The One That Got Away

This story grabs you from the start. A likable main character, believable protagonist and just enough crazy to put you in a criminal minds episode from the victim's POV.

The One That Got Away by Simon Wood is a 2015 Thomas & Mercer publication.I am not sure about this, but I think this book was a “Kindle First” book I chose with my prime membership.This is my first book by this author and I enjoyed this one well enough to go back for more.Zoe and Holli, two girls working hard on obtaining their PHD's, decide to kick up their heels for a change, so they drive from San Francisco to Las Vegas and hoop it up for awhile. But, things go horribly awry and Zoe wakes up to Holli's screams and the horrible realization she is being held captive and whatever is happening to Holli, is going to happen to her next. But, Zoe manages to escape... however, Holli was never seen or heard from again.A year passes, and now Zoe is a completely different person, with dreams of acquiring a PHD long forgotten. She is working as a mall cop now, is in therapy, and still showing signs of PTSD on top of what one might term “survivor's guilt”.But, when by sheer chance, Zoe hears of a murder victim she is positive was killed by her own abductor, she begins working alongside the police to catch the guy and puts herself directly into the line of fire as a result. Will Zoe find peace or will she lose the fight the second time around?This is a dark, graphic, tense, and fast paced thriller that will suck you in from the first chapter on. Zoe is a mess after having survived her ordeal, haunted by the death of her friend, and consumed, or maybe ravaged is a better word, by guilt. Her psychological behavior is most curious as it certainly does appear Zoe is attempting to put herself in risky situations on purpose, perhaps as a way of punishing herself for having left Holli behind.The murders were disturbing enough, but the underlying theme that women should be “good girls” , meaning they should not go out and have fun, flirt with men, or drink, was not only picked up by the inner thoughts of our killer, but even Zoe's therapist pointed out her provocative clothing was waving an “I'm asking for it” sign. Zoe too, seemed to buy into that logic, by going out at night, alone, dressed a certain way, and having a few too many, she believed she was putting herself in harm's way, which was something she seemed to hope would happen, recreating the Vegas scenario. Do you think if a woman goes out dressed up in sexy clothes, has a few drinks, and maybe flirts a little, that she is asking to be raped, abducted, or murdered?The sicko killer having those thoughts was in line with the character, but I did cringe when the therapist also made this suggestion to Zoe. I understood he was pointing out certain behaviors, prompting her to examine her motives, which was a valid point. However, I did I think he was sending out the wrong message by mentioning the way she was dressed. Otherwise, the good doctor went above and beyond for his patient was the best support system Zoe had.I had the feeling Zoe was a ticking time bomb and was quite concerned about her, but then she finds purpose by joining forces with a determined cop to stop a dangerous serial killer. From this point on, the suspense is absolutely edge of your seat. The last paragraph of chapter twelve guaranteed I would not be putting this book down until the last chapter was read.There was only one weak area for me in the book, and that was the the killer's psychological state of mind and a full explanation of his motives were pretty much skimmed over. I would have liked more clarification or maybe a brief recap in the last chapter, just so I was sure I had picked up on all the finer points.Otherwise, I thought this was a solid psychological thriller, quite thought provoking and chilling. If you can handle graphic violence, creepy serial killers, and edgy suspense, then this book has your name on it.

I received this book from the Kindle Program, this was a new to me author and the description intrigued me, so I thought I’d give it a chance and I was not disappointed. I really liked this book this was a great thriller. Zoë and her friend Holli take a road trip to Las Vegas but something terrible happens on the way home; Zoë wakes up in a shed naked and handcuffed with Holli screaming in the next room but Zoë is able to get loose but can’t see any way to save Holli other than going for help. The problem is she has been drugged and by the time she finds help she can’t remember any details, she has no idea how she got to the place, she doesn’t know what the man looked like or where he took them from and can’t remember the route she took to get away. The cops in the small town aren’t really buying her story.A year later Zoë is still suffering from PTSD and Holli has never been found after Zoë got home she dropped out of school took a job as a mall security guard and is taking self-defense classes . She’s also seeing a shrink for her PTSD and her impulse control because she seems to keep putting herself in situations that may put her back in danger and has had a few run ins with the cops because the littlest touch sets Zoë into a rage. Then there is another murder that sounds like what she remembers seeing Holli go through. But can the cops believe her? Is she a victim or a killer or just a nutcase they should be wary of?I had trouble putting this book down; I needed to know what happens next and when we see the story from the killer’s point of view we realize Zoë is not safe and this guy is a whack job. I liked that the story was told from both sides for me it upped the tension because Zoë kept putting herself out there even after she realized the man who took her was right in her own town. I also understood in some way where Zoë was coming from she wanted this guy caught she wanted to find Holli and that catching him might ease some of the survivors guilt she feels the guilt of leaving Holli there. Yes there are times you have to shake your head and say oh Zoë. However that just adds to the tension because she is working on pure adrenaline and in the back of head knows she is putting herself in danger again but seems to not be able to stop herself.Ok I’ll stop now, as you can tell I really liked this one and would highly recommend it. I will also be reading more from this author because I liked his style.4 Stars

Simple murder mystery.I wanted more romance between cop and victim.I also wanted more history on the other victims and what made the killer. But overall a quick read.

A serial killer guided by a twisted sense of justice kidnapped two grad students returning from a Vegas vacation. Zoe manages to escape but her friend is never found. Suffering from PTSD and guilt, she puts her studies aside and takes a thankless job as a security guard at a high risk mall. When the body of a young woman is found flogged and hung in a warehouse, Zoe is convinced it is the work of her assailant. Barging into the crime scene gets police attention but also alerts the killer that the one that got away is in the vicinity. The killer is a man on a mission and Zoe is in for the fight of her life.This is a fast paced thriller that is hard to put down. The killer is intelligent and relentless and Zoe is resourceful. Unfortunately she is also irritating, abrasive and hot tempered. I was flabbergasted when people kept telling her she should become a cop. That is all the police force needs, another unbalanced officer with a hair trigger. How would she ever pass the psychologicals? Frankly, I liked the killer more than Zoe especially when he targeted the animal abusers. It is predictable but still great entertainment.

A good page turner. I thought the characters could have been developed more, because it felt like there wasn't enough time to get to know them, but I enjoyed the read.

Having had this book recommended to me I thought I would give it a read, I have never read anything by this author before but I will most definitely be reading more. I found it a little slow at the beginning and nearly gave up on it but once the action started I couldn’t put it down. I couldn’t read it fast enough. The story line was a good one, with a psychological edge to it. If you like this genre you will love this book. Read it, it won’t disappoint.

Gripping, Exciting and brilliantly written.I read lots of books, one after the other and I have to say this is the best book I have read so far. I had not heard of Simon Wood but the plot intrigued me.The story gripped me from the first page and kept me there until I had sadly finished it. I did not want to put it down for a moment, there was never a lull in the story in which I thought about grabbing some lunch, or getting some sleep...this was far too exciting and I just had to know what happened next. I am sometimes disappointed with the ending of a book, but not this one...the ending was as powerful and as gripping as the beginning.Excellently written and great characters.Will defiantly be reading more of his work - He also writes under the name of Simon Janus. 5 glowing stars from me.

What a good read. This is, at first sight pretty normal thriller type fare. There's a serial killer in the USA (Half the population are serial killers, aren't they?) who has one of his victims escape. So this isn't the normal story of the cut and thrust of the investigating officer trying to catch the dastardly killer. It's really the story of the survivor, how she changes so that when the killer decides it's time to finish incomplete business by "punishing" her and killing her, she is much more capable. I'll say no more for fear of spoiling.The book then is of the generic thriller type with a good plot that has enough to make it different. The story is very well told and you certainly do feel yourself hooked. In fact, it's certainly a very enjoyable and compelling read.I can't really point to any significant negatives here. It's all good. So have a read!

Feb-15This is the 2nd Simon Wood thriller I have read and both have been excellent. Gripping heart racing everything a thriller should be. I will be reading more by this authorMay-16This book is still very much in my mind over a year later so I wanted to add to my review as I dont feel I did the book justice back then. This book is 'edge of your seat' gripping and Simon expertly described the effect of post traumatic stress and survivor guilt. The characters are realistic and well developed throughout the book. This was one of the first books I read by this author and I have since made up for lost time and have never been disappointed. I am still hoping that Simon will write a sequel to this.