I really struggled to get into this book, and even when I did the story and characters did not grab me and hold my attention and I found it all a bit boring, so did not finish the book, sorry not for me.

I somehow didn't think that I would enjoy this modern thriller. However I did. It was evenly paced and came together nicely at the end. There were lots of suspects and that kept me reading. I would recommend this book.

I found the writing style unbearably slow. It’s like suspense was trying to be built but ultimately failed. Also, domestic abuse books always have to tread lightly and this I found stomped somewhat heavy footed. It made me feel uncomfortable and not for the right reasons.

I really enjoyed the last Christobel Kent book that I read (The Crooked House) so approached this expecting a strong, atmospheric read. Unfortunately it never really took off for me.

I nearly ditched this book after 20% but because I was on holiday and had a lot of reading time I decided to stay with it. I’m pleased to report that it got much better and the writing style settled down and was less confusing and more cohesive. The plot was 4 stars but the writing style is why I have to only give this book 3 stars. I did like the way the reader doesn’t know who to trust and the red herrings that made me think ‘Oh I know who did it’ only to find I was wrong.

I'm afraid that I've had to DNF this at 8%. I really couldn't get into the writing style; it just seemed very disjointed and didn't flow for me and I was struggling to read it. I found myself reading whole pages and then not knowing what had happened in the paragraph's I'd just read and having to re-read it again. There was a random few pages from a character called Victor who I had no idea who he was and he was talking about a girl / woman called Sophie and I had no clue what was going on then. I struggled to keep up with Nat and what was going on with her and what she was doing and it reay was just a struggle to read. I'm quite disappoined because I read the loving husband and I really enjoyed that so I was really looking forward to this but it ust fell a bit flat. I think with some work it could be a great book but it's just too diffuclt for me to read to carry it on and get into the story.

I've left a 3-star review so it won't bring the overall rating down and because I have to leave a star rating to leave a review.

I've enjoyed Kent's books before for a crime fix that is classier than the average page turner, but this one feels muddled and stilted. There are just too many poorly-drawn characters cluttering up the story, and it's hard to know where we are in time and how the multitude of people are related - the whole book needs an overhaul to clarify the storyline and make the characters clearer.

Alongside these problems, we know what happened from the start, so it's frustrating watching barmaid Nat playing catch-up - and when we find out who did it, it's a 'the butler did it' moment... followed by a rushed epilogue.

Not Kent's best, for sure.

Nat is a barmaid at the pub in a seaside town. Her best friend, Beth, has gone missing and Nat is not convinced by the messages purportedly sent by her. However, nobody seems interested in Nat’s suspicions.
The book begins with the account of a murder, and we can only assume it’s Beth. The question becomes just who is responsible for this event, as everyone around her struggles to come to believe she hasn’t just walked away from her life.
I found this really difficult to get into. The style focuses on the inner thoughts of a range of characters, and it was difficult to grasp just how they linked and who was who.
After the initial difficulties with the style it was a book that became easier to read, but I wasn’t convinced by just how many characters were given quite a lot of time. We were deliberately misled by one or two characters, and I felt like the actual resolution came from left-field.
Not one of my favourite reads because it felt like there was too much going on, but I must thank NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to review it prior to publication.