This is my last bookish blog review before the party of #Orentober begins and what a book to finish the month of September on. Gone by Leona Deakin is being published by Transworld Books on the 3rd of October, it was one of my most anticipated autumnal thriller reads – it did not disappoint. I was lucky enough to receive a surprise copy from the wonderful Hayley Barnes, who i’d like to thank for the opportunity to pre-publication read.
Gone is the first instalment in the Dr Bloom thriller series, I am so excited to see what other dangerous cases therapist and police advisor Dr Augusta Bloom will get herself involved in. This thriller is one to read during the dark and wet evenings, with some hot chocolate and a snuggly blanket. Just going to leave a Waterstones link here…… Link! *Whispers* pre-order.
Leona Deakin started her career as a psychologist with the West Yorkshire Police. She is now an occupational psychologist and lives with her family in Leeds. This is her debut thriller.
Four strangers are missing. Left at their last-known locations are birthday cards that read:
YOUR GIFT IS THE GAME.
DARE TO PLAY?The police aren’t worried – it’s just a game. But the families are frantic. As psychologist and private detective Dr Augusta Bloom delves into the lives of the missing people, she finds something that binds them all.
And that something makes them very dangerous indeed.
As more disappearances are reported and new birthday cards uncovered, Dr Bloom races to unravel the mystery and find the missing people.
But what if, this time, they are the ones she should fear?
Gone is one hell of a police procedural – psychological thriller hybrid, it has everything from profiling to murder and psychological conspiracy. Leona Deakin worked as a psychologist within the police and she’s injected her knowledge of psychopathic, sociopathic and psychological killer tendencies into this cleverly taut thriller. I’m going to have to be brief and vague with this one because the twisty twist of the plot line could completely unravel, whereas this read needs to be read afresh with complete unbiased eyes – my gosh it’s a good ‘un.
Apparently I was on one hell of a great book roll last month, because I sped through Gone like a train hurling down the track with broken tracks, with it’s short, snappy and impactful chapters, how could I not? As we’ve established, a chosen victim would get a ‘birthday card’ inviting them to play a game, then off they’d disappear, what’s going on?! Dr Bloom gets involved in the case as requested by the police to try and collect some psychological clues on the behaviours which may lead to a case outcome. The storyline journeys from Augusta’s past career and relationship with a client, to the present time where she suffers what feels to be guilt at not being able to help sufficiently enough. Not only do we see Dr Bloom as a professional and intelligent protagonist, but also as an emotional and faulted individual – she’s a great realistic character and I will be reading all of the books within the series (Is the next book ready yet??)
Leona Deakin has taken behaviours / acts that we do online and warped them into something clever and dark, ravelling it around a dangerous cult like actions to create a disturbingly tense plot line that will at times send shivers to your core. A completely exceptional and worthy thriller, a debut that has chilling sustenance! The only problem I had was that it’s book that you can’t savour, before you know it, it’s ended and you wish you’d rationed it out…. a chapter a day for 69 days! I have no impulse control I tell you!
Again, thanks to Hayley Barnes for sending me a copy of Gone to read and review pre – publication (although it is available as an e-book now, if you can’t wait for the paperback copy!) It is definitely worthy of your pennies and reading time.
If you have already read it, let me know what you thought! There was a recent blog tour for it’s e-book release, you can check out the reviews of other bloggers using #Gone and #Randomthingstour on Twitter.
The Reading Closet 