4.75 stars for The Axe by Linda Griffin #thriller #suspense #novella #newrelease #bookreview
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  • N. N. Light
    • Sep 27, 2023
    • 2 min read

4.75 stars for The Axe by Linda Griffin #thriller #suspense #novella #newrelease #bookreview



Title: The Axe

Author: Linda Griffin

Genre: Thriller Novella, Psychological Thriller Novella


Book Blurb:


Sweethearts Eric Leidheldt and Desiree Chauveau are spending a weekend at his uncle's cabin when they encounter two strangers cutting wood. Eric is knocked unconscious, and Desi is viciously attacked. The following day two police officers come to their apartment to arrest Desi. Her assailants are dead, murdered with an axe, and her fingerprints are on it. She confesses—but is she really guilty? Eric is determined to stand by her, but the physical and emotional effects of the attack severely challenge their relationship.


My Review:


A brutal assault. Murder with an axe. Desi's life hangs in the balance. The Axe is a shocking psychological thriller novella. Never in my life have I read something like this. It's much more than a thriller, this novella digs deep into PTSD and the after-effects. Trauma, no matter what form it takes, has the potential of turning a human into a monster.


The descriptive narration is well done. While steeped in mystery and secrets, the narration plunges the reader into the story. For most of the story, I had no idea what happened or what was going to happen. But thanks to the immersive narration, I couldn't stop reading.


The characters are well-written with plenty of intrigue. Eric and Desi live through a horrific event. The fallout is emotional and shocking. These characters are portrayed with empathy and compassion. By the time I reached the end, I felt I understood them.


The Axe is a novella and thus there is depth in characterization and tension missing. But the crux of the story is well-told and completes the story. Yes, I wish it was more fleshed out, but the length doesn't allow for it.


I enjoyed this thriller novella. It will stay with me for a long time. Humanity at its worst is nothing short of evil.


My Rating: 4.75 stars


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Author Biography:


I was born and raised in San Diego, California and earned a BA in English from San Diego State University and an MLS from UCLA. I retired from a position as fiction librarian for the San Diego Public Library to spend more time on my writing. In addition to the three R’s—reading, writing, and research—I enjoy Scrabble, movies, and travel. My earliest ambition was to be a “book maker” and I wrote my first story, “Judy and the Fairies,” with a plot stolen from a comic book, at the age of six. I broke into print in college with a story in the San Diego State University literary journal, The Phoenix, but most of my magazine publications came after I left the library. My stories have been published in numerous literary journals, including Eclectica, Thema, and Avalon Literary Review. Five novels and a collection of novellas are available for order from the Wild Rose Press.


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Reviewed by: Nancy

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