Cover Image: The Killer Inside

The Killer Inside

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

My thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for my ARC of The Killer Inside by Cass Green. I had previously read her thriller The Woman Next Door so had high expectations and...

Outstanding! What a psychological thriller this is. Two parallel story lines with no apparent connection. Elliott is married to Anya, a seemingly happy couple but both with dark secrets. Irene, a lonely lady - her husband is dead, son Liam disappeared in 2003 and now it appears that her other son Michael has committed suicide. Chapters switch from one storyline to the other, layers slowly unfurling. And then... one innocent location name - is that the link?

What do Julia and Patrick know about their daughters past that Elliott doesn't? What occurred in Elliot's past that he is so ashamed of? Did Michael really commit suicide?

A masterclass in suspense and menace as the plots intertwine and result in a stunning thriller of twists and turns and a horrifying reveal come the end.

Hats off to Cass Green for another pulse-racing, breathtaking thriller!

Was this review helpful?

The best part of having more time to review lately is discovering authors that I haven't read before and knowing that this isn't their first novel! My book wishlist is growing considerably. Cass Green is no exception and she is firmly up there joinining my favourite psychological thriller writers. I've added to the list a lot in the past week and have read some fantastic novels.

When I started to read this I found myself frustrated at not knowing how the stories tied together. We meet Anya and Elliot in the present day - happily married - trying for a baby. Then we meet Irene - her son, Liam, went missing in 2003 and her other son, Michael, hasn't been heard from in the past few weeks. Then there's Liam and we read about his history back in 2003 as we learn his story. THEN there's also something else going on - another back story running alongside all of the above. The frustration I felt though was down to the clever writing of the author and around halfway through things start to tie together. Dramatically.

Secrets within marriage and families are explored and unravelled - loyalties are challenged and the storyline is actually quite addictive. The author really challenges you to think about what exactly you would do in this same situation... and where your loyalties would lie.

Was this review helpful?

This story follows Elliot and Anya who are happily married and madly in love. They come from different backgrounds. Anya is a privileged only child of Robert and Julia. Elliot was a bad boy who turned good. He was brought up on a council estate by his mother. Both Elliot and Anya have secrets. They don't know each other as much as they think they do. There's also Irene, a mother who is struggling to understand why her two sons have disappeared.

The narrative moves between 2003, 2018, 2019 and 2021. We are told the events that take place by Elliot and Irene's point of view. It's clear from the beginning that Anya is a psychopath, it's the only way to describe her. The plot and characters are believable. The first half of the book, the pace is slow and seems to drag on a bit. The second part is where the action starts. There are some great twists. I couldn't read the second half quick enough. I was determined to find out who was telling the truth (if any).

I would like to thank NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and the author Cass Green for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Mixed feelings about this one. Spent a long time (over half) not completely gripped by it, and very confused about the characters and relationship to one another.
When it became apparent how they were connected, I still was not completely taken in by the story, although some scenes were very good. The ending was enjoyable and I would have given this a much higher rating had it started better.

Was this review helpful?

Well I wasnt expecting any of this, what a read. So very twisty & turny and I didnt see any of it coming. Really felt for Elliot and his story. Was taken by surprise by the antics of Anastacia's family. A thoroughly good read that i would recommend.

Was this review helpful?

I received a digital ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to #netgalley and Harper Collins for this opportunity.

I enjoyed Cass Green’s previous books and was excited to read this one. The beginning was a bit slow and I had to go back an reread a few passages when I found myself confused on a few plot points, but Green soon hit her stride and overall the writing was clear and well paced. I loved this story and it fit into Green’s penchant for focusing on deeper questions about daily life and relationships. Some shocking events occur, but be prepared that this is not a mystery full of twists and red herrings for fans of books that keep you guessing constantly. I myself prefer books like Green’s, so I loved the psychological examination of people who for the most part live normal lives and find themselves in abnormal circumstances where they have to make decisions about who they truly are and what matters most. Another excellent work by an author I will continue to follow!

Was this review helpful?

I’ve read a Cass Green’s previous novels so was really excited to receive this review copy of her new book via Net Galley.
This author always writes dark psychological thrillers and The Killer Inside is no exception. It sent chills down my spine and really made me wonder how well you can ever know another person.
As in Cass’s other books secrets are a big theme of the story and in this case there are several secrets in the heart of young married couple, Anya and the first person narrator, Elliot.
Anya has some skeletons in her past that her husband does not know about and Elliot also carries a lot of guilt from something that happened when he was young and he has not told his wife.
As well as hearing from Elliot we also have Irene who is described in the the third person. Irene is an elderly lady who cannot get hold of her son, Michael and it is not until the reader is well into the book that the two strands of the plot link up.
All the main protagonists are well described and I particularly liked the fact that Elliot was a school teacher. I work in a school myself albeit a secondary school and even though Elliot is a primary teacher I recognised a lot of elements of school life in the book!
There are many twists in the course of the book so I won’t spoil it by revealing too much of the plot. Suffice it to stay that this was an enjoyable read and and I raced through it in a couple of days. Cass Green has done it again and I definitely recommend this book to all you noir thriller fans out there!

Was this review helpful?

An excellent story from Cass Green. The characters and plot were well described and I was hooked to the very end

Was this review helpful?

Cass Green has become a must-read author over the course of a few books, so I was very happy to get my hands on an advance copy of her latest.

Elliott and Anya are happily married, despite coming from very different backgrounds. Anya is the privileged only child of adoring parents; Elliott’s start in life was rather less auspicious but he’s made good, qualifying as a teacher and marrying the woman of his dreams. Now all they need is a baby to make things entirely perfect.

But both Elliott and Anya are hiding secrets. Maybe they don’t know each other as well as they think.

The story is told largely through Elliott’s eyes and he was a very believable and engaging character. We also see events from others’ viewpoints - largely Irene, another likeable and believable character who is struggling to make sense of the disappearance of her two adult sons, determined to uncover the truth despite being way out of her depth most of the time.

The Killer Inside was an incredibly readable and addictive story which I thoroughly enjoyed. There were a couple of points I’m not sure I fully understood, but that may well be my own fault for galloping through so fast! In the saturated psychological thriller market, Cass Green is definitely one of the standouts.

Was this review helpful?

This is a very easy to read psychological thriller that ticks all those boxes for those of us who love these books but is unpredictable enough to ‘keep you on your toes’
The book alternates between the present and past and focuses on the lead Anastazia ( Anya for short ) who is the sweetest, prettiest most charming evil psychopath ever and the repercussions of what she has and what she continues to do, much to the utter horror of her lovely hubby ( who guess what? has a secret too )
Great characters, believable plot that kept me hooked and a scary, realistic look at ‘what you see on the outside is not always what the reality is on the inside’
Did everything it should do and a bit more to make it stand out in a very busy genre
Enjoyable
8/10 4 Stars

Was this review helpful?

This is my first read of Cass Green and it was excellent. I have just looked at some of her other titles and will be buying at least a couple of these, as they are exactly the style of book I enjoy.

Anya, a high flyer working in London, and Elliott, a primary schoolteacher, are married and seemingly relatively happy. From extremely different backgrounds Anya is close to her parents while Elliott has lost both of his. Anya will rush home to her parents if needing emotional support leaving Elliott to fend for himself. He idolises her but we know he has secrets from the past.

The story is told from different viewpoints, Elliott and Irene. Irene has lost both her sons and is desperate to find them.

An encounter in the school playground with a pupil and his father leads to events beginning to happen to Elliott and his standing at the school is called in question. Everything escalates, and Anya seems to be spending more time with her parents.

Irene is looking for her sons, Liam who disappeared in 2003 and Michael, who turns up in a hospital after attempting suicide. Irene is not convinced that Michael would do this so sets out to find the truth.

Many thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and Cass Green for my ARC in return for my honest review.

Brilliant read and highly recommended.

Was this review helpful?

The Killer Inside by Cass Green
Thanks @netgalley @harpercollinsuk
Publication date 5th September
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
I was so excited to receive this ARC as I’m a big fan of Cass Green, particularly ‘In a Cottage in a Wood’ which is one of my favourite books. This book is just as good and exceeded all my expectations.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
The story follows newlyweds Elliot and Anya who are happily in love, despite being from very different backgrounds. We soon discover that one of them are harbouring their own dark secret, but which one? This book has other characters and their stories intertwined throughout and it takes a while for the stories to connect and come together. However, this made the story much more engrossing and suspenseful. The ending. Wow! I highly recommend you read this book. An excellent and unique story. Five stars xxxxx

Was this review helpful?

The Killer Inside was a very confusing book - for the first 50%. I was not sure if I would keep going as I had no idea what was happening and how the characters tied together. Once I hit 50% the story drastically changed and the pieces finally fell into place. I really enjoyed the shock of the second half of this book, it moved at a very quick pace and I read it in one sitting.

The story is told from multiple points of view and as I said before for a while I had no idea why we were hearing from them all. There is Elliot who is a teacher and happily married to Anya. That is until one day at a music festival she starts to act strangely and pulls away from him and their marriage. Elliot has no idea why. There is also Irene whose sons have both disappeared - one a few weeks ago and one in 2003. She has no idea why or where they have gone. It all sorts itself out in the second half of the book and things escalate quickly!

Thanks to Harper Collins UK and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

Was this review helpful?

A psychological thriller which examines the lengths family will go to to protect their own and how lies can affect you even decades onwards. Cass Green is not an author I know, but I’ll definitely be reading more of her work. A thought-provoking novel which will haunt me for some time to come.

Was this review helpful?

This was another cracking read from this author and hard to put down, The author has the knack of drawing you in with twists and turns along the way. Loved it.

Was this review helpful?

This was a brilliant read! I really enjoy Cass Green as an author, I love the twisted domestic noir scenario where everyone has their secrets. Quite a quick read, or maybe it's just because I couldn't put it down!
Some absolutely horrible characters and some parts of the story are really sad. My heart broke for Irene, I really felt for her with all her family traumas. I wouldn't call this a thriller as such, more a study in family relationships with some dark twisted goings on. I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.

Was this review helpful?

this was my first Cass Green book but won't be my last. At first the characters were confusing but this soon went. The book is a great read and I'd recommend highly. Complex characters and manipulation are a great combination

Was this review helpful?

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. What a great thriller and another fantastic read from this author who can do no wrong in my eyes. Well worth a read.

Was this review helpful?

This is my second Cass Green book and won't be my last.

In this thrilling story we follow multiple points of views:

Elliot: Happily married to a woman called Anya, during the summer he gets his hands on some sought after festival tickets where their favourite band Foo Fighters are playing, both Elliot and Anya are excited to be going, however something occurs at the festival that causes Anya to act strange and her behaviour seems to become stranger and stranger everyday after, what has happened to make Anya behave this way? what is she hiding?.

Irene: Irene's son Liam went missing in 2003, he disappeared without explanation just a note saying he needed to sort his head out and Irene hasn't heard from him since. Irene's other son Micheal hasn't made contact for a few weeks either, Irene begins to panic and can't bare to have two sons vanished, she starts on a mission to find out what happened to him, what will she discover?

Liam 2003: We piece together the events that lead up to Liam's disappearance in 2003.

These story lines eventually come together in what is a page turning tale that I couldn't put down. I really feel like Cass Green has progressed as a writer and you can really see this in her writing of this novel, I couldn't put this book down at all and although I kinda had an idea of what had happened I didn't know the how or why. My only complaint of this book was that I felt a couple of plot points weren't tied up at the end and I was left wanting to know what actually happened and how we got there. Apart from that though I really really enjoyed this thriller and would highly recommenced it and read anything else from this author in the future.

Was this review helpful?

A really great thriller with totally unexpected twists. Brilliant and definitely worth reading.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Was this review helpful?