Kathryne Arnold

A Fear of Things to Come by Kathryne Arnold is the second in the Samantha Clark Mystery series and was published in 2012.

A combination of strange notes left for Sammi and the disappearance of her boyfriend, Todd sets the second book in this series off to a fast start. Are the two events related? It would seem like more than just a coincidence. After Todd as been missing long enough to file a report, a detective takes interest in the case and the hunt begins.

This story is not so much a mystery as it is a crime story. Samantha's past may have come back to haunt her, not that she did anything scandalous, but some psychology work she did in the past has perhaps made her a target.
The strain is unbearable for Samantha and the tension is palpable and even causes some difficult moments between Samantha and her two closest friends.
Meanwhile a very disturbed man has gone on a killing spree. The actions of this man are very detailed and I warn you now, this book is not for the faint of heart. Before all is said and done a Samantha will have gone through an ordeal that will take a very long time to recover from.
This story was told from Samantha's point of view but much of the story is a third person narrative as we are given access to the situation Todd finds himself in, the thoughts of a killer and another person he has roped into his scheme. Samantha's thoughts and feeling are the only first person areas in the book.

I must say this because this is an honest review. To write in first person is a very difficult thing to pull off even for seasoned authors and in this case I think the author would have a more fluid and cohesive story if she stuck to the third person narrative. She does a great job of telling the story this way, but the first person areas, while vastly improved from the first novel are still a little stiff. The only other area of complaint I have is that he book was in need of a little trim down. It was just a little over long. Now that I have that off my chest, I must say this was a scary, tense, suspenseful novel that could give you a sleepless night or two. There are a few emotional punches as well so be prepared for a very bumpy ride.
Overall this one is a 3.5 rounded to 4.… (more)

I was drawn in by Sammi's monthly group, and their discussion of re-entering dreams and taking control of your dreams. The more I read of her dreams, the more invested I became in the story, and the more I wanted to know about what was happening and why.

As someone who is very into researching my family tree, I could identify with her searching for information from the past to make sense of her dream experiences.

Her relationships with her friends and family in the present were very realistically depicted, and I look forward to reading more about them in future books.

The way the past and present come together at the very end was a big surprise, but one that I loved.

This book gets a very enthusiastic FIVE STARS from me!

**I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.**… (more)

Samantha "Sammi" Clark already has a complex life dealing with a busy job as a psychotherapist, being a steady ear to her friends' problems and facing forty still as a single woman, when she begins to have episodes and dreams intimately connecting her with an 18th century spiritual entity, Jonathan. However, clues from these spiritual connections that lead to actual discoveries begin to convince her and her friends and family that these spiritual interactions are not imaginary reveries. Is Sammi actually Jonathan's reincarnated betrothed, Hannah, who died mysteriously in 1786, and how can Jonathan help his love find balance in her current life for her, her family and her friends? The story is related by Sammi and gave me the feel of hearing this from a psychiatrists' couch, punctuated with stream of consciousness moments and indecisive ruminations. Paranormal elements aside, this is a well-written journey of personal discovery.… (more)

An excellent psychological thriller written in a simplistic language and a plot that is well thought out and easy to follow.

As soon as I picked up the novel and starting reading it i could not put it down as the author had got me hooked and the only disappointment was the time it took to read, it was over too quickly. An excellent and enjoyable read.

When her lover goes missing and does not return, Samantha's world is turned upside down when she starts receiving strange letters.

With the help of her close friends and the police she is taken on a ride of turbulent emotions which takes her to her past life to find the answer to her nightmare.

The author has used her experience in counselling psychology to create an excellent range of characters whose actions and emotions are truly believable.

As the reader you feel as if you an invisible entity at the back of each situation and you want to reach out and be involved .

The range of emotions throughout the story that you feel change with which characters you are following. Again showing the authors experience and expertise in a very complicated area of human nature.

I found this book very intriguing and had me enthralled from page one. An excellent thriller which is highly charged in people's emotions and what motives the way certain human beings behave and act. Also there is a message hidden in the book that if you give someone a chance that they can change.

Anyone who enjoys an easy to follow thriller with an excellent storyline must pick up this book and read it.… (more)