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Forgive Me, Alex: A Gripping Psychological Thriller (Tony Hooper Book 1) Kindle Edition
Two men, two methods, two motivations, one darkness—step inside the twisted mind of a killer, and of the man determined to end him at any cost.
Tony Hooper stands in shadow across the street, one amongst many in the crowd of curiosity-hounds gathered to watch a monster's release. Seventeen years after Mitchell Norton, "the devil," terrorized Algonquin, Illinois on a spree of kidnapping, torture and murder, the authorities release the butcher from psychiatric prison.
"The devil" walks the world again. What shall Tony do about it? Aye, what indeed. After all, this is what Tony does. It's who he is. "The devil" himself long ago made Tony into this hunter of monsters.
- WINNER: Pinnacle Book Achievement Award – Best Thriller, Summer 2014
- AWARDED: 5-Star Review, Reader’s Favorite Book Reviews
- SEMI-FINALIST: The Kindle Book Review – Best Indie Books of 2012
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The Kindle Book Review says of this award winner: “Lane Diamond has succeeded in bringing to the surface the dark and horrifying mind of a psychotic serial killer, while at the same time bringing forth the desperate need for humanity and justice for the victims and their families.”
EVOLVED PUBLISHING PRESENTS an award-winning and critically-acclaimed look at what might happen to an ordinary guy when a serial killer destroys his world, in a story of justice and vengeance, evil and redemption, fear and courage, love and loss, from the editor of over 190 published books.
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication date18 December 2011
- File size6650 KB
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Review
The Kindle Book Review: "This story affords us a look into the mind of a serial killer, and the tremendous strength of writing in this book makes that a terrifying experience. The writing is exceptional in that it propelled me into the story and into the minds of the main characters, as well as keeping me totally fixated on the story. The suspense and tension is this story is very palpable, and I found myself thinking about this story long after I had finished. The main characters of Tony and Mitchell are painted with such fine precision and depth, I could almost feel their presence while reading. The character of Frank Willow, the adopted Grandfather of Tony and Alex, is a richly defined character who contributes a great deal of emotion and compassion to the story. The other characters in this story are all unique and well defined, and successfully contribute to the sentiment, understanding, and underlying current of the story."
Lex Allen, Reader's Favorite International Book Awards: "With his first novel, Forgive Me, Alex, Lane Diamond has initiated a crime/suspense thriller series that exhibits many of the qualities that put the likes of Lee Child and James Patterson on the bestseller lists."
Raven Reviewer: "Suck a rubber duck if you are not blown away by this dark psychological thriller. In a world where characters are as vital as in The Game of Thrones, the suspense had me on the edge of my seat and holding my breath for everyone involved... If you love serial killers, red herrings, the thrill of the chase, and unpredictable endings, you are in for a treat. Methodically thorough, this book came together like a well-crafted puzzle... I loved all of the character voices. Well, I loved all of them except one. The author created such a vile creature in the serial killer that by the end of the book, I heard his voice and wanted to throw up. Authors should look to this as a great example of the use of an epilogue and cliffhanger. In short: mind blown."
Ashley Fontaine, Author: "Stellar! Psychological thrillers are my kind of books! Not only do I write them, but truly enjoy reading one that makes my skin crawl, my nerves skitter with fear and my heart thump a tad louder. This incredible novel by Lane Diamond handed me ALL of that, in spades!"
Anne B. Chaconas: "It scared the beejesus out of me. I LOVED it. Diamond does in Forgive Me, Alex what I wish more contemporary authors would do: He brings me right into the story, forcing me to identify with the characters. I didn't have a choice-I would feel Tony Hooper's wrath and need for revenge. I would wallow in Mitchell Norton's desperate inability to ward off his demons. I would cheer for Diana Gregorio's unbelievable ballsiness... I would weep, shedding actual tears, for Alex Hooper's childhood."
Mark Schafer: "Well worth a 5-star rating & more money than what I paid for it. Hooked from page one... If you want to read a book that will stick with you long after you finish it, you need to read this one. Everything was so well described I could almost visualize the scenes."
JMD: "Excellent cerebral thriller. Forgive Me, Alex is a real page turner... The flawless execution of the different POV's, such as Hooper and the chilling antagonist, Mitchell Norton, really make the pace go. You climb inside the mind of the serial killer Norton, and though gruesome at times, the substance is much deeper than murder, and being in his mind is a terrifying experience; I hugged my loved ones often when reading it."
About the Author
Product details
- ASIN : B006NTNQP8
- Publisher : Evolved Publishing LLC; 2 edition (18 December 2011)
- Language : English
- File size : 6650 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 : 262 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: 564,318 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- 4,442 in Vigilante Justice Thrillers
- 7,446 in Serial Killer Thrillers
- 7,481 in Psychological Thrillers (Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

EDITOR, AUTHOR, PUBLISHER: Lane Diamond is my pseudonym. My real name is Dave Lane, and I’m a writer, editor, writing coach, and publisher currently living in Transylvania (in the northern part of Romania) with my wife Maria, enjoying 2 new stepkids and 2 new grandchildren.
I freelance edited from 2007-2011, but since then I’ve focused most of my energy on our Evolved Publishing venture, which I co-founded, and where I now serve as CEO and Managing Publisher/Editor.
My novels are concentrated on the psychological thriller genre, but my short stories cross over many genres and focus on diverse subjects, ranging from the mysteries of the human mind, with its fragile psychological and emotional states, to the everyday joy and anguish of life on Earth. I love a good story, of course, a compelling plot and a satisfying conclusion, yet as a reader, I’ve always been drawn to great characters. The characters bring me back to an author time and time again. This shows in my writing, where I attempt to create authentic, complex, real characters you can come to love, and in whose company you feel at home. Or maybe you’ll despise a character and want to stick a fork in his eye. Hey, bad guys are fun too.
You can find out more about me at my website: www.LaneDiamond.com.
Customer reviews
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Top reviews
Top review from Australia
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Mitchell Norton, the serial killer, is also someone we can relate to. When one discovers the reason for his ‘madness’, one can be forgiven for harbouring a moment of compassion, but the moment is short-lived as Mitchell goes about his devilish business, tormenting and destroying the lives of all he touches.
I found this novel a compelling read, often turning pages--rather than engaging in my own writing--to discover what next atrocity Mitchell Norton might undertake, and hoping he was stopped before he could eliminate more victims.
Can't wait for the next instalment.
Top reviews from other countries

The sympathy you have for the characters makes this a tough read at times. I blazed through the first half in one or two days, which for me is saying a lot, especially with other books already in my queue. But, I got to a point where the gruesome scenes with the serial killer made me put it down. I give Lane credit for painting a very real picture of what it would be like to be Tony, to be the serial killer, and to be all the other people that suffer and were involved with this monster--even to the point that you sympathize with the monster himself.
Even though I didn't really "enjoy" reading the scenes with the serial killer, I was intrigued to get into the killer's mind, and they were very well written. This is the kind of book you can see playing out in your head as if you were there. Lane uses the first person to masterfully get you into the character's minds so that you can feel everything as if it were happening to you. I could see how and why this guy did these awful things, and it made the story more horrific because of how real it seemed.
In the end, I was pushed to find out what happens to the main character's girlfriend. As usual, Lane wrote a compelling love story for Tony and Dianna that really pulls you in at the beginning of the story. This is the hook that will keep you reading in spite of the gruesome actions by the serial killer because you want to know what happens between Tony and Dianna. Even though much of the book is written from 17 years after Tony first met the serial killer, you still don't quite know what happens until the end; and even then, he leaves you wondering and needing to know what will happen in the sequel.
Between 50% and like 70% I was thinking this would be a 4 star review because I figured I had Lane pegged on what would happen to Diane. I was partly right, and partly wrong. The conclusion left me realistically satisfied and very impressed with Lane's story telling. Life isn't a fairy tale, and I commend Lane for his conclusion. That, combined with Lane's excellent writing, makes this a 5 star book. I walk away with a deep emotional connection to these characters and their plight. They are like old friends, and any time a book can create that bond with characters, I say well done. He also did an excellent job with the moral question of what you would do if you were in Tony's place and life has been so traumatically difficult. How many loved ones could you see die before you justified vengeance?
The only problems I had a few problems with this book: a little bit of a lull after the middle, which is hard to avoid when you are setting up the ending, and in order to be real; and some of the sex and violence was more than I wanted to experience, but in the end, that's the ugly truth that Lane had to portray to tell this story right. As he warns in the intro, this book is not for kids.
If you are willing to experience some of the darker sides to life, you'll walk away with new "friends," and a deeper understanding of life and appreciation for the loved ones you still have.


Forgive Me, Alex is the story of the serial killer Mitchell Norton and Tony Hooper, the man whose life he ruined, and who has since become something of an expert at making serial killers go away. Split between 1995, when Mitchell is released from prison, and 1978, the summer of Norton's reign of terror, this novel follows the events that made Norton into a killer and Hooper's desperate race to stop him ... twice.
Readers of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo will find much to like about Lane Diamond's debut novel. Exquisitely written, with earnest, irresistable characters and an intriguing dual narrative, this is one thriller well worth the time. Rest assured, as many have already commented, this novel has quite a few challenging scenes--be prepared for blood, and lots of it--but they add to the tension that ripples throughout the book. I, like others here, had a hard time putting the book down each night, and so compelling was the story that I found myself dreaming about it. I couldn't help but feel what was at stake, even when I wasn't reading.
The book was particularly effective in its slow burn. The time shifts between 1978 and 1995 provided interesting perspectives, and in no way diminished the mystery of how things were going to turn out.
Also effective was the small-town setting, Algonquin, Illinois. At first, I found myself wondering how Lane was going to make a story about a serial killer work in a small town, but the closeness of the people and the narrow confines in which Norton had to work served only to highten the sense of danger that pervades the book.
My only real beef with the story are the two main female characters. I found myself wanting to know about them and about their abilities, particularly the FBI agent Linda Monroe. Neither was given much opportunity for fleshing out. Instead, they became the romantic motivation of Tony Hooper's pysche--not really characters, but ideals toward which Hooper could strive.
Forgive Me, Alex is a compelling start, and the promised follow-up, The Devil's Bane, said to be available in late 2012, should easily build on Alex's foundations. I'll be particuarly interested to learn more about Tony Hooper's other serial-killer-killing activities, more about Linda Monroe, and pull back veil on Hooper's secret agent ally, Frank Willow.

I needed to know what was going to happen next despite some of the gruesome and more uncomfortable parts of the story (inside the mind of a serial killer). I found the story engrossing and the style of writing quite crisp, clean, and forthright.
This is definitely not a book for the squeamish and not for children, as this author states right upfront. Be forewarned. But to be fair, it is those scenes that truly let you into the mindset of Mitchell Norton and his rational and without them, this book would not have achieved what it set out to do. As far as Tony is concerned, the experiences he is faced to deal with with make your heart break for him and near the end of the story, you can't help but cheer the guy on despite knowing that for all intents and purposes what he is doing is wrong. You won't care. It feels right and that's all that matters.
The ending is perfect. It works and sets up the sequel wonderfully. I can't wait to see where this story goes. And Mr. Diamond, if you're reading this, cut Tony some slack, will ya? The guy deserves to find his happy ending. But something tells me, he's in for another roller coaster ride from hell.
My only small nit-picky complaint was the shifting from present time (1995) to the past (1978) and varying the different POV's between Mitchell and Tony. At first, it took me off guard and I struggled with it (could just be me though, so don't let that sway your decision--this is great thriller, regardless). So it took me a few chapters to train my eye to read the chapter header. After a few chapters, it was no longer an issue and actually worked very well in telling this particular story.
Overall, loved it. Two thumbs up.

Lane has managed to pull off a wonderful piece that will not only bring you in; it will not let you out until the end. You are given a variety of glimpses into the killers mind, allowed to see through his eyes; the experience was a chilling one that will linger long after you finished reading.