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The Closer I Get
A compulsive, disturbingly relevant, twisty and powerful psychological, social-media thriller from the bestselling author of The Black Path
Tom is a successful author, but he’s struggling to finish his novel. His main distraction is an online admirer, Evie, who simply won’t leave him alone.
Evie is smart, well read and unstable; she lives with her father and her social-media friendships are not only her escape, but everything she has.
When she’s hit with a restraining order, her world is turned upside down, and Tom is free to live his life again, to concentrate on writing.
But things aren’t really adding up. For Tom is distracted but also addicted to his online relationships, and when they take a darker, more menacing turn, he feels powerless to change things. Because maybe he needs Evie more than he’s letting on.
A compulsive, disturbingly relevant, twisty and powerful psychological thriller, The Closer I Get is also a searing commentary on the fragility and insincerity of online relationships, and the danger that can lurk just one ‘like’ away…
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 11, 2019
86 people are currently reading
704 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
April 12, 2019
WOW!
Unusual for me to have trouble starting a review...there is so much to say on this book I dont know where to start!
This is a book about internet obsession, stalking, love from afar via social media that goes so so wrong and in so many ways
Tom is the ‘hunted’ successful author, Evie the ‘hunter’ and what seems a harmless admiration soon turns into a chaotic unbelievable nightmare...but this is 2019, it is believable and it happens, the story is about as relevant and ‘on point’ as you can get and it’s as wonderfully enticing as it is dark and troublesome
The story is told via Tom and Evie and their perspectives re the past and how the situation ended up in court with Evie charged with harassment and then onto their present lives and situations....Evie’s general sense of agitated indignant injustice about everything is wonderfully written and Tom’s more justified anger and frustration equally as cleverly and addictively written
The parts about Twitter are fascinating and the general ‘talk’ of life now in the Social Media era just connects you the whole way through, page after page I found myself nodding in agreement ( at times with both ) as they described how people behave online and how vast the influence of Social Media is on us all
The writing is from page 1 to the last word pure ‘ I have to keep reading this is soooooo good’ and I honestly was disappointed to finish the book...and what an ending, WHAT AN ENDING!
Loved reading about London and where live and also Hastings where have never been but described so the town was there in my minds eye the whole way through
An added extra for me was the lovely friendship built up by Tom
and an elderly neighbour, I found it poignant and quite moving
I honestly could go on for pages about how good this book is, make a note of the date May 11th and I guarantee that you will be raving about it too
Outstanding 10/10 5 Stars
September 8, 2019
Wow, one of the times when I wished I had DNFed instead of pushing through...
Slow and repetitive, I kept waiting for the thrilling action to happen. It started off okay, and I liked the threat of both narrator's being so unreliable, but it really dragged on! There was so much pointless description, the main characters were all unlikeable, and there just wasn't enough to keep me entertained. I didn't like the ending either.
The social media stalking was realistic though, and I do worry about that side of things, especially on twitter!
I'm not sure why I kept going with this one... It wasn't an audiobook that I couldn't stop listening to.. Note to self, trust my gut and DNF more books that don't hold my interest! I just somehow thought the ending would be worth the rest of it being so boring, but I was wrong.
Slow and repetitive, I kept waiting for the thrilling action to happen. It started off okay, and I liked the threat of both narrator's being so unreliable, but it really dragged on! There was so much pointless description, the main characters were all unlikeable, and there just wasn't enough to keep me entertained. I didn't like the ending either.
The social media stalking was realistic though, and I do worry about that side of things, especially on twitter!
I'm not sure why I kept going with this one... It wasn't an audiobook that I couldn't stop listening to.. Note to self, trust my gut and DNF more books that don't hold my interest! I just somehow thought the ending would be worth the rest of it being so boring, but I was wrong.
April 30, 2019
As always this review can also be found on my blog The Tattooed Book Geek: https://thetattooedbookgeek.wordpress...
The Closer I Get is compulsive, dark and highly relevant to today’s society, the online world where likes, comments, shares, retweets, views and follower counts hold sway. The society where many measure their own self-worth not by who they are as a person but by the numbers of their online presence.
At times, we all wear masks whether we want to admit it or not, for some, it might be pretending that you are fine and that you are OK when really you are broken and crying inside. Whilst others have a more sinister motive for hiding their true colours and using a mask….to gain your trust online.
That’s what The Closer I Get is a harrowing look into, a snapshot of what occurs when the mask a person wears slips and the real person, the one that was hidden beneath is revealed.
Whilst reading and after finishing The Closer I Get you will question your own use of social media and what you share as you really don’t know who is lurking in the far corners of the Internet. Regardless of the face that they show you, the virtual hand of friendship that they offer you, you don’t know what their true intentions are or who they really are.
In real life, you might be a nobody, have a dead-end job and hardly any friends. You might be a person easily forgotten, unremembered, someone that no-one will miss but online, you could have thousands of followers, people that you have not met yet hang on your every word, you might be recognisable, you might be a somebody and possibly while you might not be missed in reality, a week off ill from work, etc with no-one caring, if you go silent on social media then your followers might notice, they might care and they might fill up your inbox with concern over your well-being.
You might also feel that you are apart from everything, apart from the world, whereas, online, you feel a part of everything, a part of the virtual world and you find a place where you belong.
There’s a screen, a barrier to being online, you might have trouble forming and maintaining relationships in real-life, be introverted and a loner but online you might be able to let yourself go and be popular.
You look for something that you are lacking in reality but there is a danger. Going online and sharing can be dangerous. Each tweet, comment, anything with an opinion and you are putting yourself out there for the world to see, you are holding your arms wide, telling the world, this is me, this is my view, take your best shot and sometimes someone will shoot back.
You reach out, go online, find someone to talk to, just words on a screen, possibly making a connection, possibly not and just killing time, making the loneliness and the boredom abate. Comments, tweets, conversations are all exchanged and then, maybe a friendship is formed.
You put pictures and/or words out into the realm of social media and if no-one replies it can be talking to the void, silence, no responses but sometimes, someone talks back, someone reaches back out to you, they have seen your posts, your tweets and/or your pictures and they see something in them that they like, that resonates with them.
In replying you are opening yourself up as how do you know that the person is who they say they are? There picture could be fake, their name could be fake, their whole profile could be fake and you don’t know. Likewise, they could reach out to you and it is you who are fake, they don’t know that. Each person is putting themselves out there, at the mercy of the other in the hope of finding a connection.
Social media is a cauldron, a boiling pot, overflowing with both real and fake people and you never really know who is which.
You create a personality online, it could be you, exactly the same as you are in real life, genuine and honest, it could be you just ramped up without the inhibitions of face to face contact, you could be the person online that you wish you were in real-life, casting off the shackles and breaking the chains of who you are to become who you wish you were. Or, you could be someone completely different, someone, who is disingenuous and who harbours bad intentions.
There are many reasons for online behaviour and why some people do what they do. Social media and all it contains is an easy rabbit hole to fall down and you can get consumed by it. It can take over your life, you trade reality for online, for the virtual as it is where you feel more comfortable but you can lose yourself and then you have to ask, where do you begin and where does your online persona begin and do they blur together?
Social media is like a black hole, it can pull you in and consume you, utterly, without warning you will find yourself living online and fading from reality, pulled under and drowning in the churning maelstrom that is social media.
Many people are addicted to social media and have to constantly check their notifications, check their feed, to feed that need, scratch that itch and to see what people have been posting and saying about them.
Being online is a way to escape, to forget the drab existence that you have, a way to let go. Maybe you can’t go out, you have an illness, a sick family member, children that need looking after, responsibilities, any genuine myriad reasons to be behind a screen and go online. Going online gives you a chance to go out while staying in, to meet people who may be, can understand your predicament and may be, can also understand you.
What happens if being online bleeds over into reality and puts your everyday life in danger? You put yourself out there, at the mercy of others, maybe through boredom, maybe just for something to do, to whittle away the hours or, maybe you put yourself out there hoping for something more, for someone who gets you.
With The Closer I Get, Burston has created a book that is very much in ‘the now’. It is a fitting read for the current world and one that should serve as a cautionary tale. It is a warning to all of those people who share everything about themselves and their lives on social media. Those people with no thought for their own safety who don’t consider who might be following them, reading their posts or just silently skulking in the darkened confines of the web but it will date with time as many books do. However, in the future, The Closer I Get will offer the reader a glimpse into days gone by, a glimpse into the past, a glimpse into a world where follower counts ruled, a glimpse into online interaction and relationships and a glimpse into the perils and the pitfalls of social media.
How do you know that you can trust those you meet online and how do you know what is safe to share? Those you deem as being ‘ online friends‘ could just as easily not be and be using you, they could ingratiate themselves into your life, worm their way in and then try and destroy you.
What could be innocent to you, meaningless interaction, might be something more to the other person, they could find it meaningful, like they are making a connection, it could be meaningful to them, they might read more into your words than you meant and feelings might get misconstrued as something more.
You can block and unfollow people at the touch of a button on social media, easier than breathing, one click, gone but are they really gone? It’s easy to block someone, it’s just as easy for the blocked person to then set-up another account in a different name and then they have another profile under a different name with which to start following you.
When you terminate your online interaction with someone what happens if they can’t take rejection?
Abuse, harassment and trolling are all a side effect of social media, an inevitable one, sadly, that will, in some way, affect us all at some point. One moment people are on your side, supporting you, they have your back, they defend you but the tide can turn, quicker than a heartbeat, then, the opposite, they have turned, they are against you, calling you out and bullying you.
With the advent of social media, it has enabled fans to get closer than ever to the celebrities that they admire, that they are fans of. No longer do fans have to rely solely on emails to contact celebrities expressing that they are a fan of their work, asking for signed photographs, etc. Or, even before that, harking back to olden day times, times of pen and paper, quill and parchment and the old-fashioned hand-written correspondence known as a ‘fan-letter’ from the fan to a celebrity. With social media, a celebrity is no longer an elusive and unobtainable figure, both they are their life are now accessible to all.
The Closer I Get looks at the relationship between a celebrity and a fan and what happens when things go too far, when they crumble, when they decay, when the fan oversteps the boundaries of reasonable behaviour and when the fan in question turns out to be unstable. In The Closer I Get the celebrity is an author but the story holds true for any celebrity in the public eye, a TV star, a movie star, a sports star, a musician, a reality star. The fan, the self-proclaimed ‘number one fan’ that turns out to be a ‘crazed fan’. Many fans like to express their gratitude, their thanks to the celebrities that they admire and for their work, the song lyrics from a band/singer that you found meaning in, that helped you, that got your through some dark times, the TV series that you love, the movie that you love, the role you love that the actor/actress portrays, the sports star that has had an amazing game/performance, the newest book from an author whose work you admire and who you want to tell them that you really enjoyed reading it. You might get personal and congratulate them on life events, a new role, a new publishing deal, winning a title, an engagement, a marriage, a birth, or, on the flip side to those positive things commiserations over a break-up, a release, a cancellation or a death. Even if they don’t realise it the celebrity and their work was there in the past for the fan and the fan, though it is only through a tweet, a comment on a FB/Instagram post wants, in-return to be there for the celebrity and show them that they are thinking of them. Thanks to social media the list of possible interaction between fans and celebrities are now endless. But that’s normally where it ends, tweets, comments, likes and general minor interaction.
To a certain degree most celebrities appreciate their fans, don’t take them for granted as they know that without fans they wouldn’t be celebrities, they would be a nobody and most fans know that celebrities aren’t actually their friends when they reply, when they interact they are just being decent, being polite. However, some fans take it further, a lot further as they think that the celebrity owes them something, it could be something as small as the fan bought a book by an author and now they are waiting for the sequel to be written and released, only, instead of waiting patiently, they perceive that they are ‘owed‘ the book, demand it be finished as soon as possible because they have previously supported the author and hound them at every opportunity. Perhaps some minor interaction occurred between the fan and the celebrity through shared interests and due to a personal reply from the celebrity they are under the impression that there is a ‘connection‘ and that there is something more there than there truly is. Or, they are just deranged anyway and it takes a while for it to show, they think that they know the celebrity as they follow them, keep up with all of their latest posts and they have deluded themselves into thinking that they have feelings for the celebrity, they are fixated on them, jealous over the people that are in their lives, the friend, the boyfriend, the girlfriend, the husband or the wife, wishing it was them instead of that other person, in their mind they might even think like they ‘love‘ the celebrity, they want to involve themselves in the life of the celebrity, they are devoted to and want to be with them.
The Closer I Get is topical, it highlights the darker side of online interaction when admiration turns into harassment and the devastating fall out that can arise when online relationships turn bad, turn destructive for those involved.
Tom Hunter is a successful international best-selling author whose debut novel was made into a movie with a Hollywood star cast in the lead. His second book wasn’t well received, the wolves were baying at his door and since then he has been stuck writing his third book, the words don’t flow, the ideas won’t come and like a river, in the desert, his creativity has dried up.
Evie Stokes is Tom’s biggest fan, his biggest fan who is fixated on and obsessed with Tom and his work to an unhealthy level. The Closer I Get starts with an email from Evie to Tom. Not much is given away, a glimmer, a glimpse, a snippet, a hint and it acts as an augury, a foreshadowing of what will unfold during the course of the book. There’s an aura of the unhinged to the contents of the email showing the depth of the feelings that Evie has developed for Tom. It’s subtle but you feel that Evie is being far too nice and that there is far more to her words that are hidden beneath the surface.
The book then jumps back in time to eight months before with Tom in a police station, with Tom reporting Evie for her abusive and threatening online behaviour and for stalking.
The Closer I Get is the story of what led to Tom getting a restraining order against Evie and everything that comes after.
There is an ominous undercurrent that runs through the pages of The Closer I Get, hidden meanings, little things that don’t add up in both Tom and Evie’s stories. Secrets and lies that have been buried beneath the surface and that are waiting to be revealed. The waters are often murky, only instead of sediment and silt clouding the water, it is misdirection and doubts over the reliability of the words of Tom and Evie that cloud your perception of them. You can sense that certain things seem ‘off‘ but you can’t put a finger on it, you can’t quite figure out what exactly is ‘off’ with them and it causes a lurking dread, a nagging sense of doubt as you carry on reading and as you carry on trying to figure out who is telling the truth.
Both Tom and Evie are unreliable, you can’t trust them, their words or their recollection of events. Their goal is to make themselves look good, like the injured party, the victim and to cast fault at the footsteps of the other.
The question is just how reliable are they? There has to be some culpability on both sides, it takes two to form a relationship, to tango, to dance but which one of the pair stays closer to the truth, closer to the reality of what happened and which one of them is verging on the fanciful.
The Closer I Get shows the fall out when events by those who have become acquainted over social media platforms spiral out of control. The story is chilling with how easily conceivable it is, it is frighteningly imaginable and it is a tale of fixation, of half-truths, of lies, of infatuation and of obsession.
The story flows well in The Closer I Get, everything has a place, there’s snappy dialogue, a dark humour laced throughout and the deception, the smoke and mirrors and the misdirection are kept up perfectly for the entirety of the story and I was floored by the ending.
The characterisation for both Tom and Evie is superb, they are both fully-formed and flawed characters with individual personalities and you get a sense that the pair are devious, cunning, guileful and that, when required and if it means self-preservation then they can both be craftier than a fox.
Both first and third-person perspectives are used to great effect in The Closer I Get with chapters alternating between Tom and Evie, parrying back and forth, trading strikes and blows. Tom’s parts are told in the third-person and read more like a story about Tom and his efforts to put the pieces of his life back together, move on from Evie and the stress and the trauma that she has caused him and start writing again. Whereas Evie’s journal entries are told in the first-person. This feels far more personal and helps to give Evie’s chapters an extra insight into her character, a sense of her, a look into her past, her circumstances and her mind and you see the layers of the person forming before your eyes.
The Closer I Get is a very clever book, an unnerving yet thought-provoking read with a story that twists, turns and delves down some dark alleys complete with a shocking ‘I didn’t expect that‘ ending. It is thrilling, realistic and searingly plausible.
The Closer I Get is compulsive, dark and highly relevant to today’s society, the online world where likes, comments, shares, retweets, views and follower counts hold sway. The society where many measure their own self-worth not by who they are as a person but by the numbers of their online presence.
At times, we all wear masks whether we want to admit it or not, for some, it might be pretending that you are fine and that you are OK when really you are broken and crying inside. Whilst others have a more sinister motive for hiding their true colours and using a mask….to gain your trust online.
That’s what The Closer I Get is a harrowing look into, a snapshot of what occurs when the mask a person wears slips and the real person, the one that was hidden beneath is revealed.
Whilst reading and after finishing The Closer I Get you will question your own use of social media and what you share as you really don’t know who is lurking in the far corners of the Internet. Regardless of the face that they show you, the virtual hand of friendship that they offer you, you don’t know what their true intentions are or who they really are.
In real life, you might be a nobody, have a dead-end job and hardly any friends. You might be a person easily forgotten, unremembered, someone that no-one will miss but online, you could have thousands of followers, people that you have not met yet hang on your every word, you might be recognisable, you might be a somebody and possibly while you might not be missed in reality, a week off ill from work, etc with no-one caring, if you go silent on social media then your followers might notice, they might care and they might fill up your inbox with concern over your well-being.
You might also feel that you are apart from everything, apart from the world, whereas, online, you feel a part of everything, a part of the virtual world and you find a place where you belong.
There’s a screen, a barrier to being online, you might have trouble forming and maintaining relationships in real-life, be introverted and a loner but online you might be able to let yourself go and be popular.
You look for something that you are lacking in reality but there is a danger. Going online and sharing can be dangerous. Each tweet, comment, anything with an opinion and you are putting yourself out there for the world to see, you are holding your arms wide, telling the world, this is me, this is my view, take your best shot and sometimes someone will shoot back.
You reach out, go online, find someone to talk to, just words on a screen, possibly making a connection, possibly not and just killing time, making the loneliness and the boredom abate. Comments, tweets, conversations are all exchanged and then, maybe a friendship is formed.
You put pictures and/or words out into the realm of social media and if no-one replies it can be talking to the void, silence, no responses but sometimes, someone talks back, someone reaches back out to you, they have seen your posts, your tweets and/or your pictures and they see something in them that they like, that resonates with them.
In replying you are opening yourself up as how do you know that the person is who they say they are? There picture could be fake, their name could be fake, their whole profile could be fake and you don’t know. Likewise, they could reach out to you and it is you who are fake, they don’t know that. Each person is putting themselves out there, at the mercy of the other in the hope of finding a connection.
Social media is a cauldron, a boiling pot, overflowing with both real and fake people and you never really know who is which.
You create a personality online, it could be you, exactly the same as you are in real life, genuine and honest, it could be you just ramped up without the inhibitions of face to face contact, you could be the person online that you wish you were in real-life, casting off the shackles and breaking the chains of who you are to become who you wish you were. Or, you could be someone completely different, someone, who is disingenuous and who harbours bad intentions.
There are many reasons for online behaviour and why some people do what they do. Social media and all it contains is an easy rabbit hole to fall down and you can get consumed by it. It can take over your life, you trade reality for online, for the virtual as it is where you feel more comfortable but you can lose yourself and then you have to ask, where do you begin and where does your online persona begin and do they blur together?
Social media is like a black hole, it can pull you in and consume you, utterly, without warning you will find yourself living online and fading from reality, pulled under and drowning in the churning maelstrom that is social media.
Many people are addicted to social media and have to constantly check their notifications, check their feed, to feed that need, scratch that itch and to see what people have been posting and saying about them.
Being online is a way to escape, to forget the drab existence that you have, a way to let go. Maybe you can’t go out, you have an illness, a sick family member, children that need looking after, responsibilities, any genuine myriad reasons to be behind a screen and go online. Going online gives you a chance to go out while staying in, to meet people who may be, can understand your predicament and may be, can also understand you.
What happens if being online bleeds over into reality and puts your everyday life in danger? You put yourself out there, at the mercy of others, maybe through boredom, maybe just for something to do, to whittle away the hours or, maybe you put yourself out there hoping for something more, for someone who gets you.
With The Closer I Get, Burston has created a book that is very much in ‘the now’. It is a fitting read for the current world and one that should serve as a cautionary tale. It is a warning to all of those people who share everything about themselves and their lives on social media. Those people with no thought for their own safety who don’t consider who might be following them, reading their posts or just silently skulking in the darkened confines of the web but it will date with time as many books do. However, in the future, The Closer I Get will offer the reader a glimpse into days gone by, a glimpse into the past, a glimpse into a world where follower counts ruled, a glimpse into online interaction and relationships and a glimpse into the perils and the pitfalls of social media.
How do you know that you can trust those you meet online and how do you know what is safe to share? Those you deem as being ‘ online friends‘ could just as easily not be and be using you, they could ingratiate themselves into your life, worm their way in and then try and destroy you.
What could be innocent to you, meaningless interaction, might be something more to the other person, they could find it meaningful, like they are making a connection, it could be meaningful to them, they might read more into your words than you meant and feelings might get misconstrued as something more.
You can block and unfollow people at the touch of a button on social media, easier than breathing, one click, gone but are they really gone? It’s easy to block someone, it’s just as easy for the blocked person to then set-up another account in a different name and then they have another profile under a different name with which to start following you.
When you terminate your online interaction with someone what happens if they can’t take rejection?
Abuse, harassment and trolling are all a side effect of social media, an inevitable one, sadly, that will, in some way, affect us all at some point. One moment people are on your side, supporting you, they have your back, they defend you but the tide can turn, quicker than a heartbeat, then, the opposite, they have turned, they are against you, calling you out and bullying you.
With the advent of social media, it has enabled fans to get closer than ever to the celebrities that they admire, that they are fans of. No longer do fans have to rely solely on emails to contact celebrities expressing that they are a fan of their work, asking for signed photographs, etc. Or, even before that, harking back to olden day times, times of pen and paper, quill and parchment and the old-fashioned hand-written correspondence known as a ‘fan-letter’ from the fan to a celebrity. With social media, a celebrity is no longer an elusive and unobtainable figure, both they are their life are now accessible to all.
The Closer I Get looks at the relationship between a celebrity and a fan and what happens when things go too far, when they crumble, when they decay, when the fan oversteps the boundaries of reasonable behaviour and when the fan in question turns out to be unstable. In The Closer I Get the celebrity is an author but the story holds true for any celebrity in the public eye, a TV star, a movie star, a sports star, a musician, a reality star. The fan, the self-proclaimed ‘number one fan’ that turns out to be a ‘crazed fan’. Many fans like to express their gratitude, their thanks to the celebrities that they admire and for their work, the song lyrics from a band/singer that you found meaning in, that helped you, that got your through some dark times, the TV series that you love, the movie that you love, the role you love that the actor/actress portrays, the sports star that has had an amazing game/performance, the newest book from an author whose work you admire and who you want to tell them that you really enjoyed reading it. You might get personal and congratulate them on life events, a new role, a new publishing deal, winning a title, an engagement, a marriage, a birth, or, on the flip side to those positive things commiserations over a break-up, a release, a cancellation or a death. Even if they don’t realise it the celebrity and their work was there in the past for the fan and the fan, though it is only through a tweet, a comment on a FB/Instagram post wants, in-return to be there for the celebrity and show them that they are thinking of them. Thanks to social media the list of possible interaction between fans and celebrities are now endless. But that’s normally where it ends, tweets, comments, likes and general minor interaction.
To a certain degree most celebrities appreciate their fans, don’t take them for granted as they know that without fans they wouldn’t be celebrities, they would be a nobody and most fans know that celebrities aren’t actually their friends when they reply, when they interact they are just being decent, being polite. However, some fans take it further, a lot further as they think that the celebrity owes them something, it could be something as small as the fan bought a book by an author and now they are waiting for the sequel to be written and released, only, instead of waiting patiently, they perceive that they are ‘owed‘ the book, demand it be finished as soon as possible because they have previously supported the author and hound them at every opportunity. Perhaps some minor interaction occurred between the fan and the celebrity through shared interests and due to a personal reply from the celebrity they are under the impression that there is a ‘connection‘ and that there is something more there than there truly is. Or, they are just deranged anyway and it takes a while for it to show, they think that they know the celebrity as they follow them, keep up with all of their latest posts and they have deluded themselves into thinking that they have feelings for the celebrity, they are fixated on them, jealous over the people that are in their lives, the friend, the boyfriend, the girlfriend, the husband or the wife, wishing it was them instead of that other person, in their mind they might even think like they ‘love‘ the celebrity, they want to involve themselves in the life of the celebrity, they are devoted to and want to be with them.
The Closer I Get is topical, it highlights the darker side of online interaction when admiration turns into harassment and the devastating fall out that can arise when online relationships turn bad, turn destructive for those involved.
Tom Hunter is a successful international best-selling author whose debut novel was made into a movie with a Hollywood star cast in the lead. His second book wasn’t well received, the wolves were baying at his door and since then he has been stuck writing his third book, the words don’t flow, the ideas won’t come and like a river, in the desert, his creativity has dried up.
Evie Stokes is Tom’s biggest fan, his biggest fan who is fixated on and obsessed with Tom and his work to an unhealthy level. The Closer I Get starts with an email from Evie to Tom. Not much is given away, a glimmer, a glimpse, a snippet, a hint and it acts as an augury, a foreshadowing of what will unfold during the course of the book. There’s an aura of the unhinged to the contents of the email showing the depth of the feelings that Evie has developed for Tom. It’s subtle but you feel that Evie is being far too nice and that there is far more to her words that are hidden beneath the surface.
The book then jumps back in time to eight months before with Tom in a police station, with Tom reporting Evie for her abusive and threatening online behaviour and for stalking.
The Closer I Get is the story of what led to Tom getting a restraining order against Evie and everything that comes after.
There is an ominous undercurrent that runs through the pages of The Closer I Get, hidden meanings, little things that don’t add up in both Tom and Evie’s stories. Secrets and lies that have been buried beneath the surface and that are waiting to be revealed. The waters are often murky, only instead of sediment and silt clouding the water, it is misdirection and doubts over the reliability of the words of Tom and Evie that cloud your perception of them. You can sense that certain things seem ‘off‘ but you can’t put a finger on it, you can’t quite figure out what exactly is ‘off’ with them and it causes a lurking dread, a nagging sense of doubt as you carry on reading and as you carry on trying to figure out who is telling the truth.
Both Tom and Evie are unreliable, you can’t trust them, their words or their recollection of events. Their goal is to make themselves look good, like the injured party, the victim and to cast fault at the footsteps of the other.
The question is just how reliable are they? There has to be some culpability on both sides, it takes two to form a relationship, to tango, to dance but which one of the pair stays closer to the truth, closer to the reality of what happened and which one of them is verging on the fanciful.
The Closer I Get shows the fall out when events by those who have become acquainted over social media platforms spiral out of control. The story is chilling with how easily conceivable it is, it is frighteningly imaginable and it is a tale of fixation, of half-truths, of lies, of infatuation and of obsession.
The story flows well in The Closer I Get, everything has a place, there’s snappy dialogue, a dark humour laced throughout and the deception, the smoke and mirrors and the misdirection are kept up perfectly for the entirety of the story and I was floored by the ending.
The characterisation for both Tom and Evie is superb, they are both fully-formed and flawed characters with individual personalities and you get a sense that the pair are devious, cunning, guileful and that, when required and if it means self-preservation then they can both be craftier than a fox.
Both first and third-person perspectives are used to great effect in The Closer I Get with chapters alternating between Tom and Evie, parrying back and forth, trading strikes and blows. Tom’s parts are told in the third-person and read more like a story about Tom and his efforts to put the pieces of his life back together, move on from Evie and the stress and the trauma that she has caused him and start writing again. Whereas Evie’s journal entries are told in the first-person. This feels far more personal and helps to give Evie’s chapters an extra insight into her character, a sense of her, a look into her past, her circumstances and her mind and you see the layers of the person forming before your eyes.
The Closer I Get is a very clever book, an unnerving yet thought-provoking read with a story that twists, turns and delves down some dark alleys complete with a shocking ‘I didn’t expect that‘ ending. It is thrilling, realistic and searingly plausible.
April 17, 2019
This is unlike anything else I've read recently. Clever, tense, bang-on-the-moment, thrilling, and God, it makes you think about how social media invades our lives. Who are we online? Who are our followers? And most of all, who are those we know in the real world? A totally gripping thriller that I'll be thinking about for a long time. Highly recommend.
July 8, 2019
When I was young, many moons ago, trolls were cute plastic dolls with sticking up hair, and social media was unheard of it, fast forward a decade or three! and social media is something we’ve convinced ourselves we can’t do without. In someways I embrace social media but I have had always had reservations about the negative side of social media, the trolls, the vicious comments, it goes on and on. After reading The Closer I get by Paul Burston I find I’m even more paranoid about my own use of Twitter, in fact it made me want to delete all my accounts! The author explores online relationships and how the most innocent interactions can turn into something far more disturbing. We are privy to the characters turmoil as we get pulled into a living, breathing nightmare, where fragile online friendships turn to an all consuming obsession. The Closer I get is a powerful, dark tale, brimming with raw emotion and malice, but oh such a compelling read.
Tom Hunter is a successful novelist, well his first book was a major hit anyway. His fame comes at a cost and he finds himself being stalked by Evie, a young woman who he met at a book signing and befriended. As the stalking escalates, Evie finds herself in court, and is given a restraining order. The Closer We Get is told in both past and present we learn how Tom and Evie’s relationship turned from innocent tweets into something far more disturbing, and the chapters told in the present explore the impact on Tom and Evie after the court case. Told from both Tom’s and Evie’s points of view the reader is given the opportunity to delve deeper into both characters psyche, which alone makes for a very disquieting read.
There’s nothing I like I more than an unreliable narrator, but when you get two unreliable characters for the price of one, it’s difficult to know who to believe, or to distinguish the truth from the lies. For me I also felt the lines between the hunter (Evie) and the hunted (Tom) were hazy, is Tom really innocent of any wrong doings? Is Evie as much a victim? I can’t say I particularly liked either of the characters, without a doubt Tom is a victim, but I found him to be arrogant and pompous, where as poor Evie is clearly deranged, unstable, and unable to separate fact from fiction, but strangely enough this made the read all the more enjoyable! the author has created two unforgettable characters, which in my mind is testament to Paul Burston’s writing.
Don’t think for one minute this is your typical ‘stalker’ Psychological thriller, it’s anything but! after all we’re talking Orenda Books here whose books are never, ever, predictable. As the story reached its hugely satisfying but unpredictable conclusion, the tension becomes unbearable as a growing sense of foreboding radiated at the turn of every page. This is a story that Is highly relevant to today’s society, it’s shockingly credible, unsettling, and brilliantly executed. The Closer I Get has all the ingredients I enjoy in a psychological thriller, unreliable characters, an unpredictable plot, it’s one that encourages you to ponder the perils of social media, which reminds me I need to go and deactivate my accounts! Highly recommended
All my reviews can be found at http//thebookreviewcafe.com
Tom Hunter is a successful novelist, well his first book was a major hit anyway. His fame comes at a cost and he finds himself being stalked by Evie, a young woman who he met at a book signing and befriended. As the stalking escalates, Evie finds herself in court, and is given a restraining order. The Closer We Get is told in both past and present we learn how Tom and Evie’s relationship turned from innocent tweets into something far more disturbing, and the chapters told in the present explore the impact on Tom and Evie after the court case. Told from both Tom’s and Evie’s points of view the reader is given the opportunity to delve deeper into both characters psyche, which alone makes for a very disquieting read.
There’s nothing I like I more than an unreliable narrator, but when you get two unreliable characters for the price of one, it’s difficult to know who to believe, or to distinguish the truth from the lies. For me I also felt the lines between the hunter (Evie) and the hunted (Tom) were hazy, is Tom really innocent of any wrong doings? Is Evie as much a victim? I can’t say I particularly liked either of the characters, without a doubt Tom is a victim, but I found him to be arrogant and pompous, where as poor Evie is clearly deranged, unstable, and unable to separate fact from fiction, but strangely enough this made the read all the more enjoyable! the author has created two unforgettable characters, which in my mind is testament to Paul Burston’s writing.
Don’t think for one minute this is your typical ‘stalker’ Psychological thriller, it’s anything but! after all we’re talking Orenda Books here whose books are never, ever, predictable. As the story reached its hugely satisfying but unpredictable conclusion, the tension becomes unbearable as a growing sense of foreboding radiated at the turn of every page. This is a story that Is highly relevant to today’s society, it’s shockingly credible, unsettling, and brilliantly executed. The Closer I Get has all the ingredients I enjoy in a psychological thriller, unreliable characters, an unpredictable plot, it’s one that encourages you to ponder the perils of social media, which reminds me I need to go and deactivate my accounts! Highly recommended
All my reviews can be found at http//thebookreviewcafe.com
March 30, 2019
Tom Hunter's first novel was a huge success. A bestseller, adapted for Hollywood and praised widely by literary critics. He's struggling to write a second book and stares at the blank page, day in and day out.
Evie Stokes is Tom's biggest fan. She's obsessed with him, and her obsession is causing problems for them both.
The story opens with a letter from Evie to Tom, headed up 'Day One'. After reading the letter, the reader is aware of how far her obsession has gone; she talks about seeing Tom today, but it wasn't a social occasion. No, Evie has been in the court room, charged with stalking Tom. Her letter isn't an angry rant at Tom, it's more of a love letter; detailing their interactions. She calls him darling, and is certain that this is all a mistake.
The author takes us back to eight months earlier, to the day that Tom visited the police for the first time, to put in a complaint about Evie's behaviour.
There's a darkness to this story that will haunt the reader throughout. Filled with uncertainties and never knowing just how reliable either Evie or Tom are. This is an exquisitely constructed novel with two leading characters who are startlingly real; and gloriously murky.
The Closer You Get is bang on the minute. It wouldn't have been possible to write this ten years ago, and it is sure to date. However the absolute precision in the writing will always appeal to readers who appreciate tense, imaginative and gripping thrillers.
Paul Burston's skill in creating characters is outstanding; suspicion, paranoia, obsession and accusation abound throughout this tale. Both Tom and Evie are incredibly flawed, yet they are mesmerising. Both are sly, and clever and manipulative, and the reader's view will change, more than once, throughout this whole gripping tale.
The Closer You Get is brilliantly written, it's compulsive and twisty and the final reveal will unsettle and startle the reader. The psychological mind games played out by the characters are so accomplished.
Intelligent, gripping and compulsive. This is incredible writing that challenges the reader; complex, subtle and incredibly powerful.
Evie Stokes is Tom's biggest fan. She's obsessed with him, and her obsession is causing problems for them both.
The story opens with a letter from Evie to Tom, headed up 'Day One'. After reading the letter, the reader is aware of how far her obsession has gone; she talks about seeing Tom today, but it wasn't a social occasion. No, Evie has been in the court room, charged with stalking Tom. Her letter isn't an angry rant at Tom, it's more of a love letter; detailing their interactions. She calls him darling, and is certain that this is all a mistake.
The author takes us back to eight months earlier, to the day that Tom visited the police for the first time, to put in a complaint about Evie's behaviour.
There's a darkness to this story that will haunt the reader throughout. Filled with uncertainties and never knowing just how reliable either Evie or Tom are. This is an exquisitely constructed novel with two leading characters who are startlingly real; and gloriously murky.
The Closer You Get is bang on the minute. It wouldn't have been possible to write this ten years ago, and it is sure to date. However the absolute precision in the writing will always appeal to readers who appreciate tense, imaginative and gripping thrillers.
Paul Burston's skill in creating characters is outstanding; suspicion, paranoia, obsession and accusation abound throughout this tale. Both Tom and Evie are incredibly flawed, yet they are mesmerising. Both are sly, and clever and manipulative, and the reader's view will change, more than once, throughout this whole gripping tale.
The Closer You Get is brilliantly written, it's compulsive and twisty and the final reveal will unsettle and startle the reader. The psychological mind games played out by the characters are so accomplished.
Intelligent, gripping and compulsive. This is incredible writing that challenges the reader; complex, subtle and incredibly powerful.
April 6, 2019
After having finished this book I feel the need to immediately delete my Twitter app! Very timely on so many different subjects. Dark and mysterious until the very end which doesn’t go as I quite thought. Paul Burston has created a true original!
July 3, 2019
Well, now. If this doesn’t make you want to shut down all of your social media accounts and unplug your modern technology gadgets from now until eternity, I don’t know what will.
Tom Hunter is a successful author but he’s struggling to finish his latest novel. An online fan, Evie, just will not leave him alone. When Evie is hit with a restraining order, Tom is able to live again and enjoy his freedom. Or is he? Because there is a lot more to this story than you might think.
I must admit, I’ve been struggling with the psychological thriller genre a bit lately. But this one? Gosh, this one is SO dark and SO utterly brilliantly disturbing, it had me hooked! And of course, immensely relatable because I’m sure many of us have had to deal with “trolls” on social media. Paul Burston really manages to bring home the impact this kind of behaviour can have on someone who’s at the receiving end. To the point where I myself was beginning to feel completely paranoid, eying my social media followers, wondering who’s hiding behind those profile pictures.
I didn’t find either of these characters particularly likeable. I’m not entirely sure if I was meant to. As unstable as Evie is, I often felt like smacking her because I found her extremely irritating (sorry!). And as for Tom, despite being the victim in this case, he often came across as an arrogant douchebag (again, sorry!) and there was just something about him that meant I didn’t fully trust him.
You can’t have a psychological thriller and not have a few surprises along the way, now can you. Paul Burston did that extremely well and pulled the rug right from under my feet. I was never quite able to figure out the outcome of this story, couldn’t see how this would all end and tried to imagine a few different scenarios. None of which were happy and fluffy, mind you. The ultimate conclusion though is one I could never have predicted at all and it blew me away!
This story is massively unsettling. With an almost unbearable tension, complex characters, a remarkable psychological insight and an impending sense of doom, The Closer I Get is a highly addictive, thought-provoking and compelling page-turner. Creepy, extremely frightening and chilling, this is the kind of book you just can’t put down and one which makes you appreciate the psychological thriller genre all over again!
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go and deactivate my twitter account. 😅
Tom Hunter is a successful author but he’s struggling to finish his latest novel. An online fan, Evie, just will not leave him alone. When Evie is hit with a restraining order, Tom is able to live again and enjoy his freedom. Or is he? Because there is a lot more to this story than you might think.
I must admit, I’ve been struggling with the psychological thriller genre a bit lately. But this one? Gosh, this one is SO dark and SO utterly brilliantly disturbing, it had me hooked! And of course, immensely relatable because I’m sure many of us have had to deal with “trolls” on social media. Paul Burston really manages to bring home the impact this kind of behaviour can have on someone who’s at the receiving end. To the point where I myself was beginning to feel completely paranoid, eying my social media followers, wondering who’s hiding behind those profile pictures.
I didn’t find either of these characters particularly likeable. I’m not entirely sure if I was meant to. As unstable as Evie is, I often felt like smacking her because I found her extremely irritating (sorry!). And as for Tom, despite being the victim in this case, he often came across as an arrogant douchebag (again, sorry!) and there was just something about him that meant I didn’t fully trust him.
You can’t have a psychological thriller and not have a few surprises along the way, now can you. Paul Burston did that extremely well and pulled the rug right from under my feet. I was never quite able to figure out the outcome of this story, couldn’t see how this would all end and tried to imagine a few different scenarios. None of which were happy and fluffy, mind you. The ultimate conclusion though is one I could never have predicted at all and it blew me away!
This story is massively unsettling. With an almost unbearable tension, complex characters, a remarkable psychological insight and an impending sense of doom, The Closer I Get is a highly addictive, thought-provoking and compelling page-turner. Creepy, extremely frightening and chilling, this is the kind of book you just can’t put down and one which makes you appreciate the psychological thriller genre all over again!
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go and deactivate my twitter account. 😅
April 22, 2019
I have been curious to read something by Paul Burston simply because he is such an active supporter of other writers both in his online activity and through the incredible LGBTQ literary salon, Polari, which I have had the privilege of attending a few times now. So it was with trepidation that I picked up a review copy of this book (I have also pre-ordered on kindle) because I so wanted it to be good. And, my goodness, was it ever. It was more than good, it was a treat. The themes of mutual obsession, madness, social media and how far we can be from admitting our true motivations, from presenting our true selves, from understanding what we even want, are of particular fascination to me. The main plot centres around an obsessive super-fan turned troll in increasingly fragile mental health who stalks a narcissistic author with a bad case of imposter syndrome. The prose is smooth and witty, the commentaries arch and relevant, and I was put in mind of Ian McEwan - the pleasure of reading the writing itself was similar except with Burston, you get some clever little pop song lyrics playfully thrown into half sentences here and there ('Picture this:' being my favourite.) I won't rehash the plot but I was utterly gripped from the first page, no, the first line, and I read it at every possible opportunity - which, during the kids' Easter holiday, was no mean feat. A psychological thriller and so much more. My domestic life is in tatters, kids starving, husband suing for divorce etc but, oh, it was worth it.
May 18, 2019
I would love to tell you that The Closer I Get is thought-provoking but that would be the understatement of the century. Good heavens, I cannot count the times I looked up from its pages to ponder its content, not on one hand, not on both hands, I’d probably need both feet as well. I mean, it’s a crazy thing, social media, isn’t it. I for one adore Twitter, I really do. I have found my people there. In the so-called real life, hardly anyone relates to my love for books, while on Twitter I have found so many like-minded souls with whom I chat almost daily, people who “get” me, some of whom I feel I know because I know their bookish tastes, because I know some of their character traits, because, like me, they have a furry friend they adore. Likewise I’m sure some of my digital friends think they know me. But do they really? They don’t witness me all grumpy when I get up in the morning and feel like I haven’t slept a wink although I slept for 8 hours straight, they don’t see me on my brain-foggy days when a “thanks for sharing” is about the most I can handle in terms of creative writing, they’re not here when I’m stressed, or sad, or hangry, because I’m not on Twitter in those moments. I may come across as someone who wears her heart on her sleeve, while actually, in that so-called real life, I often want to hide under a blankie and keep my heart hidden in my trouser pocket. You may think you know me because of my profile pic. But who’s to say I am who I tell you I am? I could be anyone! I could be a 54 year old lumberjack using a photo of his niece! I could have a silver beard in real life! I could weigh a ton, I could be 7 feet tall! For the record, I am exactly who I say I am. But how can you be sure?! Suffice it to say, The Closer I Get made me wonder about all that and lots more and it even made me a teensy bit paranoid. Okay I lie, it made me very paranoid.
The Closer I Get didn’t only make me a paranoid android when it came to Twitter, I was wary of all the characters too. There’s Evie. She’s in her mid-thirties, single, smart, a very opinionated blogger not afraid to cook up a Twitter storm, proud of being blocked left right and centre because she sees blocking a person as an admission of defeat. We’re clearly meant to see Evie as the bad guy here, I mean, she is the stalker and stalking is bad. But. Is she really? Is she all bad? Perhaps she’s not quite right in the head, and that wouldn’t be her fault, would it? Or maybe she simply got the wrong end of the stick, and misinterpreted certain signals Tom might have given her. Because Tom? I was almost as wary of him as I was of Evie. He behaves kind of strange, he comes across as rather arrogant, and I really didn’t trust him all that much. I do love it when authors write about authors. It always makes me wonder how much of the story is autobiographical. A third character I was wary of was Emma, a close friend of Tom’s, but how close are they really? There seems to be some tension between them, part of which seems to be sexual, which felt a bit odd since Tom is gay, and I mean “odd” in the sense that I felt that Tom might be taking advantage of a vulnerable woman, or at least has some sort of ulterior motive, or maybe Emma does. In a nutshell: I was looking very askance at about every character (except Colin, I loved Colin, let’s hear it for Colin!).
What does Evie know about Tom, what is Tom hiding, with every raised question more burning than the one before, with every chapter more intriguing than the former, the plot thickens and the finale came as quite a shock. It had me going back to the previous chapter and rereading it to see if I’d maybe misunderstood something. I hadn’t, ‘t was only Paul Burston, pulling the wool over my eyes.
Overall, a very entertaining novel, a well-written story that flows, gaining momentum along the way, keeping the reader absorbed, but what got to me most was the theme, the way Paul Burston made me think and ponder and wonder, pure genius. Highly recommended.
The Closer I Get didn’t only make me a paranoid android when it came to Twitter, I was wary of all the characters too. There’s Evie. She’s in her mid-thirties, single, smart, a very opinionated blogger not afraid to cook up a Twitter storm, proud of being blocked left right and centre because she sees blocking a person as an admission of defeat. We’re clearly meant to see Evie as the bad guy here, I mean, she is the stalker and stalking is bad. But. Is she really? Is she all bad? Perhaps she’s not quite right in the head, and that wouldn’t be her fault, would it? Or maybe she simply got the wrong end of the stick, and misinterpreted certain signals Tom might have given her. Because Tom? I was almost as wary of him as I was of Evie. He behaves kind of strange, he comes across as rather arrogant, and I really didn’t trust him all that much. I do love it when authors write about authors. It always makes me wonder how much of the story is autobiographical. A third character I was wary of was Emma, a close friend of Tom’s, but how close are they really? There seems to be some tension between them, part of which seems to be sexual, which felt a bit odd since Tom is gay, and I mean “odd” in the sense that I felt that Tom might be taking advantage of a vulnerable woman, or at least has some sort of ulterior motive, or maybe Emma does. In a nutshell: I was looking very askance at about every character (except Colin, I loved Colin, let’s hear it for Colin!).
What does Evie know about Tom, what is Tom hiding, with every raised question more burning than the one before, with every chapter more intriguing than the former, the plot thickens and the finale came as quite a shock. It had me going back to the previous chapter and rereading it to see if I’d maybe misunderstood something. I hadn’t, ‘t was only Paul Burston, pulling the wool over my eyes.
Overall, a very entertaining novel, a well-written story that flows, gaining momentum along the way, keeping the reader absorbed, but what got to me most was the theme, the way Paul Burston made me think and ponder and wonder, pure genius. Highly recommended.
July 7, 2019
From the very first page, I was well and truly hooked on this story. It alternates between Evie and Tom so we get inside the head of the stalker as well as the victim. What a place to be inside!
To start with everything seems quite straight forward, Evie is obviously mentally unstable and her obsession with Tom is just that. Tom you can’t help but feel sorry for everything that he is going through. As the story goes further along though I started to get a few niggles about whether everything was quite just as it seems and no way was I prepared for what was in store for me.
Everyone knows about the downsides of social media and this really comes across in this novel. The power that people can have. Those horrible keyboard warriors. It was also interesting to see the police taking it seriously and that things can be done against the horrible trolls that lurk on there.
I wanted to feel compassion for Evie as she obviously has issues, but I just couldn’t. Reading of what goes on in her head gave me shivers. Tom on the other hand, I had bucket loads for to start with but that did sway throughout as at times I wanted to slap him for some of his actions.
The Closer I Get has it all. It’s full of wonderful twists and turns with surprises around every corner. The author had me hanging off every word and I entered each chapter with both trepidation and glee at what was to come. Fans of psychological thrillers are going to love this book as I know I sure did. It definitely has the thrill factor in bucket loads.
My thanks to Anne Cater and Orenda Books for a copy of the book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
To start with everything seems quite straight forward, Evie is obviously mentally unstable and her obsession with Tom is just that. Tom you can’t help but feel sorry for everything that he is going through. As the story goes further along though I started to get a few niggles about whether everything was quite just as it seems and no way was I prepared for what was in store for me.
Everyone knows about the downsides of social media and this really comes across in this novel. The power that people can have. Those horrible keyboard warriors. It was also interesting to see the police taking it seriously and that things can be done against the horrible trolls that lurk on there.
I wanted to feel compassion for Evie as she obviously has issues, but I just couldn’t. Reading of what goes on in her head gave me shivers. Tom on the other hand, I had bucket loads for to start with but that did sway throughout as at times I wanted to slap him for some of his actions.
The Closer I Get has it all. It’s full of wonderful twists and turns with surprises around every corner. The author had me hanging off every word and I entered each chapter with both trepidation and glee at what was to come. Fans of psychological thrillers are going to love this book as I know I sure did. It definitely has the thrill factor in bucket loads.
My thanks to Anne Cater and Orenda Books for a copy of the book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
July 30, 2019
Talk about a book that gets right under your skin! Social media has become firmly ingrained in all of lives and this book takes a hard look at the dark side and is a truly thought provoking read, full of paranoia, dread and just an overall feeling of uneasiness.
You hear from both Evie and Tom as this flips back and forth between them both in alternating chapters and I questioned how reliable they both were the entire way through, it kept me on my toes for sure. At times they both come across as slightly unhinged and desperate and as the details of their relationship are slowly and methodically revealed it’s unclear who is victim and who is villain, maybe both of them? As I said earlier, this one makes you think, not only was I thinking about the characters use of social media and how deeply this effected their lives, you can’t help but think about how your own behaviors online as well.
This was a very timely read and made all the more unsettling because it’s something that could easily happen and already does I’m sure. Totally recommended by me, this was an excellent and dark read that consumed me.
The Closer I Get in three words: Unsettling, Obsessive, and Engrossing
You hear from both Evie and Tom as this flips back and forth between them both in alternating chapters and I questioned how reliable they both were the entire way through, it kept me on my toes for sure. At times they both come across as slightly unhinged and desperate and as the details of their relationship are slowly and methodically revealed it’s unclear who is victim and who is villain, maybe both of them? As I said earlier, this one makes you think, not only was I thinking about the characters use of social media and how deeply this effected their lives, you can’t help but think about how your own behaviors online as well.
This was a very timely read and made all the more unsettling because it’s something that could easily happen and already does I’m sure. Totally recommended by me, this was an excellent and dark read that consumed me.
The Closer I Get in three words: Unsettling, Obsessive, and Engrossing
May 17, 2019
Thriller set in SOUTH LONDON and HASTINGS
Author Tom Hunter has a stalker, identified as Evie Stokes. As the novel opens, the trial is in full swing as we meet the two adversaries.
Tom’s first novel was extremely successful, enabling him to buy a riverside apartment in Vauxhall, but he is struggling to complete the next book. His money has dribbled away, and he is in a ‘relationship’ now with Emma, a friendship with no sexual connection because he is gay. He is objective enough to realise that he has not been altogether good to her, but at some level it seems to work for both of them.
Evie (I imagine her looking like Villanelle) lives with her ill father and she appears for much of the novel via written records she is making, comprising memories of how she has experienced the relationship with Tom and her view of the court proceedings. She believed – and still does – that the two of them have been engaged on a writing project. She is clearly well read and intellectually sharp… emotionally, given the situation in which she finds herself, perhaps less so.
The part that Social Media plays in the construct is quite sobering – the addictive nature and the compulsion to engage (or not) – and the amount of information that can be gleaned about activities is quite salutary. Beware!
Evie is handed a restraining order but will that be the end of it? Tom keeps a wary eye on her and the lure of checking in on her Social Media accounts is difficult to resist.
I read this book in a day, I thought ‘just one more chapter’ and boom, I was at the end. It is a well told story, incisive writing and a well balanced narrative, full of detail and tension. It definitely kept me engrossed!
The locations in the novel are very recognisable, especially for a girl from Saff London.
Author Tom Hunter has a stalker, identified as Evie Stokes. As the novel opens, the trial is in full swing as we meet the two adversaries.
Tom’s first novel was extremely successful, enabling him to buy a riverside apartment in Vauxhall, but he is struggling to complete the next book. His money has dribbled away, and he is in a ‘relationship’ now with Emma, a friendship with no sexual connection because he is gay. He is objective enough to realise that he has not been altogether good to her, but at some level it seems to work for both of them.
Evie (I imagine her looking like Villanelle) lives with her ill father and she appears for much of the novel via written records she is making, comprising memories of how she has experienced the relationship with Tom and her view of the court proceedings. She believed – and still does – that the two of them have been engaged on a writing project. She is clearly well read and intellectually sharp… emotionally, given the situation in which she finds herself, perhaps less so.
The part that Social Media plays in the construct is quite sobering – the addictive nature and the compulsion to engage (or not) – and the amount of information that can be gleaned about activities is quite salutary. Beware!
Evie is handed a restraining order but will that be the end of it? Tom keeps a wary eye on her and the lure of checking in on her Social Media accounts is difficult to resist.
I read this book in a day, I thought ‘just one more chapter’ and boom, I was at the end. It is a well told story, incisive writing and a well balanced narrative, full of detail and tension. It definitely kept me engrossed!
The locations in the novel are very recognisable, especially for a girl from Saff London.
August 25, 2019
Tom Hunter is the author of a bestselling novel but his second book hasn’t matched the huge success of the first and his confidence has taken a knock, he is struggling to write his latest book and is getting pressure from his agent. At a book signing he meets Evie, she shows an interest in his book, they chat, he signs her book. She gives him her business card. She follows him on Twitter, he follows back. The chat starts off friendly enough and he likes the attention but then when the tone changes and Tom tries to back off, things turn nasty. Evie won’t take no for an answer.
Told by Tom in the third person and by Evie by way of first person journal entries and letters, The Closer I Get is a compelling and relevant story of the dangers of social media and what happens when that line is crossed when one person thinks that their friendly overtures are welcomed but the recipient sees it as obsessive and intrusive. Evie is clearly fixated on Tom and takes it very badly when he tries to withdraw from her attentions. The endless trolling of him on social media takes its toll on him and his mental health. When he finally goes to the police and she is subsequently given a restraining order she is angry over the perceived injustice of it all and finds a focus for all that frustration and anger.
Both characters not only come across as unreliable narrators but are quite unlikeable too and neither came out of this tale well although I have to say I did feel more sympathy for Tom than for Evie. I’ve had my own experience of stalking many years ago, pre-internet days, it’s horrible and frightening and I could identify with that feeling of wondering if the person would suddenly appear. Tom as a character could be rather arrogant and self-obsessed, with a lack of awareness of how badly he treated other people and Evie seemed well, just unstable and extremely disturbed. She was far from stupid though. She was extremely well read, as the many literary quotes and references throughout the book testify.
The main characters were superbly drawn but there were other characters who made a valuable contribution – Tom’s friend Emma – his plus one; taken to events and also taken for granted, the neighbour Colin with the ill-fitting wig – far from being a caricature he was a wise old soul who gave Tom some much needed perspective.
As the story progresses and you realise just how manipulative they are and that both Evie and Tom are lying about certain things; the lines between truth and lies become ever more blurred and it becomes harder to tell exactly what the truth is.
With a dramatic and unpredictable climax that I had to go back and read twice, The Closer I Get is a superbly written dark and chilling take on how easy it is for people to hide behind social media and email accounts and how reliant we are on them and how trusting too. This excellent and thought provoking thriller will unsettle and make you look at your social media accounts more carefully!
Told by Tom in the third person and by Evie by way of first person journal entries and letters, The Closer I Get is a compelling and relevant story of the dangers of social media and what happens when that line is crossed when one person thinks that their friendly overtures are welcomed but the recipient sees it as obsessive and intrusive. Evie is clearly fixated on Tom and takes it very badly when he tries to withdraw from her attentions. The endless trolling of him on social media takes its toll on him and his mental health. When he finally goes to the police and she is subsequently given a restraining order she is angry over the perceived injustice of it all and finds a focus for all that frustration and anger.
Both characters not only come across as unreliable narrators but are quite unlikeable too and neither came out of this tale well although I have to say I did feel more sympathy for Tom than for Evie. I’ve had my own experience of stalking many years ago, pre-internet days, it’s horrible and frightening and I could identify with that feeling of wondering if the person would suddenly appear. Tom as a character could be rather arrogant and self-obsessed, with a lack of awareness of how badly he treated other people and Evie seemed well, just unstable and extremely disturbed. She was far from stupid though. She was extremely well read, as the many literary quotes and references throughout the book testify.
The main characters were superbly drawn but there were other characters who made a valuable contribution – Tom’s friend Emma – his plus one; taken to events and also taken for granted, the neighbour Colin with the ill-fitting wig – far from being a caricature he was a wise old soul who gave Tom some much needed perspective.
As the story progresses and you realise just how manipulative they are and that both Evie and Tom are lying about certain things; the lines between truth and lies become ever more blurred and it becomes harder to tell exactly what the truth is.
With a dramatic and unpredictable climax that I had to go back and read twice, The Closer I Get is a superbly written dark and chilling take on how easy it is for people to hide behind social media and email accounts and how reliant we are on them and how trusting too. This excellent and thought provoking thriller will unsettle and make you look at your social media accounts more carefully!
November 25, 2020
Intensely gripping and deeply unsettling, “The Closer I Get” by Paul Burston takes you to the darkest, most dangerous corners of social media where an obsessed follower can turn into a terrifying real-life nightmare.
Author Tom Hunter’s first novel was a success. His second was panned by readers and critics alike. He needs a third book to save his career, but he’s failing at every attempt he makes to write it, thanks in large part to a stalker who’s been harassing him online.
Evie Stokes is a blogger and potential novelist. She connects with Tom on social media, but she wants much more from the handsome writer than just a follow back. After meeting him at a book signing, she believes they share a special connection. When she sends him her book-in-progress only to have him begin to ignore her, her affections quickly turn to fury and vitriol on Twitter and in emails. Clearly obsessed and mentally unstable, Evie reveals herself as a continued threat to Tom’s life through letters she writes to him (but never sends) after she’s prosecuted for harassment.
As the book alternates between Evie’s letters and Tom’s everyday life, it doesn’t take more than a few chapters to realize she’s as unreliable of a narrator as she is a disturbed woman. Yet, Tom’s no saint either. He treats the people in his life poorly. His ex-boyfriend. His best friend Emma. His one-night stand Luke. It makes you ask: Is he purely Evie’s victim — or does he have ulterior motives that make his relationship with the truth as strained as hers?
“The Closer I Get” is what all psychological thrillers should be. The story unwinds slowly as the book moves at a steady pace and the tension grows. The truth is obscured at every turn by the well-developed characters of Tom and Evie. What is the truth? What are the lies? As Evie reveals herself and her past through the letters she writes, Tom does the same through his actions, but also his personality traits. The story almost seems straight-forward if it weren’t for the clouds of doubt these two constantly cast. By the end, you’re clenching your southern set of cheeks in trepidation. But then, it happens. The honest character is revealed along with the truth in a huge, final twist. It’ll turn you head over feet, making you wish you could read the book for the first time again.
Author Tom Hunter’s first novel was a success. His second was panned by readers and critics alike. He needs a third book to save his career, but he’s failing at every attempt he makes to write it, thanks in large part to a stalker who’s been harassing him online.
Evie Stokes is a blogger and potential novelist. She connects with Tom on social media, but she wants much more from the handsome writer than just a follow back. After meeting him at a book signing, she believes they share a special connection. When she sends him her book-in-progress only to have him begin to ignore her, her affections quickly turn to fury and vitriol on Twitter and in emails. Clearly obsessed and mentally unstable, Evie reveals herself as a continued threat to Tom’s life through letters she writes to him (but never sends) after she’s prosecuted for harassment.
As the book alternates between Evie’s letters and Tom’s everyday life, it doesn’t take more than a few chapters to realize she’s as unreliable of a narrator as she is a disturbed woman. Yet, Tom’s no saint either. He treats the people in his life poorly. His ex-boyfriend. His best friend Emma. His one-night stand Luke. It makes you ask: Is he purely Evie’s victim — or does he have ulterior motives that make his relationship with the truth as strained as hers?
“The Closer I Get” is what all psychological thrillers should be. The story unwinds slowly as the book moves at a steady pace and the tension grows. The truth is obscured at every turn by the well-developed characters of Tom and Evie. What is the truth? What are the lies? As Evie reveals herself and her past through the letters she writes, Tom does the same through his actions, but also his personality traits. The story almost seems straight-forward if it weren’t for the clouds of doubt these two constantly cast. By the end, you’re clenching your southern set of cheeks in trepidation. But then, it happens. The honest character is revealed along with the truth in a huge, final twist. It’ll turn you head over feet, making you wish you could read the book for the first time again.
July 26, 2020
This is my first book by this author and I'm going to have to go and read his other books now. Well written and oh so tense, I thought the characters were so well portrayed I was lost in the story, increasingly horrified as events unfolded. It really is a compelling page-turner! And it could happen, that's the really scary thing about this story.
July 22, 2019
Finished reading: July 11th 2019
"The whole online world is one big stalking exercise. If I'm guilty, then so are millions of others."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Anne Cater and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
January 6, 2020
I had this paperback bought for me as a Christmas present
March 22, 2021
Paul Burston’s The Closer I Get is a competently enough written thriller with a couple of twists and turns. It is also very now, with its focus on someone being abused on social media. See Caroline Flack and the like to know this is a real issue.
In this case the person being abused, and stalked, is a man, author Tom Hunter. His antagonist is the mentally disturbed Evie. She turns up at a book signing and at first the pair get on, until Evie steps over the line. While Tom attempts to keep her at arm’s length, things take an ugly turn. What follows is a trawl through the darker side not only of the web but of the shadowy parts of London and then Hastings.
The problem I had was that none of the characters were sympathetic, not even the victim Tom, and while the writing did keep me flipping the pages, I was not heavily invested in the story. The ending was also rather implausible and felt like a twist too far.
In this case the person being abused, and stalked, is a man, author Tom Hunter. His antagonist is the mentally disturbed Evie. She turns up at a book signing and at first the pair get on, until Evie steps over the line. While Tom attempts to keep her at arm’s length, things take an ugly turn. What follows is a trawl through the darker side not only of the web but of the shadowy parts of London and then Hastings.
The problem I had was that none of the characters were sympathetic, not even the victim Tom, and while the writing did keep me flipping the pages, I was not heavily invested in the story. The ending was also rather implausible and felt like a twist too far.
May 12, 2019
This is the first book I've read by Paul Burston and loved it!! I was gripped from the very start right to the last page. It's a dark but compelling story of stalking and social media, which made me question who are my followers and how do I portray myself. It's also a story of how we should nurture our friendships and not let ego or pride get in the way.
July 15, 2019
I am not sure if I have any new words to review this book that has not already been said but I can only but try. Have I already mentioned how excited I was about reading this book? It truly did not disappoint me, Paul got me hooked from the opening pages. I really did not want to put the book but I did not want to rush it, well mainly being ill hasn’t helped, but I wanted to savour every word on every page. I was enthralled with this story of Evie and Tom, Tom and Evie. This dark tale of obsession and the power of an unrequited love resonates so much through The Closer I Get. Recently it was shared on social media an interview that Paul had done in the Guardian. It was a heartbreaking and brave account of his personal struggle with being stalked by someone, so this book does feel like a partial autobiography adding to the power of the written word. Paul has crafted a book that will unsettle you and have you looking over your shoulder. He pulls you in from the opening pages, each page you read is just a bit more unsettling, a bit more terrifying. I was dying to see how everything would play out because surely it could not get any darker….could it?
Well hello to Evie, someone that I feel everyone could relate a tiny bit with. I mean I completely fangirl when an author acknowledges me on social media, comments on my posts etc. You get a buzz, a thrill from that small amount of recognition and at the beginning, I sat there and thought WOW I’m Evie!! However, I have not taken up stalking, I mean I draw the line somewhere ……promise! The problem we have with Evie, and later with Tom, is that the lines become blurry. Who is telling the truth when it comes to their day in court? What secrets are being hidden?
Both lives are completely changed from the outcome of that day, none of it seems to be for the good. Both are heading down a dark and twisty path with very little signs of redemption, a lot of questionable actions and neither of them very likeable. But this doesn’t matter, it’s the intrigue of how their lives get so entwined together, what is keeping them together?
Tom is such a flawed man, he is far from privileged but sometimes he acts above his station. To him, some people are a means to an end and only he can make that decision. I mean who gave him that right? His reaction, for example, to the way Evie is now being “trolled” on Social media, is cold and callous even his best friend Emma cannot grasp it. Months and months of being stalked and tortured by this mentally unstable woman, and he can not fathom any remorse for what is now happening to her. Now don’t get me wrong part of me completely gets this, I mean why should he? He has suffered at her hands, he’s been made to feel like he is slowly losing the plot, so surely he’s entitled to some payback to her now being trolled. However, I felt remorse for her, no one should suffer the backlash like she had, especially if she is mentally unstable, this has the potential to do way more damage and something should be done to help. Tom, however, does not see any of this as his problem and why should he?
I enjoyed watching this unfurl from Tom and Evie’s point of view throughout the story. Tom, retreating to Hastings (only down the road from me!) to finish his book and creates an unlikely friendship with Colin, all the while struggling with the day to day and relying on the alcohol and cigarettes to get him through as he feels he is slowly losing his mind. Evie’s story is told through the letters/emails that she writes to Tom but never send due to her restraining order, trying to explain her position. Through this, the anger that they both feel is palpable and the sense of foreboding is so strong throughout you just do not have a clue what is going to happen and when the storm will roll on in. I felt on edge continuously, I seriously could not relax! It was intense and my emotions were all over the place. I was indifferent with both characters and I could not always figure out where Emma, Tom’s best friend, fit into all of this until that last piece of the jigsaw slotted home.
The Closer I Get also completely knocks the ball out of the park and amplifies the dangers of social media. Who is the keyboard warrior hiding behind their screens? How well do we know people? In the blogging community, you make a lot of virtual friends with the hope you do becomes friends in real life. But do you ever know who is the person behind the profile picture? I love Twitter, not that I really understand it, for the social aspect, but it is easy to see how one wrong word fuels a Halestorm of misconceptions. This is amplified here, with the trolling, the retweets, nothing is sacred or hidden for long. It really does make me wonder, do I need to deactivate mine before it’s too late??
For me this is one of my books of the year, it has everything I need from a book and it is a book that has not left me since finishing the final words. I really do recommend this to everyone and I have been shouting about this since I finished it!
Did I like this book? Erm…No… I bloody LOVED it. Why? Well, it’s hard to put into words why. The characters are unlikeable, the theme is dark and unsettling, there is so much tension in the book and above all it keeps you hooked until the end. I don’t feel like I had a respite at the end! It is the sort of book I would recommend reading on a dark cold rainy night, with a blanket and a blinking large glass of wine, maybe some merlot, all the while savouring the tantalising tale in front of you.
May 18, 2019
When I heard that Paul Burston was joining #TeamOrenda I was very excited. I had an inkling that this was going to be a brilliant pairing and boy was I right. From the moment I started to read The Closer I Get I knew I was in for a bumpy ride. This is, on the surface, the story of author, Tom, and stalker, Evie. Evie goes to a book signing. Tom is polite. Signs the book. Makes an off the cuff remark about their being soul mates ... Unleashes all manner of hell from there on in. From the very first chapter you get a real flavour of Evie's character, a letter, from her to Tom, which starts to build the reader's expectations of just how unstable she may be and just how fractious this 'relationship' is about to become.
Step back in time eight months and we start to build the picture of exactly where this story really began, meeting Tom formally at the point at which he makes his complaint about Evie's behaviour towards him. It is the beginning of a long, slow and torturous process in which he tries to get some kind of restraining order or prosecution against Evie so that he can start to get his life back. But this is only part one of three. It's only a mere fraction of the story. Only part of the picture.
I love the way in which Paul Burston has set this story up. He manages to establish the characters of Tom and Evie quickly, naturally drawing the lines of victim and aggressor. Now, don't get me wrong, as a victim Tom is a bit of an arrogant ass, not entirely likeable, and it's hard to feel complete sympathy for him, but you do really get to experience the way in which Evie's attention affects him emotionally and physically. It has a real authentic vibe, creates a kind of visceral reaction within you as a reader. This is something that the author was sadly able to draw from personal experience to reflect upon in the writing. And he does so with aplomb as Evie is the kind of character who will make you sit and stare, incredulous and perhaps sometimes bewildered by the choices she makes.
Evie, Evie, Evie. What a deliciously deranged, clearly psychotic character. And yet, like all of the best psychotic characters in literature, one who is so controlled, so sure of herself and so absolutely positive that she is in the right all the time that she doesn't even understand how seriously disturbing and scary her actions are. She is adamant that there is more between herself and Tom than he will attest to, and it is this absolute certainty which distorts the way in which you judge her. She denies her feelings or her problems to her court appointed therapist, her acerbic mental reactions actually bringing a smile to my face as I read, even as I drew back nervously. The letters we read in her voice are part of a journal she is encouraged to write, although i'm not convinced this is necessarily priving to be the best therapy ... Her actions are obsessive, manic even at times, and yet in her own head she is able to rationalise things so clearly, so resolutely, that you almost begin to wonder if you are the mad one.
This book is dark, obsessive and disturbing for all of the right reasons. Neither of the central characters is perfect, both nearly perfectly flawed in fact, so much so that you don't trust either of them. But there is just something so compelling about their story - it's a kind of car crash tv moment waiting to happen, the kind that I found I just couldn't turn away, no matter how much the two of them frustrated me at times. Thankfully there are some beautifully crafted supporting characters because if it was just about Tom and Evie it would become too intense. Too claustrophobic. There was Colin, Tom's neighbour and unexepcted confident who I loved, and Emma, who ... well, she's a character alright! They add real texture and life to the story, allowing you more insight into who Tom really is, beyond the extensive author ego.
And then there is the exquisite way in which setting is brought in to play. The way in which Hastings, the town, the weather, the oppressive atmosphere of the mist and fog over the channel means it becomes a character in itself. It lends the narrative drama and tension at just the right moments, adding to the sense of slow building dread which reaches an oh so unexpected and brilliantly executed crescendo.
If you want to read a pitch perfect book on the very dark nature of obsession, of how easy it is for an individual to misread a simple action, be it in person, over social media, or a misinterpreted comment in an interview which 'speaks' to them, then do yourself a favour and buy the book. I can recognise the behaviour and character quirks of a few too many people I've met in both Evie and Tom and it scares me. A lot.
Disturbingly accurate, often chilling, and laced with a myriad of secrets and lies, you will witness the gradual devolution of two already fractured minds, drawing us onward with rapt attention, to an inevitable, shocking but absolutely superb conclusion. Loved it
Step back in time eight months and we start to build the picture of exactly where this story really began, meeting Tom formally at the point at which he makes his complaint about Evie's behaviour towards him. It is the beginning of a long, slow and torturous process in which he tries to get some kind of restraining order or prosecution against Evie so that he can start to get his life back. But this is only part one of three. It's only a mere fraction of the story. Only part of the picture.
I love the way in which Paul Burston has set this story up. He manages to establish the characters of Tom and Evie quickly, naturally drawing the lines of victim and aggressor. Now, don't get me wrong, as a victim Tom is a bit of an arrogant ass, not entirely likeable, and it's hard to feel complete sympathy for him, but you do really get to experience the way in which Evie's attention affects him emotionally and physically. It has a real authentic vibe, creates a kind of visceral reaction within you as a reader. This is something that the author was sadly able to draw from personal experience to reflect upon in the writing. And he does so with aplomb as Evie is the kind of character who will make you sit and stare, incredulous and perhaps sometimes bewildered by the choices she makes.
Evie, Evie, Evie. What a deliciously deranged, clearly psychotic character. And yet, like all of the best psychotic characters in literature, one who is so controlled, so sure of herself and so absolutely positive that she is in the right all the time that she doesn't even understand how seriously disturbing and scary her actions are. She is adamant that there is more between herself and Tom than he will attest to, and it is this absolute certainty which distorts the way in which you judge her. She denies her feelings or her problems to her court appointed therapist, her acerbic mental reactions actually bringing a smile to my face as I read, even as I drew back nervously. The letters we read in her voice are part of a journal she is encouraged to write, although i'm not convinced this is necessarily priving to be the best therapy ... Her actions are obsessive, manic even at times, and yet in her own head she is able to rationalise things so clearly, so resolutely, that you almost begin to wonder if you are the mad one.
This book is dark, obsessive and disturbing for all of the right reasons. Neither of the central characters is perfect, both nearly perfectly flawed in fact, so much so that you don't trust either of them. But there is just something so compelling about their story - it's a kind of car crash tv moment waiting to happen, the kind that I found I just couldn't turn away, no matter how much the two of them frustrated me at times. Thankfully there are some beautifully crafted supporting characters because if it was just about Tom and Evie it would become too intense. Too claustrophobic. There was Colin, Tom's neighbour and unexepcted confident who I loved, and Emma, who ... well, she's a character alright! They add real texture and life to the story, allowing you more insight into who Tom really is, beyond the extensive author ego.
And then there is the exquisite way in which setting is brought in to play. The way in which Hastings, the town, the weather, the oppressive atmosphere of the mist and fog over the channel means it becomes a character in itself. It lends the narrative drama and tension at just the right moments, adding to the sense of slow building dread which reaches an oh so unexpected and brilliantly executed crescendo.
If you want to read a pitch perfect book on the very dark nature of obsession, of how easy it is for an individual to misread a simple action, be it in person, over social media, or a misinterpreted comment in an interview which 'speaks' to them, then do yourself a favour and buy the book. I can recognise the behaviour and character quirks of a few too many people I've met in both Evie and Tom and it scares me. A lot.
Disturbingly accurate, often chilling, and laced with a myriad of secrets and lies, you will witness the gradual devolution of two already fractured minds, drawing us onward with rapt attention, to an inevitable, shocking but absolutely superb conclusion. Loved it
July 31, 2019
“Brrrrrr” – that was me after finishing this book as I was covered in goosebumps because THE CLOSER I GET is one hell of a chilling, thought-provoking, scary story.
This is Paul Burston’s latest novel published by Orenda and is exceptionally well written, pacy, scary and highly topical.
Tom Hunter is a successful author, his first book became a best seller and was made into a film starring Ryan Gosling. His second book didn’t quite get the same response from the public (in fact it was panned by the critics) and he is now struggling to write book three.
Evie is a HUGE fan, Evie LOVES Tom’s first book, Evie loves Twitter and Social Media and Evie doesn’t take NO for an answer. You and I might actually call Evie unbalanced, disturbed, socially awkward and even a TROLL – but Evie doesn’t agree. She’s a woman on a mission and her mission is TOM HUNTER.
Told through alternating chapters THE CLOSER I GET looks closely at obsession, trolling, stalking and highlights the danger of social media. Personally, I adored Evie’s character, her dark humour and her pitiful upbringing and childhood. Each of her chapters, written as a letter to Tom, slowly and deliciously unpeeled another layer of her personality and quirky character and I actually found myself feeling sorry for her (sorry Paul).
This book is an absolutely brilliant psychological thriller with several OMG twists and superb characters, but when the reader realises that THE CLOSER YOU GET is actually based on a real life experience the author went through with a female homophobic stalker it makes the book even more plausible and creepy. They say “Truth is Often Stranger than Fiction” – but kudos to Paul Burston for turning his nightmare into a brilliant, thought-provoking and chilling thriller. Highly recommended.
This is Paul Burston’s latest novel published by Orenda and is exceptionally well written, pacy, scary and highly topical.
Tom Hunter is a successful author, his first book became a best seller and was made into a film starring Ryan Gosling. His second book didn’t quite get the same response from the public (in fact it was panned by the critics) and he is now struggling to write book three.
Evie is a HUGE fan, Evie LOVES Tom’s first book, Evie loves Twitter and Social Media and Evie doesn’t take NO for an answer. You and I might actually call Evie unbalanced, disturbed, socially awkward and even a TROLL – but Evie doesn’t agree. She’s a woman on a mission and her mission is TOM HUNTER.
Told through alternating chapters THE CLOSER I GET looks closely at obsession, trolling, stalking and highlights the danger of social media. Personally, I adored Evie’s character, her dark humour and her pitiful upbringing and childhood. Each of her chapters, written as a letter to Tom, slowly and deliciously unpeeled another layer of her personality and quirky character and I actually found myself feeling sorry for her (sorry Paul).
This book is an absolutely brilliant psychological thriller with several OMG twists and superb characters, but when the reader realises that THE CLOSER YOU GET is actually based on a real life experience the author went through with a female homophobic stalker it makes the book even more plausible and creepy. They say “Truth is Often Stranger than Fiction” – but kudos to Paul Burston for turning his nightmare into a brilliant, thought-provoking and chilling thriller. Highly recommended.
June 2, 2019
Wow! What a crazy ride!!!! Couldn't put this one down.
July 29, 2019
The Closer I Get is the latest novel from Paul Burston and was published on 11th July with Orenda Books. Described as ‘a compulsive, disturbingly relevant, twisty and powerful psychological thriller, The Closer I Get is also a searing commentary on the fragility and insincerity of online relationships, and the danger that can lurk just one ‘like’ away…’ Now doesn’t that sound like a very relevant read for today’s society, a world where many of us are addicted to our online relationships??
Tom is a writer, an author, with one extremely successful book behind him. He has earned big bucks and has thrived on the acclaim that followed him, but that was then. Tom’s next novel fell flat. Social media taunted him, with the comments about him been a has-been, a one-horse-pony hitting him hard. His agent, now losing patience with him, is on his case to produce another BIG novel, but Tom is floundering. His mind is unable to produce the ideas and Tom is feeling the sense of failure and the fear of losing all that he has achieved. The more he dwells on it, the less he is inspired to write.
But through all the negativity and the terrible onslaught of comments in his Twitter notifications, Tom has one ally, one reader, Evie, who believes in him, who supports him and who, when he thought he most needed it, gives him the moral support to keep going.
Evie is a loner, a wannabe writer, and soon becomes Tom’s worst nightmare. Her adoration for Tom slowly morphs into stalking. Her comments of supports change to something very very unexpected. Over time, Tom is living on the edge, not coping with the pressure of being the target of an online troll, eventually leading to him going to the court and having a restraining order placed on Evie….but Evie will not be silenced.
Evie lives with just her Dad for company. Overtime she becomes obsessed with her online relationships and the person she can be there. She is quite opinionated, very unafraid to express her thoughts on any matter, making Twitter the perfect platform for her to be noticed, to gain a following, to be heard and more importantly to be listened to. Following the court order, Evie is very distraught but Tom is relieved. Now he can move on, return to his writing and to his next masterpiece. but Tom does not realise the scale of his own online addiction and soon things take a very sinister turn.
The Closer I Get is quite a disturbing read. Many of us have built up online relationships with, in most cases, strangers, people we have never met in reality and possibly never will. We share parts of our lives with each other, we let people in…but do we really know who we are interacting with? Anyone on Twitter has experience of crossing paths with folk that raise the heckles or raise the hairs, but in most cases we can discontinue communications with this individual, shut them down immediately, the choice is ours to make.But what would happen if that person refuses to be shut down? What if part of us relishes the chase, relishes the adoration, the adulation of this person’s attention?
Tom is not a nice person. There was no part of his personality that I warmed to. He is self-centred, egotistical, completely absorbed in his own happiness and success, with very little regard for others around him. Evie is clearly unwell, unbalanced, a person in need of psychiatric help but who, for some reason, has slipped through the cracks.
The Closer I Get is a novel inspired by a real-life event in Paul Burston’s life, which gave him the seed for the rather unsettling theme that runs through the novel. Paul Burston’s portrayal of two very troubled individuals is uncomfortable, yet also fascinating, reading. I was unexpectedly surprised with my feelings toward the different personalities of the main two protagonists in the story. I felt sorry for Evie, I thought she was a person in obvious need of something positive in her life, something that would give her hope and the attention that she craved. Tom is similar to Evie in many ways, but I just felt no sympathy for him whatsoever. He brought to mind Maurice Swift, the main character in John Boyne’s A Ladder to the Sky,,with a similar narcissistic personality.
There is constant tension and suspense running throughout this tale, keeping the attention of the reader until THAT ending. Paul Burston is a very interesting writer, quite an influential individual and one to watch. With a novel, The Gay Divorcee, previously optioned for television, I expect that The Closer I Get will garner the same, if not more, attention.
The atmosphere evoked throughout this book is certainly made for the big screen…IMHO…
Tom is a writer, an author, with one extremely successful book behind him. He has earned big bucks and has thrived on the acclaim that followed him, but that was then. Tom’s next novel fell flat. Social media taunted him, with the comments about him been a has-been, a one-horse-pony hitting him hard. His agent, now losing patience with him, is on his case to produce another BIG novel, but Tom is floundering. His mind is unable to produce the ideas and Tom is feeling the sense of failure and the fear of losing all that he has achieved. The more he dwells on it, the less he is inspired to write.
But through all the negativity and the terrible onslaught of comments in his Twitter notifications, Tom has one ally, one reader, Evie, who believes in him, who supports him and who, when he thought he most needed it, gives him the moral support to keep going.
Evie is a loner, a wannabe writer, and soon becomes Tom’s worst nightmare. Her adoration for Tom slowly morphs into stalking. Her comments of supports change to something very very unexpected. Over time, Tom is living on the edge, not coping with the pressure of being the target of an online troll, eventually leading to him going to the court and having a restraining order placed on Evie….but Evie will not be silenced.
Evie lives with just her Dad for company. Overtime she becomes obsessed with her online relationships and the person she can be there. She is quite opinionated, very unafraid to express her thoughts on any matter, making Twitter the perfect platform for her to be noticed, to gain a following, to be heard and more importantly to be listened to. Following the court order, Evie is very distraught but Tom is relieved. Now he can move on, return to his writing and to his next masterpiece. but Tom does not realise the scale of his own online addiction and soon things take a very sinister turn.
The Closer I Get is quite a disturbing read. Many of us have built up online relationships with, in most cases, strangers, people we have never met in reality and possibly never will. We share parts of our lives with each other, we let people in…but do we really know who we are interacting with? Anyone on Twitter has experience of crossing paths with folk that raise the heckles or raise the hairs, but in most cases we can discontinue communications with this individual, shut them down immediately, the choice is ours to make.But what would happen if that person refuses to be shut down? What if part of us relishes the chase, relishes the adoration, the adulation of this person’s attention?
Tom is not a nice person. There was no part of his personality that I warmed to. He is self-centred, egotistical, completely absorbed in his own happiness and success, with very little regard for others around him. Evie is clearly unwell, unbalanced, a person in need of psychiatric help but who, for some reason, has slipped through the cracks.
The Closer I Get is a novel inspired by a real-life event in Paul Burston’s life, which gave him the seed for the rather unsettling theme that runs through the novel. Paul Burston’s portrayal of two very troubled individuals is uncomfortable, yet also fascinating, reading. I was unexpectedly surprised with my feelings toward the different personalities of the main two protagonists in the story. I felt sorry for Evie, I thought she was a person in obvious need of something positive in her life, something that would give her hope and the attention that she craved. Tom is similar to Evie in many ways, but I just felt no sympathy for him whatsoever. He brought to mind Maurice Swift, the main character in John Boyne’s A Ladder to the Sky,,with a similar narcissistic personality.
There is constant tension and suspense running throughout this tale, keeping the attention of the reader until THAT ending. Paul Burston is a very interesting writer, quite an influential individual and one to watch. With a novel, The Gay Divorcee, previously optioned for television, I expect that The Closer I Get will garner the same, if not more, attention.
The atmosphere evoked throughout this book is certainly made for the big screen…IMHO…
July 1, 2019
O,what a tangled web we weave, when first we practise to deceive.
Ohhh boy,deception is most definitely the name of the game in this twisty, compelling tale of manipulation,deception,lies,obsession and the dangers of interacting with strangers on social media,especially when you are a well known person in the public domain.
The three main players in this disturbingly relevant thriller are Tom (the author) Emma (Tom's best friend) and Evie ( Tom's alleged stalker)
Tom's first novel was a bestseller that received critical acclaim and was adapted into a film starring Ryan Gosling but now Tom is struggling to finish his latest novel. He is suffering from a very bad case of writers block and is no longer his agents golden boy,it actually appears that she is gradually distancing herself from him. But Tom's biggest distraction apart from social media is an obsessive fan who refuses to leave him alone.
Evie is very intelligent, very sly and manipulative and very very unstable. She lives with her father and spends all her time on social media.When Evie is hit with a restraining order,her world is turned upside down. Tom is overjoyed,thinking that he free to live his life again and finally finish his novel.
But nothing is what it appears to be,neither Tom or Evie would be able to tell the truth,even if their lives depended on it. And if Tom thinks that a little thing like a restraining order is going to stop Evie,then he seriously needs to think again. Or is there more to Tom and Evie's relashionship than Tom is admitting.
The story is set in London and Hastings and is told in chapters that alternate between Tom and Evie's very unreliable perspectives. During some of Evie's chapters,we are taken back into her past and told her back story which gives the reader a insight into why she thinks and behaves in the manner that she does. As the story unfolded,I changed my mind numerous times about who I thought was telling the truth,who was the master manipulator. I can honestly say that I didn't like neither Evie or Tom. Someone I did like and was my favourite character in this book was
Tom's elderly neighbour whilst he was staying in Hastings. Colin was a wonderful,realistic,loveable character.
As well being a deeply disturbing psychological thriller,this story is also a very relevant to modern times warning about the dangers of interacting with strangers on social media and the fickleness of modern society. Every day we follow people,get new followers,like and retweet comments. If you stop and think about it,we all put ourselves in the position where any one of us could find ourselves in the same predicament that Tom allegedly found himself caught up in.
The Closer I Get hooks the reader in from the first page,holding your attention right through to the totally unexpected,twist at the conclusion. The twists and turns keep you guessing,the characters are deeply flawed with realistic issues. This story is extremely well written,intense,compulsive and chilling and I loved it. This is the first book that I have read by this author and it definitely will not be my last. Very highly recommended.
Many thanks to Anne Carter of Random Things Tours and Orenda Books for the opportunity to read and review this book and take part in the tour.
Ohhh boy,deception is most definitely the name of the game in this twisty, compelling tale of manipulation,deception,lies,obsession and the dangers of interacting with strangers on social media,especially when you are a well known person in the public domain.
The three main players in this disturbingly relevant thriller are Tom (the author) Emma (Tom's best friend) and Evie ( Tom's alleged stalker)
Tom's first novel was a bestseller that received critical acclaim and was adapted into a film starring Ryan Gosling but now Tom is struggling to finish his latest novel. He is suffering from a very bad case of writers block and is no longer his agents golden boy,it actually appears that she is gradually distancing herself from him. But Tom's biggest distraction apart from social media is an obsessive fan who refuses to leave him alone.
Evie is very intelligent, very sly and manipulative and very very unstable. She lives with her father and spends all her time on social media.When Evie is hit with a restraining order,her world is turned upside down. Tom is overjoyed,thinking that he free to live his life again and finally finish his novel.
But nothing is what it appears to be,neither Tom or Evie would be able to tell the truth,even if their lives depended on it. And if Tom thinks that a little thing like a restraining order is going to stop Evie,then he seriously needs to think again. Or is there more to Tom and Evie's relashionship than Tom is admitting.
The story is set in London and Hastings and is told in chapters that alternate between Tom and Evie's very unreliable perspectives. During some of Evie's chapters,we are taken back into her past and told her back story which gives the reader a insight into why she thinks and behaves in the manner that she does. As the story unfolded,I changed my mind numerous times about who I thought was telling the truth,who was the master manipulator. I can honestly say that I didn't like neither Evie or Tom. Someone I did like and was my favourite character in this book was
Tom's elderly neighbour whilst he was staying in Hastings. Colin was a wonderful,realistic,loveable character.
As well being a deeply disturbing psychological thriller,this story is also a very relevant to modern times warning about the dangers of interacting with strangers on social media and the fickleness of modern society. Every day we follow people,get new followers,like and retweet comments. If you stop and think about it,we all put ourselves in the position where any one of us could find ourselves in the same predicament that Tom allegedly found himself caught up in.
The Closer I Get hooks the reader in from the first page,holding your attention right through to the totally unexpected,twist at the conclusion. The twists and turns keep you guessing,the characters are deeply flawed with realistic issues. This story is extremely well written,intense,compulsive and chilling and I loved it. This is the first book that I have read by this author and it definitely will not be my last. Very highly recommended.
Many thanks to Anne Carter of Random Things Tours and Orenda Books for the opportunity to read and review this book and take part in the tour.
July 26, 2019
As always you can read all of my reviews on my blog - http://darkreads.blog
Yikes! What an intensely dark read (see what I did there?!)
This is a story of Stalking, obsession, delusion, lies and deception and I loved every minute!
I find some of the scariest stories are the ones that can and do happen, The Closer I get is so relevant. The majority of use various social media platforms on a daily basis. I found this a really interesting premise, as a blogger the use of social media as a platform to talk about books and connect with other bloggers and authors felt very familiar. I love Twitter, and my bookish family, but if there was ever a book that would give you a phobia of social media this is it! The Closer I get demonstrates flawlessly how easily a ‘Social Media storm’ can be stirred up and how quickly things can get out of hand…
The book is told from both Evie and Tom’s perspectives through alternating chapters, this worked perfectly for this book. I would finish a Tom Chapter and feel like I knew what I thought, then I would read an Evie chapter and question everything I though I knew!
The book starts with a letter from Evie to Tom, it’s a chilling insight to how far her obsession and delusions have gone. Next we get to hear Tom’s statement to the police. The book continues with narratives from past and present. The tension mounts with every chapter, the paranoia and anxiety were palpable to the very end, and what an ending it was! This was the best ending to a book I have read in a long time. I have a feeling it will stay with me for a while.
I have to say that Burston’s ability to write characters is fantastic, particularly Evie. What a dark and complex character she is, she is intelligent and extremely well read, with lots of lovely literary quotes, she is an eccentric and deluded masterpiece, her monologue was beautifully written.
The Closer I get was a dark psychological thriller and I would pick up another Burston book in the blink of an eye. This one comes highly recommended from me.
Yikes! What an intensely dark read (see what I did there?!)
This is a story of Stalking, obsession, delusion, lies and deception and I loved every minute!
I find some of the scariest stories are the ones that can and do happen, The Closer I get is so relevant. The majority of use various social media platforms on a daily basis. I found this a really interesting premise, as a blogger the use of social media as a platform to talk about books and connect with other bloggers and authors felt very familiar. I love Twitter, and my bookish family, but if there was ever a book that would give you a phobia of social media this is it! The Closer I get demonstrates flawlessly how easily a ‘Social Media storm’ can be stirred up and how quickly things can get out of hand…
The book is told from both Evie and Tom’s perspectives through alternating chapters, this worked perfectly for this book. I would finish a Tom Chapter and feel like I knew what I thought, then I would read an Evie chapter and question everything I though I knew!
The book starts with a letter from Evie to Tom, it’s a chilling insight to how far her obsession and delusions have gone. Next we get to hear Tom’s statement to the police. The book continues with narratives from past and present. The tension mounts with every chapter, the paranoia and anxiety were palpable to the very end, and what an ending it was! This was the best ending to a book I have read in a long time. I have a feeling it will stay with me for a while.
I have to say that Burston’s ability to write characters is fantastic, particularly Evie. What a dark and complex character she is, she is intelligent and extremely well read, with lots of lovely literary quotes, she is an eccentric and deluded masterpiece, her monologue was beautifully written.
The Closer I get was a dark psychological thriller and I would pick up another Burston book in the blink of an eye. This one comes highly recommended from me.
April 23, 2019
I recently took this literary beauty to Scotland, amongst all family time I didn't get to greedily devour this dark and twisty thriller, but I got to snack on it one delicious bite at a time. That was until I couldn't take the teasing anymore and gulped the last third down during a five hour journey home, battling through the travel sickness. It was worth every tummy turn! The Closer I Get is a contemporary psychological thriller that will leave the reader stunned from how real the narrative is.
We all do it, we overshare on social media, we form technological based relationships with others from behind a screen, but what would you do if a person who you thought was innocent enough turned out to be a full on Annie Wilkes stalker on you? Well this is the S-Show that Tom's life has become and it's chilling! The narrative is dual; from Tom and Evie's point of view. This type of dual storyline allows the reader to delve deeper into the individual characters - life, thoughts and mental capacity, you're able to see both sides of the story - predator and prey. Immediately you realise how dark and twisted Evie's mindset is, which sets the heart racing at 100 mph as your prepares to mind prepares to be blown away (which it absolutely will be MANY TIMES!), as you sympathise with the author whose life is becoming suffocated.
Paul Burton has a super power, that is the ability to unsettle a reader using his words alone. He's created three dimensional characterization with a background, friends / family, faults, hang-ups and habits that make them identifiable to the reader, rather than just a boring cardboard cut out of a character. The storyline is well thought out and executed. I can't fault it.
I found this read to be both compelling and compulsive in nature, with a truly terrifying dialogue that will have you on full alert at the edge of your seat, make sure you lock all doors and windows, make a cuppa because The Closer I Get will leave you glued to your seat until the final page, and maybe a while after. The themes woven into the dialogue will satisfy the readers need for a contorted roller-coaster ride of a book. A brilliantly addictive page turner that every thriller addict / fan / book reader needs this July!!
We all do it, we overshare on social media, we form technological based relationships with others from behind a screen, but what would you do if a person who you thought was innocent enough turned out to be a full on Annie Wilkes stalker on you? Well this is the S-Show that Tom's life has become and it's chilling! The narrative is dual; from Tom and Evie's point of view. This type of dual storyline allows the reader to delve deeper into the individual characters - life, thoughts and mental capacity, you're able to see both sides of the story - predator and prey. Immediately you realise how dark and twisted Evie's mindset is, which sets the heart racing at 100 mph as your prepares to mind prepares to be blown away (which it absolutely will be MANY TIMES!), as you sympathise with the author whose life is becoming suffocated.
Paul Burton has a super power, that is the ability to unsettle a reader using his words alone. He's created three dimensional characterization with a background, friends / family, faults, hang-ups and habits that make them identifiable to the reader, rather than just a boring cardboard cut out of a character. The storyline is well thought out and executed. I can't fault it.
I found this read to be both compelling and compulsive in nature, with a truly terrifying dialogue that will have you on full alert at the edge of your seat, make sure you lock all doors and windows, make a cuppa because The Closer I Get will leave you glued to your seat until the final page, and maybe a while after. The themes woven into the dialogue will satisfy the readers need for a contorted roller-coaster ride of a book. A brilliantly addictive page turner that every thriller addict / fan / book reader needs this July!!
July 29, 2019
The Closer I Get was a novel that I heard a lot about without really knowing it’s synopsis. That is, until I saw a link to an article in a newspaper article about what inspired the author to write it, which then inspired me to read the book as soon as I could.
Many people are on social media. Many post things that they wouldn’t say in real life, face to face. They get involved in disagreements that are best avoided, often using the hashtag. Some become stalkers. Evie is one of the few who do all of these things. There are probably many like her, a loner who had a terrible childhood and didn’t know how to be in the real world. There were moments where I could understand her pain but not how she dealt with it. After being served with a restraining order for her actions involving Tom they both have to rebuild the lives. But are things as they appear?
I found this story mesmerising. More so because neither of the two main characters were that likeable. I couldn’t work out if either of them were being honest and neither of them were nice to anybody they came into contact with. I did have sympathy for Tom initially but I also had misgivings when I could see the way he treated his friends and lovers. He was selfish and self obsessed and couldn’t see that his friend Emma may have needed him to be there for her, just like she was expected to be there for him. The only one who brought out his better side was his developing friendship with his elderly neighbour, Colin.
As well as the characters the author does a terrific job of describing the negative side to social media. One of the platforms in particular is shown at its worst and I’m probably not the only one who was left feeling ill at ease and reluctant to post anything at all.
Totally different to many of the novels that I read, I’m looking forward to my limited edition signed copy arriving soon.
Many people are on social media. Many post things that they wouldn’t say in real life, face to face. They get involved in disagreements that are best avoided, often using the hashtag. Some become stalkers. Evie is one of the few who do all of these things. There are probably many like her, a loner who had a terrible childhood and didn’t know how to be in the real world. There were moments where I could understand her pain but not how she dealt with it. After being served with a restraining order for her actions involving Tom they both have to rebuild the lives. But are things as they appear?
I found this story mesmerising. More so because neither of the two main characters were that likeable. I couldn’t work out if either of them were being honest and neither of them were nice to anybody they came into contact with. I did have sympathy for Tom initially but I also had misgivings when I could see the way he treated his friends and lovers. He was selfish and self obsessed and couldn’t see that his friend Emma may have needed him to be there for her, just like she was expected to be there for him. The only one who brought out his better side was his developing friendship with his elderly neighbour, Colin.
As well as the characters the author does a terrific job of describing the negative side to social media. One of the platforms in particular is shown at its worst and I’m probably not the only one who was left feeling ill at ease and reluctant to post anything at all.
Totally different to many of the novels that I read, I’m looking forward to my limited edition signed copy arriving soon.
July 28, 2019
My goodness how I loved reading The Closer I Get (Orenda Books) by Paul Burston. The idea of writing about the dangers of Social Media and stalking really had my thinking about how we all interact with other. Many will know and follow me via Twitter and there were times when I switched off Twitter while I was reading Paul Burston’s brilliant taught thriller.
Novels are not just about the storyline they are nothing without characters and Paul has created and crafted some wonderful characters with Tom and Evie. Let’s start with Evie. She is totally off her head in fact dangerously and worryingly psychotic. The story opens with what seems like a letter from Evie to Tom and from this moment the reader is inside Evie’s head. Then the story from Tom’s point of view moves back eight months.
Tom is a writer and his first novel was a huge success and became a big screen film starring a major Hollywood actor. But Tom is struggling to find the form of his successful debut as his second failed and now so does his next. He needs to up his game or his agent will not need an excuse to offload him. Tom is side-tracked by Evie who it seems is stalking him on Social Media.
The story is told by both Evie and Tom but who is telling the truth about what really is going on here? Evie clearly has a real interest in Tom and will not leave him alone. It is very clear Evie has some serious issues. As I became part of the storyline to try and understand both Evie and Tom I just became a little uneasy about what Tom was really up to. Was there something he was doing to get Evie to play along. This was beginning to freak me out a little. Were they both as bad as each other. This was brilliant writing from Burston and a very clever storyline. Together with other characters that make up The Closer I get this was a truly chilling and an unsettling read. I needed a cool shower after finishing reading, you will see why when you read it and you will want to. Reading this riveting thriller made me question what really does go via Social Media.
Novels are not just about the storyline they are nothing without characters and Paul has created and crafted some wonderful characters with Tom and Evie. Let’s start with Evie. She is totally off her head in fact dangerously and worryingly psychotic. The story opens with what seems like a letter from Evie to Tom and from this moment the reader is inside Evie’s head. Then the story from Tom’s point of view moves back eight months.
Tom is a writer and his first novel was a huge success and became a big screen film starring a major Hollywood actor. But Tom is struggling to find the form of his successful debut as his second failed and now so does his next. He needs to up his game or his agent will not need an excuse to offload him. Tom is side-tracked by Evie who it seems is stalking him on Social Media.
The story is told by both Evie and Tom but who is telling the truth about what really is going on here? Evie clearly has a real interest in Tom and will not leave him alone. It is very clear Evie has some serious issues. As I became part of the storyline to try and understand both Evie and Tom I just became a little uneasy about what Tom was really up to. Was there something he was doing to get Evie to play along. This was beginning to freak me out a little. Were they both as bad as each other. This was brilliant writing from Burston and a very clever storyline. Together with other characters that make up The Closer I get this was a truly chilling and an unsettling read. I needed a cool shower after finishing reading, you will see why when you read it and you will want to. Reading this riveting thriller made me question what really does go via Social Media.
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