It's a twisty, crazy, scary, spooky tale of killing, meds, psychotic chaos. Its fast paced and kept me on my edge. I almost went mad with the twists and at times I so so unbearable to go on reading. Its real creepy!

It would have been 5* if not for the twisty hard to believe ending.

This book is a mix of twisty, heartbreaking and mystery. Sean is an Asian American young adult who has recently been discharged from the psychiatric hospital after a 12-year sentence for murder. He lives with his mom, who is a brilliant and revered psychiatrist, but whose disappointment and sorrow about Sean pours through in every interaction. Sean aches for his mother’s love but knows he’s a “bad guy”, and feels an ever-present stink of shame. His longing makes him vulnerable, and he meets Annabelle, a pretty woman who he immediately falls in love with. When he witnesses her kidnapping, he becomes obsessed with finding her at all costs, even to himself. Trouble is, the police are calling him a serial killer. Is he? He isn’t sure because he’s been told he has schizophrenia. But is that true? Who all is lying? Who can he trust? And what happened to Annabelle?

This is the 4th book I’ve read that unexpectedly takes place in my hometown of Austin, TX. I love the commentary on Texas culture and politics, offered from an outside perspective. As an Asian American Texan myself, I could relate to some of the casual racism Sean experiences. The twists at the end were the only thing that marred this amazingly well-crafted story. I was left wondering why Sean made the choices he did- these seemed so out of the character carefully described by the author. Still, it was a compelling read that keeps the reader hooked.

A big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

***4 Stars ***

Well done Wendy Heard... well done. What a twisted and just creepy read. This wasn't just psychological thriller, this was disturbing. Sean is mentally ill with a violent past that placed him in a mental institution. After release he is withdrawn and keeps to himself, drawing in a sketchbook most of his days, with no concept of time. When he meets Annabelle, he is captivated by her. When Annabelle goes missing, Sean dedicates his time to trying to find her, putting himself as a suspect by detectives due to his past history. Very fast paced enthralling read that I couldn't put down because I had to know what happened to Annabelle. The twist at the end was great; truly one of a kind and highly recommend this book.

Special thanks to NetGalley and MIRA for allowing me an advance read copy in exchange for an honest review.

As a person who really enjoys mysteries and serial killers, this was right up my alley! It was an easy read with suspense that made me not want to put it down. As sick as it may sound, I really enjoyed the ending. The author uncovered important pieces of information throughout the story which made me keep guessing what was going to happen next? I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a darker story.

Oh WOW! This book, these characters, this author! They’re all dark, twisted, oh so wrong and that makes them simply WONDERFUL! This book is so much different than not only anything I’ve read, but I think it’s different than anything that is out there to be read. It is remarkable. Truly, absolutely remarkable! Sean is the perfect villain. The perfect hero. His emotional upheaval puts you on the edge of your nerves. The irony that he is somehow, in the end, the perfect boyfriend (at least for this twisted little story) makes me happy for him. No matter any wrong he’s committed in his life, I still loved Sean. He had an innocence to his personality that seemed impossible for him to have, yet it was clearly there and it gave him this boyish charm that made him very realistic and lovable. This love story is not going to be matched or likely have much competition in the near future, if ever. Out of everything I just read in this book, the fact I’m most enamored by its love story has me reeling! Sean is clearly where the narrative of this story is coming from. The perspective and storytelling truly belongs to him, but that doesn’t make Annabelle any less of a character. If anything, she is so much more than maybe we would see if her if we didn’t see her through Sean and from inside his mind. She truly does sparkle amongst these pages with shadows around her darker than we might have ever imagined possible from her perspective. If she told the story of herself, I’m sure she’d be a much less reliable narrator than even Sean. She would likely manipulate the angles like any good hunter and tell us a “fishing story” rather than the raw truth we get from Sean. I’m intrigued to experience her side of things though and would love to read her rendition of events. I think I will be intrigued by this couple for a very long time and will even miss them and this crazy, dark, beautiful, wonderful tale for some time. I cannot wait to read more by Wendy Heard because really it is her dark and twisted mind that brought this story to life. Her willingness to show her mind unfiltered and naked like this is positively spellbinding! I mean, what’s a little murder between friends, after all? Thanks to NetGalley, MIRA Books and the phenomenal Wendy Heard for allowing me an early edition of this book to read in exchange for my honest review. There are so many ways my words cannot serve this story and author proper praise, but I will be recommending this to anyone and everyone I possibly can so that they can enjoy this crazy, messed up journey too!

Annabelle surprised me, I thought it would be mainly about a girl but instead it was about a boy. A boy who had nothing going for him but prejudice. Korean, mental illness and someone who did not socially conform. I quite liked him and felt sorry for him. That changed as the story unravelled. My opinions changed and the story didn't end as expected. I enjoyed reading this book and felt that the author had got into the head space of the main character very well.

I was given in advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review. I

really don’t know what to say about this book. I’m giving it three stars because my brain really can’t put any rational thoughts together. This was some misenthropic fuckery. But well-wrtten fuckery.

Amazing!! This was a four star book for me from the very beginning....Then the ending just blew me away! Such a fresh take on the psychological thriller I love. Truly original.

I highly recommend this book to all mystery/thriller lovers. You will not be disappointed!!

Special thanks to NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Move over Chelsea Cain and Dexter; there's a new gal in the house and her name is Wendy Heard. This is her debut novel that grabbed me by the throat and didn't let go until the end. I still feel a little beat up (in the very best sense)! Sean Suh is battling schizophrenia as his controlling mother and his psychiatrist attempt to find the correct anti-psychotics to balance his life and calm his urge to kill. When he meets the beautiful Annabelle, she appears to actually like him and wants to spend time with him. But when he witnesses her being abducted in the middle of nowhere, he becomes obsessed with finding her as the police believe she is out of town visiting family. And so begins his own search to find the truth. Oh, and what a truth it is! This book had my head spinning at every turn; I literally got nothing done yesterday as I could not tear myself away from this novel! Not for the faint of heart, this story is creepy and has some gruesome subject matter, but if you love psychological thrillers as much as I do you won't be disappointed. Out mid December. Fortunately, Heard is at work on her second book so I'm eagerly awaiting that one as well!

(3.5 out of 5) For a debut thriller, I thought it was a really good story with a plot twist I wasn't expecting. I would definitley recommend this book for readers of the genre and I look forward to seeing what this author comes out with next.

Thank you #netgalley and #harlequinmira for the eARC.

I usually dislike books that are in first person perspective because I like to know what all of the characters are thinking, but in this instance, I was so wrapped up in Sean's mind that I didn't even miss what everyone else was doing. I loved this psychological thriller, not because of what it was set up to be, but because of the dark turn in the end that I didn't even see coming.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of HUNTING ANNABELLE by Wendy Heard in exchange for my honest review.***

Six years after killing his girlfriend and three years after his release from a psych hospital, Sean takes his schizophrenia meds under the watchful eye of his mom, a renowned neurologist. He still obsesses on beautiful young women, frantically sketching them without their knowledge. His latest, Annabelle, a med student, seems romantically interested. Then she disappears. No one but Sean appears worried and he insinuates himself into a police investigation that reveals Annabelle’s startling history. But just how reliable is Sean’s account given his criminal past and psychosis?

Wendy Heard’s debut had me guessing from start to finish. Filled with jaw dropping twists and turns I never saw coming, Heard created a nuanced account of difficult relationships, mother vs son, reality vs delusion, man vs world building up to the creepiest epilogue I could have never imagined.

As a psychologist who interned in a psych hospital, I have mixed feelings about HUNTING ANNABELLE. Mental illness, particularly schizophrenia, is widely misunderstood amongst the general public. Delusional disorders and psychotic disorders (sociopathy) are separate conditions. Many believe the mentally ill to be violent, when the truth is they are more likely to be victims than perpetrators of violent crimes. Two of the hallmarks of schizophrenia are auditory hallucinations and disorganization, neither which showed in the narration.

Separating Sean’s personality from his psychiatric conditions was difficult. His challenging personality presented as narcissistic, intense, myopic with little insight, all typical of schizophrenia. He also had selective empathy and remorse.

HUNTING ANNABELLE will keep readers turning pages late into the night. Then they’ll sleep with one eye opened.

Whoa! This book had tons of twists and turns. The ending of this thriller actually blew me away. Most books of this genre you see the ending coming from a mile away and often are dulled by the characters and their tropes. This novel however is not the case. I actually cared for the main character Sean and felt bad for him and how his psychological problems actually hurt him. You keep reading more and more and before you know it you've read the entire novel.. Definitely add this book to your to read list.

In 1986 Sean Suh is finally released from a mental institution for a past crime but struggles with his new freedom. He finds himself continually grappling with possible hallucinations, adjusting to his meds and his reentry to society. This suddenly changes when he meets Annabelle but as quickly as this budding romance begins he witnesses her possible kidnapping. To his misfortune, his mother and authorities do not believe him. Can he fight his demons and save his love without anyone dying? This suspenseful fast paced psychotic novel is for those who enjoy Chelsea Cain.

Hunting Annabell by author Wendy Heard is a great book! Set in the 1980’s and full of thrill, it brings you along to read about most people’s worst nightmare. Very good and I would absolutely recommend this book!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy of Hunting Annabell in exchange for an honest review.

4-5 stars. I thought this book was really well written, and characters were developed greatly. I couldn't decide if I should do 4-5 stars, because while I did find the book a tad predictable and maybe more of a young reader thriller, I still enjoyed it greatly. It was taunt, chilling, thrilling, and just a bit disturbing (would definitely been a 5 star read, if a bit more disturbing).
Will be recommending and using in daily challenges in Chapter Chatter Pub.

The narrator of Hunting Annabelle is Sean Suh. He's a young man who's been released from a psychiatric prison a few years ago. Since being released, he's only spoken with his mom and his psychiatrist...until he meets Annabelle at Four Corners, an amusement park that he describes as "a cheap Disney rip off."

Sean has been diagnosed as a schizophrenic and he takes multiple medications, which make him feel disoriented and sluggish. This is important because, when Annabelle goes missing during their date at none other than Four Corners, Sean begins to shake off the sluggishness and other side-effects from his medication. He becomes clear for the first time in a very long time. Is it his love for Annabelle removing the effects so he can find her?

As Sean searches for Annabelle, he realizes he didn't really know her. How could he, after all? He'd only known her for a couple of days. But he's digging into her life and her past and in doing so, he learns that he wasn't the only one keeping secrets when they met. This doesn't deter him from his mission of finding her though. In fact, it seems to only make him care for her even more!

I have to admit... it's a little odd to be inside the mind of Sean! It's not that he's not likable, it's quite the opposite! I found myself so proud of him at times simply for not killing people! At other times, I was either wishing he had or thankful he did. If you're a fan of the show Dexter, you'll definitely take a liking to Sean Suh!!!

This book is crazy in all the best ways and had my heart pounding often!!! I recommend reading it in a nice low-light on a spooky October night! You'll be in for more than just a good scare... There are multiple HUGE twists in Hunting Annabelle. My best advice for reading this one... don't ever think you know what's going on! Trust me, you don't. (And that, is my highest praise for any good mystery!)

I received a free review copy of this book through NetGalley. This in no way influenced my review, which you can find in full at https://jesscombs.com

Well crafted, you'll find yourself immediately sympathetic to the loneliness and confusion that Sean Suh faces daily, medicated for schizophrenia and for all intensive purposes (and per his mother, "a legend, the only female neurosurgeon west of the Mississippi) unsuitable for mainstream society, spending his days wandering Four Corners in Austin, TX, drawing the people that he sees. He also sees their auras......a part of his 'condition'. When he meets Annabelle, beautiful and with a unique coppery aura, he is immediately drawn to her. The feeling seems to be mutual and within days, Sean is in love. When he witnesses the kidnapping of Annabelle and begins seeking answers to her disappearance, he uncovers a tragic and horrific family history. Sean is immediately a person of interest in the case, and based on the death by his hands of his high school girlfriend and subsequent hospitalization, Sean knows that it will be nearly impossible to not be jailed for this. Sean is tormented by his past and unclear about what has been actually happening.....not feeling himself. The sweet, independent girl he thought he was coming to know holds some very dark secrets, and his own mother's involvement is stunning. This one will grab you from the beginning and not let go until you've reached the end of the ride......and the last few loops are hand grippers! MUST read!

Ahhhhhh who wouldn’t want to revisit the 80’s, lol, which is when this story takes place. Story starts off slowly, entertaining, yet didn’t keep me addicted. But at around half way thru - unveiling of a wicket plot twist. After being realized from a psychiatric prison Sean witnesses Annabelle’s disappearance. While wrestling his own demons, deciphering which of his illusions are real and which are delusions, he stops at nothing searching for Annabelle. Ending was a mindblower, yet felt rushed in its writing.

After leaving a California psychiatric prison, Sean Suh relocates to Austin, Texas, where he spends his days drawing people and their auras at a local Disneyland knockoff. A girl with a copper aura tempts him despite his understanding that he need protect her from himself. He witnesses her kidnapping, but no one believes him based on his mental health and conviction record, and suspicion falls more heavily on him as he conducts his own investigation. He learns interesting things about this girl he has immediately fallen for, but he could not have foreseen who did it. Heard brilliantly leads the reader through Sean’s emotional turmoil at each new piece of information; this could well be a manual for becoming a serial killer. Flashbacks from Annabelle’s point of view would have given her more depth. Being privy to Sean’s thoughts exposed his internal struggle, a fascinating insight that almost (but not quite) invokes compassion. Fans of Liane Moriarty and Gillian Flynn will appreciate this novel. I was fortunate to receive a digital copy of this fantastic thriller from the publisher through NetGalley.

My review is scheduled to post on my blog November 5, when I will also share on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter, with review to be posted on B&N on launch date.