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Troll
A gripping and explosive psychological thriller about a young woman who disappears in suspicious circumstances, having been hounded by a vicious online troll.
Years ago, Fortune gave up on his daughter, Sophie, after a troubled adolescence. Now she's gone missing, vanished without trace. And after weeks of investigation, the police have given up on her, too.
Driven by guilt, and a determination to atone for his failures as a father, he takes on the search himself. He soon finds that his daughter had been living in fear of a vicious online troll who seemed to know far too much about her. Could Sophie's disappearance be linked to this unknown predator? Fortune is about to discover that monsters which live online don't always stay there....
Years ago, Fortune gave up on his daughter, Sophie, after a troubled adolescence. Now she's gone missing, vanished without trace. And after weeks of investigation, the police have given up on her, too.
Driven by guilt, and a determination to atone for his failures as a father, he takes on the search himself. He soon finds that his daughter had been living in fear of a vicious online troll who seemed to know far too much about her. Could Sophie's disappearance be linked to this unknown predator? Fortune is about to discover that monsters which live online don't always stay there....
368 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2017
14 people are currently reading
525 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
June 7, 2017
Fortune is a rich banker now living and working in Dubai. He has failed miserably at being a father and a family man. Having neglected Sophie, his daughter for most of her life, he now feels guilty at being powerless to help find her when she goes missing and is believed by the police to be dead. When money mysteriously disappears from the bank he works for he slowly starts to realise there is more than meets the eye over her disappearance and it doesn't take him long to discover that an internet troll that has been harassing Sophie may lie at the heart of everything.
"Troll" written by D B Thorne is a well written and professional thriller-style psychological mystery that is very intriguing and entertaining. I liked the uniqueness of using an internet troll as the plot line as it's such a common occurrence now in everyday life.
I very much liked the engaging and well developed characters - I particularly liked Sophie, so misunderstood and very much alone and felt much empathy for her as she described her slow downward spiral into depression and paranoia.
Fortune's promise to himself to find her and his dedication and persistence is commendable, considering the constant problems he keeps encountering. As he works his way through mysterious clues and the information he uncovers his journey to find out what has happened to Sophie leads us on an compelling search against time.
This is quite an addictive book, it did dip a tiny bit in the middle for me, but it soon picked up again to a fast paced finish that was truly shocking and emotional!
I would highly recommend this book - it's definitely worthy of a read - and I wouldn't hesitate to read more by this author again.
A well deserved 5 stars!
"Troll" written by D B Thorne is a well written and professional thriller-style psychological mystery that is very intriguing and entertaining. I liked the uniqueness of using an internet troll as the plot line as it's such a common occurrence now in everyday life.
I very much liked the engaging and well developed characters - I particularly liked Sophie, so misunderstood and very much alone and felt much empathy for her as she described her slow downward spiral into depression and paranoia.
Fortune's promise to himself to find her and his dedication and persistence is commendable, considering the constant problems he keeps encountering. As he works his way through mysterious clues and the information he uncovers his journey to find out what has happened to Sophie leads us on an compelling search against time.
This is quite an addictive book, it did dip a tiny bit in the middle for me, but it soon picked up again to a fast paced finish that was truly shocking and emotional!
I would highly recommend this book - it's definitely worthy of a read - and I wouldn't hesitate to read more by this author again.
A well deserved 5 stars!
June 8, 2017
4☆ Fresh, Gripping, intense!
Troll is a fresh new take on thrillers.
It's becoming increasingly common for young people to get trolled/ abused/bullied online. Usually by people they know, but sometimes they are strangers!
Troll tells a story of a young girl Sophie who has disappeared, and with no evidence, and the police deciding to take a step back. Sophie's Dad Fortune is desperate to find her.
Fortune and Sophie don't have the best father/daughter relationship.
So when she disappears he feels like he has let her down. So is determined to take matters into he's own hands.
As Fortune starts to investigate he starts to uncover a whole heap of twists, lies and danger.
He discovers that Sophie is being trolled online by a vicious manipulative mystery person.
But the monster knows a lot about Sophie and her life and is determined to to make her suffer.
Poor Fortune is about to find out the hard way....that the Monsters who Troll online do not always stay online!
Thorne created an intense, gripping, heart pounding thriller. With plenty of shock twists.
For me this book was a little too real it was creepy.
Troll also has a strong message that the past can impact the future it can come back to bite you!
I think Thorne has written a very current, fresh and clever story.
He played on my emotions and kept me hooked and second guessing myself the whole way through.
It's dangerous, clever, gripping and intense. The perfect mix.
The story is told by both Fortune and Sophie which fits the story well. As we get both perspectives as the race to find the Troll commences.
This is the perfect read for those who love gripping thrillers, a chase to the end and mystery reads.
I received this book from the Publisher in exchange for a honest and fair review via Netgalley.
Troll is a fresh new take on thrillers.
It's becoming increasingly common for young people to get trolled/ abused/bullied online. Usually by people they know, but sometimes they are strangers!
Troll tells a story of a young girl Sophie who has disappeared, and with no evidence, and the police deciding to take a step back. Sophie's Dad Fortune is desperate to find her.
Fortune and Sophie don't have the best father/daughter relationship.
So when she disappears he feels like he has let her down. So is determined to take matters into he's own hands.
As Fortune starts to investigate he starts to uncover a whole heap of twists, lies and danger.
He discovers that Sophie is being trolled online by a vicious manipulative mystery person.
But the monster knows a lot about Sophie and her life and is determined to to make her suffer.
Poor Fortune is about to find out the hard way....that the Monsters who Troll online do not always stay online!
Thorne created an intense, gripping, heart pounding thriller. With plenty of shock twists.
For me this book was a little too real it was creepy.
Troll also has a strong message that the past can impact the future it can come back to bite you!
I think Thorne has written a very current, fresh and clever story.
He played on my emotions and kept me hooked and second guessing myself the whole way through.
It's dangerous, clever, gripping and intense. The perfect mix.
The story is told by both Fortune and Sophie which fits the story well. As we get both perspectives as the race to find the Troll commences.
This is the perfect read for those who love gripping thrillers, a chase to the end and mystery reads.
I received this book from the Publisher in exchange for a honest and fair review via Netgalley.
May 25, 2017
Fortune has never really been much of a father,he gave up on his daughter Sophie years ago.Now she has gone missing,vanished without trace and the police have given up on her too.
Driven by guilt Fortune starts his own investigation into her disappearance.He soon discovers that Sophie was being terrorized by a online troll who somehow knew far too much about her.Is there a link between the unknown predator and Sophie`s disappearance? Fortune is going to discover that monsters who live online don't always stay there.
This gripping story is narrated in the alternating perspectives of Fortune and Sophie.I didn't like Fortune very much at the beginning but he did redeem himself a little by the end.I loved Sophie,I found myself laughing out loud at a number of her comments and felt really sorry for her as the story unfolded,she really didn't deserve anything that was happening to her.I spent the whole book with my fingers crossed hoping that she would be ok at the end.The identity of the troll was an unexpected surprise,although the person was very twisted and evil it was hard not to feel a tiny bit of sympathy for the person once you found out about that person's past.
It's a cautionary tale of how the way that we treat people in the past can cause ripples and waves that can affect other people's lives in the future.As the story unfolded I found myself going through a mixed bag of emotions,laughing out loud,frustration and anger at a certain person`s stupidity,revulsion,I even had tears in my eyes a couple of times.I would recommend this book to anyone who likes reading about ordinary people who find themselves caught up in situations that they have no control over.If you like Simon Kernick`s books then I think you will enjoy this thrilling debut,I certainly did and I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future.
Many thanks to corvus books for a arc of this book via netgalley in exchange for a honest review
Driven by guilt Fortune starts his own investigation into her disappearance.He soon discovers that Sophie was being terrorized by a online troll who somehow knew far too much about her.Is there a link between the unknown predator and Sophie`s disappearance? Fortune is going to discover that monsters who live online don't always stay there.
This gripping story is narrated in the alternating perspectives of Fortune and Sophie.I didn't like Fortune very much at the beginning but he did redeem himself a little by the end.I loved Sophie,I found myself laughing out loud at a number of her comments and felt really sorry for her as the story unfolded,she really didn't deserve anything that was happening to her.I spent the whole book with my fingers crossed hoping that she would be ok at the end.The identity of the troll was an unexpected surprise,although the person was very twisted and evil it was hard not to feel a tiny bit of sympathy for the person once you found out about that person's past.
It's a cautionary tale of how the way that we treat people in the past can cause ripples and waves that can affect other people's lives in the future.As the story unfolded I found myself going through a mixed bag of emotions,laughing out loud,frustration and anger at a certain person`s stupidity,revulsion,I even had tears in my eyes a couple of times.I would recommend this book to anyone who likes reading about ordinary people who find themselves caught up in situations that they have no control over.If you like Simon Kernick`s books then I think you will enjoy this thrilling debut,I certainly did and I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future.
Many thanks to corvus books for a arc of this book via netgalley in exchange for a honest review
May 23, 2018
Sophie has led a troubled life. She was an unruly child and teenager who would tantrum whenever she didn't get her way. She even made several suicide attempts for attention just to make sure her parents felt guilty for denying her anything she ever wanted. This caused a lot of problems in her parents marriage. Her father, Fortune, became consumed with work and was rarely home to help her mother with the burden of raising her.
Sophie has come a long way in life with the help of therapy and medication. She now has a successful job as a journalist. In her spare time she writes a blog and it is here that she begins to get taunting messages from an online troll. She ignores these attempts at attention. She doesn't want to "feed" the troll but when the menacing messages begin to become more personal it becomes hard for Sophie to ignore.
Now Sophie has disappeared and no one, not even the police, really seem to care what happened to her. With her questionable past behavior and suicide attempts it seems she has likely disappeared of her own accord. Sophie's father doesn't see it that way.
With years of guilt and remorse for how he treated his family pent up inside him and also the news that he is dying of cancer he begins to investigate and will not stop until Sophie is found.
This book was really addictive and a super quick read. Short chapters that you can fly through in no time - which I love. It took me a beat to get gripped but once I did I couldn't stop reading. I really grew a soft spot for Fortune by the end of the book. A solid 4 stars!
Thank you so much to Trafalgar Square Publishing and IPG Books for sending me an advance readers copy in exchange for my honest review.
Sophie has come a long way in life with the help of therapy and medication. She now has a successful job as a journalist. In her spare time she writes a blog and it is here that she begins to get taunting messages from an online troll. She ignores these attempts at attention. She doesn't want to "feed" the troll but when the menacing messages begin to become more personal it becomes hard for Sophie to ignore.
Now Sophie has disappeared and no one, not even the police, really seem to care what happened to her. With her questionable past behavior and suicide attempts it seems she has likely disappeared of her own accord. Sophie's father doesn't see it that way.
With years of guilt and remorse for how he treated his family pent up inside him and also the news that he is dying of cancer he begins to investigate and will not stop until Sophie is found.
This book was really addictive and a super quick read. Short chapters that you can fly through in no time - which I love. It took me a beat to get gripped but once I did I couldn't stop reading. I really grew a soft spot for Fortune by the end of the book. A solid 4 stars!
Thank you so much to Trafalgar Square Publishing and IPG Books for sending me an advance readers copy in exchange for my honest review.
May 23, 2020
Dang this book! This must be the first time I’m tearing up after reading a psycho-thriller but that ending is just so heartrending, I couldn’t just choke on the lump in my throat and I’m still far from that time of the month to blame my hormones for the emotions. Lol.
This is such an unexpectedly interesting and gripping read told in alternating perspectives. One is Fortune’s third person POV and the other is her daughter, Sophie’s first person POV which also includes her blog entries with comments both positive and not but the one that sticks out is that of the Troll in the name of Starry Ubando who seems so intent on hating her, even threatening of physically harming her and then Sophie disappears, even confirmed by the police dead.
The alternating perspectives not only established the mystery and the plot but it also made me look into the motivations of the main characters allowing me to be fully connected with them. This was such an engaging read because somebody is playing a sick game with the father and daughter, manipulating and destroying their lives and it’s a big mystery because there is no one to suspect. It’s a different thing when everyone is a suspect but in this case, they’ve got no clue up until perhaps the last quarter of the book.
Indeed, this is a twisty psychological read that plausibly explains how a psychopath is created. It’s more terrifying when the psycho is a genius hacker who can easily access data online and make a mess of people’s lives which again reiterates the dangers of putting so much personal stuff online. It’s honestly enabling the sickos, stalkers, and evil people. A glaring moral lesson of the story is never to put too much stuff online because as displayed on the cover of the novel, “Monsters who live online don’t always stay there. Yikes!
This is such an unexpectedly interesting and gripping read told in alternating perspectives. One is Fortune’s third person POV and the other is her daughter, Sophie’s first person POV which also includes her blog entries with comments both positive and not but the one that sticks out is that of the Troll in the name of Starry Ubando who seems so intent on hating her, even threatening of physically harming her and then Sophie disappears, even confirmed by the police dead.
The alternating perspectives not only established the mystery and the plot but it also made me look into the motivations of the main characters allowing me to be fully connected with them. This was such an engaging read because somebody is playing a sick game with the father and daughter, manipulating and destroying their lives and it’s a big mystery because there is no one to suspect. It’s a different thing when everyone is a suspect but in this case, they’ve got no clue up until perhaps the last quarter of the book.
Indeed, this is a twisty psychological read that plausibly explains how a psychopath is created. It’s more terrifying when the psycho is a genius hacker who can easily access data online and make a mess of people’s lives which again reiterates the dangers of putting so much personal stuff online. It’s honestly enabling the sickos, stalkers, and evil people. A glaring moral lesson of the story is never to put too much stuff online because as displayed on the cover of the novel, “Monsters who live online don’t always stay there. Yikes!
July 19, 2019
The beginning of this story will mess with your mind and keep you guessing what will happen next. Fortune is a father in despair it's been weeks and the police still haven't found his daughter.The police are scaling back the investigation looking for Sophie and Fortune is very upset as it seems his daughter has disappeared of the face of earth. Fortune's first thought was that perhaps Sophie has gone on holiday. Run off with a new boyfriend. Fortune needs to establish where his daughter has gone. Maybe a clue has been found a note has been placed on Sophie's desk saying WHY SHOULD I TAKE ANY MORE? Sadly it appears that Sophie had a history of suicide attempts.The fact is she has disappeared and nobody knows were she went. Fortune thought about all the times his wife had been there for Sophie. His wife had believed in their daughter far more than Fortune had. With the unexpected disappearance of their daughter Fortune rather hoped that this would bring him and his wife together, but instead with sadness this was something that would finally drive them apart. What is very clear in this sad story is that Fortune was a father who was filled with guilt for his failure in being a good father. The author has delivered perfectly the destruction that online trolls viciously harass online. Could Sophie's disappearance be linked to an unknown predator?
Monsters who live online I highly recommend reading Troll.
April 28, 2025
An engaging psychological thriller with a modern-day touch of an internet troll. The concept is believable, and the added father-daughter relationship adds to the drama, acting as fuel that keeps Fortune and the story moving. The characters are well sketched out as is the pace of the plot that kept me involved throughout. More than anything, the book is a reminder of how problematic the online world has become.
June 18, 2017
Fortune is a successful high powered banker working in Dubai. That is about the only area of his life that is successful as his marriage is in tatters and he has not made a great success of fatherhood. He cut himself off from daughter Sophie when she was a troubled teen that he didn't know how to cope with.
Sophie nowadays has cleaned up her act. Still a little flakey she has a job and is a blogger and an investigative journalist. The odd troll is to be expected from time to time but when it seems that the troll is watching her she begins to worry.
When Sophie disappears & the police seem to dismiss it Fortune sets out to find his daughter. He is battling against cancer, trying to ignore constant messages from Dubai because millions had disappeared from the firm's accounts and determined not to let Sophie down as he has done so much in the past.
Told by Sophie in the first person and Fortune in the third person the story moves along at quite a pace. I found it hard to warm to Fortune but I was rooting for Sophie. This was an exciting read. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for giving me the chance to read it.
Sophie nowadays has cleaned up her act. Still a little flakey she has a job and is a blogger and an investigative journalist. The odd troll is to be expected from time to time but when it seems that the troll is watching her she begins to worry.
When Sophie disappears & the police seem to dismiss it Fortune sets out to find his daughter. He is battling against cancer, trying to ignore constant messages from Dubai because millions had disappeared from the firm's accounts and determined not to let Sophie down as he has done so much in the past.
Told by Sophie in the first person and Fortune in the third person the story moves along at quite a pace. I found it hard to warm to Fortune but I was rooting for Sophie. This was an exciting read. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for giving me the chance to read it.
July 6, 2017
"He was suddenly aware of a dark intelligence around him, so much like a real presence that he shivered as if somebody was stood behind him."
3.5 stars!
Well that was creepy af!
Fortune's daughter Sophie has gone missing, and anyone who has known her claims her behaviour was erratic and unstable, that she had serious psychotic episodes.
Despite Fortune having worked abroad for most of Sophie's teenage and young adult life this isn't the girl he remembers. He doesn't believe she is actually mad.
After checking out her blog he realises she was being harassed online by a troll, and her diary indicates that all the events and psychotic episodes she was blamed for were all a massive set up.
So who is doing this to her and why? Can Fortune find his daughter before it's too late?
This was a gripping read, only reason it didn't get 4 stars was I am unsure if the ending satisfied me, though I can understand it. Equally the language used also didn't sit well with me, it didn't read like a person actually speaks e.g. Thorne writes "help you?" a lot instead of "can I help you" I'm clearly just very petty but it bothered me a tad more than it should have I guess.
But still a fantastic story of how the behaviour of others can be passed down to affect lives years down the line. Also the frightening aspect of being accused of behaviour, or of being a psycho, and the denial of it just makes a person look more mad! Is there anything worse than having the world not believe you?
3.5 stars!
Well that was creepy af!
Fortune's daughter Sophie has gone missing, and anyone who has known her claims her behaviour was erratic and unstable, that she had serious psychotic episodes.
Despite Fortune having worked abroad for most of Sophie's teenage and young adult life this isn't the girl he remembers. He doesn't believe she is actually mad.
After checking out her blog he realises she was being harassed online by a troll, and her diary indicates that all the events and psychotic episodes she was blamed for were all a massive set up.
So who is doing this to her and why? Can Fortune find his daughter before it's too late?
This was a gripping read, only reason it didn't get 4 stars was I am unsure if the ending satisfied me, though I can understand it. Equally the language used also didn't sit well with me, it didn't read like a person actually speaks e.g. Thorne writes "help you?" a lot instead of "can I help you" I'm clearly just very petty but it bothered me a tad more than it should have I guess.
But still a fantastic story of how the behaviour of others can be passed down to affect lives years down the line. Also the frightening aspect of being accused of behaviour, or of being a psycho, and the denial of it just makes a person look more mad! Is there anything worse than having the world not believe you?
August 20, 2017
2.5* Great concept, but I didnt feel it was executed well. Fortune was not a likeable character. I actually found his chapters annoying. The ending was also a little of a let down. If you're a crazy fanatic fan of this genre it will probably appeal to you.
June 5, 2020
This took me down a path that I really hadn't anticipated; much darker, deeper + twisted than I'd expected. For that reason, it definitely deserves bonus points!
June 6, 2017
The beginning of this story will mess with your mind and keep you guessing what will happen next.
Fortune is a father in despair it's been weeks and the police still haven't found his daughter. The police are scaling back the investigation looking for Sophie and Fortune is very upset as it seems his daughter has disappeared of the face of earth.
Fortune's first thought was that perhaps Sophie has gone on holiday. Run off with a new boyfriend. Fortune needs to establish where his daughter has gone. Maybe a clue has been found a note has been placed on Sophie's desk saying WHY SHOULD I TAKE ANY MORE? Sadly it appears that Sophie had a history of suicide attempts.
The fact is she has disappeared and nobody knows where she went. Fortune thought about all the times his wife had been there for Sophie. His wife had believed in their daughter far more than Fortune had. With the unexpected disappearance of their daughter Fortune rather hoped that this would bring him and his wife together, but instead with sadness this was something that would finally drive them apart.
What is very clear in this sad story is that Fortune was a father who was filled with guilt for his failure in being a good father.
The author has delivered perfectly the destruction that online trolls viciously harass online. Could Sophie's disappearance be linked to an unknown predator?
With monsters who live online I highly recommend reading Troll.
Fortune is a father in despair it's been weeks and the police still haven't found his daughter. The police are scaling back the investigation looking for Sophie and Fortune is very upset as it seems his daughter has disappeared of the face of earth.
Fortune's first thought was that perhaps Sophie has gone on holiday. Run off with a new boyfriend. Fortune needs to establish where his daughter has gone. Maybe a clue has been found a note has been placed on Sophie's desk saying WHY SHOULD I TAKE ANY MORE? Sadly it appears that Sophie had a history of suicide attempts.
The fact is she has disappeared and nobody knows where she went. Fortune thought about all the times his wife had been there for Sophie. His wife had believed in their daughter far more than Fortune had. With the unexpected disappearance of their daughter Fortune rather hoped that this would bring him and his wife together, but instead with sadness this was something that would finally drive them apart.
What is very clear in this sad story is that Fortune was a father who was filled with guilt for his failure in being a good father.
The author has delivered perfectly the destruction that online trolls viciously harass online. Could Sophie's disappearance be linked to an unknown predator?
With monsters who live online I highly recommend reading Troll.
April 19, 2018
This was a book I devoured in just four hours.
Fortune is a business man, he loves his work and to be honest it takes precedence over everything else.
Now his life is falling to pieces and his daughter is missing
After a series of events, he is faced with the Police chasing him for embezzlement and murder, and finds himself chasing clues to search for his daughter.
This is a WOW of a read. The drama does not stop and it is gripping.
The plot is completely of the moment, and is highly original and what's more is very very realistic.
If there is one book you need on your reading list, it is this one.
Fortune is a business man, he loves his work and to be honest it takes precedence over everything else.
Now his life is falling to pieces and his daughter is missing
After a series of events, he is faced with the Police chasing him for embezzlement and murder, and finds himself chasing clues to search for his daughter.
This is a WOW of a read. The drama does not stop and it is gripping.
The plot is completely of the moment, and is highly original and what's more is very very realistic.
If there is one book you need on your reading list, it is this one.
May 25, 2017
Fortune has never really been much of a father,he gave up on his daughter Sophie years ago.Now she has gone missing,vanished without trace and the police have given up on her too.
Driven by guilt Fortune starts his own investigation into her disappearance.He soon discovers that Sophie was being terrorized by a online troll who somehow knew far too much about her.Is there a link between the unknown predator and Sophie`s disappearance? Fortune is going to discover that monsters who live online don't always stay there.
This gripping story is narrated in the alternating perspectives of Fortune and Sophie.I didn't like Fortune very much at the beginning but he did redeem himself a little by the end.I loved Sophie,I found myself laughing out loud at a number of her comments and felt really sorry for her as the story unfolded,she really didn't deserve anything that was happening to her.I spent the whole book with my fingers crossed hoping that she would be ok at the end.The identity of the troll was an unexpected surprise,although the person was very twisted and evil it was hard not to feel a tiny bit of sympathy for the person once you found out about that person's past.
It's a cautionary tale of how the way that we treat people in the past can cause ripples and waves that can affect other people's lives in the future.As the story unfolded I found myself going through a mixed bag of emotions,laughing out loud,frustration and anger at a certain person`s stupidity,revulsion,I even had tears in my eyes a couple of times.I would recommend this book to anyone who likes reading about ordinary people who find themselves caught up in situations that they have no control over.If you like Simon Kernick`s books then I think you will enjoy this thrilling debut,I certainly did and I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future.
Many thanks to Corvus books for a arc of this book via netgalley in exchange for a honest review
Driven by guilt Fortune starts his own investigation into her disappearance.He soon discovers that Sophie was being terrorized by a online troll who somehow knew far too much about her.Is there a link between the unknown predator and Sophie`s disappearance? Fortune is going to discover that monsters who live online don't always stay there.
This gripping story is narrated in the alternating perspectives of Fortune and Sophie.I didn't like Fortune very much at the beginning but he did redeem himself a little by the end.I loved Sophie,I found myself laughing out loud at a number of her comments and felt really sorry for her as the story unfolded,she really didn't deserve anything that was happening to her.I spent the whole book with my fingers crossed hoping that she would be ok at the end.The identity of the troll was an unexpected surprise,although the person was very twisted and evil it was hard not to feel a tiny bit of sympathy for the person once you found out about that person's past.
It's a cautionary tale of how the way that we treat people in the past can cause ripples and waves that can affect other people's lives in the future.As the story unfolded I found myself going through a mixed bag of emotions,laughing out loud,frustration and anger at a certain person`s stupidity,revulsion,I even had tears in my eyes a couple of times.I would recommend this book to anyone who likes reading about ordinary people who find themselves caught up in situations that they have no control over.If you like Simon Kernick`s books then I think you will enjoy this thrilling debut,I certainly did and I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future.
Many thanks to Corvus books for a arc of this book via netgalley in exchange for a honest review
May 6, 2017
Troll was a fast paced fairly addictive read about a Father searching for his missing daughter - who had been targeted by an online stalker.
I loved some of this book and was a little disappointed by other aspects of it. On the one hand, the parts written from Sophie's point of view as she slowly spirals downwards, her life and head invaded by this troll, who was slowly taking away her life, was absolutely compelling. She had a strong clear voice and elicited sympathy and rage at what was happening to her.
On the other hand Fortune's story was occasionally a little annoying. His personality was all over the place, swinging from selfishness to empathy, I didn't feel he was rounded out in any particular fashion. Whilst it was intriguing watching him hunt down the clues and follow his determination to find Sophie, I never really connected with him as a character. I found myself rushing more through his bits so I could get back to Sophie.
The majority of the plotting was great, it has a strong unpredictable mystery element, with a fascinating premise extremely socially relevant at the moment. Sadly I felt the end lacked the emotional stab to the heart it could have had, due to another plot layer that obviously I can't specify for spoiler reasons.
Overall I enjoyed it and would certainly recommend it for fans of this genre - however I do think that the idea was better than the execution, I wanted that emotive hit at the end and it didn't quite get there.
I loved some of this book and was a little disappointed by other aspects of it. On the one hand, the parts written from Sophie's point of view as she slowly spirals downwards, her life and head invaded by this troll, who was slowly taking away her life, was absolutely compelling. She had a strong clear voice and elicited sympathy and rage at what was happening to her.
On the other hand Fortune's story was occasionally a little annoying. His personality was all over the place, swinging from selfishness to empathy, I didn't feel he was rounded out in any particular fashion. Whilst it was intriguing watching him hunt down the clues and follow his determination to find Sophie, I never really connected with him as a character. I found myself rushing more through his bits so I could get back to Sophie.
The majority of the plotting was great, it has a strong unpredictable mystery element, with a fascinating premise extremely socially relevant at the moment. Sadly I felt the end lacked the emotional stab to the heart it could have had, due to another plot layer that obviously I can't specify for spoiler reasons.
Overall I enjoyed it and would certainly recommend it for fans of this genre - however I do think that the idea was better than the execution, I wanted that emotive hit at the end and it didn't quite get there.
April 15, 2018
Fortune, Sophie’s estranged father learns that the police are starting to scale back their search for he’s missing daughter. They believe that she has taken her own life, but Fortune is convinced otherwise.
Fortune is a rich banker working in the Middle East and has been absent for most of Sophie’s life, wreaked with guilt he is determined to find he’s daughter.
As he begins to investigate Fortune soon discovers her blog and notices that she’s received some continually hurtful comments from one particular account.
At the same time large sums of money has gone missing at work, Fortune trying to juggle he’s career and personal life soon starts to realise that their might just be a link between the two.
A very engaging thriller, the story switches between the two main characters which helps keep up the suspense.
I really liked Sophie, through a series of flashbacks we are introduced to her from a series of blog posts. Her portrayal of a misunderstood individual who has made mistakes in the past, but is forging a life in journalism makes her instantly likeable.
The twists throughout make for a pulsating read, I found myself wanting to continually turn to the next chapter.
A great crime thriller for the 21st century.
Fortune is a rich banker working in the Middle East and has been absent for most of Sophie’s life, wreaked with guilt he is determined to find he’s daughter.
As he begins to investigate Fortune soon discovers her blog and notices that she’s received some continually hurtful comments from one particular account.
At the same time large sums of money has gone missing at work, Fortune trying to juggle he’s career and personal life soon starts to realise that their might just be a link between the two.
A very engaging thriller, the story switches between the two main characters which helps keep up the suspense.
I really liked Sophie, through a series of flashbacks we are introduced to her from a series of blog posts. Her portrayal of a misunderstood individual who has made mistakes in the past, but is forging a life in journalism makes her instantly likeable.
The twists throughout make for a pulsating read, I found myself wanting to continually turn to the next chapter.
A great crime thriller for the 21st century.
May 20, 2017
A tense thriller that I managed to read in a day. Fortune is convinced that his missing daughter is not dead despite that being the belief by the police, her few friends and her own mother.
The story flips between Fortune and his daughter, confirming early on that Sophie is definitely alive and we're not searching for a dead body. After finding Sophie's laptop it appears she had been the victim of an online troll and somebody launching a very controlled attack on her life, setting her up as a stalker, receiving complaints from the council about excess noise and so on.
For Fortune as he starts his hunt his bank suddenly loses money - millions of dollars that looking at the numbers signal a race to find her before it's too late.
I did enjoy it. There's lots of twists and turns and the reveal of the Troll in question is interesting. I loved the ending. Not your Hollywood ending which makes for a refreshing change. There's so much to this book about how the past can affect the future and people's actions. Some as you can imagine is related to Fortune but there is some far crueller histories revealed.
It's a good book, well worth checking out
Free arc from netgalley
The story flips between Fortune and his daughter, confirming early on that Sophie is definitely alive and we're not searching for a dead body. After finding Sophie's laptop it appears she had been the victim of an online troll and somebody launching a very controlled attack on her life, setting her up as a stalker, receiving complaints from the council about excess noise and so on.
For Fortune as he starts his hunt his bank suddenly loses money - millions of dollars that looking at the numbers signal a race to find her before it's too late.
I did enjoy it. There's lots of twists and turns and the reveal of the Troll in question is interesting. I loved the ending. Not your Hollywood ending which makes for a refreshing change. There's so much to this book about how the past can affect the future and people's actions. Some as you can imagine is related to Fortune but there is some far crueller histories revealed.
It's a good book, well worth checking out
Free arc from netgalley
May 5, 2017
The thriller that needs to be told.
Overall this book was a generally good read, the setting, characters, plot and writing style was very 'thriller-esque'.
What I found interesting was the concept of online trolling. This is a very big issue we face today's society with very dire consequences. I haven't read much around cyber-bullying, however Troll captures the essence of be accosted online by someone or something that achieves the feeling of horror and fear of someone is watching and following every move.
I felt the lead character of Fortune was very cliche. The 'detective' with health issues, personal life in shambles and nothing left to give was a bit jarring and I wasn't able to relate or sympathise with him.
Finally, the ending was very abrupt, it gave the sense that it was rushed and all closed off very suddenly, especially considering the whole book was leading up to it.
This said, I would recommend reading it as a bit of escapism, definitely the kind of book to lie in a park and read this summer.
I won the book on goodreads for an honest review.
Overall this book was a generally good read, the setting, characters, plot and writing style was very 'thriller-esque'.
What I found interesting was the concept of online trolling. This is a very big issue we face today's society with very dire consequences. I haven't read much around cyber-bullying, however Troll captures the essence of be accosted online by someone or something that achieves the feeling of horror and fear of someone is watching and following every move.
I felt the lead character of Fortune was very cliche. The 'detective' with health issues, personal life in shambles and nothing left to give was a bit jarring and I wasn't able to relate or sympathise with him.
Finally, the ending was very abrupt, it gave the sense that it was rushed and all closed off very suddenly, especially considering the whole book was leading up to it.
This said, I would recommend reading it as a bit of escapism, definitely the kind of book to lie in a park and read this summer.
I won the book on goodreads for an honest review.
July 20, 2017
An entertaining thriller that went in a direction that surprised me.
Fortune is an Englishmen who works in banking in Dubai, but back in the UK searching for his missing daughter. Getting no joy from the police who have given up the search, and under pressure to return to work because millions of dollars are missing from the bank, Fortune decides to search for his daughter himself. He finds that through her blog, she has been targeted by a troll.
An intriguing story that is a slow reveal, cleverly plotted and gripping right to the conclusion.
Fortune is an Englishmen who works in banking in Dubai, but back in the UK searching for his missing daughter. Getting no joy from the police who have given up the search, and under pressure to return to work because millions of dollars are missing from the bank, Fortune decides to search for his daughter himself. He finds that through her blog, she has been targeted by a troll.
An intriguing story that is a slow reveal, cleverly plotted and gripping right to the conclusion.
August 16, 2022
Wonderful
March 2, 2017
In this thriller, Fortune is a rich banker, who has been living in Dubai for a year. He neglected his wife and has separated from her, and didn’t have much to do with bringing up his daughter, Sophie. But when he hears that Sophie has gone missing, he returns to Britain to try and find her. Sophie was living in London and working for a celebrity scandal magazine (a bit like Heat) when she vanished. Because she has a history of mental illness, and seemed to have been behaving erratically before her disappearance, everyone assumes that she committed suicide, even though her body has not been found, and so the police aren’t interested in looking for her. Fortune decides to investigate himself, and discovers that she was targeted by a vicious online troll who took over her life and framed her for all kinds of crimes – from being a noisy neighbour to drug smuggling, and a campaign of intimidation against a children’s TV presenter she’d tried to expose for sleeping with underage girls. But who is this troll, why has he targeted Sophie, and what has he done with her now?
The novel is narrated in the third person from Fortune’s point of view, and in the first person from Sophie’s, so we get to find out what really happened to her. It’s not a terrible novel, it’s very fast-paced and rather absorbing, but there were various things that annoyed me about it. In some ways it’s similar to Pierre LeMaitre’s Blood Wedding, as that too is about a stalker who takes over a woman’s life. But I think that LeMaitre’s novel was much better than this, as there was something not quite convincing about Fortune and his mission.
SPOILER ALERT!
Firstly, there was a weird discrepancy about the ages. Sophie’s birth date is quoted as being July 1998, and Fortune’s August 1963, and the time the novel is set is stated as being March 2017. This would make Sophie just 18 years old, and yet she’s been to university and had a few jobs already, so is surely supposed to be older? Plus the troll is described as being in his mid-twenties, and yet is supposed to be younger than Sophie. Fortune is also described as being 54 years old, but would only be 53 at this point. I can only assume Sophie should have been born earlier, or the time of the novel set later.
Fortune himself (I wasn’t fond of the clunky metaphorical significance of his name) was a rather unconvincing character to me. I really didn’t like him, he was snobby and selfish, kind of how you’d expect a banker to be, and yet at the same time he was inconsistent in his actions and thoughts. All his life until this point he’s been a stereotypical banker – only interested in money, with little time for his wife and family, having an affair, but not caring about his mistress either, living the high life in Dubai, etc. And then, suddenly, because of Sophie’s disappearance, he becomes a totally different person. He starts to care about people lower on the social scale to him, and those poorer than him… He’s like a blueprint of a banker with another personality grafted on top. One minute he’s connecting with a homeless man, seeing the real person behind the man’s misfortunes, giving him money and turning to him when he needs help. The next minute he has contempt for a man working in a bank, because he’s not ironed his shirt or tucked it in, and is a bit fat (despite Fortune himself being described as overweight at the beginning of the novel). I also felt that giving him terminal lung cancer on top of all the other things he had to worry about was a bit much, and defused the significance of the ending.
Neither Fortune nor Sophie seem to have had any friends. There is a section where Fortune reminisces about going golfing, but he must have gone on his own for no friends are mentioned. Sophie at one point muses that she does have friends, but none of them are mentioned by name, or appear in the plot. Surely if she did have friends she’d have told them about what was happening to her early on?
Perhaps I’m being over-critical – there were some good points to this book, the best being the way that Sophie was not defined by her mental illness of the past. It’s true that there’s a lot of stigma attached to mental illness still, and I can well imagine that anyone in Sophie’s position wouldn’t be believed due to her history. If you want a quick and easy thriller, this isn’t bad, it just does stretch credibility a bit too much at times!
The novel is narrated in the third person from Fortune’s point of view, and in the first person from Sophie’s, so we get to find out what really happened to her. It’s not a terrible novel, it’s very fast-paced and rather absorbing, but there were various things that annoyed me about it. In some ways it’s similar to Pierre LeMaitre’s Blood Wedding, as that too is about a stalker who takes over a woman’s life. But I think that LeMaitre’s novel was much better than this, as there was something not quite convincing about Fortune and his mission.
SPOILER ALERT!
Firstly, there was a weird discrepancy about the ages. Sophie’s birth date is quoted as being July 1998, and Fortune’s August 1963, and the time the novel is set is stated as being March 2017. This would make Sophie just 18 years old, and yet she’s been to university and had a few jobs already, so is surely supposed to be older? Plus the troll is described as being in his mid-twenties, and yet is supposed to be younger than Sophie. Fortune is also described as being 54 years old, but would only be 53 at this point. I can only assume Sophie should have been born earlier, or the time of the novel set later.
Fortune himself (I wasn’t fond of the clunky metaphorical significance of his name) was a rather unconvincing character to me. I really didn’t like him, he was snobby and selfish, kind of how you’d expect a banker to be, and yet at the same time he was inconsistent in his actions and thoughts. All his life until this point he’s been a stereotypical banker – only interested in money, with little time for his wife and family, having an affair, but not caring about his mistress either, living the high life in Dubai, etc. And then, suddenly, because of Sophie’s disappearance, he becomes a totally different person. He starts to care about people lower on the social scale to him, and those poorer than him… He’s like a blueprint of a banker with another personality grafted on top. One minute he’s connecting with a homeless man, seeing the real person behind the man’s misfortunes, giving him money and turning to him when he needs help. The next minute he has contempt for a man working in a bank, because he’s not ironed his shirt or tucked it in, and is a bit fat (despite Fortune himself being described as overweight at the beginning of the novel). I also felt that giving him terminal lung cancer on top of all the other things he had to worry about was a bit much, and defused the significance of the ending.
Neither Fortune nor Sophie seem to have had any friends. There is a section where Fortune reminisces about going golfing, but he must have gone on his own for no friends are mentioned. Sophie at one point muses that she does have friends, but none of them are mentioned by name, or appear in the plot. Surely if she did have friends she’d have told them about what was happening to her early on?
Perhaps I’m being over-critical – there were some good points to this book, the best being the way that Sophie was not defined by her mental illness of the past. It’s true that there’s a lot of stigma attached to mental illness still, and I can well imagine that anyone in Sophie’s position wouldn’t be believed due to her history. If you want a quick and easy thriller, this isn’t bad, it just does stretch credibility a bit too much at times!
July 9, 2017
Fortune has never been a family man. Obsessed with his work, he never cared much about his daughter’s problems. But now Sophie is missing. And, with reports of erratic behaviour and a problematic past, no one is actually looking for her and everyone thinks she took her own life. Everyone except Fortune. Knowing he can’t make amends for his past, but unwilling to let go this time, Fortune decides to follow the clues no one seems to care about. And when he starts to get closer, the answers become scary. Sophie had an online troll making threats… and more. And, by trying to find out what happened to his daughter, Fortune is now about to enter a very dangerous game.
One of the first things to become evident in this book – and one of its most surprising elements – is the fact that none of the main characters seems to be “a good person”. Fortune never really cared about his family. Sophie has a disturbed past. Marsh, the police inspector, doesn’t seem that interested in investigating the case. And well, the troll is quite evil. But the most interesting about this is that, although none of them is the type to instil any type of empathy, there’s an evolution in their path and all of them reveal themselves as more complex than one should expect in the beginning.
This is only one of many surprises in this book. And the way the author weaves this story brings up a narrative that never ceases to intrigue. First, there’s Sophie’s disappearance. Then, Fortune’s steps toward finding her. And, when the answers start to come, new and more complex questions arise. Fortune’s past, Sophie’s present and the mystery of the troll’s identity have more in common than it would be expected. And every revelation, every turning point, gives birth to new and more impressive moments of tension and emotion – creating a very, very intense path to a finale that is absolute genius.
And there’s also another side to this story. Fortune’s race against time is also a race against himself and everything he’s been during the last years of his life. The story becomes more than a mystery: it’s also a path of revenge, of penance and understanding of one’s flaws… and, somehow, a path to a possible redemption. That gives the story a very emotional touch – and makes it a lot more memorable. Mostly because of the intensity of the finale, yes, but also because of all that led the characters to that point.
Intense, intriguing and unexpectedly complex, this is a book that surprises the reader in many different ways. A tale of mystery, yes, but also of vengeance and redemption. And, thus, a book that is much, much more than just the story of a disappearance. Very, very impressive.
** I received this book from Corvus in exchange for an honest opinion.
One of the first things to become evident in this book – and one of its most surprising elements – is the fact that none of the main characters seems to be “a good person”. Fortune never really cared about his family. Sophie has a disturbed past. Marsh, the police inspector, doesn’t seem that interested in investigating the case. And well, the troll is quite evil. But the most interesting about this is that, although none of them is the type to instil any type of empathy, there’s an evolution in their path and all of them reveal themselves as more complex than one should expect in the beginning.
This is only one of many surprises in this book. And the way the author weaves this story brings up a narrative that never ceases to intrigue. First, there’s Sophie’s disappearance. Then, Fortune’s steps toward finding her. And, when the answers start to come, new and more complex questions arise. Fortune’s past, Sophie’s present and the mystery of the troll’s identity have more in common than it would be expected. And every revelation, every turning point, gives birth to new and more impressive moments of tension and emotion – creating a very, very intense path to a finale that is absolute genius.
And there’s also another side to this story. Fortune’s race against time is also a race against himself and everything he’s been during the last years of his life. The story becomes more than a mystery: it’s also a path of revenge, of penance and understanding of one’s flaws… and, somehow, a path to a possible redemption. That gives the story a very emotional touch – and makes it a lot more memorable. Mostly because of the intensity of the finale, yes, but also because of all that led the characters to that point.
Intense, intriguing and unexpectedly complex, this is a book that surprises the reader in many different ways. A tale of mystery, yes, but also of vengeance and redemption. And, thus, a book that is much, much more than just the story of a disappearance. Very, very impressive.
** I received this book from Corvus in exchange for an honest opinion.
January 30, 2018
When Fortune, who's been living and working in Dubai, finds out that his estranged daughter Sophie has gone missing he jumps on the first plane back home to London to find out just what the heck is going on. The police think she's either committed suicide or has run away so they're pulling back the investigation as they think it's, basically, a waste of their time and resources.
Fortune is not having that so takes it upon himself to do a little investigating of his own especially when he finds out that she's the target of an online troll, the story slowly unravels, as does Fortune.
The build up and clues are well done as you continue to read to find out what the actual fuck is going on.
I've found, that if I'm struggling to get into a book, then listening to it on audio gives me the boost to get it read, I read faster than the normal audio book speed, and speeding it up just sounds wrong, so it annoyed me enough, when I was trying to listen and read along, to just stop listening and actually read the damn book. Once that happened I flew through it.
Will be on the lookout for other books by this author and see what they're like.
*Huge thanks to D.B. Thorne, Atlantic Books, Corvus and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*
Fortune is not having that so takes it upon himself to do a little investigating of his own especially when he finds out that she's the target of an online troll, the story slowly unravels, as does Fortune.
The build up and clues are well done as you continue to read to find out what the actual fuck is going on.
I've found, that if I'm struggling to get into a book, then listening to it on audio gives me the boost to get it read, I read faster than the normal audio book speed, and speeding it up just sounds wrong, so it annoyed me enough, when I was trying to listen and read along, to just stop listening and actually read the damn book. Once that happened I flew through it.
Will be on the lookout for other books by this author and see what they're like.
*Huge thanks to D.B. Thorne, Atlantic Books, Corvus and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*
June 1, 2017
Troll by D B Thorne.
Years ago, Fortune gave up on his daughter, Sophie, after a troubled adolescence. Now she's gone missing, vanished without trace. And after weeks of investigation, the police have given up on her, too.
Driven by guilt, and a determination to atone for his failures as a father, he takes on the search himself. He soon finds that his daughter had been living in fear of a vicious online troll who seemed to know far too much about her. Could Sophie's disappearance be linked to this unknown predator? Fortune is about to discovers that monsters which live online don't always stay there...
This was a enjoyable read with great characters. I loved how he wouldn't give up. 5*.
Netgalley and Atlantic books.
Years ago, Fortune gave up on his daughter, Sophie, after a troubled adolescence. Now she's gone missing, vanished without trace. And after weeks of investigation, the police have given up on her, too.
Driven by guilt, and a determination to atone for his failures as a father, he takes on the search himself. He soon finds that his daughter had been living in fear of a vicious online troll who seemed to know far too much about her. Could Sophie's disappearance be linked to this unknown predator? Fortune is about to discovers that monsters which live online don't always stay there...
This was a enjoyable read with great characters. I loved how he wouldn't give up. 5*.
Netgalley and Atlantic books.
May 7, 2025
1.5⭐️
Odczuwam wrażenie, że autor zapomniał wspomnieć wcześniej o romansie Fortune'a i dowiadujemy się za późno, to że Hector jest za wszystko odpowiedzialny można przewidzieć już po 100 stronie, gdy jeszcze nie wiadomo jak ma na imię, a wiemy tylko o trollu i Joshu. Przez to, że było to zbyt oczywiste absolutnie nie czułam choćby dreszczyku emocji. Jak mówi opis "ten thriller przeraża!" Well..
Nawet do tytułu nie jestem przekonana, po przeczytaniu myślę, że nie bardzo oddaje sens książki. Zdecydowanie większą rolę ogrywa motyw rodziny, niż świata wirtualnego. No nie podobało mi się.
Odczuwam wrażenie, że autor zapomniał wspomnieć wcześniej o romansie Fortune'a i dowiadujemy się za późno, to że Hector jest za wszystko odpowiedzialny można przewidzieć już po 100 stronie, gdy jeszcze nie wiadomo jak ma na imię, a wiemy tylko o trollu i Joshu. Przez to, że było to zbyt oczywiste absolutnie nie czułam choćby dreszczyku emocji. Jak mówi opis "ten thriller przeraża!" Well..
Nawet do tytułu nie jestem przekonana, po przeczytaniu myślę, że nie bardzo oddaje sens książki. Zdecydowanie większą rolę ogrywa motyw rodziny, niż świata wirtualnego. No nie podobało mi się.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2018
I started this novel anticipating a cautionary tale about the internet and the 'trolls' who lurk there and, while there was certainly some of that, 'Troll' in fact turned into a surprisingly moving story about a lost daughter, a dying, regretful father and his attempts to put things right. There is some really lovely writing in this book and, even though it wasn't what I had expected, I very much enjoyed this story.
April 26, 2025
Fortūns savos 54 gados nevar lepoties ar labākā tēva godu. Viņš pats domājams piekristu, ka nav pat tuvu tam, bet, kad bez vēsts pazudusi tā meita Sofija un policija pēc vairāku nedēļu pūliņiem ne tikai ir ar tukšām rokām, bet ir šķietami gatava faktiski pārtraukt meklēšanu, jo ir gana viegli atrodamu attaisnojumu un iemeslu Sofijas pazušanai (varbūt pēc pašas izvēles), Fortūns gatavs problēmu ņemt savās rokās.
https://poseidons99.com/2025/04/26/d-...
https://poseidons99.com/2025/04/26/d-...
May 17, 2018
Gripping.
May 30, 2017
If you want a psychological thriller of epic proportions then Troll by D. B. Thorne is a must read.
This novel starts unsettling and bit by bit gets darker and more twisted, but in a very real and also moving way.
Told in a two-fold narrative, the story is pinned together by Fortune, a 54 year old successful businessman, but failed father and husband and Sophie, Fortune's daughter who is missing, presumed dead.
It is difficult to try and review this book because I do not want to give anything away, so all I will say is the author has done an amazing job of deconstructing and reconstructing a very intricate and complicated plot in a way that will make it impossible to put down (Case in point - I read this in one day!) It is so clever and well thought out, I would love to know, from a writers perspective, how the author went about planning and plotting for this one because I am not sure I would have known where to start.
I also said that although dark, this is a moving book. And it really is. It looks at the dynamics of dysfunctional families, the relationships between husband and wife, parents and children, in a deep way.
The novel tackles several difficult themes - again I won't mention specifics because I do not want to hint or reveal anything, but just to say they are handled well, so you can feel the power of them but you are not left with a stomach turned. Again, this is done through excellent writing by D. B. Thorne.
With it's clear and clever structure, flawless writing, strong characters and excellent use of locations this is definitely one of the best psychological thrillers I have read this year and I will certainly be making a point of picking up the other books by this author.
This novel starts unsettling and bit by bit gets darker and more twisted, but in a very real and also moving way.
Told in a two-fold narrative, the story is pinned together by Fortune, a 54 year old successful businessman, but failed father and husband and Sophie, Fortune's daughter who is missing, presumed dead.
It is difficult to try and review this book because I do not want to give anything away, so all I will say is the author has done an amazing job of deconstructing and reconstructing a very intricate and complicated plot in a way that will make it impossible to put down (Case in point - I read this in one day!) It is so clever and well thought out, I would love to know, from a writers perspective, how the author went about planning and plotting for this one because I am not sure I would have known where to start.
I also said that although dark, this is a moving book. And it really is. It looks at the dynamics of dysfunctional families, the relationships between husband and wife, parents and children, in a deep way.
The novel tackles several difficult themes - again I won't mention specifics because I do not want to hint or reveal anything, but just to say they are handled well, so you can feel the power of them but you are not left with a stomach turned. Again, this is done through excellent writing by D. B. Thorne.
With it's clear and clever structure, flawless writing, strong characters and excellent use of locations this is definitely one of the best psychological thrillers I have read this year and I will certainly be making a point of picking up the other books by this author.
January 16, 2020
I had the audio book and felt like the guy reading it was paid by the minute. Honestly can you read any slower???? The book was rather depressing at times. The concept was good but the execution was wayyyyyy toooo long and in the end I was glad about the outcome and quite frankly no longer cared who got found and when and whether they lived or not. There were just too many long ways round and too many excruciating detours. The last 50 pages worth I listened to because I wanted to credit for finishing the book, not because I enjoyed it. Sorry.
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