I am a huge fan of the Culver Valley series and I have been disappointed by Hannah's standalone mysteries in the past...I'm afraid I didn't much care for this one either. I wanted to find out what on earth was going on but I found it unlikely that two such good friends would have fallen out so spectacularly in the way they did. Yes, she weaves a clever twisty plot that confuses the reader but I felt that's all the narrative existed for - there wasn't much emotional truth or character development. Not her best.

I’ve read and enjoyed all of Sophie Hannah’s previous books and this one was no exception.

This author is a master at weaving intricate stories where the pieces whirl tantalisingly just out of grasp until they finally, brilliantly, slot into place.

There were parts of this story that I found very far fetched, but treating it as a ‘story’ I could overlook some of the procedural details that were incorrect in my experience.

My favourite character was Zannah. Witty, sharp-minded and kind, she was everything I’d want in a daughter and I loved her relationship with her parents and brother.

I enjoyed reading this and thank NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

Love Sophie Hannah books and this one did not disappoint. It had me gripped all the way through, so many twists and turns, definitely worth a read.

This is such an unusual premise that you can’t even begin to guess how the story will unfold and it’s written in such a page turning style that you can’t wait to find out what Beth will discover next about Flora and her children. The amount of imagination employed to write this is phenomenal and yet it’s so believable and frightening. Sophie Hannah has easily succeeded in making an impossible story both plausible and possible.

Sophie Hannah I loved u .,I still do but this was a love and hate read for me ..it's taken me time to face the fact that no matter how loyal that things have slipped
I of course appreciate alot your twisty worlds and this I can see was layered and had a diabolical plot and villain which I appreciate but the novels have become so convulted and also like I am are aware sophie is known for twists and is well earnt .Sophie Hannah is admired but now this shows an almost ,almost desperate need to throw in as many different confusing ideas
Past few years I don't know what's gone on and it pains me as they are clever but just for me don’t grip like the early works .i was so focused on the younger older versions ,getting the names right cater Jeanette oh no flora oh no bk again to ms cater is that Jeanette or Jeanette as flora oh floras in uk oh no not now oh yes bk again ,that I found it hard to enjoy the novel .
I concentrated I focused I enter into her novels with excitement of old and fear from the new stuff as it's sadly dissapointing,far reaching tooooooo muddly . Ideas page to page chipping n changing ...u just hold onto a idea and boom u have shifted it
Now I read alot ,alot ,I don't mind out there ,..but constant shifting I do
Great concept muddly in its delivery and not paticually exiting as had to keep recalling the names and changes

I will read again this author as I know it's in there that talent ,that gift and I'm hopefull and won't give up that there will more of a novel not just twisty threads which though I enjoy can just make a bit of a mess of what is a clever idea
Thanks netgalley and publishers x

12 years ago, two families fell out. Beth and Dominic Leeson were best friends with Flora and Lewis Braid, each couple with two children, but all those years ago, things changed… Flora and Lewis had another baby, Beth had a miscarriage, and the Braids became wealthy and moved away.

Now, Beth spots Flora with two young children, children that look exactly the same as the ones she knew 12 years ago. But how can this be? And where is the third child? Where is Lewis? Lots of twists and turns, quite unbelievable, but nonetheless a fun read.

4-5 stars

Well, if you like twisty and twistier then this is your book! Beth and Dom have grown apart from Flora and Lewis Brain and haven’t seen them for 12 years. On a whim, Beth decided to go to Newnham House, the last address she has for them. She parks up, sees Flora drive up to the secure gates of the large house, she gets out of the car with two children who she calls Thomas and Emily. What? The Thomas and Emily Beth knew should now be 17 and 15, so what on earth is going on? To describe Beth as dogged in her pursuit of the truth is somewhat of an understatement as it is more like obsessive but find the truth she does! This is a very puzzling mystery which Dom wishes she’d drop but she finds she is unable to do so.

One of the things I like most about this book is the characters. Although Beth drives you a bit mad with her relentless pursuit, she is very likeable. Her relationship with Dom is great but the standout character for me is their 16 year old daughter Zan (Suzannah) who I just love. She is so funny, perceptive, incredibly smart and also supportive of Beth’s investigation. Yes, of course she should have been studying for her GCSE exams but hey, she’s a smart cookie! Lewis is the character you love to hate, in fact I found my fists clenched at some of his antics. The story is peppered with humour which I like very much but this ceases obviously, once the very dramatic conclusion unfolds. Yes, it’s probably implausible, yes it’s somewhat convoluted, yes some of the characters wouldn’t know truth if it socked them between the eyes but I actually don’t mind very much because it is such an enjoyable read.

Overall, I admit that at times I feel like I’d been down the rabbit hole with Alice but at the same time it’s terrifically entertaining, twisty, a bit creepy, weird and strange psychological drama which I couldn’t put down.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the ARC
Expected UK publication 23/1/20

This is such a clever book and so unique. I love Sophie Hannah and this book did not disappoint.
I was drawn in quickly and it’s a very memorable book as it’s unlike anything I’ve read this year. The characters are intriguing and well developed. I’d definitely recommend this for anyone who enjoys this genre.

This was an excellent thriller that drew me in. The storyline was well developed and the characters were sympathetic and realistic.

For most of this book I literally could not put it down, I had to know what was going on. Beth and Flora had been best friends since university, however, after having their families they began to drift apart with none of them making the effort to keep in touch. Twelve years after their last contact, Beth sees Flora again but soon realises something very strange is going on. I loved Beth's relationship with her family, it was actually refreshing reading about a normal, functional family! I totally understood her determination to find out what was happening in Flora's life, and the book becomes more and more tense as truths are revealed. However, I did feel things were a bit more convoluted than necessary and disbelief had to be suspended on a few occasions. I also felt we were given too much inner dialogue from Beth, at times it seemed we were getting too much detail of her every thought and action which was unnecessary.
I did enjoy this book and would certainly recommend it as a domestic thriller.

Oh I ADORED this - twistier than you could hope for, a complex involving plot, a seemingly impossible mystery, with each passing page you get more and more addicted, whilst scratching your head in bemusement until Sophie Hannah unravels it all for you and it all makes sense. 

Clever clever. Also one of my favourite teenage characters in Zannah- a breath of fresh air.

Full review to follow for the tour but definitely highly recommend.

I was intrigued by the the premise of this book, a very original storyline but I found myself skim reading just to finish. Overall I was underwhelmed with it.

A gripping book telling how women will make any necessary sacrifice for their children. It is quite a creepy tail but well worth a read

Sophie Hannah’s books are always hotly anticipated, by me anyway, and always set up incredibly intriguing, apparently inexplicable situations which generally become even more inexplicable and intriguing until the truth is finally unravelled. Here, the premise is two young children - Thomas and Emily, the children of protagonist Beth’s former best friend Flora - who apparently haven’t grown or changed at all in twelve years. Impossible, clearly, assuming science-fictional explanations are ruled out.

The investigation of an apparently inexplicable mystery is one of my favourite types of story and Sophie Hannah never disappoints. I liked Beth’s dogged determination to find the truth - driven both by concern for the children and a simple need to know - and often aided by teenage daughter Zannah (who surely has a glowing future ahead of her).

There’s a bit of a danger, when a situation is quite so bizarrely inexplicable, of the actual solution being a bit of a disappointment. But while the denouement here is unavoidably slightly far-fetched - relying on people acting in ways which you can’t really imagine actually happening - it’s still both fair and satisfying.

I do miss Charlie and Simon, though. Are they ever coming back?

I really enjoyed this. It gripped me so much that I had to force myself to put it down so I could look forward to reading more later. The characters of Beth and her family were engaging and believable, particularly the sassy Zannah. I had no idea what the secrets were that Flora and Liam were hiding and every time I thought I knew, I was wrong. The truth did stretch credibility a little, and the ending was slightly disappointing (I do not like these thriller endings), but it was fun getting there. The epilogue was satisfying.

Phew! Well, it's not often I read an entire book in a day, so that says a lot. Just had to keep reading to find out what the heck was going on?! Nicely written, maintains the suspense and sense of mystery, with a good dollop of confusion over quite who was telling the truth, or half-truths. Having a vivid imagination, I went through all sorts of possible theories: Stepford children? Bio-engineering? Cloned babies? Ghost story? Children forcibly treated with growth inhibitor?
Engaging and persistent protagonist, who also comes up with a few entertaining quotes on work-life balance while living with teenagers. I may put one or two up above my desk ;-)
A great read - and you'll be so caught up in it, it won't take long!

A clever book - from the title right through to the end. A book centring on women, the meaning for them of friendship, their love for their children and what they'll sacrifice for the sake of both. Written with love and understanding, thie story will perplex, hearten and move you in equal measure.

I spent a lot of time wondering how our main character Beth ,could see two children who hadn't aged in 12 years,and her ex best friend who was currently living in Florida.
No amount of thinking was ever going to come up with this story... I was thinking genetic tampering for sure,but the real story was more twisted and creepy than that.
A hugely entertaining read.

I really didn’t know how this would pan out but I knew it would be good and it was better than that! So well written, tense and complex with clever moments they keep the reader guessing. Sophie Hannah is a truly accomplished writer and this was a joy to read, even if the subject matter was tense! I really loved it.

As soon as I read the synopsis for Haven’t They Grown I knew I NEEDED to read this. I was literally checking Netgalley every few hours just to see if my request was approved yet.

And then I was approved. My plans for the day were swiftly cancelled and I started to read. Haven’t They Grown is truly brilliant, an absolute masterpiece of an idea. It’s written fantastically and I honestly couldn’t put it down until I knew how it ended!

My only issue was Zannah, I didn’t like her as a character.

This is a must read!