LCChaosandhome

Tag: #suspense

  • Book Review- The Passengers by John Marr

    Book Review- The Passengers by John Marr

    I actually picked up The Passengers by John Marrs from a little book share while I was on holiday in Mexico, and it turned out to be one of those lucky finds you just can’t put down. You know when you grab a book on a whim and it completely pulls you in? That was this for me. A solid 5/5.


    The whole idea of the book is honestly a bit terrifying because it doesn’t feel that far off reality. It’s set in a world where driverless cars have taken over, and everything is meant to be safer and controlled. But then eight people find themselves trapped inside hacked cars, with no way of escaping, and they’re all being driven towards a deadly crash.
    What really got me hooked is that it’s not just about what’s happening in the cars. The public is actually watching it unfold and has to vote on who should live and who should die. It sounds intense, and it really is. I found myself constantly changing my mind about who I was rooting for as more and more secrets came out.
    And that’s the clever bit — none of the characters are perfect. The more you learn about them, the more you question everything. Just when I thought I had someone figured out, another twist would come in and completely change my opinion.
    I also loved how easy it was to read. The chapters are quite short, which made it perfect for dipping in and out while I was lying by the pool… although in reality, I ended up reading way more than I planned because I kept saying “just one more chapter”.
    It’s one of those books that really makes you think as well. Not in a heavy way, but enough to make you wonder what you would actually do in that situation. Would you trust the system? Would you vote? Could you even make that kind of decision?
    For me, it had the perfect mix of thriller, drama, and just enough sci-fi to make it feel modern and believable. Definitely one I’ll be recommending, and I still can’t believe I just found it sitting on a random book shelf on holiday.
    If you like fast-paced, twisty reads that keep you guessing, this is 100% worth picking up.
    5/5 from me.
    Have you read it, or would you trust a driverless car?

    You can buy the book here

  • Book review I found you by Lisa Jewell

    Book review I found you by Lisa Jewell

    Lisa Jewell’s I Found You is a masterclass in suspense, delivering the kind of twisty, character-driven storytelling that keeps you hooked from the very first page to the final reveal.


    Set across dual timelines, the novel introduces us to Alice, a single mother who discovers a mysterious man on the beach outside her home. He has no memory of who he is or how he got there. At the same time, in London, newlywed Lily is thrown into panic when her husband Carl disappears without a trace—just days after their wedding. What follows is a cleverly woven narrative that slowly draws these two seemingly separate stories together.
    Jewell excels at building tension through small, unsettling details rather than dramatic shocks. The pacing is steady but gripping, allowing the suspense to simmer as each piece of the puzzle falls into place. Just when you think you’ve figured it out, another twist pulls you in a different direction.
    The strength of I Found You lies in its characters. They feel real, flawed, and deeply human, which makes the mystery all the more compelling. Alice, in particular, is a standout—warm, intuitive, and determined to help a stranger, even when it puts her at risk.
    As with all of Lisa Jewell’s novels, the real magic is in how everything connects. The ending is both satisfying and surprising, tying together the threads in a way that makes you want to go back and spot the clues you missed.
    If you enjoy psychological thrillers that keep you guessing until the very end, I Found You is a must-read. It’s a perfect choice for anyone who loves layered storytelling, emotional depth, and a plot full of unexpected turns.
    Rating: 4.5/5 – A gripping, cleverly plotted thriller that keeps you guessing.

  • Great Premise, Poor Execution: Why B.A. Paris’s The Prisoner Misses the Mark

    Great Premise, Poor Execution: Why B.A. Paris’s The Prisoner Misses the Mark

    B.A. Paris has built a reputation for delivering high-octane psychological thrillers, so expectations were understandably high for The Prisoner. The novel kicks off with an absolute killer of a premise: a young woman named Amelie wakes up in pitch-black darkness, kidnapped and held captive in a room she cannot see. It is a classic, claustrophobic hook that promises a tense game of survival.

    Unfortunately, while the book starts on a high note, it burns through its goodwill at a rapid pace, quickly devolving into a deeply frustrating and utterly unbelievable narrative.

    The Turning Point: A Character Contradiction

    The most glaring flaw in The Prisoner lies in the jarring disconnect within its protagonist, Amelie. In the initial chapters, Paris goes to great lengths to establish Amelie as a fiercely independent, street-smart survivor. Having been orphaned young, she is depicted as someone who relies solely on her own wits and caution to navigate a harsh world.

    Yet, this careful characterization is entirely thrown out the window when she crosses paths with the wealthy Ned Hawthorne.

    The decision Amelie makes to enter into a sudden, highly suspect marriage of convenience with Ned completely contradicts everything we were just taught to believe about her. It is a massive narrative leap that feels forced by the plot rather than earned by the character.

    Instead of the savvy survivor we were promised, Amelie suddenly acts with a level of naivety that strains all credibility. It is incredibly difficult to root for a heroine whose core personality traits are rewritten just to get her into the plot’s central predicament.

    From Compelling Hook to Unbelievable Spiral

    Once the initial mystery of the kidnapping is established, the book goes downhill fast. A good thriller requires a thread of logic to hold the tension together, but The Prisoner trades suspense for increasingly absurd plot twists.

    The mechanics of the marriage, the motivations of the captors, and the ultimate reveals require a massive suspension of disbelief. Rather than feeling like a clever web of deceit, the story feels contrived, relying on characters making baffling decisions simply to keep the plot moving forward.

    The Verdict: A Missed Opportunity

    The Prisoner had all the ingredients for a top-tier thriller: a strong concept, a vulnerable yet capable lead, and a terrifying situation. Instead, it serves as a textbook example of a great idea getting lost in poor execution. Because the central character relationships and choices are so unbelievable, the tension completely evaporates by the halfway mark.

    For readers looking for the tight, psychological realism of Paris’s earlier work like Behind Closed Doors, this one unfortunately misses the mark.

    Final Rating: ⭐⭐☆☆☆ (2/5) — A decent concept ruined by glaring character inconsistencies and an unbelievable plot.

    You can buy on Amazon

    https://amzn.to/43pGUJM

  • Book Review: The Assistant by S.K. Tremayne – A Holiday Read That Missed the Mark

    Book Review: The Assistant by S.K. Tremayne – A Holiday Read That Missed the Mark

    Hey everyone! I’m currently away on holiday, enjoying some much-needed downtime. Of course, no holiday is complete without a stack of books, and today I’m sharing my thoughts on my latest read: The Assistant by S.K. Tremayne.

    I picked this up for just £1 in my local charity shop before heading off, and honestly? Thank goodness it only cost me a quid, because it was a total letdown.

    Here is my honest breakdown of why this one didn’t live up to the hype.

    The Premise: A Great Concept

    On paper, The Assistant has all the ingredients for a gripping, modern psychological thriller. It taps into our collective paranoia about smart home technology and AI spying on us.

    The setup is genuinely creepy: Jo, newly divorced and struggling, moves into a luxury apartment equipped with a state-of-the-art voice assistant named Electra. When Electra starts spitting out deeply personal, terrifyingly specific details about Jo’s past, the stage is set for a chilling, tech-driven nightmare.

    Unfortunately, while the concept is brilliant, the execution completely misses the mark.

    A Disjointed and Frustrating Read

    The biggest issue with this book is how disjointed it feels. A thriller relies on building tension, but here, the pacing is a chaotic mess.

    I kept reading, turning pages with the desperate hope that the story would finally click into place, hit its stride, and reward my patience. It never did. I wish I’d just call it quits and followed my gut. Instead, it drags you through a repetitive middle section that leads to a conclusion that doesn’t feel earned.

    Unbelievable Characters and a Far-Fetched Plot

    For a psychological thriller to work, you have to buy into the world and the people inhabiting it. The Assistant fails on both fronts:

     The Characters: Jo is incredibly difficult to root for, mostly because her decisions defy all human logic. Instead of doing what any sane person would do when their smart home begins threatening them—like unplugging the device or leaving—she just stays. The supporting characters feel just as unbelievable and flat.

     The Plot: As the book progresses, it crosses the line from “speculative tech-horror” into pure absurdity. The twists are so wildly far-fetched that they shatter any remaining suspension of disbelief. Rather than a clever, mind-bending resolution, the climax feels like a series of cheap shocks.

    The Verdict

    My Rating: ⭐⭐☆☆☆ (2/5)

    The Assistant is the textbook definition of a total letdown. It wastes a fantastic, timely concept on a messy plot and unbelievable characters that to be honest I didn’t empathise or relate to. Looks like I could be in a minority because it has a 4.1 star review on Amazon but just didn’t do it for me!

    Have you read The Assistant? Did you find it as far-fetched as I did, or did it work better for you? Let me know in the comments below!

    You can buy it on Amazon

    https://amzn.to/4eVWLHc