A dark and tense story of murder, jealousy and revenge. Part courtroom drama, part domestic thriller And So It Begins is one of those books that had no likeable characters. We should feel sorry for Evie, who has allegedly killed her husband in self defence. But her narrative as she describes their relationship is oddly detached, cold even. Is she disconnecting from the horror of what her life has become? Or like her husband's sister suspects is there more to it? Rachel Abbot keeps us guessing until the end, laying a fine trail of clues to the truth. This is a compelling and intricately woven tale, a must read for any thriller fan.

I’ve read all of Rachel’s books. This is a stand-alone novel about a woman called Evie. She manipulates her way into Mark North’s life much to the dismay of his sister Cleo, who senses that something is off with Evie.

Evie wants Mark to commission some photographs of her for her father. She persuades him to take on the commission. After she confesses that she can’t afford his work she offers to create a blog for his artwork and promote his business.

Later they become intimate and break the news to Cleo who tries to talk her brother out of the relationship.

Mark’s previous wife died in the house tat he and Evie now share. He believes was an accident but was it?

I found the suspense and twists and turns gripping but I failed to connect to any of the characters. They all seemed unusual and complicated. Thank you #netgalley for allowing me to review this title.

An excellent read, I loved it, just the sort of thriller that has me hooked from the first page. Highly recommended, five stars from me.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Rachel Abbott for the advanced copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

Sergeant Stephanie King is called to a crime scene where she finds Evie, a young mother stabbed and lying next to the murdered body of her boyfriend Mark. It seems like an open and shut domestic abuse case when Evie confesses to killing Mark but Stephanie feels there is more to the story especially with Chloe, Mark’s controlling sister in the picture.

And So It Begins by Rachel Abbott is a tension filled gripping psychological thriller with lots of twists and turns. This book is divided into 3 parts; the events leading up to the murder of Mark, the court-case and the final twist after the case which I didn't see coming . Another winner by Rachel Abbot and am looking forward to reading her next one

I would like to thank Headline & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

This will keep you wondering going backwards and forwards trying to decide who is telling the truth. This thriller keeps you on your toes as you go from accident to murder but then who did the murder, I really liked this and got stuck right into it. Then a twist at the end that I was so not expecting what a brilliant piece of work by Rachel Abbot.

And So It Begins is an addictive, fast-paced novel that will have readers gripped from beginning to end. Full review up soon.

Just wow .. totally gripping from the first page , I simply country put this down and only sleep got in the way . A 999 call from a frantic woman , a seven of blood and death but was it self defence ! This is an easy 5 star read . Loved it . My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for me chance to read

AN EXCELLENT BOOK THAT HAD ME ON EDGE FROM THE BEGINNING. MADE MY HEART RACE WITH TOTALLY BELIEVABLE CHARACTERS THAT YOU ARE SO ROOTING FOR. DIDN'T WANT TO PUT THIS ONE DOWN

Full review to come.
I deeply apologize, but life is a handful lately and I'm using all my free time to read, not review. I hope everybody understands.

This is a harrowing story based around the murder of an abusive husband but is all as it seems? This book had me gripped and I changed my opinion on how it would conclude numerous times throughout! This was a first for me by this author and it definitely won't be the last! Very enjoyable!

My first Rachel Abbott book but definitely not my last! Wonderfully written, pacy, intriguing and compelling . A really clever plot, with unreliable narrators and awash with twists (none gratuitous) I absolutely devoured it!

I loved the courtroom scenes where Evie is on trial - was it murder or manslaughter? will Chloe get the satisfaction of seeing her brother's murderer behind bars for life and does she have an ulterior motive for wanting this? Will Evie's lawyer be able to make her name and this case a landmark for victims of domestic abuse?

Read it to find out, you won't regret it, the mundane tasks can wait!!

I have read all of Rachel Abbott’s Manchester based Tom Douglas series and loved each one, so I was so excited to read the first in her Stephanie King series, this time set in Cornwall, and she 100% didn’t disappoint. She is up there in my top 10 favourite authors and each release cements her place there a little more firmly.

In And So it Begins we are grabbed straight away as Stephanie and a rookie officer are called to a vast cliff top property and are faced with a scene of total horror. From the first page I honestly knew this novel was going to be a bit of a corker!

It is the tale of Evie, her partner Mark and his possessive and seemingly over protective sister, Cleo. Cleo resents Evie’s place in Mark’s life and doesn’t trust her. Mark and Evie have a baby daughter together, Lulu and it is for her sake that Cleo tolerates has brother’s girlfriend. Mark is a photographic artist and travels frequently for his commissions and bizarrely each time he travels Evie seems to have an accident soon after and suffer an injury. Is Evie careless and clumsy? Or is something more sinister at play?

If you love a good thriller, particularly of the psychological variety, then this book is a must for you. This author’s books are so well written with intricate characters, yet effortless to read as you are so absorbed in the story. I absolutely cannot wait for the next Stephanie King outing and also hope that we’ll hear from Tom Douglas again soon as I have a bit of a crush on him! Anyway, in summary, I thoroughly recommend this for an easy, thrilling and eerie read.

My thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of #AndSoItBegins in exchange for an honest review.

Wow what can I say about this book.

This had me gripped on the edge of my seat, the twists and turns of the story.

The way you believe Evie's story I almost felt sorry for her believing she had been a victim of domestic abuse, it turns out she has been plotting revenge for the death of her brother.

I have never before read a book by Rachel Abbott but would definitely read one of her books again.

An amazing gripping book. The book begins with a crime scene where Mark is murdered and his live in partner Evie admits she murdered him. The story twists and turns and each character is so realistic causing the reader to trying to work out who murdered whom and why. i sat and read this is in one day as i was so gripped by the plot. this is an author that i will follow a she certainly knows howto put spin into her story and keep the reader captivated to the very end.

Cleo is very protective of her brother Mark. She has been that way ever since they were children. She never liked his late wife, who fell down the stairs in their home whilst Mark was away on business. Then Mark meets Evie, and Cleo doesn't like her either. She thinks there is something not quite right about Evie. She is very clumsy, and always seems to be having terrible accidents. Evie definitely has her own agenda, but what is it?

The writing of the book was good. The characters are well developed and believable; they all quite secretive and there is a very sinister atmosphere to the book throughout. Everyone is hiding something, but the truth won't be revealed until the big, climactic ending. And so it begins....!

I'd have to say that this was enjoyable enough while I was reading it, but not very memorable. I read this book last week, and I've read another book since then, but when I came to write this review I had to look back at the description to remember what the book was about. So yes, I did enjoy it but I don't know if I would recommend it or buy it for someone else.

This is the first Rachel Abbott book I have read and it definitely won't be the last!

This book had me hooked from the very first page. It is a well written compelling read which I raced through as I couldn't put it down.

Highly recommended 5 star read!!

Wow, I'm blown away by this book. I am a big fan of Rachel Abbott and this book does not disappoint. It kept me up until the small hours. It was so gripping. I loved meeting Sergeant Stephanie King and hope she is going to appear in future novels. The plot is amazing and so gripping it left me on the edge of my seat. Jaw droppingly brilliant. Well done Rachel on another fabulous read!

A tense psychological thriller full of twists and turns leaving you wondering who to believe. It starts with a gruesome murder so in effect you know who the perpetrator is. The story is about what led up to this . The reasons lie in a much earlier timeframe and emerge as a cleverly plotted act of revenge.

A great read, as anything by Rachel Abbott always is.

A fantastic crime author, you really have to expect the unexpected. Great characters, including ones you really don't think you should like.

I will continue to look out for anything new by this author.
Thank you to Netgalley for an early copy.

I'm so excited to be part of the blog tour for And So It Begins today! My review is written with thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me on the tour and Wildfire for my copy of the book via Netgalley.
When Sergeant Stephanie King is called out to a remote house following a disturbance, she recognises the address and knows she's been there before. She enters, and finds two bodies tangled together on the bed and soaked in blood. One of the bodies is artist Mark North, whose whirlwind romance with Evie has concerned his sister Cleo. Is Cleo right to be wary of Evie?
Just let me catch my breath! A novel that begins "So this is how it ends...one of us has to die" is always going to leave me wanting more. There is so much tension in And So It Begins and it never relents. It is a fast paced rollercoaster ride full of thrills and secrets. Abbott's writing is brilliant. She gives you just enough so that you can ask questions about what's happening, but never so much that she gives the game away, and I had to keep reading "one more chapter" to see if my theories were right (they weren't!).
It is clear from the beginning that there is no love lost between Cleo and Evie and I wanted to know why! Both characters are really well developed and this helped me to see what made them tick - even if I had no clue who was telling the truth!
There is part of And So It Begins that follows the format of a police procedural and I loved the way Abbott was able to intertwine the two subgenres in a way that seemed effortless. Stephanie has everything I love in a fictional detective: determination, feistiness and just a hint of sarcasm. The ending is fairly open for Stephanie so I hope that means we will see more of her, and her complicated relationship with Gus.
This is my first experience of Abbott's writing and I've enjoyed it so much I am already hunting for more.