A. J. Waines
Author of Girl on a Train
Series
Works by A. J. Waines
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Waines, A. J.
- Legal name
- Alison Waines
- Birthdate
- 20th century
- Gender
- female
- Education
- Lancaster University (BMus - First Class)
University of Reading (MA - Music Analysis and Performance)
University of East London (Post-Graduate Diploma in Psychotherapy and Counselling) - Occupations
- author
- Organizations
- Crime Writers' Association
Society of Authors - Agent
- Caradoc King (AP Watt/United Agents)
- Short biography
- AJ Waines is a Crime Fiction Author specialising in Psychological Thrillers.
As a Psychotherapist, working with ex-offenders from infamous high-security institutions, AJ Waines knows a thing or two about the criminal mind. She draws on over fifteen years of experience as a therapist where this exclusive and privileged role has given her a rare insight into abnormal psychology.
She writes about the extraordinary predicaments and traumas individuals have to face - particularly ‘crimes of passion’, hidden motives, family secrets and moral dilemmas. The author loves secrets and anything hidden under floorboards.
THE EVIL BENEATH will be released in translation, as RESSAC MORTEL, (as an 'Avant Premiere' novel through French bookclub, France Loisirs, in late summer 2013 and then with publisher, Editions Les Escales, 2014). Translations of both books will be available in Germany (2014 onwards) through a two-book publishing deal with Random House (Germany). - Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England, UK
- Places of residence
- Southampton, Hampshire, England, UK
- Associated Place (for map)
- England, UK
Members
Reviews
WOWZA! That definitely threw me for a loop!
I thought I had everything all figured out, and we were just tying up loose ends, and then WAM – we get hit with the hugest plot twist ever! Jaw literally hit the floor.
I have been on a wave of listening to mysteries and psychological thrillers through audiobook while at work, and this one stands out as one of the most complex intricately designed plot I have read in a long time. I couldn’t tear myself away from it. Usually when I leave work I show more wait until the next day to listen to the audiobook, as I have to focus on my daily chores/life. Nope, not this time. I couldn’t stop biting my nails to figure out what comes next. I actually started a jigsaw puzzle, while having this playing thru my headphones, and zoned out to this. The author really paid attention to all the little details. My brain felt really spent towards the end, exhausted… as I tried to solve both puzzles.
The characters are all really fucking annoying, by the way. Every last one of them I wanted to slap… Jodie and Mark really need to ROT. I haaaated Alice but hated Karen THE MOST. All of them are wretched or annoying….
except for Stuart…and maybe Nina. POOR STUART. RIP Buddy, you really deserved better.
Usually I am turned off by a book if I find the characters irritating and I just don’t want to continue reading. I don’t mean evil villains, I enjoy them. This was different, the intertwining plot really took me for a fun wonderful ride.
4/5 stars and recommended to all lovers of mystery / psychological thrillers! show less
I thought I had everything all figured out, and we were just tying up loose ends, and then WAM – we get hit with the hugest plot twist ever! Jaw literally hit the floor.
I have been on a wave of listening to mysteries and psychological thrillers through audiobook while at work, and this one stands out as one of the most complex intricately designed plot I have read in a long time. I couldn’t tear myself away from it. Usually when I leave work I show more wait until the next day to listen to the audiobook, as I have to focus on my daily chores/life. Nope, not this time. I couldn’t stop biting my nails to figure out what comes next. I actually started a jigsaw puzzle, while having this playing thru my headphones, and zoned out to this. The author really paid attention to all the little details. My brain felt really spent towards the end, exhausted… as I tried to solve both puzzles.
The characters are all really fucking annoying, by the way. Every last one of them I wanted to slap… Jodie and Mark really need to ROT. I haaaated Alice but hated Karen THE MOST. All of them are wretched or annoying….
except for Stuart…and maybe Nina.
Usually I am turned off by a book if I find the characters irritating and I just don’t want to continue reading. I don’t mean evil villains, I enjoy them. This was different, the intertwining plot really took me for a fun wonderful ride.
4/5 stars and recommended to all lovers of mystery / psychological thrillers! show less
Julia Grey is a psychotherapist in Lodon with a busy professional life. Besides seeing patients in her home. she also works at two clinics, one of which performs abortions. But her personal life is at low ebb. She still misses her brother Luke who died in a house fire almost 20 years ago, her parents have moved to Spain & she recently split from Andrew, a charming artist with a major drinking problem. Single again & with no family in town, her days have become routine. That's about to show more change.
She gets an anonymous text one night telling her to show up at one of the city's bridges early the next morning to see something interesting. Curiosity gets the better of her & she arrives in time to see a small crowd gathering around the body of a young woman floating in the water. The police seem to doubt a connection. But soon another text arrives, followed by another body. Worse, a pattern is beginning to develop in that each victim is tied to her in some way. By the time number three is found, Julia's orderly world is starting to crumble.
It's not helped by some particularly difficult patients. There's the strange Mr. Fin who's a little on the creepy side & Lynn, the mother of a bullied child. The only positive is DCI Brad Madison, her contact with the police. He's sympathetic, helpful & doesn't hesitate to involve Julia in the case as the messages become more cryptic. It all boils down to motive & it's not 'til past events are tied to the present that we begin to see why Julia is a target.
This is a psychological thriller, no surprise given the author is a psychotherapist. As the investigation progresses, the reader feels the tension as they race against time trying to figure out where the next body will appear if they can prevent another murder. There are several viable candidates for the killer to keep you guessing & the constant rainy weather lends an atmospheric, at times almost claustrophobic feel to the setting.
The characters are well written & developed. The plot starts slowly but builds in intensity, mirroring the investigation. My only issue was with a scene near the end involving Julia & a search of the sewer system. It seemed highly improbable & her presence wasn't necessary in terms of moving the story along or providing any new information to the reader.
Still, an engrossing book that quickly pulls you in & keeps you reading to see how it all shakes out. show less
She gets an anonymous text one night telling her to show up at one of the city's bridges early the next morning to see something interesting. Curiosity gets the better of her & she arrives in time to see a small crowd gathering around the body of a young woman floating in the water. The police seem to doubt a connection. But soon another text arrives, followed by another body. Worse, a pattern is beginning to develop in that each victim is tied to her in some way. By the time number three is found, Julia's orderly world is starting to crumble.
It's not helped by some particularly difficult patients. There's the strange Mr. Fin who's a little on the creepy side & Lynn, the mother of a bullied child. The only positive is DCI Brad Madison, her contact with the police. He's sympathetic, helpful & doesn't hesitate to involve Julia in the case as the messages become more cryptic. It all boils down to motive & it's not 'til past events are tied to the present that we begin to see why Julia is a target.
This is a psychological thriller, no surprise given the author is a psychotherapist. As the investigation progresses, the reader feels the tension as they race against time trying to figure out where the next body will appear if they can prevent another murder. There are several viable candidates for the killer to keep you guessing & the constant rainy weather lends an atmospheric, at times almost claustrophobic feel to the setting.
The characters are well written & developed. The plot starts slowly but builds in intensity, mirroring the investigation. My only issue was with a scene near the end involving Julia & a search of the sewer system. It seemed highly improbable & her presence wasn't necessary in terms of moving the story along or providing any new information to the reader.
Still, an engrossing book that quickly pulls you in & keeps you reading to see how it all shakes out. show less
"Did I make you jump? Turning up like that in your own kitchen? You have to admit, it must have been a nasty shock."
This thrilling opener is how Lost in the Lake starts. It's the second in the Samantha Willerby series but can be read as a standalone. In fact, despite my best intentions, I haven't read the first one yet and whilst the events from that book are referred to throughout this book it's only by way of background rather than essential information.
Sam is a clinical psychologist who show more takes on a patient, Rosie, who was in a van that plunged into a lake in the Lake District and Rosie was the only person who managed to get out. How damaged is Rosie and how involved should Sam become with one of her patients, no matter how needy?
I have the feeling that Sam is the sort of character who is constantly getting into 'situations'. She's a little impetuous and doesn't always follow the rules of her profession. I think she's a little damned if she does and damned if she doesn't with this and maybe her judgements aren't always the best. But I liked her a lot and think she's an interesting and fairly complex character.
The story is told in turns by Sam and Rosie in the first person. For the first part of the book I struggled a little in switching from one to the other but then I started to understand their personalities and by the half way point I was ready to race through to find out more about the crash, Rosie's psyche, the missing viola and the violin that was worth a fortune.
I thought Lost in the Lake was a well-plotted thriller with two very different protagonists who are both fascinating in their own ways. I found it quite sinister in places and I thought it was clever to show the story from both sides. All in all a truly good read. show less
This thrilling opener is how Lost in the Lake starts. It's the second in the Samantha Willerby series but can be read as a standalone. In fact, despite my best intentions, I haven't read the first one yet and whilst the events from that book are referred to throughout this book it's only by way of background rather than essential information.
Sam is a clinical psychologist who show more takes on a patient, Rosie, who was in a van that plunged into a lake in the Lake District and Rosie was the only person who managed to get out. How damaged is Rosie and how involved should Sam become with one of her patients, no matter how needy?
I have the feeling that Sam is the sort of character who is constantly getting into 'situations'. She's a little impetuous and doesn't always follow the rules of her profession. I think she's a little damned if she does and damned if she doesn't with this and maybe her judgements aren't always the best. But I liked her a lot and think she's an interesting and fairly complex character.
The story is told in turns by Sam and Rosie in the first person. For the first part of the book I struggled a little in switching from one to the other but then I started to understand their personalities and by the half way point I was ready to race through to find out more about the crash, Rosie's psyche, the missing viola and the violin that was worth a fortune.
I thought Lost in the Lake was a well-plotted thriller with two very different protagonists who are both fascinating in their own ways. I found it quite sinister in places and I thought it was clever to show the story from both sides. All in all a truly good read. show less
Perfect Bones: a tense psychological thriller that will keep you hooked (Samantha Willerby Mystery Series Book 3) by A. J. Waines
As a former psychotherapist, it’s second nature for me to turn to disorders and unusual patterns of behaviour when writing my thrillers! In Perfect Bones, one of the key characters, Aiden Blake, a sensitive young artist, doesn’t say a word. He is the sole witness to a horrific attack near his canal boat which renders him mute.
The Met want Aiden to give them a description of the attacker, as it’s clear from the crime scene that the culprit came right up to the boat where Aiden was show more putting out his washing.
He saw everything....
But, not only does Aiden not speak, in the early stages of the book, he’s unable to communicate at all. He’s closed down and in shock. It was quite a challenge as an author! I had to convey interactions without the usual social signals we all use every day – speech, smiles, waves, nods, shrugs, shakes of the head, for instance. I also wanted to show the frustrating impact this would have on those around Aiden – those who are desperate for information they knew he could give them!
Psychologist and 'amateur sleuth', Samantha Willerby, is brought in as an expert in art therapy with traumatised patients. The police give her seven days (after which his memory of the attacker is likely to be sketchy, at best). With the clock ticking, eventually Aiden does draw a picture – but it’s not what anyone expects. Dismissing the sketch as useless, the police drop her from the case, but Sam refuses to give up. On her own, she gets closer and closer to the truth until she’s finally driven into the terrifying path of the killer, herself. Then she has to ask the million-dollar question: Is the killer on the loose…or standing right beside me? show less
The Met want Aiden to give them a description of the attacker, as it’s clear from the crime scene that the culprit came right up to the boat where Aiden was show more putting out his washing.
He saw everything....
But, not only does Aiden not speak, in the early stages of the book, he’s unable to communicate at all. He’s closed down and in shock. It was quite a challenge as an author! I had to convey interactions without the usual social signals we all use every day – speech, smiles, waves, nods, shrugs, shakes of the head, for instance. I also wanted to show the frustrating impact this would have on those around Aiden – those who are desperate for information they knew he could give them!
Psychologist and 'amateur sleuth', Samantha Willerby, is brought in as an expert in art therapy with traumatised patients. The police give her seven days (after which his memory of the attacker is likely to be sketchy, at best). With the clock ticking, eventually Aiden does draw a picture – but it’s not what anyone expects. Dismissing the sketch as useless, the police drop her from the case, but Sam refuses to give up. On her own, she gets closer and closer to the truth until she’s finally driven into the terrifying path of the killer, herself. Then she has to ask the million-dollar question: Is the killer on the loose…or standing right beside me? show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 11
- Members
- 421
- Popularity
- #57,941
- Rating
- 3.6
- Reviews
- 36
- ISBNs
- 47
- Languages
- 2
