This book has a stunning setting in a beautiful home cut into a cliff face in Cornwall, a huge plate-glass window overlooking the sea. It's the home of local photographer Marcus North, his wife Evie and their daughter. The house comes with a tragic history, with Marcus' wife having been found dead at the bottom of the stairs while he was away on a commissioned photography trip. It took a few years before Marcus (real name Mark) could consider moving on with his life, his rather overbearing sister Cleo helping to support and steer him back on course, pushing him to focus on his photography studio.

History then appears to repeat itself, the book itself opening with detectives arriving at the property to find Mark dead in bed with his partner Evie covered in blood next to him, confessing to killing him. Detective Stephanie King was one of the first on scene both times tragic events have happened, and she can't help but think there's more to this family home than meets the eye. There's also an interesting backstory between the detectives which I think we will hear more about in future books.

The story follows the trial of Evie, with input from Mark's sister (who appears to be jealous of all the women in his life) and their mutual friend who has her own questions about the whole situation too. The legal representatives on both sides are both excellently drawn and the twists and turns which appear throughout the book create more questions than answers right up until the end.

As regular readers of my blog will know, I love a courtroom drama so this one was an ideal read for me which had me guessing from the first page to the last. I'll definitely be reading further instalments of this series.

I'm sorry I haven't got around to reviewing this title yet. It is so old, I wondered if it was worth it in any case. Therefore, I'm rating it now without reading it, so won't be sharing it anywhere, but I won't give a low or no star review to a book I haven't even read yet, so it's getting 5 starts on NetGalley only.

Apologies.

This was a brilliant read. As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. Highly recommended

I absolutely LOVED this book! Just couldn't put it down and had to know what happened!

Highly recommended.

Gosh…twisty, turny, tortuous, tense!

This is a psychological thriller, and talk about the 'tangled web we weave'! Sergeant Stephanie King is called out to a domestic at a famous photographer's house, where she finds two bodies covered in blood on a bed and tangled…with each other and the sheets. And so begins a peeling of layers, not just the strata that led to this particular moment, but the slow unravelling of what's to come.

This really is a compelling tale with matchsticks-in-the-eyes addiction guaranteed. It's a constant juggle of characters as you try to fathom who's lying, who's telling the truth, who's the victim, who's the criminal. Just when you think you've got the rhythm, a ball drops and you have to rethink. Totally brilliant, cleverly plotted and tinged with just a smidge of menace. The chop and change of the tenses didn't enamour me that much, but the skilful writing and excellent characterisation meant it wasn't long before the present-tense narrative, which I hate with a vengeance, and I jogged along as friends.

My first Rachel Abbott book and the first Sergeant Stephanie King mystery. I'm smitten by both. Not knowing much about the author, I was thrilled to bits to find she's got a number of books tucked up her sleeve, and I have every confidence I'll be as enthralled and captivated as I was by this one.

I really enjoy books by this author, and it is good to see a new detective partnership from her. Highly recommended.

This is a tense and cleverly written thriller asking questions about murder, intent and complex relationships!

Read in 24 hours. Found it hard to put down. A must read. I loved the characters and the way the book was told.

Having never read anything by Rachel Abbott before I was pleasantly surprised withy and definitely added her in as a new firm favourite for psychological thrillers and I do love a psychological thriller.

The book starts off with a bang when it opens with a murder scene, with the book then flashbacking to what happens leading up to that night. The book has everything, Murder, Lies and intrigue it will definitely have you on the edge of your seat and keep turning page after page until you find out what happens. The book is about Evie and Mark, they are in a relationship and have had a little girl, the thing is Mark's sister Cleo is suspicious of Evie and doesn't trust her. It all comes ahead when Mark is found dead and Evie injured.

Enter Sergeant Stephanie King who investigates the murder and assault, you follow her on trying to find out what happens. My heart was in my throat with this book and thoroughly enjoyed it.

And So It Begins is a brilliant twisty psychological thriller. It is my first Rachel Abbott but not my last (see below!) The plotting is great and the book really abides by the adage there’s two sides to every story. But who will you believe?

Cleo and Evie are the main characters, each with a distinctive voice, with Stephanie King – I felt – taking more of a back seat than I’d expected, although her own story adds another dimension to the book. Cleo and Evie’s twisting, turning narratives will keep you on your toes and I defy you to guess the full extent of what’s going on and why. I would recommend this to all psychological thriller fans.

Thank you to the publisher for my copy of the book.

Wow, this is my first read from this author and it did not disappoint. Thrilling and engaging. I cannot wait to read more. Could not put this down.

A twisty thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. My first encounter with Rachel Abbot and I enjoyed it very much.

Crime writing is becoming more and more popular and it's difficult to set a tone that's unique. However in 'So It Begins' Rachel Abbott achieves just this, writing with refreshing viewpoints and interesting style - this book will have you hooked.

Now I have an arc so not sure if anything has changed since it was published but it opens with Sergeant Stephanie King being called to a house, a house she's been to once before under grisly circumstances. Once we establish there has been a murder we are then taken back to previous months so the scene can be set.

We are introduced to our main characters: Evie Clarke, her partner Mark North and his sister Cleo and delve into their lives and relationships hoping to figure out what has led them to the situation they are in now.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved reading about the lives of the characters, understanding the back story of how Evie and Mark got together. They had a whirlwind romance resulting in their daughter Lulu but Cleo, Mark's controlling older sister just can't seem to warm to Evie at all. Does Evie have something to hide or is Cleo the one with the issue, since she didn't get on with Mark's first wife Mia either?

A third of the way through the book switches and is again told partly from the view of Detective Stephanie King and focus around police interviews and a court case. I found this bit fascinating, I always do as I'm a big fan of police procedurals and the way the detectives work.

I placed my detective cap firmly on with this one after being unable to figure out the last few books I've read. I was constantly sniffing around for clues, not trusting anything anyone said. From the beginning it's quite obvious Evie has something to hide and is not being completely obvious but it is hard to tell where this book is going throughout. I had some bits figured out, and I was right, but I really didn't notice all the smaller details and there were a few reveals that had me surprised.

This book is the first in the Stephanie King series so I can see why a lot of the second half of the book was centred around her story and her relationship with Gus. It's obviously paving the way for future books but of all the story I probably enjoyed these bits the least and just found them a bit unnecessary. Having said that, I did like Stephanie as a main character and will be happy to read other novels featuring her in the future.

My first book by this author - I found this to be a very interesting read. I did get lost a few times with who had done what however I believe this was intentional to put the reader off the scent. A very cleverly written story about a man, his sister and his girlfriend. A story of love, hate, revenge and distrust. Read in just a few short days, this kept me guessing until the very last page. Left me wanting more which is always a good thing! Highly recommended.

Well. Well. It’s not often that I am completely flummoxed by a plot line but this one certainly had me guessing right up until the last page. Simply brilliant.

While it’s been too hot to do anything but sit quietly, I’ve had a decent, enthralling book as my survival kit. It’s the kind of book that tears you apart until you discover what happens - more twists than a Rubik cube. Chills as the case unfold for Stephanie King and the delectable DI Angus Brodie. To employ a well-known cliché, it’s a page-turner. An emotive case with complex characters. I found it hard to discern what was going on in Evie’s head. She appears so coolly passive in such extenuating circumstances. Cleo is no easier to comprehend with her unhealthy protectiveness towards her brother Mark (alias Marcus) Mark is stuck with two highly manipulative, damaged women. Thrills and spills when matters end up in court. An impressive, provocative defence who diligently explore the effects of an abusive relationship. A prosecution who believe there are flaws. The background layers of the characters are peeled off pinch by pinch. Not an edifying experience. I held my breath at the end and almost passed out with the pressure of tension. Thank you to Netgalley and Headline.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to review this book.
I thought I had awaken in nightmare of someone else , I was so carried away right to the end.

I had some problems getting into the story and found the writing a little slow. But I liked the premise and the plot kept me entertained.

And So It Begins – Rachael Abbot

I usually always enjoy Rachel Abbots novels and this one was no different, a page-turner as always. The author takes enough time to make the characters seem believable to me, but my favourite character is Sergeant Stephanie King, I’m hoping that the author gives us the chance to follow this the young officers career, in turn giving us some decent police procedurals to read.

I loved the drama, lies and tensions within these pages and I must admit that most of the characters are easy to dislike, they all have issues and problems. As Taggart would say ‘There’s been a murder’, a domestic violence murder in this case.

The book is split into three parts, pre murder, courtroom drama and the BIG twist at the end that will surprise you (It did me).

Read for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley and Headline Wildfire