ABOUT THE BOOK:
A psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat
Nine hours and eleven minutes …
That’s how long it’s been since Ella Hope was beaten to within an inch of life and left for dead.
She lies, unable to move and praying for somebody to find her, as she counts down the minutes and wonders who could have hated her so much to have hurt her so badly.
Was it the man she went on a date with the previous evening, the man linked to the deaths of two other women? Or somebody else, somebody who wants her out of the picture so much they’re willing to kill?
Whoever it is, they will pay. All Ella has to do first is survive …
READ AN EXCERPT:
MY REVIEW:
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Fake Date by Lynda Stacey is a 2018 Ruby Fiction publication.
Reporter Ella Hope decides to work undercover, trying to catch a wily woman killer. She has agreed to go out on a date with her prime suspect, but before the night is over, she is beaten within an inch of life. Eight months later, still with no clear memory of what happened that night, she is finally able to return home, where she meets her new neighbor, Will. As it happens, Will, is also a reporter, but after Ella’s ordeal, she no longer trusts reporters and has decided to focus on her photography instead. Will, however, becomes interested in Ella’s case, hoping to bring her peace and overdue justice. But, he decides to keep his occupation a secret, fearing she will no longer wish to see him.
Meanwhile, a killer is still on the loose, and Ella’s ordeal may not be over yet-
By now everyone is probably sick of hearing me complain about the overabundance of Psychological Thrillers on the market, and you know that I’ve begun to weed them out of my TBR list in droves. However, I still like to check in now and then to see if I can manage to pluck one out of the pile that doesn’t feel like I’m reading the same book over and over.
Luckily, I made a good choice with this one!!
The premise is unique and interesting. The author did a terrific job of planting seeds of doubt, making it hard to completely trust anyone. One huge standout to this story is Ella’s courageous fight to recover from her debilitating injuries and the mental toughness she exhibited as she fought for her life, the truth, and finally justice.
The pacing is even, although the major spin is awkwardly timed, it was still a big stunner. Readers will most likely figure out a key piece of the plot, but this only seems to intensify the suspense as the book shifts into high gear in a tense scramble to stop the killer before it is too late.
Overall, this one turned out to be a very pleasant surprise, not at all like the many cookie cutter PT’s on the market right now. It is a well- executed pager turner, which went a long way towards restoring my faith in the PT genre. (One slight suggestion would be to also list this one in the romantic suspense category. The romance is not explicit, but is a big part of the story, plus, it would widen the potential audience, pulling in those, like myself, who are burned out on Psychological Thrillers.)
GET YOUR COPY HERE:
https://www.amazon.com/Fake-Date-gripping-thriller-that-ebook/dp/B07FM915Q2/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-fake-date-lynda-stacey/1129607875
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
She is currently the Sales Director of a stationery, office supplies and office furniture company in Doncaster, where she has worked for the past 25 years. Prior to this she'd also been a nurse, a model, an emergency first response instructor and a PADI Scuba Diving Instructor ... and yes, she was crazy enough to dive in the sea with sharks, without a cage.
Following a car accident in 2008, Lynda was left with limited mobility in her right arm. Unable to dive or teach anymore, she turned to her love of writing, a hobby she'd followed avidly since being a teenager.
Her own life story, along with varied career choices helps Lynda to create stories of romantic suspense, with challenging and unpredictable plots, along with (as in all romances) very happy endings.
Lynda joined the Romantic Novelist Association in 2014 under the umbrella of the New Writers Scheme and in 2015, her debut novel House of Secrets won the Choc Lit & Whole Story Audiobooks Search for a Star competition.
She lives in a small rural hamlet near Doncaster, with her 'hero at home husband', Haydn, whom she's been happily married to for over 20 years.
Come and find me at www.lyndastacey.co.uk to hear my latest news. You could follow me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/lyndastaceyauthor
or watch out for my tweets @Lyndastacey
Come say hello. I'd love to hear from you. Oh and if you love the book, I'd be really grateful if you'd take the time to leave me a review.