Monthly Sub-Genre Challenge: What Type Are You? March 2018

Each month a randomly selected sub-genre of Mystery and Suspense will appear. We want you to discuss your favorite books and make recommendations. You may choose books to read in this sub-genre and post comments or reviews about the books read. Even a sentence or two will do!

The sub-genre for the month of March 2018 is...Psychological Thrillers

Everyone knows that you can get a good scare watching a horror movie, but readers know that some of the scariest moments are those that play with your mind. Enter…the Psychological Thriller. These are the books that often stay with you long after you finish reading and you find yourself telling your friends, “You have to read this – it’s so creepy!”

A Psychological Thriller is known for captivating characters and rich plot points. The reader becomes immersed in a story full of enough suspense and twists that you often don’t recognize the bad guy/gal until it’s too late. There have been a number of Psychological Thrillers hitting the bookstores in the last few years, all claiming to be the new Gone Girl. But, there were Psychological Thrillers well before Gillian Flynn put pen to paper (fingers to keyboard?) – who can forget such amazing stories as Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris and Misery by Stephen King? Or, classics like Endless Night by Agatha Christie, Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith and Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier?

Following are some links to help you with selections for this sub-genre:

1. https://earlybirdbooks.com/psychological-thriller-books-that-mess-with-your-mind
   
2. https://media.bookbub.com/blog/2017/08/21/best-psychological-thriller-books-of-t...
   
3. https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/psychological-thriller
   
4. https://media.bookbub.com/blog/2017/12/17/best-psychological-thriller-books-2017...
   
5. https://www.amazon.com/Best-Sellers-Books-Psychological-Thrillers/zgbs/books/104...
   
6. https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/entertainment/g13050976/best-psychological-thril...
   
7. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/tip-sheet/article/747...
   
8. http://www.bookscrolling.com/the-best-psychological-thriller-books-of-all-time/
   
9. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/ka-harrington/psychological-thrillers_b_5662434.h...
   
10. https://www.waterstones.com/booklist/244392/the-thrill-is-all-mine
    
11. https://media.bookbub.com/blog/2017/03/08/new-psychological-thrillers/
    
12. https://www.goodreads.com/genres/psychological-thriller
    
13. https://www.bustle.com/articles/200703-17-of-the-most-anticipated-thriller-novel...

^{(*picture from blackcaviar-bookclub.com)}

Happy Reading ❤

I'm going to read Killing Me Softly by Nicci French
Book Description
Alice Loudon has it all: a devoted boyfriend, a marvelous circle of friends, a challenging job as a research scientist. Then one morning, on her way to work, she exchanges a lingering look with a devastatingly attractive man. Adam Tallis is the essence of every female fantasy--a daring mountain climber who has been hailed as a hero. As a lover, he is more passionate than Alice's wildest imaginings. Soon there isn't anything or anyone she wouldn't give up to stay by his side. Soon all she has is Adam, and life with this stranger will take her to new heights of madness...and fear.

Oooooh, I bet I have a few on my tbr for this! Will take a closer look tomorrow!

This one should absolutely no problem for me.

I have 6 or 7 in this category that I'm interested in! I need a little while to decide.

The one I have on my tbr I most want to get to is:
Charley's Web / Joy Fielding

But, one that fits other March challenges is:
Caught / Harlan Coben

And, one I had on hold for Feb, but still hasn't come in, but might in March is:
Perfume / Patrick Susskind

Night Moves by Jonathan Kellerman
Alex Delaware series Book #33
4.5★

Even with all his years of experience, LAPD homicide detective Milo Sturgis knows there are crimes his skill and savvy cannot solve alone. That’s when he calls on brilliant psychologist Alex Delaware to read between the lines, where the darkest motives lurk. And if ever the good doctor’s insight is needed, it’s at the scene of a murder as baffling as it is brutal. There’s no spilled blood, no evidence of a struggle, and, thanks to the victim’s missing face and hands, no immediate means of identification. And no telling why the disfigured corpse of a stranger has appeared in an upscale L.A. family’s home. Chet Corvin, his wife, and their two teenage children are certain the John Doe is unknown to them. Despite that, their cooperation seems guarded. And that’s more than Milo and Alex can elicit from the Corvins’ creepy next-door neighbor—a notorious cartoonist with a warped sense of humor and a seriously antisocial attitude.

This was a great series right from the very beginning with Book #1 back in 1985. The characters of Police Lieutenant Milo Sturgis and psychiatrist Alex Delaware blended perfectly to create stories that were not only well done but entertaining and left the reader wanting more. Offering #33 brings suspenseful situations with a headless body with the hands also missing along with plenty of different takes as to how the case may go. In a nutshell...it's Kellerman at his best

The Girl next Door by Brad Parks
Carter Ross series Book #3
4.5★

Reading his own newspaper's obituaries, veteran reporter Carter Ross comes across that of a woman named Nancy Marino, who was the victim of a hit-and-run while she was on the job delivering copies of that very paper, the Eagle-Examiner. Struck by the opportunity to write a heroic piece about an everyday woman killed too young, he heads to her wake to gather tributes and anecdotes. It's the last place Ross expects to find controversy--which is exactly what happens when one of Nancy's sisters convinces him that the accident might not have been accidental at all.

Of course, me being me, I started at the #3 book instead of the #1. I guess it didn't really matter much except I might have learned what a sense of humor Carter Ross has and not been so surprised. Brad Parks has created in Carter Ross a likable character that has personality, charm and integrity. He also is owned by a charming cat named "Deadline" that Ross describes as "dormant". We were offered a plateful of bad guys...but I never guessed the identity until nearly the end. I would recommend this series for anyone that is looking for a good mystery that doesn't take itself too seriously.

The Tunnels by Michelle Gagnon
Kelly Jones series Book #1
4.5★

Kelly is back on familiar turf here: she is an alumnus of the college and is aware of, but not particularly familiar with, the series of tunnels that snake beneath the campus. These tunnels are the scenes of two horrific crimes: two female students have been hung in front of symbols painted on the tunnel walls and their blood drained from them. Together with her FBI partner Roger Morrow, Kelly needs to decipher the meaning behind what appear to be ritualistic killings before another murder takes place.

Michelle Gagnon has created an intelligent, confident character in Kelly Jones who grows more complex and more interesting as the story progresses. The members of her investigative team are also well drawn... particularly the character of Jake Riley who works for the father of one of the dead girls. The identity of the murderer is fairly obvious early into the story, but the reasoning behind the crimes when revealed at the end seems rather strained. If you can overlook that little flaw...which I found I could...it was a very good start to what I hope becomes a favorite series.

>6 LibraryCin: Perfume is definitely creepy!

>10 Darth-Heather: I'm still a few back on the hold list, so I'm not sure if it will come for me this month. Will have to wait and see!

Before I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watson
3.5 stars

Description
Christine wakes each morning unaware of who she is and unable to recognize the stranger in her bed. Prompted by her doctor, Christine writes a journal about her life and reads it each morning. And as fragments of her memory return, she uncovers the shocking reality of what triggered her condition.

Every night while sleeping, Christine forgets everything she knows. But she re-learns things every day by reading her journal and having conversations with people. As she re-learns, she questions many things about her life and the people around her, which made me keep wondering what was true and what wasn’t. But the way her memory worked didn’t seem completely believable to me. Despite that, the story kept me interested throughout and I wasn’t able to guess how it ended.

The Birthday Girl by Sue Fortin
4.5 ★

Dear Carys, Zoe and Andrea
Come and join me for my fortieth birthday adventure weekend, full of mysteries and surprises
the like of which you can’t imagine.

When Joanne’s friends reluctantly accept an invitation to her birthday party, it quickly becomes clear that there is more to this weekend than they are expecting. One of them is hiding a secret. And Joanne is planning to reveal it. A weekend away in a cottage in the woods sounds like fun – until no one can hear your cries for help.

This book gives truth to the saying "with friends like this who needs enemies." I found it rather odd that with the history between these women they would so willingly take off on a trip planned by the "birthday girl" that they didn't know the destination...they were made to give up their cell phones...they were led to participate in activities that they were not very good at and all this in the middle of nowhere Scotland. I really didn't like any of these ladies and liked them even less by the end of the book. So why the 4.5 stars? The plot was unique and kept the pages turning. I read more than half the book in one setting just to see what stupid thing they would do next. There were lots of surprises in the story and just when you think you have sorted out who is telling the truth another block is presented. Some of the things they allowed to happen made no sense but I had already decided that these women were not the brightest bulbs in the package. I'm going to defidently try something else by this author. I think she has a lot of promise.

Read a different Coben, and will count it here.

Fool Me Once / Harlan Coben
3.5 stars

Maya, former military, witnessed the murder of her husband, but soon after, sees him on her nanny cam! She sets out to find out what’s going on – is her mind playing tricks on her?

This was good, but maybe not as much as many of his other books. There were plenty of twists, and I definitely didn’t see the end coming! I really disliked Maya, though, and I was still left a little bit confused about one thing at the end. As a side note, I listened to the audio, and the narrator did a nice job.

One By One by Chris Carter
Robert Hunter series Book #5
4.5★
Detective Robert Hunter of the LAPD's Homicide Special Section receives an anonymous call asking him to go to a specific web address - a private broadcast. Hunter logs on and a show devised for his eyes only immediately begins. But the caller doesn't want Detective Hunter to just watch, he wants him to participate, and refusal is simply not an option.

Detectives Robert Hunter and Carlos Garcia find themselves in an exceptionally terrifying situation...facing a killer that is not only determined but extremely smart and creative. He's always one step ahead of them laying his traps. I have read several of his other books and know that they are not for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach...but this one is a ten on the "gore scale". Like all of Carter's books the killers reasoning is always neatly explained at the end but until it is revealed...most of us are kept guessing. There is also a great deal of insight inserted into the story that cleverly shows the mind set of today's society. You'll look behind you often but you won't be able to stop reading.

The Wrong Mother by Sohphie Hannah
3 stars

Description
Sally Thorning is watching the news with her husband when she hears an unexpected name, Mark Bretherick. It's a name she shouldn't know but last year Sally treated herself to a secret vacation away from her hectic family life and met a man. After their brief affair the two planned to never meet again. But now Mark's wife and daughter are dead, and the safety of Sally's own family is in doubt.

There were some lively and interesting characters in this story, including Sally. But Sally did things that didn’t make sense, were risky and got her into trouble, which made me lose interest. Some of the curious things going on in the plot made me keep reading though. In the last part of the book, there was a lot that had to be explained and it was confusing. Overall, just a so-so read.

The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor - 280 pgs. - ★★★★ - 3/2/2018
In 1986, Eddie and his friends are just kids on the verge of adolescence. They spend their days biking around their sleepy English village and looking for any taste of excitement they can get. The chalk men are their secret code: little chalk stick figures they leave for one another as messages only they can understand. But then a mysterious chalk man leads them right to a dismembered body, and nothing is ever the same.
This book had a slow start for me as it kept switching back and forth from 1986 to 2016. It has a very creepy, complex plot that is very suspenseful and kept me guessing until the last page. The book has a feel of 'Stand By Me' by Stephen King but add in the chalk figures and the evil they represent. The characters were very well-drawn and intriguing. The author is very talented and I am anxiously awaiting her next book. I would highly recommend this book to those who love psychological thrillers.

Excavation by James Rollins
5★

High in the Andes, Dr. Henry Conklin discovers a 500-year-old mummy that should not be there. While deep in the South American jungle, Conklin's nephew, Sam, stumbles upon a remarkable site nestled between two towering peaks, a place hidden from human eyes for thousands of years. Ingenious traps have been laid to ensnare the careless and unsuspecting, and wealth beyond imagining could be the reward for those with the courage to face the terrible unknown. But where the perilous journey inward ends--in the cold, shrouded heart of a breath taking necropolis--something else is waiting for Sam Conklin and his exploratory party. A thing created by Man, yet not humanly possible. Something wondrous...something terrifying.

What an adventure! If that synopsis doesn't intrigue you then nothing I can say will do the trick. I love archaeology mysteries and James Rollins just never disappoints. It's thrilling and educational all at the same time. You learn some new facts about the Incas and their customs while taking you through some "Hold on to your chair" life threatening situations. Mystery addicts, adventure addicts, and those that just love a good book will thoroughly enjoy this one.

Gone Without a Trace / Mary Torjussen
4.5 stars

One day, when Hannah comes home from work, she finds her boyfriend, Matt, gone. All his stuff is gone, and her stuff is put back in its place from before he moved in. It’s as if he was never there. All his online profiles are gone, all photos that included him are missing, including from Hannah’s devices, all emails and texts are gone. There is no trace of him.

I got sucked into this right away! This sure kept me wanting to read! And the twist!!! I didn’t see it coming at all, but to be honest, I usually don’t. Hannah was extremely obsessive, and there was plenty to not like about her, but I still felt badly for her and wanted her to find Matt. I couldn’t believe the way her best friend, Katie, was treating the whole thing – I did not like that at all. I will stop there; I don’t want to say too much more, for fear of accidentally giving something away.