I have read and enjoyed other books by Claire Douglas and this was no different. Told in the present but with regular reference to and occasional chapters linking back to the past, the story unfolds. It starts with a bang (literally and figuratively) and the bangs continue as the story does. I enjoyed the conflicting roles for Jess of journalist and friend. Ending is satisfactory too!

Ever sine I read Claire's first book I have always looked forward to her next one. This one was another solid read, a good storyline with twists and turns. Well written and stylish.

Another great read from Claire Douglas. I enjoyed the characters interactions and the realisim. I think is her sadest yet, but also shows how far you could go for a sibling/best friend.

I found this book a bit slow in the middle but then it really picked up towards the end with lots of twists!
I did notice a continuity issue so I’ve put this on the notes to the publisher.

I have read several of this author’s books and I was looking forward to reading this one and it certainly lived up to expectations.

Heather Powell walks into a house and shoots an elderly woman and her son dead. She is then found with a self inflicted gunshot wound and is in a coma. What made her do it and why?

Jess Fox is a journalist investigating the story. As a teenager, Jess was welcomed into the Powell family until the night when Heather’s sister Flora vanished.

A story full of twists and turns with a good mixture of characters; some likeable and others not. The story alternates between the present with Jess trying to understand what turned Heather into a killer, and the the past where we discover what exactly happened to Flora. A clever thriller that keeps you guessing and which I would recommend.

I love Claire Douglas as an author and every book she writes gets better! This book is so full of fantastic twists, you think you have it all sorted in your head and Claire throws a spanner into your ideas! I was so gripped by this book I had started and finished it in less than 24 hours....I couldn't put it down. I loved the characters, the storyline.....and that ending?! An absolute must read for all thriller fans ❤

This is a new author for me and this book had good reviews so I thought I would give it a try. I am so glad I did. It took me a couple of chapters to really get into it but it went flying of after that. Plenty of twists and turns to keep me engrossed and the main characters were really likeable. I thought I had it all figured out a couple of times but it proved me wrong and it was a great ending. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys this genre of books.

A fantastic read. A thriller going back through 20 years in a small town. Relatable characters lots of twists and a great ending. Fully recommend

Jess, with her boyfriend Rory escape to Bristol, an area Jess grew up in, form London to escape the recent scandal Jess has caused whilst reporting on a story for the national paper she works for. Now working for a local rag there are high expectations of her.
Jess stumbles across a story she had past connections with. For two years when she was about fourteen she became best friends with Heather and her family. Tragically Heather’s sister, Flora, disappeared, fowl play was suspected but a body was never found. Now Heather is suspected of a seemingly random shooting of an elderly woman and her grown up son. Jess cannot reconcile this with the Heather she knew and manages to become close, once more to Margot, Heather’s mother. She is torn though with what she is told as a reporter and what she is told as a friend.
There are lots of surprising revelations throughout this mystery story. The characters are sympathetically described, and there’s plenty to keep you guessing until the end. Moves at a good pace and I’d recommend giving it a try if you like this genre. You won’t be disappointed.

I have read by books by this author before and enjoy her style of writing. This one certainly lived up to my expectations.

The story started very quickly with a double murder.. There were many characters to ‘get to know’, and the author made this very easy with her descriptions: so much so that I felt emotional attachments to the ones I liked. Having said that, the ‘bad’ characters I hated with intensity! The book was very clever and, at times, I thought I had it all worked out but I was wrong every time.

I found it a gripping read and highly recommend it.

This is up there with Gone Girl, Big Little Lies, Girl on a Train. Bound to be a big hit. Fast paced, interesting characters and an ending you don’t see coming!

I've learnt from reading other books by Claire to question everyone and everything. Something may seem small but later on it can explode to something else.
Although I did figure out a few things throughout the book I was still questioning if I was right up until it actually happened. You never know what could happen at the last second.

I'm a big fan of Claire Douglas and have read many of her books so was really excited to be approved to read her latest - thanks Netgalley, Claire Douglas and Penguin!

This book has a strong plot which keeps you guessing, likeable characters and plot twists that keep you on the toes and second guessing what you think has happened / did happen - it's really well paced..

A 4.5 star read that I devoured in a day. Looking forward to Douglas' next book.

I loved this book and would highly recommend it to all. It has a great story line, brilliant main characters and is a real page turner. I couldn't put this book down.

It took a couple of chapters for me to get into this book , but when I did I seriously couldn't put it down . When a young woman with seemingly no motive shoots an elderly woman and her son in their home and then turns the shotgun on herself seriously injuring herself , everyone is at a loss at what made her do it , she had no link to the victims and was a happily married mom with a young child . Jess, a reporter is on the case and it just so happens that she used to be best friends with Heather . We find out that Heather had an older sister who vanished years earlier and the story delves into this back story really well too .

It seems that everyone , even the supporting characters are keeping secrets about what happened the night Flora disappeared , including Heather and Jess . I loved how the story unfolded , Jess is torn , she wants to write the best article she can but she still remains loyal to the family who made her so welcome years ago .

A brilliant read with some great twists and a satisfying conclusion

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. I finished it last night before going to bed, well it had me awake most of the night. What an amazing story. I found it a bit hard to get into at the start but I kept going and I’m happy I did. This is one twisted unreal fantastic storyline. The twists and turns in this had me wanting more, I didn’t want the book to end but at the same time I needed to know what happend. It’s one of those books that stays with you long after the last page. Brilliant writing a 5star read. I would recommend this to anyone.

Loved this book. Kept me hooked from the start and I loved all of the twists and turns. Just brilliant!

I found this book a little hard to get into but persevered and finally began to get into the plot. I found the ending well explained and the best part of the book.

a thoroughly enjoyable read with plenty of family secrets and deception being uncovered i devoured this book very quickly!

many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Fantastic read, hooked me from page one, fast paced great story, all tied together at the end, love a Claire Douglas and as usual didn't disappoint