REVIEW: The Nice Guy by Sarah A Denzil and S.L. Harker

The Nice Guy by Sarah A Denzil and S.L. Harker

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 5th June 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 30th May 2023

★★★★ 3.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

Laura thought she’d found the one nice guy in New York City.

When Ethan saves her from a crushing crowd on Brooklyn Bridge, their connection is dazzling. Worthy of a heat-filled passionate night.

Laura falls pregnant from their one-night stand—a miracle considering her past fertility issues. Ethan is attentive and wonderful at first. She hopes he will be the kind of father she’d always wanted for herself.

Until his attentiveness turns to obsession. His questions become demands. Why didn’t she answer her phone or respond to his messages? Why won’t she move in with him and his rich mother?

Soon Laura realises the father of her child is a controlling sociopath. And there’s no telling the lengths Ethan will go to in order to keep baby Christopher for himself.

Laura will stop at nothing to save her baby boy.

But is she too late?

MY THOUGHTS:

Her perfect date is her worst nightmare...

I've been a fan of since reading "Silent Child" some years ago and totally loved it. Followed by "Only Daughter" which was just as thrilling. I have since read a few more and what stands out to me is how diverse her plots are. They can go from psychological to domestic to supernatural. But there's one thing they all have in common - all of them equally chilling. Just reading her novella "The Quiet Wife" was enough to send chills down your spine. 

So when I saw THE NICE GUY was up for publication and then caught it on Netgalley, I knew I had to read it. It is, by no means, an easy read. Many scenes made my skin crawl and had me squirming in my seat. But I stuck it out because I knew it would all come full circle by the end.

Laura and her friend Jessa are on a women's protest march in New York City when they lose each other and Laura finds herself trodden in the crush when she feels strong hands lift her from the ground and carry her to a nearby pub. And it's there she finds herself looking into the smiling eyes of the most handsome man. He introduces himself as Ethan and before long the pair are heading to Ethan's penthouse apartment overlooking Central Park, ripping each other's clothes off in the process. The following morning, ever the gentleman, he makes her breakfast and has someone run out to buy her a new pair of trainers since she lost one of hers in the crushing crowds the day before. Could he be any more perfect?

But when Laura starts receiving some startling texts following their night together, this sudden possessive stalkerish behaviour begins to raise a few red flags. And when she fails to respond to his texts, they become more abusive so she blocks his number. This doesn't stop him as he starts texting her from another number. Can the guy not take a hint? It was a one night stand. People have them all the time. But apparently, Ethan wants more than what Laura is willing to give. Finally, after tracking her down to her workplace and charming her colleagues, Ethan relents and agrees to stop with the texts and stalker behaviour.

At last...life is good.

And then, Laura discovers she's pregnant - a miracle considering her infertility due to polycystic ovarian syndrome. But she doesn't want to jinx it. She takes five tests to be sure and a blood test with her doctor. All positive. She's definitely pregnant. Now the conundrum. It's Ethan's, of course it is. But what to do? Should she tell him or should she just move on with her life and raise her child on her own? Growing up without a father has made her vulnerable in that respect in wanting to give her child a father. But is Ethan the right person for the job, whether or not they share the same DNA? But at the end of the day, she feels he has a right to know. And so she tells him.

At first Ethan is attentive and respectful of the boundaries she has set. Maybe this won't be so bad after all. But alas, it was not to last. It begins subtly at first with mood swings akin to Jekyll and Hyde before he morphs into a full blown psychopath complete with gaslighting, manipulation to the extreme, possessiveness and a complete need for control over everything. The more Laura tries to be fair, the more control Ethan is determine to have. And control he will get for he will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants. And then there is Ethan's equally bizarre mother when upon meeting her it's easy to see that the nut didn't fall far from that family tree!

But just how far is he prepared to go? And just how far is Laura prepared to go to protect her child?

THE NICE GUY is essentially not a very nice tale. It's horrible and enough to make your skin crawl. But I stuck it out to see Ethan get his comeuppance...because they always do in fiction, don't they? Well, generally speaking, they do. And I was flipping the pages of my kindle waiting and hoping and waiting some more. We are taken halfway across the world...ah, Santorini. Such a beautiful place I would love to see but my knees would not.

What this book really is is chilling. It is seriously spine-tinglingly chilling. The lengths one manipulative b***** would go to to maintain control and pretty much get his own way. He was chillingly manipulative. He was a master at it. There was no way Laura was ever going to beat him at his own game or even by playing fair. Because this guy plays dirty and he plays to win. Simply put, he is a psycho. And he made my skin crawl. Laura tried to make the best decisions she could but she had no idea what she was truly up against and when she did, it was too late.

I did find the story dragged a little, particularly at the end. That entire final part I found completely unnecessary and so drawn out and thus being played out step by step by step. It didn't really add to the tension...more like the frustration. It should have ended in Santorini with a nice little Epilogue wrapping everything up and they all lived happily ever after...well, most of them. The twist was pretty predictable given that an entire fourth part was devoted to the aftermath that you just knew something was going to happen. And it was too laughable to be believable. I'm all for stretching the imagination and suspending belief but this had just a little too much elasticity to work. Remove the entire final part and it is a great thriller.

That aside, THE NICE GUY is a chilling tale that is compelling and thrilling in equal parts. About a not-so-nice guy after all.

I would like to thank #SarahADenzil, SLHarker, #Netgalley and #VictoryEditingCo-op for an ARC of #TheNiceGuy in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHORS:

Sarah A. Denzil is a suspense writer hailing from Derbyshire in England, an author who has also previously gone under the name of Sarah Dalton writing Young Adult fiction and speculative fiction primarily for teenagers. Now focusing primarily suspense and mystery, she is adept at creating a tone of foreboding and intrigue, something which has managed to garner her acclaim from far and wide in a relatively short amount of time. Knowing and understanding her genres well, she has become a master of marketing, as well as being a highly gifted writer and contemporary author, as she builds her name and brand on a worldwide scale.

As a bestselling author of psychological suspense novels, Sarah's books include number one bestseller Silent Child, which was a Goodreads Choice semi-finalist in 2017. Her books have been published in several different languages and have appeared on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list.

Sarah lives in Yorkshire with her husband and cat, enjoying the scenic countryside and rather unpredictable weather. She loves to write moody, psychological fiction with plenty of twists and turns.

For cat pictures and book news follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads

Even as a young child SL Harker would conjure up stories to share with her family. That love of books and storytelling never went away, but her skills have improved since then.

As a lover of twisty fiction, her books are fast-paced domestic thrillers with a little spice added in.

Social media links:

Wesbite | Facebook | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Stranger in Our House by Sarah A. Denzil

The Stranger in Our House by Sarah A. Denzil

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense, Supernatural

Read: 17th March 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 7th February 2023

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

What would you do if your son became a stranger overnight?

Tired of their cramped London apartment, Aaron and Meera relocate to the idyllic village of Little Crake along with their two children, Noah and Uma. The new cottage looks out over the many miles of woodland beyond. It’s a far cry from their tiny flat and the perfect fresh start.

Until fifteen-year-old Noah wanders alone into the forest. For three days, a search party combs the woods. Aaron braces himself for the worst, convinced his son is lost forever. Until he finds Noah alive, hiding in the hollow of a tree. It feels like a second chance.

But why doesn’t Noah remember those three days in the woods? And why are there strange cuts slashed across his torso? Why did he cover himself in mud and hide away in an old oak tree?

Once a studious and gentle boy, Noah becomes a troublemaker at school. He withdraws from his family, sleepwalks at night, and creates eerie sketches of Dark Valley Forest. Aaron tells himself that Noah just needs time to readjust. He’ll soon be himself again. But Meera believes otherwise. This new version of Noah is harsh and cruel—a complete stranger.

A mother knows when something is wrong with her child. Aaron may be deluded, but she knows the boy who came back from the woods is not their son.

MY THOUGHTS:

He looks like my son...he sounds like my son...but he's not my son...

What would you do if your son became a stranger overnight? One day he was your son and the next...a stranger took his place. He looks like your son, he even sounds like you son...but he isn't your son. He is a stranger. An evil malevolence that seeks to envelop and destroy your family. How will you get out of it alive? Thus, what ensues is an atmospheric psychological thriller steeped in Yorkshire folklore and the legend of the Gytrash. Not my usual trope but I do so enjoy a Sarah Denzil thriller. Needless to say, having not really read the premise beforehand, I had no idea what I was in for!

THE STRANGER IN OUR HOUSE is unique in its storytelling in that Denzil has created a narrative using solely diary entries, voice notes and articles which thus gives it an air of something derived from actual events. Even the Foreword is written in such a way that I had to wonder if this was in fact a true story. But Denzil was clever in her portrayal of this story that it seemed as such despite being entirely a work of fiction. Of course, at the time of starting the book I still had no idea just how "Amityville horror" it would be, without the levitating furniture and all that. This was something far deeper, something rooted within the psychological masquerading as folklore.

The Aiken family had had enough of London and wanted their children to grow up in the clean fresh of the rural countryside. So after a visit to a North Yorkshire village, Little Crake, and falling in love with the cottage Woodsman's Hut, Aaron and Meera sell their pokey little flat in Dagenham for the greener pastures of Little Crake. In less than a month, their entire lives would be irrevocably changed.

A couple of weeks after the move on his way home from school, their eldest child Noah goes missing in the woodlands bordering their cottage. A search party is summoned and after three days the family assumes the worst. Until curiously he is found sandwiched inside the hollow of an oak tree trunk. He is covered in mud and has criss cross cuts on his abdomen. His voice pleads in the still silence..."Help me!"

Noah remembers nothing of his ordeal and yet upon his return he is a completely different child to their usual quiet yet happy son. He is even more silent than ever and speaks only to utter words of anger or to taunt his younger sister, 13 year old Uma. But his taunts are not that of the usual sibling rivalry kind...they are cruel and harsh, bordering on violent. Uma comes to fear the brother she once adored, locking her bedroom door to stop him from coming in an standing threateningly over her as she slept. He would constantly stomp in the night in his attic bedroom, mutter to himself "I am not Noah, I am not Noah" and draw the most hideously frightening images of the woods which held him captive for three days.

Within the first day back at school, Noah is suspended for violently lashing out at a student. Aaron is forced to contend with Noah at home, but his son only locks himself in his attic bedroom, chanting to himself, staring at nothing or drawing those horrible images of evil faces and gnarled trees. 

It isn't long before Meera begins to believe their son is possessed by this evil Gytrash a local woman told them about. But Aaron isn't so sure. Something happened to their son in those woods...besides consuming copious amounts of hallucinogenic mushrooms which no doubt contributes to his memory loss. He is withdrawn, lashing out in anger, sleepwalking and obsessed with drawing hideous images of the woods - the Dark Valley Forest. To help process what happened to him, Noah undertakes therapy but is it enough? Or is it too late to save him? To save themselves...

THE STRANGER IN OUR HOUSE turned out to be something completely different to what I expected (having not read the premise before I began). I'm not usually a fan of stories with a supernatural element unless they are done in just the right way. This one was and you are let feeling flummoxed as to the complete hash everything was made by Noah just wandering into the woods one day. We do learn why in the end though not before all hell has been wreaked upon this family and they have been ripped apart from the inside out. All the while reading about the Gytrash, folklore and the supernatural hold upon Noah I still kept waiting for the logical side to kick in. A psychotic break of some kind maybe? But which of it is it to be? You will have to read it to find out!

The story is wrapped up with a few drawings made by Noah and a conclusion that deftly ties the different threads together nicely. You aren't left with a feeling of unfinished business or loose ends and you aren't left wanting more. It ended just right.

The story definitely has a creepiness about it and the atmosphere tense throughout. If you like a mix of psychology, suspense and the supernatural then you will love THE STRANGER IN OUR HOUSE.

I would like to thank #SarahADenzil and #Netgalley for an ARC of #TheStrangerInOurHouse in exchange for an honest review.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Sarah A. Denzil is a suspense writer hailing from Derbyshire in England, an author who has also previously gone under the name of Sarah Dalton writing Young Adult fiction and speculative fiction primarily for teenagers. Now focusing primarily suspense and mystery, she is adept at creating a tone of foreboding and intrigue, something which has managed to garner her acclaim from far and wide in a relatively short amount of time. Knowing and understanding her genres well, she has become a master of marketing, as well as being a highly gifted writer and contemporary author, as she builds her name and brand on a worldwide scale.

As a bestselling author of psychological suspense novels, Sarah's books include number one bestseller Silent Child, which was a Goodreads Choice semi-finalist in 2017. Her books have been published in several different languages and have appeared on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list.

Sarah lives in Yorkshire with her husband and cat, enjoying the scenic countryside and rather unpredictable weather. She loves to write moody, psychological fiction with plenty of twists and turns.

For cat pictures and book news follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads

 

REVIEW: Aiden's Story by Sarah A. Denzil

Aiden's Story (The Silent Child #1.5) by Sarah A. Denzil

Genre: Psychological thriller, Short Stories, Quick Reads

Read: 28th April 2022

Goodreads

Published: 15th December 2019

★★★ 3 stars

DESCRIPTION:

When Aiden Price was just six years old he was abducted. Ten years later, he's reunited with his family, but can no longer communicate. Slowly, Aiden begins to speak again, and his psychologist asks Aiden to write down his experiences.

This is his story.

A companion short story to SILENT CHILD.

MY REVIEW:

A short story sequel to "The Silent Child", AIDEN'S STORY is just that - Aiden's story - following his ten years in captivity after he found freedom. It gives readers an insight into how Aiden is adjusting to life "on the outside" of the bunker in which he had been held and the difficulties he faces.

I read "The Silent Child" about four years ago so I've had a little trouble remembering all that had taken place. I didn't even remember the name of his abductor or anyone else. Only Aiden. And in the original story, we didn't get any of his thoughts or feelings...hence its title "The Silent Child".

In AIDEN'S STORY, he articulates his thoughts and feelings in a stream of consciousness style of writing or, as his therapist says, narrative writing. He basically writes out all that he thinks and feels as he thinks and feels them and the struggles he now faces. After ten years in captivity with no sense of daylight or time, it must be overwhelming to his senses now to see and hear so many sights and sounds.

On its own, AIDEN'S STORY is not much of a read. But coupled with "The Silent Child", the reader can then grasp his story in context with everything else that happened.

At around 15 pages, this insight into 16 year old Aiden's mind after his decade long state of forced captivity is ther perfect companion read with the original story "The Silent Child". 

AIDEN'S STORY is available for free from Sarah Denzil's goodreads profile page.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Sarah A. Denzil is a suspense writer hailing from Derbyshire in England, an author who has also previously gone under the name of Sarah Dalton writing Young Adult fiction and speculative fiction primarily for teenagers. Now focusing primarily suspense and mystery, she is adept at creating a tone of foreboding and intrigue, something which has managed to garner her acclaim from far and wide in a relatively short amount of time. Knowing and understanding her genres well, she has become a master of marketing, as well as being a highly gifted writer and contemporary author, as she builds her name and brand on a worldwide scale.

As a bestselling author of psychological suspense novels, Sarah's books include number one bestseller Silent Child, which was a Goodreads Choice semi-finalist in 2017. Her books have been published in several different languages and have appeared on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list.

Sarah lives in Yorkshire with her husband and cat, enjoying the scenic countryside and rather unpredictable weather. She loves to write moody, psychological fiction with plenty of twists and turns.

For cat pictures and book news follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads

REVIEW: A Quiet Wife by Sarah A. Denzil

A Quiet Wife by Sarah A. Denzil

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 28th April 2022

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 25th April 2022

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

DESCRIPTION:

A twisty, psychological novella by the author of Silent Child.

Jack is smitten with his neighbour, Audrey, but she’s already taken… and they’ve never met. Every morning, he watches Audrey make breakfast for her husband. She dutifully waves him goodbye from the window as he leaves for work. She’s a loyal, quiet wife, and there’s nothing Jack wants more than to be in her husband’s shoes.

But when Audrey’s husband leaves her for another woman, he seizes the opportunity to insert himself into her life. After all, Jack knows everything about Audrey. He knows she likes to dance in her garden. He knows she’s almost always alone. He knows her every move because he’s been watching her through his telescope for months.

And there’s a room in his house just for her. He has it all prepared. There’s just one thing missing—Audrey.

A short and creepy read that delivers on the chills and the twists. Not to be missed.

MY REVIEW:

I love Sarah Denzil and was quick to pounce on her newest novella A QUIET WIFE which was published just a couple of days ago. As is her style, this creepy psychological thriller is uniquely original that is as chilling as it is addictive. A quick read at only 69 pages that is perfect for an hour to kill. There isn't a lot I can say about this spine-tingling thriller without giving too much away.

Jack is a lonely pre-middle aged man smitten with his neighbour although they have never met. Looking to cure his loneliness through the lens of his telescope as he spies on her daily. He doesn't know her name, but he knows her routine and he watches her keenly as she sleeps, wakes and goes about her day. He's just a quiet man who watches this quiet wife.

There is only one problem. She has a husband. And Jack wants nothing more than to be the one in his shoes.

And then one day her husband leaves and doesn't return. She is alone. So Jack takes the opportunity to become a part of her life; to make himself invaluable to her. And hopes that soon the place that he has made especially will be filled with the very essence of her. 

Because Jack wants nothing more than to have this beautiful woman all to himself. But be careful what you wish for...sometimes it's the quiet ones you have to watch.

While that is pretty much a retelling of the premise of the book, there is little else I can say without giving too much away. You truly have to read it for yourself. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sarah Denzil never disappoints.

Creepy, dark and deliciously disturbing, A QUIET WIFE is a quick entertaining read with a chilling twist. And although I saw it coming it didn't detract from my enjoyment of this exciting read. If you want a quick short read with a delicious twist, then look no further. A QUIET WIFE is an addictive fast paced thriller that you will easily devour in less than 90 minutes. 

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Sarah A. Denzil is a suspense writer hailing from Derbyshire in England, an author who has also previously gone under the name of Sarah Dalton writing Young Adult fiction and speculative fiction primarily for teenagers. Now focusing primarily suspense and mystery, she is adept at creating a tone of foreboding and intrigue, something which has managed to garner her acclaim from far and wide in a relatively short amount of time. Knowing and understanding her genres well, she has become a master of marketing, as well as being a highly gifted writer and contemporary author, as she builds her name and brand on a worldwide scale.

As a bestselling author of psychological suspense novels, Sarah's books include number one bestseller Silent Child, which was a Goodreads Choice semi-finalist in 2017. Her books have been published in several different languages and have appeared on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list.

Sarah lives in Yorkshire with her husband and cat, enjoying the scenic countryside and rather unpredictable weather. She loves to write moody, psychological fiction with plenty of twists and turns.

For cat pictures and book news follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Social Media links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads

REVIEW: The Liar's Sister by Sarah A. Denzil (ARC)

The Liar's Sister by Sarah A. Denzil

Genre: Psychological thriller, domestic thriller

Read: 30th September 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 25th September 2019)

★★★★ 4 stars

Having thoroughly enjoyed both "The Silent Child" and "Only Daughter", I of course had high hopes for THE LIAR'S SISTER. I was not disappointed. Sarah Denzil has the ability to draw you into an isolated existence where there is just you and the handful of characters with all their secrets and lies unraveling before you. It's chilling and yet it's completely riveting.

Ten years ago, local boy Samuel Murray went missing in the small Yorkshire village of Blackthorpe, never to be seen again. On the night Samuel disappeared, 16 year old Heather awoke to her 17 year old sister Rosie stealthily climbing in through their bedroom window, her clothes muddied and her appearance disheveled. Heather watched her sister through the thin cover of her bed sheets, never once letting on that she had seen.

The next morning Samuel's mother came over in tears to tell them that he was missing. Heather was shocked. Samuel was her friend; her best friend; her secret boyfriend...and now he was missing. But then as she was riding her pony through the woods...until a glint of something catches Heather's eye. Rosie's bracelet. Heather knew she'd been wearing it when she went to bed last night. Pocketing the bracelet, Heather made her way back home and quietly walked into their bedroom where Rosie sat on the bed with her headphones in. Rosie watched as Heather crossed to her sister's chest of drawers and without a word, placed the bracelet on top of the cabinet. Neither said a word.

But Heather always remembered that day, replaying it over and over in her mind and leaving her wondering - did Rosie have something to do with Samuel's disappearance? Did she kill him? After all that had happened, she wouldn't be surprised if she had. But the guilt continues to eat away at her and Heather wonders...is her sister a murderer?

Whatever took place that night changed their lives forever. Things were never the same between them again. They went off to university but the sisters drifted apart and Rosie spiraled into a world of addiction of alcohol and drugs. She only returned home when their grandfather died and then their father's funeral five years earlier. Now their mother is dying and is asking for Rosie but Heather isn't sure how to contact her. Her mobile has been disconnected and all she has is an old email address that Rosie never seemed to check with any kind of regularity. But she sends one off anyway and is surprised to receive a response almost immediately. Rosie is coming home.

But neither sister receive a warm welcome from villagers, and when their mother quietly passes shortly after Rosie's return, things take on a more sinister turn. They receive an unwelcome visit from the local police outlining that it might be best if they sold up and left the village. Their presence apparently was distressing the Murrays given the history between their families. But then they receive a threatening note and someone breaks into their house, steals a few items as well as their father's shotgun with which he used to kill himself five years before. Why would their mother even keep that??

The atmosphere in the village is no different. All eyes are on the sisters as everyone seems to pass judgement on them and their presence there. But Heather cannot escape the past. Her memories of what she saw, what she suspected, what she feels - all of it is tied to Samuel's disappearance. Heather knows she must find out what really happened to him, and she believes Rosie holds the key. But how to unlock her sister's resistance is another matter. Rosie appears reluctant to give up her secrets. But Heather needs to know.

However...it appears someone else in the village may not want Heather to uncover the truth. Someone is following her, stalking her, frightening her. Is it Rosie? Or is it someone else? Can she trust her sister?

There are so many secrets and lies buried in the past that when the shocking revelations start to surface, they just don't stop. The tension builds to a point that everything just explodes and enigma of families, betrayal, incest, murder, suicide, abuse and grief are just the tip of the deceptive iceberg that eventually crumbles under the weight of all its secrets and lies.

While some aspects of the mystery may seem obvious, there were a few reveals that even I didn't see coming that just blew me away. The final chapter, which I think would have best been titled as "Epilogue" was an appropriate end to the story...and while it was obvious that it had played a part of that night, all those secrets were finally unveiled within those final pages.

Told in dual timelines between Heather and Rosie, THE LIAR'S SISTER unveils its secrets at an even pace as we progress to the present day, with the revealing chapters dipping back ten years near the end to expose what really happened. The final chapter from a surprising perspective uncovers the remaining truth that will leave you breathless.

Overflowing with secrets and lies, THE LIAR'S SISTER is well plotted and moves at a good pace to keep the reader engaged. With each chapter delivering new revelations, this compelling read will have you so intrigued as its end that you will not be able to put it down until the final pages.

THE LIAR'S SISTER is a heart-pounding twisted psychological thriller that will have you devouring every word on every page until the very end. I have no hesitation in recommending it to fans of this genre - both domestic and psychological thrillers.

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

REVIEW: Only Daughter by Sarah A. Denzil (ARC)

Only Daughter by Sarah A. Denzil

Genre: Psychological thriller

Read: 5th March 2019

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

(release date: 13th March 2019)

★★★★ 4 stars

When you've been told you are a sociopath who cannot feel love, empathy or remorse, what do you do with all of your overwhelming emotions when your daughter is dead? Or worse, when you are told she committed suicide?

Kat Cavanaugh is a woman with a past. She is a woman with many secrets. But she put all that behind her when her daughter Grace was born and she vowed to be a better person for her. And Kat found herself with an emotion she didn't think she was capable of - love.

Having grown up on a council estate, Katie Flack was no stranger to police as a teenager. She regularly got into "scraps" with others, always fighting, shoplifting and running with a bad crowd. Of course it didn't help that she had a mother who constantly belittled her and told her everything that happened to her was her own doing. Until one day, something happened to change Katie's life forever. She took a life. And from then on the events, and the people, surrounding that time in her past haunted her. So Katie ran. Rain from her past, from the estate and from her mother who to this day calls her a murderer. After all, the child psychologists diagnosed her with Antisocial Personality Disorder. She's a sociopath. How can a 13 year old child come back from that?

But then Katie meets Charles whilst waistressing for an event and she becomes Kat. He makes her feel special. But is she really? Can she really escape her past and move on to a better future? Or has what she's done, where she's come from, shaped who she is today?

Then there's Grace. Beautiful, sweet Grace. With honey blonde hair and infectious laugh. The light of Kat's life. Grace, who had it all. A wealthy family with a beautiful mansion, parents who love her unconditionally, a prestigious school where she is popular and an accomplished violinist in the school orchestra. So why would she want to kill herself?

Kat refuses to believe that her sweet Grace would do such a thing. Grace knew how much she was loved. She could come to her about anything. But she wouldn't do this!

So unable to accept the coroner's findings, nor that the police investigated thoroughly enough, Kat decides to draw on that inner Katie Flack from her past and take matters into her own hands. She would seek out the truth. She would show everyone that they were wrong. She would find who killed her daughter. But in doing so Kat soon discovers that Grace wasn't the perfect daughter or the perfect person she thought she was. Grace, it seems, was as adept at keeping secrets as her mother. And the more Kat delves into Grace's life, the more she begins to wonder - was Grace like her?

ONLY DAUGHTER is a compelling, dark and twisted journey through the eyes of a mother who has lost her child, refusing to believe that she took her own life. I wouldn't say it was fast paced, because at the beginning I did find it a little slow - going through the motions of grief, the funeral and the confusion that seemed to be Kat's mind. But when it start to pick up the reader begins a rollercoaster ride as Kat uncovers the secrets of Grace's life. And as we begin to gain a little insight into Kat's own secrets.

The Prologue really gets you in and has you hooked from the beginning, as throughout the entire journey you find yourself question who are "they"? It is obvious that this opening is through Grace's eyes. And it throws up all sorts of questions we find ourselves asking as we keep turning the pages long after she's dead.

There are a lot of twists throughout ONLY DAUGHTER and several shocks. I admit I had no idea what happened to Grace or why, and even when I thought I did, something else would happen to change my mind. I can't even begin to tell you how this book messes with your head as you take the dark journey with Kat and the darkness that is her mind. How can years of therapy be a success if this is how she is playing it?

As the author takes you an on emotional journey of a mother desperate to find out the truth about her daughter's death, I have to say I did not completely warm up to Kat. She came across cold and unfeeling at times, but then I remind myself she was diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder and would not be a person someone would naturally warm to. Throughout the book, Kat constantly reiterates her sociopathy. She even questions her therapist of her ability to love. And yet, she loved her daughter with every fibre of her being. But sociopaths cannot love, surely?

ONLY DAUGHTER is a book that will grab you by the throat and squeeze the life out of you as it takes your breath away. The big reveal towards the end brought it all into focus as everything began to make sense. And just when you thought it was over...it wasn't. The ending that changed places was appropriate, I thought. And it leaves you wondering - is Kat a sociopath at all?

I really do recommend this book. It may seem slow and a little depressing at first - especially if you can't warm to Kat - but it will surprise and shock you in the end. It is a very good read, despite its start and sometimes unlikeable lead. It takes you to some dark places you never thought you would go but the journey is worth it in the end.

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

REVIEW: Silent Child by Sarah A. Denzil

Silent Child by Sarah A. Denzil

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Read: 6th July 2018

Goodreads

Purchase: Amazon

★★★★★ 5 stars

SILENT CHILD is a dark, gripping and rather an original novel about a subject which is just as dark and harrowing. The disappearance of a child is harrowing; the murder of a child is harrowing; the kidnap and systematic abuse of a child is a dark place many do not want to go. But this book isn't about that. It's about a little boy's disappearance and subsequent reappearance ten years later, and his mother's heartbreaking story of coming to terms with it and then having her life turned upside down again.

Emma was a young mother of 18 when she gave birth to Aiden. Six years later, during one of the worst floods in a hundred years, Aiden vanishes from school, feared drowned in the gushing river Ouse. The only thing found was his red coat and Aiden was presumed dead. Emma was consumed with grief, especially after the sudden death of her parents in a car crash. Seven years after, Emma had him legally declared dead. She moved on, got married and was pregnant with her second child. She is at peace. Then the unthinkable happened...

Ten years after his disappearance, Aiden was discovered wandering in a daze near the forest wearing only pants. He was taken to the hospital, DNA tests run and a match returned the result that he was Aiden. But something's wrong. Aiden is silent. He won't speak. He won't respond to anything or anyone. Just stares unseeingly at a TV screen or at nothing. Yet his body tells the story of abuse. Her life now turned upside down three weeks before her baby is due, Emma tries to reconnect with her teenage son but is met with blank stares and flinched at being touched. Together with Aiden's father Rob, Emma's husband Jake, Rob's parents Peter and Sonja, and Emma's best friend Josie, Emma tries to make sense of what has happened to her son in his missing years and if he would ever be able to tell her.

This book opens with Emma reliving Aiden's disappearance and as the story unfolds it is narrated by a grief-stricken Emma, grieving for the son she lost and the missing years she lost when he returns. The journey she takes us on is a painful one - from reliving the pain of his disappearance, the heartbreak at losing her parents, the emptiness of her life that becomes a living breathing nightmare she endures every day...until she decides she no longer can. It was her husband Jake who saved her from rock bottom and gave her life meaning again.

SILENT CHILD is a dark, unsettling but wild ride. It is fast paced and thrilling, and keeps you guessing just which way the story will unfold. Who could you trust? Who told the truth? Who lied? Whose lives were just a mask hiding who they really were? It had me second guessing everyone! At one point I even suspected something was amiss with her best friend when Emma couldn't get her on the phone...and I began to suspect Josie. Amidst all the red herrings, twists and turns only two people I completely trusted not to be behind it - Emma and Rob. But even that could have been a red herring as I have read some books where nothing is as it seemed and the "victim" was actually NOT! But throughout the unfolding of Emma's (and Aiden's) story, while I questioned everyone, one person stood out...even if just a little. And I kept coming back to that constant niggle that something wasn't right... I wasn't sure, but I felt that it made sense that this person had something to do with Aiden's disappearance.

This book is written from Emma's perspective in the first person throughout, though one chapter near the end is from Aiden's, which was poignant. To finally hear his voice and to hear his story was agonising.

While I did figure out who it was, I don't feel this book was predictable at all. Maybe in some ways as psychological thrillers do tend to follow a kind of silent narrative but it still had enough mystery and suspense to surprise and shock the reader. I read ALOT of psychological thrillers and I mean ALOT. But mostly they are just another book I read and enjoy in that moment...but this one is one that stays with you and haunts you.

What impressed really impressed me was to discover SILENT CHILD was a self published novel. This hauntingly harrowing story bypassed the usual avenues of publishing and Sarah Denzil did it all herself. Well done. This was the first book I have read by this author and I doubt it will be my last.

A dark, disturbing yet brilliant psychological thriller. A must for fans of this genre!