For the last ten years, Angela Thompson has been living a nightmare.

While motherhood was never her goal, she has tried everything to connect with her son, Max. It was supposed to be the two of them against the world, until Max’s behavior grew increasingly disturbing.

The missing items, lost pets, and strange drawings she could handle, but now, the murder of little Tommy Marshall has the entire town of Oregon, Ohio on edge.

#SimonSaysDie #ErikaStrauss @darkedgepress #RandomThingsTours @annecater @RandomTTours #blogtour 

Beaten with a large rock and left to die in the woods, the police search frantically for a sadistic child killer. Unfortunately, all of the evidence points to Angela. She swears that she would never hurt a child.

Her gut tells her that Max is involved but authorities find it hard to believe that a ten-year-old boy could pull off the perfect murder and put his mother on death row. In fact, nobody believes her. But they don’t know Max like she does.

They don’t know how depraved her angelic little boy can be.

My Review

I literally read this in one day. It’s a short book and very creepy. When ten-year-old Max is the narrator, I felt really uncomfortable. In fact it’s an uncomfortable read altogether, with some unsavoury characters.

Max’s view of his mum Angie is shocking (though she’s not exactly the perfect mother) and his treatment of his four-year-old cousin Phoenix is cruel and sadistic. How does he expect a four-year-old to behave? He can’t help crying and ‘whining’, especially when Max is around.

Angie has always suspected there is something not right with her son – she has taken him to four psychiatrists, but no-one believes her. In fact her older sister Mari thinks Max is a little angel, though her husband Robert doesn’t agree.

According to the blurb: ‘The missing items, lost pets, and strange drawings she could handle’ – I have to say I would be very upset if I thought my child was responsible for the disappearance of next door’s Yorkshire Terrier and other neighbourhood pets. But then ten-year-old Tommy Marshall is found dead, having been hit over the head with a stone and left for dead in the woods. All the evidence points to mum Angie, but she suspects Max. But who would believe her angelic son is capable of such a heinous act?

Right up to the end you won’t know what’s going on and the twists and turns were enough to make you gasp, but there are some things you will never guess.

Many thanks to @annecater for inviting me to be part of #RandomThingsTours

About the Author

Erika Strauss has dedicated her life to writing stories that show that there are two sides to every story. Everyone has a background story, and everyone has their own set of intentions, whether they are good, bad, or indifferent. Striving to create memorable tales, Erika writes stories that will draw the reader into the psyche of the broken and their victims.

Living in her hometown of Toledo, Ohio, with her husband, three daughters, and rescue/emotional support dog, Baker, she spends her days writing in her home office. When she’s not writing, she can be found in the kitchen, cooking and baking up a storm. If you can’t find her there, you might find her reading a book from her large library of suspenseful crime novels.