Portraits in Flesh

by M.W. Brown

Annabelle has discovered she can instantly transport herself to the destination on her satnav. Although ghost like when she travels, her remarkable ability takes her from England to France, Croatia and beyond.

As Annabelle explores her potential it puts her life and the lives of those she loves in danger and leads her into the path of an enigmatic and intelligent serial killer.

What will he do if he discovers Annabelle’s ability?

Some places were never meant to be visited.

Genres: Horror

Kindle Edition

Published March 4, 2018

About the author

Follow M W Brown down the skeleton-strewn path. The international bestselling author longs to lure you into her dark, twisted imagination, lock the door and wait for you to scream.
Her love of all things supernatural and terrifying started at an early age. That love exploded when she discovered Steven King, Clive Barker, and Shirley Jackson. She devoured ghost stories, horror films, and dabbled in writing her own. Brown studied mathematics and psychology at university because there wasn't a course in horror and found numbers and people can be just as terrifying. But it took her decades in finance to follow her true passion and realize her macabre imagination needed an outlet.
Brown has penned Portraits in Flesh, The Lingering Taste of Salted Chocolate, and co-written The Broken Mirror Series, as well as over a dozen short stories.

Reviews

[Bridgett Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

A different horror story

This was my first book by this author and it didn’t disappoint. At first we bop back and forth between two storylines. A girl named Lisa and Annabelle. Lisa is drinking coffee at a shop when she notices a man. She’s daydreaming about who the man is when he stands and looks at her, flustered she leaves quickly and goes home. But someone else is there with her..... Annabelle is driving when all of a sudden she’s in a car crash. As she lays there possibly dying she decides to fight it because she wants to see her daughter grow up.....
Flash forward 6 months and Annabelle is finally going to drive. Ever since the accident she hasn’t drove. But today is gonna be different, she takes her daughter to the movies but something happens along the way.... and it will change her forever.
This was a rollercoaster of emotions. I laughed at some of the remarks the best friend made, then I wanted to cry at what happened. Definitely a great read.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Annabelle can travel from place to place by using her sat nav, in an instant not by directions! She decides & off she goes.
After her terrible accident and trying to drive again & take control of her life. As she gets her confidence she takes risks and then she is taken by force & the kidnapper wants her to be his.
This puts her friends and family in danger, never mind herself.
The story gets creepy and dark and No Spoiler, the ending is fab!

[Diana | Indie Book Addict · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was genuinely a book that I hated to put down. Brown does such a fantastic job of capturing your attention. Her descriptive nature will take you on one wild ride! The twists will have you guessing, and the turns will leave you wanting more! Portraits in Flesh is definitely an edge of your seat read! The ending? WOW, just WOW! Brown has definitely crafted a masterpiece with this, and I cannot wait to read more of her work.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to be honest here at first I was a tad confused by the jumping between scenes but I promise you if you keep reading it will make sense in the end. That being said, the book itself, the story is incredible. It is but isn't what I expected. I will definitely be reading more by this Author & I highly recommend this book.

[John Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Original and incredibly entertaining

A fabulously well written book that offers up a truly original tale. If you are looking to escape from the tired zombie genre in search of fresh horror, Portraits in Flesh should be your next destination.

[Shelby W · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fear with writing this review is that the words used will not adequately describe how good this story really is and how much emotions it actually stirred up in this reader's body. Ohmygosh, the storyline is so descriptive, it actually created a lump in my throat, I was literally scared straight, heart pumping and everything. Portraits in Flesh is like the Twilight Zone meets Saw.
A totally detailed story, there were no questions unanswered, every piece fit perfectly. And that ending, jaw-dropping...wow!

One thing is for sure, lights in my home will be on all night, hopefully the street lights will stay on too, there will be no darkness for me for awhile.

Author Brown has gained a new reader, let the stalking begin!

[Karen Hartsfield-Voliva · Rating 4 out of 5]

MW Brown will give Steven King a run for his money. If you like horror books you will love Portraits in Flesh. There are so many twisted and turns you have a hard time keeping up. If you want a scare this is the book.

[Seraphia Bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Annabelle is recovering from a terrible accident. She's ready to get behind the wheel again, but she knows that she has to take baby steps. Her daughter wants to go to the cinema, and who is she to say no to her little girl? Annabelle also wants to prove to her husband that she'll be okay driving again. She takes the satnav (satellite navigation) with her just in case. Her daughter has been playing with it and has input a place where her pen pal lives. While driving Annabelle is thinking of this place where the pen pal lives. A strange sensation comes over her and her and her daughter find themselves transported there. It's shocking and a bit scary for the both of them. While Annabelle is initially unnerved by this she is afraid to tell her husband. What will he think?! But when she does it again, things end up going awry for her and her daughter. When Annabelle ends up kidnapped, can she managed to work out a way to save herself and her daughter? Or will she be forever a victim of this serial killer who's attention she managed to capture?
Portraits in Flesh by M.W. Brown is the first book that I have read by this author. When I first saw this book and read the blurb I was excited to read this book. I was curious to see where it was going to go and how things were going to come together. Annabelle is an interesting character. You can tell that the accident she survived has scarred her deeply. She fears the implications of if she does not take back her life like she needs to. When the author breaks off following different characters, I get thrown off. I wonder how is this related to the overall story? What is going to happen next? I'm happy to say that the author ties it all together as she goes along and that the story flows really well. There is so much suspense in this book. It engages you continuously. There are so many layers to this book that it keeps you wondering what is going to happen next? How is this part going to tie into this part over here? This is truly a good book. You have a sinister serial killer, a mother recovering from a tragic accident, astral projection and paranormal touches as well.
There is nothing that I don't like about this book. I'm pleased to say that there are no errors to distract or detract from this story. I like how the author writes this story. It is so realistic and engaging. I think that my favorite part of this story is the epilogue. The author gives us a real treat with it.
I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars. I am an avid fan of horror stories and this book fits the bill. It twists, turns and then hits you with the horror. The author creates interesting characters are good and a truly twisted character who lives in plain sight doing good. If you like horror stories with mystery and a touch of the paranormal then I highly recommend this book to you. You will enjoy this book and be coming back for more. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for something twisty, intensely creepy, and a touch dark I would suggest Mia Brown’s Portraits in Flesh. Brown hooked me in with the first sentence, “Annabelle opened her eyes just as the severed hand landed on her windscreen: a gold band around the ring finger, a cheap watch around the wrist, no arm.” Quite an opening. I enjoyed Brown’s writing style and found the story flowed easily off the page. The first few chapters alternate between two characters until one of those characters met their end, and ultimately tapers off to just one character’s point of view. I kept wondering how the two characters' stories would match up, and while I feel I should have guessed it I didn’t! The story itself kept me on my toes and had me guessing at where this author would take me next. I enjoyed this story from beginning to end and look forward to reading more from the author.

[Ms Cat's World · Rating 5 out of 5]

M.W. Brown hooked this reader from the get-go with the story of Annabelle! The epilogue definitely sets the genre stage as a thriller ~ severed hand anyone? Wonderful character and plot building into quite the suspenseful read. Excellent writing ~ sucked me right in and along with Annabelle as she transports herself around the world until she stumbled upon a serial killer. An emotional roller coaster with feelings of hatred towards Bardell and anguish, heartbreak, wonder to name a few others.

Highly recommend this page turner, left me guessing until the end, but in all honesty, I should have seen it. Very thrilled to have been a part of a book tour for Portraits in Flesh. Will be looking for more from this author! Love their writing!

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story started off in both an action-packed and horrific manner. It certainly had my complete attention from the beginning. Chapter 4 was incredibly exciting and yet a bit frightening in the strangeness of their experience. Things got even more intense shortly thereafter and I felt so helpless as I watched Annabelle struggle with what to do. Things continued to get deeper and deeper and even more frightening as the book went on. I was completely enthralled with this story. The ending was chilling, yet total perfection. I cannot wait to read more from this author. Portraits in Flesh was amazing.

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow is the best word to describe this book has it all, out of body experiences, murder, kidnap and plenty of suspense.

The first few chapters are two stories from two different characters, this kept me intrigued and wanting to find out how their stories will become connected.

The action starts from the very first page and doesn't end it till last page. The story grabs your attention making you want to read just one more page because it's getting late and you need to be early but before you know it , you've read 5 more chapters and there's sunlight through curtains.

I can not wait to read more work from M W Brown, her debut book is excellent and well worth reading

[Tabitha Hartman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first read by this Author and I was pleasantly surprised. Her book was written so differently, it just made you hold on until the very end.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an great book to read. Annabelle has a new ability after recovering from a recent accident. She can transport to different locations. While with her daughter she found out she could travel but not in the whole form. She gets more courageous and travels again with a terrible out come. This book kept me in suspense and wanting to find out how Annabelle was gonna make it out of the predicament she fell into.

[Elizabeth Rundle · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first started reading this Book, I wasn't so sure of it as it was a bit weird for me, but I kept reading and then became hooked and had trouble putting the book down to get other things done around my House.

This book is beautifully written, and will definitely be looking to read other books by this author!

[Kathy Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Portraits in Flesh is a dark and disturbing tale, that just sucks you in. I read it in 1 sitting because I could not stand to put it down. Very well written with personable characters and a twisted storyline.

[Sarah Markbride · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely devoured this book in a day. all I can say is wow what a debut! I just couldn't put it down. I can't wait for the next book. anyone that reads this won't be disappointed and I can guarantee it will leave you wanting more. I'm looking forward to more to come

[Meleaha Howard]

What an insanely creepy story! Annabelle is recovering from a terrible car accident when she figures out she can travel places, in her mind. What happens after that discovery is so creepy, so weird that you can't help but keep reading.

[Kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keeps you on the edge of your seat.

I was literally on the edge of my seat while reading this book. Initially confused by the switch from Lisa to Annabelle's stories, it became obvious why Lisa's story was necessary. In recommend this book to anyone who enjoys horror stories.

[McKenzie Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa! This book was a rollercoaster. Brown came up with a truly original idea and wove it together masterfully. I honestly had no idea what would happen next or how the book would end! I love when a book surprises me and keeps me guessing.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awesome! The author did an amazing job of twisting together paranormal with a sick dark soul. The ending had my mouth hanging wide open! It really had me thinking outside of the box!

[Jan McCulloch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating

A fascinating read! Compelling, gruesome and macabre, with strong characters and believably intense emotional scenes.
The author has one HELL of an imagination!