Cover Image: Trance

Trance

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Member Reviews

OK, not great. Good start and somewhat predictable. It was a good premise and effort, but just didn't hold together for me. There are lots of reviews with more critical details.

I really appreciate the ARC for review!!

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Read in one hit and wow what a ride. I dont want to give anything away but it is equally heartbreaking amd terrifying.

The main character "13" is fantastic and his relationship with Adam is reminisent of Silence of the Lambs.

I could tell you the bits i enjoyed but it would spoil it for you, if you read one book in 2019, make it this one!

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I really struggled to finish this book. I'm sure if it was the main character, Alex, or the way the book was written. I found myself skipping pages/portions just to speed up the ending. Overall, it just wasn't for me.

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I admit it was hook, line and sinker when I saw the cover of Trance and read the blurb. The promise of a dangerous character with the ability to control minds sounded absolutely fantastic, and there was no way I was going to be able to resist reading it. It might have been that I had set my expectations too high, because unfortunately I can't say I was convinced by the story itself and I ended up having mixed thoughts. I still think the premise of this story is absolutely engrossing and probably the strongest aspect of this book. The suspect of this story, Victor Lazar, is a fascinatingly disturbing character; his mental ability makes this story step on the border of science fiction and paranormal activity and without doubt gives Trance a unique touch. As a result, it is hard to place Trance into a single genre and box, and instead we have an interesting mix of elements and storylines. It was especially fascinating to read more about Victor's past and everything that happened in Romania. It might not be all that credible, but if you keep your mind open and don't mind a sci-fi feel, you will find it to be an intriguing angle.

Now we arrive at one of the problems I had with Trance: the main character Alex Madison. On its own, I could really appreciate the psychology angle of this story. Instead of focusing on the crime and detective elements, Trance is more about trying to understand Victor Lazam and using psychology to analyze what goes on in his mind. The thing is... Alex basically is a spineless and despicable person; a pathetic whiner who is addicted to Xanax and an adulterer at that. I found the characters in general to be unlikeable, but my aversion to Alex made it very hard to keep invested in the story or care about what happened to them. Victor, disturbing as he was, at least made for an interesting character... Alex not so much. I also found part of the plot and character development to be rather unbelievable and this lack of credibility kind of put a damper on things. Things were too conveniently connected and the transition between different scenes and chapters wasn't always all that fluid. I also struggled with the abrupt ending, and found the final scenes to be rather lacking. I still think the premise of Trance is simply captivating and the genre fluidity gave the story an unique touch, but sadly I ended up having mixed thoughts about the execution.

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Could not get past the clunky writing to enjoy the story. It just felt so stiff and wooden. I would not recommend this one.

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Original and a different take on crime fiction. Dr Alex Madison is a private therapist who is brought back into forensic psychology by the the CPS in order to evaluate suspected killer Victor Lazar.
An interesting and enjoyable read, although slow in parts. Good start to a new series. It will be interesting to read more in future.

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.
I loved this book. Trance really stood out to me. It was unique, clever, and written well.
You won't be disappointed.

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An absolutely outstanding story. Really stands out from the rest in this genre. I loved the characters and it was so well written. Highly recommended

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Therapist Alex Madison has been called in to evaluate Victor Lazar, a man who is the suspect in a number of odd and gruesome murder suicides. Lazar was arrested after three scientists were found dead in an apparent murder suicide, but the deaths didn’t end there. In jail Lazar was moved to solitary confinement after a number of other inmates were found dead of a parent suicide. Even after being moved to solitary confinement, Lazar’s ability to harm others manifests with the death of his own psychologist. Now it’s up to Alex to determine exactly how Victor is controlling his victims. The answers will involve horrific experiments that are only now beginners to bear poisonous fruit. Smart, unexpected, and one hell of a thrill ride

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I haven’t enjoyed a book quite so much in a long time. I couldn’t put it down. Very cleverly written and thought out and kept me guessing. Loved it.

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