This is the first book I've read by this author but as a Cornish lass the synopsis gripped me. A mysterious woman arrives in a small Cornish fishing village and turns everyone's worlds upside down.

It was alright but something undefinable stopped it from being great. Maybe it was that I didn't really find the 2 lead characters very likeable. I also wasn't a fan of the twist at the end, his reaction didn't seem to fit.

Who She Was by Tony Parsons

Any title set in Cornwall has me reaching for it. Win , win that the plot was fab as well !
We are introduced to Tom who run a fish restaurant and a female newcomer to the village arrived that sets the male population all a tremble . Who is she ? Is Clementine all she says she is and why does she bewitch everyone she meets ?
A few twists along the way to keep us guessing and I felt it was a little different from his usual style of writing but I really enjoyed it.

The residents of picturesque Cornish fishing village, St Jude’s, are well used to modern day outsiders and seasonal tourists invading their homes, but when a dazzling beautiful and mysterious woman comes to live there, bringing the drama of her troubled life in the outside world with her, she immediately bewitches the level headed villagers and changes their lives forever.

Tony Parsons has gone full-on modern Cornish Gothic in ‘Who She Was’. He skilfully mines the legacy of Daphne Du Maurier into the narrative and there are many echoes of ‘My Cousin Rachel’ and ‘Rebecca’ throughout, all skilfully woven into the romance between local restaurant owner (and fellow ‘in-comer’) Tom and the enigmatic Clementine. The book is also a profound love letter from Mr Parsons to Cornwall, laced with the dark understanding that even though it seems possible to escape to this paradise, you still can’t leave your past behind forever.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and many thanks to everyone concerned for allowing me to read and review it. Tony Parsons strikes again!

Murder takes place in a small Cornish village and this whodunnit was more a who didn’t do it. Good characterisation and a love story was at the centre of this tale. The beautiful Cornish coast and the people who live there are but pawns when a beautiful woman arrives for the summer. Recommended.

An excellent read! Kept me guessing until the end – and possibly afterwards too!
Really enjoyed reading “Who She Was”, which was a real page-turner, with enough twists and turns to keep anyone amused. Every time I thought I “had it sussed” the author brought in a twist to confuse and reset the boundaries. Clearly someone who knows Cornwall – perceptive descriptions of local scenery, towns, and indeed people. Ok, a few times credulity is stretched e.g., by the actions of the love-smitten Tom, but all is forgiven by the overall quality of the writing and the story.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really enjoyed this book, had a great storyline, great characters and I shall certainly look out for other titles from this author.

I really enjoyed Tony Parsons’ first couple of novels, but not his following crime series, so came to this stand alone with interest. Set in a small tourist attracting Cornish fishing village, Tom owns a small, rustic fish restaurant. When Clementine, a beautiful (and this cannot be over emphasised by anyone who catches the slightest glimpse of her) arrives, the lives of Tom and many others in the village will be changed forever.
Told in first person and interview statements I found this an uneven story. A touch of Gone Girl, a dash of The Last Seduction and a splash of Fisherman’s Friends.
It moves along at a good pace (for me, the instant ‘love’ the protagonist and everyone else fall into when encountering Clementine, a bit TOO quick) and the bad guys are studio casting wrong ‘uns - albeit with some lyrical ways of speaking that seem at odds with their personalities)
Overall, I struggled with this one a bit: while I liked the location and description of the local community, the characters and the dialogue were less successful for me: whether local or ‘from away’ everyone spoke the same and often with the exact same expressions (eg the descriptors of the sweet old police inspector)
By the time we get to the third act I couldn’t understand at least three of the main characters’ motivation for their actions/ behaviours and a final twist that felt very left field.
This would, and I’m guessing will, suit a tv drama adaptation: it had that Monday ITV. Feel to me- that is neither a criticism nor a commendation: more my feeling of the type of story this was: looking at other reviews this has been very much enjoyed by many so this is, of course, my opinion only.
Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the chance to read.

Transport yourself to an idyllic fishing village in Cornwall with this intriguing, expertly told and compellingly enthralling mystery thriller. The local community becomes bewitched by its newest resident, Clementine, who soon makes a huge impact on several of their lives. Murder, mystery, drama and plenty of secrets and revelations to be discovered and digested. Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for the ARC.

Thanks to Tony and NetGalley for allowing me to read Who Was She before the publication date.

This book is set in a Cornish fishing village ( imagine Port Isaac where the Doc Martin series is set).

The arrival of a tall, lithe young woman has the effect of the Greek Sirens on the male population.
She says that her name is Clementine and her very presence acts like the Pied Piper, as every man is desperate to catch her attention.
Meanwhile, she carries on, moving from one man to another.

2 men arrive in the village claiming to be police officers.
Steve, the younger of the two, claims that Clementine is in fact his wife, Tina. He spins a story in which he rescued Tina from a life of prostitution when she was 16.

Clementine’s version is slightly different.
Did Steve rescue her or did he groom her?
The older man is Steve’s stepfather, a recently retired police officer with a bad reputation.

This book has an unexpected little twist at the end and would make for good holiday reading.

Tom runs a small, successful fish restaurant in a close-knit fishing community on Cornwall's south coast. Into his life comes Clementine, the most beautiful, mysterious woman he - and everyone else who falls in love with her - has ever met. But boiling passions lead to murder.
This is an interesting whodunnit that starts out like Doc Martin, becomes part Vera and ends up like Daphne du Maurier. The central characters didn't grab me enough to care about them but I enjoyed the novel's twists and turns and wanted to find out what happened in the end.
There were some unlikely coincidences with the final part coming as complete surprise. For me, this unravelling did not ring true and seemed more melodrama than crime fiction. I was also irritated by repetition and the constant references by several (not that young) characters to a 59-year-old female detective being described as elderly or the 'old lady'.
Thank you NetGalley for the preview of this book.

Set in Cornwall, this new psychological thriller from author Tony Parsons is a roller coaster of a read. When Clementine arrives in the village, she soon has villagers and visitors under her spell. But it turns out she isn’t quite who they think she is and it affects everyone who comes into contact with her. As always from this author, it’s well written , and plotted, with some really good twists, and I didnt guess the ending. I couldnt like or empathize with Clementine, and at times felt that Tom was a bit too gullible, but that said, this is perfect holiday reading, especially if you’re going to Cornwall.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishers for a copy of “ Who She Was “ for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the last couple of books by Tony Parsons so I was really looking forward to his latest.
I must admit I was a little disappointed. I loved the setting and the general feeling of unease that was set up but I couldn’t connect with the characters. Things became a little far fetched and I found it hard to care what happened , despite some unexpected twists in the story
This being said it was still highly readable but, for me, not up to the same standard as his previous books

When Clementine arrives in a small Cornish fishing village she causes a great stirring especially amongst the men of the village. Her beauty is alluring, you could almost say she was like a Siren. Tom is one of the men who falls under her spell and before long they are having an affair. It doesn't last long though, as someone turns up from her past.

What I liked: There is a constant undercurrent of foreboding which is very well done. It's clear that something bad is going to happen, but what and to whom? The setting is lovely, what isn't to like in a Cornish village?

What I didn't like: The theme of obsessive love is a little tedious - men driven mad by the beauty of a woman. There's more to love than physical attraction.

All in all, I enjoyed this book especially the atmosphere of foreboding. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Who She Was by Tony Parsons is set in a Cornish Fishing Village that is also a magnet for tourists. A beautiful young woman,Clementine,literally appears overnight when local restaurateur Tom Cooper and an elderly friend find her on the beach while checking out the fire she'd lit. Attracting attention wherever she goes it also appears that Clementine attracts trouble, both for herself and love-struck Tom. It soon becomes apparent that Clementine is a lady with a past,a past that catches up with her and affects the lives of several people, not least the hapless Tom whose obsession with her borders on the ludicrous,if he was any more of a doormat he'd have "Welcome" printed across his forehead.
This is a twisty and entertaining read with the "main event" happening suddenly and almost out of the blue when it becomes a tale of how a normally law-abiding and peaceful close-knit community react to extreme circumstances.
The only slight niggle is that there are a couple of statements repeated a few times throughout the book for no apparent reason. or if there was one it went right over my head.Tom and Clementine's whole relationship was extremely odd as well, "it's complicated" doesn't even touch the sides.
That aside a good read that includes a few current societal issues in the telling.

Clementine arrives in a Cornish village late one night. She’s discovered sitting by the fire. She is waiting to move into the village and he’s soon displaying charm to the local man. Everyone likes Clementine. But she’s hiding the past who is she really and why is she there?
Tony Parsons has once again written a book full of intrigue. Underneath there is a well written story that leads us to discover more about this mysterious woman. There are plenty of characters to get your head round. This is a real whodunnit.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to see an ARC.

This is a well written and very descriptive book that would make an excellent holiday read, especially if you’re in Cornwall. I was gripped at the start and enjoyed the characters and the setting. Halfway through I felt it was getting just a bit silly, and later I began to get annoyed with Tom for some of the stupid decisions he made and the things he did. I couldn’t understand why all the men were drooling over Clementine as I didn’t think she was a very nice person. DCI Graves was my favourite character, although I’m not convinced she would have done what she did towards the end of the book! The twist at the engagement party was a bit of a shock and I would like to have learned more about Tom’s fate right at the end of the story. This is a good read if you can suspend a little belief. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the electronic copy.

A very winding story set in Cornwall. Well written and just when you think you’ve got around the last corner another one appears. It kept me guessing right up to the last page. People - everyone has their hopes, fears and secrets.

Loved it

Thanks to NetGalley and Century, the publisher, I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

A solid thriller that really grips you from the start. It did feel a bit repetitive in parts but overall the premise and characters were good and I didn’t see the twists coming.

Wow, what a great book! I loved everything about it. I haven’t read Tony Parson’s books for a while, and I now feel like I’ve missed out on some great reads.
The story, characters and setting all drew me in very quickly. I raced through it and loved all the twists.
It’s a fabulous read and one that I’d definitely recommend. It’s certainly more than worthy of 5 stars.

This psychological thriller set in an idyllic small Cornish fishing village gets you hooked from the start.
Restaurant owner Tom and seemingly half the village fall under the spell of the beautiful incomer Clementine who makes a mysterious first appearance on the beach in the dark. Very little is known about her but her past catches up with her and a terrible crime takes place. A decision is made to cover up the death and more and more of the village get sucked into this complicity.
Tom is infatuated and tries to separate the truth from the lies about Clementine's complex past and also has to worry about the police investigation led by DCI Graves , who although nearing retirement does not look like the type who will rest until she solves this case.
Tom’s business partner Lisa is a stabilising influence and tries to convince Tom to see that a relationship with Clementine will not be good for him.
Just when it looks like Tom is going to have the life he dreams of there are several great twists to the story. There was always a hint that Tom's background was not straightforward but i was certainly taken by surprise what it revealed.
Thanks to NetGalley and Cornerstone for this ARC copy