Another great book by Teresa Driscoll! I really enjoyed this one, didn't want to put it down! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

When journalist Alice Henderson realizes that she is being terrorized each Wednesday, she is desperate to figure who is behind the threatening calls and notes. As her life is changed while the police and PI Matthew Hill are working on her case, Alice realizes that her own secrets can't be held anymore.
When her mom becomes one of the intended targets of her stalker, Alice knows she must do everything she can to stop the stalker.
The book never really got going for me. I didn't ever really feel Alice's fear, or really much of any emotion from her. The chapters that were from the stalkers viewpoint were a bit more enthralling but still had a bit more mundane detail than necessary. The ending was almost a surprise, after leading me in another direction so that was good.

This is my kind of twisty thriller! Alice gets a creepy phone call at work and someone threatens her life. Because she's a reporter she assumes it could possibly be a prank, but when things escalate and he continues to send a threat each Wednesday, her boyfriend suggests a private detective look into it. So of course there are many suspects and Alice must also work to make sure her aging mother is safe as she is also used as a pawn in this scheme. Going back and forth between Alice and the present and the past with an un-named kid living with his grandma, the novel has us guessing from the beginning. Who are her true friends and why would anyone want to hurt this young woman? Very enjoyable!

Every Wednesday, like clockwork, the terror returns.
It seems like an ordinary Wednesday, until the phone rings. A mysterious caller with a chilling threat. Journalist Alice Henderson hangs up, ready to dismiss it as a hoax against the newspaper. But the next Wednesday, the stalker makes another move—and it becomes clear that this is all about Alice.
Someone wants her to suffer, but for what? Her articles have made her a popular local champion—could it be her past rather than her work that’s put her life in danger? Alice is determined not to give in to fear, but with the police investigation at a dead end, her boyfriend insists on hiring private investigator Matthew Hill.
With every Wednesday the warnings escalate, until it’s not only Alice but also her family in the stalker’s sights. As her tormentor closes in, can Alice uncover what she’s being punished for before the terrifying threats become an unthinkable reality?

****

I really enjoyed this book. It certainly picked up pace towards the end. But.... I can only give it 3.5* stars. This book certainly made me tense and anxious etc, like all good stalking cases. But I just didn't feel enough for the characters involved. If they have been fleshed out more, I think this would have made a much better story.

3.5*

If anything, this is definitely a page turner.
The story switches between multiple key characters, both in the past and present, which certainly keeps you guessing on who wants payback, and why.

The focus on parental relationships is another key element to the storyline and Teresa does a great job of portraying the inherent love between those involved.

I’ll be honest with you, early on we are presented with Alice withholding information (yes, I know this is a key attribute to many books in this genre), but at that stage I was simply hoping that when this information was revealed I would buy into the notion that it was something that was understandably withheld. Later on we find that this happen before in the past, and perhaps it’s this character trait that’s results in Alice accepting predators into her life. Anyway, at the end of the day these necessary omissions worked well in the greater plot, and I suppose we couldn’t have a suspense novel if everyone told everyone else the truth the entire time.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for a review copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher


This was a solid thriller told thru different characters perspectives as the storyline advances.
A crazy story with twists and turns, I enjoyed it.

This one had me gripped from the very first line, so much so, that I had to read it in one go.

Alice is being stalked, but she doesn't know by whom or why. A journalist, she does her best to investigate, but she discovers, as so many other women have before her, that it's almost impossible to do anything about her stalker until it's too late.

Fast paced, with interesting characters, I flew through this one because I was loving it so much. Apparently it's part of a series, but I haven't read the others and don't feel I missed anything as a consequence because this works well as a standalone.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

4 ☆ This fast-paced, dark mystery|thriller starts off when Journalist Alice Henderson picks up the phone to hear a technically distorted voice with the chilling threat “I am going to use cheese wire on you.”
She just realizes that this is not the first time but the third Wednesday she’s had something bizarre happen, although not as scary as this last one. She continues to receive calls, threatening notes and packages, odd coincidences.. all on Wednesday’s (is an important day of the week to this story.) Someone is evidently following her, knows everything about her life. Police have come to a dead-end with the case so boyfriend Tom hires former police turned Private Investigator Matthew Hill to watch over Alice and find who’s behind the threats. Alice is hiding a big secret because she doesn’t want any harm to come to her mother or sister. Matthew soon discovers what she’s hiding making his job that much harder. Told by two narratives, one Alice, the other by “him,” this story caught me by surprise - - I would of never in a million years guessed who the “him” was. It’s an intriguing and clever mystery that had me suspecting e v e r y o n e with a fantastic dark twist at the end that I promise you, you’ll never believe! This is my first Teresa Driscoll book. I was told the author is using some of the same characters in previous books, but this can be read as a standalone. Enjoyed this and definitely adding her earlier release I Am Watching You to my tbr.
*Caution for sexual abuse, violence.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

I can’t remember reading a psychological thriller as good as this. Tension started in the first sentence and remained until a surprising conclusion. I couldn’t bear to put it down and got irritated if someone interrupted my reading.
A great storyline well told from start to finish - another one please

Never saw that twist coming. Great read was right into it couldn't put this one down.


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for posting this as a to read on netgalley.

Told in multiple POV, but mainly focusing on Alice, someone has been sending messages to her every Wednesday. Messages that are unnoticeable to being with, but start escalating until she’s being terrorised. Someone wants to hurt her... or is it her family they’re after? And who’s behind it all. The police are investigating, but due to limited resources Alice hires private investigator to help protect her and gather the all important evidence. Added to the mix are flashbacks to a young boy and his nan, who’s trying her best to pay the rent, look after her grandson and keep him off social services radar. She has to works nights every Wednesday, leaving him home alone. And he’s deeply distressed by this. But why? And how is it connected to Alice’s story? A very tense thriller - you’re with Alice every step of the way (especially on the train! 🙈) There’s plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing, and I didn’t see the big reveal coming!! I really enjoyed it.
⚠️ WARNING ⚠️
The story includes references to suicide and is a bit graphic which could trigger if you’ve been affected by suicide.

A classic psychological thriller! Journalist Alice Henderson receives a chilling, threatening phone call one Wednesday, which she initially tries to dismiss as a prank. But as each Wednesday brings another disturbing call or event, she begins to realize that her life may be in danger and that she is being stalked by someone very dangerous.

Told from a variety of viewpoints and alternating between past and present, this novel provides the reader with an engrossing, easily readable story as Alice, DI Melanie Sanders and PI Matthew Hill try to unravel the mystery behind who is tormenting and threatening Alice and why. It has plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader interested and guessing.

I enjoyed this novel very much, as I have enjoyed Driscoll’s previous novel “I am Waiting for You.” (And, even though DI Sanders and PI Hill appear in other of Driscoll’s works, each of them can really be read as a stand-alone because the focus in each is on the victim.) I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a fast-paced psychological thriller, and I look forward to reading more of Driscoll’s works.

I loved this thriller. It kept me guessing all the way through. Just when I thought I had it figured out, the plot went in a different direction and proved me wrong. It was one of those books that I kept thinking about when I wasn't reading it.

I completely related to Alice. I identified with her fears about the stalker, her habit of beating herself up for not being "stronger," and her compulsion as a journalist to write about her experiences.

I think Driscoll did an excellent job of making us understand all the characters, including the stalker, whose motivation is crystal clear by the end of the book.

This is a quick read, excellently plotted and sufficiently intriguing to leave you guessing who is stalking Alice. Alice is a journalist on a small newspaper and one day receives a threatening phonecall that upends her world. Told in the present and the past the 'Alice' chapters are interspersed with chapters told from the stalkers pov. These chapters go way back in time to his childhood and make for upsetting reading.

So why only three stars? I just felt that none of the characters were particularly fleshed out and were only there to further the plot. When a book is about the insidious nature of stalking and the impact it has on the victim and those around him/her, I was disappointed that I didn't feel more for Alice. I also thought that Alice was painted as such a victim. From the fall out of her first relationship, to her experience on the train, to the situation with the charity she approaches, never mind the stalking. Perhaps I'm over thinking it all, but the book left me a little cold.

My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

I will make you pay., is a twisty turn book. The kind of books I love. Kept me guessing through out. Read this one

I loved I Will Make You Pay by Teresa Driscoll. I was engaged from the first word, the story's pace was perfect -- not too fast or slow -- and I didn't see the twist at the end coming. I felt the terror of the main character as she was being stalked, and I felt the frustration of everyone else that there wasn't more to be done to protect her. I Will Make You Pay was a fascinating and compelling read, definitely Theresa Driscoll's best book yet.

“I am going to use cheese wire on you.”

The author wastes no time using the first line in setting the tone and direction of the novel. That is all that is said in a phone call to Alice Henderson, a reporter for South Devon Informer. After informing her editor, Alice goes next door for a coffee. She discovers that her order was called in moments earlier, and she did not do it. Alice is quite upset, and a police report made. Nothing happens until a week later, the next Wednesday, when a cake box arrived from a recently reviewed bakery. There was not a cake in the box but pink peonies, Alice’s mother’s favorite. The cycle escalates every Wednesday, and the novel escalates from here.

The story is told in the perspective of four characters. There is Alice in the current timeline of the story. The second is Alice Before that provides glimpses of Alice growing up and as a young woman. The third is Him Before that provides glimpses of villain growing up. The fourth is Matthew Hill a private investigator, who was hired because the apparent lack of progress by the police. Note that the Hill character appeared the in same capacity in two previous novels that I have read from this author.

The B-storyline also is quite rich. Alice is the center here with her relationship and history with her sister, her mother, and Tom, her fiancé. This backstory besides providing insight into the Alice character provides relevance to the current storyline. Another rich B-storyline is with the character, Matthew Hill. I did not remember this character from the previous two novels but I will remember him from here on out. Actually, this is the fourth novel in which this character appears. His ex-partner DI Melanie Sanders also plays a repeat appearance. While the main characters change, Hill, his family, and Sanders provides the connective tissue between four of her novels. Lastly, the B-storyline on the villain provides much insight to his character.

This novel has all that I desire in a thriller. Not only are there the usual twists and turns but several major bomb shells in the storyline that calls into question the analysis of much of what has happened to date. I was hooked very early in this novel and could not put it down. I finished this novel faster than normal. Lastly, after reading this novel, I have purchased the missing novel. All of these are my major criteria for a high star rating.

There are not any f-bombs, but some lesser vulgar language, especially informal British versions. There are not any sex scenes. Graphic violence is minor. There should not be any objections in this area for you, the reader. This novel has the strongest level of anxiety that I have read in quite a while. Being American, I did use my e-reader’s dictionary and Internet access for much of the British informal words.

For me, this novel was a step improvement over the two previous novels I have read. Because I really enjoyed reading this novel and am really looking forward to reading the author’s next novel, I rate this novel with five stars. I believe that you will enjoy it too.

I have received a free e-reader version of this novel through NetGalley from Thomas & Mercer with an expectation for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this novel early.

A true psychological thriller. The back story of Alice's stalker is interspersed with present time in a complex weave of story line and action. The plot and characters are well developed making this a rich and complex read. What you think of as lesser characters actually provide a backdrop or a base for the action. Well written suspence and drama.

I gave this five stars, mainly because there are parts of this story I enjoyed, and then there are the parts that left me saying “really? How dumb can one person be”. Not only that but the main character’s name was used over three hundred times (actually 329 times, according to my search). I tried to very hard to like Alice, but found her lacking. Read this and judge for yourself.

About halfway through I felt a bit disappointed as I thought I had guessed the ending. However I was completely surprised and 100% wrong! This book is written incredibly well and continued to shock me. I liked most of the characters but did find Jack annoying at times. It was a very tense storyline and it definitely kept me interested. This one is a real page turner and very hard to put down. I was always telling myself “just one more chapter”. This is the second Teresa Driscoll book that I’ve read and I’ll definitely be reading more from her in the future. I really like her writing style and she creates fantastic storylines!