Brie Mason, home alone whilst her husband takes a trip, disappears from their home. Their marriage had its ups and downs so he becomes a suspect. Six years later and there is a sighting of her at the address of their last home. Where has she been for the past six years?

This is a really intriguing mystery thriller, one that kept me guessing until the end. At times I thought I knew what was happening and then another twist would turn up.

It’s been a good while since I read this author and after reading this I don’t know why. A real masterclass of a thriller. Some well described characters, not just the main ones and a story that was easy to read and hard to put down. Just one more chapter…

Briefly, Andrew Carville is a Contractor living with his partner Jayne and her brother Tyler. His wife Brie disappeared some 6 years earlier and whilst the police and Brie’s family believed he killed her there had never been any proof and no body had ever been found. Andrew has changed his surname and moved to another part of town. When a woman drives up to his former home and appeared shocked that the house had been knocked down a neighbour caught her on his door camera; reporting it to the police as he thought it might be the missing Brie. This starts a series of events involving Andrew, Jayne and Tyler as well as her immediate family all of whom have secrets which can no longer be hidden. Into the mix comes Greg his former business partner, a hired killer and a dogged detective determined to find the truth.

As well as the main storyline, there are a number of subplots that merge seamlessly at the book moves towards the end. The storyline developed at a really excellent pace culminating in a dramatic and rather bloodthirsty conclusion. Loved it and most certainly ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another absolutely gripping mystery thriller by Linwood Barclay, this is a writer I go to without looking to see what the book is about. I have not been disappointed yet and this one certainly doesn’t disappoint.

Six years ago Andrew Mason went away for a weekend fishing with his best friend and business partner Greg Raymus. When he returned his wife Brie is missing. From day one Detective Marisa Hardy see’s Andrew as the prime suspect believing he could have driven home killed his wife and driven back to where he was staying, he had the time, he had no one as an alibi, as he and Greg had separate accommodation. Andrew and Brie had been having some marital problems but had been working through them. Brie’s sister Isabelle was also convinced that Andrew was behind her sister’s disappearance, she had not held back how she felt about him. But with no body, no evidence and no proof that Andrew had done anything he had had to live with suspicion hanging over him for the six years. He lost his business, turned to drink, only his best friend Greg was there for him and pulled him back. He changed his surname and was now living with a new partner Jayne Keeling and her troubled teenage brother Tyler.

However, the past returns to haunt Andrew and threatens to destroy the new life he has built, he had never told Jayne about Brie or that he had changed his name. An old neighbour Max phones Andrew to tell him that a woman resembling Brie had turned up at their old house. Max had also called the police. The same woman is later seen by Brie’s family, who are visiting their dying mother Elizabeth McBain.

Could Brie really still be alive? If so, where has she been for the last 6 years? Detective Hardy is back again looking at Andrew. But Andrew is now determined to try and find out what is going on, and what happened to Brie.

This is one brilliantly written engaging, engrossing mystery thriller, full of twists and turns, with sub plots that will keep you guessing. Mr Barclay certainly knows how to create great characters that you can relate to and believe in. Even when you think you have all the answers there may just be something else to come. I loved this one and was gripped from page one until the end.

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

Andrew and Brie are a nice couple married for a few years. They buy old houses, redo them and then sell them. When Andrew goes with his best friend to spend a weekend away, Brie disappears. For 6 years nobody knows what happened to Brie. Andrew moved neighbourhoods and started a new life. He lives now with Jayne. After 6 years, somebody sees her or somebody very similar to Brie, shouting where is my house?
That´s when the plot starts to develop.
The police reappear and start investigating again. Brie´s family gets in touch with Andrew. Brie´s mum, dying from cancer, lets him know that she is sure that he didn´t have anything to do with it. So we find out that there is a lot going on behind the scenes too.
There are a lot of characters and it is a bit difficult to follow.
Of all of the books, I have read by Barclay this one is the less favorite of all. Still a good suspense book and it will have you guessing until the last page with a turn that I didn´t see it coming.
Overall a quick and enjoyable reading by one of my favorite authors.

Well this was a very twisty thriller!

While Andrew is away on a fishing trip with his best friend, his wife Brie disappears without a trace and with no clues to what has happened to her. As prime suspect in her disappearance, the longer she is missing, the harder he finds it to stay in the same area. So, he moves away and starts to move on with his life. And all was going well, until 6 years later when someone looking very similar to Brie is seen at their old house.

That is all you need to know to go into this, in fact the less you know, the better! But I had no idea who had done what and why for quite a while and then even when I thought I did, I actually didn't! Great read!

As ever a Linwood Barclay book doesn't disappoint. A good fast- paced read. Will look forward to the next.

Good twisty thriller. The mystery of the disappearance of the main character's wife is further complicated when it seems she may have reappeared. The final outcome is unexpected and it is a great read.

A fast paced read which hooks you in and tells a great story which keeps you wanting to turn the page. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

As always with Linwood Barclay this is a good thriller with an ending that I couldn’t have predicted until about 70% of the way through!
Brie is home alone has her husband Andrew, is away on a fishing trip with his buddy. When he returns she has vanished. Fast forward 6 years and it appears she has returned?
Whose lives does this impact and what will the outcome be?
An enjoyable read

Another great book from Linwood Barclay! Fast paced and keeps you interested, I was hooked from the start. Everything is explained in the end and all makes sense. I definitely recommend this one. Thank you #netgalley.

The opening scene suggest that something terrible has happened to a young woman alone in her house; the story then continues years later, with her husband getting on with his life despite the constant suspicion that he was involved in his wife’s disappearance. This is a truly engrossing page-turner, with a rollicking pace and lots of surprises. Highly recommended.

Take Your Breath Away was the perfect escapism book. Andrew Carvell's wife goes missing and for six years he is the prime suspect in her murder. He has a new partner and is trying to rebuild his life away from the community that call him a murderer. Then, an unexpected sighting sees his life turned upside down.

Thank you Netgalley for a free e-copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Wow! Another great thriller from Linwood Barclay! And this one will keep you reading late into the night. Andrew goes away on a fishing weekend, and while he is there his wife, Brie, disappears. He soon becomes the focus of police investigations, but they can never quite pin it on him. 6 years later, someone sees Brie in the neighbourhood. But how can that be? Where has she been? Is it really Brie?
A brilliant story, kept me pinned to my seat, as it twists and turns and slowly the facts about what really happened that night come to light. Highly recommend reading this one!

I really enjoyed this - a superb thriller that had guessing me throughout and a brilliant hook that reeled me and had me invested. A great cast of characters too. I especially liked the attention to detail in Barclay's writing and felt almost like a participant in the story. Great work!

A really good read. I enjoyed this book even with almost every character being guilty of something. It's an easy read and I finished the book quite quickly as I was eager to find out the whole truth. An ideal murder mystery for those of us who don't like graphic blood and guts.
This is an honest review of a complementary ARC.

Our protagonist goes on weekend fishing trip with friend. His wife takes opportunity to sort out infestation of mice. in the very ordinary run of the mill life of this couple. Twenty four hours later his wife is missing with suspicion of locals, family and police that he has killed her and hidden the body. Six long years elapse during which he is ostracised , alienated from the local community and forced to change his name to avoid notoriety whilst watching his business fall apart.. And then, out of the blue there is a sighting of Brie, his long lost wife, causing disbelief,, family euphoria , a disruption in a fragile relationship he perceives as his second chance of happiness and terror in the hearts of those desperate to let their secrets and lies remain hidden. This forms the premise of a mystery where no person can or should be taken at face value. The emergence of the missing person threatens the exposure of numerous individuals all players in a catalogue of intrigue., a web of deceit.. What follows at a galloping pace is the husbands efforts to seek out the truth, clear his name and expose those responsible. A violent meeting of good against evil ensues as we the reader struggle to make sense of events and the numerous characters involved, Finally a bloodthirsty conclusion produces answers yet this is still not the end. A final denouement produces one last unexpected truth that no one could see coming. A complex plot complicated by three dimensional characters all with faults and living lives based on subterfuge. Yet another cracking read from an author who never fails to deliver. Many thanks to author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

This is a great read.
I love Linwood Barclay’s books and this one is no exception.
It’s a great mystery thriller which will definitely keep you on your toes.
Andrew has picked up the pieces of his life after his wife disappeared 6 years ago. Her family blamed him for her disappearance and he even had to change his name due to the attention he was getting.
Andrew receives a phone call to say Brie has been spotted outside their old house and he’s desperate to know if it’s her.
Other people also see her and Detective Hardy starts to investigate, but this is only the start of the mystery.
This is a very clever mystery thriller that I really enjoyed.
Thanks to HQ and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Take Your Breath Away is a classic Linwood Barclay missing person thriller. It is quite formulaic, so I guessed the perpetrator quite early on, but I still enjoyed the story.

It would be a rare Linwood Barclay book that I wouldn’t enjoy so no surprises really in my review. I always love his style and introduction with just enough information of all the characters. You never get too much back or incidental storylines and so never boring. If I have to be brutally honest this wasn’t my favourite Barclay offering but stil a sold five stars from me.

One weekend, whilst Andrew is away on a fishing trip, his wife disappears into thin air. She is never found and, 6 years on, Andrew has a new name, a new partner and a new life. This story follows a series of events after several suspected sightings of his wife and the investigation is restarted with new evidence.

The book is full of twists and turns and, although I did guess the main perpetrator, there were still plenty of scenarios that I couldn't have predicted.

I really like Linwood Barclay's writing style and the way that the suspense is built up throughout the book. I found this book very easy to read and whizzed through it quicker than normal, also a testament to how much I enjoyed it!

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for sending me an ARC in return for an honest review.