Chained By Conviction

by R.M. Demeester, A. Lauren Schreyer (Editor), Rebekah Dodson (Editor)

The community is outraged when Robert Hall, a philanthropist and devoted family man, is murdered by Kobe, a stranger.

Among the chaos, Elle, Kobe's fiancée, is certain of two Kobe loves her, and he did not kill Robert. But as the weight of circumstantial evidence swallows Kobe whole, Elle vows to exonerate him at any cost. Yet, in a world that doubts his innocence, who will dare to believe?

An online sleuth, claiming to be a former co-worker, steps forward with a burning disdain for Robert, sharing a common goal to expose the real truth behind his façade. But can Elle truly trust them?

Elle struggles with a haunting If Kobe is truly innocent, who else wanted Robert dead? And just how far is Elle willing to go for the man she loves?

Genres: Crime

288 pages, Paperback

Published August 25, 2023

About the author

R.M. Demeester, from Saskatchewan, loves being a mom, reading books, and writing. She's been writing since she was very young. Today, she's known for her stories in women's fiction, romantic suspense, and thrillers.

Reviews

[Scott Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Hall is a businessman, philantropist and masquerades as a good citizen. Behind the scenes he is an adulterer and an abuser. His family life is on the rocks and his wife Alice is filing for divorce. But when he is murdered all of this is hidden behind the veil of public respectability.

Scraps of evidence found by the police ( Robert's wedding ring and a jacket stained with Robert's blood) are found in the car owned by Kobe who has no obvious connection to Robert. Nonetheless, on this basis he is convicted of murder and sentenced to prison.
Elle, Kobe's financee, continues to believe in his innocence and after he has been in prison a couple of years starts probing the possible connections and who might have had a motive to kill Robert.

Elle starts investigating possible connections on the internet. She posts a plea for help. And she enters into email exchange with someone using the alia Truthseeker. This person expresses belief that Kobe is innocent. And, on her own, Elle discovers that Robert's current lover Mallory was once Kobe's girlfriend in high school. She meets with Mallory who also expresses faith in Kobe. In the reader's pov Mallory and Alice become possible suspects. There is also Mallory's husband who knows of her affair with Robert.

But the question remains: who killed Robert? Then Truthseeker spills the beans and we think we know the killer. But another twist awaits us.

An enjoyable read.

[Stephanie Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elle’s fiancé Kobe was convicted of a murder - one that Elle is convinced he didn’t commit, even though no one else believes in his innocence. Robert, a wealthy, well-known family man and philanthropist was the man murdered. But his secrets could be the key to unraveling Kobe’s conviction. That is, if Elle can uncover them.

This book was definitely a page turner and had satisfying twists throughout. It had excellent character development and kept me engaged from start to finish. A great read for those who love a good mystery or thriller! Several grammar and punctuation errors, but those would be an easy fix. Overall, a great story well told!

[Bookaddict · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this a lot!
The (almost) dual POV it give a gradually peek in the story - with a dual time table, now and before.
The story seems unassuming, but will keep you hooked.
And throughout the story, the intrigue grow, adding more questions, needing more answers. Becouse nothing is what seems.
And the good ending doesn’t hurt also.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Dawn Byers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert - a rich, family man, always concerned with his and his families image is murdered. He has had numerous affairs, been tough on his family. Who would want him dead?
But when an innocent man is charged with his death, Ellie, his fiancé begins to dig to show his innocence. She goes online and starts chatting with a person who know alot about Robert, his family, his affairs,etc. will she find out who murdered Robert? Who would want him dead?
What a book!

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book so much. There were twists and turns to the very end and suspense as I waited for the solution and Kobe's absolution. Elle's continued love for Kobe was so inspiring. So many books are full of the betrayal of love, her faithfulness to and trust in Kobe were refreshing. I would warn readers, however, that there is a sprinkling of unnecessary, inappropriate language.

I received this book from the author as an ARC and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

[Katrina Pratt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as a free ARC in exchange for an honest review. I found the story to be incredibly riveting throughout, it never lost my attention and you can read it in one sitting. I really appreciated the plot twists and the general storyline. The characters really make it work. Definitely worth adding to the collection!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you feel the need for a depressing day, have a tissue handy for this adult psychological rollercoaster with some nifty twists at the end dealing with wrongful imprisonment, probably in a British area as the steering wheel of Elle's car is on the right.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jeanne Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read several books written by R.M. Demeester; she is becoming one of my favorite authors. I can’t wait to read more of her books.

The story is about Elle & Kobe. He’s accused of murdering Robert but she’s sure he’s innocent.

I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this mystery story. It has enough suspense and thrills to keep you engrossed until the satisfying ending. The characters were well written and relatable, you will find yourself rooting for them. If you enjoy a good mystery, then this book is for you. I received a free review copy of this book via Story Origin and I am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting characters that help tell the story and there are several twists and turns in the story that keep you hanging on until the end. Good setting and good interaction and conversation between the characters. Keeps you guessing!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5! Okay, WOW. The thriller/mystery was such a good read, keeps your attention from the beginning! I feel like I didn’t see the plot twist coming either.

I received this ARC for an honest review, all thoughts/opinions above are my own!

[Red Book Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chained by Conviction is a suspenseful book that you will not put down, a page turner for sure. I highly enjoyed this book and the unpredictable plot it had. The author wrote this so well. I highly recommend it to anyone. Thank you to the author for allowing me to be an ARC reader for this.

[Eve Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me gripped from the very first chapter.
It keeps you guessing with it's twists and turns throughout.
The characters are great, and you are definitely rooting for Kobe.
I'd definitely recommend this book 📖.

[Sammye · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gripping psychological thriller kept me hooked from start to finish. The characters are great. There’s action, mystery, suspense and surprising plot twists that I didn’t see coming. It’s a fast paced, easy read. Very well written. *this was a complimentary copy and this is my honest review*

[Petra Moss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging find the true killer amateur sleuth story. Lots of drama and suspense. Exciting read that keeps you guessing for hours.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lynn Dignan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa!!! Is what I’ve got to say first and foremost. There isn’t a dull moment in the storyline. Hard to put down. Keeps you guessing. Then you’re like, wow!!! I knew it!!!

[Hayley Surabian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This psychological thriller kept me on my toes the whole time!

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again the author gives us a book that doesn’t disappoint. Action, suspense, great characters to draw you in. Once I started reading there was no stopping. Ready for more.

[Nadine · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book needed way more trigger warnings.
I almost couldn’t get through this, the cold hearted abuse that Mabel goes through is heartbreaking. The absolute monsters that are Robert and Alice Hall is shocking.

The plot and story had tons of potential, but was dragged down by basic writing and surface level emotions. The passionate/spicy parts felt calculated and sterile.

This book could have cut out about 4 characters in the later middle, there was too much extra filler. The email language was drab, dull and repetitive.