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We Play Games
An Audible Best of the Year 2024 selection.They move into your neighbourhood. They charm your friends. And then they destroy your life.Effie and Ben May aren’t your average married couple. Behind the pristine gates at the exclusive community, Ivy Oaks, they’re hunting for their next mark. Someone vulnerable, someone ripe for manipulation, someone who won’t see the trap until it’s too late.
Their marriage thrives on secrets, seduction, and deceit. But when they commence their latest twisted game, something feels different. Ben has broken the rules. Effie is coming undone. And the neighbours? They’re not as innocent as they seem.
As lies spiral and boundaries blur, Effie and Ben find themselves losing control of the one thing they value most—the upper hand.
Because in this neighbourhood, everyone has something to hide… and someone is watching.
A provocative, addictive psychological thriller about a toxic love story, voyeurism, and seduction, We Play Games will keep you guessing until the final twist.
“Incredible. This is how you do a psychological thriller.” Audible Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Unputdownable!" Amazon reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Bloody fantastic. The characters and plot kept me on the edge of my seat!” Audible Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This novel is amazing! This book should become a movie.” Audible Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Their marriage thrives on secrets, seduction, and deceit. But when they commence their latest twisted game, something feels different. Ben has broken the rules. Effie is coming undone. And the neighbours? They’re not as innocent as they seem.
As lies spiral and boundaries blur, Effie and Ben find themselves losing control of the one thing they value most—the upper hand.
Because in this neighbourhood, everyone has something to hide… and someone is watching.
A provocative, addictive psychological thriller about a toxic love story, voyeurism, and seduction, We Play Games will keep you guessing until the final twist.
“Incredible. This is how you do a psychological thriller.” Audible Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Unputdownable!" Amazon reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Bloody fantastic. The characters and plot kept me on the edge of my seat!” Audible Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This novel is amazing! This book should become a movie.” Audible Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
336 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 28, 2025
1018 people are currently reading
1937 people want to read
About the author
Sarah A. Denzil
46 books2,496 followersSarah A. Denzil is a Wall Street Journal bestselling suspense writer. She is also known as young adult author Sarah Dalton.
Sarah lives in Yorkshire with her partner, enjoying the scenic countryside and rather unpredictable weather.
She is the author of international bestselling psychological thriller SILENT CHILD, which topped the bestseller lists on Amazon in the US, UK and Australia.
You can read now read AIDEN'S STORY, a short story and sequel to SILENT CHILD. It's completely free here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/n7lb74chp3
Find out more at: http://www.sarahdenzil.com/
Join the newsletter for updates: http://eepurl.com/cwAmZD
Follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahadenzil
Check out her Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/sarahadenzil/
Email: sarah@sarahdenzil.com
Sarah lives in Yorkshire with her partner, enjoying the scenic countryside and rather unpredictable weather.
She is the author of international bestselling psychological thriller SILENT CHILD, which topped the bestseller lists on Amazon in the US, UK and Australia.
You can read now read AIDEN'S STORY, a short story and sequel to SILENT CHILD. It's completely free here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/n7lb74chp3
Find out more at: http://www.sarahdenzil.com/
Join the newsletter for updates: http://eepurl.com/cwAmZD
Follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahadenzil
Check out her Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/sarahadenzil/
Email: sarah@sarahdenzil.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 855 reviews
January 22, 2024
I didnt love it but I didn't hate it either. It was an interesting story that kept me listening, mainly because the narration was brilliant. It just didn't 'wow' me.
Effie and her husband runa con, they call it a game. the seduce couple to break them up for fun. Her husband Ben also runs a romance fraud scheme. They move to a gated community for the wealthy but things start to go wrong.
I cant really go into anymore details without giving away spoilers.
As I said, however, the narration was from a cast of five and was an excellent performance! I could imagine this as a TV drama given the high profile narrators and I enjoyed that aspect.
I rated this 3 stars overall but the performance was 5 stars.
Effie and her husband runa con, they call it a game. the seduce couple to break them up for fun. Her husband Ben also runs a romance fraud scheme. They move to a gated community for the wealthy but things start to go wrong.
I cant really go into anymore details without giving away spoilers.
As I said, however, the narration was from a cast of five and was an excellent performance! I could imagine this as a TV drama given the high profile narrators and I enjoyed that aspect.
I rated this 3 stars overall but the performance was 5 stars.
May 6, 2024
So good!
Married couple, Effie and Ben May, play games. These games are deceptive and seductive. They frequently move to different places in order to break couples apart. Effie will seduce the husband and Ben, the wife. What follows is a series of blackmail tapes used as leverage to get money from the couple. Once they receive payment, Effie and Ben move to another place to play their games with someone else.
The problem is that Effie wants out. She's become bored with the games. After suffering a miscarriage over a year ago, Effie doesn't find any excitement from scamming people.
When they move into a community called Ivy Oaks, Effie breaks one of the rules that her and Ben established... no attachments. Effie starts to develop feelings for a neighbor named David. The more she spends time with David, the more Effie realizes she wants a normal life. Effie also begins to see how messed up her husband is.
Only Effie doesn't know the half of it. Ben doesn't like the fact that Effie doesn't want to play their games anymore and becomes angrier when he learns of Effie's attachment to David. She wants out, but he will never let her go.
David, however, has not disclosed that he is actually a journalist who has been after Ben May for a long time.
______________________________________________
This thriller is fantastic! There are so many twists and turns.
I listened to the audiobook, which is free through Audible. The production is very well produced. Highly recommend!
Married couple, Effie and Ben May, play games. These games are deceptive and seductive. They frequently move to different places in order to break couples apart. Effie will seduce the husband and Ben, the wife. What follows is a series of blackmail tapes used as leverage to get money from the couple. Once they receive payment, Effie and Ben move to another place to play their games with someone else.
The problem is that Effie wants out. She's become bored with the games. After suffering a miscarriage over a year ago, Effie doesn't find any excitement from scamming people.
When they move into a community called Ivy Oaks, Effie breaks one of the rules that her and Ben established... no attachments. Effie starts to develop feelings for a neighbor named David. The more she spends time with David, the more Effie realizes she wants a normal life. Effie also begins to see how messed up her husband is.
Only Effie doesn't know the half of it. Ben doesn't like the fact that Effie doesn't want to play their games anymore and becomes angrier when he learns of Effie's attachment to David. She wants out, but he will never let her go.
David, however, has not disclosed that he is actually a journalist who has been after Ben May for a long time.
______________________________________________
This thriller is fantastic! There are so many twists and turns.
I listened to the audiobook, which is free through Audible. The production is very well produced. Highly recommend!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2024
Different and well written interest throughout. 9 of 10 stars
March 23, 2024
High quality audiobook for an absolutely soulless story.
None of the characters have personalities or real motivations. Everything is painful and boring exposition; the characters will tell you they are bad and why, they'll tell you what exactly happened and how you're supposed to feel. In addition so much of the book is past tense so even in the climax of the book, you never really see characters doing or saying anything. You just get the dull retrospective.
Character relationships are as hollow as their personalities; at some point it's said that two of the characters were in love with each other and it feels so incredibly ungrounded because they've had barely two conversations and a sex scene in the whole book.
The last chapter is incredibly unnecessary which after a whole book of unnecessary is really saying something.
It's really hard to care about what happens to any of the characters because I was just glad it's over. If I could score it less I would.
None of the characters have personalities or real motivations. Everything is painful and boring exposition; the characters will tell you they are bad and why, they'll tell you what exactly happened and how you're supposed to feel. In addition so much of the book is past tense so even in the climax of the book, you never really see characters doing or saying anything. You just get the dull retrospective.
Character relationships are as hollow as their personalities; at some point it's said that two of the characters were in love with each other and it feels so incredibly ungrounded because they've had barely two conversations and a sex scene in the whole book.
The last chapter is incredibly unnecessary which after a whole book of unnecessary is really saying something.
It's really hard to care about what happens to any of the characters because I was just glad it's over. If I could score it less I would.
January 17, 2024
5⭐️
I think this is my favorite Denzil book to date.
Effie is easily charismatic and charming, yet her pain and anxiety give her just enough flaws to make her relatable and endearing to the reader. She is easy to root for.
Ben is the opposite. A hard character to like. He leaves a distinct taste of slime that can not be overcome. He is a vile person. The kind that we all know and keep our distance from. Yet we also know the women who fall for his snake oil.
Dave is a hero. Through and through. A swoon worthy gentleman who is just trying to win the woman he believes is trapped. The "nice" guy on the block. I loved him.
This tale has so many twists and turns that it will leave you gasping for air. I can't wait for a physical copy. I want to hold the characters safe in my home. The world they live in is to cruel. The street they inhabit is too self-centered, as only the elite can be. Bad stuff just keeps happening.
But if you lay down with dogs, you wake up with flees. Even if the dogs keep dying, the metaphorical dogs are so much worse, and the flees are so much bigger.
From start to finish, I couldn't stop listening to this amazing train wreck. Down to the last sentence this book holds on. Sequel???
I think this is my favorite Denzil book to date.
Effie is easily charismatic and charming, yet her pain and anxiety give her just enough flaws to make her relatable and endearing to the reader. She is easy to root for.
Ben is the opposite. A hard character to like. He leaves a distinct taste of slime that can not be overcome. He is a vile person. The kind that we all know and keep our distance from. Yet we also know the women who fall for his snake oil.
Dave is a hero. Through and through. A swoon worthy gentleman who is just trying to win the woman he believes is trapped. The "nice" guy on the block. I loved him.
This tale has so many twists and turns that it will leave you gasping for air. I can't wait for a physical copy. I want to hold the characters safe in my home. The world they live in is to cruel. The street they inhabit is too self-centered, as only the elite can be. Bad stuff just keeps happening.
But if you lay down with dogs, you wake up with flees. Even if the dogs keep dying, the metaphorical dogs are so much worse, and the flees are so much bigger.
From start to finish, I couldn't stop listening to this amazing train wreck. Down to the last sentence this book holds on. Sequel???
February 12, 2025
Bit of a slog and was just waiting for it to be over by the end. Characters weren’t believable and as a result there was no jeopardy and it was just boring.
January 24, 2024
I love a good audiobook and this one is up there for me in terms of entertainment.
Narrated by a full cast with music, mixed media such as news reports and online chat comments, I was enthralled from the beginning.
Effie and Ben May have just moved to the gated community of Ivy Oaks. The two are married but also have their own little games they like to play. They seduce married couples in order to scam them, usually out of money, then move on to find their next mark.
They have one rule "No lies, no ties" but when they beginning to lose focus and start turning on each other, what will happen in this cat and mouse game?
This was a bit of a slow starter for me but when the scene was set, I found it hard to stop listening. Ben was a character I loved to hate and Dan Stevens voice was perfect to bring him to life. Billie Piper's Effie was just as good. The whole cast were fantastic.
The twists and turns throughout kept my interest and I thought the ending and epilogue tied it together perfectly. Highly recommend!
Narrated by a full cast with music, mixed media such as news reports and online chat comments, I was enthralled from the beginning.
Effie and Ben May have just moved to the gated community of Ivy Oaks. The two are married but also have their own little games they like to play. They seduce married couples in order to scam them, usually out of money, then move on to find their next mark.
They have one rule "No lies, no ties" but when they beginning to lose focus and start turning on each other, what will happen in this cat and mouse game?
This was a bit of a slow starter for me but when the scene was set, I found it hard to stop listening. Ben was a character I loved to hate and Dan Stevens voice was perfect to bring him to life. Billie Piper's Effie was just as good. The whole cast were fantastic.
The twists and turns throughout kept my interest and I thought the ending and epilogue tied it together perfectly. Highly recommend!
February 20, 2024
The first half of this really had me engrossed – the premise was intriguing, the narrators were wholly unreliable, and all kinds of breadcrumbs were laid – it really got my hopes up. But ultimately, the back half of this just didn’t seem to pay off. While the front half reads like a twisty thriller, the back half reads like the methodical closure to a Dateline episode without the suspense. Even the twist/reveal at the end feels perfunctory and wholly unsurprising - most disappointingly, it feels completely irrelevant to the main storyline we were sold at the start of the book.
The character development also felt bizarre to me – you don’t really perceive growth or changes by any of the characters (if anything you’re told, not shown) and relationships spring up between various characters that seem to be further established than the interactions thus far indicate. For example, one pair of characters have three, maybe four noted interactions of a very casual degree before they start an affair together; after two, maybe three more interactions, they “love” each other. It’s possible the ambiguity about whether or not the characters were genuine in their emotions was intentional, given the premise, but that’s not how it comes off.
Overall, the book is fine. The narration is quite good (I initially picked up the audiobook after seeing Billie Piper and Dan Stevens were narrators on this) and the general writing is good, character development aside. I think I was mostly just disappointed to feel like the payoff wasn’t there for the really interesting groundwork that appeared to have been laid.
The character development also felt bizarre to me – you don’t really perceive growth or changes by any of the characters (if anything you’re told, not shown) and relationships spring up between various characters that seem to be further established than the interactions thus far indicate. For example, one pair of characters have three, maybe four noted interactions of a very casual degree before they start an affair together; after two, maybe three more interactions, they “love” each other. It’s possible the ambiguity about whether or not the characters were genuine in their emotions was intentional, given the premise, but that’s not how it comes off.
Overall, the book is fine. The narration is quite good (I initially picked up the audiobook after seeing Billie Piper and Dan Stevens were narrators on this) and the general writing is good, character development aside. I think I was mostly just disappointed to feel like the payoff wasn’t there for the really interesting groundwork that appeared to have been laid.
May 24, 2024
A quirky fun psychological game of cat and mouse with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. I enjoyed this one and loved the unexpected ending. I ended up liking David, Sophie, and Effie at the end. This was a carefully crafted audible book, with several talented narrators that made it come to life for a great experience.
October 24, 2024
Listened to this within two days because i was so hooked. Maybe I was just super in the mood for a thriller but I loved it. Ending was a little anticlimactic though. The voice cast was what made it for me. I would listen to Dan Stevens read laundry machine repair manuals, but Billie Piper was the star here. Immediately downloading any other books she’s narrated.
All in all a great easy listen that is amazing at keeping you invested.
All in all a great easy listen that is amazing at keeping you invested.
March 19, 2024
Boring and anti climactic sadly because it started off great! Lots of potential I just got so bored by the end it was hard to finish.
July 9, 2024
Entertaining.
February 17, 2024
Listened to this in audio, absolutely loved it, the voices were good and so was the story, highly recommended 😊
February 5, 2025
I love the writing style of this author, which quickly drew me into the darkness and mystery of Ben and Effie.
This story was a tangled web of emotions and psychological warfare. The characters suited the plot and there was a good sense of place.
It was well-written (except for one instance of 'me either' instead of 'me neither') and had me hooked from the start.
Great storytelling and engaging.
Recommended.
This story was a tangled web of emotions and psychological warfare. The characters suited the plot and there was a good sense of place.
It was well-written (except for one instance of 'me either' instead of 'me neither') and had me hooked from the start.
Great storytelling and engaging.
Recommended.
April 8, 2025
This was a riveting book that reads lightening fast! I just get irritated when authors think they need to throw in an unnecessary tragedy. Instead of enhancing the plot, it ruins it for me. Call me sensitive, but I know what I like!
April 18, 2024
The production quality of this audiobook is outstanding. A full cast, each of whom brought a fantastic performance, music, newscast, social media messages etc a proper show! So 5 stars there!
Now the less better news. Had the production quality not been so high I’m not sure that I’d have enjoyed the story quite as much. It’s interesting, it��s well written, but it felt like the whole story was building up to finding out what happened at the Beaumont, after this transpires there was nothing really strong to hold up the second half of the story. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it but I firmly believe the production held it up.
Currently included with audible.
Now the less better news. Had the production quality not been so high I’m not sure that I’d have enjoyed the story quite as much. It’s interesting, it��s well written, but it felt like the whole story was building up to finding out what happened at the Beaumont, after this transpires there was nothing really strong to hold up the second half of the story. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it but I firmly believe the production held it up.
Currently included with audible.
January 23, 2024
Very silly but readable
January 24, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
If you have an audible account, this is a great audiobook
If you have an audible account, this is a great audiobook
February 13, 2024
A little boring but easy to follow and I love billie piper so it’s okay
April 21, 2024
The first half of this was 5 stars. The second half lost me and just wasn’t as good. Can absolutely see this as a tv drama and I’d definitely watch!
November 25, 2025
Talented British author Sarah A. Denzil has written an unusual thriller called We Play Games about two heartless con artists who delight in the pain and devastation they cause their victims. The con artists are a married couple of master manipulators named Ben and Effie. Ben is 47 and Effie is 30. They met seven years before when Ben had tried to scam Effie, who was a young model back then, but Effie saw right through him and an impressed Ben realized he had found a partner for life.
Basically their game was to destroy marriages, though Ben had been remarkably successful financially and emotionally ruining single women before meeting Effie. They resort to seduction, theft and blackmail leaving destruction in their wake, frequently moving from place to place to avoid being caught. Ever the narcissists, both Ben and Effie made the mistake of underestimating each other.
Things began to fall apart when a scam of theirs went horribly wrong at a hotel called the Beaumont that resulted in not one but two tragic losses. As a result Effie wanted to retire from grifting but Ben convinced his reluctant wife to play one final round of games against their new neighbors in a wealthy community where they had just bought a home. But after an enraged Effie discovered that Ben had been stealing from her to feed his gambling habit, she started plotting his downfall.
As Ben and Effie race to outdo and outsmart each other in a desperate battle for survival, their games become personal and even more dangerous. But in the violent end to their story, the question as to who was the more clever between them is never really answered. They both were playing games, but which one won?
Basically their game was to destroy marriages, though Ben had been remarkably successful financially and emotionally ruining single women before meeting Effie. They resort to seduction, theft and blackmail leaving destruction in their wake, frequently moving from place to place to avoid being caught. Ever the narcissists, both Ben and Effie made the mistake of underestimating each other.
Things began to fall apart when a scam of theirs went horribly wrong at a hotel called the Beaumont that resulted in not one but two tragic losses. As a result Effie wanted to retire from grifting but Ben convinced his reluctant wife to play one final round of games against their new neighbors in a wealthy community where they had just bought a home. But after an enraged Effie discovered that Ben had been stealing from her to feed his gambling habit, she started plotting his downfall.
As Ben and Effie race to outdo and outsmart each other in a desperate battle for survival, their games become personal and even more dangerous. But in the violent end to their story, the question as to who was the more clever between them is never really answered. They both were playing games, but which one won?
October 8, 2024
4.5 ⭐️ Annoyingly I saw a spoiler on someone’s goodreads review 🙄 so one of the twists probably didn’t have quite as much impact as it should have, but still had me hooked!
January 28, 2024
3.75 stars-ish.
Review Taken from The Pewter Wolf Reads
***Audiobook gifted by UK PR company, Midas, on behalf on Audible.co.uk as part of a blog tour. This was gifted in exchange for an honest review/reaction.***
Ben and Effie have moved to the beautiful yet exclusive Ivy Oaks and they look like there are the perfect couple. Beautiful, wealthy, friendly. But behind the smiles, both Ben and Effie are dark hearted and like to play games. Games that will hurt other people and rip communities apart. And Ivy Oaks seems like the perfect place to do one of their games.
The couple has two rules: no lies, no ties. But Ben has broken these rules and Effie is beginning to realise that. Soon, not only are the pair scheme and manipulate the people around them, but they are doing it to each other.
For this game is their final. Losing isn’t an option for either of them. Let the games begin…
I am going to be honest with you. When I started this, I wasn’t sure which way I was going to go with this. The main reason is that both our leads, Ben and Effie, are so unlikeable. That’s the point - they are not nice people. They enjoy hurting people and causing trouble in exchange for money, sex and (most of all) power.
Plus, I wasn’t exactly a fan of the first hour or so of this story. The pace was slower than I was expecting and we (the listeners) were going told all the time by Ben and Effie how smart they were and that they are bad people ALL THE TIME. Show us that these are despicable people, don’t tell us.
However, around the two hour mark, something changed and you realise that the slow pace at the start was to ease you in. Yes, it’s start with petty suburban politics and the couple just wanting to cause trouble within the community and within a marriage to lure you in and the pace gets up and runs.It turns to a cat and mouse game between the couple and the rest of the community as it’s revealed how dangerous one half of the couple truly is.
You know what this story reminded me of: another domestic thriller that I audiobook last year. The Doctor’s Wife by Daniel Hurst. It has the same elements - a marriage that looks perfect from the outside, a partner lying and thinking they are smarter than their other half when we, the readers, know that this isn’t the case and the consequences of this isn’t going to end well…
As you can expect, this domestic thriller does touch on dark subjects - blackmail, threats of revenge porn, invasion of privacy, finance - but the biggest that this story tackles is coercive control and how subtle it begins and slowly, over times, gets bigger and more dangerous. If you want more information or are affected, please go to Refuge, Respect, Galop or Samaritans.
With a fabulous acting cast (Billie Piper, Dan Stevens, Shane Zaza, Avita Jay, Felicity Duncan, David Holt and Sarah Whitehouse), I did enjoy this dark, twisty thriller (once I got over the slow start). This isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea as you have to suspend your belief on a few occasions, but if you want a twisty domestic thriller with unlikeable characters, this might work for you…
Review Taken from The Pewter Wolf Reads
***Audiobook gifted by UK PR company, Midas, on behalf on Audible.co.uk as part of a blog tour. This was gifted in exchange for an honest review/reaction.***
Ben and Effie have moved to the beautiful yet exclusive Ivy Oaks and they look like there are the perfect couple. Beautiful, wealthy, friendly. But behind the smiles, both Ben and Effie are dark hearted and like to play games. Games that will hurt other people and rip communities apart. And Ivy Oaks seems like the perfect place to do one of their games.
The couple has two rules: no lies, no ties. But Ben has broken these rules and Effie is beginning to realise that. Soon, not only are the pair scheme and manipulate the people around them, but they are doing it to each other.
For this game is their final. Losing isn’t an option for either of them. Let the games begin…
I am going to be honest with you. When I started this, I wasn’t sure which way I was going to go with this. The main reason is that both our leads, Ben and Effie, are so unlikeable. That’s the point - they are not nice people. They enjoy hurting people and causing trouble in exchange for money, sex and (most of all) power.
Plus, I wasn’t exactly a fan of the first hour or so of this story. The pace was slower than I was expecting and we (the listeners) were going told all the time by Ben and Effie how smart they were and that they are bad people ALL THE TIME. Show us that these are despicable people, don’t tell us.
However, around the two hour mark, something changed and you realise that the slow pace at the start was to ease you in. Yes, it’s start with petty suburban politics and the couple just wanting to cause trouble within the community and within a marriage to lure you in and the pace gets up and runs.It turns to a cat and mouse game between the couple and the rest of the community as it’s revealed how dangerous one half of the couple truly is.
You know what this story reminded me of: another domestic thriller that I audiobook last year. The Doctor’s Wife by Daniel Hurst. It has the same elements - a marriage that looks perfect from the outside, a partner lying and thinking they are smarter than their other half when we, the readers, know that this isn’t the case and the consequences of this isn’t going to end well…
As you can expect, this domestic thriller does touch on dark subjects - blackmail, threats of revenge porn, invasion of privacy, finance - but the biggest that this story tackles is coercive control and how subtle it begins and slowly, over times, gets bigger and more dangerous. If you want more information or are affected, please go to Refuge, Respect, Galop or Samaritans.
With a fabulous acting cast (Billie Piper, Dan Stevens, Shane Zaza, Avita Jay, Felicity Duncan, David Holt and Sarah Whitehouse), I did enjoy this dark, twisty thriller (once I got over the slow start). This isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea as you have to suspend your belief on a few occasions, but if you want a twisty domestic thriller with unlikeable characters, this might work for you…
September 15, 2024
We play games. Radau kaip garsinę knygą Audible app'e. Kadangi tai kelių autorių bendras kūrinys, sudomino ir patraukė akį. Juolab jog tie autoriai dominuoja trilerių ir detektyvų srity. Tad toks stiprus pažadas, jog turi būt net labai gerai.
Tad ką čia rasim? Istorija apie porą, kuri mėgsta žaisti žaidimus. Tokius žaidimus, kurie sugriauna kitų gyvenimus, o pačiai porai sukrauna turtus ir pasaldina jų gyveimus. Įsikraustę į naują rajoną jie nusitaiko į savo naujasias aukas. Bet šį kartą viskas kitaip. Nes pora atsisuka vienas į kitą ir prasideda jaudinantis katės ir pelės žaidimas. Kuris kurį įveiks?
Neslėpsiu įtampos netruko tikrai. Viskas rutuliojosi laiku ir vietoj, buvo nesunku sekt kas ir kaip vyksta. Veikėjai lukštenti po truputį, tad po mažu gauni susipažinti su jų personomis. Įtraukta nemažai skirtingų perspektyvų, tad nesunku suidelioti kas ir kaip vyksta. Siužetas irgi gan įdomus.
Tad kodėl daviau tik 3/5? Nes buvo nemažai kabliukų. Pagrindine kaip sudelioti personažai ir kaip jie nupaišyti. Tas kas pavaizduota per visą knygą, neatitiko kaip jie pasirodė pabaigoje. Atrodė, kaip visiškai skirtingi personažai. Viena iš pabaisos pavirto pelene, kitas iš pabaisos pavirto idiotu. Žinoma, žmonės keičiasi ir visokios jaunystės durnystės, bet čia žmonės metamorfozę patyrė kone per porą savaičių. Kažkaip erzina tokios knygos kai žmonės savo prigimtį sugeba pakeist kone per savaitę. 🤷🏼♀️
Dar šioje knygoje atrodė jog prikimšta visko daugiau nei reikia. Jog sudarytų kažkokią įtampa ar panašiai? Kai kurie siužeto vingiai ir dalykai, atrodė pridėti tik tam kad knyga būtų storesnė? Nes realiai jokios pridėtinės vertės istorijai nedavė.
Tai tiek. Perklausiau ir 'padėjau' ant lentynos - 'knygos kurių neatsiminsi' 😅
Tad ką čia rasim? Istorija apie porą, kuri mėgsta žaisti žaidimus. Tokius žaidimus, kurie sugriauna kitų gyvenimus, o pačiai porai sukrauna turtus ir pasaldina jų gyveimus. Įsikraustę į naują rajoną jie nusitaiko į savo naujasias aukas. Bet šį kartą viskas kitaip. Nes pora atsisuka vienas į kitą ir prasideda jaudinantis katės ir pelės žaidimas. Kuris kurį įveiks?
Neslėpsiu įtampos netruko tikrai. Viskas rutuliojosi laiku ir vietoj, buvo nesunku sekt kas ir kaip vyksta. Veikėjai lukštenti po truputį, tad po mažu gauni susipažinti su jų personomis. Įtraukta nemažai skirtingų perspektyvų, tad nesunku suidelioti kas ir kaip vyksta. Siužetas irgi gan įdomus.
Tad kodėl daviau tik 3/5? Nes buvo nemažai kabliukų. Pagrindine kaip sudelioti personažai ir kaip jie nupaišyti. Tas kas pavaizduota per visą knygą, neatitiko kaip jie pasirodė pabaigoje. Atrodė, kaip visiškai skirtingi personažai. Viena iš pabaisos pavirto pelene, kitas iš pabaisos pavirto idiotu. Žinoma, žmonės keičiasi ir visokios jaunystės durnystės, bet čia žmonės metamorfozę patyrė kone per porą savaičių. Kažkaip erzina tokios knygos kai žmonės savo prigimtį sugeba pakeist kone per savaitę. 🤷🏼♀️
Dar šioje knygoje atrodė jog prikimšta visko daugiau nei reikia. Jog sudarytų kažkokią įtampa ar panašiai? Kai kurie siužeto vingiai ir dalykai, atrodė pridėti tik tam kad knyga būtų storesnė? Nes realiai jokios pridėtinės vertės istorijai nedavė.
Tai tiek. Perklausiau ir 'padėjau' ant lentynos - 'knygos kurių neatsiminsi' 😅
March 14, 2024
When you open this book you can expect a riveting psychological thriller that unravels the intricate layers of a seemingly perfect marriage, where beneath the veneer of success and glamour lies a dangerous game with deadly consequences.
Effie and Ben May, the quintessential power couple, decide to leave their fast-paced London life behind and move to the exclusive gated community of Ivy Oaks. Their outward charm and affluence hide the twisted game they are playing, a game shrouded in secrecy and unknown rules that only they understand. The author creates an atmosphere of suspense as the Mays manipulate those around them, weaving a narrative that keeps you guessing about the true nature of their game.
The story explores the façade of perfection that the couple presents to their new neighbours, highlighting the conflict between appearance and reality. As Effie and Ben’s carefully crafted world begins to crumble, the stakes escalate to life and death. The Narrative takes unexpected turns, keeping you glued to the pages (or audiobook) as the characters turn the game against each other, breaking the rules with dire consequences. This storytelling is sharp and compelling, with a keen sense of pacing that adds to the tension. The psychological manipulation and the unravelling of the perfect façade make this book a captivating read. The author beautifully deals the final cards, leaving you guessing who will emerge with the winning hand and who will pay the ultimate price in this thrilling and unpredictable game of life and death.
https://featzreviews.com/we-play-game...
Effie and Ben May, the quintessential power couple, decide to leave their fast-paced London life behind and move to the exclusive gated community of Ivy Oaks. Their outward charm and affluence hide the twisted game they are playing, a game shrouded in secrecy and unknown rules that only they understand. The author creates an atmosphere of suspense as the Mays manipulate those around them, weaving a narrative that keeps you guessing about the true nature of their game.
The story explores the façade of perfection that the couple presents to their new neighbours, highlighting the conflict between appearance and reality. As Effie and Ben’s carefully crafted world begins to crumble, the stakes escalate to life and death. The Narrative takes unexpected turns, keeping you glued to the pages (or audiobook) as the characters turn the game against each other, breaking the rules with dire consequences. This storytelling is sharp and compelling, with a keen sense of pacing that adds to the tension. The psychological manipulation and the unravelling of the perfect façade make this book a captivating read. The author beautifully deals the final cards, leaving you guessing who will emerge with the winning hand and who will pay the ultimate price in this thrilling and unpredictable game of life and death.
https://featzreviews.com/we-play-game...
December 3, 2025
No me gustó para nada. Tenía las expectativas muy altas por el libro anterior que leí de la autora, pero con este debo decir que me decepcionó bastante. La historia simplemente no logró atraparme y sentí que no estuvo a la altura de lo que esperaba de ella.
March 13, 2024
I wasn’t sure where this book was going to go since we knew the couple was going to be shady but it has a great turn around and a satisfying ending
April 4, 2024
Tiramisu of a psychological thriller with solid characters and a winding plot that kept me interested from start to finish.
February 19, 2025
Utterly compelling
What a cracking story unfolds slowly drawing you in keeping you turning the pages to the very end thoroughly enjoyed reading this book
What a cracking story unfolds slowly drawing you in keeping you turning the pages to the very end thoroughly enjoyed reading this book
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