Dollycas's Thoughts
New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Dubois writes romantic suspense novels featuring warped serial killers. She is writing the final book in the series and she has an "invested reader" who has definite ideas on how they expect the series to end. They have been sending the author threatening notes to be sure she follows their instructions. It soon becomes clear she is in danger if she stays in her home. Alex's editor offers his huge mountain vacation house in West Virginia as a retreat to stay safe and finish the book. Being autistic makes the move hard but she really doesn't have a choice.
While trying to complete the book she gets distracted by something she finds in a drawer and incidents happening at the "safe house" Alex is worried her "invested reader" has found her. A thunderstorm doesn't ease her fears.
_____
The author has crafted an extraordinary protagonist in Alexandra Dubois. She has had challenges in her life being on the spectrum but she found ways to write and sell a successful romantic suspense series, deal with a narcissistic ex-husband, and a petulant author from her past. When she arrives in West Virginia she meets several residents but doesn't know who she can trust. With her life on the line, she needs to dig down deep and find even more strength if she is going to survive. I was invested in Alexandra Dubois's life from the start.
I appreciated the time Ms. Gilbert took to set the scenes in this story. Her words made it so easy to picture everything clearly from the "cabin" and its surroundings including the caretaker's home, and the small-town shops in Cedar Gap. The mountain view was amazing and I could feel the thunderstorm with its wind and rain pulsing through the pages.
The book is a complex psychological thriller that turns Alex's world upside down and inside out. A death in the past plays a critical part in the story giving depth to what was happening all around Alex. The author calls the story "A Gripping Psychological Thriller with a Twist" and she doesn't lie. The story grabbed hold of me and held on tight. There are several twists and turns. There are several scary moments too. If I had been watching a movie, it would have been through my fingers over my eyes. I was breathless just reading Alex's journey and then came the huge surprising twist that stopped me short. Talk about a wild ride!
Queen of Hearts is an exceptional suspense thriller with an original protagonist who is easy to root for. The story is plotted with such precision and detail to draw the reader in that you don't realize how far until the very end and come back into the real world around you. I totally escaped into this book. That is why it receives my Paradise Rating. Look for Queen of Hearts on my Best Reads of 2024. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a story full of suspense with a compelling main character. You can thank me later!
There are no explicit scenes or language in this thriller.
New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Dubois writes romantic suspense novels featuring warped serial killers. She is writing the final book in the series and she has an "invested reader" who has definite ideas on how they expect the series to end. They have been sending the author threatening notes to be sure she follows their instructions. It soon becomes clear she is in danger if she stays in her home. Alex's editor offers his huge mountain vacation house in West Virginia as a retreat to stay safe and finish the book. Being autistic makes the move hard but she really doesn't have a choice.
While trying to complete the book she gets distracted by something she finds in a drawer and incidents happening at the "safe house" Alex is worried her "invested reader" has found her. A thunderstorm doesn't ease her fears.
_____
The author has crafted an extraordinary protagonist in Alexandra Dubois. She has had challenges in her life being on the spectrum but she found ways to write and sell a successful romantic suspense series, deal with a narcissistic ex-husband, and a petulant author from her past. When she arrives in West Virginia she meets several residents but doesn't know who she can trust. With her life on the line, she needs to dig down deep and find even more strength if she is going to survive. I was invested in Alexandra Dubois's life from the start.
I appreciated the time Ms. Gilbert took to set the scenes in this story. Her words made it so easy to picture everything clearly from the "cabin" and its surroundings including the caretaker's home, and the small-town shops in Cedar Gap. The mountain view was amazing and I could feel the thunderstorm with its wind and rain pulsing through the pages.
The book is a complex psychological thriller that turns Alex's world upside down and inside out. A death in the past plays a critical part in the story giving depth to what was happening all around Alex. The author calls the story "A Gripping Psychological Thriller with a Twist" and she doesn't lie. The story grabbed hold of me and held on tight. There are several twists and turns. There are several scary moments too. If I had been watching a movie, it would have been through my fingers over my eyes. I was breathless just reading Alex's journey and then came the huge surprising twist that stopped me short. Talk about a wild ride!
Queen of Hearts is an exceptional suspense thriller with an original protagonist who is easy to root for. The story is plotted with such precision and detail to draw the reader in that you don't realize how far until the very end and come back into the real world around you. I totally escaped into this book. That is why it receives my Paradise Rating. Look for Queen of Hearts on my Best Reads of 2024. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a story full of suspense with a compelling main character. You can thank me later!
There are no explicit scenes or language in this thriller.
Happy Pub Day to Heather Day Gilbert and her newest novel Queen of Hearts! This cover perfectly conveys the creepy vibes of this compelling story. I stayed up far too late this weekend - reading in the dark - because I had to know how this story resolved.
Alex is a best-selling author whose romantic suspense series is beloved by readers. Her solitary writing career is a good match with her autism, and she's rebuilt her life after a divorce. Her peace is shattered when she receives a disturbing letter from a "highly invested reader" at her home. When contact escalates, she travels to another state for safety and to concentrate on writing her current novel, even though changes in routine are disruptive.
Before Alex can settle in, strange things start happening in and around the huge mountain 'cabin' where she's staying. Did her stalker follow her? How could they know where she is? Can she believe what she's seeing? Who can she trust?
I was fully invested in Alex as an unreliable narrator. I felt I could trust the depiction of a woman with autism because the author's close family member was her âfact checker.â The plot felt realistic, and the red herrings kept me guessing. One plot twist was more surprising than discovering the stalker's identity! I also liked that the main character was an author and that other professions in the book world were secondary characters.
Thank you to WoodHaven Press for the review copy of this captivating novel.
Alex is a best-selling author whose romantic suspense series is beloved by readers. Her solitary writing career is a good match with her autism, and she's rebuilt her life after a divorce. Her peace is shattered when she receives a disturbing letter from a "highly invested reader" at her home. When contact escalates, she travels to another state for safety and to concentrate on writing her current novel, even though changes in routine are disruptive.
Before Alex can settle in, strange things start happening in and around the huge mountain 'cabin' where she's staying. Did her stalker follow her? How could they know where she is? Can she believe what she's seeing? Who can she trust?
I was fully invested in Alex as an unreliable narrator. I felt I could trust the depiction of a woman with autism because the author's close family member was her âfact checker.â The plot felt realistic, and the red herrings kept me guessing. One plot twist was more surprising than discovering the stalker's identity! I also liked that the main character was an author and that other professions in the book world were secondary characters.
Thank you to WoodHaven Press for the review copy of this captivating novel.
