Very gripping, a real page-turner with lots of twists and turns. The audience is kept guessing throughout, and whilst a couple of the eventual reveals fall short (I'd have preferred to know what happened between Connor and Haley from the beginning) other reveals are surprising to the point of being pretty bonkers. Overall it's a fun ride, if you suspend your disbelief a little bit. Compelling, dark, surprisingly gruesome in places and a quick, exciting read.

I like this author a lot. I raced through this book in no time at all, in-fact I couldn’t put it down because it was so intriguing.
I did feel the ending was a little unbelievable, but I certainly wouldn’t let that put you off.

Louise is an excellent writer, she draws you in leaving you wanting more, her descriptions are second to none.

This family has so many secrets.

Lucy (mum) is trying to hold everyone and everything together her eldest son has gone through a recent trauma, the youngest son has a life limiting health condition. The husband, well, he has a whole load of other issues.

When 3 teenagers go missing things start galling apart.

A good thriller with some twists to keep me gripped made for a great book. I thought I had figured it out but I found out I was wrong and didn’t expect who the culprit turned out to be. A well written story and I will look to read more by this author.

Great story, good plot with plenty of twists and turns. It’s the story of 3 older boys who go missing and how and why it happened. It’s a psychological thriller with an unexpected outcome. I found the story really picked up pace halfway through and after that I found it difficult to put down. I like the short chapters and the viewpoint of the different characters. A good read.

This is a hard book to rate. It's far from boring. You will race through this in no time. However it is quite annoying at times. The first problem is the endless angsting from everyone about the terrible thing they've done. Perhaps if we knew from the start at least one of these things it would have helped to cut out some of the repetition. The second problem is that the ending or the events leading up to the ending is simply unbelievable. The reader ends up having no sympathy whatsoever for the mother (a professional woman who - er - should have known better) and in places it reads almost like a gothic horror story. But as I say, very readable and if you can suspend disbelief than you'll probably enjoy it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I was excited to be approved for this book as I have enjoy the other books by this author. Unfortunately the book didn't live up to expectations. I know it's fiction but I found it totally unbelievable in parts. I did finish it and was pleased when I did..

The story is told from three points of view, Lucy (Mum), Aidan (Dad) and Connor (Son). The story begins with Lucy rushing home from an appointment with her younger son, Keiran with a fear that something untoward has happened to Connor.

The story then goes back to the fortnight prior to this when the new school term is about to start. Connor and his two best friends are dreading returning to Sixth Form after something which appears to have happened in the months previous to this. The story then progresses with both of Connor’s friends going missing, is he next?

This is a tale of love, friendship and hope. I honest to goodness could not put this book down and raced through it in a day.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced read copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I'm in two minds about how to rate this book, as I definitely can't accuse it of being boring, and I don't think it's one I will forget in a hurry either, but I did have a few issues with it.

I think too many secrets were kept from the reader in the first two thirds of the book. I get that some had to be left until the end for the reveals to work but when it's obvious that the characters know more than the reader, it can be a bit frustrating and I don't think anything would have been lost from the plot if we had been let in on some of the secrets sooner.

The characters were very good. They all felt like real people and were not two dimensional. I didn't think the dialogue between the teenage boys was great, but it is a difficult thing for an adult woman to get right, and the rest of the dialogue was pretty good.

I couldn't possibly have guessed the major reveal, and I did actually quite like it even if you do have to massively suspend reality to accept it.

Overall I did enjoy the story and was invested in the characters. I just wish it was paced a bit better as all the interesting parts happen in the last third of the book.

It is with a huge sense of foreboding that Lucy Walsh races home, panic stricken about the well being of her eldest son, seventeen year old Connor especially after the disappearance in recent days of his friends Tyler and Ryan, dubbed ‘The Taken’. The family is weighed down with worries as thirteen year old son Kieron is a very poorly boy. The weather is terrible, there are roadworks and everything conspires against a quick journey so Lucy can put her mind at rest. What will she find at journeys end? The story is principally told by Lucy, husband Aidan and Connor and backtracks to days and weeks before the present day.

This poor family is really struggling, each of them feels a sack load of guilt about things which becomes clear as the plot unfolds. They’re all keeping secrets too - in fact, this family is a bubbling cauldron of them. There’s tension and fear which ramps up well throughout the book along with a sense of the claustrophobia of being watched which are all conveyed well. The situation with Kieron is done heartbreakingly well and is central to the storytelling. He has PSC, Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis, a chronic liver disease and you appreciate the family’s terror of the worst possible outcome with all its consequences, to say nothing of how much Kieron suffers because of it. Connors point of view is especially good, he’s full of conflicted feelings typical of teenage but he’s also carrying a load which emerges a bit at a time enabling you to understand him. What is not in doubt is his love for his younger brother. There’s a growing sense of foreboding, the author does well to keep you puzzling about what has happened and is happening to each of them and there are some good red herrings.

However, I’m not particularly keen of the clipped sentence style or single words used. I can see why the author uses the tactic but it’s not one that works well for me but may work for others. It gets a bit repetitive and maybe overplayed and as for the ending!!! It’s, er, surprising??? You might even say a bit crazy?? It’s certainly extreme and I would suggest far fetched but it does serve to demonstrate how far people will go for their loved ones. Also, note to self, it is fiction, so anything goes!!

Overall, though despite the negatives, there is a lot that is really good in this novel and it’s certainly an entertaining read, just strap on those disbelief suspenders at the end!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HQ for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

If you love thrillers you MUST meet the Walsh family.
Lucy - Trying desperately to help her eldest son through a recent trauma that has affected the whole family, whilst caring for her younger son who is suffering from a life threatening illness.
Aidan - Husband and loving father who watches helplessly as his family falls apart under the stress. He has his own problems that are escalating and threatening to destroy his once happy marriage.
Connor - Traumatised by a tragic incident that could have been prevented, Connor is struggling to cope. The truth about what really happened is eating away at him, affecting his relationships with his family and friends.
In this family they all keeping secrets. They are all telling lies. The question is Why?

Let’s be honest thriller readers. We want a gripping read from the beginning. But what we’re really hoping for is a brilliant ending with a REALLY unexpected twist. Believe me, this book delivers. Highly recommend this addictive story of a family struggling to come terms with the dire consequences of their selfish actions.

Really enjoyed this book, it was great being told from the different characters. The second half of the book really picked up and i was diving through the pages to find out who was part of taking the boys. Very well written.

Loved this book!
MEET THE WALSH FAMILY
Lucy: Mother. Wife. Falling to pieces . . .
Aidan: Father. Husband. In too deep . . .
Connor: Son. Friend. Can never tell the truth . . .

Everyone in this family has something to hide, but what are they trying to protect, and at what cost? IT WAS ALL FOR YOU.

A very fast paced, nail biting read. Idea was executed very well, highly recommend

The story is about a family who have lots of secrets then teenage boys goes missing the first half of the book is not as good as the second I found the book very far fetched definitely not as good as her other books but on the whole did enjoy it. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy.

This is one of the best thrillers I have read in years! It is fast paced with so many twists, it is impossible to guess the ending. The suspense keeps you reading and you have to remind yourself to breathe. Everyone in the Walsh family has something to hide. The book is written from the viewpoint of mother Lucy, father Aidan and son Conner. There are the normal family issues as well as a very sick son, Kieran. Friendships are questioned. Three boys have a secret and one by one they are “taken” but who by and why?

Great story told through the eyes of 3 family members - Mum Lucy, Dad Aidan and son Connor - who all seemingly have something to hide. The book starts with Lucy discovering Connor is missing and then it flashes back to 9 days before and we are told how events unfold.

What a wild ride of a book!! Just when I thought I had my theory on what was going on, Louise threw a curve ball in and I had to rethink it!

This book was fast paced and full of twists and turns that genuinely made me gasp out loud! I would rate it 5/5!

I have been in a super reading slump. Not even being able to get into books by my favourite authors. So of course, I jump into a Louise Jensen. Because let's be honest, we all know that she's going to grab you with a story full of family and secrets.

Well this new psychological thriller by Louise is absolutely no different. I loved following the story, there was emotion, secrets, lies and pure losing your mind twists and turns you haven't a clue what's going on. At times I felt like I was stuck in a huge maze and the way out was closed off, thinking I had found the light and then Louise throws in another banger and knocks me into a hedge.

Louise never fails to astound me with her writing. It just gets better and better. What I would do to be around for the conversations you have with your son!

Full of unexpected twists and a cast of characters each with their own problems and dark secrets that are slowly revealed throughout the tale. How far will parents go to help their children. This book certainly investigates that and poses a huge moral dilemma for the parents in this story.

A great read with some very unexpected revelations as the book reached its conclusion. Fast paced and gripping the story is told from the perspective of the four members of the Walsh family cleverly bringing in the other characters who we are to learn are also so involved in the plot.
My first book from this author. I will be looking for more.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this chance to leave an honest and unbiased review.

This is a great gripping book and I can see how it would be perfect for the screen! The family is perfectly described and I felt very invested in them from the very start. It’s just a fabulous book from a very clever author!

A mum finds herself caught up in all sorts of problems, although her biggest one is getting her 13 year old son a liver transplant.
Her oldest son feels neglected but at least has his two friends to console him.
Dad is a vet and unfortunately gets caught up in supplying drugs to the mother of his sons girlfriend.
The plot thickens as time goes on and at times its difficult to keep up.
A very unseen twist at the end. A great read.