How to Play Dead by Jacqueline Ward
I hadn’t read any other novels by this author and so therefore came to it with an open mind. It tackled the difficult topic of domestic abuse and indeed the main character, Ria, was immensely proud of her work at a women’s refuge. She had a close and loving relationship with her husband and his family but her relationship with her own parents was complex. Reasons for the problems with her parents were revealed as the story progressed.
We then had the story of the women who made use of the refuge facilities and one, Sheila, came across very powerfully. Running alongside this was the narrative provided by Tanya who we realise is trapped in an abusive, coercive relationship. How these two stories were connected is revealed later on but hinted at throughout.
Ria’s husband has to go away for work and during his time working abroad their relationship is limited to one very short phone call and a series of repetitive texts which give us no clear idea about him or his personality. The ending of the novel for me felt very rushed and left me feeling let down. Other people have mentioned that they did not guess the dramatic twist at the end of the story but I picked up on this quite early on in the narrative.
However the fact that this author has tackled such an important issue and raised awareness of this with the reader made me want to like the book more than I actually did. I therefore would give it 3 1/2 as a rating. My thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

This was a compelling story and I think it tackled the subject of domestic violence well.
The main character of Ria is strong and so determined to help the women in the safe centre she runs, but she also has her family to look after and it's interesting to see how she juggles that. Especially when she becomes a target herself.
The book covers abuse suffered from several different women as they deal with violent and controlling partners and look for a way to escape that life. This may be difficult to read for some people as parts are quite harrowing. It isn't a subject I've read about before but I thought this was well written and a good read.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Atlantic Books - Corvus, for the ARC.
HOW TO PLAY DEAD is very enlightening and I'm sure true to life. Centering around a women's refuge run by Ria and Janice, two amazing brave, down-to-earth women. The back story was very clever. A little lengthy in parts and I thought it could be tightened up or cut, but apart from that a unique read with a unique premise. 4 super stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Atlantic Books - Corvus, for the ARC.
Well, this book is not for the feint-hearted as it steams head-on into the realities of domestic abuse and violence against (mainly) women, through Ria Taylor's story as the manager of SafeMe - a refuge for victims.
The story is told by a countdown of days that Ria's husband Danny, a shop-fitter, is contracted to spend working in Dubai to qualify for a large bonus. They have run-up debts, Danny wants a deposit for their own home rather than their rented flat, and a better life for their 2 children.
At the same time we are given diary entries by Tanya, documenting her abusive and controlling relationship with Al.
"You must tell someone" is the advice Ria gives to abused women, but she ignores her own advice when she becomes stalked by a stranger and feels her family are threatened.
Ria's and Tanya's detailed experiences are harrowing and I wondered just how the two were connected - the major twist at the end was well-conceived and although in hindsight there are clues throughout the book, I really did miss them.
My only criticism is that this was all very lengthy and I felt unnecessarily so. The author has certainly got her message across within an intriguing mystery/thriller.

What a great and thrilling story . This grabbed my attention from the very beginning and I couldn’t put it down. Great characterisation and I loved the ending.

How to Play Dead by Jacqueline Ward focuses on Ria who runs a domestic violence refuge while juggling everyday life. While her husband is working away she receives a disturbing message and knows she is being watched. A powerful read and well written.

Oh gosh, this book brings to life the plight of many women in shocking relationships and how they feel about them. I hope there are people out there like Ria who help this people.
An interesting book and thought provoking.

A book focusing on domestic violence will never be an easy read, but this is a relevant and hard hitting story. Set in a women’s shelter and following the lady who runs it, this thriller takes you through the many ways in which our current system is doing abused women a disservice. It really made me realise how little women can do, when the law makes sure that the man has to have done something ‘really bad’ in order for them to be stopped. The women in this story shine, their strength is inspiring and although they don’t always get out of their situations, you understand their actions throughout.
Although the storyline is a little predictable, and starts off slow, I did stay up into the night to finish it, just to see how all of the storylines came together.
If this book helps highlight to even one woman that her partner’s behaviour is not ok, then it’s done it’s job.
Thanks so much to the author, netgalley and the publishers for giving me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ria has dedicated her working life to running a women’s refuge and protecting the women who come there. She is passionate about her job but one day finds herself in the same situation as the women she strives to help. She knows she should tell her husband but he is away on a 30 day contract working hard to save for a deposit on a house. Ria finds that she is terrified and cannot imagine who is stalking her. As things escalate events from her past begin to catch up with her. Can she find out who has a grudge and stop what’s happening?
I thought the subject matter was sensitively dealt with whilst delivering a good and engaging plot. I did feel that the last few chapters were rather rushed.

This was a difficult book to read due to the nature of the content. The author made you feel the helplessness, the anger and frustration and ultimately the fear of domestic abuse. It was brilliantly written, there are many Ria’s who work for barely anything, doing an amazing job while endless cuts are made to funding. This book really hits that home. Rias story was compulsive reading, I couldn’t put it down, the tension while she was stalked and the realisation the police can do nothing until it is too late, the feeling of complete helplessness and fear. This really was a brilliant read.

Wow, absolutely loved this book. At numerous times I forgot it was fiction; the author writes with such passion & knowledge about some tough subjects. On that note, whilst there is definite humour & a raw sort of reality throughout (helped by setting the action in Northern UK), there’s also some triggering issues but they’re dealt with in a non-glorified, honest way that adds to the overall tone.
The characters are well developed and you truly root for the main protagonist, Ria.
It was a book I didn’t want to put down and I was always reading “one more chapter” to find out more. The suspense built up in various sections really worked for me - I can imagine this being adapted for a 3 part TV series (and hope it is!)
My only slight niggle was the way Ria & her husband count down the days - calling the first day “day 29” and counting down just didn’t jar well with me but if that’s my only issue with a book, it’s done well.
The story is believable yet has dangerous tension throughout - I loved the link to a past story and there were some twists, turns and surprises which made this a rewarding read.
The book also had a ‘real life effect’ of me empathising and understanding women’s shelters more and wanting to do more in real life to support them, and this was achieved without being “preachy”, but telling the stories of some feisty women.
Not as light as “chick lit”; not as fantastical as some “thriller type” novels, this one struck a perfect balance in between for me - thanks for the opportunity to read before publication and thanks for sharing this story to the author.

Domestic violence is s highly emotive subject and this makes this book quite a difficult read. Ria, the main character is a sympathetic protagonist. She works in a woman's shelter and runs a pretty tight ship there it seems, providing support to abused women and their children and even (at the insistence of the funding body) to the abusers. She has two young children and is married to Danny who for most of the book is working abroad trying to earn enough to put down a deposit on a house for them. While he is away she starts getting threatening texts. Are they from a disgruntled partner of one of the women she's helping or is it someone from her past?

I found this to be a worthwhile read. It doesn't bear thinking about that some women have to live in fear of their partner and that their support is often threatened by cuts to local services. At times I found it a little repetitive but overall I would recommend it, Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

How to Play Dead is about domestic violence so it is a difficult read but a compelling story .It is told through Ria who runs a domestic abuse refuse called Safe Me and Tanya who is writing a diary and is clearly being abused .This is a very thought provoking book with a good story line ,I wonder if in real life there are many SafeMe type shelters for the abused ? Ria is a very likeable character trying to be Superwoman and giving one hundred percent to these poor women and children to try and make them safe,whilst trying to fight for more funding against the odds ..If she was a real person she deserves to be made a Dame !!!! though she would probably refuse it!
Many thanks to the Publisher ,the Author and NetGalley for my review copy in return for an honest review .

Firstly thank you to Net galley and Atlantic Books for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Working within a charity which deals with domestic violence I was interested to see if the portrayal of a women's shelter would be accurate, and the author did not disappoint. I have not read many novels which are set within this type of environment, and I found it to be enjoyable and informative without being overly descriptive (which could be a trigger for readers who have experienced domestic violence).

The first third of the book I was unsure where the plot was heading, and as a result found it hard to get into however once the dual plots of Ria and Tanya began to intertwine the novel picked up its pace. I found myself reading well into the night to find out how the two stories were linked and would ultimately conclude.

This was a satisfying read, which I would recommend for fans of thrillers, and stories which have a few layers to discover.

How to Play Dead by Jacqueline Ward. This was an un-put-down-able book! What insight into the topic of domestic violence. This was frustrating, puzzling, gripping and heartbreaking! The dynamics of coercive control are, I think, almost impossible to understand and that’s the genius in Jacqueline’s storyline. What a victim yet ultimately a hero in Ria! The characters come to life and you feel the psychological pressures on poor Tanya & Ria! Not as stark and tragic as it could be but with enough insight to give a glimpse of the reality and horrific damage caused by coercive control! Brilliant!

This book was too samey to something I read recently so I couldn’t finish it.
Such a shame to find a new book which had a promising synopsis but little originality.
I didn’t finish it.

A gripping story, with a great central character, but I found it almost unbearable to read at times, because of the traumatic abuse suffered by many of the women portrayed. My only criticism is the rather weak character of Ria's husband Danny, who never really comes alive. A great book though, and one I would recommend.

I must admit that I struggled to get in to this book. It was a tough subject to read about as it does cover aspects of Domestic Violence. However, I felt that it was a little slow in parts and I struggled to really get in to the book.

This book performs an important social service by drawing attention to the various forms of domestic abuse and the accompanying effects on families. It shows to that there are organisations where help is available. Putting all this in the context of readable story delivers more people to understand these issues than would be the case with a straightforward summary of the problem. The story moves along with the diaries of Tanya interspersed throughout to give momentum. The outcome of the story is predictable but it is nevertheless worth waiting for.

A difficult subject to write about, a book I couldn’t finish as my daughter has suffered from physical and psychological abuse and it was too close for comfort