The Intern by Michelle Campbell

 This one I read because I am an intern this year, so I thought it was relevant.  The intern in this case is a law student who works for a seemingly corrupt federal judge.  Turns out the judge was manipulated into doing sketchy things by her "uncle" who basically paid for her college.  The money was coming from some not so nice and controlling people.  The intern soon finds out and has some family legal issues of her own she needs help working out.  By working together they intern and judge end up getting out of their debacles.  It seemed too clean cut and fairy tale of an ending for me.  I mean, when did the author mention the intern's competitive swimming background??

Psychological Elements

I think of the idea of transference or hero worshipping when it comes to how the intern perceived the judge.  She definitely idolized her, which helped her be able to manipulate her into agreeing to help in ways she may not have agreed to if not for the judge's status.  The judge being a victim in the end also had a psychological component to it.  She lacked a good steady home life, so she clung to her "uncle's" approval when he was taking advantage of her.

7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

 This book had an interesting concept.  Something I've never considered or read before.  I picked this one up at B&N while I was away in Florida with my parents and read it over a matter of a week.  It was a lengthy book though!

A lot going on.  The two main characters are reliving a day in the life of many people, sort of like Groundhog Day (the 1990s movie with Bill Murray).  However, the main character wakes up in the body of a different person each day.  The other one (female) wakes up in the same one, some maid (I think).  The object of this weird game was to find the murderer of Evelyn Hardcastle.  Her murder was still a cold case after many years.

I commend the author for keeping track of all the plot holes and intricacies.  He had to make sure he effectively indicated and presented characters as they crossed paths throughout the day without getting confused on any given day or time.  The characters intertwined at various parts of the day, some waking up earlier or later, or going to bed at different times.  Somehow, he managed to write such a narrative that nothing was out of place in regards to the time loop.  How insane is that!

Psychological Elements

Well there are many different characters to speak of.  When the main character embodied each "host" (as it is called in the story, like the main character is a parasite infecting the body of the host), the main character had the memories and thoughts of the host as well.  There were narcissists, criminals, liars, and many other sorts.  It is too much to analyze, but definitely worth the read.

 

The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin

 What did I just read???

It was all over the place, but I eventually knew where it was going (even though I don't know how I got there).

I believe the author's aim was to have us believe the house was haunted but in a very obscure, realistic, sort of believable way.

This wasn't really a book I liked, so my review is a bit negative.  Would love to hear from others that have read it and liked it, though.  There were elements that would probably be better off left out.  For example, the newspaper or online clippings.  I think the story was good if left linearly and told chronologically.  I didn't feel she needed to add the cliffhanging newspaper articles leaving us in suspense about who was left dead in the house.  I liked the rest otherwise.

I think she should have had the missing girl, who was almost killed by her father, come back somehow, too.  Would have been a great element to the story, in my opinion.

Psychological Elements

The main character is definitely suffering from an identity crisis.  She takes over other people's identities, essentially after she kills them.  This could be related to a dissociative identity disorder.  What's weird is how it starts as a somatic symptom of physical discontinuity - she had to bite her arms because she thought they were not there or disappearing.  She didn't feel whole again until she became someone else.  

The house was creepy, but was it really haunted?  Everyone who lived in it became insane one way or another.  However, Sarah/Lizzy Slade seems to have been insane prior to living there.  

I also have to question Joe/Liam's reasoning behind going along with this.  Was he scared?  Did he feel guilty or responsible for the death of the real Sarah Slade, so he went along with it so Lizzy wouldn't implicate him?  It was just weird.  

Anway - what you do think?

Dark Corners by Megan Goldin

 I'm pretty sure I've read another Rachel Krall novel before, but I can't remember.  There wasn't any in my blog, so if I did it was a while ago.

Anyway, this book was great.  I enjoyed how the author led us on from the beginning, leaving us guessing until the very end who the real murderer was.  I mean, she definitely gave it away, but it plays out so expertly you would have thought someone else was involved, when they weren't.  

The love story was given or take, but it was a nice added touch, as well.

What I didn't love but was apparently essential to the story plot and elements, were the social influencers.  It is a very contemporary plot line, though.  If anyone is going to understand that world it would be the new millennials.  Way to appeal to the times!

Psychological Elements

This one was a bit tricky.  There is definitely the psychopath element for the serial killer.  His problems were brought on by his poor upbringing and bad parenting.  Unfortunately, he had an incurable disease that made him unapproachable; however, for some reason he chose a profession where his appearance and odor would be judged.  That was an interesting choice.

Terence Bailey's and Maddison's characters were interesting too.  They chose to change their personas in different ways to hide from this killer and blend into their new environments.  One of them was prison, the other was hiding in plain sight on Instagram.  I also found it strange that Maddison chose to put her image out there when she was trying to hide.  Both killer and would be victim were "hiding in plain sight."

She Started It by Sian Gilbert

 Not my favorite.  Point Blank.  It takes place on a deserted island where a begrudged bride to be knocks off her past bullies.  It was so unnerving to even think about doing something that ridiculous as going to a deserted island without cell phone service with someone who essentially blames you for ruining her life.  Needless to say, many end up dead.  

Until the last few chapters, there is very little thriller components to it.  You spend most of the book hating the characters for what they did to this poor girl.  But, you sort of feel like it didn't matter because she became a rich, fancy doctor who can afford a private island retreat for 5.  Until the twist ...

Psychological Elements

Depression, suicide, self-mutilation, bullying, and more...

The high school girls were definitely mean and belittled the main character for seemingly no reason.  Much like many other young girls in high school, she was just trying to find herself.  All these girls did was ruin everything she held close to her.  Everything but her sister ...

Did I like the ending?  Not really.  But, come to think of it, I don't think I liked the beginning or middle either. 

This one was just not for me.  What are your thoughts?

The Last Word by Taylor Adams

 Not my favorite.

Well, the literary quality was there.  Lots of suspenseful elements and twists and turns.  But, my level of anxiety was elevated throughout every page of this book and nothing brought it down.  That's why it wasn't my favorite.  Don't get me wrong, I love a good suspenseful thriller, but holy, moly work up to it!  From the second I started reading until the very end, it was hard to catch my breath.  If that was what the author was going for, then kudos!  If not, then, well, it didn't work.

I will say this:  Great job putting it altogether in the end!  I didn't feel like there were any missing pieces and even the dog makes out ok!

Psychological Elements

Many different elements were brought into play, such as social isolation, anxiety, depression, suicidality, and psychopathy.  You get the sense that the main character is hiding something or that something terrible happened for her to retreat into isolation, but it is not what you think.  I did feel a connection to all the characters, even the aggressor.  The situation was believable, yet unbelievable.

Anyway, read it yourself and tell me what you think.

The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda

 For some reason, I tend to like books that are written from various perspectives.  I like how the author outlined the events in a certain order and described how each character saw the day/events differently.  I realize that the title is The Only Survivors, so perhaps Megan Miranda was not looking to include any of the perspectives of the non-survivors in the narrative by design, but it would have been interesting to get the point of view of maybe someone that did not survive or even who later became a victim.  When you read the story, you know what I'm talking about.

Psychological Elements

Survivor Guilt - by far this is the underlying theme of the book.  Each character had a different way of dealing with how they felt to be the only survivors of a traumatic event.  In the end, the main character appears to have a different reason to feel even guiltier, but that was a "pleasant" twist or good distraction.  I'm not certain if getting together every year on the anniversary is smart, as it drudged up many feelings, but research always seems to note that having a group of people with same experiences is always helpful to work through things.

Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter

 I love the way this author writes.  I get totally engrossed and wrapped up in the characters and she always provides a before an after time/sequence, at least in the books I've read by her.

Pieces of Her follows a mother and daughter through their young adult lives.  The adventures they both take are very different, but strangely intertwined.  These two ladies are the focus of the events, but mostly the mother and what she did to alter her circumstances in the future.  That being said, I'm not certain all the events are believable or possible.  I'll let you be the judge when you read it.

Psychological Elements

Stockholm Syndrome - I honestly believe that the mother suffered from this when it came to the relationship with Nick and her father.  They were definitely overbearing and abusive characters and she fell further in love with Nick to get away from her father.  Eventually this lead to one of their demise.  I'll let you read to find out who.

Psychopathology - definitely Nick.  He is so charismatic and able to captivate his audience.  He can convince them of just about anything, including internal and mass destruction.  Eventually everything catches up to him and people start to see through him, but it should have happened well before it actually did (in my opinion).

Social Anxiety - Definitely a concern for the daughter.  She has difficulty getting out into the world and making connections with others.  That is changed drastically throughout the book as she is forced into change.

By the way, the Series on Netflix is NOTHING like the book - read it and watch it, you'll love them both.

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth

 Pippa and Gabe were starting their life over (again) in a new home on the beach.  Pippa wasn't sure about the house being on a dangerous cliff, though, on account of their two young daughters.  Gabe loved it and so she settled.  Then, as Pippa guessed, their location became dangerous in other ways.  It was a famous suicide spot!  This doesn't deter Gabe though.  A master of persuasion, he is able to talk many wayward beings off the ledge and becomes a town hero.  Until one night, he just couldn't save one!

Spoilers ahead (skip to the next section if you haven't finished reading yet)

On this dark and stormy night, Gabe claims the incident was an accident, but Pippa (having seen some of the interaction from the kitchen window) doesn't seem so sure.  So, she discovers that the victim was none other than the wife of his former boss, Amanda Cameron!  Could that be a coincidence?  Not really.  Amanda was there to confront Gabe and Pippa about something she saw on her husband's (Max) computer.  Only when she mentioned it to Gabe, he wasn't surprised, but he was still worried about what was on the disk Amanda had in her hand.

When Max finds out he's shocked and insists that Amanda would never commit suicide.  He lost his mother and brother to the same and Amanda knew that and was sympathetic.  Besides, they were happy, right?  Until he realizes that Gabe and Pippa were the homeowners of the house on the cliff near where it happened, Max is lost and confused not understanding what could have happened.  He wanted answers.  He also knew that he owed Gabe some answers, too.  All this confusion and all the lies led to his wife's demise, so what could Max do to make it better?

(OK, done spoiling it) My take on the book.

The author chose a great way to convey the desperation in each character as the plot progresses.  You get to read the point of view of Pipp and Amanda (yes, even after death) and truly understand how a wife reacts to their husband's lies.  Relationships and connections are important in this book.  Most of the situations are highly believable; however, I personally did not like Pippa's reaction to Gabe's actions.  Yet, I understood her desire to maintain their home. 

So, about the psychology.

As I am seeking to continue educating and helping others understand the psychological aspects of all the thrillers I read, I have to comment on the psychology of the characters.  In this book, essentially Gabe.  He was misdiagnosed as having ADHD towards the beginning of the book.  This diagnosis helped explain his lack of attention to detail and his inability to maintain a job or stay on task, but it hardly accounted for his reckless behavior and bouts of extreme depression.  

The doctor who misdiagnosed him originally prescribed medication that would reduce the symptoms of ADHD, which was probably a stimulant.  Although it may have helped with his focus and attention to detail, the medication could also have made the manic and depressive symptoms worse.  In fact, it did.  Gabe escalated his risky behavior to downright dangerous.  He hurt himself and others in the process.  When he was properly diagnosed, it was too late to change the past and the consequences of his actions were already underway.

SO, bottom line - I liked this book and highly recommend it.  5 out of 5 "stars."

Next month's book:  Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter

The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

 Well, this one was certainly interesting!

Talk about a psychological thriller, but way too much going on here!

So, let's attempt to break it down.

• We have a famous female author that hosts a writer's retreat for females - nothing bizarre here.
• The retreat takes place at her secluded mansion in the middle of nowhere, where there is no internet - ok a little risqué, but they're there to enjoy their time writing, right? Plus, it's just a bunch of women.
• A high demanding word/page count with extreme consequences - or is it?
• Then we have the story of the ghost of the previous owner? - I mean is this actually needed
• Followed by lesbian love dreams - I can't even tell what the author is doing anymore.
• But in order to make this an actual thriller, people die - of course, why not?

So, in my opinion, this book is way off the mark for me.  Go ahead, disagree with me in the comments.  I love a good love story, but this one was just plain lust, and not even in a sensational way.  I was pretty much disgusted by every love scene in this book. No I'm not a homo-phobe.  I just didn't like the way it was presented, nor the characters involved in each of the scenes.

What I feel this book could have done without was the ghost story.  The story was evolving charmingly without the interjected ghost story.  The author did try to tie the stories together towards the end, but I believe she was unsuccessful.  Additionally, I don't think she developed a crucial point from the beginning of the story.  I mean what was with the slut shaming sex scene with the male character in the beginning.  Nothing in the rest of the book explained this shameful and embarrassing scene.  

Well, bottom line - I won't read again.

What do you think?

Join us next time for:  The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth

All the Dangerous Things by Stacey Willingham

 Book Club Rating:  4 out of 5

Another one from Stacey Willingham.  The Club enjoyed The Flicker in the Dark, but did her latest live up to the same hype?  We believe so.  This psychological thriller has us guessing what happened during several timelines and story plots!

1. What happened to Isabel's sister?  Did Isabel kill her?  Did she sleep kill her?  Is that even a thing?
2. What happened to Ben's first wife?  Did she actually commit suicide, or did Ben do it?  Were Ben and her actually having problems, or did he want everyone to think they were?  
3. Who took Mason?  Was it Isabel?  Was it Ben?  Was it some stranger?  Where is he?

All of these are answered in due time, but not without some strategic twists and turns.  Once again Willingham is able to have us guessing with every chapter.  

Join us next month for The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall

 Brief Summary

A young girl is stabbed in the woods while her friends witness the event.  A serial killer is convicted of the crime and later dies in prison.  The girls reunite after his death to discuss their secrets.  The body count rises as the story uncovers that this serial killer was not to blame for the original attack, but you would never guess who was.

The Goddess Game

Much of this book revolves around a make-believe child's game invented by one of the little girls.  The Thrill Seekers were unable to grasp the concept of this game and thought it was useless.  However, it was very much important to the plot.

Relationships

It's all about the relationships forged in the book.  This leads to identity crises, jealousy, and terrible mistakes (or were they?).  One thing we all agreed on, though - Cassidy was crazy.

3 out of 5 rating (from 3 Thrill Seekers)

Join us next month as we read:

All the Dangerous Things by Stacey Willingham

The Family Game by Catherine Steadman

 Book Rating:  2.5 out of 5 (3 raters)

The Family Game was not a fan favorite for our thrill seekers.  The plot and many of the events were too unnerving to be believable and/or worthy of our attention and praise.

The book dives into the life and love of Harriet (Harry) and Edward, two individuals in an unexpected relationship.  The renowned author, Harry, falls in love with an estranged son of a billionaire, Edward, and relocates herself to the United States after a short romance.  Now they are engaged and expecting a child and Harry is yet to meet his rich and eccentric family.  In fact, Edward is reluctant for her to make an acquaintance.

Eventually, Harry is warmly welcomed into the Holbeck family, especially by the head of the household, Robert.  He entrusts her with his secret, which he has recorded on a tiny mini cassette.  Yes, the same type of mini cassette that basically becomes extinct in the 1990s.  On this tape is a confession to a string of murders.  Could Robert actually be that dumb to record his confession and let her listen to it?

The family's eccentrics is divulged further when we are introduced to some creepy family traditions that are way over the top (i.e., Krampusnacht).  Although the tradition is carried on by many families throughout the world, it seems the Holbecks have to be extra in their execution.  Not to mention the final Family Game that leads to more executions ...

Either way, the thrill seekers were shocked by the decisions made within this book's main and peripheral characters and gave it a low rating.  Will that turn us off to this author?  We'll see.  Stay tuned.

Join us for our next book club meeting on April 22, 2023.  

We will be reading What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall.

RSVP HERE

Girl, Forgotten by Karin Slaughter

 For this month, we read a great thriller by a renowned author.  This was a sequel to Pieces of Me, but low and behold, no one in the book club has read that yet!  Could it be coming up on the reading list?  Let's find out!

Two Timelines

The story has two timelines: 1980s and present day.  In the 1980s we are taken through the life of a soon to be teen mother who has started her own investigation to figure out who the father of her unborn child is.  Is this a case of rape or poor decisions?  Were things really that ridiculous in the 80s?  I mean that doctor!  I was born in 1984, so I was not familiar with this topic, but could definitely empathize with Emily Vaughn's character when she was placed in several vulnerable positions.

Fellow Thrill Chasers commented that they did not remember the world being so closed minded back then.  Teen pregnancy existed then, too.  Yet, this was a small community.  So, maybe it just doesn't happen there?  Either way, it was scandalous enough to get her killed.

In present day, we meet a new U.S. Marshall who is tasked to protect, none other, than Emily's mother, Federal Judge Vaughn.  Andrea has an ulterior motive to be back in the town where Emily was killed.  Emily's murder was never solved, but most everybody pinned the deed on Clay, who also happens to be the Marshall's father.  His sentence for his otherwise nefarious crimes is almost up and she is afraid that he will.  These crimes are more clearly outlined in the prequel, Pieces of Me.

Several Suspects

Emily was killed by a brutal and fatal blow to the face, which completely disfigured her.  She was trying to reveal a secret that nobody wanted out.  Could it have been the baby's father?  Why wouldn't it be, right?  Slaughter provides twisting and sinister backgrounds on every would-be killer.  Plenty of intriguing side stories that distract us from the main story line but provides context to the same.

All Thrill Chasers believed Dean did it.  I'm not going to spoil the ending here but will let you in the discussion.  I must admit I would not have been upset if Dean was killed in the end.  Of the other suspects (Blake, Nardo, Clay, and Jack "Cheese"), I was not leaning towards the one who finally confessed.  I kind of thought that the reveal was anti-climactic, what about you?  The story behind the true killer was so well developed, it wasn't until you reached the end that we discover that the father is not that important.

Add a comment to keep the discussion going.

Join us for next month's book:  The Family Game by Catherine Steadman 

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

 The first book club meeting was a success.  It was great to meet with everyone and discuss this thrilling book.  Generally, the book was well liked (4.5 out of 5 rating from members that polled).  Some of the highlights for all questions are below.

Chloe is the narrator and main character in the story and is struggling with her past.  Her father is convicted of murder, which we find out she had a hand in providing evidence for his conviction.  In the end we find out she had it all wrong.  The book keeps us guessing, but it all makes perfect sense when it is revealed.

Without revealing the end of the story, the thrill seekers that joined the meeting agreed that they did not suspect the true murderer because he was not brought into play until the later text.  Was that on purpose?  What I find interesting (and can probably be true about many thrillers) is that the true killer is always introduced early on and then ignored mostly throughout until it is necessary to reveal more.  I think that is definitely true. 

Some concerning topics were also brought and it definitely thrilled me because of my background in psychology.  Chloe, also a psychologist, is sampling (illegally, I might add) the products she prescribes.  This can be predicted will ruin her much later in life and is never resolved.  Why do you think it is brought up and why not resolved?

Also, not exactly a love story, but there were elements of sex and relationships throughout.  Why did Chloe jump into bed with this reporter?  Why is this experience even included in the narrative, as it doesn't (at least to me) seem to connect?

Feel free to comment and add to the discussion!!

Join us for our next Book Club meeting on February 25, 2023.  We're reading Girl, Forgotten by Karin Slaughter.

RSVP FOR THE MEETUP HERE