Category: Thriller & Suspense

[Book Review] Unravelling by Helen Forbes

February 17th, 2022

Front cover

Genre: Psychological thriller

Publication date: July 17, 2021

Length: 352 pages

Potential trigger warning: Mental illness

Blurb

A forest of secrets

Two bodies are found buried in a Highland forest, a place that haunts the dreams of Kate Sharp. Her mother, Ellen, died when Kate was a child. Does the forest hold the secret to her death?

A secret journal

Kate discovers her mother’s journal, and the tale of a tragic unravelling begins to unfold. Ellen’s story is one of fear and hope, love and loss, set against the imposing background of Craig Dunain, a psychiatric hospital where she should have been safe.

Unravelling the truth

Someone else from Ellen’s past is searching for answers, and he will stop at nothing to find them. Unaware of the danger stalking her, Kate continues her search. Will she find the answers? And can she save her own life?

Beautifully written, cleverly plotted, and meticulously researched, Unravelling is a captivating tale of family secrets.

My Review

Unravelling is both frightening and saddening.

It’s frightening because the author has sketched characters who blur the line between sanity and madness. You’re never sure who is normal and who is not. You even begin to doubt what “normal” means anymore.

It’s saddening because it depicts the story of a woman who could have been so much, yet was reduced to fighting for survival because of the demons in her head and in her life. Sometimes, even the best of support is not enough. There are many heartbreaking moments in this grim and gritty story, and I had to take my time over certain incidents because they were overwhelming.

What jumped out at me was how the story put a spotlight on mental health problems and the changing attitude of society and the medical fraternity toward mental health patients.

Craig Dunain Hospital was previously called “Northern Counties District Lunatic Asylum,” a name that is indicative of the ignorant way patients were perceived. The story speaks of electrocution being used as a form of therapy to treat mental illnesses, of pinning unruly patients down and injecting them with medicine, and of isolating troublesome patients until they behave.

There are whispers, too, of hospital staff mistreating patients and getting away with it because nobody believes the patient. Outside the hospital, family members of the patients have to endure cruel taunts and jibes because mental illness is a shameful thing.

The story spans two generations – revolving around a mother and her daughter – and the people in their life. So we see the changing attitudes towards mental health over the decades.

As a psychological thriller, Unravelling will have your hair standing on end with its powerful depictions of insanity: the breakdown of the very core of a person whose mind has begun to unravel. Yet, the way the person desperately holds on to a few strands of sanity and hopes to live a normal life with her family will make you feel desolate. The murder angle puts a deadly twist on this sad tale and the combination of evil and psychological instability is potent.

To me, the murder(s) (?) were less important than the narrative around mental health. But the story is crackling with tension, making you feel that there’s danger around every bend. It’s deeply satisfying to follow Kate as she finds the truth about her mother and uncovers a few truths about herself as well.

(I received an e-copy from Rachel’s Random Resources with a request for an honest review.)

Purchase Links

UK https://amzn.to/3hDz8EJ / US https://amzn.to/2XqDZlU

Author Bio –

Crime fiction was not what lawyer, Helen Forbes, expected to write. As a single parent and mature law student, she used her limited spare time to write contemporary and historical fiction. It was a chance remark at a writing club that led her to develop a short story into her debut crime novel, In the Shadow of the Hill, featuring DS Joe Galbraith. The novel is set in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, and it was described in one newspaper review as having ‘more twists and turns than the road to the isles, making it impossible to put down.’ The novel and characters proved popular with readers, leading to the publication of a second book in the DS Joe Galbraith series. Madness Lies is set in Inverness and North Uist. Helen has now taken to crime with a passion, and has published two psychological thrillers. Unravelling is set in Inverness, against the background of a former psychiatric hospital. Deception is set in Edinburgh, and tackles the themes of domestic violence, prostitution and trafficking. Helen has also completed a further thriller set in Edinburgh, which she hopes to publish in 2022. Queen of Grime’s main character is a crime and trauma scene cleaner with a big secret. It is gritty and dark, but also funny and uplifting. Helen hopes to expand Queen of Grime into a series.

Social Media Links –

Facebook Author Page https://bit.ly/3mzghfD

Twitter https://twitter.com/foreva48

Website https://www.helenforbes.co.uk/
[Book Review] Dark Holds the World by Pradnya Kulkarni

January 30th, 2022

Genre: Poetry, Horror

Publication date: December 23, 2021

Publisher: Literoma Inc.

Length: 46 pages

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60129447-dark-holds-the-world

Amazon India: https://www.amazon.in/-/hi/Pradnya-Kulkarni/dp/B09PBKQBHT/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Blurb

This book of horror poetry is brought to you by Literoma. The book contains 20 horror poems. Title ‘Dark Holds The World’ itself indicates that there exists a life in the dark which is unearthly. The book will make you visualize this world. Also it will make the noisiness of the dark nights audible. Scary nights, creepy places & spooky things! Experience the horripilation through words.

Review

It’s interesting to see that the author has chosen to write poetry in the horror genre. I haven’t come across very many horror poetry collections.

Not all the poems in the book are hair-raising. Some are laced with dark humour, such as This Street Seems Different Tonight and Something Is Not Right In The Basement. Others are outright horrific like Death Awaits Your Arrival and Through the Window of Terror. Time is Tick Tick Ticking Away felt like a cold hand squeezing the heart.

The illustrations add to the spooky atmosphere of the book and do a good job of eliciting the shivers.

I received an e-copy from Literoma with a request for an honest review.
[Book Review] Stalker Stalked by Lee Matthew Goldberg

September 20th, 2021

Publisher: All Due Respect, an imprint of Down & Out Books

Publication date: 17 September 2021

Length: 286 pages

Buy – https://www.amazon.in/Stalker-Stalked-Lee-Matthew-Goldberg-ebook/dp/B099P1W3BW

Blurb

Lexi Mazur is a depressed, alcoholic, pill-popper whose only joy has become her reality TV shows, often fantasizing that the people on TV are a part of her world. After her boyfriend Steve leaves her, she fixates on the show Socialites and its star Magnolia Artois, following every facet of the girl’s life on social media in the hopes of befriending and becoming more like her.

But stalking isn’t new to Lexi. She ultimately won over her ex Steve by following and manipulating every minute detail about him so he’d fall for her. In fact, she landed her other ex-boyfriend Jeremy in the same way. Being a pharma rep, she’s used to manipulation to get doctors to buy her drugs, along with the perk of saving pills for herself.

But what happens when the stalker gets stalked?

Recently, Lexi has felt someone watching her: in her apartment in Queens, at her job. At first, she thinks her mind’s playing tricks, but the watcher is behaving just like she would. And soon they begin leaving threatening clues like she starts to do to Magnolia once her obsession grows more dangerous. Is it one of her exes out for revenge? Her only real friend from childhood who she’s always had an unhealthy rivalry? A detective who may have figured her out? The reality star Magnolia trying to turn the tables? Or even someone she might not know?

Lexi learns the only way to beat her stalker is to use her own stalking prowess to outsmart them at their own game. But has she finally met her match?

My Review of Stalker Stalked

I had a single thought after I finished reading Lexi’s story — “Wow! What was that?!”

Stalker Stalked is a twisted tale of drug and alcohol addiction leading to losing touch with reality. Lexi is an addict who has had a broken, abusive childhood. She copes with her trauma in the present by abusing pills and alcohol. Her addiction causes her to lose touch with reality and she begins to believe she is a part of a “reality” TV show.

Lexi stalks the main character of the show, but things take a bizarre turn when she realizes that someone is stalking her, too.

The author describes the unraveling of Lexi’s mind and its ripple effect on her relationships in such canny detail. He may have gone a bit overboard with the detail in a few scenes where he describes Lexi’s craziness, but perhaps that is the appeal of this book.

I loved the author’s previous book, The Ancestor, even though it required the reader to suspend disbelief. But it was such a novel plot and the writing style was exquisite.

Stalker Stalked is completely different from The Ancestor but the writing is amazing. Nevertheless, it felt like the twist where Lexi the stalker gets stalked did not work well. The explanation is ludicrous even though I saw the connection with Lexi and her state of mind.

It was difficult to read accounts of Lexi’s abusive childhood. We carry the scars of past trauma throughout our lives, no matter how good or happy we may be in the present.

Stalker Stalked ends unexpectedly and no attempt has been made to give it a happy ending. I liked the fact that the ending was rooted in reality because the entire story deals with Lexi’s flights of fancy.

Stalker Stalked is a bizarre yet chillingly accurate depiction of addiction and child abuse. It will shock you and entertain you (if you’re into gruesome stuff) in equal measure.

(I received an e-copy of the book from Blackthorn Book Tours with a request for an honest review.)

I’m taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter’s My Friend Alexa.
[Book Review] Eye On You by Kanchana Banerjee

September 7th, 2021

Genre: Action/Crime & Thriller

Publisher: Self-published

Length: 188 pages

Publication date: 29 August, 2021

Reading age: 18 years

Format: Kindle

Buy here: https://www.amazon.in/EYE-YOU-Kanchana-Banerjee-ebook/dp/B09DZ5H8RD/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1630984523&refinements=p_27%3AKanchana+Banerjee&s=books&sr=1-1

Blurb

You’re seen, tracked, and followed everywhere you go. Every line & picture you post; someone is watching. All that information in the wrong hands is a recipe for disaster.

You have a smart door, a CCTV; everything is controlled via an app on your mobile phone. All they need to do is to hack into your phone. Anyone can get in, anyone can see you inside your home.

How safe are you inside your home?

Myra is a young, independent, single working woman living in Gurgaon. After a party in her home, she wakes up the following morning and discovers that she has been raped. But she was at home, surrounded by her friends.

Who could have done this to her? Was it one of her friends or a stranger?

My Review of Eye On You

Eye on You is so much more than a standard crime novel. Yes, it has all the right elements to keep you on the edge of your seat. I bet you won’t be able to figure out who the perpetrator is. And when you do find out, you will be as astounded as I was. Maybe you’ll become a little paranoid, too, about your personal safety!

Beyond that, Eye On You is a study of current society and its attitudes towards women and crimes against women. It is a minute look into the lives of the well-heeled — into their cushy apartments, their wild parties, and their IDGAF outlook. It is also a study in the contrast between the lives of the upwardly mobile and the not-so-fortunate.

It was fascinating to see how the women in the novel faced the hatred of other people, no matter what their situation in life is. The self-made Myra is judged for her lifestyle choices that she funds with money that she earns. Whereas, Dipti (a policewoman) is mocked by her mother-in-law for failing to produce a child even though she is not at fault.

What really got my goat is the insinuation (by various characters in the book) that women invite rape because of their revealing clothing, their propensity to post about their personal lives on social media, or their liberated sexual lives. How long will people, both men and women, continue to propagate this nonsense?

You also get a chilling insight into the mind of a rapist. Why do they think you’re “asking for it?”

Eye On You is set in Gurgaon and the AQI of each day is a major talking point. I wasn’t aware that air pollution was such a huge problem there. People familiar with Gurgaon will identify with the various places mentioned.

One of the strong points of the book is its vivid descriptions of characters. The author has imbued each character with a distinct personality. The people come to life through their clothing, mannerisms, and quirks of speech.

I particularly enjoyed the use of Hinglish to make the dialogues more believable and natural. The Haryanvi dialect in Dipti’s speech added to the overall atmosphere of the story.

The take-home message of the book is that the Internet is a dangerous place with all kinds of shady characters lurking in dark corners. You never know who is watching you and how they will use the information that you put out online.

Hackers are getting more sophisticated by the day, helped along by the increasing adoption of “smart,” app-controlled, Web-linked gadgets. They have the power to not only steal all your money but also destroy your life by alienating you from society.

Eye On You is a pacy crime thriller that talks about the dangers of oversharing online, cybercrime, and the misogynist attitudes against women. It is a fascinating look into the inner workings of the human mind and how far one will resort to getting what one wants.

(I received an e-copy of the book from Blogchatter with a request for an honest, analytical review.)

This review is powered by Blogchatter Book Review Program.

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla and powered by Deyga.
[Book Review] India’s Most Haunted by K. Hari Kumar

August 4th, 2021

There are places where the past lingers, making shapes in the moonlight and blowing in the curtains even as the air goes suddenly still.

K. Hari Kumar, bestselling author of spine-chilling horror fiction, brings you the terrifying tales of some of India’s most haunted places — including Bhangarh Fort, Malabar Hill’s Tower of Silence and Jammu and Kashmir’s notorious Khooni Nala.

Whether you read them at night or in daylight, these stories will remain with you long after you’ve turned the last page.

Buy here: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07Y33H1Q6/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

My Review of India’s Most Haunted

India’s Most Haunted is a diverse collection of scary stories featuring locations across India. Some of the locations are well-known for their hauntings, such as Bhangarh Fort in Rajasthan, Khooni Nala in Kashmir, and the Tower of Silence in Mumbai. Others are either fictional or nondescript towns and villages, but no less spooky.

I did not know there were so many different types of paranormal entitites — bhoota, preta, pishaacha, chudail, brahmarakshasa, and so on. The author has woven a story around every conceivable entity, and not all are malicious or evil. A few stories describe how the ghosts of dead people linger in their homes, evicting antisocial elements from the premises or protecting innocent people from harm.

I’ve read the preface but I’m not sure if some of these stories are indeed true or they’re so believable that even fiction seems real. Nevertheless, most of them feature a spine-chilling twist at the end. I could not read these stories at night because I’d start imagining all kinds of shadows and whispers and noises, ruining sleep completely.

I’m never going to look at abandoned homes, lonely roads, ruined historical structures, amaavasya nights, or hill stations the same way again.

The stories vary in quality and intensity of emotions, though. Some of the elements used to induce fear such as furniture being dragged on the empty floor above, knocking on the door, chudail with feet turned backwards have become cliched thanks to Hindi cinema. Stories in which such elements were used tended to be predictable and the climax fell flat.

However, some of the other stories where the chilling twist appears right at the end kept me riveted. Revenge-seeking ghosts are the scariest, especially when they have a demonic laugh. One particular story where an infant is visited by a ghost gave me goosebumps because I’ve always found the idea of possessed children particularly fearsome.

I have newfound respect for paranormal investigators because it takes a good amount of courage to not only enter haunted spaces but also stay back long enough to attempt contact with the undead. I don’t know if spirits can really manifest into tangible shape and communicate with the living but it’s scary to think that you could be possessed by an evil entity who makes you take action against your will.

I’m not even sure if I believe in ghosts. This is a recurring theme in many of the stories where the characters are staunchly against the concept of ghosts and hauntings, only to be proved wrong tragically when they are killed by an entity. Some characters can even see ghosts!

The relatability of the stories stems from the fact that many of the locations exist in real life; some of the characters are famous (e.g. Veerappan); some of the stories have been made into Hindi films (e.g. Stree); and all the regions and religions of India feature in the tales.

India’s Most Haunted is a good book for people who enjoy horror stories with a twist. Not-so-courageous people like me who still want to read horror should do so during the day–and sleep with a night light.

There are around 40 short stories and I’d recommend taking your time with the book, savoring a few each time instead of reading from start to finish in a single sitting.

(I received an e-copy of the book from the author via Blogchatter with a request for an honest review. This post is also part of the August Blogchatter Half Marathon.)