I'm afraid I found this novel very hard work. It came to me on a recommendation, and the synopsis was intriguing, so I tried really heard to remain engaged. But ultimately I found it dragged, was not engaging, I could find little common ground with the characters to even empathise with. There was a disconnect between the characters and the storyline, and the constant jumping back and forth between timelines was disjointed to the point that I just didn't care any more. I persisted until I reached c.half way in the book, but after this, I just needed to know the ending, so jumped to the final 10% which had a suitable twist, it had potential which remains unfulfilled by the end.

Domestic abuse is horrible and this book pulls no punches. It jumps back and forth with Katie and it is at times a hard read.

I wanted to read it more than I actually enjoyed it - the police characters weren’t to my liking. Many will enjoy

This was a well written and well thought out book about an incredibly sensitive subject. The story albeit having a main character Katie, had many sub characters some likeable and some not. The characters had all suffered domestic violence in one form or another. The police investigating the crime cane across as two very different men with differing views on domestic violence and how that is interpreted. The book did throw up a few red herrings but I had no idea who the “perpetrator” was until the author revealed this and I needed to keep reading in order to find out. A great read.

A cracking debut can't wait for more!

A thought provoking read which reveals the plight of domestic abuse victims and their families.
Set around the story of Katie and the police investigation into her suspected suicide.

The story is told in two dimensions, visiting the then and now.

The police soon start to realise that not everything is as it seems and that everyone has a past and secrets hidden in the closet.

The author highlights some of the many different forms of abuse that are experienced by victims of domestic abuse, touches on life in a woman's refuge and gives an insight into the victims struggles, thoughts and feelings as they attempt to rebuild their lives.

It's clear to see that the author has done her research and been in close personal contact with the subject area and had written with sensitivity, thought and care.

Told from the points of view of Katie and the detectives investigating her death this was a quick and engaging read. HOWEVER. I found the detective sections of the book uncomfortable to read and I don’t think Alot of the commentary was necessary?” It’s almost as though the author wants the older officer to seem like a rugged old school detective but it Just made me really dislike the characters.

“ Whitworth had dealt with a few of them in the past. Asians, that is. He found that they tended to be tough nuts to crack. You’re not supposed to generalize, but what was a cop’s instinct without the occasional generalization”
Overall I enjoyed the storyline and it was interesting to see how easy it is for domestic abuse to become “the norm” I didn’t see the ending coming which was a bonus 😁

Not so much of a thriller. I found the writing hard to really engage with, I didn't like or connect with a single character, the condescending policeman was often hard to read, it was just dull - almost like he should have been from another book.

A shame as the story is decent and the ending is decent. But as a hotly tipped book, I'm afraid not for me.

I’d like to thank Penguin Books UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Keeper’ by Jessica Moor in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Katie works in a women’s refuge helping the residents escape from the men who they’ve had to run away from. Then Katie is found dead in the river and DS Daniel Wentworth is investigating and although it looks as if Katie took her own life he’s not sure. There’s an added problem for DS Wentworth and DC Brookes when they can find no evidence that Katie existed, no passport, driving license or national insurance number – so who is Katie and why did she jump off the bridge into the river?

‘The Keeper’ is a powerfully written novel that deals sympathetically with domestic abuse and the women who have no choice than to escape from the clutches of the men who are a danger to them. The story is divided into the Then and Now of Katie’s life, how she meets her boyfriend Jamie and the events that happen during their relationship. It’s thought-provoking, has interesting characters and twists and turns, the final unexpected twist in the last pages being both startling and chilling. It’s well-written, compelling and completely absorbing, and I recommend it.

The synopsis was amazing. The reality was not.

I so desperately wanted to like this, and I will say it is a very timely and important book. But it just didn't feel that good. The writing style felt a bit too detached, and so I struggled to really connect with Katie or have any real interest in her story. There was far too much filler in a seeming attempt to bulk up the word count, and the final twist just didn't really work for me. Sadly not one I would recommend.

This story is written in two parts - then and now. The then part tells the story of a Katie, who meets a man in a bar. It tells the story of their relationship & the lead up to her death. The now part tells the story of the police investigation and the women at the women's refuge where Katie worked. I felt this was not a thriller, but commentary on domestic violence & it's impact on society. While it was well written with well developed characters, I felt it was a little lacking.

This book was a little slow to get into but I persevered and ended up compelled to find out what happened.
What a brilliant turn of events, was not expecting the ending. Very clever

I started this book with enthusiasm having liked what I read in the blurb but 25% in I was not enthralled and confused as to what was going on. Sorry to say that, unusually for me, I did not complete the full novel.

A common theme in the last few months has been domestic violence, abusive control and the like, with women always the victim. And so it is with this book.

Using the ever popular back and forth timeline of "Now" in which the police investigate a young woman's death - was it suicide, or was it murder? "Then" explores her life - she is Katie - and her past relationship with Jamie. The police investigation is slow almost to the pointy of a standstill which is closer to reality than we care to acknowledge. Katie's life was somewhat humdrum - nothing new here, but the author explores the lives of other women in the refuge with which she was connected., so that's quite interesting.

I found the writing a bit stodgy and lacking in pace, so it really didn't hold my interest, and as such I wouldn't class this as a thriller.

There are better books concerning this topic - Elizabeth Haynes (first?) book "Into the Darkest Corner" is so much better and actually had me cringing as I turned the pages. Sadly this didn't, and it was all a bit of a plod.

I just couldn’t get into this book, I didn’t find the story engaging or gripping and found it hard work.

Katie Straw is dead. Her body was found in the river just below the bridge but did she jump or was she pushed? If she jumped, why did she jump? And if she was pushed who did the pushing? That is the question that is facing Detective Whitworth as he tries to piece together the mystery of Katie, a mystery that is complicated by the fact Katie Straw isn't actually the real name of the dead girl, so just who is she.....

This is a closely woven mystery that flicks back and too in time frame. Chapters are clearly marked 'Now' and 'Then' as we slide backwards and forwards between the police investigation into Katie's death and a time in the recent past which details her relationship with Jamie, a boyfriend from the past. Much of the story is set in the women's refuge that Katie worked in and we learn a little about the women that are staying there and their various reasons for finding themselves there.

A novel with a twist that I suspected from the midway point it was still somehow shocking to get to the end and have my worst fear confirmed. It's slow to get going but stick with it and you won't be disappointed.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review,

I didn't really enjoy this book. I didn't like the characters much and felt the two timelines didn't gel enough. I would have preferred the before part of the story done as a whole and shorter. The story deals with a difficult subject which I felt hard to read through personal circumstances. Saying that I would be careful who I recommended the book too.

Book received from #netgalley

I found this book a little confusing to start and took a while to understand the then and now concept. When it did all start to make some semblance of sense, I wanted to shout at Katie to get out and run. You just knew there would be no happy ending. The character was in a dark place, trapped not least by her own thoughts of self worth. As for the ending, I didn’t see the twist coming, but although unexpected, it didn’t really fit for me.
The star of this book was the writing about the refuge and how the backdrop of those women’s lives played out alongside Katie’s. They refused to believe it was suicide, but would anyone listen to them? She tried so hard to help them all, but ultimately couldn’t help herself or those who chose to return to a former life.

Set in Widringham. An additive page turner. I was gripped reading. Katie Straw is pulled out the water is this suicide? I found this book harrowing to read in places that some might find upsetting. Once you get into the story you will be left reeling up to the final page. I really enjoyed it.

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I enjoyed this story very much and felt like I knew each character personally due to the description of them. I enjoyed the storyline. This is not my usual genre but in this instance I am extremely pleased and grateful for opening up my mind to something totally different. Thanks again.

I was really looking forward to reading this book as the description sounded so good.
However I am sorry to say that I found it a little boring and was unable to connect with any of the characters.. Katie drowned without us knowing anything about her so I was unable to make a connection with her.

The women in the refuge did not seem to have any character and I found them boring..

The controlling relationship Katie finds herself in with Jamie is well written and I liked the Now and Then. There was a lot of the book where nothing happened. I didn't gasp when Katie realised who the Policeman was.The twist at the end was good but I am not sure why I didn't gasp when it was revealed who the Policeman was. I also found the end very strange as it was kind of unresolved,.

I would like to thank Penguin UK and NetGalley for the ARC for which I have given my unbiased review.

A tough yet compelling read about domestic violence. A woman is found dead, drowned in a Northern market town. She worked as a support worker in a women’s refuge so the investigation into her death is worrying. At first they think it’s suicide but it could be something much more sinister.

It’s a hard hitting read and one I found hard to keep going. Purely because of my ‘enjoyment’ of the novel and nothing to do with the compelling characters and subject matter. It’s just a hard novel to like in many ways, The two timelines worked well but were shocking in their stark portrayal of violence and the gradual way even a ‘strong’ woman can be worn down. The ‘before’ part of the book which takes you deep inside that relationship is shocking and hard to read. Katie’s fear and reactions are tough to ‘watch’.

The storyline after the death was more unusual s the police look to find the truth about the young woman’s death. The residents of the refuge become under the spotlight and it was interesting and tough to read. IT shines a light on who might be in such a place and why.

I’m not usually a fan of domestic noir but it was interesting to read. Perhaps painfully accurate sadly. Overall if felt a little too serious and this got in the way of the suspenseful plot.

I’ d like to see what readers of domestic noir make of it.