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What Happened to Lori Book 1: Genesis (Mind-Blowing Twist Thriller Duology) Kindle Edition
Three people.
Each has a secret.
Each has an agenda.
All three are liars.
One of them committed a terrible crime.
One of them is on the run.
More than one of them is a killer.
These three people are about to find out what happened to Lori.
And they're going to wish they never did...
WHAT HAPPENED TO LORI - BOOK 1: GENESIS
Is she dead? Or is it much worse?
ABOUT THE BOOK
What Happened To Lori is a gearshift thriller series comprised of two 100,000 word books. This unconventional thriller bombards the reader with intriguing questions and eye-popping scenarios, pulling you deeper and deeper into a complex--yet highly entertaining--web of mystery, secrets, sex, double-crosses, lies, voyeurism, torture, and deceit, leading up to the biggest mind-blowing twist in modern genre fiction.
Book 1 sets the scene, introduces the main characters, and pulls you into a wicked plot involving a missing woman who is presumed dead, her obsessed grieving brother, her off-kilter ex-con husband, and the mysterious mercenary her husband hires to replace her...
You may think you have it figured out.
You're probably wrong.
What Happened to Lori will stay one step ahead of you right until the epic, unexpected, universe-shattering conclusion.
Welcome to the modern thriller. It will blow your mind.
If you are a more sensitive (or adventurous) reader, this handy scale rates specific categories from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest) to give you some idea if this is your kind of book.
WHAT HAPPENED TO LORI - BOOK 1: GENESIS by JA Konrath
Bad Language - 7
Scary - 6
Violent - 8
Funny - 5
Sexy - 8
Crossovers - Characters from Lori appear in CHASER, THE NINE, and SECOND COMING
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateJune 5, 2019
- File size3635 KB
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Strap in tight, because this is going to be one helluva ride...
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Thrills, Chills, & Suspense Galore
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GRIPPING
You'll grip the book so hard you'll break your own fingers...
Editorial Reviews
Review
From the Author
Q& A with author Joe Konrath
Q: Why not release both parts at once?
A: There's a copywriter term known as the curiosity gap. Essentially, it's the discrepancy between what someone knows and what they demand to know. The goal is to keep someone engaged without boring or discouraging them.
If you know your sex terms, its like edging.
So I'm literary edging.
That's what I tried to do with WHAT HAPPENED TO LORI. How we read and absorb information has fundamentally changed in the last twenty years, with the rise of the Internet and social media. I wanted to write a book that used traditional narrative structure, with conflict, rising action, and resolution, and full character arcs, and good vs evil, and engaging storytelling, and do it in a thoroughly modern way.
But I also wanted it to function as literary clickbait. Episodic TV has become the norm, with story arcs that aren't resolved until the season finale. We surf the net, going from site to site, our dwindling attention spans eager for new tibits of information.
Why not try this style with books?
Q: You said it's a gearshift novel. What's that?
A: BOOK 1 is a Did He Do It? love-triangle thriller with some unconventional elements, like the punctuation and the structure.
BOOK 2 is absolutely insane, and goes someplace wildly unpredictable. The story shifts gears, hence the term gearshift. A few movies that do this are Something Wild, From Dusk Till Dawn, Full Metal Jacket, and Psycho. These films begin with the viewer thinking they are headed in a certain direction, and then they turn on a dime and become something... different.
Q: What do you mean it has unconventional punctuation?
A: You'll understand it when you read it. I hope it catches on. It makes writing a whole lot easier, and much less intrusive for the reader.
Q: Are you doing that clickbait curiosity gap thing right now by not telling us what you mean?
A: A little. I'll give you a different example. Speaker attribution is intrusive. Saying "she said" after a line of dialog is supposedly invisible to the reader, but it's also a waste of the reader's time, and a waste of words on the page. Why should we have to read words to understand who is speaking?
I don't use speaker attribution in WHAT HAPPENED TO LORI, but that's not what I'm referring to here. There are ways around speaker attribution that don't involve new punctuation.
In LORI, I did something else. Something I've never seen before.
Q: And you think readers are going to like this?
A: Some will. Some won't. In fact, I expect that some people will absolutely hate this book. Hate it more than any book they've ever read. Because of the punctuation. Because of the structure. Because of the cliffhanger. Because I keep posing more and more questions and trickling out answers like crumbs to the starving.
Q: Sounds like more clickbait talk.
A: In a way, it is. I've written and sold decent thrillers since 2003. I wanted to try something more provocative. More modern. More catchy.
You can help by spreading the word. Tell your family, friends, co-workers, strangers, wandering animals, and anything with a pulse about WHAT HAPPENED TO LORI.
From the Inside Flap
For the completists, or those with a bit of obsessive/compulsiveness, or the folks that just like my stuff and want to know how it all connects, I have a lot of recurring characters and intertwined series. If you need to know the best reading order, or how to make sure you haven't missed anything, check out the bibliography page on my website. You can also visit there to see when a new title will be released.
If you're just looking for a quick checklist, here are my main series.
These do not have to be read in any particular order, but I encourage you to read them all.
JACK DANIELS THRILLERS
#1-Whiskey Sour
#2-Bloody Mary
#3-Rusty Nail
#4-Dirty Martini
#5-Shot Of Tequila
#6-Fuzzy Navel
#7-Cherry Bomb
#8-Dead On My Feet
#9-Serial Killers Uncut (with Blake Crouch)
#10-Shaken
#11-Stirred (with Blake Crouch)
#12-Dying Breath
#13-Everybody Dies
#14-Rum Runner
#15-Last Call
#16-White Russian
#17-Shot Girl
#18-Chaser
#19-Old Fashioned
#20-Bite Force
#21-Jack Rose
#22-Witch Brew
Bonus #2.5-Lady 52 (with Jude Hardin)
Jack Daniels Stories Vol. 1 (Novella Collection)
Jack Daniels Stories Vol. 2 (Novella Collection)
Jack Daniels Stories Vol. 3 (Novella Collection)
Jack Daniels Stories Vol. 4 (Novella Collection)
Banana Hammock (Novella Collection)
THE KONRATH DARK THRILLER COLLECTIVE
#1-The List
#2-Origin
#3-Afraid
#4-Trapped
#5-Endurance
#6-Haunted House
#7-Webcam
#8-Disturb
#9-What Happened To Lori
#10-The Nine
#11-Second Coming
#12-Close Your Eyes
Bonus #4.5-Holes in the Ground (with Iain Rob Wright)
Bonus #5.5-Draculas (with Blake Crouch, Jeff Strand, F. Paul Wilson)
Bonus #6.5-Grandma? (with Talon Konrath)
TIMECASTER
#1-Timecaster
#2-Timecaster Supersymmetry
#3-Timecaster Steampunk
CODENAME: CHANDLER (with Ann Voss Peterson)
#1-Flee
#2-Spree
#3-Three
#4-Hit
#5-Exposed
#6-Naughty
#7-Fix (with F. Paul Wilson)
#8-Rescue
#9-Free
STOP A MURDER PUZZLE BOOKS
#1-How: Puzzles 1-12
#2-Where: Puzzles 13-24
#3-Why: Puzzles 25-36
#4-Who: Puzzles 37-48
#5-When: Puzzles 49-60
#6-Answers
Stop A Murder Complete Cases (Book 1-5)
MISCELLANEOUS
65 Proof - Collected Short Stories
The Globs Of Use-A-Lot 3 (With Dan Maderak)
EROTICA
Writing as Melinda DuChamp
MAKE ME BLUSH series
#1-Kinky Secrets Of Mister Kink
#2-Kinky Secrets Of Witches
#3-Kinky Secrets Of Six & Candy
ALICE series
#1-Kinky Secrets Of Alice In Wonderland
#2-Kinky Secrets Of Alice Through The Looking Glass
#3-Kinky Secrets Of Alice At The Hellfire Club
#4-Kinky Secrets Of Alice Vs. Dracula
#5-Kinky Secrets Of Alice Vs. Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
#6-Kinky Secrets Of Alice Vs. Frankenstein
#7-Kinky Secrets Of Alice's Christmas Special
#8-Kinky Secrets Of Alice's New Year Ball
JEZEBEL series
#1-Kinky Secrets Of Jezebel And The Beanstalk
#2-Kinky Secrets Of Puss In Boots
#3-Kinky Secrets Of Goldilocks
SEXPERTS series
#1-The Sexperts - Kinky Grades Of Shay
#2-The Sexperts - Kinky Secrets Of The Pearl Necklace
#3-The Sexperts - Kinky Secrets Of The Alien
From the Back Cover
If you want something to do for the next two years and insist on reading every Konrath novel, here are the order the author recommends:
WHISKEY SOUR
BLOODY MARY
THE LIST
RUSTY NAIL
AFRAID
DEAD ON MY FEET
DIRTY MARTINI
FLEE
ORIGIN
SHOT OF TEQUILA
JACK DANIELS STORIES VOL. 1
TRAPPED
FUZZY NAVEL
CHERRY BOMB
SPREE
DRACULAS
DYING BREATH
JACK DANIELS STORIES VOL. 2
HOLES IN THE GROUND
SERIAL KILLERS UNCUT
ENDURANCE
THREE
SHAKEN
STIRRED
EVERYBODY DIES
HAUNTED HOUSE
LADY 52
TIMECASTER
JACK DANIELS STORIES VOL. 3
RUM RUNNER
WEBCAM
GRANDMA?
TIMECASTER SUPERSYMMETRY
LAST CALL
HIT/EXPOSED/NAUGHTY
DISTURB
WHAT HAPPENED TO LORI
WHITE RUSSIAN
JACK DANIELS STORIES VOL. 4
SHOT GIRL
65 PROOF
STOP A MURDER COMPLETE CASES
CHASER
BANANA HAMMOCK
THE NINE
OLD FASHIONED
SECOND COMING
BITE FORCE
CLOSE YOUR EYES
JACK ROSE
TIMECASTER STEAMPUNK
About the Author
What Happened To Lori Book 1 and Book 2 is an experiment in thriller fiction that has never been done before. Possibly because it's a very bad idea. But Joe worked his butt off on this duology, and put more effort into it than anything he's ever done.
He hopes you like it.
Product details
- ASIN : B07SVHCJT2
- Publication date : June 5, 2019
- Language : English
- File size : 3635 KB
- Simultaneous device usage : Unlimited
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
- Print length : 402 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #874,416 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,205 in Conspiracy Thrillers (Books)
- #2,221 in Conspiracy Thrillers (Kindle Store)
- #12,599 in Crime Thrillers (Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Joe Konrath has written over twenty novels in the Lt. Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels thriller series. They do not have to be read chronologically to be enjoyed, but the order is: Whiskey Sour, Bloody Mary, Rusty Nail, Dirty Martini, Shot of Tequila, Fuzzy Navel, Cherry Bomb, Dead On My Feet, Serial Killers Uncut (with Blake Crouch), Shaken, Stirred (with Blake Crouch), Dying Breath, Everybody Dies, Rum Runner, Last Call, White Russian, Shot Girl, Chaser, Old Fashioned, Bite Force, and Witch Brew. More coming soon.
Wow, that's a lot of Jack.
If you like your thrillers on the dark side, check out the Konrath Dark Thriller Collective, which includes the books The List, Origin, Afraid, Trapped, Endurance, Haunted House, Webcam, Disturb, What Happened To Lori, The Nine, Second Coming, and Close Your Eyes.
Joe also wrote the Stop A Murder mystery puzzle series, where you become the sleuth and solve brain teasers to try and catch a killer.
He also wrote the sci-fi trilogy, Timecaster, Timecaster Supersymmetry, and Timecaster Steampunk. Even if you don't think you like sci-fi, give them a try. They feature Joe's well-known characters from his other series, and are insane.
With Ann Voss Peterson he wrote the Codename: Chandler thrillers, including Flee, Spree, Three, Hit, Exposed, Naughty, Fix (with F. Paul Wilson), Rescue, and Free.
And, finally, he writes erotica under the pen name Melinda DuChamp, also with Ann Voss Peterson. Those books are probably too spicy for you, so only the brave and bold should seek them out.
Joe writes a lot. You should probably read everything.
You can visit Joe and sign up for his newsletter at www.JAKonrath.com/mailing-list.php
Customer reviews
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonReviewed in the United States on June 29, 2019
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Genesis by J. A. Konrath is Book One in a series titled “What Happened to Lori.” Konrath gives the book a tongue-twisting description; the author calls his latest work a “Mind-Blowing Twist Thriller Duology,” confirming for me there is more originality to come. The description is one I have never read. J. A. Konrath is one of my Go-To Writers, meaning I read everything I stumble across by him in notifications or browsing. I haven’t read everything he has written. If I do so, it will be by accident. He has written too many books for me to keep up. I could make his stories a reader project. The problem is his creations can be intense, and I don’t want to suffer reader burn-out. I would rather enjoy his books as I encounter them.
Readers might want to note that Konrath has an actionable offer attached to this novel. In an author email, he has offered Book Two of the series free if a reader posts a review of Genesis to a social media site by July 31. Readers who post should forward the link to Konrath, and he will make Book Two free.
In Konrath’s words, here is a challenge which I INTEND to meet. I am not sure I will be able to figure out what happened to Lori before July 31. I may give up on the answer and only post a review by the end of July to get a free Book Two. In Author Note 2, before the story begins, Konrath writes:
“Book 2, the conclusion, will be available very soon. But if you read closely, pay attention to details, and you're really, really smart, you could figure out what happened to Lori before Book 2 is released. There are hints, clues, and even some cleverly concealed spoilers. It won't be easy. You might even become impatient. Frustrated. Enraged. Remember… it's only a story… Remember to post a spoiler warning before you share your theories. And make sure you're correct. Because you're probably wrong.” (Kindle locations 39-48).
Author Note One refers to a diple. It is good to know how Konrath uses the diple to understand the structure of the story as far as character contributions to thought and dialogue. The knowledge gained is one of many fun facts which could make you feel superior at gatherings of self-important novice writers.
Konrath’s advice to those presuming to know about the fate of Lori is to be careful because we (readers) are probably wrong. That presumption makes Genesis an activity book as well as enjoyable entertainment. I may have to read Genesis more than once. I must find a way to get into the mind of Konrath. There is a training program available. The author has written a series of Mystery Puzzle Books. The mystery is presented in a set containing five novels: How, Why, Who Where, and When. Stop a Murder---Answer Book is Book 6 in the series. Mystery novels sell for USD 0.99 on Amazon but are also available at no cost on Kindle Unlimited. The Answer Book is not available on Kindle Unlimited and sells for USD 2.99.
I have only read one of the Puzzle Books (awe-inspiring – five stars!) and I could not resist buying the Answer Book. I intend to complete the other Puzzle Books before venturing a guess about Lori’s fate. There is something to be said for knowing the mind of an opponent. I won’t find clues about Lori in the Puzzle Books, but I will gain an insight into the author’s head.
There are not a lot of characters in Genesis. I like the name Grim, even though it is really Pilgrim. Grim is Lori’s brother and wants to know what happened to her. Daily alcohol intake has slowed Grim’s efforts and raced through his savings. There are many ways to measure how far down the survival index an alcoholic can go. When butter (it may have been margarine) becomes a primary food source, the bottom of the index is not far away.
Readers will focus mainly on Fabler, Lori’s husband. Fabler and Grim were probably friends in an earlier life. They were close as highly skilled military Special Operators in Iraq. Going on death-defying missions where each of the pair was responsible for the other’s back tended to tighten the bonds of friendship to a higher degree. Even during those operations, there were signs of developing stress between the two. After the end of obligatory military service, the two dabbled in mercenary ventures. Lori’s disappearance broke the bond between the two. Pilgrim testified against Fabler in a trial that sent Fabler to prison for two years. How did Fabler get out after two years? The answer is revealed early in the novel, but the answer to the question is not the central mystery.
Was Fabler guilty of murdering Lori? Did Pilgrim frame Fabler for Lori’s Murder/disappearance? Next up, the mystery of Marna Presley. Readers should accept the name; it might be wrong, but for this novel, Presley is good enough. Marna is the female equivalent of Pilgrim and Fabler; she also has combat experience and unusual skill sets. Fabler is up to something after his release from prison. Whatever Fabler is up to, he needs an assistant, so he places an ad on Craigslist. Pilgrim learns of this need and decides to monitor Fabler very closely. Think hidden cameras, illegal surveillance stuff, and all the good things ex-mercenaries seem to be qualified to acquire and use.
Fabler hires Marna and begins a training program like few I have heard about. The program, the dialogue (and diples) between the two drive my interest in this novel. Fabler doesn’t know that Marna is getting two salaries. Pilgrim is the person who steered Marna to Fabler; Marna makes periodic reports to Pilgrim. Marna has her separate agenda, one which is another mystery for the reader to juggle.
The book examines PTSD, how could it not? Pilgrim suffers from the disease and has turned to alcoholism, a substitute disease. Fabler suffers from the disease and has an interesting way of attempting to cope. It is not music, but it does involve some audio files. Marna has PTSD. After all, she was also in combat, but PTSD is not central to her mystery. The Watcher is undoubtedly a Wacko, but readers don’t know who she/he/it might be. The would-be assassins of Presley may not have PTSD; they like killing for killing’s sake. With such a broad concentration of non-normal people affected in different ways by PTSD and other mental aberrations, readers are adrift as they look for any reliable information.
Welcome to the Konrath world. This novel is a five-star Amazon read on the surface alone. Readers who start scratching below surfaces will find more fun. I highly recommend this novel as an excellent read and, on another level, a possible activity book.
Off to my voluntary training program.
On the plus side, this first of a two-part story definitely delivers in terms of building up momentum/suspense and leads up to both a solid, action-packed conclusion as well as what some folks have described as a ‘cliffhanger’ ending. The book showcases the fact that three main characters are all deeply flawed (understandably) and the writing – especially in the case of Fabler – occasionally gets a bit too clever in using language that can be interpreted in more than one way and, as a consequence, can make the reader think that one of two mutually exclusive things might be true. There are Turkish baddies. There is some nicely written sex. There is a mysterious ‘Watcher’. And, as noted, there is a cliffhanger that promises readers that the secret of what really happened to Lori will be revealed in the first pages of the next installment. All in all, this book is well worth checking out on its own and implies that the second installment will bring the story to a satisfying conclusion.
On the minus side, there are a number of issues that struck me, personally, as problematic. (And I’ll acknowledge up front that I realize I’m critiquing an author whose literary skill has made him far richer and more well-known than me. So clearly these may be ‘me issues’ and other readers may have no problems at all.) First, this is a story that works best as a kind of ‘train building up speed and barreling along in a straightforward fashion down the track’ kind of thing. So some of the text – the ex-cop Grim nattering on in an extended fashion with the pawnshop owner – comes across as Konrath just inserting some of his characteristic humor into an otherwise pretty non-humorous story. Likewise, some of the sections that attempt to get into the mind of the Watcher – yes, I know, it’s necessary on an occasional basis to remind the reader that the Watcher is out there – are not totally successful, for me at least. In terms of premise, the philosophic Watcher 'manifesto stuff' seems – maybe appropriately – both boring and deranged. SPOILER ALERT. And in terms of content, I kept flashing on the women kept in cages in the schlocky classic movie Pawn Shop Chronicles. Finally, a personal wish would be that there was a little more ‘backstory’ provided that would help the reader engage with the three main characters more. (Yes, I know that this is designed to be an action/suspense story where nothing is quite as it seems. But having characters whose lives are pretty much a blank prior to their time in the military seems a bit of a cheat. Finally (SPOILER ALERT) the whole ‘fly’ thing – though critical – came across as a little heavy-handed. Fewer mentions of flies buzzing around the action would have worked as well and not left the reader saying ‘I get it. Something is going on here with the flies. (SPOILER ALERT) Gee – is it insect drones keeping an eye on Fabler?’
In terms of editorial stuff (which bothers readers like me more than others) I’ll just single out a few things for comment. First, while I applaud the fact that Joe seems to have made an effort to do some research or hire a consultant regarding military matters and firearms, there were a few clangers that made their way into the text. Pulling a car off the road ‘near a deer hunting ground’ isn’t really a common phrasing among hunters I know. Likewise, unless I’m grossly in error, the description of Presley implies that she is right-handed and so having her holding her .45 and pushing with the left hand while pulling with the right when firing from a Chapman stance seems to be basically reversing what is typically the case. There seems to be a little sloppiness in terms of taser descriptions (going from 2,000 volts to 50,000 volts in the space of two pages). And having a joke involving a dimwitted Turkish thug using the word ‘prostrate’ when he intends to say ‘prostate’ gets ruined by the fact that the text immediately adds <SIC> right after the incorrect ‘prostrate’.
All of that being said, ultimately I enjoyed the book and will look forward to the second installment.
Top reviews from other countries
Looking forward to the next book thanks but I didn’t like it
The core of the story centres around Lori, who doesn't even make an appearance except by name. Lori is missing presumed murdered by her husband Fabler.
Fabler had been released from prison after only two years and now seems to be on an obsessional mission in his fully military-style converted home.
Lori's brother, Pilgrim or Grim as everyone calls him, who served in the Special Operations Unit with Fabler, is convinced that he killed his sister. He is trying to regain some sort of control back over his life to focus on finding out the truth.
Brought into this mix is outsider Marna Presley, who is hired by Grim to apply to an advert put out by Fabler for a woman with very specific looks and talents. Presley is again military trained and with a few adjustments to her physical appearance matches to requirements.
What follows is bizarre in the most hypnotic and compelling way. I couldn't stop reading this unpredictable addictive book. I wanted to know what was behind closed doors. Why Fabler was holding something huge a secret and what had happened to Lori?
They are all strong characters there for very different reasons, hopefully when they are all there for Lori things may really begin to take off. It is pure adrenaline rush from page one to be continued when book 2 is published.
Konrath is always a strong favourite of mine and I am loving this new direction that he is taking me in. The good news is it isn't long until the final book is published. Totally fascinated by this!
But actually, different people aren't introduced. Their names are mentioned but very few details are given. You don't learn about people until much later.
Despite all this, somehow the story is gripping enough that I wanted to keep reading. I really thought I was going to hate it, but I didn't.
At the beginning of almost every chapter we had to sit and reread Lori's answerphone message, which just seems to be a lot of unnecessary filling to me. The daft numbers and nonsense he pins to the start of some chapters too is all a bit silly as well, and I for one can't be bothered trawling through 300+ pages of this.
So I would summarise it as an experiment that just doesn't work, I'm afraid.









