Deke Madigan has just secured a first-round NFL draft pick. A Heisman Trophy winner, he’s been attending the QB NFL Combine in Indianapolis. On the final day, Deke’s the last one in the locker room, taking a shower, when an unknown assailant attacks him, rendering him unconscious. He’s found later wandering around the mall area with no recollection of the attack or his attacker. Deke’s fiancée, Elise, an Atlanta sportscaster, is naturally concerned and wonders what prompted this needless assault. Feeling on edge and nervous even though Deke seems unharmed, Elise’s anxiety is heightened when she learns of the murder of a woman who lives in her apartment complex. Causing further tension is the troubling sense of unease she begins to feel when she’s with Deke, an emotion that’s shared by her dog, Jasper.

Thus, author McLean sets up the plot of this exciting thriller which culminates in what is supposed to be a romantic getaway at an isolated cottage on Lake Lanier. Fast-paced and unpredictable, the narrative moves back and forth between Elise and Deke and their nemesis, Daryl, whose motivations and plans remain hidden for most of the novel. Does he want to eliminate Deke so he can have a chance at a first-round draft pick? Or, is Elise the target of his evil machinations? And what is it about his past that has set him on this course of revenge?

Author McLean has written a taut psychological thriller with numerous twists and turns and an ending that will absolutely knock your socks off! A spine-tingling page-turner, don’t be surprised if you are kept up into the wee small hours of the morning, unable to put it down like I was.

Fatal Obsession by Casi McLean is highly recommended for lovers of thrillers, psychological suspense, and dark mysteries.