From the very first page, the intricate plot of this novel completely engrossed me. The unexpected twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat, and the conclusion left me reeling with shock.

The author's use of flashbacks to interweave the past and present was masterful, allowing me to piece together the complex histories of the characters slowly. The female characters were strong and courageous, serving as a source of inspiration throughout the story. The themes explored in the book were thought-provoking, making for an ideal book club read.

The book's pacing was perfect, with the plot moving quickly enough to keep me engaged without feeling rushed. Overall, this book is an exceptional example of the psychological thriller genre, and I highly recommend it. I'm eagerly looking forward to reading more from this talented author in the future.

Such a good book with lots of twists and turns that keeps you guessing right through to the end which means that you don’t want to put this book down, so be prepared to chill and read.

I would highly recommend reading this book and want to thank NetGalley for giving me this opportunity to read this book early.

I know I’m a bit late with this, so I’m heading over to the usual review sites in a second.. I found this an ingenious thriller, with a very satisfying ending. Thank you for letting me read. I

I have read a lot of novels that feature an unreliable narrator but never one like this. I didn’t have a clue about what happened on the roof or what the outcome would be.

There are three main characters, all female and all have their problems. Initially I wasn’t convinced that Helen existed, I thought she was created to get Tate out of the dilemma that she faced with the questioning concerning the death of Maddy, one of the other lead characters. Helen doesn’t really have much of a voice, whereas Tate and Maddy both give their versions of events. Because she doesn’t feature as strongly I didn’t really have an opinion on her.

Tate wasn’t a character that I warmed to a lot. An actress who had failed to make it big, only appearing in an advert that nobody remembers but she is a lot better actress than she is given credit for. As the true events were gradually revealed I started to see her differently and sort of understood her.

Maddy, I liked a lot more. The predicament that she faced wasn’t easy reading but she faced it with courage and determination. The plan that they both came up with, to get the best outcome for her, and to get some justice for Tate was complex but in a strange way it worked perfectly.

This is definitely a novel where women are prominent. The three main characters, the lawyer, police officer, sister and daughter. All were determined to be successful and were strong in their own ways.

There will be many more books like this to come in the future but this is one of the best that I have read.

The Woman on the ledge is an original thriller and a definite rollercoaster of a read.

Tate is an actress who needs to perform the role of her life.

When she meets Helen at a party being held at the high rise building she works in, she is on a ledge at the top of the building, considering jumping, but Tate manages to talk her down.

The following day a woman falls to her death from the very same building and Tate is unsurprised when the Police come knocking at her door.

When she is arrested for a murder she didn't commit, she knows that all the evidence (albeit circumstantial) points to her. As she is questioned by the Police and they find holes in her story, she worries that she may have failed in her role. But they are forced to release her on bail.

And that's when things start to get even more interesting.

Just when I thought I'd worked out what was about to happen, I was thrown in a new direction. There are so many holes in Tate's story that you wonder why the Police let her go, but then she begins to clarify things to her solicitor and we learn that things are not exactly what they seem.

Combined with flashback from when Tate and her friends were fourteen, we begin to see the bigger picture and gain an understanding in to why certain things that seemed to make no sense at all, now make perfect sense.

I think that's about all I can say without giving too much away, but this is a very very clever book, and I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

The Woman on the Ledge is that delicious thing – a book that you think you understand – one that takes you to a place you recognise all too well. But then it confounds all your expectations and takes a very different path altogether. While you realise early on that Tate Kinsella, our protagonist, is the most unreliable of narrators, it takes a while to understand why and what an enormous story this is.

A woman has plunged to her death from the roof terrace of a 25 storey office building in the heart of the City of London. Tate Kinsella worked as a temp in that building and now she has been arrested for the woman’s murder.

Structurally, this book is very cleverly put together. The book opens with a prologue where Tate relates what happens to her the morning after the death and how she represents her story to her lawyer, Sarah.

Thereafter this story moves back and forth in time as Tate tells a complex story that has her lawyer questioning everything. Different strands lead the reader in different directions until the whole comes together with startling clarity and a lot of jaw dropping on my part. This is a well layered, complex story that pays huge dividends when you understand what lies behind those rooftop events. Clever construction and excellent plotting keep the reader fascinated as reveal upon reveal plays out a story of emotional depth and resonance that that really does hit hard. The point when the narrative turns on its head is especially chilling.

Verdict: A clever and stunning psychological thriller that really did keep this reader on her toes. Excellent plotting and cleverly crafted storytelling serve this story so well so that when the truth is revealed it is an unexpectedly emotional moment. Ruth Mancini has written a clever, gripping and expertly crafted psychological thriller.

The Woman on the Ledge by Ruth Mancini was just brilliant, I completely devoured it and sad that I have finished this novel. Brilliant writing, fascinating characters and story line, well done to Ruth Mancini.

The story follows the main character who has been arrested for the murder of a woman who Tate barely knows, sounds far-fetched, yes but Ruth Mancini weaves an incredible tale that will keep any avid reader of this genre hooked from the first page.

The novel switches between different time stamps and this makes for an easy yet compounding read.

Thanks to the author, netgalley and the publishers for allowing me a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publishers for the ARC! I'm not a huge fan of psychological thrillers and unreliable narrators. This book was HUGE on the unreliable narrator trope (literally my least favorite thing in the 'thriller' genre) and was just all over the place for me. I wasn't able to finish it (DNF @ 18%) because I couldn't handle the unreliability and misdirection. I do think fans of psychological thrillers will love this! It's just not my favorite type of book to read.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for an advance copy of The Woman on the Ledge, a stand-alone psychological thriller set in London.

Tate Kinsella is arrested for the murder of a woman found dead after a fall from a twenty-five storey building. Why is she suspected of murdering a woman she met for the first time the previous evening when she talked her down from a ledge? Why is she lying?

The Woman on the Ledge never captured or held my attention, so I dipped in and out of it over several months. There is no doubt that it is a clever novel, full of twists and turns, but it never felt likely enough to excite my attention or tense enough to make me want to turn the pages quickly.

The novel opens with Tate in custody and follows her interviews as she is asked about her actions. These are interspersed with witness statements that tend to either contradict her story or raise doubts about it. The meat of the novel goes back to events prior to the death and gradually reveals a complicated tale of toxic behaviour and revenge.

I think that the novel loses its edge due to the format. It could have been a tense read if it had been chronological, but as it is it is more a less involved tale concentrating on motivations and twists and strangely unmoving. It’s all rather unlikely with some big coincidences and a complex plot. Why not simply post on social media?

The Woman on the Ledge is not for me as I felt distanced from the narrative, but I can imagine that it will be very appealing to readers who like a more psychological approach.

There’s always a bit of a lull between Christmas and New Year when it’s the perfect time to sit with a good book and a cup of tea, and there’s no story more perfect for curling up with than this convoluted thriller which hits the ground running when our main protagonist is arrested for the murder of a woman she has only just met.

With more holes in her story than facts the police and even her solicitor feel that there is more to this story than is at first anticipated. What then follows is a cleverly constructed murder mystery that veers off in so many different directions that you are never quite sure what exactly happened on that fateful night when a woman fell to her death from the twenty-fifth floor of an office block in central London.

There is so much to enjoy in this convoluted thriller that to tell you more would be to spoil it and believe me this is one clever story which you need to absorb with no idea of the direction in which the story is heading. Even when I was fully immersed in the story, which didn’t take long as it really is compelling reading, I couldn’t begin to see how the story would end. With twists and turns aplenty and with clever red herrings which, several times, took me off track, this is such an enjoyable and suspenseful read.

Love the fact that my first review of the new year can be a 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review.

Tate is a qualified actress however as work is hard to come by she is currently doing some temp work at a bank.

When Tate attends the Christmas party little attention is paid to her as no one really bothers with the temps. Tate sneaks off to terrace, and Whilst she is up there Tate meets a woman called Helen who is about to jump to her death. Tate manages to talk Helen down, convinces her things aren’t as bad as she is thinking, and they leave the party together.

The next day, Tate learns that someone did indeed fall off the roof of the building where she was at the party. Unsurprised by this Tate has to pull off the biggest acting job of her life when she is arrested for the murder of the woman who has “fallen off the roof”.

As Tate is questioned the police and Tates solicitor finds many holes in her story, however with very little solid evidence and everything being circumstantial Tate is released on bail.

This is one of the best and cleverest psychological thrillers I think I have ever read. When I thought I knew where this story was going I was thrown in a completely different direction. This book is told from Tates point of view, it flicks between now and three past 6 months, as well as looking at an incident that took place when Tate was just 14 and together the three timelines link to form this perfectly fitted story.

The way that this book was written was just so clever, there were so many aspects to it and it all linked up perfectly I honestly cannot rate this book highly enough. Normally when there is so much going on I find myself becoming confused and a little lost however I had none of this with the woman on the ledge it was easy to keep up with and everything was relevant.

I won’t say too much more as I don’t want to give away any spoilers but if you are looking for a rollercoaster of a read then this is the book for you. I was hooked from start to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this book in exchange for this review. I will certainly be on the look out for more books by Ruth Mancini in the future.

Tate Kinsella has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Her story is simple. She met the victim the previous night at the office Christmas party. She was threatening to jump from the roof on the twenty-fifth floor, and Tate talked her down. Tate says that she has no idea how the victim gained access to the bank the next day, and no idea why she jumped that time.
But Tate isn’t telling the whole truth – there is evidence incriminating her in the victim’s murder and huge holes in her story. Is somebody trying to frame Tate for the death? Or is somebody playing an even more complex game?
I’ve not come across Ruth Mancini before – I think this is her fifth book – but this caught my eye on NetGalley a while ago. The premise seemed intriguing so I figured why not give it a try? And I’m glad that I did.
We’re in unreliable narrator thriller territory here, flashing about through time as we start with the police accusation, then to Tate’s tale of what happened. And then someone pokes a hole in Tate’s narrative and she goes back and corrects/clarifies what actually happened. And then repeat that a few times until the full truth is revealed. It’s a bit like a reverse Columbo.
But that’s only the basic structure. There’s a complexity to the grand scheme, and all the layers of the story that we are given, that is very impressive – the author clearly spent a good deal of time working out the details, including the problems in the narratives that aren’t the full truth. It’s not a whodunnit, just to be clear, as we get the general shape of things fairly early on, but it’s more a game of “spot the error”.
And it’s also a tale of justice, tragedy, and the lengths you would go to get justice, and the personal aspects of the story are well done – believable and chilling. The details are not dwelt on, but that doesn’t mean we don’t get a feel for the effect the character’s actions have had on a number of members of the plot.
Any problems? Well, the nit-picky part of my brain felt that it was a pity that the structure – everything is told to us from Tate’s point of view, reliable or otherwise – is broken in one section of the narrative. Don’t get me wrong, this is one of the most effective parts of the book, and I can’t see any other way this part of the story could be effectively delivered, but, as I say, it’s a tiny bit of a shame that the structure has to break to include it. But it does need to be included, so fair enough.
So all in all, a strong start to my reading for this year. If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers but are concerned that there’s often not enough plot in them, why not give this one a go?
The Woman On The Ledge is out on January 4th in hardback and ebook from Penguin. Many thanks for the review copy.

Wow, what a story this was. Very gripping, very twisty and so many edge of your seat moments. The story was brilliantly written and definitely keeps readers wanting more. I was up til late at night reading this book because I was so hooked on the story. Fast paced throughout. An outstanding book, I highly recommend it, you will not be disappointed!

This story was certainly different as it’s difficult to find a novel that brings a new, fresh approach. The lead character, Tate Kinsella is keen on an acting career, but apart from an advert from a long time ago, she must work elsewhere. This is relatively good until she gets arrested for murder. This is when you think you’re following one narrative, but are actually following another and to explain here would ruin the plot. There are many twists and turns that will leave you wondering how you missed the clues; this is because you’re only given parts of the clues as the story unfolds. I’m unsure if Tate’s solicitor worked correctly within the law and her rules, but it does make for a very good novel. You’ll learn about Tate’s friends and some may surprise you. Only after being handed several major clues did I realise what was about to happen. This is an excellent and free flowing read. I enjoyed it immensely. I have no idea if this writer has other books, but I’m off to find out in a few minutes. The ending was definitely worth the read through.

A long twisted story about a woman who supposedly jumped off a 25-story building.
Did she commit suicide or was she pushed?
We follow the story as Tate tries to bring closure to her 14-year old self and expose a pedophile and groomer. Can he get away with it or does the story have one too many loopholes?

This book started out great, very interesting and intriguing and read it quite easily but more than halfway through it, I sort of lost interest. It started dragging and the descriptiveness of it became complicated and confusing. I’m glad I finished it cause the ending although lackluster was definitely worth it.

This story explores sexual groomers and predators, how the law isn’t really there to protect young children from being exploited and the perpetrators to be convicted after a long time. Teenagers and their vulnerabilities and how one woman will sacrifice her life to protect her daughter.

In a nutshell: a woman falls from a building and Tate is soon after arrested for her murder.

Ok I LOVED this from the get go. For the first 50% I was so confused (in the best way!) as I just couldn’t see where it was going to go. I thought Tate must be innocent but I couldn’t work out what else must have happened …

Definitely one of my favourite thrillers I read in 2023. Despite being a bit far fetched (I have to remember it is fiction after all), I felt the ending wrapped everything up nicely.

I raced through this and definitely recommend. I rated 4.75 rounded up to 5

A huge thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy.

A brilliant dark and twisty psychological thriller. It starts off with Tate being accused and arrested for murder, of a woman who is her bosses wife. As a reader, I did not believe her, and likewise, her solicitor does not believe her either but advises her and gets her realeased on bail. Nothing is as it seems and is told through various timelines, each section revealing a little bit more of the story. It is multi layered, complex, beautifully crafted, and developed. It was such a fantastic read, revenge at its finest, and I will be looking for more books from the author. A brilliant ride of a book.

Well, this storyline had me going round in circles. One moment I thought I understood and then it took another path.

It was a very cleverly written plot and I’m impressed with the author for not losing her way when writing it.

I know it’s irrational, but I feel irritated at the name given to the protagonist, why couldn’t she just be called something normal?

I haven't read any of Ruth Mancini's books before but after reading this, I won't make that mistake again.

I'm not going to give any details about the story or plot as to do so might give the game away but what I will say is that this book is like nothing I have read before, in a very good way, and that is saying something as I read quite a lot!

With excellent characters, a riveting and intriguing plot and with twists and turns that keep you guessing right to the end, The Woman on the Ledge is a must read for any psychological thriller fans.

Many thanks to the author, Random House UK, Cornerstone, Century and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of this riveting thriller.

Tate Kinsella is working as a temp in a banking company in London. It is not her dream job, she wants to be an actor, but has only had one real role, so between auditions, she temps to pay the bills. To be social, she attends the office party, hosted on the 25th floor of the building. She steps out onto the rooftop terrace for a smoke and meets Helen, who is on the edge and going to jump. She offers her a smoke, and they talk and Tate listens to Helen’s troubles, and they befriend one another. They leave the party together, promising to stay in touch.

The story that follows is told by Tate to her solicitor in how Tate ended up being on the scene when a woman subsequently fell from the 25th floor of the same building a few days later. A woman that was somehow connected to Tate, and that the police are convinced that Tate killed, but have no evidence. Arrested for potential murder, Tate tells her story, one packed full of twists and unexpected revelations that make your head spin. The story told to the police is wildly different from the tale that Tate tells her solicitor, and your brain will hurt trying to keep pace with it.

The story jumps from one direction to another, throwing us off scent, and thinking we are getting clarity, only to have it be snatched away again. The rationale for all the misdirection that Tate and her friends set up is very sad, and one would also think, quite dramatic and an extreme reaction without exploring all avenues. There is not a happy ending in this story, even if Tate can ever manage to convince the police of her innocence, who will really win?

I found this book an interesting concept, a good take on the murder/mystery genre. Some of the characters were a bit too one dimensional for me though, and I couldn’t quite get into it as much as I would like, and the plot just didn’t gel with me. Great plot twists if you can get into it though!

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