I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

*Him* by Clare Empson is a taut, intelligently written psychological thriller that grips the reader from the very first page. Empson crafts a complex, deeply emotive narrative that keeps the tension high and the stakes even higher. The story unfolds with a steady, deliberate pace, building layers of mystery and suspense as the characters' hidden secrets slowly emerge. What sets this book apart is its intricate character development and the emotional depth behind every decision, leaving the reader not just guessing but invested in the characters' fates.

The twists and turns are expertly executed, with a surprising ending that I didn’t see coming, leaving me in awe of Empson's skill in misdirecting and pulling the rug out from under her readers. The final moments are both shocking and deeply satisfying, making *Him* a memorable and thought-provoking read. This psychological thriller is a must-read for fans of intense, character-driven suspense.

This was a slow burner that was ultimately worth persevering with (which took me a couple of attempts) The payoff was strong and I did enjoy the rollercoaster twists and turns. Recommend if you like your thriller less thrilling and more intriguing.

This was such a unique book for me. I really didn't understand initially where it was going and what had happened to Catherine, but I persevered and I'm so glad I did. It was such a rollercoaster, and I didn't see the ending coming. I really enjoyed it

I really struggled to get into this book, I just really struggled with the characters and couldn't connect in the end I did have to put this book down.

The task of repopulating the senior library has been an exciting and daunting task aS in a boarding school our aim is to encourage all members of the community to read. Because of this, I have been searching down a wide and diverse range of books to read that will entice a wide cross-section of the school to come in, browse and find books that they love.
Books like this will ensure that the senior students in the school see the library as a diverse, modern and exciting place with books that speak to them and they want to recommend to their friends, classmates, teachers and tutors.
It is an engrossing and exciting read with fully-formed characters and a plot that ensures that it's hard to look away. It is as far from formulaic as it is possible to be and kept me up far too late in order to finish it. I immediately wanted to read all of this writer's other books as I loved their voice and found that it really drew me into the story and made me think about it even when I'd stepped away from this tale.
This is a thought-provoking read which I'm sure will be a popular and well-read addition to our new library; I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to read it and I know that the students are going to absolutely love it too!

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

Not really a psychological thriller..so that pit me off as i love that genre. Was an ok read going back and forth. Tool me awhile to get through this one.

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley.

This dark, uncomfortable, thrilling debut will have gripped from the start!

The writing is completely captivating, it is sharp and clever and intertwines to deeper and deeper into its clutches until you simply have to keep turning the pages to find out exactly what is going on.

It is an incredibly entertaining and utterly heartbreaking novel about appreciating what you have before it is too late. A fabulous debut! I can't wait to see what Empson does next.

Thanks to Orion & Netgalley for sending me this in exchange for an open and honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Aboustley loved this book! Very gripping and intense. Very enjoyable. Can' wait to read more from this author

After hearing the author speak about Him at Harrogate Crime Writers Festival I had to read the book and was not disappointed. In a way it wasn’t what I expected and I certainly didn’t bargain on the emotions it put me through or that I’d be in tears by the end!

The main character Catherine has elective mutism after witnessing…something devastating. She refuses to speak to anyone including her husband and two young children. I was puzzled from the start, what on Earth could have happened that was so bad she couldn’t speak of it to her closest family? Slowly the tale is revealed as we dip in and out of the past. Fifteen years earlier Catherine met the love of her life and the eponymous Him of the novel, Lucian, at university. They are from different sides of the track so to speak and Catherine is soon swept up into an elite circle of friends intent on having the best (and most hedonistic) times of their lives. Catherine and Lucian are so obviously made for each other and their love borders on the obsessive so we are left wondering what happened to shatter this relationship and for Catherine to end up breaking up with Lucian abruptly without explanation and later marrying Sam, a dependable admirer.

I did feel sorry for Sam (and the children) as their time together feels like a chapter, possibly even an inconvenience, in her life that Catherine has settled on while still pining for her lost love. Obviously by the end of the novel and the big reveal I had a better understanding of this but at times I’ll admit to being irritated by Catherine at first.

Him is a love story with a dark and tragic heart. It isn’t very often that I am moved by a book (I have an icy heart when reading!) but Him absolutely punched me in the guts and tore that icy heart right from my chest when I was least expecting it. I am stunned that this book is Claire Empson’s debut and I’m a little scared about what she’ll do with my emotions next time! All the stars for this stunning book.

Oh dear. I feel a defeatist.
I feel like I’m letting myself take the easy option and just........
Lay this book down.

I’ve picked it up I don’t know how many times and tried, really tried. It’s a persons work, it’s a debut. I love discovering new authors. I love debuts.

I feel guilty.

But I just don’t think I can carry on now as I’ve got just over halfway.

Too many characters. Too confusing it’s really stretching my mind and imagination.

I have dropped out the tour.

I’m sure there will be others that will love it. Praise it.

Sadly, and very regretfully I cannot be one of them.

Would I read another book by this author?
Yes, I always try another book or two before deciding.

This has something though in the correct hands and with more incitement, but it’s a bit hmmmmm mwwahhh for me I’m afraid.

It might be a case of “ it’s not you.....it’s me”

Did I read it right? Is this really a debut novel? Wow – I am amazed!!! ‘HIM’ is twisty, it’s detailed, it’s atmospheric, it’s unique. It really is one of a kind and I cannot believe it is a debut!

Catherine has a lot of regrets, constantly thinking about the ‘one who got away’ despite being married to the ‘one who decided to stay’. Sam may have given her two children, and he may have been her rock when her mother passed away, yet there’s just something about him and the marriage which isn’t ticking Catherine’s boxes. He’s not Lucian, the one who got away.

The storyline switches between the past and the present, with the main narrative coming from Catherine now, in hospital, unable to speak due to trauma so, because of that, she tells the story of what happened to the readers as she cannot voice the truth out loud.

I thought that Clare Empson nailed the intensity of the storyline pretty much straight away. What happened to make Catherine stop speaking? Why is Sam so angry with her? What is Catherine hiding? As the storyline progressed, the answers to those questions became clear. Well, all but one because the storyline itself leads the build up to the conclusion by dropping hints. I worked out the truth before I reached the end of the book, and I will admit that I thought the ending was way too abrupt given the delicacy of each situation in the book.

It’s not that I wasn’t ready for the book to conclude, it was that one moment I was gripped by a shocking turn of events, and then the next everything halted and the book ended. For me personally, it just didn’t seem as strong as the rest of the book.

However, I thought that ‘HIM’ was such a gripping and psychologically twisted novel which completely messed with my head. Clare Emspon is one to watch and if her debut novel is anything to go by, I cannot WAIT to read future books.

The previous reviews had me doubting that I would enjoy this book. I do agree that it shouldn't be marketed as a thriller, it is more of a romantic suspense – ultimately, a love story. The other reviews saying it is confusing are, in my opinion, harsh. It does go back and forward in time but that is the nature of a plot! If the story was told in a linear way it wouldn't be a page-turner, which it most definitely is.
I thought the characterisation was great, there was an element of social commentary and themes of grief and addiction. Catherine has been so traumatised that she has become mute. She was really frustrating as a main character but that only emphasised the plight of her family who were waiting for her to speak to them.
I would recommend Him and am grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

I really tried hard to put my undivided attention into this book but it was so hard and so long winded flipping back and forth back and forth it was frustrating.
I don’t class this as a psychological thriller more like a bad breakup ...with an ending that was pretty poor.
Sorry

U wanted to like this book however I just couldn't. It was long winded with not Much going for it. I thought there would be more of a Dramatic event.

I wanted to love this book - it had all the right ingredients for a fantastic thriller but it wasn’t so much a psychological thriller as a love story and while I don’t mind a love story, this is marketed as a thriller. The selective mutism aspect was fascinating, something you don’t normally see in books, never mind thrillers, but it wasn’t enough to hold my attention the whole way through and I just got a little bit bored.

This book was incredible, I read it months ago now and have put off reviewing it because it’s impossible to put into words what I thought of it. In the present day Catherine has elective mutism, something traumatic has happened to her and now she can’t speak. It’s heart-breaking knowing the pain she’s in, and the struggle she’s having while knowing she can’t articulate what she’s thinking. In the past, fifteen years previously we slowly get to see Catherine and Lucien’s story. Lucien is from a different walk of life to Catherine and spends his time with his friends being rather unlikeable. Catherine and Lucien had a passionate and fiery relationship. The book flicks between the past and the present and we see Catherine and Lucien’s perspectives. Gradually we begin to see why these two fell for each other and a sense of unease begins to build as to why Catherine has ended up unable to speak. The end when it comes is a shock and left me breathless. This is one of those books that is impossible to do justice to but it’s beautifully written, compelling and just brilliant. I highly recommend this on. I’m already looking forward to whatever Clare Empson writes next!

This isn't a book to read if you like twists and turns. The two major events are very obvious as realistically the only things that would explain what happened.

But that's not what this book is about. This book is a skillful character exploration of two people who never got over each other despite splitting many years previously and one even going on to marry someone else and have two children. It's not a happy book in the slightest; it's terribly heartbreaking and while on the one hand you find yourself while they didn't just talk instead of separating, at the same time, you can understand why.

Highly relatable to anyone who's ever had their heart broken or been through similar drama, this is emotional, moving and tragic. If you enjoy that sort of thing (and I do), you really will adore this book.

Oh wow. Put some time away for this book. It has all the ingredients for a terrific psychological thriller.

No spoilers from me. Book is great with lots of lies, deception, tragedy, and twists. Also, loved the unpredictable ending. Can't say enough great about this. Read it today!!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this fabulous book.

I was a bit disappointed by this book as its cover and blurb suggested a psychological thriller, but that was not really what was delivered. This was more of a retelling of a college romance with a bit of suspense thrown in. It was well written but the characters never really engaged me and I found myself not really caring what had happened to them. If marketed more appropriately I think this will find its audience.