Many a time those interested in reading a good book rely of other peoples comments and reviews; - if they’re positive then all good, though if negative it’s of course going to put the potential reader off.  Though if the comments and reviews are valid the author has to understand and accept them and perhaps learn from it in the same process.

However, it’s a completely different ball game when the “reviews” are fabricated and the profiles either fake or "genuine" people in some case who are somehow connected to those the book exposes.  It is those"connected" to the exposure - who are the ones behind the negative comments and reviews.

In recent years magazines such as Forbes and the New York Times have run articles about whether Amazon reviews are paid for or made up.  This is a topic we've been following closely since the release of A Madness Shared by Two and when some odd and negative reviews started to appear on the internet.  

The article in the New York Times says that Amazon went through and deleted thousands of reviews, without consulting with the reviewers or the authors of the books being reviewed.  The criterion for elimination was whether the reviewer was a family member or had a financial interest in the book.  Amazon took this action without clearly explaining how they determined which reviews should be eliminated.  Some writers claim that valid reviews by readers they had no relationship with - were then deleted.  So we can clearly see these stories and articles are relating to the authors or publishers being behind the “positive reviews” and rightly so it should brought to the public domain if this is the case.

Though what seems to have gone under the radar is the “other reviews” - ones that clearly are not to do with those behind the book itself, but those behind the book it exposes as in the instance of a true-life story.

This type of scenario is not so much of a problem for authors who write works of fiction though for true-life and especially true-crime such as a murder - that involves a police cover-up and other people involved - then you’re skating on very thin ice indeed.  From the second they get wind that the book is going to be released they set about setting up false identities and accounts on the various book forums and networks such as on Amazon and Goodreads that has a direct link to Facebook users and that anyone can comment on and review a book and in the case of Goodreads - no proof of purchase that they have actually read the book is required.  You can also get around this problem on Amazon and they do.

When A Madness Shared by Two was first released it was given on average 5/4 stars by most who first read it and no mention of how it was "badly written."  Many more readers left positive reviews that can be seen on the books website - though all of a sudden the negative reviews started appearing and take over the ratings.  Noticing this unjust problem the publishers decided to looked into those behind the very similar comments and reviews that seemed to concentrate on the books grammar, spelling mistakes and typos - that are not basically there in the book.

There may be an odd spelling mistake and typo and you’ll find at least twelve in Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code and at least triple of that in A Madness Shared by Two  in which the Audio Book version is due out in July 2014. Why we mention this is because anyone who works with professional narrators know they will not touch your book with a barge-pole if it's badly written with errors and grammatical mistakes as claimed by these reviewers - as it makes their job far too difficult.  One narrator did just that based on the criticisms they read on Amazon saying; "I'm a professional and can't waste my time on badly written work."  

The current narrator, soon to be announced, is also a professional narrator who has worked on many published works in the style of a newsreader - TV presenter as she is also a journalist and Radio News Reader; - at no time has she said there's a problem with the writing.

These fake reviews don't mention the main theme and that the book exposes a cover-up involving the police and members of the administration staff at the hospital in question and members of the legal and medical fraternities.  

Though they understand that your average reader relies on others reviews and nobody likes to read a book that no matter how good the story may be if it’s badly constructed with grammatical errors and spelling mistakes, it will of course change their views and as did with the first narrator who considered making the audio version mentioned above.

That’s why these fake/false reviewers go straight for the jugular as their objective is the kill it stone dead and as soon as it’s released.  Though it doesn't stop there as every now and again they will appear on other related websites and forums and again put their fake/false reviews forward.

What does an author or publisher do if they think and know for certain their book/film or whatever has been deliberately targeted and sabotaged with negative reviews and attacked by various posters?

They're putting their head into the Lions-Den if they join-in the argument and try and confront the fake/false reviewers, as you''re putting yourself in the firing line off other troll-like friends who are working with them on the same network and agenda. This can result in a full scale attack on the author and as was the case of A Madness Shared by Two on Amazon.  Though more importantly genuine reviewers will also be offended if the author/publishers were to suggest that such fake/false reviews should not be allowed to be left without backing up what they say with evidence they have least read the book in the first place; as in the following example you’ll see proof that suggests they could not have the books they commented on as they were all made on the very “same day.” - How is it possible to have read all these books and leave a genuine review for them all on the same day and time - and to then never return and leave another review again?  They are 100% fake/false accounts. 

Though the truth of the matter is that it’s virtually impossible to stop this type of thing from occurring; Amazon and other likewise on-line book review platforms refuse [unless they want to] to remove any review unless it has foul, racist or threatening behaviour. This means the minimum damaging 1 star grade that reviewers have to leave as they can't mark 'no stars' - remains posted on the books page and obviously effects the books ratings and reputation and - the task of sabotage has been accomplished by the trolls who made them. 

Little did these fake/false reviewers realise that criticising investigative journalists would result with the reviewers being investigated.

Here you'll see "Jo-anne Davis" leave five reviews on five different books and all made on the 9/2/2013 - around seven weeks after A Madness Shared by Two was released and started to gain momentum in the media.  

Here's the original link; http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/pdp/profile/AYKFOZ5TL8H0H/ref=cm_cr_dp_pdp

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				Criminology by Tim Newburn Edition: Paperback Price: £32.29
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				A Madness Shared by Two: True Story of the M6 Eriksson Twins & ... Price: £7.99
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful 3.0 out of 5 stars Not sure!,  Verified Purchase(What is this?) This review is from: A Madness Shared by Two: True Story of the M6 Eriksson Twins & ... Not sure what I thought of this book. I didn't find it particularly well written and found it very confusing to follow. I felt it was poorly structured. In terms of content I don't think there was much revealed that was not available via the Internet. I wouldn't particularly recommend this book. Comment Comment | Permalink

So as you can notice especially on the supplied link above these are totally made up to look like genuine reviews and made by someone named "Joanne Davis" - Amazon 9 Feb 2013.  Also note that '8 of 8 people found the following review helpful' - when the others are showing 0.  Which seems to suggest 8 people they know.  

Now here's a "review" that appeared on Goodreads: it's believed this is the same "Jo Davis" as "Jo-anne Davis" mentioned above - as they repeat their main bug-bear with the book; "I didn't find it particularly well written and found it very confusing to follow. I felt it was poorly structured.  I don't think there was much revealed that was not available via the Internet."

Jul 21, 2013Jo Davies rated it 1 of 5 stars - "Absolutely shite! There is nothing new to read that I hadn't already by searching the net! Many spelling errors!"

This "Jo-Joanne Davis" is quite clever despite the obvious bloomer with their name, that perhaps because there was a five month gap between the reviews she/they thought they'd to alter their appearance from Joanne and changed to Jo Davis instead; as they have rearranged the exact type of prose to make it sound like a different "person" yet still covered the very same main discrediting points and features; badly written/many spelling errors - nothing new - already on the internet - I don't think much revealed that was not available via the internet."  

Then there are those who may be actually connected to the institution or those the book exposes and who genuinely get incensed and willing to stand-up and protect their colleagues or the place they work coming under yet another attack and especially when it comes to the Police & NHS and like that of our next fake/false review, though this time by a genuine person named Chelle Farnan.   

A Madness Shared by Two accuses the hospital in question and it's higher up executive members including the Chief Executive of the University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS trust of being involved in the police-cover-up. 

			A Madness Shared by Two by Cann David Edition: Paperback Price: £9.88
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful 1.0 out of 5 stars bit expensive for bog roll,  Verified Purchase(What is this?) This review is from: A Madness Shared by Two (Paperback) This was the one and only review the person has ever left on Amazon - it's headline has done the job; "Bit expensive for bog roll. Poorly written, at times incoherant, sentences that don't make sense or are irrelevant, this story is filled with hearsay and general ramblings." The actual review seems to suggest they have not read the book, for it goes on to imply the book is a conspiracy theory and have confused the story about the twin sisters that the book is about - with the many conspiracy theories that are indeed connected to the case. This book exposes these conspiracy theories as falsehoods and one of the reasons the book was written.   The other two 1 star reviews were made by forum buddies Dan Jordan and Combat Wombat - who the author got into a very disturbing debate on a Amazon forum; they then decided to start to review the books and slate any other book connected to him. 1.0 out of 5 stars Journo 27 Dec 2012 By CHELLE E FARNAN Format:Kindle Edition - "Sensationalist style lacking mental health services or police services operational knowledge - no real literary style here and nothing actually empirical - misrepresentation of how the Mental Health Act actually operates - it isn't secret ... It has been in force since 1983!"  Also note that 32 of 40 people found the following review helpful when the others are showing 0, 1 or 2 at the most - apart from the fake reviews. Which seems to suggest around 26+ people are probably connected to Chelle Farnan and possibly on shared computers within the NHS.

 

Yet the typical review is “...definitely a solid read if you are interested in the Eriksson twin’s case. The book as tons of information that I have not seen before, and information that I have scavenged the internet looking for but had not found. Somehow the writer and his partner uncovered lots of information which definitely points to some type of cover up, or at least serious errors in the justice system that allowed Sabina to be free after her apparent psychotic episode. I give this book 4 stars...”

Following Chelle Fanan's review and when the author was informed they were acting as a "troll" connected to those the book exposes, they replied and challenged Farnan's review.  Not a smart move and a barrage of other "reviewers" jumped onto the band wagon and had a field day trashing all the author had ever written.  So proof it's a dangerous move for authors to confront such a wide platform of people on sites such as Amazon who have a strong fan-base of hardcore reviewers on all types of products.  But when something has been proved to be "fake" then surely it's up to those concerned to do something about it.  Otherwise and currently it means anyone can comment and review most things on Amazon - and not having had to have purchased the item.  When it comes to books they often just read the free preview and make up their minds from that or just the blurb itself in some cases.  Even when it reads; "Purchased Verified" this does not have to mean they purchased the book themselves - as Kindle Lending and Library allows you to share it with friends for free and anyone can change the procedure as a back dated verified purchase that you don't oddly need to prove you have purchased.  And in some of the negative reviews they may well have purchased the book - though this isn't the main argument or concern as it's more just to explain how it works.

The publishers were anonymously informed that Chelle E Farnan, aka "Journo" works for the National Health Service and studied at Keele University, North Staffordshire and the very same University Hospital of North Staffordshire and whom the author accuses of helping to 'cover-up' what the book exposes about the Ericksson twins being arrested under Section 136 of the 1983 Mental Health Act and that this vital film footage was edited out of the BBC Madness in the Fast Lane documentary.

This came as a great surprise to millions of people who questioned; '...how was it possible Sabina Ericksson could have been released from hospital after only five hours following the sisters suicide attempt onto the M6 motorway?  It reveals in the early days of this case the IPCC was called by the Staffordshire Police in a pre-emptive move in case any complaints were to arise after they soon realised their blunder when it was then alleged Sabina had murdered Glenn Holllinshead and within 72hrs after being released from hospital.  The actions and decisions taken by the police and the hospital involved amounts to negligence to say the least and were the Hollinshead family to win their legal challenge then these authorities could be liable to a multi-million pound payout apart from industrial action being taken against all those involved in covering-up this section 136 arrest and many other aspects of this most bizarre of stories. 

Chelle E Farnan trained at the very same University Hospital of North Staffordshire that the book exposes as playing their part in the police cover-up.  Chelle E Farnan is currently a: "Named Nurse Safeguarding Adults at NHS National Health Services, Southend on Sea, United Kingdom, among her listed friends on her profile - she is linked to many other "Named Nurse Safeguarding Adults at NHS National Health Services representing other parts of the UK health trusts.   

Everyone is entitled to their own views and opinions but we can see these “fake reviewers” appear to have a hidden agenda.

If this type of thing has happened to just this one book and author - who has since had their other books and material criticised by the same group of people with the very same sabotaging agenda including numerous death threats - then how wide scale is this problem - when say for instance any serious story exposing corruption, paedophiles or any other major crime in general is then released and published?  

Perhaps it is more wise for those who read and rely on reviews and comments made to help them make up their minds whether the book is worth reading or not, that they should always question the scathing attacks and to take a closer look at the content; - are they actually reviewing the storyline or side-stepping it and raising other issues unconnected to what the book is trying to inform you of?  If so then it's probably due to them not having read the true content and their only objective is to debase the book and no matter what's inside the book itself.

Keep an eye on those whose leave negative unwarranted reviews and you'll probably soon workout why and who they likely really are and perhaps help you understand it's not your "shight" writing after all!