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Illusive Intrusion
Hatred can kill you from the inside, little by little. The only cure is to find the person who caused your misery.
Bianka is weary with her ordinary life in Dublin, and she desperately needs a vacation. When her younger sister, Niamh, receives an exciting job offer by surprise, Bianka eagerly accompanies her. Why wouldn't she? Two weeks in a luxurious hotel on Gran Canaria is all Bianka desires. But what starts off as a fabulous and relaxing gateway turns to fear and awe when an inexplicable blackout engulfs the island-and the people.
Among the chaos, Bianka must struggle to keep her sanity because she might lose Niamh's trust and friendship when her little sister falls for a ladies' man, Goyo. Niamh feels secure with him around, but Bianka is torn inside because just when she decides that maybe she could trust him, he tells her about his mysterious friend, Elizabeth. Although her name doesn't sound familiar, the story of how Goyo met her is vivid, like a recurring delusion. It frightens Bianka even more than the awareness that a new wave of darkness might summon them again.
Bianka's senses scream: YOU SHOULD NOT BE HERE! She will have to listen to her intuition or she will become another of Elizabeth's unwitting puppets.
Bianka is weary with her ordinary life in Dublin, and she desperately needs a vacation. When her younger sister, Niamh, receives an exciting job offer by surprise, Bianka eagerly accompanies her. Why wouldn't she? Two weeks in a luxurious hotel on Gran Canaria is all Bianka desires. But what starts off as a fabulous and relaxing gateway turns to fear and awe when an inexplicable blackout engulfs the island-and the people.
Among the chaos, Bianka must struggle to keep her sanity because she might lose Niamh's trust and friendship when her little sister falls for a ladies' man, Goyo. Niamh feels secure with him around, but Bianka is torn inside because just when she decides that maybe she could trust him, he tells her about his mysterious friend, Elizabeth. Although her name doesn't sound familiar, the story of how Goyo met her is vivid, like a recurring delusion. It frightens Bianka even more than the awareness that a new wave of darkness might summon them again.
Bianka's senses scream: YOU SHOULD NOT BE HERE! She will have to listen to her intuition or she will become another of Elizabeth's unwitting puppets.
320 pages, Paperback
First published June 12, 2014
About the author
Tomasz Chrusciel
3 books33 followersTomasz Chrusciel wrote his first story at sixteen, but it would take another twenty years for his love affair with writing to become the central focus in his life.
After obtaining a master’s degree in Political Science & International Relations in Poland, Chrusciel found himself in the corporate sector. The work stoked his passion for global politics, but his imagination craved greater freedom. After moving to Ireland and falling in love, he finally left his job to become a full-time fiction author.
His debut novel "Illusive Intrusion" was followed by "Fast Track to Glory" and "The Vestals Conspiracy," which have since earned Chrusciel a dedicated readership that continues to grow each day.
Wanderlust regularly draws the writer to extreme corners of the globe seeking new settings, personalities and historical events to inspire his next novel. When he isn’t researching destinations or convincing his cat-loving fiancée to let him adopt a dog, he’s at his computer furiously typing his latest scene, or chatting with his readers on social media.
Find him at tomaszchrusciel.com if you’d like to join the conversation.
After obtaining a master’s degree in Political Science & International Relations in Poland, Chrusciel found himself in the corporate sector. The work stoked his passion for global politics, but his imagination craved greater freedom. After moving to Ireland and falling in love, he finally left his job to become a full-time fiction author.
His debut novel "Illusive Intrusion" was followed by "Fast Track to Glory" and "The Vestals Conspiracy," which have since earned Chrusciel a dedicated readership that continues to grow each day.
Wanderlust regularly draws the writer to extreme corners of the globe seeking new settings, personalities and historical events to inspire his next novel. When he isn’t researching destinations or convincing his cat-loving fiancée to let him adopt a dog, he’s at his computer furiously typing his latest scene, or chatting with his readers on social media.
Find him at tomaszchrusciel.com if you’d like to join the conversation.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 5, 2014
I received an ARC courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.
DNF @ 66%. I usually don't rate books that I dnf. I always feel like it would be unfair, like what if the book has an amazing ending that would affect my rating? Unfortunately, that's not the case with Illusive Intrusion. I don't think an incredible ending would save it.
Bianka and her sister, Niamh, are leaving Ireland for a working holiday in Gran Canaria. Niamh is seventeen and she booked her first modeling shoot. Bianka is tagging along as her chaperone.
Goyo is a barely-making-it photographer from Barcelona happy to have gotten a gig. He's quite a ladies man but he's also hung up on a mysterious woman named Elizabeth.
The blurb intrigued me. I love a good thriller/mystery and after reading a bit it seemed like some voodoo/witchcraft was thrown in as well. So I really was rooting for this book. I just couldn't continue.
There were inconsistencies. Ex. Goyo was supposed to be this alpha male but he seemed more henpecked to me. He let the sisters boss him around and he was back and forth over his attraction to the girls (Yes, even seventeen year old, Niamh. Ick.) and moping over Elizabeth.
The story was all over the place. Ex. In one sentence Goyo was walking the girls to their room and in the next sentence Goyo is trying to help Bianka from falling off the edge of a cliff. What?! How?!
I thought Elizabeth's scenes were eyeroll worthy. She claims to be a protector of the island but she's more like a voodoo priestess. I guess if I read on I would have found out what she was ultimately up to.
I thought this book could have had potential. The concept was interesting and original but, for me, it just didn't work.
DNF @ 66%. I usually don't rate books that I dnf. I always feel like it would be unfair, like what if the book has an amazing ending that would affect my rating? Unfortunately, that's not the case with Illusive Intrusion. I don't think an incredible ending would save it.
Bianka and her sister, Niamh, are leaving Ireland for a working holiday in Gran Canaria. Niamh is seventeen and she booked her first modeling shoot. Bianka is tagging along as her chaperone.
Goyo is a barely-making-it photographer from Barcelona happy to have gotten a gig. He's quite a ladies man but he's also hung up on a mysterious woman named Elizabeth.
The blurb intrigued me. I love a good thriller/mystery and after reading a bit it seemed like some voodoo/witchcraft was thrown in as well. So I really was rooting for this book. I just couldn't continue.
There were inconsistencies. Ex. Goyo was supposed to be this alpha male but he seemed more henpecked to me. He let the sisters boss him around and he was back and forth over his attraction to the girls (Yes, even seventeen year old, Niamh. Ick.) and moping over Elizabeth.
The story was all over the place. Ex. In one sentence Goyo was walking the girls to their room and in the next sentence Goyo is trying to help Bianka from falling off the edge of a cliff. What?! How?!
I thought Elizabeth's scenes were eyeroll worthy. She claims to be a protector of the island but she's more like a voodoo priestess. I guess if I read on I would have found out what she was ultimately up to.
I thought this book could have had potential. The concept was interesting and original but, for me, it just didn't work.
January 9, 2017
Bianka accompanies her sister Niamh on her first modeling job to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The trip promises to be a fun job and a vacation for the two women. It should be but strange circumstances soon intrude on their pleasure. Someone is determined to see them dead.
This story starts out as a lighthearted mixture of scenery, work, and romance and evolves into a devious plot for revenge. What is real and what is an illusion? Who is the real culprit? Are the mysterious happenings in photographer Goyo's head or was time turned back?
Read to the end and make up your own mind what really happened.
This story starts out as a lighthearted mixture of scenery, work, and romance and evolves into a devious plot for revenge. What is real and what is an illusion? Who is the real culprit? Are the mysterious happenings in photographer Goyo's head or was time turned back?
Read to the end and make up your own mind what really happened.
November 10, 2014
REVIEWER: POLLY
4.0 ON THE MASQ SCALE
I was drawn to this book by the cover, which is great by the way, and I love suspense. Even though it starts out slow, it picks up as you get into the story. I was swept up by the story and wanted to keep reading, once I got past the beginning. The characters seemed easy to like and understand, to a point.
Bianka is accompanying her younger sister, Niamh, to Gran Canaria for her first job because she a minor, and to take a holiday. A photographer, Goyo, is also sent to the island. Goyo is quite a womanizer, and Bianka seems to already him. But he doesn’t seem to know Bianka? The Goyo part of the story, and the mysterious Elizabeth had me lost a few times.
The story seemed to jump around, and some of the scenes were not believable. I was lost at the ending of the book and needed to go back a few pages to figure it out. There were also some typos.
All in all I did enjoy reading the story.
4.0 ON THE MASQ SCALE
I was drawn to this book by the cover, which is great by the way, and I love suspense. Even though it starts out slow, it picks up as you get into the story. I was swept up by the story and wanted to keep reading, once I got past the beginning. The characters seemed easy to like and understand, to a point.
Bianka is accompanying her younger sister, Niamh, to Gran Canaria for her first job because she a minor, and to take a holiday. A photographer, Goyo, is also sent to the island. Goyo is quite a womanizer, and Bianka seems to already him. But he doesn’t seem to know Bianka? The Goyo part of the story, and the mysterious Elizabeth had me lost a few times.
The story seemed to jump around, and some of the scenes were not believable. I was lost at the ending of the book and needed to go back a few pages to figure it out. There were also some typos.
All in all I did enjoy reading the story.
January 7, 2017
I received a free download of this book as an ARC from the author, thank you!
This book was an entertaining read for me. It kept my interest throughout. It was definitely not a mindless read, you have to pay attention to the details. There were a couple of times that I felt like, "wait, what's just happened here?" and I had to go back and re-read a paragraph or two. But it was not enough to be frustrating, or make me want to stop reading. If anything, it actually added to the mystery.
The ending was a bit of a twist, and I had just barely figured it out right before the author actually revealed it. Knowing what I know now, I may go back and read the book again, just to see if there were any other clues that I could have picked up on.
I would recommend this book to others and I will continue to read more from this author.
This book was an entertaining read for me. It kept my interest throughout. It was definitely not a mindless read, you have to pay attention to the details. There were a couple of times that I felt like, "wait, what's just happened here?" and I had to go back and re-read a paragraph or two. But it was not enough to be frustrating, or make me want to stop reading. If anything, it actually added to the mystery.
The ending was a bit of a twist, and I had just barely figured it out right before the author actually revealed it. Knowing what I know now, I may go back and read the book again, just to see if there were any other clues that I could have picked up on.
I would recommend this book to others and I will continue to read more from this author.
April 15, 2017
A great mix of mistery and suspense. Well-drawn characters make the novel interesting and easy to read. Kacper is a soul in pain trying to forget his lost love, Karmen. Bianka and Niamh are the victims of Karmen’s sister, Elizabeth, who involves Goyo who also suffers and drinks for handling grief, in her plans to kill Bianka to make Kasper suffer for her having lost her sister Karmen.
The legend of the Protectors, Goyo´s and Kasper´s jewels were part of Elizabeth´s revenge. It all started with the blackout, Bianka’s fall down the hillside, Goyo´s rescue, the visit to the Cave House and then came hallucination and madness that finally helped Goyo to get rid of his demons
The legend of the Protectors, Goyo´s and Kasper´s jewels were part of Elizabeth´s revenge. It all started with the blackout, Bianka’s fall down the hillside, Goyo´s rescue, the visit to the Cave House and then came hallucination and madness that finally helped Goyo to get rid of his demons
March 18, 2017
This is a very difficult book to review without giving 'spoilers' about the story-line, as it is all concerned with what is and what is not reality, hence the 'illusive' in the title. There are some very seductive descriptions of locations, the characters are convincing, there are some very convincing action passages and the plot does finish with a genuinely surprising ending.
So why have I only given it three stars? Well this is purely down to my individual taste, I just don't like stories where there is a blurring between 'reality' (in terms of the story) and illusion, I just find them rather frustrating,unless they are exceptionally well written, and unfortunately for me this just didn't reach those giddy heights.
Having said all that, if you area fan of psychological thrillers/mysteries, then this may well be a book that you would enjoy.
Now a disclaimer - I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, through Reading Deals, so I could give an honest review.
So why have I only given it three stars? Well this is purely down to my individual taste, I just don't like stories where there is a blurring between 'reality' (in terms of the story) and illusion, I just find them rather frustrating,unless they are exceptionally well written, and unfortunately for me this just didn't reach those giddy heights.
Having said all that, if you area fan of psychological thrillers/mysteries, then this may well be a book that you would enjoy.
Now a disclaimer - I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book, through Reading Deals, so I could give an honest review.
October 27, 2024
Wow! Right from the start I felt this book was somewhat different. I enjoyed the characters and the location descriptions were definitely sufficient to make me want to visit. So I did expect that towards the end there was a lot of action involved. Now I understand what the title meant. Definitely did not see that ending and I think it was very well executed. Could have kept reading but as there was no more I will definitely read more of this authors work! Recommended for a very interesting psychological story.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews