Colette works as a freelance IT consultant, with a lot of her work centred on an affluent square of houses in London. She is only a face to them but her job allows her to see behind the facades at what is truly happening in their lives, something she uses more and more as there lives all become more entangled.

I really enjoyed this book - it starts off with a body but we have no idea of either who it is or who did it. The lives of the residents of the square unfold as the book goes on and a series of twists and turns kept me guessing right to the end. The characters are far from all being likeable but they are interesting and well written and it was a total page turner for me - I couldn't stop once I started and that's always a good sign. Celia Walden has a lovely writing style, it really flows and feels natural, the dialogue as well as the scenes. A really good whodunnit!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in return for an honest review.

#TheSquare #NetGalley

Thank you for my copy of this book to read and review. I read Payday a while ago so was looking forward to this new one.

I enjoyed the setting of the story…an affluent London square, and that you knew something had happened from the start but not who the victim was or the suspect. I always enjoy books with chapters being told from different perspectives and this had a different angle with the interspersed police interviews which definitely kept me guessing til near the end.

An easy to read thriller, albeit a bit slow for me. I didn’t particularly like many of the characters but I think that was the authors intention.

4.5 stars

Behind the pristine, smart front doors of affluent Addison Square darkness lurks. IT specialist Colette has many clients in The Square, they barely know her, not even her name but she knows them alright, especially the things they’d like to keep hidden. This is a juicy whodunit with Colette central to the events. The story is told from several perspectives interspersed with police interviews.

Wow, I didn’t half enjoy this! It’s a very good slow burner of a psychological thriller you can really get your teeth into. It’s extremely well written, there is an intensity in the storytelling and it’s full of clever nuances for you to interpret. Although inevitably, there are quite a few characters, this is about the inhabitants of The Square after all, I have no difficulty in keeping track of them. The characterisation is excellent, all are deftly portrayed, few are truly likeable but that’s what makes it a delicious read. Some totally fool you as we have the odd wolf or two in the proverbial sheep‘s clothing here. Oh boy, are this lot ever hiding secrets, they sure are a devious bunch and this leads to some very intriguing subplots which is what makes it a page turner of a read.

As the novel progresses, there is a building sense of foreboding, there is a volcano in Addison Square that’s waiting to erupt. Along the route to the conclusion there are some very good unexpected twists and turns that spin things on their head, well played Ms Walden. This certainly escalates, and there is a febrile quality to the ending with so many possibilities and I like the way we are made to wait on tenterhooks for the big reveal.

So it’s another winner from a talented author, I genuinely put this novel down with the upmost reluctance.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Little Brown book group for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Publish on GR/X on 2/11

16/11 on Amazon and Waterstones.

An engaging, easy, fun read, set in a London Square with a character driven plot.
The characterisation is very well done. All the main characters have flaws and secrets.
Not all characters were likeable and the story unveils the complex relationships between partners and neighbours. The chapters were interspersed with police interviews which added to the atmosphere.
Overall this was a well paced and twisty whodunnit told from several points of view, all clearly defined.
Perfect for a holiday or weekend read. Recommended. Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for the ARC.

The novel opens up with a murder; we then circle back to meet those involved. Laila Mercherie contacts Colette, an IT consultant to find out who is cyber stalking her. Colette deals with the IT problems of several inhabitants of the square that Paula lives in, and has access to many of the residents secrets, during the course of the novel she uncovers many more.

I was looking for something to sink into and this fitted the bill. It was very engaging, and whilst there is a fairly large cast, it was easy enough to keep track of who was who. It is a quick and easy read that would work well as a holiday read.

*Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a review copy in exchange for an honest opinion.*

This book is all about Colette who is an IT expert and works with some wealthy people who live in Addison Square an affluent area of London
I enjoyed the book although did struggle a bit to keep track of the characters. I enjoyed the chapters which had police interviews and thought that added to the book.
I would definitely recommend this book which kept me guessing which I think is a sign of a good plot.
Thanks to Netgalley, Little Brown Book Group UK and Celia Walden for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

Addison Square is one of those hidden enclaves where well-heeled Londoners tuck themselves away to create bubbles of "civilized life" from which they can exclude the riffraff surrounding them. Of course, what goes on behind closed doors in such exclusive locations is often far from civilized.

And no-one knows that better than fifty-something Colette, dismissed as "the geek" and the "IT woman", who services the tech needs of several of the residents in this upmarket neighbourhood...

When a young and glamorous French-Moroccan woman named Leila - a dancer and influencer - moves into the area, she leaves no-one unaffected by her arrival. Least of all Colette.

Sylvia, an older woman, is flattered to have Leila seek her out, but tensions quickly develop between the newcomer and some of the other residents, such as Guy and Zoe Mulligan, whose apartment is just below Leila's. Still, no-one expects things to end in murder.

Celia Walden has done a terrific job of creating an entertaining storyline, with several good subplots involving the various neighbours living in The Square, as its inhabitants like to call it.

I would have perhaps preferred one or two fewer characters, because by including the children, the numbers got a little out of hand. Nevertheless, Walden does a good job of utilising more or less all of them to contribute to her novel, with its closely interwoven stories of various protagonists.

Handling the different strands of the plot with impressive skill, Walden neatly pulls everything together at the conclusion, delivering some surprises along the way. I loved this book - clever storytelling with plenty of twists. I would give this 4.5 stars.

A book that kept me guessing - just which member of The Square is responsible for the death at the start of the book, when it could easily be anyone living there?

Colette is the outsider of The Square, yet she is the one who knows many of the residents secrets. Being the IT expert of choice, she is called and welcomed into many homes by numerous occupants. These include Zoe and Guy, a couple with children and secrets. Than Hugo and Yas, with their young son. And Emilia and Adrian, another couple for whom life isn’t quite what it seems. Then add in two single ladies, complete opposites - stunning young French dancer Leila and Sylvia, a recently widowed pensioner.

So who is deceased and who is responsible?

This book kept me guessing right til the end. Would recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review.