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Katherine Black

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Leverage Paperback – June 8, 2017

by Katherine Black (Author)

4.2 52 ratings

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Will you be my friend?

Leverage is testament to how one innocuous ad in thelocal newspaper can turn your world upside down.

Two people come into Beth’s life:
One gives her a reason to die.
The other takes away her choice.

She appears out of nowhere and wants to be Beth’s friend.It would be sweet if it wasn’t such a sinister obsession.

Beth is ensnared, her tranquil life spiralling into a vortex of chaos that she can't escape.

Black's signature talent for probing the human psyche and unearthing the hidden pockets of humanity that we dare not acknowledge is at its peak in Leverage. In this book, she bypasses black and goes to whatever black becomes when it gets darker.

This is a story about power—how much influence can one person have over somebody else?

Be Beth’s friend and find out.

Print length

360 pages
Language

English
Publication date

June 8, 2017
Dimensions

5.06 x 0.75 x 7.81 inches
ISBN-10

1546450343
ISBN-13

978-1546450344
See all details

Katherine Black
47
Paperback
1 offer from $13.99

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (June 8, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 360 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1546450343
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1546450344
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.5 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.06 x 0.75 x 7.81 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #4,292,288 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #37,466 in Psychological Thrillers (Books)
- #42,115 in Murder Thrillers
- #52,169 in Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Action Fiction (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.2 52 ratings

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Katherine Black

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Born in South Shields, Tyne & Weir, Katherine Black lives on the tip of the beautiful British Lake District. She lives with her partner, father-in-law and 4 dysfunctional but co-mingling pets.

She is mother, grandmother and secret keeper of all. Katherine is a full-time care giver for her father-in-law with Alzheimer’s, which leaves her some time for writing between removing teabags from the washing machine and raw bacon from his sandwiches.

Her marketing assistant is her German shepherd, Teagan, who generally snoozes, and her opinion is, ‘Yeah, seen it all before, Mum.’ Echo is the loudest cat known to man. First thing in the morning, Katherine has Echo on one side yelling his head off, and Dad on the other mimicking the cat. She expects to be writing from a prison cell very soon. Trevalion, the four foot Iguana, has learned how to use the cat flap and, despite the advent of another bleak, British winter, he insists on escaping into the garden where he sits awaiting rescue. Ravnica, the python, doesn’t have a lot to say—but looks lovingly at the cat.

Also, by Katherine Black: A Question of Sanity, Leverage, Pedigree Crush with a Twisted Gene, Dark Around the Edges, People on the Edge,

And in family reading: fantasy/adventure by Kat Black Lizard's Leap Keepers of the Quantum

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5

52 global ratings

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Jenna O'Malley

I don't even like scary movies... maybe a new favorite author, though.

Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2021

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Mind games? Oi, Jennifer: more than one person is disgusted with you. Sadly, Jennifer and this story aren’t leaving my head soon, either. I am not normally a fan of thrillers, psychological or otherwise, but I’m glad I broke genre love for this read. Like with a good scary movie, Leverage makes you stop and think about the smallest of details for too long. A simplistic series of mental still frames painted over a snake eating dinner gives me shivers. Honestly, I’m not minding them, this time around.

I think I’ve found an author in this genre I want to stalk to Jennifer levels. Might be in the name, but I doubt it. Black does well to cultivate specific POVs that drive the tension to keep the page turning absentmindedly. Forget about children being ignored in favor for a book. The laundry can keep piling up. Worth every second. Can’t wait to read more of her books in the future.

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Joe

Kept the pages turning and kept me on the edge of my seat!

Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2023

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Suspenseful. Never knew what was coming, or why! A definite page turner!

Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2023

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This is the 1rst book I have read from this author and I have to say it surprised me.The characters and storyline was well written. It kept me wanting to read to see what would happen next. . I plan to read from this author.

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Conor Bohannon

Leverage is the very definition of a psychological thriller!

Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2024

At one point, a sweet unsuspecting pet rat is suddenly dropped into a snake's cage as a meal time treat. I felt just like that rat as a reader. I was unable to escape the captivating story as I helplessly turned another page. The story had me in breathless shock and frantically guessing at what catastrophe would happen next. I was unable to predict the next horrible surprise as I wandered lost and far from my comfort zone. My only escape was when I finished the book and I felt a huge sense of relief when I realized I was safe again. I felt a feeling of fear and panic that haunted me for days after reading the book. The experience of reading the story prompts the reader to contemplate afterwards and ask themselves "What would I do in that situation?" My own personal answer to that introspective question was dark and violent. I found that Leverage sets a high standard of quality that would make many other books seen petty in comparison.

Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2022

Not my cup of tea.

Suspenseful and engaging!

Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2023

This psychological thriller is interesting to read and gives the reader plenty to think about. It also has a very engaging plot that pulls the reader in and doesn't let them go until the very end of the story! Thriller lovers will definitely want to buy this book or add it to their TBR list.

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Amanda

Each turn of events creeped me out and drew me in.

Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2021

How Crap. Leverage opened with a graphic bang that honestly, I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue reading. But the main character, Beth, kept me flipping the pages. I wanted so badly to see how she was going to overcome her situation... only to find that her life gets twisted up in so many knots it was impossible to see what was going to come next.

The characters are believably disturbed. I picked this book up in the morning and I couldn't stop reading all day, each turn of events creeping me out and drawing me in.

The use of animals (rats in a cage, hungry snakes) was a brilliant way to mirror the characters' relationships with each other. I also loved the two houses that were in the story. Labeling the one as the "big house" was a brilliant way to describe it - both as its size and its function.

I love that the backstory was dripped in between lies and truths and a little bit of investigation of a secondary character. And while I was rooting for one ending, the way the author chose to write it was impactful enough to stick with me for a long time.

I will absolutely be reading more from Ms Black as her writing has left a lasting impression!

Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2021

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Interesting read. The action starts almost immediately and does not relent.
What kept this from being a full 5 stars is that I felt the main character was frustratingly weak.

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Top reviews from other countries

josephine huet

Creepy !

Reviewed in France on June 3, 2021

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Leverage was a definite page turner even if at times I was annoyed at Beth for not opening her eyes. Several times during the reading, I was actually shouting at her not to do some of the things Phantom asked, but she did them anyway. Whatever Phantom asked, Beth did, which took a little of the surprise away.
The ending was excellent which I didn’t expect, and I can quite easily see this book being made into a film.
This is the second book I’ve read from the author and will definitely be reading more!

Tracy Lewis

A must read!

Reviewed in Spain on February 19, 2023

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Plot and characters had me gripped from the first chapter! Superb!

Karl Wiggins

Excellent! Almost impossible to put down!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 26, 2022

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Leverage is an intelligently written tale that describes how someone – in this case the protagonist, Beth - through no fault of her own, first of all becomes a victim and then, as time moves forward, seemingly innocuous incidents push her situation further towards a crisis where escape becomes almost impossible.

Through a continuing process of minor incidents engineered by Jennifer, who goes by the name of White Phantom, Beth’s situation very quickly becomes an emergency and the first feelings of fear begin to appear.

It has to be said that Beth controls this very poorly, and it’s not long before absolute panic sets in, leading to almost total lack of control and her emergencies become a very serious problem as she reaches her point of no return

(As Ben Shephard would say, Katherine Black has found Beth’s Tipping Point)

The lesson here for all of us, of course, is that one wrong decision doesn’t have to follow another. The majority of ‘baddies’ will simply give up if they meet resistance, but Beth has yet to learn this lesson in life.

The reader finds himself/herself wishing for Beth to end Jennifer’s control over her in any way possible, and the ending is explosive and totally unexpected.

Don’t miss this book. A well-deserved 5 Stars!

One person found this helpful

Avid reader

A real cracker!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 5, 2022

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Oh my word, this book is one hell of a page turner. Beth is an independent woman with her own home and a good job. But her best pal, Maggie, reckons she needs a man in her life. She drags the reluctant Beth along to a speed dating evening. A date is made with an attractive young man who rapidly turns out to be just about as despicable as they come. Too late, because before Beth fully realises the danger she is in, he is standing right between her and escape. Things get as graphic as they become violent, and it all ends very badly indeed.

This is where I got annoyed with Beth. All she had to do was go to the police; they would have believed her version of events, because she’s covered in evidence. But Beth chooses not to. She also chooses not to confide in her best friend… something else I didn’t understand. However, women are attacked every single day, and a great many prefer not to speak up. Who can blame them, when the system seems to demand that they be paragons of virtue in order to deserve justice in the first place? So, I got over my irritation with Beth’s refusal to take control of her situation, and got on with enjoying the story.

Enter Jennifer; a creepy little woman-child who encroaches relentlessly upon Beth’s life, causing it to spiral out of control at breakneck speeds. Jennifer is a sickeningly twisted, master manipulator, and poor Beth soon finds out that there are far worst places to be, than the place she occupied in the hours after her date. Two women in a near constant battle of wits, and the stakes just keep getting higher. The drama is intense, relentless. Time and again I was shocked by the lengths Beth goes to just to keep Jennifer sweet. Time and again I was stunned by how utterly wicked Jennifer really is.

In the end I discovered that Beth’s date, that despicable man… he was just the starter course, an amateur at evil. Jennifer is the real thing and, when life pitches you head to head with her kind of evil, you have to put on your big girl pants, bear your teeth, and get stuck in.

Leverage is a pitch black and thrilling ride that plumbs the depths of human depravity. Definitely not for the faint hearted, but my heart is made of sterner stuff and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Horsepower

Actions do have consequences.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 10, 2021

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Leverage by Katherine Black is a truly frightening book to read. By frightening, I mean - dark and very, very disturbing and not screaming and jumping behind the sofa frightening.
When Beth is sexually assaulted on a date she fights back with devastating consequences, and from that moment - that instant - her life spirals out of control.
She meets Jennifer, or White Phantom, which she prefers to be called as it is Hebrew for Jennifer and almost instantly is caught up in the young girl's life and the lies she lives by.
At times I wanted to shout at Beth to get a grip. Tell someone. Walk away. Anything. Just take back control. But this is a classic case of Stockholm Syndrome and the more deeply Beth becomes embroiled in the mess the harder it is to get out of it.
The author has written a twisted tale of how actions have consequences. And how someone's life can be so completely taken over.
Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

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