Stephanie awakes in hospital, disorientated, sore and unsure of how she got there. Memories fleetingly return and she realises its to do the the Franklins, her neighbours over the road on Oak Tree Close. Prickles shudder down her spine when she further realises it concerns what is hidden in their attic. The novel then backtracks seven months to when Stephanie picks up her son Danny and his friend Jonathan Franklin from a party in October. Both act oddly and it’s from that point things begin to spin out of control. The truth unfolds in various timelines, principally narrated by Stephanie but with some input from Danny.

I really like the way this latest novel from BP Walter is told. I am full of intrigue with the little pieces of the dramatic but elusive puzzle with many shocks and surprises that keep you reading on. The characterisation is very good especially of Stephanie but also of Janet and Richard Franklin and I’ll leave the ‘joy’ of them to future readers. The standout portrayal for me though is the teens, Danny and Jonathan and their friendship is conveyed so well. The Franklin family dynamics are fascinating and oh, to be a fly on their walls!

The plot is busy but not overloaded, there’s plenty of drama and one particular event gives the novel an almost dystopian feel, though it’s an intense backdrop to situations that are building to a head. There’s suspicion which changes to fear with suspense, tension, lies and strange behaviour that is hard to make sense off which gives the escalating confrontations a full head of steam. The ending is good and the last chapter is quite moving.

Overall, a good and well written psychological thriller that is very compelling.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins/One More Chapter for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

A fast-paced and thoroughly entertaining addition to the genre. A recommended purchase for collections where thrillers are popular.

This psychological thriller was tense and, at times, heartbreaking. Told using several timelines, which I really liked and, occasionally, from a second point of view, which added a lot to the story, it was fast paced and a quick read.

I really liked the characters of the mom and her son. You knew from the beginning that the son and the husband died recently in a car accident. In the months leading up to the accident the son had become withdrawn and moody. Stephanie, the mom, now thinks the neighbors across the street know more than they’re telling about the friendship between their two sons and wants to explore the impact that friendship had on her son.

The story was compelling and enjoyable with lots of twists and turns. Unfortunately, it all lead up to a somewhat abrupt and disappointing ending.

My copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to the the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and honestly review it.

I read this book really quickly and couldn't put it down.
The story was well structured and built up suspense by reverting future and past timelines.
However when it everything came out I couldn't help thinking is that it?

It was bit deflated and the ending was a bit abrupt.

I’d enjoyed two well structured murder mysteries from this author (The Dinner Guest and The Woman on the Pier) and so was happy to grab this, his latest book, which seemed to offer something slightly different. It’s a taut psychological thriller set in a affluent town, in Kent. Stephanie had moved there with her husband and son, Danny, but tragedy then struck and both her husband and son were killed in a road accident. Stephanie is understandably struggling to come to terms with this devastating loss. The early pages are dramatic and disorientating as the fragments of this story slowly start to come together.

We are to learn more of the Stephanie’s background through a timeline that jumps back and forth between the present day and events that have taken place in the past, predominantly those that have occurred since the family moved into their current house. The cast list is very slim, pretty much limited to Stephanie, her immediate family and a similar family of three (husband, wife and a boy of a similar age to Danny) who live in the house on the opposite side of the road. To a large extent this is an agonising tale of loss, but it’s also a coming of age story and a mystery – the latter relating to Danny’s sudden change from a happy mid-teenage boy to one haunted by something to his parents cannot fathom. From its dramatic, disorientating beginning, the tale settles into a claustrophobic narrative in which we watch as a once happy family becomes something else.

It’s all really well written and I was nearly half way through before I realised I’d barely taken a break, so absorbed was I by this story. If I were to nitpick, there are a couple of elements that seem to be present only to allow the storyline to function, namely an unexplained explosion and the complete lack of a support group of friends and family for Stephanie. Also, the closing sections where we start to unravel the puzzle are, to my mind, somewhat less satisfying than what went before. However, it’s a book that I read in a trice and whenever I put it down couldn’t wait to get back to it, so that tells me something. In summary, it’s another enticing offering from this very talented British writer.

I lowed Walters previous psychological thrillers and the Locked Attic is the latest. To me, it was more a well written story of grief, a mother losing her husband and son in a car crash. There is the addition of a major explosion happening in her neighborhood which is never really explained, and the mystery of the neighbors locked attic which didn’t really work for me. I didn’t feel the need for the exterior disaster to illustrate the breakdown of a woman struggling to understand her life now that she is alone. I appreciated the way the relationship between her son and a neighboring teen was discovered and how it evolved into a central narrative and I could have read the story purely for that and the grief which was well developed and explored without the added mystery.

I could not put this book down
With plenty of twists I did not know where it was going to go
I thought the writing was so smooth that it was easy to get captivated in the storyline

I haven't read this author before but will be looking at his other books

Thank you Netgalley, HarperCollins one more chapter and B P Walter

Focusing on two families, the book chops between timelines and alludes to various secrets, meaning you're never fully sure what's going on, thus adding to the mystery.

Gradually as the book goes on, we begin to piece together the story.
One thing did confuse me - I couldn't recall any mention of the attic (a seemingly important role in the plot) until the last 30 pages of the book. I would maybe have expected this to be hinted at a little more throughout? This definitely didn't take away from the story for me, just a thought!

The suspense built up more and more, and I did not predict the ending. I would definitely pick up more from this author! I'd just like to add as well, without any spoilers, how much of a highlight one of the very last scenes (and sentences) in the book was, although bittersweet.

Thanks so much to One More Chapter, and the author, for an advance #gifted copy of the book.

I received an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review

This is a "dead kid" book- and that can be hard to get through, but the author makes it suspenseful enough that it was worth turning pages. The story and the characters are very dark and it doesn't leave with the warm fuzzies- definitely need to take a walk in the sunshine after! But if you're requesting B.P Walter books off, you probably know what you're getting into. Four gloomy stars.

This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Mystery and intrigue. I had problems with the various time periods and voices…that being said, this is an intriguing, if unusual, book of mystery and intrigue. The author is gifted at detailing the events…the characters, especially the protagonist, come alive on the pages…it is a dark mystery, so don’t look for fuzzy warm people in this novel…it is thought provoking…the story moves somewhat slowly…

I came to this book as a big fan of BP Walter, having previously read The Dinner Guest and The Woman on the Pier and loved them both.

I did enjoy this one too however probably not as much as the previous two novels mentioned. The book is written in one of my favourite formats, a present day situation and then a drip feed of previous days, weeks, months slowly revealing why Stephanie ended up in hospital.

Like TWOTP, what I did love about this novel was the sense of how well things could have turned out, how life could have been perfect for everyone involved had it not been for the actions of certain individuals. What BP Walter does so well is to show the reader a sense of the perfection and then systematically tears it apart with the actions of the characters within the novel. It leaves the reader with a horrible, unsettling and unsatisfying feeling but in a good way.

Thanks to HarperCollins One More Chapter and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

An outstanding psychological thriller. B P Walter writes in a thoroughly engaging, sinister, menacing and apocalyptic style. The sadly distressing, moving story told by Stephanie, revolves around the Franklin family, who live across the road, whom she believes hold the secret as to how/why her son died.
Its an absolutely brilliant read with explosive jaw dropping moments! B P Walter at his best.

I won't be wondering what's in my attic anytime soon after reading this... dark and gruesome novel. A great mystery that was both frightening and entertaining.

The Locked Attic by B P Walter kept me guessing the whole way through. What a great twisty thriller.
I've had the pleasure of reading B P's previous books and they were amazing so this new one I was excited to open!

The storyline felt believable, which made me like this even more. It was very well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
I couldn’t wait to find out the conclusion of this story!
The plot kept me twisting and turning till the end.
Walter succeeds at engaging and drawing the reader into Stephanie’s world.
This book is definitely definitely had me flipping thie pages quickly.
Twisty, compelling, tense and thoroughly unputdownable I enjoyed The Locked Attic.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

One More Chapter,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my blog, platforms, BookBub, B&N, Kobo and Waterstone closer to pub date.

This is a tense, dark novel with various twists and turns. I found it hard to connect with the characters and a bit over the top, but I think other readers might enjoy, particularly fans of BP Walter, or of darker mystery novels. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this ARC, so thanks to NetGalley.

This was definitely a unique read. Written in a way that makes it dark, creepy and intriguing but also just plain heartbreaking. However, I finished feeling like, "that was it"? I wanted more and I felt like the build up was just so much that when I got to that point in the story, although it's rather creepy and unsettling, I still wanted the reveal to be a bit bigger. This being my first from the author though, maybe that's just the style. For me this was just an okay read but it doesn't take away from the fact that the author wrote this so eloquently, so intriguing. Three Stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for this ARC.

Mysterious, creepy, sad and compelling a really eclectic mix of emotions all rolled into this excellent read.
The plot revolves around two adult couples and their relationship but spills over into their teenage children. The narrative is split over different time zones and from different people’s perspectives which gives us a well rounded and interesting perspective. The overarching premise of the book regarding what is hidden in one of the attics is expertly built up, hinted at and ultimately revealed and definitely not something that I would ever guessed yet fits into the plot seamlessly and is a missing part in a confusing jigsaw.
The way that grief is dealt with was sensitive and rang true with me in its descriptions so thank you for the poignant and accurate observations. Also the topics of secrets and lies within a family and feeing an outsider as a teenager and exploring who you are and all those uncertainties.
This book has so much to give and is brilliantly entertaining too.

What a freaking tense, heart throbbing, dark reading keeps you on your toes! You barely breathe! You can cut the atmosphere with a knife!

The book opens with awakening of Stephanie in her mid thirties at hospital bed! As series of explosions around the area threaten the people’s lives, Stephanie suffers from short term amnesia. She has no idea why she’s here but slowly her memory comes back and she starts remembering what happened at her neighbor’s house!

We return back to be introduced Stephanie’s family life: happily married with older husband Pete coming from upper class and raising their 15 years old Danny. They just move to their new house located outside of London to build a new life.

Stephanie’s gets disturbing vibes from their neighbors: upright, socially distanced Richard teaches at college and his pretentious, prosperous, condescending wife Janet introduce themselves. Luckily their son Jonathan is more relatable, befriending Danny! Danny also builds a secret crush for Jonathan’s older sister Mimi.

But later an incident affects both of the boys’ lives. They reject to talk about it. Danny starts acting weird, angry, resented. Before Stephanie finds out the source of his anger, another tragedy strikes the family.

Now in the middle of the explosions, Stephanie rings the bell, taking her steps into lion’s den a.k. a. her neighbor’s house. She lost her son and she is determined to find out what her neighbors are hiding from her!

Well, the ending twist was extremely disturbing! The characters could be a little layered. I easily connected with Stephanie by knowing her past and background. They explain her motivations. I cannot say the same about neighbors from hell!

The parts I mostly enjoyed: Danny’s POV, his blooming, complex relationship with Jonathan and their puberty, self exploration! Especially the last chapter of the book made me cry! I didn’t expect a twisty, disturbing, tense thriller could break my heart into pieces at the same time but it did! I loved those boys’ heart wrenching story a lot!

Overall: it’s still well written, captivating, riveting psychological thriller! If your stomach can absorb more darkness, this is absolutely great find for your thriller cravings!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

For Stephanie, life in an affluent neighborhood after a family tragedy turns into self-searching, and at the same time, an investigation into her husband and son's past actions and behavior. And what do the neighbors have to do with all this, since the two sons were friends at first, but then they suddenly drifted apart? Why?

As Stephanie begins to unravel the mysteries, the neighbor's family also begins to behave more sinisterly and weirdly.

The novel is tense and dynamic from beginning to end, with many twists and turns, the characters are also full of emotions and thoughts, although not all of them are as well described and researched as they could be so that the reader can better understand their actions, instincts, and creepiness.

The love between young adults is described realistically, but at the same time with a sense of tenderness and understanding of teenagers.

Overall, a good read for an evening.

The locked attic

Thank you for the advanced copy for an honest opinion.

This was an easy read meaning time just flew by, couldn’t put it down and wanted to figure out exactly what had happened

It’s about a woman Stephanie, who then loses her husband and son in a crash.

At about 80% I was like WHAT???

And the ending, was quite moving