The idea that anyone would ask you just to take a child home from swimming that you didn’t know is silly. Even sillier is the chance that you would agree. I went along with it though but when the child was then allowed to stay overnight at your home without calling the police was really just a step too far. 
All decision making was bad throughout the story and I’m sorry to say I cannot find much to praise it for. Perhaps to say it’s easy to read es
Ecially the first half.

I thought that the whole plot was very good. I did not see the twist coming. I thought that part of the book was really well written. However parts of the book are confusing. It was hard in places to work out who was narrating. The story was also a bit slow in places. I also felt no warmth or empathy for Cecilia. Maybe I was not supposed to?

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

A dark deeply buried secret under the outward shinning veneer of the ostensibly perfect family is found in many of today's psychological thrillers and the term family noir has been coined to cover this angst driven family crime/drama genre. This dichotomy between what is perceived and what is real is enhanced somewhat when the sitting is Scandinavian with all that aesthetically pleasing interior design with the emphasis on simplicity and beauty. It is no coincidence that the central character Cecilia Wilborg lives in such a beautiful house situated in a picture postcard Norwegian town with her loving husband and two daughters and naturally she has her own interior design business. But is she living a lie? and will her apparently chance encounter with an abandoned boy in the local swimming baths threaten all that she has achieved.       

Alex Dahl who was born in Oslo has previously published short stories in the UK and the USA together with a novel. The story is told in three first person narratives by Cecilia Wilborg, the boy she finds who's name is Tobias and in the form of a recovered written journal by Anni who's body is discovered in the town's harbour and is presumed by the police to have been murdered. It is through these three differing perspectives that we slower layer by layer uncover the truth of what is going on. Cecilia may not be the most likable of characters and she was certainly cold and calculating but would her mantra that she always wins be realised again?

Although I must admit that from an early stage I concluded correctly what the central premise was I certainly did not know how all the components fitted together and what the ultimate conclusion would be and like the best of this genre the ending was definitely a page turner. Having read recently a number of such psychological thrillers I believe this is up there with the best and is well worth a read.

I could not put this book down. It was a book of snakes and ladders, just when I thought I knew where it was headed , the book did an about turn. The main characters of flawless Cecille and eventually Tobias were so perfectly described they were easy to imagine.. I couldn't wait for bedtime to become engrossed again.  It's a 10/10 read. Brilliant!!

This book was a riveting story from the start. I thought I knew where it was going and then the turns and twists kept on coming. This book left me reeling long after I finished.

I found this book to be a bit disappointing in its premise.  It could’ve been a more suspenseful read and yet, I found myself just feeling sorry for every character involved.  The name brand dropping and snobby narcissistic bragging by Cecilia became annoying, and the ending left me feeling.....flat.

I was wanting more, sadly.

I thought this book was cleverly written, slowly revealing little bits at a time, which keep you gripped to the very end.
What ever your feelings are for the characters are, this is definitely a page turner and very good debut.

Thank you netgalley, publisher and Alex Dahl for allowing me to read and review this book.

Wow! What a read, a real page turner that keeps you gripped to the end.

Cecilia has the seemingly perfect life and she will stop at nothing to protect it.   When a young boy is left at the swimming pool she can't predict the consequences of her decision to take him home for the night.  Just who is Tobias and why is Anni so important?

The author has created a truly loathsome central character, who seems to only care about herself.  She has lied and cheated to maintain her life and you wonder just how low she can stoop.
The story is difficult to review without giving away the plot and some of the twists are slightly predictable.  However this is a fab read and I am grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an arc in return for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.  It flows beautifully and is an easy read that before you know it you've read 50 pages.  The characters are well rounded if not always likeable and at times its gritty,  however the need to know what is going to happen to this little boy is strong. My only criticism is that each chapter is with in the first person and I didn't always know immediately whom I was reading about.

This started off with such promise, a boy is left at a swimming baths and taken home by a woman who, at first glance, has it all. Of course, life's not that simple and the child staying with the family opens up all sorts of issues, memories and problems. It's told from various perspectives, which I found confusing at times and overall it didn't live up to expectations set by the fabulous first chapter.  It's also incredibly slow in parts and I found myself flicking through it.
I read this book as a preview from net galley and Berkley publishers in exchange for an honest review.

How can a little boy turn your world upside down?

Cecilia has a perfect life.  Her husband, children and house are all perfect; that is until she agrees to take a little boy home after his family forget to pick him up from the pool.  When Cecilia gets to his supposed address it is empty and abandoned; she has no choice but to take him home with her.

It doesn’t take long for the little boy’s knowing eyes and silent presence to trigger unwanted memories which turn her perfect world upside down.

This is a dark psychological book that keeps you guessing right to the end. I enjoyed it very much as it was very different which is always a good thing.

A book worth reading if not always a comfortable read.  Strong characters and a strong storyline makes this book a 5-star rating.

Shesat

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review

This story unfolded and then unfolded a little bit more. The truth reveals itself in layers and reinforces that you shouldn't just judge on what's said and done on the surface. 
Cecilia Wilborg has it all. Or does she? And what price is she paying to keep everyone thinking that she does? Her perfect life is in may ways just that - loving husband, children, beautiful home - but for Cecilia herself there is a dark and threatening past that is threatening to destroy it all. 
Above all else, this book teaches you that people do bad things not because they're inherently bad themselves but because background, circumstances and the actions of others have forced them to a place that no-one would willingly choose. And it can be a very dark place.

I found this book to be very readable, and I loved the main character who was so cold and calculating - and often inappropriate. I also liked the different perspectives of Anni and the little boy Tobias. On the downside, I did think the book dragged ad became repetitive at ties, and there were many parts that were quite implausible. But overall a good read.

Some hints to story plot beware ,I thoroughly enjoyed this novel ,I was worried that it wd be a dark tale of abuse and it is but not in a graphic awfull dread to turn the page way,no this is readable,very and it is sad yes oh very but the main character in this is so selfish and continues to be more so that u just want to see where it ends if she will be able to get herself out of all these situations ,lie upon lie upon lie and the consequences of this not just then but now just build an build and ripple through everyone ,and oh how u feel for Alex ,I’m not sure he gets his happy ending even if it may look like that on the surface .
It’s a book about the have and have nots and both party’s are unlikable,weak ,wether they have everything they cd want or not ,they both grasping for more ,or to not lose what they have through any means , Though  I wd say the other female in this that plays a part in Alex’s life may just have the edge on being more likeable ,though has no real strength of her own left 
Oh and the Poor husband eh ,
Wd look at another novel written by this author and thanks netgalley and publishers for letting me read this and review

Cecilia Wilborg’s perfect life is in reality built on fragile foundations – if secrets and lies can ever be considered foundations – and Tobias, even though he’s only eight, may be just the person who brings the whole thing crashing down.  ‘I’m overwhelmed by a sensation of the past as a slithering snake sneaking up on me, ready to unleash its poison on this immaculate life I’ve fought so hard for.’

Tobias is perceptive, observant and his childhood experiences have taught him to be self-dependent, self-controlled and to trust no-one.  Above all, he notices things, particularly about Cecilia.  ‘She’s sad.  I don’t know why, because she has the things to make you happy, but she isn’t.’  And he remembers fragments from the past that don’t immediately make sense to him.  That doesn’t mean he’s not also a lost little boy.

Some of the places Tobias has stayed are a far cry from the well-to-do area in which Cecilia, her husband, Johan, and their two daughters live.   And Cecilia’s ‘carefully curated life’ of shopping, managing her interior design business, glamorous foreign holidays, visiting the gym and enjoying the odd glass of wine (or four) is far removed from that of Annika, extracts from whose journal are interspersed through the book.   However, perhaps Cecilia and Annika have more in common than one might think?

The Boy at the Door takes the reader into a dark world of secrets, lies, drugs and violence, all set against a backdrop of Norway’s forests and fjords.  The book takes you on a twisty, suspenseful and compelling journey as the web of lies becomes more complicated and intricate by the minute, before secrets from the past are finally revealed with devastating consequences. If you’re fascinated by the character, Cecilia Wilborg, why not visit her blog?

I received a review copy courtesy of publishers, Head of Zeus, in return for an honest and unbiased review.  Oh, and thanks for the letter, Cecilia…

The boy at the door is a roller coaster of tension and suspense, and was a great read. we have the perfect family with Cecilia, an interior designer who is married to the handsome Johan , she is also reluctantly the mother to two young girls. Then one day a little boy is left at the  swimming pool and the receptionist remarkably asks Cecilia to take him home and it is the start of Cecilia's unravelling, it is a book that will make you question who is right or wrong and stay with you for a long time after you have finished.

This is a brilliant debut that keeps you turning the pages. Although unrealistic at times the plot is quite a refreshing change and although the main characters are not likable at all the author has done an awesome job of making them feel real. This book is set Norway which was interesting and although dark at times there is also some humor in there also.

‘The Boy at the Door’ is Alex Dahl’s first novel.  Set in Norway, we are told the story predominantly through the voice of Cecilia, interior designer who is married to Johan and mother to two young girls.  Dahl sets the scene by taking us through Cecilia’s domestic routine; she is clearly privileged, spoilt, discontent and lacking warmth.  (She prefers her children when they are asleep!)  Unreliable and unattractive narrators are not an unusual feature of contemporary writing and, skilfully crafted, can often make readers question not only why the characters have become this way but also prompt us to reflect upon our own ideologies.  However, Dahl’s central character comes across as merely cartoonish in her unpleasantness.  The rather inelegant writing style does not allow for any nuances in characterisation.  For example, when asked to look after the titular boy, Dahl writes of Cecilia’s response as, ‘‘Come on,’ I say, but realise my voice sounds harsh.’  
The novel is full of this sort of description.  It’s a real pity that the writer’s style lacks the subtleties evident in the more successful psychological thrillers.  Details about elements as diverse as the Sandefjord landscape and the struggling drug addict Anni’s habits are effective enough.  The plot allows the reader to become involved with several characters’ lives and the various strands are generally interwoven well.  However, all things considered, this novel is not one to add to my recommended list because I just couldn’t get past the awkward style in which it’s been written.
My thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus Ltd for a copy of this novel in return for a fair review.

If there’s one thing I like, it is discovering new authors.  I had never read anything by this author before and so I picked up the book with some excitement and I began to read.  I really enjoyed this book but more about that in a bit.
Cecilia Wilborg really got on my nerves from the start and I can’t say that I warmed to her at all.  That’s not necessarily a bad thing as it meant that I could keep an open mind and think things through in an unbiased manner.  Cecilia is a career woman, who works hard and she has two children, although she depends on an au pair for help.  The au pair isn’t around at the moment which means that Cecilia has to transport her children places and she seems to begrudge looking after her own children, which made me want to slap her silly with a wet flip flop.  Honestly, the woman is lucky enough to have children but she doesn’t want to have to care for them.  I also can’t believe her stupidity.  She picks her child up from the swimming baths and she takes a strange child home because the receptionist of the swimming baths asks her to as his parents haven’t picked him up.  She does take him home and care for him overnight without notifying the authorities, without considering the risk that this child may or may not present to her own children and in fact in my eyes, she is guilty of child abduction.    Cecilia doesn’t realise what she has got herself into and things start to go wrong.  I realise that it looks as though I am ripping her character to pieces but let me explain.  I used to work in Childrens Social Services and then the Disclosure & Barring Service so of course I look at this kind of scenario with my safeguarding hat on.
I have to say that reading this book did become addictive.  As soon as I started reading the book, I was hooked and I just had to keep turning those pages to find out who the little boy is or was and whether or not Cecilia kept hold of her perfect life.  As the tension level increased, so did the speed with which I turned the pages.  At times the page numbers seemed to fly past in a blur.  I loved the way that the characters were devised.  Each and every one of them had their secrets or were tortured souls in one way and it was interesting to see how this affected their day to day interactions.  The characters seemed so real and believable that they seemed to come alive and I even began comparing them to some people that I know as they share similar characteristics.  Reading this book was very much like riding on a scary rollercoaster ride with no real idea of which direction the story (or the ride) is going to take.  There were moments that made me cross, moments that made me gasp out loud and moments that made my heart rate increase.
In conclusion I loved reading this book although I can’t say the same about Cecilia, who just made me shake my head at some of her actions.  I would recommend this book to other readers and especially to those fans of psychological thrillers.  The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 4* out of 5*,

Ahh this one is going to be a tough book to review! 

If I were to describe 'The Boy at the Door' in three words based on the concept alone, I would confidently say; twisted, dark and devious. However, if I were to describe this book in three words based on the content, I would say that it was confusing, uncertain and difficult.

Why?

Because whilst I enjoyed the overall premise of 'The Boy at the Door', I found the way in which the storyline was delivered, highly confusing. At times it felt like I was supposed to know more about the characters and the setting than that I actually did, making me feel as though I was missing a vital puzzle piece when it came to the hard-hitting moments. That said, I fully admit that there were times where I felt like I couldn't continue with the book, yet due to the high intrigue level, I couldn't help but be drawn to the storyline as I needed to know what happened to the boy and why Cecilia acted like she knew a lot more than she let on.

'The Boy at the Door' is interesting, very dark and weirdly addictive. I enjoyed the different setting, but I just wish that the delivery was less confusing. All in all, I definitely wouldn't rule out reading another book by this author in the future!