EXTRACT: Who Do You Trust? by Kirsty Ferguson

Who Do You Trust? by Kirsty Ferguson

Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic thriller

Read: 6th March 2021

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 18th March 2021

DESCRIPTION:

A perfect sunny day, a family celebration, a heart-stopping hour that changes everything...

Dana has all she ever wanted – a husband she loves, her four-year-old daughter Kelsey who is the apple of her eye, and another baby on the way to complete her perfect family.

But then the worst fear that Dana has, comes true, and everything she thought she knew, she now starts to doubt. As her world comes crashing around her, who can Dana trust?  

Her husband Logan who seems to be getting worryingly close to Dana’s best friend Pippa?

Her new friend Melanie who has a sinister habit of turning up in the strangest places?

Her parents and her sister, who Dana knows are keeping a terrible secret from her?

Matt, who says he’s Dana’s friend, but sometimes she’s not so sure?

Or will Dana discover that it’s a dangerous mistake to trust anyone…

Join Kirsty Ferguson on this heart-stopping, plot-twisting, roller coaster read, perfect for fans of Shari Lapena and Adele Parks.  

EXTRACT:

The bear had belonged to Kelsey since birth, a present from her doting nan and pop, and now all Kelsey wanted was Boo Boo. If she didn’t get what she wanted her bottom lip would quiver and her eyes would water before she launched into heart wrenching cries and ear-piercing screams. Kelsey was crying up a storm and it didn’t look as if she was going to stop any time soon. When Kelsey cried, everyone knew about it. 

‘Logan, you forgot to pack Boo Boo,’ Dana snapped at her husband as she changed course, walking over to where he sat. ‘That was your only job.’ Dana was pissed off and Kelsey was working herself up into a fury. Not a good start to the afternoon. It was going to be stressful enough without this on top of it. It made Dana weary just thinking about what was to come.

 

Logan burped loudly in response, scoring him a fist bump from James, who sat beside him in a matching sky-blue camping chair.

 

Logan looked up at the squall coming from his daughter but stayed sitting in his chair, content in the knowledge that his capable wife would handle it.

 

‘Darling, can you have one of Nan’s toys for today? Boo Boo will be waiting for you when you get home.’ She tried to placate her daughter, but she was having none of it. 

‘I want Boo Boo.’ Dana pulled Kelsey close to her, smoothing down her hair, yet the little girl continued to wail and Dana looked at her mother over the top of Kelsey’s head. 

Alesha came out of the house carrying a Bavarian cheesecake. ‘What’s all the racket, young lady?’ she asked, trying to inject cheerfulness into her voice. 

‘We forgot to pack Boo Boo. I’m going to have to drive home and grab him now,’ Dana said, disentangling herself from Kelsey’s strangling hug. ‘Honey, I’ll be back soon. I’ll bring Boo Boo with me, OK?’ Kelsey pouted for a moment longer, then smiled. For Dana to see her daughter smile at her like that meant everything. 

‘How ’bout I watch her while you’re gone?’ Alesha offered, meeting her eyes. Dana hesitated. She was torn. On one hand, Alesha was a responsible adult, not like her inebriated husband, but on the other, they still weren’t on the best of terms. Could she trust her? Dana looked over at Logan, who was onto his sixth or seventh beer, she had lost count, then back at her sister. Alesha loved Kelsey, she would look after her – besides, her mother and father would be there too and home wasn’t far away. Surely Alesha could handle Kelsey for half an hour or so. The sooner Dana went home and brought back the bear, the better. 

Dana, Logan and Kelsey lived in a small cottage in town, which would be too small when the baby was older. Dana had already begun boxing up some stuff to go to charity for when they eventually moved house. Their current place was quaint, a real fixer-upper. It had old patterned lino flooring in the kitchen, threadbare carpet in the lounge and was stuffed with furniture, pieces Dana had collected over the years. None of it matched, but somehow it worked. 

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Kirsty Ferguson is a born and bred Australian author. She writes crime and thriller novels. Her stories centre around strong, capable, yet flawed women, with dark themes and undertones, designed to make you question what you think you know about the people you're closest to. Kirsty chooses to deconstruct and enthrall her readers with the secrets of an everyday person, the stories behind closed doors.

Kirsty grew up in a rural town, on a farm and likes to base her stories in isolated places, physically, mentally and emotionally. She has long been a lover of reading and writing, beginning her professional career in 2015. She can be found with a good book in hand, her to be read list never growing any smaller no matter how hard she tries.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

PUBLISHER:

Stay up to date with upcoming releases from Boldwood Books by following them on these social media accounts.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

 

REVIEW: Who Do You Trust? by Kirsty Ferguson

Who Do You Trust? by Kirsty Ferguson

Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic thriller

Read: 6th March 2021

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 18th March 2021

★★ 2 stars

DESCRIPTION:

A perfect sunny day, a family celebration, a heart-stopping hour that changes everything...

Dana has all she ever wanted – a husband she loves, her four-year-old daughter Kelsey who is the apple of her eye, and another baby on the way to complete her perfect family.

But then the worst fear that Dana has, comes true, and everything she thought she knew, she now starts to doubt. As her world comes crashing around her, who can Dana trust?  

Her husband Logan who seems to be getting worryingly close to Dana’s best friend Pippa?

Her new friend Melanie who has a sinister habit of turning up in the strangest places?

Her parents and her sister, who Dana knows are keeping a terrible secret from her?

Matt, who says he’s Dana’s friend, but sometimes she’s not so sure?

Or will Dana discover that it’s a dangerous mistake to trust anyone…

Join Kirsty Ferguson on this heart-stopping, plot-twisting, roller coaster read, perfect for fans of Shari Lapena and Adele Parks.  

MY REVIEW:

Having thoroughly enjoyed the author's previous thriller "Never Ever Tell", I was eager to dive into WHO DO YOU TRUST?, squeezing it in between my many other reads. The premise was intriguing and initially when I began I was excited by the storyline thinking this is going to be interesting but after a few chapters, it just seemed to fizzle out.

The story begins with Dana, hubby Logan and 4 year old Kelsey trekking to her parents' place for a BBQ that was the promise of a new start after months of stubborn estrangement that, when explained further in, was just plain pigheadedness in my opinion. Upon arrival, Logan did his part bringing in cooler bag of beers and plonking himself down beside his brother-in-law James for a serious drinking session and catch-up. Dana seemed to be in a permanent bad mood, giving him the evil eye on regular occasions, as well as doing a good job of pretty much ignoring her sister Alesha. "She'll come round," her mother told her younger sister, "she just needs time." While Dana had already decided she was never going to forgive her sister for whatever slight had befallen her.

Then Kelsey woke up and came looking for mummy. While everyone thought she was cute and adorable, I found her demanding and precocious. Because when it was discovered her much-loved bear Boo-Boo was nowhere in sight, out came the screams and tantrums that had everyone trying to soothe her while Dana ran around, heavily pregnant I might add, looking for the beloved Boo-Boo. Looking to her slightly inebriated husband for support, Dana blamed him for not packing the one toy that would soothe their daughter. So the only thing to be done was to drive home and get Boo-Boo. In an instant, Kelsey's screams stopped and her face lit up in a smile. "Find him, mummy. Please."

Then in the blink of an eye Dana's world came crashing down and everything changed. She and Logan argued over everything. She was grieving and he was moving on...and yet neither could understand the other at a time when they should be drawing on each other. Logan wanted change, Dana wanted everything to remain the same...and neither would budge. Her mother tried to reach out to her but Dana shut her, and everyone else, out.

And then Dana met Melanie, an effervescent woman who had lost her daughter after her husband left her for another woman. Her personality was a force to be reckoned with and she took Dana under her wing immediately. Almost at once, Melanie started texting Dana daily - just checking in to see how she was or to go for a coffee. But everyone else who met Melanie didn't trust her...but then they didn't have to. Dana trusted her. Because Melanie understood.

And then there was Matt, who had lost his wife and shortly after his young son. When Dana met him she took an instant like to him whereas Melanie took an instant dislike to him. Matt became a confidante when she could no longer talk to Logan and the two drew closer...while Melanie seemed jealous at this new rival for Dana's friendship. Her cheerful persona turned silent and seething whenever Matt was around but Dana put that down to her just being protective of her. But when Dana began to suspect Logan of having an affair with her best friend Pippa, she called on Matt for his support.

In the midst of all this drama Dana gave birth to a baby girl who, after some argument, was called Grace. She fell in love with her instantly and began to heal through the love for her new daughter. Matt and Melanie, albeit separately and respectively, were on hand for support while Logan seemed to be drifting further away. And added to that, strange things were happening. Menacing messages left for Dana that rattled her, leaving her feeling vulnerable and afraid...especially when she began to feel that someone was in her home, stalking her and making her question whether it was real or whether she was doing these things herself. Who would hate her THAT much? It didn't take Einstein to work that one out, in my opinion. I guessed right away.

In the end, Dana is left with the question of who to trust. Her new friends? Her old friends? Her family? Her husband? All of them had secrets and all of them seemed to have an agenda. So who could she trust?

The premise for WHO DO YOU TRUST? was indeed promising that took us on a dark and disturbing journey with this psychological thriller. I had high expectations for this book, particularly after enjoying the previous one so much, but the entire thing just fell flat. I read the book in one sitting, sacrificing sleep in the hope it would get better and that it would all make sense in the end. If anything, it made even less sense in the end than it did at the beginning! The first final twist was no surprise and the second wasn't really either. In fact, that made more sense than anything else that happened here. But then everything was just left up in the air, no real explanation and no real conclusion to how it all ended for Dana and her family. I can't say much more than that without revealing spoilers but honestly...the story just goes round in endless circles and it was all just a tangled mess.

WHO DO YOU TRUST? will have you guessing, it will have you turning the pages but I doubt it will leave you with anything but scratching your head wondering what the hell just happened. The book is like a car crash - a tragic event from which you just can't look away. Of course it didn't help that I didn't like any of the characters. They all annoyed me no end.

In a nutshell, it was disappointing. But it doesn't deter me from reading more of Kirsty Ferguson, as I know she is capable of brilliant psychological and domestic thrillers. This, sadly, was not one of them.

2 stars for me...and even that is being generous, in my view.

I always feel bad about leaving a negative review because I know this was someone's hard work. And while I know I am not going to enjoy every book I read, it saddens me when I don't. But reading is subjective and what I don't enjoy, another may revel in.

I would like to thank #KirstyFerguson, #RachelsRandomResources, #Netgalley and #BoldwoodBooks for an ARC of #WhoDoYouTrust in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Kirsty Ferguson is a born and bred Australian author. She writes crime and thriller novels. Her stories centre around strong, capable, yet flawed women, with dark themes and undertones, designed to make you question what you think you know about the people you're closest to. Kirsty chooses to deconstruct and enthrall her readers with the secrets of an everyday person, the stories behind closed doors.

Kirsty grew up in a rural town, on a farm and likes to base her stories in isolated places, physically, mentally and emotionally. She has long been a lover of reading and writing, beginning her professional career in 2015. She can be found with a good book in hand, her to be read list never growing any smaller no matter how hard she tries.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

PUBLISHER:

Stay up to date with upcoming releases from Boldwood Books by following them on these social media accounts.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

REVIEW: Never Ever Tell by Kirsty Ferguson

 

Never Ever Tell by Kirsty Ferguson

Genre: Domestic thriller, Domestic drama, Noir

Read: 14th January 2021

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 18th June 2020

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

She’d do anything for her boy…

Vanessa Sawyer knows all about pain. She’s felt it every day since marrying the boy who fathered her baby in high school. All he’s meant are broken bones, broken heart and broken dreams.  But he also brought her the love of her life. When her son Wren was born, her baby boy was her salvation. 

Vanessa watches Wren grow and become a young man she can be proud of. Until one night everything changes, including Wren. One night that her son refuses to speak of. Now Vanessa can’t rest, not until she uncovers the secret that her son has been hiding from her.

Will she find the answers she’s searching for or will her quest for the truth take her to a dark place where all hope is lost? 

One evil act. One tragedy. Lives destroyed forever.

MY REVIEW:

TRIGGER WARNING: Extreme domestic violence, abuse, rape, bullying and suicide.

Whoa! This book is nothing like I expected. I'm not sure what I was expecting but it wasn't that. It's a difficult book to read on many levels though it does peter out before another brutal event that leaves you breathless. NEVER EVER TELL is an intense read that begins as a domestic drama before becoming something of a thriller with several twists and heart pounding scenes. It is definitely NOT for the fainthearted with many triggers included. I am still reeling long after finishing the final page.

The story begins with Vanessa Sawyer recapping the past eight years of her life leading up to the present day through the first couple of chapters. She has been dealt pretty much a crappy blow thanks to a rumble in the back of a van when she was 18 which landed her married to Mark. He who had been her best friend's boyfriend, put her in a cab home and rejoined the high school dance and sought Vanessa out. Leading her to his van with tender kisses and promises that they would be together, she succumbed to his charms in moment of teenage passion. Promising to tell Maggie about them the following day, he bid her goodnight. But he had no intention of telling Maggie. He just wanted a quick fumble and to get his leg over because Maggie wouldn't until they were married.

Then six months later, Vanessa discovered she was pregnant. She told Mark who denied it was his but since she had only ever slept with him there could be no other candidate. They then told Maggie together, who understandably threw a mega hissy fit, and then they told their parents...who thought it best they marry. On what should be a girl's happiest day, Mark couldn't even look at the heavily pregnant Vanessa. What then ensued were years of abuse at his hands, blaming her for ruining her life. She went into labour while he was hitting and kicking her, telling her she couldn't do anything right. And when her son was born and she held him in her arms, everything else went away. She named him Wren, which Mark scoffed at being a stupid name, and he was the light of her life. Wren was her reason for living, for going on even when Mark's abuse was at its worst. She vowed to protect him at all costs. But little did she know her little boy would grow up protecting her also. He becomes her salvation. 

After what she did to Maggie, the town turned against her and she lost all her friends until she had only Mark, who abused her daily, and her parents who lived a couple of streets away. But through it all, she still has Wren. Even when she has no one else...she still has Wren.

The one day, shortly after the birth of her second son Ty, downtrodden and a shadow of the girl she used to be, she bumps into Billy Wright who sees past the facade she keeps in place, past the bruises on her face, past the lies she tells...and sees a young vulnerable woman with a child and a baby who needs his help. And with Billy's help, Vanessa packs their bags and embarks on a new journey. One in which her children will grow up safe and loved.

Years pass and Wren is now at a community college for his final year of high school with his two best friends, Justin and Wade. And then Wren meets Olivia. Beautiful sweet Olivia, whose father is their new principal, and the two instantly feel a connection. They begin dating and, although she cannot stand his two best friends, she and Wren become inseparable. She describes them as "soul mates".

Then one day, Vanessa's beautiful honest and loving boy Wren comes home a different person. Something happened that he is keeping from her that haunts him so terribly. But what? And then...everything changes. Vanessa's life is thrown into an upheaval like she has never known and with every fibre of her being while there is still breath in her body, she becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth...neglecting everything and everyone else. But is she ready for the truth...if and when she finds it?

I have to say, from beginning to end NEVER EVER TELL is a brutal and harrowing read for the most part. It is dark and confrontational yet compelling. It is the stuff of nightmares. And if you are a sensitive reader or are triggered by extreme abuse and rape, then I advise giving this one a miss. It is very triggering and it is very confrontational. And many parts are difficult to read. Extremely difficult.

NEVER EVER TELL is divided into two parts - Part One and Part Two. The narrative in the first part is dedicated to Vanessa's backstory, which is completely harrowing to say the least. But it is central to the story that is to come in the second part and the devastating events that transpire. I cannot say much more than that...but boy, what an intense read! And simply breathtaking.

And WOW! I did not see that twist at the end coming at all! It was even more brutal than what we, the reader, had already bore witness to. It was a clever twist but I'm not sure I liked it...I'm still in two minds about it. But it definitely threw me, that's for sure. Even knowing what I do now I still don't think I could have anticipated such an ending.

This is my first read by Kirsty Ferguson and now that I've discovered her, it won't be my last. She is Aussie born and bred and I do like to support our home grown authors. However...I feel I must comment on the one thing that sticks in my craw. One of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to Australian or British authors is the use of American English. In Australia we use UK English and I loathe to see everything Americanised in what is an Australian author's book. Although the setting could be anywhere as it is not specified as being in Australia, America or even Antartica. I did think it had an American feel to it despite being written by an Aussie author, which in my opinion should be set in Australia (half the reason I read home grown authors). And while I don't like American English in Aussie or British written books, I can tolerate it but my biggest beef is with the use of the term "mom" throughout. I loathe it. In Australia we use "mum" and that is what I expected to read. So I was disappointed to have an Australian author's book Amercianised when I expected it to be...well, Australian. 

That is really my only criticism with the book because it was very cleverly written and Vanessa particularly was incredibly well developed. I could see everything through her eyes and feel everything as she would feel it. I admit to growing somewhat frustrated with her in her obsessive campaign for the truth, as she shut the rest of her family out and was in danger of losing them completely. But when she came back to earth, she fell back with hell of a thud. She was grounded immediately.

NEVER EVER TELL is a raw and highly emotive tale that is both harrowing and heartbreaking to read. Written completely in the third person, the first part is solely from Vanessa's perspective, while the second part is through Olivia's Wren's and Vanessa's eyes.

A dark, compelling and addictive read, NEVER EVER TELL is a domestic drama and thriller rolled into one. It is haunting read that will stay with me for a while to come.

I would like to thank #KirstyFerguson, #NetGalley and #BoldwoodBooks for an ARC of #NeverEverTell in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Kirsty Ferguson is a born and bred Australian author. She writes crime and thriller novels. Her stories centre around strong, capable, yet flawed women, with dark themes and undertones, designed to make you question what you think you know about the people you're closest to. Kirsty chooses to deconstruct and enthrall her readers with the secrets of an everyday person, the stories behind closed doors.

Kirsty grew up in a rural town, on a farm and likes to base her stories in isolated places, physically, mentally and emotionally. She has long been a lover of reading and writing, beginning her professional career in 2015. She can be found with a good book in hand, her to be read list never growing any smaller no matter how hard she tries.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

PUBLISHER:

Stay up to date with upcoming releases from Boldwood Books by following them on these social media accounts.

Website | Twitter | Facebook