Good, but just like the rest of them...

I'm not sure why I bother reading these types of books anymore - thrillers or whatever - I never really like them. They never 'wow' me.
They all seem to be the same.
With all the thriller/suspense/horror writers out there these days trying to come up with something totally original and unforgettable, it's pretty hard to truly stand out from the crowd. In my opinion, you have to be pretty exceptional if you're going to accomplish that.

This being said, it's not like I have anything personal against this book, and I have no major complaint with any one part of it, but I still finished it thinking, "Meh."
Maybe I'm becoming too picky? I don't know. All I know is this book didn't do it for me.

Positive things about Disturbed:
1. The pace was pretty good; fast enough to keep my attention but slow enough for me to know what was happening.
2. The main character, Chelsea, was very likeable. (So was Detective Lang.)
3. It wrapped up nicely with no loose ends.

That's about all I can say.
Very so-so.



*A copy was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Talented Jennifer Jaynes returns following The Stranger Inside with her latest twisty psychological thriller DISTURBED — a gritty fast-paced standalone page-turner, both chilling and emotional with a mind-blowing conclusion.

“You Made Me.”

Those were the words on Nov 1, 2010, the morning after Halloween. Three women who attended Springfield College. 911 was called. The young officer Brandon was the first responder.

One girl was left alive in the tub. Multiple stab wounds. One of them deep in the side of her abdomen. Blood everywhere.

Now, Oct 4, 2015 —Four years and eleven months later.
Twenty-three-year-old Chelsea Dutton is safe and sane. She is still paranoid and fearful. No one is out to get her. Not anymore. These words had been her mantra for almost five years.

The Halloween night that her college roommates (Christine and Amy) had been murdered and she had been carved up and left for dead.

Since then, she had merely existed. She had been diagnosed with psychogenic amnesia, which made life even more confusing and frightening.

There were no guarantees whether she would recover any of her lost memories. A few had come back over the years but nothing of real significance. A flash here, and there. Some scents and settings brought back some memories of the horrible night.

Her biological parents had been dead since she was six years old. There were a long string of foster families whom she had lived with until she turned eighteen and started college.

The night of the murders clung to her.

There had been a boy, Ethan whom Chelsea had invited and his roommate Boyd. Ethan was from a wealthy family. He was gorgeous. What caused him to start the brutal killings?

She had left Springfield and moved ninety miles east of Boston after the murders. She would be safer there. However, she had wondered why he had spared her. Would he return to finish the job?

She did not want to play the victim anymore.

Chelsea has a close friend Elizabeth. She had been her salvation. They had met nearly five years ago in the Springfield psychiatric hospital where Chelsea had been held for three months after following the attacks.

Elizabeth had been one of the nurses assigned to her pod. She was older, but they had stayed connected and when she had transferred to a Boston hospital, Chelsea tagged along. With her scars, she had a fresh start. Elizabeth was her rock.

When she runs into Boyd she thinks it may be nice to be around someone who was there that night. Even though Elizabeth was great, she was intimated by her. With Boyd, she was on more of an even playing field.

However, shortly afterward, there is a message left at a murder scene with the same message. Lang (detective) takes up temporary residence at a motel in Southie.

He remembered Boyd. The kid had been a drug user. He is determined to solve the case. Was it Ethan? Why come back to torment Chelsea now after all these years?

Who was the message meant for? One of the victims? Were the killings retribution for something? Motive?

Another message: “You’re going to make me do it again, aren’t you”?

Detectives Lang and Garcia are on the case and Chelsea is worried her attacker is back. Who can she trust?

Halloween, the fifth anniversary of the murders, takes on a new twist. Who is really the killer (then and now)? Or is there something more dark and sinister at play?

As always, Jaynes keeps her readers in suspense with twists and turns. A thrilling ride to very dark places of the human psyche. Disturbing, intense, and suspenseful to the final mind-blowing shocking conclusion.

From beginning to end, Jennifer creates a sense of foreboding, paranoia, fear, distrust, and lurking darkness. You know there is something beneath the surface.

Chelsea is a complex character. She continues to live with the consequences of her violent and painful past, which continue to plague her. However, is she an unreliable narrator?

As a reader, you will question everyone.

The author does an exceptional job in keeping you glued to the pages. She knows how to emotionally hook the reader. Without any spoilers . . . nothing is as it appears. Jaynes’ fans will enjoy another twisty, edgy psychological thriller to add to their collection.

Highly recommend all of the author's books. She never disappoints. For fans of James Hankins, Jennifer Hillier, and Lisa Unger.

Read my reviews here:
The Stranger Inside
Don’t Say a Word
Ugly Young Thing
Never Smile at Strangers

A special thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Thomas & Mercer for an advanced reading copy.

JDCMustReadBooks

This was one twisted novel. I wanted to believe one person was the culprit but it just seemed too perfect but yet I couldn’t figure why or who else it could be. Then, when it was being revealed to me, I saw what I had been missing, I couldn’t believe it, seriously?! I was along for the ride on that one.

The novel starts with a brutal killing. Two college girls killed and one left for dead, with a hand-written message on the bathroom mirror. Fast-forward to now, almost five years later and Chelsea is still reliving the nightmare. Chelsea has lost most of her memories but the memories of that night, the night she was found in the bathtub are still vivid. When Chelsea returns from her morning run, she swears she saw Ethan outside her apartment. Calming Chelsea down, Elizabeth reminds her best friend that this typically happens after a night that she has her recurring nightmare of the night that she almost died. Ethan was there the night of the slaying, Ethan and Boyd, two boys she hasn’t seen since the night that turned her life around.

Amazingly, Chelsea runs into Boyd a few days later and they immediately hit it off. They decide to meet for dinner and I immediately want to run into the restaurant and throw water on both of them. Put the brakes on it, people! They are falling for each other like magnets. Chelsea gets a note on her car windshield and it corresponds to the night of the murders. Boyd shows up, she gets a note, is this a coincidence? Chelsea sees Ethan and Boyd together in the same week, another coincidence? I am undecided about Boyd as why are they madly falling for each other and why all of a sudden does she get a note? More dates and again, she gets another note that sounds like it came from the killer. Boyd? Boyd and Ethan? Hello?? Elizabeth tries to be her best friend and also tries to give her sound advice but Chelsea has her mind set already. Boyd acts like he knows nothing about the notes and the police are checking out all the alibies. Too much innocence and not enough gaps, who is playing this game and why? 4.5 stars

I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer in exchange for an honest review.

Put this on your reading list! It's a quick and creepy read perfect for a dark, rainy night. It takes place around Halloween and opens with brutal murders of college students that share an apartment. The beginning is a bit bloody, but I wouldn't describe this book as overly gory. I can imagine this being made into a horror/thriller movie. As I've come to expect from Jennifer Jaynes, she keeps you guessing until the end.

Almost five years after being the only survivor of the "Springfield Coed Killings" Chelsea is still recovering. She works from home and doesn't particularly like leaving the house. She makes decent money and hangs out with her best friend Elizabeth often, but that's about it. No love life, no excitement despite the fact she's still in her early twenties. She runs every morning, but she keeps herself armed and wary of everyone around her. The man who murdered her friends, the man that almost killed her... he vanished afterwards and was never brought in. Her deepest fear is that Ethan will come back to finish the job, and her anxiety always intensifies around this time of year... it's almost Halloween.

She's spent almost five years ashamed of her scars and trying not to be recognized. Her life is about to change. She goes to a farmer's market with Elizabeth and recognizes a familiar face. It's Boyd, who was friends with Ethan and left right before the murders. She doesn't understand exactly why she approaches him at first, but they both feel a connection. It's nice to be honest with a man. He seems nearly perfect... but is he?

It's not long before Chelsea gets a strange note... a few simple words that also appeared written on a bathroom mirror on that terrible night. Her worst fears are confirmed... it's not over. The words were never released to the public, so the idea of a sick prank is quickly dismissed.

Lang, a police officer that saved Chelsea that night, is notified about the new note. He retired after an accident left him with a lot of pain issues, but he still feels connected to Chelsea. He begins to talk to people again, searching for Ethan and wondering if his wealthy family has been helping him hide. Who else would know what was written on that mirror, and who would want to scare Chelsea, who has been through so very much?

I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Thomas & Mercer, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

Thanks to Jennifer Jaynes & Netgalley for the ecopies for my Kindle.
I had never read one of her books but plan to read more of them. This psychological thriller was a hard book to put down, so I read it in 2 days. Just when I thought I knew what was going on, the last few chapters took a complete turn and I was completely surprised! (Because of the language and sexual content, I could only give it a 4 stars.) If you like reading psychological thriller that are literally page turners, you'll enjoy Jennifer Jaynes' books.

well written and carefully plotted thriller. Chelsea is an extremely sympathetic character who has not dealt with the PTSD from the attack which left two of her friends dead and a killer on the loose. Now years later, she's being stalked by someone who knows the inside details of the crime. There are twists, turns, and some red herrings but all in all, it's one that will keep you turning the pages. Thanks to net galley for the ARC.

WOW. This was my first time reading anything from this author, but after the gripping, edge of your seat ride that was Disturbed, I do believe I have found a new must read author!

Obviously, I can't go into too much detail as I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't gotten the chance to read this yet, but what I will say is that there were times when I thought for sure I knew what was going to happen, only to be more then pleasantly surprised to find out I was wrong. This story went places I didn't think it was going to, and the ending completely blew me away. This was definitely not a spin I have seen done in other stories before, and the uniqueness of it puts this story far above others I have read in this genre.

Disturbed is a brilliantly written story that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the explosive climax that will leave you in awe.

Overall, I am sure this story will definitely appeal to those who enjoy a well written thriller novel that will keep you guessing!

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

*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.

"You made me."

It begins on All Hallows' Eve....and what an horrific beginning it is!

Chelsea Dutton survives a night of terror....a night of multiple murders, but fears the worst.....the killer's return.

Left with scars and memory loss from her ordeal, Chelsea relies on her trusted friend Elizabeth to help manage her way forward in the aftermath, but nightmares and sightings of him persist....AND the creepy notes begin.

DISTURBED is a fast-paced psychological thriller-crime novel that kept me guessing and quickly turning the pages for more. My first Jennifer Jaynes read won't be my last.

Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Available November 7, 2017.

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.