Deadly When Disturbed by DM Barr ~ Review

Deadly When Disturbed follows the journey of leading Realtor and philanthropist Dara Banks. When Dara searches for an assistant, finding someone as resourceful as Meryl “Merry” Rafter seems too good to be true. So good in fact, she neglects to run a reference check. Bad move. Before she knows it, Merry, a former “actress” trying to be “helpful,” has insinuated herself into Dara’s business, family, and charity, and may be the only person saving her from prison. Dara becomes suspicious and begins snooping into Merry’s past. Feeling cornered, Merry reciprocates by launching an investigation of her own and realizes—too late—that she may have picked the wrong mark to con. These women’s unsettling discoveries, and their desperate efforts to safeguard their skeleton-filled closets and fragile self-images, lead to an explosive confrontation certain to destroy the lives of everyone in their midst.

Read an excerpt:

Prologue

She stood at her dining room table and calmly fingered through the cardboard box, double-checking that the paperwork was in chronological order. Even now, no one could accuse Samantha Ellingsworth of being anything but organized and precise. For nearly forty years, it had been both a gift and a curse.

First the letters from Harry, professing his incendiary ardor during their abbreviated law school courtship. The GIA certificate for the diamond, his glittering promise of passion extending through eternity. The deed to their Upper West side condo. A copy of her resignation from Davis & Milliken, where she’d been on the fast track to partner. The birth certificates for her daughter, dated a year later, and the surprise twins, ten years after that.

Next, the children’s coveted acceptance letters from Harrison—Manhattan’s most elite private pre-school and elementary—followed by every one of the glowing report cards she’d worked with them so diligently to earn. Campaign flyers she’d created for Harry’s run for state senate. Her passport opened to the page containing the stamp from that fateful trip to Aruba. The letters she’d written, refuting everything he’d accused her of as lies—all unopened and marked “Return to Sender.” The prescription for Prozac, unfilled, as if any pharmaceutical could rescue her from this pit of depression. Finally, the divorce papers she’d received a few weeks ago, still unsigned.

A lifetime of aspirations, misunderstandings, and betrayals, all encapsulated in a pile of paper less than an inch thick. She affixed the cover to the box and took a long, wistful look at the “perfect” apartment they’d been so ecstatic about buying, beating out several competing bids thanks to the lingering cachet of the Ellingsworth name and its clout in political circles. Confident that the condo was spotless, with everything in its place, Samantha slowly donned her hooded sheepskin coat, grabbed the box, and headed out.

The elevator operator nodded as she entered, but Gloria from the floor above murmured a curt hello and diverted her gaze as they descended from the seventh floor. Samantha had grown used to the frostiness over the past few weeks. Did the other tenants fear it was catching, that they too might be abandoned by their spouse and children, their lives reduced to rubble, if they inched too close? Whatever.

She trudged southbound through the early morning wintery mix; package still cradled to her chest like a newborn. Frigid raindrops grazed her eyelashes before cascading downward and stinging her cheeks as she passed the signs in Zabars’ windows, reminding patrons to purchase their Thanksgiving turkeys. The holiday was only days away. The irony did not escape her.

Shivering as much from the weather as from what lay ahead, she descended the subway staircase at 72nd Street, pushing against the throngs headed toward the sidewalk. She had someplace to go too and nothing—not crowds nor apprehension—was going to delay her.

Today was the day, a chance to have her say. Finally, she’d make him understand.

Samantha ran her MetroCard through the turnstile and headed toward the stairway leading to the uptown train. She positioned herself as close as possible to the opening of the tunnel and stood by the edge of the platform, resummoning her fleeting courage as the crowds swelled behind her. Commuters too involved with their phones to notice the determined woman beside them whose breathing had quickened and whose face had grown hot. She hugged the box even tighter to her fidgeting body and waited. And waited.

A collective sigh arose from the crowd as the loudspeaker announced that the next train was going out of service and wouldn’t be stopping. She saw the light in the distance and heard the clunk-de-clunk and whirl—a deafening gale descending onto the tracks, drowning out the murmur of the passengers. Her ride to the most important meeting of her life. And it was the number 2 train. How appropriate. Just like her, relegated from number one.

Timing was everything, the oncoming gleam only yards away. She tightened her grasp on what was left of her world, recalling the face of the bitch who’d laughed as she’d stolen it all away. Then she took one last breath and jumped onto the tracks.

***

Genre: Domestic Suspense, Domestic Thriller
Published by: Level Best Books
Publication Date: January 2025
Number of Pages: 310

Book Links: Amazon | Goodreads

The suspense in this book was next level page turning. It’s a thrilling read that takes the reader and main character on a sleuthing journey that none of the other characters are privy to. I had a sense of determination to silently urge the main character to make the right decisions and find the right clues, and trust no one! Except there were definitely moments when I found myself screaming out loud at the book “TELL SOMEONE!!!” or “DON’T DO THAT!”

The way the story is written, you are made aware pretty early on that things aren’t what they seem and it eventually becomes clear that shady things are going on behind the scenes of a high society family that’s barely holding it together. We all know that, in fiction, when things are too good to be true, they usually aren’t. It’s the thrill of what’s going to happen next and how are we (the reader and main character together) going to thwart this person/people and come out victorious, that keeps the pages turning fast!

There was a subplot that sounded pretty important when introduced, but never seemed to get the spotlight until it was called upon for a twist and I think it could have been highlighted so much more than it was. It was sometimes confusing as I felt like this seemingly important detail was often forgotten and didn’t make sense with the rest of the story. It eventually is made clear, but I would have loved more of it throughout the whole story.

There were also a couple of moments where I felt the main character lacked emotion during situations that should have been extremely emotional, and it caused me to pull away from her. I can see how that may have been intentional after finishing the book and knowing what I know now, but at the time, it didn’t feel intentional it felt like a disconnect. The ending was like the emotional equivalent of a high-speed chase, everything happening so fast, and you’re just along for the bumpy ride, and then it was over. All the secrets were out on the table, your whole world had just been shaken up, and that’s it, book’s over. I wanted closure, I wanted a slower let down, I needed a moment to take a breath and recover from the tumult.

Overall, it was very interesting, thrilling, and at times frustrating (because I was so invested), book! Highly recommend.

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this virtual book tour, Partners In Crime Tours

Tour Participants:

Author Bio:

Dawn M. Barclay is an award-winning author who writes psychological and romantic suspense as D.M. Barr and non-fiction under her own name.

Her eight other published books include Expired Listings, Murder Worth the Weight, and Saving Grace: A Psychological Thriller. Along with Deadly When Disturbed, in February LBB will also publish the first of her multi-volume series, Vacations Can Be Murder: A True Crime Lover’s Travel Guide.

Dawn recently completed her second stint co-editing a Sisters in Crime NY/Tri-state anthology. New York State of Crime, published by Down & Out Books in the fall of 2024, which includes her third published short story, “Orchestral Removals in the Dark.” She is currently editing an anthology of crime fiction for Down & Out Books inspired by the music of Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

Dawn offers developmental and copy editing through SuggestedDevelopment.com, and ghostwrites personal histories and corporate profiles through LegacyQuest.net. A member of ITW, she has served as president of Hudson Valley Scribes, vice president of Sisters in Crime-NY (still a board member), and the newsletter author/board member of the NY chapter of Mystery Writers of America.

Catch Up With DM Barr:
www.DMBarr.com
Goodreads – @DMBarr
BookBub – @DMBarr
Instagram – @AuthorDMBarr
Threads – @AuthorDMBarr
YouTube – @BarrSinister-m7u
Bluesky – @AuthorDMBarr
YouTube – @BarrSinister-m7u
Facebook – @AuthorDMBarr
TikTok – @AuthorDMBarr

This is a giveaway for: $20 Gift card to winner’s choice of Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, or Bookshop.org

Hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for DM Barr. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

Enter Giveaway

3 responses to “Deadly When Disturbed by DM Barr ~ Review”

forevereadingb24182df85

January 29, 2025

I love this review. Very well said. I am so glad you loved it in the end.

LikeLiked by 1 person

authordmbarr

January 29, 2025

Thanks so much for the review. I’m glad you saw that yes, some emotion was definitely underplayed and for a very specific reason 🙂

LikeLiked by 2 people

1. Ashley Kanazawich
  
  January 29, 2025
  
  It’s the “Ohhh, that’s why!!!” Moments that make a book so great!
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person