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Fatal Complusions
Audry Sampson is a forensic psychologist with a gift for solving the hardest puzzles of dark human motivation. But when men are being murdered by complete strangers across the country, she is faced with a puzzle that refuses understanding. The murders seem simple, solved quickly and prosecuted cleanly, with no connection to each other... Except one thing:
The murderers have no idea why they killed their victims.
Only able to murmur, "He won't be able to hurt her now," their confusion pulls Audry into a mystery that refuses solving...
Until a new victim turns up..
The murderers have no idea why they killed their victims.
Only able to murmur, "He won't be able to hurt her now," their confusion pulls Audry into a mystery that refuses solving...
Until a new victim turns up..
320 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2012
2 people are currently reading
295 people want to read
About the author
L.T. Bentley
2 books15 followersI call myself a Desert Rat.
I was born in a desert community, raised in various desert communities around the Southwest, and even though I attempted to escape the desert while in my early adult years, I simply traded a North American desert for a South American one.
You would think that for a person who craves green and mild climates, I'd be able to find my way out of hot and arid communities. Unfortunately, I've yet to find the magic potion that will whisk me away to the places I can only picture in my dreams.
However, being a Desert Rat has it's advantages. Currently, it means that I live within spitting distance of some of North America's prettiest beaches. I take advantage of this fact as often as I can. Beaches feature prominently in my writings. Yes, you could say I have a beach fetish. Must be all that sand that runs through my veins.
Not only are beaches inspiring, but they are never stagnant, a quality I try hard to instill in my characters and plots. It helps that I have a LARGE family and hundreds of friends to pull from for character building. Thank heavens, they have no problem lending their individual personalities to the people who populate my mind and my stories. For that generosity of spirit, I can never thank them enough.
Surrounded by quirky people as I am, I have been writing since I was a small child of 5 and peopling my stories with the people in my life. My very first character was a Malamute puppy named Nanook who bore a striking resemblance to my Uncle Tom. I'm glad he didn't mind my turning him into a dog.
Writing is my first love, superseded only by my love for the people who I share my life with. They inspire me, support me, hold me up, and kick me in the pants when I need it. Without them, I am nothing. How better to thank them for all that they are in my life, than to immortalize them in my books.
I was born in a desert community, raised in various desert communities around the Southwest, and even though I attempted to escape the desert while in my early adult years, I simply traded a North American desert for a South American one.
You would think that for a person who craves green and mild climates, I'd be able to find my way out of hot and arid communities. Unfortunately, I've yet to find the magic potion that will whisk me away to the places I can only picture in my dreams.
However, being a Desert Rat has it's advantages. Currently, it means that I live within spitting distance of some of North America's prettiest beaches. I take advantage of this fact as often as I can. Beaches feature prominently in my writings. Yes, you could say I have a beach fetish. Must be all that sand that runs through my veins.
Not only are beaches inspiring, but they are never stagnant, a quality I try hard to instill in my characters and plots. It helps that I have a LARGE family and hundreds of friends to pull from for character building. Thank heavens, they have no problem lending their individual personalities to the people who populate my mind and my stories. For that generosity of spirit, I can never thank them enough.
Surrounded by quirky people as I am, I have been writing since I was a small child of 5 and peopling my stories with the people in my life. My very first character was a Malamute puppy named Nanook who bore a striking resemblance to my Uncle Tom. I'm glad he didn't mind my turning him into a dog.
Writing is my first love, superseded only by my love for the people who I share my life with. They inspire me, support me, hold me up, and kick me in the pants when I need it. Without them, I am nothing. How better to thank them for all that they are in my life, than to immortalize them in my books.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 22, 2012
Everyone has them, secrets. Some people try to hide them, others seek to uncover them and occasionally the secrets are too big to stay hidden. While investigating a baffling case involving a series of seemingly unrelated murders, Dr. Aubrey Sampson finds balance between her work as a forensic psychologist and a romantic interest. Dr. Clarisse Swann is a stunningly beautiful woman whose looks attract men that only complicate her life, a life that is haunted by demons from her past and a monster in her present. Fatal Compulsion is their account, as they struggle with relationships, career responsibilities and a string of murders; their paths are on collision course.
L.T. Bentley writes with realistic style, creating a story that builds at a smoldering pace until ending with an explosively gripping ending that becomes more shocking with each turn of the page. The novel deals with real emotions and feelings, unfolding a tale of how dealing with them can affect not only their own lives, but also those around them.
L.T. Bentley writes with realistic style, creating a story that builds at a smoldering pace until ending with an explosively gripping ending that becomes more shocking with each turn of the page. The novel deals with real emotions and feelings, unfolding a tale of how dealing with them can affect not only their own lives, but also those around them.
September 24, 2012
Gripping. This is the second book by this author that I've read. After reading, Daughter of My Heart: Cela's Letters Home, I had to see what else this author had to offer. I'm not through with this novel yet, but I am enjoying the twists and turns of the plot. LT Bentley is a great story teller.
February 1, 2012
Loved the characters and was totally shocked by the outcome. Thank goodness for a wonderfully romantic couple without the private viewing.
October 31, 2012
I loved this book and it may have given me nightmares too. The psychological development of the characters completely draws the reader into this story. Write more!
November 17, 2020
A plot with potential, if somewhat far fetched, in which a forensic psychologist suspects links between some odd solved murders. However the writing style is ponderous making it slow going. There are a number of spelling errors and/or malapropisms.
February 22, 2013
I finally got an e-reader and uploaded my kindle version so I could read this book. I enjoyed it. It was full of psychology, one might call it a psychological thriller??? The main characters are a hypno-therapist and a forensic psychologist.
One of the more memorable scenes in the book is the detail that went in to describing how a character struggles to call for help after she is beaten. I found the writing there compelling and emotional. I was drawn into the scene and had compassion for a character I didn't really like. (My disdain for the character is representative of the characters within the novel, and the author's ability to 'flesh them out.' Even if you don't like a character, the fact that you have an opinion about them is evidence of a good voice/description.)
I didn't love the narratorial style within the book. It does cross time, places, people. But most of those transitions are easily distinguished. But there were some places where the narration jumped between characters and I found it a little hard to follow in a few places.
I'd recommend the read if you like mysteries, and also if you're interested in psychology. I'm not sure I buy into the deepest premise of the murders, but I don't know enough about psychology to have an educated opinion on the matter. Ultimately, I'd like to think there are some things in our psyche's that are immutable. It is a clean read, I enjoyed one of psychologists and her personality far more than the others. Thanks for the read.
One of the more memorable scenes in the book is the detail that went in to describing how a character struggles to call for help after she is beaten. I found the writing there compelling and emotional. I was drawn into the scene and had compassion for a character I didn't really like. (My disdain for the character is representative of the characters within the novel, and the author's ability to 'flesh them out.' Even if you don't like a character, the fact that you have an opinion about them is evidence of a good voice/description.)
I didn't love the narratorial style within the book. It does cross time, places, people. But most of those transitions are easily distinguished. But there were some places where the narration jumped between characters and I found it a little hard to follow in a few places.
I'd recommend the read if you like mysteries, and also if you're interested in psychology. I'm not sure I buy into the deepest premise of the murders, but I don't know enough about psychology to have an educated opinion on the matter. Ultimately, I'd like to think there are some things in our psyche's that are immutable. It is a clean read, I enjoyed one of psychologists and her personality far more than the others. Thanks for the read.
October 23, 2012
I could not put this book down. A very compelling read into the minds of psychology and pathology doctors and how they do their best to help people; or in some cases to hurt people. Learning how a mind can work and be influenced to do good or bad in any given situation kept me reading from page one until the very end.
The "mastermind" behind the murders was not who I thought it was. In fact, I could not my choice for the culprit kept changing as I read along. This is just one reason, out of many, why I enjoyed this book so much. Nothing was predictable, or easily solved by me half way thru. I was spell bound until the very end.
The "mastermind" behind the murders was not who I thought it was. In fact, I could not my choice for the culprit kept changing as I read along. This is just one reason, out of many, why I enjoyed this book so much. Nothing was predictable, or easily solved by me half way thru. I was spell bound until the very end.
November 13, 2012
Gripping!! I couldn't put it down. Just when I thought I'd figured out who the mastermind was, I was proven wrong and had to start deducing again. I was surprised by who the mastermind turned out to be. Rarely do I pick up a book of this length and read it straight through but I could not put it down. It pulled me in and didn't release me until the very last word on the very last page. Can't wait to read the sequel.
February 24, 2013
I won this book as a First Reads, Goodreads giveaway. Murders keep happening and no one knows why. There's seemingly no connection between the victims and the killers that seem to be law abiding citizens, so why do they do it? It's a mystery that can't be left alone. The book is full of suspense and it's hard to put down because you just can't wait to find out what's going on and why the killers killed. Great Book!
Want to read
November 18, 2012I just wanted to say thank you for doing this giveaway, and that I'm very excited to receive the book. Once I do, I'll be more then happy to write a review. Thanks again!
January 25, 2013
This book travels through the world of hynpo therapy. It took me a bit to realize that I was reading one story and not two. It kept me wanting to read more.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews