Psychological Thrillers discussion

Comments closed until January...2022

Camille Gardner is a grieving—and angry—mother who, five years after her daughter’s death, is still obsessed with the privileged young man she believes to be responsible.

When her rash actions attract the attention of a secret group of women—the collective—Camille is drawn into a dark web where these mothers share their wildly different stories of loss as well as their desire for justice in a world where privilege denies accountability and perpetrators emerge unscathed. Fueled by mutual rage, these women orchestrate their own brand of justice through precise, anonymous, complexly plotted and perfectly executed revenge killings, with individual members completing a specific and integral task in each plan.

As Camille struggles to comprehend whether this is a role-playing exercise or terrifying reality, she must decide if these women are truly avenging angels or monsters. Becoming more deeply enmeshed in the group, Camille learns truths about the collective—and about herself—that she may not be able to survive.

So let me ask a question, has anyone, male or female lied to another about their age, just to date the person? Lets be honest........I personally have not. I may now, seeing that I am at that ripe age of 64.....

I finished this one pretty quickly. It wasn't so predictable like so many books are anymore. I found myself wondering numerous times if I would have reacted differently if I were in the same situation as Camille.

Camille was really upset at herself, she really was. She blamed herself because of her daughter. Then she went from upset to herself to being upset at the guy who picked her up and really upset that he went to an Ivy League College with perks....I think folks who go to these types of schools seem to have this Holier Than Thou attitude....

Looking forward to reading this one this month…just haven’t started, yet!

Its a very good read. Interesting book, and how they laid it out.

This was a good read. At first, I was all about cheering these vigilante women on. However, then I started to think about all the facts that they might not have or be considering that makes them just plain murderers. The best example is Camille herself. I don’t want to give a spoiler in case others are still reading. For those of you who are done with the book, then you know they don’t really care much about the concept of “intentional” murder. When intent is removed from criteria, then their cause is less of a cause.

stephanie wrote: "So let me ask a question, has anyone, male or female lied to another about their age, just to date the person? Lets be honest........I personally have not. I may now, seeing that I am at that ripe ..."

Nope. Never did.

You know, I wonder when folks do these types of killings, are they thinking of folks that they kill are just "throw away" folks? Because I remember a statement from someone many years ago, somewhere on the TV, when someone was killing prostitutes, and said that they won't be missed because they are killing people because of the HIV that they carried, something to that effect...But we had a case here in Aurora where there was a female who was killed because she knew she had a disease and was still doing her business, when the courts told her not told not to, and she did it anyway. Well later on she was taken out....When they caught up to the killer, they asked why, and he said that she KNEW what she did was wrong, she did it anyway, and she had no remorse to what she was doing, so HE had no remorse to what he did...Interesting...hummm

I remember seeing a documentary about a serial killer who's victims were prostitutes and he said he chose them bc they were "throw away" and did not think the police would put much effort in finding their killer or would the public care about them

Deb wrote: "I remember seeing a documentary about a serial killer who's victims were prostitutes and he said he chose them bc they were "throw away" and did not think the police would put much effort in findin..."

I grew up in Rochester, NY and we had a couple of infamous serial killers come from there. One of them was Arthur Shawcross. He used to kill prostitutes. He too considered them throw aways. Scary that there are so many sickos out there.

Was Camille really sick, or pissed, or upset about her dead daughter, her husband leaving or Camille staying at home by herself? Just what was was her issue on doing therapy?

Donna wrote: "Deb wrote: "I remember seeing a documentary about a serial killer who's victims were prostitutes and he said he chose them bc they were "throw away" and did not think the police would put much effo..."

Donna wrote: "Deb wrote: "I remember seeing a documentary about a serial killer who's victims were prostitutes and he said he chose them bc they were "throw away" and did not think the police would put much effo..."

If the public knew how many sicko/psycho's there really were out there, they would be much more aware of their surroundings than what I observe the public to be...

So now that Camille is seeing a therapist, daughter is gone, and now husband has flew the coop, she needs help...Why is it that folks tend to run to a computer for any help, guide, or better yet, do you always or have you looked up something when folks give you a business card? I have, many times. Many folks have " GONE UNDER" in these certain websites...

Ruth, did you by any chance read this book The Collective?

Oh, okay, its a really good book. Okay, be safe.

Ruth wrote: "I posted yesterday and it didn’t show up. #trueblonde
Brian, after I read Cob, I was much more alert to my surroundings. It’s something when you wrote a fictional story in which people can learn."

Thanks Ruth I'm constantly reminding individuals to be aware of their surroundings...

Brian, Did you so happen to read The Collective.?

Not yet Stephanie I just started reading again, and will finish a book this week. Then I will start The Collective...:)

Okay,,,will wait for your in-put.....

The dark web. The black web...Those are the websites where it's suppose to be where you can find anything ILLEGAL. As Camille receives a business card with info on it, she decides to lurk to see just what she needs to do while being in a slump over her daughter, the " rich and famous" and husband leaving, and now she is all alone in a home that she once shared with alot of love. The black hole is what many call it, where it's almost impossible to trace folks who put up illegal things. Camille is on a hunt for one thing, and one thing only...PAYBACK...

I’ve just finished the book 30 minutes ago, it was a quick reading and it’s pretty addictive, I liked it and I think it focuses on some interesting concepte such as: revenge, justice, guilt, fairness… all of them can be really polemic; the part I didn’t like that much is the credibility of the whole plot, I thought it was a bit surreal.
As for the main character, Camille, at the beginning I felt her pain and I understood her behaviour but then, she was really self-absorved which I guess it must be normal when you are suffering a loss of a child, but she (and all the collective) crosses so many red lines, that I stopped liking her. At any point any of them questioned the veracity of their accusations, even though they were based on not very solid facts, it could have really been accidents or they could blame someone who wasn’t the real killer…

Your right on target Nuria. I thought, HUMMMM how can so many get away with all the killings. But what got me is when Camille started asking questions when in the Toyota car with another Collective, and getting ready to kill the doctor in the trunk...But one thing I do see Camille being upset is how many folks who have the $$$$$ seem to get away with more things than your average person with change in their pocket. I don't know if I would have just released the kid at the college so easily, but remember, his parents had a wing in the college with their last name on it, and money given to the college...This is what you would call THE ELITE CLUB...I don't fit that bill.

Just how can you join anything without knowing anything? I remember when I joined a few clubs, It was like filling out an application. But at that time, you could do your own background to see if the club was fit for you. But not in this case. Here you go in blind. Anyone get into something that you had NO IDEA...?

I just finished the book! I had never heard of it, but wow was it a good one!!

Thank You Christina for reading this book. I am still at AHWWWW about how this group of folks who kill got together. I mean Good Lord, it seems that they had a plan to get rid of just about anyone who was on their black list.

As Camille gets assistance to help with her daughter's death, I wonder why she didn't do the crime herself? I mean it was her hatred for the young man. Anyone else wonder why?

I don’t think she would be able to carry the murder out herself. I mean at first she thought the group was a game. I do wonder how these women get the funds for all of this!

I wondered about the money issue too. Heck you buying stuff, and nice cars, and clothes, and weapons, and just maybe there is a rich person behind the scene. Kinda reminded me of Charlie's Angel's where they didn't know who their actual boss was. Now you have folks dying by car trunks, and blown up, and killings everywhere, and lets not forget her daughter's one-night stand tragedy, and how he died.. The set up on all these cases were great, not believable on a few, but great on how you can set someone up. Kinda like passing the torch...Drop off in the mail, leave the car,,,walk away, buy a hoodie, I mean geeze-louise...But one thing that I know what could be true in this story is how her daughter died. Now we hear the same story every other week, or when college starts, someone's daughter is dead.