Bedbugs: A Novel of Infestation

Susan works at home on her paintings while Alex works on his small business as a gem photographer. Until one day when Susan walks into a room to touch up the painting of a woman and discovers bite marks on her arms. She doesn't tell Alex about the painting but her silence starts a whirlpool of endless bedbugs. But are they really bedbugs? Are they really there? According to the local newspaper, it’s a phenomenon throughout the city. But what if only one person sees them? That’s the case with Susan. She not only sees them but she feels them crawling on her and experiences their bite. She learns when they will come to feed on her and when she can rest. Susan’s doctor seems to think she is suffering from Ekbom syndrome also known as delusional parasitosis. Alex believes the doctor—after all he hasn’t seen a bedbug and the exterminator didn’t find any either. As the story unfolds, Susan learns of the previous tenants and then what’s real becomes real and what’s false is nonexistent. This story tells of domestic unrest in many ways. If it were on DVD, it could have multiple endings but Winters tells only one. BEDBUGS (September 2011) will keep you in suspense, make you itch, a little anxious and a bit smarter towards the end. The beginning of the story reminds me of riding a roller coaster ride but only as it travels up the steep incline. Filled with anxiety of what’s to come, it is during this incline that Winters introduces the reader to the Brooklyn culture and the normal routines of the characters. I got to know the characters before the drama. I was able to understand what was important to them, how simple life was for them, and how they handled complexities. If you don’t recognize yourself in this book, you will know a couple like Susan and Alex at some point in your life. I am not a fan of the term “prequel” but BEDBUGS needs one! This book was optioned for film and I would love to see it come to life. This book is a thriller, a supernatural thriller. When you mix the supernatural, psychological effects, and verified facts you get a possible realty that’s all too creepy. Read it during the day (and quickly) or you’ll experience it at night.

The story line is okay, I'm not too into the pace of the book though. Very jumpy. But overall, if you're looking for a fictional story that keeps you guessing, this is a nice choice 😊

I like this one, very easy to read and super entertaining!