I Heard You Scream

by Emerald O'Brien

Five can keep a secret if four are dead.

On a cold fall night in a small Canadian town, four of Chelsea’s friends are found dead, victims of a brutal stabbing—a selfish act of revenge.

The only witness, Chelsea spends the next five years struggling to bury her trauma. The victims’ families call her a hero. Her fiancé calls her the love of his life. Her best friend tells her there's nothing more she could have done for her friends. She’s almost convinced herself that it’s true when she attends an anniversary memorial held at the scene of the crime.

But Chelsea’s ability to ignore the past comes to an end that very night when she receives an intimidating message.

Tell the police the truth about what you all did that night or I will.
You have 48 hours to confess.

Is it an empty threat from someone digging for facts they don’t actually possess? Or does someone else know Chelsea shared a secret with her friends? Either way, Chelsea knows the stakes are too high to ignore when the blackmailer resorts to violence—those closest to her might be the next victims if she doesn’t do as they ask.

The truth can ruin her life. But the lies have her just as trapped, a pawn in a deadly game even she doesn’t fully understand. She has no choice but to confess.

But Chelsea’s about to discover that some things are best taken to the grave.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Suspense

203 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 21, 2022

About the author

Emerald O’Brien is a Canadian writer who grew up just east of Toronto, Ontario. She studied Television Broadcasting and Communications Media, and graduated from the program at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario.

When Emerald is not reading or writing unpredictable stories packed with suspense, she loves baking, bonfires, binging Netflix shows, and spending time with family.

A horror movie enthusiast, Emerald can be found watching them at the movie theatre with her best friend or while cuddled up on the couch with her favourite snacks.

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Reviews

[Mallory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the way Emerald O’Brien writes thrillers with compelling thrillers and a quick series of twists. I will say this one took me a little bit to get into it, but once I did I was hooked and needed to know how it all would come together. Told in two timelines of past and present the story centers around Chelsea who survived the murder of all of her friends by her brother’s best friend. It’s the five year anniversary and Chelsea is struggling more than usual because she’s received a blackmail note indicating that her friends deserved to die and she too would suffer. This book is a quick and wild ride and definitely worth picking up. I rated it 4.5 stars rounded up since goodreads continue to deny me half stars.

[Kiersten Modglin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Heard You Scream is O'Brien at her very best. Fast-paced, atmospheric, cinematic, and completely absorbing, I binged this story in a matter of hours. As a reader (and writer) who isn't visual at all, it's rare that a book pulls me in so easily that I can truly "see" the story playing out in my head, but O'Brien's latest thriller made it look easy. I watched every scene unfold with a front row seat and absolutely couldn't get enough of this dark and twisted psychological thriller. Five enthusiastic stars from me and a new must-read! This will be a hit of the summer!

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This is an entertaining, well-written, gripping, intense, psychological thriller. It is a real page turner which will keep you reading well into the night! It has suspense, mystery, intrigue, twists and turns, and a surprise ending. Ms. O'Brien does an amazing job of engaging her readers from the beginning until the end of her outstanding novels.
I received an ARC of this novel and this is my honest review.

[KellyJ1028 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowza, what a suspenseful thriller! How have I not read a book by this author before?
There were so many dark secrets that lead to twist after twist! I loved how the timeline jumped from past to present and only gave small pieces of the mystery.
Every time I thought I had figured out, boy was I thrown a twist!!!
This was an entertaining, well-written, gripping, intense, psychological thriller, that was a real page turner for me.

Now I need to decide what book written by Emerald O'Brien I will read next!!

[Krista crone · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read the synopsis during the authors cover reveal, I know I had to get my hands on a copy! I was stalking O’Brien’s account just waiting for review sign-ups! Man I’m glad I did!

Wow, what a suspenseful psychological thriller! There were so many dark secrets that leaded to twist after twist! During several occasions it put chills down my spine when they were talking about the gruesome/vividly described murders! I loved how the timeline jumped from past to present and only gave small pieces of the mystery of the murders. Every time I thought I had figured out, boy was I wrong! You will not see the ending coming. When the true murder was revealed my jaw hit the floor! I was so shocked!

Anyone looking for a quick psychological thriller, this book if for you! This was my first book by Emerald O’Brien and it will not be my last!

***** Many thanks to Emerald O’Brien for the gifted copy. It was provided to me in turn for my honest opinion.

[Erika Bucci | erikalaceyreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

“𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙧 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚, 𝙣𝙤 𝙗𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚, 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙣𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚’𝙨 𝙥𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙩.”

This was my first book by Emerald O’Brien and absolutely won’t be my last. This book is told in 1st person from the POV of Chelsea. It alternates between the present and the past. This book had me hooked from the beginning! It’s suspenseful and the chapters leave you wanting more. I was so eager to find out what happened “that” night. I also really liked the main character Chelsea. There were a lot of twists. At one point I thought it was the final twist and was kind of meh about it and then BAM Emerald pulled out another that I did not expect. 🤯 I loved the ending too which is rare for me. Highly recommend if you enjoy thrillers!

Thank you to the author for proving me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another outstanding book. This is an edge of your seat thriller filled with twists and turns.

Chelsea was the only witness to the brutal murder of four people. She has tried to live with the memory of this tragic event for five long years.

She is now attending a memorial at the very scene of the crime. To make matters worse, someone is threatening to tell the police what really happened that night if she does not confess.

What really happened? What is Chelsea hiding?

This is an absolute must read!

[Hannah Sutherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Where to even begin with this book! I absolutely loved O’Briens writing. It drew me in quickly and kept my attention throughout the entire book as I wanted to know what was going to happen.The story is told in dual timelines. The past shows Chelsea finding four of her friends dead from a brutal stabbing, while the present follows the present where she is still dealing with being the only witness to the crime. Her ability to write a thriller that keeps you in suspense throughout the entire book is amazing. I love thrillers where you are learning of secrets and lies little by little and you spend the entire book figuring out who you can trust! Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a fast paced thriller! I know that I will be working my way through her backlist of books!

4.5 (rounded up to 5 on here!)

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I loved this book the story line was awesome Emerald really did a great job with this one I couldn't put it down. So many twists and turns !!

[KKEC Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Published: April 21, 2022
Emerald O’Brien
Pages: 203
Genre: Psychological Thriller
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Emerald O'Brien is a Canadian author, born and raised just east of Toronto, Ontario. She graduated from her Television Broadcasting and Communications Media program at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario.
In 2014, Emerald decided to pursue her life-long passion for writing unpredictable stories packed with suspense. When she is not reading or writing, Emerald can be found with family and friends. Watching movies with her two beagles is one of her favourite ways to spend an evening at home.

“Time is a friend to the innocent and an enemy to the guilty.”

Chelsea is a survivor. Chelsea also has secrets she can never share. Until she gets her first note. Then, suddenly she is caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse, with the only way out being someone else’s blood on her hands.

Whew! This was an insanely twisted ride. The way the lives fell into place, with each twist sending you spiraling down another dark path, and the light only coming on at the end, wow.

The characters were so well developed, and I loved how the story was told using alternating timelines—the past mixed with the present to deliver a deadly game of clue.

Chelsea though she had found a group of people who understood true pain, and loss, like she did. And through their similarities, a bond was created. But that bond was not as solid as they all thought.

The ending of this book will leave you panting in a state of anxious shock, mixed with so many emotions that you won’t know what to do.

Emerald delivered another fast paced thriller that is impossible to put down. The timeline is short, and there are no safe spots to rest. You are not prepared for the truth… buckle up and hold on, because this is a deviously twisted ride.!

[Erin Fry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is full of twists and turns. It has you thinking your going one direction when your actually going a completely different direction. This book kept me reading straight through. I wasn't able to put it down. The blurb sounded like a few out there but I was intrigued, it was not like other books out there where you just know what's going to happen not even half way in. I'm fairly new to the other and will continue reading her books. I recieved an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Erin Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy smokes that was a wild ride! O'Brien is great at fast-paced, edge of your seat thrillers. I was hooked from the first chapter and could not put it down until I knew what happened. I really enjoy Emerald's style of writing and how easy it is to visualize the scenes as if you were watching it on screen. The chapter switches from past to present were so smooth and the closer I got to the end, the more suspenseful it got. I think I actually held my breath at certain moments. Full of suspense and twists, you'll devour it I promise! Thank you for giving me an early copy of your new thriller, Emerald!

[Denise Little · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a chilling thriller! Loved it! It is filled with secrets, revenge, murder, lies and threats. I was pulled in from the beginning. This book had me anxious and stressed, which we all know is what makes an outstanding thriller! If you haven’t tried Emerald O’Brien’s books, you should! Five stars!

[Alida · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me guessing from start to finish.
When I thought I knew where it was headed, I was proven wrong again and again.
Suspenseful from page one to the very last page.
Very well written and so hard to put down, I just wanted to keep reading.

[Anne G. Kasaba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emerald O'Brien can't write a bad book. She can't even write a mediocre story. This book is A master class in what a psychological thriller should be. Lots of twists and turns, plenty of misdirection, and an ending that I didn't anticipate at all. I kept putting the book down to make it last longer but I kept going back agin and again. The characters were multifaceted, the storyline was engaging, and the suspense hit the ball out of the park.

I received an arc of this book and voluntarily provided a review.

[Teri Griffis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an amazing read like all of O'Brien's thrillers. She keeps you anxiously turning pages to see what will happen next. Her books have turned me into a forever fan! Well done Emerald!

[Carrie Shields · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite read by this author thus far! I HEARD YOU SCREAM is Emerald O'Brien at her very best, weaving such a distorted web of secrets and lies, you won't know who you can trust.

Four of Chelsea's friends are victims of a brutal stabbing. As the only witness, she spends the next five years struggling to process this trauma. She's hailed as a hero, consoled and told that there was nothing she could have done...but Chelsea knows she's no hero. And somebody else knows it too. On the night of the annual memorial, she receives a message: 𝑻𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒊𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒓 𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝟒𝟖 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒇𝒆𝒔𝒔.

What follows is a story so tense, so riveting, that you will be glued to the pages to find out just what Chelsea did.

As one of the queens of twisty thrillers, she is at the top of her game in this book. You will question everyone and everything.

[Sabina · Rating 3 out of 5]

O’Brien did a good job with keeping up with suspense. Lots of twists and turns. However she made the main character very unlikable, so I found it really hard to root for her.
Why three stars? The book started really good, then really bad, and then really okay.
Would I recommend this book? No.

[Shelly Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I'm not a bad person. I did a bad thing."
"I'm not a bad person. I did a bad thing"

Wow!! Talk about a page-turner!! If I didn't have to work, I would have finished this in a couple of hours!!

So, we have our main character, Chelsea, who has survived a horrific night of murder and loss. She's hailed as a hero, but is she really? She's holding secrets. Secrets she thought no one knew, until the notes started. Now she and those she loves could be in danger.

We learn her story through both the present and the past, which I might add, were perfectly placed and flowed flawlessly together. The entire time, I was going back and forth in my mind as to who did what, and who the culprit was, and in the end I was .........wrong! You know, I consider myself pretty smart - not a genius by any means -but I've got an acceptable level of intelligence. For the life of me, I could not figure this out!!

And that ending? Well, I NEVER saw that coming!

Obviously, I'm not going to give anything away here. No spoilers, but you have to read this one. Go. Do it now. Now.

This was such an amazing thriller! I loved it!!! Definitely pick this one up!!

[Peter Dyer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pure trash

[Janice Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unoriginal is the word for this book. I was hoping for a good twist as to the secret the main character was hiding at first, it made me go “really!” Yawn!!! Cliche! This book reminds me of those cheap Netflix tv shows with B class acting. The only pro is it’s very fast paced. 4/10

[Kaitlyn Lord · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m not sure how this book has such high ratings. There were so many names in the book and it was just pretty boring the entire book. Honestly didn’t enjoy it until the final 20 pages

[Melissa Ammons · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a gifted copy and am providing a review. Releasing April 21, 2022.

Chelsea (Chels) meets Lennox and John at a Halloween party none of them really wanted to be at, a chance meeting. Lennox says they should all get together again, Chels doesn’t think that’ll happen. She is surprised when she gets a text later telling her where and when to meet again. She goes and she, Lennox, Eliana (Ellie, Lennox’s twin), John, and Morgan (Chelsea’s best friend) form a bond, a group of friends who gather, a place where they can just be themselves without judgment. The unthinkable happens and Chelsea is the one left to deal with the aftereffects.

There are other stories going on in this tale of lies. The relationship between Chelsea and Cam. The relationship between Chelsea and her brother Jordan. The relationship between Chelsea and her now best friend, Kellan. Chelsea is wanting to unburden herself and has made the conscious decision to tell the truth. And let’s not forget the tormented relationship between Morgan and Steven all those many years ago. Five long years Chelsea has held onto her secrets and when she decides to come clean more bad things start to happen.

Ms. O’Brien has created some very interesting characters and a very intriguing backstory. This is a fast-moving tale that is told the past and the present that will almost make your head spin trying to keep up with all that is going on. I was intrigued by the way all these lives blended together in the end. There is definitely an ‘I didn’t see that coming’ factor to this deadly tale.

[Harley Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this book to pass time at work when our systems were down i truthfully never thought i was going to get into it the way i did. i did highly enjoy the book and i might sound super picky but i’m just going to spew all of the thought here.
But if anyone reading this is thinking about reading the book you should 100% because i truthfully did not expect the ending.

to start out right off the bat- when Chelsea was talking about this “big secret” she was keeping for 5 years i was expecting something crazy like she actually murdered her friends and framed Steve OR they all planned like a “Scream moment” where they all were done with Steve’s shit and Morgan convinced him to come to the house and all stabbed themselves to frame Steve and accidentally bled to death (like Stu and Billy did in scream to set up Syd’s dad) so the whole John killing Austin kinda threw me off because they had only mentioned him a few times before John killed him so in my brain he wasn’t much of an important character so that definitely threw we for a loop whole and was not expecting it, but as the book went on i was like ok yeah Cam is the black mailer, they watched camera footage and no one has been near their mailbox but them so it’s 100% Cam- the author set it up very well to keep it going and keep you thinking that it was Cam. i definitely did not expect Kellan to be the murder at all and when they revealed it was her i was like “wait maybe she was in love with Austin and that’s why this is going on” so the last thing i expected was for it to all be over Steve

[Paula Phillips · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is the perfect read for all those fans of the 90s/2000s slasher films like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. As I read this, I was transported back to the slasher era of my teens, reading a book about a final girl - 5 years on her friends all being massacred, and she left as the final girl. It has been five years since Chelsea and her friends were attacked and only Chelsea survived and it's only because she was angry and stormed out and arrived after the attack happened but of course, nobody knows that truth - they all think she is a hero. Chelsea is also hiding another truth which she believes is what led to this tragedy. Two months before, she and her friends covered up a crime. Then two months later they were dead and the prime suspect Steve died by police fire. Now with the anniversary, it looks like someone knows about the cover-up and is blackmailing Chelsea to do the right thing. She is ready to let go of this burden, but as she prepares - a series of incidents occur and soon she realizes that the people she loves and cares about might not be who they say they are. Who else knew about both the nights and if Steve was innocent, then who killed Chelsea's friends? Find out in this slasher final girl thriller read "I Heard You Scream" by Emerald O'Brien. After finishing this book, you will want to relax by watching your favorite horror revenge film like David Boreanaz’s Valentine or Paul Walker’s Joyride.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Emerald O'Brien for providing me a digital ARC of this book. The opinions are my own and freely given.

First of all, how have I not read the first 19 books by this author?

Cast of Characters -

Chelsea
Cam - fiancé of Chelsea
Jordan - brother of Chelsea
Kellan - Chelsea's best friend

John, Morgan, Eliana, Lennox and Chelsea begin their own support group for survivors of loved ones who died from addiction. One night, four them are murdered by Jordan's best friend. Five years later, Chelsea and Cam are on their way to their memorial service. Chelsea receives an anonymous blackmail letter telling her to come clean and go to the police or more people will be hurt. The next day, she sets the ball in motion and is in the parking lot of the police station when she gets a call that someone has died... But she knows it's not an accident

I was hooked from the beginning. This book is told from two timelines, "Past" and "Now". The past is the story of events that lead up to the murders. I didn't want to put this book down. I was surprised to find out who the blackmailer was and why everything happened.

Super-fast read. I loved this book and I encourage everyone to read it. If you haven't read Emerald O'Brien before now, I encourage you too. I currently have 2 of hers on my TBR and can't WAIT to read them!

Thank you so much.

[Lisa Hemming · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chelsea was the lone survivor of a mass killing at her friend's beach house. Was she a hero or a witness to something she couldn’t comprehend? The beach house held many secrets for Chelsea and her friends, along with fun times until tragedy struck one dark night that changed their lives forever. The house where the murders occurred, along with the beach, were an integral part of the storyline; a character to analyze, a safe haven for the friends, and a prison at the end.

I wasn’t quite sure where the storyline was going until all of Chelsea’s lies were exposed. She definitely wasn’t the person everyone thought she was. Chelsea had knowledge of certain events that directly resulted in the tragedy at the beach which turned her into someone she didn’t even recognize. Chelsea wished she could just close her eyes and make all the nightmares go away, but it was too late. She was living in her own nightmare that was making her paranoid and causing her to constantly look over her shoulder.

Was there anyone Chelsea could trust with her secrets or was everyone close to her a potential suspect? Will the secrets of the beach house remain hidden; washed away at the next high tide? Ms. O’Brien definitely made me take a step back so I could line up my clues and dissect them, before I could completely understand what had transpired. I was shocked by an ending that I never saw coming, which is exactly what I expected from this thought-provoking psychological thriller!!

[Melissa (honeybee.reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I Heard You Scream is a suspenseful psychological thriller that held me in its grasp. It was filled with twists, turns and dark secrets. It has the perfect setting to make it your next read for the spooky/Halloween season. Fast paced and easy to read it will keep you hooked and intrigued until the end. The timeline jumps from past to present were expertly done with revealing only the slightest amount of the mystery/murder each time. If you think you have it figured out, think again!

There are a lot of characters and that is what was hard for me to keep track of (it's a me problem), I just had trouble keeping some relationships straight. So for me it took me a little more to get into it, but once I did I was absolutely hooked. There were some things that did feel a little over the top for me in regards to the ending, but O'Brien’s immersive and vivid writing made me push that aside and kept my enjoyment throughout it all.

Emerald is a master storyteller and this book is no exception. The story is fun to follow, reminiscing of the 80's/90's revenge slashers, which was absolutely entertaining and impossible to put down. Slasher fans will definitely find their enjoyment in this book !

✨️Thank you to @emeraldobrien for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Valettagirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes in life we make bad decisions in the heat of the moment, rarely do they come back to haunt you in the awful way they do Chelsea. Life hasn’t been good to her over the last 5 years and she sees no end to it but she doesn’t feel she has a choice but to keep her secrets. Unfortunately someone else knows she’s keeping secrets and is intent on ensuring she suffers accordingly. She finally realises that it’s someone close to her and that it’s dangerous for anyone else close to her. As she tries to work out just who is coming for her, expect to have your very own heart thumping moments. Trouble is it’s not who you’d expect and the ending is truly shocking. Not what I was expecting. I bet someone will be hearing your screams in the night after you’ve read this. But you’ll thoroughly enjoy it and some. Emerald O Brien is an author who continues to excel in her writing.

I received a free ARC in return for an honest review.

[Red Wolf Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow. Okay. Yo no soy de leer mucho este tipo de libros, pero este me llamó la atención hace unos meses y lo descargué. Este mes fue el seleccionado para que yo lo lea en mi "sorteo" que hice entre varios de mis libros pendientes.

En tan solo 212 páginas, tenemos una trama donde empezamos a no confiar en nadie.

Tenemos nuestra protagonista, Chelsea, quien presencio la muerte de sus mejores amigos, y parece que ella es la victima, pero hay un secreto que guarda desde esa noche.

Pero esto no queda ahi, todos son sosprechosos de algo, los plot twist que se van dando a lo largo del libro te dejan con la boca abierta y es imposible dejar de leer.

A tal punto que me leí el libro en solamente 3 días y todo porque tengo que trabajar, si no trabajara, les puedo jurar que lo hubiera terminado antes.

Por el momento, solo esta en inglés, así que si leen en inglés, se los súper recomiendo.

Puntaje real 3.5/5☆