I really enjoyed this book. I was totally surprised when it was revealed what the promise was cause I thought it was going in a whole different direction. I couldn't put this done until I read the last page. This is an excellent read and I highly recommend it!

At age 11, Beth, Carol, and Sally started boarding school at the Convent of St. Colman. They shared a room and became very close friends for their time at the school. Now years later, the area where the boarders were housed is being sold for redevelopment. Even when the girls were boarders, the Convent was old and filled with damp, so tearing it down is not unexpected.

Beth and Sally have stayed good friends over the years but Carol moved to France and contacting her has been difficult, if not impossible. Beth is married to Adam and is the mother of two sons. Sally has not be able to carry a baby to term which has resulted in her divorcing her husband. Carol lives with Ned in the south of France. Beth and Sally feel they really need to contact Carol so they hire Matthew, a private investigator to find her.

The girls share a deep, dark secret that remains at the Convent and if there is any digging done during the redevelopment, their secret could be revealed. It has tormented them all these years. So, they must do all they can to keep the secret quiet.

This is a good thriller but would have been better has it not been so slow to get going. This is why I only gave it 4 stars. However, once it got there, it was stunning. I think readers will really like this story of true friendship. (Note: I am using the English, not the French, spelling of Carol in my review.)

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Review THE PROMISE by Teresa Driscoll. Three girls make a promise to keep a terrible secret during their teen years in boarding school but years later it comes back to haunt them.This is the author's first book and had a good storyline though a bit slow until near the end. ⭐⭐⭐Three stars.

I really enjoyed this story. Another great book by Teresa Driscoll! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

This was my first Teresa Driscoll book and I liked it. The story wasn't the big thrilling suspense that I expected but instead it was a slow burn of a story about 3 girls dealing with something that happened back when they were school girls. I did find it interesting that of the four main characters, the story was only presented from three points of view. I kept thinking that missing point of view was a clue. It kept me a bit distracted from the story. I won't tell you whether it was a clue or not so I don't spoil anything. And while I won't be going out and binge reading everything Ms. Driscoll has ever written, I did enjoy her writing style and character development and will be reading more of her works.

I really enjoyed this book even though it was a bit slow in places as I got near the end it got more exciting the characters were very likeable it’s the first book I’ve read of this author I will definitely read more

I do not usually include any plot information in a review, however, it seems necessary in this instance. The subject of the book is unusual. While it is not uncommon to write about the life impact of an unfortunate childhood event: teen pregnancy and the shameful circumstances that usually underpin it. The author tries to present the emotional and psychological perspective of the girls involved in the story. The derailed girl who gave birth and her inability to develop healthy relationships; the negative mental health effects, and the two friends who kept the secret for so long; the impact of the life event and the secret. This is not a subject commonly written about, and while pregnancy and women's rights issues are, the perspective of those involved in the situation presented here would be very much less known, let alone understood.
It is an admirable presentation of a largely ignored issue.

I really enjoyed this book! Such a great storyline with rich characters. The love and burden of their secrets will forever bind them yet pull them apart. The story tugged at my heart. Lots of surprises, twists and turns.
Very well done!

Great winter read to warm you up and catch your attention quickly. This is a great story where you know where you don't ever know where the ending is headed and it keeps you invested in the characters and there are a few little surprises thrown in as well!

This was a great read indeed a little slow to start but the end certainly made up for that! Would recommend this book and will be looking to find more from this author.

Teresa Driscoll's The Promise tells the story of three women -- Beth, Sally, and Carol -- who went to boarding school together and become best friends. While in boarding school something really bad happened and the three make a pact to take the secret to the grave. Fast forward 20 some years. Beth is a happily married mother of two and still best friends with Sally, who is divorced. Carol, however, has slipped out of their lives, and Beth and Sally aren't sure why. When they hear that their old boarding school is going to be razed and their secret might be discovered, Beth and Sally set out to find Carol so they can decide what to do. At the same time, Beth begins receiving veiled threats to stop her search.

Personally, I was never invested in any of the characters, and the boarding school secret, which we learn about halfway into the book, wasn't compelling to me. I found the story to be very slow and just not that interesting. I definitely wouldn't call it a thriller. It was, however, very well written.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book tries really hard to be a thriller but I couldn't help but feel I had read it before...or seen the movie. And then I remembered Pretty Little Liars. That's the plot basically. 3 young girls do something wrong...their past comes back to haunt them etc. Not terribly original and the story just dragged on and on because you learn pretty much right away what the secret/promise is so this storyline really had nowhere to go but down. I made myself finish it hoping it would pick up but sadly no. It's not a bad book...it's just lacking in originality. Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy for review.

I loved this book - I did not want to put it down - I had no idea of what would happen next in the story and it was so easy to read.
I loved the characters and found it very lifelike and well written.

Unfortunately, I just could not get into this book. Slow start, what secret? The characters were so, so. I’ve Read some of her other books and liked them but The Promise just didn’t work for me.

A psychological thriller full of twists and turns. Three friends who met in boarding school share a terrible secret that is still impacting on their lives decades later. When they hear that their old school is to be demolished, the friends know they have to act to prevent their secret from being discovered, but that same secret has driven them apart and when they start receiving messages telling them to leave things alone the6 start to suspec each other.

A gripping thriller that will leave you guessing until the very end.

Beautifully written and gripping from the beginning, sweeps you along to a brilliantly considered conclusion.
The plot is packed full of big issues, without being too much and all fit perfectly within the storyline. Very cleverly done. There are plenty of twists and turns, which led me astray and kept me guessing right to the end.
The characters were well thought out and cleverly drawn, interacting naturally with each other and reacting realistically to the events in the plot. The characters were all very different from one another and each had their own issues, it was interesting to see how well these traits fit within the plot and affected the outcome of events.
A great psychological thriller, fast paced and well written, I look forward to reading more from this author.

Beth, Sally, and Carol became quick friends at twelve when they started boarding school. But after a tragedy happens at school and they agree to cover it up and never speak of it again, their friendship changes. Now, in adulthood, Beth and Sally, who have remained friends decide to find the estranged Carol after discovering their old school will be torn down and the potential of their long buried secret being discovered. As they look for Carol, they find more than they were expecting.

I thought this was a strong story with likeable characters and a good amount of mystery. There were a few surprise twists, and although I suspected one or two, some were a surprise. I wouldn't call this a page turner but has more of a slow burn. I didn't like this book as much as the author's previous I am Watching You, but it is still a decent thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer Publishing for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars

“The Promise” by Teresa Driscoll is a psychological thriller about three childhood friends; Beth, Sally and Carol, and their time growing up in boarding school. The book starts off with something bad happening – a room filled with blood and a promise made between the three friends to never tell anyone. Years later, Beth and Sally get notice that the boarding school is closing and hire Matthew, a private investigator, to find Carol who has been estranged for a few years. This leads to secrets coming out and trouble for Beth and her family. Can Beth keep the promise she made as a child?

The book is told from three perspectives, Beth, Matthew, and Carol. I like books told from multiple points of view so enjoyed that, but with finding Carol as such a major plot line I think we should have had more of her perspective throughout.

I’m a big fan of psychological thrillers, and I enjoyed this one. I went back and forth on my rating and finally decided on 3.5 stars. I thought the secret would come out to be something other than what it was so I was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t figure it out. There were additional secrets that came out throughout the book as well giving it some plot twists and turns! There were some parts of the book that were slow moving and a little drawn out then the ending felt rushed. Overall though it was a good thriller, and I would recommend it. I look forward to reading other books by Teresa Driscoll.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Beth, Sally and Carol met at a crumbling boarding school run by nuns. The story goes back and forwards from their meeting to the present day. Carol stops contact with Beth and Sally but there's to be a reunion as the boarding school has been bought and is being pulled down. Sally and Beth try to find Carol as their secret could be revealed.

Firstly I’d like to thank Thomas & Mercer for the ARC of this novel. Also thanks to NetGalley for facilitating. And a huge thank you to Teresa Driscoll for yet another unpredictable read!

So, as usual there will be no spoilers in this book review.

Having read Teresa Driscoll’s two previous thrillers, I was excited to find out where Matt and Mel were now! I got slightly confused when I first came across Matthew in this book as he wasn’t how I remembered him and then I realised that I’d been paying no attention to the date at the start of the chapter - this is set BEFORE the events of the previous two books! Though it is worth noting that each book works in its own right and you do not need to read all three to understand what is happening.

The synopsis had me really intrigued - as with the previous books it was all secrets and that worked so well for the other books that I was desperate to read this! It’s written in a similar style to the previous books in that each chapter is written from a different characters perspective (either before or after the “event” that the book is centred around). This works really well as each time you finish a chapter you are left wanting more information but you won’t get that for another couple of chapters as the perspective shifts again. It makes for really addictive read!

I really really loved this books. The storyline was completely immersive and gripping, it was funny, shocking, confusing, desperately sad... it was a real rollercoaster of emotion to read.

As always (With Teresa’s books) I really identified with the characters, they were all so individual and flawed and believable even though I had no idea which of them was trustworthy until the very end! Lol!

I did guess a few of the plot twists in advance but when rereading the sections where I initially guessed, I think it was intentional as there were lots of prods to the reader. Perhaps to give you this sense of foreboding and knowing that something else is coming to rock the boat.

I really hope that these books keep coming! I’d love to see more of Matthew and Mel (who was a bit lacking in this book!). 5 stars for an incredible read - yet again!!!