The Phantom Paragrapher

Review: No Son of Mine - CL Swatman - December 2024 In No Son of Mine, CL Swatman crafts a compelling tale of family, guilt, and the haunting question: is evil born, or does it evolve over time? Set against the backdrop of the UK, this gripping psychological drama pulls readers into the life of Alex, a mother struggling to navigate the chaos in her family. The story begins with Alex’s teenage son, Milo, teetering on the edge of suspension from school. Despite her best efforts to reach him, Alex feels her influence slipping away. Her worry intensifies when she stumbles across an online article about Samuel, a young man on trial for the murder of his adoptive father. The twist? Samuel is the son Alex gave up for adoption as a teenage mother. What follows is a riveting exploration of Alex’s guilt and her quest for answers. Feeling like the common denominator in her family’s struggles, Alex reaches out to Samuel. Their reunion is tense but layered with a deep need for connection. Alex’s un...

Review: Forget Me Not - Book #1 Summit Lake Series - Kristen Middleton - March 2018 Amanda and her young son Kevin’s move to Summit Falls is meant to bring closure, but instead, it opens Pandora’s box of secrets and danger. Inheriting the estate of her ex-husband Brad—a man she hasn’t seen or heard from in nearly two decades—Amanda anticipates awkward adjustments, not the chilling discoveries that await her. As whispers of Brad’s mysterious death evolve into shouts of foul play, Amanda finds herself in the crosshairs of a relentless stalker who seems hell-bent on revenge. The story begins with a gripping prologue featuring a man seeking vengeance against a shadowy figure from his past, setting a dark, tension-filled tone that permeates the novel. When Amanda arrives in Summit Falls, she is plunged into an atmospheric world where every friendly face hides potential betrayal, and each shadow seems to harbor deadly intent. The plot masterfully intertwines Amanda’s current plight with Br...

Review: I'm Watching You - Amanda Brittany - October 2022 Sometimes, the past refuses to stay buried. Set against the eerie backdrop of Ensley, I'm Watching You is a gripping psychological thriller that delves into family loyalty, buried secrets, and the chilling lengths people will go to protect themselves. After the death of her husband, Charlotte returns to Ensley with her 18-year-old twins, Ryan and Mia, seeking solace at her mother's home. But the town is not the safe haven she hoped for. A serial killer is on the loose, casting a shadow of fear over the community. One fateful night, Charlotte witnesses a horrifying scene: Ryan shoving Mia into the lake. Soon after, Charlotte and Ryan flee, leaving Ensley—and Mia—behind. Fast forward 12 years, and Charlotte's carefully constructed life begins to unravel. She receives an email announcing the lake's imminent drainage, and the fear that Mia’s body may resurface sends her into a spiral. To make matters worse, a new...

Review: Vain - Part #1 - Deborah Bladon - July 2014 Scrolling through my Kindle, I clicked on Vain by Deborah Bladon, and going in blind, I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this book or not as I had been lately bored of romances and been going on a thriller buzz. The book begins with our female character Alexa delivering a sub for her friend Sadie to a guy's house. The guy answers the door naked and thinks that Alexa is a hooker. Alexa leaves but the guy asks her for a proposition, he wants to photograph her for his new collection. The guy turns out to be photographer Noah Foster, known for his erotic photos of females. Alexa agrees only with the condition, her face isn't shown. During this time Alexa and Noah have a few sparks fly or so Alexa believes. She has been burned before and left Paris with her heart broken. What happens when the person who broke her heart ends up collaborating with Noah and when the exhibition is unveiled - it isn't what she expected - it's 10...

Review: The Right Equation - Tracy Krimmer - October 2014 Scrolling through my Kindle in search of a quick read, I stumbled upon a delightful short story by Tracy Krimmer. It centers around Penny, who is reluctantly gearing up for her 20th high school reunion. Dressed as Albert Einstein, she steps into the party hoping for more than just a nostalgic trip down memory lane—she’s hoping to reconnect with her high school crush, Will. Penny’s excitement builds when she discovers that Will has harbored similar feelings for her all these years. Sparks fly, and for a moment, it feels like a fairy-tale reunion. But things take a turn when the lights suddenly go out, and when they come back on, Will’s friends are laughing. The painful memories of Penny’s high school days, filled with humiliation at the hands of the popular crowd, come rushing back. The story cleverly weaves themes of self-worth, redemption, and the courage to confront the past. Penny is a relatable protagonist, and readers wi...

Review: Violets for Vanessa - Book #3 The Crystal Falls Series - Dianne Miley - January 2009 Violets for Vanessa can be read as a stand-alone and is a prime example of going into a book blind as I too be honest couldn't even remember exactly when I picked this book up or what I was in for. Even though this is Book #3, I was glad I was able to just jump in and read as I could catch the gist of this story. In Violets for Vanessa, we meet Vanessa who is 25 years old and lives at home with her parents. Her dad is an abuser and violent and hits her mother and has also sexually abused Vanessa and her older sister Layla who died a few years back. Vanessa has caught the eye of one of the bachelors in town - Chad James. He has been praying for God to deliver him a wife and he feels that God is telling him that Vanessa is the one for him. It's going to be a bit more work on his side as Vanessa is loyal to her family and protecting her mother and despite the horrible things her father d...

Review: Hide and Seek - Amy Bird - September 2014 Ellie and Will Spears's life has been going great and now they are finally about to have their child. Most recently Ellie has been playing a CD of this classical pianist that she found at Will's mum and the pair have laughed as this singer is Will's doppelganger - he and Will are the spitting image. One night Ellie plays it and Will's parents start to get teary and cagey and go pale. This spurs Ellie on to find out the truth as to be honest, she would love to get one over Will's mother as Ellie feels like she can't do anything right. So Ellie goes on a mission and hunts up in the attic, what she finds and discovers though will end up with Will spiraling down the rabbit hole as turns out the singer is related to Will and was killed when Will was four years old. This was when Will's parents adopted him. When Will learns that his biological father was killed by a hammer, he feels like what he has been dreamin...