Synopsis

How do you escape a man who believes he owns you?

Sophie Steele’s life is ruled by fear. Her husband, Ben Steele, tracks her phone, her bank accounts, her every move. His position as part-owner of a successful surveillance and investigations company gives full rein to his controlling instincts.

When Ben allows Sophie and their son, Benji, to travel interstate to visit family without him, she hopes he’s trying to change. But when he continues to monitor and manipulate her from afar, she realises she no longer wants to live the lonely life he’s forced upon her. As her determination to leave him grows, she develops a much-needed friendship with Lee, an attractive Taekwondo instructor who promises to help her however he can.

But even thinking about leaving Ben is dangerous, and it quickly becomes apparent how far he’ll go to keep her under his control.

How can she escape a man who has the means to hunt her down no matter where she hides? Is the chance of freedom worth risking her and Benji’s lives?

A powerful blend of deceit, manipulation, and intrigue, Captive will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final, shocking revelation.

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Review

I have read several books by this author, but this one is on a different level than the other books! Told from three points of view – Sophie, Ella, and Cathy, each story blends in with the others with a final culmination at the end. It reflects how easy it could be for someone to be taken in by a master manipulator.

Sophie is one of the main characters. She is stuck in a loveless relationship and actually an abusive one. Her husband, Ben, thinks that he owns her and is in control of everything. He doesn’t trust her and is always checking her phone for messages, calls, and search history. He tracks her wherever she goes, either via the phone or a smartwatch. To top it off, he has security cameras installed inside the house and watches her constantly. Warning lights were going off in my head with every turn of the page based on his actions.

Ella is young and naive, and she believes that Ben loves her and fears for his safety from Sophie. She should have been on guard when he said not to mention him to anyone. However, she has blind faith where he is concerned, until it lands her in hot water.

This thriller had me turning pages as fast as I could. Would Sophie and her son Benji get away from Ben? Would Ella see through his manipulations? Would Ben get what was coming to him?

I appreciated that the author shared resources within the pages on how Sophie could leave Ben for a better life. Sophie even has a couple of new friends who try to help her escape to a better life. Luckily, Ben doesn’t cut her off from these friends. Perhaps because one of them has a boy that is Benji’s age and a new friend for him. Despite all of Ben’s faults, there is no doubt that he loves his son.

If you enjoy psychological suspense/thriller novels, this is a good one to read. If you have any triggers regarding abuse, it may not be the best choice for you.

We give this book 5 paws up.

About the Author

Cally Jackson grew up in the small country town of Gatton. After deciding at 17 that a Hollywood acting career was sadly out of reach, Cally turned to a career in professional communication with fictional writing as her labour of love.

Cally’s passion for fictional writing first emerged in grade two when she got in trouble for penning her own tale instead of copying directly from a story book as she was supposed to be doing – it was a handwriting exercise, after all.

Cally’s first novel, The Big Smoke, was published in 2012. A decade and two children later, Cally has released her second novel, The Ripple Effect.

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