Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
What a ride! A great debut by Katherine Faulkner. This is the type of story where your brain is ??? throughout, I mean you’ve got theories, but where is it going to land!? It all hinges on the conclusion, and this one did not disappoint. There were a lot of twists, suspicious (and guilty) people, and I think all of the loose ends were tied up well by the end.
I couldn’t put this book down. It revolves around pregnant Helen, who meets unpredictable Rachel at a prenatal class, and things get .. uncomfortable? I don’t want to give too much away, but your head will be spinning with all the ways the characters are connected, wondering what is going on?! It’s tense. Great domestic thriller!
** Trigger warning: pregnancy loss, abuse, rape, infertility, infidelity, depression
Thank you NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada and Gallery Books for the advance ebook!
I couldn’t put this book down. It revolves around pregnant Helen, who meets unpredictable Rachel at a prenatal class, and things get .. uncomfortable? I don’t want to give too much away, but your head will be spinning with all the ways the characters are connected, wondering what is going on?! It’s tense. Great domestic thriller!
** Trigger warning: pregnancy loss, abuse, rape, infertility, infidelity, depression
Thank you NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada and Gallery Books for the advance ebook!
3.5 stars rounded up. Helen lives in a gorgeous home with her architect husband. Though she’s had miscarriages, this time it looks like the baby might make it full term. Her sister-in-law is also pregnant, due within days of when Helen is, but at the last minute, Serena decides not to attend the neonatal class with her. Helen’s husband is also distracted with work, so when Rachel befriends her at the class, even though Helen is put off by the fact that a pregnant woman drinks and smokes, she’s also lonely and tries to ignore Rachel’s erratic behavior.
The mystery of this is well done. Unfortunately, none of the characters is likeable, and at the end, it’s a complete info dump explanation of how the various secrets the family, spouses, and friends have been keeping for years played out.
NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES JANURARY 25, 2022.
The mystery of this is well done. Unfortunately, none of the characters is likeable, and at the end, it’s a complete info dump explanation of how the various secrets the family, spouses, and friends have been keeping for years played out.
NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES JANURARY 25, 2022.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book does the thing I hate in mysteries, where the last few chapters are an explanation from the thoughts of the characters, and yet, it wasn’t as bad as I expected.
It’s a very slow burn mystery, not one that will keep you up at night, but one that will keep you engaged.
An easy read (or listen) if you need something to get you back into reading.
It’s a very slow burn mystery, not one that will keep you up at night, but one that will keep you engaged.
An easy read (or listen) if you need something to get you back into reading.
Maze Hill, Greenwich is home to a neighbourhood of perfect people. You’ll soon find out that perfect people can tell perfect secrets! Can they get away with the perfect crime?
In short, this novel is about a pregnant woman’s life that starts to unravel when she meets an unpredictable single mother.
Katherine Faulkner’s debut exposes obsession that is fueled by revenge and explores the dark and sinister side of seemingly perfect people. Helen and Rachel’s lives become entangled when they meet at a prenatal class. Helen has suffered trauma from several miscarriages and is missing the support of her husband and her best friends, who are actually her brother and pregnant sister-in-law. They were all supposed to be at the class, but for various reasons couldn’t make it. The scene is set for needy Helen to befriend Rachel, a woman with an ulterior motive. The women appear to be a good support system for each other until the day that Rachel knocks the door asking for a place to stay until she can get her life back together.
I was honestly surprised that this was written by a debut author. Faulkner is a master at creating atmosphere, a sense of place, visceral and descriptive writing and a well-planned psychological suspense. She was able to fool me with her multiple twists and keep me in the dark until the end. The success of this novel is the use of multiple unreliable narrators using first person point of view. It gave me a greater sense of what was happening behind the closed doors of Maze Hill, but also gave me insight into the college lives of the main characters. The suspense created was a close second. I knew something sinister was lurking when I noted that Rachel’s behaviour was a little off, something was askew with Helen taking so long in her sister-in-law’s bathroom, and when things started to go missing in the house only to show up days later. When I discovered lies and secrets between the friends, I didn’t know who to trust. These two things made for a compelling read that I honestly couldn't put down.
I’ll eagerly read another psychological suspense by Falkner.
I was gifted this advance copy by Katherine Falkner, Simon and Schuster Canada, Gallery Books, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review
In short, this novel is about a pregnant woman’s life that starts to unravel when she meets an unpredictable single mother.
Katherine Faulkner’s debut exposes obsession that is fueled by revenge and explores the dark and sinister side of seemingly perfect people. Helen and Rachel’s lives become entangled when they meet at a prenatal class. Helen has suffered trauma from several miscarriages and is missing the support of her husband and her best friends, who are actually her brother and pregnant sister-in-law. They were all supposed to be at the class, but for various reasons couldn’t make it. The scene is set for needy Helen to befriend Rachel, a woman with an ulterior motive. The women appear to be a good support system for each other until the day that Rachel knocks the door asking for a place to stay until she can get her life back together.
I was honestly surprised that this was written by a debut author. Faulkner is a master at creating atmosphere, a sense of place, visceral and descriptive writing and a well-planned psychological suspense. She was able to fool me with her multiple twists and keep me in the dark until the end. The success of this novel is the use of multiple unreliable narrators using first person point of view. It gave me a greater sense of what was happening behind the closed doors of Maze Hill, but also gave me insight into the college lives of the main characters. The suspense created was a close second. I knew something sinister was lurking when I noted that Rachel’s behaviour was a little off, something was askew with Helen taking so long in her sister-in-law’s bathroom, and when things started to go missing in the house only to show up days later. When I discovered lies and secrets between the friends, I didn’t know who to trust. These two things made for a compelling read that I honestly couldn't put down.
I’ll eagerly read another psychological suspense by Falkner.
I was gifted this advance copy by Katherine Falkner, Simon and Schuster Canada, Gallery Books, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review
If the rest of the book was as intense as the last 5 chapters I would have given it 4 stars. It kindof dragged on and on.
3.5. Despite the fact that I read it in a day, the first half was a very very slow burn and also the main character is partly unreliable with blackouts and “oh my phone is dead, I can’t get to the charger”, just wants to keep her eyes closed to everything - was annoying. I didn’t think I would be satisfied with the ending, but at the very end it got me.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I didn't like the two characters introduced first, so I considered ditching it. However, it did have the crazy twists and turns advertised. Good read without being a replica of Gone Girl.
Good mystery/thriller but a little predictable. I also think the motive could have been stronger but it was still a good twist at the end.