Title: Malicious Obsession
Author: A.L. Masters
Publisher: PageTurner Press and Media LLC
ISBN: 978-1638717584
Pages: 510
Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Reviewed by: Anthony Avina
Hollywood Book Reviews
A dangerous and gripping journey that some people find themselves on in this world is the road to obsession. Whether you are the victim of someone else’s compulsion or the obsessive one, this subject has a habit of not only leading down dark and dangerous paths, but of derailing lives in the process. Finding the right balance between enjoying something or being around someone and not crossing the line into full-blown obsession has become a subject of curiosity and interest in recent years. As Norman Mailer once said, “Obsession is the single most wasteful human activity, because with an obsession you keep coming back and back and back to the same question and never get an answer.”
In author A.L. Masters’ Malicious Obsession, the author explores obsession through the south of England. As D.I. “Spence” Hargreaves balances his work life with his loving daughter and his love of blues rock, he finds himself embroiled in a dark case when a local School Deputy Headmaster is found murdered. When questions about the victim’s life bring in a slew of questions and suspects, the detective and his partner will discover a dangerous world of obsession, fantasy, and fetishes which will rock the entirety of Southern England.
The author did such a marvelous job of grabbing the reader’s attention immediately and layering this narrative with such mystery and intrigue. What stood out right away was the technique used as the author began to jump back and forth between different time periods, setting the stage for the investigation and who the victim was leading up to the murder, as well as everyone connected to him. The setting became just as vital as the cast of characters, and the way the mystery deepened as time went on allowed for almost everyone to have their moment of suspicion and shocking revelations. The way that obsession and secrets played out prominently thematically in this story was what made the mystery so deep and engaging to read, especially as the layers of the victim’s life began to intersect with the final suspect.
This is the perfect read for those who enjoy murder mystery and crime thrillers, especially with elements of suspense and drama intertwined within these genres. As a fan of all these genres, I was immediately immersed into this investigation, and what always makes these reads so much more entertaining is when the author manages to find the right balance between the investigation itself and the more personal moments looking into the lives of those involved. From the protagonist D.I. Hargreaves and his home life to the victim and those in his immediate circle and the shocking revelation of the killer and his motives, this story is just truly brilliant to read.
Heart-pounding suspense, thought-provoking mystery, and a truly entertaining and lengthy narrative, author A.L. Masters’ Malicious Obsession is a must-read thriller for any get-away time. A gripping English murder mystery which takes on a very BBC-series vibe in its imagery and delivery, the narrative brings readers on a twisted and gripping journey of obsession and secrets making this novel impossible to put down.