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Dead Close to Reality
Out of the game, death becomes murder...
Computer geek, Cora Winters, is studying a high-tech virtual reality game: a cyber experience beyond anything she thought possible. And someone's tampering with her research. After a missing student turns up dead, Cora fears she knows more about the killer than she realised.
Helped by her friend, Dakota, she investigates, but when the serial killer deposits another body, there's only one clue left to follow: a riddle. Forced into a code of lies and disloyalty, Cora must fight to survive or risk losing control of reality.
The game needs a new player, and no-one gets out... alive.
Computer geek, Cora Winters, is studying a high-tech virtual reality game: a cyber experience beyond anything she thought possible. And someone's tampering with her research. After a missing student turns up dead, Cora fears she knows more about the killer than she realised.
Helped by her friend, Dakota, she investigates, but when the serial killer deposits another body, there's only one clue left to follow: a riddle. Forced into a code of lies and disloyalty, Cora must fight to survive or risk losing control of reality.
The game needs a new player, and no-one gets out... alive.
412 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 22, 2017
7 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Bull
4 books8 followersJennifer Bull spends her time visiting other worlds, going on crazy adventures, and generally arguing with her characters when they are not cooperating... which seems to happen rather too often. She lives in the North of England with her husband and two naughty cats. Jennifer also runs a small business, The Paper Scientist, which offers tools to help writers improve story development and structure. Find out more at her website, http://www.jennifer-bull.co.uk.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 22, 2017
A grittier Nancy Drew with a techie/gamer twist :)
Thoroughly enjoyed this suspenseful book full of twists, turns and surprises!
Thoroughly enjoyed this suspenseful book full of twists, turns and surprises!
July 3, 2017
I'm a sucker for a good mystery and combine that with a well written young adult novel and there you have Dead Close to Reality. This book starts off with a murder mystery dinner at the college Cora attends as we are introduced to the players of this fast paced story. I loved the slow gradual build of the complex main story line and the expertly dropped clues that keep the reader engaged all the way to the conclusion. Ending has a great surprise and was satisfying.
This novel was unique and refreshing, a fun twist to a young adult genre that sometimes gets overlooked. Ms. Bull has a knack for creating tension that makes you wonder who the heroine can trust, if anyone. Solidly written, her characters leap off the page, especially Derek who needed way more coverage in the book (simply because I'm a romantic and I eat that up). There's a couple of shocking moments that keep the reader riveted.
One of the best parts of the book is the modern twist on technology and gaming which should appeal to a broad young adult audience. Very enjoyable overall and I look forward to a sequel (at least I hope there is more to come!) I highly recommend to all ages. 5 stars!
This novel was unique and refreshing, a fun twist to a young adult genre that sometimes gets overlooked. Ms. Bull has a knack for creating tension that makes you wonder who the heroine can trust, if anyone. Solidly written, her characters leap off the page, especially Derek who needed way more coverage in the book (simply because I'm a romantic and I eat that up). There's a couple of shocking moments that keep the reader riveted.
One of the best parts of the book is the modern twist on technology and gaming which should appeal to a broad young adult audience. Very enjoyable overall and I look forward to a sequel (at least I hope there is more to come!) I highly recommend to all ages. 5 stars!
August 9, 2017
This is an outstanding mystery thriller! Wonderfully written, I had no idea who to suspect, and even when I had some guesses I was wrong. The story moves at a good pace and is full of excitement and surprises. An excellent read that you don't want to skip.
July 22, 2017
Awesome story!!! Perfect title for the book. The author satisfied my craving for a good mystery story. Lot of twists and unexpected turns that had me guessing till the end. The characters really came to life in this virtual reality story. The author really took me to another world. Well...sort of. After reading it..I wanted to read it again to see what clues I missed in the beginning. Overall, great read!!
August 20, 2017
A tense, physical plot in a well-paced read
Dead Close to Reality is the story of Cora Winters, computer geek, and her attempts to unravel several mysterious deaths connected to a high-tech, virtual reality game. In a generally well-paced story, somewhat grittier than a typical YA mystery/thriller, she battles virtual as well has real enemies in a constantly shifting landscape of friend and foe, dead and alive.
Dead Close to Reality bears many of the hallmarks of a YA mystery/thriller, e.g., young protagonist, largely missing or ineffectual adults (unless they are villains of course), little or no sex. But this book goes a bit farther on violence than I consider typical. That’s not to say it was graphic, but violence was frequent and often intense. If you’re looking for a somewhat more ‘physical’ YA yarn, this one will fit nicely.
The pacing was good, although the author did repeat some themes a bit much. Cora’s complaints about a ‘nuisance’ male friend, Derek, was an example. But overall, the story flowed well and held my attention to the end. As for character development, Cora represented a strong, intelligent, and independent female, all great qualities. But there is a fine line between strong and headstrong for no reason, and Cora’s unwillingness to trust anyone became somewhat tedious. If her self-reliance had succeeded, it might have made more sense. But the author used frequent reversals of fortune to keep tension high, making me wish Cora had used more of her intellect to discover her real friends and develop better plans. She was likeable as seat-of-the-pants gutsy and tough, but not much of a tactician or strategist.
The main factor that kept me from becoming fully immersed, however, was the lack of attention to making the story seem real, or at least near-future real, rather than just ignoring implausibility for plot convenience. There was something like a half-dozen deaths connected to the game, but there was no public outcry. There was no media frenzy. There was hardly any police presence. And at one point, 20-30 people were being held against their will in a cave, but an individual connected with law enforcement told Cora she had to hang on until he could get enough evidence for a conviction. Huh? Simply put, the story lacked the confluence of tragic coincidence or unforeseen circumstances that the best authors find to tie your stomach in a knot, rather than make you scratch your head.
Overall, the story has some holes and a heroine that could often use her smarts to better effect, but it’s still a tense, physical plot in a well-paced read.
Dead Close to Reality is the story of Cora Winters, computer geek, and her attempts to unravel several mysterious deaths connected to a high-tech, virtual reality game. In a generally well-paced story, somewhat grittier than a typical YA mystery/thriller, she battles virtual as well has real enemies in a constantly shifting landscape of friend and foe, dead and alive.
Dead Close to Reality bears many of the hallmarks of a YA mystery/thriller, e.g., young protagonist, largely missing or ineffectual adults (unless they are villains of course), little or no sex. But this book goes a bit farther on violence than I consider typical. That’s not to say it was graphic, but violence was frequent and often intense. If you’re looking for a somewhat more ‘physical’ YA yarn, this one will fit nicely.
The pacing was good, although the author did repeat some themes a bit much. Cora’s complaints about a ‘nuisance’ male friend, Derek, was an example. But overall, the story flowed well and held my attention to the end. As for character development, Cora represented a strong, intelligent, and independent female, all great qualities. But there is a fine line between strong and headstrong for no reason, and Cora’s unwillingness to trust anyone became somewhat tedious. If her self-reliance had succeeded, it might have made more sense. But the author used frequent reversals of fortune to keep tension high, making me wish Cora had used more of her intellect to discover her real friends and develop better plans. She was likeable as seat-of-the-pants gutsy and tough, but not much of a tactician or strategist.
The main factor that kept me from becoming fully immersed, however, was the lack of attention to making the story seem real, or at least near-future real, rather than just ignoring implausibility for plot convenience. There was something like a half-dozen deaths connected to the game, but there was no public outcry. There was no media frenzy. There was hardly any police presence. And at one point, 20-30 people were being held against their will in a cave, but an individual connected with law enforcement told Cora she had to hang on until he could get enough evidence for a conviction. Huh? Simply put, the story lacked the confluence of tragic coincidence or unforeseen circumstances that the best authors find to tie your stomach in a knot, rather than make you scratch your head.
Overall, the story has some holes and a heroine that could often use her smarts to better effect, but it’s still a tense, physical plot in a well-paced read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews