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Shred of Doubt

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A girl missing for twenty-five years. Presumed dead. Until now...

Twenty-five years ago, Chelsea Thomson disappeared after a party in the American seaside town of Hyannis. Her body was never found, yet the evidence that amounted against high-school dropout Hector Sims led to his life imprisonment.

When Chelsea’s former sweetheart Jimmy Quinn arrives in Hyannis for a conference—his first trip to the U.S. since her murder—it unleashes a rollercoaster of raw emotions. Discovering an old journal belonging to her, Jimmy makes a shocking discovery that suggests she could still be alive.

Detective Bryan Myers has never been able to dispel the shred of doubt surrounding the murder case. While he welcomes the new evidence that Jimmy has uncovered, it unwittingly puts Myers on a tumultuous trail to a psychopath who is willing to kill to keep the truth concealed...

347 pages, ebook

First published June 21, 2020

428 people are currently reading
1321 people want to read

About the author

Darren Sugrue

3 books250 followers
Darren Sugrue grew up in Dublin, Ireland and has lived and worked all over the world including the UK, Cambodia, USA and Australia.

He loves hearing from readers and always responds.

In 2015, his first novel "The Prediction" reached No.4 in the Amazon Best Seller list of Mystery, Thriller & Suspense. His second novel "The Shattered Conscience" was released in 2016 and reached No.1 in the Amazon Canada Best Seller list of Mystery, Thriller & Suspense.

His third novel - a Psychological Suspense entitled "Shred of Doubt" - was released in Summer 2020.

He lives in Amsterdam with his wife, son and dog named Frodo.

Visit Darren at http://www.darrensugrue.com/

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5 stars
635 (54%)
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372 (31%)
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122 (10%)
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34 (2%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
Profile Image for Ivana.
273 reviews63 followers
June 29, 2020
This is how you write a psychological thriller. Expertly done! It was a good read from the start but after the unexpected twist my mind was blown. It was a complete surprise to find out about Damon but the actual conclusion was epic. I really loved the storyline and I wouldn't change a thing.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of the book which is awesome because I might have missed it otherwise.
Profile Image for Christina.
483 reviews8 followers
June 26, 2020
First of all, thank you sooo much Darren Sugrue for allowing me to read your new Book Shred of Doubt: A Psychological Thriller ! This is my honest review.

Reading all of Darrens books I was sooo excited about his new book. And it didn't disappoint!

Shred of Doubt is his first book based in the US and I honestly would have thought that Darren lives there :) it felt completely natural and on point. (I mean I don't live there but I read a lot of US Crime books - and I couldn't tell the difference)

The story is written from different perspectives and this makes it so fun. You think you know what happened but NOPE something turns up and it leaves you sitting there like "WHAT IS GOING ON!!!" and this is what makes a great book.

Without giving too much away, Shred of Doubt: A Psychological Thriller is for everyone that enjoyed Darrens first books, for everyone that loves great characters and for everyone that likes solving crimes!

Btw, I'm kicking myself because I read it too fast and now I sit here waiting for another book :) whoops!
Profile Image for Mike Cliffe.
33 reviews5 followers
March 8, 2022
Do yourself a favor and read this book!

Its been a while since I have written a review for a book on here but honestly Mr. Sugrue deserves one. If you are a fan of his other two books, you will be a fan of this one as well. This is a mystery book that will keep you reading and entertained throughout the entire journey.
Knowing that there is typically a twist at the end of Sugrue's books, I tried hard to think of what this one would be. I probably had five different guesses for how this would end, and none of them came as close to an interesting and unexpected theory as was actually the case. I really do not know where he comes up with these ideas.
I really enjoyed that this book is told from multiple perspectives as it gave a glimpse into each character's thoughts. I also have to say one of my "complaints" about his last book was the setting (because personally I was unfamiliar with the geography of Europe) so I have to give a + to the American setting lol.
Overall, it was just a good entertaining book. Unexpected twists. I highly recommend this (and the other two previous Sugrue books). Darren Sugrue is now one of my favorite authors and I am highly looking forward to reading a 4th book should he ever write one. Hopefully he can get published and become a well known author because his writing deserves it!
Profile Image for Tammie P ℓօรƭเɳαɓօօҡ.
39 reviews6 followers
May 18, 2024
Review of Shred of Doubt by Darren Sugrue

This story takes place in the American seaside town of Hyannis.

Shred of Doubt by Darren Sugrue tells the story of an 18-year-old American girl who disappeared twenty-five (25) years ago. The story delves into the moments leading up to her disappearance. The story also highlights where the main characters affected by her disappearance are today, especially Jimmy, who is back in Hyannis for a conference and Detective Myers, who closed the case on paper but was not content as he could not dispel his gut feeling that something about the case was amiss.
When Chelsea's journal is inadvertently found and given to Jimmy, he visits the detective who (with the newfound information) will finally get the answers he seeks.

The story alternates between the point of view of the following persons:
Chelsea Thomson: the girl who disappeared twenty-five (25) years ago.
Hector Sims: the person convicted for her murder (although the police did not find her body).
Jimmy Quinn: Chelsea's Irish boyfriend
Detective Bryan Myers: the detective who solved the case.

What I like most is that the story has a good plot and compelling characters. I felt Hector's grief. I felt Detective Myer's remorse regarding the situation with his family. And his tenacity is admirable. The writer penned Jimmy's character so well that I felt his sorrow and cheered him on while he tried to find out what (exactly) happened to Chelsea all those years ago (given the absence of a body).
The story will keep you guessing and possibly have you changing your mind several times until the end.

The author tied everything up in a neat little bow at the end. But I can't seem to get around what Chelsea did all those years ago. In my opinion, it was immoral. I can't see it being the result of 'love' nor blame it on naivety. Nevertheless, nothing validates the response to the result of what she did. Yet I can't help but wonder if everything would have played out differently. Would something else have triggered the event/emergence? Is it possible that help could've been sought and provided before it was too late?
This story (obviously) left me pondering everything that occurred.

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars

I recommend this book to lovers of psychological thrillers and whodunnits.
Profile Image for Teresa Collins.
1,121 reviews19 followers
January 23, 2021
What a twisty, turning plot of a story this is! The reader starts out going down one road, sure they know their destination, only to find that the road has a hidden 180 up ahead and now is heading in a totally different direction. My favorite type of book; it keeps me on my toes. This book is filled with past and present, great characters, mystery, heartbreaking injustice, and disbelief at the naivete and self-delusion of some teenagers.
I only had a couple of small issues with the book. The first is something any reader of my reviews is familiar with-my frustration with typos that are so easily caught by just a casual read-through. It doesn't require an English grammar major to catch them. Most of the time they are missing words or misspelled words where it appears the author's mind is moving faster than their fingers. Now I realize that many times a reader's eye will see what "should" be there and not always what is. I think the solution to that is to have as many friends and/or family as possible read the book. That increases the chance that very few errors will slip through.
My other issue was that Mr. Sugrue set his story in Hyannis, in the US. However, being from Ireland himself, quite a bit of UK terminology slipped through. For example, windscreen instead of windshield, trolly instead of cart, knickers instead of pants, and biscuits instead of cookies/crackers, to name a few. I know it's a minor point, but it's those minor points that can disrupt the flow of the story and have the potential to ruin the entire thing because it no longer rings true. However, I enjoyed it enough that I will be looking for more books from Mr. Sugrue in the future
454 reviews11 followers
January 24, 2021
Psychological suspense with many twists and turns until the shocking conclusion. Shred of Doubt will have you constantly trying to solve a twenty-five year old crime. The unraveling of secrets wil cause pure disbelief.

Chelsea Thomson was presumed murdered twenty-five years ago, but her body was never recovered from the seaside town of Hyannis. Hector Sims was held responsible for the crime and is serving time in jail, still insisting he is innocent.

Jimmy Quinn was Chelsea’s boyfriend at the time, spending his summer in Hyannis from Ireland. He comes back to town years later for a conference and believes that Chelsea is alive when he finds her old journal. He contacts the detective, Bryan Myers, who investigated the crime, and convinces him to open the investigation. Bryan always had a shred of doubt about the case and has never forgotten it.
When Bryan finds surprising answers he finds it hard to believe the truth.

I received this Ebook from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review. Every time I thought I knew the answers, I would be floored by a new twist. Totally unexpected ending, unbelievable intrigue, and great character development. A real page turner!!
Profile Image for Daniela.
Author 12 books
August 31, 2020
First I must admit, that I was really looking forward to read this book, since this is the third one from this author (and just with his first book called "Prediction" he became my favorite one).
And I have to admit, that I surely was not disappointed with this one, too, it was a really good thriller.

Since I'm already a bit familiar with his style of writing, I was reading it with "expect the unexpected" in my mind, and at the end my guess about who the murderer was, turned out to be correct. But anyway, it was really catchy, full of unexpected twists and plots, so I've enjoyed it from the very beginning 'till the end.

And what surprised me the most was the description of the place, where it all happened - it seemed pretty realistic to me, even though that I have not been to America yet, but I had a feeling as if he was.

So, what to say - I really hope that his books will get published officially, one day, 'cause I'm really strongly convinced that they are at least comparable (if not better) to plenty of broadly recognized authors.

Fingers crossed, Darren!
Profile Image for Kelly Knapp.
948 reviews20 followers
January 21, 2021
25 years ago, a young woman disappeared and everyone believes she is dead. And someone has been in jail for that murder. Now, many of the players have returned and there is a possibility the young woman isn't dead.

This is a character driven story with a well developed plot and delicious twists and turns. The protagonist is is determined to learn the truth, the detective has always felt something was amiss with the investigation, and the inmate is fast losing hope that the truth can be discovered. These characters will collide in an explosive and utterly unexpected climax.
Profile Image for Carol Ueland.
237 reviews1 follower
August 24, 2023
A missing girl, an Irish student on a summer work experience who returns 25 years later for a conference, a newly discovered journal, and a fellow worker imprisoned for 25 years for the missing girl’s murder - the story in a nutshell.

This was an interesting POV read in which passages in the journal were included as POV. An easy read with some character development, but it fell flat for me with a predictable twist.
783 reviews10 followers
November 30, 2020
What a trip

Oh my goodness! This novel grabs you right at the beginning and takes you on such a trip. No idea where you are going or what's happening. I had it figured out right at the beginning, and then a quarter way in and then at half way...you get the picture (and not what I expected at the end). It's well written with characters you can see. So good.
1,519 reviews28 followers
January 26, 2025
Celkom nerozumiem, ako to, ze ma kniha hodnotenie 4.38 na GR, ale ok...

Pred 25 rokmi zmizne mlade dievca. Jej telo sa nikdy nenaslo, no z vrazdy je obvineny jej kolega z prace, Hector, a ten aj po tom case tvrdi, ze je nevinny.
V tom case Chelsea chodila s Jimmym, mladikom z Irska, ktory si prisiel do USA privyrobit na VS. Ona je vsak donho zalubena tak strasne, ze je ochotna urobit vsetko mozne, aby sa Jimmy po lete nevratil domov do Irska.

Jimmy sa po vssetkych tych rokoch vracia do USA na konferenciu a stretava byvaleho kolegu, ktory prizna, ze po odsudeni Hectora nasiel v jednej volnej skrinke Chelseain dennik. Kedze bol v tom case na podmienke, nechcel sa do toho miesat a neodovzdal ho policii.

Jimmy zacne dennik citat, no okamzite ide na policiu za byvalym vysetrovatelom. Lebo v denniku sa pise, ze Chelsea bola tehotna. Plus, v bare stretne barmana, ktory mu velmmi pripomina Chelsea /dokonca nosi usny strojcek/ a jeho sameho. No a byvaly vysetrovatel, ktory kvoli tomu pripadu stratil svoju manzelku a dceru, sa nechcene znovu ocitne v kolotoci vysetrovania.

Zo zaciatku sa to strasne tahalo...uz som bola rozhodnuta, ze knihu odlozim. Potom asi v polke sa to trosku rozbehlo, no ale to rozuzlenie....JOJ, som nastvana, lebo je to podobne klise, ako ze sa hlavny hrdina zrazu zobudil a vsetko to bol sen... Urcite sa to neda porovnat s jeho predchadzajucim dielom. Za mna palec dole.
2,532 reviews
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December 17, 2023
free ebook

the summer a man came to us from Ireland he met a girl. she wanted him to stay but he had to go back to college. she took the used condoms and got preg without him knowing

then one night he passed out at the beach with her. his drink was drugged
she disappeared. a man was sent to prison, in there over 25 yrs saying he didnt kill her. no body was ever found

the man comes back to the us from Ireland for a conference. he meets a old friend who found her diary in another locker at work. he reads it and finds out she was preg

he gets drunk, the bartender looks like him and her and has a hearing aid like she did
hes convinced thats his son. he takes the journal to him and he says that is his moms handwriting. he shows him a photo on his phone of his mom, its the girl all grown up and aged

the man goes back to the police but he doesnt want to believe him
(i dont know why they just dont do a dna test of both of them...)

the man in prison cant get parole cause he wont admit to killing her when he didnt
hes thinking of ending his life

turns out her boyfriend had killed her by hitting her in the head with a rock and dumping her in the ocean when he found out she was preg and wouldnt get rid of the baby

the other man in prison 25 yrs for no reason, he was innocent

the boyfriend thought he was his own son
and tried to slit his wrists when he got caught but he was saved to go to mental hosp rest of his life
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Zoe Reads.
684 reviews38 followers
April 30, 2024
OUTSTANDING READ!! Worthy of all the stars 🌟 Why isnt anyone talking about this book? I came into this one blindly after seeing it offered as a freebie & never hearing of the author before. I’m always excited to read something by authors I’ve not come across.

I was sucked in from the first chapter where Hector is at his parole hearing after serving 25 years for the murder of Chelsea Thomson. Hector has never admitted guilt from his trial to the present day. We have chapters dedicated to Chelsea’s diary from 1995 which I really enjoyed the jump from then and now, and we have Jimmy who was in Cape Cod from Ireland for the summer and was Chelsea’s boyfriend when she went missing, presumed dead. And we also have Brian, the cop who is responsible for putting Hector away 25 years ago.

The book was intense and so well written, it grips you in a vice as you try to solve the case with all the clues being given, plenty of twists and turns in this mystery. The ending was superb, in no way (try as I might) could I have saw that twist coming! Stop what you’re doing & read this book right now
Profile Image for Martín.
149 reviews23 followers
January 15, 2021
Jimmy Quinn comes back to the town where 25 years ago his girlfriend was murdered, a closed case with a convicted perpetrator. It seems only memories remain but not everything was so plain and simple. An unexpected event revives the shred of doubt that remained lurking for him and specially for Detective Myers.

Third book by this author and another wonderful novel. It keeps up with the other two and sustains the essence of what one expects from his work (yes there's starts to be a "Sugruesque" novel signature): fast paced non stop reading, plot twists and great characters (even the secondary ones).

Absolutely recommendable author, he deserves to be published, and he will be. This novel is again movie material.

Talking of great characters and new books: I already wished to read more of Sophie Reyner , and now I have to add Bryan Myers to my list.

Profile Image for Gail White.
82 reviews
June 16, 2024
Chelsea and Jimmy are a young couple having a summer romance. Until Chelsea disappears. Fast forward 25 yrs and Jimmy finds himself in Cape Cod again, with a new tantalising clue as to why Chelsea disappeared and what may have happened to her. The lead detective on the case, who was always unhappy with it's outcome, finds himself drawn back into a strange and dangerous denouement. Readable but I found the plot a little preposterous, and the left field twist at the end a bit far-fetched. I guess why I don't read stuff like this very often is I also felt very sad by the casual gratuitous violence esp towards women. Thank goodness for the Cop with a conscience, who I really enjoyed.
172 reviews
May 1, 2024
A beautiful psychological story

This book was well written. At times it made a reader want to cry. First Hector has spent twenty years in prison for a murder he did not commit and how His mind started to go. The real killer Jimmy with his double personality is walking around free. How first love can be so wrong with another person who does not care. The detective who lost his family because of the case. Well done. Well written.I love this story.
Profile Image for Gwen Lawrence.
11 reviews1 follower
December 7, 2024
good plot

I like the story line of this book and the author is a very good storyteller. The main problem I have is that the story doesn’t even begin to explain how wrong it was for the girl to try to “trick” Jimmy into staying with her. The way it was written kinda makes getting pregnant on purpose without the partner knowing an ordinary and okay way of dealing with a relationship.
5 reviews
November 29, 2020
A psychological suspense

Hands down the best read. I am not the brightest bulb , but I usually have an idea in the start of a book who did it. This book i didn't. The author left no room for guessing because the book was so engrossing. Awesome story and such a surprising ending. Can't wait to read another.
11 reviews
August 14, 2023
engaging

I highly recommend this novel. There are so many twists and turns. I try and guess what the outcome would be, but this was definitely a different outcome then I suspected. The characters were very well created. It definitely was a page turner from the beginning to the end.
199 reviews
December 7, 2023
Whatever happened to Chelsea

A fascinating story of teenagers finding a summer romance comming to a close as Jimmy needs,to return to college in Ireland. Chelsea desperately wants him to stay. Now it's 25 years later and Jimmy is back and the twisted mystery begins. A page turner for sure!
Profile Image for Pamela Faust .
1,056 reviews1 follower
March 25, 2024
Told by Jimmy, Chelsea and Bryan...all to figure out what happened to Chelsea. Her parts were via a diary. Jimmy was her boyfriend and Bryan was the cop in charge of naming a suspect who killed her. He was wrong. There were some good parts, but there were some really weird things, too, that made the story unbelievable.
14 reviews
May 20, 2024
Genuinely Suspenseful

It has been a long time since I’ve been so engrossed in book that I felt compelled to read from beginning to end. Very different storyline with an ending I did not see coming. I really enjoyed the different characters/storylines that were all intertwined. Looking forward to reading more by this author.
Profile Image for Vickie.
496 reviews
June 21, 2024
One of the best psychological thrillers I've ever read. I began listening to it while driving a trip and could hardly wait to finish it. This author brings every character to life, they seem so real. You can imagine them and feel for them. The plot was thought out and kept me guessing how it was going to turn out.
17 reviews
May 3, 2024
unsolved/solved crime

Wow!!! What a wonderful and emotional book. I expected or maybe I wanted Chelsey to be alive. At least I hoped she would be by the end of the story and surprise everyone! I highly recommend this little book. Wonderful story. Very emotional ending
13 reviews2 followers
May 5, 2024
Quick, gripping and unexpected

I love that even when I thought I figured it out, I hadn't. No spoilers from me but truly an enjoyable read where I could picture everything it was reading. Nice one
Profile Image for jrjanczy.
25 reviews
May 24, 2024
Amazing read

Believable story, it really grabbed your
attention and didn't let loose. Had to go back and reread a couple of sections to see how I missed some details. Will probably reread this!
32 reviews
September 19, 2024
This book caught my attention from the beginning. Was curious to follow the story line to see where it was going. The suicide twist was a good twist and kept the reader going. Was so glad for Hector. So sad for Chelsea and her Mom.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for R.L..
Author 5 books48 followers
October 5, 2024
This was another great unreliable narrator POV. When a girl disappeared twenty years ago, a man is convicted and sent to prison for her murder. All this time later, her boyfriend shows up, so does a diary the girl had written.
Profile Image for Chris.
580 reviews
December 10, 2024
PHENOMENAL

Loved every part of this book. From page 1 right to the very end. Very original story, so much happening throughout that I couldn't turn the pages fast enough! Highly recommend adding to your to read list!
3 reviews
March 13, 2025
This was good! Kept me wondering the truth and I never saw the killer coming. There are some references to covid that seemed odd since it didn’t add to the story but I’m assuming it must’ve been on the authors mind when writing this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews

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