Queen of Hearts: A Gripping Psychological Thriller with a Twist by Heather Day Gilbert

Author:Heather Day Gilbert [Gilbert, Heather Day]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: WoodHaven Press
Published: 2024-07-23T00:00:00+00:00

FIFTEEN

My cathartic writing session in the gazebo unlocks some deep well of creativity, allowing me to crank out over four thousand words. Once darkness starts to fall, I head inside to get my evening meal ready.

Discovering I'm already nearly out of milk, I place a quick online grocery order for tomorrow. Then I get busy making a quick meal of spaghetti and microwave meatballs.

As the noodles cook, I call the bookstore to confirm that Quincy has scheduled my signing for tomorrow night. A young woman answers—presumably the same employee I'd met before—and she confirms that Quincy's set the signing for six. I'm welcome to come early if I want, she says, but they'll have the book table and display already set up for me. I won't need to make change, since all purchases will be done at the register.

That comes as a relief, since I haven't even located a bank where I could withdraw cash, and I don't want to drive into town.

Once I've dished up my food, I waffle between reading more of Jordan's book and watching my Alaskan show. Although my interest has waned, I should probably read more of The Visitor, just in case Jordan dropped any meaningful hints about her time in this cabin.

I set the manuscript on the couch beside me, flipping to the last page I've read. Aquarius is now back at the coffee shop, working her little heart out, and she catches sight of Max lurking by his black Audi outside. Is he stalking her? She decides he must be, since he doesn't come in for coffee.

I wonder how an incredibly wealthy businessman like Max would find the time to stalk a young woman in a coffee shop, but I suspend my disbelief and continue reading.

Hours pass, and Aquarius loses sight of Max and his Audi. She assumes he's gone home. After saying goodbye to her coworkers, she heads into the back parking lot and gets into her car.

But Max has somehow jimmied the lock, and he rises up from behind the driver's seat. He demands that she hand over her phone and drive to his house. She refuses and opens her door to escape. Max pulls out a gun, repeating his order that she drive, and this time she does.

It seems way too early in the book for Jordan to reveal that Max is the villain, much less a kidnapper, but maybe the bulk of the story will be comprised of her trying to escape his lair.

I sigh, setting the manuscript down on a side table. I don't know where Jordan was going with The Visitor, but I'm not invested in Aquarius enough to care. Nor does Max seem to have any three-dimensional qualities. One of best ways for authors to hook readers is to make them feel something for the main character. They have to relate to them. Thus far, Aquarius seems unrelatable, mostly because we don't get a strong sense of who she is or what her motivations are.

I jump up to sprinkle more parmesan on my spaghetti, then turn on my Alaskan show.

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