Beneath the Surface : A Psychological Thriller of Secrets and Survival

by Kate Bennett

Beneath the Surface is a tense psychological thriller that explores the dark undercurrents of wealth, power, and manipulation. Samantha Cole, a struggling artist, is offered the opportunity of a lifetime when she’s commissioned to paint the portraits of the wealthy and influential Harrington family. But what begins as a professional endeavor quickly turns into a dangerous game of deception. The Harringtons are not what they seem, and Samantha’s paintings begin to reveal disturbing truths about the family’s past. As she delves deeper into their world, Samantha’s own mental stability begins to unravel, haunted by nightmares, secrets, and manipulations.

Caught in a web of lies, Samantha must confront both the Harringtons’ dark history and her own buried traumas. Every stroke of her brush brings her closer to the horrifying truth, but will she be able to escape before she’s consumed by the very secrets she’s uncovered? Beneath the Surface is a chilling exploration of power, control, and the human mind, perfect for fans of Psychological Thriller.

197 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 10, 2024

Reviews

[NY · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a weird read. Definitely not a novel in the traditional sense, but rather a fantasy of a strangely self-obsessed mind that only cares about the thread of its ideas and impressions, never mind the lack of common sense and coherency. There are lots of repetitions (“her smile doesn’t reach her eyes” appears 14 times!) and redundant scenes. The heroine’s name abruptly changes from Samantha (Cole) to Sam (Winslow) halfway through, with no explanation. Things really start to unravel after Chapter 17 or so, where what has happened in the previous chapter is completely ignored and a slightly different version ensues, again and again for five consecutive chapters—like the Groundhog’s Day cycle that plays out differently each time. And it goes on more or less like this towards the end. What was the author thinking, if at all? And the English is cliche-ridden but not faulty, leading me to suspect that AI is heavily involved in the writing of this “story.” I may be wrong but who cares, right?