Wednesday 31 August 2011

Buy Suspense Novels by Charles J Harwood

Four suspense novels by Charles J Harwood are The Shuttered Room, Falling Awake, Nora and a Hard Lesson. All thrillers are professionally edited. These unforgettable thrillers hold nothing back, with sexual chemistry and taboo themes such as Stockholm Syndrome, voyeurism, insomnia and obsession. With vivid characters, twisty plots and above all, a very different read. Find overview of each thriller below. Purchase by clicking on the image. Reviews appreciated!

The Shuttered Room

Little do they know their captive holds a deadly secret.

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from Amazon
Jess’s life would appear idyllic: privileges, money, a son and a devoted husband. But her life is shattered when she is taken hostage and confined in a bedroom by three thugs demanding a sizeable ransom from her wealthy father. A failed escape attempt spurs her captors to hire a borrowed baby to keep the police off the trail. In desperation, Jess cuts a hole in the bedroom floor with a cutlery knife from where she spies upon her captors downstairs. But as her pastime grow in obsession, Jess finds her sanity jeapardised by a sexual psychological game she finds herself playing with her captors.

Read more about The Shuttered Room on this blog or click image to purchase.


Falling Awake

Insomnia can have the most sinister causes.

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from Amazon
Gemma's home is put under jeopardy after her husband Liam vanishes with an unexplained debt and a creepy-looking doodle. In desperation, she performs erotic routines 'Domestic Bliss' for insomniac, Luke who watches from across the courtyard. But Luke is fussy about what he likes to watch and an uneasy chemistry develops between them after she satirizes her performance. As the ugly truth surrounding Liam’s disappearance unravels, Gemma finds herself trapped into Luke’s obligation. Paranoia takes its grip as she fears the truth surrounding the cause of Luke’s insomnia. Voyeurism is only a part of what Luke likes to participate in.

Read more about Falling Awake on this blog or click image to purchase.

A Hard Lesson

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from Amazon
A teacher takes on the pupil from hell only to learn what treachery means.

Tenacious teacher, Sarah takes on Josh, the worst pupil imaginable. Dyslexic and with behaviour problems, Josh seems intent only upon humiliating her in his well-honed way perfected upon countless teachers before her. But her problems are just beginning after she set Josh an assignment on erotic art. Her boyfriend Frank deserts her to his commitment to a criminal hub headed by psychopath, Kurt. Slowly, Sarah gets drawn into the dark secrets of Josh’s family as well as the inner workings of Kurt’s sinister clique. A tale of shame, betrayal and manipulation, Sarah must ultimately face her greatest fear.

Read more about A Hard Lesson on this blog or click image to purchase

Nora

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from Amazon
Her harsh brand of rehab hides a bitter secret.

Nancy is hurled into the world of celebrity when she finds herself performing a shoot for handsome but odious playboy, Vince, as they walk from one of his nightclubs. The seduction of this other world sours after Nancy overhears Vince make a bet with his PA, Leon on the length of her fifteen minutes of fame.

Her world falls apart after Vince’s limo crashes, propelling Nancy into a nightmare world where her alter ego Nora is born.

Vince’s playboy lifestyle is about to be turned upside down. Hers will never be the same.

Read more about Nora on this blog or click image to purchase.

Want to read this thriller?
The Shuttered Room
(Charles J Harwood)
All novels are professionally edited and formatted for Kindle, Nook, Sony, Apple, paperback and large print.

Note: Three of these books are available within an anthology, entitled, Gone Too Far (3 Psychological Thrillers about Taboo), which is a little cheaper than purchasing the 3 novels singly.

Related links to my author website

Great themes in literary fiction
Stories with taboo themes

Saturday 20 August 2011

Falling Awake by Charles J Harwood: A Psychological Thriller

Falling Awake is a psychological thriller about a woman who takes a late night commission performing for a mysterious client for urgent cash. But she begins to question the nature of who she is performing for. Paranoia soon sets in.

A Psychological Thriller

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Falling Awake, previously titled Domestic Bliss tells the story of Gemma who is faced with the prospect of repossession after her husband Liam vanishes under mysterious circumstances with only a weird doodle as a clue to why. Gemma is in for a nasty shock about her husband.

But her problems are only just beginning when in desperation Gemma takes up an evening job performing routines with Charlene for an insomniac voyeur, Luke, who watches from across the courtyard in his apartment.

Suspense Thriller

Buy from Audible
But her client is rather particular about what he likes to watch and Gemma is anything but a natural performer. An uneasy chemistry develops between them that is not good for her state of mind or the erotic scenarios devised by theatre director, Phil, which he calls ‘Domestic Bliss.’ The negative feedback Gemma gets for her efforts becomes the least of her worries when she suspects Luke is not what he seems.

As the horrifying truth about Liam’s disappearance unfurls, Gemma finds herself obligated to Luke. Gemma begins to suspect her worst fears lie behind the causes of Luke’s insomnia.

Have listen to an audio sample of this dark psychological thriller that centres on paranoia.


Idea behind Falling Awake

A Creepy Psychological Thriller
Charles J Harwood
I had originally written Falling Awake as a screenplay and then decided to flesh out the characters and add a tense subplot, namely the circumstances surrounding Liam’s disappearance. But the story really centres upon the relationship between Gemma and Luke and how her paranoia about him builds.

I wanted to pose the question what it would be like to feel obligated to someone who you fear most, and worse, to become psychologically compromised.

Falling Awake is my third novel after The Shuttered Room and A Hard Lesson.
Read an excerpt from Falling Awake or read an overview of Charles J Harwood novels.
Falling Awake is available in audio, Kindle and paperback.

Note: since publishing this article, this novel can also be found within Eclipse Quartet: Four Psychological Thrillers.

Related links to my author website

Stories with taboo themes
Great themes in literary fiction