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The Wrecking
The only survivor of a vicious serial killer's rampage, Samantha White has fought her way back to some semblance of normalcy. The killer, dubbed the Grim Wrecker by the media, has gone dormant, taking no new victims and leaving the FBI cold on his trail. But now he's back, and he's pleading with Samantha to help him stop before he kills another woman. Samantha is being sucked back to that horrible time and recalling buried memories that chill her to the marrow of her bones. Can she help the FBI stop the Grim Wrecker before he kills again, or will Samantha become a victim . . . again?
126 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 8, 2017
About the author
Christy Barritt
365 books1,793 followersChristy Barritt is an author, freelance writer and speaker who lives in Virginia. She’s married to her Prince Charming, a man who thinks she’s hilarious—but only when she’s not trying to be. Christy’s a self-proclaimed klutz, an avid music lover who’s known for spontaneously bursting into song, and a road trip aficionado. She’s only won one contest in her life—and her prize was kissing a pig (okay, okay… actually she did win the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery also). Her current claim to fame is showing off her mother, who looks just like former First Lady Barbara Bush
When she’s not working or spending time with her family, she enjoys singing, playing the guitar, and exploring small, unsuspecting towns where people have no idea how accident prone she is.
When she’s not working or spending time with her family, she enjoys singing, playing the guitar, and exploring small, unsuspecting towns where people have no idea how accident prone she is.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
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May 28, 2026I liked it. I’m always down for one of her books. The only thing I didn’t love was it was a little slow. And the killer ended up being a person we didn’t really know so I didn’t really care if that makes sense. Still enjoyed it tho
May 8, 2018
Very suspenseful novella.
A serial killer had stopped his spree. Why had he let Samantha go a few years ago? And why has he resumed his activities? How can Sam help? What does the killer want with her now? Will Daniel Quinn, FBI agent, be able to decipher the clues and catch this killer once and for all? Sam seems to think it is someone who knows her but the memory is just out of reach! Samantha never loses her faith that God is in control no matter what.
Spine tingling thriller from Christy Barritt
A serial killer had stopped his spree. Why had he let Samantha go a few years ago? And why has he resumed his activities? How can Sam help? What does the killer want with her now? Will Daniel Quinn, FBI agent, be able to decipher the clues and catch this killer once and for all? Sam seems to think it is someone who knows her but the memory is just out of reach! Samantha never loses her faith that God is in control no matter what.
Spine tingling thriller from Christy Barritt
July 5, 2022
"The only survivor of a vicious serial killer's rampage, Samantha White has fought her way back to some semblance of normalcy. The killer, dubbed the Grim Wrecker by the media, has gone dormant, taking no new victims and leaving the FBI cold on his trail. But now he's back, and he's pleading with Samantha to help him stop before he kills another woman."
Wow! For a novella, this book packed a punch. Samantha White had been abducted 3 years before. After therapy and thinking she was on the mend, the man left a note on her front porch.
Two FBI agents were assigned to deal with this latest event. One clearly didn’t like her, the other truly wanted to help. All she wanted was for this to be over, but it was getting worse.
Such good writing!! Best novella I’ve read in a while.
Wow! For a novella, this book packed a punch. Samantha White had been abducted 3 years before. After therapy and thinking she was on the mend, the man left a note on her front porch.
Two FBI agents were assigned to deal with this latest event. One clearly didn’t like her, the other truly wanted to help. All she wanted was for this to be over, but it was getting worse.
Such good writing!! Best novella I’ve read in a while.
August 27, 2023
2.5 The Wrecking is a novella. Disappointing as I was expecting a read read. The premise is interesting but the lack of depth and bread made is an unsatisfactory.
This is the first I’ve read from this author and wish it was meatier. It certainly has the potential but due to the lack of development, it is shallow.
This is the first I’ve read from this author and wish it was meatier. It certainly has the potential but due to the lack of development, it is shallow.
October 29, 2017
This was a pretty good little suspense story. I guess I should have paid more attention when I decided to read it, because I had no idea it was as short as it was. I basically read it all in one sitting. It was a good story, with good characters, but due to the length of the book, there wasn't a lot of character development, and I never got spooked or nervous about events, like I do in some more drawn out suspense novels that I've read in the past. I think there just wasn't enough time to build it up. I did like the story, though, and I am looking forward to reading some of the cozy mysteries by the author that I found out about when I can across this one.
March 5, 2018
I enjoyed how I thought I had the killer picked out and yet, didn't.
I can't decide if I wanted the book to be longer, more detailed and creepy/gruesome or not, as perhaps I couldn't handle anything too creepy.
I wanted more "God" in the story; however, I don't know how I could be more Christian so I have to accept it as such.
While The Wrecking wasn't a "best book ever", I enjoyed it enough to read it all at once. I am glad Christy Barrett is writing suspense, as it is my favorite Christian Fiction genre and we need more of it.
I can't decide if I wanted the book to be longer, more detailed and creepy/gruesome or not, as perhaps I couldn't handle anything too creepy.
I wanted more "God" in the story; however, I don't know how I could be more Christian so I have to accept it as such.
While The Wrecking wasn't a "best book ever", I enjoyed it enough to read it all at once. I am glad Christy Barrett is writing suspense, as it is my favorite Christian Fiction genre and we need more of it.
March 9, 2018
A quick read -but too short
When I bought this book I did not realize that it was a short story. As soon as it got interesting ,it ended. I was disappointed. However,it this was developed into a full novel it would be a good read.
When I bought this book I did not realize that it was a short story. As soon as it got interesting ,it ended. I was disappointed. However,it this was developed into a full novel it would be a good read.
June 26, 2018
Small-Town Suspense Escalates in 'THE WRECKING'
I read the novella, The Wrecking, by Christy Barritt, as part of the KILL ZONE: Ten Deadly Thrillers Anthology. Seems a serial killer claims the lives of several women in the Virginia mountains. Despite the specific signature that the local authorities decipher, the killer remains at large. In addition to that, the media supplies him with the moniker, the Grim Wrecker, that ties into that very specific signature. But his last victim, Samantha White, nearly three years after her rescue by law enforcement, fights the nightmares of her captivity in her daily life, which includes sessions with a psychologist.
One day out of the blue, an envelope rests on her front porch. It could be information about local merchants regarding their businesses in the area. Samantha would accept any of that other than what she finds out when she opens it:
"I want to stop. But I can't fight these urges anymore. You're the only one who can help me. Will you? Please help me, Samantha."
Samantha knows who it is and he knows where she lives. It's the Grim Wrecker. From there the locals get help in the form of a pair of FBI agents, Rick Frost, who she worked with on the initial investigation of the Grim Wrecker, and Daniel Quinn, a transplant from Houston. There's the setup and I won't divulge too much more than that. Samantha's trial by fire involves these men, both positively and negatively, as this case progresses.
Author Barritt maximizes this novella with a couple of plot curves that fit the confines of the story's setting. This Christian Romantic Suspense tale doesn't drip with passion on the pages. Just a light touch of attraction between some of the principal characters to graft the sympathy and empathy of the professional to the personal.
Readers won't find earth-shattering revelation in The Wrecking, but the story zips along to a neat conclusion that again fits the small town Virginia setting. I give it Four out of Five Stars.
I read the novella, The Wrecking, by Christy Barritt, as part of the KILL ZONE: Ten Deadly Thrillers Anthology. Seems a serial killer claims the lives of several women in the Virginia mountains. Despite the specific signature that the local authorities decipher, the killer remains at large. In addition to that, the media supplies him with the moniker, the Grim Wrecker, that ties into that very specific signature. But his last victim, Samantha White, nearly three years after her rescue by law enforcement, fights the nightmares of her captivity in her daily life, which includes sessions with a psychologist.
One day out of the blue, an envelope rests on her front porch. It could be information about local merchants regarding their businesses in the area. Samantha would accept any of that other than what she finds out when she opens it:
"I want to stop. But I can't fight these urges anymore. You're the only one who can help me. Will you? Please help me, Samantha."
Samantha knows who it is and he knows where she lives. It's the Grim Wrecker. From there the locals get help in the form of a pair of FBI agents, Rick Frost, who she worked with on the initial investigation of the Grim Wrecker, and Daniel Quinn, a transplant from Houston. There's the setup and I won't divulge too much more than that. Samantha's trial by fire involves these men, both positively and negatively, as this case progresses.
Author Barritt maximizes this novella with a couple of plot curves that fit the confines of the story's setting. This Christian Romantic Suspense tale doesn't drip with passion on the pages. Just a light touch of attraction between some of the principal characters to graft the sympathy and empathy of the professional to the personal.
Readers won't find earth-shattering revelation in The Wrecking, but the story zips along to a neat conclusion that again fits the small town Virginia setting. I give it Four out of Five Stars.
February 18, 2018
A suspenseful story of Samantha White, the only survivor of a serial killer, who is thrown into a nightmare three years later when it appears that the killer is back - and asking her for help to stop from killing again. With the help of a handsome FBI agent, Samantha tries to find the answers to the killer's identify before he kills again. Will Samantha be next?! I read this book in a collection called "Kill Zone". I read this book first in the collection because I am a fan of Christy Barritt's writing. Her books are always full of interesting, sometimes quirky, characters, plot twists, action, and suspense.
February 15, 2018
Christy knocked it out the ball par again
I am biased reader as i love Christy's writing style. Plenty of action with twists and turns but a hint of romance turns up too. Her characters come to life and seem so real. In this one Samantha shows all the right emotions and reaches inside to connect with her strong faith in God to press thru the extreme fear she must endure to assist the FBI find the serial killer. Would that be enough? The ending was scary but satisfying. You won't be disappointed in any of her books!
I am biased reader as i love Christy's writing style. Plenty of action with twists and turns but a hint of romance turns up too. Her characters come to life and seem so real. In this one Samantha shows all the right emotions and reaches inside to connect with her strong faith in God to press thru the extreme fear she must endure to assist the FBI find the serial killer. Would that be enough? The ending was scary but satisfying. You won't be disappointed in any of her books!
September 14, 2018
A Quick Thrilling Read
I found this novel to be a good quick thrilling read. I was intrigued by the heroine, Samantha, curious about what the cop named Frost's issue was with her and why her captor decided to make her his savior. It was pretty predictable, in my opinion, who the killer was just as well as the good guy getting the girl. Nevertheless, the story captured my attention so that I could hardly put the book away and finished it in just a few sittings. Yes, this is a good read.
I found this novel to be a good quick thrilling read. I was intrigued by the heroine, Samantha, curious about what the cop named Frost's issue was with her and why her captor decided to make her his savior. It was pretty predictable, in my opinion, who the killer was just as well as the good guy getting the girl. Nevertheless, the story captured my attention so that I could hardly put the book away and finished it in just a few sittings. Yes, this is a good read.
October 22, 2019
She escapes a serial killer only to be haunted by him once again. He's back and he has a mission for her- to help him before he kills again. Can she help the FBI catch him? Will her strength and faith hold on long enough for her to get him to stop killing or will she be his next murder victim?
This book kept my attention and kept me guessing what would happen. Like all of Christy Barritt's book, this book was well written with a great balance of faith and mystery. A great read by a great author.
This book kept my attention and kept me guessing what would happen. Like all of Christy Barritt's book, this book was well written with a great balance of faith and mystery. A great read by a great author.
June 19, 2020
Fast paced thriller
The Wrecking is somewhat of a departure for Christy Barritt, in that it is darker and more implied violence (although no graphic descriptions). It is a fast read and altogether worth an afternoon. Quinn is an FBI agent newly assigned to Samantha's cold case. Another woman has been kidnapped just like Samantha had three years earlier. Samantha is the only survivor among 8 who were taken. She assists Quinn in solving the mystery. I rarely give 5 stars, so this was obviously, to me, an excellent book.
The Wrecking is somewhat of a departure for Christy Barritt, in that it is darker and more implied violence (although no graphic descriptions). It is a fast read and altogether worth an afternoon. Quinn is an FBI agent newly assigned to Samantha's cold case. Another woman has been kidnapped just like Samantha had three years earlier. Samantha is the only survivor among 8 who were taken. She assists Quinn in solving the mystery. I rarely give 5 stars, so this was obviously, to me, an excellent book.
December 31, 2024
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
Read: December 2024
Format: Kindle e-Book
Book #155 of 2024:
This was a good novella for a short story. Or novella??? My only beef is that I really didn't like the name of the serial murder, The Grim Wrecker. Just The Wrecker or something better would have been more suitable.
I did guess the identify of The Grim Wrecker but that was okay. I often do that. I admired the FMC's bravery and integrity despite all she had been through. Their relationship built pretty naturally and made sense.
It has been a while since I last read Christy Barritt and I have a book slated for 2025's reading plan.
Read: December 2024
Format: Kindle e-Book
Book #155 of 2024:
This was a good novella for a short story. Or novella??? My only beef is that I really didn't like the name of the serial murder, The Grim Wrecker. Just The Wrecker or something better would have been more suitable.
I did guess the identify of The Grim Wrecker but that was okay. I often do that. I admired the FMC's bravery and integrity despite all she had been through. Their relationship built pretty naturally and made sense.
It has been a while since I last read Christy Barritt and I have a book slated for 2025's reading plan.
October 30, 2017
I loved this fast paced suspense! It was such a quick read that I was worried the story wouldn't feel complete but it did! I loved the story line and fell in love with the main characters. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat and have you guessing to the end! Once again this Author writes and amazing book and stays one of my favorites!
Note: I was gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Note: I was gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
March 25, 2019
Unrealistic scenes
It could have been a better book if everything wasn't so rushed, but more importantly, it was just unrealistic with the fbi agents tagging her along to crime scenes. I'm pretty sure that isn't allowed for a victim to go to other crime scenes. If the author had left those parts out,it could have been better,kinda sorta. Just was a little unreal for me,even for a fictional book
It could have been a better book if everything wasn't so rushed, but more importantly, it was just unrealistic with the fbi agents tagging her along to crime scenes. I'm pretty sure that isn't allowed for a victim to go to other crime scenes. If the author had left those parts out,it could have been better,kinda sorta. Just was a little unreal for me,even for a fictional book
October 6, 2019
Edge of your seat
Having your car break down on an abandoned road is scary enough, but there’s a killer out there who preys on, and orchestrates, these very situations! Only one person can stem this tide. That person is the only victim that got away!
Christy Barritt is a master at clean suspense. She has, once again, taken a common experience and turned it into an edge-of-your-seat page turner.
Having your car break down on an abandoned road is scary enough, but there’s a killer out there who preys on, and orchestrates, these very situations! Only one person can stem this tide. That person is the only victim that got away!
Christy Barritt is a master at clean suspense. She has, once again, taken a common experience and turned it into an edge-of-your-seat page turner.
March 23, 2026
I had a free copy of this book, but this is my voluntary and honest opinion. Samantha White was abducted, but unlike the other women who were she was not killed. Now he’s killing again and has contacted her to help him stop. Then her best friend is abducted, and the FBI agent she is working with is protecting her and allowing her to revisit her trial and remember additional details. A thrilling story of overcoming fear and moving forward.
October 9, 2017
This novella is a captivating thriller that keeps you guessing. Will the FBI discover who the killer is in time to protect Samantha and keep him from killing another victim? Read and find out. As always Christy Barrett writes an exciting read and I highly recommend. This was a gift from the author with no exchange for anything. My review is my own thoughts and words.
October 12, 2017
Though a departure from Christy Barritt's usual writing, this thriller was intense. Misunderstood survivor, Samantha, is called to help with a current incident from the Grim Wrecker himself. Will the FBI agents accept her help and also protect her or will the Wrecker terrorize others? Introduce yourself to the clever and powerful style of inspirational suspense.
Suggestion: read before dusk
Suggestion: read before dusk
October 31, 2017
I enjoyed reading this book and seeing how Samantha was able to get past being the survivor and using what she knew to help to find out who what behind everything before something happened again. She has to show real courage to put herself in the situations that she did to "see" what had happened and to help everyone figure out the why.
November 22, 2017
A nice easy mystery!
I love that Ms Barritt had the ability to create an interesting mystery with full characters without the use of a single piece of profane language. I have enjoyed this in your Squeaky Clean mysteries, The Riley Thomas Novella, Holy Anna Pallidin mysteries as well as Dubiosity and the Sierra Files. Thank you!
I love that Ms Barritt had the ability to create an interesting mystery with full characters without the use of a single piece of profane language. I have enjoyed this in your Squeaky Clean mysteries, The Riley Thomas Novella, Holy Anna Pallidin mysteries as well as Dubiosity and the Sierra Files. Thank you!
January 29, 2019
Good but way too short
The plot is good but certainly could have used more twists or detail. Lead character says faith got her through after being released by the killer but not once did the author show her praying. The last 30% of the book is blurbs from other books. Tactless method to sell more books. Overall glad I read it but felt cheated in the end
The plot is good but certainly could have used more twists or detail. Lead character says faith got her through after being released by the killer but not once did the author show her praying. The last 30% of the book is blurbs from other books. Tactless method to sell more books. Overall glad I read it but felt cheated in the end
January 23, 2022
Love this book
I enjoy Christy Barritt books. There is an underlying plot and several smaller plots along the way to make her books exciting and to keep the reader interested. I adore her Christian beliefs and she is not preachy with them but includes them as simply part of her Characters. LOVE HER BOOKS and this one was wonderful!!!
I enjoy Christy Barritt books. There is an underlying plot and several smaller plots along the way to make her books exciting and to keep the reader interested. I adore her Christian beliefs and she is not preachy with them but includes them as simply part of her Characters. LOVE HER BOOKS and this one was wonderful!!!
October 18, 2017
An intense, well-written and spellbinding book about a subject I normally find quite disturbing namely serial killers. Christy is a master at writing mysteries and thrillers. She can write a beguiling book while keeping it clean...love her.
October 25, 2017
Good
I liked this one! It would have been better if it was longer though. I think the storyline was interesting and well written. The characters were good and well formed even for a short novel. I recommend this book!
I liked this one! It would have been better if it was longer though. I think the storyline was interesting and well written. The characters were good and well formed even for a short novel. I recommend this book!
December 17, 2017
Serial killer
A book that kept me reading, The Wreaking tells about the bone who got away. Surviving a kidnapping and several days held by a serial killer is hard. With plenty of red herrings and mystery, this book will keep you guessibg.
A book that kept me reading, The Wreaking tells about the bone who got away. Surviving a kidnapping and several days held by a serial killer is hard. With plenty of red herrings and mystery, this book will keep you guessibg.
January 22, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed the Squeaky Clean books by this author, but I think she just phoned this one in. It was a really quick read. I think it would have been much better if she took some more time fleshing out the story.
May 27, 2018
Why Do Men Make Women Pay?
I like the strong characters and the plot line. Just when I think I know who did it, I find I’m wrong. The Grim Wrecker is just such a character. Great job, Christy Barritt.
I like the strong characters and the plot line. Just when I think I know who did it, I find I’m wrong. The Grim Wrecker is just such a character. Great job, Christy Barritt.
September 15, 2019
Another great story from Christy
Christy writes top notch stories and this was no exception. Enough suspense and action to stay interested and enough intrigue to not aolve the mystery right away. Another great read.
Christy writes top notch stories and this was no exception. Enough suspense and action to stay interested and enough intrigue to not aolve the mystery right away. Another great read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews