My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Plot
(by Goodreads)
When a serial killer breaks into the home of bestselling author, Sage Quintano, she barely escapes with her life. Her husband, Niko, a homicide detective, insists they move to rural New Hampshire, where he accepts a position as Grafton County Sheriff.
Sage buries secrets from that night—secrets she swears to take to her deathbed.
Three years of anguish and painful memories pass, and a grisly murder case lands on Niko’s desk. A strange caller torments Sage—she can’t outrun the past.
When Sage’s twin sister suddenly goes missing, Sage searches Niko’s case files and discovers similarities to the Boston killer. A sadistic psychopath is preying on innocent women, marring their bodies in unspeakable ways. And now, he has her sister.
Cryptic clues. Hidden messages. Is the killer hinting at his identity? Or is he trying to lure Sage into a deadly trap to end his reign of terror with a matching set of corpses?
Genre(s): Thriller, Suspense, Serial Killers
Series: n.a.
Length: 257 pages
Release Date: 2015-11-11
Teaser
I fell back against the stairs, twined my arms around the railing, and stared at the white lines on my forearms. I straightened, and a thick scar on my jugular tugged at the skin. After three never-ending years, hours and hours of counseling, one small reminder – scars from the knife – and I relived that night in Boston.
The phone startled me when it rang.
My Opinion
This book introduces you to best-selling author Sage Quintano and her husband Niko, Grafton County Sheriff.
With Marred, Sue Coletta has created an extraordinary and fast-paced thriller about a woman who barely survived an encounter with a serial killer in her own home. Three years later, she is still suffering and – the phone calls begin. The story comprises a variety of interesting characters with sufficient depth and cleverly elaborated and fast-paced interactions. Be prepared to accompany Niko and his team to some grisly crime scenes; even if the descriptions are not too stretched, you clearly see that Sue Coletta is serious about her research. I had a thrilling time reading Marred – it is a very compelling read; it takes you close to Sage, Niko and his partner Frankie. I was drawn into the story right away, very close to the protagonists. Sage, Niko and Frankie are complex characters, realistic in their ways of thinking and their actions.
This is for you if you like thrillers on serial killers, psychology, likeable and interesting characters, authors who did their homework (well-researched topics), do not shy away from gory scenes.
A very compelling read.
Highly recommended!
In brief:
Writing | Great |
Plot | Full of surprises |
Mood | Suspenseful |
Pace | Fast-paced, steady |
Characters | Developed, complex |
Violence | Graphic violence |
Sexual content | Some sexual content |
POV | First person |
About the author
Connect with the Author:
Please take a look at my statement on reading in My train of thoughts on …reading. Now I am asking you. 🙂
My questions for you bibliophiles:
What about you? What did you think about Marred? Or – if you did not yet read Marred – are you now interested in reading it yourself?
My question for you cinephiles:
If Marred was filmed – who should direct it, who could you imagine as actors?
I am looking forward to reading your comments. 🙂
Going on my TBR list! Sounds compelling and thrilling. Thanks for a great review!
Thank you very much, Stephanie.
Happy reading!
Lovely to see Sue’s book being reviewed here. I can’t wait to get to it on my lengthy TBR. 🙂
As I pre-ordered Marred…
You can imagine my relief when I could finally read it, Debby. 🙂
Boy, do I know that feeling! 🙂
Lovely to see Sue’s book reviewed here. I thought MARRED was a fast-paced, intense read and highly recommend it to others.
I was so keen on reading Marred – I even pre-ordered it; then life got in the way. One of the books that can be read more than once and still capture the dread…
Karen, I really like your reviews, and the format you use for them. Makes it very accessible. Well done.
Thank you very much for your kind feedback, Cynthia. 🙂
You are welcome. As an author myself, I very much appreciate the conscientious and intelligent way your reviews read and are structured.
Thank you very much for the praise, Cynthia. 🙂
Congratulations on a great review from Karen Sue! Marred is on my TBR list. Daithi
You are going to enjoy Marred, Daithi. Please let me know what you think…
Sure thing!
Thank you, Daithi!
You’re welcome Sue – am looking forward to reading it.
I haven’t read this yet but it’s already on my reading list. Your review bumped it up a peg or two. I’m excited to get started.
This story is so intense – I didn’t care for interruptions while reading; wishing you an unforgettable experience.
The comment section is making me blush. Thank you, Karen, for this awesome review. I’m so glad you enjoyed Marred. 🙂
You and your book deserve all the praise, Sue. 🙂
Marred is worth every cent and every second I spent on it. Frankie is a gem; I liked her ways.
Reblogged this on Entertaining Stories and commented:
I loved this book, and I trust Karen’s reviews. Marred is a book to add to your reading list.
Thank you very much for reblogging and for the praise, Craig.
You both deserve all the support you can get.
Thank you for your kind words, Craig.
I loved this book. Sue is a good friend, and I’m going to share this everywhere.
Sue is a real friend and a brilliant writer. Thank you for spreading the word, Craig.
Amazing book! On my blog today I am looking at similarities between writers and Star Wars. Sue is a Jedi in my eyes!
I couldn’t agree more, Lucy!
Sue is a true Jedi. 🙂