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Stop Me
| Format | E-book |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Jay Parker |
| Rights | UK & Commonwealth |
| ISBN | 9780749040413 |
Description
Nominated for the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger
forward this email to ten friends
each of those friends must forward it to ten friends
maybe one of those friends of friends of friends will be one of my friends
if this email ends up in my inbox within a week I won’t slit the bitch’s throat
can you afford not to send this onto ten friends?
Vacation Killer
Leo Sharpe’s life is shattered when his wife Laura suddenly disappears. His desperate need to find her turns to obsession when he becomes convinced she’s the latest victim of The Vacation Killer who has claimed eleven lives already – is Laura going to be the twelfth? The MO is the same every time – a woman disappears and within hours inboxes around the world receive a threatening email. A few days later, grim evidence of the victim’s death is delivered to the police. But in Laura’s case, nothing is sent. Has the killer spared her life? Why? And for how long? For Leo, the clock is ticking…he needs to do everything in his power to stop the killer before it’s too late.
What The Critics Said
'This is a very good psychological thriller and it is for books like this that the term 'a real page turner' was invented... If you want to read a decent thriller with some great twists, you can't do much better than this...One of the best thrillers I've read for a good while.'52 Books in 52 Weeks
'A very assured debut...Stop Me is a gripping tale with a different angle. Having read this book it has made me think twice about the credibility of what I read on the web...Stop Me is definitely worth putting on your book list. 4-stars'Crimesquad
'I really enjoyed reading Stop Me. It was well-written and kept my attention right from the beginning....It was, at times, quite a chilling read...I would definitely recommend this book to any fans of the crime/mystery genre. It was a gripping and enjoyable read that I found difficult to put down.'
'A gripping debut novel, filled with suspense and anticipation, with many twists and turns. A compelling and exciting read. This thriller must not be missed!'Suite101.com
'Stop Me is one of those books with a plot line that goes in a totally different direction from what you would expect. The story is written smoothly and intelligently and, because of the unique plot, it's hard to put down once you start reading.'Crimezone
'Well worth pursuing. It's a "race against time" kind of caper, handled brilliantly by the author, and you shouldn't miss it.'Books Monthly
'I felt like I was experiencing the whole horror Leo faced for myself. The powerful writing had my stomach in knots.'
'[A] compelling debut novel...Parker keeps us on our toes, throwing in red herrings and plot twists galore'
'An intruiging concept that does pull you in.'Me and My Big Mouth Blog
'I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thriller and doesn't mind a great, big dose of shock at the end of a good read. Richard Jay Parker's originality will give you the creeps and will keep you guessing til the very end...[a] page-turner.'
'This is a novel that is easy to pick up and very hard to put down...[It] does what it says in its title: STOP ME - in this case from reading this, just try it! A great debut, perfect for that quick thrill read in crime fiction…a perfect holiday read too.'
'It's hard to believe that this is a debut novel because it's just so well written. The story flows effortlessly... I would definitely recommend this to thriller fans.'
'A terrific thriller...I really loved this book...the story is good, and you really will want to find out what happened to Laura.'
'Compelling and haunting... a very promising debut and a great read.'
Have Your Say
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Jess C Scott, USA –
Howdy doody is a salutation that won’t ever be the same for me after having read this thriller debut novel. There's a riveting relatable opening to STOP ME, and e-mail which includes the following text:
Forward this email to ten friends…
If this email ends up in my inbox within a week, I won't slit the bitch's throat.
Can you afford not to send this on to ten friends?
Mmm…so it's all very contemporary/timely/fast-paced. And all too familiar, so much so that nowadays (in real life), because I am so used to spam, I immediately delete these upon receipt (I'd be like johnnya@apex.com in the book). In our technological age (where everything can be known at the click of a mouse), it’s easy to become indifferent to many things due to information overload.
Sidenote: There's also about 10 people who make their (virtual, or not) appearance in the first two pages, which was impressive to me (without it being too confusing/complicated at all).
But if 'the bitch' was someone that I knew ' yup, that turns things right around. Which is the situation the lead character, Leo, finds himself in, 'the chicken pox scar' being 'one of the distinguishing features Leo had mentioned when he'd reported (his wife, Laura) missing.'
One thing I liked about this serial killer (I know a serial killer isn't supposed to be 'likable' per se, but as far as villains go…) was his transatlantic-ness (he has brought his murder from the US and into the UK). It gives a scope to his crazed modus operandi, and gives him/the book edge and an extra dimension.
All in all, I think this is a book that readers of contemporary fiction would enjoy ' there's also a refreshing lack of 'shock value' (sex/glorified violence/all that crass commercial stuff) which this reader here appreciates!
Washti –
The first book from Richard Jay Parker. A really thrilling story! I read it in three days. The plot was quite new and had some surprising twists and a great finish. The figures are well drawn, especially Leo and Bookwalter. I enjoyed reading very much and am looking forward for the second one to come. 9/10.
Estelle G –
Really enjoyed it, easy to read, good ending.
Marcia Stachini –
I finished the book in 6 days (which is a record for me). Stop Me is one of the most gripping novels I have ever read. I found it original, intriguing, and a real page turner, filled with many twists and turns. I was hooked. Excellently written. Brilliant – loved it all.
Caroline P –
Real page turner, couldn’t put it down, and had several late nights as a result, very satisfying end, and enjoyed the humour in it, and the website.
Philippa W –
Good, enjoyed reading the book
Dan J –
Very nice book to read
Gail P –
Really enjoyed it Didn’t guess the ending. Snappy.
Mandi B –
Loved it, really different read for me. Ending was a real twist.
Sue Wilcox –
I thoroughly enjoyed this book as I wanted to know what was going to happen next. I also liked the red herrings to confuse the reader and the desperation of the main character (much more patient than I would be). Considering this is the author’s first book I am looking forward to many more! Makes you think twice about not reading and just deleting spam emails. Even the book cover and blog on the book cover was deceiving about the real story, it would of not been my main choice due to that but once I started reading just could not put it down.