I was in and out of this. Part one I liked but was kind of bored. Part two gripped me. I got lost in that part. Then part three I went back to how I did in part one.
I can't really put my finger on what it was about those parts. Maybe it was some of the POVs. Geoffrey for example did nothing for me. Some side storylines felt irrelevant and took me out of the story a little.
Part one and three lacked the excitement and intrigue that part two did. Part two felt so much darker and more intense.
The twists, especially the who done it, felt predictable. It played part in taking out the excitement intrigue from the story as a whole.
I listened to the audiobook and had no issue just listening despite it feelings a little dragging at time.

I can’t believe I took so long to read this book. It’s brilliant. Told in two timelines by two people.
A girl kills her brutal parents and is sent away. Years later reporters resurrect the story. Causing people to face home truth of what happened the night Dr and Mrs Carter died.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc.

I found this book was really gripping! It has taken me a long time to prioritise it and I am sad about that as it was a pretty decent thriller!

A brutal chiller thriller. When 10-year-old Sara kills both her parents with a pair of scissors, she spends the next eight years in a secure unit. Upon her release she starts a new life under an assumed identity. Thirteen years on, Sara has her own family but her past has caught up with her. Estranged older sister Shannon has taken part in a TV true crime documentary. A horrifying and gripping read that surprises with each twist revealing what really happened on that fateful night.

This is a very dark and twisty thriller about a young girl that murders her parents, fast forward to adulthood and the story follows the girls sister who for obvious reasons has a new identity and is living happily with her husband and daughter who are totally oblivious to who she really is. A good twisty story that keeps the reader gripped.

Read it in a day - think that says it all 🤷‍♀️. Couldn’t put it down. Was hooked from the beginning. Very dark read consisting of abuse, murder and revenge. Love a book thats written in such a way that it feels like your turning the pages at top speed and the pace and flow of the book really just works. Great storyline with a few ‘no way’ moments but also a few predictable moments. Characters are well written and developed. I really enjoyed it and absolutely worth a read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to read and review this ARC that was published on the 15th of April.

I read When I Was Ten in a constant state of tension. My heart was in my mouth the entire time I was reading. No-one is quite who you think they are in this pageturner and Cummins does an excellent job of building up the tension and setting up distinct characters. Would definitely recommend.

When I Was Ten follows the story of the Carter sisters, years ago when one of them was 10 and the other 12, one of the sisters stabbed their parents to death with a pair of kitchen scissors. We follow them in the present day as one of the sisters gives an interview for the first time, we follow the repercussions of this and secrets from the past that can't seem to stay hidden.

I think this book is hovering about a 3.5 for me, it may have even been a four bur I found some sections of the ending left me a little disappointed.

Good Points
- I loved the twists throughout this book, some I predicted and some I didn't but even the ones I predicted didn't leave me feeling disappointed, in fact, I think I was meant to be able to predict them. There was one small twist towards the end that I thought was somewhat unnecessary but other than that all of the twists kept me on the edge of my seat and were very satisfying
- The pacing - I didn't find myself bored at any point and even when I reached the 50% mark (and was worried we had peaked too soon) there was still plenty more drama to keep me entertained until the end
- Catherine and Brinley were really strong characters and I found their interlinking stories really made the book for me, it was great to slowly unravel the story through the dual POV


The not so good
- I found Shannon to be a wholly underdeveloped character, I think because we never heard from her POV, I just feel something from her would have improved the book as I just found myself struggling to understand the decisions she was making
- I would have loved if the ending had lasted a little longer as everything seemed to just wrap up pretty quickly
- I found the small romance subplot a little pointless, although admittedly it didn't really detract from the core plot


All in all I would recommend this book to those who like mystery/thrillers especially those who are newer to the genre. It was a fresher storyline than a lot of thrillers which I think is what you need as you read more of the genre, twists become formulaic but as they are in a newer setting/newer storyline I think that's what sets When I Was Ten apart. I'm definitely tempted to check out something else from Fiona Cummins.

Truly thrilling read, where the past comes back to haunt two sisters. As the story unfolds, it kept me wanting more and more, highly recommended.

When I Was Ten by Fiona Cummins ........OMG What did I just listen to! WoW........I was lucky to get to listen the new audiobook of "When I Was Ten" by Fiona Cummins............WOW .........This book will have you hooked within the first chapter and the narrator Olivia Dowd was just perfect for this new book by Fiona.

When I was ten was a very powerful book throughout, with a great characters that you will warm to..

I highly recommend this new book. I loved it!

I would like to thank both Netgalley an Pan Macmillan for supplying this novel in exchange for an honest review

‘When I was Ten’ is a crime thriller that keeps you guessing to the end, twisting and turning until (quite literally) the very last page. Do not be put off by the 3-star rating - this is still a brilliant read. Very similar to Little Bones, which was another book I really enjoyed.
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Unlike a usual crime thriller, which unfolds immediately after the crime, this novel shows us life many years after for the children involved in a double murder. Two sisters who murdered their parents. We find out where their lives have taken them.
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But there’s more to it than that. Things aren’t as they seem and many of the characters are keeping secrets. Whilst I saw a few of these twists coming, a lot of them were truly surprising. The novel I finished was nothing like the one I started - in the best kind of way.
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I definitely recommend this one if you’re a fan of crime thrillers and want to read something a little different! Thank you to the publishers, the author and NetGalley for providing an ARC in return for an honest review.

Wow! What can I say?!
I really enjoyed this book. The characters were great, it sucks you in quite early and keeps hold of you until the last chapter.
Sensational writing, creepy, enticing and full of twists and turns like spaghetti junction!
Fabulous

Fiona Cummins is one of my favorite thriller authors, and she did not disappoint! This is honestly one of my favorite of hers. The story was so chilling and slow building, just perfect.

This was quite a read! I was hooked and didn't want to put it down. Even though the story is quite upsetting, the author managed to write it in a way that will make you want to know more about it. The ending was somehow unexepcted and very satisfying. Thank you for my ARC.

This was very good! Hooked from beginning to end meaning I devoured it in a couple of days. There was a section in the middle that really confused me - I couldn’t quite work out if I’d misunderstood or if it was an error- but it didn’t put me off at all; it just meant I had to keep going in order for everything to c9me together. This is my third book by Fiona Cummins and she’s fast becoming one of my top authors.

This is an amazing book! Full of twists and turns,

The book gets you hooked immediately, as soon as you pick it up, you are right in the story and it is like a rollercoaster of a dark, and twisty ride that will take you on the best ride you can imagine!

It is an edge of your seat read and is just wonderful.

The author writes very well on this emotional subject of children who kill (and the media frenzy surrounding it and having to change your identity at a drop of a hat). But I thought there was too much manipulation of the reader for the sake of the plot twists... Also, I am not sure that I entirely bought the abusive parents' story, it felt a bit tagged on.

This is a slight departure for Fiona Cummins as it doesn't feature a serial killer but it is just as dark and disturbing. The Carter family seem to have it all. He's a doctor and they have money and status. But when both parents are murdered, one of their daughters confesses to the horrific act.

The book is told from the perspectives of one of the sisters, now called Catherine, and Brinley, their childhood best friend who they are no longer in contact with. Brinley is now a journalist so she has a unique approach to the case and to the upcoming anniversary. These narratives give us the two perspectives from within the family itself and from an outsider to examine what happened that night, its aftermath, and the ongoing effects of the horrifying event.

Catherine, the older of the two sisters as built a new life for herself and now lives with her husband and daughter. She reveals at the beginning of the book that she has secrets about what really happened and what led up to it. The book starts in the present as Catherine is introduced and as the anniversary of the murder is approaching. It then moves to the past to detail the lives of the sisters and Brinley leading up to the murder. This section features some of the most disturbing scenes. It's a horrific tale of abuse that cuts close to the bone for anyone who experienced or has seen this type of treatment. The third section of the book then moves to the present again to show what happens when Catherine and Brinley come together and the consequences.

As always, Cummins' writing is vivid and visceral, giving her readers a tense novel which brings together the thriller and horror genres. All of Cummins' work is highly recommended.

A child running from a horrific murder then present day - we flip from Catherine, mother to Honor and wife to Edward. She is everything you want to be, attentive, caring, worried about the change in her daughter who is becoming withdrawn, moody and night terrors, Edward is also behaving differently. Brinley is a reporter, never really sinking her teeth into anything worthwhile, dreaming of being with her colleague but noone looks at her like that nor takes her seriously. When a story comes about taking us back to a horrific family murder, Brinley has her chance to be involved in a real story but can she keep her past and present apart and how much will she risk to get what she wants?

Ooft this book has loads going on, as well as jumping from characters we also head back into the past, to the family of the murders. Two sisters living in what seems a perfect home, respected parents of the community - what would drive one of them to murder?

The book teases out the story as we go along, what does Catherine have to do with it and what is the deal with her husband, he is behaving cagey. The storyline that goes back to the siblings is hard reading in parts due to the subject matter. When we are in the present I want don't want to flip to the past and when I am in the past I don't want to flip to the present. It makes for compelling reading and keeps you guessing, where is this going, what does X have to do with Y?

This is my third book for this author and found there is another I have missed, now ordered and on route. For the people who work everything out I think you will enjoy this because it will keep you on your toes. For those who enjoy suspense/thriller/shocking then this is a book for you, 4.5/5 for me, looking forward to the one I missed and whatever she is working on next!

A disturbing premise is set out in the prologue and indeed the cover. A child has killed both her parents with scissors. A child is struck by lightning. There are lies.

The story is not always easy to follow. There are fragments from the past that don't don't make sense until half way through the book. Two women tell their modern-day tale, one in the first person present tense, and some kind of deception gnaws away at them both. There is also a third unknown letter writer who knows a lot about the case. But, as the story goes on, not everything is right.

This book is well written, poetic in places with great imagery and depth of feeling. Inspired by the child murderer Mary Bell, the tale explores the after effects of such a heartbreaking crime and how those connected to it try to rebuild their lives. Being ordinary is the goal here. But there are untruths that bind together those involved.

The only thing that seemed a little out of place was the minister who was dealing with the political fallout of the case, more particularly the affair he was having. Perhaps the point here is consequences, cause and effect that happen to those who are not traditionally criminal. Not sure of the purpose and the story would not miss this thread if it were not included. However, the 'media scrum' of reporting finding and the competition is very engrossing.

A fascinating read that takes a different perspective. Recommended for those who like psychological fiction and the social impact of child murderers.

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