Books*Reviews*Etc: ANONYMOUS by Christine Benedict

BOOKS, REVIEWS, ETC.

PROUD TO PRESENT

ANONYMOUS

Christine Benedict

INTRO TO BOOK

(from back of book)

Debra Hamilton confronts the fear of inheriting mental illness when her husband moves her into a hundred-year-old farmhouse on fifty three acres of blacklisted real estate property. Floorboards creek when she's alone. Objects appear and disappear. Neighbors insinuate the house is haunted but memories of her mother's schizophrenia make her wonder.

Julie, a neighbor, who befriends Debra, faces her own fears when a stalker starts sending perverted anonymous letters that cause a rift in Julie's unstable marriage. Their plots merge as their friendship grows to create a rich and satisfying story.

Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Loconeal Select; 2nd edition (June 21, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 194046613X
ISBN-13: 978-1940466132

AUTHOR

Anonymous is a finalist for the 2015 First Horizon Award http://www.hofferaward.com/HAFirstHorizonshortlist.html#.VWj-YM9VhBd
A Finalist for the 2015 Indie Book Awards - First Novel (over 80,000 words) http://www.indiebookawards.com/2015_winners_and_finalists.php
A Finalist for the 2015 Eric Hoffer Award Short List http://www.hofferaward.com/HAbookshortlist.html#.VWkAwM9VhBc
And The US Review of Books posted Anonymous as First Runner-up in E-Book Fiction http://www.theusreview.com/USRhoffer.html#grand

Christine studied creative writing at Baldwin Wallace University and Cleveland State University. Her short stories have been finalists for Perigee Publication for the Arts and The Fish Short Story Prize.

REVIEW

Always thinking, Debra fears she will be like her mother, insane. It only gets worse when her husband, Greg moves her into a hundred year old farmhouse that the neighbors talk of being haunted. This is hard on Deb. She hears things bang, footsteps, shadows and she even thinks of a possible ghost. Is this just an old house settling through the years? or is it haunted? I guess that all depends on what you believe. She makes friends with Julie, her neighbor. Julie begins receiving letters from some man she doesn't know. The letters are about his fantasies of being with her. Julie's marriage is not a good one and her husband plans to take matters into his own hands. Does he?

Then we are introduced to a really off the wall game warden who begins to watch Debra. As I read the book, I became a part of Debra's life. It was as though reality had set in. The suspense the reader encounters is so powerful that there is not a moment to put the book down. If you're alone when you're reading this, you begin to wonder if you heard something. Is it in your mind, or did you really hear something? Debra lives in a sense of terror every day. Just doing the normal everyday chores are so very fearful for her. The reader can almost reach out and open the door to the farmhouse or go down the dark, creaky steps into the dank cellar to do the laundry . Every day, Debra begins to wonder if she is sinking into insanity, just as her mother did. Debra is a strong character, even though she is portrayed sometimes as being weak. The weakness comes from growing up in such a volatile, dysfunctional family. We have another strong female character and that is Julie. Julie came from a dysfunctional family also. They became such good friends that they lean on each other for support. Where are the men in their lives when they need them? They don't seem to be around. It has been a long time since I have read a book that I absolutely couldn't put down until it was finished. The bad thing was, I wanted more, much more. Debra and Julie lived in fear everyday and yet, there were moments of sweet peace. Short lived, but it did break the tension they felt at least for a while.

I've only said once I would like to give a book 10 Stars but this is one more. This is one of the best books I've read in quite some time. The author is an extremely good writer. She has developed characters that the reader can relate to. The story is faced paced but not so that you get lost on what's going on. You're part of the fear and suspense that Debra and Julie are living through. The suspense at times will take your breathe and make the heart pound a little harder. Your emotions will take hold and won't let go. The author gives a story that could be true to life with all the twists and turns to make the reader keep reading. You get the suspense, the possible ghost?, murder, the dysfunction of growing up in a family that has some definite problems, and so much more. You get it all. Makes you wonder as you're reading, is Debra actually becoming insane or is there a ghost in the rickety old farmhouse? What happens to Julie's stalker? Does he become a victim of Julie's husband's revenge?

Don't miss out on this thrilling, suspense story. Grab a copy and live day to day with Debra and Julie and, of course, their fears.

I received a complimentary copy of ANONYMOUS from the author, Christine Benedict for my unbiased review. No other compensation took place.

I would give this book 10 STARS if I could but 5 STARS is all they let you give.