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Valerie Perittos is a best-selling author with three problems. Her writers block has lasted for years, with nothing able to inspire her. After her neighbor turns up dead, making the police question if she is responsible, she starts to see the number three everywhere she looks. As she watches her life descend into a thriller of its own, her unhealthy sleep patterns and past head trauma leave her wondering if the strange things she is experiencing are really happening, or if she is hallucinating through her days and nights that have become a blur in her mind. Until the murderer is found, she cannot trust anyone, not even herself.
T.P. Theyson delivers a mind bending, fast paced story full of twists and turns.
T.P. Theyson delivers a mind bending, fast paced story full of twists and turns.
Audible Audio
Published September 20, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 16, 2025
I got a copy for review, but I enjoyed and recommend this two-hour audiobook. When I listen at 1.5x speed, it feels like I am listening to a BBC radio play. A woman who is an author is living alone and stressing about needing to write her third novel, when an old lady across the street is found dead. A mysterious cop comes to question her, and the story takes some twists and turns. The whole thing is simplistic but has an innate charm and leads to a satisfying conclusion. If you get it real cheap, it's a cute little rainy-day timekiller. Great narration from Louise Cooksey.
February 25, 2023
3 is a real page turner! With a very small cast of characters but deeply warped they will definitely
gnaw at your brain & leave a mark. Like its characters the plot was gripping. I loved the repetition of the number 3.
Part of the conclusion did slightly disappoint me … I was hoping 3 was going to be like the 2004 film ‘secret window’… that film had a great plot twist which at the time i didn’t see coming. HOWEVER… there are two parts to the conclusion … & the second .. I wasn’t 100% surprised as I picked up on the little hints but it definitely channeled Alfred Hitchcock vibes & I LOVED this. To quote Hitchcock “Suspense is when the spectator knows more than the characters in the movie.” now Theyson executes this perfectly!!
A massive thank you to T.P Theyson for sending me a copy.
gnaw at your brain & leave a mark. Like its characters the plot was gripping. I loved the repetition of the number 3.
Part of the conclusion did slightly disappoint me … I was hoping 3 was going to be like the 2004 film ‘secret window’… that film had a great plot twist which at the time i didn’t see coming. HOWEVER… there are two parts to the conclusion … & the second .. I wasn’t 100% surprised as I picked up on the little hints but it definitely channeled Alfred Hitchcock vibes & I LOVED this. To quote Hitchcock “Suspense is when the spectator knows more than the characters in the movie.” now Theyson executes this perfectly!!
A massive thank you to T.P Theyson for sending me a copy.
June 28, 2023
A best selling author has a bad case of writers block when it comes to her third novel. When people start turning up dead and mysterious things start happening around her, she begins to question reality. This is a quick fast paced thriller, with a twist. I read this book in one day because I had to keep the pages turning and find out how it all would end.
March 13, 2023
4.5 stars, rounded down for Goodreads.
Brief synopsis: Valerie is a best-selling writer who loses herself in paranoia after her neighbor winds up dead and she stars seeing threes everywhere. Is she a suspect? Is she hallucinating? And why are her belongings disappearing?
This little thriller packs a big punch. While the general plot isn't anything particularly revolutionary, the execution is original. Valerie is a likeable and relatable character, and I enjoyed seeing everything play out through her eyes. The fast-paced plot had me turning pages so quickly, and, once I started seeing threes everywhere, I couldn't put it down!
I guessed part of the ending, but there was a big surprise reveal that I didn't see coming - that's always a huge plus for me. After I finished, I almost flipped back to the beginning so I could read it again and look for any threes/hints I missed the first time.
The writing in the beginning was a bit wordy, with too many unnecessary details. Theyson soon found his stride, though, and the rest of the writing was great.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a fast-paced crime thriller!
Brief synopsis: Valerie is a best-selling writer who loses herself in paranoia after her neighbor winds up dead and she stars seeing threes everywhere. Is she a suspect? Is she hallucinating? And why are her belongings disappearing?
This little thriller packs a big punch. While the general plot isn't anything particularly revolutionary, the execution is original. Valerie is a likeable and relatable character, and I enjoyed seeing everything play out through her eyes. The fast-paced plot had me turning pages so quickly, and, once I started seeing threes everywhere, I couldn't put it down!
I guessed part of the ending, but there was a big surprise reveal that I didn't see coming - that's always a huge plus for me. After I finished, I almost flipped back to the beginning so I could read it again and look for any threes/hints I missed the first time.
The writing in the beginning was a bit wordy, with too many unnecessary details. Theyson soon found his stride, though, and the rest of the writing was great.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a fast-paced crime thriller!
February 21, 2023
There is so much I want to say about this one, but I can’t say a lot of it because you just have to read it!
3 is a fast paced, page turner of a thriller that literally made me screech out loud when I got to the twist at the end 😱 and I really think that was one of my top favorite endings of any thrillers I can remember reading!
I also LOVED the writing style. The casual flow of the narration- and the interruption of her thoughts in the middle of conversations or narrated scenes- made it feel like Valerie was a real person going through all of the events (instead of an overly wordy, fluffy and pretty, formal story telling), and I think that aspect alone really draws you in.
The last thing I wanted to say here is that the concept of the number “3” being everywhere, finding patterns or meaning in numbers, and the psychological effect of seeing something everywhere once you’re thinking about- SO FASCINATING!
3 is a fast paced, page turner of a thriller that literally made me screech out loud when I got to the twist at the end 😱 and I really think that was one of my top favorite endings of any thrillers I can remember reading!
I also LOVED the writing style. The casual flow of the narration- and the interruption of her thoughts in the middle of conversations or narrated scenes- made it feel like Valerie was a real person going through all of the events (instead of an overly wordy, fluffy and pretty, formal story telling), and I think that aspect alone really draws you in.
The last thing I wanted to say here is that the concept of the number “3” being everywhere, finding patterns or meaning in numbers, and the psychological effect of seeing something everywhere once you’re thinking about- SO FASCINATING!
December 23, 2025
Lmao I kinda wanna give this book a 3 just for irony purposes but I’ll give it a 4. I liked the little twists and turns in this book. And it did keep me entertained for the hour I read it. There were a lot of grammatical errors though like missing periods and things. But ya know what, outside of that it was good.
April 3, 2023
3.75 stars. This one was fun!
I like the way the exhaustion of the main character is depicted. It gives me “unreliable narrator” vibes.
I like the way the exhaustion of the main character is depicted. It gives me “unreliable narrator” vibes.
June 4, 2023
ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK!!
I never get sucked into a book where I read it in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down and had to know the ending!
Loved the humor in this. I truly laughed out loud at some parts.
The ending was fabulous. Did the 😮 face when I read a certain part. Zoomed through the end to get the details I needed!
10/10 book. Gonna recommend to everyone! And this was my first thriller I’ve read, absolutely immaculate. 👏
I never get sucked into a book where I read it in one sitting. I couldn’t put it down and had to know the ending!
Loved the humor in this. I truly laughed out loud at some parts.
The ending was fabulous. Did the 😮 face when I read a certain part. Zoomed through the end to get the details I needed!
10/10 book. Gonna recommend to everyone! And this was my first thriller I’ve read, absolutely immaculate. 👏
November 3, 2023
I read this for a book club and it was a super quick and enjoyable read.
This is a thriller novella with a strong concept and great execution of the plot twist. What I thought was an obvious twist actually wasn’t the twist at all, and that’s how you know it’s good. I didn’t see it coming and neither will you.
A coffee addicted writer has been struggling with her third novel for almost three years. She’s having trouble getting the words out. She’s having trouble focusing on it at all. So when murders begin happening around her, as well as various things going missing, or showing up, she starts to question her own sanity.
I am a big fan of writers being the focused character in novels, personally. I found Valerie Perittos to be a believable and engaging character as well. The author did a good job at making her situation seem real, and stressed, in such a short amount of pages.
Personally a 4/5* for me, I would have preferred just a slightly tighter formatting on the book itself.
This is a thriller novella with a strong concept and great execution of the plot twist. What I thought was an obvious twist actually wasn’t the twist at all, and that’s how you know it’s good. I didn’t see it coming and neither will you.
A coffee addicted writer has been struggling with her third novel for almost three years. She’s having trouble getting the words out. She’s having trouble focusing on it at all. So when murders begin happening around her, as well as various things going missing, or showing up, she starts to question her own sanity.
I am a big fan of writers being the focused character in novels, personally. I found Valerie Perittos to be a believable and engaging character as well. The author did a good job at making her situation seem real, and stressed, in such a short amount of pages.
Personally a 4/5* for me, I would have preferred just a slightly tighter formatting on the book itself.
April 24, 2023
So, a detective and a suspect walk into a supermarket…
No, this isn’t the start of an old-school joke, but it does set the tone for what you can expect from this gem by independent author T. P. Theyson. It’s a unique blend of thriller and comedy that tells the story of a best-selling crime writer, who, between suffering from writer’s block, insomnia and being suspected of murder, becomes unhinged and starts to question her own sanity.
Although the story didn’t exactly grab me from the first line, by the time I’d reached the end of the first chapter I was completely invested. The highly entertaining inner banter which the slightly neurotic main character sustains throughout the novel had me in stitches, and the interaction and conversation between the characters – something I find a lot of authors often struggle with – was brilliantly done.
3 is a short, highly enjoyable read, especially for those who like their stories dark but sprinkled with hilarity (think Roald Dahl's darker books for adults like Kiss Kiss).
P.S. Celebrated author Haruki Murakami was once quoted saying that “if you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” Popular books are popular for various (and of course justifiable) reasons, but every astute reader, on occasion, veers off the beaten track in search of unmapped treasures, even if they sometimes have to search quite far (let’s be honest, there’s a lot of crap out there).
Consider supporting new writers and independent authors and broaden your scope of reading at the same time.😊
No, this isn’t the start of an old-school joke, but it does set the tone for what you can expect from this gem by independent author T. P. Theyson. It’s a unique blend of thriller and comedy that tells the story of a best-selling crime writer, who, between suffering from writer’s block, insomnia and being suspected of murder, becomes unhinged and starts to question her own sanity.
Although the story didn’t exactly grab me from the first line, by the time I’d reached the end of the first chapter I was completely invested. The highly entertaining inner banter which the slightly neurotic main character sustains throughout the novel had me in stitches, and the interaction and conversation between the characters – something I find a lot of authors often struggle with – was brilliantly done.
3 is a short, highly enjoyable read, especially for those who like their stories dark but sprinkled with hilarity (think Roald Dahl's darker books for adults like Kiss Kiss).
P.S. Celebrated author Haruki Murakami was once quoted saying that “if you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” Popular books are popular for various (and of course justifiable) reasons, but every astute reader, on occasion, veers off the beaten track in search of unmapped treasures, even if they sometimes have to search quite far (let’s be honest, there’s a lot of crap out there).
Consider supporting new writers and independent authors and broaden your scope of reading at the same time.😊
May 5, 2023
Ok, I'm going to address the elephant in the room. The type and spacing in this book is offputting. I opened the cover and just stared at the line and paragraph spacing and just blinked. I would have closed this book and never opened it again based upon that alone if I were not reading this for book club (yes, I know that sounds incredibly snobbish. I promise I'm not! 🙈). I did ask the author about this and he said it was a formatting issue and with this being his first published work it just didn't get caught.
That said, I am so glad that I "had" to read this for book club because I enjoyed it immensely!
It has all of those gloriously uncomfortable elements in a Thriller that I love; questioning sanity, who dunnit, building suspense and best of all, twists!
This novella is definitely a page turner. I loved this story. The main character, Valerie is an author struggling to find inspiration for her 3rd book in a series of thrillers or "murder novels" (wink, wink, wink). She gets caught up in a murder investigation when her elderly neighbor is mysteriously murdered. As the investigation and the events unfold, Valerie begins to question her own sanity while still struggling to write. I couldn't help but like Valerie. There are some fun twists and turns I'll not go into because I don't want to give any spoilers. Go read this book!
That said, I am so glad that I "had" to read this for book club because I enjoyed it immensely!
It has all of those gloriously uncomfortable elements in a Thriller that I love; questioning sanity, who dunnit, building suspense and best of all, twists!
This novella is definitely a page turner. I loved this story. The main character, Valerie is an author struggling to find inspiration for her 3rd book in a series of thrillers or "murder novels" (wink, wink, wink). She gets caught up in a murder investigation when her elderly neighbor is mysteriously murdered. As the investigation and the events unfold, Valerie begins to question her own sanity while still struggling to write. I couldn't help but like Valerie. There are some fun twists and turns I'll not go into because I don't want to give any spoilers. Go read this book!
November 23, 2024
Quick fast paced novella. It follows author Valerie Perittos a woman who is trying to bring forth her third thriller novel after much success with numbers one and two. But writers block is standing in the way and has been for 3 years. Up late one just trying to jog the brain into some kind of story Valerie is met with Officer Carlson. The man who is investigating the murder of an elderly woman across the street. Then she finds him at her door again. Because another woman has been found murdered....and the items used to murder the two women just so happen to be items that Valerie has said gone missing from her home. After each murder more of her new novel '3' is written. Is Valerie somehow doing this and she doesn't know or is someone trying to frame her for murder?
January 27, 2024
The premise of this is one quite unique to me, and instantly dragged me in.
The twists and turns are enough to give you whiplash, and I have to say it's particularly impressive given the short length. Sure, you can write a good thriller with endless words and 450+ pages, but to get something this good crammed into under 200 pages? That's a whole other level of impressive, and the length of this novel is perfect for the pacing. I adored this even more than I thought I was going to.
This is unique, freaky, sinister. A clear recommendation for any thriller fan.
The twists and turns are enough to give you whiplash, and I have to say it's particularly impressive given the short length. Sure, you can write a good thriller with endless words and 450+ pages, but to get something this good crammed into under 200 pages? That's a whole other level of impressive, and the length of this novel is perfect for the pacing. I adored this even more than I thought I was going to.
This is unique, freaky, sinister. A clear recommendation for any thriller fan.
April 29, 2023
Awesome!!
This was such a fun read! I loved the fixation on the 3's, it kind of reminded me of The Number 23 in that way.
This was such a fun read! I loved the fixation on the 3's, it kind of reminded me of The Number 23 in that way.
April 29, 2023
Wow
Kept me I engaged the whole story. Page after page trying to figure out what was going onwoth the story.
Kept me I engaged the whole story. Page after page trying to figure out what was going onwoth the story.
July 11, 2023
I rounded up on this one… would be 2.5.
June 8, 2024
Fantastic thriller! If you are a fan of an unreliable, (possibly) unhinged female, this is the story for you! The main characters internal monologue had me laughing out loud. Highly recommend!
February 25, 2023
Valerie Perittos is a best-selling author with 3 problems. Her writers block has lasted 3 years with nothing able to inspire her and after her neighbor turns up dead, making the police question if she is responsible, she starts seeing the number 3 everywhere she looks.
I was sent 3 to review from the author T.P. Theyson, and I'm so glad they did! I finished this book in just a day, which is pretty rare for me! 3 is very fast-paced, something is constantly happening which I enjoy.
The ending absolutely had me shook! I would definitely say to check out 3 by T.P. Theyson, and if you have read 3 share with me your thoughts!
I was sent 3 to review from the author T.P. Theyson, and I'm so glad they did! I finished this book in just a day, which is pretty rare for me! 3 is very fast-paced, something is constantly happening which I enjoy.
The ending absolutely had me shook! I would definitely say to check out 3 by T.P. Theyson, and if you have read 3 share with me your thoughts!
February 3, 2024
I absolutely loved this book. It’s fast pace and has so many twists and turns almost guaranteed to give you whiplash in the best ways. I read it in a sitting, and even read it twice with the audiobook which I highly recommend and enjoyed the voice of Valerie.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews