Book Review: Trigger Point (Sean Eads) @seaneadswriter @HexPublishers

I have said it before, and I’ll say it again, I am a sucker for a really good serial killer thriller. Trigger Point, by Sean Eads, fit my criteria entirely.

A serial killer, using online advertising services is targeting prostitutes and murdering them. Kathy, the owner of a massage school, finds herself drawn into the case when one of her students becomes the latest victim. Fighting her own feelings and the media’s perception of massage therapists, Kathy enlists Detective Greg Beacon (and her former boyfriend) to help her seek justice. But what Kathy does not know is that this serial killer isn’t targeting random sex workers. He is targeting her. And, he’s getting closer.

From the first pages, I was sucked right into the story. This one has a killer opening (I cannot help the puns, they just flow out of me!) and I found myself completely sucked into the story. Eads is able to capture his reader’s attention. The novel is narrated, for the most part, through the eyes of Kathy (a massage therapist and owner of a massage school). I found her to be a strong and likeable character and although there were parts that I found to be a little bit hokey, I ultimately the diversity and the incorporation of massage therapy and Reiki into this novel. It was a little bit different and made it stand out.

The remaining bits of the novel is told through the perspective of the unnamed serial killer and his victims. These parts were fantastic; I really love when an author is able to creep me out and Eads certainly did!

Was this the scariest book I have read? No. Did I feel like it maybe went on a tad too long? Yes. However, it did keep me guessing and I was surprised at the final revelation, which I did enjoy!

If you are looking for a serial killer thriller that is a little bit different, then check this one out!

Care to read a bit of Trigger Point?  Keep reading for an excerpt!

Book Review: Follow You (Richard Parker) @bookouture @Bookwalter

I have a serious case of FOMO (fear of missing out) so, after I read numerous posts and reviews on the blog tour for Follow You by Richard Parker (previously called, Be My Killer), I knew I had to add this one to my TBR pile. I am so glad that I did.

Totally creepy, dark and twisted, Follow You is one of those books that sticks with you and gives you chills.

Making a documentary about a viral hashtag, seemingly starting as a prank, that ends up triggering vicious attacks and allows serial killers to choose their next victim.   Hazel, the film’s director, is horrified as these murders unfold but becomes especially invested after her childhood friend becomes a victim.   What starts as a documentary soon turns into a snuff film as members of her cast and crew begin ti disappear.

Book Review: Unsub (Meg Gardiner) @MegGardiner1 @DuttonBooks

I am one of those people who is fascinated by serial killer thrillers; think Ragdoll by Daniel Cole and The Fourth Monkey by JD Barker, and, of course, Criminal Minds. Truly, anything with a sicko at the core, I completely eat up. Well folks, if you are like me and are looking for a killer summer read, then you best be adding Unsub, the newest novel by Meg Gardiner, to your TBR piles. Heart pounding, dark and visceral, Unsub had me holding on to the edge of my seat and screaming for more.

Drawing inspiration from the Zodiac Killer, a never caught serial killer who wreaked havoc in California during the 1970s, Unsub follows Detective Caitlin Hendrix, a narcotics detective who finds herself transferred to homicide when the killer at the heart of her childhood reemerges. The Prophet, a notorious Bay Area serial killer, nearly destroyed her father, the lead investigator on the case, during her youth and now he is back with a vengeance. Mind games, cryptic messages and violent actions draw Caitlin closer and closer into the Prophet’s web with each gruesome murder.

Sitting Down with J.D Barker: Author of The Fourth Monkey @jdbarker #4MK @HMHbooks

 

I am so excited the day is finally here!  One of my most anticipated summer reads is releasing today!   I am thrilled to be wishing a big, Happy Publication Day to The Fourth Monkey by J.D Barker.   When I read this book (in case you missed it, you can find my review for The Fourth Monkey here) I was left in complete awe of Barker’s ability to craft such a brilliant story; for lack of a better word,   I was basically obsessed.  I knew that I had to have the author, J.D Barker, on Clues and Reviews to answer some of my burning questions about the writing process, the book and what is next!

First off, The Fourth Monkey is absolutely insane.  I was glued to the pages.  What inspired to write it?  

Well, thank you!

I’ve known I wanted to write a serial killer thriller for a long time but the story had to be just so.  The formula has been done to death and I needed something fresh. Years ago, I decided if I wrote this book, the killer should die at the beginning of the story. That created a few complex problems, the least of which was where to go from there. The story sat patiently waiting in my subconscious until a day back in 2014 when I was in line at the grocery store. There was a rather rotund woman in line ahead of me in one of those electric carts and a boy of about eight years old standing behind me with his father. The boy said something about the woman, I didn’t hear what exactly, then his father leaned down and said, “Speak no evil, son.” As soon as I heard that, a number of thoughts flooded my head – Who says that? What exactly is happening back at their house? By that night, I had the basis for my killer’s childhood and the story found its way to paper quickly.

I’ve always been fascinated with serial killers and the overall psychology behind them. What causes a person to kill? Is that urge hardwired from the moment they’re born or is it somehow a learned behaviour fueled by environment and upbringing? A combination of both? The more I studied, the more I realized that even the experts don’t really know. They love to pretend they do, psychologists love their labels and find peace in the various boxes they feel they can drop people into but that appearance of knowledge is nothing but a mask. I’ve known good people who grew up in bad places and bad people who grew up under the best circumstances. There are a lot of sociopaths out in the world and only a small fraction of them kill, not all killers are sociopaths. The world isn’t black and white but filled with gray and it’s within that gray 4MK was born. My goal was to write a book that not only entertained but blurred the line between innocent and guilty – I hoped people would not only empathize with the victims but also the killer.

Book Review: The Fourth Monkey (J.D Barker) @jdbarker @RaincoastBooks

 

I can barely contain my excitement over this book any longer!  The Fourth Monkey, by J.D Barker, was one of my most anticipated summer reads. Any book that draws a comparison to Silence of the Lambs and Se7en immediately had my attention.   After I have finished my reading, one thing stands clear regarding this title- this book lives up to the hype.

Fast paced, complex and filled with twists and turns, once I picked up this novel, it was incredibly hard to put down.

When The Fourth Monkey opens, we meet Detective Sam Porter, who seems to be on a leave from the police force when he is suddenly called back to the scene of an apparent suicide. Not truly understanding what his purpose it at this crime scene, his questions are soon answered when a box is found containing an ear. The first signature of The Four-Monkey killer (4MK), a serial killer case that Sam has been the lead investigator on for over five years.   When he finds a diary in the pocket of the deceased, Sam is given entry into the mind of a psychopath and must begin to unravel a twisted history in order to try to find his latest victim…a victim they hope is still alive.

Crazy right??

Book Review: Doll House (John Hunt) @JohnHuntFiction @brwpublisher

Olivia is a college freshman; bright-eyed, eager for what the future holds until she is abducted and kept hostage locked in a room. For five years she is raped, tortured and abused. Her room is pink. A room fit for a doll. She is a member of their sick collection.  After Olivia escapes her captors, her worries truly begin. Getting out of the Doll House was the easy part; remaining away from the Doll House proves to be the bigger obstacle.