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Doc Powers & D.I. Carver Investigate #3
Gaslighting
Liar. Manipulator. Sadist... Killer?
A 'coming of age' psychological thriller to make your toes curl...
This, the final instalment of the Remorseless trilogy, is finally here. A gripping suspense story and the author's darkest yet - and quite possibly his best. Definitely not for the faint-hearted. Contains disturbing imagery and some profanity. You have been warned...
In brief:
When Doc Powers wakes to find a deadly message left at his country property, he and his friend D.I. Jack Carver are sucked into a nightmare investigation into a precocious teenager - a budding psychopath with violence running through his veins... Can they stop him achieving his aim of celebrating his 'coming of age' - a spectacular finale involving gasoline and explosives? The lad's mother and grandmother - the victims of his ongoing campaign of psychological torment - are in jeopardy, and so are Doc and Jack...
Find out the thrilling outcome in Gaslighting - the third 'stand alone' novel in this dark, gritty, British Crime Thriller trilogy. Please note: This psychological suspense story contains spoilers so you are advised to read the award winning first book (Remorseless) to maximize enjoyment, although this is not essential.
From Reading Experience Blogspot June 2107:
It's been a while since I posted last time. Of course I've been reading, but nothing blew me away like the beta-read of the third part of Will Patching's Remorseless Trilogy.
I had been waiting impatiently for this one. But knowing that Will's a perfectionist and truly one of the best writers I've had the pleasure reading, it was worth waiting for:
Suspense glueing me to the pages, heart beating faster than normal, empathizing with the characters, fearing for them - I knew there wouldn't be an easy happy ending. Will doesn't spare his flawed heroes.
I had no idea what Gaslighting means before reading this book. The novel includes perfectly both meanings: manipulation and emotional abuse as well as arson using a Molotov cocktail to ignite a flammable compound.
As in Remorseless and Mutilated, the villain is a psychopath of the worst kind, cruel, selfish, insensitive, frighteningly intelligent, cold and heartless - although he's just a 16-year-old kid.
That, of course, arouses the question:
Is he born as a psychopath, is it in his DNA? Or did he become like this because of the traumatic experiences told in Remorseless? Nature vs. nurture. In this case both come together and the result is devastating.
Why do I love the thrill of his books? It's not that I like to see with my inner eyes all the cruelty he's conjuring, sometimes I'm glad it's not a movie, but I love that his characters are real and three-dimensional who think, act and speak like real persons.
*
Like Remorseless and Mutilated, Gaslighting is a gripping read to get your teeth into, with an intricate plot and complex characters. Plenty of suspense and intrigue for any lover of unsettling psychological thrillers. This tale will not suit those who like their thrills short and sweet, or anyone with a nervous disposition. This is a full length novel of approximately 117,000 words.
This unique British crime thriller series will take you deep into the minds of psychopathic criminals - including those of more tender years - and won't leave you untouched by the experience.
'Patching goes where other authors fear to tread…' Top Reviewer
The spine-chilling first book in this series, Remorseless, has been described by independent 5 star reviewers as 'British crime writing at its best', 'Right up there with James Patterson and Stephen King', and '...up there with Stuart MacBride and Val McDermid'.
Remorseless, is the Ebook Skill 'Mystery and Thriller of the Year - 2017'.
A 'coming of age' psychological thriller to make your toes curl...
This, the final instalment of the Remorseless trilogy, is finally here. A gripping suspense story and the author's darkest yet - and quite possibly his best. Definitely not for the faint-hearted. Contains disturbing imagery and some profanity. You have been warned...
In brief:
When Doc Powers wakes to find a deadly message left at his country property, he and his friend D.I. Jack Carver are sucked into a nightmare investigation into a precocious teenager - a budding psychopath with violence running through his veins... Can they stop him achieving his aim of celebrating his 'coming of age' - a spectacular finale involving gasoline and explosives? The lad's mother and grandmother - the victims of his ongoing campaign of psychological torment - are in jeopardy, and so are Doc and Jack...
Find out the thrilling outcome in Gaslighting - the third 'stand alone' novel in this dark, gritty, British Crime Thriller trilogy. Please note: This psychological suspense story contains spoilers so you are advised to read the award winning first book (Remorseless) to maximize enjoyment, although this is not essential.
From Reading Experience Blogspot June 2107:
It's been a while since I posted last time. Of course I've been reading, but nothing blew me away like the beta-read of the third part of Will Patching's Remorseless Trilogy.
I had been waiting impatiently for this one. But knowing that Will's a perfectionist and truly one of the best writers I've had the pleasure reading, it was worth waiting for:
Suspense glueing me to the pages, heart beating faster than normal, empathizing with the characters, fearing for them - I knew there wouldn't be an easy happy ending. Will doesn't spare his flawed heroes.
I had no idea what Gaslighting means before reading this book. The novel includes perfectly both meanings: manipulation and emotional abuse as well as arson using a Molotov cocktail to ignite a flammable compound.
As in Remorseless and Mutilated, the villain is a psychopath of the worst kind, cruel, selfish, insensitive, frighteningly intelligent, cold and heartless - although he's just a 16-year-old kid.
That, of course, arouses the question:
Is he born as a psychopath, is it in his DNA? Or did he become like this because of the traumatic experiences told in Remorseless? Nature vs. nurture. In this case both come together and the result is devastating.
Why do I love the thrill of his books? It's not that I like to see with my inner eyes all the cruelty he's conjuring, sometimes I'm glad it's not a movie, but I love that his characters are real and three-dimensional who think, act and speak like real persons.
*
Like Remorseless and Mutilated, Gaslighting is a gripping read to get your teeth into, with an intricate plot and complex characters. Plenty of suspense and intrigue for any lover of unsettling psychological thrillers. This tale will not suit those who like their thrills short and sweet, or anyone with a nervous disposition. This is a full length novel of approximately 117,000 words.
This unique British crime thriller series will take you deep into the minds of psychopathic criminals - including those of more tender years - and won't leave you untouched by the experience.
'Patching goes where other authors fear to tread…' Top Reviewer
The spine-chilling first book in this series, Remorseless, has been described by independent 5 star reviewers as 'British crime writing at its best', 'Right up there with James Patterson and Stephen King', and '...up there with Stuart MacBride and Val McDermid'.
Remorseless, is the Ebook Skill 'Mystery and Thriller of the Year - 2017'.
- GenresThriller
280 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2017
59 people are currently reading
535 people want to read
About the author
Will Patching
26 books151 followersWill Patching's approach to writing
Will writes gritty crime stories that mix murder mystery, psychological suspense and intense thrills while offering unique insights into the darker side of human nature. His ‘pull no punches’ style and sparse but often brutal descriptive passages will not suit all readers, so if you are into cozy mysteries you might want to look elsewhere!
With complex plots and rounded characters, Will’s novels are necessarily longer than average, usually well over 100,000 words, so these are definitely stories designed for readers who like to really get their teeth into a good yarn!
Now considered something of an expert on psychopaths, thanks to his extensive research and personal experience of people with this personality disorder, Will set up a popular website to help lay readers understand these destructive individuals and why their existence is so important to society in general. Visit the site here.
Will’s writing draws heavily on this expertise but his novels are designed to entertain rather than educate – though many readers appreciate both aspects of his writing. He is currently working on completing two trilogies, though each novel is a self-contained story.
The first novel in each trilogy, Remorseless and The Hack, are already published, with the sequels due in late 2016 and early 2017 respectively. The third and final instalments are expected by the end of 2017.
Personal background:
Will Patching was born and raised in ‘Sarf Lunnon’, Engerland, or at least, that’s how he pronounces it! Hence, many scenes from his novels are situated in London, the surrounding suburbs and other parts of southeast England, though they also span as far afield as Thailand and the USA.
His approach to writing is to hit the reader with hard truths about the world we live in, and his mysteries, thrillers, and suspense novels are designed to get your pulse pounding. One male reader decided he needed to check his door locks late one night while reading Remorseless and subsequently commented on social media:
‘Seriously scary!’
Will’s eclectic professional experience – from his teenage role as a ‘gardener’ weeding sewage treatment filter beds, through flying a Hawk jet very fast, very low and very dangerously before the RAF realised and booted him out, then attending Harvard on a course for potential CEOs, largely thanks to the Peter Principle of promotion, and more recently, to building his dream, a charter yacht that sank in SE Asian waters – all have led to a rich and varied life, often reflected in his writing.
If you would like to know more about this indie author you might like to join Will’s Readers Group. You’ll also gain exclusive access to novel backstories, author insights, prize draws and more, including notification whenever a new novel is released. Head to this webpage for more info!
Will writes gritty crime stories that mix murder mystery, psychological suspense and intense thrills while offering unique insights into the darker side of human nature. His ‘pull no punches’ style and sparse but often brutal descriptive passages will not suit all readers, so if you are into cozy mysteries you might want to look elsewhere!
With complex plots and rounded characters, Will’s novels are necessarily longer than average, usually well over 100,000 words, so these are definitely stories designed for readers who like to really get their teeth into a good yarn!
Now considered something of an expert on psychopaths, thanks to his extensive research and personal experience of people with this personality disorder, Will set up a popular website to help lay readers understand these destructive individuals and why their existence is so important to society in general. Visit the site here.
Will’s writing draws heavily on this expertise but his novels are designed to entertain rather than educate – though many readers appreciate both aspects of his writing. He is currently working on completing two trilogies, though each novel is a self-contained story.
The first novel in each trilogy, Remorseless and The Hack, are already published, with the sequels due in late 2016 and early 2017 respectively. The third and final instalments are expected by the end of 2017.
Personal background:
Will Patching was born and raised in ‘Sarf Lunnon’, Engerland, or at least, that’s how he pronounces it! Hence, many scenes from his novels are situated in London, the surrounding suburbs and other parts of southeast England, though they also span as far afield as Thailand and the USA.
His approach to writing is to hit the reader with hard truths about the world we live in, and his mysteries, thrillers, and suspense novels are designed to get your pulse pounding. One male reader decided he needed to check his door locks late one night while reading Remorseless and subsequently commented on social media:
‘Seriously scary!’
Will’s eclectic professional experience – from his teenage role as a ‘gardener’ weeding sewage treatment filter beds, through flying a Hawk jet very fast, very low and very dangerously before the RAF realised and booted him out, then attending Harvard on a course for potential CEOs, largely thanks to the Peter Principle of promotion, and more recently, to building his dream, a charter yacht that sank in SE Asian waters – all have led to a rich and varied life, often reflected in his writing.
If you would like to know more about this indie author you might like to join Will’s Readers Group. You’ll also gain exclusive access to novel backstories, author insights, prize draws and more, including notification whenever a new novel is released. Head to this webpage for more info!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
July 4, 2017
Gaslighting or gas-lighting is a form of mental abuse in which information is twisted or spun, selectively omitted to favor the abuser, or false information is presented with the intent of making victims doubt their own memory, perception, and sanity.
This is the third in the trilogy featuring DI Jack Carver and Dr. Colin Powers. Although this is a good stand alone, I would recommend reading REMORSELESS first to get all of the background.
The two men are dealing with a child... although only 16 years old, Billy is one of the most vicious, cruel, frighteningly intelligent psychopaths they have ever come across. He is evil personified. No one is safe .. not his mother, not his grandmother, and certainly not Powers or Carver.
He has an agenda and his agenda means killing a lot of people by any means possible. He starts with his family, and then he turns his sight onto Powers. Bodies are falling, but when it gets personal, it's time for the duo to stop him in his tracks.
Having read the trilogy, it seems the books get better and better. Although not as much graphic violence as the others, this one has enough to keep your eyes glued to the pages. Some of the imagery will keep the reader up late at night ... with the lights on. The language is extreme and lends a credible tone of a young, out-of-control teenager. The suspense starts with page 1 and continues until the very last explosive page.
This book pulls the reader into the mind of a psychopath .. all the secrets, the lies, the darkness which begs the question .... Nature or Nurture?
Many thanks to the author who assured I had access to all three books in this series. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
This is the third in the trilogy featuring DI Jack Carver and Dr. Colin Powers. Although this is a good stand alone, I would recommend reading REMORSELESS first to get all of the background.
The two men are dealing with a child... although only 16 years old, Billy is one of the most vicious, cruel, frighteningly intelligent psychopaths they have ever come across. He is evil personified. No one is safe .. not his mother, not his grandmother, and certainly not Powers or Carver.
He has an agenda and his agenda means killing a lot of people by any means possible. He starts with his family, and then he turns his sight onto Powers. Bodies are falling, but when it gets personal, it's time for the duo to stop him in his tracks.
Having read the trilogy, it seems the books get better and better. Although not as much graphic violence as the others, this one has enough to keep your eyes glued to the pages. Some of the imagery will keep the reader up late at night ... with the lights on. The language is extreme and lends a credible tone of a young, out-of-control teenager. The suspense starts with page 1 and continues until the very last explosive page.
This book pulls the reader into the mind of a psychopath .. all the secrets, the lies, the darkness which begs the question .... Nature or Nurture?
Many thanks to the author who assured I had access to all three books in this series. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
October 12, 2018
You really need to have read Remorseless to get the fully impact of this, the final book in the trilogy but really do yourself a favour and read all three!
There are a couple of explanations in the front of this book with the meaning of Gaslighting explained, hence the title but I will leave you to find out yourself. A few years have gone by since the events of the first book happened, which left the damaged mind of a young boy festering away, with an additional rather lethal mix of nature and nurture brewing around in his head too. He is far wiser than his years, very intelligent and a cunning manipulating psycho with a devastating plan. A coming of age debut to mark his 16th birthday!
So there isn't any guessing about who the bad lad is in this story as he quite proudly sets about his plan to wreak revenge on the people that he hates. The ones that caused the downfall of his hero and well there is no better place to start than at home. Billy could get an Oscar for his acting and attentive care of his gran but whoa is he sick. Ok he was really messed up as a kid (The Remorseless book 1) but bloody hell! My mind was in overdrive thinking about the savagery he could come up with in the next 10 minutes never mind in the future as a man!!!!!
Doc and Carver are back together, love this pairing but not everyone is happy. It is a case of be careful what you wish for sort of stuff. There is heart-break, there is death and there is Doc struggling more than ever with very deep and disturbing thoughts. Oh boy I really love this man more with every book. I know, I know, I should know better but I am truly fascinated by Doc. This story gets up close and personal between this psycho kid and Doc. I have never felt so helpless as a reader.
This is a fabulous conclusion to this trilogy, which at one point I had to just stop reading and calm my emotional overdrive down. I hope that somewhere down the line Will Patching brings these two, Doc and Carver back out for another book, even just a one-off. This has been an outstanding series. My favourite this year!
There are a couple of explanations in the front of this book with the meaning of Gaslighting explained, hence the title but I will leave you to find out yourself. A few years have gone by since the events of the first book happened, which left the damaged mind of a young boy festering away, with an additional rather lethal mix of nature and nurture brewing around in his head too. He is far wiser than his years, very intelligent and a cunning manipulating psycho with a devastating plan. A coming of age debut to mark his 16th birthday!
So there isn't any guessing about who the bad lad is in this story as he quite proudly sets about his plan to wreak revenge on the people that he hates. The ones that caused the downfall of his hero and well there is no better place to start than at home. Billy could get an Oscar for his acting and attentive care of his gran but whoa is he sick. Ok he was really messed up as a kid (The Remorseless book 1) but bloody hell! My mind was in overdrive thinking about the savagery he could come up with in the next 10 minutes never mind in the future as a man!!!!!
Doc and Carver are back together, love this pairing but not everyone is happy. It is a case of be careful what you wish for sort of stuff. There is heart-break, there is death and there is Doc struggling more than ever with very deep and disturbing thoughts. Oh boy I really love this man more with every book. I know, I know, I should know better but I am truly fascinated by Doc. This story gets up close and personal between this psycho kid and Doc. I have never felt so helpless as a reader.
This is a fabulous conclusion to this trilogy, which at one point I had to just stop reading and calm my emotional overdrive down. I hope that somewhere down the line Will Patching brings these two, Doc and Carver back out for another book, even just a one-off. This has been an outstanding series. My favourite this year!
October 7, 2021
5 stars audio and story.
Love Will Patching's twisted mind and stories. LOL
Love Will Patching's twisted mind and stories. LOL
July 17, 2017
I was excited to see the third book in the Powers and Carver series was published. What I didn’t expect was author Will Patching’s descriptions of Billy Lynch’s actions, and the depths of depravity Billy would sink to in order to fulfill his plans. It was actually difficult to read (for me), and I read the first part of this book in stops and starts. Once the motivations of Billy were established, though, the novel slipped into a higher gear and I sailed through the last two-thirds of the book in a single day.
Mr. Patching is able to weave a nagging feeling of fear throughout his novel and into the reader’s consciousness. Billy Leech is a psychopath, and believes he is superior to everyone. It is scary to understand that characters in the book believe they are in control of the situation when young Billy is actually two or three steps ahead of them. Knowing what could happen to characters when a psychopath walks unimpeded among them keeps the tension high from the beginning to the end.
This book is different than the first two offerings. While “Remorseless” and “Mutilated” are in-your-face crime stories, “Gaslighting” digs deep into Billy’s thought processes and readers are able to share his moods and reasonings as he moves through his detailed plans. This technique by the author spills over into the chapters featuring Carver and Powers, allowing us to follow along as they work to find the evidence to bring the murderer to justice. As usual, Mr. Patching brings the book to a nail-biting conclusion, and one is not entirely sure of how the story will turn out until the last pages.
For those new to this author, you can read this book as a standalone and could actually read the first two books at a later time, but “Gaslighting” does contain a few spoilers that reveal what has already happened. If you like gritty detective stories, I encourage you to read “Remorseless” and Mutilated” first. When I say gritty, that would include the crimes, the thought processes of the murderers, and the language that is used by the characters. To Mr. Patching’s credit, he does not use vulgarities to shock and inserts them in a story only when appropriate.
“Gaslighting” will not disappoint, and serves as a satisfactory ending to a great series. Five stars.
Mr. Patching is able to weave a nagging feeling of fear throughout his novel and into the reader’s consciousness. Billy Leech is a psychopath, and believes he is superior to everyone. It is scary to understand that characters in the book believe they are in control of the situation when young Billy is actually two or three steps ahead of them. Knowing what could happen to characters when a psychopath walks unimpeded among them keeps the tension high from the beginning to the end.
This book is different than the first two offerings. While “Remorseless” and “Mutilated” are in-your-face crime stories, “Gaslighting” digs deep into Billy’s thought processes and readers are able to share his moods and reasonings as he moves through his detailed plans. This technique by the author spills over into the chapters featuring Carver and Powers, allowing us to follow along as they work to find the evidence to bring the murderer to justice. As usual, Mr. Patching brings the book to a nail-biting conclusion, and one is not entirely sure of how the story will turn out until the last pages.
For those new to this author, you can read this book as a standalone and could actually read the first two books at a later time, but “Gaslighting” does contain a few spoilers that reveal what has already happened. If you like gritty detective stories, I encourage you to read “Remorseless” and Mutilated” first. When I say gritty, that would include the crimes, the thought processes of the murderers, and the language that is used by the characters. To Mr. Patching’s credit, he does not use vulgarities to shock and inserts them in a story only when appropriate.
“Gaslighting” will not disappoint, and serves as a satisfactory ending to a great series. Five stars.
January 31, 2024
Rating Only
February 4, 2018
MY REVIEW 3-STARS *****
This book features the return of forensic psychologist (and genius criminal profiler) Doc Powers and his indomitable sidekick DI Jack Carver. Fans of REMORSELESS, the runaway best-selling debut novel from British author Will Patching, will already be familiar with the aforementioned crime-fighting duo.
Readers will also recall Doc's love interest, Police Parole Officer Judy Finch, and her gut-wrenching brush with the soulless psychopath Peter Leech. GASLIGHTING marks the reappearance of Judy Finch (absent from the second installment of the trilogy). We find Judy in a bad place emotionally, both depressed and psychologically vulnerable following the loss of her beloved mother and only child , both victims of the bloodlust that fueled the likes of the narcissistic sociopath Peter Leech. Simply put, Judy's own incredibly orchestrated rescue from the villain in REMORSELESS left her alive, but in the throes of attempting to deal with the psychological devastation that accompanies the loss of one's entire family, in Judy's case her only child, and her own mother.
It is therefore ironic that in the opening book of the last chapter of the REMORSELESS Trilogy we find an essentially healed Doc Powers with a fragile, depressed, and emotionally damaged Judy in his arms. This is of course, a role reversal and one that does not appear to be at all contrived.
But alas! It is not Doc Powers and the emotionally damaged Judy that are central to this third installment of the trilogy. The reader must recall the family of Leech's psychopathic sibling brother---the wife and kid to be more specific. This necessity of knowing what happened in REMORSELESS to the family of Peter's brother Shaun is a big "need-to-know". I don't think of this British Crime Thriller trilogy as composed of three stand-alone thrillers. There is an advisory to read the best-selling novel first to maximize your enjoyment of GASLIGHTING, but I fell like it is a "must" in order to fully enjoy this novel.
Peter was behind bars when his psychotic sibling Shaun was "living large" with Peter's girlfriend Suzie.
A sibling rivalry thus mutates into a pathological need for bloody revenge. Once Peter Leech is on the street no one is safe. The swath of wreckage that is left in the wake of Peter's vengeful rampage directed at his diabolical brother Shaun is truly "remorseless". We see Shaun murdered by his self-righteous psychotic younger brother Peter, and the young nephew Billy used as a "trigger" to inflict even more pain and destruction. The young boy is used to deploy the "booby-trapped" shotgun that blows away the beautiful face of Suzie, the wife of Shaun and the first love of Peter.
Questions that plague the reader include how does a young boy begin to recover from the shock and horror of being the instrument that mutiliated his mother? Can a psychiatrist help him to understand that he was exploited by his evil uncle and therefore, not to blame? How does a kid begin to process the grief-ridden experience of losing his murdered father and being an instrument in the maiming of his mother for life? In my opinion, the reader does not receive any satisfaction on this front.
GASLIGHTING fails to address these issues. The novel simply "picks up" with a strapping young man named Billy who is already a master manipulator within his own nuclear family unit. We learn that he morphed into a narcissistic sadistic sociopath just like "Uncle Peter". Billy's post-apocalyptic nuclear family consists of his self-absorbed disfigured mother Suzie who is an addict that becomes largely dependent upon him to feed her addiction to alcohol and pills. Billy's elderly grandmother is frankly dependent upon her family for support in all areas.
As a reader you are afforded a "front row seat" to the theater of Billy's grandiose madness and imaginative sadism. His "hilarious" exploits around the house almost keep him from becoming bored. Billy's inspirations are mostly sinister tricks that are played to demean or otherwise torture someone or some thing within his orbit. I felt almost complicit in just reading the details of the assorted acts of passive neglect, humiliation, and downright active sadistic cruelty. He circles his family like a predator, and targets the weakest in the herd---in this case his dependent mother waiting for her next pill or his fragile grandmother who is unable to see past his facade even when he is starving her to death.
The sick dynamics that are being played out in the Leech household pretty much dwarfs the mental instability that is manifest in the character of Judy Lynch, the romantic partner of Doc Powers. The genius psychologist appears to be unable to help Judy move past her grief and to snap her out of her robotic numbness to her environment.
In my opinion, this book is the weakest and generally least satisfying in the REMORSELESS Trilogy.
It is simply not credible that Doc Powers would permit the young son of Leech into his home. Being a fan of Will Patching's work, I would be hard pressed to suspend disbelief on this point. However, let's say I made it over that hurdle. Now, I have to say it is just not believable in any way that Doc would leave this young man completely unattended during one of his visits to his home. Doc welcomes Billy in the front door much like an innocent victim "welcomes in" Count Dracula, with a reckless and foolish disregard for his own safety and that of the people he loves and cares about.
Having said that, I just couldn't get aboard the train and hold my breath while Doc and Jack foiled Billy's birthday plans. Billy's psychotic delusions with respect to his uncle Peter just did not resonate with me. I might have experienced an "ah hah!" moment, but the author just failed to lay the groundwork in my opinion.
Finally, I found it increasingly difficult to read about Billy's sadistic "games" , especially with the elderly grandmother, although I felt an element of compassion for the shattered mother as well. Sadism---when directed at innocent targets---simply sickens me. I did award this book three stars because it was intriguing how the author was able to manipulate and mesh the multiple meanings of "gaslighting" into one storyline... And I like Will Patching's writing style...he is one of only two British authors on my favorites list. I wrote this review prior to going on GOODREADS or clicking on AMAZON. In the case of AMAZON, this book sports a solid 4.7 Rating with a total of 35 Reviews. I ran it through FAKESPOT with interesting and surprising results. The novel was graded an "F" with 74.3% Low Quality Reviews spotted.
GOODREADS is currently posting an impressive Rating of 4.49 for this novel. It looks like 51 Ratings and only 15 Reviews. That is not a particularly high number of actual Reviews since I read this book back in the Fall of 2017. If these are quality reviews, then I am an outlier. Oh, well....
This book features the return of forensic psychologist (and genius criminal profiler) Doc Powers and his indomitable sidekick DI Jack Carver. Fans of REMORSELESS, the runaway best-selling debut novel from British author Will Patching, will already be familiar with the aforementioned crime-fighting duo.
Readers will also recall Doc's love interest, Police Parole Officer Judy Finch, and her gut-wrenching brush with the soulless psychopath Peter Leech. GASLIGHTING marks the reappearance of Judy Finch (absent from the second installment of the trilogy). We find Judy in a bad place emotionally, both depressed and psychologically vulnerable following the loss of her beloved mother and only child , both victims of the bloodlust that fueled the likes of the narcissistic sociopath Peter Leech. Simply put, Judy's own incredibly orchestrated rescue from the villain in REMORSELESS left her alive, but in the throes of attempting to deal with the psychological devastation that accompanies the loss of one's entire family, in Judy's case her only child, and her own mother.
It is therefore ironic that in the opening book of the last chapter of the REMORSELESS Trilogy we find an essentially healed Doc Powers with a fragile, depressed, and emotionally damaged Judy in his arms. This is of course, a role reversal and one that does not appear to be at all contrived.
But alas! It is not Doc Powers and the emotionally damaged Judy that are central to this third installment of the trilogy. The reader must recall the family of Leech's psychopathic sibling brother---the wife and kid to be more specific. This necessity of knowing what happened in REMORSELESS to the family of Peter's brother Shaun is a big "need-to-know". I don't think of this British Crime Thriller trilogy as composed of three stand-alone thrillers. There is an advisory to read the best-selling novel first to maximize your enjoyment of GASLIGHTING, but I fell like it is a "must" in order to fully enjoy this novel.
Peter was behind bars when his psychotic sibling Shaun was "living large" with Peter's girlfriend Suzie.
A sibling rivalry thus mutates into a pathological need for bloody revenge. Once Peter Leech is on the street no one is safe. The swath of wreckage that is left in the wake of Peter's vengeful rampage directed at his diabolical brother Shaun is truly "remorseless". We see Shaun murdered by his self-righteous psychotic younger brother Peter, and the young nephew Billy used as a "trigger" to inflict even more pain and destruction. The young boy is used to deploy the "booby-trapped" shotgun that blows away the beautiful face of Suzie, the wife of Shaun and the first love of Peter.
Questions that plague the reader include how does a young boy begin to recover from the shock and horror of being the instrument that mutiliated his mother? Can a psychiatrist help him to understand that he was exploited by his evil uncle and therefore, not to blame? How does a kid begin to process the grief-ridden experience of losing his murdered father and being an instrument in the maiming of his mother for life? In my opinion, the reader does not receive any satisfaction on this front.
GASLIGHTING fails to address these issues. The novel simply "picks up" with a strapping young man named Billy who is already a master manipulator within his own nuclear family unit. We learn that he morphed into a narcissistic sadistic sociopath just like "Uncle Peter". Billy's post-apocalyptic nuclear family consists of his self-absorbed disfigured mother Suzie who is an addict that becomes largely dependent upon him to feed her addiction to alcohol and pills. Billy's elderly grandmother is frankly dependent upon her family for support in all areas.
As a reader you are afforded a "front row seat" to the theater of Billy's grandiose madness and imaginative sadism. His "hilarious" exploits around the house almost keep him from becoming bored. Billy's inspirations are mostly sinister tricks that are played to demean or otherwise torture someone or some thing within his orbit. I felt almost complicit in just reading the details of the assorted acts of passive neglect, humiliation, and downright active sadistic cruelty. He circles his family like a predator, and targets the weakest in the herd---in this case his dependent mother waiting for her next pill or his fragile grandmother who is unable to see past his facade even when he is starving her to death.
The sick dynamics that are being played out in the Leech household pretty much dwarfs the mental instability that is manifest in the character of Judy Lynch, the romantic partner of Doc Powers. The genius psychologist appears to be unable to help Judy move past her grief and to snap her out of her robotic numbness to her environment.
In my opinion, this book is the weakest and generally least satisfying in the REMORSELESS Trilogy.
It is simply not credible that Doc Powers would permit the young son of Leech into his home. Being a fan of Will Patching's work, I would be hard pressed to suspend disbelief on this point. However, let's say I made it over that hurdle. Now, I have to say it is just not believable in any way that Doc would leave this young man completely unattended during one of his visits to his home. Doc welcomes Billy in the front door much like an innocent victim "welcomes in" Count Dracula, with a reckless and foolish disregard for his own safety and that of the people he loves and cares about.
Having said that, I just couldn't get aboard the train and hold my breath while Doc and Jack foiled Billy's birthday plans. Billy's psychotic delusions with respect to his uncle Peter just did not resonate with me. I might have experienced an "ah hah!" moment, but the author just failed to lay the groundwork in my opinion.
Finally, I found it increasingly difficult to read about Billy's sadistic "games" , especially with the elderly grandmother, although I felt an element of compassion for the shattered mother as well. Sadism---when directed at innocent targets---simply sickens me. I did award this book three stars because it was intriguing how the author was able to manipulate and mesh the multiple meanings of "gaslighting" into one storyline... And I like Will Patching's writing style...he is one of only two British authors on my favorites list. I wrote this review prior to going on GOODREADS or clicking on AMAZON. In the case of AMAZON, this book sports a solid 4.7 Rating with a total of 35 Reviews. I ran it through FAKESPOT with interesting and surprising results. The novel was graded an "F" with 74.3% Low Quality Reviews spotted.
GOODREADS is currently posting an impressive Rating of 4.49 for this novel. It looks like 51 Ratings and only 15 Reviews. That is not a particularly high number of actual Reviews since I read this book back in the Fall of 2017. If these are quality reviews, then I am an outlier. Oh, well....
June 29, 2017
I had been waiting impatiently for this one. But knowing that Will's a perfectionist and truly one of the best writers I've had the pleasure reading, it was worth waiting for:
Suspense glueing me to the pages, heart beating faster than normal, empathizing with the characters, fearing for them - I knew there wouldn't be an easy happy ending. Will doesn't spare his flawed heroes.
I had no idea what Gaslighting means before reading this book. The novel includes perfectly both meanings: manipulation and emotional abuse as well as arson using a Molotov cocktail to ignite a flammable compound.
As in Remorseless and Multilated Will's villain is a psychopath of the worst kind, cruel, selfish, insensitive, frighteningly intelligent, cold and heartless - although he's just a 16-year-old kid.
That, of course, arouses the question: Is he born as a psychopath, is it in his DNA? Or did he become like this because of the traumatic experiences told in Remorseless? Nature vs. nurture. In this case both come together and the result is devastating.
Why do I love the thrill of his books? It's not that I like to see with my inner eyes all the cruelty he's conjuring, sometimes I'm glad it's not a movie, but I love that his characters are real and three-dimensional who think, act and speak like real persons.
Suspense glueing me to the pages, heart beating faster than normal, empathizing with the characters, fearing for them - I knew there wouldn't be an easy happy ending. Will doesn't spare his flawed heroes.
I had no idea what Gaslighting means before reading this book. The novel includes perfectly both meanings: manipulation and emotional abuse as well as arson using a Molotov cocktail to ignite a flammable compound.
As in Remorseless and Multilated Will's villain is a psychopath of the worst kind, cruel, selfish, insensitive, frighteningly intelligent, cold and heartless - although he's just a 16-year-old kid.
That, of course, arouses the question: Is he born as a psychopath, is it in his DNA? Or did he become like this because of the traumatic experiences told in Remorseless? Nature vs. nurture. In this case both come together and the result is devastating.
Why do I love the thrill of his books? It's not that I like to see with my inner eyes all the cruelty he's conjuring, sometimes I'm glad it's not a movie, but I love that his characters are real and three-dimensional who think, act and speak like real persons.
July 3, 2017
"You're not making fireworks, are you?"
Although the author stresses that this, the final book in the Remorseless series, was not written as a standalone story, this is because of spoilers included which might reduce the pleasure impact of earlier books. If this is not a problem for the reader, then this book stands alone without any further information required.
Billy, now a teenage boy from a wealthy background, was left seriously traumatised when still a child. Now he, in turn, takes pleasure from hurting others, including his mother who for years has hidden from the world behind an alcoholic haze. Well written but, because of the content, uncomfortable to read, Gaslighting is peopled with well crafted characters, and an ability for the reader to see inside their heads: Billy's mother's sadness and desperate self loathing, for example, are almost tangible. This makes the ongoing drama more immediate and real, imbuing an increasing tension as the book unfolds.
If psychological dramas are your thing, this is definitely one for you.
Although the author stresses that this, the final book in the Remorseless series, was not written as a standalone story, this is because of spoilers included which might reduce the pleasure impact of earlier books. If this is not a problem for the reader, then this book stands alone without any further information required.
Billy, now a teenage boy from a wealthy background, was left seriously traumatised when still a child. Now he, in turn, takes pleasure from hurting others, including his mother who for years has hidden from the world behind an alcoholic haze. Well written but, because of the content, uncomfortable to read, Gaslighting is peopled with well crafted characters, and an ability for the reader to see inside their heads: Billy's mother's sadness and desperate self loathing, for example, are almost tangible. This makes the ongoing drama more immediate and real, imbuing an increasing tension as the book unfolds.
If psychological dramas are your thing, this is definitely one for you.
December 17, 2017
Sixteen-year-old Billy Leech is convincingly evil to the point that if he were to go up against Hannibal Lector, I would put my money on Billy.
There is a nail-destroying war between the protective maternal instinct on the part of Suzi Leech, opposing her rational awareness that she is in the position to stop her psychopath son.
Tension builds steadily, and you become certain the climax will exceed the worst you can imagine.
This is probably the darkest novel in the Remorseless trilogy, yet Will Patching is able to counter-balance this with a celebration of the value of human life and personal relationships.
I ended my reviews of Remorseless and Mutilated with a strong recommendation that if you like Will Patching, you should have a look at Andrew Barrett’s Eddie Collins (CSI) and Roger Conniston (SOCO) stories (set in Leeds), and the Andrew Jackson novels about Billy Savage, that take place in Northern Ireland. That goes for this one, as well.
There is a nail-destroying war between the protective maternal instinct on the part of Suzi Leech, opposing her rational awareness that she is in the position to stop her psychopath son.
Tension builds steadily, and you become certain the climax will exceed the worst you can imagine.
This is probably the darkest novel in the Remorseless trilogy, yet Will Patching is able to counter-balance this with a celebration of the value of human life and personal relationships.
I ended my reviews of Remorseless and Mutilated with a strong recommendation that if you like Will Patching, you should have a look at Andrew Barrett’s Eddie Collins (CSI) and Roger Conniston (SOCO) stories (set in Leeds), and the Andrew Jackson novels about Billy Savage, that take place in Northern Ireland. That goes for this one, as well.
June 27, 2017
Gaslighting concludes the Doc Powers & D.I. Carver series. Where both our main characters might have thought that with the death of the Leech brothers their life would be free from psychopaths there is a nasty surprise in store for them.
There is less graphic violence in this book than in the previous two, but there certainly is no less tension. As before you get confronted up close and personal with the motivations and the inner workings of the mind of a (teenage this time) psychopath. So much so that after this third book in the series I’m beginning to wonder if it is not just Doc Powers who has a suppressed psychopath lurking somewhere in the dark recesses of his mind.
Anyway, another cracker by Will Patching, well worth your time reading this great novel.
There is less graphic violence in this book than in the previous two, but there certainly is no less tension. As before you get confronted up close and personal with the motivations and the inner workings of the mind of a (teenage this time) psychopath. So much so that after this third book in the series I’m beginning to wonder if it is not just Doc Powers who has a suppressed psychopath lurking somewhere in the dark recesses of his mind.
Anyway, another cracker by Will Patching, well worth your time reading this great novel.
July 18, 2017
A suitably fast-moving conclusion to this trio of books - with this volume referring back to the first (Remorseless) and reminding me that 'relentless' is an apt description of the plot and writing style. As with volume 2 the narrative spans less than a week and is, while less gruesome, detailed enough that some may be offput (though those will probably not be following the series, anyway). The only problem is that this almost certainly concludes the series (but there is a prequel, so all is not yet lost).
September 14, 2017
Not a strong ending for the series
Okay...but the first two books in the series were better. Gaslighting felt rushed and undeveloped. There were too many story lines that failed to develop - Jack & Charlie, Susie, and Felix; Doc & Judy; Jack's new renegade demeanor; Judy's mental state, and most importantly, Billy lacked the development Peter was provided in the first book - so because of all the unfinished storylines, Gaslighting falls short in ending the trilogy that started out so well.
Okay...but the first two books in the series were better. Gaslighting felt rushed and undeveloped. There were too many story lines that failed to develop - Jack & Charlie, Susie, and Felix; Doc & Judy; Jack's new renegade demeanor; Judy's mental state, and most importantly, Billy lacked the development Peter was provided in the first book - so because of all the unfinished storylines, Gaslighting falls short in ending the trilogy that started out so well.
July 7, 2017
An enlightening book
This book was fascinating and frightening. To think of a feral child plotting and killing without any sense of compassion or guilt makes us realise how powerless we would be in that situation. Doc and Jack join forces again stop an unknown arsonist, who has blown Doc's boat up, killing Jack ' s daughter's boyfriend. I loved every minute of reading this book and hope there will be a new one out soon.
This book was fascinating and frightening. To think of a feral child plotting and killing without any sense of compassion or guilt makes us realise how powerless we would be in that situation. Doc and Jack join forces again stop an unknown arsonist, who has blown Doc's boat up, killing Jack ' s daughter's boyfriend. I loved every minute of reading this book and hope there will be a new one out soon.
May 31, 2018
What a great end for this Trilogy.
Like Jack I was thinking the same " i want to throttle this litte shi*" damn Billy was another level of psychopath. I was rooting for his Mum - great character and strong character development.
Jack and Doc are a fantastic team - really enjoyed following them in these 3 books.
Like Jack I was thinking the same " i want to throttle this litte shi*" damn Billy was another level of psychopath. I was rooting for his Mum - great character and strong character development.
Jack and Doc are a fantastic team - really enjoyed following them in these 3 books.
November 1, 2018
More Please
Doc and Carver make a great team (Hint! Hint! Will). I have really enjoyed this series. Will writes so well that you feel that you are there too. I can't get enough of this Author's books. Happy reading. Annemarie
I received a free ARC copy from the Author and have chosen to give a review.
Doc and Carver make a great team (Hint! Hint! Will). I have really enjoyed this series. Will writes so well that you feel that you are there too. I can't get enough of this Author's books. Happy reading. Annemarie
I received a free ARC copy from the Author and have chosen to give a review.
January 29, 2021
Billy the Kid!
The story was an awesome read, I loved the whole series but this one tops my list of best reads, the book was well written and believable, the characters work good as a team, even with all the flaws nature gave them. Give the series a read, I'm sure you will enjoy it.
The story was an awesome read, I loved the whole series but this one tops my list of best reads, the book was well written and believable, the characters work good as a team, even with all the flaws nature gave them. Give the series a read, I'm sure you will enjoy it.
April 9, 2021
Fantastic series.
I’m devastated I won’t here from Judy,Jack and Doc again but love that I can read about Fifi again so am going straight to that book now. This was a fantastic read. So exciting at the end. Great content, great story line. Oh how I’ll miss Jack and Doc. Hopefully they become private investigators in the future. Hint hint Will lol :)
I’m devastated I won’t here from Judy,Jack and Doc again but love that I can read about Fifi again so am going straight to that book now. This was a fantastic read. So exciting at the end. Great content, great story line. Oh how I’ll miss Jack and Doc. Hopefully they become private investigators in the future. Hint hint Will lol :)
July 17, 2017
What a book, I thought that Remorseless, and Mutilated, the two previous books in this series were riveting; But this one is off the scale, I'm just glad that I don't bite my nails, because by the end of this awesome book I would have chewed right up to my elbows.
August 1, 2017
I was a little disappointed based on the previous two novels. At times I thought it was too simplistic and the page turning didn't work for me. Maybe because I could not believe in the character Billy, too unreal for me. Now if they drank ale and not lager four stars beckoned.
December 22, 2017
Excellent follow up
Brilliant so believable and the follow up from the other two books was just a thrilling read I would recommend these books to all readers that like to be on the edge of their seat
Brilliant so believable and the follow up from the other two books was just a thrilling read I would recommend these books to all readers that like to be on the edge of their seat
April 2, 2018
Gaslighting
OMG if you can get passed Billy's first gross actions then you will not be disappointed n hard pushed to put this down. Mr Patching don't stop writing love your books n I guess the only question is when is your next book due for release
OMG if you can get passed Billy's first gross actions then you will not be disappointed n hard pushed to put this down. Mr Patching don't stop writing love your books n I guess the only question is when is your next book due for release
June 7, 2019
Fantastic conclusion
One of the best book trilogies I have read. This final book in the trilogy was phenomenal. Excitement from beginning to end and love the way it ended. Truly fantastic read.
One of the best book trilogies I have read. This final book in the trilogy was phenomenal. Excitement from beginning to end and love the way it ended. Truly fantastic read.
August 19, 2024
Excellent read. Very scary in places as you can see how easy it is for people to get away with things. Billy does a good job on pulling the wool over his mum's eyes and making her feel guilty.
A great trilogy, I'm a bit sad there aren't more books to read about Doc and Jack.
A great trilogy, I'm a bit sad there aren't more books to read about Doc and Jack.
January 21, 2025
Enjoyed reading more about Doc Powers - he is a fascinating character. That being said, the transformation of Billy from sweet child into psychopath able to carry out sophisticated crimes undetected until the end of the book wasn't really explained well enough or really that plausible.
July 5, 2017
The return of Judy brought this up to a 4. She adds something to Doc and Jack. I hope Patching comes out with something new soon.
July 30, 2017
Had to review this exvellent book
Excellent read. Hard to put down. Love this authors work., can't wait to read his next offering. Highly recommended. Enjoy
Excellent read. Hard to put down. Love this authors work., can't wait to read his next offering. Highly recommended. Enjoy
October 8, 2017
Wow what a psychological thriller to keep you intrigued until the end. You have to finish the book as quickly as possible because you need to find out what happens at the end. Loved it.
October 7, 2018
Third in this trilogy and just as good if not better than the other two. Powers and Carver make a very good team. Pity there not going to be another one. Highly recommended.
July 27, 2020
Wow. Couldn't put it down until the last page. Had to know who made it or who didn't. You just don't know with these books. So many OMG moments. Whoo. Rest a bit before starting The Hack.
September 17, 2024
This entire trilogy will be read again soon… great series Will
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