Showing posts with label psychological thriller novel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label psychological thriller novel. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent ~ A Book Review

 Strange Sally Diamond is set to be the talk of the book world when it is published on July 18, 2023!

I love to read and I'm generally drawn to Historical Fiction and Cozy Mysteries.  But once in a while I like to stretch my boundaries and search for something completely new!  

Strange Sally Diamond caught my eye as a book that might interest me mainly because of the title.  We just found out that one of our grandchildren is on the Autism Spectrum, she can be a little strange sometimes and I thought I might learn something when reading this book.  Well, I did learn something for sure, but nothing that I had expected!  This book was a real eye-opener for me.

Strange Sally Diamond Book Cover

Well, it has nothing at all to do with Autism per se, but rather what happens when someone is so damaged early in life (by circumstances imposed on them) and how the human spirit helps (or hinders) the very fragile psyche of the individual in the outer world.

Strange Sally Diamond is that girl.  She has a horrific childhood that she cannot remember.  At the tender age of 7 she is adopted by the very people who "found" her.  So damaged was her mind, that no one was considered capable of caring for this youngster.  So the psychologist and the medical doctor (The Diamonds) who were working with her, were granted guardianship of this young girl and adopted her.

Sally is a reclusive person, by nature of where she has come from and what she has been through, and encouraged to be so by her "new family".  Much media attention followed her for many years after she was first rescued.  In order to help her the Diamonds decide to live in the country away from media attention while Sally grows up.

She has a loving relationship (in her mind) with her new mom and dad as they don't make too many demands on her personally.   She is home schooled and doesn't have too many friends.  Sally's problems begin when she tries to incinerate her father after his death in their home. He left instructions for her and she followed them to the letter!   Media frenzy ensues as Sally is arrested for this "crime" and she's no longer protected by the confines of the family home.  She only has a couple of really good family friends who have been with her from the time of her arrival on the family 's farm.  

watering plants


Stepping out into the world for the first time Sally must learn to navigate a world she does not know or understand and really has not been a part of for most of her life.  Her new mom and dad had sheltered her completely.  After mom's death, dad kept her even more isolated from the "outside world".  But then he died too.......

The twists and turns in this book are enough to keep you turning the pages.  What is "normal"  and how do you help someone who is NOT part of that very narrow definition?

Sally has some help, but she also has a lot to learn both about the present, the past and the future.

You can pre-oder this book through Amazon and it will be published July 18 of this year.  It is a page turner and if you enjoy mind bending books, this one will keep you totally captivated.

I'm going back to re-read it once again, it is that good.  Mark your calendar or pre-order the choice is yours, but you will not regret reading this book!





Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Saturday, February 27, 2021

Book Review of Confessions on the 7:45

 

Image of a commuter train

Lisa Unger's Latest Novel


You may remember the novel by Patricia Highsmith called “Strangers on a Train” which became a famous Alfred Hitchcock movie in 1951. It was a psychological thriller about two men who meet on a train and whose lives become entangled after one of them proposes they "trade" murders. 


Confessions on the 7:45 Book Cover

Confessions on the 7:45
by Lisa Unger is a bit reminiscent of “Strangers on a Train”.  The story begins with two women, strangers to one another, who begin talking when their commuter train is stalled on the tracks. Unlike “Strangers”, there is no proposed murder involved.  Instead, the women end up sharing confessions. Martha confesses she is having an affair with her married boss; Selena ends up admitting she suspects her husband is having an affair with their nanny. The women part ways, presumably never to meet again. 


The Plot


Days after the strange 'confessions', Selena's nanny disappears and soon Selena's near-perfect life begins to turn upside down.  The fractures in her marriage become deeper and the mystery surrounding the missing nanny intensifies. 


Be careful to whom you tell your darkest secrets 


In the midst of all that is going on in her life, dealing with her husband who admits he had been sleeping with the missing nanny and with the police who are investigating, Selena receives a text message from Martha.  Before she can figure out how Martha got her phone number, another text arrives saying:


It's Martha, by the way.


From the Train.


Selena begins to wonder, who was Martha, really? But she is hardly prepared for what she’ll discover… 


Summary


The chapters of this book are labeled by names as the plot unfolds.  There are chapters called SELENA, and other chapters labeled PEARL and ANNE. Who are these other women and what do they have to do with MARTHA? Deep into the book we have a chapter called HUNTER. Each of these people have a role in what happens in the story. 


Confessions on the 7:45 is a riveting thriller by master of suspense author Lisa Unger about a chance encounter that unravels a stunning web of lies. 


Confessions on the 7:45 Book Cover


Quick Link of Related Article:


Book Review of Confessions on the 7:45 written by (c) Wednesday Elf






Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


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