Struggled to get into this at first but had me hooked once I did. The plot had me guessing and I hadn't predicted what would happen. The narrator was good and definitely complimented the story

Kelly is a doctor on a small Scottish island. Since she is the only doctor she knows everyone, and everyone knows her. Kelly has a dark secret and a past that she wants to keep hidden, but someone knows. Kelly’s daughter, Lauren, is kidnapped, and unless Lauren makes a difficult decision to kill one of her patients in the next three days, Lauren will be dead.

Family Doctor is a great thriller that suffers from being too long. It’s only 311 pages, but for this type of book and how this book is presented, it was too long with a little too much fluff we didn’t need. The book started out with a bang; there was no set-up at all. We find out right away that Lauren is Kidnapped and Kelly has three days to kill a patient. With this happening so quickly, I thought this book was going to fly, but it did not.

I liked Kelly as a character, but there were times when I felt she was just going about her daily routine. I just wanted to scream at her to remember her daughter was missing.

Kelly’s past was interesting, and I loved the drip-feed of information that we got. Especially when it all made its way back to the present day for one of the many twists and reveals.

If you are a fan of thrillers, then Family Doctor is definitely one you should check out.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book.
I have had books by this author on my to read pile for a while but not picked any up , after listening to this audio book I will definitely seek out more to read .
The narrator does a great job , using just the right amount of expression and nuance to make the story interesting without being overly intrusive to the listener.
The premise of a family doctor on the Isle of Jura being given the ultimatum of killing one of her patients in exchange for the return of her kidnapped daughter is an interesting one .
There are two timelines , the present on Jury and a couple of years prior in Edinburgh where we learn about a trauma in Doctor Kelly’s past.
I found the book got of to a great start and there are lots of possibilities for the kidnapper and plenty of twists throughout , however the middle part of the book did seem slow paced and somewhat repetitive before a much more high octane ending .

This is my first book by this author and I am hooked!!! I will definitely be checking out more! Love a book that leaves you guessing to the end!!

🎧Audio Book Review🎧

Family Doctor
JM Dalgliesh

🌟🌟🌟🌟

Having read Homewrecker by this author back in August last year and loving it - I was keen to grab this new release and see whether it would take us on a similarly wild ride? .... And it did not disappoint!

We dive straight into the action from the first few pages when we learn that Kelly's daughter, Lauren, has gone missing.
There was so much to this storyline, but I can't really say too much without giving spoilers, but we follow Kelly as she tries to work out who has taken her daughter...and why!?

I love that this weaves together a then and now storyline which feeds us small portions of the whole and keeps us guessing right to the end.

There was a lot going on and a fair few characters to keep track of, but this is pretty easy to follow and pretty easy to find a suspect in every one!
Still leaving the reveal to be a shock and then just as you think it's all done and dusted - there's a final twist that had me questioning everything I'd read before.

This had me hooked from the start and there were certain moments that gave me a classic chill down the spine, especially with the isolated setting too, which I love!

I'm definitely a fan of this authors' writing style and can see that I'll be adding more books by them to my tbr this year.




💕Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my ARC copy - this is my honest review 💕

I thought this book started really slowly and got going half way in, I liked the main character and the narrator did a great job at keeping you engaged through out! I preferred the authors previous book but still a decent thriller with some good twists. Rounded up to 4 stars but rated 3.5. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this audio book.

⭐️⭐️
3/5

This book is about a doctor, Kelly, whose daughter, Lauren, is kidnapped. In order for her to be returned, Kelly must choose and murder one of her patients. There are very specific rules that she needs to follow or she may never see her daughter again.

This book was very fast paced and never boring. I like to listen to books at a higher speed and this one was hard to do so because of the narrator’s accent.

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, and J M Dalgliesh for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Overall this book was pretty good, I liked the main characters and wanted to know what was going to happen, It seems like it dragged a bit in the middle though, I started to get bored. Still would recommend though.

The book had me hooked as soon as I read the plot. A mother is blackmailed to kill a patient or risk the death of her own daughter. The book starts with the disappearance of her daughter and directions to murder a patient to get her daughter back. The story has a dual timeline, which can be confusing for some readers.
The narration was authentic, Scottish accents and all! I was not able to predict how it would end and was engaged to the last chapter.

The Family Doctor by JM Dalgliesh is an engrossing psychological thriller set against the hauntingly atmospheric backdrop of a remote Scottish island. This gripping tale of a single mother forced into an unthinkable moral dilemma had me hooked from the start, though keeping track of the many characters was a bit of a challenge. I read along while listening to the audiobook, and the combined experience made for an immersive journey into Dalgliesh’s dark and twisty world.

Eilidh Beaton’s narration is a standout feature of this audiobook. Her ability to modulate her tone and inflection brought each character to life, making it easier to differentiate between the cast despite the complex story. The tension in her voice during pivotal moments amplified the stakes, and her pacing was spot-on, maintaining the intensity of the plot without ever feeling rushed or dragging. Beaton’s skill as a narrator truly elevated the suspenseful atmosphere of the story, and I felt fully transported to the bleak, windswept island setting. If you enjoy audiobooks where the narration feels like an integral part of the experience, this one will not disappoint.

JM Dalgliesh once again proves why he is one of my go-to authors. Much like Homewrecker, this book had me on the edge of my seat, unraveling secrets and questioning how far someone might go for the people they love. The plot is expertly crafted, blending high stakes with deeply personal moments, as the protagonist faces impossible choices to save her daughter. However, with so many characters in play, I occasionally found myself losing track of who was who, which slightly pulled me out of the narrative. Even so, Dalgliesh’s ability to weave moral complexity into a fast-paced thriller kept me invested throughout.

The audiobook’s flow was seamless, with clear transitions between chapters and a consistent build in suspense that mirrored the protagonist’s mounting desperation. While there were no added sound effects or music, the strength of Beaton’s narration filled the void, making every twist and turn hit harder. The structure of the audiobook ensured that the tension never faltered, and it was easy to follow along despite the intricate plot.

I would highly recommend The Family Doctor to fans of psychological thrillers, particularly those who enjoy morally complex dilemmas and vividly atmospheric settings. While the story works well in all formats, I found the audiobook to be particularly impactful due to Eilidh Beaton’s excellent narration, which enhanced the tension and brought the characters to life. If you decide to dive into this book, I suggest listening to the audiobook for the full immersive experience—just be prepared to keep note of the characters along the way!

A doctor is forced to kill a patient to save her daughter.

This book jumps right into the disappearance of her daughter with the directions to murder a patient to get her daughter back.
This one is a dual timeline, which I usually like, but it went too far back and made things more confusing. It felt very slow to me, too. Some secrets are revealed that make you want to keep reading, but it was just okay to me.

Wow this book had me hooked from the start!

I had the book version and it really had me captivated, scottish accents and all! If you like Frieda McFadden then this might just be your new favourite author. I was not able to predict how it would end and was also in a state of not wanting it to end.

If you are a thriller lover I would highly suggest listening to the audiobook as it was spoken very well.

Thank you to NetGalley and J M Dalgliesh for the ARC of this book ❤️

Unfortunately, this book didn’t work for me.

Kelly is a doctor on a small island. Her daughter, Lauren, is kidnapped and Kelly is given the kidnapper’s demand - kill a patient in order to save her daughter. It’s a great premise and had such promise!

For the first 50% of the book nothing happens. It got to the point where I even forgot this was a kidnapping thriller, and it felt like Kelly forgot, too. Yes, every once in awhile she would mention worrying about her daughter, but there was no sense of urgency or even terror. The audiobook narrator didn’t seem to have a sense of panic either.

When the twist was revealed, the surprise was why, but not who - I realized who was behind it around 30% in or so.

I would give the author another shot since the premise was a good one! This book could have been improved by making Kelly a more realistic mother and reacting as a normal mother would after realizing her daughter is being held hostage. There should have been much more action from the start. The narrator didn’t have much emotion and sounded kind of cold and detached as Kelly.

Thanks for letting me listen in advance!

3.7, it was a really exciting book about a woman whose daughter gets kidnapped and she is told she has to kill someone in order to save her. I got a thrill from the action but I still feel like I was able to guess who was blackmailing her. I wanted more from the doctor. I was gasping at some things, like the affair and the ending

Thanks to Net Galley for the advanced audio of FAMILY DOCTOR. It was an excellent read. The story is about a mother who is told she must kill a patient or her daughter will die. the premise of the story really intrigued me and as I listened kept wondering how she was going to do this. More than once while listening I thought oh that's how--and it wasn't. I really like a book that keeps you guessing, that you see the resolution coming only to find out that wasn't it. Some parts went slowly, but overall it was fast-paced enough that it really kept my interest.

**4 Stars: *Family Doctor***

As the only doctor on a remote Scottish island, I finally feel at peace, sharing a quiet life with my teenage daughter, Lauren. But everything shatters when I receive a chilling video stream of Lauren, her eyes filled with terror, and a voice demanding: "Murder one of your patients in three days, or your daughter dies." With rules forbidding me from telling anyone or getting caught, the impossible choice looms.

Though the plot demands suspension of disbelief, the gripping narrative and relentless twists hooked me from the start.

This was just an ok audiobook for me.

Nothing was really all that surprising. There were no crazy twists! It also took forever to get into the plot of the story. The first 50% was Kelly manically freaking out because her daughter was taken and she had to make a choice. There were no real thrilling parts of the story until the reveal at the end.

Kelly drove me nuts, for a doctor, she wasn’t exactly making smart choices.

The narrator however was great. She is easy to understand, changes her voice with the change of character, and has the correct amount of emotion. I listened at 2x, and it was the perfect speed for this audiobook.

All in all, it wasn’t horrible, but it also wasn’t anything to write home about.

I really liked the storyline of this book. It kept me on the edge of my seat and wondering where it was going next. However I think I would have preferred to just read it myself because I wasnt a big fan of the narrator for the audio

I enjoyed the narrative of this book but sadly that’s about where it ends. Eilidh Beaton reads the book well and for this reason I listened until the end but what I thought had potential just crashed and burned a bit. Initially I thought the story was far fetched but persevered hoping for the twists to unveil a deeper plot.
However as the story unfolded, introducing new characters and situations which had no relevance whatsoever to the story, I was eventually quite disappointed in the ending!

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review. Unfortunately this one just didn’t work for me.

Dr. Kelly is faced with a difficult decision when her teenage daughter, Lauren, is kidnapped. They moved to the island for a fresh start after a tragic event tore their family apart. But now, someone is targeting the doctor.

The story's pace felt slow and dragged on without much happening. By the time something finally did happen, I had lost interest. The setting was perfect, and I had high hopes, but the book failed to keep me engaged. However, the audio narration was superb. It's not a terrible book; it just wasn't for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the free ALC-