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The File on Thomas Marks
In this suspenseful thriller, Thomas Marks, a young, intelligent man, admits to being with both women just before they were murdered. Though investigators don't believe him, he claims to be innocent. The only problem is none of the evidence corroborates his story nor confirms the guilt of anyone else. When another suspect surfaces, Thomas thinks he's in the clear, but appearances can't always be trusted. Will an arrest stick? Find out in this mystery mayhem of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end.
255 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2021
About the author
Bentley Turner
7 booksBentley Turner has written several short stories and numerous poems that have been published in literary journals and anthologies. Under his legal name he has written articles for academic journals, chapters for academic books, entries for encyclopedias and other reference books, and several books of nonfiction.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 17, 2021
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.
This is my first book by the author and I came into reading it with zero expectations. 'The File on Thomas Marks' is a story about the mystery around two mysterious murders discovered within a short time apart from each other and both carried out in a similar fashion. Detectives McConnel and Simmons are assigned to this case and are determined to get to the root of the killings because they suspect they may have a serial killer at large. They soon discover that Thomas Marks was at the scene of both crimes, however there is no evidence he committed the crimes. The investigation takes the detectives 25 years back in time and this unravels very disturbing new information which places almost everyone around Thomas Marks as a suspect.
This book pulled me in and refused to let go. Although I am not a huge fan of mysteries or thrillers, this story was just right. The writing was fluid and clear with short chapters which triggered my curiosity more and more until I was totally invested in the story. The only downside for me was the fact that I didn't connect with the detective's character and also some of the other characters nevertheless I loved the way the story ended. Reading this book got me thinking more about why I don't really read mystery books but thoroughly enjoyed this one. If most mystery stories were written like this one, I would probably be reading more of them.
I recommend this book. It is quick, entertaining and fascinating.
May 24, 2021
Official title: The File on Thomas Marks
My title: The Paradise Coven File
Author: Bentley Turner
Fav character: Roxanna (this lady is wild 🤣)
Type: Book @globalpublishinggroup
4/5
.
[I was given a free copy of this book in return for an honest review]😊
☀️ BLURB ☀️
Slit throat. Words written on a pale belly. A body awaiting investigation. It almost seems familiar.
In 1994, two police officers are tasked with finding a murderer. They will find brilliant and peculiar Thomas Marks and will uncover the truth through good old-fashioned footwork and question asking, lots of accusations, what I imagine are cell phones the size of briefcases and the lack of a Brittanica, or ANY physical encyclopedias for that matter. 😒 Instead, they shall annoy a Doctor 🤦♀️ - who is a little too competitive for the likes of one of the investigators - until finally the truth comes gushing out.
(I was deeply offended for the encyclopedias... I loved those things).
☀️ REVIEW ☀️
The first half of the book was a little hard to get into (I was probably not in the right frame of mind) but the second half flowed nicely towards a satisfying conclusion.
I appreciated how the story unfolded to keep suspicions high and while some of the dialogue felt unnecessary, it DID give the impression of doggedness - these were two investigators in for the long haul.
The characters surrounding the story became more interesting as you read and I felt there was even room to delve into some of their lives.
.
⭐️
A good palate cleanser for when you need a break between genres.
[My full review, including my dislikes and some observations, will be on my blog (https://brieselby.wordpress.com/plots... ). I promise they won’t spoil the overall plot. 😆］
My title: The Paradise Coven File
Author: Bentley Turner
Fav character: Roxanna (this lady is wild 🤣)
Type: Book @globalpublishinggroup
4/5
.
[I was given a free copy of this book in return for an honest review]😊
☀️ BLURB ☀️
Slit throat. Words written on a pale belly. A body awaiting investigation. It almost seems familiar.
In 1994, two police officers are tasked with finding a murderer. They will find brilliant and peculiar Thomas Marks and will uncover the truth through good old-fashioned footwork and question asking, lots of accusations, what I imagine are cell phones the size of briefcases and the lack of a Brittanica, or ANY physical encyclopedias for that matter. 😒 Instead, they shall annoy a Doctor 🤦♀️ - who is a little too competitive for the likes of one of the investigators - until finally the truth comes gushing out.
(I was deeply offended for the encyclopedias... I loved those things).
☀️ REVIEW ☀️
The first half of the book was a little hard to get into (I was probably not in the right frame of mind) but the second half flowed nicely towards a satisfying conclusion.
I appreciated how the story unfolded to keep suspicions high and while some of the dialogue felt unnecessary, it DID give the impression of doggedness - these were two investigators in for the long haul.
The characters surrounding the story became more interesting as you read and I felt there was even room to delve into some of their lives.
.
⭐️
A good palate cleanser for when you need a break between genres.
[My full review, including my dislikes and some observations, will be on my blog (https://brieselby.wordpress.com/plots... ). I promise they won’t spoil the overall plot. 😆］
June 1, 2021
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest view.
Everything about the book is perfectly adequate, and while that makes for a quick, decent read, it’s not as satisfying as other murder mysteries. I walked away not upset that I’d read this, but I know it won’t stick with me a month from now.
One reason for this is the use of ‘tell not show’. I would have loved to discover the characters’ personalities through their interactions, but the author seemed in too much of a hurry to get to the mystery to bother with that. I couldn’t believe the illusion that these were real people and not pawns for the author to control as they wish.
Thomas isn’t utilized well. He’s the most fascinating character out of the bunch, but he’s overshadowed by the dull detectives that the book follows for a majority of the time. By the second half of the novel, he’s fallen to the wayside. I wonder if he’ll appear in later installments, for it feels like we’re supposed to have a taste of him here but not forget about him.
The mystery behind the murders is enjoyable to watch unfold. I had no idea where it was going, and I’m glad for that. I kept guessing who was responsible, which is my favorite part of murder mysteries. And I wasn’t disappointed who it turned out to be.
Unfortunately, I hated the reveal. It didn’t feel organic, but this is likely due to the lack of characterization. Had there been more, I’m sure what the author did would have worked better.
If laid back murder mysteries are your deal, you’ll enjoy this. If you’re looking for a novel with more substance, I’d say search for something else.
Everything about the book is perfectly adequate, and while that makes for a quick, decent read, it’s not as satisfying as other murder mysteries. I walked away not upset that I’d read this, but I know it won’t stick with me a month from now.
One reason for this is the use of ‘tell not show’. I would have loved to discover the characters’ personalities through their interactions, but the author seemed in too much of a hurry to get to the mystery to bother with that. I couldn’t believe the illusion that these were real people and not pawns for the author to control as they wish.
Thomas isn’t utilized well. He’s the most fascinating character out of the bunch, but he’s overshadowed by the dull detectives that the book follows for a majority of the time. By the second half of the novel, he’s fallen to the wayside. I wonder if he’ll appear in later installments, for it feels like we’re supposed to have a taste of him here but not forget about him.
The mystery behind the murders is enjoyable to watch unfold. I had no idea where it was going, and I’m glad for that. I kept guessing who was responsible, which is my favorite part of murder mysteries. And I wasn’t disappointed who it turned out to be.
Unfortunately, I hated the reveal. It didn’t feel organic, but this is likely due to the lack of characterization. Had there been more, I’m sure what the author did would have worked better.
If laid back murder mysteries are your deal, you’ll enjoy this. If you’re looking for a novel with more substance, I’d say search for something else.
March 17, 2021
3.5 is my true rating.
Something very strange is happening to Thomas Marks. He's reconnected with a former girlfriend and strangely, he blacks out. More than once. Meantime a killer is on the loose and the detectives on the cases are working hard..what conclusion will they get to? You'll have to read to find out.
Something very strange is happening to Thomas Marks. He's reconnected with a former girlfriend and strangely, he blacks out. More than once. Meantime a killer is on the loose and the detectives on the cases are working hard..what conclusion will they get to? You'll have to read to find out.
October 31, 2023
The mystery manages to function for the most part.
May 13, 2021
How does it feel to be accused of doing something and being completely oblivious to it? Well, Thomas Marks was facing something similar to this.
This brilliant thriller story is about the murder of 2 women, both accompanied by Thomas Marks at the time of their murder. But Is he the culprit? or is this psycho murderer trying to trap Thomas? or is Thomas Marks just in the wrong place at the wrong time?
The killer marks the bodies with some satanic name which gave leads to the involvement of some cult and this twist was my favorite part. 2 detectives are solving this mystery and I am so impressed by the portrait of them as detectives and as a team. It's all so interlinked and involves quite a few suspects, all probable convicts. But when the culprit is actually caught and confesses everything it all makes sense.
To all the mystery solvers, there is no way you can find out the culprit which is why I was on the edge of my chair until I reached the last page. The writer convinced me more than thrice as to who was the killer but NOOO!! it was someone else.
Reason for taking 1 star: I felt a bit disconnected from the detective's gut feeling at some places, and how exactly the culprit executed the murder was unclear.
Recommended to all suspenseful Thriller lovers
This brilliant thriller story is about the murder of 2 women, both accompanied by Thomas Marks at the time of their murder. But Is he the culprit? or is this psycho murderer trying to trap Thomas? or is Thomas Marks just in the wrong place at the wrong time?
The killer marks the bodies with some satanic name which gave leads to the involvement of some cult and this twist was my favorite part. 2 detectives are solving this mystery and I am so impressed by the portrait of them as detectives and as a team. It's all so interlinked and involves quite a few suspects, all probable convicts. But when the culprit is actually caught and confesses everything it all makes sense.
To all the mystery solvers, there is no way you can find out the culprit which is why I was on the edge of my chair until I reached the last page. The writer convinced me more than thrice as to who was the killer but NOOO!! it was someone else.
Reason for taking 1 star: I felt a bit disconnected from the detective's gut feeling at some places, and how exactly the culprit executed the murder was unclear.
Recommended to all suspenseful Thriller lovers
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews