Knock Three Times by Emerald O’Brien
Published: February 23, 2023
Emerald O’Brien
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Pages: 149
KKECReads Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.
Emerald O’Brien is a Canadian author, born and raised just east of Toronto, Ontario. She graduated from her Television Broadcasting and Communications Media program at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario. In 2014, Emerald decided to pursue her life-long passion for writing unpredictable stories packed with suspense. When she is not reading or writing, Emerald can be found with family and friends. Watching movies with her two beagles is one of her favourite ways to spend an evening at home.
But things don’t go as planned.
While she finds some solace knowing that Marlena’s killer is dead, the calls from Remey’s obsessive ex and the strange noises in the house make it hard to relax. And there’s a prickling down her spine when she returns late one evening after a date—something’s amiss.
Soon, it becomes apparent that she’s not as alone as she believed. The quiet isolation of the home that had once seemed peaceful, now feels far more threatening. Here, there are no neighbours close enough to save her.
To survive the night, Remey must let go of everything she thought she knew about Marlena’s death. Because the terrifying truth is more disturbing than she could have imagined, and it’s coming for her too.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
Remey wanted to help her neighbor, and she tried, but it was too late. In the wake of that tragedy, she is housesitting while she tries to figure out what to do and where to go. Secrets, grief, and guilt are heartbreaking things to process.
This was a heavy one. I enjoyed the build-up and found the story fast-paced. I liked the characters; Remey is loyal and kind, caring and compassionate. Nicole is fierce and brave, and honest. I liked their dynamic.
Something I love about Emerald if she has the incredible ability to write about emotions: bringing them to life in a very realistic, vulnerable way. Grief is such a complicated emotion to convey. And Emerald captured all sides of grief brilliantly in this story.
The guilt, the remorse, the sadness, the anger. Going through the emotional motions was exhausting and beautifully done. This was such an emotional story, and it packed a powerful punch.
Emerald has a talent for capturing the humanity in her characters and bringing that to life. The way she weaves fiction with reality is such a delicate line, and she nails it every single time.
The ability to tell such a high-impact story so quickly is a gift. This story will leave you gobsmacked and make you question what you would do if…