Jo Blackmore gives a stranger a lift but quickly wishes she hadn't. The stanger knows all about Jo, her name, her husband Max and they also have a glove belonging to Jo's 2 year old daughter Elsie. What begins with a subtle threat, swiftly turns into a nightmare for Jo. No one believes Elsie is in danger.

There is plenty of tension in this book. With its well thought out plot and great characters this is a definite page turner. I found the ending to be a little disappointing and that's why I could only give this book 3.5 stars.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Avon Books and the author CL Taylor for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Beginning with the first page, Author C. L. Taylor injects a healthy dose of fear into her story, immediately setting the tone for the rest of the book. This is no ordinary woman in jeopardy novel, this is a true psychological thriller compounded by the mental health issues the heroine faces daily. Ms. Taylor ensures that we experience every bit of worry and doubt and terror that Jo experiences.

One can understand Jo’s difficulties. She has been forced to deal with the death of a son, and her overprotective nature with her daughter Elise is a natural reaction. In the first few pages we meet Paula, a mysterious woman who threatens Jo by targeting Elise. As the chapters roll by, readers witness Jo’s downward spiral as her world crumbles. She doesn’t know who to trust, and all she wants is to keep her daughter safe. However, it seems that no matter what Jo does, Paula has already set traps and things continue to go from bad to worse.

The story is primarily told through the eyes of Jo with periodic chapters featuring the actions of some of the other supporting characters. Soon after the initial contact with Paula, readers are treated to the sinister thoughts of the story’s villain, and the suspense mounts each time a similar chapter appears. Even as we are cheering for Jo to surmount the incredible threats she is facing, we realize the villain is always one step ahead of her…and maybe two or three.

This suspenseful tale is grounded in realism. There are no outlandish acts by the characters that cause us to scratch our heads and gaze in sadness at our shattered belief systems. For me, this was a major strength of the story. I am tired of reading about people who accomplish the impossible in the nick of time, and Ms. Taylor’s book is a breath of fresh air. Highly recommended.

A good read although not one I'd rave over. Plenty going on and everything tied up nicely at the end!

This is a pychological thriller with a fantastic main plot line, brilliantly interwoven with even more plots. Stories within a story that lead to a very dramatic conclusion. Once you start Escape, you will not want to put it down, it capture you until you have finished the books, even then it leaves you thinking about what has just occured.

This story begins with Jo being approached by a strange woman, Paula, she then manipulates Jo into giving her a lift. It isn't until Paula is in the car that Jo realises her mistake. Paula knows about Jo, about her daughter Elise and her husband Max. Him, she actually does know, and wants Max to return what he had taken from her.
Jo is just coping in her life, she has a history of agoraphobia and panic attacks . She is a vulnerable woman, just keeping things together. Paula has rocked the balance of Jo's world. Finding herself unable to sleep properly, being more paranoid than normal, more anxious and stressed, on full alert at all times, she finds herself starting to unravel to the notice of those around her. Little comments made in jest are thrown back in her face, her forgetfulness becomes more that what it should be for the little things that she had forgotten. She gradually starts to see people ganging up on her and needlessly judging her. Eventually takeing its toll on her marriage.

This story tells how through mentally manipulating someone can lead them to do extreme things. How your past will catch up with you no matter how careful and clever you think you have been or how far away you have moved, to leave your life behind you. That a mothers' love and the protection she will give her daughter will make evn the weakest person become strong and resiliant.

It is told at a fast pace, with great depth to the story and plot. The characters are well explained and you soon feel a connection with them, sympathising with some and hating others. A great book i will be recommending to others.

The Escape is a very addictive book which takes you on a roller coaster of emotions.Just when you think you know what was coming the twists and turns kick in and off you go on another journey .I loved that the story was set in such beautiful areas ,so well described .I loved the ending which was not what I expected but perfect .

Wonderfully immersive piece of writing that has had me continually pondering exactly what may be the truth, all the while absorbed in this fabulous book.

There is a great deal of tension from the first page, which is just what I want from this sort of book, and the sense of danger, or there being something not quite right with all the presented information doesn't leave me at all.

Jo Blackmore appears as though she could be a rather unreliable narrator, given she admits to a few mental health problems including panic attacks and a form of agoraphobia. She often seems rather paranoid, right from the start, so it is really hard to know whether you should be believing everything she says. However as she is the main point of view, I found I was taking everything at face value, while the depths of my brain was working on if there were any holes.

Whatever you feel about Jo, there is one thing for certain, she believes her daughter, Elise is in danger, and that she is too, and she isn't really sure what to do, as it seems that no one else believes her, and very slowly her life is turning into a living nightmare, and she decides that life on the run is for the best...

Having learnt from previous books by C.L. Taylor, I made sure that I set aside a day to read this where I would be ideally uninterrupted so that I could relish every second I spent reading The Escape, and I finished it far quicker than I was expecting. I completely lost track of the time, and read it in one sitting and found the writing to be compulsive reading. I needed to know what was going to happen next at all times.

I feel as though I had been alongside Jo on this journey, and that her ups and downs were mine. I feel exhausted for having gone through what she has, even if I was only reading about it. This is possibly the best book C.L. Taylor has written, probably eclipsing even The Lie in my affections.

This is everything that the author does well, writes a compelling story that draws you in, until it becomes a part of you. I am so impressed by The Escape and can't believe that I have finished it already, and will have to wait ages for another book by the author.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Avon for this copy of the book which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I thoroughy enjoyed this book and devoured it in a couple of days. I have read all of C.L Taylor's books and loved them all, this one certainly didn't disappoint. The whole idea behind it was great and it left you not knowing who to trust or who to believe. Part 2 of the book was just as enjoyable as part 1 and certainly added a fresh side to the whole storty. Would definitely recommend this.

s posted on Goodreads:

This is the second book by C.L.Taylor which I have read.

I wasn't sure what to expect or what genre this would be. It falls between several. On balance I enjoyed the story.

The characters, especially Jo and Max were well created and slowly revealed.

This is part psychological thriller, part crime thriller. However the crime is not immediately obvious.

There are several plot twist along the way. Some even cutting across the generations.

I give my thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books(UK) for a copy in exchange for this review.

I thoroughly loved this latest thriller by Cally Taylor. It had me so engrossed from the beginning as it has a fast paced storyline which is packed with tension and menace.

The central character is Jo Blackmore, mother to 2 year old Elise and wife to crime journalist Max. Jo suffers from agoraphobia and anxiety which began when she miscarried at 4 months with Henry. This sad event has made her over protective of Elise and unknowingly she is pushing her husband away. At first I wasn’t sure if Jo was suffering from mental health issues or just plain crazy but as the story unfolds my heart ached for Jo and I began to sympathise with her. There are some nasty characters’ in this novel; Paula who I am positive is crazy, as well as being a malipunative,deceitful and plain evil individual. Max is also not the normal ideal husband that we are led to believe at the start and it is his shady past that puts both Jo and Elise in danger. Jo’s Mum Brigid is a quiet woman who devotes her time to looking after her ill husband but she holds a family secret that plays a part in this drama and unites old friends in Ireland as the story reaches its crescendo.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, this is my own honest opinion.

Jo is late leaving her student support officer job at university to pick up her daughter, Elise when a strange woman walks up wanting a lift, has Elise's glove and a creepy exchange, chilling for Jo takes place as Paula knows her family and says Jo's husband Max whom works as an investigative journalist, will know more.

Jo already suffers with agoraphobia and seems to have some form of anxiety and panic attacks related to that also after she lost a previous pregnancy of a baby boy. She obviously feels over protective of her daughter, a natural mother's instinct but on a much severer level to others normally.

Paula, knows Max as Martin and confronts him at one point about him taking something which wasn't his and Paula wants it back.

She'll destroy his family to do so.

The book is gripping, gritty, suspenseful and engaging enough for you to devour it in one sitting as I have done!

Towards the end as missing person enquiries ensue, all I can say is to watch out as all the lies and mislaid trust become obvious as links are made. The book shows just how scary it is to realise around you aren't as you seem to think.

C. L. Taylor hasn't disappointed me yet, I have all her work up to now as well and they just are the best crime, mystery thrillers you could wish for.

Thanks so much to the publishers for allowing me to review her latest book!

A stranger gets into Jo Blackmore's car but seems to know everything about her, her husband and her daughter. She makes threats, small ones that then get bigger. Jo is fragile and no one seems to believe her, including her husband Max. Her life becomes a nightmare, social services become involved and there is a risk her daughter could be taken away. She flees to Ireland where she was born in the hope she can find safety and perhaps her family who she knows little about.
This was a fast paced story, the characters were well formed and believable., a good read.

This book is action packed from start to finish. I really liked the twist in the plot. I did not see it coming. Well written, great storyline and well worth reading.

An enthralling psychological thriller that once you start you won't be able to put it down, another great book by C. L Taylor.

This book grabbed my attention from the first chapter and it didn’t let go until after I’d turned the last page. I read most of this novel on Saturday afternoon and my team were on Sky at 5.30pm – I was really looking forward to the match but I had 20% of the book left to read at kick off and I literally couldn’t stop thinking about the book so had to pick it up and finish it before I could fully watch the game (and I never,ever miss watching when my team are on TV!). That’s how much this book grabbed me!

I found Jo to be such an intriguing character. I really wanted her to have some fight about her but I could completely understand how she believed she was losing her mind and had to keep quiet in case she ended up in trouble. I think it’s hard to understand until you’ve been in a situation, or known someone in someone in a similar situation, to really grasp how possible it is for someone to become so anxious about life, and to really feel like someone is trying to hurt them but not be able to prove it. It’s like the old adage – just because you’re paranoid, doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you. Jo was a very believable character for me and I was on edge all the way through the book hoping that she would be okay in the end.

I had so many thoughts of what might be going on in this book, about who Paula was and whether she was the bad guy or whether it was someone else, or even a product of Jo’s anxious mind but I didn’t actually work out what was happening until shortly before it was revealed. I became convinced that someone was trying to get to Jo but I couldn’t quite put my finger on what exactly was going on.

The tension in this novel is there from the very first chapter and the book moves at such speed that you find yourself gripped and completely incapable of putting it down. There is potential danger around every corner and Jo is left not knowing what on earth to do to keep her child safe.

The Escape is very fast-paced and twisty and once it’s grabbed you it won’t let you go! I’ve read and loved all of C.L. Taylor’s previous novels but I think I have to say that The Escape is her best yet. It’s due to be published by Avon Books on 23 March and I highly recommend pre-ordering a copy now.

I received a copy of this book from Avon Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve previously reviewed C.L. Taylor’s novel The Missing and you can read that here if you’d like to.

Jo's world begins to unravel when she has a chance encounter with a strange woman named Paula who has connections to her husband Max. With her mental health deteriorating, her marriage crumbling and concerns for her daughter's safety, Jo feels she is left with no other option than to go on the run with 2-year-old Elise.

This is the third book I have read by C L Taylor and whilst it is not my favourite of hers, nonetheless it is a good read. The only negative is that I found it quite similar to a few other psychological thrillers in this saturated genre particularly The Breakdown by B A Paris, which I loved.

Very impressive thriller with lots of really good twists to keep me 'entertained'. Whilst I was on Jo's side a lot of the time, I found myself shouting at the book/kindle to tell her to change the locks or take pictures with her phone. Jo is a complex character and was not afraid to bundle her 2 year old into her car, and even end up in Ireland! I am convinced that there could be a follow up when the "baddies" get out of jail? The best book I have read this year (out of 4). Basing it in my home city, Bristol, is a masterstroke for someone like me. I would have like a little bit more description as to the whereabouts of Jo's house, but that is a very small point.

I have read this author books before and quite often you worry that they will lose their edge as they write more. I would argue that the opposite of this is true with this book. it grabs you from the first page,has pace but so many twists and turns that you have suspicions but they simmer as just that.
The complexity of Max and Jo's lives and the ensuing drama make you sit and think about relationships that evolve around mental illness, test your own thoughts and enable reflection upon this.
This book is well written,is clever with its plot line and you enjoy it right up until the very last word.
The love of a parent,desperation through loss but finding yourself and facing life are key elements in this book.
The characters are well written and I could almost feel the wet sea breeze in my face.
Thank you to Netgalley,the publisher and author for allowing the chance to read and review.
A must read for anyone.

Breakneck pace, tension, lies and manipulation twisted together to send a vulnerable mother close to the edge. Fear and desperation combine to make this a very good read.

I quite enjoyed this but I did feel a degree of irritation n with the heroine. Her actions seemed reckless and poorly thought out and I didn't feel that the text provided a rationale for her behaviour. Actually quite disappointing.

Brilliant book; couldn't put it down and read it in 2 days, every spare minute.

Loved the characters and the twists and turns in the book kept me on edge the whole time. I felt so involved with the characters, so real. Well written, all in all an excellent read :)