LOVESICK by Spencer Seidel
Published by Publishing Works, Inc.
ISBN-13: 978-1-935557-20-3
ISBN-978-1-935557-51-7
At the request of Meryl L. Moss Media, an ARC TPB was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
Synopsis (borrowed from Amazon): Late one night out on the Eastern Promenade Trail in Portland, Maine, the police discover an incoherent teenager sitting in a pool of blood, holding the body of his best friend and the murder weapon. The girl they both love has been missing for weeks.
The kid’s jealousy clearly drove him to murder. He says the missing girl is the love of his life. She also happens to be the girlfriend of the murder victim.
It’s an open and shut case, or so most of Portland thinks.
Dr. Lisa Boyers, forensic psychologist, receives a call from an old friend, a connection to her troubled past. Attorney Rudy Swaner wants her to interview the young killer Paul Ducharme, who is claiming he doesn’t remember the events leading up to the murder.
In her jailhouse interviews, Lisa helps Paul to recover his memories. But something about Paul’s disturbing love story shakes Lisa to the very core of her being. To understand Paul, she is forced to confront her own ugly violent secrets.
Media attention mounts. Reporters stream into Portland. All eyes turn to the psychologist who seems intent on exonerating the vicious teen killer. Soon Lisa finds herself the focus of an over-zealous reporter with a knack for digging up dirty secrets.
But the killer who has Lisa in the crosshairs already knows them all.
My Thoughts and Opinion: I was introduced to this author in May of 2011 with his debut novel, Dead of Wynter, in which I had stated at the time to put this author on your radar. So when I was approached to read his latest novel to read and review, I jumped at the chance. There is always a bit of skepticism, I find, when the debut book is extraordinary, is the 2nd one going to be too? Or was it a one hit wonder.
Lovesick draws you in from the first few pages. A deep, dark psychological thriller with a cast of characters that are interwoven with each other, having their own secret demons, in which they were all trying to live a normal life. Even those that were in positions of trying to investigate a murder of a teenage boy, his missing girlfriend and a best friend found at the murder scene but who doesn’t remember anything. So many parallels between those investigating the case and those that were the victims.
Engrossing!! Spencer Seidel’s writing style transports you right into the book. To the point that a few times, I would be reading while waiting to pick up my husband after he got out of work and I was so absorbed, that I did not see nor hear him approach the car and when he knocked on the window, I let out a scream. Definitely a white knuckle, thriller read!!! Even though I had figured out the “whodunit”, the details surrounding the why’s, what’s, details, and secrets of the other characters were surprising. This was a couldn’t put down book. Looking forward to Mr. Seidel’s future works.
(2012 Challenges: Romantic Suspense, ARC, Mystery/Suspense, Off The Shelf, Serial Killers, Free Reads, Where Are You?, A-Z, Merely Myster, I want More, 52 in 52, Outdo Yourself, 100+)
