Deadly When Disturbed

"Deadly When Disturbed" by D. M. Barr is a psychological thriller you won't easily forget. Thanks to a fast-paced, action-filled plot full of twists and two complex main characters with depth, I was hooked right from the beginning. It is clear quite soon that the new assistant Merry is too good to be true. She has an intense need for recognition and rapidly inserts herself in Dara's private life, making herself indispensible. It takes a while for Dara to become suspicious, although her best friend Brooke warns her to be careful. When Dara, after Brooke's death, finally starts to delve into Merry's past, she uncovers secrets that might put her and her family at risk. While making plans to expose Merry, Dara isn't aware that Merry knows all her moves. What follows is a cat-and-mouse play between Merry and Dara, which only one of them can win. Or so it seems. Towards the end there is a major twist that changes everything you have believed so far. The revelations at the end of the book nearly knocked me off my chair since I didn't see them coming, although the author has dropped several hints throughout the book. Right from the beginning I sided with Dara, the perfect woman with a lovely family and a successful career. I loved her efficiency, the way she manages to balance career and private life. She always puts herself last while trying to satisfy other people's needs. Merry on the other hand is the antagonist, the bad one, who tries to jeopardize other people's lives for greed. Despite all her faults, I was fascinated by her since she is extremely clever in outsmarting other people and using them for her needs. The funny thing is that Dara and Merry have more in common than seems obvious at first glance. As we get to know both women better, it becomes clear that both suffer from events that happened in their past. The author impressively shows how childhood traumas can damage a person's mind. I really enjoyed reading this exceptional psychological thriller and want to highly recommend it to all those of you who love suspense with depth.