I suppose I’ve asked myself the question, “Why do people do bad things?” I became passionate about exploring the bleak side of the human condition. It wasn’t always a joy ride, I assure you. I’ve read many books and done hours and hours of research online. What I couldn’t garner from books and the Internet, I sought from the professionals. I even had the opportunity to interview one of the premier forensic psychiatrists in the world, Dr. Ronald Markman. He’s the guy who determines who is “competent to stand trial” and he’s interviewed the most infamous. His book, Alone with the Devil, would be my 6th book to recommend.
I stumbled upon this book when I researched the psychology behind my first novel(the protagonist goes to therapy sessions). Although most psychologists follow Jung, I decided to make the therapist in my book an Adlerian psychologist. Why? Because Adler studied the criminal mind and posed interesting theories of how we follow a “faulty pattern of life” set forth from the time we are children. Kids develop defense mechanisms that allow them to cope with a given situation (violent parent, cloying parent, bullying at school, etc.) The problem is, as the kids grow up, they forget that these “patterns” they’ve cultivated were based on survival and may not guide them in the right direction. To be happy, people may have to rewire their brains. Good stuff! And I used the heck out of it.
This is an old book, but it digs deep into the fragility of the human spirit. As Emlyn states in the foreword: "The proper study of mankind is man. And man cannot be ignored because he has become vile. Woman neither.” Perhaps nowadays we should say the proper study of humankind is humans. Whatever way you’d like to put it, the sentiment behind the pronouns rings true. It’s written as a fictional novel but it follows the crimes of Myra Hindley and her sadistic lover, Ian Brady. Emlyn Williams does a fine job of laying out everything that stoked the fire of that ill-fated and dangerous friendship. What do you come away with? How a human being can fall apart into something inhumane.
Emlyn Williams' classic account of the notorious Moors Murderers, Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, who between 1962 and 1965 abducted, brutally abused and murdered five children - Pauline Reade, John Kilbride, Keith Bennett, Lesley Ann Downey and Edward Evans - and buried them in shallow graves on Saddleworth Moor, in Lancashire.
This book precedes Harris’s famous The Silence of the Lambs. Red Dragon scared the heck out of me. Why do I think it fits my chosen theme? Because Harris shows us the struggle people face to feel accepted by their peers, to fit in. In the case of the killer in this book, to envy happy families. We get into the killer’s brain, and I got more out of that than the tongue-in-cheek banter between psycho-psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter and the detective. You almost feel sorry for the guy, and why you do is something to think about.
From the author of "Silence of the Lambs" and "Black Sunday", this is the book that introduces the most famous serial killer of them all - Hannibal Lecter.
A classic. It’s every outcast’s dream to find something that makes him/her/they feel powerful. In Carrie’s case, she develops telekinesis and can move objects with her mind. We are rooting for Carrie a) because her mother is strange, fanatical, and violent, b) kids pick on Carrie at school, and c) even the adults mistreat her. Most people will feel alienated at some point in their lives, and we are so happy for Carrie when she begins feeling empowered (and yes, a little bit pretty, too). This being an A-1 horror story, you can bet the good times don’t last. However, the takeaway is why we feel such compassion for Carrie. Compassion and awareness go a long way in this world and are two vital traits worth exploring.
Stephen King's legendary debut, about a teenage outcast and the revenge she enacts on her classmates, is a Classic. CARRIE is the novel which set him on the road to the Number One bestselling author King is today.
Carrie White is no ordinary girl.
Carrie White has the gift of telekinesis.
To be invited to Prom Night by Tommy Ross is a dream come true for Carrie - the first step towards social acceptance by her high school colleagues.
But events will take a decidedly macabre turn on that horrifying and endless night as she is forced to exercise her…
Is this a psychological thriller? I’d say ‘yes.’ It features an orphaned girl, living in a period of time when the only county facilities that helped the “poor” were workhouses. Jane suffers abuse in the home of her aunt, who then ships the young girl off to a school, where the cruelty continues. Through it all, Jane has stamina and works on herself to always be strong. When she becomes a governess at the dark estate of Mr. Rochester, she stands up to his scrutiny and brusqueness. Jane suspects something is wrong about the whole setup, especially when she hears creepy laughter at night, nearly catches an arsonist, and bandages a wound on a strange, raving man. What do we learn from Jane’s experiences? To be graceful under fire. To believe in one’s inner strength and to trust in our capacities, even when it seems the entire world (even the era in which we live) is out to get us.
Introduction and Notes by Dr Sally Minogue, Canterbury Christ Church University College.
Jane Eyre ranks as one of the greatest and most perennially popular works of English fiction. Although the poor but plucky heroine is outwardly of plain appearance, she possesses an indomitable spirit, a sharp wit and great courage.
She is forced to battle against the exigencies of a cruel guardian, a harsh employer and a rigid social order. All of which circumscribe her life and position when she becomes governess to the daughter of the mysterious, sardonic and attractive Mr Rochester.
Troubled Detective Gabriel McRay investigates a cold case from 1988 involving a missing teenager named Nancy Lewicki. Evidence is sparse and Gabriel has no leads. Much to his dismay, a celebrity psychic, Carmen Jenette, hypes the unsolved case on her television show. Gabriel warns Carmen not to interfere. Meanwhile, strange dreams of water and corpses haunt Gabriel's sleep and unnerve him. Are they clues? Is he crazy? When the psychic's life is threatened, Gabriel connects the dots back to the missing girl and realizes his cold case is burning hot. Someone doesn't want Nancy found and will kill to keep her hidden. Named to Kindle Book Reviews’ Top 5 Mystery/Thrillers of 2021.
My book is fantastical historical fiction about two characters who're wrestling with the monstrosity of their grief.
It takes you into London high society, where Ambrose tries to forget about how much he misses Bennett and how much he dreads becoming as cold as their Grandfather. It takes you to the family's country manor house, where Mattie isolates and old ghosts start to come out of the woodwork.
It's a story about loss and depression; it's a story about friends who don't let you walk through the valley of death alone.
Ambrose Bancroft returns to London society with his younger sister, hoping they'll leave ghosts of memory behind. They have only each other left. While Ambrose attempts to draw Mattie out, dragging her to balls and threatening to seek suitors for her, his sister recoils from his meddling. Finally, when Ambrose compels her to attend art class before she's ready, Mattie paints something horrific enough to banish them from society in public disgrace.
At Linwood Manor, Mattie and Ambrose aren't as alone as they think. Taking advantage of Mattie's desperate need to find freedom, a vanishing room lures Ambrose's sister into…
