Thanks to NetGalley, Holly Down and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC of The Courier.

This was a bit of a slow burn for me. We meet Laurel - who up until recently appeared to have it all - a husband and a child. Now 5 years later, Laurel is working as a delivery driver - her job at the bank a distant memory, her relationship over and her child missing. We do not know why, or how, but we know that Laurel is struggling and attending a support group.

Part of Laurel's rounds involve delivering to Paradise Falls, where she finds herself becoming obsessed with the residents and their lives. The blurb of this book made me expect a shocking murder or a delivery driver being an unexpected witness to a terrible crime - that's not quite how it panned out!

It wasn't what I expected at all and as such, I found myself feeling a little less hooked than I wanted to be. The last 5 chapters or so really ramped up, but I was left wanting a little more.

Five years ago, Laurel Lovejoy had it all. The high-powered city job, the loving husband, the perfect daughter. Now, she is forty and alone, and working for a courier service. But she has discovered that being a delivery driver comes with a superpower: it makes her invisible. People accept her presence without question. They go about their lives, unaware of just how much she sees - how much she knows.
Laurel is particularly fascinated by the residents of Paradise Found, an exclusive gated cul-de-sac. She sometimes even finds her way there when she's not working, using her days off to soak up as much information about the inhabitants and their lives as she can. Everyone needs a hobby.
Then one day Laurel sees something in one of the houses - something that blows her whole world apart, and will have devastating consequences for everyone involved . . .

———————————————————————-

A huge apology as I was meant to post yesterday, but I had problems posting

Thank you to the publishers for inviting me to be part of this tour

This is the first book that I have read by this author, but was immediately interested in reading the novel when I read the synopsis.

The book is written in line with the pandemic starting, making the storyline feel more real and relevant. It felt as though it really could be happening round the corner, the book/plot/characters were that well described

As the reader progresses through the book, it is clear that all is not okay with Laurel and a storyline begins to unfold. It was a huge twist that I did not see coming.

This book is highly recommended

I received a copy of this e-arc in exchange for a review thanks to NetGalley and Hodder Books.

I was completely enraptured in this book. I forgot that I was reading a crime book and trusted that all the characters where who they said they were. Usually I have suspicions about certain characters and can figure out who’s lying.

That being said, it didn’t feel like a mystery/thriller book. At least not until the last 5 chapters where the real story unfolds. And that cliffhanger ending!

It starts right before the pandemic hits the UK and has been incorporated so well into the storyline that it doesn’t feel out of place.

Failed to hold my attention and I wasn’t very taken with many of the characters. I’ve never done parcel delivery but I’m guessing this interest in the parcel recipients is most unlikely especially in a city.

Hey yo, writers all over the world!

Stop making "woman goes crazy bc of childbirth/child loss/fertility issues" trope a thing. It's not the 90s anymore.
It's gross, misogynistic and unrealistic in general.
This book could have been second Pride&Prejudice and I stil would give it one star.

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. The majority of this book was very slow paced, and Laurel's voice sounded very similar to the protagonists in novels such as 'Eleanor Oliphant' and 'Freckles.' The Courier had an intetesting concept, but I don't feel that the premise of the title had much impact on the storyline, and the COVID background seemed superfluous. That said, whilst predictable, the intensity of the book ramped up for the last quarter, and I was gripped to see how it ultimately played out.

I’m not really sure if I liked this one or not, it wasn’t at all what I expected it to be and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not. I did find it a bit boring at times and think certain things in the story could have been better with more attention and other aspects with much less attention. CertIn things that would be quite important to a story line we’re kind of rushed and didn’t do the story line justice.

It was a decent read but just got a bit lost in places!

Reviewed for NetGalley 🌟🌟🌟

I did enjoy this book. However, it is a slow burner. I wouldn't call it a thriller but it does get more intense as the story goes on. I felt the story was missing the element that keeps me up reading for hours at night time.
Thank you to Holly Down and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Being a courier, Laurel knows about people on the street more than you'd think. When she takes a shining to a certain street, she sees something in one of the houses that she knows will change her life forever.

Touted as a psychological thriller (my favourite kind of book!), I was quite keen to get stuck into this story. Having a courier as our main character was a unique angle but unfortunately that's where the originality stops. The storyline seems to be one that is repeated often. Woman had an amazing life before, throws it all away, continuously drinks herself into a stupor and finds it hard to remember what she does after that....

The writing was easy to read however and the addition of Covid into the storyline was relatable. The ending bore a twist that I did not expect but aside from that, this book was a lot calmer than a thriller should be. In the end, it was just an ok book for me.

The courier by Holly Down may not be a fast paced read, but that does not stop this being a great read.

The book focuses on main character Laurel, who having had her fair share of ups and downs, is struggling with day to day life. Events in her past have lead her to the the person she is today, and at the moment, that path seems to be heading on a one-way spiral. That is until a particular resident of Paradise Found seems to take an interest in Laurel.

I really enjoyed the unexpectancy of this book and at times it was a little difficult to understand where the storyline was heading. But what a jaw-dropper it turned out to be!

The courier is by no means a chirpy read and Holly Down gently delivers some genuine issues, including alcoholism, bereavement and depression.

A slow burn, took a long time before having a real interest to me.
I didn't really like the main character, Laurel, because of what she's done. Patrick was really interesting, especially towards the end.
Overall, I liked the book, the story got real good on the second half.

This novel starts at a gentle pace but slowly builds into a psychological mystery. Note that it is not a thriller because there is no apparent intention to thrill; indeed it slips from ‘gentle’ into ‘worrying’ and eventually ‘intense’ without flagging that the changes are happening. The style is light but very effective. The reader is led like the proverbial lamb. This is a powerful writing skill, but is it enough to carry what at first blush appears to be a first person flow of conscious tale of a young woman’s career problems?
It is February 2020 and Laurel is the eponymous ‘courier’. Her job involves collecting packages from a central depot and delivering them to homes on a prescribed route in North East London. She enlivens her day by fantasising about the people she meets, especially the people who live in a gated community called Paradise Found. Her interest extends to looking them up on social media and keeping extensive notes. Her own social life seems largely restricted to chatting to the guy next door while sitting outside their apartments in a so-so block in a low-quality area. And spending her evenings alone and drinking. She was once a high flying banker but her world fell apart five years ago when her husband and their two year old daughter, Sophie, disappeared; or died; or he died and the baby was stolen; or something else – for the mystery is what happened. In her waking moments Laurel is constantly on the lookout for Sophie, refusing to accept that she will never find her.
She becomes friendly with some of the people in Paradise Found, and more than friendly with Patrick, a famous writer. But the virus is spreading and people are becoming isolated. One of the couples leaves the community and their house is bought by Stan, who moves in with his wife and young daughter, aged seven. Laurel becomes convinced that she is Sophie.
In many ways this is a standard story arc, but there are interesting twist which stop it being predictable and, as we approach the ending, the gentle pace has become a gallop and the story is far from gentle. So, the answer to the question at the end of the first paragraph above is yes, not just because of the quality of the writing but also because the story is much more complex than it first appeared.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

I loved this book from the start and it was easy to et into. The book is set pre pandemic and then develops. The characters were all relatable to every day life and to say more would spoil it for other readers. I read this really quickly and cannot wait for the author’s next book.

Laurel is a courier, enjoying her routes and working through the pandemic. But she is also trying to find her missing daughter. Throughout the book it is clear that all is not as it seems. Laurel struggles to talk about what happened to her daughter and slowly, slowly we find out why.

Laurel has built such a web of lies it is hard to tell if she even knows what is true any more.

Part of Laurel’s route takes her to a gated close called paradise found, where Laurel meets some new friends as well as some enemies.

The truth comes out in the end but you will not see the ending coming!

Brilliant and a fantastic read. We all see the couriers and people delivering our whimsical purchases, this book turns it on it's head, what if they knew more about us.

Loved it

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this one

sorry to say this one i found a struggle to get into...so slow and nothing held my interest, to the point that i dnf

sorry

3.5/5

I found this book to be a bit of a slow burner. The first half was probably longer than it really needed to be and the last 25% felt rushed and I felt ended abruptly but I think everyone’s interpretation of the ending will differ.

There were a few good twists, that in my opinion you don’t see coming and overall the storyline was good.

I would purchase other books from this author as I do feel that this is the start of something

Brilliant read! A solid thriller- twisty and dark in all the right places, and with a jaw-dropping ending I did not see coming at all!

Another one that mentions COVID-19/ lockdown. This is probably the third one I’ve read thus far. But the novel doesn’t revolve around it - thank God!

Laurel Lovejoy had a high paying job, a husband and a daughter - and then she lost all of it. She becomes a courier and develops an obsession towards the residents of Paradise Found.

In all honesty, Laurel wasn’t all that likable.
Interesting premise though, from the first chapter you read about the different homeowners she delivers and she easily gives you a brief description of what they’re like.
It really made me a little bit paranoid - am I being watched or judged for my purchases?
Does this really happen???
How much do couriers really know about us???

The blurb sort of lead me to believe one thing and then the conclusion ended up being another - from a very original concept the novel seemed to have settled for a familiar trope. The ending brought an unexpected twist - a little bit left field so it was a bit of a thrill if you enjoy that sort of thing.

It was a good enough read. Interesting and a bit surprising!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5

My sincerest thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and @netgalley for my ARC!
Available on September 30, 2021!

I thought that while this was an original book, it was also a bit dull. I found it didn't really keep my interest and I found the main character to be a pretty boring character. Not one of my better reads I am sorry to say.