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Those Empty Eyes
Those Empty Eyes: An absolutely unputdownable crime thriller | Charlie Donlea
30 posts | 18 read | 2 to read
When you're living a lie, can you trust anything? Ten years ago, Alexandra Quinlan was the prime suspect in the massacre of her entire family. Her face was on every television show and front page, and she was given a nickname by the media: Empty Eyes. Now, Alex Armstrong has reinvented herself and devotes herself to securing justice for others. But when Laura McAllister, a young student journalist, disappears just as she's about to break a major story about sexual assault and cover-ups on her college campus, Alex is drawn into a new case that will threaten the life she's built. As Alex digs into Laura's disappearance, she realises that there are unexpected connections to the murder of her own family. As different as the crimes may appear, they each hinge on one sinister truth: no one is quite who they seem to be... An explosive and unputdownable crime thriller you won't be able to put down. Perfect for fans of Harlan Coben, Mary Kubica and Karin Slaughter.
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review
KatieRose23
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Mehso-so

In some ways this book was good but in a lot of ways, this book was confusing, complicated, and all over the place. Not my favorite read. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Also, yay to only 2 more days till Christmas! 🎄

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lilpumpkin2.0
Pickpick

October 29, 2024 Overall, I would give this book 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. I was constantly fooled about the suspect involved even though (whom should not be named) appeared multiple times sounding like an honest person except towards the end. Sorry, if you want to know what happens, read the book 😆

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lilpumpkin2.0
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Pickpick

October 29, 2024 Another one for the books haha What a pun! Anyhow, this book was a thriller that I could not stop reading. I would say an absolute page turner. Thrillers are another one of my favs because they keep me thinking and guessing who the suspect is. In this case, it was _____________ who was involved in both of the killings. Oh my gosh, did you think that I was going to spoil for you who the individual was accused of the two cases? Nope

blurb
lilpumpkin2.0

October 29, 2024 Page 326 begins the findings of who killed Alexandra Quinlan's family. Annette Packard, Special Agent for the FBI collaborated with someone she knew, an old friend Lane Phillips, who is able to track people in homicides with a special program he created called the Murder Accountability Program. However, before this happened, Jacqualine Jordan, a lawyer, questioned Reece Rankin in jail who was hired to kill Laura McAllister

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lilpumpkin2.0

October 29, 2024 Page 274 reveals a very ill feeling about what Alex thinks in regards to who the killer might be. "Could the slaughter of her family be linked in some way to Bryon Zell?" We will find out piece by piece...

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lilpumpkin2.0

October 27, 2024 At this point, which is halfway through the book, it sounds as if Matthew Claymore could be connected to the disappearance of Laura McAllister because he was dating her and he also belonged to the frat. Could he also be connected to the killing of Alexandra Quilan's family OR is he not guilty? What do you think?? For those that have not read it, what are your thoughts so far? Mysterious muhahaha

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lilpumpkin2.0

October 26, 2024 On Chapter 33. SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED... There is a lot of back and forth in this story so at least the author included timestamps for the various events. Another case unfolded where a girl named Laura McAllister, who attends McCormack University, has her own podcast called The Scoop. She talks about true crime on there and shares details about actual crimes. She leaked the story about a guy named Duncan Chadwick and a frat party.

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lilpumpkin2.0

October 26, 2024 Now, Alexandra is rescued by Garrett Lancaster again and taken back home because he doesnt think that school at Cambridge University is a good idea. School is a very bad idea. So Alexandra Quinlan changes her NAME and her APPEARANCE to blend in with the rest of the world. Her new name is Alex Armstrong and she works for Lancaster. Lancaster gives her a job for free as his assistant and learns how to investigate a case.

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lilpumpkin2.0

October 26, 2024 (continued) She says that she can't get the money that quickly that they ask of her so she decided to become roomTes with them for a week. Little do they know, she knows how to shoot guns and has a gun in her possession to defend herself, thanks to her dad. Garret, her public defense attorney, felt that she should have it in case of danger. What will she do with it???

blurb
lilpumpkin2.0

October 26, 2024 (continued) Alexandra, aka Alex meets a young couple. One of them is named Drew. The other is named Laverne. They have been follwing Alex all the way to England because they know that she won a court case where she received 20 million dollars (not quite true). Drew is aware that he had seen her at a bank in Switzerland where she deposited 1 million dollars. She denies but ends up bargaining with them and gives them some cash.

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lilpumpkin2.0

October 26, 2024 Damnnnn... This book that I am reading is sucking up my brain. The words that the author uses are very particular but also enticing because they make you want to read more. Each author, whether they write fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, or thriller, has a way of "pulling in" the reader and making them continue reading. I am on page 112 and so far the main character, Alexandra Quinlan, is attending Cambridge where she goes to college.

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lilpumpkin2.0
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October 25, 2024 Starting this TBR today

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candc320
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Pickpick

The beginning of this book takes off with a bang! We‘re instantly thrust into a brutal murder of our main character‘s family and the media and law firestorm that follows it. After that it did get a little hard to follow as a lot of character are introduced and the reader is meant to try to decipher how they all connect together. The ending had a pretty great twist (or two!) and I‘ll definitely read more by this author! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

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Kaylamburson
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Pickpick

This was a fantastic read! It pulls you in immediately starting off with Alexandra‘s family murdered one night while they all slept. It slows down a bit after that, but it‘s only because there is so much content, mystery and intrigue to digest. From Alexandra‘s life when she was accused of the murder, to the defamation case against the police, avoiding the public and their obsession for true crime, & unraveling the truth behind it all.

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Kaylamburson
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Just started this today and it‘s addicting from the first minute. Tried listening during every spare moment today and about 3 hours in 😍. Can‘t wait to see where it leads.

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SaraHasClass
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Mehso-so

PlOT TWIST! Mystery with many characters and a good plot. The author is repetitive, and I felt like it made the book drag on at times. If you like "who done its," this is a worthy read.

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AbstractMonica
Panpan

The introduction to the night Alex‘s family was murdered was interesting. After that I kept waiting for the story to pick up again. Instead there were a lot of side stories and new characters that were not likable and felt foreign to the storyline. I thought about abandoning this book so many times, but it was a fast read so I continued reading hoping it would get better 🙃

dabbe #hailthebail! 🩷💜❤️ 11mo
6 likes1 comment
review
Mshookquilts
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Pickpick

I resented I couldn‘t read 1 of my Christmas books for this week‘s challenge, but once started I could not put this book down. Alex is accused of brutally murdering her family one night. In shock, having barely escaped murder herself, the police try to force a confession out of her. When that fails they illegally release evidence in hope of public torture. Filing suit against the police and state, she wins. But still searches for answers.

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Lizpixie
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Pickpick

Bk14 of #Scarathlon & Bk2 of #20in4 & #FinalStretchathon is done! Read as an audiobook on Scribd, I quite liked this #TeamRead about the only survivor of a family massacre who after being accused of the killings, grows up to become a legal investigator. #31x31 #Falling4Books #Spookaween #Rushathon #AfterDarkBingo #BodyCountBingo #LittenListen #ISpyBingo #PromptMaze #BookspinBingo #ScaredyCatRC #OctoberRB #BookishFirst👇#SpookyGhostClub 3641pts

Catsandbooks 🙌🏼🦇🧡 14mo
Read4life 🎉🍁👻🎃 14mo
See All 6 Comments
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 14mo
DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 14mo
Andrew65 Awesome 👏👏👏 14mo
26 likes6 comments
review
DebinHawaii
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Pickpick

Finished my #Scarathlon #TeamBuddyRead yesterday. Between so-so & pick. I liked the premise of Alex hiding from her notoriety & trying to find out why her parents were murdered & the pacing was good, but there were too many characters & red herrings added in & the big twists seemed pretty obvious to me. Not every #Kill was plausible either but it had enough to warrant using it for today‘s #ScarathlonPhotoChallenge prompt.

A good point getter ⬇️

Clwojick Woohoo! Well done! 🖤 14mo
DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 14mo
See All 8 Comments
TheSpineView Great job! 14mo
AmandaBlaze Excellent! 14mo
TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! 14mo
Read4life 🍁👻🎃 14mo
Catsandbooks 👏🏼🦇💜 14mo
47 likes8 comments
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DebinHawaii
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Still working my way through our #Scarathlon Team #SpookyGhostClub read. 👻🖤👻

Tonight‘s couch dinner is spinach dal—calling it soup for # 5 of my #ScarathlonBucketList “Make a Fall Soup.” It may end up “soupier” tomorrow with more coconut milk but I wanted it with rice tonight. Still a bit too warm for a true fall soup vibe.

Reading a bit more of the book then switching to watch Rosemary‘s Baby while I finish week 3‘s game.

+11 points👻🖤

Clwojick The comments on your weather app always make me laugh! 1y
34 likes1 comment
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AmandaBlaze
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Cool cover 👁️😱 1y
Eggs 🧡👀❤️ 1y
25 likes2 comments
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DebinHawaii
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Completed a few of my #ScarathlonBucketList items over the past two weeks:
# 2 - Set out a fall candle (see below 🍎)
# 3 - Set out my fall blankets (pictured is my fave grey with Hamsa hand pattern)
# 10 - Go to craft/farmers market & treat myself to something fall-ish (bought the spiced apple + baked vanilla candle & two apple turnovers (not pictured because I ate them!) 😆

+31 #Scarathlon points for Team #SpookyGhostClub 👻🖤

Clwojick YAY! 1y
44 likes1 comment
review
Addison_Reads
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Mehso-so

#Scarathlon @Clwojick

This was one of our buddy reads for the #SpookyGhostClub.

I thought this book started out strong. I was a big fan of the format going back and forth from the night of the crime to the courtroom trial. But then lots of side stories and characters were introduced, and for me, it took away from the main plot.

Clwojick Great review! 1y
27 likes1 comment
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Larkken
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Forgot to post last night for #scarathlon
I wanted to pull from free association for this game but was feeling dull-brained this weekend so came up with only 25 books matching the buddy reads for team #spookyghostclub to match a slowish start to spooky season reading. I‘m expecting less social engagements this week though, so more reading time to look forward to!

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Clwojick
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A few more books that I‘ve finished over the last couple of days, along with the tagged book which I forgot to include in the collage. 😵‍💫

Autumn Bleeds into Winter is darker than I expected, but I still enjoyed.

Those Empty Eyes was one of the #spookyghostclub team reads, and again dark, but so so good!

The Great Witches Baking Show books were okay, but I won‘t be continuing the series. 3 was more than enough for me. #scarathlon

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Larkken
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Here‘s my #scarathlon tbr and #bookspin list! :) I think (library willing) that I‘ll try the tagged for our #SpookyGhostClub buddy read - what‘s everyone else reading? Most of these are books I own and have never read so I guess I‘m treating this month as a test of whether I will ever read the books I buy… very spooky haha 🫣👻🎃

21 early bird points!

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 1y
24 likes1 comment
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Clwojick
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Hello and welcome to the #SpookyGhostClub! If you‘ve been tagged in this post, you are on my team for this years #Scarathlon event. As always, we have two options for a team read, with one a lighter cozy mystery and the other a thrilling suspense. I‘ll continue to tag, as we get more participants. We‘re already halfway through September, so October is quickly approaching 🖤🤭🎃

Morr_Books So excited team #SpookyGhostClub !!! 1y
Larkken Yay scarathlon!!! 1y
Sleepswithbooks @Clwojick - Are all the teams formed? I don‘t have a home to spook with yet 👻 1y
See All 42 Comments
TheSpineView Ready!!! I have been saving books to read! 1y
TheAromaofBooks Yay!! So excited to be on your team, although my reading has been slacking lately 😂 Looking forward to reading some mysteries/thrillers next month, though!! 1y
Traci1 Yay! I am so ready! 1y
Addison_Reads I'm excited! 👻🎃 1y
Clwojick @Sleepswithbooks most leads should be posting by end of day today, so if you still haven‘t been tagged let me know ☺️ 1y
DebinHawaii I‘m very excited! Go team! 1y
Sleepswithbooks Thanks @Clwojick ! Found my haunted home 👻 1y
TEArificbooks Have all the leads posted? I haven‘t been tagged yet @Clwojick mildly concerned I didn‘t get a team or my Google form didn‘t go through. Plus I get to go to the bookstore in a hour and want to know my book 😆 1y
TheQuietQuill Same with @TEArificbooks now I‘m questioning myself if I signed up a few weeks back 😆 I signed up again just in case because I don‘t have a team yet 🎃 1y
TEArificbooks @Clwojick @TheQuietQuill I just signed up again just in case something went wrong. Please put me on a team. 1y
bthegood @Clwojick I also am not on a team yet - signed up again today but pretty sure I signed up a while ago - thanks🎃 1y
AmandaBlaze So looking forward to the #Scarathlon! 1y
Clwojick @bthegood @TEArificbooks @TheQuietQuill Hey guys! I‘m the one who personally sorted the teams, and I remember seeing all of your submissions come through. I think we‘re still waiting on one or two team leads to post their welcome post, but if you haven‘t heard anything by tomorrow evening please let me know. 🖤 I promise we didn‘t forget about you guys! 🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡 1y
TheQuietQuill Thank you! Can‘t wait to see what my team is 🎃🧡 1y
TEArificbooks Thank you! 1y
bthegood @Clwojick thank you 🙂 1y
TheQuietQuill Hi there! I still haven‘t been placed on a team yet, hopefully they‘ll post soon :) 1y
TheQuietQuill I was matched! Thank you! 1y
MsRadioSilence Hi hi! Sorry to bother, but is there another team that hasn‘t posted yet? 1y
MsRadioSilence Nevermind! Litsy never notified me 🤪 1y
bthegood I still haven't been placed on a team - double checked the new postings - is there one that has not posted yet? 🙂 (edited) 1y
Clwojick @bthegood hey! It looks like the notifications are a little wonky again, but you‘re on #TeamWhoYouGonnaCall with @FlynnDewey 🧡🖤 1y
Sarahreadstoomuch @Clwojick alright! Thank you! I‘ve been looking forward to this all summer! 😊 1y
bthegood @Clwojick thank you!! 1y
Lizpixie Oh lovely! I‘m not on your team?? 1y
Clwojick @Lizpixie sorry! Teams were totally randomly generated this year, since we have more mini teams, and no team genres. 1y
Lizpixie Im really bummed! So far my team captain has hardly posted at all! 1y
Clwojick @Lizpixie there were some last minute switch ups, and some people are on vacation. Please or patient with all the hosts as there is A LOT that goes into running these massive events. 💜 1y
Lizpixie Is there any chance of being switched to your team at all? Sorry for being a pest lovely, I know you‘re busy. I‘ve just loved being on your team every year💜💜 1y
Clwojick @Lizpixie Awe! 🧡 Maybe if we get enough additional submissions to still keep the teams even, but it‘s not fair to remove someone else in order to make room for you, or to leave your current team with two shorter then mine. Make sure to include captain requests in the comment section of the submission forms going forward ☺️☺️ 1y
Lizpixie Sorry lovely, it didn‘t even occur to me to do that! I‘ll make sure to do that going forward. If there‘s a chance I‘d love it but if not, I‘ll look forward to next year.😘 1y
TheAromaofBooks Hey friend!! I feel like in the past, reading a different book from the same series as the official team read counted as the team read? Cheddar Late Than Dead is the third book in a series, so would it still count if I read the first book, Up to No Gouda? Totally understand if not, but I thought I would check since I have a small inability to read books out of order 😂 1y
Clwojick @TheAromaofBooks that‘s definitely okay! 1y
TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Thank you!! 1y
Clwojick @Lizpixie hey, we had some more last minute submissions, so we were able to swap you out. Welcome to the #SpookyGhostClub 1y
Lizpixie Awesome! Thanks lovely, I‘ll do my best🎃🎃🎃🎃 1y
Clwojick @Alora hey girl! Welcome to the #SpookyGhostClub! Check my profile for all event related updates 1y
62 likes42 comments
review
Graciouswarriorprincess
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Pickpick

Book 53/100. Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donlea starts off with a horrifying home invasion scene. Someone kills every member of Alexandra Quinlan‘s family—except for her. I was immediately drawn into the story of Alexandra Quinlan, known as Empty Eyes to the world. This story is spread over ten years.

I literally gasped twice and the twists-OMG! I enjoyed the way this story was told and how the answer slowly revealed. That ending!

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Tiffiney
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Pickpick

This one grabbed me from the start and didn‘t let go!
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

46 likes1 stack add