Crazy? You Bet!
by Jodi Ann Hanson
Retired actress Ann Werner has found her niche in writing psychological thrillers. With `CRAZY' her third fiction novel, Ann delves into the dark mind of a killer creating a tense storyline that has her reader afraid to turn the page for fear of the next gruesome scene.
Emily Simonson is on the road to fame. Once a struggling actress, she cast aside her hopes of being a starlet for the tools of a chef, becoming a rising star in the ranks of celebrity chefs. With a bestselling cookbook, a successful restaurant, kitchen store and appearances on morning television shows, Emily has the world by its tail; or at least she thinks so. Amongst her world of adoring fans she has developed an enemy; a crazed stalker hell-bent on taking away Emily's fame and her life no matter the cost.
When Emily receives a letter in the mail she opens the envelope to find a sheet of paper with the word `Bitch' cut out from magazines little does she realize that moment will be the last time she doesn't have to look over her shoulder wondering if she is going to wind up dead. That's the moment when the game of cat-and-mouse was started by the stalker.
When want-to-be starlets that closely resemble Emily begin being murdered and the graphic images sent to Emily and television stations, she is forced to acquiesce to the police and hire a team of bodyguards for protection. The police need to find the killer before he/she can get to Emily and enact the horrific murder they have promised.
With Emily Simonson, Ann Werner has created a character any reader can love and relate to. The fear that consumes Emily leaps off the page pulling the heartstrings of her readers making them want to protect her from harm. Ann nails the mad dialogue between the killer and `guardian' as they two conspire inside the killers mind giving the reader a glimpse of just how depraved that mind is.
The book could easily have been written as the typical slasher type horror, but Ann gives just enough gory detail to keep that from happening. What Ann has ended up with is a thriller that will keep her readers glued to the pages to see what happens next.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves to be dragged by the heels into a psychological game of cat-and-mouse. Whether you chose to root for the evil-doer or the victim you will enjoy the read.
Riveting and Intense
by E. Thomas Amazon.com
In the twilight world of post-dream Los Angeles, populated by failed actors and wannabe starlets, a serial killer stalks Emily Simonson. A rising culinary star, Emily is riding a wave of good breaks, from the success of her thriving restaurant to the publication of her best-selling cookbook to her increasing exposure on T.V.. Soon, though, she finds h...erself being harassed and tormented by threatening letters, grotesque packages, and worse. Who is doing this? And why?
CRAZY threads its suspense with claustrophobic and strangling tension, keeping the characters frantic even as it becomes apparent that the killer is among them. The escalation of atrocities only serves to heighten Emily's fear and loathing, which hits a fever pitch after the maniac starts targeting Emily's look-alikes. It stays there for page after riveting page until the final apocalyptic showdown.
I love the villain. Like the namesake book title, the villain is CRAZY. All the good stuff is here: voices in the head, psychotic self-centeredness, maniacal rationalizing, and even a touch of Satanism. The lockstep sequence of gruesome attacks is superbly paced, ramping up the dread in Emily's mind as she navigates their impact on her life.
CRAZY is more than just a cut-em-up. In addition to its obvious thriller/suspense designation, it's a little bit "literary", too. CRAZY, in true cross-genre fashion, combines the best elements of both. The author Ms. Werner, by dwelling on the effect of the maniac upon Emily's relationships, paints a fully-realized and three-dimensional portrait of her heroine. Emily is a strong woman in an impossible situation. Her friends Chris and Phaedra, her associates Monica and Gina, her watchmen Detective Walker and the hunky bodyguard Trevor, and everyone else in her life is of dubious influence. No one is above suspicion, but there are no easy discoveries. In true Hitchcockian fashion, CRAZY thus creates a powerful drama for the slasher crowd.
I thoroughly enjoyed CRAZY, and I am looking forward to Ms. Werner's next opus.
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