Having just finished reading I Looked Away by Jane Corry, I am pleased to say I can recommend this book to anyone who enjoys family stories with some tension and discord. The theme is set around a tragedy and the feelings of guilt in the aftermath. This multi dimensional book succeeds in also sympathetically depicting the plight of the homeless and gives a realistic insight into the fragility of mental health.

It's a quick read and also, unusually, it gets better and more complex further on in the story.

An extremely emotional well-crafted read!

This was my first encounter with a Jane Corry novel, and I was not disappointed! “I Looked Away” is an extremely emotional well-crafted read, which certainly highlights human frailty.

The reader has to follow the lives of the two main characters... Ellie and Jo. The narrative cleverly informs events from their present to past, and the often-shocking consequences for these two ladies.

As time goes by both Ellie and Jo reflect and tell their own emotional stories of the events in their own troubled lives. Of course, it is always the past which shapes their present and even their future situations.

We discover just how unfortunate and hideous their lives are, and how Jane Corry tackles issues such as abuse, bullying, deception, cruelty, alcoholism and homelessness with sensitivity, empathy and compassion. She has clearly researched these subjects, so adding to the reality of some people’s fractured lives. Even potential murder and prison becomes real for Ellie.

I felt that all the characters were extremely believable and woven together expertly by Jane Corry. We discover how their lives are interwoven and I enjoyed the twists throughout. I’ll certainly lookout for this author again!

Galadriel.

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review.

I am a big fan of Jane Corry and have read all of her previous books. This was yet another gripping book which had me hooked from the first page. Highly recommend.

Jane Corry can certainly write a fantastic book and this was gripping, I was captivated pretty much straight away. It is so emotional and highlights real problems real people have. I feel it is unique as I have never read anything like it before. It was well written, and it definitely gets ‘in your head’.

I liked this book, but it seemed a bit samey to the others of hers I have read before - with the prison links and the Devon setting.

It's a big old book, took me a while to get through it, which isn't a reflection on how I felt about it, it just took me longer than usual!

I would definitely read more by this author, and I would recommend this book to others, as I enjoyed it once I was in. I like Jane Corry's writing style and the pace of the book was well delivered.

I thourghly enjoyed this book, it tells the story of Ellie's life right through from being a child to being a Grandmother.
Ellie's life has been quite difficult and marred by tragedy, she lost her mother at an early age. Her life gets worse when her father gets remarried to their neighbour Sheila.
When she is older Ellie gets married to Roger, who turns out to be an emotionally abusive serial cheat.
Jo is a homeless woman, who sells the big issue, Ellie always buys a magazine from her and gives her food.
The story is told through both of their perspectives, as life unfolds after yet another traumatic event.

Really enjoyed this story. Plot unfolded brilliantly. Characters were likeable kept me interested all the way through and wanting to keep reading

Ok. Maybe I’m a bit simple but I really really could not guess what the next page was going to bring me. Ellie encountered a childhood that no one should ever have to experience. One that will obviously impact on your life forever. But no one could imagine what it would lead her to do. All she ever wanted was to keep her family safe. Excellent story, just the right length of chapters and easy to follow 3 stories within the same novel. Brilliant Jane Corry as always.

Firstly thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.
This story gripped me from the start. It's really cleverly written from the POV of two characters, Ellie and Jo, which leaves you wondering how they are linked together (don't worry, you do find out but I'm not about spoilers!).
I found the characters really believable, with realistic backstory's that bring so much feeling into the story.
I was gripped reading this. It is an emotional rollercoaster of twists and turns.
I highly recommend.

The opening scenes of the prologue are dramatic; an affair, arguments, flashbacks and death. We are introduced to a homeless big issue seller and to Carole, at this point having little knowledge of the significance of these two characters; and we are introduced to Ellie, a 49 year old wife and mother, and adoring granny to her daughter's little boy, Josh. We move swiftly on four months to the first chapter, and the inside of a prison where Ellie is being held. We have no idea what has happened or why she is there.
So begins a complicated plot of manipulative characters and damaged people, held together by the central story of Ellie, deeply traumatised by a childhood event which has chased her down the years to this point. The story is told through the alternating characters of Jo Bristol and Ellie through the past and present, gradually filling in the gaps of Ellie's past while moving forward in her present. The twist when it comes is a good one and worth the wait!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and give it four stars.

You get invested in the characters but
You also don’t know what’s gonna happen next
One moment can change everything
This was very gripping

My 5* review for I Looked Away by Jane Corry.

"Every Monday, 49-year-old Ellie looks after her grandson Josh. She loves him more than anything else in the world. The only thing that can mar her happiness is her husband's affair. But he swore it was over, and Ellie has decided to be thankful for what she's got.

Then one day, while she's looking after Josh, her husband gets a call from that woman. And for just a moment, Ellie takes her eyes off her grandson. The accident that happens will change her life forever.
Because Ellie is hiding something in her past.
And what looks like an accident could start to look like murder.."

I loved this book right from the start, it was fast paced, gripping and draws you in and makes you question everyone and everything, and keeps you thinking long after you have put the book down.

The book is split into 2 parts Before the Accident and After the Accident and is told from alternate points of view of Jo, a homeless woman selling Big Issue and Ellie, a wife and Grandmother.

At times during the story we go back to a hot summer day in August 1984 when Ellie is looking after her step-brother Michael and we start to understand her better. There is the obligatory wicked step-mother from her traumatised childhood, but the Author also focuses on mental health, homelessness, grief and loss, in a sympathetic way.

The story builds gradually and with a couple of twists and turns, we reach an unexpected climax and I was satisfied with the ending because I saw it coming and still managed to be surprised by it. The relationship between Ellie and her Grandson is lovely and is a little light relief from some of the anguish contained in Ellie's story.

Will definitely be reading more by this Author.

I looked away by Jane Corry was a real page turner that keeps you guessing throughout the book. A really good plot with believable characters, definitely worth reading.

This was a slow and steady read by a talented author. I can't imagine how Ellie would have felt after her grandson's accident. Recommended reading!

I Looked Away is an intriguing psychological thriller. A wife haunted by her childhood makes a mistake. A fast paced and twist turning read.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a copy of this book.

Fantastic read, this book kept me hooked from the first page! cannot wait to read more from this auth

This had an interesting plot. And I was invested in the characters but towards the end it became a bit of let down. The research was really good and I felt like I was in the story with Ellie and I enjoyed the side characters as well.

Thanks goes to Net Galley and the publishers for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ellie is the perfect grandmother, spying on 5 year old Josh but her husband, Richard, has been having an affair and one day in the garden she takes her eye off Josh and then sees his T-shirt in a pond.
Jo is homeless, moving from one town to another making her way through a bad situation. How do the two women react to each other?
Wow this was not what I was expecting. What a mind twister this was (in a good way) my favourite Jane Corey book to date! Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book kept me gripped even though I'd figured out where it was going.
I couldn't put it down. I would recommend it to others

I’m sorry to think this, but it was a relief when I finally finished this book! I read The Dead Ex by Jane Corry not too long ago and really enjoyed it so I thought I’d get stuck into this one.... urgh! It just seemed to drag on forever. A couple of bits surprised me, I’ll give it that, but it just took forever to get anywhere. There’s not very many books that I wouldn’t recommend, but sadly, this is going to have to be one of them.