Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Terrified-Kevin O'Brien

Terrified


Kevin O'Brien

Pinnacle, Mar 27 2012, $9.99

ISBN: 9780786021383



In 1996 in Glenview, Illinois, a child finds human body parts in a garbage bag. The police arrest prominent surgeon Dr. Glenn Swann for the murder of his wife Lisa. Following the “garbage bag killing” story in the Chicago Tribune from Seattle, Megan Keeler gives birth to a son Josh while her sadistic husband is convicted of her murder back in Illinois. She rationalizes not coming back home to her belief her abusive spouse would one day kill her and their unborn child.



A few years later, while always looking over her shoulder, Megan begins receiving anonymous threatening emails from someone who knows who she is and what she did. At the same Glenn has been released from prison. Living in total fear of what might happen; Megan is stunned when someone wearing a mask kidnaps Josh. Her worst nightmare has occurred and she has no doubt that Glenn abducted Josh as part of his terror campaign aimed at his runaway wife.



Though the theme of a spouse fleeing for her life by pretending to be dead (see Sleeping With the Enemy) is not new, Kevin O’Brien provides a fresh exhilarating spin by making the child the rope in a deadly tug of war. Lisa-Megan seems genuine with her obsessed fears even before the terror begins anew with the taking of Josh as she makes the exciting twisting psychological suspense storyline work with her personal horror.



Harriet Klausner



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