Told via a ‘before and after‘ format, this thriller was twisty, disturbing, and unsettling.

In the present we meet a woman and a young boy who are on the run. They go to a holiday cottage in the Peak District. Their presence there seems to have been arranged before hand. The woman has little money, even less petrol, and is becoming more and more desperate. Also, she has a nasty knife wound on her arm. She dare not go to a hospital because someone is after her… The wound turns septic… The little boy, Josh, becomes more and more traumatized though the woman is trying to protect him.

In the time leading up to the event we meet Lea, Harry, and their son Josh. They are not married, but Harry finally springs the question after their son is five years old.  Harry’s proposal sets events in motion. For Lea is not sure this is the life she wants. Harry seems to harbour many secrets. Lea is twenty-six years old and seems to regret her lost freedom. She even seems to regret the existence of her son at times. Weird things seem to happen to Lea. There are cameras in every room of her house. She gets fired from her job through no fault of her own.  Harry keeps his office in their home locked at all times. What is he hiding?

This novel has lot of elements that will appeal to those who love psychological thrillers. Uncertainty about what led to a mysterious, pivotal event – and what was the event??? With an extremely unreliable narrator, the reader is never really certain of what is really going on. The writing is compelling, the characters unlikable (with the exception of Josh), and the plot is serpentine. Hold on to your hat! Georgina Lees has done it again!

This review was written voluntarily and my rating was in no way influenced by the fact that I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel from One More Chapter/HarperCollins UK via NetGalley. 

ISBN:  9780008614034 – ASIN:  B0BJNS2RGL – 384 pages

Published April 7, 2023.

Georgina Lees studied creative writing and film at university and has since pursued a career in video-games journalism, covering some of the most popular games in the world. Her psychological thrillers are inspired by her surroundings, from the congested London streets to the raw English countryside. She can be found playing games, writing stories, and reading anything from fantasy to crime fiction.

Connect with Georgina Lees on Twitter and/or Instagram. Alternately, you can visit her website: https://georginalees.co.uk/