Also by this author: Odium II, Limerence 2, Odium Origins. A Dead Saga Novella. Part TwoThe perfect villain… or the perfect victim?
Growing up, Carrie was Ethan’s one true love, his fixation and his constant obsession. Friends to the bloody end, they were each other’s rocks whilst navigating through their dark and monstrous childhoods together. But then Carrie died and Ethan was almost destroyed by the secrets that were revealed in her wake.
It’s now fifteen years later and Carrie is back from the dead… and Ethan is forced to confront a truth he’s tried to deny himself for all these years.
With his obsession renewed, the situation rapidly spirals out of control as their story escalates towards a dark and startling conclusion. Because now Ethan has a singular focus;
Keep the girl, no matter what the consequences!The truth should set you free, but what happens when the truth is the one thing that can destroy you?
Can Ethan’s obsession for the girl he’s always loved ever really be more than that? Or is the idea of her the only thing left to fight for… because perhaps, the illusion of Carrie was the only thing he ever really had.
All I can say is wow. This isn’t the kind of book I’m used to from Claire C. Riley, but I’m blown away. Beautiful Victim is both disturbing and exciting at the same time. The writing itself flows with the grace of a shark through water, seeking the seal it’s about to devour for breakfast.
Ethan is one of those characters who you aren’t quite sure if you should pity or fear. At times, his character reminded me of the “The Narrator” character from Chuck Palahniuk’s book Fight Club that was played by Edward Norton in the movie. Essentially, some of his thought and speaking patterns were similar in some ways, which could give insight as to his mental state. He felt to me like a quite unreliable narrator, though I do understand do a degree why he was the way he was and it makes sense for him to be that way.
I’m still not sure what I think of Carrie. I feel bad for her in some ways, but in other ways, I’d really like to stab her. I feel like a lot of what was going on was her fault but didn’t necessarily start out that way. She caused things to be a self-fulling prophecy of sorts. In many ways, she’s a product of her upbringing, but that still is no excuse for her behavior.
Overall this was an amazing read. Thrilling and surprising throughout, and while I didn’t feel like I knew what was going on until the very end, it wasn’t in a confusing way; It was more of an “I know all the answers will appear in time” sort of thing. I recommend it to anyone looking for a great psychological thriller.
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About Claire C. Riley
Claire C. Riley is a USA Today and International bestselling author with almost twenty novels of various genres to her credit.
A lover of all things dark and dirty, she likes to write characters you love to hate but can’t help falling in-love with. She isn’t afraid to challenge herself, or her readers, to step outside of their comfort zones.
She also writes under the pen name of Cee Cee Riley, where she writes in the MC romance and post-apocalyptic romance genres.
Claire lives in the United Kingdom with her husband, three daughters and one naughty beagle, where she can be found whiling away her days playing board games with her kids and reading.
Author of:
Odium The Dead Saga Series
Odium Origins Series
Limerence (The Obsession Series)
Out of the Dark Series,
Twisted Magic,
Beautiful Victim
Blood Claim
Co-authored books with Madeline Sheehan:
Thicker than Blood,
Beneath Blood & Bone,
& Shut Up & Kiss me,
And by Cee Cee Riley:
The Ride or Die a Devil’s Highwaymen MC Novel Series
And coming in November – The Devil’s Highwaymen NOMAD series.
Author of:
Odium The Dead Saga Series
Odium Origins Series
Limerence (The Obsession Series)
Out of the Dark Series,
Twisted Magic,
Co-authored books with Madeline Sheehan:
Thicker than Blood,
Beneath Blood & Bone,
& Shut Up & Kiss me,
And soon to be released by Cee Cee Riley:
The Ride or Die Series
