I’ll start by thanking #PenguinRandomHouseUK and #NetGallery for providing me with this ARC.

It all starts when a beautiful mysterious woman starts a bonfire on a beach, in the middle of the night, in a small Cornish fishing town.

This is, for me, a slow burning thriller. A whodunit. And I mean, who really did it?!
This is the first Tony Parsons novel that I have read. The way that the story is told reminded me, a little bit, like an episode of Columbo. Did I also mention the twists? Believe me there a quite a few.
Just over halfway through, for me, the story picks up momentum and then I couldn’t put it down.

Do I recommend this book? Yes!

I will be looking for more of Tony Parsons books in the future.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone, Century for the arc. I'm always honored to be granted access to an arc, but this book just wasn't for me. I only made it 29% before I had to pull out. I couldn't relate or even accept that these were actual characters because everything seemed so artificial. The characters jumped to these wild conclusions, and we don't get any details on how they came about these opinions or takes. I did enjoy the location of Cornwall!

I enjoyed this one. Riveting suspense that never lets up and has a twisty plot keeps you guessing. What more could you need??

Unusual murder mystery. A woman is found huddled around a bonfire on a Cornish beach. Local couple, Will and Bet give her a roof over her head for the night and thus set off a chain of events which will affect the some villagers' lives for ever.
Told by various people, the tale unfolds. Who is Clementine and why has she come to the village? She seems to bewitch the men of the village and while some of the women want to help her, others are more sceptical.
This is a roller-coaster of a story as different facets are revealed, bit by bit and carries on until the last page.
Loved it!

Tony’s done it again and this is my favourite book of his yet! Read this book in less than 24 hours as I couldn’t put it down and couldn’t guess where it was going. Love the small village vibes and the plot and character development was spot on. Can’t wait for Tony’s next book and I’ll be recommending this one for sure. My book of the year so far!

Clementine Is found on the beach of a Cornish fishing village of Saint Jude, the locals take her in as one of their own.
Bad decision, as things will never be the same again, who is she really and is she hiding.
A classic whodunnit, with lots of twists and turns, full of intrigue.
Loved that all the characters were well described and all had their part to play in setting the story.
As always the author takes you on a twisty, vulnerable journey.
Thanks @tonyparsonsuk, @centurybooksuk & @netgalley for the eARC

Obsession...lies...murder...

Now THIS! THIS is much better than my first foray with Tony Parsons that I read yesterday. "The People Next Door" was such a disappointment and so far fetched even the elasticity of my imagination could not stretch that far. But this...this is so much better. And I love the Cornish setting which is a character in itself. The windswept seas and the jagged cliffs only add to the atmospheric chills that are felt within these pages.

A bonfire on the beach captures the attention of locals. An incomer, emmet, townie no doubt hunkered down for warmth only to be taken out on the next tide if they're not careful. And so locals Bet and Will Farthing bring young Clementine home and give her shelter for the night as she awaits to collect the keys to the blue and white cottage she's taken a lease out on for the year. She carries nothing with her to identify from where she's come or what she's left behind. But it isn't long before the young redhead becomes a source of fascination amongst the locals in the fishing village of St Judes she has chosen to call home.

But one man soon falls under Clementine's spell and his fascination soon becomes obsession. Tom Cooper, owner of the Lobster Pot restaurant, cannot keep his eyes or his thoughts from the beautiful young redhead. Even when she took Charlie Farthing home and they stayed in her cottage all night. Even when her past comes looking for her in the furtherest county in the country. Even when he hears rumours of her life before. Even then. Tom is obsessed with Clementine and will do anything for her. Anything? Even murder?

But Tom finds himself in a quandary as he tries to separate the truth from the lies about Clementine's somewhat complex past. Is she all she appears to be? And then when a body is discovered in the waters of the estuary, the people of St Judes find they have the police digging around when the Cornish have their own way of meting out justice. But DCI Graves won't be put off...nor will she be fooled. She may be about to retire but she won't rest until she solves the case.

This sweeping tale had me feeling a but like I was in Portwenn but with the ruggedness of Poldark and the chilling atmosphere of du Maurier, whom I am pleased to see been given a nod throughout the story. Even Winston Graham gets a mention. But the secret is in the setting. There is something mysterious and atmospheric about Cornwall. The perfect setting for psychological thrillers and this one was no different.

I was so pleased to have enjoyed this one so much more than the previous one though the ending does leave a few questions. I'm still not sure how to take it but I think Parsons must like the open-ended conclusions, leaving the reader to make up their own minds maybe. Either way, this was an enthralling tale that kept me intrigued throughout that I devoured it in a day. And a few good twists thrown in to keep you on your toes also.

I would like to thank #TonyParsons, #Netgalley and #RandomHouseCentury for an ARC of #WhoSheWas in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

This was a slow burn and I wasn't sure where this was going with it. This was my first exposure to Tony Parsons. Overall I enjoyed it - it was very descriptive of Cornwall and this is not the first book that I have read recently which shows the divide between locals and tourists or second home people, so it appears to becoming a theme.

One of the main characters completely irritated me and the twist at the end was interesting I just wasnt sure if it fit.

Overall an enjoyable escapism read.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

I have read this author’s work before & this didn’t feel like his usual fayre. Not that there was anything wrong with it, just different.

In a small Cornish fishing village, a beautiful woman arrives alone. Who is she? Why is she there? More importantly, what is this ethereal charm she seems to exude? All seem to fall under her spell, particularly Tom, a local restaurant owner.

A slow burner with beautiful descriptions of Cornwall - the characters, landscape, myths & traditions. I enjoyed reading it but I’m still not 100% sure of what I read. Intimate or claustrophobic? Read it & decide for yourself.

This is an astonishing read. Perfectly set in a small Cornish town, the small number of characters could see it well adapted to stage. It is unpredictable throughout, but each character so sensitively portrayed. Read it, you won’t be disappointed.

I have a few Tony Parson's books in the past a d loved them. This unfortunately didn't fit the bill. I found it tedious and boring. Not up to his usual standard. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

As a woman waits for her estate agent to show up in the morning with keys to her new home , she lights a bonfire on the beach to keep warm. The mystery woman soon has the village buzzing with interest - predictably, given how the inhabitants of small places invariably react to a stranger in their midst.

But while Clementine is planning to start a new life in this idyllic Cornish village, the impact of her arrival will be far from peaceful. What is she running from? And what price will she have to pay to outrun her past?

Tom Cooper, owner of the local lobster restaurant, doesn't care. Besotted with the red-headed temptress, he is willing to pay any price. Though going into it, he is perhaps not aware of just how high a price will be involved...

This book has, like most, both strengths and weaknesses. The descriptions certainly do Cornwall justice - drawing on local culture and traditions, it is a veritable mine of information, and uses this setting to create an atmospheric novel.

At times, it feels a little derivative of Daphne du Maurier, but that may be an unfair comparison. The plot felt a little thin and not entirely unpredictable, so for me the real strength of the book lies in its rendering of the location and its inhabitants.

As usual in my reviews I will not rehash the publisher's blurb or the plot - just give my impressions and opinion.

I've read all the "Max Wolfe" novels by Tony Parsons and really enjoyed them, so was pleased to be invited to read this novel.

The setting, characters and writing style felt very different to me. The plot - although well thought out, and with more than a few twists, kindof lost its way a little at times. The characters are well written - but most of them (apart from DI Graves) are not remotely likeable - some are in fact detestable, which I suppose shows the quality of the writing.

There is a very "edgy" feel to this novel. You don't know what to expect, as several characters are in the grip of an obsession. You cannot be sure who - if anyone - is telling the truth (again, great writing). There is an excellent twist in the tale near the end of the story, but I was rather disappointed by the ultimate ending as I'd hoped that the character in question would have done things differently.

All in all a different style from Mr Parsons, so well done to him for that. However I definitely enjoyed the "Wolfe" novels more :-)

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

I really enjoy Tony Parsons' books as they have always excited me, kept me on tenterhooks and had me reading long into the night. Unfortunately, Who She Was, for me, is nowhere near on a par with his previous books which I am upset about.

It pains me to say this but I found the story boring, the plot tedious, the characters totally unlikeable or memorable and the twists just meh!

Now, this is my opinion only and I have seen lots of reviews that rate this very highly so please don't take my word for it ... you can't please everyone all of the time! I also won't let this blip put me off from reading more of Tony Parsons work in the future.

Thanks must go to the author, Random House UK, Cornerstone, Century and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of Who She Was.

This book twists and turns and you feel for Tom as his emotions and hopes are repeatedly raised and then dashed.
It was intriguing and you may have thought that all was done when the book was only halfway through but there was still plenty to happen.
Unfortunately I struggled to get into it and it took me much longer to finish than it normally would. I liked most of the local characters but didn't take to Clementine which may have been part of the problem.

The very beautiful but mysterious Clementine arrives in a picturesque little village in Cornwall and the local residents don’t know what to make of her.

Just as they are becoming bewitched by her, the mystery about who she is and what she has escaped is unravelling.

A twisty tale of obsession, murder and revenge! I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of this but it is out now!

Although I have said romance, this is not a romantic story overall, the plot twists and turns throughout and until the very end you are kept guessing about @who she really was'
Good book, well written, riveting read

Not my first novel by Tony Parsons - and it definitely won't be my last!

In a small Cornish fishing village, any arrival sparks interest but more so when it's a very beautiful woman. Everyone is aware of her presence, especially the owner of a local restaurant who finds himself falling in love with her. Then a police officer turns up in the village and, as it turns out, claims the beauty is his daughter-in-law. When secrets come into the open, someone always gets hurt . . .

Kicking off as a lovely little tale in a gorgeous Cornish village, it doesn't take long for things to become more serious. Secrets can't stay quiet for long when there's this much going on and I was floored more than once by the unexpected twists and turns throughout this book. An absolutely gripping read all the way through and definitely one I would recommend. 5* without hesitation.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

The interesting part about this story for me was who was actually telling the truth and moreover, was the author telling us the truth at times!! Set in Cornwall, the story is highly descriptive about the beauty of the region both at the coast and inland and we are given insights into its historical past too. We have people who are Cornish born and bred alongside the incomers , most of whom have a secret they are trying to hide and then the holiday makers. The story goes along at a good pace with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader page turning and then it ends with something which I didn't see coming. First time reading this author but definitely not the last.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.

As a new author to me, I enjoyed his character writing. I understood those characters involved, even Clementine. She involves herself with the local community as much as Londoner Tom does, when he arrives and opens the Lobster Pot restaurant. The lady appears happy with life until her husband arrives on the scene and the reader finds a very different past to the expected version. The restaurant quickly becomes a hive of either concerned people or potential murderers, or perhaps both. Tom seems to want to look after Clementine, but why, apart from perhaps falling in love with a woman who maybe can’t be loved. I enjoyed the talk around Cornwall and areas I haven’t visited but would enjoy seeing now. The suspense led me to want to turn the kindle pages quicker and while I expected a twist at some stage, I didn’t see that coming. I hope to read more from this writer.