Her husband wants her tucked away in a psychiatric ward. His business partner wants her dead.
Exclusive Paris art gallery owner Isabella Armond’s life spins out of control when she discovers her husband Dr. Adrien Armond has been brokering and trafficking in black market organs and using her beloved gallery to launder the money. Now Europol believes she is a key part of the conspiracy that destroyed Notre Dame, Westminster Abbey and St. Peter’s Basilica.
In a race against time, Isabella must use all the resources at her disposal to clear her name, outwit her husband and salvage her life and business.
Kathleen McGillick, an attorney for three decades, channels her passion for mystery and suspense into crafting gripping novels. A devoted fan of the genre since her childhood days of consuming Nancy Drew tales, she seamlessly intertwines her extensive legal and medical knowledge to create intricate plotlines. Her deep appreciation for art history infuses her stories with an added layer of intrigue, making her narratives uniquely captivating.
From a young age, Kathleen aspired to be an English literature teacher. While life led her down a different trajectory, her enduring love for literature remained. Today, she revisits that early passion, not through teaching, but by weaving enthralling tales for readers to lose themselves in.
In every book she writes, Kathleen masterfully blends her professional insights and her fervor for art and history, offering readers a thrilling literary escape. Her journey is a testament to the idea that sometimes, life brings us back to our first loves in the most unexpected ways.
This book was different from the previous one. It had more action, more tension, was darker and severe.
I sincere hope that none of the horrible tragedies, which took place in this story, would happen in real life!
Almost non-existent romantic part, maybe only a hint to the possible compound.
Excellent written villain characters, excellent. I even wished the good guys were at least half that sharp. Maybe because I knew, as a reader, what really happened, but some victim’s actions/mistakes were lame…
Since I already finished the 3rb book, I would state, that this one and the 3rd are connected. There was no actual cliffhanger, but the story goes on in the next installment.
her husband was her locked away in a mental hospital and his partner wants her dead. why? What is going on? Can she find someone to trust to help her escape danger? See if someone helps her. great read
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Her husband wants her locked away in a psychiatric facility. His business partner wants her dead. Trust. Who do we place our trust in every day? Family members, friends and people who we turn to for help, doctors. But what if the doctor you placed your trust in had secrets? Dark secrets. So many secrets. Isabella Armond is an ordinary Parisian woman with a comfortable life — until a shocking discovery shatters her perfect world. As her husband’s behavior becomes increasingly unstable, Isabella slowly realizes all the signs point to the fact he is not who he appears to be. Is he a respected Cardio-thoracic surgeon with a thriving Paris medical practice helping people? Or is he leading a double life which involves the international trafficking of black market organs? Greed, blood money, and psychopath are the terms she learns are associated with a man she thought she knew. Forced to delve deeper into her husband's secret life, she makes discoveries that will make her question everything she believed forcing her to face an impossible decision. She is desperate to uncover the truth, but once you know something, it can’t be unknown. The more she learns, the more she wishes she knew nothing at all. When the sun dims, your second self shall disappear. Consequences not of her making were nipping at her heels. Tick. Tock.
What an excellent read this was! Great psychological thriller thay had me gripped. This one tied in very nicely with the first one with some recurring characters. Really excellent plot and again some strong written characters. Loving these so much! Recommend reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A psychological thriller that will have you hooked
Even though this is the second book in the series, it can be read on its own. I have not read the first, although I will be, and was totally enthralled by this story. Money is an evil commodity and it drives people to do things that they ordinarily wouldn't.
Dr Adrien Armond is one such man. A successful surgeon who loves the idea of having all the luxuries of life, has been dealing with organ trafficking on the Black Market. To ensure that his money appears "clean", he has been laundering it and art forgeries through is wife's art gallery, without her knowing.
Isabella, Adrien's wife, has begun to suspect something is going on and has started asking questions. Inventory and paperwork just doesn't add up, she asks him about it and he brushes her off. Is he trying to get her to think that she is losing her mind? Is he trying to have her declared insane or unfit to continue to operate her business? Is there a master puppeteer behind the scene pulling all of the strings?
This was an intriguing book to read, keeping me very close to the edge of my seat throughout. Black Market dealings, murder, art forgeries, money laundering - this book had it all. It will test your mind, that's for sure. A thriller of epic psychological proportions. Definitely looking forward to reading the next one.
After reading KJ McGillick’s previous book, “Three,” I was thrilled to see there was another book in the series “Two: Mind Games and Murder.” What a crazy action packed psychological thriller this turned out to be. I liked the previous book but Two totally threw me for a loop! I know I said series but this can be read as a complete standalone. This book gives us exactly what we want from a thriller. We have black market dealings, art forgeries, money laundering, and murder… everything anyone could ever want in their psychological thrillers.
Even though this is the second book in the series, it can be read on its own. I have not read the first, although I will be, and was totally enthralled by this story. Money is an evil commodity and it drives people to do things that they ordinarily wouldn't. McGillick wrote a fantastic story. I love the feeling of Isabella wondering if she is losing her mind or if her husband is after her demise. I love the storyline. It’s super original and the writing is fantastic!
I received an ARC of this book with the hope that I would leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that... my opinions.
Two: Mind Games and Murder is the second book in K.J. McGillick's A Path of Betrayal and Deception series, and it is crazy awesome! I loved the first installment in this series, Three: Deception, Love and Murder, and could not wait for the second offering.
Two is a crossover story of sorts. It starts shortly before the first book ends, but it takes place in Paris. There is an overlap event that serves to bring the first book to a close and the second book into play. In Two, the same Thomas Crowne Affair/ Jason Bourne type of story continues, only this time it the story gets kicked up and involves more than just art theft and forgery. The reader gets to take a walk on the dark side in Egypt, Iran and Russia. I cannot even begin to explain this plot because it has about 100 levels of complicated and suspense. Regardless, I blew through this book because I could not put it down. It was completely engrossing.
Trust me when I say that Two is a great book. The characters have more sides to them than you would expect. The plot twists and turns like a mountain switchback road. The pace is crazy fast, so slow yourself down because you will miss those little details that make a huge difference. I loved Two: Mind Games and Murder! I'm am not so patiently waiting for the final installment of this series.
What a great catch - you would think - of a surgeon, Adrien Armond! At least that’s what his wife, Isabella thought. Then all of a sudden, he started traveling internationally quite a bit. It always seemed to be under the guise of work or the art gallery, which Isabella owned before they were married. Adrien became verbally abusive, even to the point that Isabella questioned her sanity or her ability to accomplish anything on her own without his approval. He basically took over the gallery and shut her out of the daily operations of her business. She had to do something! She found out he had poisoned her food. What would be next? Why is he doing these things to her? What could she do? Little did he know but his shady trips for organ trafficking came to the attention of the local law enforcement. What will happen to him? Will they catch him and his accomplices? If you like mystery, international intrigue, human trafficking, corrupt art dealing, this book is definitely for you. There are mini climaxes in this book, that keeps the reader enthralled to the very end. The plot is very well thought out, and the research was impeccable. You will definitely relate to the characters and emotions as well. Looking forward to the next book with anticipation!!
After reading 'Three' I could not wait to get my hands on 'Two: Mind Games and Murder'. I thought nothing could top 'Three' but I was so wrong! This book is fantastic!
I don't want to delve into the story-line too much as I feel it would pose too much of a risk of giving the plot away to other readers. Isabella, who owns her own art gallery is married to Dr Adrien Armond. However, as the story unravels, it soon becomes clear that something is very wrong. Is Isabella losing her mind or is Adrien behind her downfall? Even if he is up to something, how can she prove what exactly that is and why would he be doing this to her? Is anyone else involved or is it all just on Adrien?
Filled with violence, death, murder and human trafficking, this book certainly had me on the edge of my seat throughout - I was gripped! It certainly isn't for the faint-hearted, but I would certainly recommend it to other readers who enjoy psychological thrillers. There is no doubt in my mind that this is definitely up there with the best of this genre. i loved this book so much and I am thrilled to give it a 5 star rating!
This is the first book that I've read by K.J. McGillick and can I just WOW! When it comes to suspenseful thrillers, I don't like to say much about the plot, if anything, and the same goes with this one, but I'm not sure I could even if I wanted to, as it blew my mind away! This story is not an everyday thriller, no, it's a psychological thriller which means it's meant to keep the reader on their toes. Well, Ms. McGillick not only kept me on my toes, but kept my brain firing on all cylinders cover to cover while my heart raced. Her writing style is brilliantly diabolical & kept me guessing from beginning to the very end. From black market dealings to art forgeries, and money laundering with a side of murder, this story had it all to entertain everyone, and definitely took me on an action packed ride. I absolutely loved the strong heroine Isabella, as she struggles with figuring out what is going on around her, and I could literally feel her internal struggle wondering if she's losing her mind. I CANNOT WAIT to read more by this addictive author in the future, and HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO ALL!
This book is fabulous. She is a new author for me. I can't wait to read another book by her. This book kept u on the edge of your chair. I would advise anyone who likes a good mystery with a lot of action get this book you won't be disappointed.
Two: Mind Games and Murder could technically be read as a stand alone, but the story doesn't feel over. I have not read the first book, and it did not seem like starting in the middle of the series at all. Based on reading the description of the first book, I think this is a progression of the story, but it wasn't obvious so it's definitely not required to be read first. I didn't get the impression that there was a lot of overlap with the characters. The only part of the whole book that made it seem like part of a series was a reference to a fiancé's grandmother, but without the fiancé or grandmother ever appearing in the story. I little slow at times but I really liked the characters.
I would recommend this book to people who like to read general fiction art heist stories.
Mind Games and Murder is exactly as the title says. Adrien is a successful surgeon involved in black market organ trafficking who also uses his wife, Isabella's, art gallery as a laundering facility. In order to keep up appearances and get away with all of his illegal dealings, Adrien is slowly making Isabella believe that she is beginning to have a mental breakdown. This book is all about murder, forgeries, black market dealings and the agents of various law enforcement trying to find out how everyone and everything is connected.
This is the 3rd book I've read written by K.J. McGillick; she has done a great job at writing a good book; I will definitely be reading more of her books.
The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.
I loved the chemistry between the characters.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
This is the second book in this series, and I absolutely loved it. K.J. McGillick's my new favorite suspence romance writer. He stories really know how to suck you in. The best part about this story is that we got to see some the characters from Three. These books are a bit dark and habe a ton of mystery. I highly recommend this book. You will not be disappointed.
Loved, loved, loved this book. It kept my full attention. Arvid the surgeon and art gallery owner appears innocent but he is totally guilty. He threatens his wife and has no compunction whether he killls someone or take their organs. I want to read everything by this author.
I was very impressed with this book. There was no down time. The entire book was exciting and moving. I loved the characters. I want to read more from this author. She has a great way of describing the emotions of her characters. I am glad to have been able to read this book!
Missing Aunt Mary. Otherwise a compelling thriller.
Good story with great characters. McGillick's travels are clearly an inspiration for this thriller. She has a sense of adventure and life is always an adventure.
Where is this series going to take you next? I keep asking and am waiting to see. This author has an excellent way of making toy really think and keep you on your toes till the end.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources and KJRM Publishing LLC for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.
For some reason this book kind of reminded me of this show that I started on Netflix with Sarah Michelle Gellar? She was a twin, and honestly that was a pretty intense show that I didn’t end up finishing because the show got cancelled which totally sucks. But anyway, back to this book.
Also, from the blog tour information, we were supposed to read this novel first before the one titled THREE, so while this one technically is the second one in the series, we were told by the author to read this one first so I did. It was intense, fam. I don’t even know if I could live this life, and what I would do if I found out the things that Isabella found out. Could I really handle it if my husband was a shady bitch? Like more shady than the usual?
And the fact that someone wants her dead too. That’s freaking intense on top of the fact that her husband wants her committed. That’s not the kind of marriage anyone would want to be in. Also, now it looks like she’s been implicated in a conspiracy that was totally over my head honestly, so I know I couldn’t have dealt with this in my life. But this book got very, very, very intense and I felt like I honestly could not even process what happened afterwards. You’ll be hearing my thoughts on the third novel, entitled ONE on a future tour, so stay tuned for that as well.
This is an action packed, psychological thriller at its best.
Isabella’s husband, Adrien, is a renowned surgeon and together they have a luxurious lifestyle. But, when Isabella finds some irregularities in her Gallery’s paperwork she wonders what’s going on. Adrien tells her she’s imagining things and has clearly got it all wrong….to the point she begins to doubt her own sanity. But what if she’s right?
As the story unfolds, it turns into a tale of black market organ harvesting and sale, where Adrien is laundering his ill gotten gains through Isabella’s gallery.
An intelligent thriller that makes you think and is a real nail biter. A thoroughly entertaining read.
Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources for the opportunity to take part in this blog tour, for the promotional material and a free ecopy of the book. This is my honest and unbiased review.
I read the first book in this series last year and really enjoyed it. I was excited to have the chance to review Two. The second book in the A Path of Deception and Murder trilogy.
This was a tense, dark and thrilling read that I really enjoyed and could not read fast enough. The plot was engaging and exciting and has really helped catapult my 2020 reading experience off to a flying start
Chloe is brash and sassy. She knows what she wants, and she's not afraid goes after it. She reads a bit over the top at times, but I loved her brazenness. Her loyalty to Isabella is her most endearing quality. I especially loved how she saw a problem in Isabella's marriage and took steps to help her friend regain her life. Chloe is the spark of fun in an otherwise intense story.
What I Liked:
The titles of the books in the series are intriguing. The title of each book is a number, and instead of going chronologically, they go in reverse order – Three, Two, and finally, One – like a bomb ticking down to detonation. And the covers are beautiful. I love the use of just three colors – it makes for such pretty pictures.
The suspense and tension start on page one, and they don't let up until there are no more pages to read. I was on the edge of my seat until the very last page. I almost read the first chapter of the next book (One), but I resisted for the moment. I will be reading the entire book very soon. So, look for that review in a few weeks.
It has all current-day fears – terrorism, Russia, the destruction of long-standing landmarks, and even organ farming. Many of the horrors you see on the news can be found in this story. And, it is all believable, even though to have all of these elements seems like it would be a bit unfocused. I discovered that it's not.
The plot is more character-driven, and as a result, I sped through the pages to find out if Isabella remained okay. The story has well-developed characters and a robust suspenseful plot. Even though Isabella was not my favorite character, she is still a character whose story I wanted to follow. I fussed at her along-side her best friend, but I also worried about her and wanted her to come out of this story on top.
What I Wish
If I had to point to something that I wish – it would be for more intrigue. You always know who is doing what, and I love when stories include some doubt or questions. But the lack of this does not detract from the suspense of the story at all.
To Read or Not to Read If you love thrillers, you will love this fantastic find.
Thank you to Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
“Her husband wants her tucked away in a psychiatric ward. His business partner wants her dead.” Isabella runs an art gallery for high end clients- the paintings are in the millions. Her husband, a surgeon, sources most of the pictures. Little does she know that he has a secret life which makes him the majority of their huge wealth. This secret life is both with huge risk and huge payouts. Ben is a new client of Isabella and checks out from their research as being divorced, no children and with the funds to buy. Ben however is under cover and what he reveals is a horrific world of black market organ trafficking and art fraud involving several nations. Chapters are done from the three main characters perspective- Isabella, Adrien and Ben. A woman who realises that things are not going as they should do. A husband whose greed rules everything else and who is prepared to flaunt not only the law but ethics and make enemies along the way. A complicated plot and an intriguing read that keeps the grey matter turning. An interesting read and an insight into other worlds.
I am always happy to read a book written by K.J McGillick. I have read and reviewed a number of her books:
Facing A Twisted Judgement
Karma Never Loses An Address
Duality
Trust Me
Three
This book follows the life of Isabella Armond who believes she has a normal life, until her husband starts behaving erratically. He has his own thriving medical practice or so she believes, a carer, someone who looks after others. Could he be something more sinister somebody that trades in human lives going against everything a doctor stands for?
The one person she trusted more than any other in the world. Once she starts investigating she can’t stop but learns more than she wants to.
Another great page turner from K.J McGillick, highlighting the illegal world of human organ trafficking and the lengths some people will go to to make money.
I absolutely love K.J McGillick’s writing, so when I saw Two, I knew I needed to read it and man, was I not disappointed! Twists and turns galore, with a deep look into the dark world of criminal activity.
The storyline is incredible. The pace kept me hooked, the idea of organ trafficking is frightening. The twists kept me on the edge of my seat and I honestly read this in a day. I could not put it down.
K.J McGillick has a knack for addicting writing. The way she writes just sucks you into the story. Between her characters, who most of the time, you don’t know if you can trust or not, and her plot lines, she’s one of my favorite writers.
I highly recommend checking out Two. It’s one you don’t want to miss!
*I was sent a free copy of Two in exchange for an honest review on the Blog Tour hosted by Rachel’s Random Resources. All opinions are my own and unbiased.*
Very well done suspense story filled will "me first" back-stabbing narcissistic characters. To become a member of the group is to become a potential victim, willing or not. I stayed up WAY past my bedtime trying to " quickly finish" because there did not seem to be much left to the story.