A complete deviation from my normal genre. An intriguing and complicated plot, with a great ending. Thoroughly recommended.

A compelling read. I loved it. I could not stop reading this book. CL Taylor just gets better with every book.

A timely storyline.about a predatory male who has got away with his crimes for far too long. Mike may have been jailed when he was caught in France with an underage student, but that hasn't put a stopto his disgusting ways. So when his original victim, now all grown up returns home to find him grooming 13-year-old Chloe she knows she has to put a stop to it. And when the police won't help, well it's clear she'll have to take things into her own hands. A fabulously pacey read with a sting in the ending.

This is a gripping psychological thriller that gets nicely under the skin and is full of tension throughout. It features Lou Wandsworth, a young woman whose ability to lead a normal life is thwarted by the grooming and abduction she experienced as a 14 year old girl. At the time she didn’t realise she was being groomed. Being a vulnerable misfit, she thought she had met someone that understood and loved her. It was only when she became trapped in a hotel room and that it became apparent they were clearly on the run did the true extent of the situation she been landed in come to realisation.

Now 32, upon finding out that another young girl is being groomed, she cannot allow this to happen again and so she begins to intervene whilst trying to keep a low profile. However when Mike (her abductor) finds out she is out to expose him, and his ex-wife also finds out Lou is on the scene, events take twist after unexpected twist, which is both mesmerising, nail biting and horrifying in equal measure.

Taylor takes a fresh approach to this subject matter in her usual no holds bar rendition on events. It moves quickly amidst tangible danger and keeps you on your toes throughout. Lou is likeable, although you do want to scream at her for some of her poor decisions that put her at greater risk. But those decisions don’t half make for tense, chilling and utterly gripping situations. One that is pleasingly hard to put down. Crime readers should thoroughly enjoy and fans of Taylor will not be disappointed

When Lou is 14 she runs away to France with her karate teacher, Mike, the man she thought was the love of her life. Things take a horrible turn and she spends the next decade trying to move on. When she has to return to her home town she realises Mike is grooming another young girl and Lou has to try and stop him.

I really enjoyed the fast pace of this book, seeing through flashbacks what happened in France, intertwined with what was happening currently really helped you get an idea of how different people can be affected by events in the past.

The end few paragraphs made me go “ooooooooh” even though you thought it was all resolved by that point!

I love C.L books, every single one of them. This one did not disappoint. I tried more than once to guess what was going to happen on the next page. I got it wrong, every time. It only took me two days to furnish this book, it was absolutely fantastic, as always!

An excellent book, covering a sensitive topic. Gritty and captivating. I thoroughly recommend this book.

A complicated story, but compelling reading. I couldn't put this book down.

Strangely enough, both books I’m reviewing this weekend have a similar issue at their hearts. Both feature the grooming of schoolgirls by men in positions of trust but both have very different (but just as thrilling!) outcomes!! The Fear builds upon the idea of revenge by a past victim as a way of saving the child he currently has his sights set on. But what if that girl doesn’t believe she’s in danger and what if there’s someone else out there watching and waiting to dish out their own idea of justice? The Fear explores the reactions of three different characters affected by the actions of Mark Hughes, leading to some extreme acts of violence and vigilantism.

The main theme threading its way through the plot line of The Fear is that of revenge. But can revenge be justified if it actually saves someone in danger? Lou has lived with the horror of what happened to her as a teenager for over 18 years but it doesn’t take much for the terrifying memories to return. When she returns to her fathers house after he dies she starts to stalk Mikes home and place of work where she realises he hasn’t changed. His relationship with 13 year old Chloe spurs her on to report him to the police but Mike is a clever predator so Lou decides to take matters into her own hands. Those scenes were very tough for me to read. They were filled with some very raw emotions and the palpable fear and tension between Lou and Mike was positively electric! And as the book continued to twist and turn towards its shocking conclusion my heart was hammering in my chest and my fingers whipped through those pages as quickly as I could.

I’ve been a fan of C.L. Taylor since her debut and every book she delivers seems to get better than the last. I loved the differing perspectives here of the women and children who’s lives had been touched by the perverted actions of one man. As a parent who knows how fantastic it is to have the wonders of the internet and smart phones in our world, it’s scary how easy this technology makes the grooming of our young people. Young girls especially don’t even realise that what is happening to is wrong and it’s not until they look back with the experience and knowledge of an adult that they realise how they were exploited. So it was an intriguing idea to create a character like Lou who’s emotions we were able to explore as a 14 year old and also how they had then changed by the time she was an adult.

This was a gripping thriller that I have no hesitation in recommending to fans old and new. Shocking, violent at times but utterly compelling I absolutely loved it!

Oh wow, I just loved, loved, loved this book. C.L. Taylor never disappoints. Her writing style is second to none and I love the way she builds tension and suspense within all her books. If you love psychological thrillers, this book is definitely for you. 5 stars all the way!

A young woman who was groomed by an older man as a teenager attempts to stop history repeating itself after she sees her tormentor with another young girl.

This is a very quick and easy read but is extremely far fetched, predictable and there are several obvious errors that should have been picked up by editors early on (4g, 5p plastic bag charge and Coldplay's Paradise, none of which were around in 2007/8, to name just three). It was therefore rather a letdown for me, sadly. Another domestic drama marketed as a thriller, in my opinion, but perhaps this is a case of 'It's not you, it's me'.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon books for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Having read several books by this author and I was eagerly awaiting reading this book too.
The story line was of a very delicate nature, but was well written and told with sensitivity, without going too deeply into sordid details.
The story was easy to get into right from the first page, and delivered plenty of intrigue to keep you turning the pages. This wasn't a story with a great deal of exciting twists and turns as such, it was more factual and an account of the characters disturbed lives.
I thought the last quarter of the book was a bit disappointing though. It felt a little unnecessarily far fetched, and then seemed to ramble on. The very last twist was good but the detail left me feeling perplexed......

Thanks to NetGalley and to the Publishers (Avon) for offering me an ARC copy of this book that I freely chose to review.
After reading this novel, which is a page-turner and moves at a fast pace, I checked the reviews, and it is one of these odd cases when I agreed both with the positive and with the negative reviews about the book. Some of them compared it to other novels by C.L. Taylor, an author who has a big following (this novel is a bestseller Amazon UK), but as I had not read anything by her before, I cannot comment on that. But I agreed with some of the other opinions.
The novel revolves around three females, two grown women, and a thirteen-year-old girl. In fact, they are three generations, with Wendy the oldest and Chloe the youngest. We follow the points of view of the three women for most of the novel, although there is more of the story told from Lou’s point of view. Her part of the story is narrated in the first person, while the rest are in the third person, and, at least at the beginning, she is the most active of the three. Due to her father’s death she has to go back to the town where she grew up, to deal with her father’s house, and her past comes back to haunt her, both figuratively and literally, when she sees the man who had abused her (Mike) when she was a teenager and worries that he is at it again. The three women have been affected by what Mike did, and the novel is very good at focusing on the emotions of the characters, that go from love to denial, and to absolute fear. Lou’s account is interspersed with fragments from her diary as a teenager, where we get to fully understand the background of the story and how dangerous this man truly is. The combination of charm, manipulation, and his skill at picking up girls lacking in confidence and easy targets for his advances is well portrayed. The subject matter reminded me of an Australian novel I’ve really enjoyed, The Silent Kookaburra.
The subject remains as relevant (if not more) as ever, unfortunately, and this book offers a good perspective of the psychological damage such abuse can have, not only on the direct victims (that might never get over it) but also on those around them (family, wives, friends…). Should they have believed the abuser’s excuses? Are they guilty by association? What is their responsibility? The book is set in the UK and it refers specifically to changes in Criminal Law (like the introduction of the sex offenders register) but although it does not discuss those issues in detail, I don’t think that would cause difficulty to readers from other places.
The three characters fall (or have fallen) prey to Mike and find themselves in very vulnerable positions. It is impossible not to wonder what one would do faced with their dilemma, particularly that of Lou. Her impulsive actions are extreme and I agree with the readers who have commented that at times the book is over the top, although Lou’s doubts, her continuous hesitation, and her fear feel real. She is not alone in being pushed to the edge, and this is a book where characters do not play safe, rather the opposite.
The writing is fluid, and brings to life the three female characters, whose only connection is through Mike, perhaps with more immediacy in the case of Lou —this is helped by the first person narration and her diary— but it manages to make us empathise and feel for the three by the end of the story. And no, not all of them are likeable, to begin with. I know some readers worry about head-hopping, but each chapter states clearly which character’s point of view we are following and there’s no possible confusion. Although there are brief moments of relief when things seem to be about to take a turn for the better, this is only to lure us into a false sense of security, and the tension and the pressure keep increasing and so does the pace. The ending is satisfying and will have most readers cheering on.
If you’re wondering what are the negative comments I agreed with, well, I was not necessarily talking about the degree of suspension of disbelief (yes, readers will need a fair deal of this, but as we are engaged with the characters and their plight, this is not difficult to maintain), but about some anachronisms, some details that seemed incongruent to the time when the story is set. I felt that the emphasis on Facebook messages, fake accounts, hacking, etc. seemed excessive for a story set in 2007. Other readers, who decided to research in more detail, discovered that indeed, some of the things mentioned, Apps, songs, etc., were not available yet. One reader noted that she could not understand why the story wasn’t set in the present, as that would have avoided these issues, but another pointed out that some aspects of the plot would only make sense if the story was set up in the recent past (including some of the legal issues). I wonder (as a writer) if the story was originally set in the present but somebody spotted the plot issues and came up with the solution of moving it back in time (without changing some of the modern references).
This novel does a good job of creating believable characters and making readers think about the plight of the victims of paedophiles. Although it might be less satisfactory to die-hard lovers of police procedural books, I think it is difficult to read it without empathising with the female characters and having to pause to reflect on this serious issue. And the questions at the end will further engage book club readers and encourage meaningful discussion. I don’t think this will be the last novel by C.L. Taylor I’ll read and I can easily understand why she is popular. (Ah, and she calls book bloggers book fairies. I like that!)

I am a huge fan of C L Taylor's writing so it is with anticipation but also trepidation that I approach each new novel; I want the new book to be was brilliant as the previous books. I needn't have worried, The Fear certainly packs a punch and had me hook line and sinker from the first page.  The plot is narrated by the main female protagonists, Lou who has returned home to face the man who groomed her, Chloe who is currently being groomed and Wendy who we are not initially sure of her relationship to events.  There is also the occasional chapter narrated by D S Anna Hope.  This plot line is very relevant with the abuse of women and young girls being highlighted at the moment and the #Metoo campaign.

We have all read stories in the media where teachers have abused their power and groomed and abused their pupils; there was a very high profile case of the teacher and young girl who ran away to France, which is the beginning of Lou's story.  Cally Taylor excels at bringing everyday events, that we have seen and heard about, and bring them to life in a menacing sort of way; she explores the psychology of those involved and the repercussions on their family and friends.  There is no doubt in this book that Mike is a despicable character, a man who preys on vulnerable teenage girls and brainwashes them. Lou was his first victim, and slowly throughout the plot we learn of her experiences from that time and how it has continued to effect her life as an adult, and even now see that she is susceptible to Mike's manipulation.  Chloe, is his new victim, a young girl facing problems at home, who has little self confidence.  Mike is a friend of her father's, a man her dad trusts and who gives Chloe a shoulder to cry on, someone she can confide in and ultimately someone who believes herself to be in love with him.  There has obviously been a lot of research into this subject as the characters and their feelings are heartfelt, we understand what they are going through and the subjects raised are treated with great humanity and empathy.

C L Taylor, in my opinion is queen of the thriller, and brilliant at turning a plot on its head with her unexpected twists and turns that will shock, and she does this flawlessly in The Fear right until the last sentence of the last page.  By the time I finished this book I was gobsmacked and shocked in a good way.  Cally combines all the elements required for the perfect thriller and delivers them with a punch, she certainly has that 'je ne sais quoi' that many authors aspire to.

The Fear is without doubt an outstanding read.  It is tense, dark and chilling in its plot line that will demand your whole attention.  Cally Taylor has written another bestseller; breathtakingly brilliant.

Wow what an intense read. My first experience of C.L. Taylor’s writing and I really don’t think it will be my last.

The story of Lou Wandsworth and her involvement with her karate teacher Mike Harris. When she was 14 she ran away to France with him for a weekend thinking she was madly in love with him, but of course she soon finds out that Mike isn’t all she thinks he is.

Now 32, Lou finds out that Mike, now out of prison is grooming a 13 year school girl Chloe Meadows and Lou is determined that history won’t repeat itself and let Mike ruin Chloe’s life like he did hers.

Wow this was one intense read. Delicate subject matter of course and it’s quite disturbing in places but I found this an utterly compelling read. Lou is a great central character and the flashback device works great here as we find out slowly the horror of what went on in her childhood all those years ago. Another thing I liked was, when she was doing things that had me thinking “wtf? this is a bit much” she was also asking herself “what am I doing”

The story plays out great with several different threads that are all connected and don’t play out like you originally think.

All the characters were very believable, easy to remember who was who, always a sign of good characterization and writing.

The ending and how it played out, I loved. It just felt a really satisfactory conclusion after having had so much invested in this tense and gripping read.

Loved this one. Can’t really find fault with it. My first read of this author but it certainly won’t be the last.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Avon Books and C.L. Taylor for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

THANK YOU C L Taylor for another fabulous book! I always love the way this author writes, taking us readers on a rollercoaster of ‘NO don’t stop now’ moments which keep me up late into the night telling myself ‘just one more chapter’. The characterisation is as usual spot on and the story unfolds with drama and pace. I thought the passages written from Lou’s diary as a young girl we’re very sensitively treated but chilling in their content. This would make a great film or tv drama. I can’t wait to read another book by one of my go to authors - hurry up Cally

I find it difficult to review C L Taylor's books as words don't ever seen enough to explain how much I have enjoyed them. This didn't disappoint yet again. Atmospheric, cleverly written and as somebody who works supporting exploited young people did justice to those YP who are targeted and groomed by men like Mike. Yet again I will eagerly await the next book...hurry please!

Once again C L Taylor hits it out of the park! I was hooked and couldn't put this book down.
C L Taylor never disappoints and I have already recommended The Fear to lots of people!

Read a few of C L Taylor’s books this was my favourite so far.
I liked that each chapter was each character. I loved the twists and turns and how it all linked together.
Easy to get into.
Great book 5*

Lou was groomed by an older man when she was just 14 years old and when she returns home years later discovers history repeating itself with the same man and another vulnerable teenager. Looking at other reviews I was expecting to be knocked for six by this book, but was too busy feeling irritated by all the stupid, annoying decisions the older Lou kept making - it was all too much for me! I sympathised with her earlier, horrible experiences with this man, but had none for how she is now and just found her too exasperating. Wendy too wasn’t likeable - just weird. Topical subject to write about and well written as always, but not my favourite book by this author.