Review of Deadly Close Encounters

[Okafor Prosper]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Deadly Close Encounters" by Kristin Glenn.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Deadly Close Encounters by Kristin Glenn revolves around Marissa, a high-level executive administrator at New York Hospital. From the outside looking in, she had a perfect life, the perfect job, and the perfect, wealthy husband, Shawn. Nevertheless, the consistent physical abuse she suffered at Shawn's hands presented a serious problem and a threat to her life. After living several years in denial, she finally confides in her best friend, Katherine (Kit), who, with the help of her father, assists Marissa in faking her death and starting a new life as Alexis "Lexie" Calvert. Months later, Lexie would meet and fall in love with Keith, despite her issues with her past relationship. Unfortunately, she would not get her happy ending just yet. Shawn would learn the truth and vow to bring his wife back home by any means. His limitless money, power, and connections did not present the best odds for Lexie in the war that was to come. She and everyone she loved would have to overcome the dangers that lay ahead.

The story's premise of the main character, who faked her death to escape her powerful, abusive husband, found love, and had to deal with the threat of losing it all again, was quite fascinating. I could already imagine the level of suspense that would greet me over the course of the book from reading its first few pages, and it did not disappoint in that regard. Within the story, the themes of love, abuse, true friendship, and courage are expertly incorporated and laced with the occasional injection of twists that you will not see coming, from a mystery character that influences a lot in the background to other twists that you will have to journey through this book to discover.

The standout feature of the book for me is Marissa's character development. We follow her through her paralyzing fear of Shawn and how she had to endure being brutalized. Finding the strength to leave Shawn and changing her name was a turning point for her character, as she grew out of her fear in a way that will serve as an example to many readers in a similar situation. Also, the book's professional editing is noteworthy. I found just two minor errors, and that, along with the fast pace of the story, made this an easy read.

Nevertheless, there are a couple of issues with the overall execution of the story. Firstly, the author doesn't do a good job of capturing the emotions of the characters. Kristin Glenn tends to breeze through several key points in the story by just stating what happened and keeping things moving as opposed to taking the time to put readers in the characters' shoes. While this contributed positively to the pace of the story, it created difficulties with connecting to most of the characters. Also, I cannot disclose the ending of the book, but I will say that it wasn't satisfying and realistic.

Overall, Kristin Glenn's Deadly Close Encounters is an entertaining read, combining a few of my favorite elements. Readers can also expect a few action scenes that make things even more exciting. I also enjoyed the sex scenes included, as the author put in some effort in their description. I rate this novel three out of four stars. The issues I discussed take away from the overall quality of the book. Mature readers who enjoy romance, mystery novels, and thrillers will love this book.

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Deadly Close Encounters
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[Amy Luman]

I don’t necessarily like romance novels or sex scenes. I think, however, I will try to overlook that because I love a good mystery.

[Ashley-Osuna]

The plot of this book sounds really interesting and intriguing. Props to the author for being able to absorve the reader into the story from the first few pages as I think that's crucial when it comes to mysterious and suspenful stories. Thank you very much for the recommendation!

[Tarie07]

It is so sad how women always turn a blind eye to their abusive spouses until it's too late. I would definitely want to read this book. Thanks for the great review.

[NetMassimo]

Despite the flaws you pointed out, this seems an interesting thriller with its premise in a problem that's far too common, as so many women still suffer abuses by the people who are supposed to love them. Thank you for your great review!