An enjoyable read, and I did not see the twists that came at the very end due to focusing on the wrong character.

Would recommend.

Set in gorgeous Cornwall. Clementine arrives in the middle of the night and waits on the beach while the estate agent arrives with her keys. Making a fire on the beach, she's soon approached by locals who think she's up to no good. Wherever she goes, whatever she does, it seems all eyes are on the beautiful red head.

This is quite a slow burn read but with lots of breadcrumbs dotted around as all is not quite what it appears to be. There are quite a few characters, and once they have been introduced, the storyline does pick up pace.

This is my first book by this author, and I'm keen to read more.

Now I usually love this author's work and I love his Max Wolfe series but for me this book was not on par with his other work. A very slow burner with a plot that was nothing special. Repetitive, I did finish this book but not what I was expecting from this very talented author. I will not be posting a review.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the Arc in return for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for and ARC.
I enjoyed Tony Parsons' DI Max Wolfe tales but this novel escaped me. It was a bit pedestrian and I got bored with the main girl character captivating ALL the men in the village. The arrival of an outsider to a cosy village is not a new concept and I found this not very original storyline.

A fabulously written gripping story that was a pleasure to read. I would absolutely recommend this book

4⭐️ !!

On a Cornish beach, a bonfire burns late at night, a woman alone waits there for the keys to her new home in the morning. Nobody knows where she’s come from or who she is. The locals become fascinated by her, wanting to understand her, especially one man who falls in deeper than the rest. What happened in her past to make her come here alone with nothing and what secrets is she still hiding?

This was a really fast paced and mysterious psychological thriller with romance intertwined that had me gripped from the very beginning. There are lots of twists throughout, that leave you wondering who is telling the truth and who is lying. Tony’s writing style marries the perfect amount of description of the scenery whilst still developing the characters and revealing many layers of deception between them.

Tony Parsons is undoubtedly a master storyteller with his engaging storylines, authentic characters, emotional depth, and thought-provoking social commentary.

Although he has certainly established himself as a prominent figure in the literary world, however, I feel that his latest offering missed the mark by such a way that it feels almost unrecognisable as one of his works.

His novels are often filled with unexpected twists and turns, making it impossible to tear yourself away from turning the page but ‘Who She Was’ just felt like a rushed mess of half finished ideas.

One of the most crucial aspects of any novel is the development of its characters. Sadly, ‘Who She Was’ fails to deliver in this regard. Tom, the central character, never truly comes to life on the pages. His motivations, desires, and struggles remain shallow and underdeveloped, leaving readers disconnected from his journey. ‘Who She Was’ also suffers from inconsistent pacing throughout its pages. The story drags in some sections, making it difficult to maintain interest, while rushing through others, leaving readers feeling disoriented. This inconsistency disrupts the flow of the narrative and prevents readers from fully immersing themselves in the story. The emotional depth of the story remains shallow, leaving readers detached from the characters and their experiences.

‘Who She Was’ by Tony Parsons falls short of being anything other than alright. The novel’s lackluster character development, predictability, inconsistent pacing, and absence of emotional depth make it a disappointing read. While every reader’s taste varies, this particular work failed to leave a lasting positive impression on me.

This is a love story with a bit of drama and a twist at the end. I found it difficult to understand the power that the main female character has over everyone she meets. However, the main male character is suitably flawed and engaging and overall the story was easy to read.

A mysterious young woman, Clementine, turns up early one morning on the beach of St. Jude's in Cornwall. The residents of the small fishing community quickly treat her as one of their own. Clementine has recently been widowed and she is seeking a new life away from London. When her husband turns up, we learn that Clementine faked her own death to escape an abusive relationship. However, her husband is determined that she will return home with him.

I would describe Who She Was from Tony Parsons as a "slow burner", there's nothing dramatic in the early part of the story but you have this nagging doubt that there's something not quite right. We meet Tom, a journalist who gave up his job in London in order to open a restaurant in the Cornish village ten years before. Life for Tom sounds idyllic; he's doing a job he loves and has been accepted as a member of the community.

When Clementine turns up she has a strange effect on the residents. Her beauty and mystery seem to be a magnet for most of the men, and the women willingly accept her. There are hints of jealousy as some of the men vie for Clementine's attention, but none of it is hostile. This ability to play with people's affections is what makes you wary of the character. Initially I felt sympathetic, particularly when I learnt about her husband's death, but this changed as she proved to be fickle.

The appearance of Clementine's husband is the catalyst for the story. You immediately begin to question everything she has said. As both sides of the relationship give their version of events you really do begin to wonder who, if anyone, is telling the truth. The more we learn about Clementine you begin to wonder if she is a masterful manipulator, particularly where men are concerned.

A momentary lapse leads to devastating consequences and we see the community rally together to protect its own. You feel the tension coming off the page in waves but there is always that niggle, a doubt, that we're still missing something. The conclusion finally reveals a number of twists, one of which is satisfying and another that has been there all along, just out of sight.

The Cornish coastline has to be mentioned as it's like a character itself. Beautiful and alluring but with hidden depths that are full of danger, waiting to drag the unsuspecting down. It is impossible not to make comparisons between the landscape and Clementine.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC.
Clementine arrives in the middle of the night in a small Cornish town. She captivates the men of the village. Her background is a mystery.
I enjoyed this to a certain degree but Clementine didn't really move me. Tom was a better character but when I started thinking about how he was keeping his restaurant open considering the amount of alcohol being drank and that he was supposed to be running it alone, I realised that the story had ceased to keep my interest.
Well written, just not for me.

A romantic crime thriller that captures infatuation and fascination surrounding a beautiful woman arriving in a small seaside town. Wonderful characterization and a captivating novel. The twists and turns intensify the story and highlight the dilemma of love. Recommended to all romantic crime readers and worthy of five stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.
I enjoyed the story a lot. It keeps up a good level of tension; I wouldn’t say I was continually on the edge of my seat, but I was definitely always wondering when the next shoe would drop.
Tom, a restaurant owner in a small Cornish town, falls head-over-heels for Clementine, a mysterious visitor escaping an abusive marriage. Or is she? Events occur which lead Tom to wonder how truthful Clementine is. Is she a desperate woman in need of help, or a clever manipulator?
As the story unfolds, friendships are tested and people are driven to uncharacteristic acts. And an interesting twist at the end, though I was quite pleased that I had at least partially guessed -not what was going to happen- but at least why it was happening.
The only thing I would question is that sometimes the way characters responded to ongoing events didn’t quite convince me, but otherwise a very good read.

I love Tony Parsons books , especially the Max Wolfe. I must admit I found this pretty uninteresting and just didn’t like the characters or the book at all! Thanks for the chance to review. #WhoSheWas #NetGalley.

I've read three of Parsons's books, all of them in the very enjoyable DI Max Wolfe series, so it was intriguing to read something quite different by him.

"Secrets and lies eat away what is good and leave only destruction." (Cassandra Clare) They very certainly do. This has you scratching your head throughout. Who's lying, who's telling the truth, who’s keeping secrets? How can one mysterious woman change so many lives?

I enjoyed this, but I was just a smidge frustrated by the either/or ending. However, that's just a little niggle. Parsons's expertise and talent for writing a captivating story is all in there in bucket-loads.

I have an inability to not finish a book. If I start it, I must finish it, no matter what. It is very rare that I put a book down. This one was close. The premise of the story is that a beautiful woman, Clementine, arrives on a beach in Cornwall in the middle of the night. She lights a bonfire to stay warm, while waiting for an estate agent the next morning, with keys to a cottage for her to start a new life in. When local Tom goes down to explore the fire, he falls in love. As does the rest of the village, particularly the men. Tom owns the local lobster restaurant, The Lobster Pot. He soon finds himself vying for Clementine’s attention, and at first, failing to win it.

Then Clementine’s past comes calling, and it brings a lot of trouble with it. There are fights police, threats, intimidation and beatings. The locals all rally around Clementine and go to extreme lengths to protect her.

This book went off the rails for me. There were repeated descriptions of Cornwall and how beautiful it was, which I appreciated - if I was reading a tour book. Repeated descriptions of how beautiful Clementine was. She would really have to be a stunner for so many men to ignore the fact that she was hopping from bed to bed, and manipulating them to get what she wanted when she needed it. I learned how to prepare lobster for cooking. I am vegetarian. Overall I learned that I really need to put a book down when I am fed up of it because this book absolutely did not improve as it progressed, it delved further into the realm of farcical, and left me annoyed at myself and at it for wasting my time!

*I received this book from NetGalley for review, but all opinions are my own.

I read this book within 24 hrs of receiving. That’s how good it is. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Clementine arrives in a small village in Cornwall, she mesmerises men and before long has most of the men in the village under her spell including Tom Cooper. Tom owns The Lobster Pot restaurante and falls in love with Clementine at first sight. But there’s more to Clementine than meets the eye, who is she, where has she come from, is she widowed?

It’s hard to describe this book, it’s a murder/mystery, with romance and it’s also a glimpse into village life in Cornwall. Cornwall, beautiful and mesmerising just like Clementine and its people, friendly, and welcoming to visitors and incomers but ultimately sticking with their own and closing ranks when necessary. As someone who lived many years on the beautiful north coast of Cornwall, I loved the descriptions of the county, it’s scenery and it’s people and I was hooked into this storyline from the word go.

Tony Parsons never disappoints!!
My thanks go to Tony Parsons, his publishers and to NetGalley for an advanced e.reader copy of this book. The review is, however, entirely voluntarily given and is my true opinion of the book.

This was very well written and the story wove with different details that made this a good read. An as always must read from Tony Parsons

I have read most of Tony Parsons books, and particularly like the Max Wolfe series, so I thought this would be a great read. Unfortunately I was wrong and I had to check it was written by the right author. I know that the other books can be quite repetitive when describing the same person, place and thing, I know exactly what Max and everyone around him look like and all about the Black Museum, but this was taken to another level in this book.

Clementine arrives in the night at a beach in a small Cornish seaside town and instantly captures the adoration of everyone she meets. She is long and lean with a gummy smile and red hair and utterly captivating apparently. She is manipulative and switches her attention like a light switch and I really didn't like her, or the other main character. Bad things happen and they happen quickly before moving on to more talk of Clementine. The speed at which the villagers and holidaymakers get drawn into crime is startling and unbelievable.

I am sorry but I really didn't enjoy this book but the description of how to prepare a lobster was interesting.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC.

It took a while to get into this book, I was not overimpressed with the plot I did not get why everyone instantly fell in love with Clementine and why everyone acceoted that she had slept with everyone else. Also the characters of two policemen Monk were, in my opinion, overdone. The Cornwall yokel aspect was also done to death.
I actually enjoyed the last couple of chapters with the unexpected twists.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Another absolute cracker of a read from Tony Parsons, which I read in one sitting as I couldn't stop page turning.

Such a unique storyline that just kept on giving. A slow build up in the first few chapters while the characters are introduced then all of a sudden, the pace quickens.

When a newcomer moves into a quiet fishing village in Cornwall it's soon clear that things will never be the same. The local men are fascinated by her but will they be playing with fire if they get too involved?

Where did this woman come from? What secrets does she hold? Will anyone risk everything for her?

Secrets, lies, obsession and murder, all set in a beautiful location. Atmospheric and descriptive writing. Likeable and totally unlikeable characters. What more could you ask for from a book?

Mainly written from Tom's (the owner of the Lobster Pot) point of view in current time with other views scripted into the chapters. Totally loved this style of writing.

An easy five star read for me.