ALEX
Dianne
Hartsock
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE:
psychological thriller
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Alex
is twenty and confused. He always is. The world presses on him with
its horrors and pain, with scintillating auras that bewilder his eyes
and drive the migraines deeper. He hears the cries of the children,
sees the brutal images of tortured victims. He feels out of control
and his mind slips…
Severely
abused as a child, he is left with horrible scars on his body and
even worse scars within his mind. Even though it puts him in danger,
he’s compelled to help those who call to him. He’s driven,
motivated by his visions to rescue them and hopefully uncover the
killer. When he can, he helps the police; yet some detectives suspect
he’s involved. Often, Alex finds himself alone and afraid in a
world he doesn’t always understand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCLUSIVE
EXCERPT
Alex
came awake suddenly. Panicked, he threw himself against the car door,
reaching for the handle. He couldn’t open it. He pounded on the
glass, and with a desperate breath, smashed his elbow into it. The
safety glass held, but he tried again, despite the splintering pain.
A crack ran up the window and blood smeared the surface.
“Dad,
stop the car!”
Kramer
swore and pulled the car into a ditch. Alex found the lock and flung
the door open. Shaking off Helen’s grabbing hands, he spilled onto
the ground. He scrambled up and bolted into the woods as Kramer
shouted after him. The terrain slowed him and he wasn’t able to
lose Kramer as he dodged through the trees and underbrush.
He
stopped in disbelief at the edge of a wheat field. Wild laughter rose
up inside him as he felt his mind slip into chaos. He dropped to his
knees and covered his mouth, but laughter poured out anyway. Tears
streamed from his eyes and he wiped them away. He wanted to see! It
was all too damn funny for words.
Kramer
grabbed him and yanked him to his feet. He tried to see around the
distorted face that mouthed words he couldn’t hear.
“Will
you move?” he asked and tried to walk around him.
Kramer
backhanded him and Alex dropped to a knee. But he bounded up with a
shout, springing out of the detective’s reach. He laughed in
Kramer’s face and turned on his heels.
Kramer
yelled after him, “Where are they?”
Alex
opened his arms. “Everywhere!” He brushed the golden stalks of
wheat with his fingertips as he strode toward the white farmhouse.
Kramer
swore at his back, then caught up. “Do you know where Mariam is?”
Alex
stopped and looked around, then shrugged. “Her bones are here
somewhere.”
He
continued toward the Gibson’s house. They passed the open doors of
the storm cellar and Kramer gripped his arm.
Alex
giggled as he looked down into the darkness. “I’ve been here
before,” he confided with a sly smile.
“Tell
me where Mariam is.”
Alex
put a finger to his lips, giving Kramer a sidelong look. “Hush.
She’s hiding.”
Kramer
roared in frustration and shoved him into the gaping hole. Alex
tumbled down the steps.
“You’ll
stay there until you tell me!” Kramer shouted and slammed the
doors, the bolt sliding home.
Alex
lay in the dirt, facedown, and sucked at his bloody lips. It was cold
and he curled into a ball for warmth. For an instant, he was a child
again on the garage floor. He listened for any sound in the darkness,
at last whispering, “Are you here, Mama?”
His
breath froze at a rustling in the corner.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Free use image from Open Clipart Vectors
Ornery Owl's Review
Rating:
Four out of Five Stars
This is a tightly written psychological thriller with intense characters and situations. I hope that readers would find Alex likable rather than relatable, but those of us with a history of trauma will likely relate to him a little too well. Alex has trouble fitting in with the world. He finds a few good people such as Angie and Becca, his co-workers at the bookstore and coffee shop where he works, who strive to ensure that his life has some semblance of normalcy.
Alex also has a friend in Jane, the daughter of the police officer who rescued him after his abusive mother died in a fire. Sean Elson brought Alex home to live with his family, and Jane became the first friend Alex ever had. Jane allowed Alex to continue living with her after her father died. Over the course of the story, Alex and Jane's friendship becomes romantic.
There is no shortage of creepy men in the Northern Colorado town where Alex and Jane live. Jane's boss coerces her into an ill-advised relationship, and when Alex is hospitalized, one of the doctors evidently has designs on her as well. There is also a far worse menace who has been capturing and killing people, mostly young women and girls but sometimes boys and men as well. Alex has horrific visions of the victims, who beg him for help.
This is a very intense story and not always a pleasant read. It includes topics such as animal cruelty, severe child abuse, torture, and murder. At times it reminded me of David Pelzer's autobiography, A Child Called It, which detailed the author's abuse at the hands of his severely disturbed mother.
The author's attention to detail and realism is remarkable and sometimes upsetting. I do not recommend this book to anyone who is in a psychologically fragile place. I'm generally able to compartmentalize my emotions, having trained as an EMT and a nurse, and having dealt with serious illness and death throughout my career in the medical field. As someone who has spent a lifetime trying to understand the lack of empathy some people exhibit, I watch true crime channels such as Coffeehouse Crime, Dire Trip, High Time Crime, and That Chapter. However, there were places where this story left me feeling deeply unsettled.
Thus, my recommendation of this book is divided. If you are in the market for an intense thriller with plenty of plot twists, I recommend it. If you are in a fragile place or tend to get upset by stories containing grisly, violent scenes, I suggest giving this one a pass.
AUTHOR
Bio and Links:
Dianne
grew up in one of the older homes in the middle of Los Angeles, a
place of hardwood floors and secret closets and back staircases. A
house where ghosts lurk in the basement and the faces in the
paintings watch you walk up the front stairs. Rooms where you keep
the closet doors closed tight at night. It’s where her love of the
mysterious and wonderful came from. Dianne is the author of m/m
romance, paranormal/suspense, fantasy adventure, the occasional
thriller, and anything else that comes to mind.
She
now lives in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with her
incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she
spends hunched over the keyboard letting her characters play. Dianne
says Oregon’s raindrops are the perfect setting in which to write.
There’s something about being cooped up in the house with a fire
crackling on the hearth and a cup of hot coffee in her hands, which
kindles her imagination.
Currently,
Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which
is the perfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself
through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage.
Blog:
https://diannehartsock.wordpress.com/
FaceBook:
https://www.facebook.com/diannehartsock
FaceBook
Author Page:
https://www.facebook.com/diannehartsockbooks/?show_switched_toast=1&show_switched_tooltip=0&show_podcast_settings=0
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4850270.Dianne_Hartsock
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/diannehartsock/
Buy Links
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Alex-Dianne-Hartsock-ebook/dp/B0CSYN5Y5C/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=dianne+hartsock&qid=1706506377&sr=8-1
JMS Books:
https://www.jms-books.com/dianne-hartsock-c-224_445/alex-p-4993.html
Barnes and Noble:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/alex-dianne-hartsock/1104468927?ean=9781685506599
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/alex-76
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1519070
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY
INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
The
author will award a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.
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