Title: Imaginary
Author: Helen Walters
Publisher: XlibrisAU
ISBN: 9781543409024
Pages: 274
Genre: Fiction / Thriller
Reviewed by: Rae C. Bernard

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With so much crime and violence occurring around our world, it’s kind of hard not to have a bit of fear in your life. Understanding that there are good, bad, and in-between types of people, trying to co-exist doesn’t seem to be beneficial along the spectrum. Do you ever wonder why people harm others and if it’s just serious psychological issues? In Imaginary, author Helen Walters provides her readers a perspective of a psycho serial killer, whose unusual thought process is scary in and of itself. The feeling of being inside an insane individual’s head, seeing through his eyes, learning about his techniques, but never actually why he does what he does, will open your eyes to something you’ve never imagined. I’ll admit, the way the author has well described every moment from all character’s view, maintained my interest in wanting to learn more about each individual. As a reader, we’ll discover that a family is never as safe as they seem, due to a possibility of a potential lurker, observing and studying your movements. A lesson that instantly stood out to me, was to be spontaneous with your everyday life, at least a few times a week switch up your driving routes, stroll or jog in a different neighborhood, don’t leave your house at the same time or return home same time on the dot. No one can study you because you’ll be too unpredictable for them to notice your patterns.

Living on your own is always something that everyone should get an opportunity to experience, at least once. Whether it’s moving out of your childhood home to live with roommates, college dorm, or your very first apartment or home, it should feel like a new chapter of adulthood, right? You would never think that there’s a random target on your back, or that you’re being followed on a day-to-day basis. That’s why it has always been encouraged that a woman shouldn’t live alone, it’s too dangerous and she would be at a higher risk for a predator lurking in the shadows. Sadly, a number of assaults and homicides that involved innocent women were due to a predator who was trusted enough to enter her home, maybe a repair guy, a cable technician, a plumber, any possible male with evil intentions.

Unfortunately, this serial killer doesn’t have an exact motive beyond his type of being a brunette female, various ages, and typically lives alone. But, in one particular case, his motive switched up and it’s up to Detective Alice Forbes to figure out why things have changed. Det. Alice knows he only goes after a single woman, that includes no male figures whatsoever in the home, so why did Katherine Elliot become his “perfect” type, she had two smaller children, a husband, and an elder parent living with her. This is the most puzzling development, that Katherine has a family but for whatever reason became this deranged individual’s next victim. Unfortunately, nothing good can come from this except finally catching this homicidal maniac and putting him in jail where the likes of him belong.

I honestly had a tough time trying to read this book because of its graphical nature and being described, nearly brought me to tears on a few occasions. I completely sympathized for Steven Elliot, Katherine’s husband, because he was finally ready to own up to all of his mistakes within his marriage and to repair his life with his family, for it to all be taken away from him. That’s another lesson brought to the reader’s attention, and that is to appreciate what you have while you have it because nothing is promised to last forever. I truly felt a connection with the elder father, Al Jenner, he felt something was strange at home and that they were being watched. It was terribly sad for him to realize that he wasn’t paranoid and if he was taken more seriously, maybe things would’ve taken a different turn, possibly for the better. I highly recommend this book to adults only, especially those individuals who are studying criminal minds; it’s an interesting resource to uncover.