror and suspense has done it again, bringing a unique and epic look back at American history in his novel, 11/22/63. The story
follows Jake Epping, a high-school English teacher who is thrust into a world-changing adventure when his friend and local diner owner Al shows
him a ripple in time residing in his diner’s pantry. Al, who a day ago was living and thriving, is now much older and dying, and wants Jake’s
help in stopping Lee Harvey Oswald from assassinating John F. Kennedy. When he learns that each time he steps into the past, he goes back to
the exact same day, in 1958, he first goes back in time to help another friend of his, Harry Dunning, whom was brain damaged after his father
murdered his family and left him for dead. After a mildly successful trip to the past and stopping the murder, he realizes he has the power to
rewrite history, but will face life and death situations when the timeline tries to stop him from meddling. Soon he returns to the past, and
spends years there, investigating and following the life of Lee Oswald in order to determine if he was the sole assassin. However life gets
complicated when he meets Sadie, and falls in love. Juggling a desire to stay in the past and continue his mission to save Kennedy, Jake must
face the complications of living a double life, fighting the timeline’s attempts to stop him and saving the woman he loves from the dangers of
her past.

The book is a phenomenal read, and showcases that Stephen King is still at the top of his game. Getting a very real sense of what life was like
back in the late 50’s and early 60’s, this novel showcases the vast difference in societal views, exploring themes of racial tensions, religious
over-saturation and the global political scene as a whole. It actual has a lot of bearing on the current political landscape in our world, and
manages to bridge the gap between the past and the present. It also is a thrilling adventure, that explores the age old question, are things
meant to happen the way they do, or can they be changed? 11/22/63 is a must read novel that demonstrates to new readers why Stephen King is still
a master of his craft, while longtime fans will enjoy the nods to Stephen King’s established universe and the larger than life questions he always
asks through the themes of his novels. If you haven’t yet, you should read this book today!

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Hellbound by David McCaffrey Review

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the author and Booklover Catlady Publicity in return for a fair and honest review.
Many thanks

Evil has a new face in author David McCaffrey’s sensational novel, “Hellbound.” This book is a thrilling tale that explores both the complex mind
of a serial killer and the effects he has on the world.

The story follows Obadiah Stark, aka “The Tally Man”, a ruthless serial killer who is facing execution at ADX Absolom, a desolate prison similar
to Alcatraz. With the witnesses present and an eager journalist who’s followed The Tally Man’s long career as a killer, Stark is put to death,
but journalist Joe O Connell finds some odd things that make the execution come into question. Soon he begins to uncover secrets while looking
into the mind of the killer that will bring the execution into a whole new light. Meanwhile, Stark awakens to find himself in a whole new world.
Expecting oblivion after his death, he learns he’s back in his childhood hometown, with a wife and child and a whole new life he has no memory
of. After rejecting this life and going on a viscous killing spree, (ending with a police shootout that claimed his life), Stark reawakens to
find the day has reset, and this new life has restarted for Stark again. After the day repeats over and over again, Stark is forced to examine
himself and face the grim reality of the dormant emotions that reside within him.

This is a unique thriller that takes readers on a exciting journey to discover the true meaning of justice, morality, and evil. Part horror
story, part conspiracy thriller, the alternating POV’s between Joe and Obadiah offer a great view on both sides of the story, from both the
eyes of the journalist fighting to learn the truth to the eyes of a demented killer getting in touch with his humanity. The author has created
a fun world that easily conjured up a cinematic feeling, like this was something I could watch on television today. With a twist ending that
leaves readers wanting to delve deeper into the world of this story, Hellbound is a fantastic read that everyone should read today. Be sure to
pick up your copy of David McCaffrey’s “Hellbound” today!