'My Trickster' (a tricky riddle of 90 episodes) [Kindle Edition]

Serafima Bogomolova (Author), Erin Johnson (Editor)

Book Description

"A call. A voice, he thought he had exorcised from his brain. A shot shattering a quiet Moscow night, a proper Swiss gentleman, and a letter with the keys to her flat... A game with too many unknowns..."

Description:

'My Trickster' is a book- puzzle, written using thriller and suspense techniques, and most suited for readers who like to search for clues and answers without being led to an obvious answer.

 
Synopsis:

When enigmatic Angela Moreaux, a woman he thought he had exorcised from his brain, calls and asks for his help, reluctant, but unable to resist, a hedge fund owner and an expert in stock market manipulation, Juan MacBride flies out to Moscow. On his arrival a bitter disappointment awaits him, as he finds out that Angela fails to show up for their meeting in the Ritz. Instead, Juan is greeted by an elderly Swiss gentleman, who passes a mysterious note to him plunging Juan into the world full of tricks, intrigues, and deceit...

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Seraphima Bogomolova's debut novel, My Trickster, begins by throwing the reader off balance and continues to do so throughout this quirky novel. The author's attempts to create mystery and drama make the story a little confusing at times, but readers who are willing to go along for the ride will find the unexpected twists and turns of this story delightful and even at times amusing.
 
Though the main character, La (Angela Moreaux) is most definitely at the heart of the novel, by the end, she is, if anything more of an enigma than she was at the beginning. Yet that does not distract from the novel. La's very inscrutability is what drives the story.

Seraphima's writing is lush with color and texture and scent. When she describes a snowy landscape, you pull your sweater tighter.
 
Lovers of psychological thrillers will do well to keep an eye on Ms. Bogomolova. If she continues to hone her craft, we can expect good things to come."
 
- Source SPR

From the Author

What specific themes did you emphasize throughout My Trickster? 
 
There are three main themes that are continuously emphasized throughout the book: internal conflicts of the main characters saturated with doubts, mistrust, and misperceptions; relationships between women and men corrupted with psychological games; and 'nothing as it seems' situations presented through different perspectives and angles.

 What is unique about the setting of My Trickster and how does it enhance the story?
 
The uniqueness of the setting of My Trickster book is in its movement related attributes such as cars, trains, hotels, planes, and airports. The book is set in four locations: Moscow,St Petersburg, Geneva, and Venice. It is this international travelling flavour that gives the story a sense of a journey through time and space. The settings and the attributes used in the book in connection to the main characters also help to unfold the story and show progress in their relationships.
  
What were you trying to get across to the reader?
 
My goal was to show the reader that life is a game with many unknowns.  That we live our life making decisions and placing judgments based on a handful of knowns without realizing it can be just a mere illusion. 
 
What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
 
I'd say my most interesting writing quirk is the way I work with words. I use words to paint images/pictures for readers to experience. My writing is sensual in a way that I engage reader's senses and I'm able to show rather than describe. This creates a very distinct cinematographic feel or as one of the reviewers noted a 'classic movie feel'.
 
Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?
 
I get all of my ideas from my own life and experiences, as well as people I've dealt or deal with. So far, I have been lucky in coming across some real life characters that provided a wealth of material for my debut novel. While writing, I really needed very little in terms of character tweaking, as they were so complete and perfect that all I did is taking them and placing into my story.
 
 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 297 KB
• Print Length: 142 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Souliris UK Ltd; 2 edition (January 20, 2012)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0070B0A5W
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #701,860 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A quirky novel October 2, 2012

By SPR

Format:Kindle Edition

Serafima Bogomolova's debut novel, My Trickster, begins by throwing the reader off balance and continues to do so throughout this quirky novel. The author's attempts to create mystery and drama make the story a little confusing at times, but readers who are willing to go along for the ride will find the unexpected twists and turns of this story delightful and even at times amusing. La is a frustrating character to say the least.

Perhaps some of the most enjoyable aspects of My Trickster are the locales. From Moscow we soon race off to St. Petersburg, then to Helsinki, and end up in Geneva and Venice. Bogomolova gives little detail about the motivations or backgrounds of the characters, yet her writing is lush with color and texture and scent. When she describes a snowy landscape, you pull your sweater tighter.

This is not a plot-driven novel. By the end, the already murky plot has become nothing more than a sideline that gives some structure to La's adventures. And the novel is oddly vague about the characters as well. Though La is most definitely at the heart of the novel, by the end, she is, if anything more of an enigma than she was at the beginning. Yet that does not distract from the novel. La's very inscrutability is what drives the story.

The language gets a bit looser toward the end. However, as the language becomes increasingly clunky, the story begins to gel. The erotica is not at all over-the-top, but readers who are bothered by mildly descriptive sex acts might want to skip this one. Readers who love plot twists, lush settings, and near non-stop action will likely find this a worthwhile read.

Lovers of psychological thrillers will do well to keep an eye on Ms. Bogomolova. If she continues to hone her craft, we can expect good things to come.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A mysterious secret inside September 13, 2012

By Larisa

Format:Paperback

My first feeling was "Oh my god", this is so real, this is around me and I am actually part of it. Especially as I am Russian, the scenes which are in Moscow - you can just tell, this is exactly right, even the smell, colours, surroundings are into every details and point at the features of every character in the book. I kept thinking about every episode, imagining it as if I watched a movie, but immediately wanted to read the next episode. The style the book is written, is very entertaining, clever and you can see that every word is "coded" and has its meaning. After couple of episodes I ended up highlighting the words as they have been chosen with distinctive taste and like having a nice jewelery piece, I wanted to have them as part of my vocabulary.
I think that this "mysterious woman" represents a secret and something mysterious inside every person, somebody you want to be, but never trusted yourself to be, like your other side.

I really enjoyed reading the book and would definitely recommend everyone to read it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Stylishly intruiging September 24, 2012

By Milady

Format:Paperback

"My Trickster" is a truly invigorating read. It takes you into the world of the rich and powerful and quite often into the world of unknown. It's intriguing, fast moving, very different to the novels that are currently available on the market. It's packed with action, new places and it's full of glamour. If you wish to immerse yourself into this ever changing and exciting world, I highly recommend it.

More About the Author

Seraphima Bogomolova was born and raised in St Petersburg, Russia. She has a degree in English and American Literature and was greatly influenced by English and Russian classics. Her two favourite authors are Anton Chekhov, one of the greatest writers of short stories in history, and John Fowles, a master of mystification in post modern English literature.

Seraphima's passion for travel and exploration brought her to many cities and countries including London, New York, Moscow, and Dubai. In Moscow she had an opportunity to run a cigar magazine, Hecho a Mano. In 2006 her publishing experience helped Seraphima to launch her own rich media publication, Avantoure. This innovative, ahead of time project had made a stir in the digital publishing world and was produced in its avant-garde format until late 2009.

Her debut into literary world started in October 2010 in New York, where Seraphima met a man whose dream prompted her to begin writing her first novel 'My Trickster' (www.mytricksterbook.com). The book was finished and published in the beginning of 2012.

Currently, Seraphima divides her creative time between working on her second novel and editing Avantoure (www.avantoure.com), recently re-launched as an infotainment blog.