A superb psychological thriller and an expos of the world sex trade!
596282
Mia Johansson, a bright young graduate student, is in the final stages of preparing her doctoral thesis on the controversial topic of sex trafficking. Her journalist boyfriend, Dag Svensson, approaches Mikael Blomkvist, the publisher of Millennium magazine, with the idea of extending this research into a series of articles on sex trafficking in Sweden. Knowing that this kind of expos will reach into the heart of the Russian mafia, white slavery, the exploitation of under-age prostitutes and the sleazy, corrupt lives of some of the best known figures in Sweden's political establishment, Blomkvist jumps on board and throws himself into an investigation that is fraught with danger.

Seeking to slake a seemingly endless thirst for computer hacking, Lisbeth Salander, a former researcher for Millennium magazine, randomly trolls through Blomkvist's hard drive and learns of the plans for the upcoming articles. Her memories of a difficult childhood and her disgust for men that would treat young women as little more than commodities and slaves move her to involve herself in the investigation and take justice into her own hands. Her plans for revenge backfire and she soon finds herself charged with three murders. Forced into hiding, she must avoid both the police and those who would kill her to prevent the disclosure of a searing sex scandal.

If Lisbeth Salander isn't the most bizarre and off-the-wall literary character ever created, she'd certainly be a front-runner in any ranking. She's a skinny, hard-edged but attractive, on-again off-again feminist; a tattoed punk wild child with bisexual tendencies; an extraordinary computer hacker and skilled journalistic researcher with a photographic memory; a skilled boxer; a survivor of child abuse whose difficult memories of rape and sexual assault have turned into an abiding hatred and a desire for revenge on misognynists; and, last but not least, a multi-millionaire recluse whose desire for privacy would make Howard Hughes look like a party animal.

THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE is a gutsy, hard-driving psychological thriller with a convoluted plot and a brilliant cast of richly, developed characters. It's a long novel, to be sure, but the writing is so rich, the plot is so deep, the dialogue is so convincing, and the characters are so twisted, that turning the pages deep into the wee hours just seems to happen all by itself. The ending, which is obviously a cliff-hanger intended to leave room for the third novel in the trilogy, THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET'S NEST, is perfect ... it ends this segment of the story with all of the threads perfectly tied up but leaves a reader in the position of desperately wanting to go to the bookstore to pick up the copy of the third novel!

While THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE can, of course, be read purely on a surface level as a brilliant thriller, Stieg Larsson clearly had an interest in making a political comment on the sex trade in general. Obviously he wanted to create a vehicle to remind the world not only of the plight of these young women who are being abused but, perhaps more important, of the lack of action and any political will on the part of the world's governments to deal with the issue of human trafficking on an international scale.

Highly recommended.

Paul Weiss
122518
When I picked up "Every Secret Thing," by Laura Lippman, I expected nothing more than a formulaic novel about child abductions.  Much to my surprise, this book turned out to be a deeply psychological page-turner with marvelously descriptive writing, dry humor, and intricate plotting.  Now that I have finished the book, the highest compliment that I can pay to Ms. Lippman is that she reminds me of the great British novelist, Ruth Rendell.  Why?  Rendell has never been satisfied with the standard whodunit formula.  She likes to examine the unexplored dark corners of the human psyche and the mystery is not always the centerpiece of her books.  The people are.
"Every Secret Thing" begins with a tragedy.  A little girl named Olivia Barnes is kidnapped and, several days later, she is murdered.  Two eleven-year-old girls named Ronnie Fuller and Alice Manning are charged with the crime, and they spend seven years in juvenile detention facilities.  When they are released, Ronnie and Alice are young women of eighteen.  Before long, when another little girl named Brittany goes missing, Ronnie and Alice are once again under suspicion.
There are so many things to praise about this book that it is difficult to pick one, but above all else, the character development is uniformly outstanding.  We get to know each major and several minor characters intimately, as if they were our own neighbors.  Lippman gives us a glimpse into the minds of Ronnie and Alice, two unhappy and lonely misfits with a tenuous grip on reality.  We become well acquainted with Helen Manning, Alice's narcissistic and foolish mother, Nancy Porter, the cop who found Olivia's body and has been haunted by the case ever since, and Cynthia Barnes, Olivia's bitter and grieving mother whose life is devoted to seeing Alice and Ronnie destroyed.  That the two girls responsible for killing Olivia should be set free to walk the earth is simply not an option for Cynthia, who has powerful political connections and is used to getting what she wants.
As the story unfolds, a tale of psychological horror emerges that is truly chilling.  When I turned the last page, I knew that I would be thinking about this book for some time to come, marveling at how Lippman mines so many themes so effectively, and how she makes us care deeply about the outcome of her story.  Don't miss this unforgettable thriller.
920353
British scriptwriter Renee Knights cleverly crafted debut, DISCLAIMER is a twisted, dark and chilling psychological suspense which brings new meaning to red herring and domestic suburban noir. What an excellent cover depicting the true nature of the novel.

Let me start off by saying, this is one addictive book which grabs your attention! You will sit up and take notice. I listened to the audio version, with a number of distractions. (A lot of rewinding) Like what in the heck just happened? Did I miss something? The British narrators, Michael Pennington and Laura Paton delivers a suspenseful performance, setting the mysterious dark mood, perfectly.

Two families. Two sons. Stephen, Nancy & son, Jonathan. Robert, Katherine & son, Nick.

Let the sadistic evil games begin. Or should I say, cat and mouse? Truth or dare? Revenge. One life for another. How are these two families connected? Both families have dark secrets. Secrets from their spouses.

We meet Catherine, a documentary filmmaker. She finds herself at home, picking up a self-published book The Perfect Stranger in the evening. While reading she is shocked beyond belief, as she recognizes herself and this appears to be her story? A dark story she has buried for the last twenty years. No one could possibly know these things. Except the one person, who was there, and he is dead. A life-threatening secret, her husband knows nothing about. She is obsessed with finding out more.

Catherine is married to Robert, an attorney. Years ago they were on holiday and he had to leave, so she was left with her son. She sees a young man, a photographer. Over 20 years earlier in Spain, 19-year-old Jonathan drowns, while saving five year old, Nicholas.

Someone is out there; Tormenting her? These secrets have the power to unravel their lives.

Stephen is a creep. (An old crazy man), a former school teacher, a stalker, now widowed. Nancy and Stephen had a wacko marriage full of secrets. A plot. A predator. A plan.

Told in alternating chapters and voices, a slow burning tale which draws you into the web of deceit, when nothing is as it appears. From erotic to sadistic, predator to prey, Mind-blowing your head will spin! Where is the truth? What is the truth?

DISCLAIMER is unique, intriguing, entertaining and unnerving. Chilling, terrifying, disturbing, haunting.

disclaimer A statement that is meant to prevent an incorrect understanding of something (such as a book, a movie, or an advertisement).

While this may not be the best psychological thriller of the year; however, very worthy of 4 stars for capturing my attention for hours, a chilling debut. It is definitely one you want to read. If you enjoyed Gone Girl and Girl on a Train, fans will relate to the female protagonist who presents a picture of perfect suburban life, while carrying a dark destructive secret.

A deeply probing, intense psychological thriller. A book-within-a book. Cant wait for book two (another psycho-thriller) and the upcoming film!

The act of keeping the secret a secret has almost become bigger than the secret itself.   Rene Knight, Disclaimer
3249215
John Cabral knows how to hold an audiences attention.  Engaging characters and a quick pace leave no time for readers to stop and take a breather. I literally read this book straight through from beginning to end in less than an hour. I couldn't put it down! It is a suspense-filled, psychological thriller that readers are sure to enjoy!

This riveting story centers on two life-long friends, Nick and Jimmy, and how their lives are destined to intertwine in startling, and often, horrifying ways.

Could he have been responsible for my brother and Grandma Joan? We were just kids! And Crystal? Could he have really killed Crystal? I had to find out.

Dead End, Paris is a psychologically powerful work that allows readers inside the twisted mind of a killer and his best friend.  The author is able to describe Nick and Jimmy in a way that allows readers to identify with both of them, making it difficult to decide who to root for in the end.

Due to the gripping character development and plot I feel most readers will enjoy the suspense and mystery the story provides along with the easy flow and quick development of events. If you are looking for an easy to read thriller with chilling psychological aspects, Dead End, Paris is sure to not disappoint.
4430191
This quick-paced, ingenious psychological thriller features Heaven Simpson, and takes the reader through fascinating psychological worlds including multiple personality syndrome and abuse survival of all kinds. Heaven is a relentless and passionate searcher and survivor. In this passionate book, the rescued becomes the rescuer. "Let go fear." "Find (your) Center." I highly recommend this very intriguing book for all its psychological and moral adventure. -Brad Pigott, former United States Attorney
540563
This 1989 novel by Ian McEwan is a masterful thriller with scrupulous attention to detail which has become this writer's trademark.  The story is set in post-war Berlin in 1955 when British 25-year old Leonard Marnham is hired to work at a top-secret joint British American venture to tap the phone lines of the Russians.  He quickly learns about post-war international relations and is also soon caught up in a torrid romance with a slightly older German woman, Maria, whose brutal ex-husband keeps showing up.

This is a story of psychological complexity and a series of shocking events.  It also has comic elements and lots of violence.  The romantic scenes are extremely explicit and sizzle with passion.  And then there are the gory scenes that made me wince and yet keep me awake and reading through the night.  The story moves fast and there were times I found myself holding my breath and turning pages with fascination at this well developed story.

By the end of the book we have seen the timid Leonard lose his innocence as he is swept up in a murder, a crime cover-up and a betrayal.  And yet, there is a feeling that this kind of series of events could have happened to anyone.  I identified with the character and felt real tension throughout this book.

Ian McEwan is a fine writer.  I have read several of his books and they never disappoint.

Highly recommended.
164508
This truly amazing story of a respected psychologist who becomes obsessed wtih a hard-faced prostitute and her murderous pimp will fascinate you from the first page to the last. Author Louis Caulfield does a brilliant job of interweaving the tony, rarified world where Dr. Alan Canty lives and works and the sleazy, grubby streets of Detroit, inhabited by hard-core prostitutes like Dawn Spens and her violent, psychotic pimp, John Fry.

No one, not even the author, can truly explain why the psychologist became so insanely obsessed with Dawn Spens--a hard, drug-addicted street whore who was equally obsessed with her lover, the very deadly John Fry--who could easily kill without blinking an eye. Canty lived a bizarre double life. By day, he treated his patients and lived in a lavish tudor mansion with his wife, who was also a psychologist.

But every chance he got, he would zoom down to the red light district and lavishly pay and gift his prostitute--who always referred to him contemptuously as Mr. Pin Head. Canty does come off as incredibly naive. He buys his paramour cars, expensive clothes, an apartment, knowing all the time that she's giving everything to her pimp. Canty buys both the whore and the pimp drugs, cocaine, heroin, pays their hospital bills, gives them thousands more in hopes of buying Dawn away from her pimp. Of course, this tickles the killer, John Fry, for he's determined to milk tens of thousands from this idiot.

When Dr. Canty at last refuses to give them money, Fry knocks his brains out with a baseball bat and then dismembers him. Fry laughingly jokes to his low-life friends that the doctor "just came apart" one afternoon and vanished.

What horrifies the reader is that the prostitute, after being arrested, was only given probation and she walked out of jail scot free after only a few months. Her pimp did go to prison but then to a psychopath like John Fry, this was hardly a big deal, since he grew up in prisons. Even behind bars, he still joked about chopping up the body of Dr. Canty--who remains a mystery evevn today. You keep asking yourself: Why?
833821
Oh, where to start.  This was simply a wonderful mystery thriller.  I confess I stayed up way too late one night thinking I would finish it, only to have to finally admit defeat and crawl into bed.  The plot twists are numerous, the characters are fabulously developed and you are fooled and fooled again right up to the very end.  However, the most outstanding thing about the book is the clarity with which the author depicts the Soviet Russian mindset; the kind of fear and doubt that all live in and under and the macabre results such mindsets create.  It is easy to also conflate this story with changed circumstances to something that could occur in the USA as our government becomes more deceitful and self-fulfilling.  The book just gave me the chills at times.  It could really happen, if it already hasn't!  Don't pass this one up!
2166139
This is a smart and terrifying thriller.  In the not too distant future, a drug has been developed that allows people to touch each other's minds.  Is it mind control for personal gain, crime, or a wonderful new aspect of human evolution that allows full communion of emotion and intellect?  Mind control for good or evil?
This is a very intelligent exploration of science, morality and human nature as well as consciousness and bioethics.  The very realistic political picture in the US is pitted against the good intentions of the creators of the drug, who escape to Southeast Asia and the peaceful secrecy of a Buddhist monastery.  But are the monks really safe?  With augmented and enhanced humans the many fight scenarios will be very satisfying to those who like Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne although I found some of them tedious.  It was a small price to pay for the wild ride in the rest of the book. If you like this one, be sure to read the sequel, Crux.
2153578
This book is touted as a psychological thriller, and it certainly is! From the first page to the last, I was at the edge of my seat, and turning the pages faster and faster in order to find out what was going to happen next.

Anna leaves her husband after years of abuse and rents a nice apartment. She is ready to start her new life and things are looking up for her but it seems that other people can't seem to let her go on her merry way. There are a lot of secrets in Anna's family and the truth just has to come out, and when it does, it has devastating consequences.....talk about a domino effect! To find out what I am talking about, you will need to read this book for yourself :) I love Anita Waller's writing style, it is very skillful in an understated and relatable way.

A highly recommended read, 4.5 stars from me :)

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. Thank you to Bloodhound Books.
2718036
WOW!!! What a story! It's a psychological thriller that begins commonly enough but it's not long into the storyline when it veers from the expected and keeps you rooted to each page with anticipation and tension. Fabulous characters that will inspire mixed feelings in you as the story progresses and a well executed concept that will surprise you at the end. Some elements are fairly easy to figure out but don't think you know how it will end!!! LOL! Entertaining thrill ride throughout!
2800231
I highly recommend this book to all those who love psychological thrillers. Also I think mums will love the setting of this book and will relate to all the playground politics. I loved the way the author captures the bitchiness that occurs in PTA committees. There are school politics, bullying, domestic abuse, problems with an ex-husband and what appears to be his perfect new wife, Chinese whispers, teenage angst, exaggerated stories and absolute lies. For non mums, it was a fun and slightly scary insight! If you are looking for a gripping, page-turner, then this one is also for you.
1327657
I think that this book is a fantastic read for all kinds of readers. The story is in itself a great thriller that will keep the attention of everyone who likes the darkest crime books. It will transport you into the world where young women are trafficked as sex slaves and people are murdered ruthlessly. But it will also please more demanding readers who are looking for something intelligent that provokes deep questions.

To sum up, the book is about war between good and evil -- both in the world of criminals and policemen and in the individual minds of several characters. I won't spoil your read by telling you the story. Instead let me point out at least a few interesting ideas that the book subtly conveys.

First it is the idea of free will versus limitation by our physical handicaps. Someones dreams are thwarted by a silly mole on his nose, then the same man changes dramatically after a heart transplant. Another character, Double Ugly, was born with a scarred revolting face and ended up with a scarred revolting mind as well. But the picture is not as dark as it may seem when we look more closely at two cases of sociopaths which are important parts of the whole story. Both sociopaths are incapable of empathy. They cannot experience the feelings of love and compassion. There is the bad sociopath who uses and tortures innocent people, but there is also the good sociopath who has learned to respect the law and even risk his life out of mere respect of duty. His emotional poverty even makes him less vulnerable and thus better equipped to deal with the bad guys. When I was reading about this good sociopath, I could not help but think about Immanuel Kants duty-based ethics, which has been puzzling its critics as a standard too narrow for compassionate and loving beings.

Both characters seem to have the choice to decide whether they want to serve good or evil. Both turn to powerful maternal figures from their childhood, mother and aunt, who were kind to them, when seeking some answers regarding empathy they do not possess themselves. But it is up to them to decide whether they will remain limited by their own handicaps or whether they will respect the moral output of the empathy of others as their moral guide -- the way blind people accept the fact that there is a colorful world they cannot see but may need to know about.

I would like to emphasize that this book is a thriller, not an essay on free will. The ideas that I have just mentioned are just a small part of the highly entertaining story. But I personally see it as an interesting bonus that the book poses these age-old philosophical questions.
2758614
Franklin is having disturbing nightmares, not sure where and if his dreams end or doesn't. His dreams are very realistic and troubling. After a few sleepless nights he seeks the help of clinical psychologist, Dr. Ruth Klein. These dreams of Franklins, are more like "visions". What Franklin is seeing soon becomes his nightmare.  Again, the question is . . . "a dream or premonitions" ???

WOW . . . . what a wonderful read  ! !! This was a psychological thriller at its best! I totally could not put this down. Every character was well written and easy to see in your mind. You for sure take the roller coaster ride on this one! Just when you think you might have it figured out, the author takes you on another ride. Its one of those page turners that you don't want to say to much about due to giving away the thrill of the book :) I hope to read more by this author :)

5 thrilling stars
Wende
3300691
I really enjoyed this book, but I knew going in that it wasn't for the faint of heart. It's deeply disturbing, and will draw you in quickly.

The story is about Horatio, a very disturbed individual. He is so far removed from reality and is a social misfit, to say the least. Most of the conversation in this book is between Horatio and his imaginary "friend" and his "wife" (a blow up doll.) It's very well written and, in spite of its dark themes, is quite humorous. A very good psychological thriller. I'd recommend it!
3736481
This thriller, serial-killer novel is outstanding.  William Rubin, a new and skilled author, has written a novel that takes the reader on a series of discoveries and surprises.  Chris Ravello, homicide detective, was a successful practicing physician until the violent death of his mother.  The killer, The Giver, kills to harvest material from the bodies of his victims to experiment in cloning.  Mutilated dead bodies are found with little evidence left for the detectives or the FBI to pursue.
The characters are complex and authentic, and the excitement maintains interest to the end.  Suspicion moves from one possible killer to another and we are swept along the way.  Brilliantly interweaving medicine, science, beautiful women, family, love, danger, and psychological entrapment Ravello travels from the East Coast to California and back to track down The Giver.
If you like complex, well-written, intelligent and dramatic novels, you will love this.  I did!
4117442
The Blood Bankers:Tales from the Global Underground Economy is a non-fiction financial thriller/whodunit that illuminates the sordid, self-serving, elitist international money trail and the greedy creatures who travel shamelessly on it. Mr. Henry courageously lifts the veil of monetary indecency and carefully guarded fiscal secrecy as he takes the reader on an insider's guided tour of global corruption and greed. Truth is indeed, stranger than fiction and The Blood Bankers is a shocking account of unbridled greed, run wild in plain sight around the world. It features a virtual perp walk of duplicitous international bankers, beyond-corrupt politicans and heads of state, and a whole supporting cast of money launderers, corporate con men and underworld predators. If you're ready to lose your intellectual virginity, read this book. The world will never look the same.