A brilliant and enticing thriller with shocking and unexpected twists and a satisfying ending. I could not put this one down.

I really enjoyed this book. The story was fast paced, the chapters short and the intensity building to a great ending. I had everyone pegged as the tormenter and boy was I wrong. The twist made so much sense. Melanie carried a guilty secret from her past and just when her life and her job were on the upswing her past reared its ugly head. Chaos followed, intensity ramped up and the tension built to a stunning climax. Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I would highly recommend it.

Another great read by Valerie Keogh. Well written and full of twists and turns from the beginning to a great ending that I never suspected. I loved it!
Thank you NetGalley, Valerie Keogh and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review this book

A fast paced, short chapter, quick read that had me drawn in from the first chapter. It was hard to put down. I like how Valerie Keogh writes and have very much enjoyed her other books. The Lawyer is another great read! Melanie had successfully made Junior Partner in her law firm but guilt from her past was still haunting her. The twisting and turning kept me flying through the chapters.
Thank You to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Valerie Keogh for the opportunity to read and enjoy this ARC.

It was initially the author and cover of the book that led me to read "The Lawyer" and I was not disappointed.

The main character Melanie is a succesful corporate lawyer with a good life, but a secret from her past could possibly ruin her future and someone, but who, knows her secret. This book leaves you in suspense and wanting to know more and more of Melanies story. She is a likeable character and you can't help but root for her. Although I guessed some of the story an unexpected twist at the end kept me hooked and added to the gripping storyline.

A well written, enjoyable book, by a brilliant author

As always Valerie Keogh knocks it out of the park. This was such an easy read to sink into. Fab characters that kept me flipping pages long past my bedtime. Loved the tension, twists and great reveals.
Thank you NetGalley, Valerie Keogh and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review this book

Thanks to Boldwood books and netgalley for this arc. Whem Melanie makes junior partner in the law firm she works for, they are celebrating her promotion in. a bar, she meets handsome Hugo., but is he who he says he is? After a few dates and when he stays the night, its looking good for a romance...... WRONG melanie can no longer contact him, his phone number is no longer in service, his website is no longer showing on the internet, she soon realises she has been scammed, but is melanie who she says she is????? When things start to go wrong at work for melanie that could cost her, her job and notes start appearing inside her home, she enlists the help of Liam Quinn a private investigator.. This has more twists than a fairground ride, it certainly kept me guessing, i loved it, highley recommend

This was a slow start for me and very up and down some parts good others not so good.
I really couldn't take to the main character Melaine,really wanted to give her a good shake.and tell her to wake up and see what was going on under her nose.The ending was underwhelming and this was not one of my favourites by the author.
Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC.

I was absolutely hooked from the start and this is one of those books that you pick up intending to read a chapter or two and before you know it, 4 hrs have passed!!

It's got the twists and turns, the mystery, the original premise and the backstop that sucks you in. The characters are so well written that you can almost see them carrying out their day! Highly recommend

A riveting read that keeps you propelled forward at speed to figure out what is going on and who is behind it all. Very well done, super writing, easy to read and keep track of who's who. Definitely recommend!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC!

This is the second outing for this book previously known as 'The Deadly Truth' but that still doesn't detract it from still being a fantastic read.

When Melanie and her best friend Cherry were fifteen years old they made a terrible mistake by spreading malicious rumours about a boy in the year above them in school. Unfortunately with deadly consequences, Michael ended up taking his own life and the guilt has stayed with Melanie for the past several years.

Now a junior partner in a law firm, Melanie goes out to celebrate with her work colleagues and meets the mysterious Hugo, after a brief conversation she gives Hugo her email address to set up for a future date.
But then her past comes back to haunt her after receiving an email with only two words on it and it's those two words that she never wanted to hear again.

There is some wonderful red herrings in the book and Valerie's unique writing skills have you drawn in from the start.

I love the author’s books. They are quick reads that suck you in and make you want more. I was sure I knew what was going on in this one. Positive. And nope I was wrong.
It’s part of the genre I call a popcorn thriller.

A really good read but again I am querying the title of a book, the previous title ‘The Deadly Truth’ is far more fitting imo than this title which in essence is the main characters job but has little to do with the thrust of this psychological thriller
It’s a story of the past catching up with you, learning not to trust anyone and the consequences of both things coming together in a thrilling read
I did guess the twist but that made no difference to the tenseness of the book as I waited ( excitedly ) for the inevitable to happen 🤗
A finely paced thriller that was enjoyable to read and one of those that you had to finish asap to find out the outcome

This was a quick read for me. The plot was fast paced and the chapters were fairly short.
It was a middle of the road thriller in my opinion. The plot was fairly common with someone trying to get revenge after several years.
Overall it was an enjoyable read.

Melanie Scott is promoted to junior partner, meets the handsome Hugo Field, and then she starts getting emails where her past is trying to catch up to her.

This was very predictable. Just on the verge of success when the past comes back to haunt you. However, while the plot is predictable, Keogh's writing style was enough to keep me interested. Quick chapters and well paced plot, plus an twist at the end that DID surprise me.

For me, this was one that I enjoyed because I read it in a single sitting, BUT I think if I'd put it down for a day or two, I might have picked up something else and not come back to it. 3.5 ⭐ rounded up because I liked the twist at the end! 😂

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

This is the best I can give this book. Some of it was a pretty decent read and part was not so much. The book didn’t seem to know if it wanted to be a mystery or a romance. The storyline was interesting and the characters were mostly believable. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy for my honest opinion.

The Lawyer by Valerie Keogh

This book started off great, with a gripping first few chapters that seemed to set the scene for what I hoped would be an intense and thrilling myster novel. Although the action appears to start from the first few chapters, it quickly fizzles out and the plot goes a bit dry. I found that the email exchange with nobody was perhaps drawn out longer than it needed to be and I found that it was becoming quite repetitive. As a result, the first half of this book was hard to get through and I found myself becoming a bit bored. Once the real drama started with the murders, the book became a lot more interesting and the action quickly spiralled out of control.

Unfortunately the big reveal of the real villain towards the end was disappointing. I found that there were a lot of clear hints towards the perpetrator throughout which meant that I had already worked out what was happening from about halfway through. It was therefore frustrating to me that Melanie was not picking up on these obvious signs. It made her seem naive and clueless which, although it helped the story to continue, meant I became a bit annoyed at her lack of awareness.

I did enjoy the story overall. I also thought that the whole underlying plot regarding the incident when Melanie was in school was an interesting addition. It was a good commentary on how the past can come back to haunt us in the future no matter how much we try to bury then.

I rated this book 3 out of 5 stars. I would reccomend this if you're looking for a good mystery book to pass the time, but it's definitely not one that will be added to my favourites list or that will stick in my thoughts going forward. Thank you to NetGalley and Valerie Keogh for this ARC.

Very pleasant and intriguing!

A generally common plot about someone seeking revenge after several years. I guessed the villain pretty early on. I also found strange how Melanie didn't suspect Hugo. She had just given him her email.
HOWEVER (and it's a big however) even though only the final twist was unforeseen, Keogh's writing pulled me in and kept me engaged throughout. Melanie's thoughts were a compelling and relatable place to be. I greatly enjoyed her character. The chapters are small and the plot is fast paced.

All in all a suspenseful and quick read!

I have to confess I read this book in one sitting it had me so fixated. It is well written with some good descriptions, and you can really imagine yourself in the pubs, or walking along the residential streets. The plot was well constructed, although it was easy to work out who the ‘baddy’ was. I really enjoyed it and could not put it down, the chapters just flowed on.

A middle of the road thriller for me. I have been hit or miss with this author and although the book is good, it's not one that gave me any surprises or Ah HA moments. Melanie has worked hard to become a coporate lawyer and partner. Her life is good except for one incident from the past. And yes, that incident does come back to haunt her.

This was a very quick read for me. I liked the writing and the plot, but it fell flat. I figured out the ending too early. There was no Oh My Gosh at the end. Many of her other books are much better. However, this is a good read. I did like the characters and that helped.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC. I greatly appreciate it. I do recommend this book.