This book is for people who can suspend their disbelief and those who can, while suspending their disbelief, accept a few huge coincidences.

James has been married to Bella for years, they have had some difficult times in their marriage but everything is back on track. James is stressed and super busy trying to finishe a deal that will make him a partner at his firm and Bella is teaching but wants to return to her psychology doctorate.

Things, of course, happen. James and Bella are thrown in to chaos, his starting with a computer error that means he calls the tech helpdesk, he speaks to Charlotte and from there he cannot get her out of his mind.

Bella is dealing with a student who has sexually assaulted her, this part of the story might be a bit much for some.

Throw in a dangerous business man and secrets from the past, this book is strange, but it's a fairly good read.

James and Bella Fitzpatrick have a busy life, each working long hours trying to build a comfortable future. It’s not ideal not to see your spouse from one day to the next, but it’ll be worth it. James, a lawyer at a successful City firm, rapidly moving through the ranks and attracting positive attention, loses a file for a multi-million pound deal. He needs it back: pronto. Desperate for advice, he calls the company’s IT helpdesk where an extremely efficient Charlotte helps him get where he needs to be. However, James could not have predicted how a simple conversation with a helpline worker sets in motion events that will shatter personal and professional relationships. He is then blamed for more mistakes in work, ones that he cannot explain, as wife Bella is subject to cruel rumours in at the prestigious private school in which she teaches. No one, it seems, is believing either of their stories. This takes an unusual twist which only adds to the enjoyment of the novel.

It's hard to say too much about the plot of this book without revealing spoilers, but it is a bit of a tense thriller mystery?

Overall I think I quite liked it, but the book was very slow going. We were quite far in before anything exciting actually started happening, and that didn't leave much time to build the tension. The ending also wasn't great. I liked the characters though, and the whole premise of it!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

A late night call to a tech hotline leads to a twisted, complicated story of deception, violence, greed and murder. James, working eighteen hour days for weeks at a time, is on his way to making partner at his law firm when he loses an important email attachment. He reaches Charlotte at tech support and his problem is solved. So he thinks. His wife Bella, a teacher at an exclusive private school, has worries of her own. An unexpected career change, trouble with students and an attraction to another teacher are all situations that she can’t or won’t discuss with James.

Without spoilers, I can’t say more about the plot. What I can say is that The Helpdesk is not like any other thriller. It’s deftly plotted, faced paced, surprising at every turn of the page and impossible to put down. None of the main characters is very likable and all are connected in very different ways. You’ll think you know what is going to happen but you’ll be wrong every time. 5 stars

Thank you Hachette Books Ireland and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. IYKYK, my reviews are always honest.

2.5 rounded down

Writing: 2.5/5 | Plot: 2.5/5 | Ending: you're trolling/5

SYNOPSIS

James and Bella seem to live a charmed life. But when the high-flying lawyer makes a connection with Charlotte, the IT help desk employee tasked with retrieving his lost files, and Bella returns to her PhD thesis, things get reaaaalllll ugly.

MY OPINION

This book was very much MEH. It's one of those times I really wish Goodreads would toss us those .5 ratings. A 2 is kinda harsh but a 3 is way too generous. Tbh I considered this a 2.5 rounded up for most of the book until the ending said hold my beer and tanked harder than the NASDAQ in 2008.

The plot relies solely on the unwillingness of any of characters to properly communicate. If they could just sit down and have an adult conversation, the whole ting would've been a wrap in about 30 minutes. And lastly, before I get into some spoilies, nothing really pops off until about 50%. It's a lot of conversational monologuing and setting the scene and then BAM! sh!t starts going sideways and comes to a very abrupt, jarring ending. The book could've been about 100 pages shorter.

PROS AND CONS

Pros: the premise was interesting, James' pov was funny at times

Cons: plot relied on miscommunication, characters sucked ass, ending was basically a hate crime against my eyes and brain, too long... too much time spent on setting the scene

Sorry, this book was just not for me. I tried hard to like it but I just couldn't get invested. Nothing wrong with the writing just personal choice.

A quick, easy and fun read that I read in one sitting. I was hooked right from the start and engaged all the way through, it was gripping with twists that kept me guessing. I loved it.

My Rating System: 3.5 rounded up to 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ticked a lot of boxes, held my attention PRETTY ENTERTAINING!!!

Someone is always watching and sometimes it’s who you least expect.

James Fitzpatrick is a legal eagle in one of London’s most prestigious and successful law firms. He is married to his gorgeous and smart wife Bella. She is a teacher at one of London’s richest schools. They have the perfect lives… or do they?

On night James makes what he thinks is a career destroying error and his last resort is to hope that the IT Helpdesk can help fix is problem. Welcome Charlotte, who sets in motion a series of events that is set to shatter James and Bella’s perfect world.

Who is the woman from the Helpdesk and why is she out for revenge??

I have read one other novel by this author and quite liked it but didn’t love it so when I saw this standalone with a premise like the above I was like… sure sign me up. I was delighted when I was approved. Let me start by saying I BLASTED through this one it did not feel like 300+ pages and that was already a huge plus for me (if you have read my last review - which was like having teeth pulled without anaesthetic). Have I upgraded my rating due to having bad book hangover… we will never know because I truly enjoyed this one… save for a few issues that I will go into (without spoilers).

So, up first is the POV you all know by now I love the multiple POV, multi-timeline type novels and this one did not disappoint. I think that is why I got through it so quickly every time we had a POV change I was like NOOOO I need to know more so I kept reading - just one more chapter… eeek!! There are also chapters that are excerpts from Bella’s failed PHD research which at first I was like oh god this is going to be academic and boring (sorry guys I am in for the thrills and kills) but it was really interesting. I don’t actually know if this research is made up or real … but I enjoyed those chapters as much if not more than some of the POV changes.

The writing for me was on point… I really liked the conversational monologue style that the reader is treated to. It was light hearted in points and the character was often having WTF moments that we could have along with them. This is set in the UK so had some sayings and slang that are familiar to me, even though I myself am Australian I have English family members and grew up with a lot of that lingo in my repertoire so really enjoyed it.

There is quite a lot happening in this one, we have Jame’s who is a work-aholic and is out for the big promotion. Enter the Helpdesk due to deleted documents that he cannot get back and will basically have him castrated by his big-wig bosses if he can’t get his sh*t sorted.

Bella is having all sorts of dramas at school and there is an underlying storyline about the ‘failed’ PHD that unfolds as we go along and find out more and more about this. This storyline does distract a little from the Helpdesk story but the author managed to bring it all back together at some point so it does make sense however I had some issues with Bella’s story.

There are some extra marital issues between Bella and James and I think seriously for the shocking amount of truly despicable behaviour I am a bit shocked at what ended up happening there… but no spoilers from me on that…

One of the minor characters I had to laugh at was the Detective - he was quirky as all get out and spoke in a very formal and robotic way. I hope this was intentional because I found it quite amusing even maybe when it wasn’t supposed to be but I liked the addition of this guy and got a kick out of him.

Now onto the major issues I had - there are a few plot holes, things like a character that makes a fairly large appearance throughout the book disappears (not as a storyline) but just is no longer mentioned again and we don’t know what happens to them.

The ending was rushed and everyone spilled their guts so to speak and we got a full disclosure this is why x did this and that and there were no things left to the imagination. Even the bit that was supposed to be did this or that happen… was pretty obvious.

Some of the reasoning for why things happened was a bit out there and all basically as explained in the last 10 -15% and you find out that everything is not as it seems but not in the way you are maybe hoping or expecting… I guess for me it was all mostly going pretty well, keeping me engaged and intrigued but the ending let it down a bit. It didn’t ruin it for me but the few inconsistencies and last minute wrap up lost stars from me.

Overall I would recommend this to people if you like an easy read with quirky characters. You will likely guess who was doing what by the end… I mostly did but that was fine for me. Oh and one other quick thing, I would not classify this as a thriller at all - it was in the Mystery & Thriller section of NetGalley and would definitely call it a domestic mystery more than a thriller.

Thank you very much to Hachette Books Ireland, NetGalley and the author for an advanced copy for my honest review.

James is a high flying lawyer, Working all hours, exhausted, and feeling unsupported.Bella is his neglected, lonely wife, and Charlotte works on a twenty four hour IT helpdesk. Needing IT Support in the early hours, James comes into contact with Charlotte...and so it begins...
A quick and fast paced tale.

My first encounter with the work of this author...but most definitely not my last! Such a gripping plot and easily a 5 star rating from me.

James and Bella met at Uni in Dublin, she became obsessed with a felon she studied as part of her studies in psychology, while he became a highflier in the city. Fast forward 10 years, and his career is going strong, while she finds herself a teacher in a secondary school, her dreams of being a TV psychologist ripped to shreds by the influence of her previous obsession. The current state of play finds Bella attracted to a colleague, and James very much enamoured with Charlotte, his helpful IT 'help-desk' saviour. Im not going to say more was I don't want to provide spoilers, but I will just say READ THIS NOVEL, you will not regret it!! Entertainment at its finest! So well written and such a unique plot - no mean feat in this genre!

My thanks to Netgalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

James and Bella Fitzpatrick have everything they could possibly want. He is very near to being made a partner in his prestigious city firm of lawyers and she is a teacher in a private school where only the successful and rich can afford the fees. He loves his wife so much, and he knows he is lucky that she chose him. She is beautiful and intelligent, hardworking and indefatigable. They live in a luxury flat in an expensive area. He is driven, diligent and determined. He is responsible for an ongoing and important merger of two business concerns which will make serious money for his firm. That is when he is given the nod for him becoming a partner in the firm by his unlikeable boss, a partner in the firm himself.
Then one late night and still in his office, James has a problem with his computer. It appears he has lost a crucial file. He is frantic with worry because any errors could stall the merger or the firm may even lose the business of two valued customers in the multimillion pound merger. In panic he finds the phone number of the tech company called IT helpdesk, favoured by his firm. He hopes the tech guy will be able to help him. The call is answered immediately despite the time, and it is through this emergency that he meets Charlotte who quickly solves his problems. If only this were true. More and more problems surface and make James look incompetent and threaten to cost him dearly. Meanwhile Bella is accused of wrongdoings at school. The police are called and an investigation begins. It is the word of three teenage boys who stick together, making Bella out to being in the wrong. The fragile situation causes rumours about Bella to flash around and she is sent home on leave until the investigation confirms her innocent.
I was gripped by this unique story. The storyboard was complicated but brilliantly handled with lots of red herrings, blind alleyways and exciting twists and turns, none greater than the one near the end of the book. The characterisations were relatable and well developed, with a cast of people to admire but also some to despise. The novel lived up to its genre, a thrilling story with suspense, psychological aspects and full of mystery. I didn’t favour any of the characters as there were flaws in each and every one of them, particularly the headmaster. The themes of this modern story are domination, lies, corruption, trust and power.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from publisher Hachette Books Ireland through my membership of NetGalley and I would like to thank them for my copy, sent out to me in return for an honest review. This novel was a good read and for the reasons given I award it a 4.5* review.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. I have read books by SA Dunphy in the past and been on the fence. This one sounded different. Unfortunately, it wasn't for me. I just couldn't get into it. It sounded a lot better than it was.

This book sounded much better than it actually was. I loved the concept but unfortunately there were many questions that were still unanswered at the end. It just didn’t work for me.

James is driving himself very hard at work as his law firm are preparing a critical report concerning a business merger that may or may not go ahead. He’s running on fumes through lack of sleeps and it’s affecting his marriage to Bella. She is a very smart woman, a PhD student turned teacher at a prestigious London school. The report is complete, James uploads it and the something goes catastrophically wrong as somehow it gets lost in the ether, so panic mode ensues. He desperately calls the Tech Help Desk and Charlotte answers his call. She helps retrieve the file and seems to save the day and James’ bacon. However, hold that thought - who exactly is Charlotte? How and why does she know details about his life that he doesn’t divulge? Most importantly, why does this set in motion a sequence of events and the derailment of James and Bella’s life? The story is principally told by James, Bella and Charlotte.

Where to start with this one??! It seems to start as a very good character driven study which is really interesting as you start in one place of judgement and then revelations come barrelling in that forces you to adapt your thinking. It starts at a relatively ‘gentle’ pace but does it ever ramp up because this is about what motivates characters especially the desire to control and there are several dark shades of that here. What’s so entertaining is the flux of seeming to be in control which changes swiftly to out of control mode. It’s about power, the imperative to dominate which affects the decisions you make, the action, reaction or lack of action which turns the plot stroll to a pacy jog. There are some scenes that are shocking demonstrations of control and domination which also reveal obsessions. Along the route to the end the proverbial hits the fan on several occasions, lines and wires are crossed and what initially seems that be separate storytelling strands begin to come together nicely in a gripping, absorbing read as situations escalate to Ben Nevis proportions.

My only reservation and hence the four not five stars is the ultimate ending as characters explain the rationale behind what unfolds but given the drama of what precedes it, my expectations are for fireworks which doesn’t happen!

Overall though, this is a very ambitious novel and Shane Dunphy definitely pulls it off demonstrating clearly that absolute power corrupts absolutely.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hachette Books, Ireland for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

The Helpdesk is a thriller about a lawyer who calls the IT helpdesk one night, only for his high-flying career and marriage to start falling into disarray. James is a lawyer at a City firm in London, hoping to be made partner. His wife Bella is a teacher at a private school, but wants to return to her PhD, and the two of them barely see each other any more. One night, the key document James needs to send to the client in a big deal disappears and he calls the IT helpdesk, where Charlotte fixes the issue for him. After this, James and Bella's lives seem to change, and Charlotte may be somehow involved.

The title of this book intrigued me because I've worked doing IT support, so despite the fact I don't tend to read many thrillers like this, I decided to give it a go. The opening was as you'd expect, a man obsessed with his job, and then he calls the helpdesk. The narrative is told from a range of first person perspectives, which for me felt like it took away a lot of the potential tension as you saw from James, Bella, and Charlotte's perspective, as well as a police detective perspective that felt entirely unnecessary. As the book progresses, you may start to realise that these characters are not necessarily telling you what is happening, though it is presented like they are, and that brings about a lot of the narrative and twists.

I was disappointed that the helpdesk element, whilst key to the plot, didn't contribute enough tension or interesting narrative, and the resolution of that part of the plot actually downplayed the importance of the mystery of things going wrong after a support call, which is a good concept. Without wanting to spoil the book, I won't say more, but The Helpdesk is a decent quick read thriller, but one that relies on a much more predictable and stereotypical plot than the premise sounded like.

This was such a fun wee quick read! It's got the twists, it's got the turns, tbe writing style draws you in and book is constantly progressing the plot without any waffle or pointless side stories. Does it all tie up a but too neatly in the end? Absolutely but it is a fiction book so these things happen. It's well written, I loved the characters and all the threads that tied up nice and neat in the end. A fair bit of the plot isn't that realistic but again, it's a fiction novel so that's the whole point. Don't overanalyse it and just enjoy it for what it is and you'll love it

SA Dunphy's thriller The Helpdesk started well. James is a tax lawyer who's desperate to make partner, but his dreams hang in the balance when a vital report goes missing as he assists in a merger. Frantic, he calls the IT helpdesk, where a woman called Charlotte is able to recover the file. James is relieved and grateful, and feels a connection with Charlotte - a connection that's renewed as things continue to go wrong with his system. I loved this premise, and the sections of the novel that dealt with James's job were gripping. However, the book strays well away from its opening by introducing a subplot about James's wife, Bella, a teacher at a prestigious private school, and her (highly implausible) unfinished PhD on aggressive behaviour by high-flying corporate businessmen. In the afterword, Dunphy says that he had originally intended to focus only on the helpdesk plot but found Bella's voice so compelling that he had to work her more fully into the novel. For me, a tighter focus would have worked better, as the way the two strands are linked becomes increasingly silly, and less original than the opening of the novel. The plot also relies on what I think is a very cheap trick; first-person narrators who are not flagged as unreliable not telling the reader what they are actually doing or thinking, which sacrifices realism for the sake of a twist. Disappointing. 2.5 stars.