The Hook

A Novel

By: Victoria Helen Stone

Narrated by: Jennifer Jill Araya, Jordan Cobb, Victoria Villarreal, Allyson Johnson

Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

Three betrayed women with revenge in common channel their fury in a twisting novel of psychological suspense by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of Jane Doe and False Step.

A women’s boxing class is the perfect place for betrayed wife Katherine to work out her aggressions. Ideal too for Geneva, a teacher disgraced and ruined by a vengeful ex, and Luz, a software engineer battling an unjust system. Maggie, their instructor and mentor, guarantees she can right the wrongs they’ve endured. And if Katherine, Geneva, and Luz really want to unleash their rage, they must do what Maggie says.

Each woman’s secret task has its risks. Call it justice. Call it revenge. It’s bound to be worth it—if no missteps are made. As they take the leap to reclaim what they’re owed, their lives are turned upside down. Because no one could have guessed that it would all end in murder.

Now, coming together to harness their power, Katherine, Geneva, and Luz fear that the game they’ve been playing is playing them.

©2023 Victoria Helen Stone (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Stone gradually reveals her multifaceted characters’ secrets as the intricate, fast-paced plot builds to a surprising conclusion.”—Publishers Weekly

“This beautifully balanced thriller will keep readers tense, surprised, pleased, and surprised again as a master manipulator unfolds her plan of revenge.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Stone skillfully, deviously, and gleefully leads the reader down a garden path to a knockout WHAM-O of an ending.”—New York Journal of Books

Excellent prose

There is something about Victoria Helen Stone's writing that is incredibly poetic and lyrical without being pretentious or insipid. She is a master of her craft in her use of words and phrases. "The scent of spring flowers swept by in elusive wisps of breeze.". "... drove up to the garage door that was opening to welcome him in." "Her brain had been a tornado...torn and spinning, pulling in so many awful thoughts. ...her brain racing to sort through the details and. reject them. But it couldn't." "She'd lightened up until she'd practically disappeared into mist.". And there is more, lots more. What I can't show you in this review is how naturally the author slipped this prose into.the plot, the storytelling.

I'm partial to.character driven stories, and in many ways this book was exactly that, though I did find it to be more plot driven than her other works. And I have to say that I never did feel like I knew these women characters very well, not any of them. The men seemed a bit caricatured, but that was forgivable as it added to the story and plot, and even provided some comic relief.

Narration was good, but I held that standard very high because I love how VHS writes! She is one of my absolute favorite authors, since "Jane Doe". I eagerly await her next book, even before I finished this one. I'm hoping I don't have to wait long.

Interesting

Interesting. Maggie’s character was so mysterious the entire time. Not trusting her at all. So secretive. But learning her story at the end was satisfying. I wanted more of a “omg” moment when the reveal happened with the ladies and how they intertwined. Catherine deserved better.

another great story!

very entertaining and fun! another awesome book by vhs! can't wait to see more releases!

Great Book!

This book was worth the wait! I love the author and her twists and turns. I highly recommend both this book and any book by Victoria Helen Stone.

Good book!

I really enjoyed this book. It was very good with some twists and turns.

I recommend it!

Great cast of narrators too.

Enjoyable read!

There's a reason why rules must be followed, as our leading ladies will soon discover. What started out as nicely laid plans takes a deadly turn when a certain someone doesn't follow the rules, lies about it, and subsequently jeopardizes everyone involved in the secret circle of women.

A bit strange.

I found the Catholicism difficult to wrap my head around. Kept asking myself: really?! (Answering: nah.) The revenge angle kept me interested, but honestly I knew who the killer was immediately. So, worth a listen but not a credit.

Karma is the breeze in my hair on the weekend.

Wronged women seeking vengeance are drawn to The Hook, a boxing gym for mind, body and spirit, ran by the charismatic Maggie. Who is Maggie and how did this collective get started?.. and more importantly, how will it end?

No one does revenge quite like VHS so I was really excited for this and it didn't disappoint! Like other reviewers, I don't like a lot of politics in my fiction but she toes the line really well and usually adds things in for a reason as opposed to random political word vomit so I enjoy it as a moderate.

The narration was fantastic!

Thrills and Chills Abound in 'The Hook

"The Hook" delivers a gripping and suspenseful reading experience that had me hooked from the start. The plot is filled with unexpected twists and turns, keeping me on the edge of my seat throughout. The characters are well-crafted and relatable, making it easy to become emotionally invested in their fates. The writing is sharp and immersive, creating a vivid atmosphere of tension and mystery. While the story is undeniably thrilling, I found a few plot elements to be slightly predictable, preventing me from awarding it a full five stars. Nevertheless, "The Hook" is an enjoyable and satisfying read for fans of suspenseful thrillers.

Interesting Story

The story was interesting and the women’s lives and problems were very realistic. It was a good face paced read and kept you guessing, enjoyed the woman empowerment which was the true basis of the story.