Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: thriller

  • Kill For Me Kill For You

    Kill For Me Kill For You

    There is a reason why Steve Cavanagh is an international award winning thriller author; his cleverly devised plots, well-fleshed-out characters and his ability to misdirect the reader. In ‘Kill For Me Kill For You’ he employs all three. It is more than an intriguing take on the classic Patricia Highsmith ‘Strangers On A Train’ story line, with its multiple twists and shocking revelations. All is not as it seems.

    Amanda and Wendy both have lost their daughters at the hands of a heinous sexual predator, who despite destroying their lives has never been brought to justice. The grieving women meet at a bereavement support group and form an almost instantaneous connection. Knowing the man responsible and desperately wanting him dead, over drinks they agree to “I’ll kill for you and you kill for me”, as neither can find peace until the perpetrator is killed. Have they hatched the perfect plan?

    Told from multiple perspectives, the reader is given insight into the troubled minds of the unique characters and with a powerful twist, the author brings their dual stories, which are running concurrently, together.  Although this appears to be a story of revenge in which two women unite in their all-consuming, unrelenting grief, it is also a tale of vigilantism, betrayal and lies.

    I highly recommend this well-crafted, page turning, highly suspenseful psychological thriller, in which Steve Cavanagh leads the reader with numerous surprising twists in many different directions and finally to an unexpected climax. Members of a book club will no doubt want to discuss the moral dilemma facing the women. Does their extreme grief justify their contrived solution?  Where does revenge stop?

  • On the Line

    On the Line

    Two separate stores intertwine in this latest mystery from Fern Michel, On The Line.

    When celebrity Chef Mateo Castillo wakes up on hospital he is confused as to why. How did he get there and what happened? When his Doctor, Haematologist Arian Ardell tells him he appears to have been poisoned it simply does not make sense.

    When he returns to the hospital only days later, once again in a terrible state, he is forced to come to terms with the fact something is far from right. Why would someone want to poison him, even though he is an up and coming star of the ‘Foodie Cult’. It is indeed a cutthroat world of the Celebrity Chef, but no one would go as far as to try and poison him, or would they.

    As he tries to find out what or why, the secret his family have kept hidden for more than thirty years has to be told, which takes the storyline into the dangerous and destructive world of the Columbian Drug cartels.

    Mateo and the delightful Adrian are determined to find out what or who is behind the attempted poisoning. Does the past history of the family have any relevance or is the cause and the killer, closer to hand?

    The historic detail is fascinating as Michael goes into great detail about the Columbia of thirty or so years ago, which is little different to today, but the escape over the border is or has been somewhat simplified. The storyline throughout the book is good, but sadly somewhat messy. There are two good books in On the Line, which would have been better as stand-alone titles.

    So saying, On The Line is a good read for an afternoon in and for younger readers, the history of the Columbia Cartels will make interesting reading.

  • Those Who Return

    Those Who Return

    Not only has one boy disappeared but now another has been murdered; both are residents at Hatchery House which had a chequered past as an asylum, therapy house and church. Former FBI psychiatrist Lore Webber was sent to this not for profit treatment facility for orphaned and abandoned children in the remote wilderness of Nebraska, to treat those with psychiatric disorders.

    When Lore’s former partner and childhood friend Cedar, drags her reluctantly into the centre of the enquiry, she is forced to confront past events from which she’d been running her entire life. Although distrustful of others and uneasy in their company, the skills which she acquired while with the FBI prove extremely useful during the investigation.

    Can they discover what happened to the murder victim Luis before the killer strikes again? Who within the walls of Hatchery House, with its dark past, locked rooms, mysterious bell tower and unpredictable nature of some of its residents, is the murderer? 

    Although this first person narrative is at times difficult to navigate, many readers will enjoy this slow burner psychological thriller, with its many twists and turns which keep you guessing until the final pages.

  • The Nothing Man

    The Nothing Man

    A serial rapist and murder is called The Nothing Man not only because he leaves no physical evidence behind but also because nothing distinguishes him or his life; he is boring, ordinary and unremarkable. Unlike other mystery crime novels, author Catherine Ryan Howard has written a tension filled memoir hidden inside a thriller, in which the perpetrator is known, and the victim is obsessed with catching him.  

    Eve Black, the protagonist and victim, at the age of 12, survived serial killer Jim Doyle, who entered her home and brutally murdered her younger sister and parents. Two decades later, she releases her survivor memoir, which includes the clues she’d found about the identity of the man who ruined her life and took her family. Jim Doyle, one time member of the Irish Garda, now a married supermarket security guard in his sixties, discovers her book and the game of cat and mouse begins. 

    This well-written cleverly crafted psychological thriller’s plot and narrative structure are quite unique, as the author progresses the storyline through the separate view points of the victim and perpetrator and beautifully cultivated dual past/present timelines.

    Although some true crime readers may find Jim’s character very similar to the recently convicted Golden State Killer, I don’t think that they will find that this distracts from the overall appreciation of this suspenseful novel.  This a memorable, gripping read and I highly recommend ‘The Nothing Man’ to all readers who enjoy a well-developed, creative twisty thriller.

  • The Girl in the Mirror

    The Girl in the Mirror

    To have an international bidding war for film rights over your first novel is incredible but is an indication of the power of the storyline in The Girl in the Mirror, a riveting, tense and enthralling debut novel from Rose Carlyle.

    Summer and Iris identical twins, mirror twins, are met in a very gentle manner as Carlyle carefully paints the portrait of two women, the same but emotionally very, very different. Summer, on holidays on what was once the family yacht Bathsheba, is facing an emergency in Thailand with Summer’s stepchild Tarquin. She calls Iris to come and help her during what she considers is a terrible crisis.

    Iris answers the cry for help but tragedy is lurking in the wings which will result in immense deception, hatred and eventual rebirth, as one twin dies and one twin survives. But which one survives?  Right from the beginning, nothing is as it seems.

    A series of well thought out twists in the story,  turns what is a fascinating plot, based in the foibles of humans, greed, jealousy and obsession, into a spine chilling thriller that is almost impossible to guess the conclusion of who really did survive.

    Slow and comfortable to begin with, the words lull into a sense of gentleness with an underlying something that is hard to define. This becomes more obvious as the pages turn before a sense of being in to deep become apparent; all of a sudden you find yourself relating in one aspect or another to the very real everyday options and reasoning of the twin who is still very much alive.

    To write too much about the plot will take away some of the integral suspense, but it is sufficient to say once begun The Girl in the Mirror is un-put-down able!

    Rose Carlyle has set the bar very high indeed in the world of Thriller literature, with her spine-chilling story that is or could be all too real, when people covet to obsession others’ lives, property and husband.

  • Darkness for Light

    Darkness for Light

    Caleb Zelic, Private Investigator, just can’t somehow, seem to get it right, as, and despite his best intentions, he believes he has just made the worst decision of the week when he agreed to meet a man at a children’s farm; a man who wouldn’t give his name and seemed to be very anxious to remain anonymous.

    When he eventually finds the mysterious man, he is face down in the chicken shed, having been shot through the back of the head. He was right, he had made a very bad decision; one that would plunge him back into contact with his former devious partner Frankie and her sister Maggie; back into the dark, murky underworld of drugs, money laundering, deception and organised crime.

    As Caleb is deaf, struggles with depression and is trying reconcile with his beloved wife Kim, the last people he wants to be involved with are the people who helped bring his marriage to crisis point. At the same time, his friend Alberto, profoundly deaf since birth, who owns and runs Alberto’s Café, famous for it ‘swoon-worthy ‘food, finds himself in serious trouble with someone trying to destroy his business. He asks Caleb to help him find out who is behind the very obvious attempts to sabotage his business

    Not a good combination for a trouble-free future, but it is not until Maggies daughter ‘Tilda is kidnapped, Caleb realises he must return to a world he would rather forget, actually desperately wants to forget, in an attempt to find ‘Tilda and discover who is trying to settle old scores and why!’

    Fast moving, well-constructed and far from straight forward, Darkness For Light is riveting. Having a protagonist who has issues and certainly is not moulded in the usual tough guy image, makes a brilliant contrast to the brutal world of deception and organised crime, providing a fresh element to the genre of crime thrillers, while touching on the many social issues that bring people to the very brink.

    Smart, loyal and with a very definite moral compass, Caleb Zelic makes a unique, damaged and very determined adversary with a very uncertain personal future. Hopefully the fourth Caleb Zelic book is not too far away!

  • In Darkness Visible

    In Darkness Visible

    We meet up with Marin Katich , in another incredibly intricate International political thriller, In Darkness Visible that completes the storyline began by Tony Jones in his first novel, The Twentieth Man when it appeared that Katich was killed, or so Anna believes, and has done so for the past ten years.

    It is now 2005 and Marin Katich is living in Croatia under an assumed name, operating a business taking tourists out to a local island on day trips; basically, it is boat for hire. Anna Rosen, former lover of Katich and mother of his child, is working in Sydney as a freelance journalist, still questioning her life, but older and now much wiser. She is considering changes to her lifestyle, while trying to adjust to the fact that her beloved daughter Rachel, now has a female partner.

    When she is contacted once again by those faceless little grey men via a series of horrific photographs which seem to be Marin Katich, a man who has been brutally beaten, now being held in the Hague as political prisoner, she once again finds herself embroiled in a world of espionage, intrigue, danger and a past that simply will not let her go.

    Set in the Balkans in general terms, from Croatia to Australia, the storyline is very real as Jones’ political background and personal knowledge of the area creates a backdrop that is true to the region. Protagonists such as Slobodan Milosevic are introduced to give authenticity to the plot, which in Tony Jones’ intricate style of weaving fact with fiction, blurs the lines making it very difficult to differentiate between history and author licence.

    As this is another complex work based on international politics, it is one that takes time to read thoroughly; to immerse into the storyline and accept the many people who are involved in one way or another with Katich, his past and it would seem his present, Anna, her past and their daughter Rachel, the product of their past.

    Initially the storyline is confusing until you realise it is a continuation of The Twentieth Man and then, once the plot expands, it is back into a world of dark, murky darker darkness, who to trust and who is playing a deeper game than anyone thought.

    Brilliant, immensely readable and for lovers of political thrillers, the perfectly constructed read. Better than ideal for the long hot days of summer, if you have not read it already.

  • Into the Night

    Into the Night

    The Dark Lake was Sarah’s first novel, and she won great acclaim for it. We were introduced to the detective Gemma Woodstock, in a murder mystery that was taut, suspenseful and captivating. Into The night, follows on with Gemma’s career. She has moved from a small country town to Melbourne where she continues to work with the police as a highly intelligent and resourceful detective. The author involves the reader by expanding Gemma’s personal story, and describes the child she loves so much, but can’t raise and the man she loved, but can’t live with. This young woman has her own demons but spends her days hunting out others.

    Gemma’s first case involves the senseless murder of a homeless man in a tunnel. There is no reason why anyone would harm this gentle man. Very shortly after, Gemma and her partner are advised that a street in Melbourne’s CBD will be closed for the filming of a TV show. Although security is at a premium, another murder takes place. Again, there seems to be no logical reason why this popular young man should be killed.

    Sifting through CCTV footage in the city and questioning all those involved in the murdered man’s life is standard practice, but Gemma has a special knack of listening to what is not being said. As she goes about her plan, organizing others to do the leg work and compiling ideas, more avenues are opened for investigation. Along with her new position, Gemma has to respond to her fellow workers, learn the ropes in a new station, and again deal with her demon.

    The author pulls us into the story by gradually revealing information about the people who were close to the murdered man. We get to know them and the victim, which adds to the picture that we are trying to build up. Most stories can’t be trusted, and as the detective is trying to piece together stories that match.

    The writing is beautifully descriptive in this story, so that the reader understands the feelings and emotions of the characters. There is much to draw one into the story, the unemotive factual processes and the passionate desire of Gemma to have some stability in her life.

    The author describes all actions of Police procedure comprehensively, and has set a new barrier for Psychological thrillers. This is an excellent follow up to her first book, and I believe that Sarah Bailey is set to become a leading crime fiction writer.

  • Bluebottle

    Bluebottle

    For a psychological thriller to maintain its tension and drama throughout the whole story, it has to be written in the best dramatic prose. This is certainly true of Bluebottle. The beginning of the story presents us with beautiful scenery and a seemingly happy family.  They have just been shown a house on the cliff edge that their dynamic father has bought. It is the tight sentences and the words left unsaid that create the first inkling of fear.

    The setting is around the Sydney beaches and the story begins on Christmas Day in 1994. We meet the family who slowly begin to emerge as characters with individual needs, overlapping the total family wellbeing. Dad is an unpredictable eccentric, who flirts cajoles and roars. His wife, Tricia, is slim, attractive and totally placating. Lou is the eldest child, and she is gorgeous, with blond hair and a tan, and a dedicated swimmer. She is Dad’s favourite. Jack is next. He dreams and paints and faints when he is stressed. Phoebe is the baby who lives in her own world for much of the time.

    There is a growing sense of unease as we become involved in the family’s life. Things are not as they seem, and details are gradually released. Just before the family moved house, a teenage girl went missing. Charlie, or Dad, is fascinated by this and brings the subject up constantly.  As we are beginning to see a pattern of behaviour by him, the story jumps quite a few years and we see the children as adults. There is still the sense of unease, as we don’t know what has happened to the parents. An old necklace has been found. It has the initial of the missing girl on it.

    The narrator tells the story from everyone’s viewpoint, but Mum’s and Dad’s. The children (we return to their younger selves) are always on edge and unsure. It is not until the very end that the reader can unravel the plot and begin to relax. Descriptions of the steamy heat, the wonderful surf and the rock pool, make this a vivid, vibrant story, interspersed with trying to make sense of the suggestions and conversations all around. Young Phoebe, while walking on the beach one day, came across a bluebottle. It was seemingly innocent and so she touched it. This story begins in the same way, transparent, yet with a gripping sense of fear.

  • The Hanging Girl

    The Hanging Girl

    This psychological thriller will keep you on your toes as a reader. Just when you think you can relax into the story, something most unexpected happens. The action is really more about the mental anguish of the characters, and how they cope with conflict. The main character is an eighteen year old (called Skye), who is graduating from school with her best friend, Drew. The girls, especially Drew, have been planning to move to New York after their graduation. Skye has a mother who has little money, and will be unable to support her daughter.

     Skye and her Mother both read Tarot cards, her mother seriously, the daughter just as a revenue raiser. Even then no money has been saved for the girl’s move interstate. One gets the feeling that the mother is fairly detached from her daughter. She was fifteen when she had Skye, and the father left very quickly, so single parenting was the only option. An opportunity now presents itself to Skye in the guise of Paige, the local judge’s daughter who has a proposition and needs Skye’s help to pull it off.

     What a dilemma! The reality is that Paige wants to give her parents an awful fright, to punish them for neglecting her. She needs Skye to give psychic clues to the police so that she can eventually be found. A large sum of money will change hands and Skye will be able to move out with her best friend. The best laid plans go astray, and the girls have to rework the initial plot.

     Meanwhile Skye is under suspicion by the Police, as well as Paige’s friends. She often feels as though she is being followed, and goes through the motions at school. She becomes more and more pressured, until her mother begins to take charge. Unfortunately, Mother does this by calling in the media, the last thing that Sky wanted. As the tension mounts and different plans are put in place, things become truly complicated. Skye and Paige want such vastly different things. For Skye, it is just the money, for Paige, it is revenge.

     There is so much uncertainty shown by the characters that we can feel the moral issues they are struggling with. The view of the real world is quite different for all of the women; for Drew “Money is just not a problem,” for Paige, “Revenge is everything,” and for Skye “Being able to change your future to one with promise,” is a goal to reach towards. As we follow their journey, and events unfold, we realise that nothing usually goes completely to plan. That they could go so drastically wrong rocks even the most complaisant reader. The main character’s age is certainly appropriate to the way she thinks and behaves, adding extra insight into the story.