*thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

4 stars.
This story was a comfortable 3 stars all the way through, until.....it got to THAT twist! Others may have seen it coming, but I surely did not and that is why I bumped it up to 4 stars. I cant talk about it coz it would just ruin it for those who want to read this but its pretty good and I really like how they described 'the twist' in details so it was easy to understand. 'The twist' is so very understood by the public and I cant say enough how pleased I am that it had been explained. It is something personal to me and that is why Ive said all that. I didnt like the cover but now that ive read the book, it makes more sense and its quite fitting. Also now that I know, I would like to re-read this. It is a fast read, but it keeps your attention quite well. I would recommend this.

This book kept me riveted from beginning to end. Chelsea, the main character, tugs on your heart strings and makes you believe she is strong all at the same time. The other characters are well written and contribute in major ways to helping the story unfold. The story itself is a thriller, suspenseful, and has just enough twists and turns that you are interested but not lost. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Well worth a read, a really interesting and intriguing thriller. I loved that this book made me constantly stop and think about who done it and their motif. The storyline had me hooked and the characters were well written and believable. I would recommend this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

This was an easy and pleasant read. I did not find it very creepy, although there are gruesome murders and something sinister is going on. But from page 1 I was hooked. I don’t want to get into the story itself. Maybe it is better, when you just jump into this book.

As I said, it is an easy read. The pages just flew as I began to wonder what was going on. I figured the main twist out quite early because there were one or two clues which really pointed in that direction. But there was enough other things going on and I enjoyed it very much.

I really thought I would like this book, but sadly I didn't connect with it at all. It wasn't right book for me.

“Disturbed” is exactly the kind of book I love to sink my teeth into. The pacing was ideal for the suspense and mystery genre, and the plot gripped me from the first page to the last page. Though this book is on the shorter side, it did not feel like the writer sacrificed anything to give us this length. I really admire Jennifer Jaynes for being able to write a remarkably compelling story that I could read in one afternoon.

The book begins with what feels like a cold open: It’s the day after Halloween and Detective Robert Lang is at the scene of a gruesome crime. Someone has killed two college girls, and a third is in danger of dying. The story then jumps nearly five years into the future, where we meet Chelsea: the girl who survived.

Though Chelsea lived through the attack, she is far from unscathed. Along with physical scars, she has also been emotionally and mentally disturbed by what happened. After the attack, she experienced amnesia that never fully went away. To this day, she doesn’t remember anything about the attack, and she lives in constant fear that her killer will come back for her. Chelsea’s friend Elizabeth provides emotional support for her, and she tries to convince Chelsea that she is safe.

And, then a note appears.

The same message written on the bathroom mirror five years ago is now written on a note placed on her car’s windshield. Chelsea’s anxiety begins to spike, retired Detective Lang comes back into the picture, and the case opens up like it hadn’t before. Chelsea sees old friends/acquaintances in new light, and we learn that the murders that took place five years ago are even more complicated than we could have imagined.

This book truly thrilled me; and, from the moment I began reading, I knew I wouldn’t put it down until I finished it. Most of the time I find that these kinds of books follow a predictable storyline and provide a conclusion I can figure out well-before it’s revealed. That was not the case with “Disturbed,” though. My mind jumped from suspect to suspect, and by the time I had read three-fourths of the book, I thought I had everything figured out. I was wrong. Jaynes not only delivered a surprising revelation at the end, but she concluded the book in an open-ended way that most authors avoid. She truly delivered with this book, and I absolutely believe that this author is going places.

Five years ago on Halloween night Chelsea Dutton and her friends were celebrating a birthday in the group when things went horribly wrong. Chelsea is found barely clinging to life in the bathtub while a couple of her other friends nearby were brutally murdered along with an ominous message left that was never released to the public. The boyfriend of one of the girls, Ethan, was always a suspect but nothing could be proven and he’d disappeared without a trace leaving the case to go cold.

Now Chelsea is doing the best she can to go about her life as she struggles with anxiety even with no memory of what had really happened that night. She has her best friend Elizabeth that she met during her recovery that helps her cope and move on from that horrific night. When Chelsea runs into Boyd that had escaped that night by leaving the party early to go to work she finds it’s nice to have someone who understands her pain. Shortly after meeting and beginning a relationship with Boyd however Chelsea finds a note with the same message left at the murder scene which let’s the detective open the case back up again.

Disturbed is the second thriller I’ve read from Jennifer Jaynes and just as with the first book she had no problem wowing me with her story within the pages. This one is definitely one of those intense reads that you just don’t want to put down until you know exactly what happened and who is to blame. There are plenty of twists and turns and for me an outcome that I just didn’t see coming.

Chelsea is one of those characters that carries many emotional scars from her trauma but yet determined to move on with life. However as quickly as I began to feel for Chelsea I just as quickly began to suspect everyone around her and wonder just what would happen in this girl’s life now. Never quite putting my finger on the outcome this would be one thriller I’d definitely recommend checking out.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance copy of Disturbed, a short standalone set in Boston.

23 year old Chelsea Dutton is trying to live with a vicious attack 5 years previously which killed her two flat mates and left her fighting for her life. She doesn't go out much and relies on her friend, psychiatric nurse Elizabeth Jessup, for company and support. She is just getting by when a note left on her car windscreen saying "you made me" upsets her life because it is the same message as was left at the attack. Detective Robert Lang, the original investigating officer until a serious car crash forced him into early retirement, picks up the investigation again as part of his cold case remit.

Disturbed is not a long novel but it is gripping in a quiet way and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The prime suspect in the attack, Ethan, who was partying with the girls that evening, disappeared and has never been seen since. Both Detective Lang and Chelsea suspect he has returned and is behind the notes, especially as Chelsea thinks she keeps seeing him. Elizabeth has a more practical turn of mind, telling Chelsea it's her imagination and forcing her to stay calm. When Chelsea reconnects with and starts dating Ethan's friend Boyd everyone but Chelsea has a new suspect. With this background it is a story of secrets and personalities.

The unraveling of these secrets is undertaken by Detective Lang and it is compulsive reading. The solution when it comes is quite unexpected and clever, as is the ending which could be construed as if not a cliffhanger then certainly an open door to a potential sequel.

For the length of the novel the characterisation is strong. Understandably Chelsea is not a strong woman but her friend Elizabeth's overprotectiveness and domineering ways seem like part of the problem rather than the solution so she's not a sympathetic character. Boyd is another weak character and I think Ms Jaynes has captured his type exactly. He's very believable. Detective Lang is a decent man whom I'd like to see more of.

Disturbed is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

1.5 - 2 stars

I know this book has a ton of four and five star reviews, but it just wasn't as thrilling as I expected it to be. I wanted to read something unnerving or creepy for Halloween but am sad to say I was disappointed. It's never fun when you guess the ending of a book or the big twist that seems to shock other readers. I have never read a book by Jennifer Jaynes so it's not that I am familiar with her writing style. I just thought the outcome was really obvious.

The story focuses on the soul survivor of a brutal multiple murder on Halloween night, almost five years before the book opens. In present day Boston, Chelsea, our twenty-something protagonist, works from her apartment and generally tries to avoid any kind of human interaction. The premise is good; the general feel of this thriller reminiscent of popular teen slasher movies like Scream or I Know What You Did Last Summer. Pretty quickly, however, it started to lose its magic for me. Some of the dialogue felt unnatural and forced, the incidences too convenient and the actions of the characters unbelievable. I found it predictable and, towards the end, a little weak.

A very short and light read that might be a fun means of escapism for fans of the horror-thriller genre or loyal followers of Jaynes, but a letdown for me, unfortunately.

A past-paced, riveting psychological thriller. I love the feeling of helpless isolation that Jaynes built around the character of Chelsea. This story had a true creep factor and kept me on the edge of my seat, occasionally looking over my own shoulder. The plot was well-crafted and had some surprising twists and turns that kept the story fresh and exciting.

*I received a complimentary ARC of this story through NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

3.5 stars

Tis the season of Halloween, putting me in the mood for reading something disturbing...

Disturbed by Jennifer Jaynes is a quick read that will hook you in from the very first paragraph.

It's a story that revolves around Chelsea, the sole survivor of a brutal stabbing in her apartment on Halloween night. Five years later, she bumps into Boyd, who had escaped the horrifying attack that night by leaving for work before it happened. Soon after she gets reacquainted with Boyd, Chelsea receives a note with the very same words displayed on the bathroom mirror on the fateful night of the stabbings..." You made me." No one knew of those words besides Chelsea, the police and of course the person who wrote them. The nightmare isn't over... Chelsea's fears that her former attacker is out to get her and is watching her every move is now a reality. Is it a coincidence that Boyd is back in her life when she received this message, or is something more disturbing at play here?

I sped through this one, in anticipation for what was to come. I can say for certain the twist was unexpected! I had the urge to want to go back and reread the book in order to pick up on what I'd misread the first time around. I do however have mixed feelings about it though, as, although it was surprising, it was unfortunately very clichéd as well, leaving me feeling somewhat deflated.

Another downside for me is the author decided to finish the story with an open-ended ending, which unfortunately I'm not a fan of. It does lend itself into a possible sequel, but I prefer having all the loose ends tied up in a neat, pretty bow, instead of being left hanging with unanswered questions.

All in all an entertaining read, getting me in the mood for the creepy Halloween season.

Many thanks to the author, Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for this entertaining read in exchange for my honest opinion.

Ok so I am going to start with an admission here. I managed to get this one early. Usually the author does a cracking job of keeping me guessing right until the end but on this occasion, thanks to something else I had recently read, I pretty much had this mostly put to bed much earlier than perhaps I should have given the clues. Of course, I spent the rest of the book on my toes waiting for me to be wrong but happily, or sadly maybe, I was right.
So we have Chelsea, sole survivor of a Halloween slasher attack in her apartment that saw two of her friends killed, surviving by playing possum in the bathtub until the perpetrator had gone and the police arrived to save her. Now five years later, she is still living with the memories. I say memories, the main issue is that she can't actually remember what happened that night. She has no idea who committed this heinous crime. All that she does know is that the main suspect disappeared that night and has never even been questioned let alone brought to justice. She has one friend, Elizabeth, a nurse from the hospital she recovered in. Other than her interaction with and occasional excursions out with her, Chelsea pretty much lives as a recluse, never far from memories from her past. But then her past becomes her present when she sees a familiar face. She then suddenly starts receiving messages. Disturbing ones that refer to that Halloween night, ones that mention things that no one has ever spoken about, things that only the killer knows. This leads to the feeling of being watched, being targeted, being very unsafe. Is the killer back and are they about to complete what they failed to do five years ago? How much danger is Chelsea in? After all, she can't remember anything...
Firstly, this book is set in Boston. Boston is the only place I have been to in the US and I absolutely loved it there. So, this book scored a point before I had even started it, and continued scoring them every time a place was mentioned that I was familiar with!
Plotting is, as always for this author, extremely tight and well done. If my spidey senses hadn't already been tuned to a certain something, I would never have worked it out. Just bad timing but there we are, can't change anything. I did however not trust my own instinct and kept an open mind for the rest of the book (just in case) and so I did have a few more inklings and suspicions as I went on which did keep me guessing throughout.
Characterisation was also excellent. Boy does this author write some cracking characters. All so very easy to connect with in some way, shape or form. Not always positively I hasten to add and there are definitely a few wrong 'uns here.
The tone of the book was also, for the most part, rather claustrophobic. This added to the overall creepy / scary atmosphere given by the narrative. There are some really great descriptive passages throughout the book which really lifts it up a notch as it enabled me to really see what was going on - kind of made me feel part of the action rather than just being an observer. For a book of less that 300 pages, it really didn't feel that short. But then again there is absolutely no padding. In this book, every word genuinely means something and they all add something to the ongoing story rather than just being included to get the word count up.
All in all, a cracking read. One that is a worthy inclusion to an already impressive back catalogue cementing this author firmly on my list of favourites. Can't wait to see what she serves up for next time.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

OHM what a story , it differently plays with your mind and keeps you guessing, and the ending, OMG I never saw it coming at all. This story kept me on the edge of my set , had me hooked from the beginning, can't wait to read more by this author, with that said I want to say thinks NetGalley for giving me a chance to read and review Disturbed, because I can definitely say that one of the character was very much so disturbed

Five years ago on Halloween night, Chelsea Dutton's college roommates were viciously stabbed to death, and Chelsea was critically injured. She was found hiding in her apartments bathtub. Now living in Boston, Chelsea lives a somewhat reclusive life. She works from home trying to shake the fear that her attacker is out there, waiting to finish off what he started. Elizabeth, a nurse she met after the attack, is the only person she can trust. After meeting someone from her past, Chelsea starts getting disturbing messages and fears she's is being watched.

Oh what a creepy read this is. It fits in very well for this time of year. I liked that the story was fast paced but it did not skip on any attention to detail while doing so.. There's plenty of twists to keep your attention but the author saved the best twist till the end, and I certainly did not see that coming. This is the first book I have read by this author and I will be looking out for more from her in the future.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and the author Jennifer Jaynes for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The title of this book sums in up in one, it was Disturbed.I thought it started with a bang and didn't let up until the end, it was atmospheric and creepy, and scary.I wondered how stable Chelsea was being the lone survivor of a double murder and being seriously attacked herself leaving her, understandably with mental health problems at least on a temporary basis.I also wondered what Boyd's motives were and wondered if he really was innocent, and I wondered lots of other things too,it kept me guessing and trying to work out what was going on I like it when a book creeps into my mind and makes me think about it even when I'm not reading it, and this certainly did that.Good book, twisty and no I didn't see that ending coming.Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This story is about Chelsea , the only survivor from a double murder on Halloween where her 2 roommates were stabbed to death and her boyfriend Ethan disappeared and Chelsea barely survived . Five years later Chelsea is paranoid and rarely leaves the house except to run and hang out with her friend Elizabeth . Jennifer Jaynes has done it again ! Great storyline with dark secrets and suspense ! This book has a surprise and shocking ending that I didn't see coming . I highly recommend this book !! Thanks to Thomas and Mercer and Netgalley for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review . I will post my review on Goodreads , Instagram , Twitter , Netgalley and Amazon .

Mind-bending! I absolutely LOVED this book! This book follows Chelsea Dutton's pathetic attempt at restarting life in the aftermath of a great tragedy. Chelsea has suffered a great deal, and is possibly being stalked by the purpetrator--but at least she has her nurse-friend Elizabeth to assist with her recovery. Protective, Elizabeth scoffs as an acquaintance seamlessly becomes a romantic interest for Chelsea. Complications arise. With several well placed surprises, this book was enjoyable to the last page. At one point, I had a notion of what was coming, but this thriller was so good, I still could not wait to read how it materialized!

Super quick read that certainly lives up to it's title and is just perfect for a Halloween thrill!

I had this read in a matter of hours, so I'm happy to say my second experience with this author was much better than my first! ([book:The Stranger Inside|32852227] and I didn't get along well)

This has it all: suspense, dark secrets and fear all centered around Chelsea, who was a victim in a brutal Halloween night murder years earlier where she lost her 2 roommates. Chelsea is damaged, making her an unreliable narrator throughout as she tries to fill in the missing pieces of her memory that have brought her to present day. Her only lifeline is her best friend Elizabeth, who is always there when her anxiety gets the best of her.

One chance meeting with someone from her past is where the plot really takes off, and at this point you just need to strap yourself in, because you won't want to put this book down until you have read the last page.

About 3/4 of the way in I did guess as to how things were going to play out, but I enjoyed finding out if I was right or not.

I'm happy I gave this author another go around-I will most definitely be looking into more of her work.

ARC provided by NetGalley

4/5 ⭐️!

This book wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it would be. Creepy yes, but not really scary. It was also a bit bloody, but nothing too disgusting which made me feel a little better.

Disturbed focuses on the life of Chelsea, the only living survivor from a double murder on Halloween night. Her two college roommates were stabbed to death in their apartment, but Chelsea made it out alive and is now trying to cope with her life after the traumatic event.

This was a crazy fast read being as I read it all in one night. I had no issues staying focused on this book and it was definitely a perfect read for the Halloween season!

I didn't see the ending coming AT. ALL., and it definitely threw me for a loop when I learned the truth of what was going on. That being said, the end also killed me a little. It makes me wonder if there will be a second book. I was more than a little frustrated though at how the book ends, and since I haven't read anything else by Jennifer Jaynes, I have no idea if this is what she does at the end of all her books, or if it was just this one.

Either way, I definitely think this book is worth the read, and I for sure want to read other books from this author.

Should have figured things out...but I didn't! LOL

Disturbed keeps you guessing and second-guessing throughout the story. I actually love the way it ended even though I was looking for more.

I can't wait to read more from this author!