A brilliant psycological thriller that leaves a reader intigued from beginning to end :)
355945
This is the first time that I read something by this Author. Because of all the hype, I downloaded a copy - I am glad that I did.

First off, the writing was excellent - no errors whatsoever!

**Spoiler Alert**

Daniel & Laura go on a vacation - one last schindig before getting married & having kids. Both of them are at the prime of their lives so sooner rather later, to start a family.

They meet Ion & Alina on the train & while Daniel & Laura take a nap (in an illegal compartment), they are robbed, ending up in them being chucked off the train. Alina is also thrown off the train. The three of them search for a nearby town for help.

Alina takes a potty break & ends up missing - so Laura & Daniel search for her & stumble upon a house in the Forest.

Okay I was really intrigued to find out WTF happened in that house - my goodness, I was on the edge of my seat!

It was brilliant - the plot kept me glued, I didn't want to put it down - I ended up with a #BookHangover after reading the last word.

Only one thing kept me from giving it 5 stars - I had goosebumps leading up to discovering what happened in the house. I was slightly disappointed - I wanted more. Their encounter was over before it begun - I wanted more than just them running away. It was sad that Alina went through *that* ordeal but I WANTED MORE!!!

Other than that, I love this Author! He is now my new favourite "go to Author".

Already downloading more of his books :)
2508368
Sarah Denzil really caught my attention with 'Silent Child' and proved herself again with Saving April a great pyschological thriller about a broken woman who finds purpose agasagasin in her quest to save the little girl who moves in across the street from what sdsdher believes is an abusive home.  It shows you how dark the human mind can be but also how close redemption and self forgiveness always is.  A brilliant author who knows how to get you sucked in to her world and not want to leave. About to start my 3rd book from her and I can't wait to see what she has in store for me this time
3723154
This work does not fall into the general genre that I usually read, but I have to admit that by any definition of the term, this one is a true page turner and for me, was an extremely satisfying read.  The over all plot has been pretty well discussed here but if brief:

Psychologist Joe O'Loughlin, is drawn into a rather strange set of terrifying and suspenseful tale of psychological mind control by a twisted but brilliant individual who seems to have the ability to completely control the actions of his victims primarily via the use of a cell phone.  He is able to cause his targets to perform acts that simple are not within their nature; such as standing on a bridge naked with only a pair of red shoes and then leaping to her death, despite the best efforts of O'Loughlin and the police.

This is a very complicated and complex read with many factors to consider; not the least being that our main character suffers from Parkinson 's disease and is fighting an on going battle with its devastating symptoms.  To further complicate the issue, O'Loughlin's family is drawn into the circle of a truly master criminal; a completely wicked but brilliant psychopath, if you will.  The police are at lost ends as to the cause, motive and methods the killer is using and indeed it is baffling to the reader as the story unfolds.  Keep in mind that the killer's victims are extremely intelligent and sophisticated women and at first there seems to be absolutely no link between them what so ever.

This book has several things going for it.  First, the author is a most excellent story teller.  His plot, as with his other works, is absolutely riveting.  Secondly, Robotham is a master of describing and controlling his environment.  He has a true sense of place and can draw his readers into the particular geographic region he is working with.  I will probably be flayed alive for saying this, but I feel he is just as skilled in this aspect of his writing as the old master, Guy de Maupassant.  In this case, the author has set his story in the West Country of England, in and around Bristol and Bath.  Third, and quite important, the author can and does in this case create at truly twisted villain.  Character wise, you like the good guys and despise the bad guys.  Forth, and again, very important in a psychological thriller, the author keeps the reader guessing but does not wonder into the realm of the unrealistic; what he writes is understandable, logical and believable!

Of course there are many side paths the author takes us on while spinning his tale; a troubled marriage, a life defining disease and condition, a complicated family and professional life and wonderful interaction between primary characters.  The introduction to a very high tech world (an integral part of the story) is either a plus or minus depending upon how you view such  things, but I personally found it rather fascinating; knowing little to nothing about techy sort of things...hey, I actually learned some stuff here!

On a personal note, in my particular profession I have worked with many individuals suffering from the ravages of Parkinson's disease and can assure you that this work will give the reader vast insight to this condition which is much more common that generally known.  I was gratified to see the author treated this subject with knowledge and understanding.

For those lovers of psychological thrillers, I cannot find any reason not to be delighted with this offering and do highly recommend it.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks
4302571
Dark Eden is an exciting physiological thriller brimming with action, unexpected twists and an unique but fascinating main character. The entire time I was trying to figure out the angle for Eden while watching what it did to its patients. While I could foresee something, others hit me with a curve ball and I was definitely not expecting the ending. But even better than the twisting and surprising plot was the impact that hits hard and true. In this surprising sincerity is where Dark Eden truly excels.

In the beginning, I just didn't really care about Will. I thought he was a different character with incredibly unique qualities but I just didn't feel emotionally connected with him. Maybe it was all his snooping in the beginning or his refusal to immerse himself in the program but I just didn't click with him. But as his resourcefulness came out and as he started taking very large risks to discover the truth behind Eden, I beginning to reach out. Then, when his big revelation came, I found that I was tremendously effected and really felt for him. As if over night, I'd started to feel for the guy who treats noise like most people treat their favorite food. I'm really glad that I was able to break through whatever was bothering me about him and start to connect with Will because he is a really great edition to a female saturated market.

I wish I'd gotten to know the other six kids in Dark Eden a little bit better. I was interested in their stories and what made them tick but because Alex chooses an alternative route to the regular treatment, we don't get to know very much about them . However, it is nice that each had their own fear and by the end, I could tell each kid apart. The other characters were interesting. I had no idea what Rainsford and the groundskeeper were up to and how Doctor Stevens played into all of the things going on.

The atmosphere of Eden really lende to the terrifying feel of the novel. Nestled deep into the woods and surrounded by crows, Eden is an old fort that goes very deep underground. The trapped feeling of the walls plus the darkness of the woods was very scary. I liked that with Will we got to see how the treatments were working and what the kids were afraid of. I did find that I had a problem though because I felt like Will was keeping information from the reader that he already knew. For instance, he knew what everyone was scared of before they ever started their journey but the reader only got to find out as it was happening to them. I'll admit that a lot of the reason I read was to find out for myself but I found it frustrating that our main character was sharing information earlier.

Without revealing too much, I'll say that I had no idea where the story was going. Though the story starts off a bit slow, the ending makes up for it. After Will finds out the secrets behind Eden, it makes the entire thing that much more creepy. I've read some reviews where people have said that they didn't like what Eden was hiding, that it wasn't believable. For me, it added to the story, expanding it in a way I didn't think was possible for the novel. That makes the slow beginning worth it. I also like how the story is told in small bits of conversation, borrowed notes and sometimes straight first person. It gives it an organic feel and the fact that it is broken up with pictures is also a fun detail.

Though I haven't yet, I plan to check out the animated website that goes along with this novel and see if it adds anything to an already interesting novel. Bottom line is Will is a great new voice, the plot is unexpected and the concept is killer. If the study of fear and/or adventure is your thing, Dark Eden is definitely a novel to check out.
4007629
With a synopsis describing The Deep as The Abyss meets The Shining,, I knew I would not be able to pass this one up. I thoroughly enjoyed Cutters The Troop and couldn't wait to submerge  myself in The Deep.  I was not disappointed.

This was definitely the best kind of combination of horror and psychological thriller.

Cutter does an amazing job of taking every day people just like you and me and putting them into horrific pressure cooker  situations and letting us see how they (we?) react.  First we are lulled into a false sense of calm.  Yes there is a horrible plague terrorizing the planetbut life goes oncivilation has yet to fall apart.  With the resilience for which humans are known we continue to go onnormal daily life continues. And then our apparently average veterinarian is called upon to brave the depths in an attempt to save an experiment that may well be man kinds only hope. And that is were it all goes down hill.

 As soon as the decent begins the sense of foreboding and claustrophobia sets in and it continues to build until the very end.  This read is not for the faint of heart or the weak of heartjust thinking back upon it makes my heart feel as if it suddenly weighs 200 pounds.

 Set in a place where no man has any right to ever existit is beyond creepy to navigate the halls of the Trieste with Luke and LB and even more creepy to navigate Lukes mind while hes aboard the Trieste.  (A warning: a large portion of this story includes flashbacks of Lukes life. I thought this added to the story as a whole but I can see how others might have thought it to be too much) This tale gets dark and twisty and just flat out scaryfast!

All of the characters are well fleshed out and play their parts perfectly.  I would not say that I had too much of a connection with any of them in particularwell except for LB -hard not to lover her.  Despite that though, I had no problem feeling this read.

I confess that I was a little bit disappointed with the endI felt it to be a bit anti-climacticbut I think that sometimes writers create something so spectacular that they back themselves into corners from which they can not really escape.  That said  I definitely recommend this one to horror and psychological thriller lovers.  This one could definitely leave you with nightmares

 Narration notes: Corey Brill who also narrated The Troop does a fantastic job bringing cutters latest creation to life.

NOTE: Review copy rcvd from Publisher, All thoughts and opinions my own
4089455
I found this book to be a masterfully crafted, tantalizing psychological thriller!  Looking forward to more work from Mr. Moon!
3551012
Great read! I really enjoyed how the reader discovers the main character's past along with her as she starts getting her memory back of her childhood and some of it is very disturbing. It's hard to tell what's real and what's in her mind. Great psychological thriller with twists and turns that keep you guessing what really happened. Loved the characters too, especially the grandma. This is the first book I read by this author and I really enjoyed it. My head was spinning at the end with all the discoveries and roller coaster of emotions revealed. Definitely a story that will stay with me!
2736021
Reading Human was a bit like going mad, but in a good way. I originally picked up this book because it sounded interesting and, to be honest, I wasn't let down. At times, I had relived the sheer panic I had the first time I picked up Naked Lunch or Trainspotting, but after a few minutes I got into the groove and the book provided a new experience that kept me on my toes.
I really loved the psychological elements of the book, as it is realized through the psyche of the main character. Although, not real characters the little voicesor figments of imagination, really came to life for me and I couldn't resist falling in love with some of them.
I plan on reading this book again in a couple of weeks when its initially settled in my mind. Im sure Ill be able to pick up new elements here and there whenever I read. It would recommend to anyone that loves a unique experience when writing, or those studying psychology because it adds a bit of fun to the studies.
967510
Its no secret that I love psychological thrillers, they're one of my favorite sub genres and reading one that brings something new to the table is cause for celebration. This is told solely from Kates perspective and is laid out in a standard, linear manner with just one timeline to follow, although the past does play a huge role in the storyline. I know many of you are tired of books that jump from past to present with several narrators, so I wanted to make sure I shared that! Kate is a psychiatrist, with a special interest in children and I loved seeing things from such a fresh perspective.

Kate has a dark family history full of pain and tragedy, shes a highly complex woman who fascinated me. This is a character driven story with an incredibly well thought out cast of characters, although as the book goes on the tension increases at a steady pace, drawing the reader in slowly. I kept thinking I had things all figured out ahead of time only to be proven wrong over and over again, I just love when a book keeps the surprises coming! This was very well constructed and really kept me on my toes, I never did actually guess anything correctly before it was revealed.

By the end of this book it took me a minute to realize that I had read the last twenty percent at a frantic pace, things were so intense and exciting I was racing to see what would happen next. Things ended in an ultimately satisfying conclusion and had me nodding my head in appreciation of the way Blanchard had fit all of the pieces of the puzzle together.

A Breath After Drowning in three words: Controlled, Fresh, and Intriguing.
1539315
The first page of this book had me entranced. Coonts intertwined a psychological thriller with mystery, police procedural and the sensitive topic of a young woman trying to cope with early onset Alzheimer's disease. The main character, Kate, a former NYPD undercover cop in the Federal Witness Protection Program is being stalked and hunted by an old criminal enemy. Personally, these are the genres that I often read, though I do lean towards cozy or humorous mysteries such as Coonts' Lucky series. However, Kate's struggle with Alzheimer's pulled me in. I have two close family members afflicted with this debilitating disease right at this moment. For the first time, I think that I may have a small understanding of what is going on behind their terrible confused eyes. Brilliantly written!! You never know what is coming next!
2481479
Okay. I love thrillers. I REALLY love psychological thrillers. In my 60+ years of reading, this book has to rank right up there in the top five. Two different cities, two killers, two identical crime sprees with identical clues, two chief investigators with remarkably similar names and families -- what the heck is going on?

To paraphrase one of the characters, "This is something out of Rod Serling and The Twilight Zone." I don't want to spoil the plot by revealing too much information, but Philip Fleischman has combined elements of Jungian psychology, neurology of the criminal mind, the theory of synchronicity, the Three Wise Monkeys and the Japanese game of Yu-Gi-Oh into a logical criminal investigation. Yes, he really did it.

The characters are quickly, but we'll-defined, the two main families sympathetic and the police investigative procedures are solid. But it is the mind-blowing twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages until the end. You won't want to put it down to eat or sleep. Get this book and make sure you don't start it unless you have the time to finish it, because you will resent having to put it down before you are finished. Take this trip!
4235135
The Girl On The Train is a well-written psychological thriller and a book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

Rachel is an alcoholic who has lost everything. She rides past her old neighborhood and stares from the train window at her home where she once lived.  Rachel's replacement lives there now along with Rachel's ex-husband, Tom. Rachel starts to live a fantasy life, through what she considers to be the perfect couple, Megan, and Scott until Megan is declared missing. Rachel becomes obsessed with helping Scott, she desperately wants to do something positive in her community where she thinks she can make a difference. But do so, Rachel finds herself rolling lies off her tongue as easily as if they were truths.

The long narratives with little dialogue in this book slowed the pace of the story down unnecessarily. The author, however, does an extraordinary job, describing the alcoholic's fogginess, lies, embarrassing calls, emails, blackouts and self-loathing behavior that I pressed on. And Im glad I did! The book has several subplots that come together nicely in the end.

People aren't always who they appear to be. Some wear masks and live secret lives with hidden agendas. This book is a perfect example of such people. The Girl On The Train is a well-written book, worthy of your time. I highly recommend reading this incredible psychological thriller.
1513859
Catherine Ryan Howard has produced a brilliant, clever and gripping psychological thriller in Distress Signals with a high body count, wealth of unreliable characters and clever use of maritime law to muddy the investigative process to such a level I am pretty sure I will never be boarding a cruise ship in my lifetime.

Hooked from the very first page, where our narrator, Adam, is plunged into the dark depths of the sea I found myself needing to continue to read and discover.  I loved the way this novel was written, mostly in the first person voice of Adam, the long term boyfriend of the missing Sarah but punctuated with the third person narrative, almost as a completely separate story, of both Corrine and Romain.  I knew the three would eventually come together but until they did I could only guess as to how.  All three viewpoints were intriguing and at times heart-wrenching - particularly those of Romain and Corrine.

Although there are quite a lot of characters within the story it never got confusing, and they all had a hint of the unreliable in them so I was never quite sure who I should be trusting - is Rose really 'telling all' given she is Sarah's best friend and not Adam's, or does Adam's best friend Moorsey have an ulterior motive given he has recently started dating Rose and everyone says how alike she is to Sarah?  Then of course there is the mysterious Ethan and the staff at the cruise company who are clearly lying... let's just say my detective skills were sent in all sorts of directions and I didn't work out what the end result was going to be which made the finale all the better.

Beautifully paced and with a fascinating suggestion of the darker underworld of the cruise industry, Distress Signals is a compelling read that not only looks at the 'who done it' but also the 'why'.

(This review was first published on my blog [...])
2430996
This is by far my favorite book to date! I couldn't put it down! The story hooked me right away! From Horatio's conversations with his imaginary "friend" and his "wife" to the clever internal monologue... If you are looking for a psychological thriller that gives you the exposure to what it is like to be schizophrenic this is the way to go...  I highly recommend
1723593
This is a well-crafted psychological thriller packed full of twists and turns in a plot that lingers in your subconscious long after you finish reading. You definitely want Adam to like you and be your friend! The characters are perfectly drawn and develop naturally along with the story line, which is unforced and captivating. The character of Adam has suffered and his internal struggles are revealed as you are drawn into his world and experiences. What I enjoyed the most was that the author pulled all the loose ends together for the reader in the end, something that sometimes is lacking in books of this genre. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
4699490
I thought this was a great psychological thriller.  The author is very skilled  at painting pictures with words and I felt invested in the characters.  The plot twists were not easily guessed and I really enjoyed this book.  Will definitely be reading more books from this author.
2959540
Wow, what a fascinating read The Memory Chamber is.  Once again I have stepped a little out of my comfort zone for this book but Im rather liking this new, less restricted approach Ive got going on at the moment.  I like to think Im broadening my horizons as a reader.

The Memory Chamber is, by and large, a futuristic thriller.  An intricate, considered and somewhat addictive thriller.  But there were other genres nudging their way in.  A smidge of romance, a sprinkling of sci-fi (or if you prefer speculative fiction) and a scattering of techno-thriller.  An interesting combination and one that held my attention from start to finish.

Imagine if you never died.  Imagine, providing you have the money and the desire (of course!), that someone could preserve and sculpt your most precious memories which you would then live for all eternity.  Your body would be disposed of but your essence would be captured and locked away in a secure lab.  Reliving the moments that made you the happiest, over and over again.  Thats what Isobel does for a living.  She is a Heaven Architect and will design your perfect Heaven.  But when Isobel meets Jarek the last thing she expects is to fall in love with her client.  Her young, attractive, terminally ill, MARRIED client.  When Jareks wife is discovered murdered, Isobel is determined to prove his innocence at any cost and is thrown into a world of suspicion ultimately discovering not all is as she first believed

If I had to come up with one word to describe The Memory Chamber it would be fascinating.  The idea of a synthetic Heaven totally piqued my interest and made me read every single word of this book, from start to finish.  Very much like the idea of my recent other science fiction-y read, The Feed did.  Im not normally one for romantic relationships in my stories but the spark between Isobel and Jarek was quite tantalising.  It certainly didn't put me off finishing the book!  What I would have liked was a little more mystery, but then Im a crime reader and thats my thing!

You cant help but want to talk to others about this book and the ethical questions it raises.  Is the idea of a self-designed Heaven something that appeals to you?  Or would you rather just take your chances and wait to see whats on the other side?  Its a very original and brave choice of subject matter by the author and she has handled it incredibly well.

Would I recommend this book?  I would.  Particularly if you're looking for something a bit different.  I found Isobel a little annoying at times, Jarek a little creepy but it all added to the reading experience for me.  And that cover, OH.MY.GOSH  how stunning is that?! Overall an absolutely fascinating journey and I look forward to seeing what Cave gives us next.

Four out of five stars.

I chose to read and review an eARC of The Memory Chamber.  The above review is my own unbiased opinion.