I quite enjoyed this psychological drama - it has multiple strands, mysteries from the past and present, and an underlying feeling of dread pervades the text.

However some of the plot was rather far fetched (particularly the revelations about two characters in particular - I won't give away the plot by saying any more about that!), which spoiled it for me - I couldn't quite suspend logic enough to swallow some of the plot.

That said, it was interesting enough for me to finish the book (my new resolution is to abandon any that are not worth spending more time on), so I've given it 3 stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in return for my honest review.

This was an excellent book. It kept my attention right throughout with the plenty of twists and turns it had. I also found that this book was more to my taste than the author's first book due to its controversial ending. So definitely recommended by me!

I do love Sarah Pinborough books; she is such a talented author and, because absolutely anything can happen in her books, I find that I just go with the flow and enjoy the story rather than try to work out the unimaginable twist. It quickly became apparent that Cross Her Heart is so full of secrets and I was virtually rubbing my hands together in glee as I immersed myself in the story to see how it would all play out.

Lisa doesn't have an easy life; she has few friends and is a single parent to her stroppy teenage daughter, Ava. I initially found Lisa to be very weak and forgettable and thought that this is most unlike Sarah Pinborough, but I should have known better as there is a very good reason for this...Lisa is not who she seems. Lisa has kept her head well below the parapet in order to protect her new identity and to forget a past that she has managed to keep hidden from Ava....until now!

I thought the first part of the book was fast paced but once Lisa's past is revealed the pace is ramped up to supersonic! I simply couldn't read fast enough as I eagerly devoured every scintillating word written on the scorched pages. Lisa's past is revealed teasingly bit by bit and my heart went out to her as the full picture is painted.

Supersonically fast-paced, Cross Her Heart is an addictive and riveting read that had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Another absolute cracker from the brilliant Sarah Pinborough!

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

I love Sarah Pinborough’s writing so was thrilled when I was approved to read Cross Her Heart on NetGalley earlier this year. I finally got to read it a few weeks ago and enjoyed it. This is the story of Lisa, who is mum to a teenage daughter Ava. She’s very protective of her daughter and worries constantly about where she is and what she’s doing. The novel slowly ramps up the tension to the reveal as to why she’s so protective and then we see the past and present slowly begin to catch up to each other as the novel hurtles to its conclusion! This was a really good read but it’s not my favourite Pinborough novel. I loved Behind Her Eyes so much and this just didn’t quite live up to it. It’s still a great read about how the past catches up with us, and the lengths people will go to when they feel betrayed.

Big fan of Sarah Pinborough, this was fantastic. Dark, twisty, intriguing, atmospheric. Highly recommend!

OMG the twists and turns in this rare gem of a read made for one hell of a roller-coaster ride! The story centres around Lisa; a seemingly ordinary, loving, single mum whose priority is that of her only child. We learn early on that Lisa is haunted by the death of a young boy but just how she is connected to him isn’t revealed until about a quarter of the way into the book.

Lisa’s daughter is sixteen-year-old Ava. Ava belongs to a swimming club where she is part of a close-knit group of four girls who she calls ‘my bitches’. The eldest in the group is Jodie. Ava has a close affinity with Jodie as they both have issues with their mothers. Ava because Lisa is claustrophobic and overprotective, and Jodie because her mother is never around. Ava has a boyfriend too, but she’s getting fed up with him and has become infatuated with a ‘mystery man’ who she has been chatting to online.

Lisa’s best friend is Marilyn. To the outside world Marilyn has the perfect life but she carries a secret that she hides even from her best friend.

When Ava is thrown into the spotlight through an act of bravery, she unwittingly uncovers Lisa’s secret past (a past that Ava knew nothing about). At this point, Ava already has issues with her mother but now she hates her more than ever, and escaping with the ‘mystery man’ she has met online is the only thing that keeps her going. When Ava goes missing the plot really starts to thicken and a whole web of lies and deceit begin to worm their way into the story.

There are so many shocking twists in this book I could talk about but I don’t want to give any spoilers. There are, however, two main things that make this psychological thriller stand out. Firstly, whilst there are times when you will hate the protagonist for some of the things she has done, the author has developed the character so thoroughly and given her such an utterly compelling story, you can’t help but empathise with her too. Secondly, this characterisation is so tightly interwoven into the skilfully structured plot, one minute you will want to throw the book against the wall and the next you will almost set the pages on fire where you are turning them so fast.

As well as being shocking, heart-breaking, and horrific, Cross Her Heart is also a story of love and true friendship. Lisa isn’t the only one who has been well characterised; Marilyn is fabulous and everybody should have a friend like Marilyn!

In the same fast-paced style as the overall plot, the climax and the conclusion come in fairly quick succession, resulting in one of my most satisfying reads of 2018. I would recommend this book for anybody who likes Louise Jensen or Jane Shemilt.

As a Sarah Pinborough fan, she did not fail to deliver! The main character, Lisa set the tone for this story as a mother determined to protect her daughter from the past whilst trying to live a normal life in the present. Loved the way story went back and forth from past to present, to give the reader the backstory of Lisa's former life. A brilliant read for 2019!

I received this book from Net Galley on a complete whim. I wanted to read a few thrillers and decided to apply because it didn’t quite sound like anything I had read before. The reason? I’ve never read anything like this before. This was a fresh mystery, a new take on what can be a predicable genre. I have a huge problem working out stories, reading ahead in my mind and coming back with the answer before we’re supposed to have the full picture and with this it wasn’t possible to do that. It was a really special story.

I am not usually a lover of multi perspective stories, however, Sarah Pinborough has used perspectives to drive this book in an unparalleled and superlative manner. We see the story from the point of view of a mother, of her daughter, of her friend, and later, from a stranger. We experience the idiosyncrasies of each character, their flaws and their motives from their points of view, but we also see the direct affect that it has on the other characters as a direct result. Sarah also used this storytelling method to drip feed information all over the place. Some pieces are red herrings, or we deliberately don’t have enough information to create the correct narrative. It was this technique that really took my breath away and allowed me to experience the mystery in a way I hadn’t fully experienced before.

The story unfolded as the character's came alive and this powerful storytelling method drove the plot erratically and addictively. The author had a brilliant ability to make each character seem good when she needed them to seem flawless and innocent, yet introduce enough mystery and intrigue that you began to question their motives and their past. It's so common to hear phrases like 'the past is the key to the future', but it really applied to this book, how you saw the characters, and ultimately where you imagined the story to go.

I have a bad habit of jumping to conclusions in my head and have read so many thrillers that I often find it difficult to find something engaging and new. This was definitely one of those books. In parts, it lacked any form of action, yet the tension built in these moments to the point where I had to keep listening and needed to know what would happen next. The book revolved around tiny revelations made through innocuous speeches or phrases, which kept me engaged and hooked in, afraid to miss anything juicy or relevant.

I don't want to say to much for fearing of spoiling what was a gripping story and a fantastic ending. When I looked back, the answers, the people, and the clues were all there from start to finish in plain sight, but they were so expertly woven in, hidden, and shrouded that it was a pleasure to unpick them when I read it and then experience them again after.

If you love thoughtful thrillers, psychological mysteries, and unreliable narrators, this is definitely the book for you!

Whilst an enjoyable and gripping read, it was not quite as good as the previous book.

The story was well formed and paced and the first couple of twists were surprising but the part quarter could have had more substance

This story begins with a more than chilling opening and is a goosebump ride from that moment on. Very quickly the reader finds out about Ava's teenage endeavours that are worrisome and disappointing for any parent to read but extremely realistic. Lisa, Ava's mum is constantly on high alert. Trying to re-settle and trying to trust again, Lisa is working through her anxiety and fears with caution. This tale is compelling, immersive and absorbing, I highly recommend this Sarah Pinborough story.

Thank you netGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. I did read this book fairly quickly so it was obviously a compelling read however it didn't really grab me and even a week or so after finishing I can't recall many characters names which is unusual for me. I liked the way the story was told from varying POV but I didn't like the ending at all it did feel very rushed and unbeliavable. I would try another book by this author as the writing style was good but on this occasion the material of the book wasn't my cup of tea.

This is a brilliant five star modern thriller. The plot is very detailed and has different timelines. I took my time with this book as there are crucial parts of the story in every page. Ava is sixteen years old she lives with her mum Lisa. It comes to Ava and everyone else's attention that her mother is in fact a child killer who years ago murdered her brother. Lisa is under witness protection and she and Ava are taken from their home. Ava knew nothing about her mother and from then on their lives change completely. Read on.

‘Cross my heart and hope to die…’

Promises only last if you trust each other, but what if one of you is hiding something?

A secret no one could ever guess.

Someone is living a lie.

Is it Lisa?

Maybe it’s her daughter, Ava.

Or could it be her best friend, Marilyn?

This is the first book I’ve read by this Author and I enjoyed it and will read more by her.
The plot was interesting and suspenseful, told from three points of view - Lisa, Ava and Marilyn, each of the females have a secret, some bigger than others but all are hiding something which takes the story to a darker place involving, trickery, abuse, guilt and mental struggles.
Hard to read in some places, the story really draws you in until the big plot twist at the end.

Marilyn was my favourite character, she seemed caring and loyal throughout whereas I never really warmed to Lisa and thought Ava could have been fleshed out a bit more, her character was vaguer than the other two and again I never really felt close to her.

The setting was claustrophobic at times, but suited the storyline perfectly, creating a dark and mistrustful scene tinged with paranoia.
The few twists and turns kept me interested and I was satisfied with the medium pace.
I found a few grammatical errors but it didn’t mar my reading experience, all in all, a good solid thriller that’s definitely worth a read.

This story follows the lives of three females. All of whom are hiding secrets. The book started off extremely gripping and full of secrets and kept me wanting to read more and more. The book is told from three different women, Lisa, Ava and Marilyn and jumps from different time zones giving you an insight into their “previous lives”. The book contains a storyline of deceit, domestic abuse, friendship and the bond between a mother and daughter.
I really enjoyed reading this book, however I felt that the ending was rushed and it did not seem that believable. However, overall it was a good read and I would read more by the same author.

Sophie has read several depressingly mediocre books lately, so it was a great relief to finally find something so un-put-downable that she devoured the entire thing in 36 hours. Cross Her Heart is the latest thriller from Sarah Pinborough. Despite usually avoiding the genre, Sophie had been impressed with Pinborough’s previous novel Behind Her Eyes (that of the highly appropriate #WTFThatEnding hashtag) and was curious to see if her next novel would be as impressive. Although it didn’t quite meet its predecessor’s greatness, she still found Cross Her Heart to be a masterpiece in double bluffing, and misdirection.

The book is narrated in turns by three women: single mom Lisa, her 16-year-old daughter Ava, and Lisa’s best friend Marilyn. All three women are hiding secrets from one another and from the world, and the book follows them as their secrets begin to unravel, twisting and turning so much that you soon begin to inherit Lisa’s sense of paranoia, distrusting every character from the gossipy women in the office to Ava’s friends on the swim team.

This is not an easy book to read. In terms of upsetting content, it pretty much ticks all the boxes: Child prostitution? Check. Domestic abuse? Check. Rape? Check. Normally, any one of those would be enough to switch Sophie completely off, yet despite the often horrifying content, Cross Her Heart never ventured into sadness porn territory, nor did it tout its atrocities for cheap thrills. Instead, every incident felt chillingly, terribly, right—as if it belonged in this world and to those characters.

Cross Her Heart doesn’t have the same level of crazy ending that Behind Her Eyes pulled off, yet it still fills its pages with a special breed of hyper-intelligent madness. It’s a thriller that will hook even those who don’t read thrillers, assuming you can get through the nasty bits.

Transparently based on the Mary Bell case this is a lively and challenging story told with pace and intrigue. The characters are superbly well drawn and the departure from the original case was skillfully done. That meant that we understood the public revulsion for our character from Mary Bell and the Bulger cases but still felt we were on her side from page one. It would lend itself to an on-screen life too. Unlike many books that go from era to era this one seemed very accurate and true to the period. I would buy other books by this author. The style was fast and easy to read while economical and tight.

Last year, I read two Sarah Pinborough novels: 13 Minutes and Behind Her Eyes. I liked them both. There’s something very assured about her writing, and there should be, with the number of books she has behind her. I like the fact that she started out small, wrote a lot of books and then blew up with Behind Her Eyes, which was absolutely everywhere for a time.

So Cross Her Heart was firmly on my radar and last week I started it, pretty confident that I’d enjoy the ride. And I did. Pinborough’s multiple voices were authentic and distinct, and it was page-turning from the off. She drip-fed the clues about who Daniel was and what had happened to him, and I imagined, at first, that that would be the focus of the entire novel. How wrong I was. Abruptly, quite early on, we find out the answers to that, and we’re on to the next thing. I read on, breathless.

About three-quarters of the way through, I guessed the ending. That’s unusual for me, but maybe I’m just getting better at it. However, it didn’t ruin my reading enjoyment at all. I raced to the end, which felt satisfying and right. And I’ll do exactly the same thing with her next book.

Cross her Heart by Sarah Pinborough was tough for me to get into and I nearly gave up but because I have read and enjoyed one of her previous books I decided to persevere, and I am glad I did.

Lisa seems like a normal, if slightly over-protective mother, but she is hiding a secret past one which she is convinced is coming back to haunt her.

Her daughter Ava seems like normal, slightly moody, teenager but she too is hiding a secret. Her secret is one the reader will spot from the beginning has the potential to be dangerous.

Lisa hasn’t told anyone about her secret past and former identity. She hasn’t even told her daughter or her best friend Marilyn. Marilyn is also clearly hiding a secret of her own.

Initially, all of the secrets and their causes seemed obvious to me, but I was clearly wrong as this was a book with many twists and turns, the majority of which I didn’t see coming.

Part one of Cross Her Heart begins with Lisa and Ava on Ava’s sixteenth birthday. It is clear from the beginning Lisa is an anxious person.

“I’m about to go back to the warmth of the house when I see a car parked on the bend of our quiet road behind me. My skin prickles. It’s unfamiliar. Dark blue. Not one I’ve seen before. I know all the cars in our street. It’s become a habit to note these things.”

As the book progresses it becomes clear there is a good reason for Lisa to be concerned.

Overall this book was well thought out and enjoyable.

The new novel from the author of 2017’s bizarre (and brilliant!) Behind Her Eyes, Sarah Pinborough's Cross Her Heart details the secrets-and-lies filled existence of single mother Lisa, and her sixteen-year-old, increasingly independent daughter, Ava.

It’s true that all sixteen-year-olds crave independence to some extent - it’s all part of the natural process of growing up – and most parents are happy to, if not cut completely, then at least loosen those tightly-knotted apron strings to some extent. Most parents. Not Lisa, though. Because Lisa is not most parents. Lisa has secrets - secrets she’s kept hidden for years, secrets that cause her to imagine the very worst of worst-case-scenarios whenever Ava is even five minutes late getting home after a night out with friends. For Ava, Lisa’s constant worry is too much, and so she starts keeping secrets from her mother. After all, what Lisa doesn’t know about Ava’s secret life can’t hurt her, right?

Lisa bears the brunt of the callous nature of youth as Ava becomes increasingly withdrawn, but at least Lisa has a friend to confide in, her only friend, in fact, a co-worker called Marilyn who, despite living a seemingly enviable life, is hiding some deep, dark secrets of her own. Of course, Marilyn is entitled to her secrets. We all have secrets. It’s just that some people, like Lisa, have secrets so big they are truly life-defining.

The truth about Lisa is that her whole life is a lie. Now, all the lies she’s told, all the secrets she’s kept hidden from everybody but herself, are about to come back to haunt her – and her daughter.

Slower in pace and less twist-filled than Behind Her Eyes, I have to say that while Cross Her Heart kept me entertained, I was a little disappointed in this one overall. Don’t get me wrong – Cross Her Heart is a good read, it’s just not a great read, and while I hate to keep comparing, I guess a great read is what I was anticipating since I loved Behind Her Eyes so much! Also, I had a major quibble with the big ‘reveal’ in this book finding it entirely implausible – and coming from someone who totally loved the truly 'out there' ending of Behind Her Eyes, that’s really saying something!

http://daisychainbookreviews.blogspot.com/2018/08/book-reviews-cross-her-heart-by-sarah.html

I didn't know what to expect with this. I had read the synopsis before reading but I didn't get too much to give me much of an idea.
I had a few ideas throughout the book, but I ended up being wrong. I didn't suspect the correct person. Although looking back I don't think I had any reason to suspect them.