This book is phenomenal. The twists and turns it takes had me gasping and wondering how it will all end because there are so many things and scenes that i haven't predicted.
Told in dual timelines, the writing and pace is perfectly balanced with the ongoing suspense and character development.
We have a young man in his twenties in 1995 that falls in love with a neighbor and an older man , Alex that is happily married and living a quieter life. The council town has approved a nature trail project that crosses his backyard and that's when his quiet life starts to be not so quiet.
In the beginning I was wondering what's the connection to these two men for the now storyline and soon we learn that there are many secrets buried in the past that will be unveiled. After half point mark I got the dreaded feeling that I knew what's actually happening and I wasn't wrong in the end. But there are so many other twists that left me reeling from it all.

It's addictive and so twisted that makes it an unmissable read.

Took me for a fool 🫣- misdirection at its best!

Thanks Simon and Schuster, UK & NetGalley for the ARC!

The dual time lines are executed to perfection –

In the present, we have a couple - Alex and Beth, living an ordinary quiet life in a posh suburb of London, until there is a change to their neighborhood – a new nature trail, which unsettles Alex.

In the past, it's 1995 - we have Rick, a man in his 20s who gets involved with an attractive young girl Marina, who works in the same building – sadly fate is not kind to either of them.

The first half is slow burn as we delve into the lives of these two couples in both the timelines. However, it didn’t feel one bit boring or tedious - for the plot is crafted so meticulously, weaving a complex web around these characters – all with the intention of leaving the readers utterly flummoxed.

I was more invested in the 1995 timeline - as Rick & Marina’s storyline was more juicy with their budding romance, dates & parties. But I was on tenterhooks, whenever we switched to the present, curiosity getting the better of me, the urge to keep on reading simply relentless.

I knew something wasn’t adding up with Alex – what with him being so jittery about the ongoing trail work & also a suspicious intruder in his home, whom he utterly despises. These elements along with Alex’s insecurities and fear add to the building tension and suspense around his past.

We could only wonder what Alex’ secrets were, what he was desperately trying to keep hidden and how his story might connect to Rick & Marina's.

As the events of 1995 reach an explosive state, the truth with Alex in the present comes to light and that’s when we are left flabbergasted with the shameful regret of not sticking with the hunch that might have cropped up in our minds at some point.

And that is where the author's ingenuity shines! She totally has you groping in the dark and that “light-bulb” 💡moment reflects poorly on our naivety 🙊, as we fall for her clever deception😧.

Highly recommend if you are looking for a mind blowing thriller with an impossible twist!

Well, if this doesn’t crown Louise Candlish queen of the hook, twist and sucker punch, I’m handing in my notice! This book has EVERYTHING: intrigue, tension, pace, and enough red herrings to feed a family of four for a month. It’s a masterclass in prestidigitation that would give Harry Houdini a run for his money.

Set over two timelines and following a dual POV, the narrative sucks you in with the power of an industrial vacuum cleaner. First, we meet 50 year-old Alex, whose whole existence is threatened when his wife gets involved in a local initiative to develop a disused trail near their home. The path has links to his past that must remain hidden. Rewind to 1995 and meet Rick, a man in his twenties who gets involved with Marina, a temp working in his office building. Their relationship, though, is not what he thinks it is.

The narrative pitches back and forth between Alex and Rick, as their lives spiral violently out of control. With each short, snappy chapter, their growing panic and desperation becomes ever more palpable; their actions ever more extreme. It’s a breathtaking, rollercoaster of a ride; two exhilarating stories for the price of one.

As a reader, you know that the two strands are going to collide. And I genuinely thought I had it sussed about half-way through. What I hadn’t reckoned on was Candlish’s penchant for smoke and mirrors. Her ability to deftly fuel assumptions whilst deviously leading you up the garden path like a numpty.

When it comes, the final, knock-you-sideways twist is a stroke of utter genius, a prodigious feat of misdirection that had me shaking my head in a combination of awe and utter disbelief. Chapeau!

The Only Suspect is one of the most cleverly constructed thrillers I’ve ever read and has me eagerly anticipating Candlish’s next flourish of her magician’s wand.

The Only Suspect is another great thriller by Louise Candlish. Before I started reading it, I saw her announcement on Twitter that it will be made into a tv series next year, and I think it will be perfect for this, I could not help but try to decide which actor would be perfect for each character!
The book is set over two timelines, 1995 and the present day. It is set in London and follows the lives of Alex and Beth in the current day and his life back in in the nineties. Being of a similar age to the characters was a wonderful opportunity to feel nostalgic about being young at that time.
Definitely highly recommend this great read.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for a kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A really interesting premise and as a fan of Louise Candlish I did love the writing style. However, this was very slow paced and had an awful lot of very unlikeable characters which kind of left me not really caring what happened at the end. The “twist” in my mind was very predictable so ultimately the shock element was lost sadly.

There’s the obvious story. And then there’s the truth.

Alex lives a comfortable life with his wife Beth in the leafy suburb of Silver Vale. Fine, so he’s not the most extrovert guy on the street, he prefers to keep himself to himself, but he’s a good husband and an easy-going neighbour.

That’s until Beth announces the creation of a nature trail on a local site that’s been disused for decades and suddenly Alex is a changed man. Now he’s always watching. Questioning. Struggling to hide his dread…

As the landscapers get to work, a secret threatens to surface from years ago, back in Alex’s twenties when he got entangled with a seductive young woman called Marina, who threw both their lives into turmoil.

And who sparked a police hunt for a murder suspect that was never quite what it seemed. It still isn’t.

“The end didn’t always come in a single recognizable blow, he understood that; sometimes it happened incrementally, like the proverbial frog brought to a slow boil. Like his marriage…

I really liked this book, it took me a little while to get into it, but once I did, the story grabbed me and it didn’t let go until the very end. The plot is expertly woven through a dual timeline. 1995 and present and is told from Alex’s point of view, which I really enjoyed as this type of story would usually be told from a woman’s perspective. Seeing the more vulnerable aspects of a male character was refreshing. There were plenty of red herrings that turned out to be not quite red herrings after all (sort of) and plenty of twists throughout – but the best was saved till last with one hell of a plot twist that left me with my mouth hanging open. (well done) I loved the writing and loved the characters who were whole and well-rounded. (murder aside, that is)

Surprisingly, this is my first book by Louise Candlish and after finishing this one, I’ll definitely be pushing her last book, The other Passengers towards the front of my TBR list. I’ve heard good things, so I’m looking forward to getting my teeth into another one of her books.

My thanks to the author and Simon & Schuster for my advance copy to review via Netgalley. Due out 1st February 2023!!

You never know what to expect from a Louise Candlish book as the author has a great imagination. So plenty of suspense as always and whist I thought I knew what was coming I didn’t. However it wasn’t my favourite mainly because I much enjoyed the now rather than the then in the split timescale. It was more genuine somehow.

I’m a big fan of Louise Candlish and this was another good ‘un! It’s so cleverly thought out and I didn’t guess the twist! It is a slow burn but I liked that not everything was revealed at the same time, that it was spread out throughout the book. Highly recommend this one, if you’ve enjoyed Candlish’s previous books then this one won’t disappoint.

This book draws you in so you keep on reading to find out what happens next. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

Loved this fast paced thriller. Amazing storyline that goes between past & present. I flew through this & would highly recommend this psychological thriller.

A suspenseful book that delivers on every front. Beth married with no children involves herself in community work to fill an empty vacuum in her life. and marriage. This unknowingly opens a can of worms from her husbands past.; Alex, the husband of many secrets and an undisclosed previous life sees his wife’s new project as the worst of his fears realised. There follows a tangled web of subterfuge, deceit and lies in order to cover long hidden actions and events. A rollercoaster ride with nothing as it seems. A set of three dimensional characters that in no way reflect their true personalities delivering a hugely surprising and unexpected conclusion summing up the duplicity of those involved in an exquisite ending to take one’s breath away. The timeline of this unable to put down book left this reader enticingly bewildered before the final pages opened up the big reveal. Highly recommended. Many thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Another brilliant domestic thriller noir from Louise Candlish takes us between the 1990s and the present day. In 2020, Alex is married to Beth and living near the scene of the crime he committed in the 1990s, and terrified it is about to be discovered. In 1990, young, naive auditor Rick has fallen in love with office temp Marina. Can he save her from her abusive husband?
The narrative toggles between the two as the story unfolds, the events of the past gradually unyielding their secrets one by one in a really cleverly plotted story. Knowing Louise Candlish, I knew to expect twists, but this story is full of them, and keeps you guessing until the end.
The characters are very believable - not all likable, but each with his or her own strengths and weaknesses, skilfully portrayed throughout the story.
Modern-day issues like the importance of the environment fit seamlessly into the narrative, a vital part of the plot rather than a shoed-in sermon.
But the best thing about this book was the sheer suspense of it all! It's one of those you'll stay up until the wee small hours to finish. A good story, brilliantly told.

Present day and Alex and his wife Beth have lived a happy life in the southern suburb of Silver Vale for the last ten years, this all changes one day in May when Beth announces that permission has been given to develop the nature trail that runs along the back of their house and Alex is certain that a secret from his past is finally going to be unearthed. Back in 1995 Rick meets and falls in love with a young woman whose life is full of complications, but nothing prepares him for how bad things are and the consequences he will face.

The Only Suspect tells the stories of Alex and Rick, one is set in the present day and one back in 1995. The author takes her time to weave the threads in this slow burner, keeping the reader guessing before the pieces of the jigsaw begin to slot into place and the link between the two is revealed, but just when I thought I had it all worked out she threw in a curveball which stopped me in my tracks and from that point on the twists just kept coming, which had me in a complete tailspin. It's an intriguing plot with great characterisation and a completely unexpected ending. This is the first I've read by this author but it certainly won't be the last.

I'd like to thank Simon & Schuster UK and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

Great psychological thriller that gets hard to put down as you get to grips with unraveling this unusual story.
Written in two time lines you do need to concentrate as it can get a bit complicated.
Alex lives with his wife Beth but he doesn’t go out much & likes to keep his life private.
A disused trail opposite his house is suddenly going to be done up into a nature trail for all to enjoy..
Alex suddenly becomes very anxious over this & he & Beth have differing views on it.
This also brings to the surface talk about a murder that happened there to a young woman.
The second time line is set in the nineties where we meet Rick who has fallen head over heals for Marina.
The only drawback, she is married to a a very controlling husband.
This elaborate story slowly comes together as you start to unravel it bit by bit.
I didn’t guess the ending as the author fooled me with the clever twists.
Certainly worth reading.

This is a dual timeline novel. In the present day, Alex's placid life is thrown into turmoil when his wife tells him a nature trail is being built on land near their house. In the 90's, RIck is obsessed with a married woman Marina with a controlling husband. How are these characters connected? This a well-told, suspenseful tale that was very similar in tone to the author's previous novel "The Other Passenger".

i absolutely adore psychological thrillers. i went into this not reading any other of candlish’s prior work and was pleasantly surprised by her work. i was completely lost though with all the twists and turns though - but i think that’s more my fault than the books as it doesn’t take much to confuse me. but, i do feel like it got a little bit over complicated at points in the story,

while the book did take a little while for me to get into, i ended up really enjoying it. i love how alex is exhibited as such an unlikeable character and loved the dual POV in the book. this was an easy book to read, but i was expecting a little bit more with it. but, saying that i did enjoy the book and will happily read another of candlish’s work.

thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

this book is told in two time lines = then and Now. Then rick and rollow were Young things in London. Rick had an all encompassing relationship with Marina but perhaps Marina's relationship with Rick was less full on. Now Alex is worried that the past will come back to haunt him.

This book is easy to read and certainly not one you want to put down mainly because you want to know how it ends. However there is little uncertainty about who contributed to the events in 1995. It is difficult to explain how this book is noth unsurprising and yet has a twist to it's tail.

This is my first book from this author, I never wanted to give up on it but at the same time I was never truly enthralled by it. there was too much that was obvious and not enough hidden for me. The now time period was muddled by the introduction of the pregnant lodger / guest. There didn't seem to be any real addition to the story line from this character.

The narrative has some merits but i felt the characterisation was such that none of them really meshed with me.

It is probably more than 2 stars and less than 3 but I will round it up.

Now here’s a page turner for all those thriller fans! This book was fast paced and alternates between the 90s and present day to keep you guessing about the death of Marina.

The plot did get a bit complicated mid way through and did have to go back and read the chapter again to understand. But you’d certainly not guess the ending with this one

An intelligent psychological thriller .
The story is written with dual time lines and due to the calibre of the writing this works well .
Rick loves Marina , Marina is married to Drew her controlling abusive husband and the tale that follows deals with obsession , selfishness, deceit and more than a sprinkling of narcissism
The story is full of twists and turns and I didn’t see the final twist coming .
Another great read from Louise Candlish the Queen of the psychological thriller .
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK .

The Only Suspect is another example of an addictive, gripping read from Louise Candlish, weaving together two timelines to tell the story of various characters: the very private Alex and his wife Beth, and Rick who is desperately in love with the elusive Marina, a woman who works in the same building as him.

I loved the way this book tells a great story even without the sense of mystery (which I loved)! I found myself completely absorbed by both storylines, wanting to know what would happen to Alex and Rick. I really enjoyed reading about the 90s as we follow naive but sweet Rick. Meanwhile, the present-day narrative focused on Alex, who definitely has his faults, but which kept me intrigued as to how the characters could be connected…

The plot felt believable, which is a real skill, I think, for any thriller writer. All too often I’ve felt like a book is just too dramatic or ridiculous, but The Only Suspect felt perfectly balanced. Louise Candlish also creates – as with all her books – an effective, creeping sense of unease in the clues she leaves for readers. I didn’t want to put this book down.

With some great twists and the standard of writing, I’ve come to expect from this author, The Only Suspect won’t disappoint you!