Archive for the ‘thriller’ Category

Welcome to The Friday 56 hosted by Freda’s Voice.

 

This is a really fun meme!

The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader and find a sentence or a few (no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Then go over to Freda’s Voice and leave your link so we can visit your 56!

My 56 for this week is from:

The Great Zoo Of China

  by Matthew Reilly

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Genre: Thriller

My 56 from the Paperback

She had actually wondered if the ? she had seen from afar might have been somehow fake – perhaps sophisticated animatronic robots – but now that she saw this one up close, she was under no illusions. This was a living breathing beast.

I’ve read several books by Matthew Reilly and really really liked them. As for The Great Zoo Of China….I’m so excited about this book!

Take a look at the awesome cover. Read the synopsis.

What do you think is contained at the zoo?

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Read on if you want to know more.

Synopsis

GET READY FOR ACTION ON A GIGANTIC SCALE

A high-concept, action-packed thriller from the bestselling author of SCARECROW AND THE ARMY OF THIEVES.

It is a secret the Chinese government has been keeping for 40 years. They have found a species of animal no one believed even existed. It will amaze the world.

Now the Chinese are ready to unveil their astonishing discovery within the greatest zoo ever constructed. A small group of VIPs and journalists has been brought to the zoo deep within China to see its fabulous creatures for the first time. Among them is Dr Cassandra Jane ‘CJ’ Cameron, a writer for NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC and an expert on reptiles.

The visitors are assured by their Chinese hosts that they will be struck with wonder at these beasts, that they are perfectly safe, and that nothing can go wrong…

Amazon

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Leave your link and I’ll drop by your 56.

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

Welcome to Freakin Fridays, where I share my reviews of books that scare you, thrill you, and get those endorphins pumping. In Honor of Shark Week, I’m sharing some books about the dead eyed creatures for ya.

I’ve got a few good ones to share today.

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One Pissed Off Shark

by Zack Scott

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Genre: Horror

My Review

This has B-movie written all over it. Young people, booze, sex, and one pissed off shark. And what’s really fun is it’s written like a screenplay, kind of. Having seen so many movies, I easily visualized the scenes and it all played out in glorious chomping and gnashing.

Sometimes it’s fun to not give a damn about the characters and just keep reading to see how they meet their bloody end. LOL There’s plenty of chum here. I was making a list and adding the character’s in the order I wanted them eaten. None have any real redeeming factors.

If you like man eating sharks and lots of silliness and characters you could care less about, this would be a fun one for ya. I read it straight through and it flew by. Some scenes made me squirm, but mostly I just grinned madly and enjoyed the show.

  3  Stars

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Synopsis

Ray and his friends have anger issues. So does the shark hunting them.

This book is free on Amazon. You can click on the cover to grab a copy.

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MEG

MEG #1

by Steve Alten

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Genre: Horror / Thriller

My Review

I don’t even know how many times I’ve read this book and the rest of the series. It’s one of my go to books when I want to just relax and enjoy the story. Plus, I love anything sharks. Who doesn’t.

Jonas Taylor is one the best in deep sea submersible dives. When he’s sent down on a secret dive into the Marianna Trench, he barely makes it back alive. His claims that a Megalodon almost ended his life is met with derision by his peers and he sinks into depression. After years trying to prove he’s right and waking up screaming from freakish nightmares, Joans is compelled to once again brave the deep, and what happens next is worse than any nightmare he’s ever had.

Oh yeah, I loved this book. From the character’s, to the shark, and everything in-between, it was awesome. Steve is a wonderful storyteller and has you believing Megs do still exist. There’s much argument about that, which I won’t go into, but I choose to say, who knows? The ocean is the least explored place on our planet and new species are discovered all the time.

I myself, hope they do but, then I don’t. After reading books and seeing movies about Great White Sharks, I think they’re bad enough. For something that could use a 20 footer as a toothpick to arrive in our waters is truly terrifying.

Dive into MEG. Meet her up close and personal. Once the action starts, it’s a whole lot of gnashing and blood. If your a fan of sharks and horror, you’ll eat this up.

 5  Stars

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Synopsis

Revised and Expanded. On a top-secret dive into the Pacific Ocean’s deepest canyon, Jonas Taylor found himself face-to-face with the largest and most ferocious predator in the history of the animal kingdom. The sole survivor of the mission, Taylor is haunted by what he’s sure he saw but still can’t prove exists – Carcharodon megalodon, the massive mother of the great white shark. The average prehistoric Meg weighs in at twenty tons and could tear apart a Tyrannosaurus rex in seconds. Taylor spends years theorizing, lecturing, and writing about the possibility that Meg still feeds at the deepest levels of the sea. But it takes an old friend in need to get him to return to the water, and a hotshot female submarine pilot to dare him back into a high-tech miniature sub. Diving deeper than he ever has before, Taylor will face terror like he’s never imagined. MEG is about to surface. When she does, nothing and no one is going to be safe, and Jonas must face his greatest fear once again.

Amazon

I kept hearing this was going to be made into a movie for years. And now, it’s happening. And there is a great cast for the characters too. It’s due to release in 2018. Check out the trailer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEFdn4kad-A

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While this isn’t part of Steve Alten’s megalodon series, it does have prehistoric sharks in it. And a bunch of other nasty sea beasts. Loads of action and fun.

Vostok

The Loch #2

by Steve Alten

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Genre: Horror / Thriller

My Review

   

I loved Steve’s Meg series. Who wouldn’t love a prehistoric shark loose in today’s oceans. I’ve read the complete series and then moved on to The Loch. Another winner with a prehistoric creature lurking in Loch Ness.

Steve has brought two amazing characters together from these books. Marine biologist Zachary Wallace and Dr. Jonas Taylor. Both of these men have drowned and come back from meetings with giant terrors of the deep seas. Neither ever thought they would enter primal waters again, but here they go.

From the village of Drumnadrochit, Scotland,  to America, and back to Scotland to battle and defeat the beast of Loch Ness,  Zachary is now about to jump down the rabbit hole into the coldest place on earth. Antarctica. But not on the surface. He’s going two and a half miles below the ice cap to an undersea lake called Vostok.

No man has ever gone there before and Vostok has been undisturbed for over 15 million years. Here be monsters. Behemoths of unimaginable size and voracious appetite.

Imagine it if you can. Lasers burn the way, forming a narrow tube for the sub to pass through the ice cap. You break through and fall, plunging into a vast undersea lake over a thousand feet deep. A beast rises, mouth gaping wide, teeth taller than you, so huge you can’t grasp it.

When things go wrong, which they do, who do you call for help? How long will it take for them to get there, if they even can?

And what if there is another reason for sending you down there? Something ancient, powerful, non terrestrial that you have to retrieve. Big brother has their sticky fingers in this expedition. They want what’s down there. No one knows what they are up to. You get it or die trying. Sounds like a conspiracy doesn’t it?

The cast of characters is diverse and many. Some were old favorites and some were new to me. I crossed my fingers the good guys would survive, but you never know with Steve. He’s not above killing some off. And the bad guys. Some were just annoying, and some I’d drop through the tunnel myself.

By the time I reached the third part of the book, I was feeling the terror, the frustration, the courage of these characters. And then the author took the story in yet another direction. I stumbled  a bit. Partly because it was hard for me to grasp how it worked at first. And partly because I didn’t want it to go in that direction. I was dragged kicking and screaming away from my beasts. I went with it though, and soon was engrossed and into it.

Vostok is the crossover book that brings The Loch and The Meg series together for the upcoming release of Meg 5: Nightstalkers. The title alone has me imaging all types of monsters.

 I follow Steve’s newsletter and have been waiting years for his Meg book to be made into a movie. It will be coming soon and I’m sure it will be a huge hit. From there, maybe we’ll be meeting these beasties on the big screen.

Thanks so much to Steve Alten and Rebel Press for gifting me a Limited Edition Hardcover copy for my honest review.

What a strange, terrifying, spectacular ride it’s been from the first Meg book to Vostok and beyond!

5 Stars

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Synopsis

East Antarctica: The coldest, most desolate location on Earth. Two-and-a-half miles below the ice cap is Vostok, a six thousand square mile liquid lake, over a thousand feet deep, left untouched for more than 15 million years. Now, marine biologist Zachary Wallace and two other scientists aboard a submersible tethered to a laser will journey 13,000 feet beneath the ice into this unexplored realm to discover Mesozoic life forms long believed extinct and an object of immense power responsible for the evolution of modern man.

In this sequel to The Loch and prequel to the upcoming MEG 5: Nightstalkers, New York Times best-selling author Steve Alten offers readers a crossover novel that combines characters from two of his most popular series.

Steve Alten is the New York Times and International bestselling author of fourteen novels, including the MEG series about Carcharodon Megalodon, the 70-foot, 100,000 pound prehistoric cousin of the Great White shark and Domain trilogy, a series about the Mayan Calendar s 2012 doomsday prophecy. His work has been published in over 30 countries and is being used in thousands of middle and high school curriculum as part of Adopt-An-Author, a free teen reading program, which he founded with teachers back in 1999.”

Amazon

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

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Fear Inducer
by Ellie Douglas
Genre: Psychological Thriller
 
They believed their phobias were just nightmares… 

They believed Dr Felix Bloom would cure them.
They were…SO WRONG!
Doctor Felix Bloom is a brilliant psychiatrist and pharmacologist who has
done a lot of good for humanity. But, he has a dark side as a serial
killer of some of his patients using their phobias against them. How
he gets his patients to kill themselves in some bizarre fashions
satiating his greed for death and mayhem you will have to discover.
But, nonetheless, if you love horror, you will love Dr. Bloom’s
methods and madness. Yes, he is as composed as they come, but maybe
more evil than most. He’s charming, considerate with his secretary,
Joanna, and his best friend, a doctor. But, beneath the elegant
exterior rages the thirst for blood as a serial killer.



Without going into the gory details or the method of Dr. Bloom, his patient’s
deaths are spectacularly staged (and gory) and witnessed by the good
doctor. The author does a great job telling why Dr. Bloom is a serial
killer and it may make you feel some empathy for the man. But, that
is a whole chapter worth exploring on your own. I was pleasantly
surprised at the intricate detail of the mind of Dr. Bloom. He’s
smart. Incredibly smart. The book is definitely worth your time. It
has everything a chilling horror novel should have. I would be remiss
if I didn’t mention the author’s other book about a serial killer
named Toxic Desire, which features a female serial killer. Who’s more
evil? Dr. Bloom by far. Why? I won’t spoil the novel for you. Fear
Inducer is more malevolent while Toxic Desire is erotically-charged.
Also, look for the subtlty in Doctor Bloom over the novel. He has a
lot of secrets worth discovering. Excellent book and a welcome
addition to my bookshelf.
P.S. – I forgot something. There are loads if images in the book at the
front of each chapter based on the fear the patient has. Really cool
visuals to put you in the mood for what you are about to read.

-from Amazon reviewer Cameron Rowe
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My Review

Who knew there were so many phobias. Some of the ones I ran into in this book were so out there. I want to say they were absurd, but I doubt the people who suffered them felt that way.

He’s the smartest man in the world and he’s not that way by accident. And there are side affects to that tampering. He’s got a dark side. One where he gets enormous satisfaction from killing. Killing a lot. Dr. Felix Bloom is a very bad boy. Supposed to help people with their phobias, he instead uses those fears against them, forcing them to kill themselves while he watches. The more he kills, the more he needs to kill. It’s  a deadly cycle and he doesn’t mind doing it.

What a sick twist. And such gory deaths. The doctor comes up with some grotesque ways to get his patients to kill themselves. Are you afraid of snakes? How about clowns? Yeah, a lot of us don’t like those.

I really enjoyed the illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. They start with a new patient and represent their particular phobia. The one for spiders will creep you out. As will some others. And the author was very creative with the illustration for a fear of the dark. LOL You’ll “see” what I mean.

If you like some gore and lots of killer scenes, you’ll want to grab this book. There’s enough to satisfy all your needs. Just ask the doctor. He’ll cure what ails ya.

4 Stars

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I’m Ellie Douglas, and like you, I love horror, everything about horror,
the goriest and most gruesome of horrors is the ultimate. I can’t
get enough. So much so that I write horror. That need to be graphic,
and explicit with my horror scenes makes me stand out. I give what I
want to read to others, so now they can enjoy a true horror
story. 


I’m not all about just being graphic, I also build characters that the
readers will love and or hate, so they can feel pulled right inside
of the story that they are reading. It gives me so much enjoyment
when I hear remarks like, ‘You made me want to puke,’ ‘I have
nightmares every damned night –thanks,’ and ‘Quentin Tarantino
and Steven King made a baby, YOU!’ when I hear comments like that,
I know then I’ve succeeded, that also pushes me into writing more
and becoming even better.
I’m fun loving, generous and very mysterious. I enjoy spending time with
my family, and have four children to keep the horror writing alive. I
enjoy helping others and volunteer my services to help Autistic
children, I love cosplay and the chance to dress up as a monster,
zombie or some other gritty character is fun, oh so much fun.
I love summer, and well…I hate winter. I live in New Zealand and feel
often too far away from all the cool stuff going on in the world. I
love helping people all the time. I’ve got my hands dipped in a few
things, I write books, but I also make professional book covers for
other authors, I also create adult coloring books and I have a
gambling app that I designed on the apple store 🙂 I’ve always got
a project going, be it writing or creating, that is who I am and I
love it 🙂
My ultimate aim is to give back, paying it forward, to constantly better
myself and give the audience amazing stories. Let me scare you…
 
 

Follow the tour HERE!
 
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 
 

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

Tell On You Banner

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Title: TELL ON YOU
Author: Freda Hansburg
Publisher: Micro Publishing Media
Pages: 248
Genre: Thriller

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My Review

I knew going in this would be a twisted emotional read, and it was. When will adults ever learn? And it shouldn’t surprise me how distorted teenage girls can become with all of that angst building up inside them.

Jeremy Bates is a popular teacher in a private school. His class is exciting and innovative. So it’s no surprise that some of the girls develop a crush on him. One girl in particular, Nikki Jordan, sets her sights on him and the repercussions are enormous.

Reading about how Jeremy struggled with and justified his actions had me squirming. The author made it believable and, as we’ve read in the headlines, it’s actually happened all too many times. I wanted to beat him over the head with a baseball bat. What was he thinking. By the end of the book I didn’t feel any different for him, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the story.

And Nikki. Sheesh, what a mess. Her poor mother. She needed to rein her in. Easier said then done, I know. This girl has such a warped idea of how things should be. She’s totally self-absorbed and has a one track mind. For those that get in her way, it’s a train wreck waiting to happen.

Even though I’ve read other books with a similar plot, along with some movies. this came across as fresh. It brings out all of those feels and has a killer ending. Well worth your time.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Tell on You is a psychological suspense novel that best fits within the Gone Girl-inspired niche genre of “grip lit.”   Jeremy Barrett’s obsessive love equals that of Jay Gatsby for Daisy Buchanan, as life imitates art in his private school English class. But his angst-driven infatuation brings dire consequences as he is drawn into the machinations of his disturbed 16-year-old student Nikki Jordan, whose bad intentions rival those of her teacher.  A fast-paced, drama-filled tale, Tell on You reminds readers about the wildness and trauma of adolescence—and the self-defeating behaviors to which adults resort in times of stress. From gaslighting to vicious bullying, poisonous family privilege to the loss of a parent—Freda Hansburg draws on her experience as a clinical psychologist to explore the depths of each dark situation in Tell on You.

Purchase on Amazon

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Enjoy the excerpt

“OWW!!”  EIGHT-YEAR OLD Brandon Jordan screeched as his sister Nikki twisted his arm in an Indian burn.  “Nikki, stop!”
His cries brought Mom crashing into Nikki’s room.  “Nikki, I won’t have you bullying your brother again.  Let him go this instant.”
“But I caught him in here messing with my stuff!” Nikki gave Brandon’s arm a final wrench before releasing him.  Pouting, he scurried from her room.
“I don’t care what he did.  I told you, keep your hands to yourself.”  Her mother turned away, judgment delivered.
Probably in a hurry to get back to her vodka and reality TV.  “At least when Dad was here, somebody stuck up for me,” Nikki called after her.
Mom’s angry face reappeared.  “Stuck up for you?”  A bitter laugh.  “Stuck it to you, and all of us, is more like it.”
“Wasn’t me he left,” Nikki said.
“Really?  When’s the last time he even phoned you?”  Her mother walked off with that parting shot.
“Like you’d know, bitch.”  Nikki said it under her breath, but not under enough.
“Who do you think you’re talking to?”  Mom stormed back into the room, got right up in Nikki’s face, breath boozy.  “You’re grounded for the next three days, kiddo.  Give me your car keys, right now.”
“Maa!” Nikki protested.  “How will I get to school?”
Her mother held out her hand for the keys.  “Get up an hour early and I’ll drop you on the way to work.”
“No way!”  Nikki fished the keys from her bag and dropped them into her mother’s open palm.
“Then walk.”  Her mom headed out of the room, turning back for one last jab.  “Or call your father.”
This time Nikki closed the bedroom door before cursing her out.  Walking to school sucked, and tomorrow’s weather forecast called for cold.  Call your father. Very funny.  Dad lived in Austin now.  But it gave her an idea.
Nikki picked up her phone to make the call, rehearsing the pitch in her mind.  I’m so lonely, Mr. B.  I’m taking care of my brother again because my mom went out.  And she forgot we were supposed to take my car in for a new battery.  And I was wishing…I know I shouldn’t ask you…but if you met me and gave me a ride to school tomorrow, I’d get to see you.  You wouldn’t have to take me right to school, just drop me nearby. 
She’d sell it to him.  And after that, she’d see about getting even with her mother and brother.  Maybe steal Brandon’s Game Boy batteries and hide them.  And see how much distilled white vinegar she could add to Mom’s vodka bottle before the bitch actually noticed.  Nobody, but nobody, got to score the winning point against Nikki Jordan.

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Meet Author Freda Hansburg

Freda Hansburg

Freda Hansburg is a psychologist and Tell On You is her debut trade thriller.  She self-published the suspense novel Shrink Rapt and co-authored two self-help books, PeopleSmart – a best-seller translated into ten languages – and Working PeopleSmart.  Freda lives in the South Carolina Lowcountry, where she is working on her next novel and her Pickleball game.

Her latest book is the thriller, Tell On You.

Website / Twitter / Facebook

Blog Tour Organised by:
http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I’m a huge fan of short stories and collections. And I enjoy Suspense Thrillers.

Check out Seven Threads.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

But first, enjoy this interview with Author Jason Atkinson.

Q: There are plenty of fiction books out there, what makes yours so special?

A: I realize that in this great big world that there are those that read a lot, and those that only read small portions. This book stands apart because it fits both audiences. My book of short stories is split into parts. Each story has parts that make up the entire story. If a reader wishes to read an entire story at once, they can. If another reader wants to digest smaller sections without getting lost – they can! It’s great.

Plus, my stories are just fun to read and have twists and turns all their own. Each story is unique so you are bound to find a few favorites to read over and over again.

 

Q: What made you choose these stories to write about?

A: Honestly, I didn’t have a plan going into this. It was all about what hit me at that moment. The only thing I knew for sure was to make sure I was true to myself in the process and made sure I would have stories that reflected possible life circumstances with the opportunity for human kind to ring through in the way it should be remembered – good, kind hearted souls that want to see empathy, not cruelty win.

 

Q: Do you snack while writing?

A: Typically I do not. I try to stay zoned in as much as possible, although I do love my snacks and often find myself grazing as soon as I am done with a writing session!

 

Q: Have you ever started writing and then just decided to throw it away?

A: Yes and no. I have begun stories and part way through realized that my heart isn’t in it, so I stop. I don’t throw it away though as I may find myself needing it again one day. But as mentioned, I certainly have found myself second guessing and just moving away from a story. If I have to force it work, then it’s probably not coming from me. I want pure, honest stories.

 

Q: Do you have a profession besides writing?

A: I do, amazingly publishing books isn’t a get rich quick type of deal! I actually have a career in Operations with a company based out of California, even though I am located in Iowa. I get to work from home and sometimes travel to work with different clients, and because of that I can soak in the new surroundings that I encounter and apply them to my imagination when writing stories for people like you.

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Book Details:

Book Title: Seven Threads: A Book of Short Stories
Author: Jason Atkinson
Category: Adult Fiction, 151 pages
Genre: Thriller and Suspense
Publisher: Mascot Books
Release date: July 4 , 2017
Tour dates: July 10 to 28, 2017
Content Rating: PG

Book Description:

In this collection of seven short stories from Jason Atkinson, follow a man accused of murder, a runaway girl on a train, a scientist at the heart of a government conspiracy, and more! Full of twists and turns, Seven Threads offers a selection of fast-paced stories full of heart and excitement.

Buy the Book:

 

 
 
Meet the Author:


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Jason Atkinson lives in the Midwest with his wife and son. With a love of writing, this is his 3rd book, but first book in the fiction category. Short stories are easy to digest, and yet, this book still provides all the joys for the long haul reader. Jason write for everyone in mind when creating this piece and hopes you will enjoy it as much as he did when writing it.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Facebook

Enter the Giveaway!
Ends Aug 5th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

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Harmless
by Katherine Dell
Genre: Paranormal Thriller
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My Review

As much a sprititual journey as a thriller, Harmless intrigued me. A family tragedy sent Rachel spiraling out of control. She hopes the move to Hazelton will help her find closure and maybe find herself again.

When an innocent game between Rachel and her new friends releases a Wendigo, what they thought was a genie in a bottle turns out to be a dangerous path as they make their wishes to the mythical being.

I thought this was going to be a horror story. Mind you, it does kind of go there, but the psychological aspect makes it more of a thriller. Strange animal deaths and sightings build a disquieting atmosphere and the author’s twist on the Wendigo spirit kept the story moving forward and made this a much deeper read than I expected.

According to the legend, a price must be paid to rid the town of the Wendigo. A huge one. Wondering who would pay that price added to the  suspense and made the ending, though a cliff hanger, a fun surprise.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Be careful what you wish for.

After moving from Vancouver to isolated Hazelton, BC, high school senior Rachel Barnes hopes she’ll finally find closure and a sense of direction after tragedy has torn her family apart. When she and her friends discover the old spirit box her grandmother gave her, they see it as a chance to wish their troubles away. But the Great Spirits—deer, crow, bear, and the mythical wendigo—give away nothing for free.

So instead of worrying about fitting in and finding a boyfriend, Rachel finds herself in a race to control the malevolent spirit who’s taken up residence in Mason Allen, who she fears and craves in equal measure. What began as a harmless game forces Rachel to confront her past—and offers her a future she never imagined.

Step into a reality that is not as it seems in Book 1 of the Harmless series.

Goodreads * Amazon

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About the Author

Katherine Dell is a young adult fiction author fascinated by the supernatural and the stories that surround them. She began her writing endeavours in 2011 when she wanted to reinvent herself from her previous career as an event planner. When she’s not writing, she can be found in cold hockey arenas sipping coffee, working on her tan at little league games, or trying to keep her dog out of her many gardens. She lives with her husband, two boys, and fur babies, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Amazon * Goodreads

 

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour HERE for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

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The Freedom Broker
by KJ Howe
Genre: Thriller
 
KIDNAP & RANSOM
IN-DEPTH RESEARCH FOR CANADIAN AUTHOR’S DEBUT INTERNATIONAL THRILLER
There are twenty-five elite kidnap negotiators in the world. Only one is a
woman. And she’s the best in the business. Meet Thea Paris in THE
FREEDOM BROKER.
With over 40,000 reported kidnappings every year—which
translates to five people every hour
—the
world of kidnap and ransom is taking on a newsworthy role across the
globe. Displaced military and police in third world countries have no
way to put food on the table, but they do have security skills, so
they have turned to kidnapping as a way of making a living. Also,
terrorists are using kidnapping as a fundraising enterprise, filling
their coffers with over 125 million dollars since 2009. Kidnappers
used to only abduct high net-worth individuals and executives of
multi-national organizations. Not anymore. Journalists, aid workers,
and family members of executives have now become high value targets.
Kidnapping is a growing international crisis. What tools do we have to fight
against this increasing threat? There are twenty-five elite kidnap
negotiators who travel to the globe’s hotspots to bring hostages
home, through negotiation or recovery, and they are called response
consultants or freedom
brokers
. Local to Toronto, author K.J. Howe has immersed herself in the world
of kidnapping for the last three years, interviewing kidnap
negotiators, former hostages, kidnap and ransom insurance executives,
hostage reintegration experts, psychiatrists specializing in the
captive’s mindset, and the Special Forces soldiers who deliver
ransoms and execute rescues.
Howe’s research culminates into her debut thriller, THE FREEDOM BROKER,
published by the Hachette Book Group under the Quercus imprint in the
US, Canada, U.K. and many foreign territories. The book has reached
attention North America wide, and has led to reviewers such as #1
NYT Bestseller James Patterson
calling
it “fact and fiction at its best.”
K.J. Howe’s novel has received positive and international acclaim from some of North
America’s most influential mediums and authors including:

TIME Magazine called the book a “Dark Delight.”

#1 NYT Bestseller Lee Child endorses
the book: “Razor sharp and full of you-are-there authenticity—a
superb thriller.”

NYT Bestseller Linwood Barclay shares, “Breathless
action, great characters, and convincing details make Howe’s debut
a surefire rocket to the top of the lists.”

In The Providence Journal,
USA Today Bestselling author Jon Land reviews,
“The
Freedom Broker is a blisteringly original, superbly crafted thriller
that promises to be one of the major debuts of 2017. K.J. Howe’s
gut-wrenching foray into the world of hostage negotiation turned
upside down propels her straight into the league of Linda Fairstein,
Tess Gerritsen, Lisa Scottoline, and Karin Slaughter, thanks to a
tale framed by an emotional complexity and structural elegance both
rare for the genre. As riveting as it is bracing, this is reading
entertainment at its absolute best.”
 
 
 
 
Born in Toronto, Canada, K.J. enjoyed a nomadic lifestyle during her early
years, living in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the Caribbean,
which gave her an insider’s view into many different cultures.
While abroad, she read every book she could find, which triggered in
her a desire to create her own stories.
She attended Salzburg International Preparatory School, Neuchâtel Junior
College, and Albert College before earning a Specialists Degree in
Business from the University of Toronto. K.J. found success in the
corporate world, but her passion for travel, adventure, and stories
drew her back to school where she earned a Masters in Writing Popular
Fiction from Seton Hill University. She also won several writing
awards, including three Daphne du Maurier Awards for Excellence in
Mystery and Suspense.
While honing her fiction skills, K.J. worked as a medical, health, and
fitness writer. She then became involved with the International
Thriller Writers as the executive director of ThrillerFest, the
organization’s annual conference held every July in New York City.
In preparation for writing THE FREEDOM BROKER series, which focuses on
elite kidnap negotiator Thea Paris, K.J. spent extensive time
researching the dark world of kidnapping. She has interviewed former
hostages, negotiators, hostage reintegration experts, Special Forces
operatives, and K&R insurance executives.
K.J. is an avid tennis player, cyclist, and swimmer. Travel and adventure
still rank high on her priority list. She has had the pleasure of
riding racing camels in Jordan, surfing in Hawaii, zip lining in the
Costa Rican jungle, diving alongside Great White Sharks in South
Africa, studying modern combat in the Arizona desert, and
working with elephants in Botswana. Home is in Toronto, Canada, but
she is often missing in action.
K.J. Howe is available for interviews and appearances along with
presentations about kidnapping and travel safety. For media
appearances, interviews, speaking engagements, and/or book review
requests please contact mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com by email or by
phone at 403.464.6925.
 
 
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18669609  34528793  28510140

Welcome to Freakin Fridays, where I share my reviews of books that scare you, thrill you, and get those endorphins pumping.

I’ve got a few good ones to share today.

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After The Ending

The Ending #1

by Lindsey Fairleigh and Lindsey Pogue

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Genre: Post Apocalyptic

My Review

I enjoyed the dual points of view from best friend’s Dani and Zoe. They are far apart when the flu virus starts, killing off most of humanity. They struggle to stay in touch, traveling in two different groups, hoping to meet up later.

It was fun to follow Dani and Zoe as they try to survive and reconnect. And the groups they travel with add much to the turmoil and danger. They all need each other to survive but that doesn’t mean they don’t have their own agendas. This is my favorite part of this genre. The group dynamics. Who shines. Who falls short. And who goes homicidal. I like to pick one person I loathe and wait to see what happens to them. Sure adds to the suspense.

And while I expected to be left hanging in the end, with this being an ongoing series, I felt like it just stopped. Like it went to commercial and didn’t come back, right in the middle of the action. A good beginning and I’ll probably continue with the series as it’ll haunt me until I know what happens to who.

 3  Stars

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Synopsis

THE FIRST BOOK IN THE EMOTIONALLY CHARGED POST-APOCALYPTIC ROMANCE SERIES, The Ending.

The Virus spread. Billions died. The Ending began. We may have survived the apocalypse, but the Virus changed us.

When people started getting sick, “they” thought it was just the flu. My roommate, my boyfriend, my family…they’re all gone now. I got sick too. I should have died with them—with the rest of the world—but I didn’t. I thought witnessing the human population almost disappear off the face of the earth was the craziest thing I’d ever experience. I was so wrong. My name is Dani O’Connor, and I survived The Ending.

The Virus changed everything. The world I knew is gone, and life is backwards. We’ve all had to start over. I’ve been stripped of my home, my dreams…all that is me. I’m someone else now—broken and changed. Other survivors’ memories and emotions haunt me. They invade my mind until I can no longer separate them from my own. I won’t let them consume me. I can’t. My name is Zoe Cartwright, and I survived The Ending.

We’ve been inseparable for most of our lives, and now our friendship is all we have left. The aftermath of the Virus has stranded us on opposite sides of the United States. Trusting strangers, making sacrifices, killing—we’ll do anything to reach one another. Fear and pain may be unavoidable, but we’re strong…we’re survivors. But to continue surviving in this unfamiliar world plagued by Crazies and strange new abilities, we have to adapt. We have to evolve.

And more than anything, we have to find each other.

THIS BOOK CONTAINS ADULT CONTENT AND LANGUAGE.

Amazon

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Paranormal Painless

by Shannon Reiger

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Genre: YA Paranormal Thriller

My Review

You know those stories that creep up on you? Where the author takes their time, slipping in subtle clues that you don’t always catch right away, and the atmosphere becomes darker and darker? I do, and I very much enjoy the slow build up as the author introduces the characters, fleshes them out so you connect with them, and then starts adding in some odd occurrences that keep you on edge. Like in a movie where the music builds and you know any second now something horrific is going to happen, you brace yourself for that moment. But it doesn’t come. Then it builds again, gets a little creepier, but doesn’t happen. You start to think it never will, and then you’re caught off guard and jump when the author yells boo. This is one of those stories. It’s edgy, suspenseful and so very creepy.

Christian Moore is a mild mannered English teacher and a self proclaimed loner. He’s got his routine and he’s content.  As such, he’s ill equipped when a strange package is left in his driveway. He opens it to find an enormous black cat with huge paws.  He brings it in out of the rain and the cat is so traumatized it won’t leave his side.  It’s odd behavior rubs off on him and he starts jumping at little noises and things moving in the corner of his vision. Soon he wonders what the cat dragged home as he becomes haunted in his own home.

So much to like in this one. Especially how Christian uses the students in his writing class. The students really like Christian and find it fun when he gives them a new assignment about ghosts and hauntings, hoping they don’t catch on that it’s really happening to him.

The cat, Pacman, is such an important part of the story. He’s one of my favorites. When reading this book, see if you pick up on something special about him.

As Christian is pushed into solving a serial killer cold case, his life changes quickly. The hauntings become the least of his worries when an act of kindness puts him in the local newspaper. Now he’s a target and those around him will suffer for it.

Such a great story. At times I smiled and laughed. Other times I felt so sad. And when things took the dark turn, I cringed, worried about these characters, and for good reason.

A slow burner but never boring, Paranormal Painless will haunt you.

5  Stars

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Synopsis

Bewildered by an unexpected, peculiar package and disturbed by its accompanying antagonistic spirits, English teacher Christian Moore is shaken from his carefully crafted, cocooned existence and catapulted into the shocking reality of an unpredictable, haunted and sometimes evil world. With his own safety and sanity at stake, he must learn to embrace the paranormal when he is confronted by the serial killer of innocent children. To survive, Christian forms unlikely alliances with once feared intruders from the supernatural realm, as well as, a mysterious man with unique insight and abilities.

Just when he thinks he has solved the mystery of his chilling visions, he is propelled into a tomb of water where he is forced to unravel the heartbreaking history buried for years within the confines of those same walls.

While helping the unfortunate, trapped souls, he is compelled to examine his own traumatic past and to risk everything he knows for a life truly worth living.

Amazon

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Ash

Wheels and Zombies #1

by M. Van

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Genre: Horror

My Review

This could be a refreshing twist for zombie fans. Our main heroine is a thirteen-year-old girl in a wheelchair. Ash is in the hospital fighting a losing battle with cancer when the world goes mad. A virus is killing people, but they rise again, rabid for human flesh. As the virus spreads through the hospital, Ash doesn’t have to worry about cancer killing her anymore. The zombies are the big worry now.

Ash is a resilient young girl, brave in the face of death, and refusing to be looked at as a weak victim. She has plenty of ideas on how to get out, to survive. And shes’ adept at reading people, which comes in handy when she discovers why the military want all of the patients on the cancer ward.

There’s lots of action, relentless zombies, and some intrigue for conspiracy fans. Not everyone is brave or good. And I was caught by surprise by a few of the characters. A clever way for the author to offer up more fodder for the zombies

I knew going in this was a novella for a continuing series, but I wasn’t too thrilled when I looked at my kindle and noticed I was 99% through the book and there was no end in sight. It ended on a zinger of a cliffhanger, but, since I enjoyed the characters, I’m encouraged to keep going.

  4 Stars

~~~~~

Synopsis

Facing the zombie apocalypse in a wheelchair might prove a challenge to others. For thirteen-year-old Ash it’s just another fight for her life.

When feeling deserted and alone with the knowledge that your days are pretty much numbered, you might decide not to be pushed around anymore. But stuck in a wheelchair with the risen dead on your tail—this might prove a challenge.

Ash’s stay at a hospital that for all intents might be her last, turns into a different nightmare when a killer virus overcomes the staff and her fellow patients.

With the walking dead roaming the hospital halls, Ash has to depend on the help of an old man, and a soldier who could turn out to be the enemy to survive. She not only has to use her head, avoiding zombies, but also to stay out of the hands of a shady government agency that wants to dissect her.

Amazon

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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Creepz banner

Creepz

by Ruth Bainbridge

Creepz cover

GENRE: Suspense Thriller

 

BLURB

June 2017. New York is suffering under the worst heatwave in centuries, but it’s the barrage of grisly murders that has city dwellers on edge. Since the homicides don’t fit a pattern, the NYPD is treating them as unrelated, but Detective Grace Jarrod isn’t so sure. Graffiti left at the crime scenes points to the crimes being linked and part of a rampage.

The delivery of a cryptogram to her precinct proves her theory correct. A group calling themselves CREEPZ takes credit for the deaths and for the war they wage. They promise not to stop until a societal revolution is achieved. Jarrod leads the investigation and goes after the madmen that strike at will and profess to kill for love. Little does she know that the group of homeless drifters is led by a genius who believes himself God.

~~~~~

Enjoy this glimpse inside.

PROLOGUE

“It’s the things right under your nose—

the things you don’t notice

—that get you killed.”

—  Detective Grace Jarrod, NYPD

The express train thundered down the subway tracks, speeding past the commuters huddled on the platform. The breeze broke the solid wall of heat, giving the crowd on the underground platform some relief from the steam bath they were caught up in.

A sigh rippled through the human herd as they edged away from the mechanical beast clearing the station. When the last car was swallowed up by the darkness of the tunnel, they eased back into position and anticipated the arrival of a local that would stop at the 72nd Street station.

In the commuters’ minds, getting home took precedence over everything, even the colorful graffiti spray painted on the tiled wall. If only they’d divined the signs right before their eyes, they could have prevented a war.

~~~~~

Author Ruth Bainbridge

Ruth Bainbridge was born in the idyllic, sleepy town of Ithaca, NY, and has been a lover of mysteries for her entire life. Ever since a child, she’s consumed detective stories at regular intervals, becoming enamored with all the superstars of crime. She loved matching wits with Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Thomas Pitt, Lord Peter Wimsey, Richard Jury and Edward X Delaney. In fact, she was so inspired by their brilliance that she began trying to emulate her writing idol’s achievements by composing her own short stories. However, life interfered with her plans of becoming the next hopeful to try a life of crime–on paper at least. But the empty nest syndrome happened and gave her the impetus to return to her first love–murder.

Her works include: THE CURT SAVAGE MYSTERIES (a four-part series that should be read in order); DEADSPEAK, a detective Twin Peaks; and ONLY ONE WILL FALL, the first in THE NICK CROSS MYSTERIES. CREEPZ is her eighth published work. The most intense read of the season, it’s a complex adrenaline rush that’s filled with suspense.

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BUY LINK: Amazon

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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