Erik ThermeCríticas

3.5-4 stars, I found this one on Hoopla in Audiobooks and I was able to finish it in half a day while working. So, it was definitely a quick read and it kept my interest.
This was a twisted read that could have went so many places told from the perspective of a mother still grieving the loss of her 5yo daughter.

Amazing sequel that can be read as a stand-alone.

15 Years ago Dan and Holly were on their way to a midnight movie when they discovered a toddler alone in the parking garage, standing on a sign that read simply "Free to good home."
No relatives were ever located, and after a huge ordeal of red tape they were eventually allowed to adopt her. Now at 18, she is recently moved out with a roommate, when she receives an upsetting letter. Someone claiming to be her real father wants to meet her. Dan believes it is just a prank and wants her to forget about it. They argue over it and leave it at that. The next day when Dan shows up to apologize she's simply vanished. Did she go off with her real father or did something more sinister happen? Dan will stop at nothing to bring her home.
This was a fast paced twisty psychological thriller with more turns than a roller coaster. I never knew who to trust.

I received a complimentary copy for review

Bree Walker is a young woman who always had to be the adult in the family. Growing up in less than ideal circumstances, it always fell to Bree to look after her younger siblings while her mother worked long hours to make up for the money her father drank away, or otherwise wasted. Before their marriage crumbled Bree's father was already mostly absent, other than to dole out abuse. Now that he is gone you would think it would be more peaceful but frequent family squabbles have little sister Alissa constantly running away from home, and middle brother Tyler only making an appearance when he wants something. After this latest argument, Alissa doesn't return home but her back pack is left at the door. She doesn't answer her phone and she has not been staying at her friend's house. Bree doesn't want to panic her mother, but she is getting sinister and threatening texts from someone who may have taken Alissa for revenge against her family so Bree sets off alone to confront this threat and rescue her sister.
This was a fast paced suspenseful read.

I received a complimentary copy for review.

As the story opens, Tess has already lost her daughter to a car accident and is on the brink of losing her marriage as well. The grief is all consuming and she can barely function. Her husband has insisted on moving them out of town to a house she can't stand and he believes the change of scenery and a little therapy is going to set her on the path to becoming "old Tess" again.

What he doesn't know is that she stalks and spies on the wife and child of her daughter's killer nearly every day. While she is watching them, someone is watching her! Ominous messages in festive red envelopes have been showing up addressed to Tess that taunt her over her daughter's death. Who would want to torment a grieving mother? On top of all this is some domestic drama with her brother, and the secrets her husband seems to be keeping. This harrowing psychological thriller is loaded with suspense and a roller coaster of emotions. I grieved with Tess for her loss, and all the twists made it impossible for me to know who to trust.

I received an advance copy for review.

Andy and his sister arrive in Mortom shortly after their cousin Craig's untimely death. For some unknown reason Crag has left everything to Andy even though they were not particularly close. In fact they have not even seen each other in years. The death itself has been ruled accidental, however Craig did seem to have an enemy in town. Most people just thought he was weird, odd voice, odd mannerisms, riding around on his moped. One person in particular really had it out for him though, and may have had reason to do him harm. There is not much in the house worth picking through, but there does seem to be some strange goings on. A dead rat holds the first key to this mystery. Andy becomes more and more obsessed with unraveling these clues, while his sister just wants to pay her respects to their aunt and get back home. Things take a sinister turn as more clues are unraveled.
This was a fast paced and highly suspenseful read.

I received a complimentary copy for review

Kaylee is the new girl in town, and slightly miffed at being so. She has been uprooted due to her parents splitting up and is not too thrilled to have left her former life behind.
When Kaylee is invited by Anna, a girl in her building, to go to a gathering at a friends house her mom pretty much forces her to attend. When she finds out that this gathering is actually a scavenger hunt in an abandoned rest home she is less than impressed.
Jamie, a "mean girl type" rich girl passes out digital cameras and promises $100 to the winner of the scavenger hunt. Reluctantly joining in, Kaylee and the other girls are trapped inside when Jaimie disappears, seemingly locking them inside. They find however, that they are not the only inhabitants in this spooky old building and have a harrowing time attempting to get out.
This was an enjoyable read, and I think it would do quite well with a younger audience. It is fast paced and suspenseful, and I would highly recommend it for any fans of R.L. Stine's Fear Street series.

I received a complimentary copy for review

Lies and betrayal! It was interesting to follow along as Tess tries to figure out what is really going on with her sister in law. The suspense from this book and with Tess's personality just pours off the pages! The pace is really good once it gets going! The writing and the characters are all well done really I can't think of anything I didn't enjoy about this book! I can't wait to see what Tess's next adventure will be!

This is a fun, exciting, and readable thriller that you can go through rather quickly.

It begins in medias res, with siblings Kate and Andy arriving at their late cousin's house in the small town of Mortom in order to sort out some paperwork. What they think will be a quick visit turns out to take an unexpected toll on their lives, as a game of wits between Andy and the dead man completely consumes Kate's brother.

The changes of perspective between Kate and Andy are particularly enjoyable, as is the slow reveal of family secrets that motivated Craig's actions before his death. The clash between the siblings' motivations and their constant fights are somewhat distressing to read, but very realistic.

I would have liked to see more citizens of Mortom introduced and depicted in greater depth, but I understand that limiting the number of important characters allows more control over the story. I also would have liked to see more of Kate and Andy's parents, as that would have made for a good contrast with the character of Aunt Mary.

The mystery is solid and appealing, which makes the book a page-turner. Regarding the clues themselves, at times the reader can guess the solution way before Andy, and that can be a little frustrating as you wait for the character to catch up. Another slightly frustrating thing for me were the cliffhangers at the end of some chapters that were made to be way more exciting that was necessarily due. However, the change of perspective at precisely those moments helps build up suspense and makes the reader want to get to the answer as fast as possible.

I found some details in the ending to be a little anticlimactic and not completely logical, but the overall wrap-up is generally satisfying. As readers, we have the feeling that we're leaving Mortom with some good answers and also some thought-provoking input about family and raising children. Craig's motivation and actions seem understandable in the end.

When something stinks under the fridge, there might be a good reason worth exploring.

Review of eBook

It’s been nine months since the automobile accident when Brady Becker hit and killed five-year-old Lily Jean Parker. Her mother, Tess, mired in grief, has taken to watching Becker’s twelve-year-old daughter, Eve . . . every day. Her father, Josh, tries to give Tess the time he believes she needs, but they don’t communicate and the strain begins to affect their marriage. Josh doesn’t know about Tess’s daily excursions to watch Eve.

When Eve suddenly goes missing, Tess becomes the obvious suspect. In hopes of clearing her name, Tess sets out to find the missing girl, but the truth of the girl's disappearance may be more than she can accept.

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Although the characters are well-drawn [but not necessarily likable], Tess’s self-absorbed wallowing feels more like indulgence than true grief. Yes, readers should expect Tess to grieve for her daughter, but Tess wears her grief like a mantle and behaves as if she were the only person in the universe that tragedy ever visited.

In addition, readers are likely to find Tess’s obsession with Eve rather unrealistic, serving only as an artificial convention that sets the scene for the girl's much-later disappearance. However, it doesn’t stand up to close examination as something that would be likely to happen in real life.

There are moments of drama, suspense, and tension as the plot twists and the story finally begins to unfold. Unfortunately, numbed by far too many pages of wallowing self-indulgence, readers are likely to find themselves ambivalent about the late-in-the-story events that lead to a disappointing denouement more frustrating than conclusive.

An intense, emotional, and unexpected thriller.
There are so many twists and turns in this novel, that it's hard to see what will happen next.
I really enjoyed this, and look forward to reading more by this author in the future.

Erik Therme is fast becoming one of those authors where I choose to read his book simply because he has written it; I don't need to read the blurb as I know it'll be a good one and boy was this the case with Keep Her Close. I picked it up and could not put it down; it's so easy to read it in one sitting as it's quite short at 247 pages but there is so much going on that I just had to keep reading until the end.

Dan and Holly find a little girl abandoned in a parking lot; not so much a baby in a basket but a 3 year-old standing on a sign that says 'free to a good home'. Holly takes to the child immediately and after several months of red tape, Holly and Dan are allowed to adopt her and call her Ally. Her origins have never been hidden from Ally and naturally she is curious about her birth parents. When she receives a letter out of the blue claiming to be from her birth father, Dan and Holly worry that it may be a hoax and, unbeknown to them, Ally decides to meet 'Frank'. That's the last time that Ally is seen.

I found the whole story very tense and Dan's volatility reminded me of Liam Neeson's character in Taken; willing to do absolutely anything to get his daughter back with absolutely no regard for the consequences of his actions. Ally's naivety was quite believable as you can just imagine someone of college age thinking that they are an adult and know better than their parents. You think you're invincible in your late teens, before the scales drop from your eyes and you see the horror of the real world.

I don't really want to go into the plot and spoil it for others but I found it very interesting how it developed from one person's almost throw away comment. It was almost like lighting a touchpaper and seeing the flame spreading, so much so that Dan had difficulty identifying the point of origin. It reminded me of the phrase that led to the murder of Thomas à Becket with Henry II uttering 'Will no one will rid me of this turbulent priest?' and it being taken as an instruction to kill. You just never know who might be listening!

Clear your schedule if you're reading Keep Her Close; it's a read-in-a-day kind of book as it's so difficult to put down once you start it. I love Erik Therme's writing; his visualisation conjures some amazing images in my mind and I do feel as if the book is playing out as a movie in my head. Not every book translates well to screen, but I think Keep Her Close would be perfect as a film - I'd definitely be in the queue to see it.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

I really enjoyed this book; I was immediately hooked by the clues that Craig had left for his cousin, Andy. As each clue leads Andy more into danger, my reading appeared to speed up in tandem with my heart rate. The book drew me straight in as it launched into the first puzzle and I was so engrossed that I really felt as if I was in Mortom with Andy and his sister, Kate.

I found this book to be quite unusual and something a little bit different from a standard murder mystery. As each clue was revealed, my mind was racing to try to discover what the 'prize' would be and it quickly became clear that there was more than one puzzle to solve. I had so many questions whirring round in my head - How did Craig plant the clues? How did he die? Who is his father? What will Andy find at the end of the game? Thankfully, Erik Therme pre-empted all my questions and answered them all with a few little twists thrown in.

A delightfully dark debut novel - I will be looking out for more from Erik Therme.

I received this e-book from Booklover Catlady Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

Sarah’s birthday isn’t going the way she expected when her car breaks down on the side of the road, trapping her there with her abusive boyfriend. Fed up with him, she decides to walk away to try and get help. That’s when she meets Kevin and realizes that her life could be so much different, better, without Matt. He doesn’t agree though. If he can’t have her, no one can.

The blurb grabbed me, and I wasn’t sure what to expect of this book. At first, I thought it would end up being a psychological kidnapping read, but it took an unexpected angle covering things like friendship, comfort, abuse, and a range of other topics which not only made this an interesting read but an insightful one as well.

I liked Sarah. She was a strong character, disconnected from the world around her whether it be her abusive boyfriend or her mother who wasn’t much better. If I were her, I would’ve walked down a dark road to escape too. Luckily for her, it was the best move she could’ve made. I also liked Kevin. He was upbeat, the perfect optimism to balance Sarah’s pessimism. Very cute ending.

Joe did a fantastic job of the narration. I especially enjoyed the scene with the man telling the creepy story in the lobby. I got literal goosebumps there.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

What starts as a seemingly normal scavenger hunt through an abandoned building turns into pure chaos for a group of girls. After moving to a new town, Kaylee isn’t excited about trying to make new friends, but after her mom insists, she goes to hang out with a group of girls who aren’t too thrilled about her being there. After getting into a fight with the alpha female, Jamie, Kaylee along with the rest of the group, are locked inside an abandoned house. At first, things seem as if they’re going to be okay. Until the girls realize they’re not the only ones in there.

While this book was full of action and suspense, I think what really made the story pop was the dynamic differences in the characters. Each had their own personality from Jamie and her Queen Bee vibes, to Wren’s smart down-to-Earth character, and even to Anna’s whiny save-yourself mentality.

As the girls try to find their way free of the situation they’re in, each of their unique personalities pushes the story forward. I absolutely love this book, and I recommend it to all fans of YA as well as mystery/suspense.

This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

Bree and Alissa and Tyler have a rough live. They live in a dilapidated trailer with their mom who works two jobs to keep food on the table. Their abusive father only shows up to cause trouble. Bree, as the oldest, has tried to take care of her sister and brother but hasn't been very successful. After a long day at work, 22 year old Bree goes home to find that her 16 year old sister Alissa has been kidnapped and she doesn't even know where to start looking. She asks for help from her father and her brother but she just finds more questions and more family secrets.

This book is a real page turner as Bree ties everything to find the sister she feels responsible for. She takes a lot of risks but is determined that she will find Alissa. I admired Bree for being a strong character and for her devotion to her family. I did have a problem because some of the risks she took to find her sister were pretty implausible and reckless.

If you are in the mood for a quick read that will keep you turning pages, this is the book for you.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Roam by Erik Therme

Stranded on the side of the road with a man she thought was “the one” Sarah Cate realizes that perhaps Matt is NOT the one for her BUT getting away may not be all that easy. She does leave Matt, walks away and is picked up by a good Samaritan who get her home safely ONLY she is not thrilled with what her mother has to offer when she gets home and she takes off again. Her twenty-first birthday is NOT all that she had hoped it would be.

This book had many youth in conflict:
* Sarah: still living at home with a mother that is not the warm cuddly type.
* Kevin: a young man who has work-skills that might see him escaping the pain of his time living with an abusive father
* Scotty: fighting off demons of his own...and perhaps in need of some serious counselling
* Matt: a man who is definitely a manipulator and abuser and someone to stay as far away from as possible.

This book had me feeling and caring and hoping for the best for more than one person in the story. It also reminded me of a story my brother tells...one in which he saw some young women hitch hiking when he was in high school. He picked them up and took them to a safe place admonishing them, though they might have been a bit older than he was, to be careful in the future because not all were as kind as he...a man with two sisters he saw in those two hitch hikers he gave a ride to.

I don’t usually read books with young main characters but am glad I read this one and believe I would read more by this author in the future.

Thank you to BOTSB for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars½

This book was ok but i did love some of the book

I was honored to receive an eBook copy of this book in exchange for a review. When I read the summary of the book, I had a completely different idea of what the book was going to be about. "A simple ride that turned deadly" made me think the book would be full of drama and suspense. I was anticipating the deadly drama for 3/4 of the book and it didn't happen until the end. There was a lot of time introducing the characters and building their history, which was important for the story, but what kept me turning the pages was waiting for the suspense to occur. With all the build up to the finale, the drama was short lived and the book ended much quicker than the momentum getting to the end. Personally, I thought it was a good book, but the description of the book was misleading.

One of the things I liked most about this book was the fact that I haven't read another book quiet like it. Being an avid reader, I come across many stories with the same plot, themes, etc..but this was definitely different.

I gave this book 3 1/2 stars because I just felt like their was something missing...I would have like to have read a little more about Matt and Scotty in order to form a better mental picture about the choices they made and why they are the way they are.

Overall, I would recommend to anyone to read.½

I recieved this book as part of a giveaway. Many thanks to the author. This is an honest review.

I absolutely enjoyed reading this book. A mystery surrounding the apparent suicide (or murder?) of a man’s cousin leads to a wild and suspenseful chase for expected treasure. I would definitely recommend this book!

The author spins an intriguing tale throughout the book. As the reader, you get caught up in trying to solve the various puzzles introduced during the story. The story never drags on and quickly moves from beginning to a surprising ending. The story leads the 2 principal characters through a number of challenging “tests” that stresses the characters’ relationship with each other as well as the other characters in the story. The author gives us a strong cast of characters to deal with. I only wish they could have been developed slightly more.

Dan and Holly Nebel, on their way to see a midnight movie, find a barefoot three-year-old girl by the corner stairwell in the parking garage. When the authorities are unable to find the child’s family, Dan and Holly adopt her.

Fifteen years have passed. Ally is the light of their lives, but those lives have taken different directions as Dan and Holly divorced and Holly remarried. Ally has moved into an apartment with her best friend; she has a job in a local coffee shop and is looking forward to starting college in the fall.

Then the letter arrives. The letter from her birth father. The letter that asks Ally to meet him.

Dan tries to dissuade her from rushing into this, but Ally sets up a meeting without telling her parents.

And then she disappears.

The tension ramps up as the narrative unfolds in this quick-read, fast-paced tale of a family in crisis as desperate parents struggle to find their missing daughter. The main characters are believable, although Dan seems rather stereotypical as a “quick-to-lose-his-temper-and-solve-things-with-his-fists” dad and Holly’s officious manner may make it difficult for readers to feel completely empathetic toward her.

Some secondary characters and their stories need a bit more fleshing out; it is unclear why Ellie chose to rant about Ally’s sloppiness in the middle of an urgent search for the missing girl, but her mini-tirade is likely to leave readers wishing they knew more about the relationship between the two young women. However, the suspense builds as the story unfolds with some interesting reveals and plot twists that keep the pages turning.

The mostly-satisfactory ending nicely wraps up the preponderance of the story, but leaves a significant question unanswered, suggesting the possibility of a sequel to the narrative. Or perhaps the reader is, by the author’s choice, left to decide what will happen after the final page is turned.

Readers may question some of the attitudes, both spoken and implicit, toward the mentally ill; nevertheless, they are likely to be satisfied with the denouement that ties up most of the loose ends.

Recommended.

I received an e-book copy of this book from Bookouture and NetGalley.
#KeepHerClose #NetGalley

Damaged youth.
Why am I finding this audiobook so hard to review? I finished it over an hour ago and haven't been able to put pen to paper to express my feelings. I'm thinking it must be down to the characters, they all seemed so lost and sad, dragged down by their dismal pasts. I guess I'm feeling 'there but for the grace of God....'

During the passing of one night we meet Sarah and Matt, broken down in her car on her 21st birthday, Kevin...and Scott. All living their lives in the middle of the night, somewhere in a run-down area of America. All lost souls in their own way.
A night that will have a profound effect on all four characters, for better or worse.
Finally, day breaks and the story draws to a close.

Almost a five star book, just a bit confusing early on, as to who was who and why the characters had suddenly switched in the narrative.

Finally, my review would not be complete without mentioning the excellent narration by Joe Hempel, who let me forget completely that I was listening to him at all.½

Resthaven
Written by: Erik Therme
Narrated by: Randi Larson
This is an audible book that I requested and the review is voluntary.
This was a good book and not what I expected. I thought is was going to be a ghost book but it is not. It was just as scary. Mean girls! Ahhh! LOL. Girls go to a abandon building, mean girls mostly, and one leaves locking the others in. There happened to be others in the building. One is not happy the girls are there. It is a good mystery, suspense, and an emotional story. I enjoyed it. The narration added to the story by making the scenes more dramatic. All the voices were perfect for the characters. Well done!