What do you think?
Rate this book
Killing Cupid
*A gripping stalker thriller with a unique twist - a Top Ten Amazon Editors' Pick of 2011*.
This version is only available until 12 December 2011, after which it will no longer be available outside the UK, and will be republished in a new version by HarperCollins on 5 January 2012.
Alex Parkinson is obsessed with his writing tutor, Siobhan. He will do anything to be with her. He stalks her on Facebook and finds out where she lives, buys her presents using her own credit card and sends her messages telling her what he wants to do to her. He breaks into her house and hides in her wardrobe, reads her diary and listens to her while she takes a bath… Soon, he believes, she will realise they are meant to be together. But when a ‘love rival’ comes on to the scene, Alex has to take drastic action. Soon, a young woman lies dead on the concrete after tumbling from the roof of her house. Now there is no-one standing in the way of him and his unwitting true love…
But after Alex is scared off, Siobhan decides to take revenge. How dare he lose interest? She turns the tables on her stalker and his new girlfriend. At the same time, an old friend of the dead woman starts to investigate what really happened… As their lives unravel and the past closes in, Alex and Siobhan embark on a collision course that threatens to destroy both them and everyone around them.
Filled with suspense and dark comedy, and with a unique twist at the end that you will never guess, KILLING CUPID is written in alternating chapters, showing the male and female viewpoints.
--More about KILLING CUPID and the authors
Published in February 2011, KILLING CUPID took three and half months to reach the Top Ten on Amazon.co.uk after picking up a growing number of great reviews. With their second novel, CATCH YOUR DEATH, Edwards and Voss became the first British self-published authors to hit No.1 on Amazon. At one point, CATCH YOUR DEATH and KILLING CUPID occupied the top two spots. This success led to a publishing deal, and both books will soon be re-published in new editions by HarperCollins - this is your last chance to get the original KILLING CUPID at this rock-bottom price.
This version is only available until 12 December 2011, after which it will no longer be available outside the UK, and will be republished in a new version by HarperCollins on 5 January 2012.
Alex Parkinson is obsessed with his writing tutor, Siobhan. He will do anything to be with her. He stalks her on Facebook and finds out where she lives, buys her presents using her own credit card and sends her messages telling her what he wants to do to her. He breaks into her house and hides in her wardrobe, reads her diary and listens to her while she takes a bath… Soon, he believes, she will realise they are meant to be together. But when a ‘love rival’ comes on to the scene, Alex has to take drastic action. Soon, a young woman lies dead on the concrete after tumbling from the roof of her house. Now there is no-one standing in the way of him and his unwitting true love…
But after Alex is scared off, Siobhan decides to take revenge. How dare he lose interest? She turns the tables on her stalker and his new girlfriend. At the same time, an old friend of the dead woman starts to investigate what really happened… As their lives unravel and the past closes in, Alex and Siobhan embark on a collision course that threatens to destroy both them and everyone around them.
Filled with suspense and dark comedy, and with a unique twist at the end that you will never guess, KILLING CUPID is written in alternating chapters, showing the male and female viewpoints.
--More about KILLING CUPID and the authors
Published in February 2011, KILLING CUPID took three and half months to reach the Top Ten on Amazon.co.uk after picking up a growing number of great reviews. With their second novel, CATCH YOUR DEATH, Edwards and Voss became the first British self-published authors to hit No.1 on Amazon. At one point, CATCH YOUR DEATH and KILLING CUPID occupied the top two spots. This success led to a publishing deal, and both books will soon be re-published in new editions by HarperCollins - this is your last chance to get the original KILLING CUPID at this rock-bottom price.
369 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 5, 2012
240 people are currently reading
2015 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews
December 16, 2020
*3.5 stars *
Killing Cupid begins with a murder. Alex Parkinson, an unsuccessful nonentity who thinks he is a great writer, has just pushed one of his fellow students at a writing class, off the roof of a block of flats. He thinks she might be spoiling his chances with the tutor, Siobhan, with whom he is infatuated and is stalking.
Siobhan also believes herself to be a great writer, and in fact has had one novel published, which was quite successful, mainly because it was all about sex. She is sure she is going to write a “great novel” in the near future, and in the meantime has taken the opportunity at the local further education centre of taking on a small bunch of aspiring writers. She regards all her students with snobbish disdain, although chats up the men because she has just broken up with her boyfriend.
The hapless Alex’s stalking habits become more and more bizarre. He barely thinks about the woman he has killed, because he thinks his actions were justified, and even attends her funeral, along with Siobhan. Siobhan eventually identifies her pursuer and is terrified of him.
Then the whole plot is turned on its head when Alex, suddenly and inexplicably, falls in love with someone else. She is a complete innocent and has the misfortune to be employed at Siobhan’s publishers.
In one sense this is not a true murder mystery, as the only murder occurs at the very beginning and we know who the perpetrator is. He does plan a second murder, but I won’t go into further details about that. The world of Siobhan and Alex is really bleak, and lacks all empathy. If you are thinking of joining a writing class, don’t go there.
My problem with this one is that I didn’t really enjoy it as much as I should, not because it was badly written – it is not, and the plot is ingenious. No, it is simply that the two leading characters are two of the most self-centred, unsympathetic people ever to appear between the pages of a book.
Killing Cupid begins with a murder. Alex Parkinson, an unsuccessful nonentity who thinks he is a great writer, has just pushed one of his fellow students at a writing class, off the roof of a block of flats. He thinks she might be spoiling his chances with the tutor, Siobhan, with whom he is infatuated and is stalking.
Siobhan also believes herself to be a great writer, and in fact has had one novel published, which was quite successful, mainly because it was all about sex. She is sure she is going to write a “great novel” in the near future, and in the meantime has taken the opportunity at the local further education centre of taking on a small bunch of aspiring writers. She regards all her students with snobbish disdain, although chats up the men because she has just broken up with her boyfriend.
The hapless Alex’s stalking habits become more and more bizarre. He barely thinks about the woman he has killed, because he thinks his actions were justified, and even attends her funeral, along with Siobhan. Siobhan eventually identifies her pursuer and is terrified of him.
Then the whole plot is turned on its head when Alex, suddenly and inexplicably, falls in love with someone else. She is a complete innocent and has the misfortune to be employed at Siobhan’s publishers.
In one sense this is not a true murder mystery, as the only murder occurs at the very beginning and we know who the perpetrator is. He does plan a second murder, but I won’t go into further details about that. The world of Siobhan and Alex is really bleak, and lacks all empathy. If you are thinking of joining a writing class, don’t go there.
My problem with this one is that I didn’t really enjoy it as much as I should, not because it was badly written – it is not, and the plot is ingenious. No, it is simply that the two leading characters are two of the most self-centred, unsympathetic people ever to appear between the pages of a book.
October 4, 2023
"Oh Siobhan, you seem so calm, so placid on the surface. But underneath..I know what's inside you".
Killing Cupid
by Louise Voss and Mark Edwards
"Everything about you is so F.I.N.E. Fine"
Aerosmith
MY REVIEW:
What a whale of a good time this book is!
3.5 stars.
This charming book had me alternatively shaking my head and..laughing..perfect cure for Corona madness!
One of the strangest books of the year.
Recommended of course by my sassy and stabby GR pal Dita.
So it is a great premise..Alex is a stalker. He "loves" his teacher, Siobhan. And he wants her to love him back.
He engages in stalker tricks and employs many tools of the trade such as spying on our stalkee when she is bathing, sending her gifts, leaving her dead flowers on her door step.
Just your average every day stalker folks! Nothing to see here!
The object of his affection does not love him. She tells him.quit it! I will call the cops!
So Alex does what any self righteous stalker would do.he forgets about her.
sorry it's been fun but..
Here is where the story takes an odd turn..what if stalkee MISSES her stalker? Damn him, he went and got a GIRLFRIEND? What does she have that I don't have? He said he loved me!!!! Liar!
Like I said..this was a fun read.
Yes, it's offensive, yes it makes light of stalking..a very serious issue.
The key to enjoying this book is not taking ANYTHING in it seriously. Nothing. It's like..almost a parody. I would not rate it higher than a three but that does not mean I did not read it in one sitting. Fun. Funny. Disturbing. Shameless. And I included the Aerosmith quote because it is the perfect description of BOTH our lead characters.
Ending was a let down. Was pissed ab out Emily who I really liked. But the book is worth reading for its wit. Stalker and Stalkee are both nutters but they are quite funny, particularly Alex the Stalker, Nutter, Stalkee, boyfriend, customer service rep and all around hapless soul.
Will Siobhan be the key to this Nutter's happiness? Will the nutters live happily ever after?
Read it and find out!
Killing Cupid
by Louise Voss and Mark Edwards
"Everything about you is so F.I.N.E. Fine"
Aerosmith
MY REVIEW:
What a whale of a good time this book is!
3.5 stars.
This charming book had me alternatively shaking my head and..laughing..perfect cure for Corona madness!
One of the strangest books of the year.
Recommended of course by my sassy and stabby GR pal Dita.
So it is a great premise..Alex is a stalker. He "loves" his teacher, Siobhan. And he wants her to love him back.
He engages in stalker tricks and employs many tools of the trade such as spying on our stalkee when she is bathing, sending her gifts, leaving her dead flowers on her door step.
Just your average every day stalker folks! Nothing to see here!
The object of his affection does not love him. She tells him.quit it! I will call the cops!
So Alex does what any self righteous stalker would do.he forgets about her.
sorry it's been fun but..
Here is where the story takes an odd turn..what if stalkee MISSES her stalker? Damn him, he went and got a GIRLFRIEND? What does she have that I don't have? He said he loved me!!!! Liar!
Like I said..this was a fun read.
Yes, it's offensive, yes it makes light of stalking..a very serious issue.
The key to enjoying this book is not taking ANYTHING in it seriously. Nothing. It's like..almost a parody. I would not rate it higher than a three but that does not mean I did not read it in one sitting. Fun. Funny. Disturbing. Shameless. And I included the Aerosmith quote because it is the perfect description of BOTH our lead characters.
Ending was a let down. Was pissed ab out Emily who I really liked. But the book is worth reading for its wit. Stalker and Stalkee are both nutters but they are quite funny, particularly Alex the Stalker, Nutter, Stalkee, boyfriend, customer service rep and all around hapless soul.
Will Siobhan be the key to this Nutter's happiness? Will the nutters live happily ever after?
Read it and find out!
May 5, 2015
I've waited a bit of time to read this one. Reviews were mixed, but mostly on the positive side. So I jumped in with both feet.
I am so disappointed. What starts out as a student stalking his writing instructor turned into something that reminded me of the Keystone Kops.
Alex, the student/stalker, starts out as a somewhat typical stalker ... sending her notes in the mail, leaving dead flowers for her, getting a key to Siobhan's home. Siobhan is a little older, a little more mature than Alex, and she's able to tell him that she just isn't interested ....but then this is where some of the craziness begins.
She doesn't report this to the police ... not even when another student that she's become close to dies in a horrible accident ... not when her ex-boyfriend is threatened to stay away from her. When Alex finally realizes that she is never going to love him back, he finds a new girlfriend .... and Siobhan begins to wonder what the new girlfriend has that she doesn't. She begins to stalk the girlfriend. Sheer craziness!
To be honest, I didn't like any of the main characters .. not because they were badly written, but written well enough to know they all had major issues and fed off each other. They all had issues of one sort or another, and they were all sneaky and secretive and mean and hateful.
To be fair, it's not a bad book; it did keep me reading until the very end. Would I want to read it again... No! Do I want to read anything else by these authors ... Probably Not. Was this book a total waste of time for me .... not really.
All I can say is read at your own peril. 2 stars
I am so disappointed. What starts out as a student stalking his writing instructor turned into something that reminded me of the Keystone Kops.
Alex, the student/stalker, starts out as a somewhat typical stalker ... sending her notes in the mail, leaving dead flowers for her, getting a key to Siobhan's home. Siobhan is a little older, a little more mature than Alex, and she's able to tell him that she just isn't interested ....but then this is where some of the craziness begins.
She doesn't report this to the police ... not even when another student that she's become close to dies in a horrible accident ... not when her ex-boyfriend is threatened to stay away from her. When Alex finally realizes that she is never going to love him back, he finds a new girlfriend .... and Siobhan begins to wonder what the new girlfriend has that she doesn't. She begins to stalk the girlfriend. Sheer craziness!
To be honest, I didn't like any of the main characters .. not because they were badly written, but written well enough to know they all had major issues and fed off each other. They all had issues of one sort or another, and they were all sneaky and secretive and mean and hateful.
To be fair, it's not a bad book; it did keep me reading until the very end. Would I want to read it again... No! Do I want to read anything else by these authors ... Probably Not. Was this book a total waste of time for me .... not really.
All I can say is read at your own peril. 2 stars
October 22, 2020
Audio 5 Stars
Story 4 Stars
If this is how Cupid brings people together, maybe he should be shot. 😅😅
Story 4 Stars
If this is how Cupid brings people together, maybe he should be shot. 😅😅
May 17, 2025
I am already quite a fan of the successful combination of the Louise Voss & Mark Edwards writing partnership, if you enjoy psychological thrillers you can't go too far wrong. As I work my way through all of their books I have found nothing ever (so far) gets me scoring below 4 stars so these books offer me reading consistency. Killing Cupid was not my favourite book from the writing duo but still a damn good entertaining read.
What I love about these books is how close to home many of the plots can be, most can be quite realistic and y not so far-fetched that you can't imagine it happening to someone in everyday life. That is sometimes where the chill factor comes in to play, thinking what if...
When Alex Parkinson joins a creative writing class, he soon realises that he and his tutor, Siobhan McGowan, are meant to be together. Alex will do anything to be with her. Like buying her designer clothes and lingerie...with her own credit card. Like breaking into her house and reading her diary. Like threatening her ex-boyfriend – and watching his love rival plummet from a rooftop.
But when Alex finally admits defeat and seeks solace elsewhere, Siobhan decides to take revenge. How dare he lose interest in her? He picked the wrong woman to stalk then just back off! As their lives begin to unravel and the past closes in, Alex and Siobhan embark on a collision course that threatens to destroy both themselves and everyone around them...
This is one of those plots where you are certain it's heading in a predicable manner and you know more or less how it might end up. But wait, this is a Voss and Edwards book therefore there is going to be a twist, or two or three and there is indeed. For me it's the twist in this book that really made it very interesting, it's unexpected and I love surprises.
I didn't find this as fast paced as some other books but the writing is solid and the plot keeps you well interested in what is going on. I found it clever how in this book my feelings about main characters fluctuated around, my first impressions were certainly not my last. This is a solid read that would entertain not only the fans but anybody new to their work.
4 stars from me for Killing Cupid!
Thanks SO much for taking a little time to read my review. Your likes and comments mean a lot to me. 😻
Feel free to add me as a friend or follow me for more book reviews. You can browse through my many great books reviewed for your next awesome book to enjoy.
If you are an Author or Publisher and you’d like me to consider reading and reviewing your book(s) please just message me.
You can also find me on Amazon UK where I am a Top 500 Reviewer.
What I love about these books is how close to home many of the plots can be, most can be quite realistic and y not so far-fetched that you can't imagine it happening to someone in everyday life. That is sometimes where the chill factor comes in to play, thinking what if...
When Alex Parkinson joins a creative writing class, he soon realises that he and his tutor, Siobhan McGowan, are meant to be together. Alex will do anything to be with her. Like buying her designer clothes and lingerie...with her own credit card. Like breaking into her house and reading her diary. Like threatening her ex-boyfriend – and watching his love rival plummet from a rooftop.
But when Alex finally admits defeat and seeks solace elsewhere, Siobhan decides to take revenge. How dare he lose interest in her? He picked the wrong woman to stalk then just back off! As their lives begin to unravel and the past closes in, Alex and Siobhan embark on a collision course that threatens to destroy both themselves and everyone around them...
This is one of those plots where you are certain it's heading in a predicable manner and you know more or less how it might end up. But wait, this is a Voss and Edwards book therefore there is going to be a twist, or two or three and there is indeed. For me it's the twist in this book that really made it very interesting, it's unexpected and I love surprises.
I didn't find this as fast paced as some other books but the writing is solid and the plot keeps you well interested in what is going on. I found it clever how in this book my feelings about main characters fluctuated around, my first impressions were certainly not my last. This is a solid read that would entertain not only the fans but anybody new to their work.
4 stars from me for Killing Cupid!
Thanks SO much for taking a little time to read my review. Your likes and comments mean a lot to me. 😻
Feel free to add me as a friend or follow me for more book reviews. You can browse through my many great books reviewed for your next awesome book to enjoy.
If you are an Author or Publisher and you’d like me to consider reading and reviewing your book(s) please just message me.
You can also find me on Amazon UK where I am a Top 500 Reviewer.
September 21, 2012
By the time I finished “Killing Cupid,” I couldn’t decide who was the sicker of the two - Siobhan or Alex. This is a chilling tale of a man stalking a woman. The author does a superb job of depicting the many illusions he creates in his head; to believing the victim reciprocates the same feelings of desire for him as he does for her; and to what lengths he will go to achieve his goals, even at the expense of others. I found it quite disturbing (and scary) how quickly his obsession evolved from just a simple “hello,” to “I’m in love with you.”
The story is told from both Alex and Siobhan’s perspectives, alternating between each chapter. This works beautifully as it provides the reader insight to each of their thoughts and emotions. Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, the story takes on a whole new life.
I highly recommend this novel. I’ll definitely be checking out some of the other novels written by this author.
The story is told from both Alex and Siobhan’s perspectives, alternating between each chapter. This works beautifully as it provides the reader insight to each of their thoughts and emotions. Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, the story takes on a whole new life.
I highly recommend this novel. I’ll definitely be checking out some of the other novels written by this author.
April 19, 2015
Voss and Edwards tap into both the light and dark sides of love in his joint venture. Alex Parkinson finds himself fancying his creative writing teacher, Siobhan McGowan. Author of a single bestseller, Siobhan is trying to pass along her gift to a collection of curious adults, budding in the profession. Alex uses some of his abilities to commence a stalking campaign, leaving graphic messages on her doorstep and wilted flowers,but soon turning to a hardcore obsession, making purchases with Siobhan's own credit card. A rival love interest crosses Siobhan's path, leaving Alex to take drastic actions to ensure his love is the only option Siobhan considers. In a moment of instability, Alex professes his obsession to Siobhan, who rebuffs him and takes the defensive approach. Alex concentrates his interests elsewhere after realising that his obsession in one-sided. However, that is where the story takes a curious turn and the reader muct brace themselves for what lies ahead. With Alex no longer stalking Siobhan, she begins to resent his lack of interest in her and does all she can to cause him grief. Filled with wonderful prose, told in a unique double journal narrative, readers will surely see that the Voss-Edwards connection is bound for success.
As Voss and Edwards clearly illustrate, love can be as horrible as it can be lovely. This novel depicts the growth and withering of two characters, as their lives intertwine through an obsession. Using journal entries to tell the story, Alex and Siobhan offer their personal insights into events that overlap but also diverge a great deal. Voss and Edwards offer less the spine-chilling side of obsession, but do not shy away from the horrors of jealousy and infatuation. Should this be the reader's first foray into the joint writing of Voss and Edwards, it will likely not be their last. Both authors bring much ability into this project and keep their readers hooked until the final page. And, as usually, the story ends with an open cliffhanger, as though the reader were handed the pen to complete the story.
Kudos, Madam Voss and Mr. Edwards for this masterful piece. I can only hope you have more of these types of stories up your sleeves. Love can make for the ultimate tales of thrills and spills, with the proper spin.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
As Voss and Edwards clearly illustrate, love can be as horrible as it can be lovely. This novel depicts the growth and withering of two characters, as their lives intertwine through an obsession. Using journal entries to tell the story, Alex and Siobhan offer their personal insights into events that overlap but also diverge a great deal. Voss and Edwards offer less the spine-chilling side of obsession, but do not shy away from the horrors of jealousy and infatuation. Should this be the reader's first foray into the joint writing of Voss and Edwards, it will likely not be their last. Both authors bring much ability into this project and keep their readers hooked until the final page. And, as usually, the story ends with an open cliffhanger, as though the reader were handed the pen to complete the story.
Kudos, Madam Voss and Mr. Edwards for this masterful piece. I can only hope you have more of these types of stories up your sleeves. Love can make for the ultimate tales of thrills and spills, with the proper spin.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
May 11, 2016
What a fun read Killing Cupid is!
This is one of those books that is quite hard to say to much about as I don't want to give anything away.
I actually quite liked Alex, no idea why as he is one very deluded individual stalking his tutor, but there was just something about him that made me take to him.
The story flicks between Alex and Siobhan his tutor so it gives the reader an insight into what it is like to be a stalker as well as being stalked.
Killing Cupid takes the whole stalking theme to a totally new level and I loved it. It makes for a gripping and intense ride that chills and thrills the reader. It really wasn't what I expected at all from the description which made it stand out so much more than other books with the same theme.
Great read.
This is one of those books that is quite hard to say to much about as I don't want to give anything away.
I actually quite liked Alex, no idea why as he is one very deluded individual stalking his tutor, but there was just something about him that made me take to him.
The story flicks between Alex and Siobhan his tutor so it gives the reader an insight into what it is like to be a stalker as well as being stalked.
Killing Cupid takes the whole stalking theme to a totally new level and I loved it. It makes for a gripping and intense ride that chills and thrills the reader. It really wasn't what I expected at all from the description which made it stand out so much more than other books with the same theme.
Great read.
November 3, 2020
4.5 stars audio
3 stars story. This book really cracked me up.
3 stars story. This book really cracked me up.
October 4, 2015
This book started out ok, then it got weird, but by the end it was downright ridiculous. It started with an author, who's published one book, deciding to teach a writing class at a local college. In that class is a guy who, on the first day of class, decides that he is in love with the teacher, and everything she says and does, in his mind, is her sending him secret signals that she likes him back. His crush begins innocently enough, with him going online and writing a glowing review of her book and sending it to her, but progresses to dangerous obsession when he gets her address, follows her home, manages to make a copy of her key, and eventually he starts letting himself into her home.
The chapters alternate between being told from the author/teacher's point of view to the student/stalker's. At first, the reader can relate to the teacher...she just seems like a normal person. Until she doesn't. As the stalker became more and more bold, and she began to question the oddness of occurrences, she becomes understandably paranoid. But when she discovers the truth, I just couldn't understand why she never called the police. Then as suddenly as the student became the stalker, he suddenly wasn't anymore. He got a girlfriend and suddenly became completely “normal” and just moved on with his life. Which then led to the teacher getting upset that he wasn't interested in her anymore. She's so upset in fact that she starts stalking HIM to find out why he's no longer infatuated with her, and is filled with jealousy when she sees he has a girlfriend. She even berates herself, calling herself an idiot...she could have a boyfriend right now who loved her if she hadn't been so stupid and let him get away. What?!!??!
The story just gets more unbelieveable from there. I can't believe this was a collaboration between two presumably sane authors, and neither one had the sense to question the absurdity of the storyline. I didn't hate this book, but I certainly didn't enjoy it either, and the best thing I can say about it is that it eventually ended.
The chapters alternate between being told from the author/teacher's point of view to the student/stalker's. At first, the reader can relate to the teacher...she just seems like a normal person. Until she doesn't. As the stalker became more and more bold, and she began to question the oddness of occurrences, she becomes understandably paranoid. But when she discovers the truth, I just couldn't understand why she never called the police. Then as suddenly as the student became the stalker, he suddenly wasn't anymore. He got a girlfriend and suddenly became completely “normal” and just moved on with his life. Which then led to the teacher getting upset that he wasn't interested in her anymore. She's so upset in fact that she starts stalking HIM to find out why he's no longer infatuated with her, and is filled with jealousy when she sees he has a girlfriend. She even berates herself, calling herself an idiot...she could have a boyfriend right now who loved her if she hadn't been so stupid and let him get away. What?!!??!
The story just gets more unbelieveable from there. I can't believe this was a collaboration between two presumably sane authors, and neither one had the sense to question the absurdity of the storyline. I didn't hate this book, but I certainly didn't enjoy it either, and the best thing I can say about it is that it eventually ended.
August 1, 2011
"Love.
Its a bitch."
Killing Cupid is a psychological thriller by authors Mark Edward and Louise Voss - two voices perfectly woven and in tune with each others styles yet different enough to generate a sense of perspective and emotional depth to the lead characters which may have proven difficult for other authors. Flipping the script on the traditional stalker experience, 'Killing Cupid' sees the stalked turned stalker in a dark and twisted turn of events between lead characters Alex - a twenty something aspiring writer, and Siobhan - a one time author reduced to teaching a writing class after lack luster sales from her solo published effort. Naturally the two meet during the night class and in no time Alexs' infatuation grows apparent while Siobhan's revulsion and subtle apprehension to disregard the seriousness of Alex's advancements draws further insight into her psyche as the story progresses and eventually turns on its head. Through a series of events, good for Alex, bad for Siobhan, the feel of the novel changes in a heartbeat and I found myself suddenly switching sides before I realised what had happened. 'Killing Cupid' is a breath of clean crisp air with a hint of madness and side effect of disillusioned affection sure to grab your attention and not let go until the uniquely happily ever after ending - 4 stars.
Its a bitch."
Killing Cupid is a psychological thriller by authors Mark Edward and Louise Voss - two voices perfectly woven and in tune with each others styles yet different enough to generate a sense of perspective and emotional depth to the lead characters which may have proven difficult for other authors. Flipping the script on the traditional stalker experience, 'Killing Cupid' sees the stalked turned stalker in a dark and twisted turn of events between lead characters Alex - a twenty something aspiring writer, and Siobhan - a one time author reduced to teaching a writing class after lack luster sales from her solo published effort. Naturally the two meet during the night class and in no time Alexs' infatuation grows apparent while Siobhan's revulsion and subtle apprehension to disregard the seriousness of Alex's advancements draws further insight into her psyche as the story progresses and eventually turns on its head. Through a series of events, good for Alex, bad for Siobhan, the feel of the novel changes in a heartbeat and I found myself suddenly switching sides before I realised what had happened. 'Killing Cupid' is a breath of clean crisp air with a hint of madness and side effect of disillusioned affection sure to grab your attention and not let go until the uniquely happily ever after ending - 4 stars.
August 1, 2012
Killing Cupid is creepy! You expect it to be scary because it deals with stalking, but I think what gives it the extra edge is that we also read the stalker’s perspective as well as the victim’s. It can make for some uncomfortable reading at times.
I must admit, I often find it difficult to get into books where the narration alternates between characters. However, I had no problems with the alternating narration in Killing Cupid. It flowed well and I felt it got the reader closer to both Siobhan and Alex, Killing Cupid’s main characters. It was certainly fascinating (and possibly disturbing!) to see things from the stalker’s side too. It shows us what people can be capable of when unrequited love turns into infatuation and an unhealthy obsession.
There’s some clever and excellent twists and turns in this book, one of which had me seeing the characters in a different light. One minute you’ll be sympathising with one character and creeped out by the other and then there’ll be a total turn around.
At times the story does seem implausible, but the human being psyche is a complex one and when pushed there’s no knowing what some people are capable of.
Despite the series subject-matter of stalking, this story isn’t just dark and creepy. It’s fairly light hearted and funny too. Once I got started I didn’t want to put it down and so I raced through the book.
Killing Cupid is a fascinating insight into stalking and a totally gripping read. A must for fans of psychological thriller novels!
I must admit, I often find it difficult to get into books where the narration alternates between characters. However, I had no problems with the alternating narration in Killing Cupid. It flowed well and I felt it got the reader closer to both Siobhan and Alex, Killing Cupid’s main characters. It was certainly fascinating (and possibly disturbing!) to see things from the stalker’s side too. It shows us what people can be capable of when unrequited love turns into infatuation and an unhealthy obsession.
There’s some clever and excellent twists and turns in this book, one of which had me seeing the characters in a different light. One minute you’ll be sympathising with one character and creeped out by the other and then there’ll be a total turn around.
At times the story does seem implausible, but the human being psyche is a complex one and when pushed there’s no knowing what some people are capable of.
Despite the series subject-matter of stalking, this story isn’t just dark and creepy. It’s fairly light hearted and funny too. Once I got started I didn’t want to put it down and so I raced through the book.
Killing Cupid is a fascinating insight into stalking and a totally gripping read. A must for fans of psychological thriller novels!
January 20, 2019
Das Buch hat sich in eine ganz andere Richtung entwickelt, wie erwartet. Für mich war es dennoch kein „richtiger“ Thriller, sondern eher ein Spannungsroman. Mir hat es aber wirklich gut gefallen, war mal etwas anderes. Obwohl mir eigentlich niemand in dem Buch sympathisch war. In dem Genre ist das für mich persönlich, aber auch nicht zwingend notwendig.
October 20, 2012
Gripping. It was quickly paced and I struggled to put it down. Both characters come across as quite deranged, which made it an interesting read. I enjoyed that the book alternated between their perspectives, and their voices humored me throughout. I did find the ending slightly disappointing, but overall I really enjoyed it.
January 8, 2014
If I met either of the two characters that tell the the story, I'd be torn between running away ,so as not to spend a second of my time with them, or throwing the nearest heavy object their way. They're both so unrelatable and unlikeable.
September 15, 2022
4/5 ⭐️
The first half was definitely better then the last half but still awesome. Stalkers have always freaked me out, and this book didn’t help lol. The ending was… interesting?
The first half was definitely better then the last half but still awesome. Stalkers have always freaked me out, and this book didn’t help lol. The ending was… interesting?
![Profile Image for Tina [kupfermuenze].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1735673938i%2F63316474._UY200_CR20%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
August 30, 2017
Also den Thriller habe ich in diesem Buch ein wenig vermisst. Und auch das Ende fand ich sowas von daneben. Dennoch gibt es 4 Sterne von mir..
July 25, 2022
Having read some of the other reviews for this book, I can't decide whether I'm the kid in the "Emperor's New Clothes" or someone who can't do those Magic Eye puzzles from the 1990s.
The story is about a guy who comes over all stalkerish when he meets his creative writing teacher, before being convinced to back off. Once he has backed off, however, she comes over all stalkerish (how can he drop her that easily?), and we see her display the sort of behaviours that he displayed in the first half of the book.
I'm sorry, but I didn't get it. I'm not sure what the story is trying to be. Is it a thriller? Well it's not very thrilling. Is it a sort of love story? Hardly. Is it trying to be amusing? Beyond making me smile once or twice, not really.
In addition, I don't claim to be an expert, but it's my understanding that stalkers (that display the behaviours shown here) don't back off that easily, and I'm not altogether sure it is something that should be made light of, even if they did.
Finally I'd like to point I bought this as a cheap Kindle book. It'll keep you diverted for a while, and the price is pretty low, but part of me thinks you get what you pay for in life.
The story is about a guy who comes over all stalkerish when he meets his creative writing teacher, before being convinced to back off. Once he has backed off, however, she comes over all stalkerish (how can he drop her that easily?), and we see her display the sort of behaviours that he displayed in the first half of the book.
I'm sorry, but I didn't get it. I'm not sure what the story is trying to be. Is it a thriller? Well it's not very thrilling. Is it a sort of love story? Hardly. Is it trying to be amusing? Beyond making me smile once or twice, not really.
In addition, I don't claim to be an expert, but it's my understanding that stalkers (that display the behaviours shown here) don't back off that easily, and I'm not altogether sure it is something that should be made light of, even if they did.
Finally I'd like to point I bought this as a cheap Kindle book. It'll keep you diverted for a while, and the price is pretty low, but part of me thinks you get what you pay for in life.
February 9, 2017
I've not read a book with such terrible, despicable characters in a long time. I probably would have been ok with their awfulness as human beings if the situations they found themselves in and their reactions were in anyway believable but they weren't. My ability to suspend disbelief quit well before the halfway mark.
On the positive side, the narrators did a great job.
I'd give it a 1.5 stars because of the narration but my dislike of everything else forces the rounding down. Awful. *shudder*
On the positive side, the narrators did a great job.
I'd give it a 1.5 stars because of the narration but my dislike of everything else forces the rounding down. Awful. *shudder*
October 24, 2019
DNF
I got to about page 60 and realised that this book just isn’t for me , it hasn’t got the draw or pull that makes me want to read it no matter where I am or keeps playing on my mind. To me it was a bit flat and the characters didn’t have a depth so I didn’t warm to any of them .
I’m sure this book will be perfect for some readers but sadly not for me and I wouldn’t be reading another novel by these authors
I got to about page 60 and realised that this book just isn’t for me , it hasn’t got the draw or pull that makes me want to read it no matter where I am or keeps playing on my mind. To me it was a bit flat and the characters didn’t have a depth so I didn’t warm to any of them .
I’m sure this book will be perfect for some readers but sadly not for me and I wouldn’t be reading another novel by these authors
January 3, 2018
Worum gehts?
Alex Parkinson ist wie vom Blitz getroffen, als er seine Dozentin aus dem Schreibkurs zum ersten Mal sieht. Siobhan ist wunderschön, intelligent und teilt auch noch seine große Leidenschaft: das Schreiben. Niemals zuvor hat er jemanden so sehr geliebt. Doch wie kann er Siobhan davon überzeugen, dass sie zusammengehören? Besessen von der Idee, sein Leben mit ihr zu teilen, findet Alex heraus, wo Siobhan wohnt, verliert se
inen Job für sie, macht ihr Geschenke, kümmert sich um ihre Katze, liest in ihrem Tagebuch. Alex würde alles für Siobhan tun – bis plötzlich eine junge Frau tot vor ihrem Haus liegt …
Meine Meinung:
Stalker von Louise Voss ist ein Thriller mit 411 Seiten, der am 14. August 2017 im btb Verlag erschien. Das Buch ist mir freundlicherweise als Rezensionsexemplar vom Bloggerportal zur Verfünung gestellt worden. Vielen Dank dafür!
Alex ist der typische Stalker mit allen Eigenschaften die man sich bei einem Stalker so vorstellt. Er sich immer mehr in Sibhobans Leben einschleicht, verschafft sich Zugang zu ihrer Wohnung etc. Zuerst verlief die Story wie ich es vermutet hatte, doch dann gab es eine wirklich sehr überraschende Wendung, die in meinen Augen zwar möglich, aber nicht zwangsläufig realistisch ist. Siobhan ist nicht ganz das unschuldige Opfer eines Stalkers und ist nicht unbedingt das, was der Leser erwartet. Leider konnte mich auch dieser Turning Point nicht von dem Buch überzeugen, was vielleicht auch am Schreibstils des Autors lag. Diesen fand ich relativ einfach und hatte nicht das Gefühl Teil des Geschehns zu sein. Sehr gerne hätte ich diesen Thriller gemocht, der Klappentext klang in meinen Ohren am Anfang auch sehr vielversprechend, aber leider konnte er mich nicht überzeugen. Insgesamt gebe ich dem Buch 2 Sterne.
July 27, 2020
3.5 ⭐️
If you are a fan of Season 2 of YOU, this book is for you.
That’s all I will say about it, except that I really enjoy this writing team.
If you are a fan of Season 2 of YOU, this book is for you.
That’s all I will say about it, except that I really enjoy this writing team.
October 16, 2022
This book was good. It wasn’t what I expected. It’s like a love story in a weird way but I liked it a lot.
May 20, 2012
I don't quite know what to make of this. I wasn't much impressed with the only other book I've read by these authors, 'Catch Your Death', which had a great premise and some high-energy action, but suffered from poor characterisation and implausible plot devices. So it crossed my mind that this book might turn out to be a mistake. It's cheap, however, and the writing is competent enough, and on certain levels I found it enjoyable.
It's unusual to have two authors, but this book is perfect for it. The two characters, Siobhan and Alex, have alternate chapters, both written in the first person, and I presume that Mark Edwards wrote Alex and Louise Voss wrote Siobhan (although perhaps it would be more interesting if it were the other way round). Alex is perhaps the more convincing character. He comes across as a very believable young man of a certain type - socially inept, self-centred, arrogant but also insecure, and thinking about sex the whole time. Or perhaps I should say, he conforms to my idea of young men of a certain type; I don't really have a clue whether this is an accurate portrayal of the male psyche, but it seems convincing enough to me.
Siobhan is a little less believable. She's required to fulfil the role of self-confident older woman (in Alex's eyes), while also being quite timid and insecure, and it's an uneasy juxtaposition. In particular, when Alex starts stalking her, she is remarkably slow to realise what is going on. She is obsessively tidy, for example, yet she convinces herself that she left things scattered around her house, rather than remembering the missing key and realising straight away that someone had broken in. And you have to be peculiarly dense to imagine that you could order expensive lingerie online and not remember it. But it's a small point.
One thing makes me a little uncomfortable. Because we can see inside Alex's head, we know that he means Siobhan no harm. He is, in his twisted little way, courting her. He sends her flowers and lingerie and expensive clothes. OK, he breaks into her house and uses her credit card to do it, but still... She is freaked out but she also thinks - well, he's kind of cute. Wrong. There's nothing romantic or cute about a man stalking a woman. It's just creepy. Even if the point is that he's superficially normal and there's a psychotic nutter inside all of us (a fairly questionable premise, but never mind), it's still creepy, and no rational woman, surely, is going to be turned on by it. Well, not in real life, anyway, but this is fiction, and there does seem to be a huge demand for books with creepy stalker-type heroes, especially the blood-sucking type, so what do I know.
And oddly, as the plot burbles along, it actually begins to feel quite plausible. Alex's instant distraction by another woman (and sex!) is perfectly in character, and even Siobhan's slide from freaked out victim to angry obsession seems no more than mildly odd. She already has an obsessive personality after all. And each little step along the way seems, if not exactly natural, then at least not such a stretch from what went before. I would probably have enjoyed it more if I hadn't been constantly wondering - would a real person actually behave that way?
In the end, it never quite worked for me. I could admire the carefully thought out plot and the neat little twists and turns at just the right places, but the characters never quite came alive for me and the story was just a little too laboured at times. I see what the authors were trying to do and I admire the attempt to rationalise just how a couple of seemingly normal people can end up in that situation, but I'm not quite sure what position the reader is expected to take - sympathise? be horrified? be amused? or simply feel there but for the grace of God and all that? Are we really supposed to empathise with people who do this kind of stuff? I'm all for the anti-hero and likeable villains and so on, but these two are fairly charmless. An interesting idea, but for me, ultimately unsuccessful. Three stars.
It's unusual to have two authors, but this book is perfect for it. The two characters, Siobhan and Alex, have alternate chapters, both written in the first person, and I presume that Mark Edwards wrote Alex and Louise Voss wrote Siobhan (although perhaps it would be more interesting if it were the other way round). Alex is perhaps the more convincing character. He comes across as a very believable young man of a certain type - socially inept, self-centred, arrogant but also insecure, and thinking about sex the whole time. Or perhaps I should say, he conforms to my idea of young men of a certain type; I don't really have a clue whether this is an accurate portrayal of the male psyche, but it seems convincing enough to me.
Siobhan is a little less believable. She's required to fulfil the role of self-confident older woman (in Alex's eyes), while also being quite timid and insecure, and it's an uneasy juxtaposition. In particular, when Alex starts stalking her, she is remarkably slow to realise what is going on. She is obsessively tidy, for example, yet she convinces herself that she left things scattered around her house, rather than remembering the missing key and realising straight away that someone had broken in. And you have to be peculiarly dense to imagine that you could order expensive lingerie online and not remember it. But it's a small point.
One thing makes me a little uncomfortable. Because we can see inside Alex's head, we know that he means Siobhan no harm. He is, in his twisted little way, courting her. He sends her flowers and lingerie and expensive clothes. OK, he breaks into her house and uses her credit card to do it, but still... She is freaked out but she also thinks - well, he's kind of cute. Wrong. There's nothing romantic or cute about a man stalking a woman. It's just creepy. Even if the point is that he's superficially normal and there's a psychotic nutter inside all of us (a fairly questionable premise, but never mind), it's still creepy, and no rational woman, surely, is going to be turned on by it. Well, not in real life, anyway, but this is fiction, and there does seem to be a huge demand for books with creepy stalker-type heroes, especially the blood-sucking type, so what do I know.
And oddly, as the plot burbles along, it actually begins to feel quite plausible. Alex's instant distraction by another woman (and sex!) is perfectly in character, and even Siobhan's slide from freaked out victim to angry obsession seems no more than mildly odd. She already has an obsessive personality after all. And each little step along the way seems, if not exactly natural, then at least not such a stretch from what went before. I would probably have enjoyed it more if I hadn't been constantly wondering - would a real person actually behave that way?
In the end, it never quite worked for me. I could admire the carefully thought out plot and the neat little twists and turns at just the right places, but the characters never quite came alive for me and the story was just a little too laboured at times. I see what the authors were trying to do and I admire the attempt to rationalise just how a couple of seemingly normal people can end up in that situation, but I'm not quite sure what position the reader is expected to take - sympathise? be horrified? be amused? or simply feel there but for the grace of God and all that? Are we really supposed to empathise with people who do this kind of stuff? I'm all for the anti-hero and likeable villains and so on, but these two are fairly charmless. An interesting idea, but for me, ultimately unsuccessful. Three stars.
November 7, 2016
In 'Killing Cupid', aspiring writer Alex joins a creative writing class where he becomes obsessed with his beautiful teacher, Siobhan. Soon he begins to stalk her to the point where she realizes that he's never going to stop... until he finally does when a friend's friend, Emily shows interest in him. However, lonely Siobhan is furious with him for forgetting about her! It's time for the stalker to be the stalked..
This premise was unique, exciting and intriguing. The idea of a stalker getting a taste of his own medicine was simply irresistible. Unfortunately, the poor execution resulted in a messy, horribly long-winded and illogical story filled with so many holes. My biggest gripe was Siobhan's completely unrealistic actions (or more specifically, lack of) and reactions to the host of strange, threatening events that she experienced. None of those were remotely tame or normal either. Where do I begin?
Siobhan received a note in which the anonymous sender mentioned exactly what he'd like to do with and to her. Instead of calling the police, Siobhan actually felt flattered and blushed and wondered who wrote to her. For real! When she was unable to find her house keys and they magically appeared, she didn't change the locks and simply shrugged it off as her being careless. When she found brand new underwear and clothes on her clothesline, she didn't freak out knowing that a stranger had gone into her garden. No, brave Siobhan was delighted that she got such expensive, quality clothes. Seriously!
That's not the end of it.. even when she found out the stalker had used HER credit card to purchase those oh-so-precious clothes, she thought, But he didn't hurt me or anything and oh, how I wish I had a man who buys me fancy clothes! She took stupidity to a whole new level. She never lodged a police report either! Perhaps the authors intended Siobhan to be an emotionally unstable, messed up character but it seemed more like an afterthought. Simply put, she was a delusional, mean bitch who whined about not having a man in her life and then wondered why no one wanted to date her.
Alex wasn't any better either. I could overlook that though, since he's a stalker and he's not meant to be liked. However, I was annoyed by the authors' completely inaccurate portrayal of a stalker. Stalkers don't suddenly give up on the 'object of their affection' and get into a normal, healthy relationship. Stalkers are usually loners and have little to no interaction with other people. Stalkers are usually smart and know how to cover their tracks. Stalkers don't back off easily. Alex was a somewhat convincing stalker until the authors decided that they wanted him to be normal.
Siobhan became more and more unlikeable throughout the story. She and Alex are among the worst characters I've ever come across in fiction. Instead of focusing on getting a proper job and getting a hobby or two, she seemed to think that having a boyfriend would be the solution to all her problems. Guess what, Siobhan? You need a personality transplant! The ending was terribly ridiculous. Perhaps it was supposed to be shocking and unpredictable but it left me with a really bad taste. I like dark, twisted tales if they're done right but this was a total mess.
Overall, 'Killing Cupid' was a complete waste of time due to the unbelievable, unrealistic and despicable characters as well as illogicality and poor pacing.
This premise was unique, exciting and intriguing. The idea of a stalker getting a taste of his own medicine was simply irresistible. Unfortunately, the poor execution resulted in a messy, horribly long-winded and illogical story filled with so many holes. My biggest gripe was Siobhan's completely unrealistic actions (or more specifically, lack of) and reactions to the host of strange, threatening events that she experienced. None of those were remotely tame or normal either. Where do I begin?
Siobhan received a note in which the anonymous sender mentioned exactly what he'd like to do with and to her. Instead of calling the police, Siobhan actually felt flattered and blushed and wondered who wrote to her. For real! When she was unable to find her house keys and they magically appeared, she didn't change the locks and simply shrugged it off as her being careless. When she found brand new underwear and clothes on her clothesline, she didn't freak out knowing that a stranger had gone into her garden. No, brave Siobhan was delighted that she got such expensive, quality clothes. Seriously!
That's not the end of it.. even when she found out the stalker had used HER credit card to purchase those oh-so-precious clothes, she thought, But he didn't hurt me or anything and oh, how I wish I had a man who buys me fancy clothes! She took stupidity to a whole new level. She never lodged a police report either! Perhaps the authors intended Siobhan to be an emotionally unstable, messed up character but it seemed more like an afterthought. Simply put, she was a delusional, mean bitch who whined about not having a man in her life and then wondered why no one wanted to date her.
Alex wasn't any better either. I could overlook that though, since he's a stalker and he's not meant to be liked. However, I was annoyed by the authors' completely inaccurate portrayal of a stalker. Stalkers don't suddenly give up on the 'object of their affection' and get into a normal, healthy relationship. Stalkers are usually loners and have little to no interaction with other people. Stalkers are usually smart and know how to cover their tracks. Stalkers don't back off easily. Alex was a somewhat convincing stalker until the authors decided that they wanted him to be normal.
Siobhan became more and more unlikeable throughout the story. She and Alex are among the worst characters I've ever come across in fiction. Instead of focusing on getting a proper job and getting a hobby or two, she seemed to think that having a boyfriend would be the solution to all her problems. Guess what, Siobhan? You need a personality transplant! The ending was terribly ridiculous. Perhaps it was supposed to be shocking and unpredictable but it left me with a really bad taste. I like dark, twisted tales if they're done right but this was a total mess.
Overall, 'Killing Cupid' was a complete waste of time due to the unbelievable, unrealistic and despicable characters as well as illogicality and poor pacing.
December 16, 2014
After reading this book, I just have to say:
Well done, Mark Edwards and Louise Voss. You've successfully created a story so disturbing yet so intriguing that it can't help but seep into our minds!
Before reading this book, I kind of hand an idea of what I'd be in for. I've read a Mark Edwards book before Because She Loves Me, and it was absolutely outstanding. However, even with my previous knowledge of the author, I had no idea that I'd be sucked in right from the beginning. Amazing.
The story follows two people, Siobhan and Alex, and flirts with the dangerous line between obsession and love, craziness and sanity, normal and irrational. What's so intriguing about the story, though, is that it's so uncannily real. You begin to picture people you know (if not yourself) in some of the situations you read, because they're so normal. Have you ever listened in on someone's conversation because you thought you were mentioned? Have you ever found out that in fact, it wasn't you they were talking about, but someone completely different? Have you ever made such a simple mistake but found out there were huge consequences? Well that's exactly what happens in this book. You find out that mistakes incur consequences and sometimes, those consequences are dire.
I only have one think to complain about (which come to think about it, I think I complained about the same thing in Because She Loves Me). As this book is set in modern-day England, not only do we get some strange English/British spellings, but we also get hit with a ton of British slang and words. I've read books set in Europe before, and they still kept the validity of the English location without throwing a bunch of slang in the book. The reason I'm complaining is because I'm American, it's a bit of an inconvenience to have to have Google by my side as I read, just to try and figure out what the hell they're saying! Example: "wet weekend" = boring person, "knickers" = underwear, "flat" = apartment, "gear" = marijuana, "holiday" = vacation just to name a few.
All in all, this book is fantastic and I recommend to anyone who wants a thrilling, disturbing, chilling, earth-grounding story. I guarantee at the end, you'll thank me.
Well done, Mark Edwards and Louise Voss. You've successfully created a story so disturbing yet so intriguing that it can't help but seep into our minds!
Before reading this book, I kind of hand an idea of what I'd be in for. I've read a Mark Edwards book before Because She Loves Me, and it was absolutely outstanding. However, even with my previous knowledge of the author, I had no idea that I'd be sucked in right from the beginning. Amazing.
The story follows two people, Siobhan and Alex, and flirts with the dangerous line between obsession and love, craziness and sanity, normal and irrational. What's so intriguing about the story, though, is that it's so uncannily real. You begin to picture people you know (if not yourself) in some of the situations you read, because they're so normal. Have you ever listened in on someone's conversation because you thought you were mentioned? Have you ever found out that in fact, it wasn't you they were talking about, but someone completely different? Have you ever made such a simple mistake but found out there were huge consequences? Well that's exactly what happens in this book. You find out that mistakes incur consequences and sometimes, those consequences are dire.
I only have one think to complain about (which come to think about it, I think I complained about the same thing in Because She Loves Me). As this book is set in modern-day England, not only do we get some strange English/British spellings, but we also get hit with a ton of British slang and words. I've read books set in Europe before, and they still kept the validity of the English location without throwing a bunch of slang in the book. The reason I'm complaining is because I'm American, it's a bit of an inconvenience to have to have Google by my side as I read, just to try and figure out what the hell they're saying! Example: "wet weekend" = boring person, "knickers" = underwear, "flat" = apartment, "gear" = marijuana, "holiday" = vacation just to name a few.
All in all, this book is fantastic and I recommend to anyone who wants a thrilling, disturbing, chilling, earth-grounding story. I guarantee at the end, you'll thank me.
August 10, 2013
Having thoroughly enjoyed The Magpies by Mark Edwards I decided to try one of the books he had written with his writing partner Louise Voss. This isn't a bad book and the three stars awarded are partly due to my high expectations following Mark's excellent debut.
Killing Cupid begins with Siobhan preparing for her first writing class, having one published book she is excited yet nervous about the prospect. The class of six includes Alex who becomes infatuated with Sinead, unsure how to proceed he crosses the line between showing his affection to stalking her. The story however doesn't follow the conventional path as new characters and circumstances are bought into play when Alex meets someone else.
Both Alex and Siobhan write a journal giving the reader the insight into their thoughts and of course giving others evidence of the truth....
This is an enjoyable light read, often funny but you really do have to suspend belief for this story to work. I often found myself cringing on behalf of many of the characters but it is not deep enough for it to be scary.
Killing Cupid begins with Siobhan preparing for her first writing class, having one published book she is excited yet nervous about the prospect. The class of six includes Alex who becomes infatuated with Sinead, unsure how to proceed he crosses the line between showing his affection to stalking her. The story however doesn't follow the conventional path as new characters and circumstances are bought into play when Alex meets someone else.
Both Alex and Siobhan write a journal giving the reader the insight into their thoughts and of course giving others evidence of the truth....
This is an enjoyable light read, often funny but you really do have to suspend belief for this story to work. I often found myself cringing on behalf of many of the characters but it is not deep enough for it to be scary.
December 2, 2015
I didn't enjoy this one as much as the couple of others I've read by these authors although this was their first outing as far as I can see so I'm reading them out of order anyway.
There were quite a lot of mistakes in this offering as well, more than I've noticed in theirs before and this time it cost it one star as they irritated me.
There were missing fullstops, missing brackets, the apostrophe was missed off Ladies or Gents EVERY time but one then this sentence-"I don't pretend to understand to women" which was awful as was her cat being ginger originally yet morphing into a black 'n' white one later in the story. I found that lack of detail pretty unforgivable !! Thelife warranted a space and divorcee was used where divorce was meant and they used the American ass a lot as well.
Siobhan pretty much drove me to distraction. She was as bonkers as her stalker !! Scary that people like this walk and live among us. There were some laugh-out-loud little lines and asides in it despite the storyline that I liked.
I'm pleased I didn't pick this one first to read by them, though !!
There were quite a lot of mistakes in this offering as well, more than I've noticed in theirs before and this time it cost it one star as they irritated me.
There were missing fullstops, missing brackets, the apostrophe was missed off Ladies or Gents EVERY time but one then this sentence-"I don't pretend to understand to women" which was awful as was her cat being ginger originally yet morphing into a black 'n' white one later in the story. I found that lack of detail pretty unforgivable !! Thelife warranted a space and divorcee was used where divorce was meant and they used the American ass a lot as well.
Siobhan pretty much drove me to distraction. She was as bonkers as her stalker !! Scary that people like this walk and live among us. There were some laugh-out-loud little lines and asides in it despite the storyline that I liked.
I'm pleased I didn't pick this one first to read by them, though !!
January 17, 2018
Das Buch und ich sind durch ziemlich vieles durchgegangen und am Ende muss ich leider sagen, dass der Weg schon eher holprig war, als irgendetwas anderes.
Das Buch beginnt damit, dass man zwei Protagonisten hat. Zum einen Alex und zum anderen Siobhan. Alex ist ein Schüler in Siobahns Schreibkurs und sie ist eine Autorin, welche schon länger nichts mehr veröffentlicht hat, aber immer wieder an Büchern schreibt. Das Buch wird aus zwei Sichten, immer abwechselnd, geschrieben und besteht aus zwei Teilen. Der erste Teil hat mir deutlich besser gefallen, auch wenn ich diesen auch eher nur ganz nett fand. Ich weiß nicht wirklich, wie ich bei dieser Rezension anfangen soll, aber ich versuche es einfach. Da es ein paar Dinge gibt, die mich doch gegen Ende sehr gestört haben möchte ich darüber reden, aber erst nach dem Fazitabschnitt und werde Spoiler selbstverständlich markieren.
Die beiden Perspektiven der beiden Protagonisten werden von verschiedenen Autoren geschrieben, was ich in der Regel eigentlich mag und gerne lese. Auch hier mochte ich es, auch wenn mir der Schreibstil von Mark Edwards etwas mehr gefallen hat. Beide waren aber leicht zu lesen und man kam gut durch das Buch. Nun habe ich aber sogar schon hier ein kleines Problem. Beide Charaktere sind Autoren. Sei es noch hobbymäßig, wie Alex, oder schon professionell wie Siobhan. An manchen Stellen aber, besonders an ich nenne sie mal erotischeren Stellen, also meistens wenn einer der beiden entweder Sex hatte, oder darüber nachgedacht hat, dann war die Sprache doch sehr unangenehm derb und oft auch einfach sehr schlecht geschrieben. Zum Beispiel benötige ich bei einem inneren Monolog nicht noch einen Einschub in Klammern, indem die Protagonistin einfach nur „Igitt!!!“ (ja mit drei Ausrufezeichen) denkt. Das mag vielleicht dann authentischer rüber kommen, aber meins ist es nicht.
Nun kommen wir zur Handlung des Romans. Man kann sich anhand des Klappentextes eigentlich schon ziemlich viel denken, beziehungsweise erfährt man schon recht viel. Alex verliebt sich im Schreibkurs in seine Lehrerin Siobhan, die aber meiner Einschätzung nach nur höchstens 10 Jahre älter ist, diese erwidert seine Gefühle aber nicht, was Alex nicht zu merken scheint und in ihren Handlungen Signale sieht, welche so nicht vorhanden sind. Durch seine „Liebe“ zu ihr angestachelt fängt er an sie zu stalken und so weiter. Als ich den Klappentext gelesen habe dachte ich, dass das die Handlung des kompletten Buches sein wird, das eine Thema mit der toten Frau geklärt wird und das der große Showdown wäre. Das war es aber nicht, da Siobhan (kleiner Spoiler, aber sonst kann ich das Buch nicht gut rezensieren) schon im ersten Teil des Buches erfährt, was Alex getan hat und er der Stalker ist. Den ersten Teil mochte ich handlungstechnisch eigentlich wirklich ganz gerne, da er spannend war, ich mitfiebern konnte und Alex als kranker Charakter da einfach gut reingepasst hat. Eine Sache nach der anderen ist passiert und ich konnte das Buch praktisch nicht aus der Hand legen, aber alles änderte sich im zweiten Teil. Die Handlung wurde super gezogen, hat mir keinen Spaß mehr gemacht und war teilweise auch wirklich langweilig. Ganz davon abgesehen, wie absurd sie zum Teil wurde. Und das Ende hat mir persönlich auch gar nicht gefallen, auch wenn es eher zu Alex Charakter gepasst hat, als der Rest, welcher im zweiten Teil passiert ist (mehr dazu unten bei den Spoilern, wenn es jemanden wirklich interessiert).
Auch ein weiterer und mit einer der Punkte, weshalb das Buch mir nicht gefallen hat, sind die Charaktere gewesen. Nicht nur, dass beide Charakterentwicklungen für mich überhaupt keinen Sinn ergeben haben und meiner Meinung auch so nicht von statten gehen so waren sie auch einfach unsympathisch und das nicht aufgrund der Tatsache, dass Alex ein Stalker war, den er hat mir von den beiden besser gefallen, besonders im ersten Teil. Klar ist er krank, weil Stalking und dazu auf diese kranke Art und Weise nicht normal ist, aber so wurde er auch dargestellt. Er war arrogant und selbstverliebt und krankhaft von seiner Lehrerin besessen, aber das war eben die Rolle, die er in dem Buch übernommen hat. Im zweiten Teil konnte ich seine Charakterentwicklung nicht ansatzweise nachvollziehen und sie hat mir auch überhaupt nicht gefallen. Er hat mich oft ziemlich genervt muss ich sagen.
Siobhan war aber noch schlimmer. Besonders im ersten Teil müsste sie eigentlich die Person sein, die einem sympathisch ist, da sie das Opfer ist, aber nein das war sie einfach nicht. Ich glaube, dass ich schon lange nicht mehr so von einer Protagonistin genervt war. Was mich wirklich am meisten gestört hat ist, dass sie von sich selber immer wieder gesagt hat, dass sie kein großes Selbstbewusstsein hat, aber gleichzeitig davon ausgeht, dass jeder ihrer männlichen und ihre lesbische Schülerin auf sie stehen müssen. Auch als sie einmal Essen war und mit zwei Männern geflirtet hatte, welche darauf nicht eingegangen sind, war ihre einzige Schlussfolgerung, dass sie eindeutig schwul sein müssen.
Alles in allem ein Roman, welcher wirklich gut gestartet ist und den ich, trotz des Schreibstils, nicht aus der Hand legen konnte, welcher aber nach und nach immer schlechter wurde.
Spoiler Part: Ich möchte hier nur wenig dazu sagen, aber was mich wirklich sehr an dem Buch gestört hat war der angeblich so gute Plottwist, dass dann Siobhan anfängt Alex zu stalken. So eine Einstellung bekommt man nicht einfach von heute auf morgen, so wie sie. Außerdem wird Alex, welcher so krankhaft war, nicht plötzlich, weil er eine Andere kennen gelernt hat, gesund und in einer gesunden Beziehung leben, auch wenn sich am Ende auch was anderes dahingehend bemerkbar macht. Außerdem fand ich es sehr fragwürdig, dass Siobhan mehrmals traurig war, dass Alex sie nicht mehr liebt und nicht mehr so besessen nach ihr ist, weil sie ja wirklich toll ist und was zu geben hat. Das ist doch nicht mehr normal. Ich könnte ewig darüber weiter reden, aber ich denke, dass mein Standpunkt klar geworden ist.
January 1, 2015
Tak tohle bylo něco!
Skvely triler, prijemne postavy, svizne napisane, niekolko zaujimavych zvratov a uplne necakane rozuzlenie. Aj ked... ten koniec...
Skvely triler, prijemne postavy, svizne napisane, niekolko zaujimavych zvratov a uplne necakane rozuzlenie. Aj ked... ten koniec...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews