Wow!!! What a great read! I couldn’t put it down. I didn’t see any spelling or grammar issues and I thought the book flowed wonderfully. Sometimes it’s hard for a book to keep my attention if it isn’t fast paced from the very beginning but I have no issues here. Fast paced and well written! I’ll definitely be recommending this one to everyone. 5*s

This was a good easy to read story about Lissa McColl, the nurse in the title. Written in two parts, the first as a 10 year old, bullied by her school friends and largely ignored by her parents she is a solitary child who takes drastic action against the child who is the worst of the bullies. Fast forward to her teens and her father is killed in a road traffic accident and a shocking revelation sends her highly strung mother into a catatonic state necessitating long term hospitalisation and the need for Lissa to take action to improve their financial situation. A real page turner, I genuinely couldn’t put it down wanting to know what would happen to Lissa.

Briefly, part two and adult Lissa is now a qualified nurse. Probably not the most caring nurse ever! Life revolves around Lissa’s mother who is still in a very expensive nursing home. Lissa visits at every opportunity and works long hours and lives in a garage that has been converted into a tiny home.

Lissa is a great character who despite her tendencies towards being a psychopath had a side to her that I couldn’t help but feeling sorry for. The child parent relationship between Lissa and her mother was quite emotional, a child who grew up still desperate for her mothers love. A good psychological thriller, engaging and entertaining, that left me wanting more. Will she? Won’t she? You decide!

What a gripping read! This book has so many twists and turns it made me dizzy. I sat up until the early hours, desperate to finish this story. It's clever and unique and the ending is one that I definitely didn't see coming. With whole host of flawed characters and a series of tumultuous occurrences, this book is the very definition of a psychological thriller. A full healthy 5 stars from me!

As a nurse I love reading books set in the world of health care. This book didn't disappoint and it kept me guessing what would happen next. I'm excited to read more.

I'm not sure where it all went wrong for me here, but I think I epected something totally different from this book and it turned out to be my downfall. I am a nurse, so was looking for a creepy, suspenseful medical thriller, which this book was not. I also found it very difficult to relate to Lissa, which didn't help. However, that aside, I think that this book will appeal to a vast audience looking for a quick, entertaining thriller, it just wasn't a good fit for me.

This felt a lot like the netflix show the good nurse about serial killer Charlie Cullen but it's still a fresh and original album story and a really captivating read. There are plenty twists and turns and the plot is constantly moving forward. It had a good solid back story which sets the reader up for the events of the present and gives a good insight as to how she's ended up the person she is. I couldnt put it down! It's a must read for thriller fans or true crime lovers

Thank you NetGalley and Valerie Keogh for this ARC.

Amazing thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed reading this one. One of my favorite books so far this year.

This book was amazing! The twist and turns kept me on the edge of my seat. I truly felt the authors feelings for the Lissa and what she went through. I look forward to reading more form Valerie. Keep up the good work!!

Book Title: The Nurse
Author: Valeria Keogh
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Pub Date: July 21, 202
My Rating: 3.4 Stars
Pages: 301


Story starts when Lissa McColl was ten year- old, and Jemma the new girl is introduced to class classmates are wowed by her clothes, hair even her school bag. Jemma immediately becomes “the popular girl” and of course has a following. They start to pick on those who aren’t part of their ‘in’ group and Lissa in particular is bullied. This goes on for some time and Lissa has had enough and plans to kill her. Yes at age ten Lissa has a detailed plan and it works.
Since she got away with that, it appears that by doing bad things she gains respected and is valued in a way she never experiencing before.

Lissa is now a respected nurse only she hates her job. She finds most people rude, selfish and inconsiderate. As a trusted nurse she learned than she could easily substitute water for a pain injection instead of the prescribed medication. She wasn’t always mean and would correct the situation especially if her opinion of the patient wasn’t correct unless the patient is definitely obnoxious then she would allow them to suffer.
Yikes there is no doubt Lissa is cruel and a bit creepy!

Story has me curious ~ This is my seventh author, Valerie Keogh ~ I totally love her thrillers!
I have read enough to know she likes to keep her readers guessing when the story is over.
Yep! She does again!!

Want to thank NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 21, 2023.

Lissa had a difficult childhood but is finally respected for her nursing skills, the only thing is, she doesn't really like the people she works with or the patients, but she's in a position to exploit all that, a fantastic, physiological thriller that's a page turner

I could not put this book down. It showed a nurse who had compassion for helping others to a certain degree yet killed with her perceived justifications. Thrilling and intriguing read.

I am a big fan of this author. now this book addictive from the first page. I read it in a day. Lissa is a nurse. But she wishes she had done something else.at the age of ten. Lissa took her school bully out. her first kill, when she was young her parents. Lived in their own little love bubble with Lissa on the outside. The day her father dies everything changes for Lissa she is on her own. Her mother. needs 24-hour care. And she will do anything to make sure she has the best home. And one day she meets a woman who unsettles her and intrigues her. I won't say no more but a very gripping and addictive read. you won't want to stop once you start.

Brilliant and gripping story by this fantastic author. Gripping, and made me read super quick over 2 nights. Would 💯 Recommend

It’s becoming a habit of mine to try and guess the ending of thrillers. This book had me on the ropes so many times with twists and turns- so many I couldn’t keep up. The whole book is in chronological order which I love as it really allows you to understand the character of Lissa. My first book by Valerie Keogh but definitely not my last!!

Thank you to @valeriekeogh2 and @bookandtonic for allowing me to read and review this ARC copy from @netgalley. The Nurse is released on 21st July 2023

Thank you to #NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Valerie Keogh for the opportunity to read THE NURSE, to be published 21 July 2023. Keogh always delivers great reads and this is one of the best! Lissa learns about life and death at the age of 10. She becomes a nurse and continues her life in a manner that she feels comforted in doing. Her story is amazing, the plot very psychologically thrilling and I never guessed the end! 5/5 Stars. #NetGalley. #BoldwoodBooks. #ValerieKeogh #TheNurse

The Nurse
By Valerie Keogh
2/5⭐️

I was super excited to get this one on NetGalley. The cover and blurb really drew me in! Unfortunately it fell a little short for me. I am a nurse, so I was ready for some creepy and crazy things to happen. I think I went in with an idea of how the book would be and it wasn’t like that at all.

This book is broken up into 2 parts. The first part focuses on her childhood, the second when she is in her late 20’s working as a nurse.

I guess I was expecting more nursing related things in this book. I felt like it hardly touching on the nursing profession and at times I forgot she was even a nurse in this story. There are little mentions that she is a nurse sprinkled throughout like mentioning things she would know because she’s a nurse.

I felt like there were so many little side stories and it was hard to stay on track. I found myself skimming mostly to just hurry up and finish the book.

I hate writing negative reviews on books but I’m also an honest person. The twists were predictable and I saw them coming. I can see where some may enjoy this one but it just wasn’t a hit for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Okay I have to say this first. I was and am incredibly jealous of a system where someone just has to pay a top-off for a nice facility for their catatonic mother. 400 a month! Sign me up to live there! Here in American it would be lifelong debt for the crappiest place around.
Murder can't even save us.
I found the main character tedious. Until 50% of the book the only interesting thing she ever did in her life was murder a couple of people in a super boring way. I kept putting the book down and doing other dumb things because I could not focus on homegirl. She reminded me too much of this woman I used to work with. Very routine, by the book, low key evil, and boring.
Anyway, that is the point. She is supposed to be that way so you get o enjoy the delicious ending!
Bravo!

Great read of a young school girl who is bullied at school, the only way she can think to stop herself from being bullied is to kill her and so she does….this is just the start though!,,, what happens next you will have to read to find out!

This brilliant thriller had me totally hooked from the very first line. This had great well thought out characters and plenty of twists and turns with no obvious outcome. Lissa McColl faces every challenge head on and when her life as she knows it falls apart she has to take control and find solutions. Lissa becomes a respected nurse and uses her knowledge to settle scores the only way she knows how…….. I don’t want to say too much and give too much away except that this is pacy, dark and at times creepy read. It really makes you think how you should never judge a book by its cover! Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

This is a diverting read centred around the character of Lissa, who's a bit of an antihero, I suppose. Let's just say the solutions she finds to problems - a school bully, financial problems - aren't the ones most of us would choose. Probably not someone you would ideally want to pursue a career in nursing, but that's exactly what she does.

The first part of the book is devoted to her childhood, and she doesn't actually become a nurse until a third of the way in. Adult Lissa's work as an agency nurse, largely in care homes, was credibly described and the author seems to know what she's talking about here, which is more than can be said for a lot of writers who use these settings.

I didn't entirely buy how profoundly and permanently her mother, Cathy, was affected by what happened to her though. I get that Cathy was emotionally fragile, but it seemed a bit over the top.

Lissa is an unusual character and it was interesting to see her perspective. She does some shockingly awful things, but isn't entirely without morality or guilt.

An enjoyable read. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy!