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Delusional
Don’t believe everything you see!
When rising marketing executive Patricia Fowler falls for Paul Blast, a married co-worker, she tries to put her life into perspective—a task that becomes increasingly difficult when she starts having eerie hallucinations. Patricia’s dreams of a happily ever after turn into one nightmare after another as she battles threats that go beyond her imagination.
Is her new love behind the torment? After all, his former girlfriend ended up in an asylum.
Or could Paul’s wife be more than a bored, spoiled, rich girl?
Meanwhile, the FBI is trying to track down a thief who magically appears and disappears, taking priceless gems and artwork with her.
“Delusional” is a fast-paced thriller that blurs the lines of reality and fantasy, leading to an explosive climax where what you see isn’t necessarily what you’re going to get!
When rising marketing executive Patricia Fowler falls for Paul Blast, a married co-worker, she tries to put her life into perspective—a task that becomes increasingly difficult when she starts having eerie hallucinations. Patricia’s dreams of a happily ever after turn into one nightmare after another as she battles threats that go beyond her imagination.
Is her new love behind the torment? After all, his former girlfriend ended up in an asylum.
Or could Paul’s wife be more than a bored, spoiled, rich girl?
Meanwhile, the FBI is trying to track down a thief who magically appears and disappears, taking priceless gems and artwork with her.
“Delusional” is a fast-paced thriller that blurs the lines of reality and fantasy, leading to an explosive climax where what you see isn’t necessarily what you’re going to get!
ebook
First published April 20, 2020
2 people are currently reading
483 people want to read
About the author
Scott Spotson
18 books107 followersScott Spotson is a Canadian novelist who excels in imagining scenes of intrigue and adventure within ordinary lives while daydreaming, then pulls together various plots to create a compelling story.
Scott has written eleven books: "Life II," a time travel novel; and its sequel, "Bridge Through Time," "Seeking Dr. Magic," a novel that imagines what happens when a powerful wizard comes of age as a young man, and wreaks his havoc on the world, which is yet unaware of his existence; "Delusional," in which a woman in love suddenly experiences hallucinations and resolve to track down her tormentor before it's too late; "The Strange Life of Brandon Chambers," in which a young man suffers from hallucinations throughout his life, but others also see them and these illusions contain clues to a deeper meaning--or do they?; "Wizards Rising: The Cataclysm," in which four arrogant wizards take over North America and thrill the populace with deadly wizard games; "Alia Tero: The Many Lives of Darren Datita," in which a bewildered young man must deal with the strange rules of an Earth-like society in an alternate universe; "My Wizard Buddy" series, children's books in which Tyler has a boy wizard as a real friend, not as an imaginary one, and "You Know You're Thin When...," a humor book using large single panel cartoons.
Scott has written eleven books: "Life II," a time travel novel; and its sequel, "Bridge Through Time," "Seeking Dr. Magic," a novel that imagines what happens when a powerful wizard comes of age as a young man, and wreaks his havoc on the world, which is yet unaware of his existence; "Delusional," in which a woman in love suddenly experiences hallucinations and resolve to track down her tormentor before it's too late; "The Strange Life of Brandon Chambers," in which a young man suffers from hallucinations throughout his life, but others also see them and these illusions contain clues to a deeper meaning--or do they?; "Wizards Rising: The Cataclysm," in which four arrogant wizards take over North America and thrill the populace with deadly wizard games; "Alia Tero: The Many Lives of Darren Datita," in which a bewildered young man must deal with the strange rules of an Earth-like society in an alternate universe; "My Wizard Buddy" series, children's books in which Tyler has a boy wizard as a real friend, not as an imaginary one, and "You Know You're Thin When...," a humor book using large single panel cartoons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
October 4, 2014
Spotson states that he always takes meticulous care when plotting his novels and this is clearly evident in Delusional, an intricately crafted work that draws together the threads of romance, supernatural, thriller and crime.
I must confess I have very little interest in stories that specifically focus on romance or interpersonal relationships but there is so much more to this novel. Despite being rather long it nevertheless kept me gripped throughout with constant cliff hangers and reveals. In my case I simply had to learn who the mysterious Hope diamond thief was and the cause of Patricia’s hallucinations. I promise you won’t be disappointed by either explanation.
The only real criticism I have is I found it a little difficult initially to relate to the ambitious and materialistic Patricia or actually like her to any significant degree. This works when we have a character like Wendy who is intended to be overtly unpleasant but not when we are asked to follow a main character from the first to last page. Luckily this is not the case later on as we do begin to empathise with her suffering but I feel the story might work a little better if the author could have found a way to make me engage with his protagonist at an earlier stage.
Overall though an excellent novel and one that works on multiple levels and across several genres. I have no hesitation in recommending Delusional.
May 14, 2020
Wendy Jewett is an evil witch in the real world.
The book begins with one of Wendy’s atrocities and from there we’re stuck with her. I would have appreciated the opportunity to try to “understand” her (why she lacks empathy, why she is so careless, how come a person who has magic doesn’t come up with a better use for it), but the few clues about her past don’t point in this direction.
Around 30% of the book, it gets better because the web of lies Wendy has created starts to show imperfections and one after another, her husband Paul suspects, the police suspect... but still, she fools them.
When Patricia comes on the scene, however, that’s a different story. She starts flirting with Paul, and that gets her on Wendy’s blacklist. I love the way Patricia deals with her delusions, hiring private investigator Ray and going to a therapist. This is also the part where Wendy actually bonds with Samantha (her first “delusional victim”, who Wendy made look like an insane person to steal Paul from her).
Samantha is my favorite character because she is so authentic that she can even establish a real relationship with Wendy. I also liked that Wendy had some guilt nightmares. It made her seem a little more human.
In the end, Wendy’s obsession with getting rid of Patricia is the key to unraveling all of Wendy’s murders and thefts. To me this is the best part of the book: the investigation to solve crimes that seem the work of magic, and how they would react when they find out that Wendy is a witch.
As for the text, there are some mistakes, the most recurrent being the repetition of words in the same sentence. I have also been distracted because the point of view often changes from third person to first person―sometimes even within the same paragraph.
The descriptions are very detailed, but sometimes they are diverted towards things that don't add value to the story.
The book begins with one of Wendy’s atrocities and from there we’re stuck with her. I would have appreciated the opportunity to try to “understand” her (why she lacks empathy, why she is so careless, how come a person who has magic doesn’t come up with a better use for it), but the few clues about her past don’t point in this direction.
Around 30% of the book, it gets better because the web of lies Wendy has created starts to show imperfections and one after another, her husband Paul suspects, the police suspect... but still, she fools them.
When Patricia comes on the scene, however, that’s a different story. She starts flirting with Paul, and that gets her on Wendy’s blacklist. I love the way Patricia deals with her delusions, hiring private investigator Ray and going to a therapist. This is also the part where Wendy actually bonds with Samantha (her first “delusional victim”, who Wendy made look like an insane person to steal Paul from her).
Samantha is my favorite character because she is so authentic that she can even establish a real relationship with Wendy. I also liked that Wendy had some guilt nightmares. It made her seem a little more human.
In the end, Wendy’s obsession with getting rid of Patricia is the key to unraveling all of Wendy’s murders and thefts. To me this is the best part of the book: the investigation to solve crimes that seem the work of magic, and how they would react when they find out that Wendy is a witch.
As for the text, there are some mistakes, the most recurrent being the repetition of words in the same sentence. I have also been distracted because the point of view often changes from third person to first person―sometimes even within the same paragraph.
The descriptions are very detailed, but sometimes they are diverted towards things that don't add value to the story.
November 17, 2014
(language, adult situations, adultery) Where to start? Yes, this book had some good things about it: the plot was new and about halfway through it really picked up and began to draw you into it. However, there was so much that just didn’t work. Primarily there was a lot of unnecessary fluff. Sometimes sentences were thrown in describing things that had nothing to do with the rest of the story.
I guess I could sum it up by saying the book just needed more polish. Frequently, the author was talking directly to the reader instead of telling a story or he would give the reader a clue about something only to immediately spell it out in case the clue was missed. For example, “The priceless gem rotated counter-clockwise every ten seconds, one-quarter turn at a time,” is immediately followed by “Every forty seconds, the diamond returned to its original position.”
Words were repeated even in the same sentence. Even entire phrases were repeated – “as she watched the security video for the” and one paragraph later, “as they watched the security video for the.” Even more disturbing, the first sentence ends “eighth time” and the second one “umpteenth time,” leaving the reader to wonder which it is.
It felt like the author did little research to write the book, which made it a struggle to suspend belief.
All this made the book feel more like a rough draft than a final book. I understand the author is self-published and it is expensive to hire editors, but the story is too muddy as it is now. With a lot of cleaning up, the plot would be solid.
Finally, all the men described in detail in this book are portrayed as nice guys – perfect fathers, kind, caring, a little on the wimpy side. Even the Patricia’s first ex, who is a loser when she is with him, becomes great with another woman. In contrast, many of women are crazy or have only a loose hold on their sanity even when not affected by the supernatural. I am sure this is unintentional, but as a woman it bothered me.
I received this book free from the author for an honest review.
I guess I could sum it up by saying the book just needed more polish. Frequently, the author was talking directly to the reader instead of telling a story or he would give the reader a clue about something only to immediately spell it out in case the clue was missed. For example, “The priceless gem rotated counter-clockwise every ten seconds, one-quarter turn at a time,” is immediately followed by “Every forty seconds, the diamond returned to its original position.”
Words were repeated even in the same sentence. Even entire phrases were repeated – “as she watched the security video for the” and one paragraph later, “as they watched the security video for the.” Even more disturbing, the first sentence ends “eighth time” and the second one “umpteenth time,” leaving the reader to wonder which it is.
It felt like the author did little research to write the book, which made it a struggle to suspend belief.
All this made the book feel more like a rough draft than a final book. I understand the author is self-published and it is expensive to hire editors, but the story is too muddy as it is now. With a lot of cleaning up, the plot would be solid.
Finally, all the men described in detail in this book are portrayed as nice guys – perfect fathers, kind, caring, a little on the wimpy side. Even the Patricia’s first ex, who is a loser when she is with him, becomes great with another woman. In contrast, many of women are crazy or have only a loose hold on their sanity even when not affected by the supernatural. I am sure this is unintentional, but as a woman it bothered me.
I received this book free from the author for an honest review.
December 20, 2013
"Delusional" by Scott Spotson is a strong and gripping thriller. It focuses on a woman who falls for her married co-worker and soon after they start seeing each other she starts to experience delusions or visions, messing with her mind and judgement. At the same time a series of high profile and inexplicable thefts are puzzling the FBI. As the two storylines start to intertwine it becomes increasingly difficult to know what is reality and what is delusion.
Well plotted and perfectly set up the book has a great story and an original concept at its heart. The characters are also very well developed and interesting to watch. The omniscient narrative allows us to take a look into the different motifs and thoughts of the main players which enables the author to blend various flavours and styles into one novel. Part psychlogical thriller, part 'supernatural' thriller and part romance this should appeal to a wide audience.
Well plotted and perfectly set up the book has a great story and an original concept at its heart. The characters are also very well developed and interesting to watch. The omniscient narrative allows us to take a look into the different motifs and thoughts of the main players which enables the author to blend various flavours and styles into one novel. Part psychlogical thriller, part 'supernatural' thriller and part romance this should appeal to a wide audience.
April 22, 2020
Wendy Jewett is a character you love to hate. She is selfish, diabolical, petty, and inexplicably not mentioned in the book's blurb (EDIT: this has since posting this review been corrected for the better). The blurb is very misleading and probably needs an update. Patricia is not the focus of the story. It IS the Wendy show. Her deeds are alluded to, but she isn't identified. I considered giving this book a three-star rating, but my love for such a perfect villain compelled me to add a star. Just know she is pedal to the metal from chapter 1. It's Fatal Attraction with witches. If that's your thing, you're in luck. I recommend the book from this perspective. The rest of my review will contain spoilers.
The Good.
The author competently describes all scenes. You will never wonder what exactly a scene resembles. If you like someone waxing poetic, you have your man.
The opening chapter isn't what I expected from a paranormal romance. It was engaging and instantly changed my expectations of this novel.
Wendy is a horrible person and is often ghosted. She deserves it, but she's so flawed (and entitled) that she can only see how SHE was wronged. Her reactions are perfect.
The way Samantha's psyche is attacked was brilliant. This was a woman Wendy actually LIKED. It gets so much better when she deals with her enemies.
Wendy and her confrontation with Dale. A great weapon.
I liked how Patricia and Joss suspected Paul initially. It was a more logical reason. It even had me wonder if Paul might be the second witch without even Wendy's knowledge.
I liked the concept of revenge magic spirits. I wish they had been used more.
Wendy is clearly the best character but her relationship with Samantha was also excellent. She genuinely liked her but (like nearly every character in the book) thought with her nether regions and still pursued Paul.
How Wendy exposed herself to Ray.
The Bad.
Since the blurb mentioned Patricia, I kept waiting for her. It took me out of the story because I was convinced I was reading a different book. She doesn't show up until the 43% mark. She only has about fifteen pages until after 50%. This is not the page time of THE protagonist. Like I said, the blurb is misleading.
A few times, I was also pulled out by a weird word type. At least a half dozen times I saw word new word first word. For example, think to think, rather than rather, you say you, and very you very much. It looked like a typo that was missed, but the uniqueness of this typo had half my brain searching for the next one. There weren't too many, but it was slightly distracting.
Patricia was a pointless character. There seemed to be no reason why she wanted Paul except because her womanhood yearned for him. All her thoughts were about him being attractive or gentle, but they didn't seem to connect. She even had eyes for Miguel. All I know about her is she is shallow in the looks department and willing to steal a man. Even when confronted with death, she has moments to pray Paul still wants her.
Wendy gets discovered by the FBI through surveillance footage after art thefts. She's a witch. Why doesn't she just turn invisible? She clearly had the power with Paul. Her whole undoing was a result of not turning invisible. I would have at least liked a line of her hating her own arrogance. It's like she became stupid in this one area.
There is some repetition with Wendy's action. I mostly liked it, but it made the book longer than necessary. I wish some of her victims had been the proverbial darlings.
I felt like there were two stories here. Like the author started one way, then decided to write something else, then joined them in the middle. We have the paranormal witch romance thriller staring Wendy. I enjoyed this. We also had the am I psychotic thriller starring Patricia. I didn't like it as much, plus I got the cliff notes version with the better character of Samantha.
The FBI seemed really quick to accept magic. So did Patricia and Paul. It seemed like the thing you had to see in person to believe (like Ray). The FBI got some explanation that was plausible. Patricia and Paul came the revelation moments before Wendy showed them. Why would that finally be their go-to assumption after all these years of ignorance?
Paul ends up being a jerk. He realized Samantha wasn't to blame. All the love from before should have made him conflicted. Instead, he (like everyone else) thought with his second brain decided to stay with Patricia instead of finding a way to make things work with Samantha. Admittedly, she was to far gone at this point, but if I'm to believe Paul is so good, this is a flaw that suggests otherwise.
The Technical.
There are sexual situations and violent themes.
The Good.
The author competently describes all scenes. You will never wonder what exactly a scene resembles. If you like someone waxing poetic, you have your man.
The opening chapter isn't what I expected from a paranormal romance. It was engaging and instantly changed my expectations of this novel.
Wendy is a horrible person and is often ghosted. She deserves it, but she's so flawed (and entitled) that she can only see how SHE was wronged. Her reactions are perfect.
The way Samantha's psyche is attacked was brilliant. This was a woman Wendy actually LIKED. It gets so much better when she deals with her enemies.
Wendy and her confrontation with Dale. A great weapon.
I liked how Patricia and Joss suspected Paul initially. It was a more logical reason. It even had me wonder if Paul might be the second witch without even Wendy's knowledge.
I liked the concept of revenge magic spirits. I wish they had been used more.
Wendy is clearly the best character but her relationship with Samantha was also excellent. She genuinely liked her but (like nearly every character in the book) thought with her nether regions and still pursued Paul.
How Wendy exposed herself to Ray.
The Bad.
Since the blurb mentioned Patricia, I kept waiting for her. It took me out of the story because I was convinced I was reading a different book. She doesn't show up until the 43% mark. She only has about fifteen pages until after 50%. This is not the page time of THE protagonist. Like I said, the blurb is misleading.
A few times, I was also pulled out by a weird word type. At least a half dozen times I saw word new word first word. For example, think to think, rather than rather, you say you, and very you very much. It looked like a typo that was missed, but the uniqueness of this typo had half my brain searching for the next one. There weren't too many, but it was slightly distracting.
Patricia was a pointless character. There seemed to be no reason why she wanted Paul except because her womanhood yearned for him. All her thoughts were about him being attractive or gentle, but they didn't seem to connect. She even had eyes for Miguel. All I know about her is she is shallow in the looks department and willing to steal a man. Even when confronted with death, she has moments to pray Paul still wants her.
Wendy gets discovered by the FBI through surveillance footage after art thefts. She's a witch. Why doesn't she just turn invisible? She clearly had the power with Paul. Her whole undoing was a result of not turning invisible. I would have at least liked a line of her hating her own arrogance. It's like she became stupid in this one area.
There is some repetition with Wendy's action. I mostly liked it, but it made the book longer than necessary. I wish some of her victims had been the proverbial darlings.
I felt like there were two stories here. Like the author started one way, then decided to write something else, then joined them in the middle. We have the paranormal witch romance thriller staring Wendy. I enjoyed this. We also had the am I psychotic thriller starring Patricia. I didn't like it as much, plus I got the cliff notes version with the better character of Samantha.
The FBI seemed really quick to accept magic. So did Patricia and Paul. It seemed like the thing you had to see in person to believe (like Ray). The FBI got some explanation that was plausible. Patricia and Paul came the revelation moments before Wendy showed them. Why would that finally be their go-to assumption after all these years of ignorance?
Paul ends up being a jerk. He realized Samantha wasn't to blame. All the love from before should have made him conflicted. Instead, he (like everyone else) thought with his second brain decided to stay with Patricia instead of finding a way to make things work with Samantha. Admittedly, she was to far gone at this point, but if I'm to believe Paul is so good, this is a flaw that suggests otherwise.
The Technical.
There are sexual situations and violent themes.
June 9, 2020
Witches sometimes get a bad rap... not all of them, and not always deservedly... but when it comes to Wendy, this bad rap is 100% legit. I don't often read novels with villain protagonists, so this was quite an intriguing perspective, albeit difficult for me to read and empathize with.
Flashbacks to a troubled childhood begin to explain her toxicity, but not fully, and not to the extent that they can justify it, which was what I sought. She even regards herself with a cold yet surprised calculation, wondering if she's got a heart as a mother-killer. She acts as if possessed... but she, is in fact, is the one capable of possessing. Wendy's power is multi-faceted, providing her with super-human strength and many other uncanny abilities. One of her arts is that of crafting illusions, making herself invisible, conjuring "tangible" memories and reality shields, and concocting or manipulating dreams and delusions. Yet there are other aspects in her life that are unequivocally human -- like how former human friends "ghost" her, for instance, because she's frankly dreadful and sees the worst in all of them.
And then... Wendy makes new friend, Sam. Sam has a hunky boyfriend, Paul. Wendy is instantly jealous.
That, as you've guessed, can't end well.
The head-hopping was a bit jarring, as even in the same scene we can be thrust from one's character's POV to another's; just so, the lurch from first to third person is also jarring without italics or some other form of punctuation. I did want more background and richer character development overall, which perhaps would have enabled me to empathize more with the characters. The writing itself is usually vibrant and brisk, following the monstrous activities of Wendy and the people she affects.
This is a book of multiple genres, melding together crime, romance, thriller, and dark fantasy. It works due to a blending of worlds -- ours, and the paranormal, and with very few hiccups it feels quite seamless. A witch's doings are investigated by the same branch that investigates UFO crash wreckage, so... it works for me! My favorite paragraph was the last; in one novel, I've used the exact same technique myself.
(Also, just wondering: "Amy's Amazing Adventures" = a nod to Gone Girl? Occasional parallels between the two protagonists are quite clever.)
Flashbacks to a troubled childhood begin to explain her toxicity, but not fully, and not to the extent that they can justify it, which was what I sought. She even regards herself with a cold yet surprised calculation, wondering if she's got a heart as a mother-killer. She acts as if possessed... but she, is in fact, is the one capable of possessing. Wendy's power is multi-faceted, providing her with super-human strength and many other uncanny abilities. One of her arts is that of crafting illusions, making herself invisible, conjuring "tangible" memories and reality shields, and concocting or manipulating dreams and delusions. Yet there are other aspects in her life that are unequivocally human -- like how former human friends "ghost" her, for instance, because she's frankly dreadful and sees the worst in all of them.
And then... Wendy makes new friend, Sam. Sam has a hunky boyfriend, Paul. Wendy is instantly jealous.
That, as you've guessed, can't end well.
The head-hopping was a bit jarring, as even in the same scene we can be thrust from one's character's POV to another's; just so, the lurch from first to third person is also jarring without italics or some other form of punctuation. I did want more background and richer character development overall, which perhaps would have enabled me to empathize more with the characters. The writing itself is usually vibrant and brisk, following the monstrous activities of Wendy and the people she affects.
This is a book of multiple genres, melding together crime, romance, thriller, and dark fantasy. It works due to a blending of worlds -- ours, and the paranormal, and with very few hiccups it feels quite seamless. A witch's doings are investigated by the same branch that investigates UFO crash wreckage, so... it works for me! My favorite paragraph was the last; in one novel, I've used the exact same technique myself.
(Also, just wondering: "Amy's Amazing Adventures" = a nod to Gone Girl? Occasional parallels between the two protagonists are quite clever.)
August 22, 2020
Delusional is an urban-fantasy, mystery, thriller. That's a lot all rolled into one, but Spotson's story manages to be all of those. The protagonist is Wendy, who happens to be a witch with quite amazing magical powers. Unfortunately, she doesn't know anyone else who is a witch and no one has taught her how to use her powers in a positive way. Instead, she uses magic to satisfy her desires for wealth and sex. Her parents attempted to control her magic when Wendy was young. That attempt only bred resentment. The story opens with Wendy using her abilities to murder her parents.
What Wendy is most desperate to have is friendship. Friends seem to leave her after a while and she cannot stand that. She happens on a young artist named Samantha. Wendy thinks they could become great friends and knows that she can help the young artist's career. Everything changes when Wendy meets Samantha's boyfriend and decides she must have him for herself. Wendy embarks on a campaign to fill Samantha's head with delusions and drive her insane. At the same time, she tries to woo Paul, who asks a few too many questions about Wendy's past and wealth. As Wendy says herself early in the story, one lie leads to another. When Patricia arrives on the scene, Wendy's web of lies begins to suffer under it's own weight. Wendy has met her match.
I enjoyed Delusional. The characters were intriguing and I was drawn into the story, turning the pages to find out when Wendy would step too far and set off her own downfall. My only problem is with the many errors. These were distracting. If you enjoy urban fantasy and stories with lots of magic, you will love Delusional.
What Wendy is most desperate to have is friendship. Friends seem to leave her after a while and she cannot stand that. She happens on a young artist named Samantha. Wendy thinks they could become great friends and knows that she can help the young artist's career. Everything changes when Wendy meets Samantha's boyfriend and decides she must have him for herself. Wendy embarks on a campaign to fill Samantha's head with delusions and drive her insane. At the same time, she tries to woo Paul, who asks a few too many questions about Wendy's past and wealth. As Wendy says herself early in the story, one lie leads to another. When Patricia arrives on the scene, Wendy's web of lies begins to suffer under it's own weight. Wendy has met her match.
I enjoyed Delusional. The characters were intriguing and I was drawn into the story, turning the pages to find out when Wendy would step too far and set off her own downfall. My only problem is with the many errors. These were distracting. If you enjoy urban fantasy and stories with lots of magic, you will love Delusional.
June 7, 2020
"Yes, witches. I like those."
ME TOO! <3
Villains are my favorite. A well-crafted villain can cary a weaker hero and often does. After all, a hero can only ever be as impressive as the villain/issue they face/defeat as far as I'm concerned. The villain in this story is soooo fabulous. Did I mention I also have a soft spot for witches? So much love for the wicked Wendy.
The creativity and description is remarkable. Each scene is brought to life with a vividness, yet the style is crisp, matching the pace. There is a part in a painting that totally blew me away. Just amazing work. It had a dark Wonderland flavor that made me crave more.
The story is a mix of genres, all working together to give a rich story that will appeal to several types of readers. There is thriller, action, fantasy, and romance blended in a way that each works as a layer with the other, flowing together in a way that doesn't detract from any of the others. That's pretty hard to do.
Great reading. Highly recommend.
ME TOO! <3
Villains are my favorite. A well-crafted villain can cary a weaker hero and often does. After all, a hero can only ever be as impressive as the villain/issue they face/defeat as far as I'm concerned. The villain in this story is soooo fabulous. Did I mention I also have a soft spot for witches? So much love for the wicked Wendy.
The creativity and description is remarkable. Each scene is brought to life with a vividness, yet the style is crisp, matching the pace. There is a part in a painting that totally blew me away. Just amazing work. It had a dark Wonderland flavor that made me crave more.
The story is a mix of genres, all working together to give a rich story that will appeal to several types of readers. There is thriller, action, fantasy, and romance blended in a way that each works as a layer with the other, flowing together in a way that doesn't detract from any of the others. That's pretty hard to do.
Great reading. Highly recommend.
May 10, 2020
This novel was a mixture of lots of genres: mostly a thriller but it also has romance, and even elements of fantasy. Together, it was a pleasant read, and also an interesting approach for a thriller story.
The main character in this story is Wendy Jewet, she is evil and twisted which made her to be an interesting character. She is a witch after all, so she has to be like that, and she delivered at such a role.
It was fun to see how the FBI had to deal with murders involving magic, this was one of the most interesting aspects for me in this story, seeing how they reacted to the atypical scenarios and how would they respond when they discovered it was made thanks to the use of magic.
It is the fact that Wendy Jewet is a witch, and therefore has magical powers, that made me frown more than once while I was reading this story, the question "why is she behaving like that when she can use magic?" buzzed on my head more than once.
It might start a bit slow but then it gets way better, and once the pace gets a proper rhytm it improves significantly.
The main character in this story is Wendy Jewet, she is evil and twisted which made her to be an interesting character. She is a witch after all, so she has to be like that, and she delivered at such a role.
It was fun to see how the FBI had to deal with murders involving magic, this was one of the most interesting aspects for me in this story, seeing how they reacted to the atypical scenarios and how would they respond when they discovered it was made thanks to the use of magic.
It is the fact that Wendy Jewet is a witch, and therefore has magical powers, that made me frown more than once while I was reading this story, the question "why is she behaving like that when she can use magic?" buzzed on my head more than once.
It might start a bit slow but then it gets way better, and once the pace gets a proper rhytm it improves significantly.
July 31, 2016
This is a crime novel; and a fantasy novel; and a thriller. And also a romance. A book of many genres, then. The fantasy aspect is small really, but it is important – adding a whole other challenge to the crime aspect (which itself is really a smaller part) and also the thriller aspect (which is the biggest part). But this is really a romantic story of love impeded by the barrier of a wife, and the retaliation of that wife against the burgeoning relationship. It's a well-worn template (I suspect!), but here it is embellished with some great colouring. It's a good book.
Now, I'm fairly liberal in my reading – I like most genres. But two genres that I'm really not a fan of are romance and crime. So at outset, I was unsure how I would get on with this. But I was pleasantly surprised; I enjoyed it. It didn't leave me turning pages ravenously – it was never going to – but I read it comfortably and was happy with the experience.
And as any good book reviewer should, I shall now attempt to appraise this book as objectively as possible.
To give a bit of colour (but without giving too much away, obviously) here's a bit of a summary: our protagonist is a young woman who's successful in her career, but unsuccessful in love. And then she meets the perfect man – the only problem being that he's already married. Damn. Will his wife roll over and let true love flourish? Not a chance. Otherwise there would be no story, would there?
But beyond this template, we have some impossible crimes occurring, crimes that bamboozle the greatest detective minds in the land. They’re impossible, surely, but then those detectives don’t know that this is a fantasy novel! The fantastic is suddenly the norm, and this adds another dimension. But we are still left with a question: how are they linked?
So what does this intriguing mix leave us with? Here are my thoughts.
The overarching taste of the story is really the rather mundane – the corporate world is the corporate world. For me, there was perhaps a little too much 'everyday office' referencing – I am bored of powerpoint presentations and don’t need them in my literature too! I like to read to escape, and this was a little too close to the everyday to be escapist – for me at least. But in the context of this story, it is all in place, and some people may actually like that tangible link – so this is certainly just a matter of taste. And in actual fact, if I think about it, this ordinary backdrop with the extraordinary sheen worked quite well overall, so I’m not sure I’d even recommend changing anything.
From a prose perspective, I did struggle a bit with the point of view to start with. The narration seemed to follow a character in each chapter á la multiple third person; but then there was a mid-chapter switch of POV later on, and this confused me. It was only even further into the novel that I realised that it is actually omniscient, and hence the switch was fine. It certainly didn't ruin the read, but I noticed it, and it would have been useful to have known that from the outset.
The read itself was good – easy going and fluid as you would expect in this contemporary thriller genre. It is well edited and well formatted. The only thing I would note is that for me it felt a little shallow, but I think that is a construct of the omniscient POV – it is much harder to really get into characters when narration is from outside. That being said, we do get clear character thoughts via italic text, and I gather this is probably a common setup in this genre, so much of this is probably a taste thing.
Another taste thing is the descriptive detailing early in the book. I think it only really cropped up in the first few chapters, but there was quite extensive descriptive passages. This certainly died down, but when it arose it left me wandering a bit. But as I say, this is a taste thing, and it is really only present early on.
But overall this was a decent story, with a clear trajectory and "pinch points", interesting characters (though not characters I found I cared intensely for), and a big enough sprinkling of the exotic to really keep you engaged. Not a book I would naturally pick up, but one I enjoyed nonetheless.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
http://www.jhockley.com/epic-fantasy/...
Now, I'm fairly liberal in my reading – I like most genres. But two genres that I'm really not a fan of are romance and crime. So at outset, I was unsure how I would get on with this. But I was pleasantly surprised; I enjoyed it. It didn't leave me turning pages ravenously – it was never going to – but I read it comfortably and was happy with the experience.
And as any good book reviewer should, I shall now attempt to appraise this book as objectively as possible.
To give a bit of colour (but without giving too much away, obviously) here's a bit of a summary: our protagonist is a young woman who's successful in her career, but unsuccessful in love. And then she meets the perfect man – the only problem being that he's already married. Damn. Will his wife roll over and let true love flourish? Not a chance. Otherwise there would be no story, would there?
But beyond this template, we have some impossible crimes occurring, crimes that bamboozle the greatest detective minds in the land. They’re impossible, surely, but then those detectives don’t know that this is a fantasy novel! The fantastic is suddenly the norm, and this adds another dimension. But we are still left with a question: how are they linked?
So what does this intriguing mix leave us with? Here are my thoughts.
The overarching taste of the story is really the rather mundane – the corporate world is the corporate world. For me, there was perhaps a little too much 'everyday office' referencing – I am bored of powerpoint presentations and don’t need them in my literature too! I like to read to escape, and this was a little too close to the everyday to be escapist – for me at least. But in the context of this story, it is all in place, and some people may actually like that tangible link – so this is certainly just a matter of taste. And in actual fact, if I think about it, this ordinary backdrop with the extraordinary sheen worked quite well overall, so I’m not sure I’d even recommend changing anything.
From a prose perspective, I did struggle a bit with the point of view to start with. The narration seemed to follow a character in each chapter á la multiple third person; but then there was a mid-chapter switch of POV later on, and this confused me. It was only even further into the novel that I realised that it is actually omniscient, and hence the switch was fine. It certainly didn't ruin the read, but I noticed it, and it would have been useful to have known that from the outset.
The read itself was good – easy going and fluid as you would expect in this contemporary thriller genre. It is well edited and well formatted. The only thing I would note is that for me it felt a little shallow, but I think that is a construct of the omniscient POV – it is much harder to really get into characters when narration is from outside. That being said, we do get clear character thoughts via italic text, and I gather this is probably a common setup in this genre, so much of this is probably a taste thing.
Another taste thing is the descriptive detailing early in the book. I think it only really cropped up in the first few chapters, but there was quite extensive descriptive passages. This certainly died down, but when it arose it left me wandering a bit. But as I say, this is a taste thing, and it is really only present early on.
But overall this was a decent story, with a clear trajectory and "pinch points", interesting characters (though not characters I found I cared intensely for), and a big enough sprinkling of the exotic to really keep you engaged. Not a book I would naturally pick up, but one I enjoyed nonetheless.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
http://www.jhockley.com/epic-fantasy/...
June 1, 2015
Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Review
Plot/Story:
I must say that this story was surprisingly quick read and even though I am not must a fan of Romance based stories, this story did made me fell in-love with the story and the characters.
At first you have two storied that slowly being combined together. From the beginning of the story you are kept in suspense of who is the thief of the Hope diamond and why or how Patricia has her hallucinations and delusions.
Characters:
The characters are well written and well plotted out. The author placed so much thought and care for the characters that as a reader you get deeply involved with their lives and thoughts.
Romance/Kills:
This book has forbidden love of Patricia and Paul, passion and violence all written in such a way that left you thinking of what will happen next.
Writing:
This book is very well crafted and well written. It has a very interesting plot with lots of mystery and suspense. This book has a few cliffhangers that made you turn the page and see what will go wrong next or will things get better.
Beginning:
The beginning of the story was a bit slow for me. The two separated stories made it a bit harder to get into the story, but after that the story takes a hard grip of you and you are hooked.
Ending:
The story ended in a perfect way (I will not spoil it for you) but I will say that nothing was left unsolved.
Cover Art:
I love the cover art. Its simplicity makes it more pretty.
Blurb:
The blurb is very accurate in the story’s plot and of what the characters will have to deal with. I think it’s witty and very engaging. After reading the blurb and saw the beautiful cover, I really wanted to read this book and overall was not disappointed.
You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.
Other Stuff
Opening Line: The Hope Diamond, a perfect cut, 45.52 carats of glittering violet-blue, shone in the floodlights, perfectly ensconced inside its display case in the Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.
Highlights: I loved the mystery in this book. It made me think of reading more mystery types of books. The details the author wrote about the characters and their environment is so well done that it was as if you are watching a movie. I also loved Patricia so much. She is well written to such a wonderful character, that I loved getting to know her better.
Lowlights: There were a few odd things in the story, especially in the begging of the story that were a bit confusing, like the paranormal parts were left a bit unresolved although it has the feel for more (maybe a sequel).
Final Thoughts: I enjoyed reading this book and even though the paranormal here was a bit undeveloped, it still made the story so much better and more unique and I am sure you will enjoy reading this book.
Read the original review at: The Reading Bud
Review
Plot/Story:
I must say that this story was surprisingly quick read and even though I am not must a fan of Romance based stories, this story did made me fell in-love with the story and the characters.
At first you have two storied that slowly being combined together. From the beginning of the story you are kept in suspense of who is the thief of the Hope diamond and why or how Patricia has her hallucinations and delusions.
Characters:
The characters are well written and well plotted out. The author placed so much thought and care for the characters that as a reader you get deeply involved with their lives and thoughts.
Romance/Kills:
This book has forbidden love of Patricia and Paul, passion and violence all written in such a way that left you thinking of what will happen next.
Writing:
This book is very well crafted and well written. It has a very interesting plot with lots of mystery and suspense. This book has a few cliffhangers that made you turn the page and see what will go wrong next or will things get better.
Beginning:
The beginning of the story was a bit slow for me. The two separated stories made it a bit harder to get into the story, but after that the story takes a hard grip of you and you are hooked.
Ending:
The story ended in a perfect way (I will not spoil it for you) but I will say that nothing was left unsolved.
Cover Art:
I love the cover art. Its simplicity makes it more pretty.
Blurb:
The blurb is very accurate in the story’s plot and of what the characters will have to deal with. I think it’s witty and very engaging. After reading the blurb and saw the beautiful cover, I really wanted to read this book and overall was not disappointed.
You can also read this review at Goodreads and Amazon.
Other Stuff
Opening Line: The Hope Diamond, a perfect cut, 45.52 carats of glittering violet-blue, shone in the floodlights, perfectly ensconced inside its display case in the Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.
Highlights: I loved the mystery in this book. It made me think of reading more mystery types of books. The details the author wrote about the characters and their environment is so well done that it was as if you are watching a movie. I also loved Patricia so much. She is well written to such a wonderful character, that I loved getting to know her better.
Lowlights: There were a few odd things in the story, especially in the begging of the story that were a bit confusing, like the paranormal parts were left a bit unresolved although it has the feel for more (maybe a sequel).
Final Thoughts: I enjoyed reading this book and even though the paranormal here was a bit undeveloped, it still made the story so much better and more unique and I am sure you will enjoy reading this book.
Read the original review at: The Reading Bud
July 22, 2016
‘Delusional’ is a supernatural thriller with elements of romance. Easy style with varied vocabulary provides an enjoyable reading experience. With few exceptions, description is minimal, which helps achieve a fast-paced, gripping effect, desirable in all novels of the genre.
The story starts with Patricia falling for a married colleague, Paul, and then it escalates into Patricia’s worst nightmare. Visions, scary near-misses, and other spine-chilling occurrences punctuate the next few weeks, driving her insane. But the insanity is not the usual type – she knows the unnatural events come from outside rather than being a figment of her imagination.
Although the identity of the culprit is obvious relatively early (by design), I was compelled to read until the very end to see how the story developed and concluded. At some point after the middle, this book became unputdownable, and I had to finish it at that sitting.
The only thing that detracted from the story was a far-from-likeable protagonist. Patricia is portrayed as a boring, empty bimbo and – as such – she is well written. It is not compulsory to furnish every novel with likeable characters, and many authors have pulled it off (e.g. Gillian Flynn with Gone Girl). This strategy often works, but a little bit more soul in Patricia would have made a big difference.
Patricia only waits for a man to turn up, obsessively keeps fit, reads the Inner Self magazine (apparently only recently, but I don’t believe it), and gets all agitated over little things like a stain on her blouse. There is no sense of humour in Patricia, but attraction to muscular good looks she has aplenty. If her man hunger was a direct result of some deep childhood trauma, I might have sympathized with her, but she is after a married guy because of several preceding years of being single.
Hence, I didn’t really care that much what was going to happen to her.
On the other hand, Jocelyn, Patricia’s friend, and Ray, the private detective she hires to resolve her delusional problem appear to be much more sensible and likeable.
My penultimate observation concerns a detail that perhaps needs to be corrected.
Wendy: “You know, I remember something about exponents from math class. Do you know the power of two, Mr. Yurka?” “Excuse me?” “You multiply a number by itself. Like two times two. Let’s say, for example, one bee becomes two.”
Er, no – one times one is one. Not sure if this one is intentional or not; if it is, I would expect some sort of mockery directed at Wendy’s ignorance to ensue, either provided by her interlocutor or the narrator himself, but that did not happen.
To finish…
“Buzz off, Dale,” she hissed, as she made a beeline to the door.
Said when Dale is in death throes following a number of bee stings – a bit cheesy, but in a good way. I really liked that.
The story starts with Patricia falling for a married colleague, Paul, and then it escalates into Patricia’s worst nightmare. Visions, scary near-misses, and other spine-chilling occurrences punctuate the next few weeks, driving her insane. But the insanity is not the usual type – she knows the unnatural events come from outside rather than being a figment of her imagination.
Although the identity of the culprit is obvious relatively early (by design), I was compelled to read until the very end to see how the story developed and concluded. At some point after the middle, this book became unputdownable, and I had to finish it at that sitting.
The only thing that detracted from the story was a far-from-likeable protagonist. Patricia is portrayed as a boring, empty bimbo and – as such – she is well written. It is not compulsory to furnish every novel with likeable characters, and many authors have pulled it off (e.g. Gillian Flynn with Gone Girl). This strategy often works, but a little bit more soul in Patricia would have made a big difference.
Patricia only waits for a man to turn up, obsessively keeps fit, reads the Inner Self magazine (apparently only recently, but I don’t believe it), and gets all agitated over little things like a stain on her blouse. There is no sense of humour in Patricia, but attraction to muscular good looks she has aplenty. If her man hunger was a direct result of some deep childhood trauma, I might have sympathized with her, but she is after a married guy because of several preceding years of being single.
Hence, I didn’t really care that much what was going to happen to her.
On the other hand, Jocelyn, Patricia’s friend, and Ray, the private detective she hires to resolve her delusional problem appear to be much more sensible and likeable.
My penultimate observation concerns a detail that perhaps needs to be corrected.
Wendy: “You know, I remember something about exponents from math class. Do you know the power of two, Mr. Yurka?” “Excuse me?” “You multiply a number by itself. Like two times two. Let’s say, for example, one bee becomes two.”
Er, no – one times one is one. Not sure if this one is intentional or not; if it is, I would expect some sort of mockery directed at Wendy’s ignorance to ensue, either provided by her interlocutor or the narrator himself, but that did not happen.
To finish…
“Buzz off, Dale,” she hissed, as she made a beeline to the door.
Said when Dale is in death throes following a number of bee stings – a bit cheesy, but in a good way. I really liked that.
August 4, 2016
Delusional is a thrilling ride, which confronts the mundane and typical lives of people today with strange unexplained events. Spotson crafts the mystery in an exciting and entertaining way. I was drawn into the character’s plight and was eager to see the outcome of the story when all things were revealed to the characters.
I enjoyed this form of storytelling, which gives the reader knowledge but thrusts ignorant characters into dangerous circumstances. The heightened tension was evident through these parts of the story where you were anxious for Patricia and Paul. This was well done by the author and kept me gripped to the story.
Spotson’s writing was descriptive enough to keep the story clear but also entertaining in the banter between the characters. I also enjoyed the relationship building between the main characters. A nice twist was included which explained the events and motivations connected to the protagonist. I found the overall story satisfying and recommend the author’s work to any who enjoy a good mystery set in the modern world but dealing with supernatural elements.
One area that troubled me occasionally was the antagonist and the abilities given to manipulate the events and other characters. I was looking for a guiding parameter that would set limitations or boundaries for what was possible. This did not occur and in the end, I felt the characters abilities too strong without a means to give the protagonists a chance. This may be likely due to my experience with the fantasy genre were most times, abilities are explained and understood from a mechanics point of view. This then typically allows the opposing force to exploit a weakness if possible. In Delusional, I did not perceive this and the character seemed to operate outside of any structural laws in terms of magic. The strength of the story is not impacted by this minor point, but it is worth noting that the reader be aware of the antagonist’s somewhat overpowered and erratic ability set.
Overall, I was entertained and would gladly read more by this author.
I received a free copy for a fair non-reciprocal review.
I enjoyed this form of storytelling, which gives the reader knowledge but thrusts ignorant characters into dangerous circumstances. The heightened tension was evident through these parts of the story where you were anxious for Patricia and Paul. This was well done by the author and kept me gripped to the story.
Spotson’s writing was descriptive enough to keep the story clear but also entertaining in the banter between the characters. I also enjoyed the relationship building between the main characters. A nice twist was included which explained the events and motivations connected to the protagonist. I found the overall story satisfying and recommend the author’s work to any who enjoy a good mystery set in the modern world but dealing with supernatural elements.
One area that troubled me occasionally was the antagonist and the abilities given to manipulate the events and other characters. I was looking for a guiding parameter that would set limitations or boundaries for what was possible. This did not occur and in the end, I felt the characters abilities too strong without a means to give the protagonists a chance. This may be likely due to my experience with the fantasy genre were most times, abilities are explained and understood from a mechanics point of view. This then typically allows the opposing force to exploit a weakness if possible. In Delusional, I did not perceive this and the character seemed to operate outside of any structural laws in terms of magic. The strength of the story is not impacted by this minor point, but it is worth noting that the reader be aware of the antagonist’s somewhat overpowered and erratic ability set.
Overall, I was entertained and would gladly read more by this author.
I received a free copy for a fair non-reciprocal review.
May 21, 2014
Delusional by Scott Spotson is a superior psychological thriller with paranormal overtones that simply swept this reader away with its fluent style and ingenious plot.
Businesswoman Patricia Fowler leads a dull mundane life until her boss, Paul Blast joins her in a hot tub. The chemistry is startling and immediate. But Paul is married so he's a no-go area. They become friends and workout together during breaks from the tedium.
The FBI are puzzled by art thefts that are perpetrated right under security's noses. The impossibility of the crimes leave them chasing their own tails.
Then Patricia's life unravels at the seams and all the stuffing spills out. The more she falls for Paul the more her mind becomes confused with dangerous hallucinations, physical attacks and delusions as a psychiatrist puts it. Her suffering is heart-rending and well fleshed out by the author.
This reader especially enjoyed the author's talent for relationships, the should we or shouldn't we situations, the concealed look of lovers' glance, a brief touch, a passionate kiss. Then the other side of the coin rips that apart with brutal beatings, attempted murder which brings in a PI. I loved that character and the detective added so much more to the story. But most of all it is the author's intricate weaving of seemingly unrelated characters and stories that captured my attention and the ending is a classic gasp, and I did gasp.
FIVE STARS go to this brilliant thriller of the psychological kind with a hefty dose of spookiness as in X-Files.
Businesswoman Patricia Fowler leads a dull mundane life until her boss, Paul Blast joins her in a hot tub. The chemistry is startling and immediate. But Paul is married so he's a no-go area. They become friends and workout together during breaks from the tedium.
The FBI are puzzled by art thefts that are perpetrated right under security's noses. The impossibility of the crimes leave them chasing their own tails.
Then Patricia's life unravels at the seams and all the stuffing spills out. The more she falls for Paul the more her mind becomes confused with dangerous hallucinations, physical attacks and delusions as a psychiatrist puts it. Her suffering is heart-rending and well fleshed out by the author.
This reader especially enjoyed the author's talent for relationships, the should we or shouldn't we situations, the concealed look of lovers' glance, a brief touch, a passionate kiss. Then the other side of the coin rips that apart with brutal beatings, attempted murder which brings in a PI. I loved that character and the detective added so much more to the story. But most of all it is the author's intricate weaving of seemingly unrelated characters and stories that captured my attention and the ending is a classic gasp, and I did gasp.
FIVE STARS go to this brilliant thriller of the psychological kind with a hefty dose of spookiness as in X-Files.
October 25, 2013
#1 REASON TO AVOID MARRIED MEN. . .
. . . WENDY JEWETT!
Patricia Fowler is an organized and practical woman with a good head on her shoulders. But when she falls in love with her married co-worker, Paul Blast, her good judgement vanishes, along with her sense of reality. She starts seeing wild and weird things that make her wonder if she is having hallucinations, or if someone is messing with her mind. When the hallucinations start causing her bodily harm, she realized that she must find out who is behind the attacks before these delusions end up killing her.
This was such a great read. Scott Spotson does a terrific job pulling a reader in and holding their attention right to the very end. The story is imaginative and the characters believable. Aside from a few misplaced words, I found this story to be extremely entertaining and deserving of a 5 star! I look forward to reading Mr. Spotson's other books.
Terrific job!
. . . WENDY JEWETT!
Patricia Fowler is an organized and practical woman with a good head on her shoulders. But when she falls in love with her married co-worker, Paul Blast, her good judgement vanishes, along with her sense of reality. She starts seeing wild and weird things that make her wonder if she is having hallucinations, or if someone is messing with her mind. When the hallucinations start causing her bodily harm, she realized that she must find out who is behind the attacks before these delusions end up killing her.
This was such a great read. Scott Spotson does a terrific job pulling a reader in and holding their attention right to the very end. The story is imaginative and the characters believable. Aside from a few misplaced words, I found this story to be extremely entertaining and deserving of a 5 star! I look forward to reading Mr. Spotson's other books.
Terrific job!
January 5, 2014
This book starts slow, but once it finds its rhythm, it’s really entertaining. The first few chapters are full of a lot of explanation about the various characters’ backstories. While the information is important, it’s told to us instead of related by a character or revealed by the story.
I had a little bit of trouble with suspension of disbelief about the magic. Not because magic can’t be in the real world, but because of how everyone reacts to it. If magic exists, it’s hard to wrap my head around the idea that no one has ever seen it used before or would suspect it, especially experienced FBI agents.
Other than those two points, this book is a good time. After the beginning, it was a quick read I had a hard time putting down. I actually stayed up well past my bedtime to finish it, enjoying how the characters confused themselves and got things right and wrong (sometimes at the same time). The relationships are satisfying, and the characters are well rounded.
I had a little bit of trouble with suspension of disbelief about the magic. Not because magic can’t be in the real world, but because of how everyone reacts to it. If magic exists, it’s hard to wrap my head around the idea that no one has ever seen it used before or would suspect it, especially experienced FBI agents.
Other than those two points, this book is a good time. After the beginning, it was a quick read I had a hard time putting down. I actually stayed up well past my bedtime to finish it, enjoying how the characters confused themselves and got things right and wrong (sometimes at the same time). The relationships are satisfying, and the characters are well rounded.
January 21, 2014
I will start by saying that Mr. Spotson is a talented writer. The text flows smoothly, the characters are alive and the plot carries a nice amount of intrigue.
That being said, (and others may feel differently here---) I had a problem with the basic assumptions supporting the plot of this particular book. Without disclosing the gist of the story, I really felt that witchcraft felt a bit of an easy way out, and did not do full justice to the main thread of the story, the romance between Patricia and Paul.
I also had trouble with this book's mixed allegiance to many genres (which, in itself, should not be a problem if harmony is created in the end.)
My final comment has to do with the writer himself: again, I believe Mr. Spotson could create truly profound books, with real depth and a more realistic bend. This is my challenge to him, which I hope he will consider in the future.
That being said, (and others may feel differently here---) I had a problem with the basic assumptions supporting the plot of this particular book. Without disclosing the gist of the story, I really felt that witchcraft felt a bit of an easy way out, and did not do full justice to the main thread of the story, the romance between Patricia and Paul.
I also had trouble with this book's mixed allegiance to many genres (which, in itself, should not be a problem if harmony is created in the end.)
My final comment has to do with the writer himself: again, I believe Mr. Spotson could create truly profound books, with real depth and a more realistic bend. This is my challenge to him, which I hope he will consider in the future.
September 14, 2013
This is a bewitching thriller - an adventure, a love triangle, and a mystery all in one. The pace is good and the characters are individuals we can all relate to. i was spellbound.
September 21, 2017
***I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review***
“Delusional”, at its core, is the story of a professional young woman who has her head down, focused only on her work, constantly trying to remove herself from office drama in order to exceed in her career. Which gives her a rather bland personality, Patricia’s only vice is adhering to a strict exercise regimen, and pining to find a new romantic partner because, according to her life plan, it’s about time she start hunkering down and start a family. Then Patricia sets her sights on a married man, and things start getting weird, leaving Patricia to wonder if she’s losing her mind, or if someone is tormenting her, and if so, who, and how? For Patricia’s symptoms and visions are so outlandish, that they can’t possibly be real, right? Right.
This book falls into a lot of genres. It’s a fantasy, and a thriller, and a mystery, and a romance novel all crammed into one, which means certain aspects of those genres have greater importance both to the stories presentation, but also its plot. The fantasy is rather small, but crucial to the story because it’s the villain who wields all the fantastic elements. Whereas the crime part is more a convenient blip for certain characters that gets added in for more of a taste of intrigue then actual plot. The thriller and romance genres are the most important in the book, and the mystery of “what’s going on? Who is tormenting Patricia, and why?” wasn’t all that mysterious. Part of that could be due to the confusion with POV. Spotson appears to be using a close third person POV, showing us one character’s state of mind per chapter, but somewhere along the line that changes to an omniscient POV, which is never as interesting in my opinion, because as soon as a little tidbit gets tossed about for the crime or mystery aspect of the book, it gets immediately answered in the next paragraph by another character. So just be aware of those POV switches, because it can be a little jarring otherwise.
I’ve read other books by Spotson, and I always have to commend his imagination, he likes to blend a lot of different genres and formulas together to make something unique with a creative twist. It always just falters a bit in the execution. Patricia is not a character I really liked, she’s rather bland and robotic in her drive for success, and her instant willingness to let herself fall for a married co-worker (who isn’t making a pass at her to begin with, so it starts rather one sided) rubbed me the wrong way. As did most portrayals of women in the book, who all come off as a hot mess, and fall into stereotypical tropes. As a woman, this irked me because it felt overly one dimensional for no real reason, and Paul himself—Patricia’s love interest—seemed more spoiled and ungrateful than anything else most of the time. That does change, but initially, he wasn’t all that swoon worthy.
I believe that if more time had been spent fleshing out the thriller and fantasy aspects of the book, this would have really shined, for there were mild tones of “Gone Girl” strewn about, especially around the main villain, that I was really hoping would develop more, but it never did to a point where I was satisfied. The page-turner thriller aspect of the book didn’t pop up until about 60% in, after the mystery was gone, and the romance was pretty established, so if it had appeared earlier, this book would have been better-rounded in all its genre blending.
Even so, I was willing to just go with it for a few of these points, I was willing to let go that the villain’s motivations are rather shallow, and you don’t get to know enough about them to understand why they fixate on Paul so much when they don’t seem all that happy to begin with. I was willing to just shrug off the high-end art thefts because Spotson did have a reason for their inclusion, even if just marginally. But then the story wraps up, and the characters get their "happy ending", which is okay, but felt a bit hurried on Paul’s end considering what happens—I can’t say how because of spoilers. But then the final chapter rolls around, and it just felt like an unnecessary bait-and-switch cliff-hanger that comes out of nowhere, and has no real impact on the story, so I’m left baffled as to why it was included in the first place. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth as there doesn’t appear to be any plans for a sequel that would explain, or make sense, of that final chapter.
I did enjoy this book more than I did the other book, “Seeking Dr. Magic”, that I read by the same author. Spotson does have a very creative imagination, and he is always best when he’s showing off the fantastic powers of his fantasy characters, but despite the thriller aspect, this was a slow burn for me, and I’m still a bit upset about that last chapter, so this is still a 3.25 stars for me, but I think it’s worth giving a read!
“Delusional”, at its core, is the story of a professional young woman who has her head down, focused only on her work, constantly trying to remove herself from office drama in order to exceed in her career. Which gives her a rather bland personality, Patricia’s only vice is adhering to a strict exercise regimen, and pining to find a new romantic partner because, according to her life plan, it’s about time she start hunkering down and start a family. Then Patricia sets her sights on a married man, and things start getting weird, leaving Patricia to wonder if she’s losing her mind, or if someone is tormenting her, and if so, who, and how? For Patricia’s symptoms and visions are so outlandish, that they can’t possibly be real, right? Right.
This book falls into a lot of genres. It’s a fantasy, and a thriller, and a mystery, and a romance novel all crammed into one, which means certain aspects of those genres have greater importance both to the stories presentation, but also its plot. The fantasy is rather small, but crucial to the story because it’s the villain who wields all the fantastic elements. Whereas the crime part is more a convenient blip for certain characters that gets added in for more of a taste of intrigue then actual plot. The thriller and romance genres are the most important in the book, and the mystery of “what’s going on? Who is tormenting Patricia, and why?” wasn’t all that mysterious. Part of that could be due to the confusion with POV. Spotson appears to be using a close third person POV, showing us one character’s state of mind per chapter, but somewhere along the line that changes to an omniscient POV, which is never as interesting in my opinion, because as soon as a little tidbit gets tossed about for the crime or mystery aspect of the book, it gets immediately answered in the next paragraph by another character. So just be aware of those POV switches, because it can be a little jarring otherwise.
I’ve read other books by Spotson, and I always have to commend his imagination, he likes to blend a lot of different genres and formulas together to make something unique with a creative twist. It always just falters a bit in the execution. Patricia is not a character I really liked, she’s rather bland and robotic in her drive for success, and her instant willingness to let herself fall for a married co-worker (who isn’t making a pass at her to begin with, so it starts rather one sided) rubbed me the wrong way. As did most portrayals of women in the book, who all come off as a hot mess, and fall into stereotypical tropes. As a woman, this irked me because it felt overly one dimensional for no real reason, and Paul himself—Patricia’s love interest—seemed more spoiled and ungrateful than anything else most of the time. That does change, but initially, he wasn’t all that swoon worthy.
I believe that if more time had been spent fleshing out the thriller and fantasy aspects of the book, this would have really shined, for there were mild tones of “Gone Girl” strewn about, especially around the main villain, that I was really hoping would develop more, but it never did to a point where I was satisfied. The page-turner thriller aspect of the book didn’t pop up until about 60% in, after the mystery was gone, and the romance was pretty established, so if it had appeared earlier, this book would have been better-rounded in all its genre blending.
Even so, I was willing to just go with it for a few of these points, I was willing to let go that the villain’s motivations are rather shallow, and you don’t get to know enough about them to understand why they fixate on Paul so much when they don’t seem all that happy to begin with. I was willing to just shrug off the high-end art thefts because Spotson did have a reason for their inclusion, even if just marginally. But then the story wraps up, and the characters get their "happy ending", which is okay, but felt a bit hurried on Paul’s end considering what happens—I can’t say how because of spoilers. But then the final chapter rolls around, and it just felt like an unnecessary bait-and-switch cliff-hanger that comes out of nowhere, and has no real impact on the story, so I’m left baffled as to why it was included in the first place. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth as there doesn’t appear to be any plans for a sequel that would explain, or make sense, of that final chapter.
I did enjoy this book more than I did the other book, “Seeking Dr. Magic”, that I read by the same author. Spotson does have a very creative imagination, and he is always best when he’s showing off the fantastic powers of his fantasy characters, but despite the thriller aspect, this was a slow burn for me, and I’m still a bit upset about that last chapter, so this is still a 3.25 stars for me, but I think it’s worth giving a read!
May 10, 2018
I received this book from the author for free in exchange for an honest review
I only have one word to describe Delusional and that is: WOW! This book was not what I was expecting at all and I was completely blown away by how into the story I was. Delusional captivated me from the beginning, and I would find myself not wanting to stop because I just wanted to find out what would happen next. This book is definitely a thriller that contains elements of mystery, suspense, psychopaths, and the supernatural all wrapped into one.
What I liked the most about this book was the budding attraction between Patricia and Paul. I felt as though I was living vicariously through Patricia and the excitement of new love kept me turning the pages. There was that uncertainty of whether the feeling was mutual, the guilt of Paul being a married man, and the sexual tension between them that made for an entertaining read. Then add in the jealous wife and things definitely take an interesting turn. Once terrible and in-explainable things start happening to Patricia, you can’t help but have this increasing feeling of hysteria as we try to pull apart the weirdness and work out whether someone is truly going to great lengths to torment Patricia or if the guilt of carrying on with a married man is really getting to her head and making her hallucinate. Are Patricia’s hallucinations real? Or imagined? The author does an amazing job at having the reader sympathize with Patricia and her inner struggles of questioning her sanity and the frustration of no one believing her. The mystery of these strange events are what truly makes this book a page turner because you want to get to the bottom of who is really doing these things and how. Even if you know the culprit, which is not that hard to figure out once you think about motive, you still want to see how these characters get to that conclusion and sometimes that is the best part of a mystery. You also get sucked into how this situation is going to get resolved which I will admit, does get really weird at the end but it does make sense and somehow works. The final chapter was the most creepy and I can definitely see this open ending developing into a second book.
Delusional is definitely an exciting read but it’s not without its faults. The things that didn’t work for me were the chapters surrounding the thefts, I just don’t think they were necessary to make the story work and I also wished that Paul’s wife, Wendy was further developed and her behavior further explained. I felt as though I still had a lot of questions surrounding her. Regardless, I would highly recommend Delusional for anyone who is in the mood for a great thriller that will keep you up all night reading.
I only have one word to describe Delusional and that is: WOW! This book was not what I was expecting at all and I was completely blown away by how into the story I was. Delusional captivated me from the beginning, and I would find myself not wanting to stop because I just wanted to find out what would happen next. This book is definitely a thriller that contains elements of mystery, suspense, psychopaths, and the supernatural all wrapped into one.
What I liked the most about this book was the budding attraction between Patricia and Paul. I felt as though I was living vicariously through Patricia and the excitement of new love kept me turning the pages. There was that uncertainty of whether the feeling was mutual, the guilt of Paul being a married man, and the sexual tension between them that made for an entertaining read. Then add in the jealous wife and things definitely take an interesting turn. Once terrible and in-explainable things start happening to Patricia, you can’t help but have this increasing feeling of hysteria as we try to pull apart the weirdness and work out whether someone is truly going to great lengths to torment Patricia or if the guilt of carrying on with a married man is really getting to her head and making her hallucinate. Are Patricia’s hallucinations real? Or imagined? The author does an amazing job at having the reader sympathize with Patricia and her inner struggles of questioning her sanity and the frustration of no one believing her. The mystery of these strange events are what truly makes this book a page turner because you want to get to the bottom of who is really doing these things and how. Even if you know the culprit, which is not that hard to figure out once you think about motive, you still want to see how these characters get to that conclusion and sometimes that is the best part of a mystery. You also get sucked into how this situation is going to get resolved which I will admit, does get really weird at the end but it does make sense and somehow works. The final chapter was the most creepy and I can definitely see this open ending developing into a second book.
Delusional is definitely an exciting read but it’s not without its faults. The things that didn’t work for me were the chapters surrounding the thefts, I just don’t think they were necessary to make the story work and I also wished that Paul’s wife, Wendy was further developed and her behavior further explained. I felt as though I still had a lot of questions surrounding her. Regardless, I would highly recommend Delusional for anyone who is in the mood for a great thriller that will keep you up all night reading.
August 7, 2017
**Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
Delusional is a roller coaster of a ride, Spotson throws the reader right into the middle of it and keeps you racing through, seeing characters from different POVs through out the entire book. At first, the books seems a little unclear and all over the place, but as you continue reading, you realize it's because everyone's story starts to intertwine with each other and it creates this paranormal romance / thriller / mystery.
The book starts with mystery (a highly-guarded jewel missing?!!) and develops into introducing Patricia Fowler, a single business woman who starts to fall for a married man. *GASP* Her co-worker, Paul. Who, you come to learn, is stuck in an unhappy marriage and struggling to find his own way out.
The one thing that kept me going: How is the mysterious woman the FBI is after connected to this story?
I did feel like maybe overall, some of the characters were a little under developed. Their relationships and background were mostly left out, and made you wonder what had gone on in their lives, and why were they so important to the storyline? But this book is definitely not one to put down. It's fast-paced, with multiple POVs which is always a seller to me. I love the way each chapter jumped around and had you guessing at how all the puzzle pieces connected.
Of course, adding in a bit of fantasy to the whole plot, definitely made it an even more lively piece of writing. How does the FBI catch someone who seems to not even be there? And who says there aren't flying elephants walking down the street? Are delusions just a trick of the mind, or something else entirely?
If you enjoy any type of supernatural, thriller, or just a good mystery, I'd definitely add this to your 'to read' list. I haven't read anything else by Spotson yet, but if his other work is as captivating and heart-thumping, I'm all for it!
Delusional is a roller coaster of a ride, Spotson throws the reader right into the middle of it and keeps you racing through, seeing characters from different POVs through out the entire book. At first, the books seems a little unclear and all over the place, but as you continue reading, you realize it's because everyone's story starts to intertwine with each other and it creates this paranormal romance / thriller / mystery.
The book starts with mystery (a highly-guarded jewel missing?!!) and develops into introducing Patricia Fowler, a single business woman who starts to fall for a married man. *GASP* Her co-worker, Paul. Who, you come to learn, is stuck in an unhappy marriage and struggling to find his own way out.
The one thing that kept me going: How is the mysterious woman the FBI is after connected to this story?
I did feel like maybe overall, some of the characters were a little under developed. Their relationships and background were mostly left out, and made you wonder what had gone on in their lives, and why were they so important to the storyline? But this book is definitely not one to put down. It's fast-paced, with multiple POVs which is always a seller to me. I love the way each chapter jumped around and had you guessing at how all the puzzle pieces connected.
Of course, adding in a bit of fantasy to the whole plot, definitely made it an even more lively piece of writing. How does the FBI catch someone who seems to not even be there? And who says there aren't flying elephants walking down the street? Are delusions just a trick of the mind, or something else entirely?
If you enjoy any type of supernatural, thriller, or just a good mystery, I'd definitely add this to your 'to read' list. I haven't read anything else by Spotson yet, but if his other work is as captivating and heart-thumping, I'm all for it!
June 27, 2020
This was a little bit slow to start with but then it just picked up and that was it, I was in! This book is a mix of genres, namely, thriller, crime and fantasy, what could be better, but there are undertones secretly mixed in, mystery, romance, suspense etc
I have to say, I found the start quite difficult to get into and had to go back and re-read bits as it was a bit wordy in some parts and the description level was at a high in some places and lacking in others but overall the writing was good, and whilst it didn't tickle my fancy and it wasn't a super page turner for me, what did appeal to me was the mix of genres, which was refreshing and I really like thriller books and this is something that approaches a bit differently which might not be everyone's cup of tea and though it was a good read, I found it a little hard to keep up with the multiple genres.
I felt that the theft at the beginning really sucked me in and then it just fizzled out. And then in came Patricia and Paul, which I wasn't really interested in to be honest, I just wanted to see how the FBI solved the crime and get further with their investigations but it seemed to just drop out of the story which was a tad disappointing, I also felt that it didn't really need the paranormal touch, but others might not feel the same, it didnt really add anything extra to me anyway.
I would have liked if the author didn' t put so much into the storyline, I feel like everything was thought of - there was nothing that I could imagine for myself, which means a lot of thought has been put into this work, but I didn't feel that I could completely connect or take it into my imagination or imagine scenes in places I know myself, maybe it just didn't connect with me as well as I'd have liked but that's just me.
I received an advance review copy for free from Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review.
*Also, really loved the cover work of this book!*
I have to say, I found the start quite difficult to get into and had to go back and re-read bits as it was a bit wordy in some parts and the description level was at a high in some places and lacking in others but overall the writing was good, and whilst it didn't tickle my fancy and it wasn't a super page turner for me, what did appeal to me was the mix of genres, which was refreshing and I really like thriller books and this is something that approaches a bit differently which might not be everyone's cup of tea and though it was a good read, I found it a little hard to keep up with the multiple genres.
I felt that the theft at the beginning really sucked me in and then it just fizzled out. And then in came Patricia and Paul, which I wasn't really interested in to be honest, I just wanted to see how the FBI solved the crime and get further with their investigations but it seemed to just drop out of the story which was a tad disappointing, I also felt that it didn't really need the paranormal touch, but others might not feel the same, it didnt really add anything extra to me anyway.
I would have liked if the author didn' t put so much into the storyline, I feel like everything was thought of - there was nothing that I could imagine for myself, which means a lot of thought has been put into this work, but I didn't feel that I could completely connect or take it into my imagination or imagine scenes in places I know myself, maybe it just didn't connect with me as well as I'd have liked but that's just me.
I received an advance review copy for free from Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review.
*Also, really loved the cover work of this book!*
August 23, 2017
This was such a fun read! It had a little bit of everything and enough suspense to keep me reading (read in only 2 sittings)! There are multiple stories going on and at first, I was a little confused where it was all heading. If you reach this point, keep reading, it will be worth it. Everything started coming together about 1/3 of the way through and about halfway, I could not put it down.
The storyline includes an art thief, a mystery murderous woman in red stilettos, a possible affair, stocking, creepy hallucinations, interesting back stories that all come together in the end, and oh yeah some supernatural craziness.... The end was nuts and I wasn't sure exactly how everything was going down. I was happy with how everything went but keep reading even after you think it is all solved because there is a fun little surprise that leaves this book wide open for a sequel.
The storyline includes an art thief, a mystery murderous woman in red stilettos, a possible affair, stocking, creepy hallucinations, interesting back stories that all come together in the end, and oh yeah some supernatural craziness.... The end was nuts and I wasn't sure exactly how everything was going down. I was happy with how everything went but keep reading even after you think it is all solved because there is a fun little surprise that leaves this book wide open for a sequel.
May 10, 2020
The Great Gatsby meets the witching world.
The story begins with Wendy. She's a witch—selfish, cold-blooded, greedy, murderous, and somewhat of a sociopath. I didn't like her. In fact found myself not liking the book because of her. But the writing was good and I felt compelled to read on even though it seemed that she destroyed the lives of everyone that crossed her or her path. The twist in the end, left me totally satisfied and somewhat redeemed Wendy in this reader's eyes.
This story employs an intriguing mix of story types: supernatural, thriller, crime, romance, good vs. evil, contemporary and fantasy. Well done and is well worth the read.
The story begins with Wendy. She's a witch—selfish, cold-blooded, greedy, murderous, and somewhat of a sociopath. I didn't like her. In fact found myself not liking the book because of her. But the writing was good and I felt compelled to read on even though it seemed that she destroyed the lives of everyone that crossed her or her path. The twist in the end, left me totally satisfied and somewhat redeemed Wendy in this reader's eyes.
This story employs an intriguing mix of story types: supernatural, thriller, crime, romance, good vs. evil, contemporary and fantasy. Well done and is well worth the read.
November 7, 2013
Romantic affairs? Gallery heists? Hallucinations? Secrets? Temper tantrums? Illusionists?
Scott Spotson's Delusional invites us into the lives of some interesting but mildly flawed characters from various walks of life. Ok, so perhaps some are more flawed than others but who's judging? At any rate, you may find yourselves empathetic toward some of the helpless characters in this story and seething with a furious passion toward others midway through the pages. It's a soap opera on paper-you may yell and curse at some of the most sordid characters in this book but I guarantee that you won't put it down. Somewhat of a tease, this book arouses several different emotions in the reader at different turning points in the story. This book doesn't leave room for the reader to settle into what is initially a tranquil scene painted out somewhere overlooking the Sierra Nevada Mountains before it begins to pick up the pace, baffling investigators trying to piece together the mystery of the Hope Diamond and authentic art that has gone missing, then making its subjects the objects of mental apprehension and torment. Delusional proves that everything on the surface is never as it may seem - deception is not too far removed from rearing its ugly head.
The highlight of the story is Patricia Fowler, a marketing executive who finds herself tangled in a romantic web that soon has her hallucinating and fighting hard not to question whether Paul Blast or maybe a psychopath is behind her delusional experiences. To those on the outside looking in at Paul Blast, he appears to have it made; the Lamborghini, the mansion, vacations to the Cayman Islands, the rich wife - but he soon comes to grips with the reality of the dark void renting space in his heart and is faced with making the ultimate decision that will alter his life. Wendy Jewett, Paul's rich and bratty wife, seems to be more in love with her ability to make other peoples' lives miserable when she can't have her way, than with her own husband. Then there is the artist Samantha Des Jardins, enamored of her delusions, yet too comfortable to embrace reality.
This is not a book to put down. Spotson does an excellent job in stroking the curiosities of his readers and slathering the pallets with scenes that at first appear unrelated to each other but come together to uncover the hidden truths and dark secrets. I especially loved how the author creatively played with the idea of illusion and magic, giving this book a Criss Angel-ish intimation. This book is well deserving of 5 stars.
Scott Spotson's Delusional invites us into the lives of some interesting but mildly flawed characters from various walks of life. Ok, so perhaps some are more flawed than others but who's judging? At any rate, you may find yourselves empathetic toward some of the helpless characters in this story and seething with a furious passion toward others midway through the pages. It's a soap opera on paper-you may yell and curse at some of the most sordid characters in this book but I guarantee that you won't put it down. Somewhat of a tease, this book arouses several different emotions in the reader at different turning points in the story. This book doesn't leave room for the reader to settle into what is initially a tranquil scene painted out somewhere overlooking the Sierra Nevada Mountains before it begins to pick up the pace, baffling investigators trying to piece together the mystery of the Hope Diamond and authentic art that has gone missing, then making its subjects the objects of mental apprehension and torment. Delusional proves that everything on the surface is never as it may seem - deception is not too far removed from rearing its ugly head.
The highlight of the story is Patricia Fowler, a marketing executive who finds herself tangled in a romantic web that soon has her hallucinating and fighting hard not to question whether Paul Blast or maybe a psychopath is behind her delusional experiences. To those on the outside looking in at Paul Blast, he appears to have it made; the Lamborghini, the mansion, vacations to the Cayman Islands, the rich wife - but he soon comes to grips with the reality of the dark void renting space in his heart and is faced with making the ultimate decision that will alter his life. Wendy Jewett, Paul's rich and bratty wife, seems to be more in love with her ability to make other peoples' lives miserable when she can't have her way, than with her own husband. Then there is the artist Samantha Des Jardins, enamored of her delusions, yet too comfortable to embrace reality.
This is not a book to put down. Spotson does an excellent job in stroking the curiosities of his readers and slathering the pallets with scenes that at first appear unrelated to each other but come together to uncover the hidden truths and dark secrets. I especially loved how the author creatively played with the idea of illusion and magic, giving this book a Criss Angel-ish intimation. This book is well deserving of 5 stars.
June 4, 2023
Romantic affairs? Gallery heists? Hallucinations? Secrets? Temper tantrums? Illusionists?
Scott Spotson's Delusional invites us into the lives of some interesting but mildly flawed characters from various walks of life. Ok, so perhaps some are more flawed than others but who's judging? At any rate, you may find yourselves empathetic toward some of the helpless characters in this story and seething with a furious passion toward others midway through the pages. It's a soap opera on paper-you may yell and curse at some of the most sordid characters in this book but I guarantee that you won't put it down. Somewhat of a tease, this book arouses several different emotions in the reader at different turning points in the story. This book doesn't leave room for the reader to settle into what is initially a tranquil scene painted out somewhere overlooking the Sierra Nevada Mountains before it begins to pick up the pace, baffling investigators trying to piece together the mystery of the Hope Diamond and authentic art that has gone missing, then making its subjects the objects of mental apprehension and torment. Delusional proves that everything on the surface is never as it may seem - deception is not too far removed from rearing its ugly head.
The highlight of the story is Patricia Fowler, a marketing executive who finds herself tangled in a romantic web that soon has her hallucinating and fighting hard not to question whether Paul Blast or maybe a psychopath is behind her delusional experiences. To those on the outside looking in at Paul Blast, he appears to have it made; the Lamborghini, the mansion, vacations to the Cayman Islands, the rich wife - but he soon comes to grips with the reality of the dark void renting space in his heart and is faced with making the ultimate decision that will alter his life. Wendy Jewett, Paul's rich and bratty wife, seems to be more in love with her ability to make other peoples' lives miserable when she can't have her way, than with her own husband. Then there is the artist Samantha Des Jardins, enamored of her delusions, yet too comfortable to embrace reality.
This is not a book to put down. Spotson does an excellent job in stroking the curiosities of his readers and slathering the pallets with scenes that at first appear unrelated to each other but come together to uncover the hidden truths and dark secrets. I especially loved how the author creatively played with the idea of illusion and magic, giving this book a Criss Angel-ish intimation. This book is well deserving of 5 stars.
Scott Spotson's Delusional invites us into the lives of some interesting but mildly flawed characters from various walks of life. Ok, so perhaps some are more flawed than others but who's judging? At any rate, you may find yourselves empathetic toward some of the helpless characters in this story and seething with a furious passion toward others midway through the pages. It's a soap opera on paper-you may yell and curse at some of the most sordid characters in this book but I guarantee that you won't put it down. Somewhat of a tease, this book arouses several different emotions in the reader at different turning points in the story. This book doesn't leave room for the reader to settle into what is initially a tranquil scene painted out somewhere overlooking the Sierra Nevada Mountains before it begins to pick up the pace, baffling investigators trying to piece together the mystery of the Hope Diamond and authentic art that has gone missing, then making its subjects the objects of mental apprehension and torment. Delusional proves that everything on the surface is never as it may seem - deception is not too far removed from rearing its ugly head.
The highlight of the story is Patricia Fowler, a marketing executive who finds herself tangled in a romantic web that soon has her hallucinating and fighting hard not to question whether Paul Blast or maybe a psychopath is behind her delusional experiences. To those on the outside looking in at Paul Blast, he appears to have it made; the Lamborghini, the mansion, vacations to the Cayman Islands, the rich wife - but he soon comes to grips with the reality of the dark void renting space in his heart and is faced with making the ultimate decision that will alter his life. Wendy Jewett, Paul's rich and bratty wife, seems to be more in love with her ability to make other peoples' lives miserable when she can't have her way, than with her own husband. Then there is the artist Samantha Des Jardins, enamored of her delusions, yet too comfortable to embrace reality.
This is not a book to put down. Spotson does an excellent job in stroking the curiosities of his readers and slathering the pallets with scenes that at first appear unrelated to each other but come together to uncover the hidden truths and dark secrets. I especially loved how the author creatively played with the idea of illusion and magic, giving this book a Criss Angel-ish intimation. This book is well deserving of 5 stars.
January 4, 2014
tl;dr A pretty good story overall, but it dragged at times and was a little wordy.
This is my first ever book review request! Quite exciting, and I must say I do love getting these requests!! Sorry it took so long to write it :( Boo holidays. Anyways.
So overall this was a pretty enjoyable book. The beginning was a little difficult to get into though. We start out meeting Patricia while she is swimming at the gym on her lunch break. It seems like even though she is a successful woman, all she can think about it getting a man. 
So I wasn't too fond of that beginning for our main character, but thats just me. Then, when we're meeting Paul for the first time at the hot tub, it got a little too wordy. Too clinical. Like, you don't need to go into in depth detail about how "this dude is clearly fit and there are hints of muscle under his stomach which is not super defined but still fit, but has a pooch when he bends over."
You gotta leave unimportant details like that to the imagination. Short and sweet and to the point. But once you get past this part, the story is pretty good. A mysterious jewel heist going on simultaneously with the love story helped keep it from getting too obsessive about Patricia's new crush in the beginning. I really enjoyed the supernatural elements to it, though I was they had been explained a little bit better than they were. Overall an interesting story and an enjoyable read!
March 12, 2014
When rising marketing executive Patricia Fowler falls for Paul Blast, a married co-worker, she tries to put her life into perspective-a task that becomes increasingly difficult when she starts having eerie hallucinations. Patricia's dreams of a happily ever after turn into one nightmare after another as she battles threats that go beyond her imagination.
Is her new love behind the torment? After all, his former girlfriend ended up in an asylum.
Or could Paul's wife be more than a bored, spoiled, rich girl?
Meanwhile, the FBI is trying to track down a thief who magically appears and disappears, taking priceless gems and artwork with her. (taken from the back of the book)
I'll admit when I first started reading this, I was bored. I was disappointed. I was dreading reading any more than the first few chapters. It was dry and dull and overly detailed. An art thief? Yeah, it's been done. Characters I don't care about? Yeah, that's been done too.
So, a few chapters later, my attitude really changed. There are still a few spots in the book that are overly detail-oriented, but it really changes mood and fast. Imagine a train moving downhill. It starts slowly, then picks up speed and by the time it reaches the bottom of the hill, it's really moving! That's what this book is. I really started to care about the characters and their plight. The mystery of the art thief wasn't such a big deal to me, other than trying to figure out how she did it.
This is one of those rare books where the author has realized that anything can happen and has taken advantage of it. Take an unstable character that doesn't seem to have a moral compass, and you've opened a Pandora's Box of delicious nastiness and shock. Several times I caught myself with my jaw dropping and saying 'whoa!'
If you enjoy any type of supernatural, thriller, or just a good mystery, I'd definitely add this to your 'to read' list. I haven't read anything else by Spotson yet, but if his other work is as captivating and heart-thumping, I'm all for it!
Reviewed for Minding Spot
Is her new love behind the torment? After all, his former girlfriend ended up in an asylum.
Or could Paul's wife be more than a bored, spoiled, rich girl?
Meanwhile, the FBI is trying to track down a thief who magically appears and disappears, taking priceless gems and artwork with her. (taken from the back of the book)
I'll admit when I first started reading this, I was bored. I was disappointed. I was dreading reading any more than the first few chapters. It was dry and dull and overly detailed. An art thief? Yeah, it's been done. Characters I don't care about? Yeah, that's been done too.
So, a few chapters later, my attitude really changed. There are still a few spots in the book that are overly detail-oriented, but it really changes mood and fast. Imagine a train moving downhill. It starts slowly, then picks up speed and by the time it reaches the bottom of the hill, it's really moving! That's what this book is. I really started to care about the characters and their plight. The mystery of the art thief wasn't such a big deal to me, other than trying to figure out how she did it.
This is one of those rare books where the author has realized that anything can happen and has taken advantage of it. Take an unstable character that doesn't seem to have a moral compass, and you've opened a Pandora's Box of delicious nastiness and shock. Several times I caught myself with my jaw dropping and saying 'whoa!'
If you enjoy any type of supernatural, thriller, or just a good mystery, I'd definitely add this to your 'to read' list. I haven't read anything else by Spotson yet, but if his other work is as captivating and heart-thumping, I'm all for it!
Reviewed for Minding Spot
August 6, 2014
Where do I start with this review? I have been reading Delusional on and off for a couple of months now, and it is one of those books that didn't initially tickle my fancy but equally, I couldn't quite bring myself to relegate it to the discarded pile. Delusional is billed as a fast-paced thriller, which is where I encountered my first problem, because while it does have the psycho element, the "psycho" is not psychotic enough and her actions and behaviour is more pantomime villain than, well, psychotic killer...
The book started with an audacious gem theft and was to be fair, incredibly promising. I was hooked by the first chapter and keen to see how the F.B.I would track down their thief. The story then flicks to Patricia, and one of her senior managers Paul, and I was led down the garden path in terms of my expectations...I am not sure if this was intentional or not. If it was, then fair play to the author because that was quite clever. As the story developed there was very little mention of the theft, apart from the odd scene with guards tasked with guarding priceless treasures scratching their heads and fearing for their jobs, and a very uninspiring scene or two with cardboard cut-out F.B.I agents, who lacked all of the charisma and attitude that I have come to expect. (From watching American crime dramas!)
At one point, I actually thought that I was simply reading a mediocre romance story...
I am a lover of the paranormal genre, but the magic/witch element of this story was ridiculous and simply served to add to the pantomime style effect.
I think the author has tried to weave too many different elements into what could have been a brilliant book, if he had actually stuck with the original remit of the thefts and then woven in a truly psychotic character committing grizzly murders, or exacting gory revenge...and maybe some sex...I am sorry, but you can't have characters having a sexless affair - it just doesn't work.
I did read the book from start to finish, so it wasn't a total car-crash and does have some redeeming points. I am just struggling to name some...
The book started with an audacious gem theft and was to be fair, incredibly promising. I was hooked by the first chapter and keen to see how the F.B.I would track down their thief. The story then flicks to Patricia, and one of her senior managers Paul, and I was led down the garden path in terms of my expectations...I am not sure if this was intentional or not. If it was, then fair play to the author because that was quite clever. As the story developed there was very little mention of the theft, apart from the odd scene with guards tasked with guarding priceless treasures scratching their heads and fearing for their jobs, and a very uninspiring scene or two with cardboard cut-out F.B.I agents, who lacked all of the charisma and attitude that I have come to expect. (From watching American crime dramas!)
At one point, I actually thought that I was simply reading a mediocre romance story...
I am a lover of the paranormal genre, but the magic/witch element of this story was ridiculous and simply served to add to the pantomime style effect.
I think the author has tried to weave too many different elements into what could have been a brilliant book, if he had actually stuck with the original remit of the thefts and then woven in a truly psychotic character committing grizzly murders, or exacting gory revenge...and maybe some sex...I am sorry, but you can't have characters having a sexless affair - it just doesn't work.
I did read the book from start to finish, so it wasn't a total car-crash and does have some redeeming points. I am just struggling to name some...
July 2, 2014
This book is a fun mix of paranormal, mystery, and non-erotic romance. I like this cross-over genre with its extra intrigue, its mix of traditional who-dunnit gumshoe detective work and modern-day magic. With its dash of art theft and revenge, this story could be really good.
It’s obviously a very richly and deeply imagined world, and therein lies part of the problem for me. Furniture, food, clothing, people, were all described in such depth that no detail was left behind. Nothing was left to the imagination. Every thought was laid out. When the female protagonist has repetitive thoughts about a love interest, we are treated to those repetitive thoughts, repetitively. The book would probably be a third shorter if descriptions and details I think are unnecessary were left out. An entire, lengthy, minutely-described scene involving a therapist could have been left entirely out, in my opinion. It bogs down the action in places, while we take a break to examine the setting.
I enjoyed the mystery and investigation sections the most. The paranormal parts seemed unfinished to me; there was little background on why or how such a thing came about or what the boundaries, drawbacks, and disadvantages are. I’d rather have heard more about the people with these particular skills and skipped some of the relationship-building. There’s a lot of head-hopping in the romance sections, too. First we hear what Patricia is thinking; then we hop over to Paul and his thoughts; then we’re back to Patricia, sometimes multiple times in a single chapter.
All in all, I was left with the feeling that this could have been better, that the material is there, the idea is there, the characters are there, but it needs to be tighter, quicker, less formal in tone with a little more punch. I was pulled in by the idea of paranormal crime, but bogged down in the details. So much potential here! I hope further installments/books continue the theme (room has been left for that).
It’s obviously a very richly and deeply imagined world, and therein lies part of the problem for me. Furniture, food, clothing, people, were all described in such depth that no detail was left behind. Nothing was left to the imagination. Every thought was laid out. When the female protagonist has repetitive thoughts about a love interest, we are treated to those repetitive thoughts, repetitively. The book would probably be a third shorter if descriptions and details I think are unnecessary were left out. An entire, lengthy, minutely-described scene involving a therapist could have been left entirely out, in my opinion. It bogs down the action in places, while we take a break to examine the setting.
I enjoyed the mystery and investigation sections the most. The paranormal parts seemed unfinished to me; there was little background on why or how such a thing came about or what the boundaries, drawbacks, and disadvantages are. I’d rather have heard more about the people with these particular skills and skipped some of the relationship-building. There’s a lot of head-hopping in the romance sections, too. First we hear what Patricia is thinking; then we hop over to Paul and his thoughts; then we’re back to Patricia, sometimes multiple times in a single chapter.
All in all, I was left with the feeling that this could have been better, that the material is there, the idea is there, the characters are there, but it needs to be tighter, quicker, less formal in tone with a little more punch. I was pulled in by the idea of paranormal crime, but bogged down in the details. So much potential here! I hope further installments/books continue the theme (room has been left for that).
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