Amy Heydenrych's suspenseful thriller "The Pact" keeps readers guessing until the very last page. Following Freya's journey into a mysterious world of start-ups and murder, readers are kept guessing as to what exactly happened the night Nicole died. From heated arguments with her colleague, to cruel pranks and an ultimate revenge plot gone wrong, the story provides twists and turns, building up to an unexpected ending. Heydenrych's narrative and engaging characters keep readers on the edge of their seats until the final chapter, with questions left unanswered and plenty of shocks along the way. A fantastic read and one that is sure to have readers coming back for more.

I have let this title linger on my digital to read shelf for far too long. Apologies to the author, publisher and netgalley for not reviewing sooner. Well, what a book! My first by this author but definitely not my last. There were so many twists and turns. I loved it and if you like books that keep you guessing, I would recommend this one!

Really enjoyed this book. Some great twists and a really good one at the end. Kept me gripped with the narrative slowly building the story.

I ended up borrowing the audiobook from my library for this. Due to this I ended up reading it within an afternoon.

Going into this I didn't bother reading the synopsis choosing instead to go in without knowing anything. This way I didn't know what to expect.

The writing was fast paced for me. Keeping me intrigued enough throughout for me to get through this in one sitting. For some reason I feel this worked better as an audiobook. I just have this feeling I would have struggled had it read it physically.

I didn't really have any theories until maybe the last ¼. Even then it was less a theory and more just knowing 100% that the men are vile creeps. That the workplace isn't always safe.
I did like that this included workplace bullying and harassment. But also how that when you complain it is largely ignored or you are victim blamed. Even though HR know the truth but are either afraid to do anything or don't care due to the power the abusers have.

Isla was the only character I really liked. She felt genuine and despite her past and the struggles she still faced she just wanted to help others. I'm also glad we got to see her seek professional help.
Simon was the only male character I liked. While Jay and Julian were just vile sexual predators.

Freya I don't know how I felt, not including the end, one side I felt bad for her with how she was treated. But at the same time I didn't like her for some reason.

The part were Freya is getting messages and being physically stalked and threatened was terrifying and intense to listen to. So many women either go through this or fear it.

The end kinda ruined my enjoyment a little. Also when I fully disliked Freya. On one side its so common twist for thrillers that I should have seen it coming. But I just didn't like it in this case. It didn't work for me. Also annoyed me the reason for her letting her friend take the fall.

Thank you for the copy of this book.
This is the first book I have read by Amy and I hope it won't be the last
I found this book difficult to get into at first as it didn't quite flow for me at the start, however I persevered and got to know the characters and I liked it. A good plot that keeps you guessing until the end.

I very much enjoyed this book. It has a good story and excellent main characters. I would definately recommend this book.

A really interesting story and a character driven story that I would highly recommend to others! Would definitely read and recommend in the future

When I started this book I wasn't sure where it was going but the further in you get the more it grows on you. A young girl gets hired by the 'tech' company she has always dreamed of and at first all seems too good to be true, life soon becomes difficult with bullying until the office hunk takes an interest and romance blossoms, too good to be true. Between them they decide to pay back the office bully but in doing so another can of worms is opened and life becomes even harder when murder is committed. We are then lead down several pathways to find the killer, Simon the unbelievably nice policeman, the journalist, housemates, founder of the tech company and a stalker..........two and a half months later they think they have found the killer, a happy ending all round? the epilogue changes all that , an ending that no one expects.

The Pact by Amy Hendennrych
l give this book 3.5 stars
Is this just a prank gone wrong? Or does Freya know someone who is capable of murder - and could she be next?
A fabulous fast paced story,an easy read with short chapters which I like.
I was drawn in from the start,what a great storyline.
Dark and riveting.
A murder mystery with a shock ending,what more could you ask for!
Thanks to Netgalley.

I found this book initially quite hard to get into, I didn’t find it flowed so well in the beginning.
However about a third through the book it started to pick up somewhat and you get a real feel for the characters.
Good plot that keeps you guessing!

this is the first book i have read by this author i thoroughly enjoyed it will definitely keep you guessing the ending , infact it will keep you guessing the whole way thru i was anyway ,the pact is a great read, i would recommend to anyone, i really hope the author writes another

Revenge Turns Deadly....
Revenge with deadly results in this compelling psychological suspense. Well plotted storyline with twists and turns aplenty, a good exploration of themes and well drawn characters. A slow build but overall an engaging read.

This book took a couple of chapters to settle into a good reading rhythm for me due to the flip between not only two different timelines but the lives of the two main female characters. That being said once i had settled in to how the book was written it became a compulsive read. The two female characters around who the book is based whilst seemingly opposites turned out to be much more. The flip between time lines helps to build up the background to why the murder happens it lets us feel the tension, the unease and the distrust the women share. The women also have one thing in common a man and once you get to meet him you know he’s going to be trouble. He has a sinister agenda that is gradually revealed yet he seems so kind and innocent, so perfect for Freya. So perfect for her that they make up a prank together to get back at Nicole but things go so tragically wrong with it and Nicole is found dead. The pace then switches up more after the murder as we see how the death is connected to everyone around Nicole. Various threads of the story entwine and we start to see the dark underside of Jays world and the world he works in. Red herrings are offered up to the reader, we think we know who did it , we are sure we do. Guess what there is a surprising and deadly twist to the story that delivers the true meaning of the title The Pact. A story that keeps you immersed, page after page and once you start it be sure to make time for it as you wont wanted to put it down.

I received this book from NetGallery for an honest review. The story about the murder and what the neighbours was experiencing with the loud music and laughter. Until everything goes quite and next thing the police are investigating the murder of a young girl called Nicole. An investigation is taking place and a journalist is looking into the murder and goes to the place of her work to get a better insight about the character.

Freya is a new employer at the place of work and one of her new colleagues took a disliking to Freya. In the end Freya had, had enough of the bullying and the unhelpful comments so she played a prank on Nicole which resulted in her dying the same night they completed the prank! Did this result in her death? There are two main points of view of the story and that was from Freya and Isla and they was based on the past and the what happened after the death of Nicole.

As the story progressed there was a lot to understand about each character and with going backwards and forwards in time you pick up on life experiences and the personality. I feel the ending was a surprised but with the character talking about the death I felt she should have explained her feeling during the chapters as it just comes out the blue. So I was a little disappointed at the ending but I felt that everything was covered to explain and build up with the killer.

The chapters are a bit odd with going back and forward to different characters and to the past and present, which I am trying to get my head around. I was very undecided about this book about wether I liked it or not, I enjoyed the characters and what the author was trying to get across about having certain situations on the internet and it will be there for all to see and workplace bullying.

Okay, let's start with this. This is a thriller unlike most on the market at the moment. If you are looking for something that is really fast-paced, this one is not for you. I have seen some describe it as 'slow' and 'boring' but those words didn't come to mind when I was planning out this review. That's not to say that I didn't have any issues with the book, but that the positives definitely outweighed the negative.

The Pact is very much on trend at the moment. We've seen an upsurge in the number of books tackling topics that have plagued real-life women for decades but have been so rarely spoken about in this kind of media - sexual harassment and bullying. There of course is a content warning for sexual assault and harassment, so if this is something that you struggle with, just bear that in mind.

I found the characters were well formed and experienced things that I found myself identifying with in some way or another. I definitely saw Freya's life echoed some of my own experiences, albeit in a much lesser way. The way that Isla's voice explained in more detail how we had gotten to that point really filled out the plot for me and her determination was evident from the very start. She was probably my favourite character in the whole book.

I particularly enjoyed the investigation into the death *no spoilers here* as it so closely relates to my real-life work (criminal justice) and I'm a sucker for things like that. I also found the bullying in the book to be very realistic and left my pretty angry to be honest - I suppose that is what Amy was hoping for!

I found the short chapters and alternating time-lines to be thrilling and kept me engrossed in the story, even during some of the less action-packed moments. I did not see the ending coming and I almost started reading the book from the beginning again to see if I could pick up on clues that I'd clearly missed the first time around!

Pacy, twisted and immensely addictive, Amy Heydenrych’s The Pact is one hell of a spine-chilling roller coaster ride full of deadly rivalries, secret adversaries and cold-blooded murder that will make you want to work from home in a locked room for the rest of your life!

Freya is looking forward to putting the past behind her and to a fresh new chapter in her life. With a new job, new friends and a brand new city, Freya cannot wait to start living her exciting new life. No longer dull and ordinary, Freya intends to work hard and to play even harder and with a hot new boyfriend, her colleague Jay, the world truly does seem to be her oyster. However, Freya shouldn’t get too comfortable about her new life, because Jay’s ex, Nicole, who works in the same office, is keen to put a dampener on things. Never one to lose an opportunity to belittle and humiliate her, Nicole is making Freya’s life hell and if she continues to interfere and cause trouble, she could well end up driving a wedge between her and Jay and ruining their fledgling relationship.

Unable to take it anymore, Freya snaps and confides in Jay about his ex’s out of control behaviour. Jay is keen to teach Nicole a lesson and to ensure that Freya does not need to keep on suffering at the hands of his mercenary ex, so he hatches the perfect revenge plan that will ensure that Nicole finally gets what is coming to her. However, what nobody had foreseen was that the following morning, Nicole would be found dead in her apartment…

What truly happened the night before Nicole’s murder? Was this a prank that had just gone awry? Or has Freya let somebody into her circle who is capable of committing murder? Worse, Freya cannot help but wonder whether she might end up being the killer’s next victim…

A nail-biting thriller where the action never flags, the stakes are high and danger and jeopardy loom large on each and every page, The Pact is an immersive, engrossing and entertaining chiller that will keep readers glued to its pages. Fabulously written, brilliantly plotted and shocking from beginning to end, The Pact is a must-read for domestic noir fans everywhere.

I would firstly like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Heartpoundingly intense.
This read had me constantly guessing and was definitely a must-read page-turner.
Cant wait to read more from this author!

I was intrigued by the synopsis of the story, but for some reason this novel didn’t really work for me. The characters didn’t really click. I found them annoying and childish, playing pranks on each other. The story is complex and suspenseful, with a few tense moments, but I think there was something amiss and the ending left me a bit disconcerting. I liked the short chapters and different timelines that are not difficult to follow, but the story is sometimes slow and repetitive. I haven’t read the author’s first novel, Shame On You, but I have been hearing good things about it so I was looking forward to reading The Pact, but, I am sorry to say, it didn’t really deliver for me.

Starting a new job is nerve wrecking to say the least especially your first job. So turning up and in your first week, the office dream boat is chatting you up and someone takes an instant dislike to you because of that…it’s a mixed start…. could it possibly get worse for Freya?
The Pact plays out both from Freya’s first day and from Nicole’s death with the odd chapter about how Freya met her four besties. As the story jumps around, I got a true sense of the persecution that was afoot. Nicole is a nasty piece of work, a total biatch to the new starter! But in the new world post Nicole, things are far from easy. This is a story of bullying to the extreme and maybe from the grave!
The climax is brilliant, I thought I knew exactly what was going on, suspect sorted and everything but then boom Heydenrych throws a curve ball which I did not see coming. Bejeezus!! Just WOW!!
The Pact is an extremely tense read. Each page I turned, I could feel the thread of tension getting tighter and tight. This is a fabulous psychological thriller pact with attention seeking (and grabbing) tension. If you like your psych-thrillers, you need to get your grubby mitts on The Pact!

The Pact tells the story of Freya Matthews, a computer coder who gets her dream job at a trendy new start-up tech company called Atypical in San Francisco. Things seem to be going well as Freya solves various tricky computer problems, impressing her enigmatic boss, Julian Cox, the founder and CEO of Atypical, and catching the eye of colleague, Jay Singh.

One of the other coders, Nicole Whittington, takes an almost instant dislike to Freya, mainly because she feels that Freya has stolen her man, and things start to turn nasty as Nicole makes nasty remarks and mocks her clothes, hair, etc.

After months of bullying, Freya begins to dread going into work and, if it wasn’t for Jay’s support and their relationship, she would probably have quit. To teach Nicole a lesson, the pair decide to play a prank on her. Unfortunately, the same night, Nicole is bludgeoned to death in her apartment with a small bronze statue.

Isla Davis, a news reporter on the local newspaper, the San Francisco Times, investigates the murder, with some unofficial help from the lead inspector on the case, Detective Simon Cohen, and she tries to unravel the events that led up to the awful crime.

The book hops about in time, which made interesting reading as I tried to put all the clues together and work out exactly what was going on. It was interesting to see the different viewpoints and try and work out who was telling the truth. We also learnt more about Freya’s difficult past and how she’d had to really work to achieve her dream career, and about Isla’s past life and the moment that spurred her on to become a reporter.

With dark undercurrents of workplace bullying and sexual harassment, The Pact was a relevant, current read on issues facing women in life and at work. The chapters involving Nicole’s bullying of Freya were cleverly written and I found myself getting more and more annoyed at Nicole and hating her for being so nasty to Freya for no apparent reason. It all seemed rather petty as she’d only just met Freya and hadn’t got to know her properly.

It’s frightening how much information is available about a person online and this is another key theme of the book: Julian does research to discover what things Freya is fond of, presenting her with appropriate gifts when she starts the company.

Overall, I really enjoyed The Pact; it was well written and uncomfortable reading at times and rather dark and edgy. I often shared in Freya’s fears and discomfort when she was experiencing stressful moments – the bullying and harassment from Nicole and the stalking via text messages that she endured later on in the book. Many of the characters in the book were rather unlikable and they all seemed to have an underlying nastiness to them to some degree! The book had some clever twists and misdirections, and I liked the ending, although I had guessed what would happen.

I’ll keep an eye out for Amy’s next book and will have to read her debut, Shame on You, which I already have on my Kindle!