T. M. Logan
Author of Lies
About the Author
Image credit: T.M. Logan
Works by T. M. Logan
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Gender
- male
- Occupations
- journalist
- Agent
- Camilla Bolton
- Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- Berkshire, England, UK
- Map Location
- England, UK
- Associated Place (for map)
- England, UK
Members
Reviews
(I listened to this on audio so quotes and punctuation will not be exact)
(Head of Department and Staff Member)
Did that make your blood boil? Well, it did mine and it made my blood boil in the half-dozen other times in the novel that Professor Alan Hawthorne, Captain of the Old Boys Club and Head of the English Department at a prestigious University, cornered his prey. TML succeeded in creating a high-profile Teflon coated predator with plenty of victims that was so thoroughly slimy I could feel the bile rising inside me every time he opened his mouth to speak.
Then you have Sarah with her PhD, the innocent lamb, bidding for tenure in Hawthorne’s department, and who has to be the absolutely hugest literary dimwit that I have encountered in a long time. Sarah has a husband who has currently left her for his latest squeeze (not for the first time) and still she moons about waiting for his call telling her he is coming home. She should have a brilliant career in front of her – if only she wasn’t under the thumb of a complete douchebag (Dita’s apt description of Hawthorne which I adopt whole-heartedly) who makes sport of dangling fictitious promotions in front of his female staff, in exchange for their indentured sexual servitude (I assure you no one sees a farthing for their efforts). Time after time she keeps stepping up for slaughter, believing against all odds that she will get her promotion and respect due her based on her work performance. Each time, when she resists Hawthorne’s overtures, he applies more and more pressure, passing her up for the tenure spot for the second year in a row, telling her she will be made redundant during proposed budget cuts, informing her that if she tries to complain to HR she will be facing a counter-claim that she has been coming on to him. He is always one step ahead of her, closing in, smacking his lips. The more she resists the more fervent and blatant his threats. Every time he offers her a drink (it seems that all these people do is drink) I’m convinced that it has been spiked with Rohypnol (HUGE irony).
Enter, Kingpin Mafioso, whose daughter Sarah saved in an heroic action. KM doesn’t like to be beholden to anyone and offers to erase the person of her choice from the face of the earth. Things spiral out of control and get even worse – lots of twisty suspense and furious page flipping ensue (I don’t want to spoil) until a perfectly satisfactory and just ending is reached – at least for one of the characters.
The fact that I loathed both of the main characters is a credit to the author. It’s not easy to create such thoroughly unlikable characters – I enjoyed this novel immensely! show less
(Head of Department and Staff Member)
“….she tried to edge further away but she was already hard up against the door…the door handle was digging into her thigh. The inside of the taxi was intensely claustrophobic, a temporary prison she couldn’t escape…he shifted up a little closer…[They’re on their way they’re in a taxi behind us.] But we shall be there first. Just the two of us and I’ve got a surpriseshow more
for you. He tapped her leg just above her knee letting it rest there. His fingers felt heavy on her thigh. I do like these stockings. You should wear skirts more often. Your legs are fabulous. Please, don’t do that, she said in a small voice, twisting her wedding ring around her finger. Do, what? Touch my leg. Oh? I thought you liked it. No, I’d pefer it if you didn’t. I love you playing hard to get. You’re such a tease Sarah. He pressed himself closer again. ... He moved his fingers a few inches higher, stroking her thigh. Carefully and deliberately she lifted his hand up with hers and moved it away aware of her heart thudding painfully in her chest. Then he was stroking the back of her head caressing her long dark hair. She flinched away sitting forward against the seatbelt and shooting him a look. He ignored her, cupping his right hand around his nose. Eyelids fluttering closed for a second. I love your smell Sarah. You’re intoxicating. Do you wear that perfume just for me. Her skin crawling, she tried desperately to think of a way to stop this happening again…..I am nice to you aren’t I? he said again. You can be nice to me too. Once in a while at least. Why don’t you try it? …Now I’m going to treat you to a very special nightcap. Don’t you dare go anywhere…”
Did that make your blood boil? Well, it did mine and it made my blood boil in the half-dozen other times in the novel that Professor Alan Hawthorne, Captain of the Old Boys Club and Head of the English Department at a prestigious University, cornered his prey. TML succeeded in creating a high-profile Teflon coated predator with plenty of victims that was so thoroughly slimy I could feel the bile rising inside me every time he opened his mouth to speak.
Then you have Sarah with her PhD, the innocent lamb, bidding for tenure in Hawthorne’s department, and who has to be the absolutely hugest literary dimwit that I have encountered in a long time. Sarah has a husband who has currently left her for his latest squeeze (not for the first time) and still she moons about waiting for his call telling her he is coming home. She should have a brilliant career in front of her – if only she wasn’t under the thumb of a complete douchebag (Dita’s apt description of Hawthorne which I adopt whole-heartedly) who makes sport of dangling fictitious promotions in front of his female staff, in exchange for their indentured sexual servitude (I assure you no one sees a farthing for their efforts). Time after time she keeps stepping up for slaughter, believing against all odds that she will get her promotion and respect due her based on her work performance. Each time, when she resists Hawthorne’s overtures, he applies more and more pressure, passing her up for the tenure spot for the second year in a row, telling her she will be made redundant during proposed budget cuts, informing her that if she tries to complain to HR she will be facing a counter-claim that she has been coming on to him. He is always one step ahead of her, closing in, smacking his lips. The more she resists the more fervent and blatant his threats. Every time he offers her a drink (it seems that all these people do is drink) I’m convinced that it has been spiked with Rohypnol (HUGE irony).
“It's just not your time Sarah. You’re not quite ready yet. Almost, but not quite…..believe me when I say this is not easy for me either. It wouldn’t be in your best interest to put you up for a permanent post at this stage. I know it’s tough now but in the long run you’ll thank me……I know you really want this but you need to commit yourself to the discipline. You’ve already got two little children…how do I know you’re not going to be disappearing after, popping out more babies as soon as you get that permanent contract, leaving your colleagues in a lurch while you go on for a nice maternity holiday and we don’t see you for another year. He gave her a lascivious smile. More to the point. I don’t see you for a year. …I do love to see you angry Sarah… You’re so sexy when you’re angry. Why do you think you can say that? Why do you think it’s okay? He shrugged. It’s true you are…[she went to leave] but he was blocking her way, leaning against the door with his hands crossed…Let me out. It doesn’t have to be like this. You can still make the promotions list. You just have to show me your commitment to this department…. So show me. His eyes flickered. Show me how committed you are. No, Sarah said quietly. He moved toward her dropping his hands to his sides. Show me….”
Enter, Kingpin Mafioso, whose daughter Sarah saved in an heroic action. KM doesn’t like to be beholden to anyone and offers to erase the person of her choice from the face of the earth. Things spiral out of control and get even worse – lots of twisty suspense and furious page flipping ensue (I don’t want to spoil) until a perfectly satisfactory and just ending is reached – at least for one of the characters.
The fact that I loathed both of the main characters is a credit to the author. It’s not easy to create such thoroughly unlikable characters – I enjoyed this novel immensely! show less
29 Seconds: The brilliant, gripping thriller from the author of Netflix hit THE HOLIDAY by T. M. Logan
(I listened to this on audio so quotes and punctuation will not be exact)
(Head of Department and Staff Member)
Did that make your blood boil? Well, it did mine and it made my blood boil in the half-dozen other times in the novel that Professor Alan Hawthorne, Captain of the Old Boys Club and Head of the English Department at a prestigious University, cornered his prey. TML succeeded in creating a high-profile Teflon coated predator with plenty of victims that was so thoroughly slimy I could feel the bile rising inside me every time he opened his mouth to speak.
Then you have Sarah with her PhD, the innocent lamb, bidding for tenure in Hawthorne’s department, and who has to be the absolutely hugest literary dimwit that I have encountered in a long time. Sarah has a husband who has currently left her for his latest squeeze (not for the first time) and still she moons about waiting for his call telling her he is coming home. She should have a brilliant career in front of her – if only she wasn’t under the thumb of a complete douchebag (Dita’s apt description of Hawthorne which I adopt whole-heartedly) who makes sport of dangling fictitious promotions in front of his female staff, in exchange for their indentured sexual servitude (I assure you no one sees a farthing for their efforts). Time after time she keeps stepping up for slaughter, believing against all odds that she will get her promotion and respect due her based on her work performance. Each time, when she resists Hawthorne’s overtures, he applies more and more pressure, passing her up for the tenure spot for the second year in a row, telling her she will be made redundant during proposed budget cuts, informing her that if she tries to complain to HR she will be facing a counter-claim that she has been coming on to him. He is always one step ahead of her, closing in, smacking his lips. The more she resists the more fervent and blatant his threats. Every time he offers her a drink (it seems that all these people do is drink) I’m convinced that it has been spiked with Rohypnol (HUGE irony).
Enter, Kingpin Mafioso, whose daughter Sarah saved in an heroic action. KM doesn’t like to be beholden to anyone and offers to erase the person of her choice from the face of the earth. Things spiral out of control and get even worse – lots of twisty suspense and furious page flipping ensue (I don’t want to spoil) until a perfectly satisfactory and just ending is reached – at least for one of the characters.
The fact that I loathed both of the main characters is a credit to the author. It’s not easy to create such thoroughly unlikable characters – I enjoyed this novel immensely! show less
(Head of Department and Staff Member)
“….she tried to edge further away but she was already hard up against the door…the door handle was digging into her thigh. The inside of the taxi was intensely claustrophobic, a temporary prison she couldn’t escape…he shifted up a little closer…[They’re on their way they’re in a taxi behind us.] But we shall be there first. Just the two of us and I’ve got a surpriseshow more
for you. He tapped her leg just above her knee letting it rest there. His fingers felt heavy on her thigh. I do like these stockings. You should wear skirts more often. Your legs are fabulous. Please, don’t do that, she said in a small voice, twisting her wedding ring around her finger. Do, what? Touch my leg. Oh? I thought you liked it. No, I’d pefer it if you didn’t. I love you playing hard to get. You’re such a tease Sarah. He pressed himself closer again. ... He moved his fingers a few inches higher, stroking her thigh. Carefully and deliberately she lifted his hand up with hers and moved it away aware of her heart thudding painfully in her chest. Then he was stroking the back of her head caressing her long dark hair. She flinched away sitting forward against the seatbelt and shooting him a look. He ignored her, cupping his right hand around his nose. Eyelids fluttering closed for a second. I love your smell Sarah. You’re intoxicating. Do you wear that perfume just for me. Her skin crawling, she tried desperately to think of a way to stop this happening again…..I am nice to you aren’t I? he said again. You can be nice to me too. Once in a while at least. Why don’t you try it? …Now I’m going to treat you to a very special nightcap. Don’t you dare go anywhere…”
Did that make your blood boil? Well, it did mine and it made my blood boil in the half-dozen other times in the novel that Professor Alan Hawthorne, Captain of the Old Boys Club and Head of the English Department at a prestigious University, cornered his prey. TML succeeded in creating a high-profile Teflon coated predator with plenty of victims that was so thoroughly slimy I could feel the bile rising inside me every time he opened his mouth to speak.
Then you have Sarah with her PhD, the innocent lamb, bidding for tenure in Hawthorne’s department, and who has to be the absolutely hugest literary dimwit that I have encountered in a long time. Sarah has a husband who has currently left her for his latest squeeze (not for the first time) and still she moons about waiting for his call telling her he is coming home. She should have a brilliant career in front of her – if only she wasn’t under the thumb of a complete douchebag (Dita’s apt description of Hawthorne which I adopt whole-heartedly) who makes sport of dangling fictitious promotions in front of his female staff, in exchange for their indentured sexual servitude (I assure you no one sees a farthing for their efforts). Time after time she keeps stepping up for slaughter, believing against all odds that she will get her promotion and respect due her based on her work performance. Each time, when she resists Hawthorne’s overtures, he applies more and more pressure, passing her up for the tenure spot for the second year in a row, telling her she will be made redundant during proposed budget cuts, informing her that if she tries to complain to HR she will be facing a counter-claim that she has been coming on to him. He is always one step ahead of her, closing in, smacking his lips. The more she resists the more fervent and blatant his threats. Every time he offers her a drink (it seems that all these people do is drink) I’m convinced that it has been spiked with Rohypnol (HUGE irony).
“It's just not your time Sarah. You’re not quite ready yet. Almost, but not quite…..believe me when I say this is not easy for me either. It wouldn’t be in your best interest to put you up for a permanent post at this stage. I know it’s tough now but in the long run you’ll thank me……I know you really want this but you need to commit yourself to the discipline. You’ve already got two little children…how do I know you’re not going to be disappearing after, popping out more babies as soon as you get that permanent contract, leaving your colleagues in a lurch while you go on for a nice maternity holiday and we don’t see you for another year. He gave her a lascivious smile. More to the point. I don’t see you for a year. …I do love to see you angry Sarah… You’re so sexy when you’re angry. Why do you think you can say that? Why do you think it’s okay? He shrugged. It’s true you are…[she went to leave] but he was blocking her way, leaning against the door with his hands crossed…Let me out. It doesn’t have to be like this. You can still make the promotions list. You just have to show me your commitment to this department…. So show me. His eyes flickered. Show me how committed you are. No, Sarah said quietly. He moved toward her dropping his hands to his sides. Show me….”
Enter, Kingpin Mafioso, whose daughter Sarah saved in an heroic action. KM doesn’t like to be beholden to anyone and offers to erase the person of her choice from the face of the earth. Things spiral out of control and get even worse – lots of twisty suspense and furious page flipping ensue (I don’t want to spoil) until a perfectly satisfactory and just ending is reached – at least for one of the characters.
The fact that I loathed both of the main characters is a credit to the author. It’s not easy to create such thoroughly unlikable characters – I enjoyed this novel immensely! show less
If this is the perfect vacation, maybe I’ll just stay home. What a marvelous story. It started out a little slowly and I was afraid I might be disappointed, but suddenly the plot took off and it was another thrill ride full of surprises we have come to expect from author T. M. Logan.
Kate, Rowan, Jennifer and Izzy have been best friends forever. But that doesn’t mean their families, from partners to kids, will instantly mesh and become besties too. Or that forever isn’t really in the show more past now because people change. And sometimes old hurts and injustices and secrets pop up again. Or maybe new secrets?
These women may have been closer than ever in the past, but it sure doesn’t seem that way now. And each of them seems to have tensions in their relationships or tension because of lack of a relationship, and perfect children really only look perfect to parents. Maybe this luxurious holiday in a villa in the south of France wasn’t such a great idea after all.
The story focuses mostly on Kate, whose husband Sean seems distant and secretive, and if the text messages Kate finds on his phone are to be believed he’s having an affair – with one of her forever friends. She can’t think, sleep, eat and ends up confiding her fears in everyone one way or another. She suspects everybody and everything and realizes she’s wronged each of these women in the past and any of them could be looking for revenge. And while this is going on there is an undercurrent of something sinister and unknown that is slowly building almost without the reader noticing. There’s a strange dynamic among all the children. There’s a strange dynamic between Sean and each of the women. The husbands wouldn’t have been friends but for the women. Everyone is hiding something or sneaking in or out of somewhere. Tension builds and builds and builds and just when something unexpected happens and you sigh with relief at no tension, something even more shocking and scary happens, again and again.
I didn’t like most of these people, I wondered how this forever friendship could have survived as long as it has, and I didn’t trust anyone because they all seem to have secrets and hidden motives, and someone, or more than one, seems to be just a bit unhinged. But who? And at the same time I wanted happily-ever-afters for all the couples, happy, well-adjusted children, the perfect vacation just as planned.
T. M. Logan has done an amazing job with The Vacation. Although not always likeable, these are interesting characters, even the children. The plot rolls smoothly along, making your fear rise and your mistrust of seemingly innocent statements and actions grow bit by bit until you can hardly stand it anymore. And you most definitely cannot stop turning pages until you find out what’s really happening in this not-so-idyllic corner of the world.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Publishing Group for providing an advance copy of The Vacation via NetGalley for my reading pleasure and honest review. All opinions are my own. This was a thrilling read that I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend without hesitation. show less
Kate, Rowan, Jennifer and Izzy have been best friends forever. But that doesn’t mean their families, from partners to kids, will instantly mesh and become besties too. Or that forever isn’t really in the show more past now because people change. And sometimes old hurts and injustices and secrets pop up again. Or maybe new secrets?
These women may have been closer than ever in the past, but it sure doesn’t seem that way now. And each of them seems to have tensions in their relationships or tension because of lack of a relationship, and perfect children really only look perfect to parents. Maybe this luxurious holiday in a villa in the south of France wasn’t such a great idea after all.
The story focuses mostly on Kate, whose husband Sean seems distant and secretive, and if the text messages Kate finds on his phone are to be believed he’s having an affair – with one of her forever friends. She can’t think, sleep, eat and ends up confiding her fears in everyone one way or another. She suspects everybody and everything and realizes she’s wronged each of these women in the past and any of them could be looking for revenge. And while this is going on there is an undercurrent of something sinister and unknown that is slowly building almost without the reader noticing. There’s a strange dynamic among all the children. There’s a strange dynamic between Sean and each of the women. The husbands wouldn’t have been friends but for the women. Everyone is hiding something or sneaking in or out of somewhere. Tension builds and builds and builds and just when something unexpected happens and you sigh with relief at no tension, something even more shocking and scary happens, again and again.
I didn’t like most of these people, I wondered how this forever friendship could have survived as long as it has, and I didn’t trust anyone because they all seem to have secrets and hidden motives, and someone, or more than one, seems to be just a bit unhinged. But who? And at the same time I wanted happily-ever-afters for all the couples, happy, well-adjusted children, the perfect vacation just as planned.
T. M. Logan has done an amazing job with The Vacation. Although not always likeable, these are interesting characters, even the children. The plot rolls smoothly along, making your fear rise and your mistrust of seemingly innocent statements and actions grow bit by bit until you can hardly stand it anymore. And you most definitely cannot stop turning pages until you find out what’s really happening in this not-so-idyllic corner of the world.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Publishing Group for providing an advance copy of The Vacation via NetGalley for my reading pleasure and honest review. All opinions are my own. This was a thrilling read that I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend without hesitation. show less
After this author previously traumatized me (in the great just-read-a-suspense-thriller way) with Lies and 29 Seconds, I knew this book would be another twisted, demented joy to read. And I was right! What was supposed to be an awesome vacation in the south of France turns into something quite different. And it's all kicked off by a wife reading text messages on her husband's phone.....
Kate discovers her husband is having an affair. With one of her friends. Who are on the trip. But which show more one? But as she digs to get to the truth, she discovers something far worse.
My thoughts on this book (and every TM Logan book I've read so far)....
Dark secrets never stay hidden. And when they come out -- or even threaten to come out -- it unravels people's lives. TM Logan has the power to take normal people....and deposit them in ghastly situations where twisted, horrible decisions, lies and betrayal seem the best choice. I think what creeps me out about Logan's novels is the fact that each time I'm left thinking "This could actually happen.....'' His characters seem like normal people....people you might know....people you work with.....people in your city. And then their lives start to fall apart, and they become.....terrible. It traumatizes me because then my brain pops to....if normal people can become so awful, then ANYBODY can descend to those depths. And if anybody can descend to those depths....what might it take to make ME descend to those depths???
*Shiver*
Great book! But I need to watch Disney movies for a couple days to recover.....
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from St Martins Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.** show less
Kate discovers her husband is having an affair. With one of her friends. Who are on the trip. But which show more one? But as she digs to get to the truth, she discovers something far worse.
My thoughts on this book (and every TM Logan book I've read so far)....
Dark secrets never stay hidden. And when they come out -- or even threaten to come out -- it unravels people's lives. TM Logan has the power to take normal people....and deposit them in ghastly situations where twisted, horrible decisions, lies and betrayal seem the best choice. I think what creeps me out about Logan's novels is the fact that each time I'm left thinking "This could actually happen.....'' His characters seem like normal people....people you might know....people you work with.....people in your city. And then their lives start to fall apart, and they become.....terrible. It traumatizes me because then my brain pops to....if normal people can become so awful, then ANYBODY can descend to those depths. And if anybody can descend to those depths....what might it take to make ME descend to those depths???
*Shiver*
Great book! But I need to watch Disney movies for a couple days to recover.....
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from St Martins Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.** show less
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