Welcome to another Bookish Friday, in which I share excerpts from books…and connect with other bloggers, who do the same.
Let’s begin the celebration by sharing Book Beginnings, hosted by Rose City Reader; and let’s showcase The Friday 56 with Freda’s Voice.
To join in, just grab a book and share the opening lines…along with any thoughts you wish to give us; then turn to page 56 and excerpt anything on the page.
Then give us the title of the book, so others can add it to their lists!
What a great way to spend a Friday!
Today’s feature is an upcoming read from an author that is new to me: Unraveling Oliver, by Liz Nugent, a man’s shocking act of savagery stuns a local community—and the revelations that follow will keep you gripped until the very last page. This work of psychological suspense, a #1 bestseller in Ireland, is perfect for fans of Patricia Highsmith and Ruth Ware.
I expected more of a reaction the first time I hit her. She just lay on the floor, holding her jaw. Staring at me. Silent. She didn’t even seem to be surprised.
I was surprised. I hadn’t planned to do it. Usually when you hear about this kind of thing, it is the 1950s, and the husband comes home drunk to his slovenly wife from the pub and finds that his dinner is cold.
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Friday 56: I arrived late the next morning for my kitchen duties. Madame winked and grinned and made some obscene gestures with her hands. What a truly wonderful woman!
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Synopsis: “I expected more of a reaction the first time I hit her.”
So begins Liz Nugent’s astonishing debut novel—a chilling, elegantly crafted, and psychologically astute exploration of the nature of evil.
Oliver Ryan, handsome, charismatic, and successful, has long been married to his devoted wife, Alice. Together they write and illustrate award-winning children’s books; their life together one of enviable privilege and ease—until, one evening after a delightful dinner, Oliver delivers a blow to Alice that renders her unconscious, and subsequently beats her into a coma.
In the aftermath of such an unthinkable event, as Alice hovers between life and death, the couple’s friends, neighbors, and acquaintances try to understand what could have driven Oliver to commit such a horrific act. As his story unfolds, layers are peeled away to reveal a life of shame, envy, deception, and masterful manipulation.
With its alternating points of view and deft prose, Unraveling Oliver is “a page-turning, one-sitting read from a brand new master of psychological suspense” (Sunday Independent) that details how an ordinary man can transform into a sociopath.
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Do the excerpts grab you? Do you want to keep reading?
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Hi Laurel-Rain. This book sounds chilling. But I think I’d like it. I don’t know whether to say “enjoy”, but maybe “happy reading”. Have a good weekend. I’m reading Her Every Fear /a>by Peter Swanson.
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Thanks, Bev, and yes, “enjoy” might be the wrong word, but I hope to be glued to the pages.
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I really like the cover design! Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks, Lauren, so do I! Enjoy yours.
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OMG! Yes i want to read this. It’s different in the way that it’s his point of view – how shocked he was at himself – I’d really like to know how it continues and why HE is telling the story. 🙂
Here’s my entry for #Friday56 and #Bookbeginnings http://bit.ly/2iFfb4z (It’s the second book in the ‘An Ember in the Ashes’ series) – ‘A Torch Against the Night.
Have an ab fab weekend!
Luv from Sassy x
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Thanks, Sassy, I hope it’s not as horrific as that book “You,” about the stalker, also from the man’s POV. I had to DNF that one. LOL.
Enjoy your pick!
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This does sound excellent. I hope you enjoy it. I have a science fiction book this week – The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi. Happy reading!
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Thanks, Kathy, I am curious and eager to find out more, too. Enjoy your pick.
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Sounds really interesting! And that it’s not the womans point of view, very different.
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Thanks, Nina, we don’t often get to see the mind of the horrible characters…LOL.
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Oh, I have to be honest. I would have read that first sentence and stopped reading. Yikes. I hope you and your readers will check out mine today . . .http://tinyurl.com/LisaKsBookReviewsCF-DotKM
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Yes, that is horrific, isn’t it? I want to know why he is the way he is…that’s what draws me in. Enjoy your pick, and thanks for visiting, Lisa.
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I would never have thought I would have wanted to read a book like this but I must admit I’m intrigued. I want to know what causes the beating and just what is going on in his head. Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks, Katherine, he sounds like a horrific character, but I am definitely curious.
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Oh my! This sounds like quite the chilling read. Thanks for sharing!
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Definitely! Thanks for visiting, Ashley.
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Oh, my! This does sound chilling!
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Thanks, Suko, I agree!
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This might be too much for me to read. Abuse stories are hard for me. Hope you like it though. Happy weekend!
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Thanks for visiting (and hosting), Freda, and yes, abuse stories arouse my emotions, too. But I like that!
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Sounds like an intense story. Hope you like it.
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Thanks, Nicki…I think so, too!
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Yes I loved this book and it certainly has one of the most memorable of opening lines – a trick the author pulls off in her next book Lying in Wait. I like the teaser you chose too, the secondary characters that unravel Oliver are wonderful too…
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Thanks, Cleo, now I am really looking forward to it!
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I’m guessing that the narrator might be a tad bit unreliable? Takes a confident author to pull off a first person villainous character.
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Good guess, Roberta…I am eager to find out more, too.
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That’s quite a chilling opening! Doesn’t make me like the main character much at all. This does sound intriguing though. I would definitely continue to reading. I hope you enjoy it, Laurel-Rain!
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I think so, too, Wendy, and I expect to dislike the MC, but hope to enjoy the story.
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