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Cuckoo Series #1
Cuckoo Uncaged
ONLY SHE CAN PROVE HER INNOCENCE
Yvonne Landis has escaped from a mental institution, where she was treated for psychosis. Accused of murder, she will stand trial once psychiatrists deem her fit enough to understand her charges. Only Yvonne knows that she didn't kill her husband; her son Gabe did. Because she was onto him, he tricked the authorities into believing that Mom killed Dad. Having been traumatized in his tweens, he suffers from extreme anger issues. In order to deal with them, he must kill on occasion.
Yvonne is determined to prove to everyone that not only did Gabe kill his father, but that he's the one who's truly dangerous, not she. That's easier said than done, considering her fugitive status and the psychotic episodes she still experiences...
Yvonne Landis has escaped from a mental institution, where she was treated for psychosis. Accused of murder, she will stand trial once psychiatrists deem her fit enough to understand her charges. Only Yvonne knows that she didn't kill her husband; her son Gabe did. Because she was onto him, he tricked the authorities into believing that Mom killed Dad. Having been traumatized in his tweens, he suffers from extreme anger issues. In order to deal with them, he must kill on occasion.
Yvonne is determined to prove to everyone that not only did Gabe kill his father, but that he's the one who's truly dangerous, not she. That's easier said than done, considering her fugitive status and the psychotic episodes she still experiences...
280 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2021
About the author
Julia Derek
112 books120 followersJulia Derek is originally from Sweden and is a trainer by day and writer by night. She's the author of several mystery and thriller books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
February 19, 2022
Enjoyed this book
February 28, 2020
GREAT READ!
******SPOILER ALERT******
I enjoyed “Cukoo Uncaged”. The ending was a cliffhanger, as the reader didn’t know why Yvonne did what she did at the end. Her initial goal was to get Gabe to confess to killing his father. But events happened differently.
Why didn’t Yvonne go to the cops with her evidence?
Hopefully, the reader will discover the truth in the next book, which I’m about to read.
******SPOILER ALERT******
I enjoyed “Cukoo Uncaged”. The ending was a cliffhanger, as the reader didn’t know why Yvonne did what she did at the end. Her initial goal was to get Gabe to confess to killing his father. But events happened differently.
Why didn’t Yvonne go to the cops with her evidence?
Hopefully, the reader will discover the truth in the next book, which I’m about to read.
April 24, 2020
Real page turnet
This story was so good. It was so hard to put down. It kept you in suspense of what was going to happen next. I can't wait to read the next book
This story was so good. It was so hard to put down. It kept you in suspense of what was going to happen next. I can't wait to read the next book
September 28, 2020
One intense story inside the mind of a killer. It really keeps you going and wondering if he will be caught or not.
December 5, 2022
Yvonne was in a mental institution because she was accused of causing a accident that killed her husband. But she claims it wasnt her it was her son Gabe. Well she excaped from the institution and Gabe was worried she was coming for him. Gabe became addicted to pills due to his anxiety . Soon he had to increase his dose of pills a day. It was harder for him to get them and one day he noticed he was losing his hair.So he told his girlfriend he just wanted to try a new hairstyle. His mom did find him later on. She wanted him to confess . But the ending left me hanging . What did she really mean to do .
January 20, 2021
Very good
Very good story. I appreciate looking at two of the main characters through their eyes. Good Clift hanger, will read next in series.
Very good story. I appreciate looking at two of the main characters through their eyes. Good Clift hanger, will read next in series.
January 18, 2022
Amazing
This was a fantastic mystery. I didn't see this ending coming. I really thought one, or both, would've been in danger
This was a fantastic mystery. I didn't see this ending coming. I really thought one, or both, would've been in danger
November 8, 2022
I really like Julia Derek’s writing style. The story is well written and is very interesting. One keeps turning pages to find out what Yvonne is going to do next. Cuckoo isn’t really cuckoo, just very entertaining. Her son, Gabe is a wild character that is driven and a part time serial killer? You’ll have to read it yourself to find out. I wasn’t thrilled with the ending . 5
November 1, 2022
It held my interest
Good characters, realistic. I enjoyed this book. Looking forward to next one in series. Fast-paced is accurate description of this story.
Good characters, realistic. I enjoyed this book. Looking forward to next one in series. Fast-paced is accurate description of this story.
Read
January 31, 2021Ridiculous ending
Which is to say there was no ending. When authors pull this manipulative ploy all it does is ensure I will never buy another book by this author. If you are someone who wants some kind of conclusion, good or bad, skip this one .
Which is to say there was no ending. When authors pull this manipulative ploy all it does is ensure I will never buy another book by this author. If you are someone who wants some kind of conclusion, good or bad, skip this one .
August 19, 2021
Poorly written
Although it has an overall good plot and pace, the author should have spent more time polishing it. Repetitive words and lack of descriptive text. Could not get past 25 pages.
Although it has an overall good plot and pace, the author should have spent more time polishing it. Repetitive words and lack of descriptive text. Could not get past 25 pages.
May 14, 2020
A great book
This was an amazing book if you like deranged crime thrillers. I can't wait to read book 2 in the series.
This was an amazing book if you like deranged crime thrillers. I can't wait to read book 2 in the series.
May 28, 2026
If I could, I would give this book 0 or even a minus number of stars
Firstly, there are so many flaws, inconsistencies and plot holes.
Yvonne Landis suffers from psychosis but she actually knows when she’s suffering an episode (So not psychosis, then.) She is in a mental institution where she has been incarcerated for the murder of her husband during an episode – a murder that she knows she did not commit (So REALLY not psychosis, then!)
She knows that her son, Gabe, did it. Gabe also has mental problems. He feels a growing, uncontrollable rage building up in him until he has to beat somebody to death. But not too often because, amazing enough, he is usually able to control these uncontrollable rages, although he does help himself to his aunt’s supply of Klonopin (an anticonvulsant that would have absolutely no effect whatsoever on such psychopathic attacks but hey-ho.)
How did Gabe manage the killing? Well, he threw off his psychopathic persona and, becoming a cold, calculating assassin, he switched off the passenger airbag then waited until his mother was driving past, father in the passenger seat, at 80 miles an hour and … wait for it… threw a newspaper across the windscreen, knowing she would crash and his father would die. Now I realise that one is supposed to suspend one’s disbelief but REALLY? A thrown newspaper? On what planet does that happen?
And the utter bilge just goes on and on.
But there are lots of silly books and just being silly doesn’t qualify a book for my total loathing. That is attracted by the claim that this book is the first in a SERIES. A series is a set of separate stories. The 007 books are a series. The Jack Reacher books are a series. Even the Steig Larsson books are a series. Any book in a series can be read as a separate entity. The principle characters will be the same and some backstory needs to be fed in, but basically it will be a whole book. You can read the last book first, or vice versa. It will have a beginning, a middle AND AN END.
Cuckoo Uncaged is the first in a SERIAL!
Imagine if you paid to watch the film Goldfinger. James Bond is strapped to a metal sheet. A laser beam is working its way up towards his family jewels. Our intrepid hero looks at the retreating form of Auric
Goldfinger and asks, “Do you expect me talk?”
THE END
If you want to hear the infamous line, “No, Mr Bond, I expect you to die!” you have to fork out for the next film.
It’s a con. This book is a con. It doesn’t finish, it just … ends! And if you want to find out what happens next, you will have to fork out over £8.00 (if you bought the paperback). Then, presumably, that will end on a cliffhanger so you’ll have to buy the next. So on ad infinitum.
Unless you’re prepared to keep coughing up for this garbage. Don’t start.
Firstly, there are so many flaws, inconsistencies and plot holes.
Yvonne Landis suffers from psychosis but she actually knows when she’s suffering an episode (So not psychosis, then.) She is in a mental institution where she has been incarcerated for the murder of her husband during an episode – a murder that she knows she did not commit (So REALLY not psychosis, then!)
She knows that her son, Gabe, did it. Gabe also has mental problems. He feels a growing, uncontrollable rage building up in him until he has to beat somebody to death. But not too often because, amazing enough, he is usually able to control these uncontrollable rages, although he does help himself to his aunt’s supply of Klonopin (an anticonvulsant that would have absolutely no effect whatsoever on such psychopathic attacks but hey-ho.)
How did Gabe manage the killing? Well, he threw off his psychopathic persona and, becoming a cold, calculating assassin, he switched off the passenger airbag then waited until his mother was driving past, father in the passenger seat, at 80 miles an hour and … wait for it… threw a newspaper across the windscreen, knowing she would crash and his father would die. Now I realise that one is supposed to suspend one’s disbelief but REALLY? A thrown newspaper? On what planet does that happen?
And the utter bilge just goes on and on.
But there are lots of silly books and just being silly doesn’t qualify a book for my total loathing. That is attracted by the claim that this book is the first in a SERIES. A series is a set of separate stories. The 007 books are a series. The Jack Reacher books are a series. Even the Steig Larsson books are a series. Any book in a series can be read as a separate entity. The principle characters will be the same and some backstory needs to be fed in, but basically it will be a whole book. You can read the last book first, or vice versa. It will have a beginning, a middle AND AN END.
Cuckoo Uncaged is the first in a SERIAL!
Imagine if you paid to watch the film Goldfinger. James Bond is strapped to a metal sheet. A laser beam is working its way up towards his family jewels. Our intrepid hero looks at the retreating form of Auric
Goldfinger and asks, “Do you expect me talk?”
THE END
If you want to hear the infamous line, “No, Mr Bond, I expect you to die!” you have to fork out for the next film.
It’s a con. This book is a con. It doesn’t finish, it just … ends! And if you want to find out what happens next, you will have to fork out over £8.00 (if you bought the paperback). Then, presumably, that will end on a cliffhanger so you’ll have to buy the next. So on ad infinitum.
Unless you’re prepared to keep coughing up for this garbage. Don’t start.
September 25, 2025
It’s a very straightforward thriller. The story is fine, the writing is fine, but a few things stood out to me:
1. Around 80% of the book felt purely descriptive: “pressed the button, swiped the screen,” and so on. This level of detail (For me) dragged the pace down and didn’t really add to the story.
2. The Klonopin detail was overdone. Every single dose, time interval, and side effect was described again and again. It became exhausting, and at times I almost stopped reading because of it.
3. There were several plot holes which is fine, but the most jarring for me was when his girlfriend asked why he had tried to commit suicide, and he was wondering how did she found out, when even in the previous chapter it was clearly stated that the incident was being broadcast on the news, so literally everyone knew.
To the author, if you’re reading this: the story as a whole was compelling, and I appreciate the effort behind it. This is just my opinion, but the pacing really needs work. Over-description slowed everything down unnecessarily, and some of the big moments lacked impact.
1. Around 80% of the book felt purely descriptive: “pressed the button, swiped the screen,” and so on. This level of detail (For me) dragged the pace down and didn’t really add to the story.
2. The Klonopin detail was overdone. Every single dose, time interval, and side effect was described again and again. It became exhausting, and at times I almost stopped reading because of it.
3. There were several plot holes which is fine, but the most jarring for me was when his girlfriend asked why he had tried to commit suicide, and he was wondering how did she found out, when even in the previous chapter it was clearly stated that the incident was being broadcast on the news, so literally everyone knew.
To the author, if you’re reading this: the story as a whole was compelling, and I appreciate the effort behind it. This is just my opinion, but the pacing really needs work. Over-description slowed everything down unnecessarily, and some of the big moments lacked impact.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2023
Got this book on SYK day, and I'm glad I didn't spend money on it. Nothing aggravates me more than a book that is left up in the air so you have to read another book. That is the number one reason I won't be reading any other of these books. You don't actually find out what happened to cause the main character to be in her situation until about 3/4 through the book, and I found myself genuinely saying "I don't even care" out loud. The second reason, the author treated non-English-speaking characters as imbeciles. "Oh no, he won't know that I gave him a phone instead of a recording device because he speaks Spanish." Really????? And lastly, if the author spent as much time developing her characters as she did name-dropping Klonopin, I might have been interested in the novel. I honestly could have taken a shot for every single time the character says "Klonopin." A strong author would not rely on cheap cliffhangers like this to depend on views.
April 28, 2020
Mediocre book
Disappointed in this book considering the hype.
And omg how many times do u need to mention klonopin.
While with the cliffhanger seemed a bit promising not sure about spending my money on time to take another chance.
Just so many empty holes. Not much mention why the dad was so horrible aside from cheating. No background to Gabes abduction. No loose ends were tied up in this book at all.
Disappointed in this book considering the hype.
And omg how many times do u need to mention klonopin.
While with the cliffhanger seemed a bit promising not sure about spending my money on time to take another chance.
Just so many empty holes. Not much mention why the dad was so horrible aside from cheating. No background to Gabes abduction. No loose ends were tied up in this book at all.
September 28, 2020
The author really wrote an interesting tale. Unfortunately it has some side comments about the effects of the mental issues the main characters were dealing with that the reader could be distracted. Then it felt like the author would really hit an interesting ending, but she hurried up to finish this book and leave the story hanging. She wants us to read the next one, but the hurry to kick this book our the door left me no reason to read the follow up.
March 22, 2021
Wish I'd known that this was a series before I started it. Would not have even begun! Ugh. Oh well. Story was pretty good....... I just don't think it was so good I need to get the next in the series. I liked the characters............. the action in the story got a little too unbelievable (even for make believe!). Not a terrible read........ if you like series....... you will probably enjoy this.
February 3, 2021
If I could give a zero rating I would. There is no real personality description for Yvonne and her son has a personality that has no redeeming features. After Yvonne traps her son and confirms that he not she murdered her husband, the whole thing goes into thin air with Yvonne disappearing and no ending. The only thing I can say is that it is well titled.
June 17, 2021
A teenager consumed with anger and only his aunt's strong pills can calm him. His mother was put in an insane asylum accused of murdering her husband, but she escapes and tries to find the evidence to prove her son killed him.
The first in a series, read on to find if she gets the evidence she needs.
The first in a series, read on to find if she gets the evidence she needs.
September 24, 2024
2.5/5 • I downloaded this as a free download from Book Bub because it was supposedly a psychology thriller you couldn’t put down. Sadly I didn’t care for the writing style and actually read 3 other books while trying to read this one. It ended with a cliffhanger but I’m not finding myself dying to buy the sequel to find out what happened.
April 22, 2020
Mixed reviews
Pretty good story plot, kinda long and drawn out and some points.
The problem I had with it was this...
..if it's going to just end in the middle of the story...just call it half a book.
Pretty good story plot, kinda long and drawn out and some points.
The problem I had with it was this...
..if it's going to just end in the middle of the story...just call it half a book.
January 25, 2021
Interesting read.
I am not an avid reader, not quite as fast pasted as advertised. Not the ending I expected, leading on to a further three books. I did enjoy what I read, but expect the story to be drawn out!
I am not an avid reader, not quite as fast pasted as advertised. Not the ending I expected, leading on to a further three books. I did enjoy what I read, but expect the story to be drawn out!
January 27, 2021
I found this story quite intriguing but I was left feeling very disappointed at the way it was left at the end without going into detail and spoiling it for others,I suppose it was left to the reader to make up their mind if this was the only ending
August 14, 2021
Good descriptions & character development
The writing is good, the suspense is there but it didn't strike a chord with me. I found that this is not my cup of tea. To me, the mother character is rather far-fetched.
The writing is good, the suspense is there but it didn't strike a chord with me. I found that this is not my cup of tea. To me, the mother character is rather far-fetched.
October 8, 2021
Waste of time
I would not recommend this book. I felt it was really slow and I felt like I missed some of the story when I had just started it. Nothing made sense and it didn't make me want to read any more books in the series.
I would not recommend this book. I felt it was really slow and I felt like I missed some of the story when I had just started it. Nothing made sense and it didn't make me want to read any more books in the series.
January 12, 2022
Great thriller
This book kept you on your toes until the end. Loved the main character. I was disappointed with the ending. It left you hanging with what happens to the two main characters.
This book kept you on your toes until the end. Loved the main character. I was disappointed with the ending. It left you hanging with what happens to the two main characters.
June 19, 2022
You know those freshmen papers that start with a paragraph like “Sara didn’t like David. Sara thought David was arrogant. Sara believed David thought Sara was too naive”? That is the entire writing process of this book. Great idea of a book. Bad writing and worse ending.
February 6, 2023
Hated the ending
The story seem to go around in circles. It had a lot of promise but it never quite delivered. I am a little prejudiced because I hate books that force you to read the next book if you really want to know the complete story.
The story seem to go around in circles. It had a lot of promise but it never quite delivered. I am a little prejudiced because I hate books that force you to read the next book if you really want to know the complete story.
April 2, 2023
Really good read
It is a fast paced read, Once you start reading you won't want to stop reading. This was the first book I have read by Julia Derek. I can't wait to read the next book in this series.
It is a fast paced read, Once you start reading you won't want to stop reading. This was the first book I have read by Julia Derek. I can't wait to read the next book in this series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews