A fantastic read. Over My Shoulder is one of my top reads. This is not just another domestic noir read, it is a compelling domestic noir read. Freya's relationship with Kane seems idyllic at the outset, but how things develop from bad to worse makes for fraught reading. It is impossible to judge Freya as she asks throughout the book the many questions based on her situation. I am unable to answer what I would do in her situation. A very emotional and disturbing read. An outstanding read in this "Domestic Noir" genre. I cannot stop thinking about this book and I know it will stay with me for a long, long time. A 5***** recommendation .

Oh boy, this is a ‘hold the front page’ story that just makes you so darn grateful that it isn’t your daughter, sister or best friend and pray that is never is! Kane was every girl’s dream man. He was attentive in every way, a man to catch your eye, wealthy and generous but if something seems too good to be true well it probably is. Freya had been the girlfriend of good old reliable Ryan for quite a while so when Kane arrived on the scene and spoilt her rotten she wanted more.
I thought that I could see where this story was going within the first couple of chapters, but bloody hell was I wrong, it was like a Duracell battery that kept its power way beyond where other books would have stopped. I was sooooo bricking it because there I am a reader that at times can become very verbal with the characters, giving them useless advice, now totally speechless. I just couldn’t think. Every page that I turned seemed like Freya was just spiralling into an end that I couldn’t see a good conclusion for.
I loved that Patricia Dixon could make me so emotionally while I read her book so there was no way that I could put this story to one side and finish later. The more I read the darker the story became with more than a couple of tissue moments that really got to me. You just don’t realise how powerful the title of this story is until you have read the book. Absolutely Wowed! Perfect end. Loved it. Loved it. Totally emotionally spent!

'Over My Shoulder' is Patricia Dixon's second psychological thriller after signing a two-book deal with thriller publishers, Bloodhound Books. In theory, this shouldn't have worked for me, but I am pleased to report that it did. Even I was surprised by that! I would classify this as romance/domestic noir/romantic suspense rather than a full-blown thriller. Either way, it worked for me.

Freya meets Kane and falls head over heels for his charm and personality. Little does she know that he is rotten to the core. She begins to fall under his spell, and once she is under the thumb she finds it impossible to escape. This is difficult to read in parts due to some of the abuse Freya is subjected to. Every move she makes is controlled by Kane, and she feels her life is no longer hers any longer. The story reads a lot like a memoir as it is told in first-person narrative and tells the harrowing tale of Freya's ordeal at the hands of a psychotic boyfriend. Compelling, emotionally resonant and very disturbing - I felt I struggled at times with how bad it got for Freya.

Well written, pacy and deeply dark, this is a book I am not likely to forget in a hurry. The characters are realistic and believable and are developed really well. I do feel that you need to be able to suspend your disbelief if you are to enjoy reading it, and if you particularly appreciate crime fiction that is as close to reality as possible, you may want to avoid this. However, I did enjoy it but felt there was a lot of emphasis on the way Kane treated Freya and not enough on helping her to be strong enough to escape from his clutches. I like the idea of books showing confident women who are no-nonsense and don't stand for being treated badly, this then serves to empower real women who may be REALLY going through this situation.

Many thanks to Bloodhound Books for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This review is going to be the hardest Ive had to write in a while as I seriously don’t know how to put in words how I feel about this book.

This is Freya’s story. It’s not an easy read but if she needs to be truthful about her life then it can’t be easy.

Freya is a young normal girl who falls for the charm of Kane. It’s going to be the biggest mistake of her life. He’s not a nice man at all. In fact he’s rotten to the core. He manipulates her and controls her life. Freya doesn’t find that out for a while and by then she’s in deep.

On a personal level I could see that the author thought long and hard and did her research as parts of this story resonated home to me. Well done to the author on a well written story and writing a story that needs to be told.

Over My Shoulder by Patricia Dixon

Mixed feelings on this one…why? Well, I tell myself that I would never fall into a situation like the one Freya found herself in. I wouldn’t let someone manipulate me or change me or…then I started thinking about it a bit and remembered that one guy in college that told me I was a bit too heavy and with his help and one meal a day I could be perfect. I did lose weight and eat one meal a day and feel guilty if I snacked in between and…I did leave him behind but what if I hadn’t…???

The blurb pretty much lets the reader know they are in for a dark psychologically intense story but for the first part where Freya is being drawn in I kept asking myself WHY? And how much longer will she be so stupid…yes…stupid. And then it dragged on to the point I was ready for the story to move on and…it did. There was a horrific event that capped the drawing in and manipulation and then Freya was faced with stalking and terror and more until finally there was a change that left Freya able to breathe a bit more easily for a time. And, as the blurb mentioned, that doesn’t last forever. What happens next is perhaps over the top but did give Freya a way to save and strengthen herself in a way that might not have happened if that horrific event had not happened.

In summary: I came away thinking that Freya was TSTL (too stupid to live) and yet…she was eventually strong enough to find a way out. It made me think about women who don’t find a way out and women forced into the sex trade and also about warped twisted despicably evil people that should not be allowed to live…

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloodhound books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars

My review is written with thanks to Sarah Hardy at Bloodhound Books for inviting me on the tour and for providing my copy of the book via Netgalley.
In the mid-90s, Freya is a twenty-something young woman who has a bright future ahead of her. One day, she meets Kane and is taken in by his charm and luxurious lifestyle. But Kane is not everything he seems to be. Freya must find a way to escape, but she knows that Kane will not give her up without a fight. Will she ever break free?
Over My Shoulder begins in the 1990s and is narrated by Freya, who is looking back over her relationship with Kane. This technique is inventive, as it allows Freya to admit to her mistakes and sympathise with her, something I may not have done had she maintained her naivety. At times, Freya addressed the reader, and this helped me to invest in her story, as it felt as though she was talking to me.
I met Patricia Dixon at Harrogate Crime Writers' Festival, and she is a lovely lady. It is therefore testament to her amazing writing skills that she can create a character as vile as Kane. He made my skin crawl, he gave me nightmares and he made me angrier with each swipe of my Kindle. Dixon's research is flawless and I felt completely tangled in the plot as if I were part of the relationship myself. I even found myself looking over my own shoulder at my own partner (even though I know he's a good egg!)
As Kane builds his pursual of Freya and the novel reaches its conclusion, the tension is almost unbearable. I was desperate to find out if Freya would be safe, holding my breath at the merest hint of danger.

Think your net galley for my copy of this book. This psychological thriller is an absolutely must read! I was up way past bed time with tired heavy eyes because I simply could not put this down.

Wow! This is one of the most disturbing novels I’ve ever read, which I sort of thing was the whole point,it’s a warning of how easily young impressionable girls can be taken in. That handsome and charming man pays a compliment , wines and dines her and she loves it , and has no inkling of his true dark character. This was a page turner and a half! Patricia Dixon has absolutely excelled with this book, yes ,it’s dark,menacing and downright scary in places but it is definitely a ‘must read’ . If I could give it ten stars I would!

Wow, this was powerful! If you have ever thought to yourself “Why would a woman put up with that?” or “I would just walk, or run, away” you need to read this! Things are never that simple. There will be some people that will stand strong and say that they would do the sensible thing (flee, seek help) in this situation but you can’t help but read this and realize that it’s not always that easy (even if you have friends or family)... plus there’s love, even in all that hate, at least for a while...

This was clever, the way it was written, like a life lesson. The characters, plot, and relationships were so realistic and interesting. It was a horror story in the respect that this can and does happen. It was a heartbreaking tale for sure.

The writing was fantastic. The way the story was rolled out was spot on. This will give me chills for a while.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Bloodhound Books for a copy in exchange for a honest review.

Freya falls for Kane. She thinks he's pretty great, but as they get more involved, she realizes just how manipulative he is. Eventually his manipulation gets dangerous, very dangerous. Freya decides to escape from her life with him, but she fears he will come back for revenge one day.

The story is told from Freya's viewpoint. She is recalling her past with Kane to explain her current situation. Freya has a difficult story to tell, as it involves a lot of mental and physical abuse. Freya is a little naive and entranced by the lifestyle she thinks Kane can offer her. Kane is never really likable, but he gets more sinister as the story progresses.

Dark and intense. Good for fans of psychological and domestic thrillers.

I received a free eARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Freya is enchanted with the young handsome man delivering her boss's car. Kane is also quite taken with the lovely Freya. So much so that years and years later. He has her kidnapped and taken to an old dilapidated house. She is imprisoned with only a limited supply of bread and water. What led her here? For love of a man. For forgiving the slaps and kicks. For letting go the mean and demeaning remarks. When she's had enough and she leaves him. Then comes the stalking, the harrassment, her cat being killed and her ex-boyfriend severely injured.
This books is a psychological thriller. It brings to mind abuse, stalking and other perverted examples of what women in volatile relationships endure.
Exceptionally well written. Strongly recommend.

Hey, well this is the longest book I have read for some time, just under 500 pages.....
Firstly the story started with a prologue that irritated, it basically was a few pages ( in the narrative of the main character ) asking you to beware of all men!, their intentions and how they can bully and abuse you...even going so far as saying ‘have you noticed the woman at work who has gone quiet lately?’, ‘shes probably being abused’ and words to the effect that almost all men are at it in one form or another, no mention of women doing it ( be it in a lesser % rate )...( however at the end of the book there is a number for male victims of domestic abuse )she asks the reader to ‘look closely at their partner to see if you can see ‘it’ in his eyes as its there ( probably ) and almost says as a woman if you’ve not been a victim then you are extremely lucky, it was offputting and a zealous way to start a book.....this did happen again part way through with similar comments ie ‘are you recognising the signs yet’........
The other irritating thing in the book is throughout the book the character ( always as first person narrative ) says ‘bet you think Im crazy don’t you’ and ‘bet your sat there judging me aren’t you’ etc
ALSO!!!! ( soz ) moat chapters were ended with the ‘ and thats when I thought it had got as bad as it could, trust me it hadn’t’ or ‘I was about to find out just how bad things get’ this lost all effect as it was repeated
The story is a grim one, and oft told, Freya falls in love with the ‘dream man’ but he’s not, in fact he’s vile and subjects her to abuse, physical and mental, rape, drug overdosing, bullying, alienation of her parents, work mates and everything else in her life, irritatingly she keeps giving him more chances ( and then she quickly adds ‘ yes your thinking Im daft, anno I was but do you know the % of women that go back for more etc )
Kane, her partner is nasty personified and has NO redeeming features, awful manipulative character
The story goes on ( and on ) and Freya does leave him and he subjects her to continued stalking and abuse which ends in her being taken to a farmhouse where women are being abused and filmed and killed, not pleasant in the slightest, her incarceration at the farmhouse was very eerily described and the tension and claustrophobia the author managed to portray was scarily believable, her escape ( no real spoiler as she tells you early on) goes on way too long and described in minute second by seconds detail, the ending and epilogue are more compact and it finishes pretty much as expected
The writing is at times repetitive and as other reviewers have written You want to shout ‘Ohhhhh not again, do this, do that and end it for goodness sake’
The characters are easy to get to know inc the supporting cast of family and friends and work mates
A real hocus pocus and up n down of a book but one I wanted to finish and with all I have said above a good if not turmolic ( made up word ) read that did get my emotions going and did have me fighting for Freya
7/10 ( difficult to star rate it tbh will go with 3.5 rounded up to 4

Patricia Dixon's Over My Shoulder, tells the story of Freya, a normal twenty something independent girl who finds herself falling head first into a relationship with a "successful businessman" named Kane.
Kane, is an evil vindictive man who manipulates the women in his relationship. He loves nothing better than to mentally, physically and sexually abuse woman and sees them only as inferior.
Some parts of the book I found hard to read but only because it makes you aware of the abuse that can be suffered in the real world.
Although I found it to be a gripping book, I feel the last 20% dragged somewhat and I found my attention waning.

Let me state that I am not really a fan of first person narrative in a book. In this case it works as Freya basically is writing a memoir of what happened to her. First person is a bit offputting at times and I do think a third person could have also worked.

This book gave me the creeps up to the end. Kane is a manipulative bastard but it seemed that always the worst was how he treated his girlfriend. He seemed to snuff the life out of her and it was a surprise that you will see how she turns out.

While this book deals with a young and naive girl in her twenties at first it shows just how naive people can be to a pretty package. It goes on her lifes journey and if she could escape this person.

Many people go through abusive relationships some mental and some physical. This was both and I hope that any who read this book that are in a situation like this can and will get the proper help they needed.

Character Freya kind of annoyed me as she seemed too naive and always wanting to please her new boyfriend Kane. Where was this girls respect for herself. She had it all and her parents would have helped her with his issue.

Instead she became this isolated person who didn't see the signs until it was almost too late. Before people get upset I have been through mental abuse in a relationship before and I know that it's not hard to break away. What annoyed me is she had no self worth at all instead breaking up with someone to fall for Kane.

People need to trust their instincts at times and let there heart take a backseat as most know if someone is bad for them. Jealousy and controlling nature is one such thing.

As I said this creeper me out enough that I almost couldn't finish the book as it was a little to close to home in some areas. Well done to the author.

Over My Shoulder is a dark gripping thriller that had me hooked from page one,but be warned it is a book based on the very disturbing subject of domestic/sexual abuse and just how far a person will go to remain in control of their relationship.Freya is in a steady relationship with her boyfriend but meets Kane and he sweeps her off her feet with his wealth and charming ways.She falls head over heels in love with him and for a while all is rosy with Freya's life,but soon the cracks begin to show and she realises that Kane is not the man she thought he was and with his controlling ways Freya soon finds herself virtually cut off from her friends and family and that it is when Kane starts to turn the screw to totally break Freya and use and abuse her.This is an excellent dark thriller which had me gripped with a terrific twist at the end !! 5 STARS.

Trigger Warnings: abuse, violence, rape, drugs
This is a very disturbing book, it will scare you, shake you and it will stay with you for a while after you finish reading it. It is an emotionally exhausting book. This is not a pleasure read, that much I assure you of.
The book starts off with a prologue that is almost like a Ted Talk! It’s relevant for almost every reader who picks the book. It addresses you and speaks to you.
The book is a page turner. Not only do you want to find out what is going on but you are literally on the edge waiting to finish the page and turn to the next one. The tag line is apt ‘a psychological drama about power and control’ is the briefest and most accurate description of this book.
The way the book goes will make you feel like you are talking to Freya, like she is confiding in you. You are her only shoulder to cry on and all you can do is listen. You almost want to interrupt and give her advice but you stop, not because you realize it’s a book but because you realize that it’s all done and over with and anything you say now will not help her. You become invested in her.
The book draws you in and entangles you as if you are a fly and the book is a spider’s web. It doesn’t let you go, it puts you smack in the middle and makes you want to keep reading because honestly it’s difficult to figure out what Freya’s exit strategy should be and when, if ever, will the nightmare end for her.
Coming to the finer details of the story, the characters are all believable. Freya and Kane’s love story is pretty standard but boy does the man have a dark side! His nastiness builds up slowly getting more and more depraved, little by little until there is so much of it that there is no escape. He is a debased individual who will do whatever it takes to be in control and get what he wants. Kane evolves from a domestic abuser to a full blow sociopath. Freya on the other hand is a nice friendly girl living a carefree life. She has a very ‘girl next door’ vibe. She falls for Kane hard even though she has a boyfriend. She’s not meek and mousy at all. The story touches on many topics around domestic abuse and even violence and is not easy but the author has done a good job with communicating the pain and yet not making you want to stop reading. I love that every time you as a reader recognize the red flag, so does Freya and the author has made sure to explain why Freya chooses to let it pass or not think of it as a flag. I was happy to see that Freya is portrayed as a strong sensible person. Often suck books show the victims of abuse as weak, as needing strength to leave. But this book shows that its not only weak people who get abused. It shows that being strong also makes you susceptible to abuse because most strong people believe that ‘I can handle it, I’m not a quitter, I need to be smart, I need to bide my time’ and worse of all ‘maybe I can help him’. That’s the pitfall of being strong. That is what makes the story and the characters so believable. Other books around domestic abuse leave these thing a as questions in your mind and you need to suspend disbelief in order to read the book. In this book each situation is picked apart and the pros and cons are explained. Patricia Dixon has written a book where you do not need to suspend anything in order to understand and follow the plot. She has actually written a book that is based on a story to accurately convey to the world the facts that surround abuse. The conversations that Freya has with the reader are very explanatory and insightful. At times I felt that a good chunk of the content in this book could serve as a dissertation on understanding domestic abuse, and I’m not complaining one bit because it is a brilliant idea to use fiction and impart real knowledge to the readers. At around 55% mark it almost feels like Ms. Dixon is sharing her research with you instead of Freya narrating her story and while some readers may not like this, I think it was a great way to bring forth many great insights on this subject. As an author she has tackled the subject very well and the effort she took in her research shows. The last 20% of the book has things in there that will make you shudder and will make your stomach churn. It takes a very dark turn. You can feel Freya’s fear and this part of the book can bring on a serious panic attack for anyone who has been in an or around an abusive relationship.
This book is no doubt written to help abuse victims see their options and understand that leaving an abuser is a process and not an event as Freya rightly says. It shows that leaving may not be enough and a victim needs a very strong support system to help them see things through. It also helps friends and family of a victim understand the whole situation better.
The book is probably one of the top 5 books I’ve read this year. I highly recommend this book despite the trigger warnings because reading it will ensure that you’ll be better prepared to either deal with abuse (God forbid you find yourself in that situation) or to identify, understand and help someone in your circle who maybe dealing with it.
Take a bow Patricia Dixon, this book is a masterpiece!

**Thank you to Netgalley and Bloodhound books for providing me with a advance reader copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review.**

Wow. First book I have read by this author & loved it. Found it dark & creepy & a throughly enjoyable, well written read. Would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys this type of book.

Brilliant thriller - constantly enthralls !

Freya, years later, still recalls every single minute that she was involved with Kane - her "misery"

Although Freya already had a boyfriend, Freya jumped at the chance to be with handsome, wealthy and charming Kane. After a whirlwind courtship, everything (and everyone) took second place to Kane.- her family, her best friend, her work and especially her common sense. But, as you might expect, gradually Kane stopped lavishing compliments on Freya. He began, alternatively, to tell her she needed to eat less, dress sexier and belittled her - she was "boring". Instead of dumping the cad, Freya just felt that she needed to try harder to continue winning Kane's affections. After Kane attended (with Freya) her brother's 21st birthday party - the two had a row in his car and he all but strangled her after he peeled off the road. SHE apologizes to him. This dark side of Kane becomes more frequent and much more disturbing.

Freya loses her car, is late for work (if she does go to work), all but loses contact with her friends & family and her self respect is all but gone. She suffers at the constant psychological abuse and physical hands of Kane. She becomes a shell of her former self.

Even after a Christmas and New Year's Eve from hell, Freya is still at Kane's place. The only sensible thing she has done is managed to keep paying rent on her flat with her best friend, Lydia. Although this proves not to help her enough.

It takes an unlikely person to face Freya to turn herself around and slowly regain some self respect. But it doesn't end there. Nor does it end when Freya marries Jason and they a pre-teen daughter.

Continual and prolonged events occur confronting Freya and her family. She begins to wonder if there is any light at the end of a long and painful tunnel... and you won't believe THE REST!!!

Absolutely a MUST READ ! A rather dark emotional journey through a tattered life that keeps the reader in continual suspense. Recommend !

As always, Many Thanks to Bloodhound Books and NetGalley for a superb read!

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Freya is a girl who falls for Kane .
He is a horrible person and he wants to hurt Freya .
Freya is a person who cares about nothing and nobody .
I recieved the book from Blood Hound and Netgalley

This novel was hypnotic and creepy as it deals with domestic violence and abuse. Freya meets charming, wealthy Kane and breaks up with her boyfriend as Kane worms his way into her life with lavish praise and gifts. Little does she know that she is being manipulated and will be tossed aside like others when her usefulness to him is over. The abuse begins slowly (as it always does) and of course she doesn't recognize it for what it is until it is too late. However, the book is told as a flashback so Freya brings the reader into her world as she speaks to us as she might a good friend: "You know how this is embarrassing to talk about, right?" And then she takes us on her journey of slow mental abuse that eventually leads to physical violence beyond her wildest dreams. And in whom can she confide? Really no one as she's embarrassed to tell her parents or friends as neither approve of this odd boyfriend anyway. When she finally learns some of his darkest secrets and desires, it's already gone too far and even as she tries to leave, she realizes he has ways to blackmail and humiliate her. It's heartbreaking to watch Freya deteriorate into a massive puddle of compliance as she feels trapped in her own apartment and life. This is not for the faint of heart as it's increasingly difficult and painful to read. But it's an important story that needs to be told--especially if you or someone you know has been through this experience!