Stop Me

'[A] compelling debut novel...Parker keeps us on our toes, throwing in red herrings and plot twists galore'Janette Currie, BookGeeks

'An intruiging concept that does pull you in.'Me and My Big Mouth Blog

'I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thriller and doesn't mind a great, big dose of shock at the end of a good read. Richard Jay Parker's originality will give you the creeps and will keep you guessing til the very end...[a] page-turner.'WebbWeaver

'This is a novel that is easy to pick up and very hard to put down...[It] does what it says in its title: STOP ME - in this case from reading this, just try it! A great debut, perfect for that quick thrill read in crime fiction…a perfect holiday read too.'It's a Crime (Or a Mystery!)

'It's hard to believe that this is a debut novel because it's just so well written. The story flows effortlessly... I would definitely recommend this to thriller fans.'Booksanctuary Blog

'A terrific thriller...I really loved this book…the story is good, and you really will want to find out what happened to Laura.'Booksmonthly.com

'Compelling and haunting... a very promising debut and a great read.'Material Witness Blog

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Howdy doody is a salutation that won't ever be the same for me after having read this thriller debut novel. There’s a riveting relatable opening to STOP ME, and e-mail which includes the following text:
Forward this email to ten friends... If this email ends up in my inbox within a week, I won’t slit the bitch’s throat. Can you afford not to send this on to ten friends?
Mmm...so it’s all very contemporary/timely/fast-paced. And all too familiar, so much so that nowadays (in real life), because I am so used to spam, I immediately delete these upon receipt (I’d be like johnnya@apex.com in the book). In our technological age (where everything can be known at the click of a mouse), it's easy to become indifferent to many things due to information overload.
Sidenote: There’s also about 10 people who make their (virtual, or not) appearance in the first two pages, which was impressive to me (without it being too confusing/complicated at all).
But if “the bitch” was someone that I knew – yup, that turns things right around. Which is the situation the lead character, Leo, finds himself in, “the chicken pox scar” being “one of the distinguishing features Leo had mentioned when he’d reported (his wife, Laura) missing.”
One thing I liked about this serial killer (I know a serial killer isn’t supposed to be “likable” per se, but as far as villains go...) was his transatlantic-ness (he has brought his murder from the US and into the UK). It gives a scope to his crazed modus operandi, and gives him/the book edge and an extra dimension.
All in all, I think this is a book that readers of contemporary fiction would enjoy – there’s also a refreshing lack of “shock value” (sex/glorified violence/all that crass commercial stuff) which this reader here appreciates!Jess C Scott, USA

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