While I haven’t read all of Claire Douglas’ books, I have read a few, starting with The Sisters back in 2016 (have I really been blogging about books for that long?). Each book I’ve read has been better than the last. This is definitely the case for Just Like the Other Girls.

It is such a clever book. It starts in what seems like a fairly standard way for a psychological thriller. A young woman is looking for a better life. She thinks she’s found it. Only to realise that she’s put herself in danger. In Just Like the Other Girls, the young woman is Una.

She’s recently lost her mom, broken up with her boyfriend, and needs to earn enough money to go travelling with her best friend. Acting as a companion for an old lady living in a large house in the good part of town seems like the ideal solution. Until it isn’t.

Una discovers there have been other young women before her, young women who died in ways that were explained but don’t quite make sense. Unsure of whether this is a coincidence of something more, Una starts to investigate.

Which is where the books takes a twist I didn’t expect and – for me – took it to a whole new level. I won’t say more for risks of spoilers. Other than, it made the book so much more than it first appeared. And it made me question every assumption I’d made about just ‘who-dun-it’.

It’s probably no surprise then, that I’d highly recommend this book. And, if you do read it, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Just Like the Other Girls by Claire Douglas is a bitter and sinister tale of family, identity and resentment.
The opening is intriguing. In the epilogue, someone is murdered, and an advert for a carer for Mrs Elspeth McKenzie is placed.
In October 2018, an applicant arrives to take up her position as carer; just three months later, in January 2019, Una Richardson also knocks on the door to the same property to interview for the position of carer, which she subsequently takes up.
The scene is set. A succession of carers is passing through the house and hands of Mrs Elspeth McKenzie, elderly resident of Clifton, Bristol. Each carer looks similar, with long, blonde hair...and each carer is murdered!
With the large empty house, its widowed elderly owner Elspeth, and her cold, emotionless daughter Kathryn, 'Just Like the Other Girls' has all the feeling of a creepy, gothic novel...with a twist at the end that you WON'T be expecting.

I've read a few of Douglas' other books, and I would definitely consider myself a fan, but Just Like the Other Girls has got to be one of my favourites so far. I was fascinated by the synopsis (come on, a big house full of sinister secrets and vanishing girls? Who wouldn't want to read that), and as soon as I began reading I was completely gripped by the plot, and also by the character of Una - a sweet young girl who's had more than her fair share of hardship, and is just looking for something good in her life. Unfortunately, it seems she's come to the wrong place for that...

One of the reason's I love Douglas' books is because they're all set in the South West, where I happen to live, so I really enjoy seeing her write about places that I actually know and have been. And I can promise you, I'll never look at the suspension bridge in the same way again! There's a very strong sense of place in this book, with the locations being described in just enough detail for you to picture, without veering into being boring. The characters are equally as well written, each of them interesting in their own way, whether you love them or hate them.

Plot wise, it's a complete rollercoaster. There's so many twists and turns, some quite easy to predict, and others that come out of nowhere, with one in particular halfway through that completely turns the book on it's head in the most unimaginable way possible. Douglas' writing is always full of twists, but this really plays with your head, until you're suspicious of literally every character in the book!

All in all, a fantastic example of a really well written psychological thriller, which grabs you in immediately and leaves you fascinated. There's a reason why Claire Douglas is a bestseller, and it's because she is bloody brilliant at what she does. Give it a go - you won't regret it.

Disclaimer - I was fortunate enough to be provided with an advance reading copy of this book by NetGalley. This has not affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.

Did not see the end coming. You think you have it figured but its twisty.
Elderly lady employs companions. All the girls she has hired are young and look similar. The first girl died in a hit and run, the second jumped off the suspension house. Now Una must try to find out whats going on before its too late...is she next? What are the secrets of the cuckoo's nest house? Elspeth and her daughter Kathryn have secrets....
Excellent novel, definitely recommend.
Thank you netgalley for a copy of this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I received this arc through net galley.
I have read all claire douglas' previous books and I think they get better and better.
This book had me guessing all the way to the end, I am eagerly looking forward to what this author writes next.

A really enjoyable mystery thriller!

With a house called Cuckoo's Nest, you know things will not be plain sailing!
1 companion to the owner was killed in a hit and run, 1 companion disappeared and now there is a third 1. The strange thing is they all look the same. What is the reason for this and who is watching......
There are some very nice creepy moments in the book and I liked the fact that the main character does not see the book through!

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin UK, Michael Joseph for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

I loved this book. Tense, a bit creepy and filled with intrigue. Not the usual thriller story, based in a beautiful house where companions of an elderly woman go missing, where everyone is a suspect. A page turner of a book, I couldn’t put it down!

As Willow says “it’s like something from a Gothic novel...” and so it is! Young girls dying with monotonous regularity, strange women living in close proximity to each other...I’m sure the police would’ve taken a far greater interest than was written!
It went along rather boringly, until the end climax, when I couldn’t put it down! It’s a shame the rest of the book wasn’t as gripping.

Great twisty thriller. Couldn’t put it down.. I would never havee guessed the ending.
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the arc.

When Una answers an advert to become a companion to Elspeth McKenzie, she thinks she has the perfect job even if it is a little boring at times. Elspeth's daughter is very cold and almost hostile towards her but she is only around a couple of times a week. Soon Una starts to find out the fate of the girls who previously had her job and she starts to wonder exactly what type of people she is working for.

The author builds up a great story around each character and you really start to feel as if you know them, until the next twist in the tale.

A tale of a family living with secrets, intrigue and the twists and turns will keep you guessing right up to the end.

A great book

A tense thriller with twists and turns!

As soon as I started reading “Just Like The Other Girls” I knew that I was in for a treat with this tense thriller with twists and turns galore! I’ve previously read other books by Claire Douglas, and I love her fast-paced, gritty style, with unusual characters to keep you turning the pages.

The setting is in Bristol, where I spent my student days, so I was familiar with Clifton around the Suspension Bridge, which added to my enjoyment.

We learn of Una who is still reeling after the death of her mother when she sees an advert asking for a live-in Carer/ Companion to work with an elderly lady living in Clifton. The salary is incredibly lucrative, which Una thought would undoubtedly help with her plan to go travelling with her friend Courtney. Unable to resist, Una meets her new employer, the very wealthy Elspeth McKenzie.

Una soon finds out that all is not as it seems! She finds Elspeth’s daughter Kathryn is particularly disagreeable, and Una is perplexed, as two of her predecessors have died in unusual circumstances, although they were young and in their twenties. They also resembled Una . . . another weird fact!

The plot thickens, chapter by chapter, leaving me reeling as I travelled along Claire Douglas’s roller-coaster ride! Just wait until you get to the climax . . . what a shocking surprise. ENJOY!!!

Galadriel.

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of this book to review.

This was such a great book! Throughout the book I was trying to predict the ending and my thoughts of what that would be kept changing and i never got it quite right. I really enjoyed some of the characters including Una, Courtney and Willow. Some of the others took most of the book to grow on me. The book is full of lots of twists and turns and is unputdownable! Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was given a copy of Just Like The Other Girls by Claire Douglas by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I have read several of Claire's books before so was excited to read this one. This book is about Una who goes to be a live in carer for Elspeth. Una soon learns there have been 2 other girls who looked after Elspeth and died. Una begins to found out what happened to the previous girls.
I enjoyed this book although not one of Claire's best but still a good book.

A very clever story. Gripping, chilling and headspinning! Lots of secrets and suspicions. Una takes a job caring for Elspeth in a beautiful house in the best part of Bristol. Una is just like the other girls but what happened to them? Red herrings and twists galore! A thrilling read.

I’ve read this author before and knew I wouldn’t be disappointed. Wow what a read. Full of twists and turns with a great plot. Highly recommended

A Murder mystery. Quite the mystery, with the murderer being kept hidden until almost the end of the book. A story about an old lady, her adopted daughter, the disappearance of her birth daughter, the unfortunate death of Elspeth's (the old lady) first carer by a hit and run driver. Then the subsequent suspicious deaths of the next two carers. It takes the help of family and friends to put the pieces together and help the police with the solving of the case. Not a nail biting read, quite gentle, but kept one interested to the end.

I read this one a while back, but July and August have zoomed by, so this won’t be such a detailed review.

The story starts with Una applying for a job soon after she loses her mother. She sees an advert in the local paper seeking a carer/companion for an old lady. She applies and get’s invited for an interview. When she see’s the beautiful house she is hopeful she will get the job. The old lady seems to take to her and she is soon offered the position. The job is not to taxing, apart from avoiding the boredom and staying clear of the old lady’s crabby daughter. Not long after being there she starts to get curious about the girl she has replaced, she soon discover that the previous two girls in the role, both died in a slightly mysterious or unfortunate manner and even spookier, they both looked awfuly similar to Una.

I won’t go into the story further as it will ruin the story.

This is a great book, I do love Claire Douglas’ ability to hook you early on into the book. You think you are getting an idea for where you are heading, but just then, a twist or a red herring throws you. I did guess how this was going to end, but not before I’d gone down other avenues. This is a well crafted thriller and I am happy to give this 4/5. Thank you to NetGalley for this free advance copy in exchange for this review.

This is a well written and well plotted story with believable characters and a dramatic second half. Although some of the characters weren’t particularly likeable, you are drawn into the story from the very first chapter. I enjoyed this book and read it in practically one sitting.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for the ARC of this book.
I thought this book was perfectly enjoyable. There was a good mystery, it was well-paced and I liked how the characters were fully explored - I thought it really helped me understand them.
The beginning had me hooked - I was almost instantly 100 times more interested than I had been in the blurb - and it kept me interested with almost constant twists. The atmosphere was chilling and definitely had me looking over my shoulder at times.
I don't know what exactly it was but I just felt like I'd read this book before. Although the concept itself was pretty unique I felt aspects I'd definitely seen before - I just kept being reminded of other books and feeling déjà vu. Though, I didn't guess any of it and I was still excited to read more.
At times it did feel a little far-fetched but I still think this was a solid thriller. Despite this not being a new favourite I would still recommend it to thriller lovers, maybe even more so to people still finding their way into mysteries and thrillers.

Die Situation ist von Anfang an verdächtig. In abwechselnden Kapiteln kann man auch die beobachtende Sicht einer unbekannten weiteren Stimme erleben. Es scheint sich um den Täter zu handeln. Man versucht schon nach kurzer Zeit mitzuraten, wer hier was im Schilde führt. Die Autorin erzeugt gekonnt eine leicht gruselige, trübe und bedrohliche Stimmung.
Geschickt wird vom ersten Teil, der sich um Una dreht, zum zweiten Teil gewechselt, der dann von einer weiteren Person handelt und neue Perspektiven eröffnet. Der Versuch einer Aufklärung der Ereignisse geht mit Willow weiter. Im zweiten Drittel zieht das Tempo an und es geht Schlag auf Schlag. Die Auflösung kann dann überzeugen.
Die ganze Situation und Stimmung hat mich an das Buch Verschließ jede Tür (Lock Every Door) von Riley Sager erinnert. Beides sind gute Thriller mit einem fesselnden Plot.