The Last Day of Emily Lindsey

August 14, 2017
Joseph’s suspenseful novel follows one man seeking to uncover the secrets of his visions. Detective Steven Paul has lived with visions most of his life, and recently they have begun to affect his work at the Douglas County Police Department in Wisconsin. Paul becomes involved in one of his most intriguing cases when well-known blogger Emily Lindsey is discovered nearly catatonic, covered in blood, and holding a knife. But one of the most disturbing aspects of the case is when Paul tries to interview Emily at the hospital, only to notice that she has drawn a bizarre symbol all over her sheets. The symbol is familiar to Paul, who has seen it in many of his visions. The novel jumps back and forth between clever, eerie flashbacks and the pulse-pounding present story, in which Emily and her husband disappear from the hospital and Paul begins to question whether the woman in the hospital is the real Emily Lindsey. Joseph has crafted a vibrant, page-turning novel in which several story lines converge en route to a rewarding conclusion.

August 1, 2017
Lots of blood but no body kicks off a thriller in which nothing is what it seems. Detective Steven Paul is barely holding onto his job when he and his partner, Gayla Ocasio, are sent to visit Emily Lindsey in the hospital. He's been having terrible dreams, and they're affecting his waking life, so much so that his partner has been asked to report back to the department therapist if she thinks he's having problems. When they meet Emily, she's awake but unresponsive, and then when they come back into the room after having stepped outside for a few minutes, she's drawn a symbol all over herself and her bed--a symbol that Steve has been seeing in his dreams. How is that possible? Emily's husband, Dan, discovered her at their home covered in blood and clutching a knife but unable to tell him what happened; she's not injured, so it isn't her own blood, and Steve's name was on a Post-It Note in her pocket. Turns out Emily is a popular blogger known for stirring the pot, and her research into Ryan Griggs, a controversial figure in big pharma, has ruffled some powerful feathers. That's all Steve and Gayla have to work with. It's an eye-opening avenue of investigation, and they need all the help they can get, because all that blood belongs to someone, and hopefully it's not too late for him or her. Meanwhile, Steve, who narrates, struggles to cope with not only the nightmares and the visions, but the pain of not seeing the little boy who's not biologically his child but whom he raised from a very young age with his ex-wife. Interspersed with Steve and Gayla's investigation are passages involving a group of children living in a compound who are determined to find out what terrible thing happens every year on June 2--it may have a connection with Steve's terrible nightmares. Joseph (Boy, 9, Missing, 2016) employs a lot of twists to get to her denouement, watering down some of its impact, and while the story requires some suspension of disbelief, Joseph's prose is smooth enough to keep the pages turning.

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September 15, 2017

In his second novel (after Boy, 9, Missing), Joseph once again explores the effects of childhood trauma. Det. Steven Paul is still recovering from having shot a bank robber. In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, he experiences a PTSD episode, though that's not what he tells his superiors. He's had episodes and a recurring nightmare for most of his life, but neither has affected him on the job. Now, as Steven is trying to convince everyone he's fine, he and his partner are called to the hospital. A woman named Emily Lindsey was found in her home holding a hunting knife and completely covered in blood that is not hers--and she's not talking. But she does draw a symbol, and that image is one that has haunted Steven's dreams since he was a child. How is this housewife connected to his past? What does the symbol mean? Those are questions he is determined to answer. VERDICT Joseph deftly manages a twisty tale of psychological suspense with just enough creepiness to inspire readers to keep their lights on while turning the pages.--Jane Jorgenson, Madison P.L., WI

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2017
Detective Steven Paul has suffered from the same nightmare his entire life, each night posing a struggle to keep the demons at bay. Over the years, he's learned to contain his screams as the images stalk his dreams. But when Emily Lindsey is found covered in blood with his name in her pocket and the symbol from his nightmares sketched on her skin, his terrors suddenly invade his waking life. When a tormented Emily refuses to speak about what happened to her, Paul and his partner are forced to investigate her life and her controversial blog, which aims to expose frauds and questionable business practices. As evidence mounts, Paul finds himself closer to the origins of his nightmare and further from your average cut-and-dried case than he ever imagined was possible. This chilling novel from the author of Boy, 9, Missing (2016) will entice readers with its unique storytelling. Full of unexpected twists and complex characters, Joseph's page-turner will keep readers up late into the night.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)