REVIEW: The Victim by Ruth Harrow

The Victim by Ruth Harrow

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 24th May 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 16th May 2023

★★★★ 4.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

He’s watching you … but should he be afraid?

Leah should have been enjoying a night in with her best friend and housemate Claire, binging on chocolate and her favourite Netflix show.

But instead, she is suddenly forced to fight for her life when strong hands grab her. A knife is pressed to Leah’s throat and as tears run down her cheeks, she knows she will have to do as she is told if she wants to survive the night.

2 years on …

The community has forgotten about the woman so violently snatched from their midst. Leah’s best friend, however, can’t forget the person who was closer to her than a sister. Nor does she want to believe the shocking secrets she has unearthed about her friend in her absence.

Claire refuses to let go. She won’t forget the only person she ever really cared about. And she will never go about her life as if Leah never existed. She also knows that the danger that took her best friend still lurks unpunished in their hometown. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise when Claire is snatched too.

But the last thing she intends is to become one more victim. She feels her abductor should be the one who should be afraid.

Can Claire survive longer than one night?

Will she ever discover what really happened to Leah?

The Victim is a gripping psychological thriller that will leave page-turning readers unable to put it down until the final breathtaking twist. Fans of K.L Slater, Shalini Boland and Daniel Hurst will love the addictive twists and turns that will have them racing through the pages long into the night.

MY THOUGHTS:

He’s watching you...but should he be afraid...?

Oh yes...be afraid. Be very afraid. That's what I would be telling Leah and Claire if I had a heads up. But would she listen? Probably not. One usually finds that people very rarely listen to such sound advice until it's too late...or they have genuine cause to. But then, this is the world of fiction isn't it? Where anything goes.

THE VICTIM is the third thriller I have read by Ruth Harrow and something of a unique concept that was original and very different. It is a fast paced and addictive read that kept me entertained (for want of a better word) from start to finish. The alternating between the past and the present simply added to the level of suspense and tension that was palpable throughout.

Leah and Claire met when they were 12 year olds and have grown together as best friends. They are more like sisters, particularly since Leah's mum Helen adopted Claire after several years or care homes and the two women barely remember a world without the other in it. Even after leaving home they moved into a two bedroom flat Leah's uncle Tony lets them rent at below cost. 

And then one evening Leah fails to return home from work.

At first Claire isn't worried. She may have been held up with a customer or got waylaid helping someone. That's just who Leah is. But as the minutes tick into hours, Claire begins to panic. Something has happened. It is unlike her friend not to let her know if she was waylaid. Besides, Leah is so structured in her routine and punctuality. Something is wrong.

And then the police find Leah's phone and bag on the path alongside the nature reserve she loves so much and Claire's fears are confirmed.

Over the ensuing months which then turns into a year and then eighteen months, Claire refuses to give up on her friend. She continues to search for answers as to what happened to Leah on that fateful evening...and where she may be now. 

Then in the midst of all that is going on around her, Claire's birth mother makes contact making her wary. What is she after? Or is it even genuine? The message came via social media from a private account with only a name and no profile photo...it could be anyone. Is someone toying with Claire?

And then just when she thinks she may be closing in, Claire herself is taken. And it is then that her fight for survival really begins...

There isn't much more I can add to this without giving the good bits away...lol There are plenty of twists to be had in this book though, to be honest, I did figure them all out. But that didn't ruin my enjoyment of the book because it was one hell of a thrill ride! It reminded me of a "Criminal Minds" episode (yes, another one). Those who have seen it will recall it also when reading this.

THE VICTIM definitely has a sinister vibe about it. It is creepy and chilling in parts that the fear felt by the characters is so palpable it had my heart racing. The setting in this particular instance was perfect. It simply added to that feeling of helplessness and ultimate fear. And the short snappy chapters really ramped up that tension and added to the suspense. I couldn't swipe my kindle fast enough.

I didn't think I would enjoy this book as much as I did but...well, I did! The format in which the author delivered the story to us is executed with perfection. The Then and Now chapters that alternate throughout keeps the pace moving at the speed of light without bogging us down with boring detail. We are given enough information with each chapter to keep us turning the pages until the very end. Simply put, I couldn't put it down.

Overall, THE VICTIM is an intense thriller with a tension that is palpable throughout keeping readers entertained and engaged from beginning to end.

I would like to thank #RuthHarrow, #Netgalley and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #TheVictim in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Ruth Harrow was born and raised in England and graduated from university before embarking on an unfulfilling career in an office job. She eventually put pen to paper and her debut psychological thriller, In Her Footsteps, was published in 2018. It quickly became a bestseller. Following the success of her first novel, her following five books came afterwards with the same success.

Ruth lives in the UK with her husband, two children and chocolate Labrador, Rolo.

Her seventh psychological thriller is coming soon.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

 

REVIEW: The Silent Wife by Ruth Harrow

The Silent Wife by Ruth Harrow

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 20th May 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 14th May 2023

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

A vanished wife. A crumbling marriage. And a web of explosive secrets.

Pregnant and living an Insta-perfect lifestyle, Sarah seems to have it all. But one evening halfway through making dinner, she vanishes into thin air leaving behind her keys, her handbag and James, her bewildered husband.

The pans are boiling over and the smoke alarm is screaming, but he is alone in the house.

Keen to get their picture-perfect life back on track before their followers start wondering where his wife is, James desperately tries to find her.

But her sister Kate is the only one who knows Sarah has run like this before. And she's terrified for her sibling and for the unborn child she is carrying.

The more Kate digs for answers, the more questions she has about her sister’s life – it seems Sarah may have been hiding a terrible secret. Even more worrying, Kate is now having her every move watched.

Someone out there wants their deadly secrets to remain hidden. How far will they go to make sure those secrets stay buried?

The Silent Wife - a gripping psychological thriller with a killer twist. Perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, K.L Slater and Daniel Hurst.

MY THOUGHTS:

A vanished wife...a crumbling marriage...and a web of explosive secrets...

This is the second thriller by Ruth Harrow I've read and she certainly knows how to pull you in. Although slow to start at first, it soon picks up pace as the reveals come and twists are thrown our way.

Sarah has a seemingly perfect life with her adoring husband James, her stunning house and in Insta-perfect life. But behind the facade is an unstable wife living a lie she no longer can. So in the middle of making dinner one afternoon, after a quick phone call to her sister Kate, Sarah silently slips out the door and disappears.

Kate is busy making deliveries for her monster-in-law's business where she is but a humble employee alongside her husband Chris, when her phone continues its ringing. Unable to answer as she is driving, she lets it go to voicemail. When she picks it up she is shocked to hear her sister's whispered voice full of apologies and regret. Leaving nothing to chance, Kate ditches her deliveries and drives over to her sister's illustrious Victorian home to find her husband in his home office out the back and the smoke alarm screeching its dire warning. Dinner, it seems, is burnt. And Sarah is nowhere to be seen.

Worried for her sister and her safety, Kate searches the house for clues to whatever Sarah may have taken with her. But it seems she has left everything behind - keys, phone, purse and all her clothing - taking nothing but the clothes on her back. Her husband James is distraught that she appears to have vanished without a trace, even more so that she has walked away willingly. Why would she have left a perfectly good life and husband who adored her? Unless she has fallen into old habits once again...habits that only Kate knows about. Kate is the only one who knows that Sarah has run away like this before, whenever she has felt crowded or doesn't want to face up to responsibility. And she believes that this is what has caused Sarah to run now. The looming possibility of motherhood has probably shaken her to the core, having just revealed her pregnancy to the world on Instagram shortly before her disappearance.

Kate's own life takes a battering as she focuses on trying to find her sister and there is no compassion or understanding coming from her husband Chris, and even less from her mother-in-law Anne. He shows little care for his wife during a time when you would think he would stand by her and even help her. No, he spends most of his time running errands for his mother and is at her beck and call rather than worrying about his wife and marriage.

So Kate's search for Sarah is primarily done alone with James lending a hand where needed. But Kate knows Sarah best and so it is a search she must undertake alone. But whatever answers she uncovers, should she share her findings with James? Or keep them to herself? Because the more she digs the more secrets she seems to find and she isn't sure what to believe. Exactly what is it that Sarah has been hiding?

But someone wants their secrets to remain hidden...how far will they go to make sure those secrets stay buried?

THE SILENT WIFE is a chilling read in parts. While it does start of slow with seemingly no real direction, it soon picks up as it becomes clear what's happened to Sarah. While there are only a handful of characters, none of them are particularly likeable but some even less so. This story is a perfect example of a narcissistic personality disorder, gaslighting and the secrets and lies told to maintain the facade. It does make for uncomfortable reading in parts.

I really have to question Kate's decisions throughout much of the book. And I want to slap her husband too. Honestly, what was wrong with the man? But Kate...why could she not believe her sister? She should know her sister better than anyone and yes, given her past, know how unreliable she could be. But really, she seemed perfectly lucid to me and yet Kate still refuted her claims. But her bad decisions didn't end there...but I will. You will need to read the book to shake you head at the stupid decisions she makes and circumstances she lets herself fall into.

Overall, a chilling read that was compelling with a steady pace throughout.

I would like to thank #RuthHarrow, #Netgalley, #InkubatorBooks and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #TheSilentWife in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Ruth Harrow was born and raised in England and graduated from university before embarking on an unfulfilling career in an office job. She eventually put pen to paper and her debut psychological thriller, In Her Footsteps, was published in 2018. It quickly became a bestseller. Following the success of her first novel, her following five books came afterwards with the same success.

Ruth lives in the UK with her husband, two children and chocolate Labrador, Rolo.

Her seventh psychological thriller is coming soon.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

 

REVIEW: Just One Lie by Ruth Harrow

Just One Lie by Ruth Harrow

Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic thriller, Suspense

Read: 6th June 2022

Goodreads

Amazon

UK

US

Australia

Published: 5th June 2022

★★★★ 4.5 stars

DESCRIPTION:

Everyone has a secret. But not like Alison’s.

Alison loves being a mother which is why she is finding it so hard to come to terms with the recent loss of her baby daughter. She still has her young son Adam whom she adores, but the grief is always there…

Everyone can see she is struggling.

And they don’t know the half of it. Alison has a terrible secret she has never shared with anyone – not even her husband, Dan. She knows if he ever discovers what she did, her family will be destroyed forever.

But someone seems to know, because Alison gets a sinister message. And then bad things start to happen – her website is hacked, her business is sabotaged, there’s a fire in her home… then more threatening messages.

Alison is in no doubt that someone means to destroy her by exposing her to the world. But who? And why?

Can she discover the truth before it’s too late? Or is the terror that fuels her sleepless nights about to become all too real?

Just One Lie - a gripping psychological thriller with a mind-blowing twist. Perfect for fans of Sarah Denzil, K.L Slater and Sue Watson. 

MY THOUGHTS:

Everyone has a secret. But not like Alison’s. And it all started with a lie.

So many people have said that this was a slow paced book, so when I read that I thought "oh no" as I hate slow burns. But I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I didn't think it was slow paced at all. It does begin with a build up that does, admittedly, leave the reader a little confused at first. Especially with the alternating narratives changing every few chapters and BOTH are in the first person, so it is easy to mistake the second narrative as Alison's...until there is a few words that hint at it being an entirely different narrator. Some of the chapters are titled with "Before" making them easier to identify but some of the others are not which makes it confusing. I found this to be a confusing inconsistency.

The main narrator is Alison and is told predominantly from her perspective When the second one stealthily makes their way into the story in the second chapter, we stop to wonder who this could possibly be. We are drip-fed information to lead us thinking we know where the story is leading and who the mysterious narrator is...but we don't. I was left scratching my head cluelessly until a light bulb went on in my brain and it all became comparatively clearer. Didn't it? But like all good psychological thrillers, JUST ONE LIE has us chasing our tails and second guessing ourselves all the way through.

Beginning with an intriguing prologue another unnamed person is swimming with their child in the warm waters of somewhere quite obviously abroad until fate deals them a deadly blow. And the reader is left wanting to know who, what, why and when this all happened. But one thing we learn throughout the story is that time is relative.

Alison Burnham thought she had the perfect life. She thought she and Dan had the perfect marriage and they were incredibly happy together...until Adam was born. It was a difficult birth and for a time, Alison and her son were separated with him being in the neonatal unit shortly after his birth. But it wasn't long before they returned home together and the perfect life Alison thought they would be enjoying crumbled. She spiraled into a postpartum depression and found caring for a newborn incredibly trying as well as the changes to their family unit. It wasn't until a year or so had passed that Alison finally found her feet and a new appreciation for her beautiful baby son. But her's and Dan's relationship had taken a battering and they found it even harder to regain that equilibrium again.

Eight years later, and Alison is now mourning the loss of their stillborn daughter she had hoped would get her and Dan back on an even keel again. Now they couple barely speak and when they do she finds Dan patronising instead of understanding. Having lost her previous successful career in marketing after Adam's birth, Alison has been through a few failed ventures to help contribute financially to the household while Dan works as an undervalued chef at a local restaurant. Now Alison has begun a career as a photographer specialising in maternity and family photos, an idea that formed during her own recent pregnancy. She takes on an employee, Rebecca, who thrives in being at the forefront of organising bookings and the photo shoots, an ability Alison can only admire and envy in equal measure.

But then strange things begin to occur. Her studio is broken in. The electrics short-circuit having been filled with water. Strange phone calls where no one speaks. Anonymous messages sent to her Facebook account. And then her website is hacked. And she has this strange sense of being watched. Is it any wonder that Alison has trouble sleeping? That she barely eats? But is it the mysterious happenings occurring now or the deep dark secret she has carried for so long?

Her behaviour becomes so erratic Dan believes she is falling into a depression again and instead of showing her understanding, Alison finds every thing he does and every thing he says patronising. But when she returns home one day to find he has done the unthinkable without discussing it with her first, she is livid. And to be honest, I thought she had every right to be. What he did was cruel, even if he thought he was doing the right thing at the time. Just because it was right for him doesn't mean it was right for Alison. But to go behind her back without telling her...well, that was just cruel. As if she hasn't got enough to contend with.

And then she gets a phone call from the school...Adam has disappeared whilst on a school excursion. Has Alison's greatest fear come to fruition at last?

Pretty much WOW! Despite the ambiguity and confusion with the failure to clearly separate the two narratives in the beginning, JUST ONE LIE is just one wild ride! It wasn't slow paced at all. I found it began with a relatively steady pace that offered mystery and intrigue, picking up quickly as I raced to turn the pages long into the night. Just when I thought I knew who the unnamed narrator was, I discovered I'd been cleverly hoodwinked.

Alison is not an entirely likeable character and she is clearly unreliable as a narrator as well. Do we believe her perception? Or is it all in her mind? Is she suffering postpartum depression again only adding to her grief? Or is she right to be worried? Does someone know her secret?

I didn't particularly like Alison much but I liked Rebecca. Dan was not a very understanding husband particularly with some of his actions. But Alison was constantly second guessing herself and throughout the entire book she just figuratively threw her hands up and declared "That's it! I've failed as a wife! I've failed as a mother!" What mother hasn't thought that at times? But she just goes on about it every time something went wrong or threatened Adam's safety...which in Alison's was just about everything. Including a harmless birthday gift of walkie talkies, thus thinking someone could hack the frequency and lure her little boy away. Seriously? She just got on my goat a bit.

However, regardless of how annoying she could be, I thoroughly enjoyed JUST ONE LIE. It was fun, fast paced and entirely intriguing and entertaining. I had fun trying to work out who it could possibly be and I was able to work out the anonymous narrator long before their identity was revealed.

JUST ONE LIE is a brilliant, fun fast pace read with all the thrills and chills and clever twists along the way to keep you entertained throughout. I did find it ended a little abruptly though and found that a bit of a letdown considering everything else had concluded nicely, only for it to end...just like that.

Still an intriguing read that I recommend for fans of psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators.

I would like to thank #RuthHarrow, #InkubatorBooks and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #JustOneLie in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Ruth Harrow was born and raised in England and graduated from university before embarking on an unfulfilling career in an office job. She eventually put pen to paper and her debut psychological thriller, In Her Footsteps, was published in 2018. It quickly became a bestseller. Following the success of her first novel, her second and third books followed shortly afterwards. She lives in the UK with her husband, two children and chocolate Labrador, Rolo. 

Just One Lie is her second psychological thriller with Inkubator Books.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Goodreads