This is an excellent standalone thriller from the prolific JM Dalgleish and it is intriguing and enthralling from the start. A doctor has moved with her daughter to a remote Scottish island to escape a troubled past. However, her life is once again thrown into turmoil when she receives a video showing that her daughter has been has been kidnapped and, in order to get her back, she must kill one of her patients! A terrific read.

Kelly is a doctor on a remote island in Scotland. She started over with her daughter Lauren after her marriage collapsed.
But Kelly has secrets, and someone knows what she is hiding.
Kelly has three days to kill a patient. How will she know which one to choose? All she can think about is who is behind the threat and trying to save her daughter.
The story goes back and forth, telling us what happened at Lauren's eighteenth party to trigger the unfolding events.
This is a fast-paced thriller that had me guessing right to the end.
I was invited to read this in return for an honest review. Thank you to the publishers Bookouture.

This is a book which will keep you guessing from start to finish. With more twists, turns and dead ends all the way through. Just as I thought I had worked things out everything changed and I was confused again. Brilliant.

I always love a good popcorn thriller and this started out nice and strong as we follow a female doctor who has taken a new position on an island. Things are all good until her daughter goes missing and demands are made! We then watch as Kelly, the doctor, tries to figure out how to fulfill these demands or get her daughter back.

This was good until the ending completely exploded. So much happened, so many unrealistic things happened, and the reasoning behind much of the plot seemed a little shallow. No normal human being would bye these stories, so when they are told in a fictional way, it was hard for me to not roll my eyes...

That said, it was a quick read that kept me interested!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the gifted e-arc of this book.

This was my first book from J.M. Dagliesh and it was a solid 4.5 for me! There were a few times when it felt like a little slow and long winded. However, I absolutely loved the twists and unexpected ending! I really enjoyed the Scottish lingo and really heard the different character accents in my head while reading this book, which gave it a fun vibe! I will definitely be checking out more books by this author!

What a brilliant book. And definitely not a premise I've seen the like of before.
When I read the blurb I was instantly in the "what the...no way!" mode. Surely a doctor couldn't be forced to kill someone. And if not how was she to get out of doing so. Buuuuut if your daughters own life is in jeopardy If you don't....?
The mixture between learning of our Dr Kelly's backstory and how we came to now was just right for setting the right tone and mood.
It kept me hooked from the start. I both wanted to learn how the doctors damaged past got her to where she is now and then importantly whether it played a part on the horrid reality of what was now happening to her and her daughter!

I haven't read any books by this author before but was lured in by the premise - a doctor's daughter is kidnapped, and the doctor is given 3 days to kill one of her patients if she wants to save her.

Thrillers testing a mother's love seem to be very common at the moment, and this was a good one. The setting was well described, and the hopping between past and present enough to keep me hooked throughout. I definitely did not see that ending coming either.

So all in all a good read. I will add this author to my list of ones to look out for when I'm browsing books.

*I received an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*

"Three rules. Three days. You must murder one of your patients. You must not tell another soul. You must not get caught. If you fail, your daughter dies."

Family Doctor by J.M Dalgliesh is a psychological thriller that will have you on the edge from the beginning. Dr. Kelly is the only physician on a remote island in Scotland. Her and her daughter Lauren have vowed to start again from an incident that had shattered Kelly's marriage and put a strain on the relationship between mother and daughter. This is a chance for Kelly to disappear into work and live her life as a single mom, while keeping her secrets safely buried. But the past always comes to light. When Lauren goes missing, Kelly received a video from Laurens phone. Her daughter, bound and gagged. The demands put forth on Kelly are absurd. Surely she won't kill one of her patients.. She took an oath to do no harm. But she also will not let anything happen to her daughter.
The pacing of this book is just right. The mix of backstory and tension creates a gripping book that you won't want to put down. There are many shady characters, so you don't always know who to trust. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, the twists changed my way if thinking. I did have some reservations about Kelly. She was oftentimes brusque and sometimes rude, but she also is missing her daughter so.. I would probably be snappish and rude sometimes too! This was the first book by J.M Dalgliesh that I have read but I will definitely check out his other work.
Thank you to NetGalley, J.M Dalgliesh, and Bookouture for this ARC opportunity.
Expected publishing date is January 2nd 2025.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this eCopy to review

Family Doctor is set on a remote Scottish island, where Dr. Sarah MacLeod has found a peaceful life with her teenage daughter, Lauren. Sarah's past is shrouded in mystery, and she has worked hard to keep it that way. However, her world is turned upside down when she receives a terrifying ultimatum: she must kill one of her patients within three days, or her daughter will be killed.

The plot is undeniably thrilling, with high stakes and a race against time. Dalgliesh does a great job of building tension and creating a sense of urgency. The isolated setting adds to the atmosphere, making the reader feel the claustrophobia and desperation that Sarah experiences.

Family Doctor is a suspense packed psychological thrillers.

The premise to this story caught my eye and I was intrigued with the plot and the location. I liked the twists and I thought I knew who the mystery person was, but was lead along various paths until the end.

Dr. Kelly has a tough decision to make and only three days to make that tough decision. She must kill one of her patients, or her teenage daughter will die.

This is my first book by this author, and I was not disappointed. As the book progressed, my thoughts on who the kidnapper was kept changing. I can honestly say that I never figured it out. I had a difficult time relating to and liking the characters, so I never found myself rooting for anyone. With all that being said, this book is definitely a must read!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

You will be straight into the action from page one with this one. There’s no hanging around and no fluff filling this one’s pages!
There are twists and turns a plenty as the hours tick by for our main character to save her daughter.
I don’t want to give anything away, but if you like fast paced thrillers, this is the one for you. Yes some things you can see coming, but there will be surprises along the way!
There is plenty of misdirection, which adds to the suspense. The back story is good and characters well developed, it doesn’t leave you guessing but gives up its secrets at a good pace.

Kelly’s daughter Lauren is her life; she would do anything to protect her. As the only doctor on a remote Scottish island, she finally feels safe from her troubled life. Her life centers around caring for the people she has become very close to on the island. She has become very close to them, helping them with their medical needs and everyday personal problems. Despite this closeness, they know little about her and her past.
Soon, her peaceful life comes crashing down when she receives a video of Lauren, her wide eyes staring at her with a terrified expression. And then a voice tells her: She has three days to murder one of her patients. She must not notify anyone, and if you fail, your daughter dies.
It's an edge-of-the-seat thriller with endless twists and turns, complete with a shocking ending.

Thank you Bookouture, NetGalley, and authour J.M. Dalgleish for the eArc of Family Doctor in exchange for my honest review.

3 rules. 3 days. 1 impossible choice.

A single mother and doctor on a remote Scottish island is blackmailed into an unthinkable dilemma:

1. Kill one of her patients within three days 🔪
2. Don't tell anyone 🤫
3. Dont get caught 🙈

If she fails, her teenage daughter will die. With her daughter’s life at stake, she must navigate secrets, fear, and impossible choices while trying to protect her carefully guarded past.


J.M. Dalgleish delivers a medium-paced thriller with a killer premise that grabs your attention from the start. The story wastes no time diving into the action, which I appreciated, but the pacing does falter in the middle with a few subplots that left me momentarily disoriented. Thankfully, everything tied up neatly by the end.

While the twists and turns were aplenty (sometimes too many, thanks to a few excessive red herrings), the final twist blew me away - it’s the kind of jaw-drop moment thrillers are made for. The tension near the end was palpable, and I raced through the last quarter of the book, unable to put it down.

I didnt like the character build up much and Kelly, our main character felt a bit bland. While I could put myself in her shoes, I didnt really find her very likeable.

Though the plot had some predictable elements, the surprises along the way kept it engaging. If you’re into fast-start thrillers with a shocking finale, this one’s worth a read!

When Doctor Kelly receives a distressing message she is immediately put in a quandary - you have three days to kill a patient or your daughter dies.

This book is set on a remote Scottish island. Doctor Kelly is the Island's only Doctor, and she has secrets. Kelly knows this demand to kill a patient in three days must be related she had done in her past. Kelly and her daughter Lauren moved from their home in Edinburgh to live on the island. It sounds simple, save your daughter, but it's not as simple as I first thought.

In this fast-paced novel we get a subplot that includes one of her patients families. The characters were well-developed. There are some clues along the way. The ending was unpredictable. I really liked this book and it was my first read by the author.

Published 2nd January 2023

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #JMDalgliesh for my ARC of #FamilyDoctor in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a bit late to the JM Dalgliesh party but I totally get it! My first JMD novel but definitely not my last. This story was packed with tension, secrets and lies. It was impossible to know who to trust. Crazy great characters that kept me flipping pages long into the night.
Thank you NetGalley, JM Dalgliesh and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this book

Doctor Kelly and her daughter moved to this remote island off the coast of Scotland after a tragedy leads them to need a fresh start. She works as the only doctor on the island and all seems to be going along ok until she gets a call that someone has kidnapped her daughter and would proceed to murder her unless she follows their instructions carefully and Kelly’s world comes apart. Who would take her daughter and why? Could she do the horrible thing that they are asking in exchange for her daughter?
There’s not a lot I can say without giving anything away, but if you think along the lines of the “Taken” movies, except she is just an ordinary doctor with a history that seems to be catching up with her-the personal who has her daughter seems to be watching her every move so she has to make sure to follow the instructions directly, but that still leaves her having to take an innocent life to get her daughter back. Obviously you need to suspend reality for this one but it’s worth the efforts-there’s lots of action and build up of suspense. It will leave you thinking what you would do in her place.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

3.5🌟
Kelly and teenage daughter Lauren have moved to a small Scottish island. A place where you can disappear. And old secrets can stay buried. A chance to start anew.

When Lauren suddenly goes missing, the ransom or should I say... demands aren't something Kelly is capable of paying. She’ll need to find another way to rescue her daughter.

This storyline took a while for me to warm up to. Our MC Kelly was a bit abrasive, hampering my ability to feel connected with her.

BUT…there are some great twists in in this book. A few I had figured out early, but the final one rocked me! Well Played!🙌🏼 Rounded up my rating for that ending!

This was my first read by this very popular author and I’ll be watching for more of his books in the future.

Thank you to Bookouture via NetGalley

Family Doctor by J.M. Dalgliesh is a masterful blend of psychological tension and moral dilemmas, set against the eerie backdrop of a remote Scottish island. The premise is chillingly simple: Kelly, the island’s only doctor, is given an unthinkable ultimatum—kill one of her patients to save her kidnapped daughter. With only three days to decide, the stakes couldn’t be higher, and Dalgliesh pulls the reader into a relentless spiral of suspense and emotional turmoil.

Kelly is a deeply flawed and relatable protagonist, grappling with past mistakes, family tensions, and the crushing pressure of her situation. The short, punchy chapters heighten the tension, making it impossible to put the book down as each twist adds layers to the mystery. The story weaves between present-day terror and glimpses of Kelly’s and her daughter Lauren’s troubled past, slowly unraveling the "why" behind the abduction while keeping the "who" tantalizingly out of reach.

Dalgliesh’s writing is vivid and atmospheric, with the island’s isolation amplifying the sense of dread. The characters, even the secondary ones, are richly developed, and their interactions feel authentic. The moral questions posed—how far would you go to save your child?—are haunting and thought-provoking, lingering long after the last page.

The final act is packed with unexpected revelations and a twist I didn’t see coming, making for a satisfying yet emotionally charged conclusion. If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers that keep you guessing and on edge, Family Doctor is a must-read. Dalgliesh once again proves his mastery in crafting stories that are as gripping as they are emotionally resonant

A brilliant fast-paced thriller set on a Scottish Island giving it a locked-in feel, a favourite of mine.
Kelly is the only doctor serving this small island community and receives the most terrifying choice, to kill one of her patients in order to have her kidnapped daughter returned to her.
As the tension ramps up we also go back in time to discover how Kelly and her daughter Lauren came to be on the island. Has Kelly’s past finally caught up with her?
A great read with villains I never saw coming.