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Ready Or Not
Family secrets resurface, threatening cyber sleuth Karen Sullivan’s carefully ordered life.
A week before Thanksgiving, Karen receives the first obscene phone call. The calls continue nightly and escalate in their graphic details about the dark, childhood secrets she has successfully repressed. Then the caller takes a new direction and brags about his plans to terrorize her ailing, eighty-seven-year-old father.
Determined to shut out the ugly past, slow her mounting fears, and protect Dad, Karen struggles to keep her life on the rails. She takes her volunteer shift at the local rape crisis center and imagines confiding the collision of past and present to her best friend. But her friend goes home ill before Karen can reveal her PTSD symptoms.
In a matter of hours, circumstances spiral out of control. A caller to the crisis center swears he’ll “hurt” the twelve-year-old girl he’s babysitting unless Karen “distracts him with phone sex.”
Is Karen paranoid or is the caller her anonymous caller? How does he know her name? How’d he discover where she’s volunteering? How does he connect Karen to Dad and to her best friend?
Events crash around her like a tsunami. She speaks with the twelve-year-old girl. Her best friend is brutally attacked. Her super home security system is breached. More twists and fast pacing ratchet up the psychological suspense.
On the edge, trusting no man, Karen must trust a rogue cop without revealing her darkest secrets. Can they stop the psycho before Karen becomes his next prey?
A week before Thanksgiving, Karen receives the first obscene phone call. The calls continue nightly and escalate in their graphic details about the dark, childhood secrets she has successfully repressed. Then the caller takes a new direction and brags about his plans to terrorize her ailing, eighty-seven-year-old father.
Determined to shut out the ugly past, slow her mounting fears, and protect Dad, Karen struggles to keep her life on the rails. She takes her volunteer shift at the local rape crisis center and imagines confiding the collision of past and present to her best friend. But her friend goes home ill before Karen can reveal her PTSD symptoms.
In a matter of hours, circumstances spiral out of control. A caller to the crisis center swears he’ll “hurt” the twelve-year-old girl he’s babysitting unless Karen “distracts him with phone sex.”
Is Karen paranoid or is the caller her anonymous caller? How does he know her name? How’d he discover where she’s volunteering? How does he connect Karen to Dad and to her best friend?
Events crash around her like a tsunami. She speaks with the twelve-year-old girl. Her best friend is brutally attacked. Her super home security system is breached. More twists and fast pacing ratchet up the psychological suspense.
On the edge, trusting no man, Karen must trust a rogue cop without revealing her darkest secrets. Can they stop the psycho before Karen becomes his next prey?
296 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 26, 2018
134 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 9, 2018
Ho Hum...
This started so.well but unfortunately all started to fall apart around the half way mark. Loose ends, blind alleys. Credit where it's due though, really well built characters.
This started so.well but unfortunately all started to fall apart around the half way mark. Loose ends, blind alleys. Credit where it's due though, really well built characters.
June 26, 2019
Great story!
Great story! I enjoyed every turn in this story. I had a hard time trying to guess what was going to happen and I was wrong often! I never knew what was going to happen.it was great!
Great story! I enjoyed every turn in this story. I had a hard time trying to guess what was going to happen and I was wrong often! I never knew what was going to happen.it was great!
August 5, 2019
Ready or Not – I found this suspense-filled thriller interesting, intriguing and fast paced. In addition to the good storylines and storytelling, I found man of the characters interesting and well developed, although Karen got on my nerves for a lot of the story. Wiley was a well-done and likeable character. The sicko’s identity was easy to figure out but the story was not damaged by that knowledge since Ms. Plum always provides some extra, unexpected twists to her yarns. 4*
All Things Considered – I love to read the work of this author and I enjoyed this book as well as her other books that I have read. Although I figured early on who the murderer was, there was more to the story than I expected and a couple of surprises at the end. After a bit of a slow start, this well written book became so intriguing and interesting, it became difficult to put down, I found all the characters interesting and realistic, and liked that the rock stars were not stereotypes, but real people. I giggled a few times at the words that come out of the Texan’s mouth, but not everybody hangs in TX to learn our speak. It turns out that there is another book coming out later this year and I want to read that one, too. 4*
The Early Years #1 - My first book by this author and it's a kick. Michael makes Brooke Shield and Bettye Davis' roles look like normal, bible study children. The story is well written but with some vulgar language and deviant sex scenes. The story moves at a fast pace and the reader is intrigued with what unfolds. I wouldn't want to read more books like this, but I will finish the five books of this series. Interesting prologue. Minor editing needed.
The Lost Days #2 - The pain and gain and loss that come from the actions performed in The Early Years come to head in this book. Michael for all his intelligence is still a little boy that didn't cover all the bases in his plans. His mother wasn't at her best, either. The story is well written and intriguing. The characters continue to grow and the plot twists with surprises not expected. Interesting prologue. Minor editing needed.
The In-Between Years #3 - Another interesting and intriguing story. The characters are steady growing and still with interesting dialog. The plot manages to keep the reader interested until the last page. Interesting prologue. Minor editing needed.
The Reckless Year #4 - The intrigue and interest still abounds in this story. The reader has to wonder about Michael's love interest, but it's not his IQ that's running the show here. The characters continue to develop; their dialog is realistic; and the plot while not the best of the books, is keeps the reader involved in the story. Interesting prologue. Editing needed.
The Dispensable Wife #5 - I had a few days between the first four books and this one. I didn't care to much for the beginning of the book, several chapters of wasted words and repetition. The reader is now seeing his and her sides of the story and it takes a while for the book to become interesting. I didn't care for the last two or three chapters; I didn't find them interesting or flowing. Interesting prologue. Minor editing needed.
Update for The Dispensable Wife #5: As of February, 2018, I’ve had the chance to proof Broken-Hearted Many #6. While I was disappointed originally with Wife, because it changed the main characters from the first four books, I found Wife and Many were about the wife and children and their future without Michael and the secrets they carry inside themselves. So I’m changing my previous review to acknowledge that Wife is better with the addition of reading Many. I still think a better transition in Wife would not have been as shocking/distracting/confusing/pick your word to find Michael and Dimitri tossed in the background. They were the reason I was reading the series. Wife and Many fit together as #1 - #4 fit together; I just had to get used to Michael as a minor character in these books.
I found Wife on AXP and volunteered to review it, since I already owned the other four books. Since then I’ve purchased Wife.
The Boy Nobody Loved - The prequel, which I read after I read the first five books of the Misfit series. It's a good choice to read first since it lays the foundation of Michael's beginning years and what he lived through. The story is well written and intriguing. The characters are developing and their dialog is realistic.
All Things Considered – I love to read the work of this author and I enjoyed this book as well as her other books that I have read. Although I figured early on who the murderer was, there was more to the story than I expected and a couple of surprises at the end. After a bit of a slow start, this well written book became so intriguing and interesting, it became difficult to put down, I found all the characters interesting and realistic, and liked that the rock stars were not stereotypes, but real people. I giggled a few times at the words that come out of the Texan’s mouth, but not everybody hangs in TX to learn our speak. It turns out that there is another book coming out later this year and I want to read that one, too. 4*
The Early Years #1 - My first book by this author and it's a kick. Michael makes Brooke Shield and Bettye Davis' roles look like normal, bible study children. The story is well written but with some vulgar language and deviant sex scenes. The story moves at a fast pace and the reader is intrigued with what unfolds. I wouldn't want to read more books like this, but I will finish the five books of this series. Interesting prologue. Minor editing needed.
The Lost Days #2 - The pain and gain and loss that come from the actions performed in The Early Years come to head in this book. Michael for all his intelligence is still a little boy that didn't cover all the bases in his plans. His mother wasn't at her best, either. The story is well written and intriguing. The characters continue to grow and the plot twists with surprises not expected. Interesting prologue. Minor editing needed.
The In-Between Years #3 - Another interesting and intriguing story. The characters are steady growing and still with interesting dialog. The plot manages to keep the reader interested until the last page. Interesting prologue. Minor editing needed.
The Reckless Year #4 - The intrigue and interest still abounds in this story. The reader has to wonder about Michael's love interest, but it's not his IQ that's running the show here. The characters continue to develop; their dialog is realistic; and the plot while not the best of the books, is keeps the reader involved in the story. Interesting prologue. Editing needed.
The Dispensable Wife #5 - I had a few days between the first four books and this one. I didn't care to much for the beginning of the book, several chapters of wasted words and repetition. The reader is now seeing his and her sides of the story and it takes a while for the book to become interesting. I didn't care for the last two or three chapters; I didn't find them interesting or flowing. Interesting prologue. Minor editing needed.
Update for The Dispensable Wife #5: As of February, 2018, I’ve had the chance to proof Broken-Hearted Many #6. While I was disappointed originally with Wife, because it changed the main characters from the first four books, I found Wife and Many were about the wife and children and their future without Michael and the secrets they carry inside themselves. So I’m changing my previous review to acknowledge that Wife is better with the addition of reading Many. I still think a better transition in Wife would not have been as shocking/distracting/confusing/pick your word to find Michael and Dimitri tossed in the background. They were the reason I was reading the series. Wife and Many fit together as #1 - #4 fit together; I just had to get used to Michael as a minor character in these books.
I found Wife on AXP and volunteered to review it, since I already owned the other four books. Since then I’ve purchased Wife.
The Boy Nobody Loved - The prequel, which I read after I read the first five books of the Misfit series. It's a good choice to read first since it lays the foundation of Michael's beginning years and what he lived through. The story is well written and intriguing. The characters are developing and their dialog is realistic.
November 3, 2018
Reviewed For Readers' Favorite by Grant Leishman
Thirty-Seven-year-old Karen Sullivan is a woman with a childhood secret. Raped by a teenage neighbour, when she was just twelve, Karen never speaks to anyone about her experiences. Self-employed, she skirts the law, working as a corporate hacker who can find out anything about anyone, just by their digital footprint. In Ready or Not, by AB Plum, Karen and her only true friend, RJ, are volunteers for the Kansas City Rape Crisis Hotline. In the middle of one of the biggest snowstorms to strike Kansas City in years, Karen is left alone in the Hotline building, when she receives calls from a “perv” called Seth, along with photographs from long ago, showing her, her teenage rapist and her parents happily smiling for the camera. When RJ is brutally raped and murdered, it seems the past has come back to haunt Karen, but how can that be? Karen’s father had told her, many years ago, that her rapist, Eddie died not long after her rape… but did he? What follows is a hunt for RJ’s attacker, in tandem with a grizzled and careworn Lieutenant from the Kansas City Police Department, who wants to catch this attacker, just as much as Karen does.
Ready or Not, is a fast-moving and taut suspense thriller that keeps the readers guessing and on the edge of their seats right from the get-go. Author AB Plum’s style is harsh and frantic, drawing the reader along at breakneck speed. The two principal characters Karen and Wiley are both drawn as extreme caricatures of the roles they perform and as such, they work together and mesh perfectly. The abrasiveness and walls of defence Karen has built around herself, over the years, are slowly whittled away by the Lieutenant’s persistence and equal amount of grizliness. In many ways, this story works because of the author’s ability to mesh these two characters whom in many ways are extremely similar. The twists and turns of the narrative are clever and artfully done, with the bad guys and their extreme narcissism, misogyny and evil, splendidly filling out the story. This was an excellent read and one I would highly recommend to fans of the genre. It’s probably not for the squeamish, but if you like suspenseful murder/mysteries, this one will be right up your alley.
Thirty-Seven-year-old Karen Sullivan is a woman with a childhood secret. Raped by a teenage neighbour, when she was just twelve, Karen never speaks to anyone about her experiences. Self-employed, she skirts the law, working as a corporate hacker who can find out anything about anyone, just by their digital footprint. In Ready or Not, by AB Plum, Karen and her only true friend, RJ, are volunteers for the Kansas City Rape Crisis Hotline. In the middle of one of the biggest snowstorms to strike Kansas City in years, Karen is left alone in the Hotline building, when she receives calls from a “perv” called Seth, along with photographs from long ago, showing her, her teenage rapist and her parents happily smiling for the camera. When RJ is brutally raped and murdered, it seems the past has come back to haunt Karen, but how can that be? Karen’s father had told her, many years ago, that her rapist, Eddie died not long after her rape… but did he? What follows is a hunt for RJ’s attacker, in tandem with a grizzled and careworn Lieutenant from the Kansas City Police Department, who wants to catch this attacker, just as much as Karen does.
Ready or Not, is a fast-moving and taut suspense thriller that keeps the readers guessing and on the edge of their seats right from the get-go. Author AB Plum’s style is harsh and frantic, drawing the reader along at breakneck speed. The two principal characters Karen and Wiley are both drawn as extreme caricatures of the roles they perform and as such, they work together and mesh perfectly. The abrasiveness and walls of defence Karen has built around herself, over the years, are slowly whittled away by the Lieutenant’s persistence and equal amount of grizliness. In many ways, this story works because of the author’s ability to mesh these two characters whom in many ways are extremely similar. The twists and turns of the narrative are clever and artfully done, with the bad guys and their extreme narcissism, misogyny and evil, splendidly filling out the story. This was an excellent read and one I would highly recommend to fans of the genre. It’s probably not for the squeamish, but if you like suspenseful murder/mysteries, this one will be right up your alley.
November 8, 2018
A Wonderful Thriller!
This was a fast paced extremely exciting book! The author is so talented. I was constantly feeling the characters fear’s and emotions. I want to know more of what happens in the next book! A great book to read for sure!
This was a fast paced extremely exciting book! The author is so talented. I was constantly feeling the characters fear’s and emotions. I want to know more of what happens in the next book! A great book to read for sure!
May 4, 2020
Great thrIller
This was one of the best book I have read on a long time. It kept your interest until the very end.Loved the main characters. Can't wait to see if their romantic relationship w.
This was one of the best book I have read on a long time. It kept your interest until the very end.Loved the main characters. Can't wait to see if their romantic relationship w.
November 4, 2018
Great Story
"Ready or Not" is a sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of novel. Great characters and plot make this a must read for sure!
"Ready or Not" is a sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of novel. Great characters and plot make this a must read for sure!
October 27, 2021
A thriller that comes from nightmares. Strong characters keep this story moving along with its twists and turns.
Thank you for the opportunity to read your book
Thank you for the opportunity to read your book
Read
August 28, 2022Couldn’t get into this book at all. Quit at 58%.
The story was jerky-jerky and the characters were not relatable from a sympathetic viewpoint.
The story was jerky-jerky and the characters were not relatable from a sympathetic viewpoint.
January 31, 2019
Excellent
I had to read this in one day because I could not put it down. As the writer explored the thoughts and feelings of each character the tension rose. Excellent work.
I had to read this in one day because I could not put it down. As the writer explored the thoughts and feelings of each character the tension rose. Excellent work.
March 6, 2020
The specters surrounding Karen’s dangerously damaged childhood come out to haunt, taunt, maim and kill during one of the biggest blizzards of the century.
Friends and family will not all survive, and Karen and a tarnished knight / hero cop certainly do not come away unscathed.
With torn bodies and souls left in their wake, in their own eyes and mirrors, what happens to adults who were once children damaged in ways that defy comprehension?
Death is only a piece of the puzzle, not a resolution or a full stop ending.
A powerful story that plumbs the depths of deep personal and private pains and violations, then digs deeper.
An exquisite exploration of devastating childhood pain and adult efforts afterwards.
Friends and family will not all survive, and Karen and a tarnished knight / hero cop certainly do not come away unscathed.
With torn bodies and souls left in their wake, in their own eyes and mirrors, what happens to adults who were once children damaged in ways that defy comprehension?
Death is only a piece of the puzzle, not a resolution or a full stop ending.
A powerful story that plumbs the depths of deep personal and private pains and violations, then digs deeper.
An exquisite exploration of devastating childhood pain and adult efforts afterwards.
November 18, 2018
Great book. This book was one of the free ones from Amazon that I get monthly. Really good news book full of twists and turns definitely keeps the reader on the edge of your seat. The only thing that kept me from giving 5 stars was the ending where you have no idea what happens to any of the characters at the end
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews