Member Reviews
I really enjoyed this book and it reminded me lots of Girl on a Train.
The main character, Annie had me cringing throughout at some of the crazy things she said and did.
I was taken in by the story and was desperate to find out how it would end. My only criticism is that I found the ending disappointing based on how great the rest of the book was.
Overall, this is a strong 4 star read.
This book has a great and very unpredictable narrator. You're never really sure what to believe as she's a little all over the place. I enjoyed the mystery at the center of the book and the second POV but I was left wanting more at the end. The climax wasn't quite revealing enough for me but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
A very neatly written thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed. I did feel for Annie, her social ineptness ranged between insensitive and cringing (making me wonder is she on the spectrum), but knowing what I know now it becomes so clear. The bottom line, it just shows that sometimes you really need to consider the motives of people be they young or old.
I felt that this book is definitely well written and it does grip you. I personally did not get into it and couldn’t quite get into any of the characters. Some of them came across as odd and just a bit strange, especially the main character. I think the story is interesting and good. I also think this will do well. Just not for me.
I found this book a bit of a conundrum. It was enjoyable yet I really struggled to relate to the protagonist initially. I am glad I persevered with it and grew to be sympathetic towards peculiar Annie. The ending felt a little rushed and left me with unanswered questions however.
Thank you to the author, Agora Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book is written from the point of view of a socially awkward woman - perhaps on the spectrum, although that is never made clear and there are other things that don't mesh at all with that supposition. The story covers a few days in her life, in which a young girl goes missing and the protagonist involves herself. I found it very difficult to get into this book, and I felt the protagonist's obessions, actions and inappropriate conversations dragged on for eons. The last third of the book was more interesting, but parts of the book could definitely benefit from more stringent editting. This was one of those books I read because I felt obligated to, due to receiving an ARC, but cannot get at all enthused about.
I didn't really enjoy this book. The synopsis is what really drew me to wanting to read this book, but unfortunately the story did not hold my interest. The overall story was interesting at times but fell short towards the end. I also did not love the main character. Also at times I felt the story was predictable. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
An unusual protagonist and a mystery combine in this character driven drama. Annie, from the way she relates (not well) to others appears to be on the spectrum- but her colleagues and acquaintances don't recognize that she can't control the way she reacts. An inappropriate declaration of love for Paul, her boss, when she's been drinking, leads him to eject her from the party. Then she joins the search for young Chloe who has gone missing. Most of this novel is in Annie's head, which is a crowded place to be- somethings things go on too long but that's part of the characters's obsessive behavior. Holmes has clearly thought about this character and written her with empathy. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. The mystery is less interesting than Annie.
Annie is a lonely woman in London, trailing after her more glamourous friend and trying to convince herself that she is having a meaningful relationship with a man in her office, but she can't quite work out how to fit in with everyone or make life work for her.
After a drunken night out she finds herself caught up in the case of a missing 12 year old girl, Annie's story is interspersed with that of a young girl, Lottie, who is being led astray by older kids.
How do the two stories collide?
A well written crime thriller, Solid 3/5 for me
Thanks for the chance to read it @AgoraBooks and @Netgalley
Annie prefers her own company, but she desperately wants everyone to see how kind and helpful she can be, to the point of it being frantic and uncomfortable. She wants to find a life that ticks all the boxes of what people consider to bring happiness, but she feels unable to connect to anyone. When a woman named Chloe Hills goes missing, Annie is suddenly put at the center of attention as she was the last person to see Chloe alive. What follows is a deeply uncomfortable look at the people around us and the secrets they carry.
While I read a great deal of thrillers for review material, I was offput by this one. I found it very hard to find anything about Annie that would capture my attention and want to keep following her.
Annie is a bit of an odd ball, desperate to please and make friends. She has a job and is a little obsessed with her boss who doesn’t notice her In the way she would Like. Her colleagues seem to ignore her or take what she says in the wrong way.
One evening when returning home drunk she thinks she may have seen something that might help with the disappearance of a local girl Chloe Hills. But Annie has secrets and her half truths lead to her finding that she is treated as a suspect.
Great read full of suspense, lots to keep you going.
A good who done it! What really happened to Chloe Hill? Did Annie see anything, was it buried in her alcohol blurred memories? Can sins from the past haunt your every day? More of a slow burn than a thrill ride. Annie’s discomfort made me uncomfortable!
Liked the way this flashed back to earlier childhood events and then back to present day and this helped explain the behaviour of the main character. Found her difficult to like in general and was frustrated by her in many ways. Wanted to find out what happen to the missing girl, but the storyline was not very eventful and a little slow for my taste. Would try another book by the author, but would like to see a little more ‘happening’ and more dialogue.
Unfortunately this book was not for me. I found it quite predictable and had to make myself continue in the hope that there was a twist at the end. I first felt compassion for the lead character but eventual found her irritating.
Annie clearly struggles with being on of a crowd, with making friends and with making her thoughts heard. On the face of it she seems to struggle with social interactions and could easily be "diagnosed" as autistic. However as the truth of her past unfolds it is clear that there is mre to Annies behaviour than meets the eye and perhaps her past realy does explain her present.
A great read with some real moment of deja vu for me- almost as if I were ther withher and was reading the events moments after experiencing them for myself.
Fantastic writing all round.
Enjoyed this book. The story was entertaining and only near the end did I work out what the plot twist was. It was well written and is I'll read more books by Marianne on the future
Great book! The storyline was an interesting one. There are 2 plots that merge into one. The characters are likeable as much as they are not. Good ending as well.
I really enjoyed this book but found the main character a bit hard to get to know in terms of who she was. If you work in an office you know that there are different types of people and wherever you work these types pop up over and over again. I found the main character quite recognisable. Competent but a bit distant. Let’s put it this way if you knew her and we’re having a party she wouldn’t be the first person you thought if you attend. That being said I did really enjoy the book and would read the authors back catalogue.
A young girl disappears and the last person to, possibly, see her alive is Annie. Annie who is almost invisible to those around her and who struggles to articulate and communicate with others. But now she has something to say and is going to make the most of it! Annie is hard to particularly like as main character but that doesn’t make her any more compelling, resulting in a face paced, interesting read!
Thanks to NetGalley and Agora Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Annie, the main character, is a women who seem to go unnoticed. When a 12 year old Chloe is abducted in her small town, she has her change because Annie could be the last to have seen her. The only thing is, Annie was drunk and she doesn’t remember much of anything from that night.
It's a fast-paced book with great characters that keep you engaged.