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Mindhunters #1
Only Fear
After a violent incident with a patient leaves scars on both her mind and body, psychiatrist Dr. Maggie Levine craves isolation. A radio talk show host seems to be the perfect profession, a job where she can help people from a distance while staying safe. When a strange caller begins stalking her on the air and murdering people to get her attention, Maggie realizes she can no longer close herself off from the outside world.
A personal security expert, former Secret Service Agent Ethan Townsend is no stranger to tracking down the most violent monsters of society and bringing them to justice. Still, it will take all of Ethan's skills to protect his new assignment, the irresistible Maggie, from a man intent on teaching her the ultimate lesson in fear�.
A personal security expert, former Secret Service Agent Ethan Townsend is no stranger to tracking down the most violent monsters of society and bringing them to justice. Still, it will take all of Ethan's skills to protect his new assignment, the irresistible Maggie, from a man intent on teaching her the ultimate lesson in fear�.
246 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 5, 2011
23 people are currently reading
412 people want to read
About the author
Anne Marie Becker
19books70followersAn award-winning author of romantic suspense, Anne Marie has always been fascinated by people—inside and out—which led to degrees in Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, and Counseling. As a games hostess at Sea World, tutor, waitress, personal and family counselor, and high school counselor, she has indulged her curiosity through sanctioned professions. Now, as a stay-at-home mom of three young children, her passion for understanding the human race is satisfied by her roles as mother, wife, daughter, sister, and writer.
She writes to reclaim her sanity.
Find ways to connect with Anne Marie at AnneMarieBecker.com. There, you can sign up for her newsletter for special sneak peeks and giveaways.
She writes to reclaim her sanity.
Find ways to connect with Anne Marie at AnneMarieBecker.com. There, you can sign up for her newsletter for special sneak peeks and giveaways.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
July 11, 2020
Psychiatrist Dr Maggie Levine had suffered a few traumas in her life. At the age of 13 her best friend was killed by a serial killer and a year ago one of her schizophrenic patients becomes obsessed with her and becomes so possessive that during an attack she harms Maggie and kills her brother. Maggie still has nightmares and panic attacks but refuses to give up and although she can no longer see patients face to face she has a late night radio show where she tries to offer advice and help callers.
During one of her talk shows Maggie attracked a stalker who turns out to be a serial killer already known to the police as 'Fearmonger'. The killer gives his name as Owen and wants to talk about FEAR. Maggie encourages her listeners to never give into fear and to try to overcome it of course this makes Owen mad as he is the 'master' of fear and decides to teach Maggie a lesson.
Maggie had remained in contact with her best friend's father so she asks him for help. Damian Manchester set up a private institution called the Society for the Study of the Aberrant Mind (SSAM) many years ago as a result of losing his daughter. He recruits and employs people who specialise in security, profiling & criminology (MindHunters) and Protection. Some of his team members are ex FBI and Secret Service.
Damian assigns Ex Secret Service agent Ethan Townsend and trainee Becca to protect Maggie and keep her safe. Ethan has is own issues as he used to previously protect the Vice President's daughter but her friend was killed as Ethan had to choose between protecting his charge or her friend and he is now determined that nobody else was going to die on his 'watch'!
I did enjoy this book as it did keep us on the edge of our seats right until the end. Although there was some romance between Ethan and Maggie it wasn't a focal point of the book and was more of a sideline so I would definitely class this as a Thriller with a little romance thrown in. I was intrigued with SSAM but didn't quite know how they fit in with the police force and law enforcement agencies. I understand they were all trying to work together to achieve their goal but it was almost like the whole investigation was run by SSAM which is in fact a private company and not government law enforcement. Obviously the police and SSAM had worked together before so Perhaps more will be explained in future books.
I will definitely keep a watch for more books in the series.
ARC provided by Carina Press via Netgalley
During one of her talk shows Maggie attracked a stalker who turns out to be a serial killer already known to the police as 'Fearmonger'. The killer gives his name as Owen and wants to talk about FEAR. Maggie encourages her listeners to never give into fear and to try to overcome it of course this makes Owen mad as he is the 'master' of fear and decides to teach Maggie a lesson.
Maggie had remained in contact with her best friend's father so she asks him for help. Damian Manchester set up a private institution called the Society for the Study of the Aberrant Mind (SSAM) many years ago as a result of losing his daughter. He recruits and employs people who specialise in security, profiling & criminology (MindHunters) and Protection. Some of his team members are ex FBI and Secret Service.
Damian assigns Ex Secret Service agent Ethan Townsend and trainee Becca to protect Maggie and keep her safe. Ethan has is own issues as he used to previously protect the Vice President's daughter but her friend was killed as Ethan had to choose between protecting his charge or her friend and he is now determined that nobody else was going to die on his 'watch'!
I did enjoy this book as it did keep us on the edge of our seats right until the end. Although there was some romance between Ethan and Maggie it wasn't a focal point of the book and was more of a sideline so I would definitely class this as a Thriller with a little romance thrown in. I was intrigued with SSAM but didn't quite know how they fit in with the police force and law enforcement agencies. I understand they were all trying to work together to achieve their goal but it was almost like the whole investigation was run by SSAM which is in fact a private company and not government law enforcement. Obviously the police and SSAM had worked together before so Perhaps more will be explained in future books.
I will definitely keep a watch for more books in the series.
ARC provided by Carina Press via Netgalley
Shelved as 'dnf'
September 12, 2011Ok, I have to give up on this. After reading 1/3, it seems pretty average as a romantic suspense. Plus, it has the instant lust/attraction theme which I always dislike and combined with the heavy baggage both of them carry, it seems too unbelievable in any case. On top of that, I can't get how a heroine who lost a loved one to a deadly stalker a year ago, would be so cocky and full of "let's-goad-him-and-catch-him" bravado when it comes to a second, deadlier one. Can a woman who has to get pills in order to get over her anxiety attacks, have such a fiesty attitude? It's seems highly unlikely to me and so I don't consider the heroine's characterization realistic, but then I'm no psychologist and it might not bother other readers.
Other than that, the writing's not bad at all and if you like dark, edgy thrillers along with hot heroes with a scarred past, this seems promising as far as I could see.
Other than that, the writing's not bad at all and if you like dark, edgy thrillers along with hot heroes with a scarred past, this seems promising as far as I could see.
December 3, 2011
Couldn't Settle Into This One
It happened a year ago. The broken mind of a mentally unstable patient brought tragedy and ravaged the life of Dr. Margaret Levine, altering it irrevocably. Since that dark day, Maggie has suffered from panic attacks, grief and guilt keeping her closed off from her family, fear keeping her shuttered away from the masses. She no longer sees patients face to face, she dispenses psychiatric advice and guidance over the airwaves on her nightly radio call-in show, Live with Levine.
Owen is a regular caller.
Maggie thought Owen was good for ratings. He was respectfully contentious, offering controversial counterpoint arguments and boosting call volume. Until the night Maggie's show touched on the subject of fear, she never had any doubts that Owen was harmless, if a little intense.
She was wrong.
Having already been nearly broken by one patient who became unhinged, Maggie wasted no time calling for help that night. It was obvious Owen had broken into her house, desecrated her walls, invaded her sanctuary. She called an old friend. The father of a very old friend. A man, like Maggie herself, whose life was altered forever by the most grievous of tragedies. That man heads an elite team of specialists who are uniquely qualified to hunt and catch those like Owen. Those with aberrant minds.
He sends former Secret Service Agent and current security specialist Ethan Townsend to Maggie to spearhead her protection detail. Ethan, marred with his own scars and regrets and plagued by self-doubt, knows this job is a chance to redeem himself. He expected the lauded Dr. Margaret Levine to be a contemporary of his beyond-middle-aged boss. He's knocked sideways by the delicately fiery Maggie, a vibrant young woman who scrubs her own walls and jams out to hard rock as she wails on her air guitar.
What starts as a job to protect a noted popular psychiatrist becomes a passion to protect the woman. And that is not Ethan's only passion when it comes to Maggie.
The danger to the delectable Dr. Levine may be much greater than originally thought, however, when evidence connects Owen to the vicious murders of a serial killer known as Fearmonger. And if it is, in fact, Fearmonger stalking the good doctor, then it will take every bit of skill and every ounce of caution to bring him down.
One thing is certain, fear won't kill you...but if Ethan and Maggie lower their guard, Fearmonger will.
~*~
I thought this book was right up my alley. It's my favorite type of romantic suspense, a gripping psychological thriller mixed with steamy romance. A madman is on the loose doing unspeakable things, terror abounds, and there's a pulse-pounding race to save the day and the lives of the characters. My kind of stuff. So imagine my disappointment when story elements started to go awry for me very early in and the plot kept faltering from there.
It wasn't the quality of the writing. Becker is quite good at creating tense scenes, cranking up the drama, flowing the blood, creeping out readers. The main and secondary characters were fleshed out nicely and provided sufficient backstory to round them out and add an air of realism to their lives. On their own merits, they were sympathetic, together, they had good chemistry.
My problems with the book weren't those factors at all, but the towering pile of ills and imps, the illogical and implausible plot elements that so often trip me up and rob me of my ability to stay connected to a story. And there were some fairly egregious ills and imps in this book.
Without including spoilerish details, I will keep this as general as possible, but I found Maggie's initial on-air response following the break in both unprofessional and unwise, and the fact the station allowed the feed to continue to air was perplexing. Also perplexing was the lack of call tracing attempts. The police involvement throughout the book seemed bizarrely negligible. The idea that the cops would so easily coordinate with and include a private organization like SSAM flies in the face of every other bit of fiction I've ever read, watched, or otherwise experienced. And the parts of the narrative that were from the villain's point of view were counterproductive to maintaining his fear level and respect for his power.
Then there was The Moment. I'm so tired of The Moment in suspense fiction, and it's distressingly prevalent.
The Moment is what I call that one point of a book where one or more of the main characters act in either such a grossly stupid, against established character, or counter-intuitive manner that it smacks me in the face with its incomprehensibility and practically screams, "Final conflict and book climax ahead!" It often leaves me feeling shamelessly manipulated with the taste of disappointment from the plot contrivance heavy on my tongue.
I don't mind a villain out-smarting a hero or heroine. I don't even mind a hero or heroine making a mistake that puts them in grave danger. I mind very much a hero or heroine dumbing down to idiot level for the purpose of plot progression.
The following paragraph has been hidden because it contains spoilers that detail The Moment. Click at your own risk.
Becker's writing is strong enough, and the romance worked well enough for me that I'd happily try to cling to my willing suspension of disbelief for another shot at a book in this series. Like I said, this type of book is my favorite cuppa in the romantic suspense genre, and despite not completely buying the level of coordination between the cops and SSAM, I like the organization and its members enough to read more about them. Yeah, I'd like the story elements to be a bit more believable, but even this book, without The Moment, would have been at least an okay read for me. I'll hope for a few less ills and imps in the future, but I'd definitely give the next book a try.
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Carina Press via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for .
It happened a year ago. The broken mind of a mentally unstable patient brought tragedy and ravaged the life of Dr. Margaret Levine, altering it irrevocably. Since that dark day, Maggie has suffered from panic attacks, grief and guilt keeping her closed off from her family, fear keeping her shuttered away from the masses. She no longer sees patients face to face, she dispenses psychiatric advice and guidance over the airwaves on her nightly radio call-in show, Live with Levine.
Owen is a regular caller.
Maggie thought Owen was good for ratings. He was respectfully contentious, offering controversial counterpoint arguments and boosting call volume. Until the night Maggie's show touched on the subject of fear, she never had any doubts that Owen was harmless, if a little intense.
She was wrong.
Having already been nearly broken by one patient who became unhinged, Maggie wasted no time calling for help that night. It was obvious Owen had broken into her house, desecrated her walls, invaded her sanctuary. She called an old friend. The father of a very old friend. A man, like Maggie herself, whose life was altered forever by the most grievous of tragedies. That man heads an elite team of specialists who are uniquely qualified to hunt and catch those like Owen. Those with aberrant minds.
He sends former Secret Service Agent and current security specialist Ethan Townsend to Maggie to spearhead her protection detail. Ethan, marred with his own scars and regrets and plagued by self-doubt, knows this job is a chance to redeem himself. He expected the lauded Dr. Margaret Levine to be a contemporary of his beyond-middle-aged boss. He's knocked sideways by the delicately fiery Maggie, a vibrant young woman who scrubs her own walls and jams out to hard rock as she wails on her air guitar.
What starts as a job to protect a noted popular psychiatrist becomes a passion to protect the woman. And that is not Ethan's only passion when it comes to Maggie.
The danger to the delectable Dr. Levine may be much greater than originally thought, however, when evidence connects Owen to the vicious murders of a serial killer known as Fearmonger. And if it is, in fact, Fearmonger stalking the good doctor, then it will take every bit of skill and every ounce of caution to bring him down.
One thing is certain, fear won't kill you...but if Ethan and Maggie lower their guard, Fearmonger will.
~*~
I thought this book was right up my alley. It's my favorite type of romantic suspense, a gripping psychological thriller mixed with steamy romance. A madman is on the loose doing unspeakable things, terror abounds, and there's a pulse-pounding race to save the day and the lives of the characters. My kind of stuff. So imagine my disappointment when story elements started to go awry for me very early in and the plot kept faltering from there.
It wasn't the quality of the writing. Becker is quite good at creating tense scenes, cranking up the drama, flowing the blood, creeping out readers. The main and secondary characters were fleshed out nicely and provided sufficient backstory to round them out and add an air of realism to their lives. On their own merits, they were sympathetic, together, they had good chemistry.
My problems with the book weren't those factors at all, but the towering pile of ills and imps, the illogical and implausible plot elements that so often trip me up and rob me of my ability to stay connected to a story. And there were some fairly egregious ills and imps in this book.
Without including spoilerish details, I will keep this as general as possible, but I found Maggie's initial on-air response following the break in both unprofessional and unwise, and the fact the station allowed the feed to continue to air was perplexing. Also perplexing was the lack of call tracing attempts. The police involvement throughout the book seemed bizarrely negligible. The idea that the cops would so easily coordinate with and include a private organization like SSAM flies in the face of every other bit of fiction I've ever read, watched, or otherwise experienced. And the parts of the narrative that were from the villain's point of view were counterproductive to maintaining his fear level and respect for his power.
Then there was The Moment. I'm so tired of The Moment in suspense fiction, and it's distressingly prevalent.
The Moment is what I call that one point of a book where one or more of the main characters act in either such a grossly stupid, against established character, or counter-intuitive manner that it smacks me in the face with its incomprehensibility and practically screams, "Final conflict and book climax ahead!" It often leaves me feeling shamelessly manipulated with the taste of disappointment from the plot contrivance heavy on my tongue.
I don't mind a villain out-smarting a hero or heroine. I don't even mind a hero or heroine making a mistake that puts them in grave danger. I mind very much a hero or heroine dumbing down to idiot level for the purpose of plot progression.
The following paragraph has been hidden because it contains spoilers that detail The Moment. Click at your own risk.
Becker's writing is strong enough, and the romance worked well enough for me that I'd happily try to cling to my willing suspension of disbelief for another shot at a book in this series. Like I said, this type of book is my favorite cuppa in the romantic suspense genre, and despite not completely buying the level of coordination between the cops and SSAM, I like the organization and its members enough to read more about them. Yeah, I'd like the story elements to be a bit more believable, but even this book, without The Moment, would have been at least an okay read for me. I'll hope for a few less ills and imps in the future, but I'd definitely give the next book a try.
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Carina Press via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for .
July 8, 2019
It was so freaking long that by the time I got to the end, I didn't care at all and just wanted to see how the villain died. That was a bit of a letdown, though.
But a lot of this just doesn't make sense. Other reviews have very succinctly explained in great detail all the ways this book strays from reality, but the most egregious in my eyes is that 15 minutes after hearing somebody die, this brilliant doctor suddenly wonders if she could rush out and save their life. Like... I read it over and over because I thought I missed the part where she was like "No, I'm psychic and it hasn't happened yet, we can still save them!" But nope. She's just fuckin' dumb. I guess the author thinks we are dumb, too.
But a lot of this just doesn't make sense. Other reviews have very succinctly explained in great detail all the ways this book strays from reality, but the most egregious in my eyes is that 15 minutes after hearing somebody die, this brilliant doctor suddenly wonders if she could rush out and save their life. Like... I read it over and over because I thought I missed the part where she was like "No, I'm psychic and it hasn't happened yet, we can still save them!" But nope. She's just fuckin' dumb. I guess the author thinks we are dumb, too.
August 26, 2011
Only Fear was kindly provided to me by Netgalley for Carina Press.
Dr. Maggie Levine is a radio show host and university lecturer who craves her privacy and solitude; after her brother was brutally murdered by an ex-patient she has pursued her occupation as a psychiatrist in a capacity where she no longer has to be so close to them. Her attacker left Maggie both emotionally and physically scarred, blaming herself she has withdrawn from those closest to her � her friends, family and patients living in isolation.
When a regular caller to her show ‘Owen� becomes argumentative and threatening on air, Maggie returns home at the end of her shift to find her walls covered in the word ‘Fear� written in blood. Realizing she has attracted another stalker; Maggie seeks the help of a family friend’s agency, SSAM.
Society for the Study of the Aberrant Mind is an agency which deals with serial murderers and other violent criminals and Agent Ethan Townsend, personal security specialist has been giving the task of protecting Maggie.
It was an intense and emotional journey to find Maggie’s stalker and when it comes to their attention that there are similarities with Owen’s crimes and that of a serial killer known as ‘Fearmonger�, protection is increased in order to catch him now he is targeting and murdering those closest to Maggie in order to teach her a lesson and eventually get directly to her.
I really enjoyed the main characters; Ethan was a wonderful, caring, dominant hero and had personal struggles of his own. As a former Special Services agent, given the task of protecting the Vice Presidents family he feels he failed in his role when there was a death whilst he was on duty and after some negative media scrutiny left the role and is now working with SSAM. Maggie was strong and determined despite everything she had to endure, I admired her courage and resilience and willingness to help even though she was putting herself directly in danger. The romance between them happened at a believable pace and was slow to build-up although the chemistry and attraction between them was instantaneous.
I really enjoyed Only Fear by Anne-Marie Becker, it was a thrilling fast-paced read that had me anticipating the villain’s next moves and wondering the reasons behind his obsession with Maggie.
By the end of the book, I was completely engrossed in each of the main characters and had a pretty good glimpse of some of those in secondary roles � I hope there will follow-up books focusing on the rest of the SSAM team especially Becca as well as Detective Noah Crandall.
Only Fear is wonderful Romantic Suspense/Thriller; I look forward to reading more novels written by this author.
February 21, 2012
For anyone looking for a new suspense author to read - look no further. This was an intense book with a twisted serial killer that loves to prey on your fears.
Maggie Levine who is a psychiatrist has been though hell in her life. First her best friend was killed by a serial killer when they were 13. Then a patient who has a sick fascination with her kills her brother and then tries to kill her. Now on her radio talk show she has been getting strange calls from someone with an obsession with her and wants her to know fear.
Damian Manchester (who was the father of the 13 year old best friend) runs a private security business dedicated to catching serial murderers.
Former Secret Service Agent Ethan Townsend works for Damian is assigned to protect Maggie. Ethan has something very painful in his past that has prevented him from opening up and becoming close to anyone but Maggie seems bring out his most protective instincts and he finds himself very attracted to her even though he is fighting to save her from the Fearmonger.
Maggie Levine who is a psychiatrist has been though hell in her life. First her best friend was killed by a serial killer when they were 13. Then a patient who has a sick fascination with her kills her brother and then tries to kill her. Now on her radio talk show she has been getting strange calls from someone with an obsession with her and wants her to know fear.
Damian Manchester (who was the father of the 13 year old best friend) runs a private security business dedicated to catching serial murderers.
Former Secret Service Agent Ethan Townsend works for Damian is assigned to protect Maggie. Ethan has something very painful in his past that has prevented him from opening up and becoming close to anyone but Maggie seems bring out his most protective instincts and he finds himself very attracted to her even though he is fighting to save her from the Fearmonger.
July 27, 2012
Recommended by Norma, 7/23/2012.
3.5*
Grade B
Romantic suspense is still my favorite genre and I'm always happy to find a new author. Anne Marie Becker has written a fast-paced suspense novel with a good blend of romance. I was drawn in from the beginning and my interest never flagged. I had one problem with the plot however, and it's fairly major. The above spoiler did take me out of the story with a jolt and brought the rating down for me.
Becker writes well and the pacing of the plot was excellent. She just needs to avoid stupid mistakes by people who should know better to advance the plot.
3.5*
Grade B
Romantic suspense is still my favorite genre and I'm always happy to find a new author. Anne Marie Becker has written a fast-paced suspense novel with a good blend of romance. I was drawn in from the beginning and my interest never flagged. I had one problem with the plot however, and it's fairly major. The above spoiler did take me out of the story with a jolt and brought the rating down for me.
Becker writes well and the pacing of the plot was excellent. She just needs to avoid stupid mistakes by people who should know better to advance the plot.
September 8, 2011
Only Fear started out good with a psycho caller on a radio talk show and the break in of Maggie's apartment, and I was digging Ethan was the hero....hottie agent with a chip on his shoulder. But then it just kind of went down hill from there. The action didn't keep my interest and once "OWEN" got involved with Deborah my brain kind of just stopped paying attention.
The writing was very descriptive and the author had a very cool plot, but my interest was lost. I normally like a thriller with great chemistry between the two main characters, Ethan and Maggie did have a fast connection and a lot of touches/kisses, but it almost felt rushed.
Since I am not the biggest Suspense Romance reader, my opinion could be off, and some people might really connect with the characters, but it just wasn't my cup of tea!!
The writing was very descriptive and the author had a very cool plot, but my interest was lost. I normally like a thriller with great chemistry between the two main characters, Ethan and Maggie did have a fast connection and a lot of touches/kisses, but it almost felt rushed.
Since I am not the biggest Suspense Romance reader, my opinion could be off, and some people might really connect with the characters, but it just wasn't my cup of tea!!
February 15, 2016
I enjoyed this story although the characters dialogue/timing was not always entirely believable. It had some great suspense and well rounded main characters. The witty banter between the H/h was entertaining although the timing of their "relationship" talk was a bit odd. The team at SSAM (The Study of the Aberrant Mind) was interesting and detailed enough to make me interested in reading the next book.
July 22, 2012
4.5 stars. TERRIFIC BOOK! Excellent Romantic Suspense that actually balances both the suspense and romance beautifully! This book is why RS is my fav genre. This book is remeniscent of Cynthia Eden or Cindy Gerard or even Christy Reece. A lot of grit, great cast of characters and a keep you on your toes plot.
September 8, 2011
A very good and chilling suspense. The slashing and incising of body parts were very vividly portrayed.
A plus with the H/h relationship too. They were very mellow with each other that I found very pleasant.
A plus with the H/h relationship too. They were very mellow with each other that I found very pleasant.
October 24, 2011
4 stars for the fantastic suspense. Strong hero/heroine, great secondary characters I'm looking forward to reading more about in book #2.
3 stars for the romance. This book was heavily focused on the suspense and the romance was secondary. I would've liked a lot more "steam" between the H/h!
3 stars for the romance. This book was heavily focused on the suspense and the romance was secondary. I would've liked a lot more "steam" between the H/h!
August 1, 2017
Very hard to get through this book. Characters didn't really click with me. Story was just so-so.
December 20, 2018
Mystery and romance
What is your fear? This book grabbed my attention from the first page. Should be a series on Criminal Minds. Can't wait to read the next book in the series.
What is your fear? This book grabbed my attention from the first page. Should be a series on Criminal Minds. Can't wait to read the next book in the series.
May 29, 2019
Good story about a new group. Ethan and Maggie are great together!
September 9, 2011
Review originally posted here:
Publisher: Carina Press
Publish Date: Out Now!
How I got this book: NetGalley
Becker’s debut novel packs quite a punch, and fans of thrilling romantic suspense will really enjoy this book! The first in a new series from Carina Press; I for one can’t wait to read more books in the series.
Maggie is still recovering from a horrific stalker and attack, and thinks she is safe as just a professor and radio host. But when a caller starts fixating on her, her life spirals out of control and people around her end up getting hurt and killed. She turns to an old friend for help, and the sexy Ethan is assigned to keep her safe.
Ethan has his own ghosts, but keeping Maggie safe and alive takes priority over everything else. As people around Maggie start dying and the stalker gets closer and closer to Maggie, Ethan gets more protective. He didn’t realize he could become so attached to a woman, but Maggie manages to get inside his heart. But with her life continually threatened, will Ethan be able to keep her safe while falling in love?
I’ve been reading quite a few romantic suspense books lately, and I can’t even express how impressed I have been with the September Carina Press suspense books! Becker kept me completely engulfed in action and intrigue and I absolutely did not want to put this book down. I read it from cover to cover without being able to take a break.
I loved Maggie, absolutely loved her. She was intelligent, but not so book smart that she didn’t posses any street smarts. Despite wanting to move past her fears and face her terror head on, she didn’t have an TSTL moments, there was never a time when I wanted to smack her. She was solid and genuine in all her reactions. I loved how she had to deal with being a survivor, and how she got through all the pain and heartache of losing someone, and then having to face it all over again. The character was wonderfully portrayed and I rooted for her from start to finish.
I also really liked Ethan. He had a few moments where I wanted to smack him, but overall he was a great hero. The mystery surrounding his ghosts was alluded to quite a bit in the beginning, and once the whole truth came out, I honestly didn’t see why he had beat himself up to the extent he did. Yes, something horrific happened, but it wasn’t nearly what I expected. But I did like how he dealt with it, and how Maggie was able to get him to deal with his past and move forward, face his fears and move on with his life.
The supporting cast of characters that all work for the “Society� were great as well. I hope that as the series continues, we will get to see more and more of these players, especially as they interact within the team. I really liked how they each had their own specialty and how each really shined in their field. Plus, I’ve always been a bit of a sucker for the sexy men and women lawmen who solve crazy cases like these.
The villain was super vicious, and many of the scenes with him were very graphic in their descriptions. In some ways, the killer reminded me of Cynthia Eden’s Deadly Fear. A very creepy killer whose obsession with instilling fear in his victims is the driving force behind his neuroses. But for those who were squeamish in Deadly Fear, this one did fell a little more tame and manageable.
All in all, I really enjoyed this debut romantic suspense and think that Becker will be a force to be reckoned with in the genre. The suspense was cutting edge, the mystery was deep and developed, the characters all insightful and engaging, and the romance was full of tension and sexiness. I would definitely recommend this book!
I give Only Fear a B+
Publisher: Carina Press
Publish Date: Out Now!
How I got this book: NetGalley
Becker’s debut novel packs quite a punch, and fans of thrilling romantic suspense will really enjoy this book! The first in a new series from Carina Press; I for one can’t wait to read more books in the series.
Maggie is still recovering from a horrific stalker and attack, and thinks she is safe as just a professor and radio host. But when a caller starts fixating on her, her life spirals out of control and people around her end up getting hurt and killed. She turns to an old friend for help, and the sexy Ethan is assigned to keep her safe.
Ethan has his own ghosts, but keeping Maggie safe and alive takes priority over everything else. As people around Maggie start dying and the stalker gets closer and closer to Maggie, Ethan gets more protective. He didn’t realize he could become so attached to a woman, but Maggie manages to get inside his heart. But with her life continually threatened, will Ethan be able to keep her safe while falling in love?
I’ve been reading quite a few romantic suspense books lately, and I can’t even express how impressed I have been with the September Carina Press suspense books! Becker kept me completely engulfed in action and intrigue and I absolutely did not want to put this book down. I read it from cover to cover without being able to take a break.
I loved Maggie, absolutely loved her. She was intelligent, but not so book smart that she didn’t posses any street smarts. Despite wanting to move past her fears and face her terror head on, she didn’t have an TSTL moments, there was never a time when I wanted to smack her. She was solid and genuine in all her reactions. I loved how she had to deal with being a survivor, and how she got through all the pain and heartache of losing someone, and then having to face it all over again. The character was wonderfully portrayed and I rooted for her from start to finish.
I also really liked Ethan. He had a few moments where I wanted to smack him, but overall he was a great hero. The mystery surrounding his ghosts was alluded to quite a bit in the beginning, and once the whole truth came out, I honestly didn’t see why he had beat himself up to the extent he did. Yes, something horrific happened, but it wasn’t nearly what I expected. But I did like how he dealt with it, and how Maggie was able to get him to deal with his past and move forward, face his fears and move on with his life.
The supporting cast of characters that all work for the “Society� were great as well. I hope that as the series continues, we will get to see more and more of these players, especially as they interact within the team. I really liked how they each had their own specialty and how each really shined in their field. Plus, I’ve always been a bit of a sucker for the sexy men and women lawmen who solve crazy cases like these.
The villain was super vicious, and many of the scenes with him were very graphic in their descriptions. In some ways, the killer reminded me of Cynthia Eden’s Deadly Fear. A very creepy killer whose obsession with instilling fear in his victims is the driving force behind his neuroses. But for those who were squeamish in Deadly Fear, this one did fell a little more tame and manageable.
All in all, I really enjoyed this debut romantic suspense and think that Becker will be a force to be reckoned with in the genre. The suspense was cutting edge, the mystery was deep and developed, the characters all insightful and engaging, and the romance was full of tension and sexiness. I would definitely recommend this book!
I give Only Fear a B+
February 1, 2021
Terrifying. I like to read in bed before going to sleep. This book kept me up for a few nights.
November 10, 2019
WOW, JUST WOW!
This is the first novel written by Ms. Becker that I have had the pleasure to read. Boy, did I enjoy it, so much so that I'm trying to type a quick review so that I can begin Mindhunter 2. It had everything that I want in a book when I need to step away from reading impeachment proceedings transcripts. I loved everything about it. I minored in Psychology at University and majored in Communications. I wanted to major in Psychology but my maama shut that down VERY quickly by telling me that I had 4 years to Get an education and then a job because they weren't paying for anything else. Being a child in the deep South, you follow your parent's edicts. It makes me mad now, because I was the one with the 4 loans, working my way through school, they paid for my books and sent me spending money when they could, we were very poor and I know she wanted the best for me. I only lacked 2 classes which would have been the entire psychology curriculum. So, I wanted to be a profiler before the word had been invented. Ms. Becker's book touched all my favorite topics, Communication, which was my major and I loved it, I have no regrets. I went on to become a paralegal, and I used both major and minor of my education. I eventually became a small town municipal court judge. In SC, only a 4year degree is required to be a judge for lower courts. But, Ms. Becker, you may know this already but a law degree isn't even required to sit on SCOTUS, it could be a possible book idea somewhere down the road.
I've rambled on and not spoken specifically about what appealed most to me in this book. Both protagonists had what they believed were flaws but really are just part of the human condition. Of course, the passion was wonderfully woven together. And, you really got me because I thought I knew who the killer was and why he was after Maggie. Boy, was I wrong, I love it when I'm wrong because it shows the skill of the author. My only complaint, and I have this complaint about most of the romance thrillers today, there's NO EPILOGUE! I think fans deserve a little bit more. They fall in love and in bed in 4 or 5 pages, can't we see what happens a year or two down the road for the happy couple, please!!?? Now, I'm on to the next Mindhunter.
This is the first novel written by Ms. Becker that I have had the pleasure to read. Boy, did I enjoy it, so much so that I'm trying to type a quick review so that I can begin Mindhunter 2. It had everything that I want in a book when I need to step away from reading impeachment proceedings transcripts. I loved everything about it. I minored in Psychology at University and majored in Communications. I wanted to major in Psychology but my maama shut that down VERY quickly by telling me that I had 4 years to Get an education and then a job because they weren't paying for anything else. Being a child in the deep South, you follow your parent's edicts. It makes me mad now, because I was the one with the 4 loans, working my way through school, they paid for my books and sent me spending money when they could, we were very poor and I know she wanted the best for me. I only lacked 2 classes which would have been the entire psychology curriculum. So, I wanted to be a profiler before the word had been invented. Ms. Becker's book touched all my favorite topics, Communication, which was my major and I loved it, I have no regrets. I went on to become a paralegal, and I used both major and minor of my education. I eventually became a small town municipal court judge. In SC, only a 4year degree is required to be a judge for lower courts. But, Ms. Becker, you may know this already but a law degree isn't even required to sit on SCOTUS, it could be a possible book idea somewhere down the road.
I've rambled on and not spoken specifically about what appealed most to me in this book. Both protagonists had what they believed were flaws but really are just part of the human condition. Of course, the passion was wonderfully woven together. And, you really got me because I thought I knew who the killer was and why he was after Maggie. Boy, was I wrong, I love it when I'm wrong because it shows the skill of the author. My only complaint, and I have this complaint about most of the romance thrillers today, there's NO EPILOGUE! I think fans deserve a little bit more. They fall in love and in bed in 4 or 5 pages, can't we see what happens a year or two down the road for the happy couple, please!!?? Now, I'm on to the next Mindhunter.
January 28, 2012
“Only Fear by Anne Marie Becker details the chilling tale of a psychiatrist, Dr. Maggie Levine, who has had to overcome a violence-laden past trauma that altered her life forever and caused her to have panic attacks intermittently. A covert threat results in the Society for the Study of the Aberrant Mind (SSAM) being called in to assist her, especially because she has close ties to the leader of SSAM. Ethan Townsend has always been a loner but he is still struggling to get past the horrific events that made him leave the Secret Service. He is disturbed to realize that the considerable resources of the SSAM are supposed to assist a celebrity radio psychiatrist who received a vaguely threatening call but soon discovers that she has a valid reason for her concern. A young agent, Becca Haney, who is assigned as his partner also irks the dour agent who fears that youth and exuberance will not compensate for her small stature and inexperience. The clues and bodies begin to accumulate as it becomes clear that the person targeting Maggie wants to capitalize on her fears and use them to destroy her. It is up to Ethan to prevent any harm from coming to her or the plucky agent who is supposed to help him in his mission, even as he fears that his own nightmares may become a reality again.
An intriguing suspenseful story that gradually reveals the common threads that unite several apparently unrelated characters, each of whom has experienced a significantly traumatic event which has shaped his or her subsequent life. The tension gradually mounts in reflection of the actions of the villain as clues are slowly unraveled to try to pinpoint the culprit. Some of the background of the Society and its driven leader is explained and a framework is established for more exciting tales to be relayed in the future Mindhunters books. A promising debut title!
© Night Owl Reviews
January 1, 2012
This was another new author for me and another great edition for the genre of romantic suspense.
After a tragedy in her life, Dr Maggie Levine shuts herself off from the real world, working and spending her evenings indoors watching TV and cuddling her cat. She works late night radio helping people with their problems; in doing this she acquires a stalker who then starts to kill people in order to teach her a “lesson�. Enter the lovely gorgeous hero Ethan, they fall for each other whilst working hard with a team of people to stop the killer and to save Maggie’s life.
Well that small blurb from me pretty much sums it up lol
I really liked the character of Maggie, she had some awful stuff happen, yet she came through and was determined to not let another person mess with her and ruin her life.
Ethan was your typical tortured hero, perfect for this genre. My only real gripe about him was that I don’t understand why he blamed himself for what happened in his past. It just didn't seem real torture-yourself-for-years worthy.
I really liked the background characters of the SSAM team…is that right? Well it’s something like that � I am intrigued with the leader’s past and his daughter’s murder and I wonder if maybe this book is the start to a series? I would love to have more books with the same characters and am curious if Sam’s murderer will be found?
I really enjoyed the storyline and the writing style. There were some good characters here and a lot of room for future books and character development if the author wishes to do that. I would definitely read more from her in the future.
Read and reviewed courtesy of Netgalley
After a tragedy in her life, Dr Maggie Levine shuts herself off from the real world, working and spending her evenings indoors watching TV and cuddling her cat. She works late night radio helping people with their problems; in doing this she acquires a stalker who then starts to kill people in order to teach her a “lesson�. Enter the lovely gorgeous hero Ethan, they fall for each other whilst working hard with a team of people to stop the killer and to save Maggie’s life.
Well that small blurb from me pretty much sums it up lol
I really liked the character of Maggie, she had some awful stuff happen, yet she came through and was determined to not let another person mess with her and ruin her life.
Ethan was your typical tortured hero, perfect for this genre. My only real gripe about him was that I don’t understand why he blamed himself for what happened in his past. It just didn't seem real torture-yourself-for-years worthy.
I really liked the background characters of the SSAM team…is that right? Well it’s something like that � I am intrigued with the leader’s past and his daughter’s murder and I wonder if maybe this book is the start to a series? I would love to have more books with the same characters and am curious if Sam’s murderer will be found?
I really enjoyed the storyline and the writing style. There were some good characters here and a lot of room for future books and character development if the author wishes to do that. I would definitely read more from her in the future.
Read and reviewed courtesy of Netgalley
October 24, 2011
I found Only Fear to be an intriguing romantic suspense. The two main characters, Maggie and Ethan, both carried lots of baggage, but were likeable. The story had plenty of suspense, and the plot kept me interested. I liked the concept of the organization that Ethan worked for, The Society for the Study of the Aberrant Mind (SSAM), and I hope that the author will write more books about the characters who worked there.
Maggie Levine feels responsible for the death of her brother a year earlier at the hands of a stalker who was obsessed with her. She has closed herself off from her family and puts what enthusiasm she has left into her position as host of a talk radio show. When one of her callers begins stalking her and murdering people to get her attention, she is plunged back in her worst nightmare. Ethan Townsend, expert with the Society of the Aberrant Mind is sent in to protect Maggie. He is haunted by an incident from his days as a Secret Service Agent. As he tries to keep Maggie alive, the two are drawn to one another. They both have to overcome their pasts and keep Maggie alive in order to have a chance at a future together.
Only Fear had an interesting storyline and sympathetic characters. The book was fast paced and kept my attention. I received this book as an ARC through Netgalley.
Maggie Levine feels responsible for the death of her brother a year earlier at the hands of a stalker who was obsessed with her. She has closed herself off from her family and puts what enthusiasm she has left into her position as host of a talk radio show. When one of her callers begins stalking her and murdering people to get her attention, she is plunged back in her worst nightmare. Ethan Townsend, expert with the Society of the Aberrant Mind is sent in to protect Maggie. He is haunted by an incident from his days as a Secret Service Agent. As he tries to keep Maggie alive, the two are drawn to one another. They both have to overcome their pasts and keep Maggie alive in order to have a chance at a future together.
Only Fear had an interesting storyline and sympathetic characters. The book was fast paced and kept my attention. I received this book as an ARC through Netgalley.
February 18, 2013
ข้อดีเดียวของเรื่องนี้ที่เราคิดออกก็คื� เราได้มาฟรี ไม่ได้เสียเงินซื้�
จริง � ไม่ได้คาดหวังโรแมนซ์มากมายอะไรนะคะ เราอยากอ่านเรื่องแนวสืบสวนแบบซีเรียสจริงจั� แต่เล่มนี้ก็ไม่ได้ให้อะไรอย่างนั้น ส่วนโรแมนซ์เองก็เหมือนเอามาเติ� � แป� � เพื่อให้เป็นแนวโรแมนติกสืบสวน
งงปนสงสารนางเอกที่กลายเป็นเหยื่อของพวกชอบตา� (Stalker) สองรอบ โดยที่เรื่องก็ไม่ได้โยงว่� มีอะไรเกี่ยวข้องกัน ก็แค่นางเอกคงมีอะไรบางอย่าง (มั้ง) ที่ดึงดูดพวกโรคจิต ส่วนพระเอกก็มาตามสูต� อดีต Secret Service ที่ผันตัวมาเป็นบอดี้การ์� ที่เราอ่านแล้วไม่เจอเคมีอะไรทั้งสิ้นกะนางเอก ก็เลยรู้สึกว่� เรื่องพยายา� (หรือคนแต่งพยายาม) ที่จะผลักและดันให้ทั้งคู่รักกันให้ได� เหมือนดูหนังที่คนไม่ได้รักกัน แต่ถูกจับแต่งงานยังไงยังงั้นเลย
แล้วยังคนร้ายที่ออกแนวฮามากกว่าโหด ไม่เข้าใ� และงงว่าทำไมคนร้ายถึงได้มาบ้าคลั่งในตัวนางเอก ทำไมต้องเป็นนางเอก เรื่องบอกว่� คนร้ายเป็นฆาตกรต่อเนื่องที่หายไปหลายป� ทำไมถึงต้องกลับมาแล้วคลั่งไคล้นางเอก อ่านแล้วไม่เก็ตประเด็นนี้ เข้าใจจุดที่เรื่องอธิบายนะว่า ทำไมเขาจึงหยุดฆ่า แต่ทำไมต้องมาบ้านางเอกด้วยล่� แล้วยังการที่เขาหลอกเอาคนคลั่งนางเอกคนแรกมาฆ่าอี� ง่ายไปไห� ไร้เหตุผลอีก ฆ่าเพื่อข่มขวัญนางเอกเหร� เราไม่มองอย่างนั้� เพราะนางเอกคนไม่แคร์คนที่ทำร้ายตัวเองมาในอดีต (แล้วเรื่องก็บอกว่� นางเอกก็ยังกลัวอยู่ไม่น้อย) การที่คนร้ายฆ่าคนนั้� ยิ่งทำให้นางเอกลดศัตรูไปได้คนนึงด้วยซ้ำ
คะแนนที่ 37
จริง � ไม่ได้คาดหวังโรแมนซ์มากมายอะไรนะคะ เราอยากอ่านเรื่องแนวสืบสวนแบบซีเรียสจริงจั� แต่เล่มนี้ก็ไม่ได้ให้อะไรอย่างนั้น ส่วนโรแมนซ์เองก็เหมือนเอามาเติ� � แป� � เพื่อให้เป็นแนวโรแมนติกสืบสวน
งงปนสงสารนางเอกที่กลายเป็นเหยื่อของพวกชอบตา� (Stalker) สองรอบ โดยที่เรื่องก็ไม่ได้โยงว่� มีอะไรเกี่ยวข้องกัน ก็แค่นางเอกคงมีอะไรบางอย่าง (มั้ง) ที่ดึงดูดพวกโรคจิต ส่วนพระเอกก็มาตามสูต� อดีต Secret Service ที่ผันตัวมาเป็นบอดี้การ์� ที่เราอ่านแล้วไม่เจอเคมีอะไรทั้งสิ้นกะนางเอก ก็เลยรู้สึกว่� เรื่องพยายา� (หรือคนแต่งพยายาม) ที่จะผลักและดันให้ทั้งคู่รักกันให้ได� เหมือนดูหนังที่คนไม่ได้รักกัน แต่ถูกจับแต่งงานยังไงยังงั้นเลย
แล้วยังคนร้ายที่ออกแนวฮามากกว่าโหด ไม่เข้าใ� และงงว่าทำไมคนร้ายถึงได้มาบ้าคลั่งในตัวนางเอก ทำไมต้องเป็นนางเอก เรื่องบอกว่� คนร้ายเป็นฆาตกรต่อเนื่องที่หายไปหลายป� ทำไมถึงต้องกลับมาแล้วคลั่งไคล้นางเอก อ่านแล้วไม่เก็ตประเด็นนี้ เข้าใจจุดที่เรื่องอธิบายนะว่า ทำไมเขาจึงหยุดฆ่า แต่ทำไมต้องมาบ้านางเอกด้วยล่� แล้วยังการที่เขาหลอกเอาคนคลั่งนางเอกคนแรกมาฆ่าอี� ง่ายไปไห� ไร้เหตุผลอีก ฆ่าเพื่อข่มขวัญนางเอกเหร� เราไม่มองอย่างนั้� เพราะนางเอกคนไม่แคร์คนที่ทำร้ายตัวเองมาในอดีต (แล้วเรื่องก็บอกว่� นางเอกก็ยังกลัวอยู่ไม่น้อย) การที่คนร้ายฆ่าคนนั้� ยิ่งทำให้นางเอกลดศัตรูไปได้คนนึงด้วยซ้ำ
คะแนนที่ 37
September 14, 2011
This book was reviewed for
I really enjoyed this book. The story was tight and the characters interesting and the bad guy was sinister enough to make him believable and creepy enough that I was glad he was a fictional character and not out there somewhere. I also liked that the romance was not the main focus of the emotional interplay between the main players. This truly is a first class romantic suspence with a really good bad guy and kept me guessing right to the end. Fantastic!
I really enjoyed this book. The story was tight and the characters interesting and the bad guy was sinister enough to make him believable and creepy enough that I was glad he was a fictional character and not out there somewhere. I also liked that the romance was not the main focus of the emotional interplay between the main players. This truly is a first class romantic suspence with a really good bad guy and kept me guessing right to the end. Fantastic!
July 13, 2013
NOW I read that this nook book is romantic suspense. There is a great deal of romance, or schmaltz, or that sort of thing, and some suspense. The main character is a psychiatrist with a radio show, who has to cope with a crazy who calls himself Fearmonger, and is a serial killer. A group called SSAC helps her to cope with him, and this is where her love interest comes in. Maggie also is a college professor. Fearmonger goes after people she knows, and threatens her family. I shall try to check books to make sure that the word romantic doesn't appear in the description!
September 5, 2014
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought that I would. For a romantic suspense book I gave it 4 stars. It was a tad bit eye rolling that Maggie fell so head over heals for this guy right away but that is the point of a romance book right. There was plenty of action to keep you going and to leave trying to figure out who the bad guy is. I am looking forward to the next book and I would recommend this book to others.
September 26, 2011
ONLY FEAR is a fast-paced, thrilling read. The scenes between Maggie and Ethan were touching and Owen was absolutely chilling. I also loved Sigmund.
I look forward to seeing more from Anne Marie Becker.
I look forward to seeing more from Anne Marie Becker.
October 2, 2011
I really enjoyed ONLY FEAR by Anne Marie Becker. Spine tingling and chilling she has some awesome hooks and everyone is a suspect in this book. Told in the classic style of Lisa Gardner and Sandra Brown, I will add Ms. Becker's to my must read list for her future work. Great thriller writer.
March 17, 2012
Wow this was a great book! Very suspenceful makes me glad I don't watch scary movies might have made the book scary for me lol. Wonderful can wait for more books about SSAM! Will be reading more by this author soon.
April 18, 2012
I love mind gripping stories and this author certainly delivered. I was hooked from page one and hated to put the book down to go to work, sleep or make dinner. I'm a slow reader, but this one went so fast. I can't wait until her next book comes out. Definitely a 4.5 rating from me.
November 2, 2013
Good mystery with good characters. The romance part of the book moved a little fast, but I guess when you are dealing with an escalating serial killer who is obsessed with the main character, connections have to be mad quickly.
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