The Babysitter: A Gripping Psychological Thriller with Edge of Your Seat Suspense

Since I paid only $2.99 for this, I decided it was ok to stop reading after the second page. This writing is just too terrible: "Her huge cognac-colored eyes illuminated by the light of the fire, she watched, mesmerized and helpless, as the flames licked hungrily at her parents' bedroom curtains." Then on the very next page: "Her eyes like big brown orbs, Ellie had watched in awe as Grace struck the match and lit the sparkler, igniting a thousand crackling slivers of light in their bedroom. She squealed like the foxes that scream in the night...." No, no, no! I can't, I just can't!

I have read other books from this author. They were always full of emotions and I always loved them.When I saw the cover of this book, I was intrigued. I did not see what the title and the picture had in common but I assure you, it will become clear very soon. I have to admit that it was a very good choice. Needless to say that it was difficult not to be intrigued by the blurb.I was happy that I could finally sit down and start reading it and boy oh boy ... WOW!!! What a story!From the first word I was dragged into the story. You know the feeling when sometimes you feel sorry for the bad guy and even feel some sympathy? Well, in this case, I wanted to dive into the book and strangle the bad 'guy' but at the same time my heart broke because I understood what she had been through. She was deeply damaged by it and misunderstood the few kind words that, for once, were spoken to her.It was a very well and fluently written book and the schemes were very clever. A big 10 out of 10 for manipulation and psychological torture.I can only say this : if you read the book, I am sure you will be in for a few hours on a rollercoaster of emotions. Enhjoy!

Review: THE BABYSITTER by Sheryl BrowneIf THE BABYSITTER came packaged with a warning label, that label would read: "CAUTION: If it seems too good to be true, WATCH OUT!!" In smaller print, a second warning, "BEWARE OF GASLIGHTING!"Detective Inspector Mark Cain, his sculptor wife Melissa, and their daughters, Poppy, age seven, and infant Evie, seem to be a fairy-tale happy family. A marriage built on a strong foundation of mutual love and trust, dual devotion to their children--seems a happily-ever-after often unheard of in modern times. Mark and Melissa have suffered tragedy and depression, surviving and eventually thriving. But now--will their marriage--and their lives and children--survive gaslighting? Insanity can be contagious.["Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation that seeks to sow seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or in members of a targeted group, making them question their own memory, perception, and sanity." Wikipedia. Term derives from the 1944 film "Gaslight," starring Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer, and Joseph Cotten.]

If you like cheesy Lifetime movies this book is for you. Finishing it was difficult, but the chapters are short so I forced myself through it. There are no surprises in this book, so if you’re looking for a twist don’t buy this book!Three stars for the way the story was told.

I cannot understand why books are described as psychological thrillers when they are anything but. This story was reminiscent of The Hand that Rocks the Cradle without the suspense. In this instance, the couple, Melissa and Mark, are examples of stupidity personified when they allow a stranger (Jade) into their home as their babysitter in the middle of the night following a fire at Jade’s home, without bothering to check on her background. They take her word that she has a childcare certificate. The fact that Mark is a detective makes this non-credible.As Mark works long hours and Melissa struggles with running a business, they become more and more reliant on their babysitter, who from the outset has ulterior motives.It surprised me that Detective Mark failed to notice what was going on under his roof, that Melissa's doctor didn’t order blood tests on her and that Dylan stood idly by watching his mother succumb to a horrific death. Dylan was unable to function without Jade’s guidance and reassurance throughout the story but at the end of the book, was revealed as a master strategist.There was no character development and the story too predictable as the reader knows from the beginning who the babysitter is and her motive for behaving the way she does.

Even the most naive of readers would (should) know the score from the very beginning., it was still a thriller. The twists this story had were unreal. It shows that even a police officer can have the wool pulled over their eyes. Recommended read!

i was disappointed, i read a lot of psychological thrillers and i have never written a negative review but this one is very cliched,formulaic and unbelievable in parts, i dont want to give spoilers but "the babysitters" feelings towards the husband dont explain why she does something later on in the book! she says she wants him then does something that suggests the complete opposite! so poor. The wife's behaviour isn't believable at times either, she's a badly written character , no one would be that trusting that quickly to a complete stranger especially where your children are concerned, you wouldnt just offer them a job without doing any background check or blindly believe everything they tell you and she wasn't suspicious of anything that was going on, even though some of it was so damn obvious! bizarre and i have read a lot of outstanding books, unfortunately this isn't one of them.

Not very well written. The author uses the characters names continuously rather than once every now and then to establish who is talking/being written about before switching to 'he/she'. This ruins the immersion of the story and gets increasingly more irritating as the story progresses. The ending is apparent from the beginning so there is no real suspense. The characters lack depth. Melissa is a weak, depressing woman. Jade is a scheming bitch. Mark is a DI who is obviously not very good at his job, having allowed a stranger to live in his home with his wife and kids. The book gets two stars as I've read far worse, however I would not recommend it to anyone.

Mark and Melissa Cain employ their newly homeless neighbour, Jade, as a nanny. She is perfect; always knowing what to do and being in the right place at the right time. But then things in the Cain family start to go terribly wrong. Is Melissa losing her mind? Is Mark having an affair?Mark Cain is also a detective and begins to realise things may not be as they seem.If you are old enough to remember the film The Hand that Rocks the Cradle in 1992 then you may experience deja vu, because this book is almost identical. It is also as unbelievable as the movie. Mark must be the worst cop in history as he couldn’t find his face in a mirror, let alone a child!This must be one of the worst stories I have read, which is a shame as the author has a good writing style. Sorry to be so brutal, but it was awful.I will not be recommending this book, but each reader must make up his own mind.ChesterBreakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

Oh dear. I have had a really bad run lately of buying books for my kindle that has been utterly terrible. The babysitter possibly up there as the worst. Not one single interesting character, including the babysitter of the title. Don’t waste your time with this rubbish. Book was cheap so that’s something I suppose. Can’t understand good reviews. Am beginning to think authors friends and family are responsible for a lot of reviews posted.

I have read my fair share of psychological thrillers but this has to be one of the worst ones I have had the misfortune to read and I found it totally unbelievable. I was glad when it came to an end and wil not be reading anything by this author again.