Disturbing, Gripping, Tense & Addictive. This is Taylor at her very finest. A stunning thriller with Shocks being thrown at you from every angle. This is one that stays with you long after the last page. one you start you wont be able to put it down. Another Massive Book for 2017! This one is gonna be BIG!

I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every book I have read by this author and this one proved to be yet another on to add to that growing list of successes.
This is a fast paced novel that will grip you early on. Good strong characters and a plot full of suspense.
A psychological thriller that starts when a stranger asks Jo Blackmore for a lift and she says yes, then swiftly wishes she hadn't. The stranger knows Jo's name, she knows her husband Max and she's got a glove belonging to Jo's two year old daughter Elise. Threats follow and the nightmare begins, Jo feels that both her and daughters lives are in danger so she feels the only answer is to run.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Avon books for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

What a heart rendering and super-tense story. Right from the start it was uneasy and chilling. I have hardly drawn breath since starting it and I have been burning the midnight oil to finish it. It's very compelling and when there's a child involved it's always poignant. I loved the way the author slips seamlessly from first person to third person and how well in performed in that format. It added so much extra detail and tension. The characters were strongly fleshed out. My initial impression of Jo was that she struggled between distinguishing between fantasy and reality. Her behaviour was erratic and puzzling. She appeared closely bonded with her daughter Elise but was unintentionally "careless" often enough. I soon realised this first impression was not reliable; too simplistic. There are so many factors that make people react as they do and so little understanding of mental illness, emotions and unhappiness. Apart from her friend Helen she received little help and understanding. I was not drawn in by Max right from the start. He was ignorant and unsupportive. He had far more important matters on his mind. I did wonder if Jo had known all the truth of her background if it would have made significant difference but decided against it. She had a good, loving relationship with her step dad and basically a happy childhood. I can imagine Bridget not wanting to spoil that and tell her the truth. You can only tell a child when they are capable of understanding without being derailed but sometimes these things are put off. Jo became vulnerable after losing a child. It makes you paranoid having a second one although she was a bit over the top with her fears. Her marriage was deteriorating and she was struggling to cope with Elise. Once again there were so many people working against her with different agendas it was enough to challenge her sanity. So many twists. Loved the ending!!! I shall post this on Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook and my blog. Thank you for letting me read this book and good luck with your sales. I certainly have been left with lots to think about now.

This book is amazing just when you think that you know what is going on it twists again. The story revolves around Max, Jo and the child Elise, and the family troubles. The author makes poor Jo so real and the reader can relate to all that happens to her. It was interesting to have such a definition of agoraphobia which enlightened my understanding. It is a book that it is impossible to put down and I read it in one day by ignoring everything going on around me. It is a book that I highly recommend to all readers that enjoy psychological thrillers.

Excellent book! Great characters and a brilliant storyline. I would highly recommend this book.

The escape, a book where nothing is as it seems. Jo and Max are struggling to cope, after losing their first child. Jo is suffering agrophobia and is an overprotective mother to her second child Elise. Max an ambitious criminal reporter seems to be a doting father and loving husband. But Jo, on her way to collect Elise from nursey is confronted by Paula, who threatens her, telling her to make Max give back what he has taken, Paula disturbingly knows everything, including her husband's and daughters name and where she lives. Frantic and stressed, Jo, panics and becomes even more protective of her daughter, what has Max done, and who is Paula?
Not sure who to turn to, Jo begins to fall apart, things get more and more fraught, and Max telling her she is ill. makes Jo doubt herself. When the child protection team get involved Jo must escape, but where should she go and who can help her?
At first you take everything at face value, but the story just gets better and better and you start to question everything you have thought is true. Is Jo a bad or even mad mother, what about Max, is he really so loving as you are lead to believe? This book is a real page turner, and I warn you, once you start it you can't stop. The plot twist and turns, one minute you are on Jo's side, then on Max's., you will be hooked, so
I recommend you to just get reading, its a real treat.

Amazing, this book had me hooked from the first page. Jo is late picking up her daughter at nursery but when she is rushing to get to her car a stranger seems to want to talk to her and says she is going to the same place Jo is. Jo doesn't remember Paula living in the same street but desperate to get going gives her a lift. This is the start of her problems, it was hard to work out whether Jo was really living the unaccountable things that happen or whether she really was still in the throes of the illness she has. There are so many twists and turns in this plot but it is so well written that you follow them all easily but still not sure whether she is imagining things as her husband seems to think.I found myself racing to the end to know more and more and yet when it ended I found myself lost and wished I hadn't finished it. I had to savour it for a day before writing my review.
I loved this book and would like to thank NetGalleyfor my copy.

This is one of those books that has you so hooked that you can't read the pages fast enough. Brilliant. I was totally hooked from the first page. If you like a really good plot this is the book for you

10☆ ++ review

The Escape blurb is absolutely bang on!!
It's spine tingling, chilling, thrilling, heart stopping and made my hairs stand on end.
So much so I was totally hooked!! I read all through the night just couldn't put it down.

Never have I read a book that has un nerved me so much so I was frantically reading as I needed to see what happened next.

Utterly genius writing!! Kept me guessing the whole way through giving absolutely nothing away.
I can normally guess twists but with The Escape I didn't have a clue. I was completely shocked and absorbed and didn't expect a thing!

Ok so now for the gist of the story without giving anything away.

Joanne is approached in a car park by a women who appears to know everything about her.
Paula disturbingly knows everything, including her husband's and daughters name and where she lives. She even has one of her daughters gloves. Chillingly she knows way too much.
Paula claims Joannes husband Max has something of hers and she wants it back..

She tells Max and he claims he doesn't know Paula and that he insinuates Joanne might be making it up as she suffers from agoraphobia and depression and anxiety.

Max works as a criminal reporter and Joanne is convinced Paula might well be connected to one of he's cases.

But things take a dark Disturbing turn when a series of events happen and Joanne is the target.
Paula breaks into their house & plants drugs, then calls the police. Joanne is arrested and now social services are on her back.

Joanne feels like no one is on her side. Max refuses to believe her even though Paula has approached him too.

Things just go from bad to worse. When Elise is sleeping & Paula breaks in.
 Elise screams and the next morning several bruises appear on her body.
She rushes Elise to the Drs but he as good as accuses Joanne of abusing Elise.
She does know more & runs away.
Her best friend helps her to run away to Ireland.
But things are not as they seem!
There are some deep rooted family secrets that really should stay buried and uncovered in Ireland, much to Joanne's mum advice.

Max is after Joanne and he will stop at nothing to bring her back. With Paula hot on their tail. What has Max got of Paula's that she will stop at nothing to get back?

Paula is twisted, disturbing, creepy and will stop at nothing. Even if it means hurting the ones Max loves! Even little Elise.

There are some deeply dark Disturbing moments and they are brilliantly written. My hairs were literally standing on end at some points.
Things really are not as they seem with this book.
The little chapter inserts are extremely clever and give nothing away. The whole time I was clueless as to whether Paula was even real or a fiction of Joanne's imagination.

Max comes across to start with as being very supportive of Joanne but you can see the cracks starting to show. The turning point for me when I started to dislike Max was when he filed for sole custody stating Joanne was an unfit mother.
You can see early on that there is no more love in their relationship and they are only together for Elise benefit. But are they just doing more harm than good!

C. L. Taylor is a very creative and captivating author.
I was completely enthralled with all the characters and the clever story line.

If you love thrillers, adrenaline rushes, page turners, twists and turns galore with unexpected outcomes then you really really must read this!
100% recommend!!

Full of suspense, intrigue, fast pace, pageturner, won't let you go until you've read it, no sleep, late night, headache and grumpy in the morning due to being up late. But, you know what.....it was worth it.

Jo, the main character in the plot is a wife and mother. But she's had mental health problems since loosing her little baby son.
Does this make Jo a bad mother to her daughter? Can she fulfill her role and duty as a mum and still bring up her child in an atmospheric home with all the grounded needs that rearing children need for stability?


Pauline? Who is she? What does she want from Jo that Max took.
Max her husband.
Does he know this woman?
He says not.

Jo sometimes needed a shake, I wanted to sit down with her and give her some courage.

Was she being followed or was it her mental state?

I just had to find out!
Helen her friend, the neighbor next door who started emailing her.
What in the hell was going on!

Jo did things that questioned her sanity although I could see the logic.

Her mother, what was she hiding?
Who was Mary?

Oh gee whizz, this is one hell of a classy thriller that you will find yourself holding your breath.

I've loved all of CL Taylor's books, but this one surpasses the best.

I have this in eBook I'd love to own a signed copy.
Maybe a dream come true.

My thanks to Avon books UK via Net Galley for my copy

Just finished this book and what a book! You just have to keep reading. This is a classic psychological thriller with all the twists and turns as all the characters interweave with a thrilling climax.
Would give 10 stars if i could. Fantastic!!

The Escape

Another rip roaring read from Cally Taylor!!
The Escape has everything you want from a psychological thriller. It had me holding my breath, whilst on the edge of my seat! It was tense, fast paced and disturbing in places...loved it!!!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher. 5* from me!

Some people know how to write a book and some people know how to write a stunning one. C. L. Taylor is one of them. A book that grabs you from the outset and makes you not want to put it down until the end. Short punchy chapters keep the pace flowing, ever enticing you to read “just one more” (that never is just one!). Jo has a daughter Elise. She is spooked by a woman when going to her car who says she knows her daughter and that her husband has something to hide. Strange things keep happening, all of which are a threat to Jo who suffers from agoraphobia and is anxious. Max, Jo’s husband, is not sure whether to believe her until he meets Paula for himself. Has he rubbed someone up the wrong way in his job as an investigative journalist? Has something happened in his past? Jo’s life goes from bad to worse. Things were not great to start with and she was considering divorcing Max. Who can she trust? This is brilliantly written and makes you want to gallop to the end. Vividly described scenes described with emotion so you can feel the cold, the wind, the rage and see the scenes in your mind’s eye. One stunning read. You won’t be disappointed.
I voluntarily chose to read this ARC and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased

The idea of a stranger threatening your child would strike fear into any parent, The Escape has a menacing opening when Paula, the woman Jo Blackmore gives a lift to does just that. She says that she's lost something but Jo's husband Max may know where it is, then leaves with her terrifying words lingering behind her, The message to keep an eye on her daughter.
It quickly becomes apparent that Jo lives in constant fear of something happening to her daughter as she suffers from agoraphobia and anxiety, has to force herself to leave the house and isn't even able to take Elise to the park because of her fears. It transpires that she's had a panic attack in the past, believing she was being watched, and when Max says he's never heard of Paula, doubt creeps in. Is Elise really in danger? And if so who is she is danger from? As events spiral out of Jo's control and it seems that everybody is against her, Jo makes the decision to run away. After the ratcheting up of tension on the first part of the book, the story moves to Ireland and gradually we learn more about Jo, Max and the landlady, Mary who Jo and Elise end up staying with.
The story is mostly told from Jo's point of view, she is a character you feel immediate sympathy for although that is tempered occasionally with frustration at the choices she makes and although the storyline suggests her innocence the author has cleverly allowed some doubt to remain. Her husband, Max is far less likeable although there are moments where I did feel sympathetic to the plight of a man facing the loss of his child and the breakdown of his marriage. Paula is almost a peripheral character yet it is her threats that drive the action. Occasionally the story is told from the perspective of Jo's attacker and although these passages are short they add to the growing sense of terror. Having a secondary plot featuring the landlady Mary who lost her own daughter many years previously could have distracted from the story but actually it adds a welcome second layer that eventually explains the actions of a few characters and ends up becoming an important factor in the resolution of the story.
I quickly became immersed in The Escape, it's a gripping thriller that focuses on domesticity. As much as it's an exciting and tense story it's also a searing look at the breakdown of a marriage, at the lies people tell and the words that are left unspoken or should never be said. The story is ultimately about the fear of losing a child and the steps people will go to prevent that happening and it's that sense of dread that persists throughout The Escape and makes it so easy to relate to.
Many thanks to the publishers for my advance copy received through Netgalley in return for my honest review.

The Escape is published in the UK by Avon Books

I have previously read and enjoyed all of C L Taylor's psychological thrillers, however I have to admit I went into The Escape hoping for more. As much as I have enjoyed her works so far, I felt like a pattern was forming in the writing, particularly amongst the female protagonists. However, Joanne Blackmore was a truly unique and exciting character to get to know and I am completely convinced that Taylor stepped it up with The Escape. Basically, if you thought she was good before, you'll be even more impressed now.

The Escape is the story of Joanne who one day gives a stranger a lift and lives to regret it. The stranger knows who she is and somehow has information about her daughter too. Soon, Jo feels like the only way to protect her little girl is to escape.

This is one of those stories where you don't know who to trust. I suspected every character at one point or another, second guessing myself and spying clues here, there, and everywhere. It's a style that Taylor does incredibly well - she keeps you guessing right until the moment she wants to unravel the truth. Then you're left staring at the page in complete and utter shock.

The world of The Escape was very thorough too, with meaningful background characters and clever sub-plots to feed in to the main story. I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of Jo's parents, although I felt that her friendship with Helen was a little too perfect. Without spoiling anything, I think the ending overlooked Helen, making their friendship seem a little too convenient and not genuine. Otherwise, you can tell just how well-researched The Escape is. There are so many specific details that build up the alternate reality - Jo could be a woman walking around Bristol or Ireland right this second. The Irish landscape depictions were some of my favourites that I've ever come across. It's impressive how vivid and thrilling Taylor can be at once.

As a reading experience, The Escape was insanely quick. The short chapters kept it pacey and I can imagine that most people will be able to dip in and out, or fully engross themselves, and be completely engaged either way. There are also sections written by an unknown narrator for around two thirds of the story and the suspense to know just who's voice it is was unbearable! I had to keep going and find out, right away. I'm happy to say that I was completely satisfied with every revelation of the story. Nothing was too obvious, or thrown in out of thin air. In fact, the believable style is what made it so chilling.

Have you read any C L Taylor before? I would definitely recommend her books, particularly The Escape, if you've enjoyed authors like Louise Jensen and Lisa Hall. Let me know what you make of the new release!

A compelling, tense psychological thriller!

I am so thrilled to have discovered yet another fantastic author! C. L. Taylor drew me into this compelling, tense psychological thriller right from the beginning.

In 'The Escape' we learn of the strain experienced by Jo and Max in their marriage. They had sadly lost one baby, which has made Jo extremely protective of their daughter, Elise. The author also raises the awareness of mental issues such as agoraphobia and anxiety.

From the outset, we meet Paula who demands a lift from the rather timid Jo. Who is Paula? Why is she so threatening? Has Max stolen something belonging to Paula and if so what is it? Also, why is Paula menacing?

Then there is the further complex issue of Jo feeling that little Elise is in danger! Is she in danger? Is Max really the super patient husband who supports Jo with all her psychological issues? Plus, we have to consider who is the most caring parent. All these questions swirled around in my brain as I tried to unravel each twist and turn, hence keeping me absolutely riveted in this brilliant page-turner!

'The Escape' truly takes us on a creepy, nail-biting roller coaster ride right up to the bitter end! Suffice it to say - top marks for this author. I shall certainly look out for any other novels by C.L. Taylor.

Galadriel

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

C.L. Taylor's novels get better every time. Her Fourth is no exception.

Jo Blackmore is easily startled. An agoraphobic suffering with extreme anxiety, after the premature death of her unborn son. she must stay strong for her two year old daughter Elise.

When a stranger, Paula asks Jo for a lift, Jo's first instinct is to say 'No'.

But Paula gets into the car anyway.

She has a glove belonging to Jo's daughter Elise, and she knows both her and her husbands name. But how? She claims to have a Son loving on the same street as the Blackmore's but Jo is convinced that this is a lie, and a manages to throw Paula out of the car and avoid giving her a lift.

Somehow she knows that this isn't the last of Paula she's going to see.

After picking Elise up from nursery in an anxious state, Jo wants to call the Police, but Max persuades her not to. Jo knows he thinks she is being irrational because of her anxiety, but she does understand where he's coming from. Even if she doesn't agree with him.

When Paula turns up practically on Jo's doorstep, Jo realises that both she and her daughter and in extreme danger.

But who on earth is Paula? And what does she want with them?

Max is no help, Jo knows that the more hysterical she becomes, the less inclined he is to believe her. Jo knows that she only has one option, to get away.

But even then will she be truly safe?

The Escape is a truly gripping novel that will make you question who you can really trust. Highly recommended.

A gripping read that keeps you enthralled right through to the epilogue . There is enough intrigue to keep you guessing who the real villain is and whether Joanne's mental state means she is exaggerating the threat to her family.

The Escape starts as it means to go on, by throwing you right into the action and not letting up until it’s all over. It opens with Jo walking to her car, running late for picking up her daughter. She never leaves her office this late and she’s in a rush. Just in these first few sentences you realise that Jo is tightly wound, no more so than when a stranger comes up behind her whilst she is trying to get into her car. You see her internal struggle – does she know the woman? is she really a neighbour? should she offer her a lift? and now that’s been asked for, should she say yes?

All Jo’s instincts are telling her no, not to let the woman (Paula) into her car, not to agree to a lift, but she ignores them – thinking instead about how she will appear and questioning whether her concerns are genuine. It turns out they are, genuine that is – Paula threatens her and her daughter. The problem is no one else seems to take her seriously, not least her husband (Max) who won’t even contact the police. He’s convinced it’s Jo’s imagination, running away with her because of mental health problems, and that there is a perfectly rational explanation.

From this first, slightly scary but potentially harmless meeting, things spiral quickly and the threats to Jo become more real and more dangerous. Someone has invaded her life and is determined, it seems, to make it a living hell. As a reader, you know she’s not loosing her mind, you can read the thoughts of the person who is after her in short chapters interspersed through the book. Still, though, Max won’t believe her – no matter what she says – which is incredibly frustrating but possibly understandable as you start to understand Jo’s history and the reasons she isn’t being believed.

I say possibly because if I was Jo I would have gone on the run a lot sooner than she did and I wouldn’t have tried to reason with Max (though there wouldn’t have been much of a story then I guess). With the running, the book ratchets up another notch because now is Jo not just trying to escape Paula, she is hiding from the police, and trying and failing to come up with credible lies for the people she comes in contact with. Whilst you hope for the best, that she can keep her head down till it all blows over, you know that isn’t going to be the case and I felt tense waiting for it all to come crashing down. And come crashing down it did in a great, big, page turning finale.

If you can’t tell, I really liked this book. It was such a fast paced, edge of seat read. Jo was a great character, nice and unpredictable which kept the story moving along, and there were a few twists in the tale I really didn’t see coming and changed how I was feeling about more than one character. There were, as always in these books, a few times when I had to suspend belief slightly to allow for a plot twist but that was more than o.k. for this book, which I highly recommend. Liked it a lot!

This book had great pace and draws you in from the start. I enjoyed it but couldn't avoid being slightly irritated by the main character. This is perhaps correct though as I've never suffered from anxiety and this may be an insight into it's true crippling impact.