I read a pre-publication issue of this book. It seems to have been well-written. It is high action - a little too much so for me.

I didn’t love this one…I was hopeful at the beginning when it seemed as if it I’d be reading a story about a mother who has concerns about her son's increasingly dark behavior. But as the story moved along, more and more elements were introduced and connected in not so seamless ways. Too many things going on for me, too many loose ends tied together at the end.

I was invested in this book from pretty much the first page. It’s a gripping thriller that builds the tension throughout the chapters. There are plenty of twists to keep you guessing and you’ll find this book hard to put down. Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and the author for the chance to review.

My first experience of an Elena Wilkes novel and a very enjoyable one it has been.

Various characters’ actions were guessable and others indicated one way but went in a different direction, so it was never comfortable to imagine you could predict the next twist.

The premise for the book and the main driver for the author is the suspected interaction with criminality that her son may be involved in. As a teenager, it was a bit of a suspension of belief that he might be the main protagonist, directing adults on their actions, but apart from that, the story was believable.

Worth a read.

This is exactly the type of book I gravitate toward...gritty family drama with lurid secrets upon secrets and know one really knowing anyone else as well as they think they do.

However, it failed to come together in a satisfying way and it didn't deliver all that it could have and it's too bad because it has so much potential.

Thanks to the author and the publisher for gifting me a copy,.

A criminal underworld and a plot line so convoluted and twisty that you’re always looking over your shoulder and don’t know who to trust. You invest your trust in someone then, even as the reader, you feel let down manipulated and naive when they let you down, clever writing indeed.
There are sensitive and menacing areas tackled in this, including people trafficking for sex, child abuse and grooming and manipulation of the vulnerable including the dark and sinister hierarchy and workings of the inner prison system.
I loved the characters and felt the vulnerability and desperation of the main character and how she was trying to protect her own son, at any cost and had nobody to trust. The action and pace was excellent and it truly was gripping. I can’t wait to read more by this author, definitely recommend.

Hell yes this was such a good read and certainly kept me on my toes throughout!
The story starts off a little bit slow but once it begins to unfold we are drawn into a web of deceit and lies as the main character Beth struggles to know who to believe her husband Drew who is a policeman and seems to be hiding something or her son who is secretive seems to getting all kinds of trouble. Turning to work colleagues for help Beth’s life then starts to spirals out of control and she plunges deeper into what is going on.
This for me was the the first book by this author and I was really impressed by the complexity of the plot line, the character structure and the excellent writing. After the first few chapters I found myself racing through the book as the twists kept coming and the gripping pace of the story grabs me till the dramatic end.
So a great read and one I would highly recommend, many thanks to Elena Wilkes.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This thriller was slow to start but then speeded up considerably.
There were lots of unlikeable characters and it was difficult to know who was telling the truth.
I found the story unbelievable in parts but I had to keep reading to find out what was going on.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my e-copy in exchange for a honest review.

This has the potential to be a really good read, sadly I struggled with it and couldn’t finish it. Disjointed at times and hard to follow. Thank you for the change to review however.

Rating: 1.8/5

I really struggled to get into this. "The Son" certainly has the potential to be a thoroughly enjoyable thriller, but I couldn't get away from the sense that it felt as though it was still in draft form and awaiting further reworking.

The style is very disjointed and frequently feels like the narrative is being driven by lead character Beth's stream of consciousness rather than following a structured plan laid out by the author and, as a result, it is all a bit frenetic. In fact, I would go as far as to say that I got the impression that Elena Wilkes finds the background plotting boring, so she simply cracks on with writing the bits that she finds engaging, such as the action sequences and the sections where the plot twists are revealed. The problem is that those "highlights" don't really work properly unless they are put into the context of some solid plot and characterisation groundwork. Overall, "The Son" is not without merit, but it could and should have been an awful lot better.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

Beth is a Samaritan worker in a local prison, loyal mother to her teenage son and newly married to police officer Drew. However, when she starts receiving mysterious phone calls from Melanie, she worries the men in her life might not be all they appear to be.

The Son is a twisty thriller which kept me guessing throughout. It’s actually quite a difficult read, as Beth is gaslit by everyone and unsure of who to trust. That being said, I found Beth to be quite an annoying main character as she jumped to conclusions, made weird decisions and made excuses for her son throughout. She’s one of those characters you want to shake and yell at whilst reading for being too stupid. Although, a lot of the characters around her seem to be acting in weird ways and there are a lot of red herrings which did not help her state of mind!

Beth also gets herself in some really dangerous situations but always seems to get out of them unscathed. The prose starts off slowly but by the end really picks up the pace to race to the finish line. The main twist really takes the book in a completely different direction from where I was guessing we were heading and might be triggering for some. I don’t think the conclusion really wrapped as much up as I was hoping for, particularly when it came to Beth and her personal life.

Overall, The Son is a twisty read, although the naivety of the main character was irritating at times. Thank you to NetGalley & Storm Publishing for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a ride! While the beginning was a tad gradual for my taste, once you're immersed in this book, it takes off like a whirlwind. The pace is so rapid that it practically leaves your head spinning!

The unexpected twist that emerges is absolutely brilliant – a curveball I never saw coming. The author's ability to weave in such a surprising element is truly commendable.

Amidst the breakneck speed of the plot, there's a multitude of well-crafted characters, each with their own intricately woven storylines. Following their journeys is a breeze, thanks to their clear and engaging development.

This was an undeniably enjoyable read, no doubt about it. My heartfelt gratitude goes out to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for granting me early access to this captivating book. Your generosity in sharing this story is greatly appreciated!

The Son was a good thriller. There were definitely so many twists and I felt like I couldn’t believe what anyone was saying. There were so many lies and bent truths, it was fascinating to read it all unravel at the end. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers that deal with corruption and have a ton of twists. I read it in one sitting and it was definitely a good read.

Just the type of book I like to get lost in. Fast-paced and full of suspense. Very good characters! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Aww I was hooked on this one! It's well written with so many twists and turns that you never know if you're coming or going until the big reveal. Is it realistic, who cares.... its fiction and thoroughly entertaining. Its also got an original storyline that hasn't been done a dozen times before. I loved it

The Son
A completely gripping psychological thriller with a shocking twist
by Elena Wilkes

Thank you Storm Publishing, NetGalley & Elena Wilkes for an advanced copy of this book. I did complete the book, BUT it was hard to keep up with the storyline. I just felt it was dark and creepy and the characters were just very unrealistic. The plot was about human trafficking.

A dark story, that through twists and turns, reveals a family infested with secrets and lies. Beth seems to have the perfect life now that she has found the man of her dreams who seems to have become a father figure to her son. Stepfather and son are getting close but Beth has almost become jealous as she is seeing signs of secret looks between them. Then one night Beth gets a phone call warning her not to ‘trust him’ she confides in her counsellor friend who tries to reassure her but Beth does not know what to believe anymore and things spiral from there. It gets to the point where she doesn’t know who to trust, and, as a reader, we don’t either.
I enjoyed this mystery, thriller. And was keen to see where the story lead. I was at times frustrated with Beth and I found some of her actions quite far fetched, but, overall, this is a good read.

This book was painfully irritating. The setting changes, unrealistic plot and infuriating characters made it impossible to carry on reading. I forced myself to finish it for the purpose of this review but it failed to entertain me.

I found this quite a disturbing book and could not believe his guillable Beth was about her son joe.
She knew there was something not quite right about his behaviour but could not beiieve her son could do anything wrong. I did not like Beth and thought she needed to wake up and see how her behaviour has affected him.
It was overlong and it was not a book that I would recommend to anyone who has problems with their children.
Thanks net galley for letting me read this book but I found it quite upsetting.

Unfortunately this wasn’t one of my favourite reads. The concept was good but it just didn’t flow that well in my opinion. The scenes kept swapping and changing which made it quite unrealistic in my eyes. I really wanted to enjoy this book but halfway through i just felt like i lost interest and was rushing to the end. I would however try another book by this author and give it a second chance.

Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me an advanced copy to read in exchange for my open and honest review. As always, my reviews will also be posted on Amazon, Goodreads and Waterstones and interaction on Facebook and instagram where possible.