My review:⭐⭐⭐

This is a crime story, told from Tom's point of view, and interviews with different people from after the events.  This gives the story a sense of foreboding.

Unfortunately, it's set in Cornwall, and there was enough geographic issues that brought me out of the story, and sending messages to family members about characters being near Wade bridge, catching the train from Penzance, and how Fowey was 'just up the coast'. There was another error, not to do with geography, that also brought me out of the story.

I wanted to enjoy this book, but I'm afraid there was too much pulling me out of it.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Random House.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to review this book.

Tony Parsons has produced an accomplished stand alone thriller separate from his much loved Max Wolfe series. Set down on the Cornish coast Tom Cooper owns The Lobster Pot restaurant, a place where I’d be a regular if I lived nearby. Tom is a man with secrets and he’s clearly starting afresh with the restaurant, keeping a low profile and himself to himself.

That is until Clementine turns up on the beach with nowhere to go until she can contact the agent to get the keys to her new home. Tom is captivated by her, and she is escaping an abusive husband.

Of course the husband comes looking for Clementine and a complex web of intrigue ensues that of course involves murder. Is anyone who they seem? Is Clementine a tragic heroine or a calculating user? Is Tom a good man losing his head over a beautiful woman or a bad man capable of dark deeds? There are of course, other characters who absolutely matter and add to the intrigue not least the visiting family, who become regulars at the restaurant and who become friends.

It’s an evocative tale that twists and turns until you realise that as a reader, you don’t know what you think you knew!

This is a joy to read, it’s by turns light with shades of dark and very dark with a menacing undertone through much of the book. Is there to be a happy ever after for anyone in this book - you’ll need to read it to find out, and it’s well worth the read. Highly recommended!

This was the first novel I have read by Tony Parsons and I'm sure it won't be the last!
Middle aged Tom Cooper is happily running a seafood restaurant called The Lobster Pot, with his Italian partner Lisa, in a well known part of Cornwall which is popular with holidaymakers. He enjoys his life in the area he has decided to put roots down in. The business is successful and he has a lovely life on the coast with the locals, who treat him and each other like family. Then one day this all changes when a young, beautiful, confident, red haired woman called Clemantine arrives in the community. It's love at first sight for Tom and after he gets together with Clemantine it doesn't seem as if life could get any better, That is until Clemantine's past follows her .....
I loved the mixture of human dynamics, friendship and mystery in this novel. I found it absorbing and looked forward to reading more of it each day until I had finished it.
I would have liked to have seen Tom's past explored subtly throughout the novel. However, I did enjoy the surprise ending which managed to keep you guessing, and I continued to guess what could have happened for the rest of the night.

@currentlyreading__
Book 59 of 2023

Having been a fan of @tonyparsonsuk for over two decades, I was thrilled to be given access to his new book 'Who She Was' which is published today. So, a big thanks to Tony, @NetGalley and @centurybooksuk.

This was, as always with Parsons, a great read with characters you become totally invested in. The story opens with a bonfire burning on the beach at St Judes, Cornwall. Sitting next to the bonfire is a beautiful enigmatic woman, Clementine. Our main character is Tom, a Londoner who has made his life in Cornwall and has opened a popular restaurant The Lobster Pot. Tom is entranced by the mysterious Clementine and sets out to make her part of his world. Successful in his quest, all looks rosy until Clementine's husband arrives and suggests that she isn't what she seems after all.

Parsons tends to write character-led books but this one stands apart from the rest in the beautiful prose with descriptions of the Cornish coast. Referencing Daphe Du Maurier, Parsons makes us almost feel that we are there - breathing in the salty air and standing next to Lisa as she prepares lobsters in the kitchen.

What I loved about this book were the occasions I read open mouthed at either the shocking scenes or that twist. No more said as I don't want to give away just how this book spirals towards surprise in the quest to find out who she was. It's out now and highly recommended from me. 🦞 🦞🦞🦞


#bookstagram #bibliophile #bookworm #book #booknerd #bookstagrammer #kindle #instabook #reader #bookobsessed #bookstagramuk #readersofig #bookreview #readersofinstagram #netgalley #tonyparsons #whoshewas

Who She Was is a taught thriller that will toss and turn you over like the Cornish coastline of its setting.

A mysterious woman arrives on the beach of St Jude's in Cornwall. Who is she, where has she come from, and most importantly what does she have to hide? Clementine is an enigma and enthralls those who come into contact with her, including local restaurant owner Tom Cooper. Tom quickly falls under Clementine's spell, and when her husband arrives on the scene, Tom will stop at nothing to protect the woman he loves.

This is by no means a cosy romance though, with a fast paced narrative and plenty of twists.

Tom owns a restaurant in a quiet village in Cornwall, he seems happy and content with his life until a young mysterious woman arrives and Tom soon becomes obsessed by her.
Who is she and what is she doing in this small v7?
Clementine has her own reasons for visiting this village at St. Judes, she is seeking a new slower pass of life away from London.
But when her husband turns up all the lies start to unravel.
There are some positives in this book, but also there are many cringeworthy moments that it took me longer to read than normal.
So 3.5 *

A bonfire burns on a Cornish beach in the middle of the night. Nearby, a young woman waits for morning, and for the estate agent to arrive with the keys to her new life in the peaceful fishing village. Clementine carries with her no trace of her previous life or the past she has left behind.
A well written book with strong characters & a well paced story. I did struggle with this book as it didn’t draw me in & it took me a while to read as I found my interest waning & I kept leaving it to read other books then went back to finish it. So where I usually read a book in well under a day it took me a week to read this, hence I’m on the fence about it
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

If you are looking for a book that has more twists and turns than the wildest of rollercoasters then this could be the one for you. Set in a fishing village on the Cornish coast this storyline has you wanting to know where a particular thread,and there are many, will lead you.
It starts late at night when a fire is alight on the beach at St Judes. When two of the locals investigate expecting to encounter a gang of youths they were surprised to find a young attractive woman, Clementine, waiting to see out the night before getting the keys to her new cottage in the morning. What the local community didn't realise was that anyone that came in contact with Clementine would have their lives changed forever. There was mystery and intrigue behind her and a history that would unfold and change lives. Look for romance and watch out for the violence.
The author frequently references another local author Daphne Du Maurier and her books seemlessly entwine into this one as does the scenic descriptions of the local area which paint Cornwall to be the beautiful place it is.
Although the story is somewhat unbelievable at times it is an interesting read and had me hooked from the outset.
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC which I've reviewed honestly

A bonfire burns on a Cornish beach in the middle of the night. Nearby a young woman waits for morning, and for the estate agent to arrive with the keys to her new life in the peaceful fishing village. She carries with her no trace of her previous life or the past she has left behind. Quickly she becomes an object of fascination among the locals; one in particular finds that he is falling in love with her. But can anyone really have a new life? What happened to the woman's old life? And what price did she pay to escape it.

I was pulled in from the first page. I loved the authors writing style. The story is descriptively written. I think I love Cornwall just as much as the author does. It's quite a dramatic murder mystery. I was never sure who was telling the truth and who was lying. As the story unfolds. friendships are tested. The story covers abuse, obsession, murder and deceit. The characters are well developed. There are some good twists along the way.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #RandomHouseUK #Cornerstone and the author #TinyParsons for my ARC of #WhoSheWas in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book that I have read by Tony Parsons and although I really enjoyed it I was left a little bit adrift at the end.
This story is based on a beautiful woman arriving alone at the small fishing village of St. Judes, there is something about the presence of the woman that has all the villages falling at her feet and the men falling in love with her.....but what is her story ? and can she be believed ?
One man who had fallen in love with her on first sight, to the point of loosing his sanity, is the owner of the Lobster Pot restaurant, Tom Cooper, Tom is obsessed with her but how far will he go to keep her ?
This is a story of passion, of the danger one woman can bring to a sleepy village, of corrupt policemen with their sleazy WhatsApp group, of rough justice, of one elderly police woman who will push for justice as she sees it, of jealousy, of abusive, controlling husbands, but who is telling the truth, of a broken care system but most of all, of the beauty of Cornwall.
Tony Parsons obviously has a love for this beautiful county, of it's myths, its legends, it's mystery and it's history, I could picture the steep cliffs, I could hear the cry of the gulls, the magic of the place was palpable.
Is no one immune to Clementines ethereal charm ? will Tom risk everything for love ? will justice be served ?

Fantastic suspense thriller that has you guessing at every page throughout the intriguing web of what is truth and what are lies with a truly shocking conclusion!!
Tom is an ex journalist who has moved to Cornwall and has been running the Lobster restaurant for the past ten years, he has been accepted by the small community, but still feels different. When there is a fire lit on their beach in the middle of the night out of season he is called to investigate with his neighbours. The new arrival causes quite a stir,
The intensity, the characters, the Cornish culture and atmosphere of that old fishing village with all its history are here in bucketfuls and spade’s full!!
Absolutely brilliant, shocking, moving and has stayed with me.
Hugely enjoyed and recommended.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin books for the early read!

When Clementine arrives in the Cornish Village of St Judes, she sets hearts aflutter.
Tom Cooper, the owner of The Lobster Pot, immediately falls in love with her. But other people are also in love with her and when her thought dead husband arrives, fists fly. When the husband goes missing and the Police get involved some people start to feel a bit hot under the collar.
A tale of desire, love, betrayal, friendship and lies. Easy to read and unputdownable.

The book is set in St Jude’s a beautiful fishing village in Cornwall .
A stranger is found on the beach one night and the lives of the people of St Jude’s are never the same .
Tom owns a restaurant the Lobster pot and he quickly becomes infatuated by the stranger her name is Clementine and is she all as she first appears?
This book is an atmospheric read and it has it all romance , infatuation, murder , obsession and a great twist for an ending .
The writing is excellent and makes for an easy and enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone .

I am a big fan of this author's Max Wolfe series and was devastated when he ended it. But I guess life goes on and I am now trying to embrace him in his new guise as stand alone thriller author. And we are getting there...
In this book we start with a woman on the beach, by a bonfire, waiting for the morning when she can meet the estate agent and get the keys to the house where she will begin her new life in a sleepy Cornish village. Her name is Clementine and her past is her own business. Suffice to say she is just after a new start. But her secrecy piques the interest of the villagers, especially that of Tom who is the proprietor of The Lobster Pot restaurant. So much so that he start to fall for her... But what of her past...? Secrets have a habit of coming out... And Clementine definitely has more than her fair share... But I will leave that to you to discover...
Oooof this book is chock full of secrets and lies. Clementine is a bit of a one! And she plays that part very well indeed. Leading Tony all round the houses. But is it all of her making or is she just as much a victim. For me, the jury is still out on that one as I really never quite warmed to her. Now Tom I did like. But again a bit naive which was a tad out of character. But hey, love innit!
And the setting, almost a character in its own right so integral to the plot it is.
And the secrets and lies and dysfunctional behaviour kept on coming. A tad on the eye-rolly side occasionally. It's a bit of a slow burner but it builds up nicely as it gets going. I do admit that I had to gasp and suspend belief a bit at the end which was a wee bit over the top.
But all in all, a decent enough read that kept me entertained for the duration and that's why I read... My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

St Jude’s, Cornwall, and a young woman stands next to a burning bonfire, waiting for the next chapter of her life to start. She has bought a house in the isolated fishing village and is waiting for the estate agent with the keys. She, Clementine, doesn’t want to talk much about her previous life, but it doesn’t stop her being welcomed into the village. Especially by some of the men.
As attraction becomes love and love starts to become obsession, people from Clementine’s past arrive in the village. It seems even the little that she has divulged isn’t the whole truth, and that truth is going to lead to violence…
I’m sure there is a subgenre that this thriller belongs to. Psychological thriller? Gothic Romance? Well-written soap opera? Not really sure, but I sometimes like to branch out on the blog to the areas of the crime genre that aren’t in my usual wheelhouse and after reading far too much rubbish recently, I thought it was time to try something different.
The problem with reviewing things outside of your area of expertise is that perhaps as a reader, I was missing the point in places. I’ve always been a plot-first person – regular readers of the blog know that – and this is far more about the people, the themes, the sort of thing that you could set English Literature questions on.
One of the reasons I thought I’d try this one is that it is advertised on Amazon as “Can you guess the twist?” And my general response to that on finishing the book would be “What twist?” Or, I suppose to be accurate, “Which twist?” although I’d probably refer to any twist as more of a turn in the plot, rather than something that makes you realise “everything you knew is wrong”.
It's a very well-written book that draws you in with its cast of distinct characters, characters that really bring St Jude’s to life. The narrator’s plummet into obsession regarding Clementine is believable and his actions, and the actions of those around him, do make sense in the situation.
My problems really are twofold. Personally, I could have done with a little more clarity on Clementine’s actions and decisions – how much was genuine and how much was manipulation – and I thought the final reveal, which had been hinted in part at earlier, seemed somewhat jarring.
I’m probably not the best person to review this – as a mystery/twisty-thriller, I found it lacking, but it’s worth noting that after a couple of books where I’ve barely got past the first third recently, this kept me gripped to the end. Fans of this sub-genre, whatever the sub-genre is called, should find a lot to like here.

I read this in one sitting on a lazy Sunday. It was any easy read…characters without too much depth being described more so by their location and language than getting an opportunity to really get to know them.

Frustrated at points - I think maybe since I am a woman who will never understand how a man can be rendered absolutely dumbfounded by a beautiful stranger.

Repetitive at times, this book was still a a good story of family, love, community, belonging, love and good old fashioned murder.

Love, long lost family and lobsters help set the scene for a mystery in a small Cornish village on the coast.

A very beautiful woman, Clementine), (not like the character in Bobby Darin's hit record!) arrives, rents a cottage, swims daily and the locals don't know what to make of her.

Inevitably, Tom, the owner of 'The Lobster Pot' a small restaurant, falls in love with her. But mysteries then start to unravel as to exactly who she is and why Cornwall?

I loved all the descriptions of the village, the spirit of Cornwall, the drinking, nods to Daphne de Maurier and a final, excellent twist.

All in all, a most enjoyable read and it does show what a versatile author Tony Parsons is.

Thanks to Net Galley and Random House Cornerstone for the chance to read and review.

This book is a fabulous read.! Tony Parsons captures the spirit of Cornwall and has written a thrilling page turner with a heart breaking ending that I just did not see coming,
The protagonist has run away to the end of England to start a new life, which he has been successfully doing for a while now. Another runaway turns up in the beach and they are immediately drawn to each other. And then the fun starts with more twists and turns than a Cornish country road!
Enjoy!

In a small town in Cornwall, a mysterious and very beautiful woman turns up and it seems that everyone is transfixed by her, but who is she and why is she there?

I’m not sure how to describe this book - obsessive love story with a twist?

It was reasonably enjoyable and a quick read, but lacked some of the spark and humour that I’ve previously enjoyed from Tony Parson’s books. That twist, however, was excellent and I didn’t see it coming at all.

The writing was excellent, great descriptions of the location and good character development, but just didn’t quite hit the mark for me this time.

3 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Wow! This is such a good read. The writing is excellent and pulled me in from start to finish and the characters and descriptions of the beautiful Cornish coast are excellent. This is an author with an obvious love of Cornwall and it shines throughout.

Tom runs The Lobster Pot restaurant, helped by his Italian friend, Lisa who holds a candle for Tom. All is calm and settled until the arrival of the red headed Clementine, who captivates the men and causes ripples that end in death. This is a dramatic murder/mystery and my only frustration was the behaviour of some of the characters that had me shouting out loud at times. But, that’s a small niggle and I highly recommend this 4* page turner.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House, Cornerstone for the opportunity to preview.