Mommy, May I? [Kindle Edition]

A.K. Alexander (Author)

Book Description

Sixteen years ago, Helena Shea was an up-and-coming
fashion model, until an affair with a married man, an unexpected
pregnancy, and a drug scandal cost her almost everything. Now CEO of her
own modeling agency and founder of a home for wayward mothers, Helena
has spent years trying to atone for her sins...but with just one
horrifying phone call, they come rushing back again.

A depraved killer has set his sights on Helena, seeking vengeance
for the day she robbed him of his only chance at happiness. Now he
plans to return the favor--by kidnapping Helena's estranged daughter,
Frankie. To save her, Helena must face the demons of her past, joining
forces with her former lover and the journalist who nearly ruined her,
embarking upon a terrifying game of cat-and-mouse. Mommy, May I? transports
readers into the deepest, darkest corners of a killer's mind, a
twisting psychological thriller that will resonate long after the final
page is turned.

Editorial Reviews

Review

MOMMY, MAY I? By A.K. Alexander is a captivating suspense/thriller fraught with detail and emotions. The author created a very troubled and unmerciful, psychopathic serial killer.

This book is packed with gripping suspense and heart-stopping thrills. A real page-turner to the end. It's well written with a good mix of characters. One of the best fictional serial killers I've read. Highly recommend.

By  Internationally bestselling author 

RJ Parker "True Crime Author"

From the Author

I have always loved reading thrillers. There's something intriguing to me about following a storyline that keeps the reader guessing and turning the pages. That is always my goal when I write a new thriller.

When I wrote Mommy, May I? I had read quite a few thrillers and I would get to the end of the book, and question: What made the killer a killer? Was he born that way? Did he grow up in an environment that influenced his path to kill and cause great harm? My questions were around nurture vs. nature. I'd also read quite a few books on FBI profiling at the time.

These questions made me want to write a book that showed the development of this killer. How had he become such a monster? It was not an easy book to write. However, I wanted to write it. I also wanted to have a flawed character (Helena) who has overcome some really painful obstacles in life and put her on a new path--one of improvement. Then, there is Frankie (Helena's daughter). In many ways, this story has two heroines--Helena and Frankie. Frankie is a sixteen-year-old, strong willed girl, and when the killer takes her, he doesn't know that he may have met his match.

If you like thrillers with strong female leads and a little romance in them, I hope you will check out Mommy, May I?

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 369 KB
• Print Length: 390 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1456584014
• Publisher: D'Vine Press (January 26, 2011)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004L2LJCG
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #66,166 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A successful, suspenseful thriller December 24, 2011

By teacher mom

Format:Paperback

The item description correctly describes this book as both "compelling" and "disturbing." A.K. Alexander takes you inside the mind of a serial killer, and it is a dreadful place indeed. The killer's personal history is told through a series of flashbacks (in chronological order, making it easy to follow) from the time he is a young child. It's easy to see how the disturbing scenes created a psychopath. His problematic behavior begins quite early and continues throughout his adulthood. When he crosses paths with Helena, the lead character, things spiral out of control.

Helena has enough problems of her own without being the focus of a serial killer's personal vendetta. As a young model, she had an affair with a married man that resulted in a child, Frankie. The father and his wife convinced her to give her baby to them to raise as a family. She began turning to alcohol and drugs to deal with her problems, resulting in a stint at rehab and lots of bad press in the tabloids. When she and Frankie's father decide to come clean to their now-teenage daughter, his wife leaves him and tells her side of the story to the tabloids, painting Helena as a husband-stealing whore. Trying to make amends with her past, Helena has invested most of her money in creating a home for wayward mothers. Soon, everything and everyone Helena loves are targeted by a madman seeking revenge.

I receieved a complimentary book to review, and it was categorized as "Romantic Suspense/Thriller." The romance is very minimal and occurs mainly at the novel's conclusion. However, it is extremely suspenseful. There are many secondary characters that add to the book's interest--some you'll love and some you'll hate--including a suspicious detective with his own vendetta against Helen, an FBI profiler working against the clock to stop a desperate killer, a tabloid reporter seeking to undo some of the damage she's caused, and Helena's gay assistant. Also, be forewarned that this book contains very disturbing descriptions of the serial killer's psychotic behavior, including necrophilia and animal cruelty. Incest is also briefly mentioned but not explored further.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars No Disappointment Here!!!! April 11, 2011

By D.D.

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Mommy, May I?
I am a HUGE fan of this author; so when I started to read the book, I knew I was in for a great read; never expecting more. I was wrong...this book was more than expected and for the better. This book played on many emotions that in the end all was bitter sweet. At times it was like watching a scary movie with your hands on your face, but peeking through because it intrigues you. The author drew me into the story so deeply I lost track of time while reading it and finished the book in one long sitting; 1045pm-445am (granted it took me that long because I was reading it on my Kindle phone app rather than my actual Kindle)!!! I'm excited to start the next book and this time I will charge my Kindle :)
To the author....Keep up the great work and don't stop writing!!!!

Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely. ~Auguste Rodin

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars So bad it's almost good April 3, 2012

By Jan Arado

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I ordered this book for my Kindle, partially because it was inexpensive but mostly because of the great reviews. Am I missing something? I love mysteries and thrillers, but I have one non-negotiable requirement--they must be well written. This book is so amateurish that at times it was laughable. The characters are completely driven by (bad) plot, so the dialog and actions are totally contrived. And the (bad) plot is all over the map--from deranged serial killer to psychic detective to model/adultress who gave up her child and has redeemed herself by becoming Mother Theresa. The dialog is cringeworthy, especially when the deranged serial killer is explaining either to himself or others why he is a killer and how no-one can ever choose to leave him. It's really silly stuff and the killer is so poorly written that he basically evokes boredom and indifference from the reader. Any good mystery writer knows that the villain is the centerpiece of your story and s/he needs to be exceptionally well developed and even charismatic. This villain is a cartoon, and it sounds like the author read "Profiling Serial Killers 101" before creating him.

To be fair, I have not yet finished this book but there has been no improvement as I've read subsequent chapters. In fact, it keeps getting worse. So I'm not sure I will finish because honestly, every time I read another chapter, I lose a little bit of respect for myself.

So do yourself a favor--hang on to your own self-respect, and don't buy this book!!

More About the Author

A.K. Alexander writes gritty thrillers that will have you looking over your shoulder. Alexander's thrillers have appeared on The Wall Street Journal's bestseller list and Amazon's Kindle Bestseller list.

When not writing thrillers as A.K. Alexander, the author also writes lighter mysteries and contemporary fiction as Michele Scott.

If not writing, she is busy with her family and their many animals.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#55 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Police Procedurals

#65 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Police Procedurals

#55 in Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Mystery & Thrillers > Police Procedurals

#65 in Books > Mystery, Thriller & Suspense > Police Procedurals