LCChaosandhome

Tag: #thriller

  • 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: The Voyeuristic Thrill of Lisa Jewell’s Watching You

    Rating: ★★★★½ (4.5/5)

    In the posh, leafy enclave of Melville Heights, the houses are large, the lawns are pristine, and the secrets are suffocating. Lisa Jewell’s Watching You is a masterclass in domestic noir that proves how easily an idyllic suburban veneer can crack.

    A Tangled Web of Obsession

    The story centers on Tom Fitzwilliam, a charismatic headmaster who is practically worshipped by the residents of Melville Heights. He is the “perfect” neighbor—kind, handsome, and endlessly helpful. However, the narrative is framed by a looming tragedy: someone in this neighborhood is determined to kill him.

    The plot is masterfully layered, primarily through the eyes of:

     Joey Mullins: A young woman who has just moved into the neighborhood with her husband. She becomes deeply, unhealthily obsessed with Tom, convinced there is a sinister side to his “too-perfect” persona.

     Jenna Tripp: A teenage girl living in the shadow of a local tragedy. Her mother, Beth, was the victim of a brutal assault years prior, and Jenna is haunted by the past and the strange dynamics of the neighborhood.

     The Neighborhood: Jewell masterfully weaves together the viewpoints of various neighbors, each of whom is watching one another. Whether it’s through windows, social media, or whispered gossip, the “watching” in this book is constant and invasive.

    Why the Plot is So Compelling

    What sets this thriller apart is the dual-timeline approach. We are not just dealing with the current threat against Tom Fitzwilliam; we are simultaneously investigating the long-buried secrets regarding the death of a local teenager named Viva Hart years earlier.

    As the present-day plot intensifies—with Joey’s obsession spiraling and the neighborhood tensions reaching a breaking point—the two timelines begin to collide. Jewell forces the reader to act as a detective, connecting the dots between past trauma and current motives.

     The Moral Ambiguity: Nothing in Melville Heights is black and white. Jewell purposefully blurs the line between the victim and the villain. Is Joey a worried citizen uncovering a predator, or is she a stalker herself? Is Tom the hero everyone believes him to be, or is he manipulating those around him?

     The Slow Burn: The plot thrives on the slow revelation of small, unsettling details—a notebook, a stray lock of hair, a secret glance—that gradually build into a suffocating sense of dread.

     The Final Twist: Without giving too much away, the epilogue is a gut-punch. It recontextualizes everything you’ve just read, shifting the blame for the town’s darkest historical tragedy in a way that is as terrifying as it is brilliant.

    The Verdict

    Watching You is a gripping, multi-layered puzzle. While some might find the middle chapters a deliberate slow burn, it is essential for the character development that makes the final reveal so effective. Jewell doesn’t just write a thriller; she writes a sharp, uncomfortable commentary on how obsession blinds us and how the most dangerous secrets are often hidden in plain sight.

    Who should read this? If you crave psychological depth, complex character studies, and a twist that stays with you long after the final page, put this at the top of your reading list.

    You can buy the book here

    https://amzn.to/3S7ethb

    This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase through them — at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases

  • 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