I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I don't like reviews to give too much detail about a story so I think the best way for me to review this is to follow my reactions as the reader. Alexandra is missing and I found the early chapters which looked at the effects of her absence on her husband and family to be profoundly disturbing in the way they were written from the perspective of the missing person. But I could not put the book down. I really wanted to know how it would end and was sorely tempted to go to the end but resisted and am pleased I did! The story progresses and covers Alexandra's earlier life, as an art student and as a newly wed and then mother. About half way through the book I thought I knew what was going on and I was partially right but the story surprises the reader more than once. The ending was again unexpected and satisfying. The characters are well developed and the book is well written.

Amazing book, read it in one sitting. The interweaving of the contemporary art scene into the main story was interesting. The stunning conclusion ties the whole story together. Very impressive for a debut novel.

I enjoyed this book. There was a good build up and I was three quarters of the way through before it became apparent what was happening. It does not have a happy ever after ending but then real life usually doesn't.

Incredibly complex novel. We hear the story from two sides, one the husband and two ,the victim,the wife. Very twisty,twisted but lost me in the middle and I struggled with the end.

I found this book very difficult to read and now finding it difficult to review. It did keep me reading though to find out where the missing Alexandra was. I was very sympathetic towards her husband, family and friends but couldn't develop any empathy towards her. It was a little slow at times and the ending, although very clever, really disappointed me.

Hmm, this is a difficult book to review: by the end we can appreciate how audacious it is, and the ideas at its heart are underpinned by postmodern theory about the wavering, porous lines between art and life, performance and identity - yet, for all this good stuff, the majority of the narrative is laboured and dull.

Way too much time is spent in playing an obvious Gone Girl game, switching between Alex's past story of her marriage, her imaginings of what her husband, friends and kids are doing and feeling once she's disappeared, and Alex in an obscure present that rather crassly tries to pull the wool over our eyes (surely, as readers, we know better by now?)

And yet, the material that Bell is playing with is clever and provocative, it just feels like she's prevaricating, unsure about how far to go, perhaps fearing that readers will shy away from what she's really trying to write about and so wraps it all up in an easy-peasy, derivative domestic noir?

The end point is more startling even than I had predicted (and I'd spotted all the twists pretty much from the go), and a book that had really capitalised on the debates about aesthetics and femininity could have been marvellously gripping.

For all my disappointments, I'm going with a generous 4* (it's January, I'm feeling benevolent) but that's to reflect the potential rather than the actual execution.

Fascinating and well worth the read, with a twist at the end.

Excellent story line and great main characters. I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend.

Can you justify an action if it is committed in the name of art? If Alexandra's actions are incomprehensible to me does it mean I do not understand art? She wants it all, the perfect family life and validation of her artisitic self, can she forfeit one for the other? Did I sympathise with her? not really. Is it okay to cause damage and hurt to others in the name of art? That question was asked and the instant response is no of course not, and yet.....
I'm with Lizzie, why can't we just look at "normal" art?

This thriller started off well with a husband trying to cope when his wife and mother of his two young children suddenly disappears but that part of the story is actually just his wife imagining what’s happening and sharing her thoughts with her companion which I found really irritating. Just as you’re getting caught up in his emotional turmoil you’re told it’s not really happening. The wife was nowhere near as likeable a character as her husband which didn’t help. After a while I flicked to the end to see if the twist was as astonishing as the blurb suggested. Yes it’s definitely it one I’ve come across before but it just didn’t work for me. Much better thrillers available.

I didn't feel this book was as good as my expectations. The disappearance and the final chapters were good ( although I had guessed the ending long before it happened) but the intervening year was a bit boring because little occurred and the psychological part was not ramped up.
I did read it to the end but really only to confirm my thoughts but somehow wanted more.

I read this book with a mixture of emotionsfrom curiosity to dread and finally horror as I realised what was happening. An incredibly accomplished debut.

I thought this was pretty gripping and enjoyed the read. Not sure I liked the ending, although it was a good one.

Exhibit Alexandra by Natasha Bell a four-star read that will twist your brain. This is possibly one of the hardest reviews I have ever had to write, as I so scared I will include a spoiler and I hate spoilers!! Alexandra tells us the story in her own way and words. It’s a phycological thriller but it’s not the one you are expecting to read, it’s so much more. There was so much going on in this story, it could have been confusing as there is drama that is revealed word by word and art that will bring yet another side to the story. I love art in many forms so I understood that side of it, but I know a friend who also read this story who has different views didn’t like that aspect of the story, but that’s for her to discuss in her review. I enjoyed that it brought another side and aspect to the story.
I don’t know what else to say as I don’t want to re-hash the synopsis and I don’t want to give spoilers. All I will say is that if you are looking for something with twists and turns, a story that will pack a punch and leave your mind filled with wonder and questions when-ever you put it down this is the read for you.

Great fiction story with strong character elements that kept me captivated. Taken into the world of art and enjoyed the mysteries which unravelled in the story.

“Exhibit Alexandra” is a different take on a psychological thriller – very clever and somewhat insightful and highly likely to divide opinion. The central theme, if you like, is a little niche and will appeal wildly to some readers and leave others scratching their heads. Life imitating art imitating life – although I saw very early on where the author was going with this, the journey was all the more fascinating for that.

I’m not an art critic and literally know nothing about it. I see paintings I like sometimes that appeal to me but it can just as easily be kid’s random splash of colour as it can be a Rembrandt or whatever, however in this novel I learned a good deal about art as an idea both in the concept and in the storytelling.

The main thing though is if you like a good character study with a twist, a mystery within a mystery you’ll probably love this novel, it has a strange way of drawing you in to the seemingly cliched tale of a wife gone missing and a husband’s search. That search though is only as imagined by the one who is lost. It is a multi-layered twisted tale which in it’s final resolution asks of the reader a question. One that I shall ponder my answer to.

Very difficult to review without spoilers so I’ll leave it there. I loved this for it’s differences, for the intuitive writing that takes you on a journey through the mind of one wife, mother, artist and explores the depths of the human condition.

Recommended.