Thankyou to NetGalley, Bloodhound Books and the author, C S Barnes, for the opportunity to read Intention in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
Such a good read. I really enjoy a fast paced, action packed thriller that keeps you hooked. Intention did just that.
Worth a read.

I've had this book for years, I still haven't, unfortunately, got to it, so this is a placeholder review to reduce my shelf for my own sanity, but will replace this if I ever get to the book

This is the first book by this author I've read, but even though I didn't know what to expect, I was still surprised. However the animal abuse in the book doesn't do it for me, so I didn't like the book because of that. It was still a good read though.

There are a lot of graphic scenes with animals and Gillian. I didn't completely mind, but they weren't my favorite part. The book was pretty good, but I also didn't love the ending. It didn't feel completely resolved and it was abrupt.

This is definitely a dark book but I enjoyed it and was strangely fascinated by Gillian, the main character. An easy writing style helped to push the pace along.

A disturbing but highly addictive read. Very well written with great characters.
Would highly recommend.

A very dark, almost disturbing read completely different to your normal thriller.
I almost gave up reading after about a third of the way in, but I'm glad I didn't, as I'm so glad I read it to the very unexpected end.
Thank you netgalley

A 4-5 star read, that has some disturbingly dark subject manner. It really held my attention and got to my heart in many parts, since there was so much terrible things going on. If you are one that don’t much care for dark or disturbing subjects in books, it’s one you likely will not enjoy, but if you are like me and like the deliciously dark, disturbing, and twisted books, grab a copy and start reading!
I’ll be using in a challenge and recommending to the members of chapter chatter pub!

A dark thriller which held me transfixed from the start. Very cleverly written and unexpected. I really enjoyed the deviation from the usual style of thriller.

This is most definitely a marmite book, an acquired taste.

Gillian Thompson sounds like a perfectly ordinary name & an ordinary person. Gillian is, however, far from ordinary. She has grown up in a household where her mother is frequently emotionally, psychologically & physically abused by her father. There is permanent tension in the air ; so much that cannot be talked about. How could Gillian have turned out to be normal?

The first to say is a warning – this book does include quite detailed descriptions of abuse to people and animals. Gillian is far from normal & “experiments” on animals before preserving them. I found this quite hard to read & I am far from squeamish. Not for the faint hearted.

Leaving aside the descriptions, this is quite a strange book. We follow Gillian as she grows up before focusing on one long university vacation. Gillian is very seriously damaged and quite feasibly on the autistic spectrum. She struggles with social interaction and fitting in with day to day life. This summer she meets Daniel, a nice young man who cares for his elderly dying aunt. She also meets Paul who has the most wonderful looking dog. A lot happens this summer and Gillian struggles, seeking outlet in her “hobby”. Her mother also gains a new voice and challenges the person that Gillian has become.

There is a lot in this book about people’s interaction & the way that other people’s behaviour can leave a lasting affect. I enjoyed looking at Gillian’s personality & seeing how she has evolved as a person as a result of her upbringing. Would she still have been the same person had she grown up in a different household. Why are Gillian and Daniel attracted to each other? Does Daniel understand who Gillian really is?

I did enjoy this book in a strange sort of way. Gillian is not likeable but I did feel sorry for her – not that she would have appreciated that. I couldn’t relate to her or the situation but found it interesting to look at her from the outside. The story flowed well & I found it easy to follow. The ending was interesting & certainly not to everyone’s tastes as it left so much up in the air and open to suggestion – however it worked for me. This is definitely an individual book.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

Gillian lived in an abusive household almost her whole life. Her father drank and beat her mother for years and her mother did nothing to stop it. So it was no wonder that mentally Gillian was highly influenced.

Deciding that she needs to know exactly who she is, she starts experimenting on small animals, moving onto larger animals.

WARNING: These are graphic descriptions about the abusing and killing of animals.

Her father is killed falling down the stairs while drunk ... or did he? Gillian was the only person in the house when he fell. Because Gillian is young and maybe because the mother suspects what really happened, she takes the blame, claiming self defense.

It's when people around Gillian start to disappear or their bodies found, her mother starts to look differently at Gillian.

But are these deaths totally unrelated to Gillian, or is she a sociopath/psychopath? Why does she kill random people ... maybe because she can .. or she enjoys it ... or maybe its just a compulsion. Or maybe she's not murdering at all.

The writing grabbed me from the first page. However, I skipped a lot of pages because I don't enjoy reading about the abuse and killing of animals. I could not relate to Gillian or her mother. The ending was a bit abrupt ... and I felt things were left in the air without an actual conclusion.

Many thanks to the author / Bloodhound Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of INTENTION. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Intention
Darkness lies within…

by C.S. Barnes

Bloodhound Books

Mystery & Thrillers

Pub Date 30 Jan 2019

I am reviewing a copy of Intention Through Bloodhound Books and Netgalley:

When Twenty two year old Gillian Thompson comes home from the University she was attending for the summer it quickly becomes clear thattherw is a great deal of tension at home.

Geraldine, Gillian’s Mom has been abused by her husband Joe for years. It’s not until after her Father dies that Gillian
begins her own dark journey.

After meeting Paul and Daniel, Gillian becomes who she always knew she was. Just as people start dying around Gillian, her Mother becomes suspicious.

I give Intention four out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

This was so clever and different with top notch writing. The evolution of a psychopath, how one’s created, detailed through their mindset was brilliant!

Gillian is a fascinating character. Her inner dialogue is dark. Her ability to rationalize her evil was both disturbing and comical in its rationale. She is extremely detailed in her timing of events and is quick to supply (internally) a movie quote or song lyric as a response. It was this inner dialogue that supplied some lighter moments.

There are some twists and surprises. This is extremely dark and violent and it won’t be for everyone but I was hooked from the first page! The conclusion make me wonder if this is the beginning of a series? If so, sign me up!!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Bloodhound Books for a copy in exchange for a review.

Invention is a book that's difficult to categorise, but it was more contemporary women's fiction than a thriller per se, as there was plenty of emotional pull, and I found myself really caring about the characters. The disgusting animal cruelty in this novel, however, made me feel physically sick and reminded me that those who find pleasure in hurting defenceless animals quite often go on to hurt or kill humans; history tells us that, so if you're squeamish I recommend picking something different to read. Well written with engaging characters and a refreshing yarn this is well worth your time if you're a fan of women's fiction or light suspense.

Many thanks to Bloodhound Books for an ARC.

Awesome book. It will raise goosebumps all along your arms. Did she or didn't she? Read this gem of a book so you can figure it out for yourself. Happy reading!

I honestly didn't like this book. The killing of then animals early on put me off and I wasn’t able to get into the book from there. I completely understand that this was supposed to be almost a mirror into how damaged the main character, Gillian is, but there should be some forewarning in this book.

Gillian comes back home to for the summer to her father’s abusive behaviour towards her mother. For years she hears her father beating her mother, while her mother covers the bruises with makeup and excuses. After her father dies, the story follows Gillian’s attempt to fit into a normal life-style, while facing horrific secrets.

I will give praise where it is needed, and CS Barnes use of language was captivating and bold. But this book truly wasn’t for me.

Thanks to Bloodhound books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Perfect psychological thriller! It moved at a fast pace with twists and turns throughout! I couldn’t put it down! Highly recommend!

MY REVIEW

Well where do I start? What a disturbing, brilliant read that grabs you with both hands and won’t let go.....

Gillian’s father, Joe, is a brutal drunk, who regularly beats her mother. These injuries are hidden but Gillian is aware from a young age what is going on. While life plods along, Gillian is experimenting, putting bleach In the fish pond, breaking cats bones and more...this is the most disturbing part to me, a fledgling psychopath that no one seems to notice.....but do they?

Joe has a fatal accident, a fall down the stairs, ably assisted by Gillian, but her mother takes the blame as she ‘can’t lose both of you’. Due to his brutality there is no prison sentence but she goes to visit her sister for a while, leaving Gillian at home alone with her box......!

There is a stint at university, where she carries on with experiments but while at home for the holidays she meets Daniel and his sick Aunt Emily. She has a relationship with Daniel and is upset when Emily dies peacefully...

Gillian is very clever at hiding her lack of social skills and learns what is acceptable and expected of her.....but someone is killing young men in her area. Her mother knows what and who Gillian is, does Daniel?

This is an extraordinary book by C S Barnes, that shows the inner mind of a psychopath and the relationship she has with others close to her.

It has some disturbing moments like..... “For my own curiosity then, tell me: what shocked you more, the animal with the broken neck or the patricide? Really take some time to consider that, and then tell me why I’m the only monster”....

I fully intend making sure my windows are all shut tight !!! If you like a dark thriller then you’ll love this, it doesn’t come much darker.




Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to to read this and a free copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This is a strange book as I have to say I’m not sure where it led to. I finished reading it and yes, I know some things about Gillian but the story didn’t really have me hooked.
I think there should be mention in the blurb that the story contains graphic descriptions of animals being killed and then I would not have read it.
I appreciate it was so we would see how damaged Gillian is, but I found it made my stomach churn.
Gillian apparently can’t help killing and at her mums insistence goes to see a therapist. I expected to get to the bottom of why, but felt Gillian wasn’t revealing everything, so am still none the wiser.
A strange book...
Thanks to Bloodhound books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I enjoyed the fast pace of this novel! I only hate hurting animals in this book. It was a little much for me but other than that I enjoyed this novel.