YvonneA good psychological thriller is always going to make it to the top of my reading list and a new to me author is also going to grab my attention. That’s why I was so pleased to hear from author Jake Parent, with a request to read and review his latest book and why I can’t wait to get started on it. Jake is giving some consideration to a guest post feature and given the intense nature of the premise, I suspect that it might make for some interesting reading, so I am hoping that he will say ‘yes’!
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‘CRISTINA‘
Driven by a desperate need to escape her past, Cristina Rodriguez moves into a picturesque hilltop home with an ocean view. The same place where, four years earlier, a young girl was kidnapped and murdered.
At first, both the house and the scenic California beach town seem perfect. Fresh air. Fresh faces. And the ocean is just ten minutes away. But as Cristina and her daughter set about rebuilding their lives, they soon discover that the past is not about to let go so easily.
A gripping psychological suspense mystery, Cristina will grab you from the first page and keep you guessing until the very end.
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Author – JAKE PARENT
Jake Parent now lives in the Washington, DC area, although he grew up in San Jose, CA.
He used to live in a small California beach town he describes as “paradise, but with a kind of seedy underbelly of people addicted to drugs, homeless, and just barely hanging on, thus always providing plenty of fodder for imagined strange goings on” and very similar to the town he uses as the setting for his latest psychological suspense thriller, ‘Cristina’.
Jake’s first book, ‘Only the Devil Tells the Truth’, was a #1 Amazon Bestseller. and his influences include Charles Bukowski, Stephen King, Maya Angelou, John Steinbeck, Honoré de Balzac, Ella Fitzgerald, John Sanford, Jimi Hendrix, Ernest Hemingway, Greg Graffin, Pablo Picasso, Rickey Henderson, and Mac Dre.
Good writing is a symphony of emotions, one that takes patience, creativity, observation, love, and dedication. When I find that balance, there are few things I enjoy more in the whole world. But I’m not sure there’s any one thing that stands out. I really love everything about it.
Catch up with all Jake’s news on his website
Connect with Jake on Facebook
Follow Jake on Twitter
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Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house during the last week. Be warned that Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
Mailbox Monday now has a permanent home, where links may be added each week. So why not stop by, leave a link to your own Mailbox Monday post, oh! and don’t forget to leave a comment for our three new joint administrators, after all, we all like to receive them … ‘Mailbox Monday’
Leslie of ‘Under My Apple Tree’
Serena of ‘Savvy Verse & Wit’
Vicki of ‘I’d Rather Be At The Beach’
This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… You never know where that next “must read” book will come from!
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I haven’t read a psychological thriller in a while. Sure hoping you enjoy this one.
http://www.thebusymomsdaily.com/2016/08/mailbox-monday-august-29.html
Hi Cheryl,
There are some excellent new books and authors in the genre, on the circuit right now.
However, all newcomers are very welcome, as this is one of my favourite genres and I don’t think a good psychological thriller is ever going to be ‘one too many’ for me 🙂
Thanks for stopping by, I always appreciate your comments 🙂
Sounds good, and I love the author’s hair!
Hi Vicki,
Whenever a story begins with words like …
“Driven by a desperate need to escape her past, Cristina Rodriguez moves into a picturesque hilltop home with an ocean view.”
You just know that something is going to go wrong! – and not to put too fine a point on it – I need to know what !! 🙂
Jake Parent sounds like an interesting author, who has come up with some hard hitting and difficult to face storylines for his books. His individuality certainly helps to ensure that he won’t be forgotten in a hurry.
Thanks for taking the time to comment and help host MM 🙂
It sounds like a page turner, for sure!
Hi Mary,
Jake’s previous storylines all sound as though they deal with the reality of emotionally draining and socially disturbing issues, so I’m sure ‘Cristina’ isn’t going to be any different and I am well prepared!
Thanks for taking the time to visit and enjoy the rest of your week 🙂
I’m curious about Cristina’s past. I hope this is as good as it sounds.
Hi Kathy,
Given the uncompromising issues Jake has dealt with in his previous stories, I’m almost certain that Cristina is going to have plenty of history and come with lots of baggage!
Thanks for taking the time to check out this week’s post, I always appreciate your comments and observations 🙂
Based on that small description, this sounds very good! I hope the author will take you up on the guest post offering. He has such an eclectic group of influences, I’d love to know more about what makes him tick.
Hi Kelly,
I get the impression that Jake is quite a private person, although with very strong beliefs and opinions.
That is just a personal opinion though and based solely on the only interview I was able to find with him, which was very ably conducted by Mary Fan, over at ‘Zigzag Timeline’
http://zigzagtl.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/author-interview-jake-parent.html
I really liked Jake’s direct responses to Mary’s questions and have quoted a couple of them for my posts and blog, as they were quite inspirational.
Thanks for visiting and taking the time to comment 🙂
Sounds tense, and I can never guess when I read mysteries. 🙂
ENJOY your reading week.
Elizabeth
Silver’s Reviews
My Mailbox Monday
Hi Elizabeth,
I don’t really mind whether I discover the end game of a psychological thriller early on, so long as the storyline and characterisations are compelling and page-turning enough, and the final reveal as prolonged as possible 🙂
Thanks for stopping by. I hope that things are getting better for you with each day that passes 🙂
Love the author’s hair. LOL And he lives in the DC area…maybe he’ll have readings. Psychological thrillers can be great reads
Hi Serena,
I couldn’t find out any information about forthcoming book readings or signings by Jake, which I suppose is why I was kind of hoping for a bit more of an in-depth guest post to follow.
Anyone brave enough to sport that hair-do must be quite an extrovert, with some strong views and opinions about things 🙂
Psychological thrillers are amongst my most favourite books, however with so many authors both established and new, turning their hand to writing in the genre, I do hope that we don’t reach saturation point too soon.
Thanks for continuing to help manage MM and enjoy the rest of your week 🙂
about due a good psychological thriller, I’ll be sure to keep a look out for this.
Hi Tracy,
I seem to have had a really good run of murders and psychological thrillers just lately and have come across many excellent new to me authors into the bargain, some of which have come up with pretty unique and interesting storylines.
Jake appears to have found another new avenue to explore in this rather over-crowded space, not making for a very comfortable read I’m sure, but certainly compelling and page-turning.
I hope that you manage to find a copy of ‘Cristina’ somewhere, mine is on Kindle, or I would have sent it on to you after I’m finished.
I don’t read too many actual books these days, but if you ever see me mention anything which appeals to you, just shout out and I’ll send it on up 🙂
I like the authors quote on good writing and his blue mohawk! happy reading 🙂
Hi Naida,
I don’t think I would have moved into a new place with a small child, if I knew that another child had previously been kidnapped and murdered in the same area, would you?
Jake doesn’t give many interviews and clearly likes to keep his personality profile to a minimum. However he does appear to hold very strong and steadfast views about his writing and what keeps him motivated to carry on, resulting in some excellent ‘from the heart’ quotes, like the one I shared, especially when he compares writing to a “symphony of emotions”
Jake’s blue mohawk (we would call that style mohican over here), has also been pictured in red and I even came across one picture of him with shaven head, so I guess he likes to ring the changes occasionally 🙂
Thanks for taking the time to comment and I hope that all is well with you 🙂