This was a brilliant but at times uncomfortable read as most chapters were told thought the eyes of Nancy who has suffered a serious mental illness and as such is considered an unreliable witness when she insists her new neighbour did not take her own life but was murdered. Her chapters were supplemented by detective Maud who initially seems to have little involvement in this. Because of Nancy’s illness it was very difficult to determine if it really was murder or suicide so you’re learning things at the same time she is and it’s hard to see if she’s delusional or not. Nancy was a fabulous character and it came across how frustrating it was that she felt she wasn’t being taken seriously due to her illness but I found it difficult to like her boyfriend and new neighbours, the fact her boyfriend had told all her neighbours about her illness made me extremely uncomfortable. In a lot of ways this was Nancy’s story as much as a potential crime story which made it a very powerful read with many complex threads which were brilliantly woven together.

At times, this felt like two different books.
When we were knee deep in Nancy's problems and Felix's response to them, it was as if there was no Maud.No Kira.
But then there was.
It was all Maud and Kira.
Nicci French have been writing books for a very long time, and they always deliver something good.
This one has some good twists, and I enjoyed the mental health aspect. So you didn't really know what Nancy had seen and heard any more than she did.
All threads tie together satisfactorily at the end.
Good job Maud.
See you next time!

Gripping and brilliantly written while taking on some complex subjects. Characters that had you rooting for them and twists and turns throughout! I really enjoyed this book even though the subject of mental health can be a difficult one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC

What a read! Such a difficult subject to tackle, mental health, but Nicci French has done an outstanding job, giving an insight into how suffers are treated by both friends,loved ones and the professionals.

You end up really routing for Nancy,the main character, certainly didn't expect what Felix,her boyfriend, was doing, but it certainly highlights how probable his actions can be in real life, very frightening too.

A complex, very clever storyline, highly recommend.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy in return for an honest review.

I wanted to like this book but I didn't. I think it was totally a missed opportunity.
Sorry if this is a spoiler (don't read on if you don't want to know anything):
I really liked how infuriating Nancys experiences were in the first half and how it wasn't always clear if she was having delusions or not. I also liked how the female characters were all quite strong and well written.

I didn't like how the book was almost an opportunity to move away from stereotypes about mental health units and the police. We know these issues exist and in some ways the book was realistic in showing the systemic abuses and discrimination experienced by others. But the role of other really important agencies were missed out completely.
I get that this is a story and was in lots of ways better than lots of novels but it felt like a chance to give good information, but it didn't. The end as a result felt rushed and stories a bit thin in the second half.
I also felt the love story between the detective and her boyfriend was a bit unnecessary and pointless.

It was a good thriller overall and a bit of escapism but given the number of women who experience similar issues to olga and Nancy, it would have been brave to show what can help rather than just making these experiences into entertainment.
Read through netgalley, for an honest review.

I feel like to sum this I could just say that it's by far the best book I've read all year and leave it at that!

I've been a fan of "Nicci French" books for a long time so always go into the new ones with my expectations high but this truly surpassed anything I could have envisaged. The writing flows perfectly and before you know it, you're completely invested in the plot and can't stop until there are no more pages to turn.

The characters are vividly brought to life and given depth, personality and layers. These become real people, living their real lives and you feel like you're just watching everything unfold.

The plot is genius! It's so well crafted, perfectly plotted out and is constantly moving forward. There's never any waffle or filler, never anything that's not actually relevant, even if you don't realise it at the time

And the twists and turns?!perfectly executed. It really is an honour to read a book like this and I loved every second of it