Edge of Sanity

by Cindy Horrell Ramsey

The 1960s was a time of chaos and uncertainty in a world that sometimes seemed to be spinning out of control—especially for Emily Gillespie, who grew up in the small southern town of Burgaw, North Carolina, where children played in the streets and no one ever locked their doors. But Emily’s marriage is not the fairytale that friends and family see—her husband is jealous and abusive. She had spent time in a mental institution years earlier following a devastating miscarriage, and now as anonymous, voiceless phone calls intrude into her carefully controlled world, she feels herself teetering on the edge of sanity. When her dog is poisoned, people she loves are killed in separate accidents, and her life is threatened, Emily reconnects with a childhood friend who wants to be much more. But she is determined to find inner strength that she’s not even sure she possesses to build a safe, new life for herself and her children.

Genres: Fiction

255 pages, Paperback

Published October 22, 2017

About the author

Cindy Horrell Ramsey lives with her husband in Southeastern North Carolina where they grew up, married, and raised a family. After all her children were grown, Cindy attended the University of North Carolina Wilmington where she earned a BA in English and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Following an eclectic career, she now spends her time writing, biking and beach walking, enjoying retirement from public work, and being Mimi to five beautiful granddaughters. Cindy writes about things that matter. For more information, visit cindyramseyauthor.com

Reviews

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, although, it was hard for me to read due to my experience living in an abusive marriage before. The story had me in tears at times, and I could pretty much predict what would happen before it happened. The characters in the story were portrayed in a way that made me feel as if I was really there. The book was well written. I would love to see a follow-up story on how her new life turned out.
I received this book in the Goodreads giveaway, with a little note from Cindy and she signed it also! I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book.

My ratings......
-Sexual Content...One small episode, but nothing explicit
-Language Content...None
-Violence Content..mentioned, but nothing descriptive

Star ratings...
0--Could not finish
1--Finished but didn't like it
2--Finished the book-it was ok
3--A good read, worth your time
4--An excellent read, novel concept, unusual plot
5--A great read, prominent example of the genre, will read more from this author/series

[Billy Buttons · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Edge of Sanity
Author: Cindy Horrell Ramsey

Star Rating: 4 Stars
Number of Readers: 16
Stats
Editing: 8/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Content: 8/10
Cover: 5/10
Of the 16 readers:
13 would read another book by this author.
6 thought the cover was good or excellent.
16 felt it was easy to follow.
14 would recommend this story to another reader to try.
12 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
12 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
13 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.

Readers’ Comments
‘A suspense-filled thriller let down by a poor, generic cover.’ Male reader, aged 43
‘A difficult read in many ways due to the abuse element. But, of course, books of this nature highlight abuse within a family, and that’s important. I enjoyed the thriller element, and the ending was excellent.’ Female reader, aged 53
‘Strong writing style, excellent character development, strongly plotted. Terrible cover!’ Female reader, aged 39
‘I would think this novel would be of particular interest to people who grew up in that area of the world. The ‘setting’ work is superb. A little slow to get going, but I enjoyed it. The author is talented. The cover designer is not.’ Male reader, aged 49
‘This kept me guessing until the very last page.’ Male reader, aged 61
‘The mystery element is allowed to slowly develop by this talented author. It is rich in setting and in the range of characters introduced into the story. A little too short perhaps but, apart from the nasty cover, this is compelling stuff.’ Female reader, aged 55

To Sum It Up:
‘Packed full of suspense and mystery! A Red Ribbon Winner and highly recommended.’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards

[Cindy Ramsey]

Do you love suspense with a little bit of romance thrown in? Love books set in the South? Check this one out. It will keep you turning pages well into the night.