What's Next, Wednesday (101)

•  To play along share a book you've been looking forward to reading, whether it's new or has been on your reading list for a while.

I'm looking forward to...

Fallout Girl by Katie Rose Guest Pryal. I'm excited to start this one because it's a psychological thriller and I really enjoy reading those. But, I am getting ready for my last term of grad school so... who knows how many books I'll be able to choose while I'm finishing up. That means I have to make my choices great! And I think this one fits the bill as Miranda struggles with trust and constantly needing to escape to save herself, or so she thinks... 

In Between Dreams

Toby, was only a child when his father was murdered, not a day goes by where the image isn’t burned into his head. Toby, continuously has vivid dark dreams, he learns most of his dreams aren’t dreams at all, but visions of people being slaughtered.

Toby, has no choice, but to try and find the person behind these murderous dreams, and stop them from committing any more heinous murders, even if he finds out he's the killer himself.

*May Contain Spoilers*

In Between Dreams by Eugene Knight is a psychological crime thriller that connects a serial killer with a young man who is the son of his first victim. Toby often suffers from terrifying nightmares where he witnesses torture and murder. When his therapist, Dr. Louis, comes up with an unbelievable explanation, Toby wonders if the killer he sees in his dreams is real. When the victim toll rises drastically, Toby begins to understand that his dreams aren't dreams at all, but visions. 

Ten years after the murder of his father, Toby is a twenty-two year old young man who has a beautiful girlfriend and a mother that is still struggling to regain her life since her husband died. Toby is a caring son and dutiful boyfriend. He takes care of his mother while also offering help, in the form of odd jobs, to the surrounding community. He spends a lot of time with his best friend, Brian, acting like a teenager. Riding bicycles, dirt bikes, and digging through dumpsters to find valuable things that have been thrown away. Some of his actions are a bit on the childish side, but he also knows when to act like an adult. This isn't surprising for a character in his early twenties with no job, currently, and no real responsibilities. Though, Toby's character is really put to the test with this serial killer on the loose. Especially since he becomes the main suspect early on by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The sense that heroism has been pushed onto a regular young man will connect readers to Toby, as they fear for his life and the life of his loved ones. 

The plot of this novel is fearfully exciting. It is definitely on the edge of the horror genre because a lot of the chapters have a gruesome details that set the tone of the book. The story line revolves around Toby and his visions of the murderer. He meets a Dr. Niles, who studies psychic connections between siblings, specifically in twins, and pushes Toby to wonder if he has a brother. If so, then Dr. Niles thinks that his brother is the one who is committing the murders. In a race against the killer, Toby must do all he can to find the truth. The pressure is added when the detective on the case happens to be the same one who had investigated his father's murder and did a shoddy job of it. The novel as a whole is very intriguing and has a good plot development. Though the version of the book that I read had quite a few errors in regard to word choice, spelling, and sentence structure, looking past that allows for the book to be an interesting read. The pace of the novel gets faster and faster as the killer's ultimate goal becomes glaringly obvious and it threatens to destroy Toby's life. I think readers who enjoy crime thrillers, psychological twists, and surprise endings will enjoy this book. Though a second edition with more editing would make it a bit stronger. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups

What's Next, Wednesday (52)

•  To play along share a book you've been looking forward to reading, whether it's new or has been on your reading list for a while.

I'm looking forward to...

In Between Dreams by Eugene Knight. I'm a little nervous about reading a horror novel, but it sounds so psychologically interesting. The main character experiences dreams that turn out to be visions of murders. This leads him to try to find out who is committing the crimes and stop them. Right now, intrigue has won out over my nervous and slightly scared attitude. We'll have to wait and see how this one goes.

The Beast in the Jungle

Henry James's devastating and profoundly moving novella is the story of John Marcher, a man who, for as long as he can remember, has been obsessed by the feeling that some life-changing - even catastrophic - event lies in wait for him like a jungle animal. Then the tragic day arrives on which the terrible true nature of the beast is revealed.

*Contains Spoilers*

Henry James writes a new telling of Narcissus, the mythic god, in his novella, The Beast in the Jungle, but in the form of a man. John Marcher knew from a young age that something horrendously terrible would happen to him someday. He finds a friend in May Bartram who he tells his secret to. As life goes on, they wait for the creature to reveal himself. 

John echoes Narcissus in many ways throughout this short tale. He's only concerned with himself and his beast, he uses May to breathe life into his fantasies, and has grand ideas and designs about himself. John falls in love with the idea that there's a monstrous thing waiting for him, singling him out, making him more special than anyone else. However, the beast isn't what he thinks. 

May Bartram is a good friend to John, always putting up with his wild claims. But it's more than than, she believes him, and I think she has a reason to believe him. It's insinuated that May knows what the beast is and I think for most of the novella, even most of her life, she did know. May gets sick about halfway through the story and John thinks that watching her die may be the beast. Though he's on the right track, he doesn't exactly have the truth of it. 

John is such a selfish person that readers will have trouble feeling bad for him as he watches his friend die. Though it isn't as if he cries and exhibits true feelings about it -- he's actually angered that they can't talk about his beast. He's upset because after May dies, he'll have no one to discuss his beast with, no one to feed his fantasies. 

However, a surprising turn of events transpires as May tells John before he dies that the beast has already struck. The realization of what the beast actually was does draw out sympathy for both characters. When John learns of what form the beast took, it is horrifying and sad and terrible -- because he missed his chance to live a life full of love and passion with May. 

As a lover of literature, I recommend this short novella to anyone who also enjoys classics and psychological analysis of characters.

Rating: 3/5 Cups

Me & Mr. Jones

Finley O'Connell is a shy, reserved college student, who has no intention of ever trusting another man. At nineteen, Finley spends her Friday nights alone, studying clinical psychology to ease her mind of the abusive childhood she has yet to overcome. Her new professor, the young, charismatic Cabel Jones, begins to take an interest in Finley, whose first instinct is to run. But when an ordinary experiment turns to bloodshed, Finley must rely on Cabel, as the two hide away in a rustic, secluded cabin in the wilderness. Plagued by deception and fear, Finley soon finds herself in the arms of the one man on campus who can never truly be hers.

*May Contain Spoilers*

 

Me & Mr. Jones by Lindsay Marie Miller was not what I expected... at all. The synopsis does explain what the book is about, but there's so much more. This psychological thriller turns into a search for closure followed by a happily ever after that is immediately threatened. Needless to say, I couldn't put it down.

 

Finley has finally declared a Psychology major in her second semester of college. Nineteen years old with a past that's bruised by an alcoholic father and a murdered mother, Finely definitely has the sympathy of readers. Her dream of helping others like her will likely gain their respect as well. For everything that happens to Finley, it's impressive that she has the will to continue fighting. She's a strong character with an extraordinary amount of determination.

 

Cabel Jones is a professor at Finley's college. At only 25 years old, his academic work is commendable. It's clear that he's intelligent and a hard worker. Readers might giggle at his 'golden boy' label, awarded by Finely, but they surely won't laugh when he rescues her from a mortal threat. Readers will enjoy the back and forth between him and Finley. Though I was unsure of their blooming relationship because of his professor status, I did start to like Cabel. However, he's not the easiest character to trust because he tends to be secretive.

 

The plot of Me & Mr. Jones begins with Finley's crush on her Psych professor. During a class experiment, the campus building is attacked by 'terrorists'. Cabel rescues Finely and they escape to a cabin in the woods. They lay low for a while, but are still found. Turns out that Cabel knows a little bit too much about a certain political candidate. Throughout this attempt at survival, Finley continues to have nightmares about her father. Each of them know that they're falling for the other, but Cabel knows that if he can ever have Finley in his life, then he must wait until she's no longer a student. Their love story plays out with heartache and fear and eventually, relief. Though the novel ends with a large cliffhanger that promises a sequel.

 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

Chasing Darkness

The most dangerous place to hide is in the dark...

A tough special-agent with the Department of Justice, and a dedicated single mother to her orphaned nephews, Samantha Chase is unbreakable. Until two women, both from the shadows of Sam’s past, are discovered strangled. For Sam, the most unnerving detail is the eucalyptus branch tucked behind the victims’ ears—the signature of a notorious serial murder already convicted and executed for his crimes.

To detective Nick Thomas, the only link to the copycat killings is Sam herself. And when she becomes the target of threats—each one more menacing than the last—his feelings for her just might jeopardize the case. But to understand the killer’s twisted motive is to explore Sam’s past—and a crime she’s spent a lifetime trying to bury...

* *

Danielle Girard does an amazing job at bringing her readers into the thick of a crime scene. Chasing Darkness, newly republished as an e-book, investigates the motives of a copy cat killer while equally introducing Samantha Chase's life and haunted past. 

Samantha Chase's character is determined, tough, scared, vulnerable, hard, and a great cop. Her mixture of characteristics and flaws make her real to the reader. The murder cases that this novel revolves around connects readers to Samantha's past. The victims being people Chase tried to prosecute in earlier years of her career. The narrator is omniscient and gives readers exactly what the character's are thinking which allows bonds to be formed almost instantly. 

Readers will learn of Samantha's rough childhood, how she became a mom, how she handled her divorce, and what makes her the woman she is. The most amazing thing is that Girard tells the story in such a way that everyone gets a voice, even if they aren't the main characters. The narrator doesn't even need to be describing them, because the characters comment on each other. They share information with the reader without giving away the story line.  

And the story line was great. The plot wasn't predictable. Girard didn't rush through everything, which created a little downtime and places to pause, but kept the reader intrigued. It was like she allowed readers to pause so they could consider what would happen next. Only to continue reading and feel the surprise. Over and over. 

However, I'd have to recommend the in-print version, rather than the e-book version due to the few mistakes that I spotted throughout reading. 

Chasing Darkness 

on Amazon

rating: 3/5 cups