Not So Thrilling

THRILLER GAMES by Samantha Coil is a short story centered on a young woman, Eleanor, who struggles with nightmares of a traumatic past. Maria is a girl rescued by the main character, who has also suffered at the hands of a family member. Unfortunately, both seem rather two-dimensional.

A great deal of time is spent on describing the characters, rather than developing the personality of the characters or focusing on their interactions with one another. The long set-up is not what readers expect from a story self-described as "a gripping psychological thriller and crime mystery with a chilling twist filled with suspense." In fact, such a description seems misleading.

The author really needs to scrap all the talk about clothing and teddy bears, and bring the mystery front and center, rather than alluding to "secrets" every other chapter. The ending is a good twist, but Coil's storytelling needs a rework to strengthen this storyline.

As always,
AstraDaemon