Five Bad Deeds was an unexpected delight.I inhaled this book, it was that gripping. On reflection, it has many flaws and some plot points feel far fetched, but the sheer enjoyment I got from reading it more than makes up for those imperfections. For that reason, I am giving it a well-deserved 5 stars.

This book frustrated me as I just couldn’t envisage how everything was going to pull together! I guess this is a good thing though as the author has done what she should, and made it not a simple read, but one full of gasps and what on earth is going on’s! I did enjoy it but something is holding me back on giving it five stars. I will probably reread and may change the rating then if I’m not in an as picky mood.

I loved the authors previous novels so was looking forward to reading this standalone novel.
It starts off at a very slow pace and it took me several efforts to get into it. The premise is intriguing but overall I found that the novel was unevenly paced and the characters were difficult to relate to.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

A fire starter of a novel that will have you racing through the pages regardless of what’s going on around you!
Ellen, a normal, if slightly privileged, family woman, mother to three and loving wife. That is until a random piece of hate mail threatens to blow up her happy, settled life.
This book is filled with some of the most unlikable characters I have come across, even Ellen herself isn’t particularly likeable! But they all make for compulsive reading.
It is a great look into different relationships and how different people react in certain situations.
It’s hard to review because you need to go into this book with nothing more than the publishers have already given you and from there you can discover all the twists and turns and revelations for yourself, and trust me there are enough to keep you reading throughout the night!
This is a standalone novel and is Caz at the very top of her game. This could well be a major contender for top summer sizzler thriller!
A thriller with a lot of suspense all mixed together in a small community, where gossip is key, what are the five bad deeds and what are the repercussions?

Five Bad Deeds is a standalone novel. As in her series, Frear tells an involving and suspenseful story. A woman’s life is completely changed when she is imprisoned. Who wants revenge on Ellen? How did she end up so far from a more idyllic life? Is there a chance for a righting of her life? Find out in this page turner.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster UK for this title. All opinions are my own.

Ellen tries to be the best for everyone in her life: her family, her children, her friends, even for those renovating her home. But she's human and not above the odd lie to speed things along (don't we all?). However, her actions have caught the attention of someone, and an unsettling note has her reeling with worry. What do they know and what lengths are they prepared to go to let her know they are aware of what she's done? Genuinely had me on edge, cue the hairs on my arms shooting up!

Over the past few years I’ve gotten to know a lot of new authors. That is, new for me. Many times I’ve picked up a book from someone I never heard of only to read glowing reviews about their books. Caz Frear is one of them; I just finished Five Bad Deeds and I can agree with other reviewers that Frear is an author I would like to read more of in future. I like family thrillers/dramas where nothing and nobody is as it seems, as we see in the opening of Five Bad Deeds where Ellen is writing about her life in prison. How she came to get there is a multi-layered story of love, yes, love and betrayal, real or imagined and of course revenge.
Someone is out there who wants to take on revenge on Ellen. For what? Why? Ellen doesn’t know but as we read on we get to know her better and the understanding dawns that Ellen is not all we think her to be. She’s a part time teacher, mother of three and reasonably happily married. And as in many books with this theme, there is a lot of alcohol involved. Time and time again I’m surprised that people can drink copious amounts of alcohol each day and then moan that they have a hangover. Not to mention the stupid decisions they often make when drunk.
Anyway, it was interesting to read how Ellens husband Adam, her children and her friends really thought about her, and to try and figure out who the person is who wanted to hurt her so badly and why. There are a few surprises and I liked the ending.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for this review copy.

Someone accuses Ellen of doing something bad, but she has no idea what. As she tries to figure out who is behind this, the stakes keep escalating.

I just couldn’t get into this one. I didn’t find the story super engaging, and the characters were just ok.

I read "stone cold heart" back in 2019 and really enjoyed it, so was pleased to read another book by this author. What a fun read! Full of unpleasant characters with shady pasts, any one of whom could be making life difficult for our "heroine" Ellen, it was a novel with red herrings aplenty and I raced through it with great enjoyment.
Thank you to netgalley and Simon and Schuster for an advance copy of this book.

Thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish this left me guessing throughout, my emotions were pulled up and down and i love the premise of the story and all the characters

I really enjoyed this book. It was a great psychological read that had you really thinking about who could be behind this campaign of hate. Inducing fear and worry and not being able to live your life fully because you’re looking at everyone close to you and wondering “Is it you?”. Then as the story evolves you learn more about Ellen and her history to make sense of what has sparked this horrendous situation.
The plot is great, the characters all have some reason to be “the one”, so it’s really gripping!!
Many thanks to Simon and Schuster for the opportunity to read this arc copy for review consideration via Netgalley. My opinion is my own.
#Netgalley, #Simon&Schuster, #CazIffWrites.

Five bad deeds by Caz Frear

Tells the story of a struggling mother of three children who's trying to have it all until her youngest sister showed up five months ago on her doorstep. Amongst all of that her marriage is on a rocky path and trying to keep her teenage daughter under control while her husband is away on business , and keeping herself out of trouble after her probation being cleared

It was a good read I just wasn't feeling the story at some points it felt like the mother was all me me me in a dragging on kind of way I will read more books by Caz Frear maybe this one just wasn't for me and that's okay

I enjoyed the majority of this, but expected a lot more from the ending. This was a slow burn, but had me gripped with the duality of the characters. I thought there were some unexplored avenues that would have improved the story and also some absurdities that I couldn’t ignore.

Unfortunately I did not enjoy this book. There are many words but it felt in the main that not much happened. I hated the main character and just found the whole book boring. This is a new author for me and sadly this book has put me off reading any more of her work. Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster UK and the author for the chance to review.

A twisty read. Ellen, a teacher and mom of three, sees her world start to tumble for reasons she doesn't understand. She thinks she's got a solid marriage to Adam, her sister Kristy lives in her garden, her friends Gwen and Nosh are with her, and she's renovating her house. But why is she in prison? And who is Zane? This unfolds through multiple points of view (although mostly Ellen's) to tell the story of malicious targeting of Ellen through hate letters, social media, and so on. But what are her five bad deeds? That won't be obvious for a long time and, to be honest, the deeds don't entirely fit the somewhat ornate scenario constructed by the villain. I liked seeing Ellen from the perspective of others- made for a more well rounded character- although I could have done without the texts between her daughter Orla and her friend Esme. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A page turner that might have you shaking your head at the ending.

Ellen is doing her best in her life, with what she has. Married with a teen and two toddlers, she has also decided that that isn't enough to have on her plate and is also undergoing the renovation of her forever home. With her husband frequently away on business, it has all been left to her. But if that wasn't enough, she also, it appears, has someone targeting her. She receives a weird threatening note in the mail regarding consequences...
But consequences to what action. Yes she's done things, haven't we all, but what could be so bad as to have angered this unknown person... And so, as we follow the present day narrative, we also delve back to the past and learn of the things that could be the trigger... The stakes get higher as more notes arrive...
During the book, we also meet Zane, a student who Ellen is tutoring. Her sister Kristy who used to fly high but who has fallen on bad times and is living in the "guest house" in Ellen's garden. Gwen, her neighbour who lives with her daughter and brother Jason who is the local cop. And Nush, her best friend who is living alone since she threw her husband out for cheating.
What really makes this book stand out are the characters. It more character driven than plot driven. Not to say that the plot isn't well crafted, it is, and all things interconnected and also a tad convoluted. I read the majority of this book wondering what way was up as I really had no idea where in the heck we were going.
Yes I rolled my eyes on occasion, yes it was a bit far fetched, but I also had a cracking time trying to second guess where we were going. Finally giving up on that idea and just going with the flow, letting it lead me to a rather shocking but also satisfying conclusion.
I forgot to say at the start that I was already a big fan of this author - her Cat Kinsella series - so I was wondering how she would do with this standalone thriller and I have to say I was just as impressed. I really can't wait to see what she serves up for next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Thank you Netgalley for the eArc of Five bad Seeds.

For those who like a slow burn, this domestic thriller will hit a spot! Unlikeable characters, which kick off a series of events which undo the seemingly perfect life of our main character, Ellen. The plot has some fun twists and turns and a few I didn't see coming, which made it a great read. Even though I didn't like a lot of the characters, including Ellen, they were well fleshed out. A great summer thriller read.

3.25 stars

I am afraid I just could not get into this book. The premise sounded interesting but did not follow through in story telling..Unlikeable characters. Quite underwhelming overall. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it..

I’ve really enjoyed this author’s previous series of books and this is her first standalone book so I was looking forward to seeing what it was like.
I did like the premise of the five bad dead’s and finding out what they where and how that made the story unravel, however where it fell short for me was the fact that all the characters where really unlikeable and parts of the story seemed to stall a bit instead of racing forward.
Overall it was a okay read but not one that’s going to shock you and keep you as gripped as other thrillers

I love Caz Frear, but Five Bad Deeds wasn't for me. I finished the novel but I didn't enjoy it as much as I'd hoped. Other people will love it though