I've not at all been in the mood for thrillers, but some just grab you violently and pull you into their twisted stories. I really enjoyed this thriller, it has the perfect mix of twists and mystery, and I enjoyed the duel narration and timeline

This book follows two little girls, Sara and Shannon, and we learn that one of them murdered their parents with a pair of scissors when they were young. The narrative then jumps forward to the present as the case is gaining media attention again. One of the sisters is now living a new life with a new name, the other sister has just done a TV interview and dragged up the ghosts of the past for them both

I thought the telling of this story was done really well: we start off in the present, where the children are now adults, and then part two takes us back to the time of the murders and we learn what happened. I thought this was really effective in keeping me engaged, and making me care about the characters

I did call the late twist in this book, but it was still a satisfying read getting to that point. And I'm the type of person who actively tries to figure out the twists and mysteries, so one of my early guesses is usually right. It did all wrap up a little too neatly for me, I prefer slightly more of an open, messy ending, but overall this was a solid thriller

TW: child abuse/neglect, bullying, graphic murder/stabbing

When I Was Ten begins in 1997, with a young girl running away from the scene of a brutal double murder. When the timeline shifts to 2018, we discover that this girl was Brinley Booth, childhood friend of the Carter sisters, Shannon and Sara. Sara was nicknamed the Angel of Death after killing both of her parents when she was ten years old. Brinley hasn’t seen her since that evening and has always kept quiet about once knowing the girls.

Now a journalist, Brinley is shocked when Shannon agrees to discuss the events of that night for the first time in a documentary. It’s also unwelcome news for Sara, who is living under a new identity with a family of her own. The story follows the two women as the events of twenty-one years ago catch up with them.

The story is told in three parts: Who, Why and When. The Why section focuses on Shannon and Sara as children and the relationship with their parents. This was a difficult section to read, as their parents were cruel and abusive and Shannon endures some nasty incidents of bullying from her peers. The vulnerability and fear of the girls come through in the strong writing and, although uncomfortable, this section helps us make sense of the events that led up to these horrific murders.

This is a chilling story full of twists. For me, the most terrifying characters were Richard and Pamela Carter with their ability to portray the image of caring, generous members of the community to the outside world, while being the complete opposite behind closed doors. The novel explores the consequences of past actions, the possibility of rehabilitation after a terrible act and the role of the media in influencing public perception of child offenders. I enjoyed this story and I will look out for more books by Fiona Cummins in the future.

A harrowing thriller that follows an event that happened a long time ago to a family and how it effects them now. There were plenty of plot twists, many of them completely unexpected which is exactly what one wants from this type of book! Even with all of the complex story arcs, this was easy to follow. A brilliant read!

When I Was Ten is THE psychological thriller of 2021. No one really know what goes on behind closed doors. In 1997, Sara and Shannon’s parents are brutally murdered by one of their daughters. Twenty years later, their former next door neighbor Brinley is a journalist covering the story. Sara is living under a different name trying to keep the past at bay. And Shannon wants to tell the world the truth. The story is filled with shocking twists and interesting characters. If you’re looking for a dark psychological thriller, When I Was Ten is a great one to check out. Highly recommended!

Fiona Cummins has just shot to the top of my ‘must read more by this author’ list! This book is an absolute MUST READ for all psychological thriller fans.

The story starts in 1997, with a young girl running away from a horrific murder scene. We later learn this young girl is Brinley Booth, friend and neighbour to Carter sisters Shannon and Sara - whose parents were the victims at said horrific murder scene, later dubbed the ‘Hill Top Murders’. The story then fast forwards to December 2018 and shines a light on the family of Catherine and Edward Allen and their daughter, Honor. This book is made up of those two timelines and is written primarily from the perspectives of both Brinley and Catherine but also includes snippets from Geoffrey Heathcote, a wealthy Justice Minister.

I was immediately drawn in from page 1 and couldn’t stop reading until I reached the (deliciously twisty) end. This book explores so many powerful, dark and harrowing themes including child cruelty and neglect which I found hard to read in places but equally mesmerising. I found the inclusion of the Justice Minister’s tale captivating and clever - a perspective from an MP was really interesting.

Overall, this book is fantastically written, thoroughly thought-provoking and incorporates many elements that make up a truly enthralling read. I think it will appeal to so many people!

Thank you to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date: 22nd April 2021.

This was a good read, and kept you interested right to the end. It had lots of twists and turns, and made you feel sympathy even for the protagonist in the story. Keeps you engaged and it was an unusual story.

Oh my, what a gripping read! This is my first encounter with Fiona Cummins but since finishing I have been scrambling around looking to download every other book she has written!

I have to be honest and say that it took me a couple of chapters to get hooked as I found Catherine quite a strange character who wasn't very likeable. However, as I read on I felt that this was deliberate, and as the story progressed and we learned little snippets about her life, I became completely gripped with the story that was unfolding.

Brinley Booth has a very intriguing part to play in this whole story as she was there from the very beginning. Brave, dedicated and sincere are the words I would use to describe her. For me, she was the heroine in this story and I respected the way she stood up and took responsibility for her part in the historical events and did her best to make things right. I just wanted a 'happily ever after' for her!

There is certainly a lot of tension in the story which keeps you gripped and unable to put this book down! A must read for those who love psychological thrillers.

An amazing domestic thriller touching on an even that changed the life of a family many years ago and affected the trajectory of the sisters lives. Nothing would ever be the same!...I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend reading it!

This book is amazing! i couldn't put it down and what a shock in the end with brinley! didn't see that coming, would read more of this authors books every day, 5*****

With this cracker of a book, Fiona Cummins has reaffirmed why she's one of my favourite thriller authors of recent years. Holy moly, was this a satisfying read!

Firstly, let me just say that the minute I read this blurb I just knew that I had to read this book. The trope of children who kill (anyone, not just their parents) is one of my favourite tropes ever, and actually, as far as I know, there haven't been lot of books that have this concept as their central theme. So, I was destined to love this one I suppose. But having said that, it's not unusual for many people, myself included, to be pulled in by a good blurb only to then feel let down by the book, or totally mislead by the blurb. Well people, that won't happen here, I promise.

This story is told in 3 different parts - Who, Why and When - and I must congratulate the author on managing to keep me gripped throughout, but especially in Part 2. I read late into the night when I started Part 2 because I was so totally engrossed in the family life of the two sisters, and the things that were going on and happening to them just shocked and enthralled me in equal measure. Part 2 was sometimes difficult to read, but those of you that know my reading tastes know that I live for "difficult to read" books. The minute I hear that something might be a little uncomfortable, I'm bound to pick it up, especially when it's a thriller. And man, this one didn't disappoint. It was the perfect blend of family, drama, mystery and thriller for me, with uncomfortable and emotional parts in equal measure.

I also loved the twists and turns in this story, and there were a few that I totally didn't see coming and which caught me completely off guard. When you read as many thrillers as I do, that can be a difficult thing to accomplish, but this author managed and I'm incredibly happy about that.

In conclusion then, this is one of my favourite books of the year, and definitely in my Top 5, but perhaps even in my Top 3. I loved this thriller, and I'll be singing its praises from the rooftops for as long as people will listen. Thriller fans, buy this one. It will give you many hours of happy, on the edge of your seat entertainment.

This is a captivating story of 2 sisters and their friend, and the brutal killing of the sisters’ parents. The story flits between then and now and certainly kept me guessing! Full of twists along the way to keep the suspense and drama flowing.

I would definitely recommend this book. It was well written and easy to follow – which is not always as easy with multiple main characters and dual timelines.

Another fantastic story told by Fiona Cummins. I have been following her career from its beginning, and each of her novels get better and better. The Carter sisters story is well-told and heartfelt, and prompts the reader to consider their own views on rehabilitation and child murderers. I really enjoyed it, and especially loved the intertwining stories of all the main characters. The sisters are brilliantly fleshed out, and Sara is especially intriguing. I loved reading her struggles to maintain a normal life after such a traumatic childhood. Each of her scenes were so readable and her emotional processes were just stunningly told.

I would also like to point out that there is a very cruel twist at the end, which is brilliant. I definitely didn’t see that coming - wow!

Fiona Cummins writes an extremely terrifying novel but at the same time it is soul searching and the two combined work to keep the reader addicted.
Two sisters raised by their psychotic parents in a world of two completely different halfs. To the outside world Dr and Mrs Carter are wealthy and the epiphany of parents every child would envy but behind closed doors is a different story. The two sisters, Sara 8 and Shannon 12, had only one friend called Brinley 12 who was aware of some of the ill treatment her friends were subjected to but not the full extent.
One stormy night Dr and Mrs Carter were brutally murdered to death by one of their daughters using a pair of sharp scissors.
Following this backdrop things could only get better you’d think !!!!
The book just gets better with every turn of the page definitely in my top five books of 2020.

A gruesome double murder of a respected doctor and his wife shocks the town. Years later, their daughter Sara has rebuilt her life and tried her best to keep that awful night in her past and a secret from everyone. But her sister Shannon wants to get back in touch and releases an interview on national television which brings Sara’s blissful life and new identity crashing down around her.

Their childhood friend, now a journalist, is covering the news story but is this a huge conflict of interest as she was so close to the murderer?

This book was dark and terrifying, I regretted being alone in the house reading it.

I devoured this story, it was spectacular and I cannot speak highly enough of it.

A very good read. Full of suspense, twists and lies. Two sisters, abused by their seemingly perfect parents. Their best friend who lives next door with her own, but very different parental issues. Mix the two together and you have a brilliant story, extremely well told. The twists keep the story on edge, and the final one is a total surprise. This book certainly lived up to my expectations and was read in no time, I couldn’t put it down. If there is one criticism it would be the Geoffrey Heath character, who brought nothing to the story, and seemed to be just a filler. Nevertheless, this didn’t spoil the book for me at all and I would definitely recommend. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity of reading something so good.

What a fantastic read this is, Sara and Shannon had an awful childhood, which is revealed throughout the book. When they are 10 & 13 their parents are stabbed to death with a pair of scissors. One daughter goes into a secure unit accused of the murders and is called The Angel of Death by the press and the other is trying to get on with her life outside.

This is a book full of twists, I had no idea how it was going to pan out and the final twist was a killer one! The characters are brilliant and you can totally empathise with both sisters, Dr Carter and his wife were evil...I was actually glad they died, what those girls went through as children was awful.

Seriously chilling and compelling book, a must have for anyone that lives a good thriller, get the book you won’t regret it.....!!!

This is the first book I have read by Fiona Cummins and wow! She definitely knows how to have you eagerly turning the pages — truly engrossing.

The story is essentially a tale of two mentally and physically abused sisters and the aftermath of the murder of their parents. Their father, the local respected GP and his wife believe in very strict authoritarian parenting. Whilst painting the idyllic family picture to the outside world, behind closed doors the Carter family tell a very different story. The story is mainly told through the perspectives of Catherine, who is one of the sisters and Brinley—the childhood best friend, now a journalist covering the resurfaced story 21 years later. The story is told in three parts; we go between 2018 as Catherine desperately tries to keep her past hidden from her husband and daughter and 1997 where Catherine, Shannon (Catherine’s sister) and Brinley are children and relay the chilling story of what lead to one of the country’s prolific double murders.

This book is dark but wonderfully so and Cummins’ writing has a way of sucking you deep within the story. The vivid descriptions make for an uncomfortable read at times, but it serves as a great tool to make the reader want to know more. Without giving too much away, I thought the actions of the parents were not only horrific but truly terrifying. It was the subtlety and the eerie calmness about them that adds a level of intensity and creepiness because you unaware of their next move or the extent they are willing to go in harming their children in the name of parenting.

I quite enjoyed the inclusion of the Justice Minister as it offers an insight into the legal aspect of dealing with cases like these; exploring impartiality or lack thereof when in a position of power to ensure justice and rehabilitation.

There are twists and turns throughout the story all the way until the very end. I was not expecting the last twist at all…woah. I did not know this was loosely based on the real story of Mary Bell until reading the acknowledgements and I’m intrigued to look it up. Overall, this book was a pleasure to read with all the important components of great writing, well fleshed out characters and a storyline that keeps you engaged from start to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley & Pan Macmillan for a review copy.

A thought provoking look into the consequences of an abusive childhood and how the fallout echoes down the years. A good read.

This book is brilliant! The tension was built throughout, don’t get me wrong it’s not easy to read in some places but the author has a brilliant way of handling these sensitive subjects.
A stark reminder that fiction can be so close to real crime, genuinely at times I had to remind myself that this was fictional. I was completely engrossed the whole way through and struggled to put it down. A thriller that is well worth a read!

I loved this story. I think I’m turning into a thriller type of girl now! So this book threw a good few twists my way, there was a couple of open mouth moments there!

Sara and Shannon lived an awful childhood, and we get to find out so much of this throughout out the story. We get to understand why what happened happened, and you really do feel for the girls. Their childhood friend Brinley lives next door, and knows what goes on, but hasn’t actually seen anything happen, as Dr and Mrs Carter are so careful when others are around. We read flashbacks of that night, nights and days previous, and a lot of the present, always from Sara (or now as she is know Catherine), and Brinley’s POV.

Catherine is now grown and living under a new identity, with her husband and daughter. But it isn’t long before things start unravelling, especially once Shannon goes on air to plead with her sister to find her again.

But there is another persons POV we see, and that is the Justice Secretary. To be honest I didn’t think he fit well into the story, and he could have been left out completely and I don’t think it would have made much difference. But he was there anyway, and I suppose just added an extra character.

That didn’t take anything away from the story though. It was a fab thriller, and rather sad at times too, and I would definitely read more of Fiona Cummins work.