Lucinda Berry is one of my go-to authors for psychological thrillers, because she just does it so well. So, I have been going through her backlist.

Phantom Limb is the story of Elizabeth Rooth, who has a twin sister named Emily, and both girls suffered horrific abuse as children. Now grown, Elizabeth witnesses Emily kill herself, and suddenly she finds herself in an ICU, and then admitted to a psych ward. There, she learns the dark truth of her and her family’s past…some of which she never wants to face.

I read this book in 2 days. I felt for Elizabeth’s predicament, and I was rooting for her to find the truth and get out of the hospital. There are some really dark themes in this book, and admittedly some of it was very hard to read. The ending…I did not see that coming. And I’ve read my share of suspense and mystery novels. Tension was maintained throughout and I kept wanting to read more.

This author will continue to be an auto-buy for me in the future. ( )

This novel is more of a Psychological Domestic Drama than "Gripping Psychological Thriller".
Told in first person narrative, the main character Elizabeth finds herself in a mental facility with no recollection of how she got there.
As the reader, it was fairly easy to figure out the plot early on. However, it was interesting to see how the author unraveled Elizabeth's past to reveal her lost memories.
The clinical portions seemed well researched, and the use of mental health diagnostics added realism. But, there really was no thrill. It was more like a made for TV drama. ( )

Phantom Limb by Lucinda Berry is first and foremost a story about twins. Elizabeth and Emily are identical twins who as young children lived a hellish life. From a very young age, their single parent mother would leave them home alone for days while she was out drinking and running around. When she came home the two little girls were subjected to terrible abuse. They were rescued and raised by a loving couple, but too much damage had already been done for these girls to ever totally recover.

The plots twists and turns throughout the book which starts with Elizabeth waking in a hospital room and the last thing she remembers is finding her twin, Emily dead. Before too long she has been placed in the psychiatric unit and being told things that confuse her and make her even more unsure of what is real and what isn’t. Working hard to overcome her personal demons she delves into both her and Emily’s past trying to unravel the psychological puzzle that is her life.

Phantom Limb is a revealing look at what it’s like to have your life spin out of control as your brain tries to provide you with a version of reality that doesn’t agree with the facts. The author is a clinical psychologist and obviously knows about her subject matter. I found Phantom Limb to be a quick, chilling and compelling read. ( )

This is Elizabeth (Bethy) and Emily Rooth’s tragic story. They are identical twins and according to Elizabeth they have lived as if they were conjoined twins that were never separated. “Mother” was very abusive. She would keep them locked in their bedroom and would disappear sometimes for days. As they grow older Mother started bringing home special friends, male friends, and the abuse escalated to an unimaginable level.

One day the girls accidentally start a fire in the kitchen. When help arrives they are discovered and removed. The Rooths, a loving couple who could not have children, adopt them. Despite the Rooth’s best efforts there were some scars that their love could not erase.

Ms. Berry, the author, did an outstanding job of putting a face to the disease of mental illness. I expected no less since she is a clinical psychologist. The twins’ story is raw and emotional and Berry has given us a unique glimpse into the mind of someone who has experienced traumatic events. The entire story is fiction, but it is so well written it feels like it could be nonfiction.

This is a fast paced book with masterful twists. It is dark and it hooks you in the first few pages; so be prepared, once you start reading you will not be able to stop until the end. Be aware that some of the subjects presented in the book, such as child abuse, self-harm, and rape, may not be for every reader.

I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review. See more reviews and author interviews on my blog at www.thespineview.com. ( )

Phantom Limb by Lucinda Berry is the story of Elizabeth and Emily Rooth. Emily and Elizabeth are twenty years old and identical twins. They had an extremely difficult childhood with an abusive (cruel, depraved) mother. The twins were lucky enough to be adopted when they are eight by Dalila and Bob Rooth (they are patient and loving people). After graduating from high school, the pair moved into their own apartment. Elizabeth is attending a local college on scholarship and works as a telemarketer (because of the flexible hours). Elizabeth is also dating Thomas (a seminary student), but she has yet to work up the nerve to tell Emily. Emily has had a difficult time since they moved into the apartment. Emily suffers from severe depression and is a cutter. Some days she cannot get out of bed. Elizabeth devotes herself to taking care of Emily. One day Elizabeth finally tells Emily about Thomas. Emily does not take the news well and refuses to let him in the apartment. A couple of days later Thomas tells Elizabeth that Emily confronted him one day outside work (Emily was not nice). That evening the two of them have a fight. Emily goes into the bedroom and slams the door. Elizabeth can hear her crying, but refuses to comfort her this time. The next morning Elizabeth goes to check on Emily and finds her dead in the bathroom. A week later Elizabeth wakes up in the hospital. Elizabeth is put in the psych ward with a team of professionals to help her. They slowly help her discover what happened and how she ended up in the hospital. Elizabeth is in for some startling revelations.

Phantom Limb is listed as a psychological thriller, but it does not read that way. I did not even find it mysterious or suspenseful. Phantom Limb has a decent pace except for the areas about various psychological conditions (technical talk). I give Phantom Limb 3 out of 5 stars. Phantom Limb is more the telling of a horrific story. The two “twists” were easy to predict. I wrote down what I thought would be the revelations and then read the book to see if I was right (I was). I was hoping to be stumped or shocked (it is supposed to be psychological thriller). I found the ending to be expected. Phantom Limb does contain violence, child abuse, and upchucking (be careful not to eat while reading). Phantom Limb shows a good example of a person who should not have children (and the damage the wrong parent can inflict on children). ( )