We first meet Lou when her current boyfriend Ben tries to surprise her with a romantic break away little knowing that the starting destination of their trip will bring to the fore painful memories for Lou and will bring to an end their relationship. After Lou decides to end things with Ben she also makes the decision to return home to Malvern to sort out her father's house, a place she's not been back to since she was 14 when everything in her life exploded, and also confront her past once and for all.

Alternating between 1989, with 14 year old Lou who is in love with a much older man, her Karate teacher Mike, and the present day set in 2007 when a 32 year old Lou finally returns home, we get glimpses into the life of Lou. Events from 1989 have left deeply routed scars on her and she's unable to form any sort of lasting friendship or relationship, as soon as anyone gets too close she runs away. From the outset it's clear that Lou is deeply troubled, but then is it any wonder considering what she's been through but she's not the only one whose life has been disrupted by everything that happened.

When Lou seeks Mike out the last thing Lou expects to see is for him to be up to his old tricks, it looks like another young girl is in danger to fall under his spell but Lou is determined to do whatever she can to protect Chloe from going through what she herself had been through as a 14 year old. But to Chloe she's just a strange weird woman, can she really get her to trust and believe her?

The story is narrated from three viewpoints, those of Lou, Chloe and a third woman Wendy. At first it's not clear who Wendy is that has a stalkerish obsession with Lou but it's not long before the clues start to fall into place. I have to admit that it was Wendy's narration was the one that I was drawn to most, then Lou's flashbacks to her time under Mike's spell in France in 1989. I could totally emphasise with Lou in the present day wanting to stop history repeating itself but her actions were totally irrational... understandable maybe but is justice really going to prevail that way.

The subject matter of an older man grooming a young girl makes for some disturbing, uncomfortable reading but sadly it's one that is all too prevalent in our society so I'm glad that C.L. Taylor did not shy away from exploring this. There is always someone out there willing to take advantage of vulnerable young girls or boys by reeling them in by showing them affection and then using their power to taking control or advantage of them. By the time most realise what is going on it's too late.

However the book wasn't without its faults as there were some major editing/research issues with mentions of things that were not available at the time of the timelines in the story. Instagram app being used in 2007 when it was't launched until 2010, PS4 games console being played in 2007 when it wasn't out until 2013 and Euro currency being used in 1989 when it wasn't introduced in France until 2002 to name just three examples and there were quite a few others I could have mentioned as well. If the present day storyline had been set in the current day then none of these would have been an issue, it almost feels like the timeline had been moved back 10 years but then the relevant references not changed accordingly. Whether that was the case or not I don't know.

The Fear is a chilling tale of revenge, one that will get under your skin as the complexities of the different relationships merge to a tense climax. At times I did feel that some of the drama being created was a bit too far fetched, especially regarding the Lou/Mike/Wendy situation towards the latter stages of the book, and a little unrealistic but then again who knows what we would do if we were in that position. That being said, I did love that the author did add in that one extra element of surprise in the final chapter!

The Fear is a superb example of suspense fiction at its finest. This compelling story had me going to bed earlier and earlier and reading my Kindle whilst waiting for the kettle to boil, on the bus stop, and first thing in the morning. I couldn’t get the story out of my head.
The premise is that Louise, a former victim of paedophile Mike Hughes, sees that he is up to his old ways again and tries to warn the girl he is grooming. There three sides to every story, and this one is told from three points of view, which works very well. Mike Hughes is the kind of villain that will give you nightmares. He is terrifyingly charming and his power over the girls he grooms is horribly credible, yet he is also unscrupulously and unpredictably violent.
There were twists and turns I didn’t see coming, threads of the story I couldn’t look away from, and shockingly vivid imagery. I found this book utterly gripping and read the whole thing in three days flat. I’m delighted to discover CL Taylor as she has already written five other books, which I shall be ordering straight away. Such a treat to discover a new favourite author. Thank you Net galley for the free Kindle copy. Opinions are my own.

CL Taylor is well-known for her psychological thrillers that force readers to face their fears face on and "The Fear" is no different. It is the story of grooming and it is an uncomfortable read as we watch the predatory figure of Mike Hughes use his position to prey on vulnerable teenage girls.

As usual the author has created a whole cast of brilliant characters who will get under your skin right from the very start! There are four main characters in the novel, Mike, Lou, Chloe and Wendy. The Fear is told from the point of view of the three women as each of their stories unfolds. It is right that Mike Hughes is not given "a voice" in this novel and that the power is taken away from him through the words of the women. It will come as no surprise that Mike Hughes made my skin crawl! Every little thing about him made feel physically sick. Watching him use his position to manipulate each of the women is sickening. Never gratuitous but chilling nonetheless.

I found Lou's character very realistic, the trauma of what happened to her as a teenager plays out across the pages and the very real impact of abuse was portrayed both realistically and sensitively. With Chloe, her vulnerability, shone out of her and my heart was breaking watching her fall under the spell of evil. We also hear from Wendy, at first we don't know who she is but it was fairly easy to work out. Her identity is revealed as the reason for her behaviour becomes apparent. I loved Wendy's character, the author wrote her to perfection. That internal conflict that had played out in her head over the years was both realistic and understanding. The Fear is a story of manipulation, power, control and revenge but as usual CL Taylor does this with her own unique twist, prodding and poking at your brain and leaving you reeling.

Perfectly paced, The Fear, is one of those books that you pick up and struggle to put back down again. Short, sharp but intense chapters compel you to read just one more, twists and turns throughout keep you engaged and your heart racing at a steady pace. An insightful exploration of grooming and dangerous power games, The Fear, is a fearsome read that you do not want to miss! (Review also up on my blog chapterinmylife

Another corker of a thriller from CL Taylor! I could not put this book down. The difficult subject of grooming and paedophilia is handled sensitively. Absolutely gripped from start to finish!

Lou was 14 when she fell in love with a much older man. The story tells of how Lou finds out years later that her former boyfriend is up to his old tricks. I found the book quite disturbing in parts but having said that it was enjoyable to read.

A really exciting roller coaster read, with 3 wonderful psychologically flawed and desperate women as lead characters and one rather vile man, who almost had me fooled into having some sympahy for him at the beginning but whom I soon learnt to loathe and despise as he revealed his true colours and I joined in with wishing he'd get his come-upppance.

C.L. Taylor writes mind numbingly realistic - "Oh My God thank heavens that isn't happening to me" scenarios, with believable and relatable characters.

The subject matter is both distasteful yet topical. The grooming of young girls by an older man in a position of trust, who abuses that trust and ruins lives.

That man is Mike Hughes, a teacher, a mature married man. Hardly surprising that young impressionable girls look up to him, hero worship him, fall in love with him. But it's how he misuses that innocent love to his own evil ends that makes this a twisty horrifying thriller.

It's the fact that nearly 20 years after he tried to abduct 13 year old Lou Wansworth, their paths cross again. The experience has left its scars on Lou and she still finds it hard to trust and build a real relationship with a man.

For almost 20 years her hurt has festered and she is about to seek retribution when she discovers the same man who ruined her life appears to be doing exactly the same thing all over again and is grooming another lonely and vulnerable young woman. Well she's not about to sit by and let it happen.

We hear 3 points of view, that of Lou, then Chloe the newest young victim and then there is Wendy, obviously a rather unhinged woman who is to become the 3rd player in this nail biting drama.

I couldn't put this book down, its terribly scary and scarily thrilling. A very entertaining and shiver inducing psychological thriller.

My #FridayReads recommendation is The Fear by @callytaylor I read it on holiday and was so glad I could just keep turning the pages without interruption! It's dark, tense and a truly addictive read.

You are in for such a treat with C.L. Taylor’s latest book, The Fear. The Sunday Times best-selling author delivers yet another tense, dark, gripping thriller.
Lou Wandsworth ran away to France with her karate teacher when she was just thirteen. At the time, she felt that she was in love with Mike but now looking back as an adult, it is clear for her to see that she was a vulnerable young girl, groomed by a predatory paedophile. Lou has finally moved back to her childhood home after her father’s death. She knows that she is likely to run into Mike but she is not prepared for that fact that he is still abusing young girls. When she learns of his involvement with thirteen-year-old Chloe Meadows. Lou can see history repeating itself and she knows that she must put a stop to it, no matter how much danger that puts her in.
I have read C.L. Taylor’s previous books and they are fantastic but this is my favourite so far. I felt as though the author had taken everything up a notch; the tension is palpable from the beginning and the twists along the way are so clever.
I think that the author was brave tackling the subject if paedophilia; it is obviously always relevant but it has been in the media so much recently too. Her handling of the subject felt sensitive but realistic. It was so easy to see how Lou and Chloe were taken in by Mike and how his behaviour becomes more manipulative and frightening.
If you are looking for a dark, page-turning thriller then look no further than The Fear.

I loved this book, about a woman groomed by her karate teacher and wanting to save another girl from the same fate. The book is easy to read, while being gripping and had me gunning for the three main characters. This is my first read of Cally’s work, but certainly won’t be my last.

When Lou returns to her childhood home she plans a meeting with Mike the man who groomed her as a child, things take a dramatic turn when Mike arrives to clear some furniture for Lou. A spine chilling thriller of a read that will keep you turning the pages.

Not my first CL Taylor and certainly not my favourite. The subject matter had been very well researched but left me cold and the writing style was good but the plot had too many implausible situations. I thought the ending was weak too.

This book demands a visceral response to a subject matter that has rarely been written about in such a highly charged fashion. It is uncomfortable and anxiety inducing. It is compulsive reading with twists and turns throughout. I'm a new fan of C.L. Taylor!

Whilst I was at school, I remember being obsessed with stories of teenage girls who 'ran away' with their teachers; we would pour over them when they appeared on the news and pray that girls who went missing would turn up unharmed (including, at one point, a girl from the year below us). Those stories were close to home, both in geography (we were less than an hour from Dover and France was more accessible than even other parts of the UK) and also because they were us, we were them - it was both unthinkable and also too real. As an adult, I am still kind of fascinated by these stories - although thankfully they are few and far between - but my interest was immediately piqued when I found out that it was the topic at the heart of this thriller.

As a teenager, Lou Wandsworth ran away to France with her karate teacher Mike Hughes; she thought he was the love of her life but he wasn't what he seemed and left her in pieces. Now, having moved back to her home town after the death of her father, she finds that he is repeating the past with a young girl called Chloe Meadows. Determined to confront him and save Chloe from the same fate she experienced, she quickly gets way in over her head and it's soon unclear whether she will become his prey once again. This is fast-paced and gripping, and definitely didn't end up how I expected it at all (which is a good thing!). I have been vocal about my dislike of the way thrillers often play on violence towards women as a lazy way of shocking the reader, but this was almost the opposite - a woman who has experienced abuse trying to turn that around, which I am very much here for (although I would maybe not condone all of Lucy's methods...).

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This book deals with a very sensitive subject which will stir emotions in many readers but C.L.Taylor has dealt with the topic well. The story centres around Mike, from the perspective of three females who have featured prominently in his life. I was gripped from the start and traveled through a huge range of emotions as we are taken back to the events which lead to his conviction after kidnapping Lou and back to the present day, where he is grooming another young girl in a similar fashion.

The only reason for the four stars rather than a five is because I found the ending to be quite unbelievable and contrived. I was surprised at Wendy's character doing a full 360 from vengeful potential murderess to ally and partner in crime. I was also surprised at Chloe Meadows sudden metamorphosis into an unshakable furie when she had been a wet blanket throughout the book.

Otherwise, a fantastic gripping read.

The Fear is a psychological thriller about Lou Wandsworth who ran off to France when she was younger with her teacher Mike Hughes. Their relationship unsurprisingly didn't work out and now she has discovered he is involved with another teenage girl. Lou is determined he won't do the same again and returns home to confront him. In doing so though, she could be putting herself in grave danger.

The Fear was a very unsettling read particularly when it came to the parts about how Lou was 'groomed' by Mike when she was younger. Mike was an especially unlikable character both in the past and the present, a real creep. At no point did I feel any sympathy for him whatsoever. It was scary to think about how easy it seemed that a young girl could be taken in by an older man, by playing - or preying - on typical teenage insecurities. The fear and terror experienced by Lou as a young girl was mirrored to a certain extent by Mike in the circumstances he finds himself in in the present. 

The Fear is a dark tale of revenge and just when you think you know where story's going, the author takes you completely by surprise!

Excellent read about such a shocking event. Really liked the way the characters panned out.

Incredibly readable, though I did have to stop reading at night time as it was just TOO MUCH for a bedtime read! I devoured it the next day, however, racing to the end because I had to know what happened.
I sometimes find books with multiple viewpoints annoying, but each character in this one was very well defined, and very different, so it was always clear which one I was hearing from. There are also time shifts, as we see what happened in Lou's history against the present day, but again it's done in such a way that I never felt confused about what was happening.
It is, obviously, a dark story since it's dealing with paedophilia, jealousy, kidnapping, manipulation & control. But there were light-hearted moments too, and it is brilliantly written...I had guessed one little part, but that didn't spoil the enjoyment as I still had no idea how the whole story would play out.

I am a big fan of Cally Taylor and while this book had me gripped from the beginning I couldn't help but think it was a bit too far fetched for my liking. I did like the ending though.
3.5 stars

With thanks to the publisher for the copy received.
I wasn’t really sure what to expect from The Fear, but it certainly wasn’t to feel as repulsed, sickened and in fear of the man who could manipulate all three of the women/ girls who appear in the novel.
At first, before Lou’s diary entries revealed more details, the reader is just aware that she was in love, excited that her boyfriend was taking her on a weekend break. It is only when you see his mood swings and violence that you see exactly what he was doing. There were plenty of mind games, and it is probably these along with the violence towards her and others that made me feel so on edge. And the ‘fear’ when she realised that his plan is more than a holiday.
Lou, aged 32, shows all the damage that was caused by what she went through. Not being able to maintain a relationship and the guilt at not testifying all come to a head when she finds that he is doing exactly the same again with Chloe and she takes drastic action to ensure that Chloe does not go through what she did.I was desperate for Lou and Chloe to be safe and for Wendy whose true identity isn’t revealed at first, to get some answers and be happy. Wendy’s role in the novel was light-hearted relief. She did make me smile quite often, I never knew what she was going to do next.
Yes, the novel is far-fetched, I struggled at first with the way that both fathers were portrayed as louts who had no respect for wives and daughters but this is a compelling read. There was a certain point in the novel when I couldn’t put it down until I finished it.
Recommended.

4.5 stars Fantastic read. Another great book by this author that I would highly recommend. Her books certainly don’t disappoint