Carys Jones

An interesting premise and an attractive cover to grab your attention and make you want to read this book.

The plot was well written with quite a lot of interesting characters and focusing on the story of a dark friendship and hidden secrets. I enjoyed the twist at the end since it was clever and I was least expecting it. The remainder of the book while filled with lot of tension, did not excite me as much as I had expected it too.

Overall, a good read but left me wanting for something more.

Thank You to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for this E-Book!… (més)

I’d like to start my review by saying thankyou to Orion books for allowing me the opportunity to read an ARC of this deliciously dark and chilling novel. I was hooked from the very first paragraph and devoured it in two sittings, unable to tear myself away. This was one of the best Physiological Thrillers that I’ve read in a long time; I really thought that I knew what was coming, but I was left utterly shocked.

Beth Belmont is a deeply troubled character that suffers from terrible night terrors, alluding to a traumatic past. One of the reasons I couldn’t put this down was a desperate desire to find out what had happened in Beth’s past, wondering what was so bad that she couldn’t even tell her boyfriend who she trusts with her life. Finding the list understanably adds to the tension in Beth’s life, especially when she does some digging and finds out the first two people on the list have died. Beth becomes paranoid, always looking over her shoulder, convinced that someone is watching her and waiting to pounce. Her carefree boyfriend tries to reassure her that her name being on the list is just a coincidence and tells her to relax and forget about it, but it’s not so easy for Beth to push it aside. I thoroughly enjoyed joining Beth on her quest to find who wrote the list, who the other people were, and how they were connected to her.

The story was told through three points of view, including the author of the list. I particularly enjoyed reading from the author’s point of view as they became increasingly more sinister as the story progressed. This person is clearly very disturbed and relentless in their search for the people on the list. Beth has every reason to feel like she’s being watched as we can see from their perspective that they’ve been watching her every move. They know where she lives, where she jogs, and where she works, and I really enjoyed the slow burning tension building as they watched her and made their plans to reveal themselves.

There was a real sense of foreboding in this book; you know that something is coming but you don’t know when, where or how, leading you along on a twisted path, like you’re driving along a country lane always anticipating something dark around the next bend. There was also a distinct horror element which I really enjoyed. I almost felt like I was in Beth’s place, feeling her terror, especially since I could see her life from the outside, knowing that it was only a matter of time before the author of the list made their move.

I was completely drawn into this story which was very unsettling at times and had an ending that I didn’t see coming. Every time I read a Thriller I build an idea in my head, convincing myself that I know exactly what’s going on and what’s going to happen. I thought I knew the mystery author, so sure that I knew exactly who they were and what they had planned, but I was so very wrong.… (més)

Prime Deception starts off slow, and builds up the pace. It is the story of a suicide that may not be a suicide. Further complicated by the fact that the victim was having an affair with the Prime Minister of England.

Initially, I liked the character of Charles, the Prime Minister. By the end of the book, I really didn't like him at all. It was funny how my perception of him changed over the course of the book.

We don't know much about Lorna, the suicide victim, other than other people's recollections of her. We never see her point of view, so she is put on an almost saint like pedestal. Her twin sister, Laurie, doesn't believe she killed herself, and instigates an investigation into her death.

As the story progresses, and we learn more about the various characters, everyone seems a possible suspect. Could it have been Charles? Or maybe his loyal secretary? What about Laurie's boyfriend, or Charles' wife? Or someone else? The story kept me guessing until the end.… (més)