Why does the councils decision to give the go-ahead for a nature trail on a track behind Alex and his wife Beth‘s home turn his limbs to dust and horror fill his heart? From this point on Alex seems to be a much changed man. Does it link to a turbulent few months when he’s in his 20s following his meeting Marina Stanley? The timeline from the present day and back to 1995 blend extremely well and deepen the sense of mystery and intrigue which is present from the very start.

Both timelines are equally riveting. The 1990s vibe of the London scene when you’re young is captured well. Add in some obsession and some behaviour that strikes distinctly off notes and which deepens the enigmatic puzzle. In the present day Alex’s unease is almost palpable and some of his actions raise an eyebrow as they are so questionable. There seems to be encroaching danger and things coming from several angles in both periods of time. There are threats of discovery making the atmosphere extremely intense . It’s brim full of tension occasionally relieved by some dark humour. There is a sense of impending doom overhanging both periods of time which weighs heavy.

Just as you think you might have it all figured out some bombshells are dropped - as does my jaw! The twists keep on coming and coming especially towards the end and as per usual Louise Candlish has me perched on the edge of my seat, super glued to the dramatic events of the plot.

The characterisation is very good, there’s a good range, from one who is gullible, one who seems guileless, one to fear, one or two to clench your fists in irritation and one master duper. The author certainly keeps you on your toes with this bunch!

This is excellent storytelling, it’s full of unpredictability and is a clever slow burner of a psychological thriller. It’s a cracking read and one I highly recommend.

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

Wow!

This is a hugely original take on a murder thriller. London, past (1995) and present.

The present sees Alex living in fear that the past could catch up with him, he's got secrets he wants to stay buried. Edgy and paranoid. The past starts with the love story that brought an ill-fated young couple together.

Excellent character writing and precise plotting creates huge tension around whether Alex can keep his past hidden.

Both past and present are perfectly balanced, both carry weight and tension and intertwine perfectly as the stories come together. I simply can't fault the plotting, the pace, the perfect timing of the reveals and the sheer originality and unexpectedness.

This is a real contender for my favourite Louise Candlish thriller yet, a title long held by Our House.

Louise Candlish consistently writes great books, The Only Suspect further cements her position as one of the very best authors of 'ordinary, everyday people' thrillers.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster UK

The excellent new psychological thriller from top author Louise Candlish. The only problem I have with this author is that she hasn’t released enough books, I want more!

Alex and his wife Beth live in Silver Vale, one of the more attractive areas and life is good. Alex is a loving husband and a good neighbour although not the most extrovert person and prefers a more private lifestyle. But all that changes when Beth announces the creation of a nature trail on a local site that’s been disused for decades. Overnight Alex completely changes, and life gets far more unsettled. Once the landscapers get to work, Alex becomes twitchy, asking questions, watching everything. There is a secret from Alex’s early twenties that is threatening to surface. It all surrounds a woman called Marina who seduced him and threw both their lives into turmoil.


An outstanding novel that I read in one sitting, I just couldn’t put it down.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Holy heck

The Only Suspect had me hooked! The story follows two timelines, one in 95 and one in present day time. The deeper you get in the story, the more you discover
I really enjoyed the final twists, I was not expecting them

Ideal for fans of slow-burn thrillers. Told across two timelines and from two points of view in an engaging tone, reminiscent of the dry humour of Clare Chambers. It was one of those stories where you know a twist is coming and you're circling above what it might be, but you can't quite land on it before it happens. It will do very well.

Thanks to Louise and NetGalley for allowing me to read The Only Suspect before the publication date.

Louise has created a core of characters, some who are likeable and some who are questionable.
At the heart of the story is Marina Stanley….but who is Marina?
In her typical style, Louise has created twists, turns and red herrings which keep the reader guessing to the end.

Exactly what you want from a thriller and the type of book every other domestic noir aspires to be! The characters are complex and well written, the twists and turns surprising without out being completely out of left field and you are completely swallowed up in the plot. My jaw literally dropped at the final "big" reveal. This one got completely under my skin and had me not knowing which way was up! The writing style flows so easily that its impossible to put down an you just have no odea whats going to happen next. A must read

I'm a big fan of the author and dare I say this is probably her best book yet?

The writing is absolutely fantastic - it's descriptive, compelling and characters and locations are really brought to life. I loved the past and present narratives, both were engaging and interesting to read. The present day sections made me laugh with Alex's dry wit, and the past sections made me feel really immersed in London life during the mid-90s.

There were a lot of layers to the story - some twists I guessed and some I didn't, but the journey to finding out exactly what had happened was a hell of a ride. I found myself really invested in the characters, and now that I've finished the book I'm actually a bit sad!

Honestly this is one of the best books I've read all year.

Louise Candlish writes such consistently engaging novels that you know the next book you read will not live up to hers. The Only Suspect is possibly one of her best books so far with a believable plot line full of surprises and complex characters you aren’t sure if to love or hate.
In the present day Alex lives in the middle class London suburb of Sliver Vale and has a dark secret, but how does it relate to Rick’s storyline set in the 1990’s? Rick meets Marina at work and they start dating, but what is she hiding from him? The book follow both narratives and keeps you guessing right up until the end.
After Alex’s wife invites her homeless, single, pregnant friend Zara to come and live with them things begin to escalate. Alex’s dry wit and cynicism had me chuckling (and relating to him) despite knowing he had a very dark side.
This is another outstanding book and I will be recommending, it as I do with all Louise Candlish books.

Louise Candlish's books are reliably fantastic, but The Only Suspect was particularly enjoyable.

Present day Alex is married to Beth, but it seems his life and relationships have been damaged by secrets he's carrying. Now, there's a very real danger that those secrets might disastrously come back to haunt him.

In a parallel narrative, back in the '90s, Rick, a young single guy living in Camden, falls in love with Marina, a girl who works in his office building, but turns out she brings a whole host of problems to his life.

There's evidently a connection between Alex in the present and Rick in the past, but it's a long time before we find out exactly what. (I had ideas, some justified and some not!)

The era of the '90s - the music, etc - was well evoked and brought back a few memories - I was around the same age as Rick at the time. This part of the story was particularly engaging as Rick is such a likeable character, if a bit naïve.

A great read which kept me engrossed throughout.

I’ve loved everything Louise Candlish has written but with The Other Suspect she has absolutely surpassed herself.
The novel moves between present day when a nature trail is constructed on the site of an old railway line near the London house of Alex and Beth. Moving back to 1995 the novel focuses on Rick and his relationship with Marina, a mysterious temp working in an office in his building. I won’t say anymore about the plot as I feel it’s best to come to this novel fresh and ready for all the amazing twists and turns. I felt breathless on more than one occasion reading this and my head was spinning with the twists. It’s a stunning and original psychological thriller which for me had echoes of the great Ruth Rendell.
I loved the dual timeline and the authors portrayal of being a 20 something in London in the 1990s.
Highly recommended and a stand out in this genre.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Once again Louise has produced a solid thriller with numerous twists, my only criticism would be that the protagonist is revealed too early on and you are left reading for the ends to be tied up

Exceptional…
Much like life itself, nothing is ever quite as it seems in this truly outstanding murder mystery. A relaxed and sedate life in the suburbs for Alex and Beth is about to change beyond belief due to the creation of a seemingly innocuous nature trail. With a perfectly drawn and wholly credible cast of characters and a seamlessly crafted dual timeline the tale moves at rapid pace as lives begin a revealing unravelling. Take nothing for granted here and trust no one as the twists come thick and fast and as the ultimate denouement crashes in a most unexpected fashion. Exceptional.

I have missed views on Candlish’ s book some I love and some I haven’t been able to finish. Happy to report that I loved this book, I couldn’t put it down. As with all her previous books this has a slow burning tension leading up to the the cheeky sting in the tail. The plot was simple but effective talent Mr Ripley meets The Girl On The Train. 4.5 stars easy. Get it added to your reading list you will not be disappointed

A fabulous read from Louise Candlish but i have yet to read anything bad from this author.
I was sucked right in to the story straight away. Set in two time frames we are gradually fed what happened in the past and how it relates to what's happening in the now.
Just when you think you know who did what.....the twists begin.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my early copy.
A big five star rating that i encourage everyone to read.

This is a great thriller that really keeps you on your toes, set in dual timeframes - both the present and in 1995. In 1995 we encounter Rick, his new girlfriend Marina and his university friend and new lodger Rollo, in present day we have Alex, his wife Beth and their house guest Zara. At the back of Alex’s house is a disused railway line that is being opened up as a nature trail and as work progresses on it his behaviour gets increasingly bizarre. The story tells us how the events in 1995 link to Alex and why he is so anxious about the nature trail. There’s a couple of solid twists in this, one I saw coming and one I certainly didn’t, the main characters are complex, I must admit I found Zara a bit pointless although she did add well to Alex’s downward spiral. This is a fairly slow burner but very well plotted and keeps you on your toes.

You know these days the word genius is over rated but I mean it when say this author is a genius, I have said many times if she published a shopping list I would buy it and nothing I have just read,in this her new book, changes my view
Careful how much I say re plot but will say it does feature,,in a roundabout way a house and a residential area, some momentous character roles and an involving story that had me down and dirty in the thick of the story, more than that wont say….although ( and I know this annoys some readers ) there was/is a ‘open mouthed, slack jaw’ ending that even after all I read had me reeling!
Superb, wonderful, outstanding Louise Candlish does it again and I relished every word

Louise Candlish is a must read author for me and this book sums up why. No one writes domestic thrillers as well as she does.

What Candlish also does perfectly is utilise a dual timeline, moving 'both' plots on at a perfect pace teasing each part out until you reach the inevitably satisfying ending.

In The Only Suspect, Alex and Beth are married and plodding along with life. That is until a local area is being developed which leaves Alex in all sorts of worry. As we learn about Rick, Rollo and Marina in a precious timeline, we come to understand why.

I can't say anymore without ruining the story but the twists and turns are aplenty here and it is highly recommended.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster UK and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review