Ahnia has a very dicey past – one that is scratching under the surface, just dying to get out.She’s hit rock bottom, broke and desperate to be on top again. When she finds herself partnering up with man she hardly knows, and who’s utterly untouchable, she’s forced out of her comfort zone in every way.Will Ahnia and Mac’s dangerous decision be a success, or will she find herself in the clutches of … in the clutches of an unforgiving force, brought about by her childhood sin?
In this nail biting thrill ride, no one is as they seem… and no one is truly safe with those they trust.
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Justice for Belle is one fast-faced novella! But in truth, I wouldn’t expect any less from author Didi Oviatt whose thrillers and suspense novels I’ve read in the past always get your heart racing and your mind flying. Another fantastic release showing why she’s on the rise as an amazing storyteller who will gut-punch you with twists and shocks when you least expect them.
The story: Ahnia did something wrong. We don’t know what it is, but it was bad. Very bad. Only one person knows. Or so she thought! The problem, other than what this other person might do to Ahnia, is that Ahnia seems to only be able to write when she’s coming off the high of doing something awful. A best seller as a teenager / early 20s young woman made her popular, but now, can she live up to that expectation? Several years later, she’s intrigued by a guy who makes an offer, but then she finds out what’s really going on behind the scenes. Who should she trust?
GIRL – no one! Never trust anyone once you’ve done what you’ve done. Poor Belle… will there ever be justice? Interested in the novella yet? The premise is outstanding, and the best part, we really don’t ever know why something happened in the past. We get bits and pieces, but it’s not really important. It’s the psychological FREAK-OUT we go thru wondering what happened that revs our engines. That’s a great author… now… the ending?!? I don’t ever expect Oviatt to do what you think she will, and that’s an amazing thing. She likes to make you wait just a bit longer, then pops you one with a doozy of a shock factor. Nothing personal, but I’m staying away from her in a dark alley!
Less than two hours, this is a wild ride… it slows down for a few chapters to let you catch your breath, but don’t be fooled. You’re not getting a break again after that first pause, so relish the hunt and figure out who’s behind the games in this great novella.
Justice for Belle is a fast-paced, gripping psychological thriller told in the first person POV that holds your interest from the beginning to end. The main character, Ahnia, a child prodigy, who wrote a best seller based on a personal tragedy in her teens, hasn’t written a single book since her first novel.
Years later, unsuccessful, and scrapping the bottom of her bank account, Ahnia lacks the inspiration for the second book she aspires to write. At the beginning of the story, we find her watching a stranger and wondering what type of killer he would be if he were a murderer. It seems simple enough; she’s a writer with an overactive imagination, developing a character for her book. She admits her own obsession is somewhat bazaar.
“Call me weird, obsessed, paranoid, twisted or whatever, but I have this nasty little habit of trying to guess what kind of killers people would be… if they were actually killers, that is. Whenever I see someone in a crowd who stands out among the rest, I see it. It all depends on their size, the way they move, the look in their eyes. Everything plays a part, and the image is usually fairly detailed. Then, I jot down my observations for future use.”
As the story unfolds, one wonders if her obsession is merely an overactive imagination or something more serious. Why does she assign everyone she meets a murderous persona, even her stepmother? Does her obsession with murder stem from a horrific childhood tragedy or something more sinister, something deeply-rooted in her psyche?
Ahnia’s murky past unravels when Mac, a man from her past, reappears years later with a plan of his own. Although repelled by Mac’s overfamiliarity, his smell and looks are enticing. While strangely drawn to Mac, she still harbors suspicions, especially when he announces he’s a lifelong fan of her writing. Even more alarming is Mac’s doppelganger fiancé whose green eyes and dark raven hair are similar to Ahnia’s. These ominous clues don’t stop Ahnia from accepting Mac’s harebrained scheme to revive her failing writing career, a plan that could land her in prison a while. Desperate and needing to prove to her family she can survive as a novelist, she’s willing to do anything to write that next great book. But events quickly take a turn for the worse in ways neither Ahnia nor the reader will foresee.
If you love a fast read and a psychological thriller that keeps you guessing, you will love Didi Oviatt’s Justice for Belle. I highly recommend this book to all.
Justice for Belle: by Didi Oviatt
Life seems to be falling apart for Ahnia. While she is plagued by memories of a crime in which she was involved, her brother strives ahead with plans to become a doctor.
Obsessed with death, and at a crossroads in her life, Ahnia resorts to people watching and imagines each unsuspecting subject as a killer. It is during one of these people watching sessions that she meets the handsome, yet mysterious Mac, who eventually proposes a strange partnership in which they will both benefit.
As Ahnia becomes embroiled in the illicit relationship, she has no idea what the outcome will be – and neither does the reader!
I highly Recommend this well written thriller that kept me enthralled until the very last page.
Didi Oviatt has proven herself to be a fabulous author who writes fast-paced, expertly crafted stories that are difficult to put down.
This was written in such a way that my eyes were glued to the pages and I was psychologically shaken, attempting to figure out just what was happening and why. And the ending!! You won’t see it coming. I love the suspense of it all. Didi Oviatt, in her mastery of writing, holds out a little longer than you expect and then BAM.
I was left wanting more. There were opportunities to make these characters come to life a bit more. Rare for me, but I didn’t mind too much. The fast-paced plot had me so engulfed, that I just wanted to know what was going on.
Another fabulously written novel by Didi Oviatt. I am looking forward to more!
*I received a copy of this book from R&R Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*
Quirky.
The one word that best describes everyone in Justice for Belle.
Although for Ahnia Airington, bonkers works too.
A literary sensation with a bestseller at 18, Ahnia is a one-hit-wonder now in her thirties who eats too much, drinks too much, and obsesses too much over the bad thing she did as a teenager… which inspired her bestseller.
She sits in public places now people-watching and characterizing strangers as murderers, complete with choice of weapon. But she still isn’t writing.
It’s easy to feel sorry for Ahnia. At first. She has the ultimate case of writer’s block and can’t even complete an outline for a new book.
However, any empathy I had for her dissipated quickly when it became obvious she’s one of those writers who allow writer’s block to define their lives, leaving them unable to move on and work, be responsible and accountable, or adult in any sense of the word. To be fair, her writing muse is definitely unusual.
Ahnia is also dealing with buckets of guilt, and not so much from the bad thing she did as a teenager—because, you know, that wasn’t her fault—but because she lost her mother as a result, which led to her widower father marrying the horrid Dorothy, and made her good-guy brother, Tim, an accessory.
Short of a life-altering thrill, Ahnia will never write again… enter Mac.
Though her defenses were up at first, Ahnia becomes too preoccupied with Mac too quickly. When she watched him propose to a woman who could have been her twin, Ahnia should have run away like she was on fire.
But nope. She falls under his sway… and he drags her down the rabbit hole.
Good pacing and build-up in this short read, and nice TWISTY climax.
Justice for Belle is too short in the sense it does not tie all the loose ends up for me, and I don’t need a pretty bow when a couple of tight knots will suffice.
Justice for Belle is good suspense with plenty of quirks, but the quirks keep you reading.
Enjoy!
Wow! First, it was pretty cool that the main character, Ahnia, was a writer. And then we find out some pretty dang interesting stuff about her! Also her head was a very, very puzzling place to be! I kept wanting to crack her code!
I was captivated and intrigued from the very first page. And this book was covered in all kinds of shades of grays! And, Mac, my boy Mac! I was so thoroughly googly eyes over his character!
There was suspense, there was mystery, there was addicting writing, and a whole lot of me wanting to know what was going to happen next! And I loved that it was a quick read because I get tired of being bogged down with huge books all the time! I can’t wait to check out more from this author!