Looking for a gripping thriller to curl up with now its getting chillier and autumn has definitely set in? Well can I recommend The Night She Dies.

When Amber, a teenage girl, is found dead in an Oxfordshire village, the shock reverberates arounds the community. But it is particularly complicated for Rachel Salter, who finds the body while out for a run as her youngest daughter Lucy has been bullied by Amber and her sister - and soon she finds herself wondering if her own family could be involved …

This is a story that highlights many of the current challenges of parenting teenagers, whilst also asking how far any of us would go to protect our family - and at the same time reminds us that not all children have family to rely on as it sensitively shines a light on the foster care system.

This is a book that will keep you guessing - there are suspects galore and plenty of of red herrings. Told from multiple perspectives, I found myself constantly changing my mind right to the shocking end. And the fact that it is set in a part of Oxfordshire I know well made it that extra bit special!

Took me a few attempts to get into this book but once I'd engaged it was a good read. Definitely thought provoking but unfortunately it doesn't seem to flow to the best of its ability. Nevertheless a solid storyline.

Thanks to Netgalley, HarperCollins, and Sarah Clarke for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was drawn into The Night She Dies immediately. It was an addictive read, full of suspense, drama, and surprising twists.
I enjoyed the multiple points of view in the story. Especially Rachel and Jess.

This is the second book I've read from Sarah Clarke, the first being The Ski Trip, which was also fantastic.
I love Sarah's writing style. She captures your attention quickly and doesn't let go until the very end. I honestly couldn't put it down, I read it in one sitting.

I highly recommend.

4 stars from me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really wanted to enjoy this a whole lot more than I did. It just took me a while to really get into, and then I just wasn't as gripped as I should have been,

It's a perfectly good thriller and I definitely didn't guess the reveal, but I thik it was the subject matter of children bullying another child, for the vast majority of the book without a known good reason that made me disconnect slightly.

That being said I was enthralled by the finale and did enjoy the book. It just fell a tad flat for me I'm afraid.

Amber and Jess have had a difficult life and are now in foster care. Amber is only 14 buts acts older and now is bullying Lucy, an older quiet girl. Lucy is upset and her family rallies round her but when Amber is found dead all fingers point to Lucy. Jess blackmails Lucy's family but there are more things happening now and also relating to past events.
I liked the initial premise of this book but got frustrated as plotline was heaped on plotline. The bullying bit was fine but as every single thing that had ever happened seemed to lead to the same character it felt too much.

Lucy is being bullied at school by two sisters. Jess and Amber are living with foster parents after their mother's death. Lucy's mother is a trained social worker, although she currently works in a managerial role. The story is told from multiple viewpoints and various timelines so that the reader is given an overview of events and the clues to the crime but needs to explore the false leads, lies and secrets to find out who the killer is. The narrators fall into the unreliable category, making it harder to ascertain if they are telling the truth. I like the characterisation; although many are unlikeable, they are believable. The contemporary issues are well-researched and give the story a chilling authenticity. I liked the story's immersive quality, drawing readers into the characters' lives and making them wonder what they would do in these circumstances.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

This was a twisty page-turner. Every time I thought I knew what was going on, the plot twisted in a different direction, right until the last unexpected twist or whodunnit reveal. But more than that it was brilliantly thought-provoking presenting numerous moral dilemmas that really got me thinking about how I'd react in a similar situation. Could you be sure your loved ones were innocent if caught up in a crime? And, how far would you go to protect them regardless? I also enjoyed the psychology of how different people cope with and are shaped by trauma in such different ways.

The Night She Dies by Sarah Clarke is a gripping thriller set in a small Oxfordshire town, where the murder of a teenage girl rocks the close-knit community. The story takes a personal turn for Rachel Salter, the jogger who discovered the body, as the victim had been bullying Rachel's daughter, Lucy. Rachel is torn between reporting the crime and protecting her daughter from potential blame.

Clarke's latest novel is her strongest yet, delving into sensitive topics such as foster care while delivering a chilling narrative. From the captivating prologue to the unexpected twists and turns, the novel explores themes of love, loss, and revenge, posing the question: how far would you go to protect your child?

Haunting and atmospheric, The Night She Dies keeps readers guessing until the very end, making it a compelling and thought-provoking read.

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A very intriguing book this was to read. I'm not a fan of a book that jumps back and forth in time and while it helped build the suspense in this book, I equally found it annoying that just as you were getting somewhere, you want not just back to the beginning but further back. Eventually though you realise why it has been written like such. The characters are enjoyable and you get into them as you piece the pieces together with the storyline.

I'm in a quandary over the stars for this book - It isn't a 4 but equally it isn't a 3 either, it's a pity we can't do half marks as its probably a 3.5 rating.

Billed as a psychological thriller, ‘The Night She Dies’ shines a spotlight on the hidden secrets, neighbourly animosities, and familial complexities that lurk below the surfaces of ostentatiously peaceful rural settings, such as the fictional Oxfordshire depicted here. Resident Rachel Salter, an avid jogger, finds the body of a teenage girl during one of runs, and is plunged into a dilemma as she recognises the deceased victim as Amber, the girl who mercilessly bullied her own daughter Lucy. Will reporting the crime draw attention to Rachel’s daughter or to her husband? What lengths will she go to protect her daughter, her family, and her rural idyll? I enjoyed this well-crafted thriller but found, like reviewers before me, that there were perhaps a few too many characters and timeline switches introduced into the novel that complicated the plot. Nevertheless, this is definitely a thriller to recommend! My thanks go to the publishers and to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for this honest and unbiased book review.

This multiple pov thriller had ne fully invested in all the characters and the plot. There were a few red herrings and a skillful character arc which was also told by other characters that lead to a thrilling make you own judgement ending. I loved the way each character was fully invested in the main plot and their subplot. All characters were complicated and beautifully flawed. Thus felt a steady plot. A real oage turner rhat will mess with your head as you think you know but you never know until yhat ending. You could tell research had been done to make this feel real and I was very impressed. Totally engrossing 5 star read. Thank you netgallery and publisher and author.

After a slightly slow start, this becomes a hugely gripping read. Some great twists and turns to keep you guessing. Really enjoyed it.

A solid murder mystery concerning a family with secrets and a pair of sisters who have had a rough upbringing but are bullies.
The characters were well written but I struggled to warm to most of them, however the style of writing was great and the story flowed at a medium pace with an interesting plot.
It kept me guessing until the end and a few twists had me surprised.

I was drawn to Sarah Clarke’s style of writing after reading the Ski Trip. I think I’ve found another favourite author as I absolutely loved this book too and was engrossed from beginning to end.
Full of suspense, twists and turns and intrigue. When a murder occurs sometimes even close families doubt each other. The book kept me guessing until the end with a final twist that I didn’t see coming. My chief suspect changed so many times.
Can’t wait for the next book by Sarah Clarke.

A Community Reeling..
Solid and well crafted murder mystery set in a small community, tight knit and claustrophobic, and yet with an ample array of possible suspects. As this community are left reeling, secrets and lies will be uncovered and truths revealed. Keenly observed, with a propulsive and atmospheric plot littered with twists and a well imagined backdrop.

This novel is set in a small town in England and follows a nuclear family - mum, dad and two sisters; and also two other sisters who have had a traumatic time and are now in foster care with an older couple. One of the foster sisters starts bullying a girl from the other family but then one morning the bully is found murdered. We then follow how the investigation unfolds and how the finger of suspicion is pointed in quite a few directions. I enjoyed some of this book more than others, it did feel a little drawn out at times and also a little unrealistic but on the whole I did find this fairly gripping and I was keen to find out whodunnit and why.

I have to say this was not my favourite read by any stretch as I found it very drawn out and with characters I couldn't warm to. The title gives you the hint that this is a murder story. Two sisters in the care system spend their time bullying a fellow school pupil Lucy, making her life a misery. Then one night one of the sisters is murdered, and Lucy happens to have been missing for a few hours that evening. Strangely the body is discovered by Rachel, Lucy's mother. My suspicions were quite obviously drawn to Lucy and her family but as the story progresses more suspects enter the ring and with a final twist the true culprit is uncovered.

Page-turning murder mystery seen from the perspectives of different people. Several different people look likely suspects and others cover for them. You won't be able to guess who the real killer was!

This is a book that deserves all of its stars, I was immediately gripped by the characters, especially Jess and Amber.

The flashbacks to their lives in foster care enabled me to really understand why they were the way they were. It also showed the difference lifestyles of the sisters and Lucy.

I had so many different ideas floating around my head on who done what, the red herrings really kept me on my toes and I was constantly going off on a tangent!!

I cannot recommend this book enough and it needs to be on your TBR

Revenge is the key in this book. Great story. Very well written and I would heartily recommend to readers if the thriller genre. It is exactly that.