A Psychological Twist
583841
Ive recently gotten hooked on novels by Georges Simenon, though the others that Ive read have so far been classified among his romans durs. Maigret Sets a Trap is the first novel that Ive read by Simenon among his Maigret detective series. If it is any indication, Ill be reading many more of these.

In Maigret Sets a Trap, fear in Paris has been inflamed with a series of murders. Five women have died, and the police have yet to find any significant clues pointing to the murderer. Maigret decides to try the risky move of setting up a psychological trap to maybe hook in the killer. The ruse dredges up something...but Maigret has to puzzle together exactly what it is that hes found.

I read quite a lot of mysteries, and I really enjoyed this novel because it offered a little something new to me. Instead of being either a whodunit or the crime/suspense plotline that most mysteries seem to be, Simenons is a little something different. It was more of a psychological mystery, in a way. Solving the crime wasn't so much about uncovering clues as it was about understanding the mind and motivations of the killer. It was well done. I enjoyed the brisk writing and the psychological twist of the plot.
3126738
This story is well crafted, intriguing, and I had to wrestle with my compulsion to finish it in one night. This psychological thriller is part heart-wrenching and part affirming at the same time.  There are insights into the worst and the best hiding inside people.  To say much more would be giving it away. I'm quite pleased to say that I was NOT distracted by the rampant grammatical and spelling errors I've encountered in other recent reads.
2296343
The Good Psychologist is a story with very few characters, not a lot of action, but a story that leaves the reader with plenty to think about.

The unnamed, "good psychologist" comes across as a lonely man. He see patients at the Center for Anxiety Disorders, teaches a class at a local college, plays basketball with a group of guys, and was involved in a long distance relationship with Nina, a former colleague, a married woman, with a husband who is very ill. We learn that Nina and the unnamed psychologist had a child together, but he had promised Nina that he would stay out of her life. They email, exchange photos, meet on occassion, but are in the process of ending their relationship. He longs to see his daughter Billie.

The story unfolds with a unnamed psychologist sitting in a small office where he works at the Center for Anxiety Disorders. He has to adjust his schedule to stay late for a 4 p.m. appointment, to accomodate a new patient. The patient is Tiffany, an exotic dancer who has suddenly developed panic attacks when she has to strip on stage.  As the therapy session continues with subsequent visits the reader learns that Tiffany also has a daughter who does not live with her, and as Tiffany shares her private life and longings, the reader is able to see a similarity between the emotions of the psychologist and Tiffany.

Throughout the short novel, the reader gets the feel for the verbal exchanges that take place between patient and therapist during their sessions. There are also exchanges between the psychologist and the students in his night class, but we never get to know them as intimately as we do Tiffany.

  "Panic attacks are a common phenonmenon; very unpleasant, as you know,but not  dangerous. Nobody dies of a panic attack."

  "I felt like I was dying. I was certain I was gone....."

  "People who are anxious feel out of control, but they are not.
  It is important to understand this".

The Good Psychologist is a very introspective story, a deep character study that gets inside the heads of all of the primary characters.  It's a story where the lines between patient and therapist can sometimes appear blurred, and in the end the lives of not only the patient, but of the psychologist, as well are closely examined.

The novel was very different, but enjoyable. In no way was it a suspense thriller as I read in one review. The fact that the author, in real life is a therapist and a teacher at a local college, makes me think that much of this novel might be reflective of some real life experiences. Regardless, I enjoyed the novel, and the way it made me think and analyze the give and take between therapist and patient.  RECOMMENDED.
3751833
I was in the mood for a psychological thriller when I saw The Grift, by Debra Ginsberg in the NEW Books section of my library. I decided to give it a try.

In this newly released book with a cleaver premise, the author mixes the supernatural along with some mystery.

Marina Marks is an emotionally damaged young woman who has worked as a psychic since she was a young child. As a child, she used her ability to help support her junkie mother, and now as an adult, to support herself. Initially Marina does not believe that psychic abilities even exist. Instead, she uses intuition and her keen sense of observation to trick her clients into thinking she is psychic. The reader is introduced to an interesting group of misfits/clients, each with their own set of issues. As the story develops you learn more about each of the clients.

About half way through the book, Marina's abilities become too real, and she starts receiving eerie visions in the form of dreams. At this point the story becomes more of a mystery, and, although I kept turning the pages to see how it all ends, I did start to lose interest. Marina, in my opinion, was just more interesting as a "grifter".
2484794
The title says it all, in Marc Horn's "Persona - A Disturbing Psychological Thriller"  The complex personalities in this "shivers down your spine" page turner might make you question how dark your own mind is that you not only kept reading, but felt stimulated by its theme.

It did take a bit to get into Mr. Horn's writing style, but the twisted story kept me interested.
Please note that although a splendid, clever novel, Persona is not for everyone due to highly graphic violence and sexual situations. I liked it b/c it kept me guessing and was so different from the norm, but I can only think of two friends to recommend it- due solely on the nature of its storyline.
383349
Brief summary and review, no spoilers.

This is an interesting psychological suspense story involving the coming together of three people, each with their own troubled pasts and uncertain futures. The chapters are alternated from the point of view of each character, and in this way we get to see their observations and take on what is happening in their lives and in the story.

We are first introduced to Ron, a 50 year old man who has recently been released from prison. He had been the driver of a bus and had fallen asleep and driven off the road - killing six children and a pregnant teacher. Because of this, his wife left him and he was ostracized by friends and family. He eventually takes off on his own, driving around the countryside finding temporary work and respite.

We also meet a 42 year old woman who has just months earlier married a man she met in a chat room for caretakers. She had taken care of her father until he recently died, and is really just starting her new life. She is uncertain about her relationship with her new seemingly distant  and uncaring husband, and when she tells him she is pregnant and he tells her he doesn't want the baby she is clearly distressed.

Lastly, we meet Silva, who is in Scotland illegally with her husband Stefan and 2 year old daughter Anna. They are an adoring family, but Stefan is frustrated with his inability to support them because of his immigration status and he wants to buy a car so he can be a cabdriver. Silva is concerned that they will be discovered and deported - or worse.

These three main characters do not know each other, but when a bridge collapses their lives become entwined in ways that will become intimate and unpredictable. And ominous.

I have read two of this author's previous books,&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Half-Broken-Things/dp/0440242444/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Half Broken Things</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Night-Following/dp/0385341199/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Night Following</a>&nbsp;I was a big fan of Half Broken Things, and can happily say that this book is reminiscent of that one. In both books we have a situation where different people get together for what has to be a limited time, and we know with a certain dread that their present tenuous situation cannot continue for long.

In this book secrets are kept, tragic pasts are revealed, and as we read on and on we feel a sense of foreboding and unease about what is going to happen.

 I do recommend this book. Half Broken Things is still my favorite of the three, but this one has a good sense of pace and suspense and heartbreak. We care about all three characters and wish them well, although we read on with a sense of concern over what will eventually happen to them all.
3882596
This is a rather strange book, and to tell you what's strange about it would be to give away the story. I'll just say that the focus is on violent and psychotic behavior. It's a cross-cultural excursion into the realm of sadists, control freaks and their victims.

Expect all your expectations to be turned upside down.

A stabbing takes place at a women's shelter. The lead investigator is a woman detective whose parents were murdered, and five years later she's still trying to get over the trauma of that. Her sidekick is an attractive half-Jamaican gay male sergeant. They are both in for some dangerous confrontations.

There are too many scenes of S&M behavior and torture for my taste. And the viciousness and cleverness of the main villain of the piece was almost too much for me to swallow. But I read to the last page, because the suspense in multiple directions kept me going. This book is best for readers who a high tolerance for unpleasant forms of violence and excruciating tension. There are lots of of twists. There's lots of psychological speculation.
1240273
In "He Who Fears the Wolf", Ms Fossum delves into the world of a troubled individual afflicted with schizophrenia. Errki has spent a great portion of his life in and out of mental institutions, and on the day he escapes from his latest confinement, an elderly lady living in a remote location deep in the woods is found brutally murdered. The only witness apparently is a troubled, obese young delinquent, Kannick Snellingen who informs the local police chief. Because of the gravity of the crime, Chief Insp Konrad Sejer is brought in to investigate the case. Matters are complicated by another crime - a bank robbery, in which the chief murder suspect from the previous case, Errki, is found to have been taken hostage by the unidentified robber.

This a tautly-written suspense and psychological thriller - one of the most interesting story arcs in this novel is the dynamics of the relationship between the robber, Morgan and Errki. Though Morgan holds a weapon and seems to be the one in charge, the reader gets the sense that this is not really the case, especially as the story progresses. The way these two individuals interact really drives the story and makes for interesting psychological analysis.

Meanwhile, Insp Sejer tries to solve the case in his usual style - calm, intuitive and deliberate, leaving no stones unturned, and in the process even experiencing a romantic epiphany [Sejer has been widowed a number of years and has been leading a rather quiet existence].
3629441
A middle school science teacher takes revenge on two of her students who are responsible for her daughter's death.  Her method is designed to cause maximum psychological and possible physical pain and torture.  Told from the perspective of each of the characters, the story has more turns than a maze:  impossible to guess where the story is leading.  I am a big fan of intelligent psychological mysteries.  I read this novel in one sitting
640953
Kill the Next One by Federico Axat is a highly recommended psychological thriller.

In the opening Ted McKay is in his study, planning to kill himself, when the doorbell rings. Whoever is there is very persistent, so Ted opens the door and meets Justin Lynch. Lynch offers him a bizarre proposal: if Ted will kill two men, one criminal who deserves to die and one man who has terminal cancer and wants to die, then Ted will become the next target and spare his family the shame of his suicide. Ted, who has been diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, accepts the proposition and kills the two men.

Only the men aren't quite who Lynch said they were. And Ted isn't quite what he seems to be. Then Ted's reality/story resets itself and changes. Nothing in the opening is quite what it seems and Ted may be hallucinating. His therapist, Laura Hill, is trying to help him through his crisis. What is reality and what is the truth? What do Ted's dreams mean? And why is Ted being admitted to the psychiatric unit at Lavender Memorial?

Honestly, I was ready to set Kill the Next One aside after the first two parts (at 30% of the novel) because the premise seems so absurd and there were so many holes in the story - but then I started the third part and was immediately hooked. After this point the novel dramatically changes so, first things first: you have to get through the first two parts of this four part novel for events to suddenly start to get extremely intriguing and the plot takes a twist. Is Ted sane? You will know that he might not be a reliable narrator from the first two parts. You are going to have an inkling that what you think is true might not be reality. It is also at this point that a mystery takes hold of the narrative as you try to untangle the facts.

Translated from the original Spanish by David Frye, the writing is quite good. This is one of those psychological thrillers/mysteries that you can't say too much about or you are going to give away parts. In the end, know that reading the first two parts is essential to understand all the twisty bits that follow.
Warning: There is one horrific scene of animal torture toward the end that you can just skip right over, but the presence of it might be way too much for some readers.

Disclosure: My advanced reading copy was courtesy of the publisher/author.
1383499
This book, "Twisted", was so much more than I thought it would be.  The psychological twists and turns will have you wondering, "is he or isn't he"?  A psychologist at Loveland Psychological Hospital in Arizona is given a task of interviewing and diagnosing a viscious killer of children named Donny Ray Smith, "the worst of the worst". Is this killer malingering or is he insane?  Dr. Christopher Kellan notices the strange things that start to happen when he first meets this patient, but he has faith in his skills as a diagnostician.  Chris has a wonderful wife and 6 years old son who mean everything to him.  Working on a daily basis with patients who are addict to evil, Chris retreats to the joy of his home, wife and son.  You will not soon forget the characters in this story or the plot!!
3156698
An interesting psychological story about Catherine and Simon who have 3 children under 10 years old and a baby that died not long ago. Simon just disappears one day without warning while Catherine is  sleeping. Twenty five years later he shows up on her doorstep and they spend the day telling each other what has happened to them in that time after he left. Each of their lives became so different from the one they were living together. They each have many twists & turns to the life they found before them. Catherine never moves from the house they shared while Simon has traveled the world. You see how the influence of their childhood affects what paths they take too. Simon left for one reason and all these years he had what he thought he knew and what really was true were two different things. This was such a different read for me but interesting even when I wondered where the story was going.
1654661
"Trust No One" could become one of these books that people either absolutely love or totally hate. To enjoy this book, you need to be willing to suspend disbelief and not expect some mental health memoir, it is a psychological mystery suspense thriller. It is not just another of those unreliable narrator stories, which seem very popular at the moment, it is based on a really novel concept: the main character is a crime-writing author in his forties who is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's. People around him are dying. Is he a murderer? Told in alternating narratives, the past is explored through extracts from Jerry's "madness" journal that he's been keeping since his diagnosis while events in the present are revealed from a third person perspective. There's the constant question of fact versus fiction. It's a bit confusing at first, but once you get past the first couple of chapters, the story really pulls you in and turns into an action-packed crime story. While I could work out some of the twists and turns before they were exposed, there was enough of a unique plot that stopped the book from being predictable. My main criticism would be that I felt the book could have been more condensed. There were passages that seemed repetitive and didn't move the story along. Overall, it was well written though, and I enjoyed the humorous moments. The gut-wrenching ending was cleverly done and certainly not what I was anticipating. This was my first book by this author but I will be checking out some of his earlier work now. I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
820659
A psychological thriller with plenty of twists and turns.  A young woman trying to come to terms with violence and death in her present life learns to embrace her past and rise above the trauma of a childhood experience.  A well-written, worthy read...
1765593
If you enjoy books about crazed, serial killers who have a normal day job,  this is the book for you.  Its a psychological thriller about a man with a history of abuse, neglect and trauma who takes it upon himself to punish people who commit small, possibly unnoticed crimes.  When a 16  year old girls witnesses one of his murders, he kidnaps her and keep hers unharmed in a secluded house...after all she did not commit a crime so it is hard to justify killing her. Of course here enters a husband and wife detective team hired by the girls mother and determined to find the young girl.  They unravel the mystery leading to the killer but find themselves endangered as well.  This is a well, written page turner.
3576907
Not bad.  Certainly a mind-bending, or challenging, set of concepts.  But, you know, that's what makes this story subtly compelling.  It's a good feeling the reader has by the time the conclusion comes along.  Good job
1736804
I borrowed this KindleUnlimited book.  it was quite dark and a psychologically troubling story. I enjoy dark psychological tales,  and really enjoyed it. The writing resonated with me when the theme seemed to be based on the thought that "we are all monsters, but we wear masks."  This gave me chills as the statement seemed to be proven true, the farther I read.

The story action starts immediately, was about a mother, Emma,  loses her six year old son when their village is hit be a flood. The child, Aiden, somehow disappeared from the school where staff were supposed to be safeguarding the youngsters. Yet Aiden disappears, assumed to be a victim of the flood.  I really don't want to go further and risk spoilers, but the story is quite a shocker.

As the plot progressed, I tried  (like Emma, the mother) to figure what happened. I didn't find it predictable at all, because the tale could have taken different tracks--but I had no idea where it would end up.

I thought it was well written; I believed the characters and the circumstances, and the mother's reactions.  If you like your whodunnits on the dark side, you'll enjoy  this one.