I felt slightly confused at the beginning of this book, I even admit to thinking I might have to not finish it as it was just not catching my interest. I am glad I did not do that though as the further I got into it the more I began to enjoy the story (if still a little confused) 2 young girls, the life they endure. A politician and his bawdy ways. See I even find it hard to even describe the book! I think the best thing you can do is decide for yourselves, give it a go, but don’t give up. I eventually enjoyed it.

I enjoyed when I was ten but it felt muddled in places. The characters weren’t formed enough for you to like them or care a lot about them, with the exception, strangely, of Edward- he was totally unlikeable.
Sara/Catherine wasn’t strong enough to be a heroine and Shannon wasn’t in it enough to dislike or fear. Not sure I’d read it again

A spine-chilling tour-de-force. Fiona Cummins is a born storyteller ************************************************************************************************************

This book genuinely had me on the edge of my seat. It deals with sensitive, hard-hitting issues, and Catherine's chapters in particular were taught and pacy. A truly powerful novel, When I Was Ten is gripping from start to finish.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. It was easy to get into and kept me intrigued. I wasn't convinced by some of the events towards the end of the book but overall, found it to be a satisfying read.

Very clever and very well written!! Fully enjoyed this one and was read in one sitting!! Cannot wait to read more from this author !!

If you’ve already had the pleasure of reading Fiona Cummins’ previous books then you know to expect a dark, twisty and uncomfortable story and When I Was Ten is no exception.

The book opens in 1997 with a young girl fleeing from a double murder scene having witnessed a traumatic and horrific event. Fast forward to 2018 and the story introduces us to Catherine, happily married to Edward and loving mother to 12 year old Honor, whose lives are about to be turned upside down and inside out when her Catherine’s sister, Shannon Carter, appears on live TV to talk about the brutal murder of her parents 21 years ago. Catherine hasn’t told anyone about her past and now watches as her family is dragged into the media spotlight.

Brinley Booth grew up with Catherine and her sister Shannon, living next door and is now a reporter who has been assigned to cover the story and get an “exclusive” however the past still haunts her and she narrates some of the story taking up back to 1997.

There are some really uncomfortable topics covered in this book (child abuse, domestic abuse) and whilst they are an important aspect of why Catherine’s parents were murdered and what drove the sisters to commit these violent acts, there are scenes that are deeply disturbing.

As usual the author provides the reader with a rollercoaster of a ride full of twists and turns. When I Was Ten is a fast paced, gripping thriller and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

If it wasn’t for the ending, this would be a book that takes some of the deepest horrors of our world and lays them bare with intelligence and sensitivity. But in the final chapters, this sullies itself, devolving into a car crash of a cheap thriller reliant on gore and sensationalism. It’s a shame because I was fascinated by the first 80% of this novel; the multitudes of shades of grey and the lies we tell to protect the people we love the most. It was darkly gripping, shedding a light on family secrets that no one wants to see and no one is willing to hear. And it’s as though Cummings chucks in the towel at the end; abandoning all insight for the quick thrill of violence and shocks.

There were some issues before that of course, but they were easily glanced over and others perhaps wouldn’t have been bothered by them. The build up to the murders is a little too obvious, the hidden abuse a little too overt, even if those around the family couldn’t see it. The motive for murder was a little too obvious, a little too black and white, knowing all the facts who could blame a child for cracking and imploding under the strain? A lighter hand; instances relayed through the memory of an imperfect narrator rather than the stark third person view you get would have been subtler. The abuse narrated from the perspective of the eyes of a child, scared and confused and not sure what to believe, rather than an omnipresent narrator would have been more hard hitting.

But by and large this didn’t really impact on the power of the novel. It jars you slightly, but it doesn’t pull you out of the narrative. And the narrative is fascinating - a child tried as an adult for the brutal murder of her parents, parents who are seen as pillars of their community. Convicted and incarcerated and living under the radar until the story hits mainline news once more. Two sisters, one of whom committed a heinous crime, tied in a convoluted web of truth, love, lies and fear. A lot of the tale is told in the present from the perspectives of one of the sisters and that of a close childhood friend, now a journalist trying to run from that haunting past. Broken families are laid bare in both the present and the past. It is a glimpse into the reasoning of violence, the reverberating effects of childhood trauma and the power of both fear and forgiveness.

The inclusion of the Justice Minister was a bit odd, I admit. His story added very little to the tale as a whole and only really served to distract from the important issues. But that’s a side show rather than the meat of the issue and, whilst irrelevant, is easy to skip over and ignore. It’s only real relevance is the descent into chaos at the end. And even then it’s a side note rather than the front page story. I suppose his tale goes some way to demonstrating the power of the press - for good and ill - but that is already clear in the way the story of a vulnerable child is portrayed... even if that child is the one responsible for two frenzied murders. It’s a clever thread throughout the novel; how the media influences and incenses public opinion and how much harm they can do in the name of ‘public good’.

It’s a pity the final portion of this rather jaded my final thoughts. I think this would have been a four star read - if only just - had it kept within it’s initial tone and style. But in those final chapters it undoes so much of what it had built and it just felt like a cop out and a cheap one at that.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my free review copy of this novel.

Found this a little hard to get into at the beginning but persevere with it and it's a brilliant read.

Really enjoyed this book thank you. Vibrant, believable, characters and an absorbing plot. I will ensure I look out for this author in the future!

#WhenIWasTen #NetGalley A well written and gripping novel that kept me hooked from the very first chapter. A tale of lies and deceit and a harrowing description of how children can be treated behind the closed doors façade of respectable and well loved parents. I really felt for the characters of Brinley and Sara/Catherine. A small sub plot of the downfall of the Justice Secretary, for me added nothing to the plot and I quickly skim read these chapters to get back to the nitty gritty of the main story. A great read.

The topic of children who murder is a sensitive and highly emotive subject and it's masterfully handled by Fiona Cummins in When I Was Ten..

Told in present day and flashback form, the story cleverly knits together what exactly happened on that terrible day all those years ago - and why - but also in the present day secrets and lies are uncovered and people's lives are in danger once again.

Cummins is a master of ratcheting up the tension and atmosphere in a novel and encouraging empathy for her characters - no one is binary in this story. An excellent read and one that deserves to do well.

This is my first read by Fiona and it won't be my last I need more!

I could not put this book down, I devoured it in two sittings.

This story is told in two dimensions the then and now and follows the story of three friends who grew up living next door to each other Catherine/Sara and Shannon (sisters) and Brinley.

The sister’s upbringing is cruel to say the least, being the victims to neglect and abuse from their oh so loving parents as portrayed to the outside world.

Brinley is suffering her own heartache whilst she slowly watches her loving mother die of the horrible disease that is cancer.

After an event that shocks the community the trio are disbanded, taking their secrets and lies with them. How far would you go to protect the ones you love?

Fast forward to the now (13 years later), a television interview is about to bring the past to light.
They know this day would come, the truth always comes out in the end, but whose truth?

This novel just about has it all I can't praise it enough. The subjects covered have been handled with sensitivity and care. The characters are just top notch it has been written with style and grace I loved it!!

A tale of two sisters and their best friend, involved in the horrific murder of the former’s parents. A taut plot that moves between 1997 and 2007, never giving away more detail than it needs to in order to develop steadily and with intrigue.
As an exploration of the motivation behind ‘children who kill’ I felt it relied a little too much on sensationalism and the sub plot of the politician who inadvertently gives his true view on the case to the broadcast media added little.
As a thriller with a twist it fares well.

HUGE fan of Fiona Cummins she never fails to enthral the reader. Her books have more twists than a cork screw. This one is particularly twisty and difficult to put down. The story switches starts in 1997 and switches between 1997 and 2007 and most of the story focuses on the Carter sisters Shannon and Sara and their childhood friend Brinley Booth. One of the sisters murders their parent. This is not a spoiler as this is obvious early on in the book. One daughter confesses and us convicted of the murder serves time in a children's institute and on her release leads a relatively fulfilling life until the other sister offers an interview and this becomes a major interest story in the press. Brinley is now a member of the press and is somewhat reluctantly drawn into reporting on the story.

An additional but related storyline runs through the book involving Geoffrey Heathcote the Justice Minister who quite frankly is arrogant and during a radio interview, believing his mic was over puts his foot in it by advocating capital punishment.

When the author is writing for the children in 1997 she writes particularly well from the perspective of two 12 year olds and a 10 year old and all of the angst around their difficult childhoods which is very touching.
I highly recommend this book and advise other readers to read other Fiona Cummins books as they do not disappoint.

Thanks to thank Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for allowing me to read an advance copy for a fair and unbiased review.

Catherine Allen has spent the best part of twenty years pretending the formative decade of her childhood didn't exist. But when her sister goes on live TV, talking about how her parents – Dr and Mrs Carter – were brutality murdered with a pair of scissors when they were children, the life she has built for herself starts to rip at the seams. 

"Her life – the ordinary, dull, precious life she had fought so hard to build – tilted sideways."

In the eye of a media storm, the story garners intense public interest. Having gripped the nation when the crime first occurred, in the late 90s, it re-ignites questions about children who kill, and what possible pathway there can be to their redemption. 

Brinley Booth, who grew up with the sisters in the same rural village, is now a reporter who is assigned to the case. In the cutthroat world of news journalism, there's only one thing that matters – getting the story. But revisiting her past isn't easy for Brinley, either, and a return to her childhood home dredges up parts of the past she'd rather leave forgotten.

"Now I'm back in the place that has haunted the hollows of my life, and the ghosts of my childhood walk alongside me, murmuring in my ear.' 

The narrative also travels back in time to the 90s, to the seemingly idyllic Carter family home. Behind the facade – the doting parents, the father the village GP, Fiona Cummins exposes a believable and horrifying family reality, where emotional abuse and manipulation are the norm. The writing in these parts of the novel was strongest, with suspenseful and emotive scenes that built up the characters effectively, especially that of the youngest sister, Sara. 

The dive into the world of news journalism made up my favourite parts of the novel, an insight into what it takes to carve out your career in that field. Cummins explores predatory journalistic practices and putting your life on the line if it means getting that front-page byline – and how so often these sensationalist crimes end up being trial-by-media.

Ultimately, there were things that didn't work for me – the subplot of the Tory Justice Secretary and his unceremonious downfall, some on-the-nose plot moments and metaphors (in the midst of otherwise very accomplished writing), and – without giving away any spoilers – the motivation for the later killings, which seemed to be included for shock factor rather than plausibility in the context of the story. However, this was still a gripping novel that explored an interesting premise, that largely sustained the suspense throughout.

#WhenIWasTen #NetGalley
An ok read. Don't expect too much from it.
Catherine Allen is living her life with her husband Edward and a daughter named Honor but there's a problem Catherine is not her real name. Her name is Sara Carter, sister of Shannon Carter, they used to live on hilltop house when they were young. Their parents were abusive and they used to abuse them for every little thing and Carter sisters wanted to get rid off them.
Bromley Booth, now a journalist and Carter sisters neighbour who used to be their friend is also has a secret.
Carter sisters parents were stabbed brutally with a scissor. Who killed them?
Well, the premise of the story is good but the characters and narration were its biggest drawbacks. I couldn't feel connected with the character of Brinley. Only a few scenes were good in the story.
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for giving me an advance copy.

This book is very very good. The story follows two sisters, Sara and Shannon and the murder of their parents by a pair of scissors. Best friend Brinley who lives next door is also involved but how? This story is fast paced immediately and had me on the edge of my seat throughout. You may think you have an idea of where it is going but you’re wrong (well I was anyway! ) Some of what especially Sara went through was written so vividly I honestly felt I was living it with her. A twisty novel jam packed full of shocks that I find hard to believe that wouldn’t be enjoyed by any thriller loving reader. One of those books that you feel a genuine loss when you finish it and don’t want to start another one straight away as you just know it won’t be as good. Thanks to the publisher for an early copy, I shall continue to rave about how good this book is for a while!

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book.

The description of this book attracted me and I’m really glad I gave it a go because it’s one of the best books I’ve read for a while.

Two sisters, murder and a lie that’s about to be uncovered after 13 years!

I couldn’t stop reading, I literally couldn’t wait to find out what was going on. Halfway through the book I was completely gobsmacked and then I was just on tenterhooks. Very very good read!

This was the first novel I have read by Fiona Cummins and it won't be my last!

Cummins has a fantastic style of writing and the story had me gripped from the beginning with the main twist being a real shock. I empathised with the main characters and detested the antagonists - all of whom were very well written.

The only downside to this novel was the inclusion of Geoffrey Heathcote who I felt did not add anything to the story and almost seemed to be a rejected sub-plot from another novel.

A difficult novel to review without revealing spoilers, however, it is definitely worth a read if you're a fan of domestic noirs.

Thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the ARC.