Finders, Keepers

Wow this was a fabulous read and the slow build up of both suspense and tension made for a completely unputdownable book that I just loved. The character of Verity Ann Baxter was wonderfully crafted as bit by bit little snippets of information about her and her life gradually built up which left my mind reeling as to what was going on, was Verity hiding something and what the hell was going on with her neighbours the Tilsons !!
This is a extremely atmospheric read that pulls you in from the beginning, it’s creepy at times as you really do know something odd is going on here but the book is so cleverly written that you are never sure what it is but slowly more is revealed and it was so bloody good and what a deliciously twisted ending!!
So it’s a fascinating, brilliant and wonderful read and one that I just couldn’t put down and that for me marks it as a 5 star read and very highly recommended, don’t miss it it really is exceptional and many many thanks to Sabine Durrant for giving so much pleasure in such a great read.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton UK for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

You can always rely on Sabine Durrant to create an un-put-downable novel. And, seeing as though it seems ages since she last wrote a novel, this was a real treat to receive.

As usual, this is Sabine at her best: Brilliant characters, great plot and an intrigue that is weaved throughout the whole novel, keeping you turning the pages until the very end. Verity Ann Baxter is one of Sabine Durrant's best ever unreliable narrators - so cleverly done. I loved the setting and the contrast between Verity and her nouveaux-riche neighbours who give their house a facelift and the conflict that arises instantly when they moved in!

Everyone in this brilliant story is hiding secrets, but the biggest secret of all is the one that will have you flipping pages like a crazy person until you reach the end. oh and that end, all I will say is, well it's very haunting indeed.

This is a brilliant, convincing, well plotted and thought out thriller with Sabine's usual skill at drawing characters that seem so real! Verity Ann Baxter is unforgettable - one of the most convincing characters Sabine's written (other than in 'Lie with me')

Sad to have finished it!
Thoroughly, thoroughly recommend!!!
Thank you Hodder and Sabine!

Wow wow wow an another absolutely amazing thrilling & exciting read from Durrant. It is a slow burning exciting and gripping read. From page one your attention will be grabbed & you will be unable to put down this superb read. Another cracking book from this superb writer.

This book was certainly a slow burn but definitely worth it.

Verity is an unreliable narrator in the vein of Barbara from Notes on a Scandal - you know there's more to her than meets the eye but you're never quite sure what it is. Durrant slowly reveals more aspects of Verity's life and secrets - it's a real page turner!

I was so pleased to get this book to read as I’ve read all this author’s books, and with this one she’s done it again!
A well written thriller and I loved it.
Recommended.

I love Sabine Durrant - she's one of the few authors that guarantees a brilliantly written novel every time. Finders, Keepers is no exception - told from the point of view of Verity, who has lived in the same neighbourhood all her life, and who is increasingly intrigued by her new neighbours, Ailsa and Tom Tilson. When Verity offers to tutor their son, Max, who is struggling at school, Ailsa jumps at the chance. As a friendship grows between the two women, the two spend more and more time together. But both are keeping secrets of their own, and with their lives becoming increasingly intertwined, the chance of keeping those secrets hidden is ever smaller...

I loved how the storyline vacillated between the past and the present, the former detailing the circumstances around Verity and Ailsa's burgeoning friendship, and the latter exploring the consequences. As with all Sabine Durrant's novels, nothing is as it seems, and the plot is both complex and beautifully plotted. I really felt for both female characters, and I loved that each was as manipulative as the other in their own way. The ending was brilliant, too - dark, and yet somehow satisfying, with an excellent twist.

Will definitely be recommending this one!

Thank you to NetGalley, who provided me with a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

You can always rely on Sabine Durrant to create the very best unreliable narrators and Finders, Keepers’ Verity Ann Baxter is no exception. Peopled by dislikable, yet wholly compelling, characters, this story immersed me completely. I adored the setting - Tooting Bec, Balham and beyond - which brings together next door neighbours Verity, who has lived in her now dilapidated house since she was a child, and Ailsa and Tom Tilson who have just given their house an extreme makeover including digging out a basement prior to moving in.

Verity and Ailsa are polar opposites yet a friendship starts to unfold anyway, but is it really a genuine friendship? Things start to become fraught as Tom grows more and more disgruntled with the state of Verity's house, including the plants in the back garden which are invading the Tilson's land, and just what is that pervasive stink coming from Verity's house? Everyone in this atmospheric tale is hiding things, but the biggest secret of all is the one that will have you hastily turning the pages to the disturbing end.

This is an intelligent, slow-burn thriller and an absolute triumph of characterisation. Verity Ann Baxter is unforgettable - one of the strongest characters I've come across in recent fiction - I’m missing her already.

Big thank you to Hodder for allowing me to read this - I loved it!

So chilling so well written.A storyline that drew me in kept me reading late late into the night,An author whose books I devour,I will be recommending this book highly.#netgalley#hodderstoughton

What a wild ride this thriller was! The storyline was believable and fascinating, and I couldn’t tear myself away.

Verity Anne Baxter, 52, single though been around the block, lives in the dilapidated, cluttered house she grew up in. Her life is not entirely solitary but she is often alone with just the company of her dog, Maudie. The adjoining house has been gutted and modernised within an inch of its life and is now sleek, minimalist and maybe somewhat clinical. Verity’s new neighbours are The Tilsons. There’s overbearing and controlling husband Tom, his wife Ailsa is a bit flakey and maybe nervy, teenager Melissa and twins Max and Bea. Ailsa and Verity develop a mutually beneficial friendship and Verity becomes a part of their lives which deepens when tragedy strikes. The narrator of the story is Verity who’s dry , wry humour and cleverness is evident throughout. Verity is a lexicographer and so each chapter starts with an appropriate object and a definition which I really like. I think readers can relate to ‘Tsundoku’, a piling up of newly acquired books!

I really like Sabine Durrant’s books and this one is no exception. The story is extremely well written, it unfolds really well, hooks you in and keeps the intrigue. This is a slow burner of high quality which keeps you guessing until the end. There is tension especially when Tom is around. All the characters are well portrayed especially Verity and Ailsa and though both have personality traits that are not always admirable I did like them both. I like how Verity and Ailsa become codependent but what adds to the interest is that their relationship and dynamic keeps changing. Max is adorable, he has his issues but is obviously a clever boy.

The story is quite dark, much of the darkness is symbolised and transmitted by Verity's house, it’s like a looming presence, there’s the puzzle of locked rooms, hoarding and the overgrown garden. The state of the house becomes a big bone of contention. However, it’s not just the mysteries of the house because both women have secrets.

Overall, a terrific read which I enjoyed very much and one I can recommend to fans of this genre.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the ARC.

4-5 stars. I absolutely loved Sabine Durrant’s LIE WITH ME, which made me desperate to get my hands on this book. I’m glad I was able to, because once again I felt that Durrant created an unputdownable, thrilling, and chilling book. It had some very good twists and turns, thrills, chills, and well developed characters! I highly, highly recommend it if you are a fan of Durrant’s previous novels, as I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. She really knows how to lead you down a thrilling ride, which is sure to chill you to the bone and having you gasping in shock!
Will make sure i buzz it up on all the different platforms!