Pressure

Publisher's Summary

"Marvelously creepy...the horror in this tale of twisted friendship is relentless." (Publishers Weekly)

Alex stared at the red pocketknife shown to him by his daughter. A pocketknife owned by somebody he hadn't seen in years.

Children

They met first in boarding school at age 12. Alex Fletcher, shy and scared. Darren Rust, always furiously scribbling away in a private journal. It was not an immediate friendship, but then one night Darren convinced his roommate to sneak off school grounds to see something glorious. There was a sleazy strip club, you see, and every once in a while the back door opened just long enough to maybe catch a quick glimpse.

Though a bond was formed from their prepubescent interest in naked women, Darren had another interest. A morbid curiosity about death. A curiosity that turned into something much more sinister.

Friends

They crossed paths again in college and became the best of friends. But Darren wasn't just looking for a friend. He had dark, ghastly urges squirming around in his head, and he believed he saw the same things - the urge to hurt, the urge to kill - in Alex. He was looking for somebody who understood. A partner.

But Alex could never become a monster. Not even when Darren tried to bring out his friend's most deeply buried feelings of rage. Not even when Darren tried to show him the euphoria of having that much power over another human being. It just couldn't happen...right?

Enemies

Now Alex has a wife and a daughter. And Darren is back. He's hiding. He's patient. His mind is twisted in the worst possible way.

And he's seeking a soul mate.

©2005 Jeff Strand (P)2016 Scott Thomas

It flew by

Note: In exchange for an unbiased review, the author, publisher, and/or narrator were kind enough to provide an audio version of this book at no charge via AudiobookBlast.

I went into this with a sense of dread after hearing the first few moments. Not because I felt it would be a bad book or because there was a problem with the narrator. But because I knew this was going to take a very dark turn. And it did. The protagonist was quite annoying at times because his wimpiness/weakness/the ease with which he was pushed around was the primary cause of his problems with regard to the antagonist. Of course, if he had been any other way, the story wouldn't have happened, so there's that.

The narrator was great; he really brought the insanity to life. No complaints there.

Recommended if you like dark, relentless psychological thrillers.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Loved It!!

Any additional comments?

This is one of the best books I've listened to this year! From the beginning I was hooked. Finished it in one day!! The story was very gripping and every character was thought out and was given just enough of a backstory to draw you in.
This will be the best credit you will use all year!!
This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Wow, just wow

wow just wow.

this book follows Alex though out his life. from child hood to adulthood. His parents are not really the loving kind. to them he is more of a chore then a loving child.
They send him off to boarding school for a minor infraction, and thats where the story starts off.
That is where he meets darren. a per with MAJOR issues. they bound over a boyhood moment and become friends. well at first. then darren because his worst nightmare to put it lightly. He meets up with Darren thought his life, and the man takes psychopath to a whole new meaning.
This book is a fast moving book, that is not meant for the fate hearted. but oh so worth the listen.

I was gratefully provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator for an unbiased review via Audio Boom..

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Jeff strand does it again!!

I received this audible edition for my honest review.. I must say I truly enjoyed it. fast paced. gritty and intriguing.. keeps you on the edge of your seat

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Refreshingly Riveting GrittyThriller! LOVED IT!

Where does Pressure rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I listen to a lot of mystery thrillers and lately I keep getting the same dull and safe story lines from the same set of "go to" authors. This is my first time I listening to a book by Jeff Strand and I was quickly hooked and couldn't turn the audiobook off. SO GOOD! This story builds fast and it was so refreshing to see the author took risks in the story. Many things I didn't expect which was nice and I really enjoyed the grittiness of the plot and the character development.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved how the story started out with the main character at age 12 and carried on throughout his life. I dont want to give away anything but you will route for the main character. I found myself laughing in some places, angry in others, and even cried at some points. This was a gritty thriller and I will definitely listen to more books by Jeff Strand and the narrator, Scott Thomas.

Which scene was your favorite?

I can't really point out a favorite, I liked the book so much that I listened to the whole thing in one sitting.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I actually did listen to this in one sitting. Listen to this book if you want to get nothing else accomplished for 7 hours. lol

Any additional comments?

If you like gritty thrillers that keep you on the edge of your seat this is a great book for you. If you like the series, Shelter by harlan coben, you probably will love this story. Like Shelter characters, the Pressure characters will have you laughing, crying, and raging with them however story lines are nothing alike. Just the memorable characters.

“This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.”

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Creepy good

BOOK REVIEW......
Creepy good story. I listened to it in one setting it was that good

NARRATOR REVIEW........
The narrator did a good job of bring life to the story and characters.

"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBoom dot com."

L.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Completely messed up story, and I loved it!

This is like Stand By Me gone so wrong. This story and its characters kept my attention and made me have to know what came next the whole way through. I was grossed out, pissed off, outraged and made to laugh numerous times throughout the duration. I wanted to shake Alex and say" no, don't let him do you like that", I wanted to kill Darren and I wanted to weep for Melanie and Tracy. The progression of storyline from kids, to college students to adults was fantastic and I thought the timing for those transitions was perfect. This book certainly has some very intense violence and very dark times but it was right up my alley. This book was gifted to me by the author for an unbiased review and it was certainly a gift that I enjoyed. I will undoubtedly listen to this one again and keep it in my library. If you're into dark, violent, creepy, sad and somewhat funny stories, this book is for you, it was most definitely for me!!!!!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Amazing!

I was so surprised by how incredible Pressure is, especially because I was hesitant at first to pick this book. I burned through it in a matter of days. It is so well written and captivating right from the start, and it certainly has re-listen value.

The protagonist, Alex, is very relatable because he is just so normal. Darren, the psychopath that relentlessly preys on Alex, is a very disturbing and callous character, and there is a real uneasiness evoked throughout Pressure especially in regards to Darren. I do not want to give any spoilers, but what I can say is that if you love psychological thrillers and stories involving brutal psychopaths, then you should not hesitate to pick up this book. However, Pressure is definitely not for the faint of heart!

As for the narration, I can’t even express how flawless it is. The performance is absolutely outstanding, and I am now a huge fan of Scott Thomas after listening to this one title!

This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom- Thank you so much! I am sincerely overjoyed to have have had the opportunity to discover this brilliant author along with a remarkably talented narrator!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

A brutal fast paced psychological thriller

I was gifted a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review from the narrator Scott Thomas. I already know Scott is a fantastic narrator, so when I saw an opportunity to grab this audiobook from one of my favorite authors, it was an offer much too good to refuse.

This is an excellent psychological thriller from the demented mind of Jeff Strand. Please note that if you’re looking for the trademark Strand wit and humor, this ain’t it. There are glimpses of it here and there (and you’ll be thankful for the tiny reprieve too), but this one is just straight up brutal. Pressure is an apropos title for this one as the tension steadily builds until Jeff lets it all out and ratchets it up to eleven.

The narration really works for this one. Scott’s pacing, tone and cadence are always spot on. He is a perfect complement to Jeff’s story and really has a way of breathing life into his characterizations. I have listened to several of his audio works and have enjoyed them all.

Very well done on all fronts for Pressure and Highly Recommended!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Twisted Thriller

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It was more intense and dark than his Wolf Hunt series (also good). I highly recommend if you enjoy a physiological twisted thriller that keeps you on your toes. Narration was good. This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom. Thank You!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful