REVIEW: The Boy in the Photo by Nicole Trope (ARC)

The Boy in the Photo by Nicole Trope

Genre: Psychological thriller, domestic thriller

Read: 29th June 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 28th June 2019)

★★★★★ 5 stars

OMG...WOW! What a fantabulous first read for me by Aussie author Nicole Trope! Set in Sydney and the small Hunter valley town of Heddon Greta (which, admittedly, I'd not heard of till I read this book), THE BOY IN THE PHOTO is fast paced, edge-of-your-seat and an emotional rollercoaster that was a thrill ride from beginning to end.

Megan's son Daniel is 6 years old when he is abducted from school by his father. The day was like any other but when Megan went to collect Daniel from school at the end of the day, she is horrified to discover that her abusive ex-husband Greg has taken Daniel. She calls Greg - his phone is switched off. She calls his landline - but receives the message that the number is no longer connected. Megan informs the police and she is questioned. But Daniel is never found. But Megan never gives up hope that one day he will be.

Six years later and Megan has married again and has a 6 month old baby daughter, Evie. She receives a phone call from her husband Michael, a detective, to say "They found him." Megan struggles to connect his meaning. Found who? "They've found Daniel."

After six years in hiding, Daniel walks into the police station at Heddon Greta claiming who he was, that there had been a fire and his dad was dead. With nothing but the clothes on his back and an old mobile phone in his hand. Megan and Michael jumped in their car and drove the couple of hours north of Sydney immediately. Megan could not contain her excitement or her disbelief. Daniel was coming home! But was he?

Now 12 years old, Daniel is very different from the son Megan lost. Gone is her beautiful little boy who giggled and laughed along with her. In his place, a silent, sullen and angry young adolescent. The years have hardened Daniel and made him bitter and resentful towards his mother, spurred on by the lies his father fed him. He clings to his old mobile phone as his last link to his dad and refuses to let it go, even though it has no SIM card - which was lost between the police station and the burning shack he'd shared with his father. But Megan knows her little boy is still in there somewhere and is determined to find him beneath the layers of hurt of his hardened exterior.

Megan has difficulty coping with her feelings - wanting to smother him with cuddles and love on the one hand but knowing she needs to give him space to deal with his grief and a whole new way of life as well. All she can do is smile and be gentle with him, hoping that bit by bit he will gradually come to trust them. The one thing she finds positive is his interaction with Evie. He plays with her and talks to her when he thinks she isn't looking, and Megan smiles to herself flooded with relief and hope that he can find a way to reconnect to her through his little sister. It's only when he interacts with his mother does the ghost of Greg emerge from his lips and Megan finds herself shaken that he could still have that effect on her all these years later.

Throughout the re-connection of mother and son and the days after, Megan's husband Michael - who was the original lead detective on the case into Daniel's abduction - is understanding and compassionate where most men probably would have run. He is her voice of reason and keeps her grounded when she thinks she will never get through to her son. Daniel appears indifferent to Michael one day and tolerant of him the next, an obvious conflict of his own emotions. Yet he hurls his own childish logic at Megan about being a family with his dad "if only she didn't stop loving him". The pain and confusion that Daniel feels is understandable, given the circumstances he grew up in...even if we feel like tearing our hair out in frustration alongside Megan. How any parent can alienate a child from their other parent with such hate is beyond me. This is something of which I am familiar, with my husband's own children taken by his ex-wife and then drilled into them by her and her mother how much of a this or that their father was. After 6 years (also) of this type of conditioning, the trouble we had with those children after their mother died was inexplicable. But the circumstances was a lot different than the case here in that the children were almost feral (sadly), and we were in a fight with the children's grandmother for custody - a fight we couldn't win, because she had always been in the children's lives and we had not...through no fault of their father's. They hated their father, thanks to their mother, and even today almost 20 years later, the wounds have never truly healed and the children are still strangers.

As Megan struggles to reconnect with the son she no longer recognises as her own, Daniel slowly reaches out only to snatch his hand back again. And Megan feels as if she is going one step forward and two steps back. There are times she gets a glimpse of the little boy she knew but mostly he is a stranger. And if it weren't for the DNA she would doubt he was he child, he is so different. But Megan also remembers all too well what the years of conditioning at Greg's hand could do.

It isn't long that Megan begins to suspect that Daniel has a secret. One that could destroy their family and put them in terrible danger. Who started that fire that claimed Greg's life? And why did Daniel have so little marks on him, having run 10km from the burnt out shack? What terrible secret is he hiding?

Told over two timelines, THE BOY IN THE PHOTO begins in the present day with snapshots of Megan's grief and Daniel's time with his father in back to back chapters. Cleverly outlined in the gradual build-up from abduction to Daniel's return, we are privy to Megan's pain as each year goes by with no sign of her son as well as life from Daniel's perspective from the excitement at going on holiday with daddy at 6 to that excitement having worn off and now growing impatient with having to remain in hiding in later years. We see Megan's pain, the friendships she makes online with two particular parents whose children were also taken by their exes and the being able to share her feelings with those in a similar situation, knowing that they truly understand what she is going through. We see, too, Daniel's excitement when his father picks him up from school change to bewilderment and confusion regarding his mum when he learns she didn't want him anymore. On every year we get a glimpse of both Megan and Daniel's journey over those six years, entwined with the present day as Megan struggles to reconnect with Daniel.

Although I didn't foresee how it would play out at the end, I did correctly guess probably the biggest reveal leading to that ending. Still, it didn't spoil it for me. I simply suspected it and figuratively punched the air exclaiming "I knew it!" when it was revealed. Honestly? I don't think it was obvious...I just picked it up and thought "that could work"...but wouldn't be disappointed if I was wrong. I thought it was also a very clever addition.

THE BOY IN THE PHOTO is an excellent read with some really clever twists. It is an emotional journey but beautifully written. I simply couldn't put it down. I highly recommend it!!

As my first read by Nicole Trope and set in the city in which I live, it was refreshing to discover her style is of a similar calibre to some of my favourite British thriller writers - K.L. Slater, Shalini Boland, Kerry Wilkinson - and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

I would like to thank #NicoleTrope, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheBoyInThePhoto in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Guilty Friend by Joanne Sefton (ARC)

The Guilty Friend by Joanne Sefton

Genre: General Fiction, Chick Lit

Read: 24th June 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 24th June 2019)

★★★★ 3.5 to 4 stars

THE GUILTY FRIEND by Joanne Sefton is not the thriller it seems to be marketed as. I guess it does have a level of suspense about it but I'm not really sure what genre this falls into, to be honest. But it definitely is not a thriller.

Having said that, it is still intriguing though a very slow burn. It was so slow for much of the book that I felt it would only result in a 2 star rating from me. Then it finally started to pick up around 65-70% (a bit too long I feel) that it went up to 3 stars where I felt it would sufficiently remain, given the slow pace that almost put me to sleep on more than one occasion. But then I got to the end...and that epilogue! That came out of left field and I never saw it coming! I felt that alone was worth a star in itself, boosting the rating up to 4 stars! However...I still didn't feel the book in its entirety lived up to a 4 star rating because it really did take far too long to build up and become remotely interesting. But that epilogue alone left me breathless that I felt it deserved its own star rating!

So it's the late 80s and Karen, Misty and Alex are all starting university at Cambridge. They befriend each other and over the course of the next few years sees their lives entwine together as they live the student life both on and off campus. Karen and Misty have travelled from home to attend university while Alex is from Cambridge, with her parents - both academics - living nearby in a huge house where the girls will often find themselves over the next few years. Each girl has a secret. But is it dangerous enough to harm them?

Thirty years later, it's 2019 and Karen is a widow, a mother to three girls - Evie (20), Tasha (15) and Callie (12) - and about to celebrate her 50th birthday. One morning she sees a news broadcast on an attempted bombing at a railway station and upon seeing a photo still of the scene, her world freezes. She feels as if she has seen a ghost...and she must have, for the face she had seen from the past is of someone who has been dead 30 years!

Misty is now a doctor at a clinic specialising in eating disorders. Never having married, her inspiration was drawn from that of her dead friend and the struggles she'd faced...and kept to herself. Misty wanted to make a difference. She has made a difference - to many families. Though she knows that not every story ends well, and some patients just never recover, succumbing to the illness that ultimately takes their life. That morning Misty sees the same news broadcast as Karen...and sees the same photo still. Alex. It can't be. She died 30 years ago. And Misty knows this because she found her.

Karen cannot stop thinking about the face in that photo. It's Alex. It has to be. That same face. Same expression. What if...Alex never really died? Everything that happened 30 years ago comes back to haunt her again. The past. The secrets. The guilt. As life continues around her, Karen finds herself lost in the past as she seeks answers to the questions not even she knows. She becomes convinced that Alex must be alive as she begins to lose her mind to paranoia and obsessive thoughts. But as Karen slowly begins to lose her grip on reality, she becomes oblivious to her own daughters' needs as each of them struggle to maintain life as they know it.

Karen and Misty haven't spoken for something close to a decade or more, having drifted apart after the tragedy of losing Alex. Neither girl was to blame but each of them felt guilty just the same, feeling as though they contributed in some way to her death...and that they could have somehow prevented it, had they not been so wrapped up in themselves. Now 30 years later, they are brought together again and this time Karen must rely on Misty's expertise when her daughter Evie calls on Misty for help out of concern for her sister.

Tasha is 15 and is battling anorexia. While her mother is otherwise oblivious, her older sister Evie has noticed a huge change in her sister over the past few weeks and months. Particularly as she is away at Uni most of them time, when she returns home she is shocked to discover how unwell Tasha really is. But Tasha claims she is fine. Her new friend "Alex" is there with her to ensure she remains so. But Evie can see clearly that she isn't and she is surprised to learn her mother hasn't even noticed just how much weight Tasha has lost and how unwell she really is. Even their younger sister Callie has noticed - how could their mother not?

So when Evie finds Misty's card scrunched up in Tasha's room and calls the number begging for help, Misty hopes this is just a case of overreaction. But when she makes a house call that evening on her way home to see Tasha at Evie's urging, Misty knows at once this is no overreaction. Tasha is in desperate need of help and if she doesn't get it now, she will die. But Tasha refuses help and when Karen returns, she is angered that Misty has an order placing Tasha in her clinic's immediate care. But Karen was so caught up in herself she never recognised the signs she had seen before.

Told from the various perspectives of each girl in 1989 and then again with Karen, Misty and Tasha in the present day thirty years later, THE GUILTY FRIEND takes us on a journey to the past and through the present, revisiting old friendships and old ghosts.

The characters are each well developed though I found myself throwing my hands up in frustration at the older and supposedly wiser Karen many times. She can be incredibly self-absorbed, forgetting the needs of her own daughters and often oblivious to others around her. I just wanted to shake her at times. How could she not see Tasha fading away before her?
Misty was a well refined character, as she went on to specialise in the area that took her friend. I thought that was a fitting tribute to Alex. From someone who didn't appear to have a lot of self-confidence when she was at Uni she soon found her place in the world and landed firmly on her feet.

Tasha was a heartbreaking character. While I can never really understand the need to starve oneself for whatever reason - to be skinny, to maintain control, whatever - her story is one that will break hearts to read. Her pain was evident in the pages as was her teenage angst. But her narrative added another dimension to the whole story which in the end is what the book is primarily about - anorexia.

While THE GUILTY FRIEND is marketed as a thriller, I am not sure it really is. It has more of a general fiction feel to it, even slightly chick lit. The author handled the issue very sensitively and respectfully, and it was clear that it had been well researched.

THE GUILTY FRIEND is a very slow burn. So slow I wondered whether it was going to pick up pace at all. And when it finally did - at around 65-70% - I found it was a little late by that stage. However, I am glad I stuck it out because that ending! WOW! I never saw that coming AT ALL and that made it all the more delicious. It added a whole new perspective that just left me breathless! And can I mention...that last sentence...? I don't believe I will be revealing any spoilers in saying it...

..."But Misty kept walking."...

Just WOW! That ending and that last sentence alone gave this book - which I was simply going to rate 3 stars - an extra star, in my opinion. It was that brilliant! Pure genius.

I would like to thank #JoanneSefton, #NetGalley and #AvonBooksUK for an ARC of #TheGuiltyFriend in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Our Little Secrets by Peter Ritchie (ARC)

Our Little Secrets (Det. Grace Macallan #5) by Peter Ritchie

Genre: Police procedural, Crime fiction

Read: 27th June 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 27th June 2019)

★ 1 star

When I requested this book, I didn't know that it was part of a series. But that never matters as I still read to enjoy it anyway. However, this book? I simply could not get in to. I found there was way too much description (of which I am NOT a fan but have still enjoyed books that have) and I really couldn't make head nor tail of what was going on. I read a lot of British and Scottish thrillers, so I am used to the talk and some of the slang, but those used here I was completely lost with. It is meant to be a police procedural thriller, but I found it to be mostly about the gangster crime family. And gangsters are not my thing either, which probably didn't help.

The premise for OUR LITTLE SECRETS sounded promising, but in my opinion failed to deliver. But don't take my word for it, as many others have loved the book and given it rave reviews. I just couldn't. And that is just my opinion.

I would like to thank #PeterRitchie, #NetGalley and #BlackAndWhitePublishing for an ARC of #OurLittleSecrets in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Nanny by Gilly Macmillan (ARC)

The Nanny by Gilly Macmillan

Genre: Psychological thriller, domestic thriller

Read: 21st June 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 27th June 2019)

★★★★★ 5 stars

While I was expecting "something" from this book, THE NANNY delivered something very different from what I had imagined. It was compelling. It was masterful. It was just brilliant. Just WOW!

The story begins in 1987 with 7 year old Jocelyn waking one morning to find her nanny has disappeared overnight. She is devastated and distraught, for little Jocelyn adored her Nanny Hannah, and couldn't understand what she had done to make her leave so suddenly. Hannah Burgess had worked for the Holts at Lake House for seven years, having taken up the position when Lady Virginia was still pregnant. Suffice to say, Hannah was like a mother to Jocelyn as her own mother grew more distant over the years. It was always Hannah the child wanted, not her mother. And as a result, Jocelyn grew up distant, bitter and resentful towards her mother Virginia, long after Hannah had left them.

Thirty years later and Jo (as she is now called) returns with her 10 year old daughter Ruby from America after the tragic death of her husband Chris. Sadly, her own father had died just two months before from a heart attack, and she never returned for his funeral because it meant dealing with her mother. Jo adored her father and she feels his loss deeply alongside that of her husband. But now she has returned home to Lake Hall not because she wants to but because she has to. After her husband's death, her residential status in America was no longer validated and therefore she had no choice but to return home. It uprooted both her and Ruby, for it was their home and the only one Ruby had ever known. But needs must, and it was only until she got on her feet again.

The tension between Jo and Virginia is palpable. You could cut the air with a knife at times. Everything Virginia said, Jo took exception to and vice versa. The two women could hardly get along. The only light between them was Ruby. Virginia adored her granddaughter and indulged her every chance she could, which Jo (again) took exception to. Despite Jo having had a very privileged childhood, she did not want the same for her own daughter. The airs and graces that came with the aristocracy was what put such a distance between her own mother and herself - she couldn't bear for it to happen with Ruby. But Ruby is an adventurous spirit - a tomboy - and she thrives on running rampant around the grounds of Lake Hall, climbing walls and exploring.

One day, Jo takes Ruby on a boat out on the lake she has been dying to explore and they end up at the little island in the centre. Virginia had been adamant in her refusal to allow them anywhere near it, but Jo didn't see the harm. However, that changes when Ruby makes a shocking find in the shallow waters of the island. A human skull. Jo quickly ushers Ruby back in the boat and they hurry back to Lake Hall...all the while, with Ruby looking back in awe at the find and wishing she had her phone to take a photo to show her friends.

The police are called and an investigation is underway to find out who the skull belongs to and how they got there. Rumours run riot in the village, with whispers of it being the way the Holts dispersed of their insolent family members. How many more bodies lay in deep dark lake? How many more secrets does it hold?

Virginia is quietly nervous about the find for she believes she know whose skull it is. After all, she put the body in there herself some thirty years ago! But she is staunch in her silence. And just as quietly, Jo begins to wonder whether her mother was somehow involved in Nanny Hannah's disappearance. But are the two incidents related?

Jo tries questioning her mother about the night Hannah disappeared as she remembers nothing beyond being told "Hannah left because you were such a horrible child!" But being back at Lake House brings memories long since buried and Jo finds herself continually thinking about Hannah. But Virginia refuses to discuss it. Hannah left and is never to be spoken of again...so imagine her surprise when Hannah returns!

Thrilled at the return of her nanny, Jo invites her back to Lake Hall as Ruby's nanny while she commutes to London four days a week for her new job in an art gallery. Virginia is aghast! She doesn't see why she can't look after Ruby herself but she has proved herself incapable of doing so on  more than one occasion and Jo believes Hannah is the answer to all their problems. But Virginia doesn't think so.

Who is this woman who calls herself Hannah? Is she really Hannah or is she just masquerading as her? Virginia doesn't believe it could be, for she put Hannah's body in the lake thirty years ago and her skull has just been recovered! So who is this woman? One thing is for sure, whoever she is, Virginia doesn't trust her. And neither does Ruby...and she says as much to her mother on more than one occasion. But Jo doesn't believe either her mother or her daughter. She trusts Hannah. She has nothing but wonderful memories of her time with Hannah as a child and wants to pass that on to Ruby.

But Ruby begins to withdraw and is constantly tired. She loses that sparkle that was always there when they first arrived. She no longer explores or even wants to. Then when Virginia notices the bruises on her arm, Ruby discloses it was Hannah but rescinds it when Jo asks her about them. Virginia begins to wonder what Hannah's motives are, while Jo remains oblivious, silently (and not-so-silently) thanking her lucky stars for Hannah.

As the story unfolds through dual timelines, the reader begins to realise that Hannah is not all she appears to be. So what deep dark secrets of the past does she bring with her?

THE NANNY is layered with complexities throughout and various plots within, embellished with secrets upon secrets upon secrets that will have you turning the pages long into the night! Perceptions change with each chapter and the reader is left wondering - who is lying? Who is telling the truth?

When the story began, I saw things through Jocelyn's eyes and tend to side with her to the point I, too, disliked her mother. But as the story progressed, my perception changed and I began to sympathise with Virginia and grow irritated with Jo for being so selfish and frustratingly blind! There were times I wanted to shake her and scream "You may not believe your mother, but do you really think Ruby would lie so blatantly?" The thought that she was telling lies was a seed planted by Hannah in the first place and as I began to question Hannah's true motives I thought Jo could benefit from a slap or two at times.

While Virginia was portrayed as the uncaring mother in the beginning, the reader must remember that was through Jocelyn's eyes, and as the story progressed I began to feel sad for Virginia. While she appeared to be a negative presence in the beginning, as the reader we soon begin to understand her and feel for her as a vulnerable old lady. This was her home and she was losing all control of it to the point she didn't even feel comfortable there. I felt sad that her opinions and views were overlooked so callously by her daughter that her existence was merely devalued. In her 70s, Virginia was still a very strong woman but was of insignificant worth to everyone but Ruby, who adored her grandmother. I think Jocelyn may have even been a little jealous when watching them together because Virginia was never that way with her as a child. No, that was because she had Hannah and she saw to it that Jocelyn relied solely upon her and no matter what attempts Virginia tried to make to be closer to her daughter, they failed.

In the end, I found it ironic and even amusing that while Jocelyn tries so much to be different from her own mother in doing so she ends up adopting the same dismissive parenting approach with Ruby.

Throughout dual timelines beginning in 1976 through to 1987 and the present day, we are privy to the story as told by a cast of characters - Jocelyn, Virginia, Hannah and the detective investigating the discovery of the skull. Only Jocelyn and Virginia's chapters are in the first person, with the others being in the third person. But each chapter is telling in its own way through each character as the reader sees how differently things are perceived through Jocelyn and Virginia's eyes.

The past chapters, taking place from 1976 to 1985, from Hannah's perspective are incredibly telling - and even chilling - as the reader learns more about her and her motives. This insight into the Hannah we know is both eerie and frightening. So why is she back now? And what has she come for?

THE NANNY is anything but the Mary Poppins type many of us have grown up with. She is cold, calculating, devious and back with a vengeance. I didn't trust her and couldn't see why Jocelyn did. With each page, I kept waiting for Hannah to reveal herself - how, I don't know, but it was with baited breath I kept turning the pages into the night.

The ending was intense and completely unexpected as the moment of revelation unraveled the many secrets that was held within the pages from start to finish. I did feel it was a bit rushed as it was so sudden but the intensity made it a compelling end to what was an absorbing and intriguing thriller. There were a couple of things I felt that could have been tied up with a little more finality to them but the end result was the same. Without giving too much away, for example, regarding Virginia's tablets...I just felt they could have been confirmed rather than just insinuated.

But that aside, THE NANNY is beautifully plotted and a definite five star read that had everything I love in a book. A mystery with twists and thrills, a touch of historical fiction, dual timelines and multiple narratives. The descriptions are rich and vivid that the reader feels as if they are living the tale as they read.

This is my first Gilly Macmillan and it won't be my last. I just hope her other books can live up to this brilliant offering.

I would like to thank #GillyMacmillan, #NetGalley and #RandomeHouseUK and #Cornerstone for an ARC of #TheNanny in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Don't Ever Tell by Lucy Dawson (ARC)

Don't Ever Tell by Lucy Dawson

Genre: Domestic thriller

Read: 19th June 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 25th June 2019)

★★ 2.5 stars

DON'T EVER TELL is my second Lucy Dawson book and I must say it was a disappointment after reading THE DAUGHTER, which I loved! I am not sure where to begin with this book because it was just so average, without much excitement at all.

The story is about Charlotte and Mia, told from both their perspectives in alternating chapters throughout. A domestic drama of sorts, the pace is somewhat slow for over half of the book - which in my opinion, is just far too slow. How can you have your readers on the edge of their seats if you are putting them to sleep? I normally devour books within 2 days...this one took me 4...and even that was a struggle.

Charlotte and Tris appear to have the perfect marriage but looks can be deceiving. A writer of domestic thrillers and having to manage the house, the kids and trying to find time to write is taking a toll on Charlotte while Tris commutes to London to do "real work", as he so kindly puts it. Charlotte is struggling to find the time to write as the kids and Tris demand more from her as she rushes to meet deadlines and hold on to her marriage.

When Charlotte first met Mia, it was at a book signing in Edinburgh, and she was startled to see how much she looked like her younger self...twenty years ago. They exchanged a few words, she signed her book and that was that. Until a year later.

Mia is an aspiring actress trying to make her mark in the world. She has struggled with relationships since her fiance and best friend ran off together. She sees a therapist who unfortunately takes ill and refers her to one of her colleagues. Her name is Florence, and she is Charlotte's sister. But Mia doesn't know that, as she pours her heart out to Florence, telling her about her new boyfriend Seth and showing her a photo of them together.

It is at a family celebration, Charlotte is confronted with some shocking news which then sets in motion a course of events that snowballs out of control that even Charlotte cannot control.

So when Charlotte seeks out Mia with a proposition that will change both their lives forever she has no doubt the young woman will accept. It will give the young actress the career boost she needs and Charlotte herself stands to benefit as well.

The proposition? Mia just needs to pass off a book Charlotte has written as her own...and she stands to make a tidy sum as a debut.

The question is - why did Charlotte choose Mia? Is it because of the resemblance? Or is there a different darker reason? Just what is Charlotte hiding?

One thing is for sure, when Charlotte sought out Mia, neither woman could know just how far Charlotte's plan would spiral.

DON'T EVER TELL is not what it appears. It's not at all really like the description says. Mia doesn't have to "pretend" to be Charlotte as we are lead to believe - that would entail her stepping into Charlotte's shoes as wife and mother and everything else, and that just wouldn't work. Her "pretense", such as it is, is just her passing off a novel Charlotte has written as her own for publication. That is not pretending to be Charlotte because it has Mia's name on the cover. So I think that was quite misleading.

While premise for this book sounded like an intriguing idea, I just don't think it hit the mark. It was not edge-of-your-seat. It was not exciting. And it was definitely not fast paced. (Not that a book has to be fast paced to be exciting). I've read many slow burn starts, but this one just took too long to explode...and even then, it didn't. The reveals, when they came, were not mind blowing or shocking. In fact, despite never actually saying so, I made one of the links very early on which was only confirmed when a character's full name was disclosed. Then it made sense. The other was quite clever, I admit.

However, the execution of reveals were a little convoluted I felt, and didn't flow. The reader would be left wondering at the end of Mia's chapter, only to pick up in Charlotte's next in a completely different place and you're left wondering "What...?" Even when it did pick up where the previous chapter left off, it felt as if it was just thrown in as a "by the way". It made for confusing reading that didn't flow as neatly as it could have.

The climax, which began in the Prologue, that took us through to the ultimate ending wasn't really edge-of-your-seat stuff. And in the end, the reader is left with questions as to what actually happened on "that night". There was no surprise, no shock, no real twist - just a lot of unanswered questions.

While I do love dual narrative stories and that between Charlotte and Mia, I did find the way it was delivered was both convoluted and confusing at times.

Honestly, I felt DON'T EVER TELL could have been executed a lot better than it was, particularly as Dawson's previous books have been of a far greater calibre.

While I personally wasn't thrilled with this book, don't let my own opinions deter you from checking it out. It may surprise you - you may enjoy it as others have.

I would like to thank #LucyDawson, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #DontEverTell in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Doctor by Lisa Stone (ARC)

The Doctor by Lisa Stone

Genre: Psychological thriller, domestic thriller

Read: 15th June 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 24th June 2019)

★★★★ 4.5 stars

This book is certainly not what I expected! I assumed it was going to be a domestic thriller with a creepy neighbour...and it was, but it was also much more than that. I was intrigued by the notion of a doctor as they swore an oath to preserve life...but THE DOCTOR, this doctor, takes that to the next level!!

It also poses the questions:
How well do you know your neighbours?
How can we know what really goes on behind closed doors? 
And how far would you go to hide your darkest secret?

Emily and Ben have recently moved to a new house with their baby son Robbie. As a new mum, Emily is on extended maternity leave and becomes somewhat curious about their neighbours, Dr Amit Burman and his wife Alisha, who has an incurable genetic illness. She sees Dr Burman go into the shed or outbuilding at the bottom of his garden the same time every night and leave the same time every night. She comments to Ben about this curious behaviour but Ben dismisses it as none of their business. Although she agrees, Emily still can't help but feel it a bit strange. She has never warmed to Dr Burman, and has always found him to be unfriendly, arrogant and aloof.

Being of a friendly and sociable nature, Emily tries on more than one occasion to befriend Dr Burman's wife, Alisha - as you do with your neighbours. However, Alisha appears to be very withdrawn, does not leave the house and is scared of answering the door. But Emily is tenacious and her inquiring mind does not give in so easily. She begins to speculate that Alisha must feel incredibly isolated as Dr Burman certainly doesn't appear to spend much time with his wife, since he is always either at work or in his shed!

The very fact that Alisha is ill is reason enough for the woman to need support. Then in search for her missing cat Emily waits for the doctor to leave for work before knocking on their door, knowing Alisha would be inside as she never goes out. Reluctant at first, Alisha agrees to a cuppa at Emily's but no sooner is she there does she suddenly leave again without any explanation except "I have to go!" Emily is puzzled as to what made her leave so abruptly. Was it Robbie? As he had just approached her with a toy and a smile before she made her excuses and left. Alisha was certainly jumpy, nervy and very apparently frightened of something. But what? Emily is sure her husband has something to do it.

Refusing to give up, Emily continues to knock and break down the wall Alisha has around her. It isn't until one day when she knocks, after hearing what appeared to be a child's cry, that Alisha seems relieved to see her and ushers her quickly inside, exclaiming "Thank goodness you're here! I need your help!" Following Alisha upstairs, nothing could prepare Emily for what she would see. Shocked at first, she gives her assistance after which Alisha swears her to secrecy. No one must know! Not even Ben! It is this secret that binds the women together and they form a tentative friendship. But Alisha comes to look forward to Emily and Robbie's visits, which are kept secret and against Dr Burman's wishes.

But Emily soon becomes increasingly concerned for the welfare of her friend. She is extremely isolated and quite obviously under her husband's severe control. She begins to fear what would happen to her should he learn that Alisha has defied him. What would he do to her? One thing is for certain, Emily could not predict the chain of events that will begin to unfold once he does. Will her inquisitiveness and friendly nature be her downfall?

Dr Amit Burman is from a country not specified but possibly somewhere in the Middle East, and his culture demands success in the highest regard. His parents had mapped out his future for him to become a doctor, which he did not want to be. But almost failing his final exams, his results were not enough to become a doctor so he chose to be an anaesthetist. It does require some form of "God-like" superiority as he has the life of the patient in his hands. To appease his family of disappointment he has brought them, he is then forced into an arranged marriage to his cousin, Alisha. However, Amit continues to disappoint his family in not producing a healthy heir to their name, but rather a child with severe physical deformities resulting from a faulty gene causing the genetic illness Alisha now suffers. His family furious that they were not informed of this before the marriage.

Amit blames and shames Alisha for the medical issues and being the sole carrier of the gene. Why can't he have a healthy child? How can that nosy neighbour be allowed to have a healthy child and he cannot? He must be find a cure so that he can make his parents proud.

Amit refuses to allow Alisha to have any friends. She has long since lost contact with her family or anyone else. It is too dangerous. She might let something slip, and then they will let something slip. No one can know!  He does not let her have a computer, laptop or phone and keeps her isolated and completely reliant on him. It has taken years to teach her to respect his wishes and if she ever defies him, he will punish her severely. By beatings, locking her in the cupboard or even where it will hurt her most. He must keep Alisha under control. For no one must know that secret - ever! That is one reason why he will not allow the friendship with that nosy neighbour, Emily - that and the fact she is far too nosy for her own good. Always asking questions. Always watching him from her window. But Amit has measures in place to stop his nosy neighbour - he has opaque film on the windows and CCTV cameras surrounding their house. He will know if she has been here.

But Amit has more than one secret. He is putting his medical training to good use and researching cryonic suspension animation with the idea of cryogenically freezing his wife for her to be resuscitated in the future when a cure for the genetic condition she carries is found. But Alisha flatly refuses to take part. As cryonic suspension requires the permission of the person to be suspended, Amit has taken it upon himself to research and test subjects - so he can undertake the task himself. Over the course of many months he has purchased and stored items in his shed, as well as discreetly stolen anaesthesia drugs from the hospital in which he works. All to contribute to his groundbreaking medical research which will see him ahead of his peers and at last make his parents proud.

Then Emily suddenly goes missing, leaving behind a note for Ben saying she had left him for another man. Ben refuses to believe it but soon begins to have doubts when he discovers a photo of Emily and someone named Greg with their respective children on Facebook. Who is Greg? And why has Emily never mentioned him before? Is this who she has left him for? He decides to message this Greg but days go by with no response, which only seems to confirm the fact that maybe they were together. The police are not much help. They, too, believe Emily has gone off with another man. It happens. So her missing persons case is marked as "non-urgent".

But then Ben starts to recall things he'd noticed and hadn't registered. Little things that didn't make sense is Emily had really left him. The kettle was still switched on (Emily always switched it off at the switch after a fire as a child). The mug on the sink (Emily always put it in the dishwasher). The remote on the coffee table (they always left the remotes next to the TV when not in use). The fact she didn't take any clothes, her handbag was still there with her purse and credit cards, their bank accounts were untouched, she had not been on social media and she had signed the note "Emily". Ben always called her "Em" and she always signed her notes and text as such. And she would never leave Robbie alone. EVER!  Something was wrong.

Then a knock at the door reveals answers Ben never even knew. It seems Emily had confided a secret in someone who could tell them why Robbie was insistently repeating the words "Isha eve" when everyone had assumed he was saying "Christmas Eve", which had passed by a week ago. What had really happened to Emily?

THE DOCTOR is a sinister story with twists and turns, both atmospheric and claustrophobic which provides the reader with a chilling tale. The description for the book reads quite differently to how it actually plays out, which is probably why I thought I was delving into a domestic suspense with a creepy neighbour. It is misleading in the way the reader is lead to believe it is Emily and Ben's story, despite its title referencing otherwise.

The characters in this sinister tale are all strong, convincing and well-developed. I liked them all - well, except for Amit. Emily is a friendly well-meaning woman who is rather intuitive but very likable. Ben is the perfect partner, attentive, hardworking and loving. Alisha is very obviously a victim of an oppressive and domineering husband with a God-complex and self-inflated ego. But she is also dependent on him for everything.

THE DOCTOR himself is invariably creepy. Is he mad or bad? Or both? While he blames his wife for the faulty gene and we watch events unfold, we learn the truth quite differently revealing just how deranged he is and has become. The reader very definitely gets the strong sense of where the doctor is coming from and where his intentions lie.

I really liked how it mostly took place in one location which really gives that oppressive claustrophobic feeling of being trapped, adding to the drama and intrigue. While the reader knows throughout who "the bad guy" is, there are still many secrets to be revealed and twists along the way to keep you engaged. And still enough to keep you guessing.

The final chapters see the story climax at a rapid pace resulting in an epilogue with a last minute twist that will leave you thinking you cannot trust anyone. While some may dispute that it wasn't in keeping with the rest of the story and what had been a convincing portrayal throughout, I found it to be a delicious twist that was even better because I didn't see it coming!

A domestic thriller with a difference, THE DOCTOR is a compelling read that is also somewhat disturbing. It is not for the faint-hearted and comes with a TRIGGER WARNING for those sensitive to issues of domestic violence, child abuse, animal abuse and elder abuse, as THE DOCTOR touches on all of these.

Overall, an intriguing read I highly recommend. Particularly those who like their thrillers with a disturbing twist.

I would like to thank #LisaStone, #NetGalley and #AvonBooksUK for an ARC of #TheDoctor in exchange for an honest review.

*COMING SOON* The Silent Ones by K.L. Slater

Are you ready to be up all night and sacrifice sleep?

Are you ready to read in one sitting?

Are you ready to be enthralled once again?

Are you ready for K.L. Slater's newest thriller??

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This morning, I was packing up lunches, ironing, putting on the laundry I should have done last night. Now my precious daughter is accused of murder. 

When ten-year-old cousins Maddy and Brianna are arrested for a terrible crime, Maddy’s mother Juliet cannot believe it. How could her bright, joyful daughter be capable of such a thing? 

As the small village community recoils in horror, the pressure of the tragedy blows Juliet and her sister’s lives apart. And things get even worse when their daughters retreat into a self-imposed silence. Can anyone reach Maddy and discover the truth before her fate is sealed?

Juliet is crushed. Nothing will ever be the same for her darling girl. But she knows that to find out what really happened that day, she and her sister must unlock the secrets of their own terrible past, a past they swore never to speak about again …

The most unputdownable psychological thriller you’ll read this year from the bestselling author K.L. Slater. If you love The Wife Between Us or Gone Girl, you’ll be totally hooked on The Silent Ones.

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I have read three of Kim's books - BLINK, LIAR and FINDING GRACE - in the past 18 months and I have to say she is one of my new favourite authors. Her thrillers are compelling, addictive and completely unputdownable. And when you've finished, she leaves you wanting more! I don't  know how she does it, but I'm glad she does and I am always eagerly awaiting her newest releases.

While this one THE SILENT ONES was not available for advance reading on NetGalley, I am not able to read and review it before release. But I have pre-ordered my copy on Amazon - something I have NEVER done EVER! Her books are that good, I know I won't be disappointed...for even ones that aren't her best are still absorbing, page-turning and well worth the read.

Pre-order your copy now!!

Amazon

Also available on Google, Kobo and Apple Books

Available 24th July 2019

REVIEW: The Dream House by Jess Ryder (ARC)

The Dream House (aka The Guest) by Jess Ryder

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 13th June 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 21st June 2019)

★★★ 3.5 stars

THE DREAM HOUSE (also titled as THE GUEST) is the second book by Jess Ryder I've read. The first one I was a little disappointed in and though this one rated better, I still found it somewhat lacklustre. I'm not sure how or why, but something is missing to pack it with that punch. It was still enjoyable...just not fantabulous.

Told from two perspectives in dual timelines, THE DREAM HOUSE begins with Stella in the present day, with Kay's story from 1978 interwoven throughout.

Having bought a completely run down fixer-upper in the seaside town of Nevansey away from the hustle and bustle of London, Stella is looking forward to putting down roots and building a life together with her boyfriend Jack. The sprawling house is massive and the task of renovating it is even bigger, but with the inheritance money from her parents' estate Stella feels that she could do something to make them proud of her. That, and the fact that it may help assuage her guilt for a terrible secret from her past.

Late one night they hear the frantic knocking on their front door and wondered who would be doing so this late? Their builder, Alan, has his own key to come and go as needed, but he wouldn't turn up this late, surely! When they open the door, a beaten and battered woman is standing there looking scared and begging for help. Is this Westhill House, she asks, insisting the helpline told her they'd take her in, no questions asked. Wanting to help protect Lori from her abusive husband Stella doesn't hesitate to offer her refuge and ushers her in quickly, but Jack isn't so sure. Something about Lori doesn't add up and he believes she isn't being truthful, citing Stella as being too naive for her own good. But Stella is adamant. Her parents were foster carers to numerous children when she was growing up, and this act of kindness is something she believes would make them proud of her...something for which she craves. When it is revealed that Westhill House was a refuge for battered women for forty years, Stella finds a new purpose in fulfilling the house's past objective in helping Lori with determination.

But the longer Lori occupies the attic bedroom, the more suspicious Jack becomes. He believes Lori is hiding something...more than an abusive husband. And one night, after Stella has gone to sleep, he follows her and sees her climbing into a car. Who was she meeting, Jack wonders. But when he poses the question to Stella, she refuses to believe him. Lori needs their help, not their suspicions.

Dismayed that Jack doesn't share her concerns, Stella feels torn between wanting to help Lori and her love for Jack. She wants to respect his wishes but doesn't know how to do so and help Lori at the same time. Then she comes up with an idea to please both...but the plan backfires and she is left wondering who she can trust.

Then when a second woman appears at the door, Stella wonders just what is going on and what has she let herself in for? Was Jack right? Is Lori hiding something and not all that she appears?

In the alternating narrative, we meet Kay who became pregnant at 15 much to her parents' disgust. To them she was soiled goods, useless to anyone. But then she meets the handsome and charming Alan Foxton - "Foxy" to his friends - and her parents think the world of him, telling her to make sure she hangs on to him because not everyone would take on another man's child. Despite the fact Foxy never acknowledged little Abigail's existence or even spoke to her, Kay was forced to push that aside and think of this as a new beginning for her and her daughter. But all dreams must come to an end, and Kay's certainly did as soon as the wedding was over. First came the accusations and the taunts quickly followed by the fists. Kay knew it was her fault. She provoked him by talking back or not having the house clean or his shirts ironed or speaking to other men. Her latest transgression was to fall pregnant.

One night, Abigail was at the other end of his tirade as Kay locked herself in the bathroom. From behind the locked door, she heard her daughter screams as Foxy yelled at her to do as she was told. Then she heard her husband cry out and she opened the door to find Abigail tearing down the stairs and out the door. Foxy didn't care that she could be run over. All he was concerned about was that "the little bitch bit me"! Then all at once there were blue lights strobing in through their windows. The police? Kay was suddenly scared her daughter had been in an accident, but Foxy gripped her tightly whispering "Say anything against me and your daughter's dead!" The police informed them a 999 call had come in from their daughter claiming "Foxy's killing my mummy!" But whilst he was all sweetness and light to the police, declaring they had been having trouble with Abigail who had taken to answering back and not doing as she was told, he continued to hold a tight grip on Kay almost daring her to contradict him. Foxy's story appeased the police and they left them with Abigail who had sought refuge with a neighbour. That night, as Kay lay in bed, she knew it would never get any better. She and Abigail had to leave.

The next morning after Foxy had left for work, Kay hurriedly packed a suitcase for her and Abigail and fled to the refuge Abigail's teacher had told her about in Nevansey. Westhill House. She had told her they will take you in, no questions asked, and keep you safe. Westhill House was more like a squat with many women and children to each room, but it didn't matter. At Westhill House Kay knew she was safe and after just a few weeks of being there, she had never felt happier.

All the way through, we know both stories will collide but the how or why, or even when, eludes us. And as the tension builds we just know it will be with a deadly force. Then comes the twist, the revelations and as Stella finds herself hanging on by a thread, she wonders where she is and how she got here.

While the both stories are well told, complete with tension and intrigue, the book as a whole still didn't fill me with excitement. I don't know what it was, or wasn't, I just felt it was lacking somewhere...though Ryder has told both stories well and woven them together with such ease. I want to like it more, but I really don't know why I can't. I guess maybe it wasn't as gritty or as shocking. While THE DREAM HOUSE did have me puzzling and pondering, it didn't surprise me...or shock me, for that matter.

I applaud Ryder's note at the end with reference to the domestic abuse, giving numbers in the UK for those that seek help and are unsure how. Having explained she tried not to go into graphic detail as far as the abuse was concerned, although it was necessary for parts of the story, anyone who has suffered at the hands of such abuse would find even the remotest reference to it triggering. I know I did. But I applaud her for being sensitive and respectful, despite this.

As well as domestic abuse, the story also touches on mental illness and, although not highlighted, is completely understandable.

Stella, Jack, Lori and Kay are the main characters across both stories. I found the former three in the present day to be unlikable in many ways and it was Kay I connected with the most, probably due to my own experience in the past. Stella made some really stupid choices and to be honest, I would have listened to Jack. After all, she knew him and not Lori - so why trust her and not him? And Lori? Well, like Jack I knew she was hiding something. She couldn't be in a story like this without having secrets, could she? I just wasn't sure what her story really was or how she was being untruthful.

With everything handled expertly and tied up at the end, THE DREAM HOUSE is an enthralling read that will keep you guessing and turning the pages. I give it 3 stars because while I did like, I didn't LOVE it. But it is still a great read.

I would like to thank #JessRyder, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheDreamHouse also known as #TheGuest in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: Tell Me You're Mine by Elisabeth Norebäck (ARC)

Tell Me You're Mine by Elisabeth Norebäck

Genre: Psychological, domestic thriller

Read: 9th June 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 20th June 2019)

★★★★★ 5 stars

Originally released in her native language, TELL ME YOU'RE MINE is Elisabeth Norebäck's domestic suspense debut set in Sweden. A slow simmering suspenseful tale, the story surrounds three women whose lives ultimately collide with unrelenting force. Stella, who believes she has found her long lost daughter, Kerstin who is terrified she's about to lose her child, and Isabelle who is determined to understand who she truly is.

Stella Wildstrand, now approaching 40, is a successful psychologist and psychotherapist, married to Henrik and together they have a 13 year old son Milo. But Stella's life has not always been so rosy. Twenty years ago, she had a daughter, Alice, who disappeared from her pram whilst on holiday. Everyone thought Alice had drowned - that she had somehow gotten out of her pram and fell into the swirling waters and drowned. But Stella has always believed that someone took her daughter. And despite there being a gravestone marking her name, Alice is not buried there. Her body was never found.

Stella went through years of harrowing torment, aching and longing for her child. She suffers immense guilt at leaving Alice alone for just a moment as she slept. And a moment was all it took for her baby girl to disappear. Her grief is palpable as she mourns her every day. Ten years ago she believed she saw her in the street...but maybe she just imagined it. Although Stella moved on with her life, somewhere deep inside she continued to believe that Alice was still alive.

When 22 year old Isabelle walks into her office for therapy, Stella is speechless. Isabelle is the image of Daniel's sister with her raven black hair, elfish ear and even the same dimples. Stella begins to wonder if she sought her out on the pretense of needing therapy. But Isabelle is seeking answers to the mystery that is her confusing life on a journey to discover who she really is. She has grown up in complete isolation with her mother and the man she thought was her father. When he died suddenly, her mother cruelly informed her that he wasn't her biological father. Isabelle was devastated. She adored her father and was shattered when he died and now her mother has taken away that one lasting link between them with those words.

Moving from her isolated existence in Borlänge to study in Stockholm, Isabelle gained a new independence. One she had never known before. She moved into a flat with one her friends from college, Johanna, and even began to explore the idea of a relationship with the handsome Fredde. It was all new to her, having been sheltered from anything resembling romance or independence. In a bid to learn who she truly is and to break free from her mother's demands, Isabelle begins therapy with Stella.

And then there is Kerstin Larsson, Isabelle's mother, who is desperately trying to hold on to her daughter as her life crumbles to pieces around her. Kerstin appears to go to great lengths to keep her daughter and sets about trying to encourage her to return home.

Little did any of them know just what wheels were set in motion and the train wreck it would all become.

The lives of Stella, Isabelle and Kerstin all collide with a deadly force and spirals out of control in a way that is both shocking and heartbreaking.

But for Stella, strange things start happening. She sees a hooded figure standing outside their home but when she tells Henrik, the figure has gone. She receives her own "death notice" in the letter box. She gets phone calls about Milo which send her into a panic - calls for which no one claims responsibility. She is reported for inappropriateness and stalking and the police question her. Then Milo is involved in a hit and run where the driver refused to stop...but as he had Stella's bright red umbrella with him, it becomes clear the target was Stella. But no one believes her.

Everyone believes Stella is unbalanced. That she is delusional. Sometimes she wonders if she is too. But she firmly believes with each passing day that Isabelle is really Alice and that Kerstin took her when she was just a year old. Why? She has no idea. How? Even less so. Henrik grows increasingly worried about his wife as she begins behaving strangely, becoming secretive and taking mysterious trips to support her unfounded belief. He ponders whether to have her committed again.

But where is the line between hope and madness?

But one thing is for sure...even when you think you know what happened, you will continued to be shocked.

The plot for TELL ME YOU'RE MINE is excellent. I cannot fault it at all. Some may find it a little convoluted with the structure a little abrupt here and there and short sentences, but I put that down to translation. Don't forget, this book was originally written in Swedish so when it was adapted to English there was obviously some lost in translation. But I didn't let that worry me. Swedish grammar is different to English grammar, I'm sure, so it was always going to evolve differently.

Told from alternating points of view between Stella, Isabelle and Kerstin...and even some excerpts from Stella's diary when she was first pregnant and in the wake of Alice's disappearance. Each voice tells a story of love, loss, grief...and even obsession. I enjoyed each of their perspectives although I admit to inwardly groaning when Kerstin's chapters came up as I just knew things weren't going to end well there.

As much as I liked Stella, I couldn't relate to her pain and her grief (never having been a mother myself)...though I could well imagine how heartbreaking it would be. I felt for her because from the beginning I invested so much in her and I believed in her. Like her, I believed Alice was still alive. I felt for her when she kept stumbling over obvious mistakes and making terrible judgments. I wanted her to be right. I didn't want her to have to go through all this...only to end up with nothing. To be wrong. After everything she has been through. But inside, I kept screaming at her to trust Henrik, to talk to him.

I really liked Isabelle and I could relate to her gaining independence and trying to find her place in the world. I could sense her apprehension at seeking answers to questions about who she was. And I could feel her irritability at her mother. But oh, I could have slapped her when she continued to give in to her just to appease her. Her mother was more like a spoiled child than a mother.

Having said that, I really didn't like Kerstin. I wasn't fond of her to begin with but I grew to really dislike her. Her claim to love Isabelle was wrong on so many levels. I cannot say much more than that without giving too much away. But she really was despicable character.

The other supporting characters - Henrik, Stella's husband; Daniel, Alice's father; Pernilla, Stella's best friend; Johanna, Isabelle's flatmate; Fredde, Isabelle's love interest - were all quite likable and added more depth to the story. Although we only saw Daniel for just a small part of the book, he was in fact a big part of the story in being Stella's past and Alice's father.

I loved the fact (which no one else seemed to point out) that mental illness was cleverly woven into the story. You find yourself wondering throughout as the narrative changes and you get another perspective to the story. Are these women delusional? Are they paranoid? Who is telling the truth? What is true and what is fiction? But when the truth is revealed, it is almost heartbreaking.

TELL ME YOU'RE MINE is an intriguing domestic suspense thriller that had me hooked from the beginning. Despite it being a slow build with so much more monologuing than dialogue, I found the suspense increased with each chapter leading to a nail-biting end which will leave you breathless.

Despite some of the suspense being lost in translation, I highly recommend TELL ME YOU'RE MINE.

I would like to thank #ElisabethNoreback, #NetGalley and #AllisonandBusby and #GPPutnamandSons for an ARC of #TellMeYoureMine in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Missing Wife by Sam Carrington (ARC)

The Missing Wife by Sam Carrington

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 6th June 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 27th June 2019)

★★★★ 4 stars

THE MISSING WIFE is quite a different read, but one I actually enjoyed. It was slow in parts and fast in others but it came together rather well. It raised enough questions to keep me on the edge of my seat.

Louisa is approaching 40, a new mum to a tetchy Noah who was an unexpected surprise and she is completely exhausted. She has forgotten what it is like to be a new mother - how exhausting it is, the sleep deprivation - considering her daughter Emily is now a teenager. And despite it all, she loves Noah fiercely. Whether she has forgotten what it is like or she is just getting older, it all seems to be taking a toll on her as she begins to forget things as huge chunks of her day slip by unnoticed. She even forgets when she last fed Noah!

When her best friend Tiff decides she needs something to alleviate the pressure - a pick-me-up of sorts - she arranges a surprise 40th birthday party for her in the hope it will help. But Louisa has always been tight-lipped about her past, so Tiff headed straight to the place where all one's friends are - Facebook. Logging into Louisa's account she then sets to inviting all of her old school friends.

Roping in Louisa's husband Brian, Tiff has him arrange a room at the local pub where Louisa can have a night off, relax and sleep, without baby Noah's constant demands. It sounds heavenly and Louisa can't wait to lay her head down and sleep. But when Tiff suggests she pretty herself up she would take her to dinner, Louisa groans inwardly. She really just wants to sleep.

When Tiff leads her upstairs to where she has a table "booked", Louisa has a sinking feeling...that is only confirmed when she sees balloons tied to the banister declaring "Happy 40th birthday!" This can't be happening. Walking into the room everyone greets her with smiles all round announcing "Happy birthday Louisa!!" Tiff is grinning with pride that she was able to pull this off...while inwardly Louisa seethes.

But the guests are still arriving and who should turn up but Oliver Dunmore, Louisa's first love and his new wife Melissa. He is thrilled to see Louisa again but she is anything but. Her memories of that time of her life are sketchy at best, but what she does remember is Oliver leaving her for university and never coming back. She was devastated. And now he is here? How? And more to the point, why?

Louisa needs to escape. She can't handle all these people and seeing Oliver again is just bringing too much pain back. But she's had too much to drink, mixed with the tablets she took to help her sleep before Tiff dragged her out for "dinner". When she wakes the next day, she has no recollection of what happened or how she got back to her room. By the time she arrives home, she feels anything but refreshed - which had apparently been the whole point of her time away. And then Oliver turns up at her door, the last person she wants to see, informing her that his wife has gone missing!

There is a huge part of Louisa's life from the time when Oliver left that is missing from her memory. She has no idea what happened, only that something did and Oliver left. And now since his return, she is getting flashes of what appears to be memories. But are they delusions? Hallucinations? Or are they memories? But are they from the night of her party, or from twenty years ago?

With so many twists and turns and questions, THE MISSING WIFE will have you wondering who is telling the truth and who isn't? It will have you questioning what secrets are they hiding? It will have you speculating just who can you trust?

The slow unravelling of Louisa's past was almost torturous. The author would give you just a piece and then leave you wondering where it would lead. But it was just enough to keep you turning the pages. Nothing is given away until it is absolutely necessary. And when the moment of revelation came I admit to suspecting as such, but nothing prepared me for that final conclusion.

I found myself questioning that culmination of events that lead to that grand finale. At first, I wondered, was it real? Then was it necessary? And finally, where did that leave Louisa now? But then looking back on it, it's that conclusion that sets it apart and makes it unique. By the end, I found that I thought it an ingenious ending.

Despite the lack of dialogue, THE MISSING WIFE is Lousia's convoluted story of her past and her present and what happens when they collide. While I usually find myself skimming over monologuing and description for dialogue (a personal preference), I didn't so much with this as it was almost like a first person perspective through a third person narrative. I think this book would have done better with Louisa's story in the first person, but it is still an enjoyable read that will have you turning the pages at the rate of knots.

THE MISSING WIFE is my first read by this author but not my last. Some may not like the ending, though after some thought I found it ingeniously clever, and I have no hesitation in recommending it.

I would like to thank #SamCarrington, #NetGalley and #AvonBooksUK for an ARC of #TheMissingWife in exchange for an honest review.

REVIEW: The Mother's Mistake by Ruth Heald (ARC)

The Mother's Mistake by Ruth Heald

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Read: 2nd June 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 11th June 2019)

★★★★★ 5 stars

I honestly don't know where to begin with this review, the book blew me away that much. In a word - WOW! 

As a reader, I was torn in so many directions with it I didn't know how to feel. As a domestic violence survivor, I was ripped apart and felt a myriad of emotions for the "unnamed narrator" in her narrative. As I am not a mother, I cannot relate to the complete and utter helplessness Claire felt. I can only imagine. In a nutshell, THE MOTHER'S MISTAKE is brilliant!  

So where DO I begin?

Claire and her husband Matt make the move from busy London to a village outside Oxford with their two month old daughter Olivia to be nearer Matt's parents. His mother has offered them the use of her mother's cottage, rent-free, while they save for their own house. It seems the ideal solution particularly as Matt is busy setting up his new vet practice. Overall, Claire seems to have the perfect life. Perfect husband, beautiful baby daughter and a new start to their lives. 

But Claire has a secret. Something from her past that has haunted her for three years. It almost destroyed her once before, and as it comes back to haunt her once again, will it succeed in destroying her this time? 

It isn't long before Claire's life starts to spiral out of control and becomes a living nightmare. Strange things begin happening, she feels she is being watched and she finds things being displaced around the house. Is she being paranoid or is someone really after her? Maybe she is just overtired and imagining things. After all, she is hardly getting any sleep while Matt snores endlessly every night with earplugs in, oblivious to her fears and Olivia's constant screams. It's no wonder she is exhausted. 

Of course, it doesn't help that Matt's mum is constantly interfering - walking into their home uninvited, declaring "it is MY house, Claire" or always inviting Matt's ex-girlfriend around. Nor is Matt helping by not standing up to his mother and supporting his wife. In fact, he spends most of the time at the surgery with his new employee, ex-girlfriend Sarah (at the suggestion of Matt's mother, of course), while Claire is left at home alone all day with a screaming Olivia who just refuses to settle. 

When new-mum Emma befriends her, Claire finally feels she has someone who can understand her struggles as a new mother. But Emma makes motherhood look so easy that it only serves to make Claire feel even more inferior as a mother. Being a new mum is hard and while she is finding it hard to bond with Olivia she sometimes feel she doesn't love her as she should. Maybe this is what she deserves...for what she did three years ago. Thank goodness she has Emma to confide in. Her only friend in this small and isolated village. She should have Matt, but he's too busy with his new practice...and Sarah. 

Soon Claire begins to doubt Matt's fidelity. Why IS he spending all those hours so late into the night at the practice? Why is he not home with his wife, whom he knows is struggling? He saw what she went through three years before and how it nearly killed her, so why is he so dismissive of her and spending all God's waking hours at the surgery with his ex-girlfriend when he clearly knows she is not coping? When he knows what she went through? Her depression, her alcoholism, her guilt and now her obvious struggles with being a new mum? What is wrong with the man? No matter how much she tries to talk herself out of the obvious, she soon doubts even how well she knows the man she married.

Since moving to the village, Claire feels her life is just slipping through her fingers. She begins to question her own sanity as she discovers items being displaced around the house...or did she move them herself and not remember? She starts forgetting things, hearing things, imagining things. Matt's worried and makes her promise to see a doctor who then diagnoses her with post natal depression. Well, that much was obvious even to me but I was surprised the doctor did little to follow up. And Matt? Well, if he was so worried about his wife then why was he not at home more, supporting her, taking some of the pressure off her? There were times I could throttle that man as I was reading. And then to so openly declare, in front of everyone, that she was paranoid and imagining things...well, my heart just ached for Claire. I could really feel her isolation. No one cared. No one understood her pain. No one, but Emma.

I had to admit, I began to suspect a bit of gaslighting was going on because I doubted very much that Claire was as paranoid as everyone was suggesting. Even when the note was put through the letterbox claiming that she didn't deserve Olivia. To be a mother. Someone WAS out to get her. But who? Claire can only think of one person - Ruth. Or is it Sarah? Because she wants Matt back? Problem is, Claire really did believe she didn't deserve Olivia. and that she was a horrible mother. And despite Matt declaring otherwise, he did little to reassure her that she was.

There is a second POV in this book, in which the narrator is unknown. But one thing is clear. She is a victim of a violent domestic abuse at the hands of her vicious husband whilst trying to protect her little girl at the same time. Throughout the entire story, this unknown woman's narrative runs alongside Claire's as we watch both stories unfold with shocking and devastating results...for both. In a way, you won't see coming!

THE MOTHER'S MISTAKE is a brutal, shocking yet compelling read you will not be able to put down. It will have you questioning Claire's sanity, your sanity, wondering what was truth and what was happening. You won't know who or what to believe. And when the truth is revealed, you will feel a division of loyalties.

With so much happening, so many red herrings, false flags and dead ends, the suspect list just kept changing. I did work out the WHO but not the WHY and when the reason becomes clear - as it did for me just before it unfolded - I was blown away! 

Not many books leave me with such an impression as this one did...in such a way that I pity the next one I open for fear it will simply fall into the shadow of this one. Not many books leave me feeling the next one could never compare. But this one did.

THE MOTHER'S MISTAKE is such a brilliant addictive read that really will keep you guessing till the end. I highly recommend it.

I would like to thank #RuthHeald, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheMothersMistake in exchange for an honest review.