This is one of the best books I've read for a while. I love a thriller but this offered something different. I found the book slightly difficult to get into but about a third of the way into it, I was hooked. I didn't find the characters particularly likeable but this didn't hinder the book in any way for me. Despite having read hundreds of thriller books, the ending still shocked me and I loved it.

This was incredible.

Chloe is a newspaper archivist and a lonely soul. She’s someone who blends in, the wallflower you never notice. The only person she has at home, her nan, is succumbing to the potency of dementia. The stresses of life weigh on Chloe heavily, and when she finds cuttings detailing the disappearance of a child in 1979, she becomes enthralled with the emotion involved in such a case.

We follow Chloe through her obsessive journey in finding more information on the disappearance, watch her tracking down the parents, see her descend into a mist which will not allow her to see anything else. Small details of Chloe’s life are peppered throughout the pages, cleverly, subtly, and we begin to see she’s fraught with problematic thoughts.

Wharton deals with some seriously sensitive topics here, and she does so brilliantly. The emotions involved with a missing child are complex, horrifying, but mostly tragic. The way the child’s mother is characterised felt deeply realistic, her heartbreak was palpable, and her unwavering hope ran through her like a sickness. Wharton contrasts this immediate vanishing of a family member with a disappearance all the more subtle - a loss by dementia.

The pace is excellent, the suspense masterful, and I found myself entirely glued to Wharton’s words. She has a skill for setting and slowly increasing tension. There were some real terrifying moments where my heart was in my throat, but throughout the entire story I was on edge, as though I were on a tightrope. It was so wonderfully evocative, so original, and the twistiness was delicious.

It’s impossible to believe this is a debut novel, and equally as impossible to put into words how engaging and brilliant Wharton’s story is. Set your alarms for April 2021.

Firstly I'd like to say thankyou to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an advanced reading copy.

I was not blown away by this book in any way, shape or form. I found the main character, Chloe, very unlikable and I was not invested in her and each decision she made, to me, just made her seem ridiculous and annoying.
The story of the missing 4 year old, Angie, is a 25 year old story that Chloe is determined to solve (how?) and she slots herself into Maureen and Patricks lives, which I just found weird overall.
I also found the book to move quite slowly, I had to make myself pick it up to finish rather than being gripped by it. I hate to leave negative reviews and I know some people may like it, the weirdness/creepiness of Chloe's life may really appeal to some readers but unfortunately that wasn't the case for me.

Ooooooh!!

Truthfully, at first it was quite slow and at one point I wasn’t quite sure where it was going but then it really picked up!

Chloe is determined to help the Kyle’s after reading the archives of their story about their missing daughter. She is drawn to them and believes she can help them get the answers they never got from authorities.

The imposter was eerie, full of suspense and wonder and distrust throughout! I knew something wasn’t quite right throughout but I just couldn’t put my finger on what it was. There was twists, turns and revelations! It was a fabulous read!

Thank you NetGalley and pan Macmillan for allowing me the opportunity to read this :)! Highly recommend!

The Imposter wasn't quite what I expected. We follow Chloe as she screws up her job, faces unemployment and homelessness and sees her Nan moved to a care home. Along the way, she becomes increasingly obsessed with a girl who went missing in the 1970s and the girl's family.

I found the first 35% torturously slow. The rest might be slow too, but I wouldn't know. I couldn't bring myself to read any further. The book had the feeling of an author following the motions but not quite getting it right.

I had trouble getting into the story. Even though we were following Chloe, I didn't understand her decisions. I didn't understand why she had the thoughts she did. I especially didn't understand the obsession of the family of the missing girl.

Additionally, I found the scenes with Nan too repetitive. When you show Nan not remembering Chloe because of her dementia, we understand how sad that is. You don't need to explain why that makes Chloe sad. Especially not every time it happens.

It could just be that this book wasn't for me. Hopefully others have a better reading experience than I did. Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read it.

This was a strange one for me. Although I read and found it interesting, it wasn't what I was expecting. I thought it was about a child who had gone missing in a park. It was, but it turns out that was almost a side story, the main thread being about a girl who lived with her grandmother and how her life was developed. All in all an OK book, but don;t expect a police procedural.

This is Anne Wharton’s debut novel and is a chilling novel about obsession and lies.

Chloe, the main character, is a news archivist and holds a deep fascination with other people’s lives. She notices a cutting about a young girl who disappeared 25 years ago and sees the parents are obsessed with the belief that their daughter will return.

When Chloe is about to become homeless due to her only living relative going into a care home, she sees that the missing girl’s parents are advertising for a lodger so she see this as an opportunity.

Cleverly plotted with characters I didn’t warm to and a good twist at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley, Pan MacMillan, and Anne Wharton for the ARC of ‘The Imposter’ in return for my honest review.

Recommended.

Wow what a debut!

I initially found this book a little difficult to get into but once I was into it I didn't want to put it down.
Everytime I thought I knew where this book was going there was a twist to the plot which I didn't see coming and I definitely did not see the ending turning out the way it did.
I will definitely look forward to reading Anna Wharton's future works.

Thank You to NetGalley for my ARC

Anna Wharton's debut novel focuses on Chloe, a newspaper archivist who becomes obsessed with the cold case of a child who went missing 25 years ago. When Chloe's nan has to move into a care home Chloe's obsession with the family of the missing girl increases.

I was really attracted to the premise of this novel and I found it to be a unique and refreshing read that was very different to anything else I have read recently. Chloe's world is a sad and claustrophobic one filled with grief, loss, longing and loneliness. The location of the Fens heightens this sense of loneliness and intensity. It is superbly written with a very unexpected ending.

I would highly recommend this book and look forward to what Anna Wharton writes next.

Definitely not the crime thriller I was expecting. More a tale about Chloe's life and obsession.

It really wasn't for me which I think was made worse by the description.

Definitely would be a great book in it's own right but not the genre I was expecting

I was expecting a story about an amateur-sleuth archivist, Chloe, who inveigles herself into the home of a couple whose young daughter disappeared many years earlier. Believing Patrick and Maureen know more about the disappearance than they are letting on, she stirs up the past and puts herself in danger.
Well, it was about that, and yet it wasn't. This is really a story about Chloe - about her relationship with Nan, who is sinking into dementia and has to go into a care home, and about her interactions with Maureen and Patrick. The three of them play their own personal charade, possibly for sinister motives.. This is ideal for fans of emotional, slow-burn stories.

Don't be fooled into thinking that this is a crime story, the story of a missing girl who disappears when her father turns his back, whilst she is apparently playing in the park. That seems to be the centre of the narrative, but there is much more to it than that. This is indeed the story of a missing girl, but the missing girl is actually Chloe, who is desperately searching for a place to belong. Chloe's obsession with the story drives the narrative but that is really context and not the main message. The ending was poignant and appropriate, really making the reader understand what that message was. A terrific novel - I will definitely be reading more by this author.

I enjoyed this so much. It’s excellently plotted and brilliantly written, with a creepy atmosphere. It is a slow burning thriller, which makes it stand out from some of the more cookie cutter psychological thrillers which heap slightly implausible plot twist on slightly implausible plot twist.

Chloe, the protagonist, is a strange and in some ways not very likeable character. There is something “off” about her, which is hard to pin down until the final reveal. I did guess the reveal beforehand, but not that much in advance. A great twist.

The depiction of the Kyles was particularly good. They seemed to live in a slightly different world, old fashioned and traditional. For some reason their depiction reminded me of the Fitches in one of my favourite ever books The Sea, The Sea, which is also about obsession.

I have one slight observation. I think there may be a small continuity error towards the end. Chloe is having breakfast, and then the story jumps to her having just had dinner, but I think the events that happen after this would have been before dinner time that same day? I may have misunderstood though.

The sign of a good book is whether you think about the characters afterwards. I certainly did. This isn’t the type of book to lend itself to a sequel I don’t think, but I do keep pondering on how Chloe is getting on with her allotment and also about what went on in her life before this story started.

A very well deserved 5 stars from me.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this absorbing story.

This was a slow burn of a book, with a reveal at the end akin to the feeling you get when you watch The Usual Suspects. When archivist Chloe loses her job, she becomes gripped by the story of a girl who went missing 25 years ago. As she builds a relationship with the parents of the little girl, secrets in her past come to the fore, but who is the real enemy here?

‘The Imposter’ is one of the most original thrillers I have enjoyed since ‘The sisters’ by Claire Douglas. Anna Wharton is brilliant at taking everyday simplicity and adding a dark and sinister tone and kept me hooked until the very last page!
We are introduced to newspaper archivist Chloe, her life is a lonely one and with her beloved Nan battling dementia she finds a little solace in reading about other people’s lives. She stumbles across the story of a missing child from twenty-five years ago and becomes obsessed with finding the truth. As her Nan’s condition worsens she has the face moving her to a care home but with that she may lose her home in the process but then the parents of the lost child advertises for a lodger… Chloe fully immerses herself in the story but what if the truth is far darker than she thought?
A clever, intriguing story of obsession, loneliness and misplaced loyalties; I loved the flawed characters and the storyline is so well crafted in the way it leads somewhere I really didn’t expect!

A good story, but I felt at times it was quite predictable - until the end.. when I was completely shocked! I was going to give the book 3 stars until I got to the end. It was definitely worth the wait, I think I may now need to read it again knowing what I now know! Morale of my storey is - don’t assume you know everything!

As much as I liked the premise of this book, I really struggled to get through it. I found the main character so incredibly annoying I almost gave up after the first few chapters. I had guessed parts of the ending but hadn't anticipated the twist.

The plot has so much potential, but the storytelling does not do it justice. The story is so slow in parts I wondered if we had all moved into the rest home with nana.

Not sure if it was really worth me persevering to the end.

**Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to an advanced copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Chloe is desperately juggling her job as a newspaper archivist with looking after her Nan who has dementia. Whilst digitalising old newspaper reports she becomes interested in the case of Angela Kyle, a four year old, missing since 1980. She collates all the evidence and manages to track down the parents, Maureen and Patrick, and what develops is a very emotional storyline.

This is a very good novel on several levels. It depicts the sadness of the loss of a child extremely movingly- the not knowing the fate of your loved one and how this puts life on hold. The dementia of Chloe’s Nan is sad too as memories fade and this is well portrayed. Chloe’s loneliness, obsessions and actions are sad too and very touching, though you feel as if you are walking on eggshells with her at times. The characters are strong and there are some powerful scenes between them that are gripping. The mystery of what happens to Angela deepens and the suspense grows, the tension mounts to a well thought out and plausible conclusion. This is a well written novel, the plot and pacing are good, there are some atmospheric settings for part of the story in the Fens which adds an extra dimension.

Overall, an emotional and touching story.

With thanks to NetGalley and Pan McMillan for the ARC.

I’ve struggled to write this review all day because I’m still trying to figure this book out in my head.

I’d actually give The Imposter 3.5 stars because it was a great read, and I did enjoy it. I feel though that I spent so long trying to figure the book out that I did myself a disservice.

The twist got me good. I just did not see it coming and that is the sign of a great book to me.

I will say you should read this book, but if you are expecting to like the characters, don’t. I feel that Chloe is an unlikeable protagonist and that is not a bad thing. Sometimes we put too much stock in falling for the characters that we read about. With The Imposter I just kept wondering whether I wanted things to go well for Chloe or whether I wanted her whole world to crumble around her.

Will definitely read other fiction books from Anna if she writes more.

Anna Wharton’s debut “The Imposter” will be one of the literary highlights of 2021. This deep, achingly touching novel is equally suspenseful and twisted...and what a jaw-dropping, gasp-out-loud ending! This thriller will have you turning the pages like reading is about to be banned...

Chloe is a quiet and unassuming archivist at a local newspaper. Her life revolves around her work and her elderly Nan, who is suffering with dementia. Chloe leads a simple life looking after Nan and diligently archiving the papers stories. When Nan goes missing whilst visiting her daughter Stella’s grave, Chloe is frantic. As the police search for Nan, Chloe comes across the story of Angie Kyle - a four year old who went missing in the early 1980s - in the archives and her interest soon becomes an obsession and determination to return Angie home. Feeling like she can relate to Angie’s parents, Maureen and Patrick, due to her missing Nan, Chloe delves deeper into the files to find more out about the case. When Nan is found alive and well, Chloe is forced to put her in a home by social services. As Chloe obsesses further and further over the Kyles, she seeks out their new address. When she finds them, she discovers they are looking for a lodger. What could be a more perfect way to get close to the Kyles and lessen the truth about Angie? As her relationship with the Kyles grows, Chloe begins to suspect that all is not as it seems? But having said that, is Chloe exactly who she says she?

“The Imposter” is an expertly crafted, slow burning thriller that takes its time to intricately weave webs of lies, deceit and breathtaking tension. Events unfold and characters blossom, leading to a crescendo of an ending that delivers shocks and emotions. It’s an affecting read that is going to stay with me for quite some time. Amongst the detailed character development, there are some genuinely taut and nerve-shredding moments. Little moments of tense action flitter through the narrative and there are certainly some breathtaking sequences that are exciting to read. However, as well as being a very well written thriller, “The Imposter” is very much a tale about family, loss and the impact this has on us. Wharton explores a number of different themes in the mental health space and I found her writing on the psyches of her characters to be very eloquent. I found that Wharton has a particular skill at taking the emotional state of a character and using it to generate both sympathy and understanding, but also a sense of mistrust and tension. I was simultaneously drawn into the mysteries of each character, whilst also feeling compassion for them. I think that this is a real skill and Wharton is bound to become a name to look out for in the genre.

Chloe is a complex character, who Wharton has beautifully created with multiple, shifting layers. There are moments where I felt for her and sympathised with her, then a matter of a couple of paragraphs later I found her unsettling and her actions questionable. This duplicity makes her a really interesting character and I spent much of the novel trying to work out whether she was the heroine or antagonist of the narrative. Of course, things aren’t that simple though! Ultimately, I found Chloe likeable and I was rooting for her to turn out to actually be Angie. Whilst she makes some very strange decisions and builds a large and seemingly unsustainable web of lies around her, the revelations in the closing moments of the plot provide clarity and understanding for readers and I was actually quite moved (as well as shocked!). The Kyles are also very well written characters, who are multi-dimensional and plausible. Maureen is trapped in the grief of Angie’s disappearance and Wharton really captures the sense of loss and pain that she suffers. The mental anguish and the affect it has on Maureen is very realistic and I felt the elation she does when she firmly believes that Chloe is Angie. The heartbreak that Maureen has endured is vast, but she remains a kind and friendly when she could have easily become bitter and reclusive. Patrick is equally as complex as Chloe and as her suspicions of him increase, I found myself fully believing that he may have had more to do with Angie’s disappearance than was first reported. Again, as events progress and the final revelations come to light, Patrick is not who he seemed and I found the scene where Chloe confronts him absolutely gripping. Wharton definitely has the knack for misdirection and keeping her readers guessing!

I highly recommend “The Imposter” and look forward to reading more from Wharton.