Thank you for this ARC audio copy of The Suspect by Kathryn Croft!

Jess's mother Laurie was brutally murdered in 1993 when she was a small child.
In this dual timeline story, Jess discovers the true identity of her mother's murderer.

I enjoyed the overall story, however I found it dragged quite a bite and I was often losing interest.
The twist was predictable and didn't hold my interest.

This is a dual timeline story following a mother and a daughter towards a singular event. This book had me suspicious of everybody. Someone was nice to the MC? Totally the bad guy. Oh you offered to take her to dinner? 😒😒😒 I’m on to you. I had figured out fairly quickly, but still enjoyed it. The writing was smooth, and easy to follow through the two timelines and POV. Overall an enjoyable suspense novel.

Jess has always been sure of who murdered her mother, even if he wasn’t arrested for the crime. Until he reached out to her saying he has new information to help prove his innocence. Turns out what her family has been telling her all her life wasn’t the truth.

I really enjoyed this melancholic domestic drama. Although the jumps between the mother's past and daughter's present tripped me up a few times at the start, I got the hang of it and grew to appreciate getting to know each of them and wishing they'd gotten the opportunity too!

Jess's mom was murdered when she was a child. There was a suspect but charges were never brought. Now, as an adult herself, she is approached on the street by the man she was told killed her mom.

At first she doesn't entertain anything he's saying but it starts to make sense so she decides to hear him out. He tells her everything will change once she knows the truth but he never gets to deliver it because he's killed.

Jess is now on a quest to find out who wanted to keep him quiet and why. Could she be in danger too? Her family is very private so they don't take well to old resentments and secrets being pushed to the surface. Did she ever know them at all?

This was a relaxing mystery that I finished pretty quickly on audio and the narration was great. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen and review!

If you’re looking for a mystery/thriller that’s fast paced and will keep your attention then look no further than Croft’s The Suspect!!

I’m a sucker for alternating POVs/timelines and this book does both so well. The Suspect had my brain working overtime with theories and each time Croft switched it up on me. Even when I HAD figured out part of the plot I wasn’t correct with my assumptions of how or why.

3.5 stars


One of those books where it seems everyone has a motive, and every chapter I thought it WAS someone else.
A lot of lies come out after Nathaniel confronts Jess about her mothers murder.
There's a few slow parts, and possibly it repeats a bit, but overall I enjoyed the narrator and the story.
Not a huge surprise by the end, but then I had suspected EVERYONE, I had to be right at some point. 🤣

Another 5 star read by Kathryn Croft!
A gripping thriller with cliffhanger chapters that will keep you up all night reading. The way she has you believing you have it all figured out gets me every time. The narration was great! Can't wait for more from Kathryn, she's definitely one of my favorite authors.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kathryn Croft and Bookouture Audio for an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

The Suspect by Kathryn Croft is a phycological thriller telling us a story of Jess who is trying to uncover what really happened to her mother.

The story goes back and worth from Jess' mom Lori's perspective to Jess in present time. It was really well done and it adds a lot of value to the book. It was the first book by this author that I read/listened to and it was about average. I thought the twist was predictable. The narrator, Tamsin Kennard, did a really good job with female voices but some male characters sounded a bit weird. But overall, I really like this narrator and I'd like to listen to other books she narrates.
Maybe this book was just not for me and I really think a lot of readers will probably enjoy it! Usually I do like these kinds of plots but for some reason it was difficult to keep up with all the family members and friends and I found it a bit boring. However, it is well-written and the characters feel like real people.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this audiobook ahead of it's publishing date. My review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

The suspect was a good book that really frustrated me because it was so close to being great. The reason I say that is the whole time I was hoping the resolution would not be the obvious choice. It looked like it was going to take an unexpected turn but then went right back on the path of predictable.

I love the way the story is told. The plot follows two characters across two timelines. Present day it follows Jess, then in the past, it follows Lori who was the murdered mother of Jess.

The suspected killer shows up years later to bring the truth to Jess. He is killed before he can tell Jess what really happened to her mother.

The dual perspective of mother-daughter worked so well. As Jess would find out some details about her mom's past you will then get the first-hand perspective from her mom to further explain. It was never confusing and always worked.

There were some twists and turns but ultimately this was a very predictable story. Even though you may be able to see the ending coming from a mile away I still highly recommend this book. This is a perfect example of how dual-perspective books should work.

This is my first Kathryn Croft novel and it was alright. The story revolves around Jess as she tries to uncover the truth behind her mother's murder. I enjoyed how fluidly the author switched Jess's point of view and her mother's. Getting to know Lori's past and her side of the story really helped the story feel more complete. Unfortunately, the pacing was pretty slow and slightly boring at times. The plot twists were a little too easy to see coming and the ending was somewhat anticlimactic. Despite those flaws this was still a quick and enjoyable book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this alc in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first novel I'm reading from this author and I enjoyed it so much I want to read more of her books or in my case, listen to. The narrator did a really good job acting out all of the many characters in this novel. I was able to tell who's who during the narration. What is sad start for our main character, Jess. Her own mother, Lorie was brutally murdered right in front of her when she was just two years old. Of course she doesn't remember much, or does she? The twists and turns that this book took and at the very end of it the big reveal had me surprised. There were many suspects, in my opinion... angry wives, her sister, her brother-in-law just to name a few. It seems like Jess had a good upbringing and was close with her half-sister and mother. But 28 years later a familiar looking stranger got her investigating her mom's murder because he said the real murderer was never found, and he could prove it. I would definitely recommend this book! Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 ⭐️

This is a thriller revolving around a young mothers murder. We have a third person narration and past/present timelines. Lots of sinister men and uncovering of juicy romantic details throughout.

I was thoroughly entertained with my first book by Kathryn Croft and would recommend and read more from her.

Positives ✨

• strong-willed loving mother
• equally strong willed/determined daughter
• fun revelations
• side characters with questionable motives


I will say I kind of figured it would be either one or the other as far as whodunit, but that didn't really deter the reading experience for me. The epilogue had me tearing up (with happiness) and then quickly twisted into betrayal!

Thank you to #netgalley for providing me with the audio arc!

Jess has always believed the stories her family told her about her mother’s murder but that changes when the man accused of her murder confronts Jess. He tells Jess a very different story, that he and Jess’s mother Laurie were very close. Jess doesn’t know what to believe and when he’s killed, she begins to wonder if someone wanted to shut him up. But who, and why? The people closest to Jess have been lying to her for a long time, what don’t they want hr to discover? This story was a slow burn, very slow in some places, I feel like there could have been some editing, but overall the story is good and held my interest

Kathryn Croft's latest, THE SUSPECT, is a chilling domestic suspense whodunit of a young woman who tries to make sense of her mom's murder when she was only a toddler and twenty years later uncovers a web of deceit, secrets, and lies.

Can you trust those closest to you?

The novel is told from two timelines and POVs: Lori, the mother (past) in the early nineties, and her daughter, Jess (present) day.

Lori was a great mom who loved to take her baby to the park. Jess was just a toddler in her stroller, around two years old when her mom was murdered at the park.

Present day, Jess thinks someone is watching her. She is a photographer and loves spending time in her studio. She makes it a point to notice things around her and what is right in front of her.

Being she was so young, she remembers nothing that happened that day.

Danny, her dad, is married to Caroline, and she also has a half-sister, Zara. Her family never talks about her mom, but now twenty years later, Jess is approached by Nathaniel, who says he has information regarding her mother, Lori.

Nathaniel was a suspect in her mom's murder but was never charged. They never found who murdered her mom, and Jess is haunted and wants to learn more. So many lies had been told in her family, masquerading as the truth, and it must stop. Jess is determined to get to the truth.

Nathaniel seems to have loved her mom, and they were dating. He has information, and Jess believes him. Her family warns her to stay away. However, before he can provide more details, he winds up dead. Who wants to quiet him?

From past to present, we hear from Lori and how she met Danny with his secret life and lies. He was controlling, and Lori had no idea of Danny's other life. He worked a lot, and they never married.

When Lori tries to escape with Jess, she is murdered. Now Jess is getting close to the truth and discovers more information which puts her in harm's way the closer she gets.

How far will the murderer go to keep their secrets? The people she has loved her entire life have been telling lies.

We also hear from Lori's friend, Belle, and two men in Jess's life Gabriel (reporter), and Harrison (ex-husband).

"Sometimes promises need to be broken for the greater good."

An intriguing, twisty domestic suspense thriller filled with long-buried family secrets, drama, and tension.

I enjoyed the timelines and POV. I read the e-book and listened to the audiobook narrated by Tamsin Kennard for a pleasant performance for all voices.

I experienced some technical issues with the audio version, which continued to stop, so it was nice to have the e-book to refer to.

Thanks to #Bookouture and #NetGalley for a gifted ARC and ALC.

Blog Review posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Feb 8, 2023
Feb 2023 Must-Read Books

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was a great audiobook. I finished it in a day and a half barely and could not stop listening. Towards the end I did have some guesses of who the killer was and I did eventually figure out the twisted plot. But that wasn’t until the last maybe hour of the book.
Narrator did great as well.

5🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This book was such a great read with intriguing and suspenseful story-lines. I finished it in one day because it immediately grabbed me. The book has two POV's Jessica and her mom, Lori which intertwine with a then and now. Jessica has been living her life under the influence that a random man killed her mother. She starts investigating and questioning everyone in hopes to see what really happened and who really did it. We learn that her family has so many secrets buried as events start unraveling. I enjoyed the twists of the suspects and just when I thought they'd live happily ever after boom two more secrets linger. This is the first time I've read anything from Kathryn Croft and hopefully not the last. The audio format was greatly narrated by Tamsin Kennard.
Thank you NetGalley so much for this Audiobook ARC, I truly enjoyed this 5 Star Read.
#TheSuspect #NetGalley
#ThrillerBooks

The Suspect will have you second guessing everything you've been told!
Kathryn Croft has made her mark and has blow away the target in this new thriller that showcases nothing is as it seems in life real or imaginary.
The pain of missing a child like Laurie may have been too much for some.
The death of the one person seemed determined to offer clues seemed unbearable.
The lies that were told were heartbreaking.
Yet, through this hard, cruel, difficult world we must find hope.
Because of the actions of a few she may never learn the truth they desperately want to keep hidden.
Jess was only two years old in a stroller when her mom was killed.
As the story fluctuates between time lines (past/present) we learn that secrets are plentiful.
Peace/serenity is the end game. Confronting the fears. Living a life you can be proud of for all involved.
Could she have been targeted? Was this a random act?
The person closest to her is now behind bars. Her boyfriend is by her side. Her life moves on..
Loved it all!
Thank you to Kathryn Croft, Bookouture Audio, NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.