The Book Doctor: A Psychological Thriller

by Britney King

  Maybe nothing is.

  “But that doesn’t stop us from trying. It’s normal and it’s healthy to seek answers.”

  Answers change. Nothing is static.

  “Why did you and your wife kill people? Did Liam tell you to?”

  No, Liam acted on his own.

  “So your wife didn’t know?”

  I don’t think so.

  “She says you planned the murders. You wrote about them and read her the stories. She said that you’d throw parties afterward to celebrate. She also says that a lot of your crimes are detailed in your work.”

  I tap the question mark key.

  “Your father was a detective, right? That had to have made an impact on you. Being so close to crime at such a young age. I’m sure you learned a few things too—about how cases are—or aren’t—solved.”

  I don’t answer, so he goes on.

  “You’ve written thirty-eight books. That’s a lot of murders. Are there more victims?”

  He’s asking me things I can’t possibly know. You’re going to have to ask Liam.

  “Where is he? And when can I meet him?

  I don’t know. He just shows up.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  My days pass slowly. In some ways, life is no different than it was before. I wake up, I write. I read. I go to sleep. I do the same thing over again the next day. The only thing that’s missing is my wife.

  At night when I can’t sleep, I lie awake and think of Eve. There’s a light outside my room; it’s bright and it flickers. No one knows exactly what it does, or what purpose it’s supposed to serve. I’ve asked. It seems people don’t like to answer my questions. That’s Liam’s fault too. Anyway, it reminds me of a call light on an airplane, only it’s large, with a yellow-green hue. It reminds me of a light I installed in Eve’s room, so that she wouldn’t be scared in the dark.

  When I first arrived, all I could think about was making it go away. Whatever it took, I just needed a way to find sleep. But the more I studied it, as the nights went on, the more I watched it pulsate, the more I realized everything has its rhythm. Everything has a story to tell. And everything eventually finds its way back around.

  Often I lay awake, timing my words and my thoughts to the cadence of that light. I wonder if Eve has something similar outside her door. I hope she does.

  The only good thing about our separation is I have more time to write. My publisher signed me for a three-book deal. Funny how that works out. I can’t receive the royalties, of course. They go to a fund for the victims’ families. I have another book in mind, but before I sign a deal for that one, I’m throwing in a caveat. Some of the money has to go toward upgrading Eve’s care. I have a feeling that’ll work itself out. These things usually do.

  Eve was big into yoga before the kids. Before life got out of hand. I doubt they have that at any state hospital. I’ve been thinking a lot about it, about how to make her comfortable until we can be together again.

  I would do anything for her, even yoga. Early on, she did that thing most couples do, where she tried to drag me into it. She used to talk about it nonstop, the way people do when they love a thing, as though she felt that if she just hammered it enough, something would stick. So by osmosis, or her mouth, I learned more than enough about the practice. Oneness, in yogic philosophy, means unity, non-separation: me and you, us and nature, all of us. There’s a science to it too—quantum physics demonstrates that what we thought were separate particles are actually connected waves of energy with no beginning and no end.

  When I write this out, the doctor asks, “Are you trying to justify murder with physics?”

  Stranger things have happened.

  He comes every day now, although I’m only allotted three sessions a week. I don’t know if he knows that I know this, or exactly what it is he wants. It’s important to find out a person’s motivations, but I’m in no hurry. Today, he looks at me with interest, but there’s something else in his expression. Something I can’t quite explain. Today I throw him a bone. I get to the point rather quickly, the way he prefers. What do you know about quantum entanglement?

  “Quantum entanglement is the physical phenomenon that occurs when a pair or group of particles is generated, interact, or share spatial proximity in a way that the quantum state of each particle of the pair or group cannot be described independently of the state of the others, including when the particles are separated by a large distance…isn't that right?”

  Exactly.

  “You used to ask your victims questions before you killed them.”

  Liam did that.

  “Right, Liam. Is that who is writing to me now?”

  He set my house on fire and shot me in the face. It had better not be.

  “You wrote that Liam was after fame.”

  I mean, I just assumed.

  He cocks his head. “What is George after? What would you want to leave your fans with when you’re gone—what would you want them to say about you?”

  I think about this, but not for long. The other day I received a letter from Leslie. It contained a photograph of her growing belly. Supposedly. Truth is, it could be anyone’s stomach. It could be anyone’s baby. Leslie is exactly the kind of woman to pull that kind of stunt, the kind of woman who enjoys messing with you. The kind of woman who will make you go crazy. Like most things, only time will tell. About the baby, I mean. How ironic would it be? To have gotten everything you wanted, too late.

  “George?”

  He wants me to answer the question.

  “What do you want to leave your fans with when you’re gone?” This time he smiles and he waits. It makes me think of Liam. He doesn’t know what I know: This is only temporary. Liam won’t stay away forever. He’s not that kind of guy. He’ll resurface and I’ll be out soon enough.

  “What would you want them to say about you?”

  Finally, I type the answer to his question. Everything looks different in hindsight.

  “Anything else?”

  They all went mad.

  A note from Britney

  Dear Reader,

  I hope you enjoyed reading The Book Doctor.

  Writing a book is an interesting adventure, it’s a bit like inviting people into your brain to rummage around. Look where my imagination took me. These are the kinds of stories I like…

  That feeling is often intense and unforgettable. And mostly, a ton of fun.

  With that in mind—thank you again for reading my work. I don’t have the backing or the advertising dollars of big publishing, but hopefully I have something better…readers who like the same kind of stories I do. If you are one of them, please share with your friends and consider helping out by doing one (or all) of these quick things:

  1. Visit my review page and write a 30 second review (even short ones make a big difference).

  Many readers don’t realize what a difference reviews make but they make ALL the difference.

  2. Drop me an email and let me know you left a review. This way I can enter you into my monthly drawing for signed paperback copies.

  3. Point your psychological thriller loving friends to their free copies of my work. My favorite friends are those who introduce me to books I might like.

  4. If you’d like to make sure you don’t miss anything, to receive an email whenever I release a new title, sign up for my new release newsletter.

  Thanks for helping, and for reading my work. It means a lot.

  Britney King

  Austin, Texas

  June 2020

  About The Author

  Britney King lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, children, a dog named Gatsby, one ridiculous cat, and a partridge in a peach tree.

  When she's not wrangling the things mentioned above, she writes psychological, domestic and romantic thrillers set in suburbia.

  Without a doubt, she thinks connecting with readers is the best part of this gig. You can find Britney online here:

  • britn
eyking.com

  • Email

  • Facebook

  • Instagram

  • Goodreads

  • BookBub

  Acknowledgments

  Many thanks to my family and friends for your support in my creative endeavors.

  To the beta team, ARC team, and the bloggers, thank you for making this gig so much fun.

  Last, but not least, thank you for reading my work. Thanks for making this dream of mine come true.

  I appreciate you.

  Also by Britney King

  Kill, Sleep, Repeat

  An intense and deadly provocative thriller which follows a woman who, in a fight for survival, realizes her job may cost more than it pays.

  Room 553

  Room 553 is a standalone psychological thriller. Vivid and sensual, Room 553 weaves a story of cruelty, reckless lust, and blind, bloody justice.

  HER

  HER is a standalone psychological thriller which covers the dark side of female relationships. But equally—it’s about every relationship anyone has ever had they knew was terrible for them. It’s for those of us who swam for the deep end anyway, treading water because it seemed like more fun than sitting on the sidelines. It’s about the lessons learned along the way. And knowing better the next time. Or not.

  The Social Affair | Book One

  The Replacement Wife | Book Two

  Speak of the Devil | Book Three

  The New Hope Series Box Set

  The New Hope Series offers gripping, twisted, furiously clever reads that demand your attention, and keep you guessing until the very end. For fans of the anti-heroine and stories told in unorthodox ways, The New Hope Series delivers us the perfect dark and provocative villain. The only question—who is it?

  Water Under The Bridge | Book One

  Dead In The Water | Book Two

  Come Hell or High Water | Book Three

  The Water Series Box Set

  The Water Trilogy follows the shady love story of unconventional married couple—he’s an assassin—she kills for fun. It has been compared to a crazier book version of Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Also, Dexter.

  Bedrock | Book One

  Breaking Bedrock | Book Two

  Beyond Bedrock | Book Three

  The Bedrock Series Box Set

  The Bedrock Series features an unlikely heroine who should have known better. Turns out, she didn’t. Thus she finds herself tangled in a messy, dangerous, forbidden love story and face-to-face with a madman hell-bent on revenge. The series has been compared to Fatal Attraction, Single White Female, and Basic Instinct.

  Around The Bend

  Around The Bend, is a heart-pounding standalone which traces the journey of a well-to-do suburban housewife, and her life as it unravels, thanks to the secrets she keeps. If she were the only one with things she wanted to keep hidden, then maybe it wouldn’t have turned out so bad. But she wasn’t.

  Somewhere With You | Book One

  Anywhere With You | Book Two

  The With You Series Box Set

  The With You Series at its core is a deep love story about unlikely friends who travel the world; trying to find themselves, together and apart. Packed with drama and adventure along with a heavy dose of suspense, it has been compared to The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Love, Rosie.

  GET EXCLUSIVE MATERIAL

  Looking for a bit of dark humor, chilling deception and enough suspense to keep you glued to the page? If so, tap the image to receive your starter library. Easy peasy.

  Sneak Peek: The Social Affair

  Book One

  In the tradition of Gone Girl and Behind Closed Doors comes a gripping, twisted, furiously clever read that demands your attention, and keeps you guessing until the very end. For fans of the anti-heroine and stories told in unorthodox ways, The Social Affair delivers us the perfect dark and provocative villain. The only question—who is it?

  A timeless, perfect couple waltzes into the small coffee shop where Izzy Lewis works. Instantly enamored, she does what she always does in situations like these: she searches them out on social media.

  Just like that—with the tap of a screen— she’s given a front row seat to the Dunns’ picturesque life. This time, she’s certain she’s found what she’s been searching for. This time, she'll go to whatever lengths it takes to ensure she gets it right—even if this means doing the unthinkable.

  Intense and original, The Social Affair is a disturbing psychological thriller that explores what can happen when privacy is traded for convenience.

  What readers are saying:

  "Another amazingly well-written novel by Britney King. It's every bit as dark, twisted and mind twisting as Water Under The Bridge...maybe even a little more so."

  "Hands down- best book by Britney King. Yet. She has delivered a difficult writing style so perfectly and effortlessly, that you just want to worship the book for the writing. The author has managed to make murder/assassination/accidental- gunshot- to-the-head- look easy. Necessary."

  "Having fallen completely head over heels for these characters and this author with the first book in the series, I've been pretty much salivating over the thought of this book for months now. You'll be glad to know that it did not disappoint!"

  Praise

  "If Tarantino were a woman and wrote novels... they might read a bit like this."

  "Fans of Gillian Flynn and Paula Hawkins meet your next obsession."

  "Provocative and scary."

  "A dark and edgy page-turner. What every good thriller is made of."

  "I devoured this novel in a single sitting, absolutely enthralled by the storyline. The suspense was clever and unrelenting!"

  "Completely original and complex."

  "Compulsive and fun."

  "No-holds-barred villains. Fine storytelling full of mystery and suspense."

  "Fresh and breathtaking insight into the darkest corners of the human psyche."

  The Social Affair

  Britney King

  Copyright

  THE SOCIAL AFFAIR is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, images, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and not intended by the author. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author's intellectual property. No part of this publication may be used, shared or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact https://britneyking.com/contact/

  Thank you for your support of the author's rights

  Hot Banana Press

  Cover Design by Britney King LLC

  Cover Image by Mario Azzi

  Copy Editing by Librum Artis Editorial Services

  Proofread by Proofreading by the Page

  Copyright © 2018 by Britney King LLC. All Rights Reserved.

  First Edition: 2018

  ISBN 13: 978-1979057455

  ISBN 10: 1979057451

  britneyking.com

  To those who’ve walked into our lives without first asking permission...

  Prologue

  Attachment is an awfully hard thing to break. I should know. I surface from the depths of sleep to complete and utter darkness. I don’t want to open my eyes. I have to. “I warned you, and I warned you,” I hear his voice say. It’s not the first time. He called out to me, speaking from the edge of consciousness, back when I thought this all might have been a dream. It’s too late for wishful thinking now. This is his angry voice, the one I best try to avoid. My mind places it immediately. This one is reserved for special occasions, the worst of times.

  I hear water running in the background. Or at least I think I do. For my sake, I hope I'm wrong. I try to recall w
hat I was doing before, but this isn't that kind of sleep. It's the heavy kind, the kind you wake from and hardly know what year you’re in, much less anything else. I consider how much time might have passed since I dozed off. Then it hits me.