Disturbing, that's what this book is, very disturbing.
Not one of the characters is even remotely likeable, they are all unpleasant and mean. There's a lot of hatred and loathing between them, especially aimed at Chrissy, the mother who "loses her child" as they like to repeat over and over again, who they all want to keep punishing for her mistakes, even though she's been punishing herself from the moment her daughter was kidnapped. It seems there's no going too far when it comes to make her pay, but, believe me, there's a lot of going too far in this book.
So if you like twisted, wicked psychological thriller, with resentful characters and an unforeseen ending, then this is the book for you!

Where do I start with this review? This is the best psychological thriller I have read this year without a shadow of a doubt. I know we tend to say a book has so many twists and turns that we don’t see things coming, well this one had those in bucketfuls. This is one rollercoaster ride of a read. I thought I had it all worked out fairly early on, I thought I had all the answers but I was so far off. Not one thing happened as I had expected.

This story grabs you from the first line of the prologue until the last word in the book. Told from multiple viewpoints so you are getting each characters feelings and thoughts. Also told in two different timelines the before and the now. Greg had fallen in love with Chrissie from the moment he met her. They both had very good jobs in the same company, after they got married and Chrissie had Heidi she didn’t go back to work as she thought she would want to. She adored Heidi, but then when out one day Heidi disappeared. But Chrissie wasn’t 100% honest that day. She had been distracted on her phone when Heidi was taken, as she had a secret. Now 23 years later she still blamed herself for losing her daughter. Greg blamed her for losing their daughter. They had two more children Dan and Ella, Greg thought this would help them get over losing Heidi, but Chrissie couldn’t love them, she went through the motions like a robot. But never showed them any affection. Dan and Ella hated their mum for this.

Janine has been Chrissie’s best friend for years. She was there when Chrissie needed her although her and her husband had lived in Hong Kong for a number of years. Janine’s husband Nate who had been one of Greg’s best friends had recently died. Miranda had dated Greg before he met Chrissie, she was madly in love with him but he didn’t feel the same and had ended the relationship, then he met Chrissie, Miranda realised if she wanted to stay in Greg’s life she had to be friends with his wife.

Since losing Heidi, Chrissie had seen a number of psychiatrists but she had never opened up to any of them, she wanted to punish herself. Then she started to see Dr Freya Cousins after all it’s worth a try. Janine had recommended this one after she had seen her following Nate’s death, Miranda had recommended her.

For the first time Chrissie finds herself beginning to talk about that day. But will she tell the whole story. Greg is no longer I love with Chrissie he looks at her and feels nothing. He is in a bar when he meets a young woman who he starts an affair with, for the first time in years he feels alive. Dan has met someone as well and they have got engaged, Ella has just met a young woman who listens to her, someone who starts to care. For the first time I their lives they seem to be feeling happy.

There is so much to this story, with characters telling the reader how they feel. I have to say I didn’t like any of the characters they are all full of flaws that aren’t attractive, this would usually put me off but the way this is written you just have to read on, you know why the characters are the way they are the more you read. They are all believable and well rounded. I honestly don’t know how the author managed to juggle all the pieces of this story before putting them together to solve the puzzle. But it is done so brilliantly. Even when you think everything is solved there is another twist in the tale.

A book I will be highly recommending, it’s definitely going to be in my top 10 books of the year without a doubt. If you like a good psychological thriller then this is one to read, I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next.

I would like to thank #netgalley and #HeraBooks for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.

This one was a bit of a doozy, the main character was a bit problematic to say the least but the story and plot was set up so well that it pulled me into the story fairly quickly. I can’t even explain how i felt while reading this book. Once I started I felt so bad for Christine, mostly because I’m a mom. But once i continued reading I couldn’t help but sort of cringe at the fact that she was almost making everything about herself. The story blew me away, the writing was great, it pulls you in and honestly I was basically with my mouth open the whole time. Definitely recommend and can’t believe how much I enjoyed this book.

Thanks to NetGalley, Hera Books, & the author A.A. Chaudhuri for the ARC of She’s Mine.

Christine Donovan is shopping with her young daughter Heidi when she is distracted by a phone call only to return a few minutes later to find her daughter missing. Although Christine goes on to have two more beautiful children with her husband Greg, she cannot stop blaming herself for losing Heidi and punishes herself for the secret she has kept all these years.

This dark and twisted psychological thriller is told from the perspective of many different characters. At times all the different perspectives became a bit repetitive and the loathing each person felt for Christine was sometimes a bit much. That being said this book kept me on my toes and was hard to put down. I thought I had predicted the ending but this story continued to have disturbing twists right up to the last page. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fast paced psychological thrillers.

She's Mine is the story of Christine and Greg. While shopping Christine is distracted by a phone call, steps away from her 2 year old daughter, when she realizes she is farther than she thought she returns to find her daughter is missing. Twenty years later, Christine is on to see a new therarpist to help her deal with the past. The trouble is there are many lies that have been told and the truth is worse than all involved can imagine.

This is a twisted story. The story is told from many points of view from the past to the present. I had trouble getting into the story, the characters were not likeable, but I held on until the end. I cringed at what I thought was happening but never sure I was on the right path. The end was such a surprise that I didn't see all of it coming. The book contains sensitive topics including suicide, child death and/or kidnapping, miscarriage, infidelity, and lots of steamy scenes. If you can hold out until the end it is well worth it.

She's Mine by A.A. Chaudhuri is an intense psychological thriller that will keep you glued to the pages. While this is definitely a gripping read for the most part, I did find the multiple and ever-shifting perspectives to be somewhat distracting. Kudos to the author for weaving it all together so seamlessly.

Christine Donovan finds herself distracted by a phone call while out shopping with her two year old daughter, Heidi, and it is in that brief space of time that the toddler is kidnapped. Married with two other children, Christine has never been able to move beyond the guilt of her careless action. Twenty-three years later, a note arrives that will change everything. Will it be the answer to Christine's prayers, or the beginning of a brand new nightmare?

This is a novel that will certainly hit the spot for those looking to fully immerse themselves in a tense psychological thriller that promises to bring the shock and awe.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hera Books for an ARC.

I almost don’t know what to write about this book. It’s warped, depraved, and sick. I did have the main plot figured out after chapter three. However, to my horror, I realized a huge part later on in the book and it was sickening. Then at the very last, the author threw in one last major mind screw. All the characters in the story are miserable. There is a lot of rage, intensity, and hate in this book. I didn’t like any of the characters, but Christine was one of the most unlikable. It is truly a psychological, psychotic read. And it will leave you exhausted.

This is a page turner that keeps you guessing. Some of my guesses were wrong, thankfully. The characters are all messed up and unlikable; their story is crazy but compelling.

Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.

I received this arc through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

We follow the story of Chrissy who lost her daughter Heidi in a department store when Heidi was a toddler and the consequences of the decisions she made on her friends and family over the following 23 years

Although I guessed who had taken Heidi, I still enjoyed the story and enjoyed reading about the reasoning behind the kidnap when Chrissy finds out who took her.

A fantastic debut novel and I look forward to reading more by this author.

2.5 stars

Rarely have I read books where I don't care for, or connect with, any of the characters, but that was the case here. The writing was okay, and I enjoyed the multiple POV's, but there were a few too many characters to be flipping between. The pace was a bit too slow, though it picked up in the latter half. Just not enough to change my overall impression of the book.

Be still my beating heart...this book was absolutely brilliant. AA. Chaudhuri's debut psychological thriller was meticulously executed from start to finish.

With an addictive, compelling plot and complex, believable characters and let's not forget the edge of your seat, jaw-dropping twists. I had to stop and ask myself, what just happened???

Worth all the stars and more.

Twenty years ago, Christine Donovan, accepted a call she should have ignored while shopping. In the few seconds while her back was turned, her toddler, Heidi, was kidnapped. She's never been seen again. Despite having two other children with her husband Greg, Christine remains guilt-stricken that her child neglect caused her child to be stolen, while being hunted by a secret that consumes her. Then a note is pushed through her door, with the words she's always longed to hear: Heidi isn't dead.

This is a multi-layered and intriguing story. Told in the first person and with the perspectives of multiple characters in alternate chapters., we are given different viewpoints. This is a descriptively written story but you need to have your wits about you. This is also a dark, tense and twisted psychological thriller. You will be suspicious of nearly every character. Some parts of this story are a little bit predictable. This fast paced read held my attention throughout.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #HeraBooks and the author #AAChauhuri for my ARC of #ShesMine in exchange for an honest review.

One of the best psychological thrillers I have read in a long time. It was fast paced and very thrilling. The book is written from multiple perspectives and I’ve to say that the author pulled it off, impressive. It’s a very clever book with a lot of twists. I’m glad I read this book.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for this copy.

This is my first novel by A.A. Chaudhuri and I was gripped from the first chapter. I loved the plot, it was very thought provoking and as a mother myself, this is any mothers worst nightmare. I loved the characters and that each chapter was from each characters point of view - I love this type of novel.

The characters each had their own story to tell, and I enjoyed reading this and how it all came together at the end of the novel.

Christine has been having an affair when she is in a store one day and takes a call from her love, returning to where she has irresponsibly left her young daughter, she finds that she has gone. We follow Christine now many years later who is struggling, as many other mothers would be. She has had two more children with her husband but has neglected them terribly by being unattached from them. The story is not a straightforward kidnapping and the twist is something brilliant. I did guess some of the twists but not the major one.

A great read if you want to get lost in a book for a few hours and this will keep you up late into the night.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and A.A. Chaudhuri for a copy of this novel in exchange for my review.

She;'s Mine, the first debut psychological thriller with Hera Books after previous novels featuring her Kramer and Carver characters is a twisty, turny tale told from multiple character view points. It's the story of a woman who has done bad things in her past - things that resulted in her infant daughter going missing and the effect those actions have had on her, her friend and family in the twenty five years that follow...
You might think you've figured out the twist pretty early on - I know I did; not uncommon in thrillers - but this one has a lot more going in. And just when you think you know where things are going, you realise you're wrong.
I liked the style of story telling: the indiviudal characters all have distinctive and very different voices, and the author gets that across very well.
Rather than say anything else that might give plot points away, I'd say just read it. As long as you can handle distressing scenes and a story that is very, very far from wholesome.

I couldn't put this book town and tore through in in a single day. While I have to say I had it figured out pretty early on, I still continued reading to the very end and wasn't at all disappointed. Loved the style of this book and how it was written from multiple points of view. I look forward to reading more from A.A Chaudhuri.
Thank you to Hera Books and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Oh boy, I just finished reading She's Mine, and I don't even know where to start. Christine and Greg's 2 year old daughter was kidnapped, and their lives were shattered. 23 years later, Christine is still punishing herself for letting this happen, and she has pushed away Greg and their other two children. Everyone in the family has a secret, though; and, as the book cover says, the missing daugher is just the beginning of the nightmare.

I had my suspicions early on as to what was happening, so there is not a lot of surprise as the big reveals come; and yet, I still found myself jumping to read more of this book every chance I got. The characters are all so unlikeable; and yet, again, I had a hard time putting this book down. The story is twisty with many intertwined, terrible events. Overall, it depicts people in general as really horrible, self-centered creatures. This story is not light, happy, or redeeming ... and yet - you know what I am going to say - I couldn't stop reading it! I can't put my finger on exactly what was so captivating about this book. Maybe I was hoping to prove my suspicions correct? There is one surprise at the end that I didn't guess ahead of time.

The story is told from at least 7 different point of view, maybe more. Every narrator speaks as though he is talking directly to one of the other characters, but not always to the same character. It is an interesting, although slightly distracting, stroytelling device.

The book contains various sensitive topics including suicide, child death and/or kidnapping, miscarriage, infidelity, and lots of steamy scenes. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Well this book blew my mind! What a delicious plot twist. One of the best psychological thrillers I have read in a very long time. It was a fast paced book from beginning to end and very intense. The author has a very clever mind. This is the first book I have read by this author and will now search out other books!

She's Mine by A.A. Chaudhuri

What do you hope for in a psychological thriller? Deception. A narrative that draws you in and leads you down one route, but closes your eyes all of a sudden, and you open them to a dead end, a different path entirely. But a deceit that serves to entice and enthrall and intrigue and ensure that you not only read the book with gripped excitement, but you pause and ponder. Try to untangle to web of events, try to second guess what the characters will do next. But fail miserably to do so, because the twists and turns are deliciously unexpected and shocking. And while you may have been (partially) right, the anthor has another explosive and unforeseen twist to hit you.
In She's Mine, A.A Chaudhuri achieves all of this and more. A novel that moves forward breathlessly, flitting between then and now, seen from the first person narrative of a complex cast of characters, each with their own dubious idiosyncrasies and personality traits and motivations. You wonder where to begin with your emotions. Who to feel sorry for, empathise with. You decide that this person has been given a raw deal, you feel compassion, but moments later, you rail against their actions and feel a loathing towards them..how could they?
At the heart of this excellent and tightly written thriller is an examination of the human condition, the self serving ego, the eschewing of the sensible and rational, safe and responsible, for the overpowering feelings - the intoxicating desires of lust, power and control.

A brilliant story and one that left me breathless at its conclusion. The different narratives, the complex and sinous events, the clever plot twists and well places reveals, all led towards a dramatic and incredible denouement.

I was deceived by She's Mine. Completely. I'll clarify. I was happily deceived. And for that I have A.A. Chaudhuri to thank.

Looking forward to more from this exciting author and to more deception to come.

This book is one big whiplash. It’s clear from the beginning some of what happened to Heidi- it’s intended to be obvious. But the how and the why are complete mysteries.

This book was exceptionally well-written. All of the characters are despicable, I didn’t find a single one I liked. But it felt real (to a degree) and I felt the characters were well-written. This was a stressful but enjoyable read, and you will change your mind about the culprit no less than 50 times, and then you’ll change it again as you turn the page and find new information that makes you furrow your brow, because how could that be the answer? Don’t worry, you’ll get there.

AA Chaudhuri writes some of the worst people ever. I love it and can’t wait to read more!