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Vicious
NO MOTIVE
For more than two years, he held Seattle in a terror grip. A cold-blooded killer who abducted young mothers right in front of their sons and murdered them execution style. Then, as suddenly as the killings began, they seemed to stop.
NO MERCY
Susan Blanchette is looking forward to a relaxing weekend getaway with her fiancé, Allen, and young son, Matthew. But something about the remote lake house doesn’t feel right. A woman vanished from the area a year ago, and now Susan thinks she’s spotted someone lurking around the property. And when Allen disappears, her fear grows…
NO ESCAPE
A psychopath has returned, ready to strike again. Someone who can’t resist the urge to kill, who derives pleasure from others’ pain, and who is drawing nearer to Susan as each minute of the weekend ticks by. But she’s just one pawn at the heart of a killer’s deadly game. A killer who is unrelenting, unstoppable, and absolutely vicious…
For more than two years, he held Seattle in a terror grip. A cold-blooded killer who abducted young mothers right in front of their sons and murdered them execution style. Then, as suddenly as the killings began, they seemed to stop.
NO MERCY
Susan Blanchette is looking forward to a relaxing weekend getaway with her fiancé, Allen, and young son, Matthew. But something about the remote lake house doesn’t feel right. A woman vanished from the area a year ago, and now Susan thinks she’s spotted someone lurking around the property. And when Allen disappears, her fear grows…
NO ESCAPE
A psychopath has returned, ready to strike again. Someone who can’t resist the urge to kill, who derives pleasure from others’ pain, and who is drawing nearer to Susan as each minute of the weekend ticks by. But she’s just one pawn at the heart of a killer’s deadly game. A killer who is unrelenting, unstoppable, and absolutely vicious…
496 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 20, 2010
173 people are currently reading
1458 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 179 reviews
July 23, 2025
Twists and Turns Abound.
A psychopath is on the loose. His targets? Pretty mothers with young sons.
Vicious is a dark psychological thriller with characters so savvy they make it near impossible to differentiate between who is the cat and who is the mouse.
I am always impressed when an author succeeds in shooting down all of my well honed guesses with authority. Well, Kevin O'Brien managed to do just that with conviction from start to finish. His big reveal has more layers than a multi-tiered wedding cake.
Narrator Daniel Thomas May's performance was on fire It took little time for him to hook me right in. My only complaint is that it ended too quickly. Many accolades.
A psychopath is on the loose. His targets? Pretty mothers with young sons.
Vicious is a dark psychological thriller with characters so savvy they make it near impossible to differentiate between who is the cat and who is the mouse.
I am always impressed when an author succeeds in shooting down all of my well honed guesses with authority. Well, Kevin O'Brien managed to do just that with conviction from start to finish. His big reveal has more layers than a multi-tiered wedding cake.
Narrator Daniel Thomas May's performance was on fire It took little time for him to hook me right in. My only complaint is that it ended too quickly. Many accolades.
October 31, 2024
Susan Blanchette and her four-year-old son Mattie are driving up to a Lake House in Washington for a weekend getaway with her fiancé Allen. When Susan arrives at the Lake House, she feels like someone is watching her. The next day Allen drives into town to pick up some supplies; but he never returns. Susan becomes concerned and calls the local police. They don't seem to be worried about Allen; and say he's likely to turn up soon. As Susan and Mattie wait for Allen to return, she sees someone lingering at the edge of the woods. Is it the same man she saw yesterday? Does he have something to do with Allen's disappearance?
The area where the Lake House is located was in the news last year because of the disappearance of a local woman. She was never found. Now Susan is wondering if she is being stalked by a killer, and will she be the next victim.
I was a little confused at the beginning of the book when we were introduced to several characters in the first few chapters. But after sorting them out and getting the killer's point-of-view, I knew we were in for a wild ride. There were only a handful of suspects, but I kept changing my mind about what exactly happened to Allen and who was watching Susan.
I listened to the audio version of the book narrated by Daniel Thomas May. Time flew by because I was engrossed in the story and kept wondering whodunit. My rating: 4 Stars.
The area where the Lake House is located was in the news last year because of the disappearance of a local woman. She was never found. Now Susan is wondering if she is being stalked by a killer, and will she be the next victim.
I was a little confused at the beginning of the book when we were introduced to several characters in the first few chapters. But after sorting them out and getting the killer's point-of-view, I knew we were in for a wild ride. There were only a handful of suspects, but I kept changing my mind about what exactly happened to Allen and who was watching Susan.
I listened to the audio version of the book narrated by Daniel Thomas May. Time flew by because I was engrossed in the story and kept wondering whodunit. My rating: 4 Stars.
December 24, 2018
In 'Vicious', Susan joins her fiance, Allen together with her son Mattie for a vacation at a remote and tranquil lake house. Things start to fall apart when she suspects a stranger of following them and then Allen leaves to buy some supplies only to fail to return. With the notorious serial killer Mama's Boy known to be active in that area, Susan wonders if she will make it out alive.
This story started off really good, with plenty of suspense and threats at just about every corner. The man that kept showing up wherever Susan was and constantly struck up conversations with her was creepy. Besides that, the sightings of a prowler outside the lake house further contributed to the alarming atmosphere. I found myself questioning whether it was Mama's Boy or someone else lurking around and what would happen next.
Unfortunately, whatever promise the story had gradually diminished due to several reasons. The writing was long-winded and repetitive, hence boring me to no end. Mattie was unbelievably annoying throughout. Susan was always worrying about Allen's whereabouts and dashing from one place to another while somehow managing to not do anything smart or productive. It's really not that hard to lodge a report and get the hell out instead of being a sitting target for an unknown assailant.
Her stupidity was truly unbearable, as proven time and again by her string of poor decisions. So you know that someone is following and spying on you - what do you do? According to Susan, you should keep leaving your child alone (or with a stranger), tell him to stay put, run off to do something pointless and freak out when you hear him scream or not respond to your call. I have an idea Susan - why don't you just bring him with you so that the perpetrator has a harder time kidnapping or hurting him?
Despite her fears, she was quick to confide in other people about Allen being missing. Great. So you know that one of them could be Mama's Boy yet you let them know that your fiance is missing and you're vulnerable with just your little boy. Okay. Meanwhile, the other characters were one-dimensional and interchangeable. The only one who stood out was Jordan since his background story perfectly explained his actions and motivations. As for the identity of the lurker / possible murderer…
It wasn't shocking because the pool of suspects was small to begin with. It couldn't have been . Although I liked the revelation about the it definitely didn't make sense. There were a couple of plotholes caused by this. The story also dragged on and on all the way to the needless epilogue.
Overall, 'Vicious' was misleading in terms of its title. It barely had any fangs or danger. If your idea of an engaging mystery / thriller is reading about a dumb woman running around mindlessly looking for her fiance, then this would be a good read. Otherwise, steer clear from this disappointment.
This story started off really good, with plenty of suspense and threats at just about every corner. The man that kept showing up wherever Susan was and constantly struck up conversations with her was creepy. Besides that, the sightings of a prowler outside the lake house further contributed to the alarming atmosphere. I found myself questioning whether it was Mama's Boy or someone else lurking around and what would happen next.
Unfortunately, whatever promise the story had gradually diminished due to several reasons. The writing was long-winded and repetitive, hence boring me to no end. Mattie was unbelievably annoying throughout. Susan was always worrying about Allen's whereabouts and dashing from one place to another while somehow managing to not do anything smart or productive. It's really not that hard to lodge a report and get the hell out instead of being a sitting target for an unknown assailant.
Her stupidity was truly unbearable, as proven time and again by her string of poor decisions. So you know that someone is following and spying on you - what do you do? According to Susan, you should keep leaving your child alone (or with a stranger), tell him to stay put, run off to do something pointless and freak out when you hear him scream or not respond to your call. I have an idea Susan - why don't you just bring him with you so that the perpetrator has a harder time kidnapping or hurting him?
Despite her fears, she was quick to confide in other people about Allen being missing. Great. So you know that one of them could be Mama's Boy yet you let them know that your fiance is missing and you're vulnerable with just your little boy. Okay. Meanwhile, the other characters were one-dimensional and interchangeable. The only one who stood out was Jordan since his background story perfectly explained his actions and motivations. As for the identity of the lurker / possible murderer…
It wasn't shocking because the pool of suspects was small to begin with. It couldn't have been . Although I liked the revelation about the it definitely didn't make sense. There were a couple of plotholes caused by this. The story also dragged on and on all the way to the needless epilogue.
Overall, 'Vicious' was misleading in terms of its title. It barely had any fangs or danger. If your idea of an engaging mystery / thriller is reading about a dumb woman running around mindlessly looking for her fiance, then this would be a good read. Otherwise, steer clear from this disappointment.
May 16, 2010
met him at the festival of mystery in oakmont,pa, listended to him speak about his book and tho't, hmmmm i think i'd like it. he laughed about the books cover making it look like his middle name was vicious. he seemed like such a mild mannered nice man until i read this book.. let me tell ya...the man is one sick puppy... to come up with such a plot line!! i contemplated calling in sick to work to be able to finish reading this!!
every page is a new twist. if you like lisa gardner you'll like this guy..,there is a serial killer on the loose the police call 'mama's boy' he kidnaps mothers infront of their children leaving behind a used toy. then he disappears... for a while.
oh just read it! if you like lisa gardner style of books you will like this one.
i'm going to go add the rest of his to my 'to read list' this sure was a GREAT way to get to know a new author!
i guess i'm now going to have to be one of his 'Slasher girls' for sure!
every page is a new twist. if you like lisa gardner you'll like this guy..,there is a serial killer on the loose the police call 'mama's boy' he kidnaps mothers infront of their children leaving behind a used toy. then he disappears... for a while.
oh just read it! if you like lisa gardner style of books you will like this one.
i'm going to go add the rest of his to my 'to read list' this sure was a GREAT way to get to know a new author!
i guess i'm now going to have to be one of his 'Slasher girls' for sure!
August 6, 2019
This is the first book I've read by Kevin O'Brien but it will most certainly not be the last! Great book! So many twists and never knowing what is about to happen next! I could not put this down!
November 6, 2017
Oh, this was one fantastic wild ride that I didn’t want to end, but did want it to to know what would happen. Kevin O’Brien never disappoints.
Susan has finally moved on from the tragedy that killed her son and husband and is now engaged to Allen. While it isn’t really a whirlwind relationship, it is comfortable and she’s ready to move on with him and her son Mattie to become a family. After their engagement, Allen has an idea for a family getaway for the three of them at a cabin on a lake, and even renting a sailboat for the duration of their stay. Shortly after their arrival, Allen disappears. Meanwhile, down the road, lots of interesting events are happening all over the place. My head was spinning, in a good way; with a roller coaster of twists and turns.
This book kept me guessing, I never knew who to trust. I couldn’t tell who was good and who was evil. Do you really know the people you love? Your friends? Your boyfriend or girlfriend? People that are supposed to protect you?
While I loved the book, I did think Susan didn’t always make the best decisions for her or her son but saying that, it didn’t take anything away from my enjoyment of the book, I just wanted to slap some sense into her at times.
Kevin O’Brien consistently writes delightful thrillers, with lots of action, suspense, some a little creepier than others; but always a book you don’t want to put down. His way of storytelling keeps you reading. I haven’t made my way through all of them yet, but like to savour them; I will be sad when my pile is done but fortunately he is still pumping one out every year. Definitely he is one of my favourite authors.
Susan has finally moved on from the tragedy that killed her son and husband and is now engaged to Allen. While it isn’t really a whirlwind relationship, it is comfortable and she’s ready to move on with him and her son Mattie to become a family. After their engagement, Allen has an idea for a family getaway for the three of them at a cabin on a lake, and even renting a sailboat for the duration of their stay. Shortly after their arrival, Allen disappears. Meanwhile, down the road, lots of interesting events are happening all over the place. My head was spinning, in a good way; with a roller coaster of twists and turns.
This book kept me guessing, I never knew who to trust. I couldn’t tell who was good and who was evil. Do you really know the people you love? Your friends? Your boyfriend or girlfriend? People that are supposed to protect you?
While I loved the book, I did think Susan didn’t always make the best decisions for her or her son but saying that, it didn’t take anything away from my enjoyment of the book, I just wanted to slap some sense into her at times.
Kevin O’Brien consistently writes delightful thrillers, with lots of action, suspense, some a little creepier than others; but always a book you don’t want to put down. His way of storytelling keeps you reading. I haven’t made my way through all of them yet, but like to savour them; I will be sad when my pile is done but fortunately he is still pumping one out every year. Definitely he is one of my favourite authors.
January 23, 2020
This supermarket thriller moves along at a decent clip despite some eye-rolly details like a serial killer coined “Mama’s Boy”, all the men being handsome, mid-30’s with black hair (that’s one way to increase the number of potential suspects), about 15 flat tires, and excessive use of the word “panties” (shudder). The book would have been a lot shorter if the main character had made any logical decisions, but I was still able to whip through 468 pages in a day and a half so I guess I wasn’t necessarily bored.
August 17, 2011
Incredible, nail-bitting read! You know when you're in a quiet place reading this book, and a loud noise scares the s*&t out of you, that the author has successfully got your attention. I could not put this sucker down. The author doesn't overdo the scenes and ties everything up nicely to keep it satisfying. Bravo!
April 10, 2017
One of my Favorite Authors!!! As usual Excellent+++++
September 10, 2017
4.5 stars
Kevin O'Brien writes consistently good thrillers. Susan Blanchette is heading to a secluded house in a small town with her 4 year old son to meet her fiancé for a relaxing weekend. But at a snack stop on the way she is a bit freaked out by the unwanted attention of a good looking man.
Also spending the weekend at a secluded house nearby are three teenage friends - isn't this how many horror movies start? Things quickly go awry when one of the teenagers, Jordan, spots someone in the general store that he recognizes from years ago. When he was eight he witnessed his mother's abduction by the killer known as Mama's Boy because he always targeted women with young sons.
From there the plot goes nuts - tension mounts and mounts and mounts as Susan, her son and fiancé and the teenagers see danger and threats everywhere. Is Mama's Boy back? Or is this something altogether different? Fast paced with good twists, this book should appeal to most thriller fans.
Kevin O'Brien writes consistently good thrillers. Susan Blanchette is heading to a secluded house in a small town with her 4 year old son to meet her fiancé for a relaxing weekend. But at a snack stop on the way she is a bit freaked out by the unwanted attention of a good looking man.
Also spending the weekend at a secluded house nearby are three teenage friends - isn't this how many horror movies start? Things quickly go awry when one of the teenagers, Jordan, spots someone in the general store that he recognizes from years ago. When he was eight he witnessed his mother's abduction by the killer known as Mama's Boy because he always targeted women with young sons.
From there the plot goes nuts - tension mounts and mounts and mounts as Susan, her son and fiancé and the teenagers see danger and threats everywhere. Is Mama's Boy back? Or is this something altogether different? Fast paced with good twists, this book should appeal to most thriller fans.
February 4, 2017
This is your typical "Jason-type" novel. A young mother (with her 4 year old), alone in a rustic cabin in the woods who is too stupid to stay inside and stay safe.
Susan's fiance disappears after running to the grocery store and instead of staying put she puts the baby in the car and drives all over town looking for him. Not only that, she leaves the baby locked in the car while she goes investigating in the woods and on the boat. Heck at one point, she hears something outside and leaving the baby in the house sleeping, goes out looking around. Seriously. WTF?
Not only is her husband missing, she's had various aggressive guys approach her and stalk her and still she goes out alone. UGH!
These types of main characters drive me nuts.
Susan's fiance disappears after running to the grocery store and instead of staying put she puts the baby in the car and drives all over town looking for him. Not only that, she leaves the baby locked in the car while she goes investigating in the woods and on the boat. Heck at one point, she hears something outside and leaving the baby in the house sleeping, goes out looking around. Seriously. WTF?
Not only is her husband missing, she's had various aggressive guys approach her and stalk her and still she goes out alone. UGH!
These types of main characters drive me nuts.
September 7, 2012
This is the second Kevin O'Brien novel I've read the first one was called Disturbed. I really loved this book started yesterday and i couldn't put it down.
I loved the whole idea of the storyline.
I loved the whole idea of the storyline.
October 25, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is my personal 5 star rating system because I’m too lazy to write a review for every book.
5 stars -> OMFG. I couldn’t stop listening. I was engaged from beginning to end. The story & narrator was amazing. I 100% recommend this book & author. I was able to clearly follow each and every character.
4 stars -> It was pretty good. I would’ve rated 5 stars, But either the ending was lacking, I struggled to keep up with characters, or the story didn’t keep me fully engaged. The narrator was pretty good as well. I’m on the fence about recommending this book, It could go either way.
3 Stars -> It was boring at times & I missed chunks of the story. I most likely struggled to keep up with character developments. The only way I would recommend this book is if it was part of a series. The narrator was most likely average or just couldn’t fix a mediocre book.
2 Stars -> It was pretty horrible. I used it as background noise because I hadn’t had a chance to search for another book. The book either had a bad narrator, The character development was non existent, or the story was hot garbage. I would not recommend this book.
1 Star -> The absolute only reason I listened to this book was because i had no time to search for another one & I needed background noise. It was 1 step up from listening to the radio. I wouldn’t recommend this book to my worst enemy. Everything about this book was terrible. This is only recommended for people on death row and have absolutely nothing else to read.
5 stars -> OMFG. I couldn’t stop listening. I was engaged from beginning to end. The story & narrator was amazing. I 100% recommend this book & author. I was able to clearly follow each and every character.
4 stars -> It was pretty good. I would’ve rated 5 stars, But either the ending was lacking, I struggled to keep up with characters, or the story didn’t keep me fully engaged. The narrator was pretty good as well. I’m on the fence about recommending this book, It could go either way.
3 Stars -> It was boring at times & I missed chunks of the story. I most likely struggled to keep up with character developments. The only way I would recommend this book is if it was part of a series. The narrator was most likely average or just couldn’t fix a mediocre book.
2 Stars -> It was pretty horrible. I used it as background noise because I hadn’t had a chance to search for another book. The book either had a bad narrator, The character development was non existent, or the story was hot garbage. I would not recommend this book.
1 Star -> The absolute only reason I listened to this book was because i had no time to search for another one & I needed background noise. It was 1 step up from listening to the radio. I wouldn’t recommend this book to my worst enemy. Everything about this book was terrible. This is only recommended for people on death row and have absolutely nothing else to read.
October 2, 2023
This was not my favorite Kevin O'Brien book of all that I've read, which is actually really unusual for me! Typically his books hit the ground running with me and I devour every second of it, but it took me quite awhile to get interested in Vicious. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed the book and I felt good about it when it ended, but at the beginning, I was wondering if I was going to be able to get through it!
Now...with all that being said...once I did finally get into the story, holy cow it swept me off my feet in Kevin O'Brien's sick and demented fashion, which I absolutely love! This man knows how to write a mystery/psychological thriller, let me tell you! I love that he takes a story and intricately weaves these ideas that not many others would come up with which usually leaves you with one of the best books that you've read all year! I think the back story with Susan was what was a little slow to me. But the ending, oh that ending! I think that is my favorite thing about Kevin O'Brien books...the endings he comes up with!
Vicious was narrated by Daniel Thomas May, which is a somewhat common narrator for Kevin O'Brien books and I think he did a bang up job!
If you haven't read a Kevin O'Brien book yet, do yourself a favor and go find your new favorite author. I don't think there's a book you could go wrong with and all of which, you will instantly fall in love with his writing!
Now...with all that being said...once I did finally get into the story, holy cow it swept me off my feet in Kevin O'Brien's sick and demented fashion, which I absolutely love! This man knows how to write a mystery/psychological thriller, let me tell you! I love that he takes a story and intricately weaves these ideas that not many others would come up with which usually leaves you with one of the best books that you've read all year! I think the back story with Susan was what was a little slow to me. But the ending, oh that ending! I think that is my favorite thing about Kevin O'Brien books...the endings he comes up with!
Vicious was narrated by Daniel Thomas May, which is a somewhat common narrator for Kevin O'Brien books and I think he did a bang up job!
If you haven't read a Kevin O'Brien book yet, do yourself a favor and go find your new favorite author. I don't think there's a book you could go wrong with and all of which, you will instantly fall in love with his writing!
May 4, 2024
Super long read, but a wild ride. It will definite keep you on the edge of your seat turning page after page. Albeit being a bit long winded, it was well written and the ending was mildly satisfying. The whole story seemed to play like a film including the dumb girl who gets herself into impossible situations.
August 18, 2024
Such a great thriller. Kept me wondering through most of the book and near the end when things were revealed I was anxious to see how it would turn out and who would survive.
January 26, 2024
I don’t read many thrillers, but I can’t resist Kevin O’Brien’s books. It’s hard to believe such a nice guy can write such creepy characters! As a mother myself, this poor mother’s experiences were especially traumatic. Well-done, Kevin!
June 29, 2011
This is easily one of the better books put out by Kevin O'Brien in recent years. It contains, without a doubt, some of the most suspenseful and addictive scenarios in the thriller genre. Keeping the timeline of the events at the lake so close together really heightened the tension, as if the characters were trapped in a pressure cooker about to blow. This book was a very fast read and, with a few exceptions, was exactly what I was hoping for.
I'll cross my fingers that his new and darker direction in Kevin O'Brien's writing means that we'll be seeing more of it. I could have done without some of the Mama's Boy murders in the beginning, because once you know the killer's plan of attack, it becomes a bit repetitive. The story could have started in present day at the lake and just knowing that the Mama's Boy murders had happened would have been enough without going through each one. In fact, Jordan even lists them in detail at one point, so it really wasn't needed. Maybe have one or two to set up the premise, but that's just a minor gripe.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one and I am definitely looking forward to what O'Brien comes up with next. By the number of positive reviews, it seems this is one of the author's most successful books, and rightfully so. This one is well earned. The statement from one of the review headings is quite accurate in that it felt like a Hitchcock thriller that he never got around to making. I thought the characters were solid, but it was the atmosphere and nearly unbearable suspense that really had me flipping the pages and holding my breath. Fans of the genre should definitely pick this one up.
I'll cross my fingers that his new and darker direction in Kevin O'Brien's writing means that we'll be seeing more of it. I could have done without some of the Mama's Boy murders in the beginning, because once you know the killer's plan of attack, it becomes a bit repetitive. The story could have started in present day at the lake and just knowing that the Mama's Boy murders had happened would have been enough without going through each one. In fact, Jordan even lists them in detail at one point, so it really wasn't needed. Maybe have one or two to set up the premise, but that's just a minor gripe.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one and I am definitely looking forward to what O'Brien comes up with next. By the number of positive reviews, it seems this is one of the author's most successful books, and rightfully so. This one is well earned. The statement from one of the review headings is quite accurate in that it felt like a Hitchcock thriller that he never got around to making. I thought the characters were solid, but it was the atmosphere and nearly unbearable suspense that really had me flipping the pages and holding my breath. Fans of the genre should definitely pick this one up.
October 3, 2020
Great storyline, but one thing really bothered me. This book was written ten years ago, so there probably wasn't much pushback as there would be today about the idea that men are "deserving" of a woman's affection if they show interest. Two of the male characters - one teenager and another in his 30s (Leo and Tom)- get overly aggressive and then sulk when two of the female characters don't return their advances. Moira rebuffs Leo as she's *just not interested,* yet he continues to basically harass her and make her uncomfortable with his advances. Susan tells Tom she needs time after a traumatic event before she can see him, and he basically hangs up on her after whining about how long she's taking to recover.
Then, at the end - spoiler! - both men end up with these women. Sorry, but this doesn't jive for me. They acted like petulant children who wanted a cookie and threw temper tantrums until they got what they wanted. This is toxic behavior that I would hope most people today would recognize - even in a fictional story - and realize how far we've come in just ten years in regards to men respecting women's feelings.
Otherwise, a real page-turner!
Then, at the end - spoiler! - both men end up with these women. Sorry, but this doesn't jive for me. They acted like petulant children who wanted a cookie and threw temper tantrums until they got what they wanted. This is toxic behavior that I would hope most people today would recognize - even in a fictional story - and realize how far we've come in just ten years in regards to men respecting women's feelings.
Otherwise, a real page-turner!
May 1, 2012
This was a weird one for me. It took forever for the story to get going. A lot of useless information that made the story drag at times. And if you pay attention to small details like I do, then you should notice quite a few of them that don't hold up and unfortunatley these little details are what usually makes the plot stick together. Strangely enough it still kept me interested enough to keep on turning the pages. Another downer was the incredibly lengthly epilogue. An ending that just kept on going on forever even thou the main plot had been finished and done with long ago.
August 31, 2021
4.5 stars, I couldn’t put it down, I was up until 6:30 AM.
The one and only reason it’s not 5 stars is that I HATED her son Mattie. Hate hate hate hate HATED. By the third time he screamed “NOOOOOOO!”, just like that, all-caps, I was sort of hoping this book might do the Cujo thing. It did not. But fortunately, the kid is off-screen through the climax. Which was great, because I could have just seen him screaming that he doesn’t want to get off the pony ride, “gimme up”, right as the non-terrible characters are in a standoff for their lives.
The one and only reason it’s not 5 stars is that I HATED her son Mattie. Hate hate hate hate HATED. By the third time he screamed “NOOOOOOO!”, just like that, all-caps, I was sort of hoping this book might do the Cujo thing. It did not. But fortunately, the kid is off-screen through the climax. Which was great, because I could have just seen him screaming that he doesn’t want to get off the pony ride, “gimme up”, right as the non-terrible characters are in a standoff for their lives.
September 2, 2014
What an amazingly, awesome book!!! This was my first book by this author and boy, did it quickly climb to one of my favorites. This book started off good, did not stop, and always had me guessing. Not only that, I was 100% emotionally pulled in as I was reading. You knew what was going on from every angle and sometimes what appeared to be was not it at all. Very well done and I will absolutely be reading more from this author!!! 4.5 stars
August 21, 2011
I started this about 10PM last night and finished it just now (815ish PM). Very hard to put down, but managed to do so in order to go see the wedding planner lynn. It was very much an edge of the seat type of book that was extremely fast-paced with a billion and one twists and turns. I'll have to look for more books by Kevin "Vicious" O'Brien.
February 21, 2011
I have a problem with evil on this level. Although a novel, so many young women vanish clearly men this violent and devoid of feeling do exist. The book was exciting with a satisfying ending - however pretty gruesome at times.
June 20, 2015
Another excellent book by Kevin O'Brien. I have read all of his books to date and have never been disappointed. The suspense is always building. Read this one in just over 1 day.
June 19, 2012
I really like O'Brien's style. The way he writes really sucks you in!!!
December 3, 2012
Enjoyed the suspense right! Kept me guessing!
August 22, 2011
Riveting page turner with a few unpredictable twists and turns!
December 4, 2018
********* AUDIOBOOK REVIEW *********
Now this was a thriller! Vicious by Kevin O’Brien is exactly what I look for in a suspenseful book! There was non-stop action and constant questions swirling in your mind. The storyline was incredibly fast-paced, which is no small feat for a 12 hour book! I couldn’t seem to stop listening! The characters were fantastic and you relate to them all! Mr. O’Brien does a thorough job developing the characters and really building them up. I questioned the characters constantly and was sure the story was going a certain way and then... BOOM, there’s a wrench in my plan! That’s what I loved about this story... not knowing it! Thoroughly impressed with the writing, development, and execution of Vicious!
The narrator, Daniel Thomas May, was amazing! Generally I really need both female and male narrators to talk through a story that has both viewpoints. However, I didn’t need that with this story. Like I said... thoroughly impressed!
Now this was a thriller! Vicious by Kevin O’Brien is exactly what I look for in a suspenseful book! There was non-stop action and constant questions swirling in your mind. The storyline was incredibly fast-paced, which is no small feat for a 12 hour book! I couldn’t seem to stop listening! The characters were fantastic and you relate to them all! Mr. O’Brien does a thorough job developing the characters and really building them up. I questioned the characters constantly and was sure the story was going a certain way and then... BOOM, there’s a wrench in my plan! That’s what I loved about this story... not knowing it! Thoroughly impressed with the writing, development, and execution of Vicious!
The narrator, Daniel Thomas May, was amazing! Generally I really need both female and male narrators to talk through a story that has both viewpoints. However, I didn’t need that with this story. Like I said... thoroughly impressed!
August 24, 2020
I found this book a bit less accessible than others by O'Brien; characters actions seemed very odd, their motivations obscure. The MC lost her husband and eldest son in accident and two years later is engaged to someone else? A teenage girl gets into an argument with her friend, and runs off into the woods; not surprisingly, she's lost within minutes. After getting trapped in a hole dug out of the ground, she unearths a barrette and immediately assumes a killer uses the hole to trap human prey. Why on earth would you make that assumption? The book wasn't terrible and I did finish it, but I've enjoyed other O'Brien books more.
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