This book has everything: great story, interesting characters and locations. I got into the story very quickly and each time I thought I knew where it was going, it blindsided me. The character of Elspeth was so well written that I both liked and loathed her in equal measure.

An excellent read! I highly recommend.

Loved this book well written & full of twists this is a must read. Enjoyed the characters & the writing style flipping between past & present. Amazing.

Another great read by Claire Douglas! I've read several titles by Douglas and have enjoyed them all. I'll definitely be recommending the book to others.
5 stars

Now if you are after a book that will keep you constantly on your toes and second guessing everything then this is the book for you.

I honestly thought I knew what was going on a one point (and then again and again) but then something would happen and I'd be back to square one! I don't think I've read a book that had me playing Inspector Clueso so much Haha.

A superbly clever plot and fantastically written this book is full to the brim with twists that had me fully absorbed from the first chapter.

Throughout I felt like everything had been turned upside down and shaken up a bit... just brilliant.

As for the negatives... theres only one!!! The ending just seemed to happen so quickly but it just suddenly went 'BAM' the end.... I think after such a huge build up I was expecting a little more!

Solid 4*

Thanks to netgalley and Penguin UK for the ARC.

A thrilling book that keeps you guessing from start to finish. If you think you have it sussed, think again!

Una’s mother has recently passed away and her boyfriend betrayed her, so she feels very alone in the world. Fortunately, she still have her best friend Courtney. Looking for another direction in her life, Una applies to become a live – in carer for a 79 – year – old Elspeth Mackenzie. The money is really good and she’ll be living in a luxurious mansion. She’s really happy to get the job but quickly it turns out that Elspeth’s daughter, Kathryn, who doesn’t think Elspeth needs a carer at all, simply dislikes Una. Moreover, Una discovers that two girls that worked for Elspeth before her disappeared and they’re both dead. Coincidence? How safe is Una? After asking Courtney to help her investigate, they discover that there are many secrets hidden and lies told…

I liked how the author played with my mind. There came a moment that I stopped to believe any of the characters, really, you will start to suspect all of them, you won’t know who to trust. The plotting is done really, really well, it’s clever and it will make you think all the time, and the characters are all so different, full of secrets.

It is a story full of twists and turns and I truly liked the unexpectedness of it. Also, the author has brilliantly captured the atmosphere of unease and the tension of what’s going to happen and what can happen was palpable. The setting helped so much with creating the atmosphere of uncertainty, and the house itself was like another gloom character there, playing a huge role in the story. The writing style was really well rounded, full of the most detailed descriptions but they didn’t feel like interruption, and also I didn’t have a feeling they take me away from the main plot, which is a brilliant thing, not so easy to achieve and the pace was just spot – on, Claire Douglas really knows when to add another hint or red herring to speed up the action and when to slow it down a little. And no, I didn’t see it coming! The end took me completely by surprise. I must admit that perhaps I wasn’t SO shocked but still, I was surprised – though not really sure what to think about it.

I must admit that I didn’t feel so invested in the second part, with the different narrator – maybe it’s because I liked Una so much and then was also afraid what’s going to happen next? That I shouldn’t fall for Willow because something is going to happen? Not sure, but being totally honest, I felt much more invested in Una’s story. I liked her and I so wanted her to be happy. She was so kind and honest, there was nothing fake to her and it was so great to have such an open, easy character. Because the others were much more complex and they somehow had a darker side to them, or at least it felt like this. It was as if they had something to hide all the time, especially Elspeth and Kathryn – they were not so easy to like, blowing cold and hot, though I must admit that they developed throughout the story, or rather their stories developed, as the author gave us insight into their past which made me understand them much better and when they finally realised the mistakes they’ve been making. The background characters were colourfully diverse but all of them had their own personalities.

It was an interesting, gripping and captivating psychological thriller. Claire Douglas explored here not only a mystery, but she also delved deep into family dynamics and its complexity, adding tons of depth to the plot and making it even more thought – provoking. Interesting, captivating and like a breath of freh air, I truly recommend this book!

Filled with quaint, quirky and occasionally whimsical characters, this is a unique novel in this genre. Friend and family relationships as well as capacity for parental love are examined in microscopic detail, and to good effect. Each time I thought I had figured out who had committed the crimes I was wrong which amped up the intrigue and the ending stayed true to the overall theme and character profiles.

Claire Douglas writes some great books and this is no exception.

Lots of twists and turns in this psychological thriller/suspense
Kept me gripped from the start

FIVE STARS!!!

I love Claire Douglas, she has this amazing ability to pull the reader in and take them on a roller coaster ride of suspense, intrigue and mystery.
There were plot twists I was expecting but I never would have guessed what she had install for us in Just Like The Other Girls.
This book was exactly what I needed to pull me out the reading slump I was in and boy did it pull me out with a bang!
I devoured this story in one sitting and still wanted more, she is such a talented writer and I can not wait to read more from her

This is such an exciting book with many twists and turns. I don’t want to give too much away in this review but I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it. A demanding elderly lady, Elspeth, hires a succession of beautiful blonde girls to care for her in her stunning Bristol home. Her daughter Kathryn disapproves. There’s lots of family tension and intrigue. The ending really gripped and surprised me. Another great twisty novel from Claire Douglas!

A rarity of a book, this is creepy and full of suspense, but hidden amongst a typical tale of grief. This book twists when you are least expecting it and boy, did it surprise me!

Terrific book, well written and a great story.

Finished it, then reread it. Not often I can say that!

This book starts somewhere in the middle before taking you back in time to Una’s job interview with the slightly creepy Elspeth and Kathryn. I had forgotten the start of the book by the time the story once again reaches that point, so it was a bit of a shock when I arrived there. I haven’t been reading much lately, preferring to listen to audiobooks whilst I keep busy doing other things. However, I got into this book during a long tattoo session and had to carry on reading when I got home. I was sucked right in and needed to hear the outcome. The end was a slight let down, but only if I am being really picky. A slightly creepy tale that will suck you in and not let you go until it is done with you.

Second Claire Douglas novel I've read and another enjoyable read.

Like the way the book flits between the main characters and their thoughts/actions as the events unfold. Certainly would make a good TV one off.

Plenty of twists, making for a good all rounder.

Just Like The Other Girls is the best one yet from Claire Douglas, I have had a read a few from this author and they have been very good but this one is my favourite.
Una applies for a job as a carer for an elderly woman, it’s good pay and includes board as well. Una wants to travel so this job would be perfect so she can save to do that. Elspeth McKenzie is elderly but not really frail so as Una gets the job she finds she’s more of a companion than a carer. Una finds out that there have been two previous girls and she looks remarkably like them but they have both died. Una starts to uncover some things that don’t add up and starts to wonder if she is going to be the next to die?
This was a fab read and I couldn’t put it down. There are sooooo many twists that I got the wrong one twice!!! I loved how this delved into this twisted families life and the different characters and why they behaved as they did.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Penguin UK, Michael Joseph for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a big fan of Claire Douglas’ books and know I’m in for a treat when she has a new release. Just Like The Other Girls has plenty of secrets, twists and dark moments, as Una starts a new job in Bristol as a live in companion for a very wealthy lady. Both her and her daughter seem strange (in different ways) and it’s not long before things start getting a bit odd…

I really liked the sense of atmosphere in this book. You’re never quite sure if some characters mean well or have a really dark streak. We definitely find out a lot more about them when we are thrown into each of their points of view. Take Kathleen, for example – she’s not at all likable in the way she interacts and treats Una, but when we see things from her perspective we see she has a lot to deal with too. And she definitely has a secret that is subtly referred to – but just how big and bad a secret is it?

Una is also very relatable; we start the book with her starting her job and experience the same sense of confusion about what the household she’s entering into is really like. We also learn, through Una’s research and other staff’s stories, about previous live in carers and the mysterious things that have happened to them.

The plot completely drew me in and I enjoyed the surprises along the way and at the conclusion, which confronts the reader with a final, really good twist that I didn’t see coming until right at the end. It’s thrilling without needing to be ‘action-packed’, and I don’t want to give too much away about the plot but would say I’d definitely recommend it.

Having read and enjoyed the author's debut, The Sisters, I settled down with high expectations for her latest. Words that probably strike fear into an author's heart, but I was not disappointed.
This twisty tale concerns a young woman, Una, taking on the role of carer/assistant to wealthy Elspeth McKenzie in Bristol. It quickly becomes clear that Elspeth is perfectly capable of looking after herself, although prone to putting on an act of weakness and vulnerability. Meanwhile, her prickly and hostile daughter, Kathryn, resents Una's presence, and frets about neglecting her own family.
The discovery that two other girls previously employed by Elspeth are now dead sets Una on a mission to unravel the mysteries that resonate throughout the story. One minute I was convinced I had it sussed, the next another layer of intrigue sent me down an entirely different path.
Topped off with an ending I genuinely didn't see coming, Just Like the Other Girls is a tense, tantalising read that will keep you on your toes throughout.

This was a really engrossing story, set in my local area so I can confirm that the locations are authentic and well-drawn. Ageing but spry Elspeth feels safer with someone living in as a carer/companion in her Clifton mansion, and recruits Una to this role. It is a strange set up - Aggie comes in daily to cook and there is a gardener and a cleaner, too. Una is in need of a home and the good rate of pay is attractive so that she can save up to realise her dreams. She is to have two days off per week, and on those two days Kathryn, Elspeth's daughter, who lives nearby with her husband and sons, provides the support that Elspeth requires. She also manages Elspeth's art gallery in the arcade in Clifton Village, so she's a busy lady,

Una is thrilled to find that her room is in fact a suite of rooms in the attic and has never enjoyed so much space to herself. However, it soon transpires that this household also holds secrets and all is not as it seems.

This psychological thriller is probably Claire Douglas's finest work so far, an absolute joy to read as the suspense and mystery increase and danger threatens. There are twists and surprises as the story unfolds and the characters are interesting and engaging. I am very happy to recommend this book and look forward with pleasure to reading Claire Douglas's next offering.

I really enjoyed this. This gripped me from the beginning. Really well written with a twist I didn't see coming.

This book had great promise which it didn’t entirely live up to. A fantastic job, looking after a frail old lady in a luxurious home in Bristol, good pay with plenty of free time, even your own private floor. Great till you find out about the other girls who previously had this job. Started off really well, exciting but then it became a bit too far fetched with too many coincidences which were a stretch too far. I still enjoyed it despite that and it was extremely easy to get into and plenty of characters to love or hate. I was gripped from the start and would recommend it.

What a thrilling read! This is exactly what I love about thrillers. You have a theory about who-done-it but the more you read the more twists there are. Goodbye theory, hello new theory...oh wait, nope it’s not that either. There is so much going on here that you just know your fingers are going to keep turning the pages whether you realise it or not.