Another cracking thriller from Claire Douglas with twists and turns aplenty and an unexpected, shocking development half way through. Una takes a job caring for an elderly lady in her rather grand home in an upmarket area of Bristol. An easy, well paid but quite boring job suits her until she can save enough to go travelling. All is well until she discovers both her predecessors have died in mysterious circumstances or was it just a horrible coincidence? Determined to get answers, Una herself may be in danger as she delves into the past. An excellent story that has the reader doubting everyone along the way but with the final shocking truth comes clarity. A really enjoyable read with strong and believable characters.

Una is alone. Her mother has just passed away and she has split up with her boyfriend Vince. The only person in her life is her friend Courtney. She decides that she needs a fresh start, so she applies for a job as a live in Carer and Companion to Elspeth Mackenzie in a very grand old house called The Cuckoo’s Nest in Bristol. Elspeth has a daughter Kathryn that can look after her, but Elspeth thinks that she is too busy as Kathryn is married with two sons and look after the gallery and Antique shops the family own. Elspeth like young blond girls to look after her. Una wants the job because she wants to go travelling at the end of the year.
Una surprisingly gets the job and then learns why later to discover that she is not the first carer she has had. Like her they all young with blond hair. But that were the similarities end because the other girls are all now dead. Una starts get very concerned and goes out of her way to find out that happened to the other girls.
Wow Claire Douglas has done it again with Just Like the other girls. I have been a fan of hers from the start and she never disappoints. This is another gripping thriller from the author. Full of mystery and suspense that keeps you wanting more. With her signature twist at the end. 5 stars from me.

This was a fun read. Well written. Held my interest. Just an enjoyable read overall.

I would recommend this book to my friends and family for sure!

Another brilliant read from Claire Douglas. I love the twists and turns in this book and it kept me on the edge of my seat right up till the end. Very highly recommended #NetGalley#JustLiketheOtherGirls

Una is still grieving the death of her mother when she applies for a live-in carer position for an older lady, Elspeth.
But not long after she starts her new job, she discovers that two of her employer's previous carers died in suspicious circumstances.
Is she going to be next?

It was an entertaining and suspenseful read, full of twists and turns, but one that had me on the fence about the rating.
It's not easy to explain it without giving away spoilers, but what I can say is that I wasn't a fan of how the book was divided into parts.
The ending was a bit far-fetched and a bit out of the blue, but definitely surprising.
However, the book was fast-paced and had me madly turning the pages, and therefore I decided to settle on 4 stars.
It was my first book from this author, but I have another book of hers on my tbs shelf, and I look forward to reading it.

An excellent story, full of twists and turns, that kept me on the edge till the last page and I couldn't put down.
Great storytelling and characters, a plot that kept me guessing.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Una is mourning the loss of her mother and is looking for a change in her life. She answers an advertisement for a live-in companion for a wealthy elderly lady, Elspeth Mackenzie, and she is employed immediately. She finds her, rather luxurious, new surroundings a little intimidating and feels the same way about Elspeth’s daughter, Kathryn, who is cold and judgemental. When she hears that her two predecessors in the role died in suspicious circumstances, Una begins to fear that all is not what it seems. That is all I can really say about the plot without creating a massive spoiler.

This is an excellent thriller with just the right amount of tension, twists in the plot and an atmospheric background. Claire Douglas is a very clever author and the writing is smart and shrewd. The characters are all believable and the narrative really keeps you on your toes. If you see the end coming I’d be very impressed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book rewrote the rules a little along the way and, no, I'm not expanding on that - hopefully you'll get that "what!" feeling at a certain point too and it'll all become clear!
Una is in need of some direction in her life after the death of her mother so she answers an advert for the position of a live in carer for a rich old lady, Elspeth. She gets the job but soon falls foul of Elsbeth's daughter Kathryn who appears to resent her presence. And then she learns about the two previous incumbents of the job she now holds and how they both ended up dead. And so begins a twisty, turny adventure for Una as she slowly uncovers more secrets in the household in which she now lives. Secrets that may threaten her position, and even her life...
I've already said that less is more going into this book so, do yourself a favour and skip reading reviews and just get on with buying and reading the book. It's not often that a book delivers me such a sucker punch as this one did and I read upwards of 300 books of this and similar genres a year. I thought I had it mostly mapped out but... wowsers... I really never saw any of that coming in a million years. Yup.. you got me a good 'un!
The characters all felt very real and acted according to their personality within their storylines. The majority were easy to connect to / emote with in some way and that really helps me make a good book a great read. The story was both interesting and intriguing and not only held my attention throughout but it also held me captive too. I was pretty powerless in my endeavours to put it down and pretty much sacked off the rest of my life for the day I was reading it!
All in all, a cracking read that I thoroughly recommend for fans of this genre. I have pretty much read the rest of her back catalogue but I will now try harder to fill in the gaps. The ones I have read have all been great reads.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Thank you to the publisher, the author and to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a massive fan of Claire Douglas I was excited to get the chance to read this arc.

Set in Bristol an elderly lady called Elspeth lives with an army of staff and the help of a succession of live in carers. All the carers are young, willowy, blonde and resemble each other and more importantly the daughter Elspeth has not seen for many years, Viola.

Adopted daughter Kathryn helps but feels that she has always been second best, to Elspeth and to others. Elspeth does not dote on her grandsons, longing for a reminder of Viola.

The carer companions also share something else, they keep being murdered.

What a fabulous story and a great plot,twisty and winding to a completely unexpected ending.

Easy 5 stars and will be recommending to all.

I really do enjoy Claire Douglas books, I have read them all, a few times. Just like the other girls is her best to date. What a great book. So well written. The characters are so likeable or not. I had no idea where this was going and after getting attached to the main character well, I was shocked. A great book with (!! Warning Book Review Cliche!! ) a killer ending.

Quite a tense and thought provoking story encouraging you to make a guess on whodunnit. Based in Bristol beside and on Clifton Bridge. Was it just coincidence that the previous carers died by some form or another? I'm still reeling from the shock that happened half way in. That event certainly keeps you interested.

Thanks to Net Galley and Penguin UK for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
A Claire Douglas book never disappoints, this is a super 5 star read, hard to put down. A psychological thriller, with an ending that completely took me by surprise
Una’s mum died recently, her boyfriend Vince has betrayed her trust, she feels very alone apart from her friend Courtney. She applies for the job as a live in career to Elspeth Mackenzie, who is rich and lives in a large house, Una is earning good money even though her role isn’t very taxing, she is planning to save and go travelling. She hasn’t been in the role very long when she discovers that her two predecessors are now both dead. Elspeth’s daughter doesn’t seem to like her very much, she begins to feel unsettled and wonders is she safe.
This is a tense gripping read which I highly recommend to all who enjoy a psychological thriller.

This is one house you do not want to live in. Elspeth Mackenzie a matriarch is seeking a youg companion. They have to be a certain age and have a certain look. Why? and why has she had so many companions leaver her employ only to turn up dead. A dysfunctional family from hell. A very wealthy old lady who loves to play mind games . You know this is a recipe for disaster. A murder mystery and so much more. Her best book so far.
Thanks to Penguin UK and Michael Joseph and Netgalley for the ARC

The house is beautiful, the location spectacular, the job a dream. Una Richardson has applied to be a live in carer in Bristol hoping it will help her come to terms with her mother's death and begin the next stage of her life. What she finds instead is nothing she could imagine even in her worst nightmares. The two previous carers, both young women like herself, are dead, and there is no reason to suppose she won't be next.

I have to admit this wasn't my type of book but I have no idea why. It is well written, has good characterisation and a lovely location and I still struggled with it. I lacked empathy with the main protagonists and that didn't help. I am absolutely sure it will be a popular summer read however, and loved by many which is why I have still given it a high rating.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and although not for me won't be at all surprised to see it in the best seller lists.

As usual in my reviews, I will not rehash the plot - there are plenty of other reviews like that out there if that's what you're looking for, but I always think "Why bother to read the book if someone's already told you the plot?"

This is an absorbing read - well plotted, with plenty of red herrings and twists and turns to keep you guessing! I ended up suspecting everyone, but in most cases for the wrong reasons!

From what I've seen of human nature, the actual culprit's motivation was quite believable - someone obsessing over an incorrect version of the truth and being eaten up by it.

I'll look out for more by this author - definitely one to watch in this genre.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

Another great book from Claire Douglas with an ending I didn't see coming. A must read story. Highly recommended

I loved how the story is different from what currently out there. Una twist is absolutely brilliant.

This story is about Una. She has recently lost her mum and split up with her boyfriend and is fed up of her bosses at the care home she works in. She answers a job advertisement for a companion/carer for Elspeth. Elspeth lives in a large house and has staff. Una is very surprised when she is later offered the job. Kathryn, Elspeth’s daughter is very cold towards her. Then Una discovers that Elspeth’s 3 previous companions have either died or gone missing. Una decides to do some investigating.

I am a huge fan of this authors work and have rated all of her previous books the same as this one. I will say though that this is my least favourite out of everything I have read. This book is not as fast paced as her other books but I still think that it is a great story and would highly recommend it.

I enjoyed the book right from the beginning.  Una's Mum has died, so she's working as Elspeth's companion  - and the book begins with her start in this new life.  Slowly she uncovers that her 2 predecessors have ended up dead - in totally different circumstances - but none the less, both dead.  Una starts investigating this as she's concerned she doesn't become the next fatality.  Her lovely relationship with her friend Courtney is also centre to this (I think Courtney rocked right through the book, and do hope she had a happy ever after). 

Elspeth is clearly not as infirm as she wants everyone to believe, and her grumpy daughter Kathryn obviously has secrets too.  Elspeth doesn't seem to care about Kathryn's sons - her grandsons - at all, and Kathryn seems to keep her husband and sons very separate from her mother - despite spending a lot of time with Elspeth and helping to run the family businesses. 


The story twists and turns brilliantly - with hints and clues here and there - some that are crucial and some that are total red herrings - but you're not sure which is which until the very very end.

I don't want to give too many of the twists away - as you need to experience them yourself with no spoilers - but boy they are good. 

The chapters are written from different people's points of view - and you 'hear' other people's thoughts too, although you're often not sure who you are 'hearing'.  (Actually - I think I might want to go back to see if you are hearing the same person each time?)  But this writing style makes it exciting and the whole book has a real momentum.

By the time I got to the last few chapters I was almost holding my breath! And I was really happy with the way it all concluded for everyone - and it 100% wasn't what I expected at all. 

A massive thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC - and I would highly recommend you pre order it for when it's out in August 2020.

I couldn't make my mind up on the rating - 4 or 5 star so I rounded down. This is a very well written story that has some excellent twists. The reader is presented with several characters who could be the murderer but I was never certain who it was, the favourite changing from chapter to chapter. When he/she is unmasked near the end of the book it was not someone I had expected and the reason(s) even less so.
I probably didn't give it 5 stars as the book felt to me a little bit stretched at times and I felt the epilogue chapter is a little too wordy. Having lived near Bristol for nearly five years now I was puzzled how someone driving from Gloucester could approach Clifton passing the Bristol Hippodrome. Also the Hippodrome does not put on many plays - more musicals and Elspeth and Una going to the Bristol Old Vic could have been more accurate.
Still, an excellent book and well worth reading.