Oh this was really excellent! Having read quite a few quite good thrillers recently, this one stood out as being exceptional!
I loved the dual timeline and the confusion as to who was who and what their motivation was. I particularly liked Alex in the present day, his dry humour appealed to me! Very well written and there were quite a few shocks. I certainly didn't work out how it was going to end.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Absolutely great read. The book goes between the past and present so you know something has happened but it isn’t all revealed until the end. And it’s a surprising reveal

This book started out promising and had me gripped up until the middle, when it hit a bit of a lull, before picking back up again. I felt it was too drawn out but overall a good book with an interesting twist, which, sadly I had already worked out.

Louise Candlish has once again written a fantastic psychological thriller. The Only Suspect is a slow burning novel that draws you in, making you feel that you know what's what and then it goes and drops surprises and shocks you just don't expect. It's a fairly complex story, with only a few main characters set between two timelines, the 1990's and present day. Thank you to Louise Candlish, the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an arc, one which I am so happy to recommend. Enjoy!

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this before publication. The Only Suspect focuses on the mystery of a crime carried out years earlier, and its link to our main character Alex. It takes a long time to get going, depends on us not knowing some key details initially and then muddies the water by focusing on some of the characters in the present.
Our main character Alex is not particularly likeable and does little to redeem himself. He is brusque and becomes somewhat neurotic when a local campaign to restore a local trail takes off. It’s no surprise that he’s hiding something, but the truth was stranger than anything I could have come up with.
From the start it was clear that the mystery was connected to a body buried along the trail. Alex is linked to it, but we don’t learn how until much later on.
While the story itself was interesting, there was a lot going on and it felt over complicated at times. Much of my negative feeling about the book came from the presentation of Alex. While he’s not meant to be a character we like - for reasons that become obvious - there was so little I cared about him that I wasn’t concerned what he was hiding.

This was a good read but for me not in the same calibre as some of her other work. The ending was predictable and rather lack lustre. I seem to be in the minority as other readers are raving about this book. Still each to their own.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

Louise Candlish has done it again. She is now one of my go to authors when I need a book I know will have me gripped. The Only Suspect is bound to be another hit.

Alex is the only person in the area absolutely terrified about the prospect of a new nature trail being constructed behind his house. Why is he so scared of what might be unearthed? Back in 1995 single Rick has met young office worker, Marina, who has turned his world upside down. The dual timeline plays out seamlessly and the twists will blow your mind!

3.5 ⭐️
Pub 1/2
I’ve read and loved a couple of the authors other psychological thrillers, so I was excited to read this one.

It’s a dual time line crime thriller set between now and 1995.
There are 2 POV Alex in the present and Rick in 1995. More of the story is told from Ricks perspective, it’s the most interesting aspect.

The catalyst that spirals Alex’s fear is the approval for the nature trail in Silver Vale that his wife and her friends had been fiercely campaigning for for years.

I found Rick’s behaviour naive, and irresponsible, certainly not thinking his actions through at all. I didn’t like Alex either. I didn’t find any of the main characters likeable, so wasn’t deeply invested in the outcome.

The story gradually unfolds, it’s more of a slower burn. The first half concentrates on the characters and the relationships. Then suddenly things are shook up, which is when the pace picks up and the mystery elements are revealed.
It’s a book of 2 halves for me. I felt that the plot got overly convoluted and less convincing.

This one didn’t quite hit the mark for me, but I look forward to the next one.

A riveting read that kept me on my toes - that twist was insanely clever. I'm a big fan of Louise's writing and this one in every way lived up to all the hype.

It's a testament to the quality and consistency of Louise Candlish's writing that she is one of a handful of authors whose books I read IMMEDIATELY upon release (or even better, via NetGalley prior to them being commercially available). One of my favourite authors, who manages to make plotting an engaging, twisty, and genuinely shocking thriller seem effortless.

The Only Suspect is Alex's story, and switches between two timelines, one in the present day where he is married to Beth, and inordinately anxious about the opening of a new woodland trail behind their suburban house; the other in the past, where he is in love with the beautiful but secretive Marina.

Dual timelines are one of my favourite devices when used well, and it's managed expertly here, with each timeline gradually revealing more about our protagonist and his complicated life. Each timeline presents Alex with different challenges, and I honestly don't know which one ramped up my anxiety levels more!

The twists are beautifully managed, and the plot races along - I couldn't finish this one fast enough!

Another smasher from Louise Candlish - how she manages to make every novel equally brilliant and yet totally brilliant, I will never know!

Thank you to NetGalley, and to the publisher, for granting me a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

'The Only Suspect' alternates between the past and present day and is written from different character perspectives to reveal what really happened all those years ago and what happened to the people involved. Initially I really enjoyed this book but it was a bit too long and lost pace as a result. Candlish does have twists, some more obvious than others, but there was nothing that really excited me. I did like that Candlish tells this from different character perspectives and for one reason or another the reader is not sure who is who. This element definitely added intrigue to the book and was the saving grace.
The book was okay just too long and it lost its way.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for an advance copy.

What an incredible read!
This book had me hooked and unable to put it down for long until I had discovered what had happened!
It was great to take a peek back in time to London in the mid 90's and see how this story started. Then, when the twists started to be presented it was even more addictive reading if that is actually possible!
Be warned, you WILL need to clear enough time to read this in one sitting!

What a page turner
Read this in two days
Very clever writing and completely gripping from start to finish
With twist after twist this is Flintstone a best seller
Highly recommended

Thank you netgalley, Louise Candlish and Simon & Schuster UK

The Other Suspect is another great read from Louise Candlish.
I was instantly intrigued with this one and loved how it switches between the past and Rick's perspective, and present from Alex's perspective.
Louise Candlish always has such well planned and clever plots and this one was no different.
Although quite a slow burn throughout, it kept me guessing as to how the past and present would come together and the twists in this one certainly took me by suprise!

An intriguing read from start to finish. There was always something not quite right about some characters, you know that niggle and intuition, exactly how this author wants us to think and feel. I enjoyed the named chapters,plus the past and the present chapters. I was convinceded I had fathomedd it all out without a doubt , and it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. How wrong I was!

Told from 2 different viewpoint at different stages this was a great read, fast paced with a great plot. I loved the style of writing and connected with the characters. This books was filled with great twists and had me hooked from the start, I would definitely recommend this book.

Alex and his wife Beth live in the London suburb of Silver Vale. They have no children and live a quiet life. Whilst Alex likes to keep himself to himself, in total contrast Beth likes to socialise and immerse herself in the community, particularly the nature trail which has just been given the go ahead by the local council. This announcement leaves Alex very anxious and as work starts on the trail, he finds himself compulsively watching the progress and any ensuing developments. He is terrified that the work may uncover his long term well-guarded secret, which will see his life implode.
At this point a second timeline is introduced to the plot, taking us back to the 1990’s and the characters Rick and Rollo, sharing a flat in Camden. At work, Rick’s attention is drawn to Marina, a girl working in the same office block. As they become better acquainted, it starts to dawn on Alex that he has taken on much more than he realises as Marina’s life unfolds.
As both timelines hurtle towards each other, the plot is slowly uncovered with some superb twists and turns and a spectacular ending.
What an amazing way to start 2023, with this as my first book of the year. This is a remarkably compulsive psychological thriller. The plot is just so well thought out and each thread cleverly fits together, whilst dropping twists along the way. This book will definitely be up there in my top reads for this year.

I read The Only Suspect over a couple of days. I found it to be a slow burner initially but the plot kept me hooked and I found the pace ramped up towards the latter half. Billed as a tale of obsession, love jealousy and deception, it certainly lives up to this with some great twists thrown in. Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster UK and the author for the chance to review.

What a brilliant novel which drew me in from the very first page and kept me gripped until the last sentence.

Louise Candlish simply goes from strength to strength with each of her psychological thrillers combining fresh ideas with relatable characters and superb plotting.

The Only Suspect switches between 1995 with a romance between Rick in Marina and a marriage between Alex and Beth in the present time. Both stories steadily turn darker, with Marina in trouble and Alex's marriage suffering from an unwelcome houseguest. With these two storylines keeping you guessing I was so invested in some of characters lives that when truths were revealed I felt personally involved.

Don't miss this novel and if you are lucky enough not to have read this author's back catalogue, you are in for a treat!

This is a gripping read from start to finish. I knew there’d be a twist at the end but it still took me by surprise! Moving easily between present day and the nineties, gradually revealing Rick’s past and why he is so terrified by the new conservation trail being developed behind his home. This is a tightly plotted, well paced thriller.