A great psychological thriller following the story of single mother Louise who meets the handsome David in a bar and shares an instant connection with him only to discover a few days later that he is in fact her new boss at the psychiatrist practice where she works as a secretary.
What follows is a compelling and twisting tale of affairs, lies, obsession and the lengths people will go to in the name of love. Great twists including the final shocking one and a great read.
Thank you Netgalley for the advance review copy.
Good Reads review can be found at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2117107918

Brilliant! Oh my gosh this is a 'read with the lights on' story!

It's not long before a feeling of dread creeps up on you with this book. A creeping horror, a certainty of bad things about to happen, but to whom and by whom takes its time to become clear. When you read it, it's unputdownable, then when you do put it down it takes some effort to pick it up again as it gets positively stressful waiting for the axe to fall! (metaphorically speaking that is, there's nothing so obvious as that in this book!)

A brilliantly clever idea and the format - using diary notes and flashbacks - to lead us to the present day simply serves to increase the tension.

It's really not until the closing chapters of the book that the penny drops with the reader and then...what an ending. #didntseethatcoming TWICE!!!

A powerful psychological thriller with a surprise ending! Sarah Pinborough writes an intriguing story that keeps the reader on tenterhooks right to the end - I couldn't put it down! The psychiatrist, his disturbed wife and his secretary are a formidable trio who have a lot of baggage between them. To say more could risk spoiling this book for other readers - definitely a good read, thoroughly recommended!

In a time when new thrillers are being released more frequently then ever, it's difficult to find one that genuinely keeps you guessing. A great balance of characters, constant twist and turns and a satisfying ending. The perfect ingredients for a gripping book

Brilliant read that kept me guessing till the end and even then I didn't get it!
Full of twists that kept me up till 4am to finish it. Would recommend

There was a lot of chatter about this book around the New Year, when it first came out, particularly about the 'shock ending' that left readers reeling. I've enjoyed Sarah Pinborough's writing in the past - she's a really good author - but approached this one with some trepidation, due to so much of the marketing focus being on #wtfthatending. I hoped it would be a tale of more than just a big twist.

I needn't have worried. Pinborough has a knack for creating characters with depth and complexity, who even if they're unlikable in many ways, compel you to keep turning the pages and find out just what is going on with their lives. She's also very good at crafting a nagging sense of unease, like something bad is hovering just offscreen, setting the reader's mind whirring as to what it might be, when it might show itself, and what chaos that might unleash. Suspense of the highest order.

Behind Her Eyes is a very interesting read. Pinborough has a smooth style that beckons you in and keeps you firmly planted on your seat (and often it's edge). She will make you think, and also make you feel. There were many times I wanted to yell at or shake various characters - but rather than that being a bad thing, it's a sign of great writing. Pinborough cleverly plays puppetmaster, but the cast of characters never feel like caricatures. They're all very human, very flawed (very very in some cases), people who make plenty of mistakes in their choices, but for valid reasons. Who have blindspots, even when they're otherwise smart and intelligent. At times I felt like rolling my eyes and going 'really, how can you not see that?', or 'seriously, your believing that person without question?', before remembering that I was getting an overview the character wasn't - and that there are times in my own life I've been so caught up in something I've failed to see what might seem obvious to others.

That's one of the beauties of Pinborough's storytelling, the everyday humanity of her characters (even those who perform might have performed unspeakable acts). Different readers might find themselves siding with different characters throughout, but almost always there's a sense that you can see the reasoning for the actions and choices of 'the other side' too, so end up empathizing if not agreeing.

It all builds and builds to a terrific denouement. There were several times throughout the novel that I thought I'd cracked what various upcoming twists might be, but that didn't puncture my enjoyment, and in fact only made things even more compelling.

In any case, Pinborough had so many different ideas spiralling around in my head as the tale dipped, dodged, ducked and dived that even if I had nailed things absolutely (which I didn't), I could only have said 'oh yeah, that crossed my mind', rather than having truly and completely picked the ending. More importantly, even if you're sure you can see what's coming, Pinborough adds in some swerves and wrinkles, and it's all delivered in such a way to leave readers delighted and shocked, regardless.

A very fine tale from a very fine author.

I am going to stick my head above the parapet here expecting pot-shots from 5* reviewers. And there are so many of them. All pretty much focused on "the ending"...

It started well, a ménage-à-trois, Louise, David and Adele. But it soon entered into that tedious: Louise - Adele - Then - Louise - Adele.... that filled the best part of what is supposed to be a psychological thriller. Psychological? Supernatural? Far-fetched! That ending, for me, is so absurd I had to shake my head in disbelief. I cannot say much more without a reveal, or spoilers.

It's a shame. Pinborough writes well, conversational passages are realistic for the most part. But the plot. I started to see where this was going with dream sequences and second doors....

The ending - sorry, for me it was just too preposterous.

With thanks to Netgalley for an ebook copy.

Really enjoyed most of this book was filled with suspense and kept me turning pages in to the early hours, then was a total disappointment, was completely let down by the ridiculous ending.

Oh. My. god.

The hype surrounding this book is well deserved. Settle in for the long haul and read it in one sitting. Thrilling.

Thank you very much to the author and publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

I VERY MUCH wanted to give this book five stars. It was an expertly written psychological thriller that really grabbed me from the beginning. I stayed up until 2a last night to finish it. I loved the author's style of writing and felt really drawn in to the characters. Louise was a favorite character of mine from the very beginning, even as she started to make questionable decisions.

However. Without spoiling anything, I can say that there is a thread of the supernatural that runs through the entire book (more so towards the middle/end). And while I was totally grabbed by this part of the storyline, it ultimately made me love the book a tiny bit less. It was almost a distraction. It was SUCH a good story as a straight-up psychological thriller, and I would have preferred that it remained just that. It's personal preference -- the books I love best tend to be realistic/possible/believable. Unless it's something like dystopian fiction or YA apocalyptic stuff, where I go in knowing what to expect.

Ultimately, I would enthusiastically recommend this book, and will definitely read anything else by this author.

My review as posted.

I'm kind of frustrated. Don't really know why but kind of feel like the wool rug has been pulled out from beneath me.

We meet Louise, a single mum who on a night out meets the charismatic David. They steal a kiss and leave it there until she next goes into work. David turns out to be her new boss. Oh dear! How is this going to play out?! Next we meet Adele, David's enigmatic and startlingly beautiful wife. A woman who on the surface appears to have everything yet underneath gives the impression that much is wrong.

Louise for one reason or another finds herself entangled between the couple and much of the book revolves around this. The tension is palpable and Pinborough does well eking out the psychological thriller aspect. However, much has been said about the WTF ending. I knew there was going to be a twist, I knew it was going to be a big twist so I probably read more carefully than usual looking for clues and hints. And that was the big problem; I worked myself into such a spin looking at every scenario. I can't say too much with this one otherwise we'd be heading into major spoiler territory. But what the storyline ultimately culminated to I worked out of a fashion. I sometimes wonder when too much is said about a book whether through reviews or marketing that it can become a negative. Knowing full well there was going to be this extra special ending ruined what went on before because up to that point Pinborough's storytelling was brilliant. For me, the ending was too carefully placed and convenient and didn't meet the potential of all that went on before. If anything I felt letdown and said to myself 'WTF, this really went there?!!' It's frustrating because I can't really say which particular angle annoyed me without giving spoilers, however those that have read it can probably guess.

This is the first I've read by Sarah Pinborough. I already have a couple of other books by her and will read them for sure. The lady can write, no question. Knows how to create believable if not unlikeable characters and how to keep a reader hooked. Just in this case, I went in knowing too much. I get the WTF ending - I just wish it didn't become as big a marketing tool as it did. Because for me the ending was too .................... *A 90's cult tv series that I loved. That's all I'm saying!* ;0)

Many thanks to those for my arc. Recommended.

Now, <i>this</i> is Britain's answer to Gone Girl. A fantastic woman-centric thriller with twist after twist. In my opinion, it's a lot better than Girl on the Train. And very different to Gone Girl. So, although it may appeal to readers of those books, be aware that this is something slightly else...

Louise is a single-mum, living in London. Despondent after her divorce, she meets someone in a bar and they feel a certain 'something.' All it is is a kiss. But to Louise, this is major. Her 'man-from-the-bar' has added to her life, the thing that was missing: lust, and excitement.

So, trust her stupid luck that this man turns out to be her new boss at the private psychiatric clinic she works as receptionist. Dismayed, she hides from him on his first day, but realises this can't continue. And it turns out that David is married! Repulsed by the idea, Louise is determined to put him to the back of her mind. But things don't work out quite as planned.

Shortly after, she meets Adele - David's husband. Alarm bells ring. How can she be friends with someone who she's lusting after? But Adele seems so lonely, and so effusive in her offer of friendship that Louise can't say no. Bonding together over their gym and spa sessions (David and Adele are rolling in money), the friendship grows deeper. But unfortunately, so does Louise's relationship with David.

It starts with pretty innocent flirting, but quickly he ends up in her bed. Disgusted by herself, what can Louise do with the mess she's got herself into? How can she be sleeping with her friend's husband? And there seems to be a sinister side to David: not only does he appear to be drunk so often, but Adele is afraid of him. Never said aloud, but Louise isn't stupid. Not being allowed your own credit card? Having to make timed phone calls twice a day to check on her? Something isn't right in this marriage.

When her son Adam goes away with his father for a month, Louise is determined to get to the bottom of this. What hold has David got on Adele? Why has he prescribed her so much medication? And at the same time, she finds a revelation of her own; Adele seems to have a solution to her night terrors. But even that is strange. An old notebook written by a teenager, in a book apparently gifted to Adele by David? Nothing adds up. Louise needs to know.

And she's got in far too deep to get out now.

This is a fast, pacy compelling read. Pinborough really knows how to make you keep turning the pages; the twists come thick and fast. It is partly told from Adele's point of view, and partly from Louise's, with occasional flash backs to Adele's time spent at a rehabilitation centre in Scotland after the death by fire of her parents. In this way, the reader feels as though they have reliable narrators. But, still nothing adds up. It's infuriating! - which makes you keep reading.

It's hard to sing the real praises of this book without giving away the final twist. Each time you get to the 'end,' you think you have it worked out. But, the punches keep flying and it's only in the crucial last chapter that you know the whole truth. I won't say anything more than that, you'll have to find out for yourself. But it's a shock to the system. I was mulling over this book for ages, flicking back to see any clues that had been left. It's definitely something that could be read twice.

The one criticism I have of it, is that some of the language is just too melodramatic. To give an example: '... I still felt stabbed in the guts with a shard of my own broken heart.' Thrillers are, by their very nature, dramatic - but this is too much, I almost laughed! With a few edits like this out, this may even have been given a five star review.

Overall - excellent: go out and get a copy!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this brilliant book.

I have read a couple of books by Sarah Pinborough and find them a bit hit or miss. Behind Her Eyes is really hyped up and is been talked about because of the ending.

The story revolves around a married but not happy couple Adele and David. David begins an affair with his secretary Louise and then starts a love triangle.

The book has all the classic elements of a psychological thriller with three very unreliable characters. It could quite easily be said that if you liked Gone Girl and Girl on the Train then this book is for you. It then however has a supernatural element to the story. This for me I couldn't see how it was all going to fit together.

I was enjoying the story but new I had to keep going because of the ending. No cheating and reading the last few pages because it will spoil the book. The ending does make the whole book worthwhile.

So I'm not totally blown away but the book was a very good read. I don't think I've come across an ending like this before. Its going to take a while to get these mixed up people out my head. I would recommend this book, its different but don't read the last few pages.

Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review the book.

Wow! What did I just read? I never saw that ending in a million years.

That is all I have to say.

Gobsmacked!

Go out and buy it!

Well … how the heck am I going to review this! The description does not even come close to describing what this book is about and I can’t say much without giving away any spoilers so you will just have to trust me when I say that you will either love it, hate it or just sit there scratching your head wondering what the flippin’ heck just happened there!?!

I finished reading this book quite some time ago (February 2017) and even now I can remember the story, the characters and the ending … I read a lot of books many of which I can’t recall the details with as much clarity as I can this one; that’s got to say something on it’s own hasn’t it?

This book is quite unique and like nothing I have read before. I found it deliciously addictive with the slow buildup of tension and suspense with an unbelievable ending that will have you sitting there with you mouth open either saying “wow, that was brilliant” or “wow, that was ridiculous” (whichever takes your fancy); I for one thought it was great and couldn’t wait to tell people about it the next day … and I still am months later.

Thank you to the publisher, HarperCollins UK, HarperCollins Fiction via NetGalley for the copy I received in return for an unbiased review.

A great page turning psychological thriller and until may in that genre which are either repeating other similar storylines, this is totally unique. A gripping chilling read, I would definitively recommend this book and read more by the author.

A psychological thriller with a difference. A BIG difference! The story keeps your gripped and the ending I just didn't expect.

Really chilling tale, imaginative and kept me wanting to read more.

Sophie finished reading Behind Her Eyes, the new thriller from Sarah Pinborough, the same night that Sherlock: The Final Problem aired, and she couldn’t help noticing how appropriate that was. Actually, she technically finished the book early the next morning. At 2 a.m. On a work/school night. She simply couldn’t stop reading until she reached the end. The book is marketed as a psychological thriller, and it certainly is that. As with The Final Problem, the story revolves around mind games, trickery, and a group of people with deeply disturbed backgrounds—some far deeper and darker than others. There’s also a twist at the end, a big enough one that the publicity hashtag for the novel is #WTFthatending, which convinced Sophie to pick the book up in the first place, given that she’s not much of a fan of the psychological thriller genre—she only read Gone Girl because her book club picked it.

Behind Her Eyes introduces readers Louise, a single mom living in North London who meets a guy in a bar on a rare night out and ends up kissing him, only to discover that he is her new boss (David) when he arrives at her office the next morning. A few days later, she literally bumps into Adele—David’s beautiful wife—and finds herself drawn into a friendship with the lonely woman despite keeping the secret of the kiss from her right from the beginning. Very soon, however, the chick lit curtains fall away and Sophie spent the remainder of the book trying to figure out where it was heading, all to no avail. Unlike many books and films marketed on their big twist finales, Sophie was actually impressed, and more than a little disturbed, by this one, and she hopes to soon find someone else who has read it so she can discuss it in depth.