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The Venus Trap
Jo Atkins’ sixteenth year was disastrous: she lost her dad, was assaulted by a stranger, and then had her heart broken. For the last twenty-five years, she’s believed that nothing could ever be as bad again.
She was wrong.
Now, still smarting from her recent divorce, pretty, self-effacing Jo finally gathers the courage to enter the dating scene. She meets Claudio, whom she vaguely remembers from her youth, but after a few dates decides he’s creepy and politely tells him ‘thanks but no thanks’.
But Claudio has no intention of letting her go.
Instead of never seeing him again, Jo wakes up sick and terrified, handcuffed to her own bed. She is given a week to prove her love for Claudio—or he will kill her.
Claudio, it turns out, is a man with nothing left to lose.
The Venus Trap tackles the emotional impact of divorce, the perils of modern dating and the age-old powers of lust and obsession.
She was wrong.
Now, still smarting from her recent divorce, pretty, self-effacing Jo finally gathers the courage to enter the dating scene. She meets Claudio, whom she vaguely remembers from her youth, but after a few dates decides he’s creepy and politely tells him ‘thanks but no thanks’.
But Claudio has no intention of letting her go.
Instead of never seeing him again, Jo wakes up sick and terrified, handcuffed to her own bed. She is given a week to prove her love for Claudio—or he will kill her.
Claudio, it turns out, is a man with nothing left to lose.
The Venus Trap tackles the emotional impact of divorce, the perils of modern dating and the age-old powers of lust and obsession.
303 pages, Paperback
First published February 24, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
March 10, 2015
A special thank you to Amazon Publishing, Thomas and Mercer, and NetGalley for an ARC of “THE VENUS TRAP” by Louise Voss, in exchange for an honest review. British thriller author, Louise Voss delivers a twisted romantic suspense, and psycho-thriller mix, in THE VENUS TRAP —a cat and mouse game of obsession… This is my first book by Voss solo, as have enjoyed her duos with Mark Edwards and Mark solo, in the past, with my favorite “Because She Loves Me”.
The title for this book is very fitting. The Venus Flytrap is a carnivorous plant native to subtropical wetlands, that catches its prey, chiefly insects with a trapping structure formed by the end portion of each of the plant's leaves.
Jo Atkins, protagonist, a forty-three year old divorced single mom of Megan, decides to get back in the dating game, through an online dating site.
Jo goes on a third date with Claudio, an old school chum, but decides that he is creepy and that she doesn’t fancy him. However, it seems giving him the brushoff is a big mistake. The next afternoon Jo wakes up feeling really ill and discovers that she has been handcuffed to her own bed. She is a prisoner in her own bedroom with no way to escape. Claudio, her captor, has no intention of letting Jo go and he gives her one week in which to declare her love for him.
“You have seven days to tell me you love me, in a way that I believe you really mean it. No bullshitting… If you don't convince me that you love me within seven days, I will kill you.”
This novel is one of stalking and obsession… he knows everything about her.
During Jo’s captivity, Claudio finds Jo’s diary, and makes her read passages and relive her tragic past. She needs to escape from this madman!
I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it. I have read books by this author with Mark Edwards, but this is the first book I've read by Louise Voss on her own, and it didn't disappoint!
The title for this book is very fitting. The Venus Flytrap is a carnivorous plant native to subtropical wetlands, that catches its prey, chiefly insects with a trapping structure formed by the end portion of each of the plant's leaves.
Jo Atkins, protagonist, a forty-three year old divorced single mom of Megan, decides to get back in the dating game, through an online dating site.
Jo goes on a third date with Claudio, an old school chum, but decides that he is creepy and that she doesn’t fancy him. However, it seems giving him the brushoff is a big mistake. The next afternoon Jo wakes up feeling really ill and discovers that she has been handcuffed to her own bed. She is a prisoner in her own bedroom with no way to escape. Claudio, her captor, has no intention of letting Jo go and he gives her one week in which to declare her love for him.
“You have seven days to tell me you love me, in a way that I believe you really mean it. No bullshitting… If you don't convince me that you love me within seven days, I will kill you.”
This novel is one of stalking and obsession… he knows everything about her.
During Jo’s captivity, Claudio finds Jo’s diary, and makes her read passages and relive her tragic past. She needs to escape from this madman!
I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend it. I have read books by this author with Mark Edwards, but this is the first book I've read by Louise Voss on her own, and it didn't disappoint!
February 17, 2020
A solid mix of a dark, creepy thriller, & an intense, emotional character study.. Interesting right from the start & a satisfying ending.
(& this 1 is extra scary because it could actually happen! 😳)
(& this 1 is extra scary because it could actually happen! 😳)
November 4, 2021
This book has a brilliant first few chapters that pulls you in and from then on it I pretty much finished this in one sitting.
I really liked the ending in this one.
At time of posting this title is available on Kindle Unlimited.
I really liked the ending in this one.
At time of posting this title is available on Kindle Unlimited.
December 24, 2017
I have read and enjoyed other books by Louise Voss including her collaborations with Mark Edwards and after reading the beginning of this book thought it was going to be a very good read. That is not to say it wasn't enjoyable but I felt it didn't fully capitalise on the excellent start to the book.
In the opening chapters of the book, Jo wakes up not feeling 100% and soon realises that she has been given the date rape drug and is now a prisoner in her own home. Claudio, her date for the night is an old acquaintance and is totally obsessed with her. He has handcuffed her to her bed and gives her the challenge to love him by the end of the week or face death.
Unfortunately though the book is still certainly enjoyable, for me it didn't reach the anticipated heights I gave it. Not to be put off though I have purchased other books by this author and will read shortly.
In the opening chapters of the book, Jo wakes up not feeling 100% and soon realises that she has been given the date rape drug and is now a prisoner in her own home. Claudio, her date for the night is an old acquaintance and is totally obsessed with her. He has handcuffed her to her bed and gives her the challenge to love him by the end of the week or face death.
Unfortunately though the book is still certainly enjoyable, for me it didn't reach the anticipated heights I gave it. Not to be put off though I have purchased other books by this author and will read shortly.
February 24, 2015
This is one of those books that makes me glad I am not in the dating game anymore and if I ever am in that position again in the future, then I will probably think of this book and decide not to bother – it is safer that way. This is a really creepy read, which put shivers down my spine on page one when Jo Singer wakes up with the hangover from hell and a handcuff chaining her to her bed. How did last night’s date with Claudio end up in such a disastrous way? After all, she knew Claudio when she was a teenager and, OK, so they haven’t seen each other in over 20 years, but surely he would never keep her prisoner in her own flat?
It is a story of obsessional infatuation and is extremely creepy at times. The story is told from Jo’s perspective as she sits in her prison and re-reads her diary from 1986 and also ponders her relationships with men since that time, especially the breakdown of her marriage to Richard and her affair with Sean. It is quite a claustrophobic read at times and so this did relieve some of that, helping to take the reader away from those four walls. I did think it was going to be a novel about her escape but it didn’t quite turn out that way. It is about obsessively holding a candle for old loves, the “saintliness” that those old loves and crushes can achieve inside your own head and the lengths that someone could go to for the sake of their obsession.
Jo is quite a complex character and I was amazed about how, as she thought about her past loves, she seemed to change her mind about who she really loved and wanted to be with by the chapter. She has a very strong voice which I particularly liked, especially her snide internal only comments to Claudio.
If I have one criticism it would be that I would have liked to have seen into Claudio’s head and seen things from his perspective every now and then, and seen the twisted delusional thoughts that were running around inside him, because we only really see things from Jo’s perspective. Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
It is a story of obsessional infatuation and is extremely creepy at times. The story is told from Jo’s perspective as she sits in her prison and re-reads her diary from 1986 and also ponders her relationships with men since that time, especially the breakdown of her marriage to Richard and her affair with Sean. It is quite a claustrophobic read at times and so this did relieve some of that, helping to take the reader away from those four walls. I did think it was going to be a novel about her escape but it didn’t quite turn out that way. It is about obsessively holding a candle for old loves, the “saintliness” that those old loves and crushes can achieve inside your own head and the lengths that someone could go to for the sake of their obsession.
Jo is quite a complex character and I was amazed about how, as she thought about her past loves, she seemed to change her mind about who she really loved and wanted to be with by the chapter. She has a very strong voice which I particularly liked, especially her snide internal only comments to Claudio.
If I have one criticism it would be that I would have liked to have seen into Claudio’s head and seen things from his perspective every now and then, and seen the twisted delusional thoughts that were running around inside him, because we only really see things from Jo’s perspective. Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
April 26, 2015
Voss returns with another psychological thriller, tackling another angle of the horrors of love. When Jo Atkins wakes up in her own bed, everything seems fine, at least until she moves. She is shackled to her bed and her head swims in a lake of confusion. It is only then that she is able to begin the slow process of realisation; she's being held captive by her date, Claudio. Jo is given an ultimatum, 'fall in love with me in seven days, or I will kill you', which does not seem like an exaggeration when Claudio says it. Voss leads the reader through the following days, as Jo recounts her past: from her first interactions with Claudio, her marriage to Richard and their daughter, the flirtation and relationship that promulgated her divorce, and a horrific memory Jo's documented in her diary in 1986. As Jo's resolve appears to diminish in the hopes of being freed, Claudio ramps up his antics to win the heart of the woman he's loved for upwards of twenty-five years. Voss continues to make a name for herself and her ever-evolving thrillers. A must-read for fans and a great launching point to win over new readers alike.
Voss has mastered the art of the psychological thriller, and this novel is no exception. It illustrates just how sadistic some people tend to be when it comes to infatuation. Voss examines love and personal growth through the eyes of a woman who was scarred as a teenager, but who saw fit to work through that and forge a life for herself. Crossing paths with Claudio was more a happenstance occurrence, though the reader discovers the root of this romantic curiosity. Voss also returns to a previous theme from Forward Slash, in which she discusses the pros and cons of internet dating, while also addressing the post-divorce return to the dating world. Well written and spiced with just enough humour to take the raw edge off, Voss masterfully captures her audience and will not let them leave until all is resolved... or ends horrifically.
Kudos, Madam Voss for another stellar piece of work. I am a fan of the highest order, hands down.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Voss has mastered the art of the psychological thriller, and this novel is no exception. It illustrates just how sadistic some people tend to be when it comes to infatuation. Voss examines love and personal growth through the eyes of a woman who was scarred as a teenager, but who saw fit to work through that and forge a life for herself. Crossing paths with Claudio was more a happenstance occurrence, though the reader discovers the root of this romantic curiosity. Voss also returns to a previous theme from Forward Slash, in which she discusses the pros and cons of internet dating, while also addressing the post-divorce return to the dating world. Well written and spiced with just enough humour to take the raw edge off, Voss masterfully captures her audience and will not let them leave until all is resolved... or ends horrifically.
Kudos, Madam Voss for another stellar piece of work. I am a fan of the highest order, hands down.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
January 20, 2015
I seem to be one of the few readers of Louise's books that does not rave and give five star reviews. I love the work of Mark Edwards and have found the books they have written together not too bad, but this one, whilst good does not fall into the wow factor box in my humble opinion.
Jo Edwards has come through some traumatic years and is now getting over a painful divorce. Pretty, self-effacing Jo finally gathers the courage to enter the dating scene. She meets Claudio, whom she vaguely remembers from her youth, but after a few dates decides he’s creepy and politely tells him ‘thanks but no thanks’.
But Claudio has no intention of letting her go.
Instead of never seeing him again, Jo wakes up sick and terrified, handcuffed to her own bed. She is given a week to prove her love for Claudio or he will kill her.
Claudio, it turns out, is a man with nothing left to lose
So, you get the idea right? She is held captive by obsessive and hideous Claudio who has been in love with and crazy for Jo since she was in her teens, and now after a few dates with him this man has now got the fire burning and it's reached it's peak temperature. It's game on.
The book covers scenes of interaction - good, bad and indifferent between them stretched over days in Jo's home, and it's really stretched. I was really hoping for a whole heap of scare and terror factor but it just fell short. I wanted more of the tense dramatic scenes that really would have me on the edge of my seat, the drama!
Claudio finds Jo's diary from her teen years and asks her to not only read it but then discuss things with him, mainly past relationships that he was and is jealous of. But then we get Jo having MANY flashbacks to that first kiss, the relationships, her teen self and well, um, sorry to say but that took all the thrill out for me. I get that it was a way to build some back story, but what a boring way to do it.
It contains pages of flashback actual diary entries. I felt it was used like a "filler" in the book and was just too much.
I found it really boring going over her past life and all her relationships, the book would be more scary and thrilling if it focused on the psychological and emotionally messed up aspects of the abduction.
Does Jo get out of her captive situation? Will Claudio see sense that he can't force someone to love him (I would have been a better actress if I was her). It's a classic love obsession/abduction novel and there are many of those on the market. This one was okay, but it lacks depth of characters and the plot is very drawn out and watery in places, still a quick and easy read but nothing to rave about.
Other books I have read and love that cover the obsessive love/abduction theme really well are The Second Captive by Maggie James and Wanton Regard by Geoffrey Neil.
I give this one 3.5 stars, it would have had higher if less past reflection and waffle and more game playing and psychological head twisting stuff that you would expect in that situation. But fans of Louise Voss will no doubt love this one too. You make your mind up.
I was pleased that Jo's cat starred well and came through it.
I received an ARC of this book thanks to the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. Many thanks.
Jo Edwards has come through some traumatic years and is now getting over a painful divorce. Pretty, self-effacing Jo finally gathers the courage to enter the dating scene. She meets Claudio, whom she vaguely remembers from her youth, but after a few dates decides he’s creepy and politely tells him ‘thanks but no thanks’.
But Claudio has no intention of letting her go.
Instead of never seeing him again, Jo wakes up sick and terrified, handcuffed to her own bed. She is given a week to prove her love for Claudio or he will kill her.
Claudio, it turns out, is a man with nothing left to lose
So, you get the idea right? She is held captive by obsessive and hideous Claudio who has been in love with and crazy for Jo since she was in her teens, and now after a few dates with him this man has now got the fire burning and it's reached it's peak temperature. It's game on.
The book covers scenes of interaction - good, bad and indifferent between them stretched over days in Jo's home, and it's really stretched. I was really hoping for a whole heap of scare and terror factor but it just fell short. I wanted more of the tense dramatic scenes that really would have me on the edge of my seat, the drama!
Claudio finds Jo's diary from her teen years and asks her to not only read it but then discuss things with him, mainly past relationships that he was and is jealous of. But then we get Jo having MANY flashbacks to that first kiss, the relationships, her teen self and well, um, sorry to say but that took all the thrill out for me. I get that it was a way to build some back story, but what a boring way to do it.
It contains pages of flashback actual diary entries. I felt it was used like a "filler" in the book and was just too much.
I found it really boring going over her past life and all her relationships, the book would be more scary and thrilling if it focused on the psychological and emotionally messed up aspects of the abduction.
Does Jo get out of her captive situation? Will Claudio see sense that he can't force someone to love him (I would have been a better actress if I was her). It's a classic love obsession/abduction novel and there are many of those on the market. This one was okay, but it lacks depth of characters and the plot is very drawn out and watery in places, still a quick and easy read but nothing to rave about.
Other books I have read and love that cover the obsessive love/abduction theme really well are The Second Captive by Maggie James and Wanton Regard by Geoffrey Neil.
I give this one 3.5 stars, it would have had higher if less past reflection and waffle and more game playing and psychological head twisting stuff that you would expect in that situation. But fans of Louise Voss will no doubt love this one too. You make your mind up.
I was pleased that Jo's cat starred well and came through it.
I received an ARC of this book thanks to the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. Many thanks.
March 9, 2015
WOW did this book grab me by the short and curlies right away or what!
We have Jo who wakes up, feeling sick and vomiting. Fever, feeling really out of it, and discovering she's chained to her bed post! What in the hell.
She remembers now that the father of her child has taken him away on holiday and she's got some 'me' time for herself. She also recalls that she went out last night. Is she drunk? did she have sex with someone? who in the hell would she have this sort of sex with, chained to the bed, why was she feeling so sick?
Then she realizes she's not alone, in comes this beefy guy, not good looking going by the description of him either!
He is being kind to her, asking if she wants to have a nurofen? Alka seltzer?
He starts to board the windows up with wood slates. Clears out the bathroom of any sharp objects. What in the hell is going on?
That's the opening, and it only gets better and better as you read on.
I would highly recommend this book, well, I enjoyed it, so I hope you do too.
I would like to thank Amazon Publishing via Net Galley for my copy to read and review
August 2, 2015
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley on behalf of the publisher
Set in the now and looking back at the past, this is an interesting story of a woman finding herself and the truth about her fears in a very unconventional setting - held captive in her own home!
I really liked that throughout this book you could never truly predict what was going to happen, even when looking back at the past, you had inklings about what may or may not happen, but there was so much at play that you could never be sure.
Was she going to escape? Was he really going to kill her? Will she tell her ex-husband how she feels, or is it all too late? And what happened to her teenage boyfriend?
It all comes out in the end, slowly, as little bits of info are needed to build and conclude the story.
A great story that shows the reality of just because you know who someone is doesn't mean you actually KNOW them.
Set in the now and looking back at the past, this is an interesting story of a woman finding herself and the truth about her fears in a very unconventional setting - held captive in her own home!
I really liked that throughout this book you could never truly predict what was going to happen, even when looking back at the past, you had inklings about what may or may not happen, but there was so much at play that you could never be sure.
Was she going to escape? Was he really going to kill her? Will she tell her ex-husband how she feels, or is it all too late? And what happened to her teenage boyfriend?
It all comes out in the end, slowly, as little bits of info are needed to build and conclude the story.
A great story that shows the reality of just because you know who someone is doesn't mean you actually KNOW them.
July 21, 2019
For me personally there were moments of genuine chills that ran right through me.
Nothing in forty three year old Jo Atkins life seem to go right for her, she lost her dad and has recently been divorced. Jo finally gathers the courage to go on the internet dating scene where she meets up with Gerald in the pizza express which doesn't go too well for Jo either. In the Pizza Express Jo is then approached by Claudio Cavelli who happens to know that she was divorced, but Jo has little knowledge of him. But after a few dates with Claudio she tells him thanks but no thanks.
In The Venus Trap this is a story where nothing is ever what it seems and no one can ever be trusted. This violent tale plays out with frightening memorable scenes as Jo wakes up sick and terrified, handcuffed to her own bed.
A frightening good novel that tackles the emotional impact of divorce, the perils of modern dating and the old-age powers of lust and obsession.
February 24, 2017
2.5ish stars.
This book tells the story of Jo, a 40ish year old recently divorced woman who's back on the dating scene. She goes on a couple of dates with Claudio, who she vaguely remembers from High School, and then decides he's not the one and ends things... or at least, tries to end things. The next morning she wakes up handcuffed to her bed, with Claudio looming over her telling her she has one week to convince him she is in love with him or else he will kill her. We spend the next week half in the present, locked in with Jo and Claudio, and half in the past as Jo and Claudio reminisce about the events of Jo's 1986/87 diary, when they were at high school together.
A good premise, which sounded exciting in theory. However, it came of as just a bit slow and boring to me.
In the present: The week progresses slowly, there is no mystery and I pretty much knew what was going to happen.
In the past: Firstly, Louise Voss definitely never kept a diary- the passages that were supposed to be read from 16-year-old Jo's diary did not sound realistic at all. Secondly, the year Jo turned 16, her dad dies, she was sexually assaulted in an alley and she gets her heart broken. You'd think reading about this time in her life would be compelling, right? You'd be wrong. It was mostly mundane rambling.
I also found both past and present Jo very annoying, as well as dumb and desperate. When she first runs into Claudio again, she gives him a fake number since she didn't like him at all at school. She is also ex-directory. He calls her anyway, after paying to get her details from the Electoral register. And she thinks 'Oh he went to so much trouble, how sweet, i'll go out with him then'. UM. It's not sweet! It's creepy as f**k, woman!
Donna seemed like a bit of a bitch (or at least, a not-very-understanding and unsympathetic BFF), Sean was a dick and good-ol'-lovable Richard was very sweet but kind of pathetic.
Also, Claudio mentions he was left at the alter, but won't talk about it and there is an air of mystery to it. Then we don't find out anything else about it. Ugh.
It wasn't a bad book, it was just not very exciting. At all. I'm quite surprised how the majority of reviews for this book seem to be 4-5 stars. I started skim reading parts just to get through it. In the end I rate it 2.5 stars, instead of 2, as it did pick up it's pace towards the very end. It was just too little, too late.
This book tells the story of Jo, a 40ish year old recently divorced woman who's back on the dating scene. She goes on a couple of dates with Claudio, who she vaguely remembers from High School, and then decides he's not the one and ends things... or at least, tries to end things. The next morning she wakes up handcuffed to her bed, with Claudio looming over her telling her she has one week to convince him she is in love with him or else he will kill her. We spend the next week half in the present, locked in with Jo and Claudio, and half in the past as Jo and Claudio reminisce about the events of Jo's 1986/87 diary, when they were at high school together.
A good premise, which sounded exciting in theory. However, it came of as just a bit slow and boring to me.
In the present: The week progresses slowly, there is no mystery and I pretty much knew what was going to happen.
In the past: Firstly, Louise Voss definitely never kept a diary- the passages that were supposed to be read from 16-year-old Jo's diary did not sound realistic at all. Secondly, the year Jo turned 16, her dad dies, she was sexually assaulted in an alley and she gets her heart broken. You'd think reading about this time in her life would be compelling, right? You'd be wrong. It was mostly mundane rambling.
I also found both past and present Jo very annoying, as well as dumb and desperate. When she first runs into Claudio again, she gives him a fake number since she didn't like him at all at school. She is also ex-directory. He calls her anyway, after paying to get her details from the Electoral register. And she thinks 'Oh he went to so much trouble, how sweet, i'll go out with him then'. UM. It's not sweet! It's creepy as f**k, woman!
Donna seemed like a bit of a bitch (or at least, a not-very-understanding and unsympathetic BFF), Sean was a dick and good-ol'-lovable Richard was very sweet but kind of pathetic.
Also, Claudio mentions he was left at the alter, but won't talk about it and there is an air of mystery to it. Then we don't find out anything else about it. Ugh.
It wasn't a bad book, it was just not very exciting. At all. I'm quite surprised how the majority of reviews for this book seem to be 4-5 stars. I started skim reading parts just to get through it. In the end I rate it 2.5 stars, instead of 2, as it did pick up it's pace towards the very end. It was just too little, too late.
May 12, 2015
A page turner- a great psychological thriller. The story unfolds and draws you in- what will happen next and how will this dreadful situation end?
Jo meets Claudio, who she knew in her younger years. But after dating him she tells him they don’t have a dating future. But when she wakes up tied to the bed with a handcuff and a hangover , her nightmare begins. He gives her a week to prove her love-or she is going to die.
Whilst she is imprisoned she reflects on her life and her ex husband and other relationships she’s had. She reads through old diaries.
Many thanks to Amazon Publishing and Net Galley for the chance to read this one.
Jo meets Claudio, who she knew in her younger years. But after dating him she tells him they don’t have a dating future. But when she wakes up tied to the bed with a handcuff and a hangover , her nightmare begins. He gives her a week to prove her love-or she is going to die.
Whilst she is imprisoned she reflects on her life and her ex husband and other relationships she’s had. She reads through old diaries.
Many thanks to Amazon Publishing and Net Galley for the chance to read this one.
February 11, 2016
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advance read of the book. Whilst the book wasn’t quite what I was expecting it was without a doubt a great read.
I’d been expecting a book focused upon an escape attempt, the main character trying to break free of entrapment; however this did not focus quite as much as I would have liked. In all honesty, I think this is the main reason why I gave the book four stars rather than five: a part of me was disappointed by the lack of focus upon trying to escape. By that I do not mean there are no attempts, I’m merely saying I expected so much more (more mishaps, more desperate ideas and so on).
Nevertheless, I gave it four stars for a good reason. Whilst our character is trapped we’re given an insight into her life: the ups and down (mainly the downs). So much has happened to her throughout her life that during her entrapment she is given a chance to reflect upon things, to philosophise if you will. Some parts I thought were clichéd – the low self-esteem whilst men seem more than happy to paw over her, certain events which took place during her teenage years – yet they were all built together so well that I grew to ignore the overused aspects and love them as a whole.
One thing I will say, however, is that the ‘mystery’ of who was behind a certain event in her past… well, it wasn’t much of a reveal at all. I worked it out as soon as we were informed of it. For a short period of time I changed my mind – if only to spice it up myself – yet I was unable to fool myself for long as it really was an obvious detail.
Overall, however, I really enjoyed it. It was my first dealing with the author and it was certainly interesting enough to bring me back for more of her books!
I’d been expecting a book focused upon an escape attempt, the main character trying to break free of entrapment; however this did not focus quite as much as I would have liked. In all honesty, I think this is the main reason why I gave the book four stars rather than five: a part of me was disappointed by the lack of focus upon trying to escape. By that I do not mean there are no attempts, I’m merely saying I expected so much more (more mishaps, more desperate ideas and so on).
Nevertheless, I gave it four stars for a good reason. Whilst our character is trapped we’re given an insight into her life: the ups and down (mainly the downs). So much has happened to her throughout her life that during her entrapment she is given a chance to reflect upon things, to philosophise if you will. Some parts I thought were clichéd – the low self-esteem whilst men seem more than happy to paw over her, certain events which took place during her teenage years – yet they were all built together so well that I grew to ignore the overused aspects and love them as a whole.
One thing I will say, however, is that the ‘mystery’ of who was behind a certain event in her past… well, it wasn’t much of a reveal at all. I worked it out as soon as we were informed of it. For a short period of time I changed my mind – if only to spice it up myself – yet I was unable to fool myself for long as it really was an obvious detail.
Overall, however, I really enjoyed it. It was my first dealing with the author and it was certainly interesting enough to bring me back for more of her books!
February 24, 2015
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I haven't read any Louise Voss on her own before but have read all the books she has written with Mark Edwards(also all of his solo works) which I really enjoyed. So I was rather excited to see this on netgalley and once I started it really struggled to put it down.
Jo is a divorcee going through a kind of midlife crisis realising that she hasn't ever really found herself due to events that happened to her around her 16th birthday. Getting herself back on the dating scene leads to some interesting encounters with online dating but sometimes it's those we know we have to be more afraid of. Jo was an interesting character-very much a product of her childhood experiences and I was rooting for her to escape the clutches of the creepy Claudio her stalker and eventual kidnapper.
I read this book late into the night to finish it off and have to say it has been my favourite book of 2015 so far! Well done Louise and I look forward to more from you like this-i loved it!
I haven't read any Louise Voss on her own before but have read all the books she has written with Mark Edwards(also all of his solo works) which I really enjoyed. So I was rather excited to see this on netgalley and once I started it really struggled to put it down.
Jo is a divorcee going through a kind of midlife crisis realising that she hasn't ever really found herself due to events that happened to her around her 16th birthday. Getting herself back on the dating scene leads to some interesting encounters with online dating but sometimes it's those we know we have to be more afraid of. Jo was an interesting character-very much a product of her childhood experiences and I was rooting for her to escape the clutches of the creepy Claudio her stalker and eventual kidnapper.
I read this book late into the night to finish it off and have to say it has been my favourite book of 2015 so far! Well done Louise and I look forward to more from you like this-i loved it!
January 20, 2015
When I started reading "The Venus Trap" by Louise Voss I was expecting a taut thriller similar to her joint novels with Mark Edwards. However, to me, this read very much as chic lit with a faint smattering of "Thrill" running through it.
I did really enjoy the book, it was fast paced and a nice leisurely read.
I found myself rooting for Jo, hoping she would overcome her predicament safely in the end. The other main character was a despicable and highly unpleasant person, they were described very descriptively which I pictured as clearly as though there were physical images through my kindle!
A well spun storyline that I shall be recommending to my fellow book lovers.
Thank You to Louise Voss and her publishers, Thomas & Mercer, for making this available for me to read via Net Galley.
I did really enjoy the book, it was fast paced and a nice leisurely read.
I found myself rooting for Jo, hoping she would overcome her predicament safely in the end. The other main character was a despicable and highly unpleasant person, they were described very descriptively which I pictured as clearly as though there were physical images through my kindle!
A well spun storyline that I shall be recommending to my fellow book lovers.
Thank You to Louise Voss and her publishers, Thomas & Mercer, for making this available for me to read via Net Galley.
January 10, 2015
I was luck enough to receive an advanced copy of this book in return for leaving an unbiased review.
I have read all of Louise's books with Mark but not her solo ones so was intrigued to see what this one would be like. I wasn't disappointed.
The book starts with Jo, divorcee waking up not feeling quite right. You soon find out she's been given the date rape drug and is now a prisoner in her own home. Claudio, a distant memory from her past and totally crazy about her is desperate for her love and will go to any lengths to get it. Forced to relive the worst year of her life in a bid for them to get to "know each other better" Jo goes on an emotional rollercoaster.
A page turner which leaves you wondering and hoping throughout.
I have read all of Louise's books with Mark but not her solo ones so was intrigued to see what this one would be like. I wasn't disappointed.
The book starts with Jo, divorcee waking up not feeling quite right. You soon find out she's been given the date rape drug and is now a prisoner in her own home. Claudio, a distant memory from her past and totally crazy about her is desperate for her love and will go to any lengths to get it. Forced to relive the worst year of her life in a bid for them to get to "know each other better" Jo goes on an emotional rollercoaster.
A page turner which leaves you wondering and hoping throughout.
August 10, 2015
I was delighted to be given the chance to read an ARC of this new book by Louise Voss as I enjoyed Killing Cupid also written by Louise with Mark Edwards.
I started this book thinking I'd just read a few chapters but then couldn't put it down until I finished.
A brilliant page turner, superbly written and a very current story which builds up and unfolds so cleverly. I had no idea where the story was going and there were unexpected twists, which made The Venus Trap a perfect read for me. I loved it.
I started this book thinking I'd just read a few chapters but then couldn't put it down until I finished.
A brilliant page turner, superbly written and a very current story which builds up and unfolds so cleverly. I had no idea where the story was going and there were unexpected twists, which made The Venus Trap a perfect read for me. I loved it.
December 13, 2015
‘I love you, Jo, and I want you to love me. I want to have a future with you’.
I’ve read a lot of thrillers this year. And I really do mean A LOT. Many of them were really good but this one completely and utterly creeped me out. I’ve been trying to work out exactly why and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s probably because I found the premise so terrifyingly plausible. There are no super-intelligent detectives in this story and no heart-racing pursuit and capture. There’s just one woman in her own home, with one man.
So what’s it about?
Jo Atkins’ sixteenth year was disastrous: she lost her dad, was assaulted by a stranger, and then had her heart broken. For the last twenty-five years, she’s believed that nothing could ever be as bad again.
She was wrong.
Now, still smarting from her recent divorce, pretty, self-effacing Jo finally gathers the courage to enter the dating scene. She meets Claudio, whom she vaguely remembers from her youth, but after a few dates decides he’s creepy and politely tells him ‘thanks but no thanks’.
But Claudio has no intention of letting her go.
Instead of never seeing him again, Jo wakes up sick and terrified, handcuffed to her own bed. She is given a week to prove her love for Claudio—or he will kill her.
Claudio, it turns out, is a man with nothing left to lose.
Jo is kidnapped by Claudio with the help of a healthy dose of Rohypnol. She is kept as a prisoner in her own home by a man who became obsessed with her years before her marriage, and whose obsession has never dwindled. Jo remembers him as someone who’d ‘always kind of given me the creeps’ – it turns out with very good reason. When she comes around from her drug-induced state, she realises that he has screwed her windows shut and removed anything from her flat with which she could do herself, or him, any harm.
In the course of searching for anything that could help her in her plight, Jo comes across her old diary. Claudio is delighted: ‘This will give us a perfect talking point. I want to know everything about you, everything. We have so many years to catch up on, to find out where we went wrong – and we have all the time in the world to do it’. From this point on, the narrative splits. On the one hand we witness Jo’s terrifying reality and on the other, her flashbacks to 1986 – the year she met Claudio - and the events that have helped to shape her future.
We are with Jo as she starts to blame herself for her situation: ‘If I had different instincts, I’d never have walked down that alley’ and when she considers her best route to survival: ‘Surely it’s better to sit passively and mentally practise how to convince him of my ‘love’, than risk disaster by provoking him?’
Somehow, Voss manages to pack a little bit of everything into this story without ever making it feel as though it’s been shoe-horned in. As well as her divorce, we learn of Jo’s infidelity, of her struggle to conceive, of her friendships and her grief: ‘The pain that sweeps over me at this realisation makes me truly believe I could die from grief’.
I’m not going to talk about the ending as I don’t want to give anything away. Suffice it to say that his novel is an all-rounder that packs a real punch. I couldn’t put it down. Huge thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for a review.
‘I think he has broken me, not just my heart. I feel broken’.
I’ve read a lot of thrillers this year. And I really do mean A LOT. Many of them were really good but this one completely and utterly creeped me out. I’ve been trying to work out exactly why and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s probably because I found the premise so terrifyingly plausible. There are no super-intelligent detectives in this story and no heart-racing pursuit and capture. There’s just one woman in her own home, with one man.
So what’s it about?
Jo Atkins’ sixteenth year was disastrous: she lost her dad, was assaulted by a stranger, and then had her heart broken. For the last twenty-five years, she’s believed that nothing could ever be as bad again.
She was wrong.
Now, still smarting from her recent divorce, pretty, self-effacing Jo finally gathers the courage to enter the dating scene. She meets Claudio, whom she vaguely remembers from her youth, but after a few dates decides he’s creepy and politely tells him ‘thanks but no thanks’.
But Claudio has no intention of letting her go.
Instead of never seeing him again, Jo wakes up sick and terrified, handcuffed to her own bed. She is given a week to prove her love for Claudio—or he will kill her.
Claudio, it turns out, is a man with nothing left to lose.
Jo is kidnapped by Claudio with the help of a healthy dose of Rohypnol. She is kept as a prisoner in her own home by a man who became obsessed with her years before her marriage, and whose obsession has never dwindled. Jo remembers him as someone who’d ‘always kind of given me the creeps’ – it turns out with very good reason. When she comes around from her drug-induced state, she realises that he has screwed her windows shut and removed anything from her flat with which she could do herself, or him, any harm.
In the course of searching for anything that could help her in her plight, Jo comes across her old diary. Claudio is delighted: ‘This will give us a perfect talking point. I want to know everything about you, everything. We have so many years to catch up on, to find out where we went wrong – and we have all the time in the world to do it’. From this point on, the narrative splits. On the one hand we witness Jo’s terrifying reality and on the other, her flashbacks to 1986 – the year she met Claudio - and the events that have helped to shape her future.
We are with Jo as she starts to blame herself for her situation: ‘If I had different instincts, I’d never have walked down that alley’ and when she considers her best route to survival: ‘Surely it’s better to sit passively and mentally practise how to convince him of my ‘love’, than risk disaster by provoking him?’
Somehow, Voss manages to pack a little bit of everything into this story without ever making it feel as though it’s been shoe-horned in. As well as her divorce, we learn of Jo’s infidelity, of her struggle to conceive, of her friendships and her grief: ‘The pain that sweeps over me at this realisation makes me truly believe I could die from grief’.
I’m not going to talk about the ending as I don’t want to give anything away. Suffice it to say that his novel is an all-rounder that packs a real punch. I couldn’t put it down. Huge thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for a review.
‘I think he has broken me, not just my heart. I feel broken’.
September 4, 2017
Jo, a single mother held captive in her own home by a deranged admirer, Claudio - a former high school acquaintance with delusions of love is forced to reevaluate her sense of self, taking a hard look in the proverbial mirror in order to stay alive and come to terms with the decisions that have left her vulnerable.
With twists that turn the stomach, Jo's trials and tribulations of twenty years ago are revisited, her pain a pleasure for her captor. A conceptually well executed form of localised survival horror made real by the easiness of the household confinement and uncertainty of finding love in strange places.
The occasionally repetitive nature of the novel is broken by way of flashback sequences via rediscovered diaries. Being trapped in a room and provoked into violent acts by a madman over the course of a number of days doesn't give the author much room to write diversity into the plot, yet author Louise Voss manages to keep Jo's plight interesting and entertaining.
THE VENUS TRAP is good without being great. Initially I thought it would follow a similar path to the plot in KILLING CUPID, yet THE VENUS TRAP focuses more in providing the reader with a fully formed three dimensional view of Jo; her past, present and future all lay bare along a journey of survival and perseverance. She's a character readers will grow to like despite her flaws.
Review first appeared on my blog: http://justaguywholikes2read.blogspot...
With twists that turn the stomach, Jo's trials and tribulations of twenty years ago are revisited, her pain a pleasure for her captor. A conceptually well executed form of localised survival horror made real by the easiness of the household confinement and uncertainty of finding love in strange places.
The occasionally repetitive nature of the novel is broken by way of flashback sequences via rediscovered diaries. Being trapped in a room and provoked into violent acts by a madman over the course of a number of days doesn't give the author much room to write diversity into the plot, yet author Louise Voss manages to keep Jo's plight interesting and entertaining.
THE VENUS TRAP is good without being great. Initially I thought it would follow a similar path to the plot in KILLING CUPID, yet THE VENUS TRAP focuses more in providing the reader with a fully formed three dimensional view of Jo; her past, present and future all lay bare along a journey of survival and perseverance. She's a character readers will grow to like despite her flaws.
Review first appeared on my blog: http://justaguywholikes2read.blogspot...
February 10, 2015
This was a hard one. Throughout most of the story, I felt very little for Jo and thought she was selfish. But as new bits are revealed, and everything tied in at the end, it redeemed her as well as the story itself. I put myself in Jo's shoes, and one always tries to think "what would I do in that situation?" Creepy things like that happen all the time. I'm glad the ending gave us more insight as to why Jo did what she did, and how it helped her overcome a lot of things in her life by the end. Certainly not a page turner for me, but I always enjoy Voss' and Edwards' work.
I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 28, 2015
Thanks to The Book Club for allowing me to review this title.
Definitely a thriller! An interesting and brave narrative time frame that uses a diary to expand it. I found it difficult to relate to the characters but still found myself routing for Jo.
If you have read anything by Louise Voss or Mark Edwards you know the sort of book you are getting and this certainly does not disappoint!
Definitely a thriller! An interesting and brave narrative time frame that uses a diary to expand it. I found it difficult to relate to the characters but still found myself routing for Jo.
If you have read anything by Louise Voss or Mark Edwards you know the sort of book you are getting and this certainly does not disappoint!
March 5, 2015
Just finished The Venus Trap this morning. I loved it! I always enjoy books that flash from past to present and find it easy to follow. Claudio was a sick nutter and i wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley!
Brilliant story and concept Louise Voss
Brilliant story and concept Louise Voss
February 23, 2015
A special thank you to Amazon Publishing, Thomas and Mercer, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
British thriller author, Louise Voss delivers a twisted romantic suspense, "chick noir", and psycho-thriller mix, of dark humor and wit. THE VENUS TRAP —a cat and mouse game of obsession, leaving you second guessing your own past, when things may not be as they appear.
Have you ever felt as though something in your past happened, not by chance? Had someone set a plan in motion, which forever changed the course of your life? Only to discover years later, it may have been orchestrated by someone else?
Jo Atkins, protagonist, a forty-three year old divorced single mom of Megan, dreams of happily ever after, and decides to get back in the dating game, setting up her profile on an online dating site. Her life has not been simple. Her dad died, her high school boyfriend dies, assaulted, divorced, dumped, and now she wants to find a man, and live her happy life with her daughter.
She is thrilled about the possibilities of her blind date; however, reality comes knocking quickly, as she meets the date from hell. (I laughed out loud, as Voss definitely pulls out all the stops with her British humor and wit). Gerald, the guy is a nut job and succeeded in embarrassing her at a public restaurant, when she decided not the waste an hour of small talk with him, to let him know she is not interested. Needless to say, he did not take the news very well. (instead of using the emergency call from the girl friend tactic). What comes next is even worse.
When an old high school chum, Claudio (not really a chum) happens to be in the same restaurant at the exact time with his mother, lurking from across the room --comes to her rescue. Happy to learn she is now divorced, he wants her phone #, and she gives him the number but changes the last digit, (good call) as her memories of this guy are not so great.
Through clever research, he manages to track down her down. Desperate, she agrees to go out with him, thinking maybe he has changed (WRONG). By the third date, she knows this is going nowhere, and he senses it, and drugs her. Upon waking, she is in her flat, chained to her bed, sick and held hostage. Talking about the date from hell—the other guy was only practice, compared to creepy Claudio. He has nothing to lose. She has one week to say, "she loves him or he kills her."
Her daughter happens to be on a week long trip with her dad in Italy, of course the crazy abductor, knows this---you see he has had an obsession with Jo since high school. He knows everything about her. Now his is closing in for the kill. He desperately wants her love and continues to tell her how great they will be together.
In the process of going through her things, he discovers her diary from 1986. He makes her read passages and relive her past. Her past is a series of tragedy, with emotional baggage carried over into her marriage and future relationships. Could he be the one who literally changed the course of her life . . . her fears, her anxieties.. her years of therapy?
As the week closes in, she races against time to escape the clutches of this wacko madman (a venus trap), and claim her life, her daughter, and possibly her ex-husband, Richard . . she longs to see once again. After a week of time to reflect, she is seeing her life through new eyes.
THE VENUS TRAP, offers a different twist for a psychological thriller of obsession, as Jo desires romance, and wants a man in her life; however, she possibly had it in front of her, but was always looking elsewhere. She is a flawed character, and many women will relate to her with a series of bad dates and bad luck. From the emotional impact of divorce, and the perils of modern dating, with some psycho -obsession. The fun part was the diary entries, as she was reliving her past from high school days through her marriage.
Venus Flytrap: If you live in southeast US, especially in NC or SC you may be familiar with the Venus flytrap. (a nice tie in) ….A carnivorous plant native to subtropical wetlands; it catches its prey—chiefly insects and arachnids— with a trapping structure formed by the terminal portion of each of the plant's leaves and is triggered by tiny hairs on their inner surfaces.
If you love chick lit, mystery, suspense, and psycho-thrillers all rolled into one with lots of humor ---you will enjoy THE VENUS TRAP. This is my first book by Voss solo, as have enjoyed her duos with Mark Edwards and Mark solo, in the past, with my favorite “Because She Loves Me”. (congrats to Mark on the Venus title).
COVER- On a side note: When reading a recent post regarding Voss’ cover design (being a former publisher myself, for years), I agree with the overall look, with the exception of making the author's name in a smaller font. When choosing covers for many years, am very picky about even reading a book with a bad cover.
When posting upcoming books, on my websites, I notice a trend of teal and darker turquoise covers for the upcoming next three or four months, similar to back in October when many were a rich blue. The darkness of the door and the implications of what may be lurking behind the door, gives it a mysterious feel; however, the splash of pink offers a nice contrast, and does in fact draw you in—hence, the mix of chick-lit noir, tie in. Well done!
Judith D. Collins Must Read books
British thriller author, Louise Voss delivers a twisted romantic suspense, "chick noir", and psycho-thriller mix, of dark humor and wit. THE VENUS TRAP —a cat and mouse game of obsession, leaving you second guessing your own past, when things may not be as they appear.
Have you ever felt as though something in your past happened, not by chance? Had someone set a plan in motion, which forever changed the course of your life? Only to discover years later, it may have been orchestrated by someone else?
Jo Atkins, protagonist, a forty-three year old divorced single mom of Megan, dreams of happily ever after, and decides to get back in the dating game, setting up her profile on an online dating site. Her life has not been simple. Her dad died, her high school boyfriend dies, assaulted, divorced, dumped, and now she wants to find a man, and live her happy life with her daughter.
She is thrilled about the possibilities of her blind date; however, reality comes knocking quickly, as she meets the date from hell. (I laughed out loud, as Voss definitely pulls out all the stops with her British humor and wit). Gerald, the guy is a nut job and succeeded in embarrassing her at a public restaurant, when she decided not the waste an hour of small talk with him, to let him know she is not interested. Needless to say, he did not take the news very well. (instead of using the emergency call from the girl friend tactic). What comes next is even worse.
When an old high school chum, Claudio (not really a chum) happens to be in the same restaurant at the exact time with his mother, lurking from across the room --comes to her rescue. Happy to learn she is now divorced, he wants her phone #, and she gives him the number but changes the last digit, (good call) as her memories of this guy are not so great.
Through clever research, he manages to track down her down. Desperate, she agrees to go out with him, thinking maybe he has changed (WRONG). By the third date, she knows this is going nowhere, and he senses it, and drugs her. Upon waking, she is in her flat, chained to her bed, sick and held hostage. Talking about the date from hell—the other guy was only practice, compared to creepy Claudio. He has nothing to lose. She has one week to say, "she loves him or he kills her."
Her daughter happens to be on a week long trip with her dad in Italy, of course the crazy abductor, knows this---you see he has had an obsession with Jo since high school. He knows everything about her. Now his is closing in for the kill. He desperately wants her love and continues to tell her how great they will be together.
In the process of going through her things, he discovers her diary from 1986. He makes her read passages and relive her past. Her past is a series of tragedy, with emotional baggage carried over into her marriage and future relationships. Could he be the one who literally changed the course of her life . . . her fears, her anxieties.. her years of therapy?
As the week closes in, she races against time to escape the clutches of this wacko madman (a venus trap), and claim her life, her daughter, and possibly her ex-husband, Richard . . she longs to see once again. After a week of time to reflect, she is seeing her life through new eyes.
THE VENUS TRAP, offers a different twist for a psychological thriller of obsession, as Jo desires romance, and wants a man in her life; however, she possibly had it in front of her, but was always looking elsewhere. She is a flawed character, and many women will relate to her with a series of bad dates and bad luck. From the emotional impact of divorce, and the perils of modern dating, with some psycho -obsession. The fun part was the diary entries, as she was reliving her past from high school days through her marriage.
Venus Flytrap: If you live in southeast US, especially in NC or SC you may be familiar with the Venus flytrap. (a nice tie in) ….A carnivorous plant native to subtropical wetlands; it catches its prey—chiefly insects and arachnids— with a trapping structure formed by the terminal portion of each of the plant's leaves and is triggered by tiny hairs on their inner surfaces.
If you love chick lit, mystery, suspense, and psycho-thrillers all rolled into one with lots of humor ---you will enjoy THE VENUS TRAP. This is my first book by Voss solo, as have enjoyed her duos with Mark Edwards and Mark solo, in the past, with my favorite “Because She Loves Me”. (congrats to Mark on the Venus title).
COVER- On a side note: When reading a recent post regarding Voss’ cover design (being a former publisher myself, for years), I agree with the overall look, with the exception of making the author's name in a smaller font. When choosing covers for many years, am very picky about even reading a book with a bad cover.
When posting upcoming books, on my websites, I notice a trend of teal and darker turquoise covers for the upcoming next three or four months, similar to back in October when many were a rich blue. The darkness of the door and the implications of what may be lurking behind the door, gives it a mysterious feel; however, the splash of pink offers a nice contrast, and does in fact draw you in—hence, the mix of chick-lit noir, tie in. Well done!
Judith D. Collins Must Read books
August 28, 2018
Actual rating - 3.5
October 12, 2019
Full review to come!
August 23, 2016
*MAJOR SPOILERS*
I had high hopes for this book as so many people rated it 4 or 5 stars and I've really enjoyed her collaborations with Mark Edwards but unfortunately this book was almost a relief to finish (and at the same time a disappointment because when I turned the page to realise it had ended it took me by surprise). I am not sure how I wanted it to end but I felt like maybe it was all too "I was going out with the girls, I found closure with my past, I was healthy, I got over my love affair and omg me and my husband are going to get back together" - it took away the dark suspenseful aspect of the book as I doubt anybody would have the positive "live life" attitude that the main character had four months after this traumatic ordeal.
I found it pretty slow and repetitive. I was disappointed when I got to the diary entries because although they were important to the story (and I really do understand that this was more than a stalker/killer plot, it had major character development that needed to be revealed for the main characters past to unravel and life to piece together in the end for the sake of her future), I just felt like they went on for too long and she over described everything. That being said, she does write very well and a couple of times she took me by surprise by making me laugh. I think maybe I was hoping for more suspense, it felt like most of the story was based on her past rather than the kidnapping. He was a very messed up person but I felt like psychologically he could have been more daunting and chilling even through acts of more conversation.
Unfortunately the attempted rape (back when she was a teenager) scenario was predictable. As soon as I had read that part I already knew that it would be revealed that it was the psycho bastard. I liked how she left it with John and how she left it to the imagination. Was it indeed a tragic accident or was the stalker THAT obsessed that he'd killed her true love out of pure jealousy? We will never know but I think we are all swaying the same way.
I can't flaw the writing or the plot, perhaps I am more fascinated with the horror aspect of stories? That's why I'm giving it a 2 out of 5. The plot was fascinating and realistic but I just hoped there was more of the kidnapping scenario. Their conversations consisted of him sitting on her bed and forcing her to read or explain her diary entries and repeatedly telling her that he really likes her. So we didn't get to feel her horror regarding the situation for very long before being thrown into her past again.
I'd give her other books a go and I can see why other people would like this book if they don't mind the things that I'd rather leave out! I do enjoy the thrill of a thriller but this time, I went to bed pretty happily with no need to keep the lights on!
I had high hopes for this book as so many people rated it 4 or 5 stars and I've really enjoyed her collaborations with Mark Edwards but unfortunately this book was almost a relief to finish (and at the same time a disappointment because when I turned the page to realise it had ended it took me by surprise). I am not sure how I wanted it to end but I felt like maybe it was all too "I was going out with the girls, I found closure with my past, I was healthy, I got over my love affair and omg me and my husband are going to get back together" - it took away the dark suspenseful aspect of the book as I doubt anybody would have the positive "live life" attitude that the main character had four months after this traumatic ordeal.
I found it pretty slow and repetitive. I was disappointed when I got to the diary entries because although they were important to the story (and I really do understand that this was more than a stalker/killer plot, it had major character development that needed to be revealed for the main characters past to unravel and life to piece together in the end for the sake of her future), I just felt like they went on for too long and she over described everything. That being said, she does write very well and a couple of times she took me by surprise by making me laugh. I think maybe I was hoping for more suspense, it felt like most of the story was based on her past rather than the kidnapping. He was a very messed up person but I felt like psychologically he could have been more daunting and chilling even through acts of more conversation.
Unfortunately the attempted rape (back when she was a teenager) scenario was predictable. As soon as I had read that part I already knew that it would be revealed that it was the psycho bastard. I liked how she left it with John and how she left it to the imagination. Was it indeed a tragic accident or was the stalker THAT obsessed that he'd killed her true love out of pure jealousy? We will never know but I think we are all swaying the same way.
I can't flaw the writing or the plot, perhaps I am more fascinated with the horror aspect of stories? That's why I'm giving it a 2 out of 5. The plot was fascinating and realistic but I just hoped there was more of the kidnapping scenario. Their conversations consisted of him sitting on her bed and forcing her to read or explain her diary entries and repeatedly telling her that he really likes her. So we didn't get to feel her horror regarding the situation for very long before being thrown into her past again.
I'd give her other books a go and I can see why other people would like this book if they don't mind the things that I'd rather leave out! I do enjoy the thrill of a thriller but this time, I went to bed pretty happily with no need to keep the lights on!
January 16, 2015
I received this as an Advanced Reader Copy through NetGalley and from the author herself, in exchange for an honest review.
Being locked in your own home by a maniac is a terrifying prospect, as your own safe house becomes your prison. In this book, it's compounded by the fact that Jo knows her jailer from her past and, most worryingly, she has let him back into her life after all these years.
The book has a promising start from the outset, setting the scene, when Jo wakes up handcuffed to her bedpost, with her bedroom in complete lockdown, shut off from the rest of the world. Claudio is a frightening character; you could pass him in the street without even a second glance, with no idea about the monster lurking underneath his seemingly normal exterior.
Jo has seven days to prove her love for Claudio - or as he phrases it: 'You have seven days to tell me you love me, in a way that I believe you really mean it. No bullshitting… If you don't convince me that you love me within seven days, I will kill you.'
It's a frightening but well-written story. Claudio feeds Jo and looks after her (in his own demented way). But it doesn't take Jo long to discover his nasty side and for the situation to descend into violence.
There are some great lines, such as: 'I will try to get inside his head. I just pray he won't take it as encouragement and try to get inside me.'
Louise Voss made me realise - and think carefully - about how much we all carry around with us on our phones, tablets, laptops etc. Our contacts, diaries and social media are 'hidden' with just a few buttons and a passcode. With careful planning and timely observation, Claudio found it easy to learn Jo's secrets and gain access to her life. He forces Jo to read her diary, so that she can look back at particular incidents in her past. This triggers a whole host of emotions - love, fear, excitement and panic - and reveals some disturbing revelations (one of which I did guess!).
This is my first Louise Voss book, although I have read some of her collaborations with Mark Edwards. I look forward to reading more of these soon.
Being locked in your own home by a maniac is a terrifying prospect, as your own safe house becomes your prison. In this book, it's compounded by the fact that Jo knows her jailer from her past and, most worryingly, she has let him back into her life after all these years.
The book has a promising start from the outset, setting the scene, when Jo wakes up handcuffed to her bedpost, with her bedroom in complete lockdown, shut off from the rest of the world. Claudio is a frightening character; you could pass him in the street without even a second glance, with no idea about the monster lurking underneath his seemingly normal exterior.
Jo has seven days to prove her love for Claudio - or as he phrases it: 'You have seven days to tell me you love me, in a way that I believe you really mean it. No bullshitting… If you don't convince me that you love me within seven days, I will kill you.'
It's a frightening but well-written story. Claudio feeds Jo and looks after her (in his own demented way). But it doesn't take Jo long to discover his nasty side and for the situation to descend into violence.
There are some great lines, such as: 'I will try to get inside his head. I just pray he won't take it as encouragement and try to get inside me.'
Louise Voss made me realise - and think carefully - about how much we all carry around with us on our phones, tablets, laptops etc. Our contacts, diaries and social media are 'hidden' with just a few buttons and a passcode. With careful planning and timely observation, Claudio found it easy to learn Jo's secrets and gain access to her life. He forces Jo to read her diary, so that she can look back at particular incidents in her past. This triggers a whole host of emotions - love, fear, excitement and panic - and reveals some disturbing revelations (one of which I did guess!).
This is my first Louise Voss book, although I have read some of her collaborations with Mark Edwards. I look forward to reading more of these soon.
March 26, 2015
This is another solo offering from the pen of this talented author who has elsewhere found a successful partner in crime,Mark Edwards,with their thriller novels. I know that this was not an easy project to write without your wingman but is an insightful thriller from a female perspective and I think it required that singularity of thought for it to be written at all.
It would be a difficult read in one sitting as it has little action apart from diary entries and personal reflection as a woman is taken hostage by a crazed stalker. In part on analysis of one's life perhaps as one faces execution; but when the jailer is psychotic and just wants a little affirmation of love the tension soon ratchets up.
Jo is very much a victim and blames herself at first for walking into this situation; she'd dated him for goodness sake. The development of her feelings and the interchanges between the two characters are very well written.
The story unfolds; difficult to read at times and the outcome never clear. I liked the fact that the author introduces more aspects of Jo's character than she tackles in her self discovery allowing the reader to substitute their own experiences, choices and failed relationships. This is the saving grace of the novel in that I am not fully convinced about the conclusion to the book although nothing is made crystal clear.
Above all at a time when hostages are taken and peoples lives are under threat of torture and execution it serves as an excellent piece of reflective writing. As a female victim of a sex crime it also enables the woman's voice to be better understood, other than just a statistic in the body count.
A brave venture that succeeeds from my male perspective; with touches of humour and just enough momentum in the story to prevent feelings of a book going nowhere or not saying anything new in the past 12 pages. For that alone it deserves to be read and commented about as it is not a book that will leave you when you finally get to the last page.
It would be a difficult read in one sitting as it has little action apart from diary entries and personal reflection as a woman is taken hostage by a crazed stalker. In part on analysis of one's life perhaps as one faces execution; but when the jailer is psychotic and just wants a little affirmation of love the tension soon ratchets up.
Jo is very much a victim and blames herself at first for walking into this situation; she'd dated him for goodness sake. The development of her feelings and the interchanges between the two characters are very well written.
The story unfolds; difficult to read at times and the outcome never clear. I liked the fact that the author introduces more aspects of Jo's character than she tackles in her self discovery allowing the reader to substitute their own experiences, choices and failed relationships. This is the saving grace of the novel in that I am not fully convinced about the conclusion to the book although nothing is made crystal clear.
Above all at a time when hostages are taken and peoples lives are under threat of torture and execution it serves as an excellent piece of reflective writing. As a female victim of a sex crime it also enables the woman's voice to be better understood, other than just a statistic in the body count.
A brave venture that succeeeds from my male perspective; with touches of humour and just enough momentum in the story to prevent feelings of a book going nowhere or not saying anything new in the past 12 pages. For that alone it deserves to be read and commented about as it is not a book that will leave you when you finally get to the last page.
June 16, 2015
I’ve heard comments that this isn’t a typical crime novel. Mostly in the vein that it’s different to what Louise writes as part of a duo when she’s writing with Mark Edwards, but do you know what? She’s a writer and writers are allowed to stray and explore and do what they want to do and this is what Louise has written and I for one am really glad she did.
It most definitely is crime. Jo is handcuffed to her own bed when she wakes up and it’s not a sex game gone wrong. Claudio, the man she went on a date with is threatening to kill her if she doesn’t prove her love for him in a week.
Jo knows Claudio from way back when she was at school. He’s a part of her history so the novel looks backwards at Jo’s history, how she got to where she was, to dating a man who would have her tied to a bed threatening to kill her and very obviously willing to go through with it if she doesn’t do as he says. It looks at relationships and how we react during and after them. Domino effects. All while Jo is locked up and wondering if she is going to get out of this situation with her life.
To find out if she does or if the effects of her life and her decisions lead her to a sticky end, you will have to read The Venus Trap yourself. I loved it and tore through the pages very quickly. My reading mojo is most definitely back!
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my copy.
It most definitely is crime. Jo is handcuffed to her own bed when she wakes up and it’s not a sex game gone wrong. Claudio, the man she went on a date with is threatening to kill her if she doesn’t prove her love for him in a week.
Jo knows Claudio from way back when she was at school. He’s a part of her history so the novel looks backwards at Jo’s history, how she got to where she was, to dating a man who would have her tied to a bed threatening to kill her and very obviously willing to go through with it if she doesn’t do as he says. It looks at relationships and how we react during and after them. Domino effects. All while Jo is locked up and wondering if she is going to get out of this situation with her life.
To find out if she does or if the effects of her life and her decisions lead her to a sticky end, you will have to read The Venus Trap yourself. I loved it and tore through the pages very quickly. My reading mojo is most definitely back!
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my copy.
March 5, 2015
I was lucky enough to be given an advanced ready copy from the publishers of this book and in return would give an unbiased review.
I have only read one book that Louise co-edited with Mark Edwards "From the Cradle" and that was a real page turner and heart stopping read. I expected Venus Trap to have a similar thrill factor but it lacked tension in parts that should have come from a kidnap story. That said I wouldn't say to be fellow book friends not to read it as it flowed well and overall I did enjoy reading it.
I would say that I enjoyed the last third of the book more as it started to get more tense and the story of Jo's childhood romance unravelled. It was only towards the end of the book that I really connected with the characters, at the beginning half of the book Jo just seemed to get on my nerves but then you get to know about her childhood sweetheart and it all comes together.
A psychological thriller that is eventually full of twists and obsessions and bits of humour thrown in. Overall a good read and look forward to reading more of Louise's books.
I have only read one book that Louise co-edited with Mark Edwards "From the Cradle" and that was a real page turner and heart stopping read. I expected Venus Trap to have a similar thrill factor but it lacked tension in parts that should have come from a kidnap story. That said I wouldn't say to be fellow book friends not to read it as it flowed well and overall I did enjoy reading it.
I would say that I enjoyed the last third of the book more as it started to get more tense and the story of Jo's childhood romance unravelled. It was only towards the end of the book that I really connected with the characters, at the beginning half of the book Jo just seemed to get on my nerves but then you get to know about her childhood sweetheart and it all comes together.
A psychological thriller that is eventually full of twists and obsessions and bits of humour thrown in. Overall a good read and look forward to reading more of Louise's books.
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