Loreth Anne White has become one of my favorite authors over the past couple of years. The Swimmer did not disappoint. It was the thriller I needed to get me out of a reading rut. The only complaint I have is that sometimes things did get somewhat repetitive, but it will not affect my rating. It was hard to put down. I recommend it for any White fan, or just thriller fan in general. 4 stars.

Ohhhh this book was so good! Absolutely devoured it! Can't wait for more from this author. Thanks to the author and Netgalley

I have read several of books by Loreth Anne White and she is absolutely one of my favorite authors… and this book is exactly why!!! This is my absolute favorite of hers yet! Drop what you’re reading and just read this instead!!
Main character Chloe Cooper lives in a small apartment with her Mother whom is ill and she takes care of while also doing some dog walking and bartending. Her and her mother have somewhat peculiar relationship and threw some of the book. It came off very weird, but as we know with this author, you will find out exactly why it is the way it is and so much more about it in the end and it just makes everything fall into place makes so much sense and shows , how brilliant of characters this author develops. Chloe is not much of a people person in fact she is very socially awkward likes to keep to herself and prefers to stay close to home and not engage in what is going on around her except for what she thinks is going on around her in the story she makes up in her mind. Ohhhh did I mention her favorite job, hobby, or obsession??? Spying on her new intriguing neighbors and creating a story in her mind of who they are and what their lives are like.

Adam and Jenna Spangler are the new rich, fancy, successful neighbors that have moved to start a new life and leave behind the sadness, heartbreak, and secrets of their past lives, but you and I both know that in these kind of books, the secrets are never left in the past, and they are always going to come out and in this case in this book they come out in the juiciest, wildest and twistiest of ways. This couple is one of the most intriguing, interesting, and captivating couples that I have read about in a long time, but in the way of a car crash that you can’t look away from just when you think one is worse than the other, it goes back to the other way it is absolutely Perfection of how their story is written their characters develop and the way she makes their narrative and everything all come together perfectly.

On one of her morning walks with her dog Chloe witnesses the murder of a swimmer in the ocean by someone she recognizes on a jet ski, and so it begins the crazy madness of this book. I cannot say enough, how well done this book was how compelling the story was how compelling the characters were and how twisted they all were in the same way. I absolutely could not put this book down. I wanted to know what was happening and to say that my mind was blown as the book went on, but also at the very end is an understatement. My job was on the floor. My mind had exploded, and I sat there thinking She has done it again. She has written another book that stands out and leaves me thinking about it for days weeks months or who knows how long.

I truly can’t stand up how much I love this author and love her work and I cannot wait until she writes and releases another book because I will be first in line to pick it up and read it again so like I said, do yourself a favor go out and read this book as soon as you can get your hands on it.

Thank you to the Author, Netgalley, and Montlake for ARC!!

Having recently discovered the writing of talented author Loreth Anne White and absolutely loving her work, I honestly felt like I won the lottery when I saw this on NetGalley as a Read Now. I devoured this book in less than 24 hours. It's that good! I still have a few more of her books to savor, thankfully. Really good book! Book hangover is strong with this one!

Thank you for advance copy.

The Swimmer is a must-read!

Prepare yourself for a wild ride with this one!!!

Loreth Anne White never disappoints.

Can't wait for her next masterpiece.

Loreth Ann White remains one of the most underrated thriller writers. She is amazing at what she does. She writes very deep stories that often read like true crime. THE SWIMMER was different in that the plot seemed a little all over the place, and while it doesn’t need to be linear, this didn’t come together the way her stories usually do. I’m glad I read it and I will always read her books!

Sight is the eyes honing in on something interesting. Vision clicks totally with the experience of the mind. No replays. What did you actually see in the distance? Your mind will absolutely answer back. And that answer will possibly shake you to your core.

Loreth Anne White can always be counted on to arch your back in anticipation. She knows just what buttons to press to get your attention. The Swimmer is red alert time.......for sure.

Chloe Cooper is a forty year old bartender who's had more jobs than a 52 deck of cards. She hasn't been able to find her niche in life quite yet. Chloe isn't on target when it comes to reading social cues. She either under reacts or over reacts to simple conversations and interactions. Chloe's off time is being involved in the care of her dying mother. Even with the aid of caregivers, Chloe is drained. Vodka in the freezer takes the edge off.

While walking her mother's elderly dog early one morning, Chloe gazes out across Jerrin Beach outside of Vancouver. There's a nip in the air as she spots a woman with a bright pink swim cap in the distance. The water must be frigid. In an instant, a person dressed in black on a jet ski rams into this woman. Pure shock fills Chloe. The initial hit is one thing. The driver of the jet ski backs up and runs over the woman again. Chloe, not wanting to get involved, calls the police anonymously and then hangs up.

Whoa! The cruelty of this horrendous crime is just the beginning stage of this off-the-wall thriller of a read. White sets things in motion immediately and then showcases her crafty characters pivoting around Chloe as she tries to make sense of what she just saw. Chloe is key here. Her confusion and quirky lifestyle will open herself up for a bevy of questions leaning in on her. Chloe is known for her intrusive activity of spying on her neighbors with her binoculars in reach. Can Chloe be counted on to tell the truth?

It's best to go into The Swimmer with minimal information. That pink swim cap is all you need to know for now. Loreth Anne White will have you white knuckling your way throughout this one. Well planned storyline with crackles of shifty characters playing games from start to finish. It will leave you shakened and definitely stirred. Be sure to check this one out. A snap of the fingers and a full turned salute to Loreth Anne White.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Montlake Publishers and to the talented Loreth Anne White for the opportunity.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. I was so excited to get this title from Loreth Anne White and pushed it to the top of my TBR. This book did not disappoint!! Chloe is a socially awkward woman who has cared for her ill mother and had witnessed a horrible hit and run at the beach. It turns out that the person who was hit with the jet ski was her neighbor. Chloe gets involved with the hit and run by reporting it even though she feels she should just mind her own business. There are so many twists that kept me reading and not putting this book down! DEFIINITELY RECOMMEND!!

Complex thriller with many twists and turns. Characters were not an endearing bunch and plot was a bit slow.

Wow! Loreth Anne White delivers yet again! This one sets the hook early on and just never lets go. The characters were fascinating and kept me flipping pages long into the night. It was hard to know which way to turn and who the heck to trust. Filled with secrets, lies and true obsessions.
Thank you NetGalley and Loreth Anne White for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thanks to Montlake and NetGalley for the chance to read!

I really liked The Maid's Diary so I was super excited to read The Swimmer. I think this book will definitely be popular this fall. This book was super messy, all the characters were doing all the bad things, but I really enjoyed it. Also, poor Chloe Cooper. She reminded me a lot of Molly in The Maid. I felt like this book was a cross between The Maid and The Housemaid. Definitely recommend!

4.25 be careful in the water stars

Chloe Cooper is a watcher and keen observer of the people around her. She’s obsessed with her new neighbors, a famous surgeon and his glamourous influencer wife, Jemma. They really should get blinds. Chloe is caring for her sick mother and has time on her hands. She’s a great bartender, remembering everyone’s drink choices.

Jemma hopes to get a new start with her husband in a new city. They’ve lost their children and are still grieving for them. Jemma takes good care of her health and open-water swims each morning in the bay, just like clockwork. I was very sympathetic to her character.

Chloe observes Jemma swimming while she walks her dog each day. One cloudy and misty morning, she witnesses a horrific jet ski incident where the ski violently collides with the swimmer. It really was intentional, not an accident. Chloe flees the scene but later calls the police with her suspicions.

Two detectives are trying to figure out the murder while Chloe remains convinced of what she believes.

The twists keep coming in this one, as we are teased with before-and-after chapters that slowly unveil the truth. There are also some snippets from a true crime podcast that tease at future events.

This author does an amazing job of misdirection, and one of her twists left me shocked! A very entertaining read.

This book was a 4.5 star for me. I devoured it from the very first line and was hooked! My only disappointment was with the ending. There was poetic justice, but I would like to have seen someone arrested or have a more severe consequence for their involvement.

Chloe Cooper, socially awkward and a loner, is fascinated by her new next door neighbors. So much so that she details their every move, spies on them through binoculars, and eavesdrops on their conversation. And when Chloe witnesses a jet ski hit and kill a swimmer, Chloe is convinced her new neighbors are involved. The Swimmer is a twisty thriller that definitely goes in a direction you won’t suspect. The deeper you get, the more surprises the author throws at you, building suspense as you’re not sure what comes next, it gets a little repetitious, and the ending seemed rushed and was a bit of a letdown, but overall it’s a good read that’ll hold your interest. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m more twisted than a game of twister! This book had me pulled in from page one. The twists and turns are none stop and have you second guessing everything.

Chloe is a bit of an odd bird who enjoys spying on her neighbors. She overhears a conversation of great importance one night while walking her dog. That conversation is what begins twist after twist in this book. Holy moly I was loving every second of the drama between Jemma and Adam. And also the drama that occurs later between Jemma, Gloria, Adam and Chloe. I feel like I can’t even go in to all the twists in this book or I will give away so many spoilers. Just know you won’t be disappointed!

The big twist of Chloe was just so-so for me. It didn’t add or take away from the story for me. It did explain why Chloe was the way she was but I honestly didn’t need it. She’s just an odd bird, could’ve left it at that but no complaints on it.

This was my first novel by this author and I’m hooked! I’ll be looking for all her books now.

Big thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Loreth Anne White for allowing me to read this for an honest review. You made a huge fan!

4+

Loner Chloe Cooper is a creature of routine. Every morning at 6:30, she walks her mother’s age of dog to the beach where there’s another creature of habit in a swimmer who she likes to watch. Chloe is very much an outsider, a looker on, a watcher even. Her life is very different to that of her new neighbours in Jemma and Adam Spengler, the latter being a well-known surgeon. The pair are hoping for a fresh start after some tragic losses, but both are harbouring secrets. Jemma is uncomfortable in their new home which has very large windows and she has the sensation of being watched. Perhaps they are Chloe‘s new obsession. One wet and foggy early morning while Chloe walks the beach, she watches in horror as the swimmer is deliberately targeted by a rider on a jet ski. It’s safe to say that some lives will never be the same again.

This is a good addictive read with one twist so jaw dropping that I nearly fall off a sofa I’m perching on (true!). The first half is probably stronger than the second but it’s still a twisty read with some clever misdirection from the author, which I really enjoy. The moral of that is to never assume. It’s far from being a simple tale and has several layers to it to it which involves the characters back stories which is intriguing. The storytelling is intense, it’s full of tension, it makes you uneasy, there’s a strong sense of claustrophobia and it’s full of atmosphere. I enjoy the way it plays out with an ‘imperfect’ ending which fits well and one part gladdens my heart.

The characterisation is an extremely strong element of the novel. Chloe is fascinating, she’s uncomfortable in her own skin (the author uses one clever metaphor to highlight this) and she makes me feel uncomfortable too. She’s a product of her upbringing that’s for sure. As for the Spenglers they’re totally unlikeable and again there’s a lot to unpack here. I’ll leave the ‘joys’ of their personalities for future readers to discover for themselves. All face and abyss of one kind or another, what are they capable of??? Secrets, secrets and more secrets!

Overall, another gripping read from a must read author and one I can recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Montlake for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Water Works.

This is the fifth book I’ve read by the author and all have been hits including this one.

The Swimmer is a tour de force for psychological thriller fans with a twisted path and a trio of sneaky unbalanced main characters. Two of which are particularly diabolical as a married couple at odds with each other. Give an additional tick in the domestic suspense box as the gloves come off during their marital show downs.

Our three main characters are so despicable that it’s almost cliche. However, Ms. White works them seamlessly into the plot and I was distracted by their shenanigans to where I didn’t give it much thought beyond “these people are awful”. In the hands of a less talented writer their makeup might have appeared too contrived.

A minor detail I loved in the first few pages was a description of an elderly dog “Brodie” that sounded derogatory but was filled with endearment. Only a pet lover could infuse the affection (and a little humor) portrayed in that paragraph telling of Brodie’s bug eyes, stinkiness, and hesitation to “do his business”.

This was a fun group read with Ceecee, Marilyn, Jayme, and Mary Beth with everyone contributing to a spirited whodunnit discussion. I loved the camaraderie as it’s rare for group schedules to align.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Montlake Books for my advance review copy

The Swimmer by Loreth Anne White

Poor Chloe Cooper, always watching, always the outsider looking in. She lives her life observing and making up stories about the people she sees, the people she stalks. When she latches on to a person she is watching, she's obsessed. Now her morning dog walks take her to the beach so she can watch her obsession swim. Jemma is everything Chloe is not and Chloe is in awe.

Jemma has just moved here, into the house that her husband, Adam, has built for them. It's a concrete monstrosity, no window coverings of any kind, which allows Chloe to have a view into their home and their lives, while watching from her apartment window. It helps that Chloe has a good set of binoculars.

As a dog walker during the day and a bartender at night, Chloe has a great way to get closer to Jemma. She's been hired to take care of Jemma's little dogs. She walks them several times a day, makes sure they have food and water, and while she's at Jemma's house, she can snoop and pry to her heart's delight.

Everyone has secrets! Chloe and her mom have a big one although the fact that her mom is sheltering Chloe from the past has helped to keep Chloe from interacting with others normally. Jemma and Adam have had two heartbreaks, one long ago, another more recently and this move to the new house is Adam's idea of making a new beginning for the couple even though Jemma is giving up so much to make this move. Adam has another secret and it's going to ruin the lives of many people once the repercussions play out. We'll get snippets of a podcast that both enlighten us and confuse us as we make our way through the minefield of the lives of Chloe, Jemma, and Adam. The story is confusing in a good way, with mind spinning twists and turns.

Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for this ARC.

September 27, 2019-
Jerrin Beach-7 AM

Chloe Cooper is walking her mom’s elderly dog, Brodie when she witnesses a jet ski emerge from the mist and rain. There is a swimmer in its path, but the driver doesn’t appear to see her. She hears the “thuck” as the jet ski hits the swimmer. And, then watches as he turns around, not to help, but to finish the job.

“It’s Criminal: She’s Been Watching You-The Chloe Cooper Story” is the brand new season of the TV show born from the true crime podcast produced by Trinity Scott and Gio Rossi. (introduced to us in her earlier book-Beneath Devil’s Bridge”) They will cover the crime, and the involvement of its socially awkward witness, Chloe.

Turns out she was a bit of a VOYEUR and STALKER in addition to being an Artist, autodidact, bartender, dog walker and caregiver to her terminally ill mom.

Readers become privy to the events that occurred “After the Hit and Run” for one chapter - before shifting to “Before the Hit and Run” for the FIRST HALF of the book-with a few chapters of “It’s Criminal” sprinkled in.

This is when the SECRETS of Chloe’s new neighbors, Jemma, the glamorous influencer for women in their 60’s and her husband, Adam a renowned surgeon, will get exposed-many of them because they live in a house with no blinds…

Expect to return to “The HIT AND RUN” and “AFTER THE HIT AND RUN” in the second half of the book.

This is where the TWISTS and MISDIRECTION that Loreth Anne White is known for, will really start to catch you by surprise!!

And, one in particular made my jaw drop to the floor!

It’s one of my favorites by the author and it CAN be read as a stand-alone, but why not read “Beneath’s Devil’s Bridge” while you are waiting…

Expected publication date: September 10, 2024

TW: Cancer

Thank You to Montlake for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

I'm grateful to NetGalley for the chance to review "The Swimmer" by Loreth Anne White.

This suspenseful novel grips readers with its fast-paced narrative and twists that keep you guessing until the very end. Chloe Cooper, caring for her ailing mother, finds solace in painting, creating evocative pieces that reflect a sense of isolation and yearning. Her fascination with her new neighbors, especially Jemma's enigmatic swims in Jerrin Bay, unravels into a captivating obsession.

One of the strengths of this book lies in its mature characters dealing with complex issues like aging, caregiving, relationships, and companionship. The depiction of friendships and the various life challenges adds depth to the narrative. The inclusion of a true crime element and the presence of adorable puppies further enrich the storytelling.

With a publication date set for September 10, 2024, "The Swimmer" is a compelling and engaging read that I wholeheartedly recommend to fans of suspenseful fiction.