His friend has been murdered, but he can’t be responsible… Can he?John has returned to London and rekindled the spark with his gorgeous ex, Belinda. But, after a vivid dream in which he seems to brutally murder an old friend, John is shocked to discover that said friend has indeed been slaughtered.The next few nights are agony as the dreams prove unrelenting and – horrifically – others in his … horrifically – others in his circle are violently killed. John and Belinda begin to investigate. Both dreadfully conscious that John himself seems to be the number one suspect…
A London murder mystery with a difference from supernatural thriller author, F.R. Jameson.
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Why This Book
To be honest, I’m not exactly sure what made me download The Wannabes by F.R. Jameson earlier in the year. I know I saw the Kindle version was free on Amazon, but it was either recommended to me or I connected with the author. Either case, I did… and in my quest to close out by the end of January 2018 all my commitments for ARCs or authors I know, it was one of the many reads on my many flights over the holidays this year. And now it’s time for the review…
Plot, Characters & Setting
The story takes place in London, where main character John Clay has returned after a number of years absence. He was part of a group of entertainers/friends who dated one another, played tricks on one another and competed for meeting life goals in their various careers and family situations. John begins dating a former girlfriend from the group, but he awakens after strange dreams where he murders one of the friends in the group. As the nights go by, more dreams where he is killing various friends. But it doesn’t end there… he’s so startled by each dream that he goes to the friend’s house in the middle of the night to assure himself he didn’t commit murder, only to find the friend died in the exact way it occurred in the dream. Very strange! As the story progresses, readers learn of the intricate relationships in the group, a book that someone was about to publish and suspicion of witchcraft. Nothing is really as it seems, and you know there’s some sort of magic going on, but you won’t figure it out until the end — at least not the full story.
Approach & Style
The book is written in third person with a focus on John Clay. I read the Kindle version in my iPad in about 2 hours on a flight – it’s relatively short and easy to digest. Chapters are short and keep you focused through suspense and intrigue.
Key Opinions
This is a tough one to classify… it’s a good book, but at the same time, I couldn’t tell what readers were supposed to know and not supposed to know. I liked being a bit in the doubting range, as it forced me to focus intently on word choice and style. You need to in order to understand what’s real and pick up on specifically what’s not being said.
The characters were definitely not likable — none of them. They were a bit mean-spirited or over-the-top, but that’s the point and why it makes it a fun read. Dialogue is witty, clever and sarcastic –
very British. You’ll know from fairly early on what’s probably going on, but you still want to see where it’s going and what the key missing piece to the story is — that’s the fun of the journey. All in all, I’d give it a 3.5, but because of the intention behind the book, how it lent itself to a humorous take, and what I think the author was doing with the approach, it rounds up to a 4 for me.
Final Thoughts
In some ways, the book bordered on a bit of old school English tradition and classic American camp – in a good way. I enjoyed the premise, liked the writing style and bounced along with the plot. It’s a fun read, but it’s the type of book that doesn’t completely push you on being a serious thriller. Despite some of the ways people died or are killed, it’s not graphic but it’s not lighthearted. It’s something to add a little levity to the way people react when meeting a group they were formerly friends with. I like the author’s style and will read more of his work in the future.