This book is hard to review because it took me a while to really enjoy it, and I found moments predicable. Despite that, the mystery, suspense, and tinges of romance are well paced. The characters themselves are hard to like - but they're kids and that could be my own bias. If you like thrillers with throwback events this one is a solid choice.

Paranoid is another recent thriller that I was excited to read, but was kind of let down in the end. The premise of the book was promising...someone is killing classmates of Rachel Gaston's just in time for their class reunion. Each of them were involved in a nighttime game in an abandoned factory when the game turned deadly. Now as her friends are dying, someone is stalking her.

On the one hand,, I did enjoy the mystery part of the book. I didn't call the killer or any of the twists in the end. There were some very creepy scenes. The big lesson to learn here? Don't meet your lover in an abandoned school at midnight. The pacing was good and I wasn't bored.

What I didn't like were some of the characters. They weren't memorable and most of them were horrible people. Rachel's kids needed to have their attitudes majorly readjusted. As an aside, why do authors keep writing teens like this? I have two and I would never put up with attitudes like theirs. I was also disappointed with the way Rachel and Cade both kept having inner dialogue with themselves about how much they missed the other, but it was never followed through with. I would have loved a bit more romance in that area. Ultimately, I would recommend it, it just wasn't as good as I was hoping.

In all honesty I expected a lot more from this book. Loved the title, the story line was a little slow and hard to get into. I did think a lot of passages were unnecessary, but a good read nonetheless. Recommended.

Paranoid is an intriguing, fast-paced thriller that's not only about paranoia but also about secrets, lies and revenge. It was engaging from start to finish. I was fully absorbed by both the past and present stories. Who really killed Luke and who's out there to get revenge 20 years after? Aside from Rachel, there's few equally interesting characters to follow. And though I didn't have a hard time figuring out who's out for revenge, there are some twists and turns that caught me by surprise. Overall, a solid read.

This was my second book by this author and this one wasn't my favorite BUT I did enjoy it. There were some weak points to it however, I thought it did keep up the suspense and intrigue. Plot twists were pretty spot on. Although, it wasn't a favorite I would still recommend this one to most. It definitely won't be my last book by her and look forward to more from her.

Thanks to Netgalley, Kensington books and Lisa Jackson for this ARC. This starts off with a murder that happens 20 years earlier and the present. The author goes between the two very effortlessly. This is a suspenseful mystery type thriller that has you guessing all the way to the end. Just when you thought you had it figured it out, another plot twist is introduced. Great read by an Author who has easily made a spot on my list of Authors to follow.

Oh no, wow this was pretty bad!
Terrible story (weak, predictable) and the dialogues? The author tells us these are adults but makes tem sound like pre teens? Who speaks like that?
And why would ***Attention- Spoilers ahead-<spoiler>the bad woman whose name I've already forgotten, go to a hypnotherapist if she had all those terrible secrets? She knows them all, doesn't need help remembering, why risk it? Ugh, terrible book.

I'd still like to thank the Publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an Arc in exchange for my honest review.

Paranoid is one of the better Jackson books that I’ve read. I have to admit that I did not guess who the killer was from the crime 20 years ago. I did guess the culprit of the more recent crimes, and have to say it ruined the story for me. For me, it was as bad as reading a book and finding out “the Butler did it.”

The romance seemed almost secondary to the events of the story, so if you pick this book, pick it for the mystery elements. Truth be told, I would rather our heroine have found someone else, but it was fairly satisfactory.

Excellent psychological thriller! It moved at a fast pace with twists and turns throughout! Well-developed characters and plot. Highly recommend!

📚📚📚📚 out of 5
This book was a fantastic mystery/thriller and it kept me on the edge of my seat slowly building up the tension to the point you wonder is she imagining it or not? Paranoid was the perfect title for the book. However on the romance scale I would say 1 out of 5 because it was practically non existent (which is fine, but please don’t market it as a romance).
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20 years ago a tragedy happened and our heroine was blamed for killing her step brother. It doesn’t matter that she was acquitted- a small town has a short memory and then there is the fact that she blames herself. On the anniversary of his death one of the girls that cast doubt on our heroine committing the crime is killed and everything is bought back up to the surface.
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What happened in this book is the reason why I don’t like second chance romances- second time around they still have feelings for each other and ok let’s maybe give it another go. WHY? Nothing got resolved, there is no communication about the breakdown of their relationship in the first place, so I’m left scratching my head a little. The heroine has two teenage kids and this again reminds me why I dislike YA- so much goddamn angst! I experienced enough of it myself, I so don’t want to experience it again!

Is Rachael paranoid or is she right to be afraid? This book kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat. A great read for all psychological thriller lovers

Lisa Jackson is a brilliant writer! Not all of her books are for me, but a brilliant thing about her writing is it's very diverse. PARANOID was a book where she shines! I loved this book, it's definitely one to read with your doors locked.

This was my first book by Lisa Jackson and all I can say is that she really delivers! Suspense, mystery, multiple points of view and creepiness. The writing was great and I was hooked immediately. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

It can be hard to find an author who writes the perfect blend of danger, suspense, and romance, but Lisa Jackson has managed to do just that with her latest release Paranoid. I haven’t read many of her books, but after reading this one I’m ready to hunt down some of her backlist.

Rachel Gaston did an unspeakable thing when she was seventeen. She killed her older brother. It was an accident - a bunch of teenagers got together to play paintball in an abandoned warehouse -  but no one knew one gun was loaded with real bullets instead of paint. Both Rachel and her brother Luke’s lives ended that night. Once Luke was gone, Rachel was changed; the carefree girl she’d been is gone and has been replaced by a woman consumed with guilt in the aftermath of his death. It doesn’t help that there have always been those who didn’t quite believe what happened was truly accidental and have created their own narratives for what occurred.

Even decades later, Rachel still can’t escape the legacy of that night. Her life has moved on - in theory. She got married, had two kids, got divorced; but on the twentieth anniversary of Luke’s death the local paper runs a story about it, and the usual circus of gossip starts up again. Rachel is used to getting sideways glances, but this time it seems like something more sinister is afoot. She constantly has the sense that she’s being watched, and when an old classmate (who was at the warehouse that night) is murdered, the whole town is abruptly on edge along with her.

It’s been a while since I read a suspense/thriller, but after this experience I may get back into the genre. I was glued to the book while I read it and eager for each crumb of information. I can’t say I was surprised by the way things played out - upon reflection, the groundwork laid pointed to the eventual outcome - but it was so skillfully done that I also couldn’t have predicted it.

I think one of the ways the author kept me guessing was by focusing on a wide array of characters and their secrets. While Rachel is clearly the protagonist here, we also follow her ex-husband, her two teenage children, friends, and other family members at various times. I was particularly drawn in by the storyline concerning Harper and Dylan, Rachel’s kids. They’re so wonderfully, frustratingly imperfect. Like many teenagers, they manage to love, respect, and disrespect their parents all at once. Chapters from their points of view hint at secrets they don’t want their parents to know about, which in turn led to an agonizing few chapters as I waited for Rachel or Cade (her ex) to catch onto them. While vexing, Harper and Dylan definitely felt like real teenagers and added an intriguing element to the plot.

I picked this book to review because I was hooked by the thought of a woman who accidentally killed her own brother and interested in what effect that would have on her life. The author does an excellent job of writing a plausible story centered on that scenario. Rachel is clearly still haunted by horror and grief, and even twenty years later she has regular nightmares and is scared enough to check the locks on her house multiple times before bed. Yet she also works to be strong for her family, trying not to let her own fears get in the way of being a good wife and mother. These issues certainly played a role in the breakdown of her marriage, but as the book goes on and she sees more of Cade, they seem to be approaching a reconciliation. This mix of her being distraught over her brother’s death and determined to focus on normal life felt spot-on to me as the best possible outcome for someone who accidentally killed their sibling.

All in all, I would definitely suggest Paranoid to anyone looking for a suspense/thriller with a hint of romance. It certainly kept me on the edge of my seat.

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Lisa Jackson has done it again with Paranoid; the story draws you in and you are willing to follow it where ever the author will take. Solid characters with twists and turns that keeps the reader until the end.

Lisa Jackson is always good for a sleepless night! This was a fast paced, can't put it down story. I love a book that I can't figure out right away, one that keeps me guessing. This one fit the bill!

This mystery at the center of this book is one that is quite terrifying! I loved the different POV's and the small town setting. Jackson does a great job at making each character relatable while you suspect them all. The twists and turns of it all were wonderful.

I was navel to finish this book, I could not get into it, which doesn’t usually happen with Jackson novels. I will probably try again later in the future.

Rating 3.5 Stars

The night of Luke's death had been the beginning of the end for so many things, including her parents marriage. So you not only killed your brother, you ruined your parents marriage.

Twenty years later Rachel is still fighting the demons of that night her brother was killed. She had pulled the trigger in a teenage game that ended with chaos and her way to jail. She was acquitted by the testimony of two friends but Rachel remains paranoid of what really happened.

Much as changed in the small town of Edgwater. Rachel now has two kids of her own, is separated from her husband who is the current detective of Edgewater. Her best friend Lila is now her step mother and the mother of her brother Luke and a murder occurs on the anniversary of Luke's accidental shooting death.

Rachel lives with paranoia on the death of her brother. Who actually killed her brother and why. The paranoia turns to fear as second murder occurs and a mystery begins to unravel in the drama of a small town. A who done it and whose doing it now will keep you at the edge of your seat.

A Special Thank you to Kensington Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

When Rachel Gaston was a teenager she got involved in a dangerous game. This involvement led to the tragic death of her brother Luke. Acquitted from the crime, it is now twenty years later. Someone is bound and determined to make her pay for Luke's death.

Rachel had quite a bit of counseling and even had a nice life for a while. She married and had two children. However, her nightmares and anxiety have a profound affect on her and she and husband, Detective Cade Ryder divorced. They are good co-parents to their teenage children and with rapidly changing circumstances, are drawn together quite often in this story.

Rachel and several others were in the process of preparing for their twenty-year high school reunion. One of the former classmates is murdered and several other things, including other murders, happen in quick succession. This, quite naturally, makes Rachel quite nervous. All she wants to do is to forget the past and prepare her children for the future. All the while, she wonders about her relationship with Cade, and he has similar thoughts throughout.

Paranoid is a thrilling story. There is a strong element of revenge in this story, and this reaches deep into the lives of Rachel, and also her children. There is also the paranoia Rachel feels as her past continues to resurface. The danger is present from the outset, and despite the family drama, reunion planning and personality issues, their are enough twists and turns, as well as plenty of plausible suspects, to make this a difficult book to put down. Lisa Jackson is a remarkable author and I always enjoy reading her books.

Many thanks to Kensington and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.