In "Homewrecker," Sophie Beckett's seemingly idyllic life begins to unravel when her twelve-year-old daughter, Katie, encounters challenges at school. To assist Katie, Sophie and her husband, Scott, employ Deanna, a youthful and attractive tutor. However, as Deanna integrates into their lives, Sophie grows wary of her intentions. Although Deanna presents herself as a supportive figure, Sophie's observations reveal concerning behaviors that suggest possible ulterior motives.

Sophie grapples with feelings of maternal inadequacy and questions her choices. The narrative unfolds from her viewpoint, illustrating her mental turmoil and the gaslighting inflicted by both her daughter and the tutor. As the tension mounts, Sophie confronts her anxieties regarding Deanna's potential encroachment on her life, exacerbated by her insecurities and the pressure to uphold the illusion of a perfect family. The plot is replete with unexpected turns that keep readers intrigued about Deanna's true character and motivations.

The story reaches a climactic twist that defies expectations, culminating in a riveting conclusion. While the narrative pacing varies—occasionally slowing for backstory—the overall engagement remains intact. J.M. Dalgliesh's debut in psychological thrillers features well-crafted characters and a compelling plot, leaving readers anticipating further works from the author, despite lingering questions.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a thrilling ride from start to finish! The various perspectives kept me hooked, and the suspense was palpable throughout. The ending was particularly wild, filled with twists I didn’t see coming. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, another surprise would pop up. This is my first book by this author, and I enjoyed their writing style.

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This book started off slow and I found it didnt hold my interest. It was unrealistic in parts and I was disappointed in the ending. I liked it but I couldnt say I loved it.

Highly reminiscent of The Housemaid.
I liked the story and the characters. Loved the way it was impossible to tell who's the baddie.
The author definitely keeps the reader guessing until the end.

Sophie has an amazing life, a great home, a loving husband and two kids. Except, she doesn't.
Her daughter Katie has been acting up both at school and in the home. She is lovely with everyone else in the home except for Sophie, and she doesn't understand just where she went wrong. Is she a bad mother? Did she do something to trigger this bad behaviour?
Things have come to a head when Katie sets a fire in school and so is permanently expelled. The word is out so no other school will take her either.
As a last resort her husband Scott, hires a private tutor for Katie. However, Sophie feels that Deanna is slowing taking over her life. Katie loves Deanna, as does everyone else in the household it seems, but Sophie has reservations.
She catches Deanna nosying in Scotts sacred office, and is worrying that she is getting just a bit too close to him. he daughter loves her, and her son is taking more than a passing interest in her too.
I won't write any more about the plot because I don't want to spoil things for the reader, but things go from bad to worse as the story unfolds.
You're in for a huge surprise with the ending!! I didn't see that coming!!
A fanstastic book, that I thoroughly enjoyed.

What an adrenaline fueled read. This book had me on the edge of my seat from the first to last page. It gave me shivers and made me feel really uncomfortable in places. Would I invite another women into my home to tutor my kids? Not after reading this! I was left totally breathless by the end with a twist I did not see coming.
J M Daigliesh is one of my favorite authors, he never fails to deliver but I think this has to be my number one now. I would highly recommend this but be ready for a book that you cannot put down.

Homewrecker is a fascinating psychological thriller that doesn't disappoint. It's a little slow in the beginning, but it picks up midway through, and I couldn't read fast enough. What I loved the most was the writing style and the pacing of the twists throughout the book. J M Dalgliesh leaves you on the edge of your seat and wanting more with each turn of the page!

An entertaining read about family relationships. The reader must wonder who is a “goodie” and who is a “baddy” throughout. It is hard to decide!

The creative plot of a family and their complex relationships provides a few red herrings along the way. I found myself relying on gut instinct as I tried to guess how it turned out. The ending was dramatic and fairly unpredictable for certain’ Karma probably played a part too!

A creative and thoughtful author has provided an entertaining read here. On many levels it is easy to judge the family as enduring a toxic relationship. This provides a lesson to the reader - avoid making hasty judgments about people! There could be more going on than meets the eye!

Homewrecker had an absolutely incredible twist that came from so far left field…I truly had NO idea it was coming.

We follow along in Sophia Beckett’s POV as her life is slowly heading off the rails…her daughter is acting out in school and they end up needing to hire a tutor. She is immediately distrusting of the woman who shows up, and it’s clear that Dee is after her life. Her husband Scott is even seeming to favor the new tutor over his wife.

The beginning was a little slow but the build up was worth it, and the whole plot came together beautifully!

Homewrecker is a thrilling crime novel that weaves suspense, intrigue, and dark secrets into a gripping narrative.

The writing is sharp and atmospheric, creating a tense and immersive experience. The plot is tightly constructed, with twists and turns that keep readers guessing until the very end. The characters are complex and well-developed.

Overall, this is a compelling read for fans of gritty, character-driven crime fiction.

"My family home is a murder scene. How on earth did I screw up so badly that I've ended up here?"

Sophie Beckett has it all: her gorgeous and supportive husband Scott, two beautiful children, and a successful career as a TV personality. But 12-year-old Katie has been acting out, and after being expelled, Sophie and Scott hire a home tutor for their daughter.

Deanna seems like a godsend. Katie loves her, but Sophie swallows her jealousy. But then, Deanna seems to be getting too comfortable, with their house and with Scott. As Sophie battles to keep her perfect life together, she begins to wonder if Deanna is who she seems. Because Sophie has secrets she'd like to keep to herself.

This psychological thriller had a lot of potential and I enjoyed the first three quarters. But I felt like the ending was partly quite obvious and partly convoluted. I feel like a thriller shouldn't have TOO complex an explanation for the mystery otherwise it becomes overwritten and so unrealistic that it's hard for a reader to suspend their disbelief.

The plot also definitely reminds me of 'The Housemaid', but I felt that the latter had a better, much smarter twist. I really wouldn't compare it to 'Gone Girl' or 'The Girl on the Train' because this book is nothing like those. I feel like a little bit of restraint when it came to the 'twist' or final reveal in this book would have helped me 'believe' in the story and made for a stronger ending.

A slow read which I struggled with unfortunately, as this is my typical reading. I read it to the end, but found the end to not be very credible. Particularly when roping a 12-year old into the act.

Not for me. But thank you for the opportunity.

Loved this book! It did take me a bit to get invested, but it totally engaged me and I was not expecting the ending. It is definitely one of my top reads of 2024 so far!

One of the best psychological thrillers I've read. Despite slow start the action and tension builds up nicely with unexpected twist and turns that will keep you on your toes until the end. Fascinating story that will keep you up throughout the night if you start it too late

I loved this book! I couldn't put it down. Absolutely loved the storyline. It is the first book I have read from the author and I highly recommend it!

A seemingly perfect wife and mother, worried about her troubled daughter, hires a young tutor named Deanna to help. As Deanna becomes more involved in the family's life, the mother begins to suspect that the tutor has sinister intentions and is trying to steal her life. Determined to protect her family, the mother prepares to fight back against Deanna's manipulative schemes.

The ending of this book took a completely unexpected turn, which I found refreshing especially given the familiar trope it explores. It’s always a pleasant surprise when a story veers away from predictability.

However, about a quarter of the way in, the narrative takes a detour to delve into the backstory of a couple characters. The way it was handled here felt more like an information dump rather than an organic integration into the plot. Instead of revealing these dynamics through natural dialogue and interactions, the author opted to tell us about these relationships directly a few times throughout the book. Unfortunately, this slowed down the pacing for me. The story eventually regained its footing, and the final twist made up for some of the earlier lulls.

This is the first book that I've read by this author and it won't be the last. What a read!! A gripping psychological thriller that keeps you hooked from the very first page, so hard to put down.

I found "Homewrecker" thoroughly engaging, with the first chapter immediately capturing my attention. The book's unexpected twists compelled me to keep reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

Wow! This had a twist that I didn’t see coming. I really enjoyed the story and especially enjoyed the ending. All these weird things were happening to Sophie and she thought she was going crazy. She thought that her family was falling apart and kept arguing with her daughter. The new tutor has got Sophie feeling suspicious, but no one else seems to think there’s an issue. Is she going out of her mind, or is there something else in play? You will want to read this to find out. Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book. I began by thinking that the new tutor was going to begin a sordid affair with the man of the house in between teaching. The twists and turns off the book were unexpected and I must admit that I didn't see happening.