An excellent psychological thriller that will keep the reader guessing til the end. A story about a predator grooming schoolgirls and the damage caused decades later. Multiple complex twists, interesting and flawed characters this novel is topical and dark. CL Taylor is a fine crime writer and I look forward to reading her next novel.

I’m not sure if C. L. Taylor’s debut thriller was the first thriller that I read, but it was definitely the first one that I reviewed and got me addicted to the genre, so it’s fair to say that her books are always on my my most anticipated lists. This one sounded her most interesting yet, so I dived straight in.

The book is creepy and thought provoking at times, certainly more than I expected. The writing is easy to read and captivating. I barely put it down, throwing caution to the wind with regards to finishing my book club book that month.I found myself holding my breath at times with anticipation. Nothing coulee stop me in my eagerness to finish.
The book is told from 3 people’s viewpoints, something I love. All 3 voices are unique, but there are some eerie similarities when reading Lou’s diaries when she ran away with Mike, and Chloe, who’s currently seeing Mike.

The middle of this book certainly didn’t go how I thought it would. I probably wouldn’t have guessed it in a million year (maybe why I’m not an author). It also put my mind in a slight thoughtful mode, and that was because of Mike. At times he seemed repentant and humble in a way, not in the age/grooming part of things necessarily, but he seemed to show some regret and, ignoring the Chloe situation, it was in the back of my mind, was this genuine?
Then Chloe comes back into the forefront of my mind making me suspicious and disliking of Mike all over again, that and Lou’s diaries and I found myself pretty sickened.

Lou was an interesting character. She was quite reserved and guarded as an adult, understandably. However she clearly cared a great deal about Chloe, or at least making sure Mike didn’t prey on any other under age girls. While I was surprised at the turn of events, it also took me by surprise when we found out the strength, resolve and resourcefulness of Lou. I doubt I would have held myself together as Lou did.

Chloe was, clearly to the outsider, blinded by infatuation and loving the attention she gets, okaying perfectly into Mike’s hands who preyed on her low self-esteem. As I mentioned earlier, it drew parallels to Lou’s teenage diaries, and that was creepy as anything.

Wendy was a wonderful character. I went through a range of emotions with her, but she was so much fun to read. Completely different to Lou and Chloe and I loved that contrasting, almost wicked at times, voice.

Another outstanding read from C. L. Taylor. She had me frantically reading this book, absorbing each page as quickly but as thoroughly as I could as I NEEDED to know how everything would pan out. Was the ending everything I had hoped for? Yes and spine-tinglingly better than I could ever have imagined.

Totally gripped from the start of this book which sensitively covers grooming and paedophelia. Lots of twists and unexpected turns throughout!

If you haven't read "The Fear" you have to do it asap. I loved everything in this story. In the beginning I wasn't sure whom to believe and I couldn't figure out who Wendy was. But I plowed through the book, wanting to know what was true and what's a lie. See, Mike sounds very convincing and Lou....not so much. And Wendy seems to be guilty, but of what? I couldn't figure it out and I like that in a book. And then comes the ending and now I know for sure. There is a liar, and the lie is a really big one nobody saw coming. Highly recommended! I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK!

Disturbing but engrossing story of evil for both good and evil's sake and the guilt of the victim looking to clear their conscience. Must read story.

Back of the book : 
When Lou Wandsworth ran away to France with her teacher Mike Hughes, she thought he was the love of her life. But Mike wasn't what he seemed and he left her life in pieces.
Now 32, Lou discovers that Mike is involved with teenager Chloe Meadows. Determined to make sure history doesn't repeat it's self, she returns home to confront him for the damage he's caused.
But Mike is a predator of the worst kind, and as Lou tries to bring him to justice, its clear that she could once again become his prey ...
What I think :
When Lou was just fourteen she fell in love and had an affair with her karate teacher, Mike Hughes. They ran away to France together, She thought that he loved her and was The One. But she was wrong, He all but ruined her life.
Lou is now an adult, she moved away to London from her home town in Malvern. She's getting on with her life, she has a job and even quite possibly a boyfriend (well maybe not) So yes she's definitely getting on with life.
Sadly she recently lost her father, so she's going home to get all his affairs in order. She's even got a new job !
Lou knows in order to get over what Mike did to her all those  years ago she going to have to confront him. She has found out where he lives and where he works. When she visits his place of work she has a shock, before she can confront him she see's him with someone and that someone turns out to be a teenager who is fourteen.  Mike hasn't changed. Mike is a pedophile. It's in that moment that Lou knows that she must do something.
But its very hard to get people to listen, and the police don't seem to what to know either.
And Just who is Wendy .. ?
Why does she think that Lou is responsible for her life changing .. ?
This story is fabulous !!
Its written from the perspective of the three main characters, Lou, Chloe and Wendy. They each tell their own story and how they are all Involved with Mike. And how they  are all intwined together through him.
Cally, as usual has covered some really difficult subjects and really does write about it quite brilliantly. Its really is another excellent twisty thriller that is made all the more real by the fact that the subject matter is something that is happening right now.
I really did enjoy this marvellous page-turner, I was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole book. It could quite possibly be her best book yet !
I give this nail-bitingly brilliant read 10/10
Published on 22/03/18 by Avon Books.
A huge Thankyou to Sabah Khan at Avon for the review copy of the book.
(Also Thankyou to Netglley for the Digital copy.

I found this book to be rather slow in the beginning. In fact I put it to one side and read another book seeing if that would help, it didn’t. unfortunately it wasn’t a great read for me, the synopsis had me thinking that it would deliver more at a faster pace. It was a little bit disappointing. It was okay

When Lou Wandsworth inherits her dad’s house after his death, she must go back and face her past. One part in particular, Mike Hughes, the man she thought she was in love with when she was as a teenager. Determined to confront him she finds out that he’s moved on to another girl, Chloe.

Lou wants to stop this monster from harming Chloe and making a mess of her life like Mike did to her.
This was one of these rare books that once I started reading, the world could have ended and I wouldn’t have noticed. I’m genuinely kicking myself that I have never read one of C.L Taylor’s novels before.

The book is told from three perspectives, Lou, Mike’s former victim, Chloe, his current victim and Wendy, a woman seemingly obsessed with Lou. I’m not going to spoil it for you but when you find out who Wendy is, it just makes the story even better!

I felt so sorry for both Lou and Chloe, I genuinely just wanted to give them both a hug. They’re backgrounds are so similar, uncaring dad, ignored by mum, yet they come across as fully rounded individual characters. It also shows just how easily a predator like Mike can get into their heads and convince them to do things they never would. I am now keeping a closer eye on my teenage son!

Overall a psychological thriller that will haunt you after you’ve read it.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got such a terrible book hangover...

Hoo boy! Is this a humdinger or what?!

When Lou Wandsworth was fourteen years old, she found herself involved with her much older karate teacher, Mike. On what was supposed to be a romantic trip to France, she is rescued and Mike is sent to prison. Lou and her mother left the village they lived in for London and never came back. But now Lou's father has passed away and Lou needs to clear out his house so it can be sold. With her life in pieces, she decides maybe the time has come to confront Mike, whom she blames for all the disastrous relationships she's had. But then she discovers, Mike hasn't changed at all and firmly has his sights set on yet another young teenager, Chloe.

The story is told through the eyes of Chloe, the now thirty-two year old Lou and a woman called Wendy Harrison, whose part in the story isn't immediately clear though, I felt, rather easy to guess at. The Fear is very much a character-driven psychological suspense story. These three characters are all incredibly flawed and damaged in their own way and while not necessary likeable, they do evoke a level of sympathy. While this may not be a fast-paced plot, I found watching the characters develop and change throughout the story extremely compelling and fascinating.

At almost 400 pages, this isn't exactly a quickie read and yet I devoured it in one sitting, flipping the pages faster and faster as I got closer to the staggering conclusion. There's a constant threatening vibe and some parts make for some incredibly uncomfortable reading, especially where Lou's past is concerned. But wow, could it possibly have been any more riveting?! I think not. The Fear held my attention throughout, had me completely captivated and I just couldn't put it down.

I've arrived rather late, though still fashionably I'm sure, to the C.L. Taylor party and this is only the third book I've read by her but it's most definitely my favourite so far. Some day, I will hopefully have the time to catch up on her older work but for now, I will eagerly await her next offering.

A very well written book that pulls you in from the very first page and compels you to keep reading. It has twists and turns to keep you guessing and an ending that will shock you. This story manages to cover many issues, from family problems and young love to kidnap, abuse and murder. A must read for lovers of psychological thrillers.

Another five star read from C L Taylor. She just keeps getting better and better.
This excellent book is too good to miss

You know, it rarely happens that a book makes me uncomfortable when I read it, but this was one of those that did. It just... I didn't like that. It was weird. This book gives you a look see at how the victims of a paedophile feel about him and what is happening to them, and it makes me both sick and mad. Ugh.

Now let me get straight into the book - the story flips between Lou's present and her past, so you get a look at her as she is now, scarred and emotionally broken, and then to the past, when she was kidnapped and groomed by a paedophile of note. Ugh. My stomach rolled reading about how she was so in love with him and how he understood her and loved her like nobody else, and to read how he preyed on her was absolutely horrifying.

I think with that being said, there will be triggers for some people, that's for sure. I was both frustrated and disgusted reading this, and intrigued in other places (not the parts about the feelings of the victims that were preyed on, but the aftermath, and then there is the odd section featuring Wendy). I thought that it the story actually comes together quite well, and while making you queasy, keeps you interested enough to continue and see what happens.

There were so many unsavoury characters peppered throughout this book, but there were also some really nice ones, so the balance struck is decent. I don't foresee myself rushing out to reread The Fear, and it is not necessarily a book that would be easy to recommend, but it isn't a terrible read, but also didn't strike the highs I was hoping for.

5☆ Utterly Fantastic.... A Must Read!

The Fear is absolutely brilliant. It's a perfectly paced Thriller that gave me chills.

Louise is back home after her Mum dies.
She is called home by her brother to help organise the funeral.

However Louise wants to be anywhere but home. You see Louise knows if she comes home she will unlock all her painful memories.

Louise was abused and groomed by her teacher Mike!
He went to prison for his crime. But Louise fears he is at it again! She is determined to stop him!

This story has many angles, twists and turns, secrets and lies. It's creepy, incredible addictive, things are not always what they seem or who they seem, illicit affairs, revenge, grooming, abuse.

This is not an easy read at times but it's utterly brilliant.
C.L Taylor weaves a fantastic story together that gets deep under your skin.

Highly recommend this gem of a book.
A Must read!

3 women become linked by one man. They hate each other. Michael likes young girls, He ran away to France with 14 year old Louise who is now in her late 20s, his ex-wife Wendy stabbed him and Chloe is 13 and know's he loves her. The story follows the 3 of them and how they are involved in Mike's life. A really good read although at times very unbelievable which can be a little annoying.

I love a good thriller and when it comes to books to put you on the edge C.L Taylor does just that. The Fear is her new book I've had the pleasure of reading and what a ride it was. If you have read any of her work before you'll know her books draw you in and keep you clenched in her fist till the very end!

The Fear is one of those books that covers a VERY delicate subject, grooming. What I enjoyed about this book is it wasn't told from the predator's side, nor from the law enforcement, but from the victim herself. This book is told from multiple points of view but focuses mainly three. I'm only going to talk about Lou for now as the others may give spoilers. Lou was groomed at the age of 13/14 and went to France with her instructor Mike who was in his 30s. It left her life a complete shambles and was something that she never got over. The story takes off from the get go, we hear about how Lou feels both in the past and present and what happened with Mike. The Fear is fast paced, I never got bored and each character I heard about I knew they were important to the story.

C.L Taylor has covered a sensitive subject with care and accuracy. I've read many books on darker subjects, I think this is my first grooming one. I will say at times I felt unnerved and uncomfortable, but it had more to do with the acceptance of the victims, that the predator had feelings etc for them and there wasn't anything wrong with the relationship.

The Fear was read over 2 sittings and I could not put it down. The ending was perfect, I loved that last chapter with Mabel! That really added a chill factor that I feel if it hadn't of been included wouldn't have hit the note as well for me. A solid 4.5 stars, I encourage you to read C.L Taylor's work if you haven't before and definitely give The Fear a try.

We first meet Lou when her current boyfriend Ben tries to surprise her with a romantic break away little knowing that the starting destination of their trip will bring to the fore painful memories for Lou and will bring to an end their relationship. After Lou decides to end things with Ben she also makes the decision to return home to Malvern to sort out her father's house, a place she's not been back to since she was 14 when everything in her life exploded, and also confront her past once and for all.

Alternating between 1989, with 14 year old Lou who is in love with a much older man, her Karate teacher Mike, and the present day set in 2007 when a 32 year old Lou finally returns home, we get glimpses into the life of Lou. Events from 1989 have left deeply routed scars on her and she's unable to form any sort of lasting friendship or relationship, as soon as anyone gets too close she runs away. From the outset it's clear that Lou is deeply troubled, but then is it any wonder considering what she's been through but she's not the only one whose life has been disrupted by everything that happened.

When Lou seeks Mike out the last thing Lou expects to see is for him to be up to his old tricks, it looks like another young girl is in danger to fall under his spell but Lou is determined to do whatever she can to protect Chloe from going through what she herself had been through as a 14 year old. But to Chloe she's just a strange weird woman, can she really get her to trust and believe her?

The story is narrated from three viewpoints, those of Lou, Chloe and a third woman Wendy. At first it's not clear who Wendy is that has a stalkerish obsession with Lou but it's not long before the clues start to fall into place. I have to admit that it was Wendy's narration was the one that I was drawn to most, then Lou's flashbacks to her time under Mike's spell in France in 1989. I could totally emphasise with Lou in the present day wanting to stop history repeating itself but her actions were totally irrational... understandable maybe but is justice really going to prevail that way.

The subject matter of an older man grooming a young girl makes for some disturbing, uncomfortable reading but sadly it's one that is all too prevalent in our society so I'm glad that C.L. Taylor did not shy away from exploring this. There is always someone out there willing to take advantage of vulnerable young girls or boys by reeling them in by showing them affection and then using their power to taking control or advantage of them. By the time most realise what is going on it's too late.

However the book wasn't without its faults as there were some major editing/research issues with mentions of things that were not available at the time of the timelines in the story. Instagram app being used in 2007 when it was't launched until 2010, PS4 games console being played in 2007 when it wasn't out until 2013 and Euro currency being used in 1989 when it wasn't introduced in France until 2002 to name just three examples and there were quite a few others I could have mentioned as well. If the present day storyline had been set in the current day then none of these would have been an issue, it almost feels like the timeline had been moved back 10 years but then the relevant references not changed accordingly. Whether that was the case or not I don't know.

The Fear is a chilling tale of revenge, one that will get under your skin as the complexities of the different relationships merge to a tense climax. At times I did feel that some of the drama being created was a bit too far fetched, especially regarding the Lou/Mike/Wendy situation towards the latter stages of the book, and a little unrealistic but then again who knows what we would do if we were in that position. That being said, I did love that the author did add in that one extra element of surprise in the final chapter!

The Fear is a superb example of suspense fiction at its finest. This compelling story had me going to bed earlier and earlier and reading my Kindle whilst waiting for the kettle to boil, on the bus stop, and first thing in the morning. I couldn’t get the story out of my head.
The premise is that Louise, a former victim of paedophile Mike Hughes, sees that he is up to his old ways again and tries to warn the girl he is grooming. There three sides to every story, and this one is told from three points of view, which works very well. Mike Hughes is the kind of villain that will give you nightmares. He is terrifyingly charming and his power over the girls he grooms is horribly credible, yet he is also unscrupulously and unpredictably violent.
There were twists and turns I didn’t see coming, threads of the story I couldn’t look away from, and shockingly vivid imagery. I found this book utterly gripping and read the whole thing in three days flat. I’m delighted to discover CL Taylor as she has already written five other books, which I shall be ordering straight away. Such a treat to discover a new favourite author. Thank you Net galley for the free Kindle copy. Opinions are my own.

CL Taylor is well-known for her psychological thrillers that force readers to face their fears face on and "The Fear" is no different. It is the story of grooming and it is an uncomfortable read as we watch the predatory figure of Mike Hughes use his position to prey on vulnerable teenage girls.

As usual the author has created a whole cast of brilliant characters who will get under your skin right from the very start! There are four main characters in the novel, Mike, Lou, Chloe and Wendy. The Fear is told from the point of view of the three women as each of their stories unfolds. It is right that Mike Hughes is not given "a voice" in this novel and that the power is taken away from him through the words of the women. It will come as no surprise that Mike Hughes made my skin crawl! Every little thing about him made feel physically sick. Watching him use his position to manipulate each of the women is sickening. Never gratuitous but chilling nonetheless.

I found Lou's character very realistic, the trauma of what happened to her as a teenager plays out across the pages and the very real impact of abuse was portrayed both realistically and sensitively. With Chloe, her vulnerability, shone out of her and my heart was breaking watching her fall under the spell of evil. We also hear from Wendy, at first we don't know who she is but it was fairly easy to work out. Her identity is revealed as the reason for her behaviour becomes apparent. I loved Wendy's character, the author wrote her to perfection. That internal conflict that had played out in her head over the years was both realistic and understanding. The Fear is a story of manipulation, power, control and revenge but as usual CL Taylor does this with her own unique twist, prodding and poking at your brain and leaving you reeling.

Perfectly paced, The Fear, is one of those books that you pick up and struggle to put back down again. Short, sharp but intense chapters compel you to read just one more, twists and turns throughout keep you engaged and your heart racing at a steady pace. An insightful exploration of grooming and dangerous power games, The Fear, is a fearsome read that you do not want to miss! (Review also up on my blog chapterinmylife

Another corker of a thriller from CL Taylor! I could not put this book down. The difficult subject of grooming and paedophilia is handled sensitively. Absolutely gripped from start to finish!

Lou was 14 when she fell in love with a much older man. The story tells of how Lou finds out years later that her former boyfriend is up to his old tricks. I found the book quite disturbing in parts but having said that it was enjoyable to read.