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namitakhanna's review
3.0
Psychopaths Anonymous is the fourth book in the Detective Pace Series by Will Carver but my first and can be read as a stand alone. A gritty , disturbing , brutal read filled with dark humor it is definitely not for the faint-hearted but I found it an entertaining read
I would like to thank the TBC Reviewers request group & the author for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review
I would like to thank the TBC Reviewers request group & the author for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review
wintrovia's review
4.0
I really enjoy books with really horrible protagonists and this book is a great example. Maeve is an unrepentant murderer and a literal psychopath and is the central character of this story. The idea of a support group for psychopaths that follows the 12-step approach is a bit far fetched but provides a loose structure to the story. This book does a good job of following the internal logic of a serial killer and was a fun read. The fact I'm using the word fun to describe such a grisly and brutal book perhaps says something about me but it was an easy and enjoyable read.
wednesdayzombie's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lauramay's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
emmachu130's review
2.0
As much as I wanted to love this book, and as much as I loved the IDEA of it, the execution just didn’t match my expectations. An interesting storyline with a diverse set of characters, it just felt like there was something missing. The blurb didn’t match the story until way past the half way mark - not what I expected.
bumsonseats's review
4.0
This is dark, at times annoying, certainly gross but has some subtle humour, too.
kellyvandamme's review
5.0
Hi, my name is Kelly and I’m an addict. Worse still, I’m the kind of addict who wants to drag people down with her. So pull up a chair and make yourselves comfortable, let’s follow the twelve-step programme together and find out whether I can beat this addiction of mine, or rather the opposite, feed yours.
Step One
Admit that you are powerless over your addiction, that your life has become unmanageable…
without Will Carver’s latest on your shelves and just add Psychopaths Anonymous to your Mount TBR. Go on. You know you want to. Give in to temptation, give in to Maeve. Feel the pull of your addiction to pitch-black, sarcastic stories and become a friend of Maeve.
Step Two
Come to believe that a power greater than yourself could restore you to sanity…
Sanity schanity. Admit it, sanity is so two years ago. Instead I suggest you come to believe that a power darker than yourself (call it Will Carver, call it Maeve) could show you the kind of insanity that might just make you feel a little less insane yourself. In this day and age, that’s about the most you can ask for.
Step Three
Make the decision to turn your will and life over to the care of God as you understand Him…
Or, here’s an idea, how about you make the decision to turn a bit of your will and a few hours of your life over to the care of Maeve. I promise you’ll have fun, she’s a hoot and a half! Bring wine and make sure you stay on her good side.
Step Four
Make a searching and fearless inventory of yourself…
I’ll go first: I wouldn’t say boo to a goose but boy do I love me a dark and twisted tale with the kind of protagonist who actually acts upon her murderous thoughts, and does so with flair and sarcasm. I never doubted Psychopaths Anonymous would live up to my ridiculously high expectations.
Step Five
Admit to God, yourself and another human being, the exact nature of your wrongs…
Okay… Here goes. I completely ignored my nearest and dearest and everyone else while reading Psychopaths Anonymous cos, well, Maeve’s scarily addictive. I’m also pretty sure I laughed too hard at some of her thoughts, and surely feeling this much glee at discovering Easter eggs from past Carver novels should be a sin as well.
Step Six
You are entirely ready to have God remove all these defects from you…
Am I? I don’t know, I quite enjoy my wicked ways. Think Maeve’s rubbing off on me?
Step Seven
Humbly ask Him to remove your shortcomings…
You know, I’m starting to see why Maeve has issues with this programme.
Step Eight
Make a list of all persons you have harmed and become willing to make amends to them all…
Well, for me I guess such a list would feature everyone I ignored so I could read this book. But at least I didn’t use a power tool to turn their heads into something resembling a colander, so there’s that.
Step Nine
Make direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so will injure them or others…
Be careful what you ask for cos Maeve proves that the ways in which someone with zero empathy atones for past actions is truly messed up. And rather violent. And much too funny in a really pitch-black way. Oh dear Lord, she really is rubbing off on me.
Step Ten
Continue to make a personal inventory, and when you are wrong, promptly admit it…
Oh well now this is an easy one! I know I’m 100% right in saying it was an absolute pleasure to read Maeve’s origin story and I’d highly recommend it!
Step Eleven
Seek through prayer and meditation to improve conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out…
Well I’m not a religious person (which is a distinct advantage when reading this book), so instead I seek through this review to improve contact with fellow readers, only for them to know how bloody brilliant I think Psychopaths Anonymous is and to declare my will for you: if you’re looking for a rather violent yet funny thriller that is a standalone as well as part of a duology (together with Good Samaritans) as well as the link somehow between pretty much everything Will Carver has ever written, don’t hesitate and get yourself a copy ASAP.
Step Twelve
Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, try to carry the message to other (alcoholics) bookoholics and continue to practice these principles in all your affairs…
That’s what I’ve been doing! Now it’s your turn!
Well I sure as hell haven’t beaten my addiction so I really hope I’ve fed yours!
Step One
Admit that you are powerless over your addiction, that your life has become unmanageable…
without Will Carver’s latest on your shelves and just add Psychopaths Anonymous to your Mount TBR. Go on. You know you want to. Give in to temptation, give in to Maeve. Feel the pull of your addiction to pitch-black, sarcastic stories and become a friend of Maeve.
Step Two
Come to believe that a power greater than yourself could restore you to sanity…
Sanity schanity. Admit it, sanity is so two years ago. Instead I suggest you come to believe that a power darker than yourself (call it Will Carver, call it Maeve) could show you the kind of insanity that might just make you feel a little less insane yourself. In this day and age, that’s about the most you can ask for.
Step Three
Make the decision to turn your will and life over to the care of God as you understand Him…
Or, here’s an idea, how about you make the decision to turn a bit of your will and a few hours of your life over to the care of Maeve. I promise you’ll have fun, she’s a hoot and a half! Bring wine and make sure you stay on her good side.
Step Four
Make a searching and fearless inventory of yourself…
I’ll go first: I wouldn’t say boo to a goose but boy do I love me a dark and twisted tale with the kind of protagonist who actually acts upon her murderous thoughts, and does so with flair and sarcasm. I never doubted Psychopaths Anonymous would live up to my ridiculously high expectations.
Step Five
Admit to God, yourself and another human being, the exact nature of your wrongs…
Okay… Here goes. I completely ignored my nearest and dearest and everyone else while reading Psychopaths Anonymous cos, well, Maeve’s scarily addictive. I’m also pretty sure I laughed too hard at some of her thoughts, and surely feeling this much glee at discovering Easter eggs from past Carver novels should be a sin as well.
Step Six
You are entirely ready to have God remove all these defects from you…
Am I? I don’t know, I quite enjoy my wicked ways. Think Maeve’s rubbing off on me?
Step Seven
Humbly ask Him to remove your shortcomings…
You know, I’m starting to see why Maeve has issues with this programme.
Step Eight
Make a list of all persons you have harmed and become willing to make amends to them all…
Well, for me I guess such a list would feature everyone I ignored so I could read this book. But at least I didn’t use a power tool to turn their heads into something resembling a colander, so there’s that.
Step Nine
Make direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so will injure them or others…
Be careful what you ask for cos Maeve proves that the ways in which someone with zero empathy atones for past actions is truly messed up. And rather violent. And much too funny in a really pitch-black way. Oh dear Lord, she really is rubbing off on me.
Step Ten
Continue to make a personal inventory, and when you are wrong, promptly admit it…
Oh well now this is an easy one! I know I’m 100% right in saying it was an absolute pleasure to read Maeve’s origin story and I’d highly recommend it!
Step Eleven
Seek through prayer and meditation to improve conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out…
Well I’m not a religious person (which is a distinct advantage when reading this book), so instead I seek through this review to improve contact with fellow readers, only for them to know how bloody brilliant I think Psychopaths Anonymous is and to declare my will for you: if you’re looking for a rather violent yet funny thriller that is a standalone as well as part of a duology (together with Good Samaritans) as well as the link somehow between pretty much everything Will Carver has ever written, don’t hesitate and get yourself a copy ASAP.
Step Twelve
Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, try to carry the message to other (alcoholics) bookoholics and continue to practice these principles in all your affairs…
That’s what I’ve been doing! Now it’s your turn!
Well I sure as hell haven’t beaten my addiction so I really hope I’ve fed yours!
emmaggedon's review
3.0
Recommended by a customer at the library and I actually had a good ole time reading it! Scared of the customer now though...