Amazing!! This was a four star book for me from the very beginning....Then the ending just blew me away! Such a fresh take on the psychological thriller I love. Truly original.

I highly recommend this book to all mystery/thriller lovers. You will not be disappointed!!

Special thanks to NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Move over Chelsea Cain and Dexter; there's a new gal in the house and her name is Wendy Heard. This is her debut novel that grabbed me by the throat and didn't let go until the end. I still feel a little beat up (in the very best sense)! Sean Suh is battling schizophrenia as his controlling mother and his psychiatrist attempt to find the correct anti-psychotics to balance his life and calm his urge to kill. When he meets the beautiful Annabelle, she appears to actually like him and wants to spend time with him. But when he witnesses her being abducted in the middle of nowhere, he becomes obsessed with finding her as the police believe she is out of town visiting family. And so begins his own search to find the truth. Oh, and what a truth it is! This book had my head spinning at every turn; I literally got nothing done yesterday as I could not tear myself away from this novel! Not for the faint of heart, this story is creepy and has some gruesome subject matter, but if you love psychological thrillers as much as I do you won't be disappointed. Out mid December. Fortunately, Heard is at work on her second book so I'm eagerly awaiting that one as well!

(3.5 out of 5) For a debut thriller, I thought it was a really good story with a plot twist I wasn't expecting. I would definitley recommend this book for readers of the genre and I look forward to seeing what this author comes out with next.

Thank you #netgalley and #harlequinmira for the eARC.

I usually dislike books that are in first person perspective because I like to know what all of the characters are thinking, but in this instance, I was so wrapped up in Sean's mind that I didn't even miss what everyone else was doing. I loved this psychological thriller, not because of what it was set up to be, but because of the dark turn in the end that I didn't even see coming.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of HUNTING ANNABELLE by Wendy Heard in exchange for my honest review.***

Six years after killing his girlfriend and three years after his release from a psych hospital, Sean takes his schizophrenia meds under the watchful eye of his mom, a renowned neurologist. He still obsesses on beautiful young women, frantically sketching them without their knowledge. His latest, Annabelle, a med student, seems romantically interested. Then she disappears. No one but Sean appears worried and he insinuates himself into a police investigation that reveals Annabelle’s startling history. But just how reliable is Sean’s account given his criminal past and psychosis?

Wendy Heard’s debut had me guessing from start to finish. Filled with jaw dropping twists and turns I never saw coming, Heard created a nuanced account of difficult relationships, mother vs son, reality vs delusion, man vs world building up to the creepiest epilogue I could have never imagined.

As a psychologist who interned in a psych hospital, I have mixed feelings about HUNTING ANNABELLE. Mental illness, particularly schizophrenia, is widely misunderstood amongst the general public. Delusional disorders and psychotic disorders (sociopathy) are separate conditions. Many believe the mentally ill to be violent, when the truth is they are more likely to be victims than perpetrators of violent crimes. Two of the hallmarks of schizophrenia are auditory hallucinations and disorganization, neither which showed in the narration.

Separating Sean’s personality from his psychiatric conditions was difficult. His challenging personality presented as narcissistic, intense, myopic with little insight, all typical of schizophrenia. He also had selective empathy and remorse.

HUNTING ANNABELLE will keep readers turning pages late into the night. Then they’ll sleep with one eye opened.

Whoa! This book had tons of twists and turns. The ending of this thriller actually blew me away. Most books of this genre you see the ending coming from a mile away and often are dulled by the characters and their tropes. This novel however is not the case. I actually cared for the main character Sean and felt bad for him and how his psychological problems actually hurt him. You keep reading more and more and before you know it you've read the entire novel.. Definitely add this book to your to read list.

In 1986 Sean Suh is finally released from a mental institution for a past crime but struggles with his new freedom. He finds himself continually grappling with possible hallucinations, adjusting to his meds and his reentry to society. This suddenly changes when he meets Annabelle but as quickly as this budding romance begins he witnesses her possible kidnapping. To his misfortune, his mother and authorities do not believe him. Can he fight his demons and save his love without anyone dying? This suspenseful fast paced psychotic novel is for those who enjoy Chelsea Cain.

Hunting Annabell by author Wendy Heard is a great book! Set in the 1980’s and full of thrill, it brings you along to read about most people’s worst nightmare. Very good and I would absolutely recommend this book!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy of Hunting Annabell in exchange for an honest review.

4-5 stars. I thought this book was really well written, and characters were developed greatly. I couldn't decide if I should do 4-5 stars, because while I did find the book a tad predictable and maybe more of a young reader thriller, I still enjoyed it greatly. It was taunt, chilling, thrilling, and just a bit disturbing (would definitely been a 5 star read, if a bit more disturbing).
Will be recommending and using in daily challenges in Chapter Chatter Pub.

The narrator of Hunting Annabelle is Sean Suh. He's a young man who's been released from a psychiatric prison a few years ago. Since being released, he's only spoken with his mom and his psychiatrist...until he meets Annabelle at Four Corners, an amusement park that he describes as "a cheap Disney rip off."

Sean has been diagnosed as a schizophrenic and he takes multiple medications, which make him feel disoriented and sluggish. This is important because, when Annabelle goes missing during their date at none other than Four Corners, Sean begins to shake off the sluggishness and other side-effects from his medication. He becomes clear for the first time in a very long time. Is it his love for Annabelle removing the effects so he can find her?

As Sean searches for Annabelle, he realizes he didn't really know her. How could he, after all? He'd only known her for a couple of days. But he's digging into her life and her past and in doing so, he learns that he wasn't the only one keeping secrets when they met. This doesn't deter him from his mission of finding her though. In fact, it seems to only make him care for her even more!

I have to admit... it's a little odd to be inside the mind of Sean! It's not that he's not likable, it's quite the opposite! I found myself so proud of him at times simply for not killing people! At other times, I was either wishing he had or thankful he did. If you're a fan of the show Dexter, you'll definitely take a liking to Sean Suh!!!

This book is crazy in all the best ways and had my heart pounding often!!! I recommend reading it in a nice low-light on a spooky October night! You'll be in for more than just a good scare... There are multiple HUGE twists in Hunting Annabelle. My best advice for reading this one... don't ever think you know what's going on! Trust me, you don't. (And that, is my highest praise for any good mystery!)

I received a free review copy of this book through NetGalley. This in no way influenced my review, which you can find in full at https://jesscombs.com

Well crafted, you'll find yourself immediately sympathetic to the loneliness and confusion that Sean Suh faces daily, medicated for schizophrenia and for all intensive purposes (and per his mother, "a legend, the only female neurosurgeon west of the Mississippi) unsuitable for mainstream society, spending his days wandering Four Corners in Austin, TX, drawing the people that he sees. He also sees their auras......a part of his 'condition'. When he meets Annabelle, beautiful and with a unique coppery aura, he is immediately drawn to her. The feeling seems to be mutual and within days, Sean is in love. When he witnesses the kidnapping of Annabelle and begins seeking answers to her disappearance, he uncovers a tragic and horrific family history. Sean is immediately a person of interest in the case, and based on the death by his hands of his high school girlfriend and subsequent hospitalization, Sean knows that it will be nearly impossible to not be jailed for this. Sean is tormented by his past and unclear about what has been actually happening.....not feeling himself. The sweet, independent girl he thought he was coming to know holds some very dark secrets, and his own mother's involvement is stunning. This one will grab you from the beginning and not let go until you've reached the end of the ride......and the last few loops are hand grippers! MUST read!

Ahhhhhh who wouldn’t want to revisit the 80’s, lol, which is when this story takes place. Story starts off slowly, entertaining, yet didn’t keep me addicted. But at around half way thru - unveiling of a wicket plot twist. After being realized from a psychiatric prison Sean witnesses Annabelle’s disappearance. While wrestling his own demons, deciphering which of his illusions are real and which are delusions, he stops at nothing searching for Annabelle. Ending was a mindblower, yet felt rushed in its writing.

After leaving a California psychiatric prison, Sean Suh relocates to Austin, Texas, where he spends his days drawing people and their auras at a local Disneyland knockoff. A girl with a copper aura tempts him despite his understanding that he need protect her from himself. He witnesses her kidnapping, but no one believes him based on his mental health and conviction record, and suspicion falls more heavily on him as he conducts his own investigation. He learns interesting things about this girl he has immediately fallen for, but he could not have foreseen who did it. Heard brilliantly leads the reader through Sean’s emotional turmoil at each new piece of information; this could well be a manual for becoming a serial killer. Flashbacks from Annabelle’s point of view would have given her more depth. Being privy to Sean’s thoughts exposed his internal struggle, a fascinating insight that almost (but not quite) invokes compassion. Fans of Liane Moriarty and Gillian Flynn will appreciate this novel. I was fortunate to receive a digital copy of this fantastic thriller from the publisher through NetGalley.

My review is scheduled to post on my blog November 5, when I will also share on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter, with review to be posted on B&N on launch date.

I was expecting a completely different story and I was happy to be wrong. This book gave me the creeps! I love a good suspense and this one didn't disappoint. I thought the story was easy to follow and I would have given it 4 had I not figured out the ending almost half way through the book.

Many thanks go to Wendy Heard, MIRA Books, and Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review. Sean hangs out at his local amusement park and creates art in his sketchbook. There he meets Annabelle. He finds her captivating. They make a date to hang out another day, and sat the end of that day she is abducted. Sean spends the rest of the book looking for her because everyone thinks he's crazy. Oh did I tell you that? Yeah he hasn't been out of a mental institution long. So I realize the story I just spun for you doesn't sound too exciting, and honestly there were many moments when I wasn't too excited either. I was far more interested in the relationship between him and his mother. Don't get me wrong! This book was good, just goofy. Yeah goofy that's what I'd call it.

Hunting Annabelle is a smart, tightly plotted, and trippy-ass thriller with an unreliable narrator who's also believable and sympathetic. Set against the backdrop of 1980s Texas, HA also acts as a period piece, allowing us to step into the good and bad of the 1980s while taking the journey with Sean Suh on his quest to discover the truth behind Annabelle's disappearance. Writing such a complex character is tricky, but Wendy Heard walks this tightrope smartly while integrating intense set pieces and one hell of a final act.

This was a great debut novel by Wendy Heard! I’d say it was a light mystery which made it an easy read. It’s 1986 and Sean Suh has been released from the mental institution and his family moves to Texas. While Sean is out he meets Annabelle. They hit it off immediately and spend the day together. Sean is intrigued and likes that Annabelle doesn’t seem to be judging him. Then Annabel gets kidnapped.

Sean decides to go to the police even after having a very troubled past. Of course, they don’t believe him and are looking at Sean. He decides then he is the best person to find what happened to Annabelle.

Again, great debut novel a bit of a slow burn for the first 75%. Solid 4 Stars.

Loved the premise and storytelling on this one. I also loved the main character... for most of the book.

Sean is a mentally ill kid living in the 80s with his neurosurgeon, rockstar single mother. Unfortunately, Sean’s at home because of something bad he was institutionalized for. He’s schizophrenic and hallucinates... he also harms girls. So when he falls for a girl he just met at the local theme park he visits daily and he partially witnessed her abduction, it’s no wonder the police suspect Sean.

I loved the setting and Sean’s character. I was thinking a million ways this story would go, each idea better than the other, but the turn it ended up taking just fell really flat for me. It started off so strong, then turned a little kooky.

I wanted so badly to love Hunting Annabelle, it had been on my watch list for ages and I had been saving it. Sadly, it just didn’t work for me. Maybe I’m not in the right frame of mind for it, because the plot and writing is great. But I just couldn’t get on with it!

Sean is recently released from a mental institution, living with his mother and taking lots of antipsychotic drugs. One day he meets Annabelle and is smitten with her, determined to fight his own demons and not hurt her. But when she is kidnapped, Sean is the prime suspect for the police, even as he tries to uncover the culprit, sometimes doubting himself.

A gripping novel, with surprising and genius twists. Startling how the author manages to make one feel sympathetic towards mentally ill and murderous people :))