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Paranoid
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jackson comes a new novel of nerve-jangling suspense as a woman haunted by guilt realizes that nothing can be trusted—not even her own memory …
There are people in Edgewater, Oregon, who think that twenty years ago, Rachel Gaston got away with murder.
Rachel still has no idea how a foolish teenaged game turned deadly—or who replaced her soft pellet air gun with a real weapon. When a figure leapt out at her from the darkness, she fired without thinking. Too late, she recognized her half-brother, Luke, and saw blood blooming around his chest.
Despite counseling, Rachel’s horrifying dreams about that night continue. Her anxiety contributed to her divorce from Detective Cade Ryder, though he blames himself too. But as Rachel’s high school reunion nears, she feels her imagination playing tricks, convincing her that objects in her house have moved. That there’s a hint of unfamiliar cologne in the air. That someone is tailing her car. Watching her home.
She’s right to be scared. And as connections surface between a new string of murders and Luke’s death, Rachel realizes there’s no escaping the past, and the truth may be darker than her worst fears …
There are people in Edgewater, Oregon, who think that twenty years ago, Rachel Gaston got away with murder.
Rachel still has no idea how a foolish teenaged game turned deadly—or who replaced her soft pellet air gun with a real weapon. When a figure leapt out at her from the darkness, she fired without thinking. Too late, she recognized her half-brother, Luke, and saw blood blooming around his chest.
Despite counseling, Rachel’s horrifying dreams about that night continue. Her anxiety contributed to her divorce from Detective Cade Ryder, though he blames himself too. But as Rachel’s high school reunion nears, she feels her imagination playing tricks, convincing her that objects in her house have moved. That there’s a hint of unfamiliar cologne in the air. That someone is tailing her car. Watching her home.
She’s right to be scared. And as connections surface between a new string of murders and Luke’s death, Rachel realizes there’s no escaping the past, and the truth may be darker than her worst fears …
400 pages, ebook
First published June 25, 2019
4211 people are currently reading
17597 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Jackson
272 books9,687 followersLisa Jackson is the number-one New York Times bestselling author of over ninety-five novels, including the Rick Bentz and Reuben Montoya Series, the Pescoli and Alvarez Series, the Savannah series, and numerous stand alone novels. She also is the co-author of One Last Breath, Last Girl Standing, and the Colony Series, written with her sister and bestselling author Nancy Bush, as well as the collaborative novels Sinister and Ominous, written with Nancy Bush and Rosalind Noonan. There are over thirty million copies of her novels in print and her writing has been translated into twenty languages.
Before she became a nationally bestselling author, she was a mother struggling to keep food on the table by writing novels, hoping against hope that someone would pay her for them. Today, neck deep in murder, her books appear on The New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly national bestseller lists.
With dozens of bestsellers to her name, Lisa Jackson is a master of taking readers to the edge of sanity—and back—in novels that buzz with dangerous secrets and deadly passions. She continues to be fascinated by the minds and motives of both her killers and their pursuers—the personal, the professional, and the downright twisted. As she builds the puzzle of relationships, actions, clues, lies, and personal histories that haunt her protagonists, she must also confront the fear and terror faced by her victims and the harsh and enduring truth that, in the real world, terror and madness touch far too many lives and families.
Visit http://www.LisaJackson.com where you can find a Media Kit with photos and more information.
Before she became a nationally bestselling author, she was a mother struggling to keep food on the table by writing novels, hoping against hope that someone would pay her for them. Today, neck deep in murder, her books appear on The New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly national bestseller lists.
With dozens of bestsellers to her name, Lisa Jackson is a master of taking readers to the edge of sanity—and back—in novels that buzz with dangerous secrets and deadly passions. She continues to be fascinated by the minds and motives of both her killers and their pursuers—the personal, the professional, and the downright twisted. As she builds the puzzle of relationships, actions, clues, lies, and personal histories that haunt her protagonists, she must also confront the fear and terror faced by her victims and the harsh and enduring truth that, in the real world, terror and madness touch far too many lives and families.
Visit http://www.LisaJackson.com where you can find a Media Kit with photos and more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,194 reviews
June 24, 2019
I'd just about given up on psychological thrillers, the ones I've read lately being predictable, yet this one sounded like it could be intriguing, so I gave it a go. Boy am I glad I did.
We have divorced mum Rachel, caring for her two teenage children, whilst trying to keep her ex-husband at arms length. Rachel loves her children, but tends to cloister them, for Rachel is scared that something might happen to them. Rachel is actually scared of EVERYTHING, for in her past, in a teenage game gone wrong, she shot and killed her own brother. Or did she?
Now Rachel is getting mysterious texts seemingly from beyond the grave. And she thinks someone is stalking her house. Then, on the twentieth anniversary of her brothers death, one of the witnesses to his death is murdered. Is there a connection? If so why wait so long to get rid of the witness? As Rachel desperately tries to find out, her increasing paranoia has her jumping out of her skin at every little bump in the night. Or day. At any time really. And the truth? Oh wow!
I found Paranoid to be an ingeniously twisty and turny thriller. While I really didn't like our main character Rachel, I don't think I was meant to. Sometimes I just wanted to slap her and tell her to loosen up! I'm sure her kids did too. While the middle stages of the book tended to get a bit bogged down and long -winded, when the action started up again, boy, I had to hang on tight. And the killer? Not even on my radar.
Then when it was all over, yet another twist was revealed...
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
We have divorced mum Rachel, caring for her two teenage children, whilst trying to keep her ex-husband at arms length. Rachel loves her children, but tends to cloister them, for Rachel is scared that something might happen to them. Rachel is actually scared of EVERYTHING, for in her past, in a teenage game gone wrong, she shot and killed her own brother. Or did she?
Now Rachel is getting mysterious texts seemingly from beyond the grave. And she thinks someone is stalking her house. Then, on the twentieth anniversary of her brothers death, one of the witnesses to his death is murdered. Is there a connection? If so why wait so long to get rid of the witness? As Rachel desperately tries to find out, her increasing paranoia has her jumping out of her skin at every little bump in the night. Or day. At any time really. And the truth? Oh wow!
I found Paranoid to be an ingeniously twisty and turny thriller. While I really didn't like our main character Rachel, I don't think I was meant to. Sometimes I just wanted to slap her and tell her to loosen up! I'm sure her kids did too. While the middle stages of the book tended to get a bit bogged down and long -winded, when the action started up again, boy, I had to hang on tight. And the killer? Not even on my radar.
Then when it was all over, yet another twist was revealed...
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 2, 2019
goddamnit, WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE XANAX?!?!
July 18, 2019
20 years ago a carefree, teenage game in an abandoned cannery warehouse turns deadly. The group of teenagers were supposed to be shooting pellet guns, no one was supposed to get hurt. So how did Luke end up dead?
His half-sister, Rachel, was initially blamed for the shooting but with no gun shot residue evident on her hands the case never made it far. Although she was never found guilty, Rachel has lived with the guilt of Luke's death for the last 20 years. With no one held accountable, that night remains filled with unanswered questions. How did Luke end up shot by a real gun? Who killed him and why?
On the 20th anniversary of Luke's death things begin to take an eerie turn for everyone who was in the warehouse on the night of his death. Witnesses are suddenly found dead, killed in a brutal manner. Rachel's house is vandalized, she receives eerie texts from an unknown number and can't help but feel as if she's being watched all the time. Is she being paranoid or is someone out to even the score for Luke's death all those years ago?
Paranoid is a tale of secrets, lies, paranoia, guilt and ultimately revenge. Although I was fully engaged with the story from the beginning, I was able to figure out the current timeline's culprit very early on. That had me feeling a little disappointed but then Jackson completely threw me with the past timeline's whodunnit! I definitely hadn't figured out the who and why surrounding Luke's death and was pleasantly surprised by that twist! It actually took my rating from 3 to 4 stars!
Thank you to Lisa Jackson, Netgalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read and review an arc of this thriller! If you're looking for a fast-paced, exciting thriller definitely pick this one up.
His half-sister, Rachel, was initially blamed for the shooting but with no gun shot residue evident on her hands the case never made it far. Although she was never found guilty, Rachel has lived with the guilt of Luke's death for the last 20 years. With no one held accountable, that night remains filled with unanswered questions. How did Luke end up shot by a real gun? Who killed him and why?
On the 20th anniversary of Luke's death things begin to take an eerie turn for everyone who was in the warehouse on the night of his death. Witnesses are suddenly found dead, killed in a brutal manner. Rachel's house is vandalized, she receives eerie texts from an unknown number and can't help but feel as if she's being watched all the time. Is she being paranoid or is someone out to even the score for Luke's death all those years ago?
Paranoid is a tale of secrets, lies, paranoia, guilt and ultimately revenge. Although I was fully engaged with the story from the beginning, I was able to figure out the current timeline's culprit very early on. That had me feeling a little disappointed but then Jackson completely threw me with the past timeline's whodunnit! I definitely hadn't figured out the who and why surrounding Luke's death and was pleasantly surprised by that twist! It actually took my rating from 3 to 4 stars!
Thank you to Lisa Jackson, Netgalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read and review an arc of this thriller! If you're looking for a fast-paced, exciting thriller definitely pick this one up.
May 15, 2019
"Paranoia strikes deep. Into your life it will creep. It starts when you're always afraid. You step out of line, the man come and take you away." (Stephen Stills)
Fear seeps into this one. Lean back twenty years ago into Edgewater, Oregon. Place your feet on the uneven terrain surrounding the abandoned Sea View Cannery. Teenage kids looking for a thrill around midnight. They've brought pellet guns to scare the crap out of one another. But someone is hiding in the pitch black shadows with the real thing. Real ammo that's gonna do real damage.
Rachel Hollander doesn't even have time to call out to her brother Luke who goaded her into coming tonight. Runnin' with the big dogs is what she's always wanted at fifteen. The sounds are near deafening around her. She returns fire with her pellet gun. But immediately she knows the sound is now ominous. Luke has been hit.....fatally......and it's all her fault.
Twenty years later, Rachel still suffers nightmares after the loss of her brother. She was cleared after the trial, but she lives with the bitter aftermath. It cost her parents their marriage and it cost Rachel her present marriage as well. Her ex-husband, Detective Cade Ryder, moved out leaving her a single mother with two teenagers, Dylan and Harper.
Someone is not letting Rachel find peace after all this time. She receives baffling messages on her phone and a cruel paint smeared word "Killer" on her front door. Within days, two of Rachel's friends are found dead. They were there that night and they testified on her behalf. Is Rachel next?
Paranoid is a fast-paced read that is perfectly geared to hold your attention throughout. There's a bit of character overload happening like a sea of cactus in a desert though. Lisa Jackson threads a connecting needle in which this bunch has quite the ex-husbands and rows of children. It does settle itself out. Those of you crafty like foxes may figure this one out ahead of time as you sift through characters. But that aside, it's quite the worthy read by the talented Lisa Jackson who has you running to get onboard this train. Don't get left standing alone in the station.
I received a copy of Paranoid through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Kensington Publishers and to Lisa Jackson for the opportunity.
Fear seeps into this one. Lean back twenty years ago into Edgewater, Oregon. Place your feet on the uneven terrain surrounding the abandoned Sea View Cannery. Teenage kids looking for a thrill around midnight. They've brought pellet guns to scare the crap out of one another. But someone is hiding in the pitch black shadows with the real thing. Real ammo that's gonna do real damage.
Rachel Hollander doesn't even have time to call out to her brother Luke who goaded her into coming tonight. Runnin' with the big dogs is what she's always wanted at fifteen. The sounds are near deafening around her. She returns fire with her pellet gun. But immediately she knows the sound is now ominous. Luke has been hit.....fatally......and it's all her fault.
Twenty years later, Rachel still suffers nightmares after the loss of her brother. She was cleared after the trial, but she lives with the bitter aftermath. It cost her parents their marriage and it cost Rachel her present marriage as well. Her ex-husband, Detective Cade Ryder, moved out leaving her a single mother with two teenagers, Dylan and Harper.
Someone is not letting Rachel find peace after all this time. She receives baffling messages on her phone and a cruel paint smeared word "Killer" on her front door. Within days, two of Rachel's friends are found dead. They were there that night and they testified on her behalf. Is Rachel next?
Paranoid is a fast-paced read that is perfectly geared to hold your attention throughout. There's a bit of character overload happening like a sea of cactus in a desert though. Lisa Jackson threads a connecting needle in which this bunch has quite the ex-husbands and rows of children. It does settle itself out. Those of you crafty like foxes may figure this one out ahead of time as you sift through characters. But that aside, it's quite the worthy read by the talented Lisa Jackson who has you running to get onboard this train. Don't get left standing alone in the station.
I received a copy of Paranoid through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Kensington Publishers and to Lisa Jackson for the opportunity.
October 14, 2020
O Jogo Pesadelo
Rachel nem queria ir. Porém, embora renitente, deixa-se arrastar por Lila...
Logo que chega ao local do Jogo, recebe uma cadeia de alertas, emitidas por uma voz interior. Porém, recuar já não era uma opção — estavam lá todos, e... ouviam-se os pop pop pop contínuos emitidos pelas pistolas de ar comprimido — chegara o momento de participar, bem como a oportunidade ideal:
Um vulto aproxima-se, Rachel dispara, e... em vez do esperado POP POP POP, é um BANG BANG BANG que troa na escuridão — o som duma arma verdadeira. E ... estendido no chão, com o peito inundado de sangue, encontra-se o corpo inerte do seu meio-irmão Luke...
Vinte anos depois, vamos dar com uma Rachel já adulta, mergulhada num estado de medo e ansiedade permanentes — julga-se perseguida — receia pela sua segurança e pela daqueles que dela dependem ...
Quem, no passado, trocara a sua pistola de ar comprimido por uma arma real? Porquê? Para quê?
Irá a verdade libertar Rachel do estado de constante paranóia? Ou será tão devastadora que irá torturá-la ainda mais?...
Paranóia rapta-nos: agarra-nos logo de início e só nos larga no fim!!! 👍🌟🌟🌟🌟👍
Rachel nem queria ir. Porém, embora renitente, deixa-se arrastar por Lila...
Logo que chega ao local do Jogo, recebe uma cadeia de alertas, emitidas por uma voz interior. Porém, recuar já não era uma opção — estavam lá todos, e... ouviam-se os pop pop pop contínuos emitidos pelas pistolas de ar comprimido — chegara o momento de participar, bem como a oportunidade ideal:
Um vulto aproxima-se, Rachel dispara, e... em vez do esperado POP POP POP, é um BANG BANG BANG que troa na escuridão — o som duma arma verdadeira. E ... estendido no chão, com o peito inundado de sangue, encontra-se o corpo inerte do seu meio-irmão Luke...
Vinte anos depois, vamos dar com uma Rachel já adulta, mergulhada num estado de medo e ansiedade permanentes — julga-se perseguida — receia pela sua segurança e pela daqueles que dela dependem ...
Quem, no passado, trocara a sua pistola de ar comprimido por uma arma real? Porquê? Para quê?
Irá a verdade libertar Rachel do estado de constante paranóia? Ou será tão devastadora que irá torturá-la ainda mais?...
Paranóia rapta-nos: agarra-nos logo de início e só nos larga no fim!!! 👍🌟🌟🌟🌟👍
January 14, 2020
There are noises in the house, or are there? There are footsteps on the stairs, or are there? There are doors left cracked opened or were they ever closed? There are feelings of someone watching you when no-one is around. There are chills running up your neck. Why? Are you really alone or is someone else around you who shouldn't be there. Real vs the unreal. PARANOID??
The book centers around divorced mother of two Rachel Ryder, her two teenaged children and her ex-husband Cade Ryder with a slew of other characters that they went to high school with twenty years prior. Rachel was accused of shooting her half brother when she was still in high school and she and the small town have never forgotten that fateful night. The class reunion is being planned on the anniversary of brother Luke's death and now new murders are happening to people who were friends of Rachel and Luke which begins a state of Paranoia for everyone who were friends of the siblings on that fateful night.
This was a very creepy and suspenseful story full of mystery, drama and a little romance. I enjoyed the fast pace and there was excitement in every chapter. The characters were well-defined although there seemed to be untold stories behind all of them that left many holes in the storyline, yet this did not take away from the mystery and suspense. This book was very entertaining and enjoyable to read, although I felt as if this was a sequel book because I had many questions that weren't answered right from the beginning of the story and and I found that somewhat annoying. Overall a very likable and interesting book that I would definitely recommend to other readers and I would purchase more of Lisa Jackson's books.
I want to thank the publisher Kensington Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!
I have given this story 3 1/2 Paranoid 🌟🌟🌟✴stars!!
The book centers around divorced mother of two Rachel Ryder, her two teenaged children and her ex-husband Cade Ryder with a slew of other characters that they went to high school with twenty years prior. Rachel was accused of shooting her half brother when she was still in high school and she and the small town have never forgotten that fateful night. The class reunion is being planned on the anniversary of brother Luke's death and now new murders are happening to people who were friends of Rachel and Luke which begins a state of Paranoia for everyone who were friends of the siblings on that fateful night.
This was a very creepy and suspenseful story full of mystery, drama and a little romance. I enjoyed the fast pace and there was excitement in every chapter. The characters were well-defined although there seemed to be untold stories behind all of them that left many holes in the storyline, yet this did not take away from the mystery and suspense. This book was very entertaining and enjoyable to read, although I felt as if this was a sequel book because I had many questions that weren't answered right from the beginning of the story and and I found that somewhat annoying. Overall a very likable and interesting book that I would definitely recommend to other readers and I would purchase more of Lisa Jackson's books.
I want to thank the publisher Kensington Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!
I have given this story 3 1/2 Paranoid 🌟🌟🌟✴stars!!
July 8, 2019
Poorly written, terrible character development, plot was senseless and absolutely nothing to say. Can’t believe this book has such a high score on GoodReads - there are many better novels out there.
August 17, 2019
I don’t think I was supposed to root for the killer to kill all the stupid characters in this book.
July 8, 2019
2.5 stars ?
Ugh, it's really hard to rate this one. I'm rounding it up to 3 stars, because maybe the stress of the house renovations are part of the reason of me not enjoying this that much.
It took me a while to get into it and the revelations weren't as exciting as I hoped, but my main issue was the kids. OMG, those kids, they couldn't be stupider. I don't think teenagers are like that, right? I hate it when authors push the story through the stupidity of kids.. it was not fun, I was so angry. I mean, these two teens were little ungrateful shits.
Ugh, it's really hard to rate this one. I'm rounding it up to 3 stars, because maybe the stress of the house renovations are part of the reason of me not enjoying this that much.
It took me a while to get into it and the revelations weren't as exciting as I hoped, but my main issue was the kids. OMG, those kids, they couldn't be stupider. I don't think teenagers are like that, right? I hate it when authors push the story through the stupidity of kids.. it was not fun, I was so angry. I mean, these two teens were little ungrateful shits.
August 7, 2019
Probably the second worst book I've read this year. The book could easily be cut by a third if all the reduncy was deleted. How many times do we need to be told Rachel was accused of killing her brother or so and sk was at the cannery that night. This author is on my Do Not Read list.
September 8, 2020
Um thriller psicológico de perder a respiração e que nos surpreende página após página.
Neste livro conhecemos Rachel, uma mulher que refez a sua vida após um passado traumatizaste. Uma mulher que constituiu família apesar de tudo o que se passou, mas que continua atormentada com pesadelos do passado.
Como uma brincadeira de adolescentes se pode tornar no seu pior pesadelo?
Após um jogo que termina com a morte do seu meio irmão, Rachel é acusada de o assassinar.
Ninguém acredita nela, nem mesmo ela própria. Todos pensam que foi ela que o matou, até ela própria. O que será que se passou nesse jogo de adolescentes, que se tornou mortal?
Mesmo após passar anos, as respostas continuam por responder e Rachel tenta solucionar os puzzles que vão aparecendo na sua vida. Será que a reposta estará mesmo a frente dos seus olhos e que não a consegue ver?
Um livro alucinante com um ritmo acelerado que nos prende a cada página. Um thriller com um final chocante que o leitor não está à espera.
Neste livro conhecemos Rachel, uma mulher que refez a sua vida após um passado traumatizaste. Uma mulher que constituiu família apesar de tudo o que se passou, mas que continua atormentada com pesadelos do passado.
Como uma brincadeira de adolescentes se pode tornar no seu pior pesadelo?
Após um jogo que termina com a morte do seu meio irmão, Rachel é acusada de o assassinar.
Ninguém acredita nela, nem mesmo ela própria. Todos pensam que foi ela que o matou, até ela própria. O que será que se passou nesse jogo de adolescentes, que se tornou mortal?
Mesmo após passar anos, as respostas continuam por responder e Rachel tenta solucionar os puzzles que vão aparecendo na sua vida. Será que a reposta estará mesmo a frente dos seus olhos e que não a consegue ver?
Um livro alucinante com um ritmo acelerado que nos prende a cada página. Um thriller com um final chocante que o leitor não está à espera.
August 14, 2020
Um excelente thriller, uma história que vai aumentando o suspense ao longo do desenrolar do livro.. ainda estou a digerir o final, completamente inesperado. Muito bom 👌👌
June 21, 2020
Okay...I’m sorry, but I need to vent!! I know I’m in the minority here... but HOLY MEATBALLS, this book was INFURIATING. None of the characters were likable, they were all incredibly shallow & flat. The plot was bland and predictable.
But, back to characters and the reason for the need to vent...the teenagers. Wow. I mean, I know teenagers are difficult (as I was one in the not toooo distant past) but during the whole book I felt like the grumpy old lady whining about the wild ‘hoodlums’ with their baggy pants and crazy antics. They made me so angry! They just read like spoiled, over indulged brats, who’ve been given everything and therefore, appreciate nothing (and now I do sound like that grumpy old lady who hates kids, as opposed to the 31 year old I am). By half way in, I was actually hoping the teenage daughter of the main character would be the murderer’s next victim just to shut her whiny, spoiled butt up (to be clear, I’d obviously never say that about a real human being). I mean this girl is supposed to be 17 but acts like a 5 year old. And the 15yr old creepy, voyeuristic son isn’t much better. I know we are very self absorbed as teenagers and think the world will end when the most minor of things happen—ie: going to school with a big zit in the middle of your face or breaking up with your bf/gf—but these two were just disgustingly spoiled and unappreciative. Way worse than I was at that age...unless I’m just in denial, hmmm...No, I’m pretty sure, if I’d talked to my mom the way these kids do, I’d only have done it once and it would be memorable (mostly because I’d have felt so guilty). So there was that...
And then...there’s the mother. Over and over she suspects her kids of some incredibly serious things (which are virtually all criminal) and when they give her excuses, she knows they’re lying and yet continues to let it go. Every. Single. Time. One example: she has her son install the home security system she buys and when she finds out he bypassed his and sister’s room so his sister could sneak out, she lets him install it again and is shocked when he does the same thing! Really?? And she’s supposedly a ‘techie’ herself. Then, when she finally does figure out what her son is doing for money, she has a ‘boys will be boys’ attitude about it, and considering what he’s doing that seriously bothered me, Oh so much. Especially as this book was written in the midst of the Me Too movement. I won’t spoil more but yeah, mom’s attitude pissed me off. I was so disappointed with this book that I think it will be quite a while— if I ever do— pick up a Lisa Jackson novel again!
Okay... whew, I feel better. I just had to get that out but I’m done ranting, & my curlers and housecoat are officially retired for at least 50 more years! Got to run, I need to go yell and shake my fists at my teenage neighbors who’re playing their music ridiculously loud. Those darned hoodlums!! Kids have no respect these days. 😋
But, back to characters and the reason for the need to vent...the teenagers. Wow. I mean, I know teenagers are difficult (as I was one in the not toooo distant past) but during the whole book I felt like the grumpy old lady whining about the wild ‘hoodlums’ with their baggy pants and crazy antics. They made me so angry! They just read like spoiled, over indulged brats, who’ve been given everything and therefore, appreciate nothing (and now I do sound like that grumpy old lady who hates kids, as opposed to the 31 year old I am). By half way in, I was actually hoping the teenage daughter of the main character would be the murderer’s next victim just to shut her whiny, spoiled butt up (to be clear, I’d obviously never say that about a real human being). I mean this girl is supposed to be 17 but acts like a 5 year old. And the 15yr old creepy, voyeuristic son isn’t much better. I know we are very self absorbed as teenagers and think the world will end when the most minor of things happen—ie: going to school with a big zit in the middle of your face or breaking up with your bf/gf—but these two were just disgustingly spoiled and unappreciative. Way worse than I was at that age...unless I’m just in denial, hmmm...No, I’m pretty sure, if I’d talked to my mom the way these kids do, I’d only have done it once and it would be memorable (mostly because I’d have felt so guilty). So there was that...
And then...there’s the mother. Over and over she suspects her kids of some incredibly serious things (which are virtually all criminal) and when they give her excuses, she knows they’re lying and yet continues to let it go. Every. Single. Time. One example: she has her son install the home security system she buys and when she finds out he bypassed his and sister’s room so his sister could sneak out, she lets him install it again and is shocked when he does the same thing! Really?? And she’s supposedly a ‘techie’ herself. Then, when she finally does figure out what her son is doing for money, she has a ‘boys will be boys’ attitude about it, and considering what he’s doing that seriously bothered me, Oh so much. Especially as this book was written in the midst of the Me Too movement. I won’t spoil more but yeah, mom’s attitude pissed me off. I was so disappointed with this book that I think it will be quite a while— if I ever do— pick up a Lisa Jackson novel again!
Okay... whew, I feel better. I just had to get that out but I’m done ranting, & my curlers and housecoat are officially retired for at least 50 more years! Got to run, I need to go yell and shake my fists at my teenage neighbors who’re playing their music ridiculously loud. Those darned hoodlums!! Kids have no respect these days. 😋
October 12, 2020
A Deadly Innocent Game
It all started as an innocent (?!] teens game. They were all carrying those soft pellet pistols that made those silly pop pop pop sounds. However, the moment Rachel pulled the trigger of her own pistol, there was no POP POP POP — instead, a loud BANG BANG BANG filled the air, the frightening sound of a real gun. Lying down on the floor, with a torrent of blood coming out of his chest, was the body of Luke, Rachel’s half brother!
After 20 years, we’re gonna find an adult Rachel still haunted by that horrible past incident.
Who traded Rachel’s toy gun by a real one? Why? What for?
Will the true liberate Rachel? Or will it send her straight to her darkest corner?...
Suspense, twists and turns and a final killer twist, turned Paranoid into an addictive reading experience! 👍🌟🌟🌟🌟👍
It all started as an innocent (?!] teens game. They were all carrying those soft pellet pistols that made those silly pop pop pop sounds. However, the moment Rachel pulled the trigger of her own pistol, there was no POP POP POP — instead, a loud BANG BANG BANG filled the air, the frightening sound of a real gun. Lying down on the floor, with a torrent of blood coming out of his chest, was the body of Luke, Rachel’s half brother!
After 20 years, we’re gonna find an adult Rachel still haunted by that horrible past incident.
Who traded Rachel’s toy gun by a real one? Why? What for?
Will the true liberate Rachel? Or will it send her straight to her darkest corner?...
Suspense, twists and turns and a final killer twist, turned Paranoid into an addictive reading experience! 👍🌟🌟🌟🌟👍
November 15, 2023
I found the first 100 also pages quite tedious, which meant that I read it quite slowly to begin with. However, after 100 pages the storyline picked up and I really enjoyed it. There are a few twist and turns, and the author definitely led you down path on purpose, I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up another book by the same author, and I’m hoping this is a start of me getting out of my reading slump
August 5, 2019
When Rachel Gaston was a teenager she got involved in a dangerous game. This involvement led to the tragic death of her brother Luke. Acquitted from the crime, it is now twenty years later. Someone is bound and determined to make her pay for Luke's death.
Rachel had quite a bit of counseling and even had a nice life for a while. She married and had two children. However, her nightmares and anxiety have a profound affect on her and she and husband, Detective Cade Ryder divorced. They are good co-parents to their teenage children and with rapidly changing circumstances, are drawn together quite often in this story.
Rachel and several others were in the process of preparing for their twenty-year high school reunion. One of the former classmates is murdered and several other things, including other murders, happen in quick succession. This, quite naturally, makes Rachel quite nervous. All she wants to do is to forget the past and prepare her children for the future. All the while, she wonders about her relationship with Cade, and he has similar thoughts throughout.
Paranoid is a thrilling story. There is a strong element of revenge in this story, and this reaches deep into the lives of Rachel, and also her children. There is also the paranoia Rachel feels as her past continues to resurface. The danger is present from the outset, and despite the family drama, reunion planning and personality issues, their are enough twists and turns, as well as plenty of plausible suspects, to make this a difficult book to put down. Lisa Jackson is a remarkable author and I always enjoy reading her books.
Many thanks to Kensington and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
Rachel had quite a bit of counseling and even had a nice life for a while. She married and had two children. However, her nightmares and anxiety have a profound affect on her and she and husband, Detective Cade Ryder divorced. They are good co-parents to their teenage children and with rapidly changing circumstances, are drawn together quite often in this story.
Rachel and several others were in the process of preparing for their twenty-year high school reunion. One of the former classmates is murdered and several other things, including other murders, happen in quick succession. This, quite naturally, makes Rachel quite nervous. All she wants to do is to forget the past and prepare her children for the future. All the while, she wonders about her relationship with Cade, and he has similar thoughts throughout.
Paranoid is a thrilling story. There is a strong element of revenge in this story, and this reaches deep into the lives of Rachel, and also her children. There is also the paranoia Rachel feels as her past continues to resurface. The danger is present from the outset, and despite the family drama, reunion planning and personality issues, their are enough twists and turns, as well as plenty of plausible suspects, to make this a difficult book to put down. Lisa Jackson is a remarkable author and I always enjoy reading her books.
Many thanks to Kensington and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
August 2, 2019
Almost quit reading multiple times. There was a lot of repetition. The two murder victims were girls that spoke up for Rachel 20 years ago, and the reader has to be told that 100 times...why? And the police work was minimal and their thought processes on events was a large part of the book, but they just kept thinking THE SAME THINGS, first one character, then the next, then the next. Boring. Even Rachel had the same thoughts over and over.
The ending was good but kind of corny. There was enough good about the book that I made it to the end.
The ending was good but kind of corny. There was enough good about the book that I made it to the end.
September 8, 2019
You have to read this book just to get to the last chapter and be blown away. Jackson can take you on a roller-coaster ride like no other. I really did enjoy this read.
4 stars and My stamp of approval on this one. Such a fun ride this book was.
4 stars and My stamp of approval on this one. Such a fun ride this book was.
October 4, 2020
A minha opinião em vídeo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84m8I...
November 1, 2020
Paranoia é um thriller psicológico que li com as expectativas bastante altas porque para além de ser um livro do qual muita gente falava, tem uma premissa muito cativante e a capa captou imenso a minha atenção.
Com um ritmo lento, os acontecimentos vão dando pistas subtis sobre o que aconteceu no fatídico dia em torno do qual toda a história se desenrola. A cada capítulo sentia que todas as dúvidas que tinha me deixavam ainda mais desconfortável, pois o sentimento de impotência e as incertezas de Rachel, a personagem principal, só me deixavam com mais vontade de saber toda a verdade.
Rachel transmite a ideia de ser uma mãe super preocupada e que não dá liberdade nenhuma aos seus dois filhos. Por isso mesmo, a dada altura vê-se perante uma realidade em que nunca esperou que os dois jovens estivessem metidos. O seu filho é tremendamente misterioso e nunca suspeitei do que as suas capacidades eram capazes de fazer. A sua filha enervou-me em alguns momentos. Aparenta ser uma adolescente que quer ganhar a sua autonomia e deixar de cumprir regras, no entanto essa rebeldia acabou por não ser sempre positiva e levou-a por caminhos em que a saída não era nada, nada boa.
O enredo foi construído de forma lógica e ao longo de toda a obra vão-se juntando peças para alcançar um final estrondoso. O ponto alto do livro, a meu ver, foi precisamente o final. A dada altura os acontecimentos tiveram tanto impacto que foi impossível pousar o livro antes de ter chegado ao fim. O ritmo dos acontecimentos aumentou significativamente e as revelações foram completamente imprevisíveis e inacreditáveis. Foi uma leitura que melhorou bastante devido ao final inesperado que teve. Estará Rachel preparada para lidar com a verdade?
propicia a nossa reflexão sobre até onde uma mãe está disposta a ir para proteger o seu filho. Um thriller a não perder.
Com um ritmo lento, os acontecimentos vão dando pistas subtis sobre o que aconteceu no fatídico dia em torno do qual toda a história se desenrola. A cada capítulo sentia que todas as dúvidas que tinha me deixavam ainda mais desconfortável, pois o sentimento de impotência e as incertezas de Rachel, a personagem principal, só me deixavam com mais vontade de saber toda a verdade.
Rachel transmite a ideia de ser uma mãe super preocupada e que não dá liberdade nenhuma aos seus dois filhos. Por isso mesmo, a dada altura vê-se perante uma realidade em que nunca esperou que os dois jovens estivessem metidos. O seu filho é tremendamente misterioso e nunca suspeitei do que as suas capacidades eram capazes de fazer. A sua filha enervou-me em alguns momentos. Aparenta ser uma adolescente que quer ganhar a sua autonomia e deixar de cumprir regras, no entanto essa rebeldia acabou por não ser sempre positiva e levou-a por caminhos em que a saída não era nada, nada boa.
O enredo foi construído de forma lógica e ao longo de toda a obra vão-se juntando peças para alcançar um final estrondoso. O ponto alto do livro, a meu ver, foi precisamente o final. A dada altura os acontecimentos tiveram tanto impacto que foi impossível pousar o livro antes de ter chegado ao fim. O ritmo dos acontecimentos aumentou significativamente e as revelações foram completamente imprevisíveis e inacreditáveis. Foi uma leitura que melhorou bastante devido ao final inesperado que teve. Estará Rachel preparada para lidar com a verdade?
propicia a nossa reflexão sobre até onde uma mãe está disposta a ir para proteger o seu filho. Um thriller a não perder.
September 20, 2020
8,5 de 10*
Assuntos mal resolvidos do passado, acabam sempre por perseguir uma pessoa… Que o diga Rachel Gaston, uma mulher que há 20 anos terá morto, acidentalmente, o seu meio-irmão Luke, mas que foi ilibada por não haver provas suficientes (a própria Rachel não tem a certeza se foi a autora do disparo que vitimou Luke, já que o local e as circunstâncias estão envoltas em escuridão).
Comentário completo em:
https://abibliotecadajoao.blogspot.co...
Assuntos mal resolvidos do passado, acabam sempre por perseguir uma pessoa… Que o diga Rachel Gaston, uma mulher que há 20 anos terá morto, acidentalmente, o seu meio-irmão Luke, mas que foi ilibada por não haver provas suficientes (a própria Rachel não tem a certeza se foi a autora do disparo que vitimou Luke, já que o local e as circunstâncias estão envoltas em escuridão).
Comentário completo em:
https://abibliotecadajoao.blogspot.co...
September 13, 2020
Há vinte anos que Rachel Gaston vive com o sentimento de culpa por ter assassinado o seu meio-irmão. Estavam, com vários jovens, numa conserveira abandonada, tudo escuro e Rachel viu Luke morrer acidentalmente pela sua arma. No entanto, no julgamento, dos jovens testemunharam a favor de Rachel, alegando que não tinha sido a arma desta a disparar, e a jovem foi ilibada. Mas Rachel vive com pesadelos por causa dessa noite e a sua ansiedade e medo, levou ao fim do seu casamento. O clima de tensão agrava-se com a celebração dos 20 anos do fim do liceu e consequentemente da morte de Luke. É também quando a sentir que a estar a seguir e vigiar e também quando acontecem duas mortes inesperadas, e medo de Rachel dispara.
Gostei muito da história, com um bom clima de tensão de que me fez, ao longo da leitura, ter algumas teorias, mais ou menos mirabolantes. Mas e apesar de sentir o medo da Rachel, a verdade é que senti que era uma história algo mais "banalizada", com mulheres com traumas e que dependem de substâncias para se "aguentarem".
No entanto, as várias reviravoltas do final trouxeram um novo animo ao livro e levaram-me a atribuir as 4 estrelas.
Gostei muito da história, com um bom clima de tensão de que me fez, ao longo da leitura, ter algumas teorias, mais ou menos mirabolantes. Mas e apesar de sentir o medo da Rachel, a verdade é que senti que era uma história algo mais "banalizada", com mulheres com traumas e que dependem de substâncias para se "aguentarem".
No entanto, as várias reviravoltas do final trouxeram um novo animo ao livro e levaram-me a atribuir as 4 estrelas.
July 29, 2019
This book had mystery, suspense, and some romance. It moved along quickly. The ending seemed a little bit rushed, but all in all I think it was a solid read.
August 21, 2019
Yes there is a massive twist at the end but you have to read so much bad to get there
September 24, 2020
3,5* seriam justaa.
Gostei do final, gostei da ideia do livro, mas não gostei da Rachel, do facto de ser repetitivo tudo o que se estava, de mau, a passar com ela e a tornava uma vítima.
Mas é um thriller bem pensado e aquele twist no final é a meia estrela a mais que lhe dei :)
Gostei do final, gostei da ideia do livro, mas não gostei da Rachel, do facto de ser repetitivo tudo o que se estava, de mau, a passar com ela e a tornava uma vítima.
Mas é um thriller bem pensado e aquele twist no final é a meia estrela a mais que lhe dei :)
August 10, 2020
After the Game...
It started as a game. Until someone traded the toy pistol for a real one. And then the worst happened.
What started as a game, ended in a nightmare...
If you like paranoid thrillers, Paranoid is for you 😜
It started as a game. Until someone traded the toy pistol for a real one. And then the worst happened.
What started as a game, ended in a nightmare...
If you like paranoid thrillers, Paranoid is for you 😜
August 17, 2020
Demasiado drama e muita repetição da mesma história. Perdi a conta às vezes que foi dito que o meio-irmão morreu. Tornou a leitura chata e repetitiva. Para além disso, começa a ser demasiado clichê a mulher que bebe, ou toma comprimidos, ou tem algum trauma anterior, que a torna pouco confiável.
Em relação ao final, não achei nada de muito fantástico, e o tal twist final que falam já o tinha previsto antes de meio do livro.
Como pontos positivos destaco os capítulos curtos que ajudam na rapidez da leitura. Também gosto das partes em que se ouvem barulhos estranhos na casa, mas na minha opinião foram poucos esses momentos. A autora podia ter-nos dado menos drama e mais momentos desses.
No fim acabou por ser uma leitura razoável mas que prometia muito mais do que aquilo que acabou por dar.
Em relação ao final, não achei nada de muito fantástico, e o tal twist final que falam já o tinha previsto antes de meio do livro.
Como pontos positivos destaco os capítulos curtos que ajudam na rapidez da leitura. Também gosto das partes em que se ouvem barulhos estranhos na casa, mas na minha opinião foram poucos esses momentos. A autora podia ter-nos dado menos drama e mais momentos desses.
No fim acabou por ser uma leitura razoável mas que prometia muito mais do que aquilo que acabou por dar.
August 18, 2019
What a fantastic book. I've read some really good ones recently but this one overtakes them all. I've not read any books Lisa Jackson before and I'll definitely be checking out her others, and if they are as good as this one, I've got a lot to look forward to. I also hope this gets made into a movie as the plot is excellent and there are so many twists and turns that keep you guessing.
Twenty years ago, a group of high school kids played a game with pretend guns in an abandoned cannery. in Edgewater, Oregon. Someone had a real gun and Rachel's half brother Luke was shot and killed. Rachel was accused of the killing but acquitted from the crime. Several of her friends testified that the shot came from behind her, but not even Rachel knows for sure. Now it's time for the 20 year class reunion and the local newspaper is dredging up the details of that fateful night.. The story starts from here when things start to happen on the 20 year anniversary of his death.
Rachel’s nightmares about that night in question continue. Her anxiety contributed to her divorce from Detective Cade Ryder. As the school reunion nears, she feels her imagination playing tricks, and that someone is tailing her car. Watching her home.
She’s right to be scared. As connections between a new string of murders and Luke’s death come to light, Rachel's life gets turned upside down once again. Who is to blame and are they trying to get revenge?
If you only read one book this year - make it this one!!
Twenty years ago, a group of high school kids played a game with pretend guns in an abandoned cannery. in Edgewater, Oregon. Someone had a real gun and Rachel's half brother Luke was shot and killed. Rachel was accused of the killing but acquitted from the crime. Several of her friends testified that the shot came from behind her, but not even Rachel knows for sure. Now it's time for the 20 year class reunion and the local newspaper is dredging up the details of that fateful night.. The story starts from here when things start to happen on the 20 year anniversary of his death.
Rachel’s nightmares about that night in question continue. Her anxiety contributed to her divorce from Detective Cade Ryder. As the school reunion nears, she feels her imagination playing tricks, and that someone is tailing her car. Watching her home.
She’s right to be scared. As connections between a new string of murders and Luke’s death come to light, Rachel's life gets turned upside down once again. Who is to blame and are they trying to get revenge?
If you only read one book this year - make it this one!!
June 13, 2019
I was amazed to discover that I didn't write a review for this book. And although I usually really love Lisa Jacksons books, I think the fact that I even had to re-read a part of the book says something. Yes, it is well-written. Yes, I can imagine the killing of a young boy leaves trails even twenty years later. But what a strange story this is, with far too many characters. A bunch of people that never left the small village, who all married each other or each other's family, with divorces and lots of kids and always, like a black cloud, Luke's dead hanging over them.
So I'm sorry to say, it didn't leave a big impression on me.
Thanks to NetGalley for the digital review copy.
So I'm sorry to say, it didn't leave a big impression on me.
Thanks to NetGalley for the digital review copy.
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