This was a great book! I hadn't heard of the author before and although the blurb sounded interesting, I didn´t expect too much (not entirely sure why). I´ve had it for quite a while now but only really started reading it last week, but after a few chapters I was hooked.

Written in short chapters, the book is written in third person at first and concentrates only on Jake, the main character. Soon, journal entries written by Clara, another important character, are added and eventually the chapters alternate between journal entries written by both Clara and Jake, which is explained towards the end.

I don´t want to say much about the plot, it was a surprise for me and I think that was part of why I liked it so much. It´s not your average thriller and I loved that the author was including something new (there might be others like it but I certainly haven´t read any). It wasn´t particularly scary or gruesome (I guess it depends on what you usually read though) but the twists and the fact that the whole story wasn´t revealed until the very end, kept me interested.

I didn´t love the ending, it seemed a bit too easy, but that´s okay. There were also some typos and some inconsistencies, but I´m not sure if that´s because I read an advanced copy, they might have been ironed out ("the woman got off on the third floor, we went up one more floor and got off on the third floor" kind of thing).

All in all I really enjoyed it and I would happily read another book written by this author.

This book had its ups and downs, but I feel The Dead Girl in 2A by Carter Wilson is definitely a book worth picking up this summer!

Jake Buchanan feels like he might somehow know the woman sitting next to him on his flight to Denver, he just isn’t sure how. Clara, the woman sitting in 2A, feels she knows Jake as well. As the two get to talking, they both agree they seem familiar, but they’re not sure how. As more of their story unfolds on the plane, Jake reveals he’s to write an obscure man’s memoir, and Clara is there to kill herself.

As they exit the plane, each to their separate locations, Jake follows Clara into the crowded terminal, feeling helpless, but wanting to stop her. What transpires after they get off that plane and the manipulative figure that brought them together, decades after the two meet is what makes this a twisted book. While neither Jake nor Clara can come up with the link between them, it certainly is there!

While I was expecting more of a psychological thriller, what I got was more science fiction, fantasy. If you’re into that kind of style, you’re really going to be pleasantly surprised by this book. So, having recently read Blake Crouch’s new book Recursion, I found myself enjoying this book more than I expected!

The beginning of this book drew me in with some decent writing and plot development, and while there were a couple of twists, I wasn’t blown away by them. I think more than anything, the plot is what really made this book better than it seemed. Having gone from psychological thriller to science fiction, it kept my attention and left me wanting to know how it would end.

I will say, one of the negatives of this book was the ending. I’m not going to ruin it for others, but you will eventually become aware of the subplot, and then the ending feels like it was folded up too neatly. While I was expecting a possible mind blowing twist at the end, it was rather flat and predictable.

Overall, The Dead Girl in 2A by Carter Wilson is definitely not what I was expecting from the summary of the book. That being said, it was a nice surprise from the other thrillers I’ve read lately. While it was a decent read, there weren’t many major twists or a mind-blowing ending I was hoping for. I think it shouldn’t be missed this summer, because it really isn’t like other books!

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Carter Wilson for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

4/5 Brilliant Stars!!

Dark, twisty, unique suspense with a mix of sci-fi. This was such a great read for me and I honestly did not expect to love it so much. Well-written story that pulled me in from the first pages, and kept me on the edge of the seat till the end. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is looking for a fresh, unique, and quite eerie suspense/mystery novel. This read is definitely a delicious treat.

Thank you NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and the author, Carter Wilson, for giving me an opportunity to read an ARC of this brilliant novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

Jake is called to Colorado for an interesting job that might help out with some recent troubles. His seatmate on the plane seems familiar but neither can figure out the connection, despite the many similarities.

I love a good conspiracy and I love watching (reading) them unfold into things I could never imagine. I was drawn to this one from the initial description but I was hooked from the first time the psychological experiment was mentioned. It was disturbing but in a way that had me rushing through it to find out how it all ended.

It was a pretty good book. One might enjoy it on the beach or on a cold wintery day. Either way, keep telling yourself it can't possibly be that crazy and watch it get crazier.

*I received this book from netgalley in exchange for my review.

Yet again, another thriller I simply couldn't get into. I prefer thrillers to be more reality based and this turned kinda sci-fi strangeness. I don't know, it just wasn't my cup of tea.

I went into this one blind and it was nothing like I expected! Twisty and unexpected this story kept me turning pages. It has everything you could ask for! Amnesia, illegal schools for children, orphans, brain washing..... seriously. Pick this one up. A unique story that will keep you guessing. ⁣

Jake and Clara meet on an aeroplane. Each is drawn to the other, feeling that they have met before, but where? They have several things in common, including the fact that they are both orphans, and both suffering from increasing memory loss. But the story really begins when Clara disappears into the airport after confiding to Jake that she has flown to Colorado to kill herself., and what follows is a twisty tale of repressed memories, secrets and lies.

The story was a little contrived for my taste. When reading thrillers, I like to believe that something could really happen, that's what makes it scary for me, and this one was a little far-fetched.

That being said, it's a fairly well written and very entertaining book if you just go with it and enjoy the ride.

NOTE: I was provided with a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for leaving an unbiased review.

First things first...based on this book, I bought Mr Tender's Girl. That is a great recommendation from someone who has a TBR pile that is quickly taking over my living room. The story line is unique, I've not read anything close to it before. The characters are so well developed, you will talk to them. There is really nothing I can say except READ THIS BOOK!

This was an interesting book. I am not a huge fan of this type of book. The story was fast paced and did draw me in. I wish the blurb I read had said it was a medical thriller. I finished it though it was not what I expected. This is the first book I have read by this author. I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

This book wasn't what I expected and in the beginning it had me wondering where this was going but it didn't take me long to be hooked. The characters are nicely developed and you feel with the two main characters. Hoping for the best but afraid it isn't going to end well. The story itself is not far fetched and gets you thinking about test that are performed in real life. Some with government approval under the cover of medical research others testing the maximum endurance of the human body for military purpose. This is not exactly a fast moving mystery but more an analyzing of human feelings under the influence of specific drugs and hypnoses with a mystery completing the story. Well worth the time spend reading it.

I will echo what other reviewers have said in that the book was surprise. Upon entering the story, there is a sense that the reader knows exactly where this story is going; but that is a mistake. Instead, Wilson takes the reader on a journey that feels part thriller, part horror, and part science fiction. This book kept me riveted and the payoff was worth it.

I guess I thought this book would be different, because it wasn’t bad but it just wasn’t great. The story was good, writing and story was well done... but the characters lacked something and this had more of a sci-fi vibe to it that I wasn’t expecting.

This was definitely an original plot line but it did not really hold my interest nor was it written in a way that I found enjoyable. There were many instances where I had to suspend my disbelief that didn’t work for me. Also, there were too many characters and too much going on for my taste. Those who enjoy more of a medical/fantasy plot with a lot of action will find this appealing.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Carter Wilson for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Jake is slowly losing his memories. Is it mental illness or early-onset Alzheimer’s disease?

On a plane trip to Denver, he meets the Dead Girl in 2A and she seems familiar. The girl, Clara, says the same about Jake. It won’t matter much longer because Clara is going to Colorado to kill herself.

After losing Clara in the airport, Jake desperately tries to discover his connection to her. What he discovers is mind-blowing!

The Dead Girl in 2A is a thriller but its subject is sci-fi horror. A rogue medical experiment gone awry is a great topic for a thriller that hasn’t been used since Robin Cook’s books in the 1980s. The characters seem real and it is easy to empathize with them. This would make a great Netflix series along the lines of Stranger Things. Most thriller readers will enjoy it. However, if you have suicidal thoughts, you should avoid it as it glorifies suicide a bit. 4 stars!

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Carter Wilson does it again. I've read all his books and he never disappoints me. My only problem with Carter's books is that once I start reading one, I can't put it down! Forget about sleep or cleaning house or any of life's chores - - my only goal is to finish the book!!

The thing that was so scary about this book is that no matter how far-fetched it may seem, it also had the sense that something like this COULD happen! Drugs have been used for years in 'experiments' and as horrible as this was, it was also horribly plausible.

As always in Carter's books, the characters are vivid and real. The descriptions are so unique I often find myself stopping and re-reading a sentence just for its beauty. The plot moves along at a fast pace and keeps the reader fully engaged from first page to last.

Exceptional!!

What a surprise this book was. I guess I was expecting something different to read but I really liked how it turned out. Two people Jake and Clara meet on the plane and they have this feeling that they know each other from somewhere. They also suffer from memory loss. What else connects this two? This book is unique and definitely a page turner with a lot of twists. The concept of this book is truly unique, imaginative and interesting. A lot of thought and creativity has clearly been put into it.

I loved the aspects of repressed memories, trauma, family and manipulation that is explored within the novel.

As a psychological thriller it definitely ticks my boxes. It wasn’t too predictable and it wasn’t too outlandish that it became fantasy.

The Dead Girl in 2A isn’t actually dead, she is just about to be. That is what Clare tells Jake who is sitting next to her on the flight to Denver.She might not have been so open with a stranger, but she has this odd sense she knows him from somewhere. Jake has the same feeling of recognition and is equally unable to place her, but then both of them have trouble with their memories. Neither can remember their childhood and struggle with little details in short-term memory.

They go their separate ways at the airport, while Jake goes to meet his ghostwriting client and she heads off to her planned suicide. Now why Jake did not hang onto Clare like a limpet, trying to dissuade her from her intention to commit suicide is beyond me, but folks do some inexplicable things in this book. We soon learn Clare and Jake have more in common than first class seating and trouble remembering as Elle finds Jake to warn him that he and Clare are both seemingly victims of a medical experiment that has gone awry.

I loved Carter Wilson’s “Mister Tender’s Girl” so much that I was eager for The Dead Girl in 2A. I found the story compelling and kept reading to the end. I liked Jake and Clare even though I thought they made some ridiculous choices, such as joining a medical trial or letting Clare wander off to kill herself. Wilson knows how to tell a compelling story.

My problem with The Dead Girl in 2A is the level of conspiratorial complexity was just too much for me. I don’t like James Bond either.

I received an e-galley of The Dead Girl in 2A from the publisher through NetGalley

I thought this book was OK. It did have some twists in it but it also dragged in spots. I don’t alway love sci fi aspects and I didn’t realize there would be some of that in here. I think the book had a unique plot though.

Hmmm this book.....it's taken me 8 days to read which is unheard of....I found it pretty slow in places with nothing making me want to pick it up. The storyline sounded like it was going to have promise but it was just a bit weird. I liked Clara and Jack as characters but the others were all strange and unlikeable. The ending was nothing surprising but I guess it fit in with story and at least it was resolved. Slightly disppointed in myself for wasting so much time on this....I hoped it would get better but it didn't!

A poor man's Dean Koontz!

On a flight to Denver, ghostwriter Jake Buchannan experiences déjà vu when he sets eyes on the woman sitting next to him, in – you guessed it – seat 2A.

Clara also feels a strange sense of familiarity regarding him, but neither recall ever meeting before. They get to talking, and Jake is shocked when Clara confides in him that she is travelling to Denver with the intention of committing suicide.

He tries to convince her otherwise, but when they land, he has no choice but to let her walk away, but he can't get her out of his head. Then, at the hotel bar, he encounters another mysterious woman.

First things first, I feel it's crucial to mention that this is less psychological thriller and domestic noir, more scientific medical thriller. I admire Carter Wilson for doing something different, but the execution didn't work for me, and there were long stretches where the plot dragged. I was expecting it to be more action-driven, so was disappointed with the overly-descriptive introspective dreamlike chapters. Even the cat-and-mouse game between the good and bad guys grew tiresome. There were some shocks and surprises, and Jake was a character I was genuinely rooting for, but even still this one was only average for me.

Chapters alternate between Jake and journal entries from ‘The Book of Clara'. It's a quick, fast read that's easy to follow so perfect for those on the go, or whose reading time is limited.

I'd like to thank Netgalley, Sourcebooks, and Carter Wilson for the e-ARC.

Out now!