I love a book with short chapters and this one has it. It was unpredictable , especially the ending. I will definately be checking out her other books as I enjoyed this one immensely.

A grandmother's fight to keep her two grandaughters after their mother is murdered. Even though they had not spoken and this is the first time she is meeting the girls - 9 and 7 - she refuses to let them go back with Vince, who she suspects is the murdered of her daughter.

Chapters are told from the POV of the grandma, Yvonne, and Vince. It was a bit confusing at the beginning, but recovered stars as it came together nicely.

This was my first book by this author, but I would definitely read more!

Two girls, Daisy and Alice are sent to live with their grandmother after their mother is murdered. Their father would love to have custody of the girls, but he has no way to provide for them. He has no job and is living with his girlfriend and their baby daughter. This story is told in two POV's, the grandmother and the father. The grandmother has many secrets, but she's so happy to have her granddaughters with her. She regrets that her and her daughter had cut ties and she didn't get to know the girls when they were younger. The father has been arrested many times, and he can't hold a job. However, he decides to turn his life around and try to be a better father to the girls. Meanwhile, the grandmother knows that Vince is not a good father figure. She agrees to visits with the girls. However, she will never allow Vince to take the girls from her. She finally has a family again. This story has many twists and turns and the ending is one of those twists that will leave your jaw hanging open. Read it, I think you will like it. Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe books for providing a copy for an honest review.

The Grandmother by Jane E. James was an excellent Psychological Thriller which will have you turning the pages to find out what happens next. This book was told from the perspective of the father and the grandmother which made it an intriguing read.

"Two little girls stand with their heads bowed in my living room. I’m told they’re my granddaughters. Daisy is nine, and Alice seven. Daisy is the spitting image of her mother. This is the first time I’ve met them since my daughter and I fell out after she married that waste of space, Vince.

They’ve come to live with me because their mother — my daughter — was murdered. In her own home while they slept close by.

I think Vince killed her. But the police can’t prove it. I’ve always known he was no good. He treated my daughter like dirt. I said he’d cheat on her — but she wouldn’t listen"

WoW this book was so good I ended up reading it in 1 seating...........I highly recommend The Grandmother.

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for my ARC.

A slow burner to start but it picked up and I ended up page-turning so I could find out the ending. Neither of the POVs showed likable characters, but so much the better.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review

Wow, what a great read! I really enjoyed this story. It had so many twists & turns I couldn't put it down!!! Definitely read it!!!

Brilliant story telling and I enjoyed the way common stero types were flipped on their heads. Didn't see the big twist coming

Book description sounded good but I found the story to be only OK. I didnt particularly like any of the characters.
Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC in return for an honest review

3.5 stars rounded up. This was a pretty standard but entertaining thriller centered on a group of sketchy and unlikable characters. Even the kids were sketchy and unlikable. There were a lot of twists and turns and I was never totally sure where the story was going. It's the kind of book that's fun as long as you don't take it too seriously.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

I love James' writing, so I was excited to read this one. Daisy and Alice go stay with their grandmother when their mother is murdered. They have never met their grandmother before due to a falling out between her and their mom. Their dad Vince is trying to turn his life around and isn't able to initially take in his girls, hence them going to stay with their grandmother.

The story develops from two different POVs - The Grandmother and The Father. It took a while for me to put the storylines together and figure out where this story was headed, but when I finally got there...WHOA!! This was a shocking and intense book that had me on the edge of my seat. My jaw actually dropped at some parts. There was a creepy undertone throughout the entire book that had me anxiously awaiting the ending. The twists were definitely twisty, and I was gripped by this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

An enjoyable read with short, snappy chapters that alternate pov between father and grandmother. Lots of deceit is revealed and some twists at the end. I found the story a good pace and with well developed characters.

I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. This book is told in parts by the grandmother and the father. It would have been a good book but I did not finish it as the parts told by the father was filled with so much unnecessary foul language.

This is a good book with a lot of twists and turns. It'll keep you guessing until the very end. A lot of surprises along the way. Definitely worth the read!

This book had a good was such a fun suspenseful read. I was very intrigued with figuring out Evelyn’s secret past. It was a fast paced book with short chapters and a perfect book to get warm you up before spooky season.

After the murder of their mother, Alice and Daisy are sent to live with their grandmother, who they have never met before. Their father, Vince, is going through some difficult times. The grandmother is convinced that Vince had something to do with her daughter's death. She is determined to keep her granddaughters safe from Vince.

This book definitely had some pretty crazy twists and turns! I was left quite shocked by some parts. I wasn't sure where the story was going, but was pleasantly surprised with its trajectory. There are tons of secrets, that's for sure! It's a pretty creative plot - I don't recall reading anything similar before.

It is a quick and easy read. Recommend for thriller lovers!

Thank you Joffe Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Overall Rating: 2 Stars

Sisters Daisy and Alice recently lost their mother to a mysterious murder that occurred in their own home and are brought to live with Yvonne Castle, their estranged grandmother whom they have never met. Their father Vince Spencer is a suspect in the murder, but the police can't prove it and he wants his daughters back. The Grandmother won't let this happen, over her dead body.

Each chapter is opened with the name of who's point of view it will be from, alternating between the Father and the Grandmother. Each character is very distinct and well formed, but are overall predictable. The side characters such as police or social workers end up forgettable, even during moments where they are heavily involved, which leads to important moments in the story becoming confusing and less impactful.

The concept of this book was incredibly interesting and I was so excited to read it since it was marketed as an "unpredictable psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist," but I personally did not get that feeling from this book at all. This felt more like a family drama disguised as a murder mystery. The first half of the book was very slow, building up more about the Grandmother's and the Father's very different home lives rather than unraveling a thrilling mystery. The second half of the book is where the story definitely picks up, but all of the twists and "shocking" moments happen a breath apart giving the reader very little time for anything to sink in or be shocked by. I am unfortunately not at all surprised by the answer to the actual murder mystery, and the way it was revealed was a let down, only to be followed up by another twist that felt somewhat unrelated and unnecessary to the story.

The first half of the book was very slow to start, and the second half brought too much new information too quickly. I would've like to see another round of editing to shorten the beginning section of the book, and in exchange add more time unraveling all the twists and turns that happen towards the end, as that's where this book started to shine. Unfortunately in the end, the twists did not make me drop my jaw.

"The Grandmother" is a gripping thriller that switches between the perspectives of a grandmother and a father raising two young girls after their mother's recent passing. The story is captivating, with intricate characters and unexpected plot developments.

Having read other books by this author, I was aware of her entertaining writing style, and this new release does not disappoint. I'm excited to explore more of her future releases and delve into her existing catalogue of work.

I highly recommend "The Grandmother" to fans of this genre or anyone familiar with the author's writing. (less)

3.5 rounded up.
Nine year old Daisy and her seven year old sister Alice have been sent to live with their grandmother after the murder of their mother. Having never met their grandmother before it is a big change for everyone. Meanwhile Vince, their father is in the midst of a difficult relationship, an unsuccessful life and desperately wanting custody of his daughters.

This is an easy read which I read and enjoyed on a Sunday afternoon. Yvonne, the grandmother and Daisy had interesting characters. The chapters are told to us from the points of view of Yvonne and Vince and it makes for a good read. I didn’t see where it was going, and the chapters were short which I prefer.

Many thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author for my gifted eARC.

Wow, the twists and turns in this book are going to give you whiplash. This was a great story. What do you do when your daughter is killed and her ex husband is a waste of space. Obviously you have to raise her daughters. This is a 4 1/2 star read!

The Grandmother by Jane E. James.
I did enjoy this book. I loved the cover. Twisty and gripping. I did not see that coming. My jaw was on the floor.

Blurb.
I might be a grandmother. But I’m not some sweet, harmless old lady who people can push around.

Two little girls stand with their heads bowed in my living room. I’m told they’re my granddaughters. Daisy is nine, and Alice seven. Daisy is the spitting image of her mother. This is the first time I’ve met them since my daughter and I fell out after she married that waste of space, Vince.

They’ve come to live with me because their mother — my daughter — was murdered. In her own home while they slept close by.

I think Vince killed her. But the police can’t prove it. I’ve always known he was no good. He treated my daughter like dirt. I said he’d cheat on her — but she wouldn’t listen.

Now he wants his daughters back.

Over my dead body.

I finally have a family of my own. And nobody is going to take it away from me.