Kate Simants debuted in 2019 with the psychological thriller Lock Me In, which is about Ellie, who suffers from a dissociative identity disorder. During her sleep, her alter ego, Siggy, takes control and lets her do things she doesn't remember the next day. Her nocturnal adventures are getting out of hand, causing her mother to lock Ellie up in her bedroom at night. One morning Ellie wakes up and she notices that her bedroom door has been broken. Ellie has all kinds of injuries, is smeared with mud and can't remember anything about what happened that night. When she hears that her boyfriend, Matt, is missing, she is afraid that she might have something to do with it. What happened?

The story is told from the perspective of Ellie and the perspective of Benjamin Mae, the police officer investigating Matt's disappearance. The characters of Ellie and Benjamin Mae are interesting and realistic. Also, a number of transcripts from Ellie's conversations with a psychotherapist have been inserted, which are very interesting to read and give more background information about Ellie's disorder.

In addition to the main storyline, Matt's disappearance and the possible involvement of Ellie, there are a number of secondary storylines, which fit logically into the story. Throughout the story there is a certain (psychological) tension and the reader is surprised with several plot twists. The themes that are addressed in the story, such as the parent-child relationship, provide depth to the story. Lock Me In is a gripping and original thriller debut with psychological suspense, depth and plot twists.

As a debut novel, this one did not disappoint. You never know what to expect when you’re Reading an author for the first time especially a brand new one, but Simants really delivered. The plot was suspenseful, the characters are pointed and the dialogue was awesome. I really enjoyed the authors writing style, and look forward to reading more.

I absolutely loved this, after a slow start I couldn't put it down. Great characters, well written and was shocked by the ending. Fab!

I thought I'd enjoy this book far more than I did. Unfortunately I couldn't take to any of the characters and it just went on too long. Sadly, just not for me.

#LockMeIn #NetGalley
Addictive and awesome debut.
Ellie Power is facing DID, dissociative identify disorder in which there's a split personality living in her mind by the name of Siggy. Siggy is agressive while Ellie is passive and pathetic. Ellie wants to get rid off Siggy but she's unable to do so. She's living with her Mom Christine Power who tried many psychologists but they all failed to cure Ellie. Ellie is in love with a boy named Matt who works in imaging section of a hospital, the one in which her mom works as a cleaner. One day Matt goes missing and CID DS Ben Mae is assigned to the case who personally knew Powers' family when he was a DC. There's a seperate POV in which the author showed Ellie's recording of her sessions with a psychologist by the name of Cox which her friend Jodie had suggested to her.
Things started to unravel and we come to know more about Ellie's character. Although the ending is dragging but overall the story is good.
Characters of Christine Power, Ellie Power, Mae, Matt and Jodie are awesome while other supporting characters are also good.
Narration of the story is good.
Thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for giving me an advance copy of this awesome psychological thriller.
A good read.

A bit too long and complicated for me, I started to lose interest a few times but the way it played out at the end was good.

This book was not a new favorite thriller, but definitely an interesting enough plot to keep me turning the pages. As a debut, I found this to be smart and I find myself intrigued to read future publications from this author.

Ellie Power can't be left alone and we quickly learn of her sleep disorder. It takes some time to learn of other issues and although a good portion is predictable, I would still recommend the read.

A bit slow in the first half, so I almost gave up on it. But then things began to click into place. Fast paced and full of surprises nearer to the end.

It's difficult to believe that Lock Me In is a debut novel. The writing is slick and fast paced. It's pitched brilliantly: from the beginning it is obvious that the characters have lies and secrets and it always felt as though something was about to explode. I loved this feeling and it spurred me on to keep turning pages.

Lock Me In is told mainly from the perspectives of Ellie and the detective investigating Matt's disappearance, Ben Kwon Mae. I found this fascinating as it enabled me to see into their lives and look at what had happened from several angles to try and make my own mind up. There are also chapters formed by the psychiatrist's notes and these helped me learn more about Ellie's disassociation. As mental health is a subject that interests me, these sections were eye opening.

There are several twists at the end of Lock Me In. I was able to guess a few of them, but there were still some surprises and they made for a very tense ending.

“ Fear has a name. Her name is Siggy.”

What a creepy read. And I mean that in a good way. It’s rare that a book will give me an uneasy feeling. This book managed to do that within the first few pages.

A gripping psychological crime thriller, main character Ellie Power leads a normal life by day but suffers from a sleep disorder which makes her violent and unpredictable. So much so that Ellie’s mother locks her in her room every night. Then one morning she wakes up covered in injuries to find her door unlocked and the lock smashed from the inside, even more worrying is the fact that her boyfriend Matt is missing.
This is a real fast paced page turner of a novel, I was gripped from page one and literally could not put the book down. The storyline was detailed and the characters were likable. It has a real shock ending with an unpredictable twist in the story. Definitely recommend, a five star read.

Intricate and very cleverly crafted plotline pivoting around a topic that I previously knew nothing about (Dissociative Identity Disorder). This book was gritty, chilling and very thought-provoking and had me hooked me from start to it's explosive finish. A psychological thriller and police procedural that is completely original in style. Kate Simants is going to be an author to watch.

Many thanks to Netgalley and TBC for a copy of this ARC for which I have given my voluntary and unbiased review.

Lock me in by Kate Simants.
By day, Ellie Power has a normal life. She has a stable home, a loving boyfriend, a future.
But at night, she suffers from a sleep disorder. She becomes angry, unpredictable, violent. Her mother locks her in her bedroom every night, to keep them both safe.
Then one morning, Ellie wakes up, horrified to find the lock on her bedroom door smashed from the inside. She is covered in injuries, unable to remember anything about the night before.
And her boyfriend Matt is nowhere to be found…
A very good read with likeable characters. Wasnt sure about Ellie. Wow didn't expect that. What a twist. Really enjoyed this in the end. 4*.

i was so intrigued by this book when i saw it - the cover is simply amazing! I did like this book but in the middle of it - i kind of lost interest a bit. It seemed maybe the book was just a bit long or something. Its seems as though I am in the minority about this from other reviews I have read. For a debut novel, I do like that the author had a really unique subject matter - i can't recall ever reading a book before about DID. I am glad to have read it and while i didn't love it - i do think its worth at least 3.5 stars. I would most certainly check out another book by the author in the future.

Interesting premise, but it felt like a lot of extraneous dialogue and story and I had a hard time staying interested. I ultimately ended up skimming the last 1/4 because I really did want to know the ending.

* Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3-4 stars. This was a good thriller, with some disturbing and shocking fun throughout. I thought it was well written and original, but lacked something which made me not want to dig in as much as I do in 5 star books. Overall, well worth the read, as I do think it is sure to provide the thrills most of us genre lovers are seeking!
Will make sure I buzz it up!

This is one hell of a psychological thriller. Stunning, gripping and quite impossible to put down.
Thank you Netgalley for the Advanced copy!

I've been reading a lot more books with the DID (dissociative identity disorder, aka split personality) premise. Usually, that's the twist at the end. However, with Lock Me In, we know straight off that Ellie has DID and she calls her Siggy. Chapters alternate between Ellie and Detective Ben Mae, who is investigating the disappearance of Ellie's boyfriend. The ending was so twisty that I had to slow down and take in every word because it was quite the wrap-up! Definitely recommend this one if you're into psychological thrillers!

I love me a good thriller, especially one in which our protagonist begins to question their own sanity. We all have moments where we doubt the things we see or hear, and I love exploring that emotion in fiction. Lock Me In first grabbed my attention with its cover and blurb, but there is a lot more to Simants' debut than meets the eye. Thanks to Harper Impulse, One More Chapter and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lock Me In is a novel about hidden trauma and repressed memory. Ellie has no recollection of her fugues, the nights she loses to her sleep disorder, but she can feel they must be horrible, shameful even. This topic of fear and repression, of perhaps being your own worst nightmare and not being able to trust yourself, is a brilliant take by Simants. As a debut author she really managed to find a theme that will somehow strike a chord with every reader. Every person, family, culture and country has some underlying trauma that we tell ourselves stories about, that we lie about, things we lock away until they become too big to face.Towards the end of the novel, Simants explores this theme on a much bigger level, which surprised and intrigued me. Without spoiling anything, it was a great way of connecting the narrative to the real world. It's a surprisingly emotional topic for a psychological thriller, but one that will definitely engage the reader.

The narrative of Lock Me In is split between two different narrators. Ellie Powers narrates her own experiences in the first person, giving us an insight into her psyche as she begins to lose confidence in herself and everything she's been told. She has been locked in, by herself, by her mother, and by her own experiences. The second string of the narrative is told by DS Ben Kwon Mae who is investigating the disappearance of Ellie's boyfriend. Ellie and Ben have a history, which allows for the two of them to build up quite an interesting relationship. In Ben's case, it is a little harder to initially see how his own personal story plays into the theme of trauma and repression. It's worth waiting for though, because once Simants begins to unravel more of his background it definitely pays off. There is a twist towards the end of the novel, of course, which you will anticipate slightly if you have experience with the genre. The ending and some of the reveals feel a little too neat at times, but this can be forgiven with it being a debut. It also helps that Lock Me In is utterly gripping nonetheless.

This is Simants' debut novel, but there is a confidence to her writing that is envy-inducing. She ramps us the suspense slowly but surely and you find yourself caring more and more about both narrators. At times Ellie falls a little bit flat as a narrator, but this makes some sense considering her entire life has seen her locked in. Lock Me In feels like only part of the story, and this is a good thing! There is clearly a past to both Ellie and Ben that Simants makes real to the reader. As mentioned above, the past and what it means is the major theme in Lock Me In and Simants employs it very well. She avoids falling into certain thriller/suspense traps, like vilifying mental illness or making it a convenient excuse, which I really appreciated. Lock Me In made me really excited for Kate Simants future work.

Lock Me In is a gripping read that will have you thinking and wondering whenever you're not reading it. It's a great debut by Simants and the perfect read for anyone looking for a more suspenseful book over Christmas.

So very disturbing- poor Ellie and her mum, subjected to her seemingly random moods when her alter takes her over and turns her violent and moody.
At face value this is a book about a bipolar woman and her mums best attempts to stabilise and help her. However, as the plot thickens at an alarming pace it seems not everyone believes that Ellie is out of control and needs to be locked away for her own and everyone else's safety.
She has triggers that set off episodes of violence that she cannot remember after the event but those triggers are mysterious memories of places and events that never happened to her.
After one such episode her boyfriend disappears and she believes she has done him harm, just as she did her best friend some years ago.
The truth will out and when it does it is shocking.
A phenomenal read that leaves you thinking of it often for weeks afterwards.