A psychological thriller mostly told mostly from the main characters Bella’s point of view, a slow burn thriller but is worth the wait as the twist is great and comes at a perfect time. The narration was really good and really helped me connect with the character.

Was hard to get into this book. I left it for a while and came back and managed to get to the end. I found it highly predictable and even found myself rolling my eyes at one point.

Really enjoyed this dark domestic thriller. Full of twists I did not expect at all. Fabulous characters and plot first time I’ve heard of this author but won’t be the last

What an absolutely fantastic read! The pacing was brilliant, the changing timelines and twists and turns had me returning for snippets of what was coming next constantly!
It was utterly chilling and I didn’t see the twist coming! Absolutely breathtaking! I can’t wait to read more by this author!

When Bella was in University she was kidnapped and held captive in her own basement, now the culprit has been released from prison and Bella is determined to fight her fear and get on with her wonderful life with her family.



Set over dual timelines of present day and 6 weeks prior, this is a truly gripping thriller showing the build up to a terrifying set of events, which lead Bella’s family to doubt her and think she is having a mental break down. Full of tension and twists this is a great book for those who love psychological thrillers, I really empathised with Bella's frustration as everyone around her seems to betray her by doubting everything she confides in them.



My one criticism is that some of the incidents didn’t feel that believable, like when you do an online grocery shop as is inferred here, you get an order receipt and you can just log into the website to check past orders amongst other things.


Stephanie Racine is an excellent narrator as usual with engaging reading and good intonation. James Meunier
Is also good, but his audio is a little echoey in comparison.

19 years ago Bella was kidnapped and held hostage by an old flame, Laurence, in her own family home basement. She escaped after 5 days. Bella now owns and lives in the same house, which is a sore subject between her and her sister.
Now 19 years on, Laurence is free from prison and strange things start happening and Bella is convinced Laurence is back to torment her. Bella is alone after her children and husband are away for the weekend and wakes to finds herself back in the basement, tied to a chair and her kidnapper is her worst nightmare.
A chilling psychological thriller, with the typical twists but a really enjoyable read. You really sympathise with Bella’s character and she doesn’t deserve any of what is happening to her.

This was a new author for me, but I really liked the sound of this so thought I'd give the audiobook a try. It started off well and hooked me from the start. There were a few twists that I certainly didn't see coming and at one point I had to rewind to check I'd heard correctly! Very enjoyable book and I look forward to reading more by this author.

This was a bit of a slow burn for me, a fairly gripping start, and at times distressing and relatable.

20 years ago Bella’s stalker drugged and held her hostage in the basement of her own home. The very home that her parents have passed down to Bella, her husband Jack and their two children Paige and Freddy. Life is good. She has a great relationship with her sister Rosie and her parents. Jack is steady, reliable and working his way up on the career ladder, but with the impending liberation date of Lawrence Knox Bella is starting to spiral. The story in the beginning is solid, the narrators have done a great job in building suspense. At times Bella’s anxiety’s were personally a bit triggering, but that just tells me research has been done well in all honesty.

Unfortunately what should have been a slammer of a double tailed twist didn’t feel quite like that, I found it to be a bit predictable and maybe even a bit samey. That said I’ve literally read thousands of psychological/domestic thrillers. So please don’t let this put you off. If you are looking for a change in reading material and fancy a thriller with a slow burn and a big twist, it’ll probably be perfect for you. Releases Jan 23rd.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to listen to this audio book in return for my honest review.

**please note due to low rating I will not be leaving a public review for this book as I have not paid for it.**

Narrated by Stephanie Racine; James Meunier
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fantastic narrators
 
Story ⭐⭐

First time trying or hearing of Jacqueline Grima and even though I didn't enjoy this book I would try another one.

This book had a fantastic opening but then it went down hill for me from there.

First off I absolutely hate Then/Now books because I feel like they have been done to death and it's just lazy story telling. There has to be a more creative way to bring past and present together.

Second, I really didn't like any of the characters. The unreliable narrator/gaslighting went on way too long and became so frustrating.

Overall this book wasn't for me. I would have enjoyed it more if it focussed on the NOW and the current abduction.

Well what can I say….this is good! It is a slow burn of a story but bear with it! I listened to this audio version whilst getting some mundane jobs done but soon, I was gripped and the time passed quickly meaning that I had to keep listening well into the evening. As usual I will not be rehashing the plot here as I believe that the professional blurb writers do a better job without giving anything away, and that would be so easy to do and spoil the twists and turns. Enjoy!

I downloaded this as an audio book and i very much enjoyed listening to it. The story focuses on obsession, both by the ‘stalker’ and by the victim.
I enjoyed the story and the twist at the end but admit to being irritated by the main character whose behaviour was slightly irritating- unable to do anything other than stress!
The final chapters were revealing and finally brought the perpetrator to justice!
Recommended

This multiple point-of-view psychological thriller is full of strong emotions, surrounding Bella, the main character, and her family, as they go through a traumatic experience. The plot is tingled and twisted, with snippets from from each of the main characters, which are going back and forth between the distance past, close past, present day, and some time in the future. The story gets even more engaging thanks to the two narrators who maintain the suspense and make the listening experience bingeable.

Also, if you’re looking for a surprising ending, this one’s for you!

Special thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK Audio, HQ Digital, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.

If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads!

#TheWeekendAlone #NetGalley #LifeLongLearning

Version - Audiobook

I more or less binged this book within a day and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were twists and turns but the story flowed very easily. I’m quite a fan of dual POV and time jumps so this suited me well. The plot twists were somewhat predictable but I liked the execution of them, in a similar vein to ‘The Girl on the Train’. Overall, I enjoyed the story, the characters and I’d recommend it as both an audiobook and book.

What a book!
One of my favourite crime of the year! I didn’t expect anything at all! It was well written : the different narratives enabled the twist to be even more surprising and unexpected !
A must !

Bella finds out her kidnapper has been released from prison and so starts a series of events that convinces her that he has come back. Could not stop listening to this audiobook. An edge of your seat thriller. Stephanie and James's narration draws you into this book and they are the characters.
I received this audiobook from HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for a review.

This was the first time I came into contact with Jacqueline Grima. And I am deeply impressed!
At the beginning I could not really get into the story or connect with Bella, our main character. But the better I got to know her the more I wanted to keep going!!!
Highly recommend for lovers of domestic thrillers!
Thanks #NetGalley #HarperCollins UK Audio, HQ Digital for this Audiobook

The story is set over different timescales ( well really just two) and it’s very easy to follow which is which. The plot seems fairly simple up to almost the last few chapters where there is a totally unexpected ( for me at least) twist. Unfortunately in this instance and with the long gap between crimes I wasn’t convinced.
So overall a reasonable listen but not my favourite.

I really enjoyed this psychological thriller from Jacqueline Grima, I listened to the audio version of this book, and found it to be a really engaging listen with a fantastic plot twist that is easily worth waiting for!

Bella, married mother of 2, lives in her childhood home. The book opens with Bella sending a voicemail to her husband asking him to stay in a hotel for the weekend to give her some time to process. She has recently received the traumatic news that the man who stalked, and kept her prisoner in her basement for 5 days, (20 years previously), has been released from prison. Understandably, this troubles Bella and causes others to fear for her mental health. Bella however fears that her stalker is at large and free to prey on her once again.

In 2 distinct timelines we learn of the trauma she has experienced since this troubling news (6 weeks previously), and the current state of play - Bella finding herself trapped in the basement for the second time!!

The plot is well thought out, the 'reveals' timed to perfection. The narration was superb.

All in all; this is a book I would not hesitate to recommend to fans psychological fiction.

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

Wow! What a book! I couldn't read and listen to it fast enough. The tension and pace were absolute magic! Brilliantly unsettling, with characters so deftly woven that you never quite know who – if anyone – you can trust. Another riveting and powerful psychological thriller from this talented author.

3.5⭐️
Pub Jan

A new author to me with this psychological thriller read by Stephanie Racine, a favourite narrator for me. I think in the early part she over did the anxiety levels, as it didn’t leave anywhere for it to build in the later stages.

Bella is happy, settled with her husband (Jack) and children ( Freddie and Paige), putting the past behind her as much as she is able to, although she is still badly affected by the ordeal leaving her fragile. She is notified that the stalker who kidnapped and kept her prisoner in her own home is being released from prison.

The time frame goes mostly between the last few weeks, with some reference to the first kidnapping. The POV are from Bella and Jack.
Bella comes over as very neurotic and unstable, so very much an unreliable narrator.

It’s an easy entertaining listen, I found it a book of 2 halves, the first half had a lot of tension over not a lot of substance, the reasoning for it was sound, but I could have done with it condensed more. It all ramps up in the second half.
I didn’t find all of the decisions and twists totally convincing, there were decent red herrings, but I felt it lacked any breadcrumbs for the final outcome, instead using explanation retrospectively for plausibility.

One for you if you enjoy a slower build up, with an unreliable narrator.