What an amazing thriller this had so many twists and turns I felt like I was on a rollercoaster and I love a good plot twist fantastic

This was a brilliant read. As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. Highly recommended

Truly breathtaking, exciting pace and unexpected turns. I have become a huge fan and can't wait to read more!

It's been a long while since I have read a CL Taylor so I was looking forward to getting stuck into something new. This subject matter may be a little too much for people as it involves child grooming (just a warning) but it was written extremely well. Lou Wandsworth is our main character and we meet her in the midst of a 'surprise' from her new boyfriend. Sadly that surprise triggers her emotions and she snaps! It appears that Lou's old school teacher Mike had groomed her and she had been suffering with the consequences of that ever since. When she has to return to her old town and realises he lives there it sends her mind into overdrive. In addition when she considers confronting him she soon becomes aware that a he hasn't changed and another girl is in danger.

Chloe Meadows is Mike's intended next target and Lou makes it her mission to help her. There were many elements to this story and it made for incredibly engaging reading. There were times I felt I wasn't reading quickly enough and I needed to know what happened. Plenty of tense and dramatic events which kept me page turning into the early hours. This book was definitely an emotional and at times dark book to read but utterly enthralling. Another great book by this author I thoroughly enjoy!

. Great book! very well written. Interesting story. It was easy to read and it kept me intriged till the end. I was hooked by the end of first chapter like characters great read

Having read a couple of books by his author already, I found it rather enjoyable, it kept me gripped and hooked from page one.

I have always enjoyed Taylor's books, and this one is no exception. As others have said, so this is not a spoiler, this one touches on the subject of paedophilia and child grooming, as well as murder and kidnap. It is not an easy read, but it is a compelling one. It is difficult not to feel sympathy for Lou as she we learn what happened to her, and fear for Chloe as it becomes clear she faces the same fate. Indeed, when Lou takes action, I found myself rooting for her and worried when events seem to take a turn. The only reason I haven't given this 5 stars, is there seemed to be a mistake running throughout the book. The plot relies heavily on the use of smart phones, and apps including snap chat. Yet it is set in the early 2000s, These apps did not exist then. It's a small, and petty, point, but the reason for the year it was set in is because it had to be a certain amount of time after a law relating to child grooming was passed. It seems a lot of research went into that, and yet didn't go into ascertaining whether social media apps existed then. To a degree, it ruined my enjoyment of the book, and is one of the main things I remember about it. However, if you're not as petty as me, and it won't ruin the book for you, I'd definitely recommend it. It's a book that will stay with you a long time

This read was superb. Reminded me of a real-life crime case in the UK a few years back and was just as dread-filled and dramatic. I loved the suspenseful writing style and will be reading more from C.L. Taylor.

This is my second book I have read by C.L. Taylor and I like it more then the first.

This starts with 14 year old Louise who has been groomed by an older man and have gone to France. But it isn't long before Lou realises her mistake.

18 years later and Louise dad has died, so she has to go back to her old house and town to sort his house out. But she see's Mike trying to groom another young girl.

It all goes a bit wrong and Lou ends up over her head in things has she confronts Mike and ends up locking him in a cage in her dad's old barn.I

When Mike doesn't turn up for work his employer alerts the police to his disappearance. But while all this is going on, Mike's ex-wife has tracked down Lou and wants to confront her about what happened between her and Mike all them years ago.

This book was a brilliant read and I loved how the author told the story from Lou's, Wendy's and Chloe's perspectives. The ending was really good and the very last bit was stunningly brilliant!

4.5/5 stars.

Having just watched a true life documentary about this subject, I found it interesting how the villain seemed to justify their behaviour by using the same excuses that I heard play out in real life - was also interesting to see it from the various people's viewpoints...

An interesting concept that was well written. I enjoyed this book - would read more by this author in the future.

I have loved Cally's books from the beginning, and once again she doesn't disappoint.
The book read difficult for me in the beginning, as I had to keep track of the characters, and the jumping between the present and the past. But as soon I got use to it, I just loved the way you could experience a character's life and experiences both present and past. I don't like the way it ended - I have to know what happens next !! (no spoilers). Highly recommended!!

I gave this an 8/10 or 4 star.

What is there to Fear, but Fear itself? Is it real fear or is it imagined fear. To Lou Wandsworth at times it's both. She has memories of a traumatic time in her past that she had come to terms with, until she finds out that someone might be up to their old tricks again.

As her past begins to catch up with her future, Lou is adamant that she wants no one to go through what she did if she can help it. Mike Hughes was an ex Martial Arts coach, that knew how to grab the attention of those in his care that needed it. He befriended family and insinuated his way into their lives without them realising what was happening.

The Fear deals with the slightly taboo subject of underage grooming and the repercussions that it can have on all involved, both victim and perpetrator.

This is the first book that I've read by this Author and it won't be the last, I found it well written and a great page turner. Told in reasonably small chapters that build the tension slowly, it seamlessly tells the past and present side by side.

Sometimes your first love won’t let you go…

Lou Wandsworth is used to being headline news as, aged fourteen, she ran away to France with her 31-year-old teacher, Mike Hughes.

Now 32, Lou’s life is in tatters – and she resolves to return home to confront Mike for the damage he has caused. But she soon finds that Mike is unchanged, and is focussing his attention on 13-year-old Chloe Meadows.

Determined to make sure that history doesn’t repeat itself, Lou decides to take matters into her own hands. But Mike is a predator of the worst kind, and as she tries to bring him to justice, it’s clear that Lou could once again become his prey…

About the author:

C.L. Taylor lives in Bristol with her partner and son. She started writing fiction in 2005 and her short stories have won several awards and have been published by a variety of literary and women’s magazines.

In 2014, The Bookseller named C.L. Taylor as one of the year’s Bestselling Adult Fiction Debut Authors forThe Accident. The Lie and The Missing were Sunday Times top 10 bestsellers in paperback, and both books hit the #1 spot on the Kindle bestseller list. She has sold 1 million books to date.

My Thoughts:

I am a massive fan of psychological thrillers and CL Taylor’s books always have me on the edge of my seat, so I was especially excited to read The Fear.

And what can I say except wow! CL Taylor is back with a bang and he mother of all plots.

We meet Lou a young woman, haunted by her past. As a teenager she was groomed by her teacher, Mike, and ran away with him. Now as an adult, Lou is determined to stop Mike from striking again and ruining the life of another young girl.

The Fear was a book which literally got under my skin from page one. While quite different from CL Taylor’s previous books, I feel this takes an already incredible author to new heights.

This is a very complex and difficult story but one I felt Taylor tackled well. The story builds nicely and I loved uncovering different a parts of the story as we see back to Lou’s past. The descriptions of Mike and their relationship really made the novel take on a whole other dimension. It was real, it was shocking and had me on the edge of my seat.

I loved the complexity of the characters and their personalities. The story being told from the different narratives really added to the Depths of the plot and really brought the characters alive. The more I uncovered about Lou’s past and her relationship with Mike, the more shocked I became.

The Fear is a truly heart in the mouth book, it is thrilling from start to finish. I literally couldn’t get enough, I was desperate to learn more about each of the characters and to find out how Lou would get her life back. This is one of those rare overs which will stay with me. It is beautifully thought out and the story is told in such a descriptive and compelling way, that as a reDer I just couldn’t put it down.

Well done CL Taylor, this is a reaL masterpiece!

And so you can see what it’s all about, included is an extract 🙂 enjoy!

This is the second of the authors books I have read and enjoyed. A great read with a brilliant ending.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy.

Really enjoyed this as I have all her other books. Good storyline and characters you can actually associate with, can’t wait for the next one! Loved the ending too 😊

The Fear was yet another fab book by C L Taylor.
A great sight into grooming and how predators like this work.
I was hooked from the first few pages and loved it.

I've read several of this author's books but sadly this one just didn't grab me like the others. Sorry just not for me this one.

This is the second novel by C.L. Taylor that I have read. And I am so glad to have had an ARC of this book! Even though, I wasn't completely blown away by it (the way it happened when I read "The Escape"), I still really enjoyed reading it. It was everything you might expect from a good suspense novel. It was chilling, suspenseful and kept me at the edge of my seat most of the time. Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGally for an ARC of this book.

When Lou was a schoolgirl she ran away with her martial arts instructor Mike, a man old enough to be her father. She thought she loved him and that he loved her.....but she learns some hard lessons early and realising his true colours leaves her devastated. Now in her thirties, she learns another girl has fallen into his clutches. He's now grooming another girl, Chloe, who at 13 is even younger than she was. Lou is determined to stop him. But history is repeating itself in more ways than one as Lou makes the same mistakes again in underestimating just how dangerous Mike is...

It feels as if CL Taylor it's almost stalwart of this genre so it is surprising to realise that this is only her fifth book. Somehow when you pick up one of her books it's like settling down with an old favourite. You kind of know what you're going to get - great psychological thriller that's almost impossible to put down. Are there cleverer books out there with more twists and turns and trickery afoot - almost certainly but it doesn't matter. Imagine a literary MSG. CL Taylor has found that ingredient that will make us want to devour her seriously addictive books. Are there books that are more worthy and wordier? Of course but who cares? This just so darned enjoyable. So to hell with those books - I just want my CL Taylor fix. Here's to looking forward to number 6