his is a difficult one to review as I didn’t love it but I didn’t not love it - quite a Marmite read for me and I always find those ones tricky to write reviews for.

The story centres around Chloe, a 29 year old women who works in the newspaper archives. Whilst doing her job, she comes across the case of a missing young girl from 25 years ago and quickly becomes drawn in by it and determined to find out what happened.

It’s obvious from when she first discovers this case that she becomes a bit obsessed with it but then when the opportunity arises to become a lodger with the young girl’s family, she really can’t say no. This books focuses a lot on loneliness, from Chloe to the family she is living with. It’s a big overall theme and can give the book quite a down feeling about it.

That being said, it was a book that made you want to read on to see what happened to the young girl and find out if, or what, Chloe could uncover by living with the family.

I was a little disappointed by it as thought there would be more twists and turns in it. Perhaps that was my incorrect judgement or the synopsis and what genre I thought the book was going in to it.

This is a good family drama story and, despite my initial predictions, I was pleasantly surprised when they turned out to be wrong! I think this would make a great tv series as some of the settings are so well described that you almost feel like you are in the room with them.
So overall a good book, just lacking in the shocking twists and turns I love!

The blurb: They say you can't choose your family . . . But what if they're wrong?
Chloe lives a quiet life. Working as a newspaper archivist in the day and taking care of her nan in the evening, she's happy simply to read about the lives of others as she files the news clippings from the safety of her desk.
But there's one story that she can't stop thinking about. The case of Angie Kyle – a girl, Chloe's age, who went missing as a child. A girl whose parents never gave up hope.
When Chloe's nan is moved into care, leaving Chloe on the brink of homelessness, she takes a desperate step: answering an ad to be a lodger in the missing girl's family home. It could be the perfect opportunity to get closer to the story she's read so much about. But it's not long until she realizes this couple isn't all they seem. In a house where everyone has something to hide, is it possible to get too close?

Really quite a sad story for the 3 main characters. I did enjoy this story but felt it was a little bit simple- as in I felt I was being spoon fed the plot over and over. Chloe was without doubt mad as a better and dreadfully damaged by her past, Maureen and Patrick were just sad parents hoping against hope to find Angie alive.
A surprising twist at the end. I don't really want to say much more because it could spoil your enjoyment of the book. Worth a read!

The Imposter is a mysterious and atmospheric page-turner that takes you on an unexpected journey as you try to pinpoint where the lies are coming from.

From the beginning, you know that something more is going on. It could go a few ways: things could be as obvious as they seem, or there could be something more sinister afoot.

So which path is your mind going to follow? Are the shocks going to come in how the story unravels? Or are you going to be left gasping from the constant wrong turns that you’re encouraged to make?

The sense of being deceived follows you throughout as you’re constantly waiting for somebody to slip up. Does Chloe know more than she is letting on? Is Patrick hiding something? Does Maureen have a secret of her own? Or is Chloe’s Nan who’s suffering from dementia going to give it all away in a state of confusion?

Just when you think something is going to give, you’re led somewhere else. I was constantly on the edge with intrigue, trying to piece everything together and hoping not to get caught in the tricks of whichever character it is being so deceptive. Because they all have something to hide, and I couldn’t wait to find out the truth.

With so much untrustworthiness going around, the final revelation comes as a huge shock. It’s curious, disturbing, oddly emotional but also deliriously entertaining at the same time. It’s the kind of twist that makes you laugh from surprise but then feel guilty for doing so as you begin to think about the reality of it.

Because although many people will come away from this book thinking that this story couldn’t possibly happen in real life, I’ve seen a documentary about a similar story so it quite clearly can. Since I had watched this documentary, I had some predictions about where this story was going. But I wasn’t disappointed by the likeness, I only hoped that Wharton’s book was going to be just as twisted. The ending still came as a big surprise to me and more than made up the long wait to get there.

Brilliantly-written and compelling at times, The Imposter is sure to play with your head. It is a little slow-paced, but the journey you take to find your way out of this maze is certainly one that will get your heart racing.

I'm on the tour for this book on the 7th April so my links will all be live then.

The lives of others has always fascinated newspaper archivist Chloe. And when she comes across a cutting of a little girl who went misssing twenty five years ago, she is moved by the unwavering devotion of the childs parents and their belief that their daughter will one day return.

Chloe gets the news that her beloved Nan, her only remaining family member, has to go into a nursing home has made Chloe homeless. She sees the missing girls parents have advertised for a lodger and Chloe sees this as the perfect opportunity.

Chloe is obessed with the parents of a four year old girl who went missing twenty five years ago. At times, this is a tense and chilling read. The oace is slow. Chloe starts investigating the people she is living with. Some parts are obvious but some of the twists pot me off the scent. I wasn't a fan of Chloe, she didn't have a personality. The story is told from Chloe's perspective. It took a few chapters to get into this story but i did enjoy this book.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, PanMacmillan and the author #AnnaWharton for my ARC of #TheImposter in exchange for an honest review.

Chloe is a newspaper archivist when we first meet her at just 25 and struggling to come to terms with the fact that her Nan has recently been admitted to a local care home. Perhaps it is not so strange that with all that going on she's using the case of a missing child some twenty years before to distract her.

This is a story that grew on me but sadly it took a while to get into its stride. Chloe is strange and hard to warm to which sometimes doesn't bother me but I think a more sympathetic character would have had me buying into this quite sad tale earlier on. This maybe because the entire book is told from Chloe's perspective.

For all that the premise is inspired and the novel definitely didn't go in the direction I expected.

Chloe is desperately juggling her job as a newspaper archivist with looking after her Nan who has Dementia.
Chloe becomes obsessed with a 25 year old case of a missing child. She ends up inserting herself in the lives of the grieving parents.

We are taken in a roller-coaster of a journey, we go through all the motions and then all the pieces of the jigsaw we have picked up along the way they all come together and just click into place.

An enjoyable read

Truly thrilling and gripping. this book was a struggle to put down once I got into it. Highly recommended for those who enjoy a good dark thriller.

I struggled with this book. I found as the book went on I became more and more irritated with the central character, and lost interest I am afraid. Hope others enjoy it more than I did.

Slow at at times and repetitive at others,good idea for a story but Chloe was unfathomable and unlikeable, we knew how upset she was re her Nan but were told every time,the ending was ok

Wow just wow. This took my breath away in its intensity and just how creepy and so sad a person can be to try and fit in and replace or impersonate someone’s family. This character doesn’t hurt the people she helps until they either die or have dementia she becomes their friend, daughter or even granddaughter. And then she moves on to the next. Until one day a case she reads at her work place makes her come out from her comfort zone and she uses her skills to see what she can do. The only thing is that her meddling makes you feel awful and bad on behalf of the people she uses, I found it disturbing and almost psychotic and yes she feels bad but she wallows in it and also creates more harm. But it’s so compelling to read.

The Imposter is the story of Chloe who, after her grandmother goes into care and losing her job, becomes obsessed with the sort of a child that disappeared 25years before. In her hunt for answers she inveigles her way into the grieving parents home and becomes their lodger.
This is a rather silly book, it starts well but the story becomes ridiculous with more plot holes than plot. The main character has little personality and it is difficult to understand or care about her motivation. He ability to live on no money, and suddenly cut herself off from what is important to her is bizarre. The parents of the missing child seem to be from a different era with hobbies and lifestyles to match. I get that they are stuck in the past but it is still jarring.
There is a sudden reveal in the last chapter which is supposed to make sense of everything but actually just made me cross, there are very few clues in the book that would have made it an ‘aha’ moment so it just felt lazy.

Thank you to #netgalley for allowing me to review this advance copy.

The Imposter is a thriller that has plenty of heart in your mouth moments, and takes us on a journey of discovery that ends with a twist as with all good psychological thrillers.

Chloe works as an archivist for a newspaper, and lives with her Nan, Grace, who has Alzheimers. Most days she doesn't remember who Chloe is. When she wanders off, Chloe has no real choice but to find a care home for her.

Meanwhile, a case of a missing child that she stumbles across at work, has her intrigued, some would say, obsessed with. Angie went missing 25 years ago when she was 4, and there has been no trace of her ever since. Chloe reads everything she can about the case, and when she loses her job, serendipity leads her to become a lodger with the girls parents. She forms a strong bond with Maureen, the Mum. But things seem strained between Maureen and her husband Patrick. And why is there a padlocked room in the house?

Chloe begins to suspect Patrick knows something that he's hiding, but is her instinct correct?

And is Chloe who she says she is?

An enjoyable thriller with plenty of intrigue.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this title in return for an honest review.

After a run of books that didn’t grab my attention from the start, I was so happy to read The Imposter. It doesn’t have a huge attention grabbing opening, but I found myself invested in the characters of Chloe, and her Nan, who has Alzheimer’s, within the first few chapters. Chloe works in an archive for a local newspaper, a job that she doesn’t seem to be happy in, but a job that gives her access to people’s stories. These stories are very important to her.

Very early in the book, I felt that Chloe hasn’t had a settled life. She feels unlike other people, and physically feels very uncomfortable in her own skin, especially when in the presence of people she feels different to. People who have a confidence, and a feeling of place.

This book is a quiet book, there are no huge cliff hanging moments, no shocking revelations through the book. It is a slow burning read, where you feel that every small detail of the story has meaning. I felt all of these details would add up, and fit together, to help me understand Chloe. The slow pace of the book really drew me in, made me anticipate more and more what was driving Chloe in her quest, and subsequent behaviour.
I felt such sadness at the end of the book, I can’t explain why, as it would give away huge spoilers of the ending. That ending was so surprising, I genuinely didn’t suspect or sense it at all. I usually don’t enjoy slower paced books, but The Imposter is an exception for me. I thoroughly enjoyed Anna Wharton’s 4.5* debut, and look forward to reading her future work.

This book had an interesting premise but was overlong and dragged in parts. I ploughed on although I was losing faith in the main character, Chole.
Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review.

I think this is one of those book you love or hate. In my case I'm on the fence.
It's not a comforting and easy read, it's very tense and you cannot help feeling for the MC.
I liked the descriptions but I couldn't connect to Chloe as I found her to reckless for her own good.
I think it's not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I’ve been putting off reading The Imposter since I received the proof, trying to wait until as close to the publication date as possible – why did I wait so long?! Once I started this debut I could not stop, I could not look away and I just did not want to put it down. The storyline that we are drawn into is written from the point of view of Chloe, a 29-year-old woman who works at a newspaper archive while also caring from her nan who is spiralling mentally. I quite liked Chloe as a main character, you become entwined into her life, with your heart strings tugged upon when you realise that she is a lost individual. With her nan slowly forgetting aspects of her life, Chloe feels disconnected and saddened, her feeling of belonging crumbles and she finds herself alone.

Chloe comes across an archived newspaper file about a 4-year-old girl Angie Kyle who disappeared from a park. This case peaks Chloe’s interest, she identifies with Angie, a child who has been taken away from a place she calls home, from a family she loves. Our protagonist becomes increasingly obsessed with this tragic event so as her life begins to quickly unravel, she finds herself creeping closer to the parents left behind.

The Imposter is an incredibly written mysterious psychological thriller. I felt myself flicking between a range of emotions while reading the novel. Anna Wharton has weaved a slowly burned tale, one that I feel gains a lot from not being fast paced and in your face, by putting the breaks on the unravelling of the storyline we, the reader begins to understand the many layers of Chloe; from her psychological understanding of her life, as well as the way she feels about this case which has intrigued her. The Imposter is a character driven psychological read which links into a plotline, I felt that as the book went on, it became a great balance of character AND plot driven aspects.

I loved this book, it was an emotional rollercoaster with a lot of hanging off the edge of the sofa moments, as well as huge gasping chapters. The Imposter is Anna Wharton’s debut novel and my gosh, I’m already looking forward to her next book. You can see from the writing that she absolutely understands the characters she builds, with strong foundations and depth with many layers. I found myself sympathising with Chloe and although she isn’t the most likeable of individuals at times, I was hooked to her story and I flew through all 404 pages in 24 hours – addictive, the creepingly sinister atmosphere and the injected mystery will have you lulled quickly into the pages of The Imposter.

What an unusual book. The blurb sounded promising but after a few chapters I was not sure if I would like the book. But it grew on me because the deeper you get into it the weirder it gets.

Chloe lives with her grandmother in her house. But her Nan has dementia and her condition is declining rapidly. Chloe works in the archives of a newspaper. The year is 2004 and Chloe is still archiving paper cuttings. Chloe is an irritating character. There is something off about her. She gets obsessed with the case of a little girl who disappeared in a local park twenty-five years ago and was never found. She gets it into her head that she is the one to solve the case. When she loses her job and her Nan moves into a home for the elderly she makes it her priority to find the little girl. Fortunately it turns out that the parents of the girl are looking for a lodger. Chloe moves into the house of the poor parents but then things are getting weird and the story gets more interesting.

The book starts off very slow. And it stays slow for most of the time. The story takes it time as we descent deeper and deeper into Chloe’s world. I was wondering where the story was heading because for quite a while nothing happens. But somehow I was also hooked. I had a few ideas what was so off about Chloe and I guessed most of the twists. But that did not ruin the fun. What got me were the elaborated setup and the writing. I enjoyed the author’s style and her ability to keep me interested while she was telling me such a slow developing story. I could feel that there was more to it than meet the eyes and that kept me interested.

I enjoyed reading this unusual story with weird Chloe although it took me a while to get there. It is a sad book about loss and feeling lost. You have to have patience with this book but I think it is worth your time.

I was intrigued by this book and overall enjoyed it, particularly the last part. I did find the middle seemed a bit slow but I’m glad I stayed with it. The ending poses a moral dilemma and without spoiling anything I believe I will ponder the wrong or right for a long while.

Chloe lives with her Nan and looks after her, Nan is suffering from dementia and things are getting harder for Chloe and Nan to continue living together, when Nan goes missing one day and is found miles from home it is decided she will go into a nursing home, Chloe feels lost in her own without Nans company she become obsessed with the case of a missing child from 30 years ago.

A good book with a great twist.

Slightly slow to be honest I thought but intriguing all the same, I thought the plot was different to the usual thriller and thought that Chloe was a complex and great character, it really got going once she moved into the house, soooo many awkward moments you kinda found yourself holding your breath 😂 loved the twist at the end and I would recommend it to other people for sure if this is your genre 😊