A terrifying novel about internet dating, secret desires and a chilling serial killer. From bestselling authors Mark Edwards and Louise Voss.
He's posted on your wall. He's following you on Twitter. He knows where you are right now…
When Amy receives an email from her older sister, Becky, announcing that she's off travelling and "don't try to find me", she is worried. Becky would never do such a thing on a whim.
Amy – who is recovering from an abusive relationship that has left her terrified of love – soon finds that Becky had started using online dating sites. Aided by Becky's neighbour, Gary, Amy sets about tracking down the men her sister had dated, following a trail that leads her into the darkly seductive world of internet hook-ups.
But Amy is unaware that a sadistic killer is watching – a killer who’s been using the internet to stalk, torture and kill. Now he’s got something very special planned for Amy and she is about to find out that romance really is dead.
I was browsing the Kindle store one night and came across Forward Slash, after loving other books by both Louise Voss and in particular Mark Edwards I bought it on a whim. It was late at night, I finished it at 3am in the morning. Could not put it down.
God I love a good psychological thriller! One that twists my head all around and inside out. One that keeps me guessing then I get it wrong until I get it right. Loved everything about this.
He's posted on your wall. He's following you on Twitter. He knows where you are right now…
When Amy receives an email from her older sister, Becky, announcing that she's off travelling and "don't try to find me", she is worried. Becky would never do such a thing on a whim.
Amy – who is recovering from an abusive relationship that has left her terrified of love – soon finds that Becky had started using online dating sites. Aided by Becky's neighbour, Gary, Amy sets about tracking down the men her sister had dated, following a trail that leads her into the darkly seductive world of internet hook-ups.
This book seriously made me rethink my own use of social media, honestly it did.
The book kicks off the starting blocks at a pace and does not let up, I loved the tight and snappy plot so much, it surprised me every single step of the way and I had many a jaw dropping moment.
To me, a great book is one like this; I can't put down, that I lose myself in, that I have to finish even though my eyes are closing and I am forcing them open. Don't you agree?
I am not even going to go into the plot, I have popped the blurb in here for you. But it's a fantastic book from all perspectives, some of the characters are just written so well. Even when you think you have someone sussed out, you will then doubt yourself and then change again. Then you will indeed shout "I knew it!" (even if you didn't - liar).
If this doesn't scare the you-know-what out of you about internet dating and social media websites, nothing will. I would LOVE to see this one as a movie.
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Wow. This book definitely makes you feel like deleting all your social media accounts! Scary stuff. Enjoyed the book, addictive reading and a decent thriller.
Him. He is looking for The One. His perfect love. She has to have a certain look, specific hair, eye color, and body type. She must look beautiful when she is crying. Him. He thinks he is the only person who understands love. Just when he thinks he has found The One, she inevitably ends up ruining it.
Social media sites offer a little bit of everything. In this story, the sites that cater to dating, mating, and scheduled copulating are highlighted. It's important to recognize the people you meet online are not always what they seem to be. Artificial friends. We all know this in our minds, but loneliness sometimes overrides good sense.
Remember Eleanor Rigby and how she kept her face in a jar by the door?
I bought this book because it is co-authored by Mark Edwards (along with Louise Voss) and had just finished a book of his that I enjoyed. It will make you think twice about your privacy settings. There isn't much that isn't accessible to someone who knows what he is doing. Frightening.
Another stunning thriller sure to force people to think twice about internet dating. Amy is confused and concerned when her sister, Becky, emails her to announce plans for a trip, on a whim. Even more troubling is the message that follows, "don't try to get in touch with me." Amy worries that something has happened to Becky and begins talking to those closest to her. When Amy finds a fellow sleuth in Becky's neighbour, Gary, she begins exploring the darker and more secretive side of Becky's life, online dating. Spurned by an abusive boyfriend in the past, Amy is leery of dating at all, but sees that Becky has tossed herself into the middle of the dating world and pushed its limits to the more strings-free sites that offer easy hook-ups. Could Becky have fallen in with the wrong man, who's killed her? When Amy begins getting messages from Becky, asking that she stop looking, the search kicks up another notch. Amy will stop at nothing to find her sister, even if it's only to put her mind to rest. Once the police locate a body on a deserted piece of land, the case becomes more official, but that's only the beginning of the sadistic crumbs on offer to the reader. Powerfully written and told from four narrative perspectives, the reader will be pulled deep into the world of the internet and social media, questioning just how safe the faceless dating world can be.
Voss and Edwards have some of their best work in this novel. The thrills never end and the psychological aspect ramps up with each passing chapter. While not using the novel to make a whole-hearted soapbox speech on internet dating, they do sell their point effectively, which is a throwback to parents' warnings geared at their children; you never know who's out there and if people are who they claim to be. The race to find the missing Becky does not let up, nor do the twists throughout. While I was perceptive enough to see some of the pitfalls, others left my jaw dangling as I tried to read 'just a little more'. Anyone who begins this Voss/Edwards journey here will want more and is surely in for a treat. Settle in and prepare to be chilled...
Kudos, Madam Voss and Mr. Edwards for your recent addition to a powerful set of novels.
This one is getting recommendations wherever I can offer them!
Another excellent psychological thriller by the talented Mark Edwards and Louise Voss. I have read several of Mark Edwards books recently and they never fail to instantly grip me and this one was no exception.
This novel features two sisters, Amy and Becky. Amy receives an email from sister Becky telling her that she has gone travelling and not to try and contact her. Things don't quite make sense and Becky is not convinced everything is as it seems and decides to investigate. She soon discovers that Becky has been using on line dating sites and uncovers a few unsavoury characters. Becky's neighbour Gary offers Amy his help and the pair start to try and unravel the mystery.
There are a few things that are a little hard to believe and a few convenient happenings but don't let that spoil the enjoyment of this novel. Another entertaining read.
I think this would have read better closer to the publishing date (2013) as it reads a bit dated now. Capitalizing on the popularity of the internet and online dating at the time, a serial killer has emerged and is using social media to gain information and access to his prey.
The ending did provide a nice twist I didn't see coming, but other than that, this book flatlined for me with its cookie cutter characters.
Firstly this is my first book by Mark and Louise and it certainly won't be my last. A rather dark, delicious and humorous tale of Internet dating, stalking and serial killers. With arguably one of the best quotes I have read in a while "she had a wonderful vagina...I still have it in a jar somewhere". So now I am off to read more from this pair and more importantly check my facebook security settings x
This is my first book by this pairing and I loved it. Odd how Goodreads has it marked as by Louise Voss yet Amazon as Mark Edwards, neither as both together...I will need to read some of their separate work to see who it is that has the VERY inventive but disturbing ideas !! A couple of times I wondered that people could even think this stuff....some of it was really quite nasty. Though I chuckled to myself at the purchased crystal item thinking I doubt Swarovski stock one of those !! I spotted a couple of irritating things...I'd still capitalise Tweets and Tweeting and they don't AND they used American spellings all the way through which just elicits a huge sigh from this jaded reader who hates seeing it in books based over here....realized/organize/prioritized/apologize. There were some real moments of levity where I laughed aloud although I am thankful it stayed this side of turning a little farcical with too much comedy as I'd have hated that. I noticed at one point Amy said she'd added someone to her favourites (which WAS spelt the English way, by the way) but she'd just told the person her real name and we'd already been told she used a fake name on the website in question..and Manila didn't need capitalising either. That makes it a place in the Philippines, I would say. I wondered at the pointing out of the misspelling in the launderette BUT I thought immediately they referred to the e !! They spelt it properly a few pages further on. This was a really interesting, exciting story. I even had a little sniff near the end, I must say. It really keeps you guessing and I'll definitely be looking for more by them. However, it does reinforce my views about internet dating. I always say it's for saddos and desperadoes but it's also a mecca for every weirdo under the sun as well. I'd avoid it like the plague ! This may be fiction but you can bet it's based on reality.
I love this authors style of writing - every chapter ends in a cliff hanger and you race towards the finish not knowing what's going to happen. This was great , very topical - made me think about how free and easy people are with technology and how there can be nasty people out there waiting to take advantage.
the world of internet dating... this book makes you think twice about who you meet online. from personal experience i know that it is not all bad as i met my husband online but the men in this book are a totally different story. Amy's sister Beccy goes missing and Amy set out to find out what happened to her. i am a big fan of both Mark Edwards and Louise Voss and I highly recommend this book
Kathy and Amy are sisters – when Kathy goes missing Amy is bound and determined to find her no matter what the cost…and the cost could be high. Not being taken seriously by the Police, Amy launches her own investigation and what she finds horrifies her…
Cleverly written from several points of view, this novel is a clever take on the possible dangers of Social Media and a terrific mystery thriller. Told in bites from the side of each character, including the “bad guy” the story is intense and unsettling in equal measure. As you, the reader, get some information ahead of Amy, you may find yourself shouting at the book when she starts heading in the wrong direction, or trusting the wrong people – Certainly I had my head in my hands upon occasion.
I do love the way this duo writes – Flowing narrative, keeping you engaged with each and every character, until you are bound and determined to get to the end before cooking your dinner! The ending was spot on, unexpected and edge of the seat stuff..The ambience for me was intensified by the mad apocalyptic style thunderstorm going on in my hometown during the final few chapters – hey someone was watching! Excellent stuff. Look forward to more.
This is my second Louise Voss and Mark Edwards book and, again, I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Social media is the culprit again, with much of our lives being online now, the constant need to update our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts (to name but a few!) and not really think of the safety and security of those parts of our lives. I already have my Facebook profile on private because I don't want everyone knowing about everything in my life but then again I don't really post updates or 'check in' anywhere as I usually forget.
Not everyone you meet online is truthful, you never know who's lurking behind the screen, seeing what you do, following you, watching your every move. Even the people you think you know can be hiding secrets, deep dark horrible secrets.
The twists and turns were good and I did work them out but I'm just very suspicious of everyone in a mystery/crime/thriller novel. Very, very suspicious.
Will be picking up more by this duo, in fact I have Catch Your Death from the library that I should probably read before I run out of extensions.
Fast-paced read for the most part. But this could have been cut by 50 pages or so. And even by thriller standards, it eventually strains credulity. Still, an easy read with some good twists & turns. And you’ll like Amy, the MC.
This book had an electrifying plot that it made me want to read this right away. It didn't fail me, just first few chapters I already feel how intense this one especially the killer's Point of view. It's so gross! The story was good, it will also give you advantages and disadvantages of the online dating sites.
I had my own theory upon reading the book. There was something weird or strange about Gary. So I started thinking that maybe he's the psycho killer. I didn't expect that coming. That revelation part was awesome! It was filled with emotions. Those intense and gross scenes ugh! All were good!
At first I feel that Declan's part was not related to the story. But yeah upon the revelation part, he played a great role in saving Amy and Becky. This is a very recommended book!
In the last part Amy said 30% of relationship starts online. Now my question is... Do you belong to the 30%? :D
Let me just begin by saying that there are a few aspects of this novel that are quite gruesome. If you enjoy reading novels that are quite dark, then please continue reading on. “Slash Forward” is an in-depth look at the dangers of internet dating, and just how easy it is for stalkers and sexual predators to choose a victim just from sitting in front of a computer.
“Slash Forward” is a chilling tale of one woman, Amy, and her fight to find her missing sister, Becky, and the only clues available is to read and learn what her sister’s posted on an internet dating site that she discovers. What Amy learns is shocking. She questions just how well she actually knew her sister. This is a well-written novel with terrific characters that made this novel seem so realistic. I loved the family dynamic between Amy and Becky. Perhaps because of my close relationship with my sisters, I could feel and understand what Amy was going thru to find her sister. Regardless of their differences, she truly loved her sister. She didn’t care about anything else except finding Becky. Even when the police didn’t believe her, she never gave up hope.
While I found the novel to be suspenseful and intriguing, it moves at an average pace. While I didn’t find it to be “edge-of-your-seat” kind of suspense, there were a few twists and turns. In the end this is a worthwhile read and one I highly recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I'm not going to star rate this book because I got to page 115 and gave up, so I feel it'd be unfair of me.
I am OBSESSED with Mark Edwards books. This is my first book involving author Louis Voss and I honestly think her contribution to the writing took front stage and ruined the book for me. Her writing reminds me of the YA section, appealing to teens. I also couldn't get over how similar it seemed to "You" by Caroline Kepnes but without the witty dialogue and great character development.
That may be unfair of me to say, but I absolutely disliked the writing. To me it was very corny and I couldn't stop thinking how frustrated I was that I couldn't find Mark Edwards' voice in it at all. I think him going off and writing his own books was a great decision and a gift to readers.
I wish I could get on the band wagon because this book got high ratings but I just don't have the patience for it anymore. I'm sticking to Mark Edwards solo books from now on, learned my lesson.
Someone I was once friends with tried really hard to discourage me from reading this - I am so glad that I ignored their comments as I loved this book!
I thought the plot was really well constructed. The characters were well formed and on the whole likeable. There were plenty of twists and turns and great red herrings. One character I really liked wasn't who I thought they were and that was a big surprise when I realised!
This book is one of my favourite reads of the year so far, it had short snappy chapters that left me eager to keep my kindle open till very late at night.
A great book, I'm very much looking forward to reading the authors next book. Keep up the great writing Mark and Louise.
3.5* A thriller showing the dangers of how people expose themselves online whether it's social media or online dating. Though the dangers are very authentic and important to adress, it often comes off as a scaremongering with no alternative suggestions to how people can use it safely. I am aware of it's not a practical self-help-book in safe online mingling, but not implementing aspects of how to handle these issues have a moralistic vibe.
I felt there was too much of practical unrealistic coincidences, but not to s degree I couldn't ignore it and enjoy the story for what it was. All in all I enjoyed it without getting bored
This book was not scary for me in the traditional sense. What scares me about this story is just how easily someone else can get your information, find out everything about you, find out who your friends are, where you are and where you have been, with hardly any effort on their part!
It is a book which makes you seriously think about just how much information you share online, and how much you leave behind as you go about your daily life.
This is a brilliant psychological thriller which is so relevant to life nowadays. Everything is done online now, even banking, and security is a necessity. This story shows quite how important it is to be aware of security online.
Louise Voss and Mark Edwards are such a brilliant pairing and never fail to satisfy.
This is a dark psychological thriller which will make you think twice about what you post online. Check your internet security settings people! But despite the dark subject matter there is also some humour - 'She had a wonderful vagina. I still have it in a jar somewhere'.
The book held my attention throughout with some excellent twists, and the cliffhanger at the end of each chapter made me want to read just one more, and before I knew it it was 3am!
Excellent narration from Jessica Ball and Ben Elliot
Why was this book ever published. It confused me non stop. If I could get my money back for this book I would. Terrible writing he flits back all the time constantly.
Note to beautiful young women: stop posting every little thing on social media... you could end up dead.
Two sisters, Amy and Becky, look like twins. Becky, a school teacher, emails her sister she is leaving the country for the summer, eager to visit Asia, won't be back. Amy realizes immediately this is a weird email. She starts the search for her sister when the police don't take her fears seriously. It all starts with Becky's laptop... where will it lead?
This book was written six years ago and it really holds up. It scared the crap out of me. The tech smart serial killer completely freaked me out.
The ending however, blew me away and I really didn't suspect it. The writers really were crafty with this one. Well done.
Trying to find a new love? Just go on the internet? But, are you aware of the dangers that holds. Amy does. She has just gotten out of an abusive relationship and just she wants to concentrate on her business.
She receives an email from her sister, Becky, stating not to try to find her, she is going to be traveling. But something about the email is not right and Amy is now concerned her sister is missing. She goes to the police, but they are of little help.
Now, Amy, must try on her own to find out what happened to Becky. When she finds out that Becky has been posting to an on-line dating site, she goes out on her own to find her missing sister!
I have read most of Mark Edward's independently written books and I have devoured and loved every single one. It was obvious (to me, anyway) that there was a co-writer on "Forward Slash". It was good, but not as good as say, "The Magpies". It was slow in some parts, especially the first half. The second half got much better, and that's when the thrill factor really kicked in. Not at the top of my list, but I would recommend it if you're in the mood for a quick, suspenseful read.
The world of online dating, this book will make you think twice about who you want to meet online.
I was gripped from the first page and read the book in one sitting.
When Amy's sister Becky goes missing, no one will take Amy's concerns seriously. So, Amy makes it her mission to find her sister. With lots of twists and turns along the way, Forward Slash will make you double-check all of your privacy settings!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
A seriously unpleasant story - very macabre murderer and not very likeable victims. It was gripping and I didn’t identify the killer before he was exposed in the story. However I found the alternating time frames (only a few weeks apart) hard to follow and I’m not sure I ever really had a grip on the sequence of events.