Saving Grace
by D.M. Barr
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Pub Date 15 Oct 2020 | Archive Date 30 Nov 2020
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Description
Grace Pierrepoint Rendell, the only child of an ailing billionaire, has been treated for paranoia since childhood. When she secretly quits her meds, she begins to suspect that once her father passes, her husband will murder her for her inheritance. Realizing that no one will believe the ravings of a supposed psychotic, she devises a creative way to save herself--she will write herself out of danger, authoring a novel with the heroine in exactly the same circumstances, thus subtly exposing her husband's scheme to the world. She hires acclaimed author Lynn Andrews to help edit her literary insurance policy but when Lynn is murdered, Grace is discovered standing over the bloody remains. The clock is ticking: can she write and publish her manuscript before she is strapped into a straitjacket, accused of homicide, or lowered six feet under?
With a cast of secondary characters whose challenges mirror grace's own, Saving Grace is, at its core, an allegory for the struggle of the marginalized to be heard and live life on their own terms.
A Note From the Publisher
Advance Praise
"...expert pacing...A wild ride whose propulsive energy will keep readers turning pages. An intriguing murder mystery that readers will rush to finish." -Kirkus Reviews
"A psychological thriller with more than enough twists, turns, and misdirection to keep even the most jaded reader turning pages all night long." –Lori Robbins, author of the Silver Falchion Award-winning novel, Lesson Plan for Murder
"Saving Grace is a fun and fast-paced mystery that will have you laughing out loud, while you're wondering if Grace will save herself and catch the bad guys. If you like Susan Isaacs, you'll love D.M. Barr." -Cathi Stoler, author of BAR NONE A Murder On The Rocks Mystery
Available Editions
EDITION | Ebook |
ISBN | 9781684335565 |
PRICE | US$6.99 (USD) |
Featured Reviews
Clever and imaginative! Great, multi-faceted characters. Very interesting plot. Vivid descriptions. Kept me intrigued from the first page to the last. Simply a GREAT read!
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so
For 40 years, Grace has been under the care of a therapist for her mental health problems, which started when she was a young child.
Being on medications constantly, she's gone on to get married and have two children ... and she's had enough of feeling the way she does. Secretly weaning herself off her meds, she finds that she really isn't psychotic .. is she?
Being the only child of a billionaire, she thinks her husband is waiting for her father to pass and then he will kill Grace once she inherits her father's estate. Is this more a symptom of her illness .... or is actually seeing the truth?
Who will ever believe a woman who's been under a psychiatrist's care of 40 years? She comes up with a creative way to let the world know what has happened to her .. but the only person who can help her is murdered.
Did Grace kill her friend and she just doesn't remember? Should she be strapped into a straitjacket? Locked away before she can hurt anyone else?
This is an emotional story of a woman who is fighting for her life .. a 'normal' life that she's been cheated out of ..so she thinks. She so yearns to have someone listen to her ... really hear what she's saying ... and then believe her.
This is a page turner from start to finish with twists and turns at every corner and with characters that will remain with the reader long after the book is finished.
Many thanks to the author / Black Rose Writing / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
<i>Saving Grace</i> is an excellent psychological thriller that moves fast and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Grace has been under psychiatric care for 40 years and she is still strong enough to question herself and those around her. <i>Saving Grace</i>, is the third novel written by sales and marketing specialist D. M. Barr.
Grace comes from a wealthy background, but is placed in psychiatric care by her father at a very young age. Forty years later she has a husband and 2 children who don’t trust anything she says or does and often rely on her doctor to deal with her “episodes”. Grace has no recollection of what she is being accused of doing and she decides to secretly go off her meds to try to recapture some of her lost memories. She starts to become aware of whispered conversations and begins to feel paranoid. She decides that her husband is plotting to kill her and take her money. Although she is not sure of whether or not what she perceives is real or not, she comes up with a creative way to combatting the apparent threat.
Barr does an excellent job of developing the main characters. Grace is a very strong character and takes the reader along with her as she tries to resolve the mysteries in her life. Andrea, her friend, is also a very strong character who decides to help Grace. Beyond these two the other characters are not as interesting and could be developed more. I find her husband, Eliot, is particularly weak and feel he should be more central.
The plot is very fast moving with a great twist at the end. As well, the writing is free flowing and clear. These are the primary reasons everyone should read this book.
I recommend this book everyone likes a good fast-paced psychological thriller. I give it a 4 on 5. I want to thank NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for providing me with a digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Keeps the action pulsing with enough intrigue to make it hard to turn the virtual pages fast enough. Thoroughly fleshed-out characters you tend to either like or dislike with enthusiasm. A great bedtime read that'll keep you engaged till the very end. Highly recommended!
*This book was provided free of charge in exchange for my honest review. My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to participate in this program.*
Grace has lived most of her life receiving care and taking medication for her mental health issues. She went from her father’s house to getting married and having children, always feeling like she is living underwater. She finally has had enough and stops taking her pills. She doesn’t tell anyone, but oddly enough, she doesn’t feel worse, she feels better. Knowing that no one will believe her, she remains silent about her revelation.
Could her extremely wealthy father or her husband have something to gain from keeping Grace off balance and compliant? Grace starts to believe that her husband is only with her for her inheritance. Once her elderly father dies, the only thing between him and her money will be Grace, and how hard would it be to kill her and make it look like she harmed herself.
Grace comes up with a plan. She will write a fiction book, but it will contain all her suspicions in case something happens to her. She will still be dead, but at least her husband will not get away with murder. Strange things start to happen, and it remains to be seen if Grace is mentally sound or psychotic.
A very intriguing story about gaslighting, or the workings of an ill mind. Even though I was rooting for Grace, the alternative was horrifying, I almost hoped she was wrong about those around her. My first book by DM Barr and I would definitely like to do it again.
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