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Libby Hall and her husband Jamie are offered a house swap. As they had been through the recent traumas of both a miscarriage and Libby escaping from a fire at the school where she teaches it seemed an ideal opportunity to get away for a much needed break. Once at their holiday home in Cornwall, things seem to take a sinister turn with odd things happening which becomes unbearably frightening for Libby, who is already feeling extremely fragile. Who can she trust? This gripping story becomes increasingly traumatic and Libby often questions whether someone is out to get her or if it's all in her mind. I did not see the massive twist coming at all and it certainly made me turn the pages that bit quicker! This is a well thought out, original story and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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This is a real twister of a book. Karen and Elizabeth meet in Thailand. Both have been scarred by life and decide to stick together. All goes well for a while and then cracks develop in the relationship. After a fire Karen, thinking Beth is dead, starts a new life in England. Happily married, suddenly life begins to unravel in a disturbing way and at great speed.
The book twists and turns with new revelations on nearly every page and carries on right to the end.
I really enjoyed this book and had to keep reading to find out the outcome. You will not be disappointed.
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Wow I loved this, fast paced and full of twists and turns, just when you think you know what's happening it throws another surprise in, it focuses on Libby, a teacher and her husband who have just got married and sadly suffered a miscarriage, so when they get a leaflet through the door offering a house swap they jump at the chance but sometimes things are not as good as they seem, this really should be adapted for TV as I can imagine it would keep everyone on the edge of their seats.
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Really good book. Don't think it's all over til the very last page. Libby escapes an unhappy childhood and goes backpacking in Thailand where she meets Karen. Returning to England she becomes a teacher and meets her husband. As the past comes back to haunt her, we slowly discover what happened in Thailand. Can Libby find happiness with her husband and does she deserve it?
Not a book to read when you have some spare time, but a book you make time to read.
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My review as posted on Goodreads:
This is a complex novel with so many different elements. It is the second by Claire Douglas which I have read.
It starts with a holiday house swap in Cornwall for Libby and Jamie, who go to stay at the 'Hideaway' on the Roseland Peninsula. This is owned by Tara and Philip, who go to stay in the basement flat in Bath owned by Libby and Jamie.
We soon learn that Libby teaches in a primary school, she has recently had a miscarriage. She is also a bit of a heroine, having recently saved several children from a fire at the primary school where she teaches.
We also learn that Libby and Jamie come from very different backgrounds. Some very weird things start to happen in Cornwall; taxidermist, food poisoning and a mystery photographer to name a few.
Then an arrest: Who and what for?
A jump in time and location to Libby's earlier life and her time in Thailand. This includes a fire in the hostel in which she and a friend are staying.
I must take care not to spoil the story. All I will say is that there are some bodies and that all the loose ends come together eventually. The final twist is worth waiting for. This book should appeal to those who like a psychological thriller which may become a modern classic.
I give my thanks go to Netgalley and Penguin UK for a copy of this book in exchange for this review.
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Libby and Jamie Hall are all set for a relaxing vacation in a mansion that Libby has arranged via a house swap for a week. When they first arrive, the house is huge, immaculate and gorgeous, but all is not as it seems...or is it? For Jamie, the house is the ideal place for the vacation and for Libby to heal from her recent health problems. But Libby has a sense that something is just not right. Maybe it is the appearance of the stranger in the garden or the caretaker who warns them to go away. When Jamie suddenly and mysteriously becomes ill, Libby is more than ready to return to Bath and her teaching position. But returning is easier said than done since someone has stolen Libby's identity and wiped out their account while they were in Cornwall. Who would do such a thing? There are a few hints given to the reader about Libby's past that is not pristine; nor is Jamie's. A body is found in the garden. A neighbor dies, And Jamie and Libby struggle in a relationship that is already on a rocky road, There are so many twists and turns and revelations in this brilliantly written novel that it is hard to cover them all in a review without giving away the plot, but suffice it to say that it well worth reading to find out whodunit and what was done and when. When I got through reading it (much later than my normal bedtime because I couldn't put it down), I said, "Whew! I never would have guessed that ending!" The author provides a roller coaster of a thrill ride that will leave you breathless and waiting for the next twist in the plot, My best guess is that you will love this book!
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This is a well-crafted, atmospheric book, with plenty of twists and turns, unreliable narrators, and clues that make sense right at the end. Then, just as all the loose ends were being tied up, there was a final surprise left. The ultimate ending did leave me wanting more, hence only 4 stars. It is difficult to discuss any of the characters without giving away the plot, so I would recommend anyone to read this without looking at any reviews.. One of my pet hates is reading group questions at the end, which this has! I had not read this author before but I will now investigate her other work.
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What starts as fairly straightforward becomes rapidly more intricate and complex. Great characters full of secrets ,a very good read.
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A gripping page turner that keeps you guessing throughout. Just when you think you know where the story is going there is another twist to throw you off - the great big unexpected twist was really brilliant! I normally like a book wrapped up, no unanswered questions, however this ending was really satisfying!
I read the synopsis which said "What is her husband hiding?" this stayed in my mind and I kept thinking there was more to Jamie's story - this helped maintain suspense yet at the same time was quite misleading, but I didn't mind as it really threw me off.
I'm definitely keen to read more of Claire's books, this was a great unexpected thriller.
Thanks to NetGalley, Penguin and Claire Douglas for my ARC.
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A good tale that keeps you guessing right through the book.
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Libby Hall and her husband Jamie have been having a hard time lately and when they receive an advert in the post for a house swap they jump at the chance to get away. Only instead of having a relaxing break and rekindling their relationship, strange things start to happen which jeperdises their marriage.
It appears that someone is out to seek revenge or make life difficult for Libby, she loses her job and gets arrested for her ‘husbands’ murder after a man is found dead in their garden. Who could be out to get her and what is she hiding from her secret past?
To start with I was really intrigued by this story and the strange things that were happening to Libby and her husband. However as the story unraveled I will a little disappointed with the way it was going and how it actually panned out. I felt bringing in another character who is the real Elizabeth Hall could have been stronger and more powerful. Libby has stolen a friend’s identity when she thought she had died in a hostel fire in Thailand and this friend comes back to seek revenge on her ten years later. I think the ending could have been stronger considering bringing in this character and it didn’t finish with the bang I was expecting after reading the first part of the story.
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Last Seen Alive
I devoured this book! Absolutely bloomin brilliant !!
A phycological thriller which is gripping, exciting and thrilling!
Jamie and Libby's first nine months of marriage haven't been easy, Libby has just been hailed a hero at the school she works as a teacher for saving children from a fire and Jamie is in the early stages after setting up a new company. Both are desperate for a break when a leaflet falls through their door from offering them a house swap. Mr Philip Haywood's daughter is in hospital and he and his wife Tara need to be close to her as she undergoes a lifesaving operation. It's just too good an opportunity for Jamie and Libby to miss, a gorgeous secluded house in Cornwall. It sounds idyllic! Mmmm maybe, maybe not. I don't want to say too much, but I will say read this book, you won't be disappointed.
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Another brilliant book. Scenery well described and characters interact well. Fore.im u sure the girls would so understanding and I love that there's a kind of karma at the end. Lots to discuss if you have a friend reading too with aome insightful questions suggested at the end
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Another cracking read, very difficult to put down, great plot line, great characters, I should really blame Claire for the state of my house, as always I pick up one of her books and everything else goes to pot, can't wait for the next one.
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Excellent read plot full of twists and turns. This book keeps you guessing and turning the pages springing surprises right to the end.
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An excellent read! Completely unpredictable to the very last page. I was absolutely taken in by all the little side paths Claire Douglas led me down, extremely well thought out and convincing, I'd recommend this to everyone!
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This is the second novel by Claire Douglas I've read, and her third published. It required proper concentration, especially in the later parts of the story, which I was happy to give. I recognised the effort put in to planning the work and enjoyed it all the more for it. To inhabit the world of Libby for a few days was at first a welcome distraction from the world, then a nightmare. It was scary, prescient, real. The plotting was masterful, the characters nicely drawn. At first one or two felt like caricatures but their motivation was revealed later. Claire Douglas knows how to do twists well, and she deploys them again and again as soon as the reader is settled from the previous one. I raced through the second half of the book in a night because I needed to know what happens! A page-turner for sure where even the clean-cut and the goody two-shoes have dark secrets. Where just a name that once comforted can chill...
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Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. It was absolutely brilliant, from start to finish it had me wondering what the outcome would be. It didn't disappoint me. It's one of those books that you could read a few times and not get bored with it. Brilliant storyline the characters where great too, I enjoyed reading it. I look forward to reading more from Claire Douglas.
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Thanks to Net Galley & Penguin UKfor an ARC of this book in exchange for a review . Wow what a read, psychological thriller, gripping story from beginning to end.. Claire Douglas has created a masterpiece.
Two girls meet while travelling in Thailand, there is a fire in the hostel they are staying in, it would seem only one girls survives the fire.
Several years later, Libby is now married to Jamie and once again Libby has escaped a fire and rescued the children in her care, the story makes the news, bringing attention Libby did not want.
They are offered a house swap to a Cornish Hideaway, seems like the perfect place for them to relax and pull together. It's very remote.
Libby feels they are being watched and followed, is she imagining things? what is Jamie hiding from her?
The story picks up pace as secret after secret and lie after lie is discovered. Has Libby also got secrets?
Lots of twists to this story and right at the end yet another. Can't praise this book enough - brilliant.
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thanks for netgalley for the advanced copy. This was the first book I have read by Claire Douglas and I loved it. They was so many twists and it kept me guessing and trying to figure it out right till the end. perfect for girl on the train fans. I will definitely now be checking out this author's other books and future releases.