Pay the Price

by Samantha Gail

Pay the Price is a psychological thriller that will leave you questioning the line between right and wrong. 




Duke has been socially isolated his entire life. When a chance encounter at a coffee shop strikes him with love at first sight, navigating those feelings proves to be disastrous. Can he make her love him in return? 




Stella developed a permanent chip on her shoulder after being abused in foster care. Now that she is an adult with a stable job as a nurse's aide, can she prove her worth by forcing a mute patient to speak...even if her methods are questionable? 




Edwin has been a solo detective for over 30 years after the tragic death of his partner, but when he is assigned a rookie fresh from the Academy to mentor, can Edwin separate his past from his future?




Pay the Price examines the precarious slope between love and obsession, vengeance and justice, and the true definition of "fair" in the criminal justice system.

248 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 7, 2023

Reviews

[Peri Flanigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Samantha Gail is a master at creating characters that make the reader question themselves and their own choices. The plot was page turning and had me biting my fingernails in anticipation. I am genuinely in awe of her ability to keep a reader (who grew up not enjoying character/narrator chapter changes) to appreciate, enjoy, and actually keep track of the narrator and the plot through changes - thank you for that. One of the best.

[Lea Eberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was grippingly hooked from the first chapter!! The story is well written as well as haunting!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the author's second book, Epoch, and absolutely loved it, so I wanted to check this book out. While I knew that this was a psychological thriller, I was not prepared for how dark and twisted it is. I want to clarify that this is not necessarily a bad thing (I did enjoy the story), I was just taken aback. There is a reader discretion notice at the beginning of the book, but it didn't really list details. So....be prepared for rape (on page), torture, blood and gore, kidnapping, and assault. Two of the three main characters have deep psychological issues and the book goes into their minds as they commit heinous crimes.

This book has two different timelines and three main characters, and I spent almost the entire book trying to puzzle out how everything was connected. I was astonished at the revelation in the end, as it intensified character parallels and brought new meaning to the book title. Reading this book and seeing what these characters go through and what they chose to do, my brain was torn between being appalled at their actions, but also recognizing that they are victims of their circumstances. Duke was raised in an abusive home with just his mother, cut off from the outside world with little knowledge of society or human interaction. He may have other mental issues, but his sheltered and warped upbringing did not give him a foundation or a moral compass to have a successful life. Stella was raised in the foster care system, bouncing from home to home, and being sexually abused and exploited. She was left all alone at 16 with no money and little education, and she has never known kindness. These circumstances don't excuse their actions, but it makes my heart ache that there are people in the world like this who never stood a chance with what life has thrown at them.

I feel like I'm getting a little philosophical, but this is why I did enjoy this book despite it being a little darker than what I usually enjoy. It made me think about what is right and wrong, how those words can be different for everyone, and how justice can manifest in the strangest ways.

[Cas Tomb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book at random at my B&N and was told the author actually lives around here so I had to give it a try.

I would have to say going into this book please check the tigger warnings. It is a lot to process and read but it makes the story even more captivating.

The time jumps from past to present are crazy. This book made me not want to put it down! The way the story follows Duke- the boy that believes that there is dark magic everywhere.
Edwin- the lead detective on the case.
Stella- as nurses aide with a very messed up past.

The way this story was told in 3 POVs was amazing. Reading the struggle of Stella were so tragic it made me want to cry and scream at the system for messing up so many things.

Over all the book had me in its grip since I started page one.

I was so shocked at the last 4 chapters of this book I couldn’t put it down!!

Great read and a fantastic thriller for being this authors first work. Can’t wait to read more from her in the future.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this is a debut novel from the author and wow… It sucked me in from the beginning and I could not put it down. There are a few things some may find disturbing, but for most psychological thriller readers, I’d say it’s not bothersome. It was so well written and will keep you turning the page for more!

[Brandon Cowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping story, finished it in just a few days. Was my first venture into psychological thrillers, some parts were absolutely disturbing to the un-weathered mind but I can't argue with my desire to keep ripping through pages. Very impressive debut!

[Alexa Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly have no words. I was captivated from the very beginning and had to force myself to put it down, you know, to sleep! I thought the “3 storylines” would be hard to keep track of, but I was sucked in from the beginning. Perfect character development and the plot - simply incredible!!

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wtf. But also good book at the same time